Bob discusses the Titanium UDL roof underlayment product with the roofing contractor and a representative from Simplex Industries. This engineered roofing underlayment product that is 100 percent asphalt free. The polymer resins and additives combine to deliver a roofing underlayment that can be used under on all types of primary roofing materials to replace asphalt felt paper. Unlike smooth surfaced underlayments, it has a walking surface technology that allows for steep slope walkability even in wet conditions. On the modular home roof the twelve-foot drop for twelve linear feet of roof this product has proven helpful to the contractors. The product can be installed in hot or cold weather.

Sandro Di Pede of Interwrap explains the new technology behind roofing underlayments like the Titanium UDL being used on the Mashpee affordable home. Used in conjunction with an ice and water barrier, the Titanium UDL underlayment creates a weather-proof roof that can remain exposed for up to six months before being clad in the outer roofing layer. This advance in building technology lets builders seal the envelope of the house and be more flexible with the roofing schedule without compromising the construction. This 100-percent-synthetic polymer underlayment is lighter but sturdier than traditional builder's felt. One 40-pound roll of Titanium replaces six rolls of number 30 felt. This equates to savings in time, material, and storage. The grey material makes for a cooler, reflective roof that reduces energy loads on the home during high-temperature seasons. Titanium UDL also has a Sure-Foot patented design that reduces slipping for roofing crews.

Jesse Gonzalez joins Bob at the Punta Gorda storm-ready home to explain the roofing process. The crew has already nailed on the 30 pound asphalt-impregnated felt paper. They are now hot mopping 90 pound roll roofing with asphalt adhesive to make it adhere to the felt paper below. Gonzalez shows Bob the decorative wood dormers on the front of the house that are wrapped in house paper to protect against water intrusion. Bob remarks on the decorative arches above the front entry porch and the front window. They mirror each other as design elements and will both feature decorative columns. Around the back of the house the crew is completing a section of roof deck. They are using 5/8-inch plywood sheathing for a stiffer, more wind-resistant roof deck. The crew uses metal plywood clips to align the plywood and keep it even for nailing.

Bob talks with Larry Janesky of Basement Systems Inc., about the equipment being put in place to prevent moisture damage. An underlayment is being put on the floor to prevent water transfer. The underlayment is a plastic intelocking subfloor made specifically for basements. Organic material, like wood, should not come into contact with the concrete subfloor because water vapor rises up through the concrete and can create problems with mold. Traditionally, people remodel basements by putting visqueen down on the concrete, laying down pressure-treated 2x4's, insulating in between the boards, and then laying down a plywood subfloor. The ThermalDry inorganic underlayment is a better solution as it has tracks to allow some air circulation. With a traditional subfloor, water vapor condenses into water underneath the visqueen then transfers to the wood and organic materials in the subfloor, causing mold and rot. Plumbing leaks can also result in a wet subfloor, causing the plywood to buckle and mold to grow. ThermalDry underlayment is quick to install, which saves time and money. The panels lock together with teeth and a shiplap design to stop the water vapor. The tiles allow for a little expansion and contraction and take up only a half-inch of the basement's ceiling height. This underlayment system costs about the same amount as the traditional method but, unlike traditional subfloors, does not require replacement after a water episode. If there is a water problem, the tiles can be lifted up, dried, and put back in place once the water issue is addressed. On a flat floor, the tiles will lay flat and the perimeter tiles will be secured to the floor. The completed floor will be made up of three layers: the underlayment, the pad, and the carpet. These multiple layers will minimize any sound from the rigid plastic coming into contact with the concrete slab. The Melrose home has a wavy basement floor, so extra fasteners will be put in to hold the underlayment down. A dehumidification system will be put in the basement to draw water out of the air before it becomes a problem. It's important to use a dehumidifier designed specifically for basements as most dehumidifiers are rated for 80 degree temperatures and basements typically are much cooler than this. In this project, the dehumidifier installed was a SaniDry Basement Air System which has air filtration built in and is Energy Star rated.

Bob opens the segment with a look at the Certainteed Landmark shingles selected for this project. Fabricated with a dragon's tooth angle, the Landmark shingles give the impression of a handsplit shake roof. Next Bob flashes back to the construction of the roof. Starting with the raising of the laminated veneer lumber (LVL) ridge beam onto the gable ends, Bob walks the viewer through the various steps in the process - laying out 20 foot 2 by 10s for the rafters, marking a ridge cut at the top of each rafter and a crow's foot at the bottom, positioning and securing the rafters to both sides of the ridge starting at the center, applying the CDX plywood sheathing followed by an ice and water barrier as underlayment for the first course of shingles, nailing on the aluminum drip edge, and finally laying out and applying the first course of shingles. Once the first course is finished, felt paper is stapled to the rest of the sheathing as underlayment. After the roofers have finished shingling all the way to the top, they add ridge vents and soffit vents to prevent moisture from building up under the shingles.

