Bob meets architect Bill Bauhs in his office to take a look at the changes that are going to be made. Bill tells us that the house has been measured and the information entered into the computer to make a CAD footprint of the building. He shows us the off-center bearing wall that runs through the building with rooms on either side. This is typical of buildings of this era, but it is important to open up the wall and create larger spaces to bring the house up to modern standards. By eliminating one bedroom, Bill creates a large living and dining space. He also consolidates two bedrooms into a galley kitchen and breakfast area and makes the original kitchen and porch into a master suite. Next Bob and Bill take a look at the plans on paper. They point out the changes that have been made and transferred to the paper drawings. The new breakfast area features a window seat and the new master suite has a dressing area and enlarged bathroom. The basement is opened up to allow future bedrooms and a family room and the mechanicals are grouped along one wall. The upstairs rental unit is reconfigured the same way as the first floor giving it a more open and updated look.

House six of the Elmwood project. The brick walkway goes in and the railings are replicated by Forester Moulding.

House five of the Elmwood project. Porch restoration continues. Forester Molding re milled many elements of the porch.

Brece Rupolt of Northern Marble & Granite meets with Bob to discuss the countertop template that needs to be made before cutting. Brece makes his template from a sheet of polystyrene plastic, which is flexible and can be rolled up for easy transport. He then stiffens empty spaces with steel yard sticks to continue the straight surface and measure the countertop. First he locates the sink opening and faucet holes. Walls are rarely square, so next he cuts to fit the walls. He takes the ruler and measures the difference from one end to the other and makes a cut to fit the wall. At the other end her marks on the bottom where the finished end will be and adds a radius at the corner to soften it up. Next Brece makes an opening for the under-counter double Kohler sink using a paper template. He cuts out the template on the cutting line with a utility knife and transfers the outline of the paper template to the plastic. Using his knife and a straight edge, he cuts out the opening for the sink. This is the traditional method of making a template. Next Bob meets with Paul Hansen of E-Template to discuss how a template can be made electronically. Paul places markers on each straight section of the tops of the cabinets to outline where the countertop will go. He also places other markers to identify special sink cutouts. Many times a sink or stovetop manufacturer will provide an electronic template to add to your custom e-template. Paul also uses a scale of a known length to help define the precision of the countertop. Then he takes two or more digital photographs from different angles. The photographs are downloaded into a computer aided design program to create a template and then cut by machine.

Bob moves on to the master bathroom and reviews the work already completed. Shelving has been installed as has paneling under the window. New double windows give a nice historic look. The windows have a historic look but hi-tech, with low-emissivity glass for improved energy efficiency. Bob then talks with Grant Garcia and Chris Dada of Sterling Surfaces who are installing a Corian tub surround. Garcia explains the caulking being applied has mildew resistance to prevent mildew that forms inside the seam between the soaking tub and the deck. Garcia explains that Corian is non-porous and won't support the growth of bacteria and mold. The Corian is custom fabricated to fit the tub. This custom fitting is done through a digital photo template system. A series of photos of the tub are taken, fed through a computer, and rendered into a CAD drawing for the cutting and construction of the tub deck. The Corian has been cut to accomodate the addition of a tile covering against the cementitious board on the back wall of the tub. The deck has a water damway to prevent water from getting through the base of the tiling, wicking up the drywall, or seeping into the wood in back of the cement boards. Garcia recommends using a tool when working with the caulking, as human hands can introduce bacteria that can cause problems.

Evan Zgonis of Olympia Marble and Granite gives Bob a tour of the facility where the kitchen countertops are being manufactured. The marble slabs are brought in from the yard by crane. Once the slabs are brought in, the majority of the process is then automated. The first step in the countertop fabrication process is to square off the edges of the slab with a water saw. After that, the marble is brought to a CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) machine. The machine's cutting head is controlled by a computer that has been programmed with the dimensions for the countertop design. The designs were created from a template made on site. The key points are marked on the slab, and using a CAD program, they are then fed into the computer. The machine can make complex cuts by utilizing different blades and manipulating the slab, all automatically.

Bob explains that the house being remodeled was built in 1921 and has never had a real facelift on the exterior. As a consequence, the home's trim, porch ceiling, decking, and windows were all in need of repair. Bob points out the oriel window's exterior frame that has allowed cold air into the home. To fix this problem, local carpenters were called in to tear it apart, insulate, and restructure it. Forester Molding & Lumber was then brought in to replace the 85-year-old trim. Bill Hopkins from Forester Molding & Lumber reviews how old house moldings cannot be found in lumberyards and must be replicated. Hopkins uses a needle gauge to trace the profile of the trim. The needle gauge is then placed on a piece of graph paper and traced. The profile is then used to search for available matches in the Forester catalog. If there is no match, the trim is scanned into the computer and a specialized knife is cut. The knife is then used in the machine to rip the molding.

Dupont has provided a new product for the solid surface kitchen counters called Zodiaq, which is made of natural silica, quartz, and about eight percent polymer. Zodiaq quartz surfaces are made of a naturally refractive material that gives it a subtle sparkle. It is extremely hard making it resistant to scratches, chips, cracks or dulling and not porous making it hard to stain. The man-made stone countertops are easier to care for than 100% natural stone and are installed in the same manner. In our kitchen the installer used a technique called a mason�s mitre that gives the joint between the pieces additional surface area for the polyester epoxy to bond. The epoxies from Dupont are specially formulated to match the countertops color. David Miller from Desavino and Sons is on hand to explain the countertop installation. One of the unique things about a Simplex house is the exacting consistency of measurements. A digital image is sent from Simplex to the countertop fabricator and they either create a template from the image, or cut the countertop directly from the image provided by Simplex.

House eight of the Elmwood project. The side entrance deck needs more support. An underground sprinkler system is installed and a look at replicating an old railing.

Bob visits with Brian Stowell at the Crown Point Cabinet factory in Claremont, New Hampshire. Crown Point uses a number of different woods for their cabinets, including quartersawn oak, Appalachian cherry, Honduras mahogany, and silver maple, while the interiors of the boxes are made from premium hardwood plywood. Crown Point uses a computer numeric controlled overhead router to cut the pieces for the boxes. It runs an entire sheet of plywood making all the cuts, dadoes, peg holes, etc. maximizing the use of the wood and reducing the chance for human error. Hardwood for the doors are hand selected, cut to length in the chop saw, grains are visually matched before jointing, and then glued up on a large glue clamp rack with a special glue able to withstand the heat needed for the oven-baked finish. Raised panels are shaped by a high-speed profile cutter to get their beveled edges. Door construction is essentially tongue and groove. They are hand- and machine sanded and then either hand stained or painted with an old-fashioned milk-painted finish.