It should have the consistency of peanut butter. Use a handmister to thoroughly wet the space in between the bricks. Load brick wall, and pack the mortar into the cracks with a hand trowel or a jointer. Pack the mortar into the crack
Bob visits the Historic Mid-Georgian Vassal Craig Longfellow house with National Parks Service representative Jim Shea. Bob describes the home's unique history and notes the many architectural features.
Bob moves on to the master bathroom and reviews the work already completed. Shelving has been installed as has paneling under the window. New double windows give a nice historic look. The windows have a historic look but hi-tech, with low-emissivity glass for improved energy efficiency. Bob then talks with Grant Garcia and Chris Dada of Sterling Surfaces who are installing a Corian tub surround. Garcia explains the caulking being applied has mildew resistance to prevent mildew that forms inside the seam between the soaking tub and the deck. Garcia explains that Corian is non-porous and won't support the growth of bacteria and mold. The Corian is custom fabricated to fit the tub. This custom fitting is done through a digital photo template system. A series of photos of the tub are taken, fed through a computer, and rendered into a CAD drawing for the cutting and construction of the tub deck. The Corian has been cut to accomodate the addition of a tile covering against the cementitious board on the back wall of the tub. The deck has a water damway to prevent water from getting through the base of the tiling, wicking up the drywall, or seeping into the wood in back of the cement boards. Garcia recommends using a tool when working with the caulking, as human hands can introduce bacteria that can cause problems.
Bob takes us on a field trip to Cambridge, where world-renowned landscape architect Martha Schwartz has made a spacious and imaginative home and office out of an industrial building along the railroad tracks.
Bob continues his historic house tour with a look at Wickham House, a high-style museum designed by Alexander Parris, the architect of the Virginia governor's mansion.
Bob checks in on the Habitat for Humanity Blitz project in Yonkers, New York. He talks with Deane Evans of the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) about the photovoltaic roof shingles. This new product from United Solar Systems, called the Solar Shingle, protects the house from the weather and generates electricity at the same time. Ren Anderson from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows Bob how to nail the solar shingles on the roof just like conventional three-tab roofing. In this project, eight solar shingles are blended into the conventional fiberglass shingles to provide about 120 watts for charging battery-operated tools and toys in the shed below. Energy storage is provided by a 120 amp/hour battery. Ren hooks up the wires leading from the shingles to the other system components, which include a fuse, voltage regulator, and an inverter (which converts the direct current from the shingles into an alternating current that can be used by typical household appliances).
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