[00:00:00] Eric Goranson: It is around the house. We've been starting to see on the market these heat pump dryers and those are kind of interesting, um, because you don't have to vent many of them outside because they capture the heat and put it back into it. So you're not exhausting all that hot air outside. Now what they're doing is they're taking that heat, leaving it in the drum, but it's pulling the humidity out of the air and.

[00:00:30] Eric Goranson: Then it's catching the lint inside. So it's not actually spending that, uh, and kicking that outside. So one, you don't have the dryer energy that you're spending. Two, you don't have to worry about the lint in the duct. And three, it's going to save you a fair amount of money. So when it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to know.

[00:00:51] Eric Goranson: The weed got you coming. This is around the house. Welcome to the Round the House Show. This is where we hope you get the most outta your home through Bloom. [00:01:00] Information and education. Thanks for joining us today. Hey, this segment is brought to you by Root Cher and root cher com. If you have trees, bushes, shrubs, and you wanna water 'em and not wastewater, put it down where the roots are, and that's with root quencher.com.

[00:01:15] Eric Goranson: Well, today I wanted to talk about, in this episode some of the controversy that's been going around with the E P A, and that's the Environmental Protection Agency. And. Them trying to change how we purchase appliances here in the US and they have been making some serious changes and proposed changes that are happening across the board that are going to affect, I think, everything from ranges to water heaters to gas appliances.

[00:01:44] Eric Goranson: There's a lot of things going around and I wanted to kind of dive into the nuts and bolts of it so you can understand what's going on. And so the one that hit the news this last week was, Basically water heaters that are electric, how they're going to change over to [00:02:00] heat pump. And you know something, first off, I get it.

[00:02:04] Eric Goranson: I love heat pump water heaters 'cause they save you a ton of money. But here is where the issues are gonna come up because if I go over to, let's say I jump over to Home Depot for instance, and this is where it starts to add up a little bit, a water heater over there for a really just a basic electric.

[00:02:25] Eric Goranson: 50 gallon is, you know, 400 to 600 bucks for a a decent one. 400 being the cheapest, 600 being a little bit better. And that's for, you know, home center water heater. But the problem is if you go over to a heat pump, which I'm a huge fan of 'cause they just outperform on all fronts, you're looking at 1700 to 2,500 bucks.

[00:02:49] Eric Goranson: So there is a huge difference for price and where I think I have a problem with them. Legislating it, even though it's gonna pay for itself really quickly. I think people, you know, [00:03:00] Mr. And Mrs. Smith that are in their eighties, that the water heater's dying and they can't afford 1700 to 2,500 bucks, or they can barely afford the four to 500 bucks for the water heater, let alone what has to be done for the install.

[00:03:14] Eric Goranson: And so this is where we have problems with affordability. And I get this because I'm a super big fan of all of this. Energy efficient stuff when it makes sense. Guys, like for me, I'm saving a couple hundred bucks a year with my heat pump water heater, heating 80 gallons versus my gas water heater that was doing 40 gallons and running outta water.

[00:03:42] Eric Goranson: So there's where the issues are and that's one of those things where things get into trouble. When it comes to costs, but it pays for itself quickly. It's that initial investment. All right, so let's get into the reasoning of why we're having issues here. And this is kind of an important one. [00:04:00] Here's the thing.

[00:04:00] Eric Goranson: The government loves to save electricity because it's cheaper than having to create more. So when you look at the electric utilities out there and those kind of things, these are the things that really make a difference because if they can save it, Electricity they don't have to generate later. So it's cheaper for them to do that.

[00:04:22] Eric Goranson: So that's why they're trying to force these more energy efficient appliances. 'cause for them it's cheaper than it is to turn around and do it any other way. So that's one of 'em. And there's no question here, they're wanting to remove natural gas from the marketplace. That's not a secret. Uh, that's something that is a goal right now.

[00:04:44] Eric Goranson: Um, and here's where the issue comes up, is that there are zero price guarantees that electricity is going to be a low cost option down the road. And I don't know, I've never seen it when eliminating [00:05:00] competition saves you money. That competition of the electrical companies. The gas company's fighting to be more efficient and to give you more value.

