[00:00:00] Eric Goranson: It is around the house. You just collect things. Ooh, I like that. Somebody gave me something. And it's really easy to get stuff collected, and this is something that I'm personally working on right now, is getting rid of the collection of stuff. Do I need four huge bins of miscellaneous bolts? It's like it came out of a junk drawer.

[00:00:22] Eric Goranson: No. Am I better getting rid of a lot of that? Do I really need it or am I better just going up the store and buy a, a bolt or two when I need it? Versus trying to dig through and find something that might work. I might be better off these days to just get rid of that whole thing, sim to scrap metal and, uh, let it live another day into a car or something else that it's made into.

[00:00:42] Eric Goranson: Instead of having two buckets of hardware that I never get to the bottom of. When it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to know that we've got you covered. This is around the house. Welcome to The Round the House Show. This is where we help to get the most outta your home through information and.[00:01:00]

[00:01:00] Eric Goranson: Vacation. Thanks for joining us today with this hour, brought to you by Root Quencher and root quencher com. If you have trees, shrubs, bushes that are on a slope or out there that you're wasting a ton of water trying to get water into those roots Root Quencher is the answer where it puts the water right at the roots.

[00:01:20] Eric Goranson: You don't waste it, and you're not putting water where it doesn't need to go. And it's saving you money in the process. And who doesn't want healthier trees and bushes? Right? Root quencher.com. Well, today we're gonna talk about an hour one fall projects and things that you should be doing around the house before, you know, later fall and winter time, and the seasons change come in.

[00:01:41] Eric Goranson: And these are plenty of projects you can be tackling. You know, the first one I wanted to talk about today. Is that house painting deck staining? You know, once uh, we start getting things to cool down just a little bit where maybe you're not getting into those super hot or super humidity days, those are [00:02:00] great times to be house painting or deck staining.

[00:02:03] Eric Goranson: Now deck staining is always a challenge because you don't want it to be too hot, you don't want it to be raining. And again, you want to do it at a time when you're not gonna be using it. So, so you know, that's the challenge that you have right there. But first off, the thing that I want you to do is when you're out looking to stain a deck, for instance, Is talk to your local paint professional and make sure that you are using the right material for the job.

[00:02:29] Eric Goranson: And the level of prep is what's gonna happen. So sometimes if you've got a finish that's failing on a deck, you really need to sand it down and strip it. Or if you're going with a solid color over the top, You know, what else do you need to do there? You know, 'cause areas like that, if you're gonna repair it for all of you wood deck people out there, you know, those are, those are challenges you have.

[00:02:53] Eric Goranson: You know, my back deck, I'm gonna squeak out just a little more life out of it. So we're just getting ready to, uh, to put a solid color stain [00:03:00] on it. And I'll be honest, I do not recommend any of the deck saver. And I'm using, you know, air quotes here guys, but those deck, you know, that have the rubber and the stuff in 'em, and.

[00:03:11] Eric Goranson: The stuff that's meant to cover up an ugly beat down deck. If you wanna get a year out of it maybe, and do that, follow the directions and it's good, but just keep in mind you're not stripping that off of there easily. And when it fails is the time that you have to replace that deck. So it's kind like your last Hail Mary.

[00:03:31] Eric Goranson: Oh, I have a fall barbecue. I need it to last through the winter to look good. And in the spring I'm gonna do it. You know, that's probably your best time to use it. Now, if you're gonna be using it for something differently where uh oh, I want to do it and maybe next year I'm gonna do something different on it, that stuff doesn't come off easily.

[00:03:50] Eric Goranson: And when it fails, it comes off in chunks and it takes wood with it. It's just not a beautiful thing. So be careful with those deck restoration products that are super thick with [00:04:00] some texture to 'em. Um, be careful. 'cause once it's on there, you're gonna, it's not worth the time to remove it. You're just gonna end up putting on a new deck.

[00:04:09] Eric Goranson: Now, when it comes to house painting, this is an important one because really you need to really pay attention to the prep and understand the products that you're using. Like many paints out there, I do not trust nor believe in the all-in-one. Paint and primer. Yeah. Does it cover a little bit better? Yeah, probably.

[00:04:29] Eric Goranson: Do you still need to put a primer on something where you have adhesion issues or other problems like that? Absolutely. So do not skip a step thinking that you're buying a paint and primer all in one. If you need primer, please buy the primer. You will have a better paint job and you'll have something that works a lot better.

