Bob and developer John Druley walk through a home under construction by Qualker Homes in Falmouth, Massachusetts. This standard design is used for both the market-priced and affordable homes. The overall dimensions of the house are 26 feet by 36 feet. A center-door entry leads to 13-by-18-foot living room on one side and a 16-by-13-foot master bedroom on the other. The back of the house has a 13-by-18-foot kitchen with a back door and a window onto the backyard, a half-bath and laundry, and an entry to the master bedroom with full bath, tub-shower combination, double-bowl sink, and linen closet. The upstairs has two bedrooms with operable skylights and a full bath. This three-bedroom, two-and-one-half bath Cape will be lotteried as an affordable home to eligible families who make between $29,000 and $65,000 per year, and who qualify for a traditional mortgage. The home is stick-built with traditional 2X4 framing, oriented strand board (OSB) exterior sheathing, low-e glass, tilt-in vinyl windows, and gas heat. Bob and Druley point out that an affordable home must be affordable to operate and heat as well as being affordable to purchase.

Bob discusses the Habitat for Humanity mission and projects. A nonprofit, nondenominational housing organization, Habitat has built more than 125,000 houses in more than 87 countries, including some 45,000 houses across the United States since 1976.

Bob takes a tour of some of the grand old houses still left from Roxbury's heyday at the turn of the century. After a period of serious urban blight, this once-grand Boston community is making a dramatic comeback.

Bob recaps the work done so far in the nursery project at the home in Melrose, Massachusetts. The house has already been insulated for the tough New England winters and will now be insulated for sound control. Bob talks with Arline Bronzaft, an Environmental Psychologist with a PhD in child development, about the importance of raising a baby in a quiet environment. Bronzaft stresses the importance of a good night's sleep for an infant. With this in mind, Bob reviews a discussion he had with Harry Alter of Owens Corning and the installation of their sound attenuation product, QuietZone. Alter reviews the necessary safety equipment for installing the Owens Corning QuietZone batt insulation and demonstrates how it is installed. Alter shows how to mark outlets and cut the insulation to accomodate them. Alter also shows how the insulation can be split apart to surround existing wiring. Bob talks to Alter about making sure all the stud cavities are filled and to be on the lookout for any gaps or cracks. Alter reviews with Bob the differences between acoustic and thermal insulation. This product is a lighter weight density insulation designed specifically for accoustic insulation. A special caulk is applied in gaps and cracks that cannot be filled by the QuietZone insulation, particularly where the walls meet the floor, ceiling, and door, and around all outlets.

The EdenPURE Infrared Portable Heater can cut your heating bills and save you money. With over 1,000,000 EdenPURE heaters sold EdenPURE is #1 in both savings and reliability. Remember not all heaters are the same. There are many imitators on the market but only one EdenPURE.

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.

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.

For a long time, it seemed there was nothing new under the Sun as far as window coverings were concerned. But in the last 15 years, innovation has taken hold of the industry, and now consumers have a bevy of choices to look at when deciding how to dress their home s glass.