[00:00:00] Eric Goranson: It's Around the House. Hey guys, Harry G from Around the House. We've got a great show coming up this hour. We're going to be talking about my remodeling tips for 2024. It's the last episode of 2023. So we're going to talk about looking forward. My tips for you. It doesn't matter if you're going to be hiring a licensed contractor to come to it, or if you're going to be tackling this as a DIY project, we've got something here for you because we're going to have some fun talking about all those different projects and the right ways and the wrong ways to do it.

[00:00:32] Eric Goranson: And my tips to see. easier. And then we're going to jump into some of the controversy as well. As do you grab a building permit every time? The easy answer is yes, but sometimes there's a couple of times that you go, wow, this is going to be a problem. We're going to talk about that as well. Cause it's not always black and white, even though it is a great idea to do something.

[00:00:50] Eric Goranson: All right, guys, hold on to your hats. It's time to have some fun and tackle some home improvement advice. When it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to [00:01:00] know, but we've got you covered. Is around the house. Welcome to the round the house show. This is where we help you get the most out of your home through information and education.

[00:01:10] Eric Goranson: Thanks for joining us today. Boy, we are coming up into the new year's holiday. What happened here to 2023? It blew past. So this is our last show of the year here for this for 2023, but we've got a brand new. Fun year ahead that we're looking forward to. If you want to find out more about us, head over to aroundthehouseonline.

[00:01:30] Eric Goranson: com. And we want to hear from you as well. If you've got home improvement questions, I'm here to help. Give us a call. At tool free 8 3 3 2 3 9 41 44. That's (833) 239-4144. Saving your phone twenty four seven. Give us a call and if I'm not in the studio I will give you a call back and we will possibly put you in a future episode of the show.

[00:01:56] Eric Goranson: Well, today we're going to be talking about, uh, remodeling tips for 2024 moving [00:02:00] ahead. And this is how we're going to break this show down here. You, of course, we have four, four little, uh, segments in the show here, and that's generally for our radio audience out there and our podcast. So you listen to something similar here as well.

[00:02:12] Eric Goranson: What we're going to do is we're going to talk about in the first half of the show for people that are out there hiring a licensed contractor. What to do there. And then in segments three and four, we're going to talk about your rules as a DIY wire and what you should be doing to plan ahead and make sure things are set off and done right.

[00:02:32] Eric Goranson: And so we're going to talk about that today. And if you want to have more information about us, just, uh, like I said, head over to around the house, online. com. Well, here's my tips for 2024. And you know, we're seeing, as we look around the country, we're seeing so many different rules and regulations. When it comes to contractors and remodeling, you know, in most states, um, across the country, you're seeing, uh, you know, if you hire people [00:03:00] that they're supposed to be licensed, bonded, insured, and that's, I'd say 90 percent of the country right now.

[00:03:06] Eric Goranson: And, uh, I don't have any math to support that, but that's basically what it is. There are areas of course, that, um, are more rural where they go, ah, you don't need to be a licensed, bonded, insured contractor. And, uh, that really doesn't protect the homeowners at all, but they're just a little bit behind the times and that's okay.

[00:03:21] Eric Goranson: I'm not here to bash on those guys. But what we're seeing now is we're seeing, um, contractors out there and we're seeing a lot of issues coming up with, with our economy, for instance, right now. So we're seeing. Um, then this happens every seven to 10 years. It seems in the industry, I've been around for 30.

[00:03:41] Eric Goranson: So I've seen this cycle more, more times than I'd care to admit. But what happens is, is that we get the slowdown in new construction housing, which happens in most of the country right now, interest rates are keeping people from buying other homes and only people that are moving or people buying their first home or, or stomaching the interest rate issues that we're seeing right now, [00:04:00] but what happens is, is that we have this boom bust that happens with home builders out there.

[00:04:05] Eric Goranson: And there's a lot of. Newer home builders will go out there, they'll build, build, build, build. And all of a sudden the market comes crashing down a little bit and they're so far ahead of their skis that they can't pay their bills and they go bankrupt or what they do is they get out of home building and get into remodeling.

[00:04:20] Eric Goranson: They're like, wow, we're losing our butt on this home building thing. We're out of here. We're going to start going on. We're going to build decks. We're going to build siding. We're going to do that kind of stuff. So these are things that happen and it does tend to weed out the poorly run contractors. And so what happens is, is, you know, great example, there's a lot of great roofers out there, but when the economy is just banging along, a lot of the people that were working on cruise say, Hey, I'm gonna go and start my own company and do my own thing.