One of the key aspects of refinishing a basement is making sure it's dry and warm. Bob talks with Larry Janesky of Basement Systems about the steps taken to keep the Melrose basement dry. An interlocking plastic underlayment works as a subfloor for the basement floor. It's very important not to have organic material on the floor as it will be susceptible to mold from water vapor. Before the underlayment was put in place however, a perimeter drain was dug into the basement floor. The perimeter drain sends the water to a sump pump system. The system installed is called a Triple Safe System as it has three pumps inside; an AC pump, an AC backup, and a DC battery backup pump. Using this system, the basement should stay flood-proof. There is some standing water where the sump pump is being installed but this should not be a problem since the system has an air-tight lid on it so water cannot evaporate back into the home. A charger box for the sump pump alerts the homeowner when the pump is running on battery backup. Ice guard fittings have been placed over the pipes that carry the water to the exterior of the home so that water will drain even when water in the pipes is frozen. In an older home like this one, the foundation may be a little weaker and more porous than homes built today. To prevent rain water from seeping in through the foundation, a vapor barrier was installed. A product called Clean Space was also installed over the walls to direct water buildup from condensed water vapor into the perimeter drain. A flood ring was installed around the water heater, which will drain water into the perimeter drain. Dehumidifiers in basements should be basement rated. Normal dehumidifiers are designed to take water out of warmer air and might not be adequate for dehumidifying basements. A SaniDry Basement Air System was installed in the basement of the Melrose home. It can process 100 pints per day and has air filtration built into it. The system is Energy Star rated and will perform well in basement environments.

Bob makes his fourth visit to the home in Norwell, Massachusetts, where an addition is being put on a Colonial home. The project has involved the use of insulated concrete forms, also known as ICFs, to construct the shell of the addition. ICFs are essentially foam building blocks that are filled with rebar and concrete to form the walls and the first-floor deck. Next the second floor deck was framed and sheathed with Georgia-Pacific Plytanium DryPly. The roof was sheathed with Georgia-Pacific Plytanium and faced with Deck-Armor as a breathable underlayment over the roof deck. The roof was put on the house in cold weather and there was concern about adhesion between the StormGuard and the roof deck. Deck-Armor eliminates the possibility of frost damage. The StormGuard was placed over the Deck-Armor and nailed into place. Metal roofing was purchased from MetalRoofingWholesalers.com and installed on the addition by a professional. Hal Martin of The Metal Men explains the features of the metal roof being installed. The roof is made of steel with an aluminum mix known as Gavalume. This roofing material offers stronger protection against rust, especially at the ends of the roof line. Galvalume is available in any size up to 40 feet. A ridge cap is put over the top of the installed panels to prevent rain and moisture from getting into the roof cap. Care must be taken installing the Galvalume panels because they are large, unwieldy, can bend and be scratched.

