Once all the windows are in place, drying out the interior of the addition can be addressed. This drying-out process has become a concern for builders all over the country to prevent mold growth problems from developing within the house while it is being built. Kurt Bolden of HydroLab explains the process of determining how much moisture is contained within the building materials. HydroLab trains mainly insurance and restoration companies in the area of water mitigation in construction. HydroLab seeks to train contractors on the effects of water damage to a structure. A lot of materials delivered to construction job sites are wet, which may cause problems. Much of this material may appear dry and is installed anyway. When this happens, contractors are not aware of the moisture content load within the structure. Moisture is the number one cause of defects within a building. HydroLab maps out how much moisture is in each piece of material. To determine moisture content, a pin or screw is put into the material. A meter is then used to read the moisture content detected by the pins or screws. Fungal growth occurs in this region at about 16 percent moisture-content load. The lumber in this project is running at about 18 percent moisture content , so if this lumber is put behind insulation and prevented from drying, it could lead to increased risk of mold growth in the walls. Charles Cressy of Water Out reviews the drying out process to prevent mold growth in new structures. To do this, an environment promoting the rapid evaporation of the bound water should be created. Dry and warm air is piped into the building and circulated throughout. The moisture trapped in the building material should become part of the air that is circulated and sucked out of the building. The Water Out trailer is typically used to dry out flooded buildings. The trailer is capable of drying out a building incredibly fast.

Bob meets Jack O'Leary, the plumbing and heating contractor for this remodeling project. They discuss the old heating unit, which was an oil-fired steam system that used radiators throughout the house. The house has doubled in size since adding a new addition, and the old unit can't handle the new load. It was too costly to add another steam unit, so they decided to go with an oil-fired boiler. This works well for the homeowner, since oil is cheaper than electric, and gas isn't available in the area.

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. Whether you re building a whole house or just adding a new bathroom, one of your first decisions has to be how you re going to heat the new space. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, radiant heat is more efficient than baseboard or forced air systems. Rather than just blowing hot air around the room in bursts, radiant systems slowly and steadily charge the floor with heat, keeping it where you want it, longer. Hydronic, or water-circulating, radiant systems are best for new construction or large additions. They come in many forms, for installation just below the subfloor between the joists, directly under tile or hardwood flooring, or even inside a concrete floor slab. Where you only need to heat a small space, like a bathroom, electric radiant is an easy luxury option. Electric radiant mats can be installed directly under tile and are ideal over a concrete subfloor. Set the timed thermostat to turn the system on only when you ll be using the room, like the morning when you shower, and it ll use less than 15 cents of electricity per day. This way, you don t have to make room for ductwork or baseboard units when you add a bathroom. On a cold winter morning, your toes will thank you for choosing radiant heat! Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Barry Driscoll is in the basement installing a state-of-the-art surge protector from Square D. Barry hooks up a main surge protector for the whole house that will take care of all the appliances, electronics, and anything else that could be damaged. It also protects the telephones and cable TV that run throughout the house. This eliminates the need for individual surge protectors on separate appliances. This can be installed in a retrofit as well as in new construction. Barry is also installing an arc fault detector. These units that are now required by the new national electrical code for branch circuits in bedrooms protect against fires from arcing caused by damaged wires (if you hit a wire while hanging a picture), deteriorating electrical insulation, stressed electrical cords, or misapplied or damaged appliance use. The arc detector was designed to detect overloads, short circuits and arc faults and open the circuit and stop the arc fault and its high intensity heat before a fire is likely to ignite.

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.

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.

Advanced framing is the name given to techniques designed to reduce the amount of lumber used and waste generated in a residential construction project and to improve a home's energy efficiency.