[00:04:46] Eric Goranson: Well, not everybody, you can be a great roofer, but you could maybe not be the best. Business owner as a roofer. And so what you see now is more people closing up their business and go, man, I can't afford to do this. I'm going to go work for somebody to get [00:05:00] paid. And so we see these shifts in our industry out there of who a contractor is and who a worker is.

[00:05:07] Eric Goranson: And we see these things kind of go back and forth. And this happens a lot. Um, not so much with like heating and cooling, but mostly with. Roofers, framers, drywallers, you know, even home builders, these are things that happen. So here's the first thing I wanted to say for the people that are hiring the licensed contractor is to do the due diligence on your project.

[00:05:30] Eric Goranson: For instance, if you're going to be having a kitchen remodeled because you're going to stay in your house and you're doing a kitchen remodel in 2024, the first thing I would do is find a designer to work with. And yes, you should get one. That will save you money in the long run. Hire that designer to come do the project and have them design out the project that you want.

[00:05:53] Eric Goranson: And have that conversation with your designer that you want this project to fit in X. [00:06:00] Now, as a member of the design community, here's what I'm going to say is a big problem with some of the design community out there. The experienced designers know what a 60, 000 kitchen looks like. They know what a hundred thousand dollar kitchen looks like, and they know what a hundred and 50, 000 kitchen looks like.

[00:06:19] Eric Goranson: And unfortunately these days, it's hard to get under 60, 000. If you're gutting the kitchen down to the studs, it just is your. You can spend 60 really quick if you're paying for this to be done. So one, I want to see you design around a budget, whatever it is. And I want to make sure that you've got it in your contract that you're keeping this, this, uh, designer accountable for staying within that budget.

[00:06:43] Eric Goranson: So what I want you to do is I want you to design out your project and then I want you to go get bids on it. I want you to find that team. Now there are people out there that are design build or there's designers that have a bunch of contractors that work with. That's [00:07:00] great. And if you're in the U. S.

[00:07:01] Eric Goranson: here in Canada, even look for the Certified Kitchen Designers out there or Certified Kitchen and Bath Designers to the National Kitchen and Bath Association. That is going to be, uh, here, especially here in the U. S., that is your, your cream of the crop of designers. And, uh, those are the ones that have specifically Been looking training and designing.

[00:07:24] Eric Goranson: And so those are the people you want. Um, I do not recommend going into a home center and getting the free design there. You get what you pay for with design. There are always great designers in the home centers. The problem is, is that you have to go weed through the ones that were just transferred there last week from the garden department that are a brand new kitchen design.

[00:07:43] Eric Goranson: Designer and you probably don't want that your project being the first one because there are a thousand mistakes that can happen and I've said this before and I'll say it a bunch of times when you're hiring a kitchen designer, make sure that they've got years of experience. I want to see 3 [00:08:00] to 4 years full time designing before they get going.

[00:08:03] Eric Goranson: That's about what it takes. Even somebody that has an education, they could have their, um, bachelor's degree in design and if they haven't been out there designing designing in the field for 3 or 4 years. I tell you what, you are going to see problems on your cabin order. You are going to see issues in many cases because it just takes that long to do it.

[00:08:24] Eric Goranson: And that's where the rub is. When I see people going, Oh, I've designed a kitchen before. I'm going to do it again. Okay. So now you're doing your second kitchen and this is where this gets a little ugly. Most people, when they design their own projects as homeowners, they are actually going through In designing based on their tweaking around the original design they had, where many times you probably want to rethink the entire space and design it for the current things that are going in your kitchen.

[00:08:54] Eric Goranson: And when we come back, we're going to talk a little bit about this because you think about what we put in a kitchen now. To put what [00:09:00] we kitchen, you know, maybe you've got a 3 or 30 year old kitchen that you're going to replace. Are you designing it for what you're going to put in it now? Or are you just copying what they did 30 years ago when microwaves are kind of new and you didn't have all of these stores out there and all of these accessories.

[00:09:15] Eric Goranson: And things were much more simple that went into the kitchen. So are you designing it for today? Or are you just kind of copying the 1970s design that you had or eighties design that you had? And that can be a huge mistake when you're designing. So we come back, we're going to talk more about remodeling, especially when you're hiring those contractors.