[00:04:50] Eric Goranson: So that's another key right there. And prep is the key. You know, that's the difference between a, an expensive paint job and. A cheap paint job. [00:05:00] The cheap paint job is little prep to no prep. They come on with cheap paint and blow it on and go. Now the other thing is, is when you're looking at any of these projects, I tend to stay away from certain products, like on a house.

[00:05:14] Eric Goranson: I don't like cheap paint because it doesn't last. It chalks up. It doesn't cover well, and so many times if you save 15 or 20 bucks a gallon on paint, You're gonna spend that in additional paint 'cause it has less coverage. And so you could have bought the better paint to begin with because it just goes farther.

[00:05:33] Eric Goranson: So pay attention to that. And I'm not saying go out and buy the a hundred dollars a gallon designer stuff, but stay towards the upper end of the paint company's range and you're gonna be better off. So those are keys right there to taking care of this stuff. Make sure that you've got the right amount of paint, you've got the right coverage, and you've got good enough quality of paint to be working with.

[00:05:54] Eric Goranson: If you're dealing with, you know, the brand that's the. In their lower end stuff, [00:06:00] you're gonna have old technology and lower expectations. There's reasons why it's cheaper, and, uh, just something to consider. You know, uh, in the, in the game of price, scores between paint companies stick with a better product.

[00:06:13] Eric Goranson: It's gonna last longer and it's gonna look like you did a better job. Now, when it comes with, you know, when it comes to decks, pay attention to what works good in your area. For instance, in my area in the Pacific Northwest, Thompson's water seal does not last at all. Um, I've never had it last more than nine to 12 months on a deck before I had to come back.

[00:06:37] Eric Goranson: No matter what grade of product, the waxes or whatever they have in there, they just get washed right off here. So it just does not last. So it's a product that I don't recommend here, but maybe in your area it does work. But, uh, here where we get a lot of rain and we have a lot of heat, it does not work well.

[00:06:56] Eric Goranson: It just absolutely does not hold up, and I've done a bunch of [00:07:00] tests with it to see what lasts longer and you know, something, it just doesn't hold up for me. So understand what works well in your area, what your paint professionals recommend, because there will be stuff that works best in the south versus the north or the southern states versus, you know, the.

[00:07:19] Eric Goranson: Northwest. So just understand what works in your zone and kind of your area, and you'll be much more comfortable with what you have going on. Yeah, and one more important tip as far as painting around the house. Make sure that you get out there with some really good caulking and do all the caulking and prep work.

[00:07:35] Eric Goranson: Make sure every little piece is sealed up. Make sure that it's sealed around all the trim and the windows and doors and all that stuff. Get that all dialed in, it's gonna make for a better looking paint job as well as it's gonna give you that durability and really stop that air infiltration and places that water can get in.

[00:07:51] Eric Goranson: And water will always cause damage if it's getting in there. So make sure that you've got that stuff all sealed up and ready to go. And when it comes to quality caulking, [00:08:00] you need to find the good stuff. This is not something you want to use. The cheap painter ssk. I like using the Sashco branded stuff.

[00:08:07] Eric Goranson: Uh, what is that big stretch? That stuff works really well and you can put it on there and it's gonna last a long time so that, uh, whatever works well in your climate, use it. But uh, stay away from the inexpensive stuff 'cause you want to do this once. And as well as when you're staining that deck, take a look around, poke around, do an inspection, make sure the framing is right, because if you have to tear up a few boards, now's the time to do it.

[00:08:31] Eric Goranson: One little quick trick too, you can jump online and grab a deck inspection form and walk around and make sure that you're not missing something, but make sure that you've got all the right brackets, fasteners. If things are nailed together, that is always my first thing that I go, uhoh, what's going on here?

[00:08:46] Eric Goranson: Now, it's okay if you're using Simpson Brackets and Simpson Nails, but to me one of the worst case scenarios is where that, uh, Rim joist, uh, is got the deck plate nailed to it and, uh, there's no screws. So I [00:09:00] want to see everything on that deck that is structural using either structural nails or when it's fastened to the building that you needs to have, uh, you need to have some lag bolts there and, uh, have that built correctly.

[00:09:14] Eric Goranson: And there's even some other bolts that go through where you can attach it differently. So make sure that you're following building code in your area and that you've got that. Deck overbuilt on the structure while you're doing that stuff because if you gotta pull up stuff and replace it, now is the time to do it.

