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Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. U.S. Gypsum developed a way to sandwich plaster between two paper faces and make wallboard as early as World War I, but the manpower shortage of World War II is what really made it catch on. Before drywall, builders nailed lengths of wood, called lath, to the studs and then applied several coats of plaster to that for a smooth finish. As many of us with old houses can attest, lath and plaster walls can last a long time but they re hard to deal with if you re having rewiring, insulation and plumbing needs. Drywall comes in various thicknesses. For interior walls, one-half-inch works fine but won t stand up to heavy abuse. Five-eighth-inch is required for fire hazard walls like garages and basement entries. Standard paper-faced drywall is grey and comes in 4x8 or 4x12 sheets, designed to make it easy to cover from stud to stud with minimal cutting. But even cutting is made easy. Most drywall scores and snaps with a simple utility knife. Holes can be cut by hand with a short keyhole saw or a small rotary tool. Special fiberglass-faced drywall was recently introduced to help prevent mold problems that can develop when traditional paper-faced drywall gets wet. This new product finishes just like paper-faced drywall with tape and joint compound. Behind tile, in bathrooms and in other wet areas, it s important to use cement board. This denser product is waterproof and faced with fiberglass mesh that won t degrade or mold when it gets wet. In the past, some builders used a product called green board in bathrooms, but time has shown that this product is not a good substitute for cement board. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

The miter saw is one of the most versatile and accurate tools you can add to your workshop. You can pivot the blade over the base to get the exact angle you want. And you can cut piece after piece and be sure that the angle will be the same. This is especially useful for moldings and frames. Best of all, you can shave small amounts off to adjust your cut till it's perfect.

Cutting through the roof sheathing with a circular saw, once the pieces are cut they can be removed in small pieces. Then the rafters and some of the ceiling joists are removed. A temporary shoring wall was built to support the workers on the ceiling joists. Demolition continues on the roof and interior walls are removed.

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. Drywall has been the wall finishing material of choice for most of a century because it s so easy to install and finish. Another of its virtues is that when it s damaged, it s easy to repair. For scratches or small dents, a quick swipe of joint compound with a 3- or 4-inch putty knife and a bit of sanding before priming and painting will do fine. For small holes up to 3 inches, self-adhesive plastic mesh tape and then a coat or two of patching compound will work. For medium-sized holes between 4 and 6 inches, try a drywall bandage. Check to make sure there s no electrical wiring in the area first, then use a keyhole saw to cut the hole into a neat square or rectangle. Transfer that shape onto a piece of new drywall, add 2-inch margins and cut out the larger patch piece. Trim off the back and gypsum in the 2-inch margin but leave the face paper uncut. Spread patching compound around the outside edges of the hole and press the bandage into it, feathering the edges. Let it dry. Then sand and re-coat with compound. Finally, sand again, prime and paint. For really big holes, you can use the tie and twist bracing method. Cut a piece of drywall or a length of 2x4 a few inches larger than the hole. Drill two small holes in the center and loop a 2-foot string through it like a button. Tie the ends around the middle of a stick. Apply adhesive to the back edges of the hole inside the wall. Adhere the patch piece and twist the stick from your side of the wall until it holds tight. Then, fill the remaining space with drywall patch pieces and mesh tape. Finish with compound as usual, cutting the string and pulling it out just before it dries. For super-large holes bigger than a foot wide, cut the drywall back to the two nearest studs and expose them halfway. Cut a new panel of drywall to fit and attach it as you normally would with drywall screws, joint compound and tape. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Bob talks with Nick Christy of Atlantic View Landscaping Construction about the "hardscaping" work being done in the yard. Christy explains how the granite retaining wall was installed in the front of the house. The antique stone used in the project was salvaged from the Danvers State Hospital. The stone still shows the old chisel marks . Christy reviews how the stairs from the curb were replaced with the salvaged granite. The walkway up to the house was also dug up and replaced with a bed of compacted stone dust and a top layer of small pebbles edged in steel for a more relaxed walkway. The stones used in building the stairs and retaining wall were dry set within a trench. The stones were cut using a diamond blade on a portable saw. Sometimes the cut pieces were flamed with a torch and the edges chiseled to regain the antique look. Christy reviews how the front yard was replaced with a raised bed. A natural fieldstone pathway will run across the yard to the back of the home. Christy shows Bob the work being done on the backyard, including the French patio being lined with natural fieldstones. The yard will have a gravel base with pebbles embedded into that surface. To prevent flooding, a sloped sub-grade was added below the center of the terrace and a perforated pipe installed and covered with fabric and crushed stone. This pipe should handle all the run-off from the hillside and carry it away from the home.

Well-pruned shrubs have a natural look and are healthy, allowing for new growth.