[00:05:13] Eric Goranson: Because here's the thing, if, if gas is out there as an option, right, and you have a gas water heater, a gas furnace, and all of a sudden electricity rates go up 10 times, I'm not saying they will, but we don't know that. Right? Then all of a sudden, electricity, they lose customers because, or they lose a lot of customers.

[00:05:32] Eric Goranson: They're not gonna lose all customers, but they can turn around. And say, Hey, I think I'm gonna move my furnace over to natural gas. I'm gonna go to a dryer that's natural gas. I'm gonna go a gas water heater, and I'm gonna get away from these high electricity rates. Well, when you get rid of all of that competition now that's really kind of stuck to where that is.

[00:05:54] Eric Goranson: And so that's where that can get kind of interesting. So that is something that is, to me, a big concern. [00:06:00] Now here's the other issue that I see with this that I think is a challenge. We're trying to get rid of all the different gas appliances in the house. So the ranges is a big one, and you've heard me talk about it, but I'm gonna cover it here.

[00:06:15] Eric Goranson: You know, if you are going to add an induction range, because that's the only range they're gonna sell you. So if they say, Hey, we're gonna eliminate gas ranges, we're gonna eliminate a regular electric burner cooktop, this can actually cost as much as an additional thousand dollars. To change over because one, you have the induction range is more money than a standard gas range, and two, you might have to go out and buy pans because let's talk about for a minute how electric induction works.

[00:06:48] Eric Goranson: It's a great system. It has been around for decades. I mean, GE was selling these units in the United States in the late nineties because you could actually buy an electric, [00:07:00] uh, induction cooktop back then 'cause it's been in Europe for decades. So it's not new technology, it's just new to the us. And yes, it's more efficient than gas.

[00:07:10] Eric Goranson: It puts more heat to the pan than gas, and you use more of the energy that you're burning, of course, than gas. So it's, it's, it's a much better way to go. But what it does is it takes these. Particles that are iron in the pan and accelerates them, and that creates heat. So what does that heat do? That cooks right from the pan.

[00:07:32] Eric Goranson: So I can turn a induction range on. I can sit a piece of printer paper down on top of it and put a stock pot on top of it and boil water and have a, and you know, have some crabs. And that's okay because it doesn't. Hurt the paper. So the only thing with the cooktop that makes it easy to clean is the cooktops only getting hot from contact from a hot pan.

[00:07:54] Eric Goranson: It's not getting, it's not being what transfers the heat. But the problem [00:08:00] is, is that if you have all aluminum pans and there's no iron or anything in there for those, there's no particles, then it won't work. It doesn't know that pan's there. So you have to have pans that a magnet will stick to. 'cause those are the only ones that work.

[00:08:14] Eric Goranson: So for somebody else, they might have to turn around and spend three or 400 bucks on an inexpensive pan set to be able to cook with. So you have more for the range. And then of course you have more for the cookware as well. Now that isn't as big a deal as like what you're talking about with the water heaters and stuff, but it's something that adds up.

[00:08:35] Eric Goranson: And so if you are going to force people. To have less options for this stuff, I'm going to highly suggest that the government picks up some of those tabs and I wanna see some options to make sure that we have our prices locked in on electricity, because I don't wanna see us all of a sudden. And they're like, ha.

[00:08:56] Eric Goranson: Gotcha. And with [00:09:00] their no electricity standards out there for pricing, I could see that being a problem. And so it's something that I think, um, It's a conversation we should all be having. I mean, I love my electric utility here. They do a great job for me. They're easy to work with. I have no problems with 'em.

[00:09:17] Eric Goranson: But as a national policy, I would like to see. Our government helping out people that need it because this is going to get expensive for them if they're forced into doing it. Now we come back, we're gonna talk more about washing machines just as soon as around the house returns,

[00:09:47] Eric Goranson: I.