[00:09:29] Eric Goranson: Don't go anywhere. We got more fall projects just as soon as a round the house return. Don't change that.

[00:09:46] Eric Goranson: I.

[00:09:54] Eric Goranson: So many people.[00:10:00]

[00:10:08] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to The Round The House Show. This is where we help you get the most outta your home through information and education. I've been talking about fall projects today, but first I wanted to get you lined up here. On a couple things. First off, if you wanna find out more about the show, head over to around the house online.com has all the information about the radio show, the podcast, or even the television show.

[00:10:29] Eric Goranson: And if you're missing the television show, head over there to catch our videos. Uh, last week we went out and hit Leatherman Tools and these are made in u S A handcrafted and we show the entire process. It has been a hot video this last week. Something to take a peek at and enjoy. Well, today we've been talking about fall projects, and another one that is just a good idea is to pop up on that roof or bring somebody in that is an expert.

[00:10:55] Eric Goranson: To double check that roof to make sure it's gonna hold up through the wintertime. It doesn't matter if you're [00:11:00] in Florida or the, or, you know, in the south where hurricanes can come in to, uh, up in the northeast or west coast where snow could be an issue. It's a great time to make sure that everything's dialed in for winter.

[00:11:12] Eric Goranson: And if it's sunny and warm and nice outside and you're kind of getting past the extra, extra hot heat, it's not a bad time to get up and look around it. So, If you're a homeowner and you're comfortable on your roof, and it's a safe place to be, you know, uh, another tip that's great too, is if you're gonna go up on your roof and you're a DIYer.

[00:11:31] Eric Goranson: I'm gonna be doing this here shortly. It's something that I'm gonna be working on, is I'm gonna be putting in a harness system up there where I can tie off every time I go up there. It's gonna be a much safer situation for me because I've got some roof, uh, sections that are really easy. I've got some that are a little steeper, and boy, it'd be sure nice to be able to tie off on it and be a little safer.

[00:11:50] Eric Goranson: And it meets a lot of the OSHA codes out there as well. So I'm gonna create some places where I can tie off and, uh, be a much smarter homeowner. To be able to do that. [00:12:00] So good time to get up there and take a look at that roof and get it dialed in. Make sure that it's maintained, if it's got moss or something on it, or if you've got, um, stuff in the gutters.

[00:12:08] Eric Goranson: Good time to get it all cleaned out and ready to go. Now here's one that is a big one that I wanted to talk more about, and you start looking at it, building a storage shed and getting rid of clutter. Now clutter is something that unless you're moving every couple years, for most people it's a battle.

[00:12:25] Eric Goranson: You just collect things. Ooh, I like that somebody gave me something. And it's really easy to get stuff collected, and this is something that I'm personally working on right now, is getting rid of the collection of stuff. You know, do I need four huge bins of miscellaneous bolts that's like it came out of a junk drawer?

[00:12:42] Eric Goranson: No. Am I better getting rid of a lot of that? Do I really need it or am I better just going up the store and buy a, a bolt or two when I need it, versus trying to dig through and find something that might work? I might be better off these days to just get rid of that whole thing, send it to scrap metal, and, um, [00:13:00] let it live another day into a car or something else that it's made into, instead of having, you know, two buckets of hardware that I never get to the bottom of.

[00:13:07] Eric Goranson: So getting rid of that clutter is big. And another one is, is getting rid of that storage unit. Oh my gosh. You know, and we've talked about this in in previous episodes, but just in a nutshell, Taking what that storage unit is, and after a year or two, you probably have spent more on storage than the value.

[00:13:25] Eric Goranson: Is that stuff even worth that much? So that's another thing, you know, getting rid of clutter, cleaning it up leaves for a healthier environment, because guess what? You don't have all that junk laying around that you have to dust. And, uh, getting rid of other stuff can be good. Donate it to your favorite charity if you don't like it.

[00:13:43] Eric Goranson: Or if you need some extra space, but do you really need to keep, it is always the battle. And uh, for me, I've gotta keep a lot of stuff because I need it for TV show stuff for a, um, you know, I'll have a faucet for instance, and I'm like, oh, I wanna get rid of it. Well, I do need that as a demo piece for another project coming up.

[00:13:59] Eric Goranson: So [00:14:00] I have almost got need to create a, a storage shed for just my stuff for the television show. Which is kind of important. So these are things to consider, but I tell you what, having some space and, uh, not having your storage jammed to the hilt all the time is worth the extra time. So clean out that clutter.