[00:09:35] Eric Goranson: And the second segment, we'll do that just as soon as around the house returns.[00:10:00]

[00:10:10] Eric Goranson: What's up? This is sticks it in you and satchel from steel Panther. And you are listening to around the house with Eric G. We love Eric G and you should too.

[00:10:27] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to the round the house show. We've been talking today about remodeling tips for 2024 looking ahead and. Like I said earlier, we, um, are talking here in segment one and segment two, and this is beginning a segment two about, uh, this is really for the people out there. They're going to hire somebody for taking on that project for 2024 versus maybe the next segments here.

[00:10:48] Eric Goranson: We'll be doing. For more for the DIY of how you're going to tackle this, but let's talk a little bit about here of what you should be doing if you're hiring that licensed contractor. So [00:11:00] we were talking here in the 1st segment about finding the right designer, getting the right person and then going out and getting bids.

[00:11:05] Eric Goranson: And I want to see 2 or 3 itemized bids from contractors. I want to see you take the time and you know, something you might have to pay for bids. I am okay. If a contractor comes out and says, Hey, your kitchen remodel is going to be, let's say 82, 000. I'm just going to throw a number out there. That's one thing.

[00:11:27] Eric Goranson: 82, 000 bucks. And we're going to put this, this, and this in it. Cool. I want to see a detailed bid. I want to see down what the budget is for the knobs and handles. I want to know what that estimate is. And you know, I'm okay with you having to pay for that. And the contractor might say, Hey, for me to give you that level of bid, I have to go out and price everything out.

[00:11:46] Eric Goranson: That's going to take 15 or 20 hours of my time to chase it all down, to get current pricing because pricing is, you know, is all over the place. So for them to get current pricing and to really break this down so you can consume it and know exactly what every choice is. [00:12:00] You might have to pay a little bit.

[00:12:01] Eric Goranson: You might have to pay 500, 800, 1000 bucks or more for them, depending on the scope of the project, but I think it's worthwhile as long as this is how I would do it, I would go look and say, okay, here's my three bids for the same kitchen, because here's the problem that I see, and this is where they get you is that you get, if you have three designs and three bids, you're not comparing apples to oranges here, And you, I mean, you've got the whole fruit basket, your, your apples, oranges, and bananas.

[00:12:30] Eric Goranson: You can't compare any project when you don't have a baseline for it. So that's why I want to see the design first. So you get the design, you make sure they understand the design. And then I want to make sure they're pulling the permits. I want to make sure that they're licensed, bonded, insured. I want to make sure that they're upgrading everything because this can burn you later so badly and I've seen it and this is where this goes badly.

[00:12:56] Eric Goranson: First off, I have seen really good [00:13:00] contractors make mistakes that hurt the homeowner years down the road. Great example in my area here, there is a, uh, a design build firm that has a 40 plus years and there are legends that have worked in this building. But I went out to a homeowner's place probably four years ago, and I was going to go out and design this place out, popped in there.

[00:13:23] Eric Goranson: They had done a kitchen addition 30 plus years ago, and somebody didn't at the design firm, get the final inspection done. And so the problem was, is this kitchen, um, great room addition that they did didn't meet current building code and it wasn't grandfathered in. So now all of a sudden, not only did we have to remodel the kitchen.

[00:13:47] Eric Goranson: But we had to actually treat it like it was a new remodel. So we were going to have to tear out the insulation. We were going to have to add insulation to get it to what 2020 or 2019 building code. So instead of it being [00:14:00] a 80, 000 kitchen, it was going to be a 110, 000 kitchen because we had to bring the rest of the building since it was never finaled up to code.

[00:14:10] Eric Goranson: And so what happens is, is this is stuff that happens. When you buy a house, for instance, and you're now going to go do a remodel on it and they go, wow, this place didn't even this room wasn't even here. This was an illegal addition. Now you have to bring that space up to code. And I see this a lot in old homes.

[00:14:30] Eric Goranson: These are things that you this is part of that due diligence. In today's economy, especially if you're out buying a home right now, and you're taking a look at it, take a look and see what the building department has for the square footage. So, uh, I have, this is a great test that I've done with people and this comes up a lot.

[00:14:48] Eric Goranson: You'd be surprised. So, what I do is I talk to the building department, not the auditor of who the tax people are. I don't care about that. They'll tax you. If you told them you had a 4, 000 square foot home and you had an 800 square foot home, many tax [00:15:00] departments will go, cool, I'll just tax you for 4, 000.