[00:09:50] Eric Goranson: So hot

[00:09:55] Eric Goranson: so many people.[00:10:00]

[00:10:10] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to Around The House Show. This is where we help you get the most outta your home through information on education. We've been talking about how the E P A is changing how you. Use and purchase your appliances with some of these new rules that are coming out. And, you know, it's a, it's a hot topic and I thought we would address it at least in a couple segments here.

[00:10:29] Eric Goranson: Uh, before we get to that though, I wanted to say, Hey, if you wanna find out more about us, head over to around the house online.com for the website and then you can find the videos there from my around the House Northwest Television Show. We've got hundreds of videos now up there and, uh, for you to take a look at.

[00:10:44] Eric Goranson: There's a lot of great Made in America stuff in there. And, uh, boy, lots of projects, lots of new products as well. So that is a, uh, a plethora of information for you out there. Well, we've been talking here about, uh, you know, government appliances and one thing that I [00:11:00] see coming up here, uh, and they're, it's due to come out here in the next few months, I believe, is they're getting ready to go after dishwashers and washing machines.

[00:11:12] Eric Goranson: Now, if I remember correctly, the previous administration had changed and loosened those rules for dishwashers, and now I see around the corner we are going to see the death of the top load washing machine. Those are about ready to go away. So if you are a fan of them, that I would go out and uh, maybe go spend the money on the speed queen or whatever that's gonna last you 20 years.

[00:11:36] Eric Goranson: If that's what you want to get, now's gonna be the time before they tell you no here in a number of months because of the energy usage and they're trying to reduce hot water. So what they're going to do is go from using 50 gallons in a load to probably closer to 12 to 16 gallons in a load. So the front load washing machine will be the new law of the land coming up, [00:12:00] and uh, I expect to see that here by the end of the year.

[00:12:03] Eric Goranson: Could be a little later that keeps moving. I've predicted this for a couple years that, um, this was coming and I think we're finally getting to that point where they're going to make those go away. So bare warning for all you friends out there, and listeners and colleagues, if you are one of those people, then it's coming around the corner Now, I have always been a fan of them, only because they're easier on my clothes.

[00:12:27] Eric Goranson: My clothes get cleaner. It's saving me money on, on water. And the other thing too is, is that, uh, the big common thing is, oh, I don't want the mold in there. Guess what? If you haven't taken your top load machine apart and it's been there for 10 years and you haven't cleaned the inside drum on that, you've got s scum build up and nastiness in there as well.

[00:12:50] Eric Goranson: So, uh, it will be there, you just don't see it. Really the new washing machines have, uh, most of the good ones have a steam clean or a clean feature on 'em. [00:13:00] They get some really clean, you don't have to worry about it. Ours tells us when it needs to happen, and I can put it through. I throw some of the tide dishwash, uh, washing machine cleaner in there and run it through the cycle and, uh, fresh and clean as new.

[00:13:13] Eric Goranson: You don't have to worry about it. So that's one of the things. But anyway, I'd be very careful out there. We're gonna see that coming up. Um, and I think you're gonna see them really dive into that. I think another one that we're gonna see coming up here too, uh, is you're gonna see another round probably on refrigeration as well, because we're seeing that with the heat pumps.

[00:13:32] Eric Goranson: Um, I think though we're starting to see here, I think on dryers, this is one I think that's gonna come up. We've been starting to see on the market these heat pump dryers and those are kind of interesting, um, because you don't have to vent many of them outside. Because they capture the heat and put it back into it.

[00:13:52] Eric Goranson: So you're not exhausting all that hot air outside. Now what they're doing is they're taking that heat, leaving it in the drum, but [00:14:00] it's pulling the humidity out of the air and then it's catching the lint inside. So it's not actually spending that, uh, and kicking that outside. So one, you don't have the drier energy that you're spending too.

[00:14:13] Eric Goranson: You don't have to worry about the lint and the duct. Three, it's going to save you a fair amount of money. So I have not used one of them yet. It's on my list of things to try out. But, uh, I think that that is gonna be something that is going to be very important moving forward on, on saving some electricity because that dryer is really creating a lot of heat and anything like that, that's creating heat and throwing it outside.