[00:14:21] Eric Goranson: Build a storage shed. You don't have to go down to the home center and buy one if you wanna build your own. Uh, building materials are back up a little bit. Uh, you know, when I see the, the sheets of O Ss B here in the United States get above 20 bucks. That's when I started going, oh man, our lumber prices are up again.

[00:14:36] Eric Goranson: But, um, you know, these are things to keep an eye out on, but I think that really, you know, building a shed and, uh, creating that space and building it right can be a much more, a smarter solution. Sometimes those cheapy sheds, especially the metal ones, can be. It could be not as durable. So these are things that uh, if you want it to look like the house, spend the time and build it.

[00:14:57] Eric Goranson: It's a great way to learn your d i y skills of [00:15:00] building so you can jump online and get some free plans or buy some plans, make something that looks like the house and it's a nice addition. And always make sure that you check with your local utilities, your easements. Make sure that you can put this shed on a place that makes sense.

[00:15:17] Eric Goranson: For you and that you're not cutting off utility easement to anybody else. Um, I've seen some issues where people build these beautiful sheds and the utility comes in and goes, Hey, you built that over a right of way. So now, uh, or you built it under our power lines or whatever. And then you've got issues.

[00:15:31] Eric Goranson: So understand where those are. And sometimes if you're good, you could put these in a spot where you have now created some privacy. You can make that shed be your own privacy screen so you're uh, you know, maybe you put the hot tub on the other side of it. You can do a lot of things with this. To make it work out well for you, but, um, you know, put it in the right location where you have access as well as if you wanna screen something off it, uh, can be a dual use project for you, especially with that.

[00:15:59] Eric Goranson: [00:16:00] Now, this time of year is another one. Here's another great tip for you here that is, uh, a fun one driveway repair. Now is the time to really get after this, before the weather turns. And again, this is one of those things that, uh, I always recommend. You know, whether we're coming into, it's a great time to fix those potholes.

[00:16:16] Eric Goranson: If you've got an asphalt driveway or if you have a longer driveway, or if it's concrete to, to ceilings up, get it taken care of, get those repairs done. These days, there is, if you've got a broken up driveway and it's got a couple extra cracks in it, There are some great Skimm coat products that you can use out there that are drivable or uh, even that walkway coming up to the house.

[00:16:37] Eric Goranson: Just a little bit of curb appeal. There are some great products and we're gonna do a shoot here one of these days with the artex. I'm gonna skimm coat my exposed aggregate walkway, come up to the house. It's a little dated. I don't like the exposed aggregate 'cause it's always dirty and it's always showing the moss and the mildew and things like that.

[00:16:55] Eric Goranson: So this is one of those things that you wanna make sure you get it taken care of. And, uh, a [00:17:00] good Skimm coing last a number of years on these before you have to go through and replace it. Now that's assuming that you've got a good base, things aren't moving around. Um, but even if they've got a couple pieces that you need to attach together, what I have done is come in and use, uh, foundation Staples.

[00:17:16] Eric Goranson: And what these are is, uh, think of a, of a carbon fiber bar with two little tiny round. Dumbbells at the end, and you can actually fasten those broken pieces together so they're all the same. And then do the Skimm coat over the top and you've got now things tied together so they don't move. And then the skimm coat makes sense.

[00:17:35] Eric Goranson: 'cause now you're filling that in and making it work. So, uh, little bit of carbon fiber or a epoxy and those, you can really tie things in together and make it so you have a, a brand new looking driveway if you're not careful without having to tear it out and make it look right. And it's not gonna be as good as a brand new driveway.

[00:17:51] Eric Goranson: But I tell you what, you can really clean that up. Now the other thing is, if you're gonna be actually working on it, you're trying to flip it and you're, uh, you know, trying to [00:18:00] move on to your next house, this can be an also good thing that you can go through and, uh, and get that skimm coated and looking good.

[00:18:06] Eric Goranson: And the new homeowners, you won't have to feel bad if you do it right, 'cause it'll get a number of years before they have to replace it. So, uh, skimm coating can be a great way and you can add color to it. Um, I've had people come in and seen them do, uh, stamping on top of it. There's a lot of different ways to do this, to make it look absolutely beautiful and we're in the weather where we can still do it because things aren't too crazy in most areas.