[00:15:02] Eric Goranson: 4, 000 square feet. We'll take it. That's not what you're worried about. You're worried about what the building department says, because many times in old homes, especially that were built, you know, prior to 1950, they had a covered porch that got enclosed. And what happens is the building department goes, Hey, that home was 1200 square feet, but you're listing it now is 2, 400 square feet.

[00:15:23] Eric Goranson: And that's because somebody did a attic addition or somebody converted the attic into living space. And they converted the, the, uh, seller into a media room or whatever. And none of those were pulled code on. Well, the problem is, is when you go in and do a bathroom model upstairs, for instance, now all of a sudden that space is not on the city plans or the County or the township or whatever.

[00:15:47] Eric Goranson: And now you have to bring that up to current code because it's not grandfathered in. So I've seen six figure additions on projects because. Somebody had not pulled the building permits on that addition, and then you went to [00:16:00] remodel it. And now you've got a much bigger expense. Because that attic space was storage, not living space, and so maybe the floor joists weren't built right.

[00:16:08] Eric Goranson: The posts down in the living room that go to the basement weren't the right size. The footings in the basement are the right size, so now you have to get that up to code. So, these are things that you should be careful of when you're out there doing it. And so that's where building code comes in. And that's where I want to make sure you do your diligence before you start the project, so you don't have any surprises.

[00:16:27] Eric Goranson: Because if you're going to start working on this, and just make sure that you've got that dialed in, that you know that you're working in a space that was original to the house, that was done, that you don't have another 30, 40, 50 thousand dollars, because Many times that doesn't happen until the the you know The building department starts showing up and walking through and that's something that is if you've got a complex remodel That's not a bad idea Check to see if your building department will actually show up out at your site and do a pre construction walk That is something that's happening now here in my area.

[00:16:57] Eric Goranson: So you can actually have that building inspector [00:17:00] from The local building department come up and do a walk and say, okay, we're going to remove this beam. We don't think it's load bearing. We have an engineer that says that we're going to be doing this. Are we good? And many times they'll go, yeah, but what about this?

[00:17:12] Eric Goranson: And we don't, you know, we don't show that this was a part of the original house. Then you can address it before you have things opened up because that's my worst nightmare for people out there is if they. Get into a project and go, wow, I don't have 50, 000 to spend because we just found a huge mistake.

[00:17:29] Eric Goranson: And then the last thing here is just do your due diligence on your contractor. Make sure that they are licensed, bonded and insured. Do your research, find out, you know, what's their reputation out there. Um, you know, do not hire them off of Craigslist or next door. In most cases, um, that is a place that you see illegal contractors lurking and then do your research.

[00:17:54] Eric Goranson: Find out. I mean, you'll see people out there that are great license bonded insured contractors that are [00:18:00] paying for their insurance. They've got everything covered and you as a homeowner are protected. What I don't want to see is somebody out there and I've seen this plenty of times. That are trying to slide in somebody else's license or trying to use a fake one.

[00:18:13] Eric Goranson: And these are things that can get really expensive that I don't want to see you get burned because this is where so many legal disputes happen. And then the better the contract and make sure that your contract is following what the states are allowing. So there's a lot of times if you sign a contract in an area, they'll say you have to have the lead and asbestos release forms and all these things, make sure that you're following those rules.

[00:18:36] Eric Goranson: And, uh, take a look at a previous episode. We've done plenty of those on how to hire a contractor. We come back. We're going to talk about some of the best practice for you doing your own DIY project. We'll do that just as soon as around the house. Hey, this is[00:19:00]

[00:19:02] Eric Goranson: Ron Keel, the metal cowboy from Keel, the Ron Keel band and Steeler. We are rocking around the house with Eric G. Welcome back to the round the house show. This is where we help get the most out of your home through. Information and education. Thanks for joining us today. If you have any questions or comments, you can message me over to around the house, online.

[00:19:22] Eric Goranson: com or give a call into the show here. 8 9 41 44. That's 8 3 3 2 3 9 41 44. We've been talking about remodeling tips for 2024. And, uh, we are going to switch now from talking about people that are going to hire contractors to my tips. For the DIY or for you guys out there, they're going to tackle this project.

