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Bob Ryley is in the garage workshop in this episode helping Bob build a planter box for the sunroom. Using a compass to draw intersecting circles, Ryley creates a simple pattern for the legs of the box. Next, he scores the line with a knife before cutting with a saber saw. The legs are joined to the main boards with biscuits and some wood glue. To make the end pieces, Ryley again uses a compass to create the outline, and then cuts the pattern with a saber saw. The end pieces are attached with glue and some nails. Finally, the bottom board is laid inside the box and nailed in place. When it's complete, Bob and Ryley move it to its new home under the picture window and add some potted plants.

Bob meets up with Fred Giuggio in the former barn where the crew is installing QuickStep wood laminate flooring. QuickStep is a glueless flooring. It's engineered using an 8-millimeter board. The boards just click together on all four sides. It has a 25-year stain, fade, wear, and moisture warranty and comes in 25 different colors including the "bianco" selected for the barn/studio. The crew puts the QuickStep Unisound 1/16 sound attenuating floating pad on top of the concrete slab and lays the QuickStep on top of that. It's quick and easy to install and since its uses no glue, post-installation cleanup is a breeze. During installation spacers are placed around the perimeter allowing 1/4-inch for expansion. Boards are staggered to prevent joints from lining up. A board is locked in on one side, positioned as close as possible to the next board, locked in and then tapped from the end to secure the mechanism. If a board is damaged it can be easily removed and replaced. The product has a vapor barrier on top with removable tape on the edges. The installers peel away the tape and stick the edges together so that they butts rather than overlap creating a uniform vapor barrier throughout the space. The product can be cut with a crosscut saw for installation around columns, etc. It cleans up with a damp or dry mop.

Bob meets with Dave Parker to tour the MacMillan-Bloedel parallam engineered wood beam factory. Outside is a car and beam supported by cardboard boxes demonstrating the strength of parallam beams. David explains they use both good and waste Douglas Fir veneer to create their beams. The veneer pieces initially have a high moisture content, so they are first passed through a dryer that blows three hundred degree air on the sheets of veneer. After they are dry, they are put into a shredder, which cuts the veneer sheets into large strips. A gap in the conveyer belt allows the small strips to fall through. These scrap pieces of veneer are used to fuel the dryer. Next resin is applied to glue the strips together. A belt moves around and from side to side so the strips drop into a trough parallel and overlapping, key factors in the strength of a parallam beam. The trough is thirty inches deep and, after it is filled, it is compacted to a depth of eleven inches. Next, the beam is cured in a microwave to ensure a secure bond. It is passed through a cooling station and then a saw cuts it to the desired length. After cutting, the beam is inspected for imperfections, and once approved, is then wrapped and shipped.

Work continues at the sister project house where a new Kahrs "Linnea" laminated floor system is being installed. Tim Colgan from Kahrs is on site with Bob to explain the process. A four-piece construction method is used to make the floorboards. The surface layer is an acrylic coating that protects a decorative wood veneer. The structural layers consist of a high-density fiberboard bonded to a pine backing layer. During installation, an underlayment is placed over the concrete slab floor to prevent moisture infiltration. The individual floorboards snap together using a modified tongue-and-groove system that does not require glue or mechanical fasteners. A benefit of the system is easy repair; damaged boards or flooring sections can be "un-snapped" and replaced.

The Mahogany railings for the elevated rear deck are being constructed, and Bob meets with Kevin Parquette who is doing the final assembly work. The deck features ample room for entertaining and is surrounded by a a simple, easy-to-construct railing. The railing is assembled from readily-available materials, and features decorative rail caps for a finished look. Parquette is using 8-penny stainless steel nails to assemble the railings. The nails are pre-coated with glue. When driven into the wood, the heat generated by the friction of the nail passing through the wood activates the glue, creating a strong and secure fastening system. Layout for the railing is done on the surface of the deck. The vertical balusters are sandwiched between two horizontal rails along the bottom, with a store-bought top rail securing the assembly. Once assembled, the railing sections are simply secured between the four-by-four-inch posts.

Here's a technique professional carpenters use to conceal nails or screws: use wooden plugs. Use a dowel bit to drill out the plugs. Dip each plug in carpenter's glue, and tap it into place over the nail or screw. Let the glue dry, then shear the plug off with a wood chisel. Sand the suface smooth and apply your finish.