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

Bob gets some tips about how to hook up an automatic ice maker from plumber Ed Mann. Ed demonstrates how to connect the ice maker with the water supply in the house. One-quarter-inch soft copper tubing is used and an extra five feet of slack is left on the line in order to move the refrigerator in and out without removing the line. Ed likes to use a copper tee and compression valve instead of the saddle valve because the earlier method will result in many years of service whereas saddles have a tendency to leak. A compression fitting is used to make up the copper tubing to the solenoid valve on the refrigerator.

Take a look around your home. The landscaping can be attractive but is it as safe as it can be in the event of a natural disaster? Every year falling trees and limbs cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage as well as personal injuries and deaths. In Orlando it's estimated that more than 20,000 trees were lost in that city alone due to Hurricane Charley. Whether it's a hurricane, tornado, ice storm or wildfire - trees that are old, weak, diseased, not properly maintained or just in the wrong place can be a dangerous hazard to your home. But there are ways to protect your home and family from damage and injury caused by trees. Here are some suggestions. Choose the Right Tree Some varieties of trees are more prone to storm damage than others. Thousands of homes have been damaged because nearby trees were wrong for the soil or region where they were planted. A strong wind can easily topple a shallow rooted tree growing in soft soil. City foresters, county extension offices, local nurseries and landscape firms can provide advise on tree selection for your area and soil conditions. Learn how to care for your trees Regular and proper pruning can strengthen the health and vitality of your trees. Removal of dead, diseased or damaged parts of the tree will also stop the spread of disease and harmful insects that can significantly weaken or destroy your tree. Avoid pruning branches flush to the tree. Doing so removes not only the limb but part of the trunk, opening the tree to possible decay or insect damage. Learn how to spot potential problems early Homeowners are the first line of defense against problem trees - regularly check for signs of damage or disease including: Cracks in the trunk or major limbs Insect infestations Trees that look one-sided or that lean significantly Branches hanging over the house or near the roof Limbs in contact with power lines Mushrooms growing from the bark signaling decay Crossing branches that rub or interfere with each other Tree care professionals including arborists, can examine trees for more subtle signs of weakness and take care of problems including pruning limbs that may be too big or too high for a homeowner to take down safely. Plant with Wildfire in Mind In recent years, thousands of homes have been burned and lives lost because of wildfire and in many cases improper landscaping has contributed to the problem. In areas of wildfire risk, landscaping should be considered an essential part of fire protection. Create a defensible space around your home using this rule - clear at least 30 feet around your home, 50 feet if your are in a heavily wooded area or 100 feet if you live on a hillside. Plant fire resistive, native vegetation. Space trees at least 10 feet apart. Remove dead or dying trees. Keep trees properly pruned. Branches of mature trees should be at least 6 feet from the ground and shrubs under the trees should be no more than 18 inches high. Trim branches so they don't extend over the roof or near the chimney. Properly dispose of cuttings and debris. Plant with Crime in Mind Burglars enter a home in the United States every five seconds. You can avoid becoming a statistic by making sure your home doesn't look like a target of opportunity. Trim shrubs and trees back to avoid a hidden entry into your home and trim lower limbs of trees that could help a thief climb into a second story window.

Metal roofing has long been associated with agricultural and industrial buildings; but these days, new sytems designed for residential use are becoming enormously popular. These standing-seam steel shingles are coated to resist corrosion and can withstand high winds, rain, snow, and ice. Installation is easy, and there is no welding involved; you just attach them to the roof with metal clips and screws.