[00:19:44] Eric Goranson: Maybe it's a little one, maybe it's a big one. Maybe you're going to do your first kitchen remodel. Maybe you're going to build a deck outside, whatever it is. The first thing I want you to do is to understand what you're doing and figure out where you're getting your source of information. Now, here's the [00:20:00] thing.

[00:20:01] Eric Goranson: There are so many bad sources of information out there online, whether it's on YouTube, whether it's on, you know, social media groups. Uh, I tell you what, there are groups out there that, uh, are packed full of great information. And there are groups out there that are packed with absolutely horrible information.

[00:20:22] Eric Goranson: And these are things that I want to help you navigate and get through. So let's say where you're going to, let's say, let's take a big project here. This will make it easier that a common one, let's say you're going to do a kitchen remodel and you're going to do your own kitchen remodel over, over a number of weeks, you've got a plan.

[00:20:37] Eric Goranson: So the first thing I want to do is if you're going to do that kitchen remodel, and since it's a big dollar project. I want you to understand what needs to happen. So I want you to just create your scope of work. What are you going to do? And, you know, grab a word document, whatever, grab a notepad and start planning out what you're going to do.

[00:20:55] Eric Goranson: Okay, I'm gonna remove this wall. I am going to be moving the [00:21:00] refrigerator over here. Uh, I'm going to expand the window out, uh, we're going to put, you know, get rid of that, um, range, put in a cooktop and an oven, those kinds of things, spell out what your dream is. And then that's a good basis to what you want to do.

[00:21:16] Eric Goranson: Now, if you're replacing cabinets, I'm always going to tell you to go ahead and find a kitchen designer that can help you navigate that because as we talked about in the previous segment, that's, that's an important step, especially for the DIY, because it's going to save you money. Cause you want to have.

[00:21:28] Eric Goranson: The kitchen package show up correctly and not be waiting for weeks on end, because what happens is, is when you make a mistake and let's say you ordered cabinets from the home center or wherever you ordered them from, it can take you weeks to months to get those parts in, depending on what lead times are out there.

[00:21:45] Eric Goranson: So you don't want to have to completely stop your project for this. So this is a big one, so I want you to go through and get that kind of figured out. And, and get that hammered out. The next thing I want you to do is figure out what your building codes are [00:22:00] and what rules you're going to have to follow to do this.

[00:22:02] Eric Goranson: Because here's the thing, in most cases, and, and I say most because building codes are not national. They are adopted by states, cities, counties, townships across the U. S. here. And uh, there are standard codes, but not everybody adopts them the same way. And so what what might work in my area might not work in your area.

[00:22:25] Eric Goranson: And when you get into metropolitan areas, it gets even more complex with some of the rules that they have that are outside and beyond, especially in condos and things like that. Now, you're into semi commercial spaces. Or mixed use spaces, and that gets even more complex, so something to consider there, but I really want you to understand what those building codes are, because, like, for instance, in a kitchen remodel, uh, if this was a house that was built in the 70s or 80s, the lights, um, and the countertop outlets might be on the same, uh, circuit to the dishwasher in the, um, [00:23:00] garbage disposal could be on one circuit.

[00:23:02] Eric Goranson: The microwave in the fridge could be on one circuit and in basically every place out there, they're going to say, Hey, those need to be on individual circuits. So many times in a kitchen model, you're going to have to run 345, maybe six circuits. Just to get that going because you need to have individual ones for each appliance.

[00:23:24] Eric Goranson: So your refrigerator can't say be on the same one as the wall outlets for instance. And so these are things you got to be careful for and maybe that vent hood that wasn't there needs to go in And now has to be vented up through the ceiling or through the wall and outside to the exterior of the home.

[00:23:39] Eric Goranson: Maybe you know, it's a pro style range that you're putting in. So it's a 36 or a 48 inch range. We're cook top and then you've got this big 1000 CFM fan that now building code is going to require to put makeup air. So you can take that 1000 cubic feet per minute that you're sending out and replace it with air.

[00:23:59] Eric Goranson: So these [00:24:00] are things that you're going to have to probably bring in maybe a professional to help you out with as part of the design. And more importantly, you know, to maybe help you with the electrical to get that done correctly, or to bring in that HVAC professional that can help run that duct, do it correctly to code and make sure that it's safe.

