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Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. Even if you live in a quiet neighborhood, laundry and dishwashers, hair dryers and even showers can make your house a noisy place. If you work at home, you know how important a quiet environment is especially when the kids are enjoying that fabulous new home theater. So, what s the best way to keep sound from going where you don t want it? You can absorb it, block it, break it or isolate it. Absorption dampens sound waves by converting them into weaker energy. Fiberglass batt insulation inside interior partitions actually converts sound to heat. Carpets, upholstered furniture and acoustical ceilings also help with sound absorption in large open areas. Blocking sound requires a barrier with enough mass to stop the air movement caused by airborne sound waves. you can block noise by using acoustical caulk in all gaps, double drywall, concrete walls or even lead sheeting. Breaking the path of the sound means removing the point of contact between the inside and outside so sound doesn t reverberate through the structure. Acoustic wall studs or a layer of foam under flooring allow the inner surface to float and isolate the noise. Even if you re not building a recording studio in your garage, there are lots of reasons to make noise control part of your next remodel. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

The existing basement floor was a cold concrete slab that will now have ceramic tile floor installed over radiant heat mats. Bob talks with Kevin Murray from NuHeat Inc. about the electrical radiant heating pads. The pads go underneath the tile and can reach a temperature of about 92 degrees. Using the pads to heat a room uses about the same amount of electricity lighting the room. The pads plug into a programmable thermostat so the heating can be set to come on at regular times during the day. Murray then demostrates how the pad is installed. First, it is dry-fitted to the floor and set to fit the general area. The pad is then affixed to the floor using an adhesive mud. After the mud has been put on the concrete and the pad set in place, a float is used to press it down. The pad is made of a porous polycarbon fabric. After all the pads are put in place, the tile setter can put in the mastic and tile. Mike Blangiardi from Portsmouth Quality Flooring set and grouted the tile after letting the thinset sit for 24 hours. The homeowners selected a DalTile ceramic tile for the laundry and bathroom area. The homeowners should wait another 24 hours once the grout is complete before using the room.

Bob visits with Mark Fortunati who is building traditional looking staircase in the foyer. The stringers, which hold the treads and risers, are the backbone of the staircase. Mark has already cut and fit the skirt boards. The skirt boards are basically a continuation of the baseboard that go up the sides of the stairs all the way to the top and must be carefully fitted and cut. That includes putting a dado on the back of each rise and on the back of each riser so that the two are fitted together in a traditional joint. Mark dry fits first before gluing the tread on to the first riser. Once he's sure of the fit he secures it using a good panel adhesive that not only helps it stay together but also prevents squeaking. The outside skirt is cut a bit simpler. There's no rabbeting, but it does have a miter cut on each side of the risers for a tight fit. Not every piece is glued together. The spindles (or balusters) sit in the little holes that receive them and are fit one by one into the bottom of the railing. Because they aren't glued or nailed, they can float or move as needed with expansion and contraction.