The heavy-duty metal Bilco bulkhead is installed using a crane to lower the bulkhead frame onto the pre-cast concrete stairs. The crew from S. T. Griswold drills pilot holes in the concrete and bolts the heavy gauge steel frame onto it. Finally they install the doors and the latching hardware and the bulkhead is finished. Security from intruders and snow loads is one of the key features of this system.

Bob meets Larry Landers, who is working on the access to the old bulkhead, a trapdoor, essentially. The trapdoor is kept in place in order to access the basement from the outside of the house. Sheet lead flashing and an ice and water barrier are used to waterproof the trapdoor. To give the door stability they use four pressure treated cleaters. They use two inch galvanized screws to secure the plywood sub-floor/door to the cleats. They use stainless steal nails to secure the decking to the plywood.

Bob is at the Mashpee home site for the installation of the pre-cast basement entry system from Bilco. He looks at a finished system and remarks on the light, sturdy doors that are molded of high-density poyethylene, ribbed for strength, yet light weight and low maintenance. He then visits an installation in progress to see how the pre-cast concrete stairs are drilled to accept the threaded steel rods that will join the stairs to the foundation. The faces of the stair system that will receive the butyl resin and bond with the foundation are first primed with a catalyst to help the butyl resin adhere. The resin is laid on in strips that will flatten, spread, and compress as the stairs are lowered into place and pressed against the foundation to form a water-tight seal. The stairs are made of 5,000 PSI (pounds per square inch)concrete that is so dense it doesn't need waterproofing treatment like the foundation. The door leaves are installed last, with pre-molded cutouts for the hardware. These light, ribbed doors are actually as strong as steel, but never need to be scraped, primed, or painted. They are sold as a premium product, at a higher price than traditional steel doors, because they are built to be secure and maintenance-free. These doors shed water by design, and direct it away from the house and the door opening.

Installer Juan Gonsalves shows Bob how to install steel stair stringers. Simplifying the stairbuilding process, these stringers mount directly to the foundation's concrete wall.

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.

CLR's flagship cleaning products include CLR Calcium, Lime and Rust Remover, CLR Bath & Kitchen Cleaner and CLR Septic Treatment and Drain Care. With its unique formula, the CLR brand gets the job done on sinks, tubs, showerheads, toilets, appliances, furniture, patios, cement and gutters.

Former supermodel Cheryl Tiegs enjoys her Cambria countertop, a greener alternative to her Italian tiles that once cost her thousands of dollars and harsh, environmentally hazardous chemicals to clean. Photo courtesy of Cambria Natural Quartz Surfaces , www.CambriaUSA.com.

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.

Many homeowners will have to deal with big heating bills this winter. But there is good news. Those bills are not expected to contain the huge price hikes 23 percent for heating oil and 18 percent for natural gas predicted earlier this year. A slowed economy has driven down some prices.