[00:14:39] Eric Goranson: That could be something that down the road could be more beneficial for everyone. And I do like that that is an emergent technology that has been around for a while. And I think more dryers will go to it and uh, I think it'll also potentially have less dryer fires that way as well, as long as you maintain that machine.

[00:14:56] Eric Goranson: So we'll see what happens with that. It's something that I'm, uh, [00:15:00] very, um, hopeful about as far as saving people money. Creating something that, uh, was better for the environment anyway. So I don't like all that heat and lint coming outta the house. Uh, so if there's a way to capture that and not have to spend all that air outside the house, it's not a bad thing.

[00:15:16] Eric Goranson: So we'll see what happens. Now, there is one more thing that's out there that we're starting to see as well, and this has been going on quietly for a number of years. The E p A and states have been going after wood-burning appliances like your fireplace and things like that. And so a lot of this is state by state, but you know, you think about it, the e p A has governed, uh, the manufacturing sale of wood stoves and certain, certain wood-burning fireplace inserts built after 1988.

[00:15:48] Eric Goranson: And so the E P A came out with their, um, regulatory actions for residential wood heaters. Which now falls under the Clean Air Act, and that's [00:16:00] another one of those issues that we have to talk about. And so here's what's happened. So there's lots of different state actions and things like that. Great example here in my state of Oregon, and I'm familiar with this, the, uh, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has authority to operate and enforce, um, solid fuel heating.

[00:16:21] Eric Goranson: So here's what happens. Thelan installation of uncertified wood stoves are prohibited when you sell a house. All used uncertified, solid fuel burning devices other than cook stoves that are in or on the property must be removed and destroyed. And, uh, the D E Q has a heat smart program available for those buying and selling wood stoves.

[00:16:46] Eric Goranson: But really that is where the ban hits the road right there now. There are, like Idaho for instance, does a pretty good job of this. They have a, uh, uh, the state of Idaho, they offer [00:17:00] taxpayers, uh, who buy new wood stoves, pellet stoves, or natural gas or propane heating units, a tax deduction to replace old uncertified wood stoves.

[00:17:08] Eric Goranson: So that's kind of cool. Um, you know, they've also got that, um, in Colorado where they have regulations on uh, right advisories, mandatory residential burning restrictions generally apply. To, uh, the seven county, Denver, Boulder metro area below 7,000 feet. So there's a lot of different places out there where you have to watch each individual law, but that's kind of where this stuff steps in and it's something that we need to pay a little bit more attention to because as they tighten these things down, um, I'm, I'm very concerned that we're gonna see.

[00:17:47] Eric Goranson: More of these get banned. And I get that we're trying to keep the air clean. Don't get me wrong, I'm just concerned about people that have that mountain cabin, that that is the, you know, the way they heat it. [00:18:00] That uh, plenty of people, um, as emergency heat have wood stoves and fireplaces, that when the power is out, that that's gonna happen.

[00:18:09] Eric Goranson: And trust me, as we see, we are gonna see more mandatory safety shuts down to the electrical grid. With wildfires and windstorms and things like that coming up. Alright, we're back after these important messages. Time to go out to break. We'll be right back with more around the house.[00:19:00]

[00:19:12] Eric Goranson: Hey guys. Welcome back to The Around The House Show. This is where we help you get the most outta your home through information and education. Well, we've been talking about the e p a, getting involved in appliances and there's been a lot of misinformation out there and uh, I just wanna make sure that we kind of keep it on track with, uh, what's real and what's not.

[00:19:33] Eric Goranson: And you know, I'm gonna say this and, and this is factual here, not only in my personal opinion, but there's facts. I back it up that if you look at the stove issue where. The proposed ban or the assumed plan to ban gas Cook stoves has been a discussion. Now, there are areas that are trying to ban them, so don't get me wrong, but as far as the national side, [00:20:00] they're currently saying officially that there is no plan to ban them.

