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How to Install Glass Fireplace Doors
This article explains how to quickly and easily install fireplace doors to help it become more efficient and safer.
A Guide to Modern House Framing Materials
Learn about the new technology and techniques in framing construction, which allow for higher ceilings, larger open spaces, and even cantilevered rooms.
S27 E17: Things Are Coming Together
Norm Abram finds general contractor Tom Silva at work on the dramatic 3-story stair. Landscape contractor Roger Cook visits a 500-acre sod farm in Rhode Island to see how sod is grown and harvested.
S27 E16: Modern Conveniences in a Modern Home
Richard Trethewey shows master carpenter Norm Abram the mechanical room. Norm travels to a fine-furniture shop in Auburn, Maine, to see some of the modern cherry furniture being made for the house.
S27 E15: Contemporary Design Elements
Roger Cook sets the massive bluestone treads on a stringer that appears to float over the new water feature. Richard Trethewey shows Kevin why a chiller makes sense for cooling a house on a tight urban lot. Flooring contractor Pat Hunt shows Kevin the new engineered floors from Europe.
S27 E14: Fine Craftsmanship
Roger Cook installs two concrete storage tanks that are part of the underground water collection system. Norm Abram travels to Middletown, Rhode Island, to see the custom mill shop that is machining the stair treads.
S27 E13: Interior Finishes Begin
Roger Cook shows host Kevin O’Connor how he’s installing a pre-fabricated pitched structural foam trench drain. Kevin visits the Stata Center at MIT.
S27 E12: Dramatic Staircase
Tom Silva oversees the installation of the steel stairs. Richard Trethewey gives Kevin an update on the mechanicals.
The Washington, D.C. House
This tough old building has survived everything, including crack-addicted squatters. Now it's returning to habitability as a 3-bed, 2-bath beauty.
S27 E11: Rain Slows Some Progress
Tom Silva shows Kevin how he’s creating a modern look inside by using minimal wood trim around the windows. Roger Cook starts installing 18 tons of bluestone in the front courtyard.
A Wall of Windows Goes Into the TOH Cambridge House
Catch up on advances in home-window manufacturing.
A Guide to Nail Sets
Here are the different types, features, sizes of nail set tools and when to use them.
S27 E10: Creating a Dramatic Entryway
Norm Abram explains the decision to use a formerly controversial exterior cladding system known as an exterior insulated finishing system, or EIFS. Kevin finds Tom Silva and chimney specialist Mark Schaub working with the new gas fireplace unit.
The Art of Adobe Restoration
Remodeling with adobe can make a house look as good as it did when it was first built.
Its Name is Mud...Or More Precisely, Adobe
In this guide, we'll explore the rich history, sustainability, unique characteristics, and enduring appeal of adobe construction.
How It Works: Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Carbon monoxide is responsible each year for more than 200 deaths (and possibly thousands more unreported, nonfatal poisonings) in the U.S.
S27 E9: A Water-Feature Welcome
Tom Silva removes the old steel slider in the living room and replaces it with a more energy-efficient, insulating glass unit. Norm Abram travels to Keene, NH, to meet artisan tile manufacturers Stephen and Kristin Powers.
S27 E8: Real Stone, Flat Roof
Kevin finds stone specialist Jason Buechel installing natural quartzite veneer on the landscape walls. Tom Silva oversees the installation of the low-slope EPDM roofing system.
S27 E7: Water Damage Brings Opportunity
Master mason Lenny Belliveau gives Kevin a lesson in block work. Kevin travels to Los Angeles to see a restored modern house that once belonged to Hollywood legend Gary Cooper.
Ice Dam Prevention
Here’s how to prevent ice dams in 8 steps so you can enjoy a winter free of icicles and the damage they can do to your roof.
Fast Fixes for Ice Dams
Read these quick tips to help prevent ice dams before the snow even falls.
What You Should Look for When Purchasing Vacant Land
Want to build your dream house from the ground up? Know what to look for when buying vacant land to turn your land-owning dreams into reality.
All About New Insulation Options: A Homeowner’s Guide
Learn how to pick a new insulation option for your home. Our guide covers materials plus health and safety considerations.
Invisible Peril
Why you may be breathing poison gas from your garage—and what to do about it
25 Secret Renovation Sources
We raided our Rolodexes (and Palms and Blackberries) to bring you a handpicked list of places where the savvy go for extraordinary home products