Tim Berky is installing the Merillat cherry cabinets in the remodeled kitchen in Rowley, Massachusetts. Bob remarks that redoing the floors and bringing them to level makes the installation much easier. Berky adds that the new cabinets will be level to within 1/8 inch. Bob reviews the cabinet features, including the track system and compression closing device that prevents pinched fingers. The drawers are dovetailed wood with solid cherry faces. The cabinet boxes are pressboard that is gusseted for strength at the corners. Berky is installing the base wall cabinets with cabinet screws that have a broader head for a better hold. He has premarked all of the studs before drilling so that he will get a solid seat for the screws. Berky roughs in the cabinet, shims it, checks for level, then screws the cabinet into the wall and through the adjoining face frame before trimming off the shim. Berky finishes the installation by dressing out the toe kick with a cherry-stained board that he glues and nails in place. Bob looks at the glass-front upper cabinets and the island that is made to look like an Italian-style table with floating legs and rails. Berky secures the legs to the floor to avoid movement or damage.

Bob meets with Charlie who has all the cabinets in place except for a final one that will go on one side of the new Thermador range. Charlie explains that when installing the cabinets Jimmy first determines the high point in the floor since old houses tend to be out of level. Then he draws a level line across the wall from the high point and shims the cabinets up so that the tops correspond with the level line. The shims will later be hidden by a toekick. Then he installs the cabinets centering the sink base on the wall and working his way across. The cabinets are fastened together with the doors off by driving screws through from one stile to the next. The doors are put on after the cabinets are installed. Next Charlie and Bob work on installing the final cabinet, checking for plum and level and shimming where necessary. Charlie drills a hole through the back of the cabinet and into a stud and drives a screw in to secure it in place.

Tim Berky has the rough opening prepared for the installation of the inswinging French doors. The doors come with temporary handles for installation that will be removed as the assembly is set in place. These Pella French doors have a triple-latch system that latches at the top, middle, and bottom for additional security. The door set with handles and locks is made of oil-rubbed bronze to combat the damaging effects of salt air.

Bob talks with Howard Brickman of Brickman Consulting about how to fix squeaky floors. Brickman first he checks the moisture level in the joists to make sure it is in a normal range. Changes in moisture content cause wood to shrink and swell, which contributes to making floors squeak. Brickman reviews some of the cross-bracing that has been put in place to help make the floor stiffer. Having floorboards that run at an angle rather than perpendicular to the joists gives the floor more strength. Brickman explains how to fix a squeak, by first determining where the squeak is located, either between the sub-floor and the top of the joist or between the wood floor and the top of the subfloor. Brickman thinks the problem is between the wood floor and the sub-loor based on the sound of the noise. Screws are driven from the basement into the the sub-floor, pulling the wood floor and sub-floor above down and pressing them close together. A 2x4 is drilled into the top of the joist and the bottom of the subfloor to reduce the squeak by pulling the subfloor down tight to the joist. Brickman then discusses the use of shim shingles and construction adhesive to reduce squeaky floor noise when they are driven home between the joist and the subfloor.

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Getting a Dremel® Multi-Max Oscillating Power Tool is almost like getting 5 tools in one. With it you can cut, grind, remove grout, scrape and sand. Powerful and heavy-duty, the Multi-Max is just the tool to help you tackle a wide variety of do-it-yourself projects.

Sustainable materials, non-wasteful practices and energy efficiency are hallmarks of eco-friendly housing efforts. Now, one organization and a federal program are looking more directly at how these efforts can make homes healthier for their occupants.

you and your family stay comfortable the entire season while protecting your investment. The good news is that it doesn t have to be expensive. There are a surprising number of easy things you can do at minimal cost that can maximize energy savings this winter. BobVila.

BEFORE. This washed-out fireplace has no pizazz. Faux painting and a refinished mantle subtly enhances the bricks, offering more depth and character. Photo courtesy of Brick Transformers.

Oklahoma City-based kitchen designer Karen Black-Sigler appreciates the texture that stone and brick veneer can bring to a room. She s incorporated both into her own kitchen. Photo courtesy of A Karen Black Company.