[00:18:29] Eric Goranson: Round the house, we'll be right back after these important messages. Don't go.[00:19:00]

[00:19:11] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to The Round the House Show where I help you get the most outta your home through information. Education. Well, today we've been talking about those fall projects that you should be tackling and uh, kind of getting ready for fall even though we're still in summer. But, uh, you know, there's kids going back to school in some areas already and it's really just depending on what's going on in your neighborhood.

[00:19:31] Eric Goranson: And speaking to that, we're gonna talk about, uh, kind of those seasonal changes for where you are at here in a second. But, uh, I wanted to, I wanted to kind of go on a little rant here for a second 'cause I just got off the phone with a buddy who's a contractor of mine. I tell you what, it has been a challenge out there.

[00:19:47] Eric Goranson: I am seeing so many different contractors struggling with many of the siding companies and window companies about not getting them the proper [00:20:00] information to do the install. I was just with him on the phone on a major manufacturing website for, you know, um, nah, it's a brand we all know. Let's leave it at that.

[00:20:12] Eric Goranson: Not here to bash on a specific company, but it's just something that needs to happen out there. We've gotta really get some of this stuff straightened around companies. Please take your time and make it so that you create information that we can consume. And I had to go to the inner depths of this website to find installation instructions.

[00:20:35] Eric Goranson: That should have been one click away. With the product. I mean, if I go look on the product and I'm a contractor and I dive in and say, okay, I'm gonna look at citing a, if I have to make more than four or five different clicks to get to the installation instructions, put it right there where everybody can see it.

[00:20:54] Eric Goranson: Make it easy to find, make it so you got the people putting it [00:21:00] incorrectly. And I'm seeing that more and more aware they're, they're hiding that information on their websites. So any of you guys out there listening that are tuning into the show, please make your information easy to consume for us because there's no excuse to make it six or eight clicks deep on a website and getting lucky to find information.

[00:21:23] Eric Goranson: I should be able to find it right on the brochure page or whatever. If you're showing off the features and benefits of the product. Put a button right there that says, uh, installation instructions or installation specs. So the product can get used correctly and installed correctly. So, uh, there's my little rant of the day.

[00:21:39] Eric Goranson: We've been talking fall projects here, and one thing we were starting to talk when we went to break was driveway repair. It's a great time to recoat that driveway. Doesn't matter if it's concrete and you wanna put some sealer on it, or if it's gonna be a, uh, Driveway that's asphalt that you need to seal, whatever.

[00:21:54] Eric Goranson: It's a good time to do that here as the, the high temperatures start to dial back just a little bit in many [00:22:00] places. And, uh, you know, it's one of those things that, uh, it's a good time to do it. So seal the driveway, all the cracks, get that stuff taken care of. So, um, now here's the next one here, which is really good.

[00:22:11] Eric Goranson: Getting your house ready for those seasonal changes. For many in the US that means, hey, we're cruising into hurricane season and we've gotta make sure that our house is ready for hurricanes. Maybe it's, uh, like here on the West coast where we're getting ready for rainy season for me, you know, in the summertime we don't see rain for a few months and it's a good time to get those dry projects done so you can get that.

[00:22:34] Eric Goranson: Then, um, so just be ready, you know, what can you do to make your house, you know, ready for the change of weather? And that always leads to a good project or two out there. And, uh, many times that's like taking your, uh, gutters and making sure that those downspouts don't drain right next to the foundation.

[00:22:52] Eric Goranson: Yeah, that's a huge one. That's how you get foundation damage no matter where you're at in the country. Making sure that that goes down into a [00:23:00] storm drain system, which is maybe a b s pipe that's underground, that goes, you know, 10, 12, 16 feet away from the foundation and then downhill away from the house, making sure that you've got those water issues under control.

[00:23:13] Eric Goranson: Now, you know, this is of course different across the country, but this is really where you can spend that time. Now, this is also the time that I want you to call your HVAC system professional, have 'em come in and do the tuneup. If you've got heating and cooling, I would make sure you've got that service contract.

[00:23:30] Eric Goranson: So you can have a company that comes out and gets that thing dialed in once or twice a year. Listen to them. They will tell you what they think, the, uh, what they think those intervals should be. If you're in the south where it's, you're using AC most of the time, guess what? That, that AC system probably needs to be maintained a couple times a year.

[00:23:48] Eric Goranson: If you're switching over to heat, making sure that those are working back and forth as well. Those are all important things. To make sure they're dialed in. So make sure you've got that H V A C system ready to go [00:24:00] and tuned in. And that is just one of those things that, uh, those are such great preventive maintenance things.

