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Bob moves to the inside of the house to show the newly installed bay windows. He talks with Ken Henderson from Harvey Industries, a regional window company in the New England area. The windows are aluminum clad and pine inside. The glass in the window is low-e with krypton gas, which gives the window an Energy Star rating. Jack Silverio of J. Silverio & Co. Construction installed the windows. Silverio's family-owned business does residential work in the North Shore area. Henderson demonstrates how the windows can be opened into the home, allowing the front of the window to be washed from the inside. Bob notes that the new windows keep heat in and noise out.

Karen Brooks Hopkins, president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, gives Bob a peek at the restoration of one of its facilities. BAM, which held its first performance in 1861, is the oldest performing arts center in country. The original location on Montague Street in Brooklyn presented New York with some of the popular performers of the time, Ellen Terry, Edwin Booth, Tomas Salvini, and Fritz Kreisler. After a fire in 1903, the center was moved to its current location at the edge of Brooklyn's business district in the fashionable neighborhood of Fort Greene. After World War II the neighborhood and Facility went into decline. In the past thirty years the area has gone through gentrification and the surrounding community has been revitalized. BAM is now the largest presenter of contemporary international dance, theatre, and opera in the United States. The entire weatherworn facade is being renovated, including the terracotta cherubs and the colorful cornices. The architectural firm managing the BAM renovation is Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates. Hugh Hardy is leading the team, using modern technology and materials to restore the terracotta ornamentation, and the reconstruction of the parapet and cornice, which was removed for safety reasons almost 50 years ago. Work being performed also includes replacing the cracked brickwork and lintels, creating handicap accessibility, a partial roof replacement, refurbishment of stained-glass windows, cleaning of the facade, and the addition of an undulating, 130 foot-long glass entrance canopy.

Bob talks with Brian Heinz of Pella windows about the large, custom double-hung windows that are being installed in the Manhattan Brownstone. In keeping with the original 1890s-style window, they have selected a one-over-one double-hung window. This window is almost as large as can be ordered to allow the maximum of natural light and air into the apartment. These Pella historic replacement windows blend old-world style with energy-efficient low-emissivity technology. Low-e glass keeps heat in during the cold months and locks heat out during the warm months. The all-wood window frames are clad in aluminum on the exterior to keep them maintenance free. The interior features a historically correct ogee profile around the entire sash and a thicker bottom rail as was the style at the end of the nineteenth century. David Kneeshaw of Keywood Installers joins Bob for the installation of the windows. He shows how the masonry opening is framed in plywood that is glued to the original brick then screwed into place. Two-by-six members are then affixed to the plywood to build the frame out to the proper dimensions. Finally, aluminum receptors are cut to length and ripped before being glued and screwed into place as receptors for the new window. The caulking makes for a secure installation that fights off water penetration. These custom windows cost approximately $1,000 apiece and feature the new Vivid View high-tech screens from Pella.

Bob Vila visits a loft conversion in downtown Boston. He meets with Ryley and Bob George from New England Window, and helps install a bronze aluminum replacement window in an arched-top masonry wall.

Ron Gan repairs a broken window pane the old-fashioned way. Taking care not to damage the existing stops and trim, Ron removes the existing window to replace the glass.

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. It may seem like a bit of a stretch to think of housework as a money-saving endeavor but, believe it or not, dirt can cost you money. For instance, did you know that if enough dust builds up on your refrigerator coils it can burn out the cooling fan and overheat and destroy the motor? That s a very expensive repair or replacement you can avoid. Run a vent brush under the fridge to clean the coils and vacuum them thoroughly with the brush attachment each season. Be sure you unplug the fridge first, though! Vacuum baseboard heating units often to help them radiate more efficiently. Clean out your dryer vent every couple of months to help it dry your clothes faster. Dirt can hide where you least expect it. Unscrew the aerator from the end of your kitchen faucet and check for sediment that could be reducing your water flow. Make sure you get the benefit of the light you re paying for: dirty glass on porch and overhead light fixtures, sconces and even windows can actually block a lot of light. Dirty furnace filters make your heating system work harder and cost you more. Next time you re at the hardware store, buy a few extra filters and date them so you ll remember to change them regularly. If you have an electronic air filter, don t wait until the cleaning light is blinking red; frequent cleaning lowers costs. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008