[00:24:20] Eric Goranson: So these are all things that you have to look at. And balance out within your project. Now, the thing is, is by consulting with the building department, finding out what those codes are, you know, you're going to understand that. Wow. Okay. I moving the sink. So now I got to figure out vent vent for the, for the drain on that.

[00:24:39] Eric Goranson: There's all these little things. So it's okay to be a DIY and bring in trades for some of those projects. Maybe you bring in the license plumber. That's going to pull the permits for it. Maybe you bring in the license electrician. Okay. Maybe I hate doing drywall and you bring a drywaller and that's okay too, but maybe you're gonna, you're a decent handy person.

[00:24:57] Eric Goranson: So you're gonna install the cabinets and the flooring [00:25:00] and the trim work and, and finish the walls or whatever. So this is where I want you to really plan this stuff out for the DIY or what do you think you can. Tackle and what do you think is going to be something you bring the pros in for, you know, it's just like doing granite countertops.

[00:25:18] Eric Goranson: You know, if you're doing stone or courts or something like that, you're going to be working with a with somebody on that. So that's a decision that you need to figure out when you get your estimate to find out. Okay. Do you need me to put down sub tops? Do you need me to. To make sure everything's perfectly level.

[00:25:33] Eric Goranson: Does the sink need to be installed? Cause it's undermount beforehand. These are all the little things that you've got to navigate to go through there. So I really want to make sure you do this, right? I want to make sure that it doesn't cost you extra money. And so consulting with that, and this is where that interior designer can help you, for instance, with the kitchen remodel.

[00:25:50] Eric Goranson: These are things that can really help you out by doing it correctly. And, um, you know, depending on the project, you know, if you're doing a deck outside, there's going to be areas. [00:26:00] Maybe you don't, maybe the deck is, is a foot off the ground. And so it's something that you don't even need a building permit for because they're like, ah, there's no railings.

[00:26:08] Eric Goranson: You know, the only thing that you really need to be concerned about is building. It's safe for the people that are there and building those best practices. I mean, I'll be the first to tell you on social media that there are some great sources out there for these projects. And there are some that are super sketchy and the latest trend in home improvement is to actually go out there and try to say that you're the one of the larger home improvement people out there on video, but you're actually creating these videos.

[00:26:36] Eric Goranson: That are actually causing more problems because they're planning to get the clicks and the more clicks they get, the more advertisers they get, or the more money people make because people are watching their YouTube videos, but they're giving off bad, bad information and probably purposely bad information.

[00:26:53] Eric Goranson: And so that is some of the things that you're seeing out there, and I don't want you to start a project based upon [00:27:00] them saying, well, I'm going to get and you can see it's pretty easy if you jump on the comments of these people and if you see. 60, 70, 80 percent of the people going, Hey, I'm a licensed contractor, and this is the absolute worst way to do it.

[00:27:13] Eric Goranson: This is how you do your research on your sources, because a lot of these people that are out there that are paying, that are playing for clicks that are creating content that is bad, they're just trying to make sure that they get out there and be seen. Versus actually give you the right information to do the project correctly.

[00:27:29] Eric Goranson: So be really careful out there with your sources and where you're getting that stuff from. And, uh, there's definitely ways to do it correctly. And that's one of the things too, that, uh, we'll talk about here in this last segment coming up is I want to make sure that you're doing things correctly. Cause maybe your father, your grandfather, your mom, who is handy, showed you how to do things.

[00:27:49] Eric Goranson: Back in the day and our practices have come a long way, especially when it comes to to lay in tile when it comes to Building a shower. There are a [00:28:00] lot of things out there that have really come a long ways that have made it easier for you So I don't want to see it where you create yourself some problems by tackling the project yourself And you did it the way that you've always done it, but there's probably a more reliable better And quite frankly, cheaper way of doing it that could turn out better.

[00:28:18] Eric Goranson: It'd be more reliable for you down the road. So we're going to talk about that in the next segment, some of the, some of the tricks and hacks for 2024 that'll save you some money and make for a more reliable project, which means you don't have to do this thing again. And that's a key. Don't go anywhere around the house.

[00:28:33] Eric Goranson: We'll be right back. Welcome back to the round the house show.[00:29:00]

[00:29:12] Eric Goranson: This is where we help you get the most out of your home through information and education. Thanks for joining us today. If you want to get ahold of me, feel free to drop us a line. And if you have a home improvement question, I would love to answer it for you. And that's 833 239 4144. That's 833 239 4144.

