The “Punch List” With Bob Vila

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The punch list is the final step to any successful home renovation project. Bob Vila walks us through some of the punch list items that came up during a recent home renovation.

In this video, Bob shows us Paul and Riley putting the finishing touches on the patio door and doorknobs, respectively. Sheila from California Closets is working on installing a custom closet including a pullout garment rod, a jewelry drawer with adjustable dividers, and a hamper for dry cleaning or other dirty clothes.

Here’s the full video: The “Punch List” With Bob Vila

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The “Punch List” With Bob Vila Transcription

Alright, about this time in any job, we're looking at the punch list. Little jobs still have to be done by the contractors. Paul Morris is here with us today. Hi Bob. And you are just putting the finishing touches on this patio door.

Sample Punch LIst Items

Door Threshold

Paul Morris is here with us today.

Hi Bob. And you are just putting the finishing touches on this patio door.

Right now, since the floor is done, we're putting this old threshold into place here, uh, just to cover the seam now, Paul, don't you have to put, uh, a bead of caulking underneath it?

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No. As a matter of fact, we've actually put two coats, two strips of, uh, sealant underneath the door. We've had lots of, uh, good, uh, rain to test out the seal, and it's, it's worked, done its job very well.

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Yep. So the seal is actually under the door, and this is just a trim piece that, uh, once the painters get back in here to paint the door, they'll put a couple of coats to urethane on it. 

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That's correct. And that'll be the end of that. It'll be done. It's a beautiful floor, isn't it? 

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It really did the job here. I, I like this floor.

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Door Knobs

Okay, well Paul, I think I'll go upstairs and find Riley. I understand he's putting doorknobs in the doors.

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That's right. Thank you, Bob.

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Okay. The remodeling work up here on the second floor is almost complete as well. Hi Riley. Hi Bob. And you are putting in doorknobs, right?

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We're putting in these, uh, glass doorknobs. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> to match what was already in the house.

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Yeah. Now, these do look just like the ones from the twenties and thirties, but they're replicas made, uh, I guess, in Taiwan.

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Uh, probably. Yep.

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Yeah. But they are brass and they are glass glass. They're just like the old fashioned ones. Are they easy to install?

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They're uh, really pretty simple. It's just a matter of uh, putting the spindle in through here. Uhhuh <affirmative> and then you just, uh, screw this over these threads. Being careful not to strip it cuz it's pretty sta soft steel.

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Yeah. So the technology, you gotta thread it just Right. The technology is the old fashioned technology with a set screw. Right. And uh, here we go. I mean this is the kind of, uh, the kind of door that you often find on screen doors and the like. And they used to be about, uh, five bucks a set, but now I think you gotta pay upwards of $70 a set.

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I'm afraid so. Yeah. This is now you don't want to tighten this all the way, you just want to get us all the set screw hits that spindle on a flat spot. Yeah. And that's what what're trying to tighten is that set screw. And you don't want to overtighten brass at any point, but there you go.

You got that one to work it. Yeah. Alright. You got another five or six to go?

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Uh, more like nine or 10. 

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Custom Closet Installation

Okay. Well, we'll go in the master bedroom and check in with Bill and Sheila from California Closet. Hi Sheila. 

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Hey Bob. How are you? Nice to see you.

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 Now, the last time we installed California Closets in one of our projects, just about everything was white melanine like this,

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Right? That's correct. That's a California Closet White. 

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And now you've got a variety of other finishes available like the almond. What do you call these? 

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We've introduced some wood grains. That's a cherry. And the one behind it is what Tracy and Linda chose, and that's our hard rock maple.

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Very, very nice. They are. And then you also have some that are real veneers.

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Yes. This is our top of the line. We have a wood veneer, pine,

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It's a pine finish, although it looks to me like some sort of, uh, mahogany, possibly a Brazilian laminate. That's,

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That's exactly what it is. Yeah. It is a stained, uh, Brazilian wood. Yeah. And a honey maple.

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Oh, that's very pretty.

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It's very pretty.

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Very, very nice. Then all the panels come totally prefinished so that once you've installed the closet, you move in. It's very easy to install.

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Now, the secret of all of this is the the, uh, the hanging bar, right?

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Correct. Our system is well-mounted. So the first thing we need to do is put up our tempered steel rail. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> that is bolted into all the studs on the wall.

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Okay. So that's already in place over here. And this can just, uh, start the work, right, bill? Yes. Okay. So that the factory panels hang right off of that bar. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, what's the design for this part of the closet? We have a side-by-side closet here, but one of them is, uh, a good six or seven feet wide, and the other one is just barely three feet. I, I can figure out who's getting which.

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Well, that's correct, Bob. Uh, Linda will be getting the bigger of the two closets, but I think what we've done for Tracy in a very small closet, mm-hmm. <affirmative>, we'll accommodate almost all his wardrobe. You've got a sketch here, don't you?

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Oops. Yes. Uh, basically, what we're gonna do for Tracy is, uh, give him some shelves for sweaters and shoes, and by doing a double hanging or double stacking, he can get four feet of hanging in a three-foot closet.

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Exactly. So he'll be able to have his suits on top and the slacks on the, on the bottom. That's right. And it doesn't take much to put this all together. Let's talk about some of the features that you've got in, in Linda's closet already.

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Okay. Well, we're just about done with her as we're putting on some of the finishing touches. Um, this is gonna be a terrific feature for her where it's a pullout garment rod and anyone who travels and uses a valve pack, you know, you can hang it right there, Right. While you're packing or unpacking. I like that.

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I like that myself. Um, the top drawer in her unit is our special jewelry drawer. This has a double tray that slides over the bottom. And

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It's all adjustable,

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Huh? Yes. It's wonderfully adjustable. So you can accommodate everything from a bracelet to a necklace, earrings, whatever. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. This will hope quite a bit. It's a very popular feature.

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And this still has that magnetic catch so that you can't open it. Right.

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And it doesn't look like

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Daughters won't be borrowing mom's

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Jewelry. Well, we hope so. <laugh>. Yeah. The second draw will be for some hosiery and lingerie that Linda, uh, might wanna, uh, get a get organized. 

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Very nice. These plexiglass dividers. Yeah, I can see a lady liking in that feature. And what's this big? Oh, it's a hamper. So that would be perfect for dry cleaning, for example.

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That's correct, mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And, um, it does take up a lot of room, but it will accommodate a big amount of, uh, cleaning or dry cleaning.

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Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. And then you've got the double hanging rod on this portion of it as well, right? Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Now, what I've always liked about these is the, the fact that they kind of knock in and out so, so easily. You just have that one plastic piece that fits in there and the rod goes right into place, pops right in, and you're in business now. 

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