[00:20:04] Eric Goranson: But, uh, other states and cities are already doing that. We're now seeing other states come in and fight this. So, There was an AP news story that I saw a few weeks ago that said 10 states plan to sue the e p A over standards for residential Woodburn stoves. And so this is gonna be interesting. So, um, this was, uh, from July 2nd, uh, AP News story Attorney General from 10 states plan to sue the US Environmental Production Agency saying it's failure to review and ensure emission standards for residential wood bring stoves has allowed the continued sale of appliances that could worsen pollution.

[00:20:41] Eric Goranson: So, If newer wood heaters do not meet cleaner standards than programs to change out, old wooden heaters may provide a little health benefits at a significant public cost. The states wrote, and that's, uh, they gave a 60 day notice of intent to sue. So the [00:21:00] states involved are Alaska, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

[00:21:08] Eric Goranson: As well as, uh, the Puget Sound Clear Clean Air Agency. So, um, it's gonna be interesting to see how this plays out with these, uh, northern states getting ready to go down this road. So, of course, e p A did not, uh, comment on any, um, pending litigation and nor will they, but, uh, a lot of these things here, like we talked about, are, are gonna have a longer time to play out because these things don't happen quickly.

[00:21:37] Eric Goranson: This can take four or five years to play out. And you know, uh, it's interesting. So we'll just keep an eye on this and I'll, uh, as I see things update, we will see what happens. Well, there's another topic I want to dive into. This has been kind of interesting and it's one of those things that I think it's worth mentioning because I tell you what, carpenter [00:22:00] Bees can be an interesting one.

[00:22:01] Eric Goranson: And I was actually out working, getting ready for a segment and I went, oh, cool. Bumblebees are out. And then I saw it land and I went. Oh no, that is not a bumblebee, that is a carpenter bee. And so I started watching, I, you know, put my stuff away and said, okay, where are these things going? And sure enough it was going underneath, um, kind of by the edge of my house in the old wood deck that I'll be replacing one of these years.

[00:22:27] Eric Goranson: And so, uh oh. And so I've been dealing with trying to eradicate the carpenter bees. 'cause I don't want it chewing up either my sighting my house or anything else. So right now, this time of year is a great time to really kind of dive in and take a look at what is going on in your house. Do you have rodents, pests?

[00:22:51] Eric Goranson: So we're gonna talk a little bit about this stuff and making sure that you've got things taken care of. So Carpenter Bees is one of the ones that can be really, um, create a [00:23:00] bunch of damage and that's something to be. You know, careful with, and I've been dealing with this one, I think I've got it managed.

[00:23:06] Eric Goranson: If not, I'm going to have to bring in a professional because on some of these pest control things, there's only so much you can do. And at some point without me opening that up and, and getting in there, I'd much rather have a professional come do that. So that's really gonna be up to you. But another one that I've been chasing around my house right now is previous carpenter an damage.

[00:23:29] Eric Goranson: Now, and this is where it gets interesting because carpenter ants and how you can tell the big carpenter ants are, those are the big black, you know, like tiny sugar ants are one thing. These are like the big monster ants that are big and they're big fatties. You know what I mean? They've got a big body to them, and that's what those are.

[00:23:48] Eric Goranson: And my house being from the seventies has had significant damage in certain areas over the years. That damage is directly related to moist areas where I had [00:24:00] water issues. And so if I had siting 30 years ago that hadn't been caulked and it got rained back in there, guess what? That's where that issue is.

[00:24:10] Eric Goranson: And so I've been finding as I'm remodeling areas that are soft on the exterior, sure enough there's a old carpenter ant nest that was in there. And so as I've been pulling the siding off the front of the house, I have found multiple areas that need to be repaired from, uh, that damage. And so these are things that you should be really keeping an eye out If you see a carpenter ant at your house, this is one of those things that I strongly recommend that you start taking a look and seeing where it's going and follow it as best you can look and see, because if they are in a wood pile in your backyard or if they're at a neighbor's house, Those things can have a secondary nest, 50 to a hundred feet away pretty quickly.[00:25:00]

[00:25:00] Eric Goranson: And um, the last thing you need to do is have it nesting in your house and creating a big, big mess so they can do significant damage. And again, something really to watch out for. And some of the tricks that I recommend for that is a lot of the same things that I say with wildfires and things like that.

