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Bob stands in the small downstairs addition of the Wayland home, explaining how in one week the grounds have changed from pouring footings to building walls. Ryley explains how the lining up the sub-floors and insuring they are flush is vital to the addition. Landers Shows how the layout of the windows and walls will affect the living space. A wall is put up and made plumb. Bob, Ryley and Landers review the construction flow chart and point out how critical a time line is to building.

Homeowner and contractor Nick Beasley walks Bob through the progress to date in the master and kids bath, including leveling the floors, building partition walls, and installing cementitious board for the wall and floor tiles. Beasley explains how they discovered inadequate framing for the windows when they removed the wallboard on the exterior wall. They reframed the wall with a header, making it structurally sound, and prepared to install matching windows. Beasley shows how to open up the building wrap and prepare a watertight window installation. He begins by cutting the building wrap down the middle, to the two bottom corners, then across the top. He staples the paper back and trims the excess away. He then uses Pella's waterproof self-adhesive tape along the bottom sill and up six inches on each side. He doubles up the bottom pieces and lets the exterior section extend 1/2 inch so that water will flow to the exterior and away from the house. He explains that it's important to work from the bottom up when waterproofing a window so that any water that gets in will run down and away, not getting caught behind any flap as it runs. Beasley opens up the nailing flange and roughs in the window before checking it for level and plumb. They shim the window at the bottom, middle, and top before checking again for level and plumb, and nailing it into place. They finish the installation with low-expansion insulation foam to fill the voids around the window. Beasley stresses that it's important to use low-expansion foam so that it won't expand too much and push te window out of plumb or cause difficulty for window operation. Cordell Burton is then back with Bob to review the Pella Architect Series windows the Beasleys selected for their 1895 home. These two-over-one wood interior and aluminum-clad exterior windows are Energy Star rated for high efficiency and feature replica-style hardware. They are constructed of double-pane low-e glass and are argon-filled for maximum energy efficiency.

Bob reviews the construction layout of the first floor. The old kitchen was ripped out for a staircase to the second floor and a foyer with coat closet. Bob points out a new header into the living room. In the dining room Bob points out the conversion of the old ceiling to a new ceiling and floor for the second story. Bob heads out to the garage where a new steel beam (girt) has been placed to support the weight of the second floor across the 24-foot expanse. Bob and GC Larry Landers point out the framing work and bracing to keep the walls plumb and true.

Checking your work for level or plumb is crucial; here's how to select and use the right tool for the job. I recommend using a fiberglass level. It'll absorb shock well and won't bend or get knocked out of calibration. Two-foot levels are the most commonly used, but to check for level over a longer distance, move up to a four footer, or you can attach a two-by-four with equal spacers to make a straightedge.

Bob watches Tim Berky cut the mortises for the hinges on the solid-core, cherry-veneer door from Woodport. Berky uses a Hinge Mate from Precision Tools to guide his cuts for the three hinge mortises on the door. The oil-rubbed bronze butt hinges from the House of Antique Hardware will match the decor, handles, knobs, and pulls throughout the remodeled space. Berky then uses a jig to cut the mortises on the jamb, checks for plumb, and attaches the hinges and doors.

Bob joins Scott Renfroe from Great Southern Windows for the installation of nine foot by eight foot sliding patio doors. Like the windows throughout the house, these are WinGuard impact-resistant glass doors from PGT Industries. The door opening, like the window bucks, has a pre-cast concrete lip that will prevent the door from blowing in and give it a firm seat for installation. An installer is laying a bed of mud or concrete mortar on the door sill to make a bed for the door frame. Renfroe explains that this helps set the door and also gives a soft bed to help level it. Once the frame has been set in the wet mortar and adjusted for level, temporary screws are installed in the frame so that Renfroe can check for plumb and begin to shim the gaps. He installs set screws, places the shims, drills through them, checks for plumb, then pre-drills and drives the permanent screws into the concrete walls. The frame will sit for at least a day while the mortar sets up because installing the heavy glass panels would compact the mud and disturb the level.