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. While you were having fun in the sun this summer, it was no vacation for your house. Sun, wind and rain can cause as much wear and tear as snow and ice. A fall checklist will tip you off to some problems before they become nasty mid-winter surprises. Check your house from top to bottom. Start by inspecting the roof with binoculars: Are your shingles worn or failing? Check the attic for signs of leaks around the skylights or vents, chimneys, and have your chimney cleaned once a year. Clear out your gutters and check for leaks there, too. Drain your outside hose spigots if you live where pipes can freeze. Switch your screens for storm windows, and seal any drafty windows and doors. The same goes for paint and siding: make sure you caulk or repair those gaps around windows, doors, trim and vents, and replace any siding that is failing. In the basement, check for dampness on the floor and walls, test your sump pump, flush your water heater and check for any signs of leakage. Clean your dryer vent regularly. Make sure that paints or any flammable materials are stored away from heat sources in a closed metal cabinet. And make that appointment to have your heating system serviced yearly. Do the top-to-bottom check this fall, and you ll avoid expensive surprises this winter! Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. While it s a job many of us would love to ignore, gutter cleaning is an important twice-a-year ritual all homeowners need to adopt. When clogged gutters overflow, they can cause ice dams on the roof that force water inside your house. They can also get so heavy that they ll pull the gutters loose and rot the trim and siding. Even if your gutter doesn t fill to overflowing each season, leaving any decaying debris in there is an invitation to carpenter ants and mosquitoes. If you have a lot of trees around your house, you might want to clean your gutters even more frequently. There are lots of ways to do the cleaning. You can find inventions like tongs on an extension pole, shop vacuums with gutter nozzles or even a remote-controlled gutter-running robot. But most methods eventually involve getting on a ladder. If you have gutters above the first story or aren t comfortable on a ladder, you re better off hiring a pro. To clean your gutters yourself, wear gloves, a dust mask and safety goggles. Make sure your ladder is well-footed at all times and use a ladder stabilizer, or stand-off, to keep from denting and damaging your gutters. Scoop the debris into a garbage bag with a garden trowel, then rinse toward the downspout with a high-pressure nozzle on your hose and scrub it clean. Try to avoid spattering the siding in the process. Next, clear the downspouts with a hose or auger. Installing leaf strainers at the drain tops will cut down on the large clogs. When it rains, check for leaks and mark them with a china marker so you can patch holes or correct pitch problems when it s dry. There s debate about whether gutter caps or screens are worth the investment of up to $7 a running foot. Because nothing keeps all debris out, you still have to have your gutter cleaned every couple of years at least, and screens and caps make it much more difficult and expensive to do it. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com

Ken Langevin from Owens Corning tells Bob about the architectural shingles that have been selected to replace the old roofing material. The shingles are called architectural because they have a three-dimensional look, and they have a 40-year warranty because of the extra build-up of asphalt and mineral granules. Contractors find the shingles are easy to install. The ridge vent comes in a roll. It's rolled out on the ridge and attached with a nail gun. It has a wind driven baffle so any rain that does get in will just sit, and it's covered with the hip and ridge shingle to give it that architectural, three-dimensional look. They also installed an ice and water barrier on the ridge and eaves so that any ice build-up in the gutters won't be able to push up underneath the new shingles.

The roof of the Mashpee affordable home is ready for shingles. Dan Horton of IKO shows Bob the Cambridge 30 double-layer shingle selected for the roof. It is a laminate-style architectural-look shingle that is made from a fiberglass core coated in asphalt. Fiberglass is tear-resistant and will not grow mold or mildew. When used with an ice and water barrier applied 36 inches up the roof, the IKO shingles offer an extended 50-year warranty. These shingles sell for $50 to $60 per square and come with a self-sealing adhesive bead on each shingle.

Tim Berky and his crew are removing existing cladding from the Queen Anne Victorian to fit the ledger board for the deck tight into the house with an ice and water barrier to protect it against water penetration. A pressure-treated 2-by-10 will be fitted up against the house and hung with joist hangers. An ice and water barrier will actually protect the metal from the corrosive effects of the chemicals used to treat the lumber. Berky and the crew build the first beam by nailing three boards together that are pitched to shed water off the deck and away from the house. The rim joist for the deck rests on the six-by-six posts that serve as deck supports coming up from the concrete piers. Two-by-fours are used as temporary supports as the doublers are built and set to level on the new pressure-treated columns.

Bob opens the segment with a look at the Certainteed Landmark shingles selected for this project. Fabricated with a dragon's tooth angle, the Landmark shingles give the impression of a handsplit shake roof. Next Bob flashes back to the construction of the roof. Starting with the raising of the laminated veneer lumber (LVL) ridge beam onto the gable ends, Bob walks the viewer through the various steps in the process - laying out 20 foot 2 by 10s for the rafters, marking a ridge cut at the top of each rafter and a crow's foot at the bottom, positioning and securing the rafters to both sides of the ridge starting at the center, applying the CDX plywood sheathing followed by an ice and water barrier as underlayment for the first course of shingles, nailing on the aluminum drip edge, and finally laying out and applying the first course of shingles. Once the first course is finished, felt paper is stapled to the rest of the sheathing as underlayment. After the roofers have finished shingling all the way to the top, they add ridge vents and soffit vents to prevent moisture from building up under the shingles.