[00:25:17] Eric Goranson: Make sure that you don't have any brush up against the house. Making sure that the trees and everything are well away from stuff and that you've got a few inches between the ground and the first piece of wood on your house. So make sure you got three or four inches in there at least, and that will sure help keep that clean and, uh, make it less likely that the carpenter ants will go into your house and start exploring.

[00:25:43] Eric Goranson: 'cause lemme tell you what, I can't tell you how much damage I have. Uh, around my house. I mean, uh, as I keep pulling stuff off, uh, on the areas where there's no overhangs, um, probably every 15 or 20 feet, I'm finding some small little bit of damage. [00:26:00] So gonna be interesting to see how much more I find that as I go, but I think it's gonna be one of those things that, uh, is going to be an issue.

[00:26:09] Eric Goranson: Now, another one that I wanna make sure that you're doing and, and, you know, pest control is one of those things that a lot of people think that they can do it as a d I Y project, but I tell you what, it's my opinion that if you are an area that has termites and things like that, that can do significant damage, What I'm gonna say is make sure that you're on a maintenance program to make sure people are coming by and looking.

[00:26:33] Eric Goranson: Because if you have somebody that is crawling in your crawlspace, going through the attic, making sure that you don't have any signs of termites and things like that, that little bit you pay a year for them to double check that and to maintain it is going to save you a ton of money versus having to do some significant.

[00:26:53] Eric Goranson: Remodeling to repair that damage. I can't tell you how many times I've seen homes that literally have [00:27:00] been just ghosted in the maintenance side of things and have had pest damage for 20, 30, 40 years that pretty much are better to be knocked down than they are to be, you know, remodel and put back together.

[00:27:11] Eric Goranson: So even my house that was not maintained well for 20 plus years, it has signs of damage and we are not even in termite country where termites can really be an issue. If I was living down south, uh, California, Texas, some of these other areas where, where, um, these pests can be a bigger issue. I think having that testing done regularly is good for your investment.

[00:27:35] Eric Goranson: And I know right now when things are tight and uh, that can be expensive, but, um, you know, having somebody come out every six months if it's potentially a problem or every year. It could be something that, uh, really saves you a ton. And when we come back here, I want to talk about rodents for a little bit as well because again, this is one of those things that, uh, people tend to miss.

[00:27:57] Eric Goranson: And if you see one, there's a dozen. [00:28:00] And, uh, we'll talk about that when I come back because again, that's another one of those big issues that can, that can really hurt the healthiness of your home and your quality of life. Just 'cause you have a cat doesn't mean that you don't have rodents popping around.

[00:28:14] Eric Goranson: So if you wanna find out more about us here before we got to break, let me tell you head over to around the House online.com. Make sure you hit us up on Facebook and you can find us over there. Plus our around the House Nation closed group on Facebook, round the house. We'll be right back after these important messages.

[00:28:29] Eric Goranson: Don't go anywhere.[00:29:00]

[00:29:07] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to the original Around the House Show. Yeah, this show's been going on for 35 plus years right now, and uh, we've been having a great time doing it. Hopefully we'll have another 35 plus years outta this to go. So we have got a lot of show coming up here, and in this last segment I wanted to continue talking about Rodent Surrender House.

[00:29:26] Eric Goranson: And some of the things that I'd be watching out for. And as you're active and we start moving towards the fall months, these are things that, uh, I want you to make sure that you're spending the time where the weather's good, that you've got this dialed in. And, uh, you know, mice, if you've got 'em in a shed, if you've got 'em in the basement, if you've got 'em like that, um, spend the time.

[00:29:48] Eric Goranson: If you can't get 'em with a couple traps, then um, I will. Give you my best suggestion is bring in the professionals. There are times that you can sit there and spend months trying to [00:30:00] get them under control, and then you bring the pros in and by the time you've bought all the little things, spend a little bit of your time.