[00:29:30] Eric Goranson: Give us a call 24 seven. If I'm not in the studio, I'll call you back and put you on a future episode of the show. If it's something that I think that other people could be helped by, we've been talking about remodeling tips here for 2024 and uh, the last segment in this one, we're talking really for the DIY and here are my really big.

[00:29:49] Eric Goranson: Tips for, for tackling that big project and this is stuff that, um, I really want you to think about. Uh, to make this easier and the first [00:30:00] thing is, is rely on the manufacturers of the products you're using to find those best practices for installation. You know, there are so many tips and tricks out there for, for products, putting it in and there's also that, as we talked about earlier, that bad information that we see out there.

[00:30:17] Eric Goranson: So here's my trick is I will jump on if I'm going to install product X. I will try going to that manufacturer, go onto their YouTube page and see if they have any information on it. Many times they're going to have very detailed videos. Great example, wood fire pizza oven company. Out of Australia. Um, before I did my TV segment on that, I had never built my own wood fire pizza oven, never done it before, but I wanted to get it done here for this last week for my television show.

[00:30:49] Eric Goranson: And so, you know what I did is I sat down and they had eight videos to watch. It was pretty amazing. Had a great time, watched all those videos multiple times, learned [00:31:00] all the little tips and tricks. And then when I read the directions, it made a lot more sense. And that is probably one of the biggest challenges is that, that I have when I'm doing the television show is just making sure that I'm going back and not doing it how I would do it, but I'm doing it how the manufacturer Would like me to show you to do it.

[00:31:19] Eric Goranson: And generally these are the tried and true methods of getting it done, right. And making sure that you end up, you know, and it's not a hundred percent foolproof sometimes directions. Um, can be very, very difficult to understand and that's something that, uh, a lot of companies are still working on today, but, uh, you know, using YouTube and some of those things, if it's a manufacturer or somebody that is a spokesperson for them, that is a good way to do it.

[00:31:45] Eric Goranson: But, um, you know, it's 1 of those things that that's where I lean on to find the right way of doing it and that be part should be part of your planning, right? That should be part of your planning for this project. In planning is the key here. So start with an out [00:32:00] with a notepad and start breaking it down into what you think is going to need to happen and don't put days on it yet, but just go through and go.

[00:32:08] Eric Goranson: Okay. What is my game plan from start to finish? You need to map this out like it's a plan for battle. You need to go. Okay. What is my starting point? What is my finish point? And then I want you to go through and actually visualize the project because If you start going, okay, I need to do this, but I need to paint this.

[00:32:26] Eric Goranson: I need to do this. I need to do that. You'll realize that some things have to happen in a certain order. And that is one of the big ones that you want to get going. And like for me with my, uh, with my pizza oven, I needed to have it ready for TV so it could be close enough that you could see how I built it.

[00:32:43] Eric Goranson: Now that thing when I film it like that, for instance, a little inside baseball for the TV show, it was 90 percent built. But I still had two weeks of either drying or curing for that thing to be able to be used. And so you have to wait it out. And go through and and use [00:33:00] it and follow those directions and be patient and the similar stuff is where it gets really difficult.

[00:33:06] Eric Goranson: I think for for many homeowners where you might need to consult with an expert or two is like when you're dealing with the outside. For instance, when you're dealing with things that are, uh, let's talk building science on the outside of the house. This is where you're going to want to consult with some experts.

[00:33:24] Eric Goranson: Because when it comes to building science, there is not one size fits all for the country. A lot of it has to do with climate zones. What's in your area? Because what I would do here where I'm at in Portland, Oregon is going to be way different than maybe what you're doing in Arizona or Minneapolis. Or up in Maine or friends up there that listen to the show.

[00:33:45] Eric Goranson: So, and of course it's different in Florida. So building science is something that I want you to consult with someone locally that understands your climate. And maybe you're going to have a, an engineer come out and talk about that [00:34:00] with you the best way to do that. And that's okay. You want to bring in the experts so you can do this once and do it right.

[00:34:07] Eric Goranson: And the problem that we see too, and here's another rule for a DIYer, just because they sell it at the big box stores, doesn't mean it's the right product or project it should be used on. Because there are many things inside those stores that don't meet building code in your area, but they still sell them.