The new family room is all done and furnished and looks terrrific. Bob talks with Sarah Monzon, the homeowner who also acted as the general contractor on the project, about the remodeling work done on the room. The room was a "cave" according to Monzon before the project was started. A pitted soapstone sink was previously used as a laundry and had become an eyesore. The room was also cluttered with accumulated junk. Because of the shortage of space in the house, the family decided to finish the basement to add to the living space of the home. Monzon acted as the general contractor for the project because there wasn't money budgeted for the expense, which was not necessarily an experience she would choose to repeat. The local inspectional services department provided a large amount of information for the novice general contractor. It is imperative before homeowners do any work on their home that they obtain the necessary permits and find out what is safe and what is not. If homeowners do work on their homes without a permit and anything goes wrong, insurance will not cover the damage. Before any work was done on the house, the basement floors were concrete and heating ducts crisscrossed the ceiling. There was flooding damage in the basement during the past fall which needed to be corrected and prevented in the future. Basement Systems was called in to install a perimeter drain and drainage system. A lot of existing plumbing was then moved from the ceiling to make more headspace and a new HVAC system was installed to move the heating ducts. The new central air system complete with an air filter made the house much more livable. In one of the smaller spaces in the basement, a new bathroom was installed with the help of technology from Saniflo. Owens Corning Basement Finishing Systems was then called in to install new finished walls. Many of the mechanical devices in the basement are now hidden behind the walls but are still accessible as the walls can be easily removed. A new entertainment center was then installed in the finished basement featuring a S1 Digital Media Center. The media center allows the homeowner to browse digital pictures taken using the family's digital camera or to set the image as wallpaper for the screen. Television shows can be watched or recorded using a schedule guide. The media center also can store home videos, movies, and music. New reclining chairs from Bell'O were put in the entertainment room. When laying protection from flood damage in a basement, it is important to elevate wood from the concrete floor. Instead of using a plywood underlayment, a plastic tile system was used which interlocks and can be screwed down onto the concrete. Plastic webbing underneath the tiles diverts any water which may come up through the concrete or spill in the basement to the perimeter drain. Slide-Lok cabinets were put in the basement to increase storage space. The Slide-Lok wall system was put in place to hang tools in the workspace. The husband of the family is a musician and uses much of the storage space to hold his instruments. Because the room can double as rehearsal space, two and a half inches of fiberglass are in the walls to reduce sound transmission to the outside. The basement has a small office space for the husband as well. Accents throughout the space correlate with other things in the room. The lampshades on the desk have a design which relates to the flooring product. The floor does not have a wall-to-wall carpet although it looks as if it does. The floor is from Binvetec and features tiles of carpet which stick to the floor. The product has interlocking patterns which can easily be layed down. Bean bags from Sumo were put in the room for lounging in and the kids love to play on them. A stairwell fishtank from AquaVista is only four inches deep.

Bob and Howard Brickman, the homeowner, move to the upper floor of the new addition. When completed, the new roof will match the line of the existing home's roof exactly. I-joists will be used for the rafters. The whole deck of the upper floor was put down using Georgia-Pacific DryPly. This plywood product is made of Southern yellow pine, is very strong and functional, and water-repellant. DryPly is designed to stay dry even when exposed to the elements for up to 30 days. It is ideal for use as floor decking because it is strong and stable. It can be used as a single-layer of underlayment for finish flooring, which saves time and materials for the builders. There are no unsupported edges with this tongue-and-groove plywood, so it is completely stable as a subfloor. Bob talks with Richard Brickman, Brickman's son, about working with the DryPly. The wood weighs about 75 pounds per sheet. The Brickmans use the same foam adhesive that was used to affix the exterior furring strips. This Pur-Stick polyurethane foam adhesive is applied wherever plywood meets the structure. This adhesive increases the stiffness of the structure without damaging the integrity of the EPS board. Bob talks with Peter Conlon from Todal Products about the adhesive, which is gun dispensed for a precise application. Pur-Stick does comes out like a shaving cream and chemically grabs the moisture out of the air, causing it to thicken and increase in strength. The foam should be allowed to sit for five to seven minutes before setting the board or trim. The set time can be reduced by spraying the foam with water on which speeds the absorption rate. The Brickmans use the adhesive to attach the DryPly to the framing, allowing the necessary space between panels for expansion and contraction. The Brickmans use hot-dipped, galvanized nails to secure the plywood because they have a rough texture that helps them grip better. The nailing pattern is every six inches along the edges of the board and eight inches along the intermediate joists. The gable end of the roof is clerestory construction with two shed roofs coming together. The vertical line of the gable will be a wall of glass.

Bob Fulmer from Harraseeket Restoration, Inc. joins Bob on the roof of the breezeway to install a double-lock standing seam copper roof. Before installing the copper, a plywood deck is applied, followed by a layer of bituthene for moisture resistance and then a resin paper slip sheet. The resin paper helps absorb the condensation generated on the back side of the copper panels by temperature changes. Additionally it insulates the copper from touching asphalt-based underlayment or bituthene on which standing water creates a diluted form of sulphuric acid which will degrade the copper. The copper panels are brake-formed at the shop and brought on site ready to install. The panels are joined in a double-lock standing seam in a two-step process. First the male edge is locked over the top of the female seam. Then a second seamer completes the second lock producing a one inch high profile double-locked at the top which is rolled over into the finished standing seam using hand crimpers.. This 16-oz. standing seam copper roof should have a 75 year life expectancy. Proper application is critical. Lack of provisions for thermal expansion such as permanently attaching the copper to the roof will create stress in the panel and eventually cause material failure. Also fasteners should be from the copper family or electrolysis will set up.