Episodes List
Ep.1 Accessible Home: Housing Project Introduced
Air Date: 1998-09-07
In a neighborhood outside of Boston, work begins on an affordable housing unit for a person with disabilities. Included: soil decontamination and foundation excavation.
Ep.2 Accessible Home: Framing and Shingling
Air Date: 1998-09-14
Asphalt shingles and flashing are added to the roof, and walls are prepped with special blocking for mounting safety handrails. Also: tips on paneling and working with a culturally diverse crew.
Ep.3 Accessible Home: Installing Siding
Air Date: 1998-09-21
A special weather- and fire-resistant siding is installed. Also: finishing the basement work and running electrical wiring.
Ep.4 Accessible Home: Insulation and Door Installation
Air Date: 1998-09-28
Insulation work is begun and trenches are dug for the new water service. Also: Boston Mayor Thomas Menino stops by to help install the front door.
Ep.5 Accessible Home: Designing for the Disabled
Air Date: 1998-09-28
Bob Vila talks with experts to understand the difference between adaptability and accessibility when designing homes for disabled people.
Ep.6 Accessible Home: Building the Railing System
Air Date: 1998-10-12
The railing system is built and integrated with the front porch columns. Also: a tour of Boston's Roxbury community, making a comeback from urban blight.
Ep.7 Accessible Home: Building the Railing System Stairs
Air Date: 1998-10-19
Landscaping begins, the modular stair system is anchored, and the front porch ramp is built.
Ep.8 Accessible Home: Installing a Tankless Water Heater
Air Date: 1998-10-26
Recessed lighting and a cost-effective tankless water heater are installed. Also: a tour of a lighting manufacturing plant.
Ep.9 Accessible Home: Shower Stall and Drywall
Air Date: 1998-11-02
Drywall goes up and plumbing begins on a shower stall designed for wheelchair users. Included: a field trip to learn about new trends in community living.
Ep.10 Accessible Home: Accessible Fixtures and Elevator
Air Date: 1998-11-09
The elevator is put in, and bathroom fixtures are installed along with hardware specially designed for people with disabilities.
Ep.11 Accessible Home: Energy Efficiency Discussion
Air Date: 1998-11-16
The energy-efficient boiler is installed, and Bob Vila heads to Germany for a tour of the plant where the boiler was made.
Ep.12 Accessible Home: Lockset Installation
Air Date: 1998-11-23
A specially designed lock set is installed, along with an energy-efficient, side-by-side washer-dryer.
Ep.13 Accessible Home: Accessible Unit Tour
Air Date: 1998-11-30
Bob Vila tours the completed unit, paying special attention to the wheelchair-accessible kitchen with energy-efficient appliances.
Ep.14 Loft Conversion: Loft Conversion Initial Tour
Air Date: 1998-12-07
Conversion of an old fur storage building into a residential loft begins in Boston's Leather District. Included: a walking tour of other well-preserved antique commercial buildings in the neighborhood.
Ep.15 Loft Conversion: Plumbing, Heating and the 'Big Dig'
Air Date: 1998-12-14
Installation of plumbing and heating begins. Included: a look at the progress of Boston's famous highway project, the 'Big Dig'.
Ep.16 Loft Conversion: Plastering the Loft
Air Date: 1998-12-21
Plastering is begun on the project, while Bob Vila takes a trip to Cambridge to meet a landscape architect who converted an industrial building into a spacious home and office.
Ep.17 Loft Conversion: Elevating the Kitchen and Bedroom
Air Date: 1998-12-28
A platform is built to raise the kitchen and bedroom above floor level. Included: a visit to a nearby finished loft.
Ep.18 Loft Conversion: Paint and Plate Glass Windows
Air Date: 1999-01-04
The entryway and foyer are painted, and the plate glass windows are replaced throughout. Work on the bathroom begins with shower tile installation and lavatory plumbing.
Ep.19 Loft Conversion: Framing a Wall With Built-in Cabinets
Air Date: 1999-01-11
Bob Vila addresses the challenge of framing and plastering a 48-foot wall with an almost imperceptible curve. Plus, built-in cabinets are constructed.
Ep.20 Loft Conversion: Installing Plumbing Fixtures
Air Date: 1999-01-18
The bathroom progresses with the installation of an electrically powered full-body shower tower, a dual-speed pressurized toilet, and a glass lavatory.
Ep.21 Loft Conversion: Installing Stainless Steel Countertops
Air Date: 1999-01-25
Installation of the restaurant-style kitchen is begun, and Bob Vila tours the fabrication shop where the steel materials being used were custom-made.
Ep.22 Loft Conversion: Drywall and Plastering Tips
Air Date: 1999-02-01
Bob Vila offers tips on installing precision drywall and plastering in tricky places. Plus, a bookshelf nook is built and stainless steel appliances are installed.
Ep.23 Loft Conversion: Installing Track Lighting
Air Date: 1999-02-08
Finishes are installed in the bathroom and elsewhere in the loft, track lighting is put in. Included: a tour of Lightolier's Tech Center to learn about the power of light to change the mood of a space.
Ep.24 Loft Conversion: Building a Closet System
Air Date: 1999-02-15
Architect Greg Rochlin is on-site to oversee the fabrication of the hallway closet system-- a multicolored design pieced together in Formica laminate. Lighting designer Markus Earley returns with some snazzy fixtures and controls, and the stackable Maytag washer/dryer unit is installed in the closet.
Ep.25 Loft Conversion: Kitchen Work and Shutters
Air Date: 1999-02-22
Work on the restaurant-style kitchen continues, as the wire shelving system is built and the stainless steel range hood is installed.
Ep.26 Loft Conversion: Loft Conversion Final Tour
Air Date: 1999-03-01
A tour of the completed conversion project begins with the building's restored facade and ends with the sixth-floor residential loft.