[00:34:29] Eric Goranson: And so just because you went down and picked it up, doesn't mean that it's the right product to be used. So really plan out your project. Make sure, you know, if you've got a builder friend or you've got somebody that's handy, or heck, if you've got a question on that, feel free to give me a call. And again, that number here is, uh, E33 239 4144.

[00:34:49] Eric Goranson: And I can generally answer those, but even I have to refer to the expert sometimes and talk to that engineer to make sure that things are correct because You know, [00:35:00] that's the thing. This is science. So it's constantly evolving. And so what worked 10 years ago, maybe the last time you did that project could be completely different now, you know, and that's the thing nowadays you're seeing instead of just people wrapping building wrap around the house and calling it good.

[00:35:17] Eric Goranson: You're seeing everything from rain screens to, you know, things like the zip system where it's an impregnated, um, you know, chip board that has engineered, you know, Properties to it as far as not having water go through it. And, uh, there's a lot of different things with this. How do you tape it? How do you make sure that the tape sticks by putting the right pressure on the roller, these kinds of things.

[00:35:40] Eric Goranson: So when it comes to building science and really wrapping around, do your research. And then the other really good tip that I have here is don't mix brands. This is a really good thing to follow up. If you're tackling that project in your tip for me, if you're going to do [00:36:00] weatherproofing before you put sighting on, and you're going to use.

[00:36:03] Eric Goranson: Let's say, uh, DuPont Tyvek. Use the entire DuPont Tyvek system. If you're gonna use Zip, use the entire Zip system. Whoever you're using, follow it start to finish, and follow their best practices, so it's understood and you don't have a problem. Where people run into problems, they go, Well, I had this tape on the shelf.

[00:36:25] Eric Goranson: It should do fine. Maybe that tape's gonna react with another paper. And you're going to have something that's going to fail prematurely, and then you're going to have water damage underneath it. And then you have to do the project over. So be really careful with that. And again, planning is key and making sure that you've got that dialed in.

[00:36:42] Eric Goranson: Now the one last thing here is I'm going to talk about building permits a little bit. And this is something that I think is really smart and it doesn't always make sense. And, but I think it's also there to protect you as a homeowner. Great example. Um, if you're doing structural stuff, I think you should pull [00:37:00] every building permit every single time to make sure that you've got that taken care of.

[00:37:04] Eric Goranson: You know, um, I'll be honest. I, it just, maybe if you are very good at what you do, you don't need to, you know, I would think maybe twice about. You know, if you've got a water heater that quit on Sunday and you can't get a building permit that day to do it, maybe you want to sit there and get that thing changed out and not wait for the building permit office to open up on Monday.

[00:37:24] Eric Goranson: I get that, but as long as you're going to code and you're following it, that's where, you know, um, discretion needs to be used. You know, legally, I'm going to tell you that you should always pull your building permits. Uh, does it always make sense? Not always, not always. And, you know, when it comes to structure, when it comes to major electrical work, when it comes to gas piping, when it comes to HVAC, these are all things that I think make a lot of sense.

[00:37:51] Eric Goranson: And, um, there's no sense getting into trouble later when you go to sell the house or do another remodel by not doing that, you [00:38:00] know, and, uh, the building permit, uh, process in many areas is, is either easy or cumbersome. You know, the smaller the town, sometimes a longer it takes to get things through, but, uh, these people are also there to help guide you.

[00:38:14] Eric Goranson: And, um, you know, when it makes sense to do it, I would recommend doing it because I think it's going to add value to it. And when somebody pulls up later, a report, guess what? At least it shows that you pulled those permits and it was done correctly and they were inspected. Now, the thing that I would not do is I would not build on a huge 2nd story deck.

[00:38:33] Eric Goranson: I would not build out an outbuilding. It's outside of code because. These days, you're seeing building departments using satellites and satellite imagery to follow up and see, and they can go back and see year by year, month by month of what you have hiding around there. So, if you're building a building out there, and you've got a building permits that's needed for that.

[00:38:54] Eric Goranson: I would sure do it because they're going to nail you on it. And plus a lot of the building materials these days have date [00:39:00] stamps on it. So they can see that you're not going to be able to hide that when that comes to town and that's going to be an issue. So that's a big one right there. All right, guys, we're out of time.

[00:39:09] Eric Goranson: Thanks for tuning into around the house. If you're new to the show, thanks for tuning in and always catch the podcast as well on Wednesdays. Happy new year's and I'll see you next weekend. Thanks for tuning in to around the house.