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Episode 1 - Accessible Home: Housing Project Introduced
Release Date: 1998-09-07In a neighborhood outside of Boston, work begins on an affordable housing unit for a person with disabilities. Included: soil decontamination and foundation excavation.
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Episode 2 - Accessible Home: Framing and Shingling
Release Date: 1998-09-14Asphalt 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.
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Episode 3 - Accessible Home: Installing Siding
Release Date: 1998-09-21A special weather- and fire-resistant siding is installed. Also: finishing the basement work and running electrical wiring.
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Episode 4 - Accessible Home: Insulation and Door Installation
Release Date: 1998-09-28Insulation 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.
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Episode 5 - Accessible Home: Designing for the Disabled
Release Date: 1998-09-28Bob Vila talks with experts to understand the difference between adaptability and accessibility when designing homes for disabled people.
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Episode 6 - Accessible Home: Building the Railing System
Release Date: 1998-10-12The 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.
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Episode 7 - Accessible Home: Building the Railing System Stairs
Release Date: 1998-10-19Landscaping begins, the modular stair system is anchored, and the front porch ramp is built.
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Episode 8 - Accessible Home: Installing a Tankless Water Heater
Release Date: 1998-10-26Recessed lighting and a cost-effective tankless water heater are installed. Also: a tour of a lighting manufacturing plant.
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Episode 9 - Accessible Home: Shower Stall and Drywall
Release Date: 1998-11-02Drywall 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.
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Episode 10 - Accessible Home: Accessible Fixtures and Elevator
Release Date: 1998-11-09The elevator is put in, and bathroom fixtures are installed along with hardware specially designed for people with disabilities.
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Episode 11 - Accessible Home: Energy Efficiency Discussion
Release Date: 1998-11-16The energy-efficient boiler is installed, and Bob Vila heads to Germany for a tour of the plant where the boiler was made.
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Episode 12 - Accessible Home: Lockset Installation
Release Date: 1998-11-23A specially designed lock set is installed, along with an energy-efficient, side-by-side washer-dryer.
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Episode 13 - Accessible Home: Accessible Unit Tour
Release Date: 1998-11-30Bob Vila tours the completed unit, paying special attention to the wheelchair-accessible kitchen with energy-efficient appliances.
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Episode 14 - Loft Conversion: Loft Conversion Initial Tour
Release Date: 1998-12-07Conversion 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.
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Episode 15 - Loft Conversion: Plumbing, Heating and the 'Big Dig'
Release Date: 1998-12-14Installation of plumbing and heating begins. Included: a look at the progress of Boston's famous highway project, the 'Big Dig'.
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Episode 16 - Loft Conversion: Plastering the Loft
Release Date: 1998-12-21Plastering 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.
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Episode 17 - Loft Conversion: Elevating the Kitchen and Bedroom
Release Date: 1998-12-28A platform is built to raise the kitchen and bedroom above floor level. Included: a visit to a nearby finished loft.
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Episode 18 - Loft Conversion: Paint and Plate Glass Windows
Release Date: 1999-01-04The 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.
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Episode 19 - Loft Conversion: Framing a Wall With Built-in Cabinets
Release Date: 1999-01-11Bob Vila addresses the challenge of framing and plastering a 48-foot wall with an almost imperceptible curve. Plus, built-in cabinets are constructed.
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Episode 20 - Loft Conversion: Installing Plumbing Fixtures
Release Date: 1999-01-18The bathroom progresses with the installation of an electrically powered full-body shower tower, a dual-speed pressurized toilet, and a glass lavatory.
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Episode 21 - Loft Conversion: Installing Stainless Steel Countertops
Release Date: 1999-01-25Installation of the restaurant-style kitchen is begun, and Bob Vila tours the fabrication shop where the steel materials being used were custom-made.
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Episode 22 - Loft Conversion: Drywall and Plastering Tips
Release Date: 1999-02-01Bob Vila offers tips on installing precision drywall and plastering in tricky places. Plus, a bookshelf nook is built and stainless steel appliances are installed.
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Episode 23 - Loft Conversion: Installing Track Lighting
Release Date: 1999-02-08Finishes 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.
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Episode 24 - Loft Conversion: Building a Closet System
Release Date: 1999-02-15Architect 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.
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Episode 25 - Loft Conversion: Kitchen Work and Shutters
Release Date: 1999-02-22Work on the restaurant-style kitchen continues, as the wire shelving system is built and the stainless steel range hood is installed.
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Episode 26 - Loft Conversion: Loft Conversion Final Tour
Release Date: 1999-03-01A tour of the completed conversion project begins with the building's restored facade and ends with the sixth-floor residential loft.