Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. Homeowner s insurance is probably the single most important tool you have for protecting your biggest investment and your family s security, but it isn t a buy-it-and-forget-it deal. Besides just keeping your premiums current, you should review your policy every year to be sure it covers any changes to your property, like that new boat in the garage or the home office you added. Take out the camera and create a photographic inventory of everything you own. Keep the records with your policy in a fireproof safe or in a bank safe deposit box. Things like testing your smoke alarms, installing deadbolts, shoveling the stairs when it snows and getting a building permit for that new deck are all pretty much common sense, but they re also commonly neglected, leading to claims due to accidental injuries, theft, fire and, most often, water damage. Frequent claims lead to higher premiums, so give yourself a break: Work out a home maintenance schedule that covers all the bases and put safety projects at the top of the list. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Homeowner Teresa Fogolini greets Bob as he enters the house for the final walkthrough. Bob remarks that this is move-in time for the homeowners, but little remains of their belongings since they lost virtually everything when Hurricane Charley destroyed their home. Cynthia Guncsaga from Bacon's Furniture Galleries joins them to explain how they determined furniture selections and design schemes for the new home. Guncsaga explains that it's important to learn from the homeowners, what they like, and start from there to assemble groupings and themes. Fogolini and Bob mention the Porcelanosa steel-look tile that became the driving force for the colors selected inside, picking up on the blues, browns, and natural hues in the tile. The bamboo welcome garden in the front yard becomes a material theme that is carried throughout, in the furniture frames, tables, and chairs. Art that reflects the style of the homeowners including a painting depicting a hurricane survival kit are on loan from Presseller's Gallery in Punta Gorda. In the bedroom, natural wood tones continue and complement the Brazilian Walnut hardwood floor from Bellawood. Neutral tiles and earth tones complete the look in the master bath.

Todd Davison from FEMA is with Bob to talk about Hurricane Ivan and the power of storm surge. Ivan, unlike Hurricane Charley, had a very wide path and was slow moving. As a result, the storm surge was tremendous and the damage widespread. In the Florida Panhandle, 15, 000 homes were destroyed and another 25, 000 were uninhabitable. Storm surge built with this hurricane because of its slow, forward-moving track that pushed Gulf water ahead of it. This surge lifted bridges off their supports and homes off their foundations. Davison points out that there are building guidelines to prevent such damage. FEMA is actively involved in promoting guidelines for how to rebuild to fend off future damage. Protecting against storm surge is a huge focus for building practices because it forces water under slabs and presents a vertical risk of uplift to the home. Model codes now require that new homes be raised above the projected flood height. The Punta Gorda storm-ready house is nine and one-half feet above the water, a move that will save the homeowners more than half of the non-code premium for flood insurance. For homes built before the code, they are grandfathered and eligible for insurance but at a much higher rate.

We'll tour the coastal town of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, and meet the contractors, Betsy and Kevin Kalman, and the other I'On developers, to discuss building strategies and techniques.

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