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Bob explores Harvard Square with architectural historian Brian Pfeiffer, vice president of building conservation for the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities.

To determine how many four by eight drywall panels to buy, divide the square footage you need to cover by thirty-two. You'll need about a half gallon of joint compound and forty feet of drywall tape for every hundred square feet of drywall. To estimate fasteners, figure about three pounds of screws (or about 5 1/4 lbs. of drywall nails) for every thousand square feet.

Here's how to estimate how much paint you need for the job. Most paints will cover about four hundred square feet per gallon but check the label. If the surface is rough or porous, add twenty percent. If it's the first coat on concrete, double the figure. With brushes or rollers, figure a waste factor of ten percent.

To keep tools from disconnecting from the extension cord, try this: Before joining the cords, first make half of a square knot, like tying your shoes before you make the bow. Then plug the ends together. Avoid using the undersized cords that can cause voltage drop, tool overheating, and power loss.

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. Countertops are such a big part of any major kitchen remodel and there are so many new options, deciding on the best choice can seem a little daunting. Starting with the budget can make the decision easier. Countertop materials range widely in price, anywhere from $11 to $200 per square foot installed. Generally speaking, while high-end countertops can boost your kitchen s look, you don t want them too far out of sync with the price point of your cabinets and appliances. Heavier materials like concrete and natural stone can also require added support, so cabinet and countertop quality should be consistent. Once you ve decided what you can spend, you can narrow your countertop options. For smaller budgets, get creative with ceramic tile at $11 to $30 per square foot. Or, check out some of the new high-tech options in laminate, which can be fabricated and installed at $36 to $45 per linear foot. Solid surface countertops offer lots of creative color options from $40 to $60 per square foot installed, and an integral solid surface sink is a great easy-care feature. In the $50 to $100 range, there are many choices. Among them are wood and butcher block with its warm beauty and natural antimicrobial properties; natural stone like slate, soapstone, marble, travertine and granite with all the quirks of nature built in; and engineered quartz countertops with a wide color range and more consistent patterns. Stainless-steel and concrete countertops are generally the most expensive at around $100 on up per square foot. But they can also be fabricated with integral sinks and they re great if you re going for that restaurant or industrial look. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. Bathrooms are, like it or not, wet areas. Even if the rest of your house has gleaming hardwood floors, they re not the best choice for your bathroom. While some wood-look laminates can be glued and sealed to resist moisture, if water does get beneath the surface, the affected panels have to be replaced, which isn t simple or cheap. Cork flooring, properly installed and treated, can be a good alternative if you want that warm wood feeling. Cork is sustainably harvested, naturally anti-microbial and mildew-resistant. All it needs is a coat or two of eco-friendly acrylic binder to seal the joints and make it suitable for bathroom installation. Polished stone or glossy tile are slippery when wet, so if you re going with tile, look for a sandblasted or textured finish. Any stone or tile can be very cold underfoot, so consider installing a radiant heat mat beneath it. Stone and porcelain tile can be very expensive, but there s a huge variety of ceramic and glass tile available from $3 to $20 per square foot, installed. Tile installation is an advanced do-it-yourself job that can be physically demanding and time-consuming. But even if you hire a pro, it s a good investment. Some Realtors estimate that every dollar you spend on tile installation adds $1.50 to your home s value. For budget installations, vinyl tiles are the cheapest and easiest to work with. They don t last as long as sheet vinyl, though, and the gaps between them can be hard to seal. While it s a myth that sheet vinyl is an easy do-it-yourself project, there are lots of great new patterns and colors to choose from, costing between $2 and $7 a square foot. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. Snow clearing can be a very strenuous job, even with the help of a snowblower. If you aren t physically able to do it or just don t want to ever again, you should look into the latest in snow melting technology. The simplest way out is the manually applied de-icing solution. Applied before a snowfall, it keeps light snow from accumulating. It can last a week or two, but you have to stay on top of it. Heated driveways, the envy of some neighborhoods, can cost between $10 to $15 a square foot to install. One type is the hydronic system that runs heated water mixed with anti-freeze under the driveway surface and requires a boiler and controls. Proper installation is crucial as a leak can compromise the whole system. The other type is an electric radiant system, which uses low-voltage mats under the driveway surface and can be purchased as smaller roll-out mats for walkways that must be kept clear at all times. Either type of system can be controlled manually, which works if someone is home to turn it on before the snow falls. But because snow is such a good insulator, late starts can keep a system from working at all. Automated controls are more expensive but work best as they turn themselves on when they sense the right moisture and temperature. Heated driveways cost about 25 cents a square foot per month to operate, depending on your climate and electric rate. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008