Although the project in the Melrose home began as a basement expansion and remodel, it soon expanded to include portions of the home that either needed repair or offered opportunities for improvement. The front of the house had some serious landscape and hardscape improvements made, including putting in a retaining wall and new shrubs and bushes. A white cedar fence was put along the side of the house. An area of peastone was put in the backyard along with a section of NewGrass artificial grass. Tom Pena of Atlantic View Lighting reviews how the outdoor lighting fixtures were installed. In this case, a 20 watt Astrobrite bulb was used which should last a long time and is user-friendly as it is resistant to oils on human hands. The Uniques stem and fixture are solid brass and feature a lifetime warranty. A 25-foot wire was used to power the lights, 22 of them in all. Every fixture in this case has a 20 watt bulb. Different sections of the yard could be designed to handle lighting differently. Photocell lighting is available to turn lights on automatically when it turns dark. No matter what size the lighting job, installers should work in order from the last light installed back to the hub to make sure things work consistently.

Bob Reeves from Blue Haven Pools joins Bob to review the advanced pool cleaning and filtration systems. The 450 square foot microban filtration system has four paper cartridges for a longer cleaning cycle. The filters need only be cleaned once per year rather than monthly. The sanitation system is a copper-silver device that is virtually chlorine free. Trace amounts of chlorine are required to activate the system, but it cleans the water by killing bacterial, oxidizing the solids and dispersing them. A heat pump is also installed to allow cool-weather swimming. The electric heating unit has advanced heat exhangers for efficient operation. The LED pool-lighting system has five different colors and multiple lighting scenes for evening light shows.

Tim Woods of the Internet Home Alliance highlights some connected home features of the Quechee farmhouse for Bob. The ADT iCenter is an internet enabled security and monitoring system that also does messaging, email, and can be tied into the phone system for voice messaging. Users get their own web page for email, news, sports, local weather, and more. Additionally the system can be used to control lighting from any room in the house. It also can be used as a key fob to turn on lights remotely as users approach the home. The PBX Panasonic phone system provides small business services like conference calling, intercom, and call forwarding. The Honeywell thermostat can be remotely controlled from any phone so users can begin warming up the house while still in transit.

Bob talks about the "Smart House" system that will be installed in a house. He first looks at some light fixtures. The recessed light fixtures being used allow insulation to come into direct contact with them. Pete Tim, the electrician, explains that with Smart House wiring there will be an integrated computer system that controls cable TV, communication, appliances, heating and air conditioning, and security. They look at a hybrid branch cable that is used for wiring. Pete also uses some innovative cable stackers that keep the wires in the center of the wall cavity so no one will put a screw or nail in the wire.

The Boiler Room in a Box is one of the most fantastic advancements in the heating industry. All of the components come piped, wired and packaged in a shipping crate. Developed by A.I.M. Radiant Heating, the Boiler Room in a Box to takes the guesswork out of the component placement in the boiler

…friendliness, efficiency and economy of today's Oilheat. When it comes to your home and your family, you want your heating system to be safe and efficient. That's why Oilheat is a better choice when it comes to reliable comfort. A few valuable benefits…

Replacing an old filter can save as much as 5 percent on your heating costs. Step 1: Shut off the furnace. Locate the emergency switch for your furnace. Flip the switch to the "off" position to shut off the furnace. Flip the switch to the Step 2: Remove the filter cover door.

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. We all know that switching to fluorescent lighting saves energy and money. But if it s such a good deal, why aren t we all doing it?

…person supports the new fixture, slide the wires up into the bracket tube. You can use pliers to pull the wires through the tub, but be careful not to cut the wire insulation. Now, wrap the bare ground wire from the fixture around the green ground screw…

As Driscoll Electric prepared to install the track lighting in the loft, Bob toured the Lightolier Tech Center in Fall River, MA with lighting designer, Markus Early. Lightolier, the inventor of track lighting, has designed a facility to showcase the qualities, functions, and applications of light.