[00:30:08] Eric Goranson: Um, the pros can do a much better job and have more resources than most people do. So let them be the experts. And get a company to come in. And, uh, I'm always a fan of the private companies out there. There's a lot of chains out there, but, uh, I love the ones that are really experts in your neighborhood.

[00:30:27] Eric Goranson: And, uh, some of those family run companies are the ones that really have the best reviews and do that. So again, watch out for that. And, uh, make sure that, uh, another month or two, they're gonna really start working their way inside in many places across the us And that's one thing to take a look at. Now another thing that I want you to watch out for here as well are those hornet and wasps that are outside.

[00:30:49] Eric Goranson: And if you're out having the barbecue and you've got around a bunch around you, take a look and find a trap that works in your area. Now, I'll tell you what, I have some of the three in one traps that [00:31:00] work great in my state where I'm at. I can go over and use that on the other side of the country and they work horribly.

[00:31:08] Eric Goranson: So if you want to find something that's gonna work good, do your research and find out what works for the bugs that are in your area. Because my trap, if I have an infestation of, you know, hornets and wasps, man, that thing will fill up in days and I'll have it completely under control. And I've used it in other parts of the country and had very mixed results.

[00:31:29] Eric Goranson: So, uh, do some research, talk to your local, uh, You know, exterminator, find out what they like to use, what's good. Ask around and see what traps work well in your area. And that's how you're gonna get those completely under control. And so do a walk around your house. This is the time of year. I'd say probably once or twice in a month.

[00:31:51] Eric Goranson: Do a walk around and start looking and see if you've got, um, you know, Hornet swaps. The spider's gonna [00:32:00] start coming out. I'm a little less worried about the spiders and I know people. I hate the spiders in their house, but guess what? Those are also good for taking care of a lot of the other issues that we have out there with some of the other bugs.

[00:32:11] Eric Goranson: So a little bit of spiders outside are good. Probably just don't wanna get those inside. 'cause uh, that's what tends to freak some people out. And if you've got the poisonous ones, yeah, you need to get rid of those as quickly as possible. So that's enough about pest control here. And the last one I want to talk about before we run outta time in this segment is that, uh, If you're starting a home improvement project here in the next week or two, please pay attention to what's going on with U P Ss.

[00:32:39] Eric Goranson: U P S is getting ready to go on strike. And if this happens, you are gonna see what 40% probably of our shipping capacity for parcels in this country shut down. And if you have a box with a faucet coming or something else, that's gonna be an issue. I'll be the [00:33:00] first to say. FedEx has been a pretty horrible shipping experience for me, and I'll say that and sorry, FedEx, but uh, um, I have had so many times that the box gets delivered to the wrong house.

[00:33:12] Eric Goranson: It shows up damaged, looks like it's been through a lawnmower. Um, I've had it sit on a truck for three or four days saying it's out for shipment. Um, they did open up another hub in my area, which has improved it greatly, so they are making improvements. But, uh, between that and uh, U S P S, I see those are gonna be our two big options right now.

[00:33:34] Eric Goranson: So think about how those materials are gonna be showing up at your house, and you think about that. This could be even, you know, I've had Amazon packages show up from u p s, and so you're gonna see FedEx get buried and you're gonna see Amazon become a pretty good option for ordering materials. I'll be honest, I, I am not the biggest Amazon fan, but I have bought some building materials there [00:34:00] and it has saved me a significant amount of money.

[00:34:03] Eric Goranson: Like right now in the home improvement stores in my area, if I go buy electrical wire, it is much cheaper to sit there and get it over at. Amazon versus Home Depot low's. It just is, it saves you a ton of money. It's 20% cheaper in my area, and I think that's because, uh, of all the wire thefts that they have marked it up to cover the cost of that because they're losing so much.

[00:34:29] Eric Goranson: I mean, if I walk into my store, I have to find something to track it down and unlock the cage just to get me wire just because so much of it has been getting stolen. But I tell you what, this is kind of where we're at. So pay attention to where. How those materials are coming. I think we're gonna see some big issues here with the u p s strike, and this is something that could get negotiated, or even by the time this airs on the radio, it could be negotiated.

[00:34:54] Eric Goranson: Uh, but this is one of the things that I wanna make sure that, uh, that we've got this under control [00:35:00] because, uh, if you are expecting stuff, um, you know, the, the teamsters are saying, Hey, they're getting ready to, um, To go on strike then, uh, that 340,000 people who work there at U P s, um, could be an issue.

[00:35:18] Eric Goranson: So let's keep an eye on that and make sure that, uh, the things you're ordering are gonna show up when you need them. And so, uh, like I was saying before, if you have a remodeling project coming up and you are ordering things, make sure that you give yourself another week or two. So that you know that these things are gonna show up on time and that you're gonna stay on track because things will start to come apart pretty quickly.

[00:35:42] Eric Goranson: I just wanna make sure you're aware that, uh, u p s if they go down, uh, for strike, there is not gonna be a way for the other people to pick up the, pick up the slack on that. So that will be an issue. And, uh, you'll now be looking around for local stuff that is in stock. So, uh, be prepared. I'm not [00:36:00] gonna get into the, uh, arguments of, uh, How people are being treated and what the u p s says in Teamsters.

[00:36:06] Eric Goranson: That's not the place of this show. But, uh, as a consumer, I just want you to make sure that you are planning ahead for what's to come. If this is gonna be something that happens, that strike is gonna shut down a lot of projects because people are always waiting on parts. The other day I was having a great discussion with a buddy of mine and I thought, you know, I'm gonna bring this up in the show on Saturday, on the weekend, because this is an important topic and some areas are different than others.

[00:36:35] Eric Goranson: But like I can go into an area that, uh, I have friends or family in, and I'll notice that, man, there are a lot of storage units around, like more than most, right? You see, and you're like, wow, there's a storage unit on every corner. Then I was talking to a buddy who has had two storage units for 10 years, and this stuff really starts to add up.

[00:36:59] Eric Goranson: [00:37:00] So being that we're just getting ready to roll into August, I'm gonna recommend for any of you out there that have so much things in stuff, or that lack of storage that you can't haul it at your house. And if you're a hoarder, this is a whole other story or you're dealing with, you know, properly said hoarding disorder.

[00:37:20] Eric Goranson: Then that of course needs medical treatment, but if you have too much stuff that you're having to store in storage units, I want you to sit there and do the math. And I know this is tough, but take the last five years that you've had that storage unit. Some of you probably had it for 20 or 30 or more.

[00:37:41] Eric Goranson: Add up, what that cost is between now and when the weather turns, you might be able to build. A great shed that you can eliminate those storage fees. Two, you might be able to eliminate some of that stuff because you know, let's say you're spending two or [00:38:00] 300 bucks a month, that ends up being thousands of dollars and you can either build a shed or get rid of some of it.

[00:38:07] Eric Goranson: 'cause I'll tell you what most people, and I'm gonna say most because there's plenty of exceptions, but most people by year five, Have paid more for storage than what the materials they were storing were worth. Literally five years ago, you were better to go throw it away and go buy new. It would've cost you less money.

[00:38:33] Eric Goranson: So do some thinking about what you have in your storage unit. Think of what that's costing you right now, and maybe it's a smart idea to turn around and build a shed at your house. You're not paying for. I mean, you'll pay for the shed, but you're not gonna pay to rent it so that your costs are all upfront, but there's no cost beyond that.

[00:38:54] Eric Goranson: So take some time and really think about how that's gonna play out because this could [00:39:00] save you thousands of dollars in the future, especially if your significant other is one of those that really has, you know, a clutter problem and they like to store it in other places. Maybe making that go away could save you thousands of bucks round the house.

[00:39:15] Eric Goranson: We'll be right back for hour number two. Just as soon as we return. Don't go anywhere.