[00:24:05] Eric Goranson: You can catch things before they break that keeps you from having a service call that's insane out there. And nobody wants to pay for expensive service calls, especially on a Sunday night where you're paying double time or triple time or whatever to get people out there, it always seems that's the time that that stuff breaks.

[00:24:20] Eric Goranson: It's never right when the service guy is coming over or something. So make sure you've got that dialed in. Now, another one here that I think is really good to get on the phone and I just did this and realized that I had some problems and, and let's talk about insurance for a minute here, and this is something that I'm gonna put in your fall project list.

[00:24:40] Eric Goranson: It's something you should take a look at. Can you build your house for what it costs today? Can you replace it if you were to have a catastrophic event? Is your stuff covered? I have been buying online with one of the major national companies, and then I brought it to an agent who's a buddy of mine, and he [00:25:00] said, wow, you have the complete wrong insurance on your automobile and uh, you're better on your house, but you really need to get this stuff dialed in.

[00:25:10] Eric Goranson: I didn't realize how bad my insurance coverage was on certain things. So we've got that dialed in, um, getting that taken care of. Uh, he's doing a great job. Uh, plus I'm getting more coverage for better money. So having somebody eyeball my stuff is super important and, uh, I think that's important stuff to make sure that you're covered because, uh, whether or not you've got the right coverage, you know, for a flood.

[00:25:36] Eric Goranson: Which means some water overflowed someplace and came into your house from the outside versus a pipe break inside your house, which we know is not a flood. That is water damage. So making sure that you have the right coverages for everything. And if you've got something like I have expensive tools, making sure that I have got the coverage for that.

[00:25:55] Eric Goranson: Do I have a rider for my tools? Do I have a writer for my other stuff? Collections, art [00:26:00] jewelry, what are you covered with? Make sure that's dialed in. Right now is a great time to spend the time and get that stuff taken care of and make sure you're ready to go. And that's, uh, that's an important one. Now, another one that I think is equally as important is testing that indoor air quality.

[00:26:17] Eric Goranson: Where are you at? If it's summertime, we're spending a lot of time outside, you know, doing stuff out in the heat, you know, and, and fall can be that same, but this is a good time to get that air testing done. So, uh, Run some air tests on the inside and the outside of your house. See if there's mold, see if there's issues.

[00:26:35] Eric Goranson: Now's a great time to do it. You know, now's a, a perfect time to make sure that your air quality inside is exactly what it you want it to be. And it can be a lot of things. It could be, uh, you know, your particulate matter, which is like your PM 2.5. If you've got pets with dirt and dust, that can be an issue.

[00:26:53] Eric Goranson: Or it could be the, uh, the different stuff. I was talking with, uh, my friend Caroline Borowski, [00:27:00] former co-host here of the show, and she was talking about, um, you know, people out there. A common problem that we're seeing is in the prepper community that we're seeing issues. Where they're bringing all these things inside your house to store, that would be used later.

[00:27:17] Eric Goranson: But they're offgassing stuff and it's leading to hazardous air quality inside your house because there's so, so much stored, produced things that are offgassing. So be very careful with what's happening because all of a sudden you could have these numbers that are off the roof, and that's why you want to test it to make sure that everything's good.

[00:27:35] Eric Goranson: So air testing is king. Make sure you're good. And the cool thing is, is that if you get mold or, or like sewage gases or something that comes up, you could actually start to track it down. And so if you've got a high mold content inside, but it's not high outside, then maybe you've got a problem that you haven't located yet and it's time to catch it or track it down.

[00:27:57] Eric Goranson: Many times I see mold in the walls from where, [00:28:00] uh, a, a really poor window company came in years before and put in two or three windows in a house and didn't seal 'em upright. And now there's mold inside the wall cavity 'cause there's been water going down in there. And nobody had any difference. You know, nobody had any idea what was going on.

[00:28:14] Eric Goranson: So these are all things that you can do that, uh, to really test and make sure that you've got a safe environment for you and your family. So, Air testing inside and out. Uh, and actually you can get a hold of Caroline over there at, uh, my Healthy Home. She's got it as well over there for air testing.

[00:28:30] Eric Goranson: Alright, we come back, we got more Fall projects. Just as soon as a route the house returns, Don.[00:29:00]

[00:29:05] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to The Round the House. Show this for We help you get the most outta your home through information and education. Thanks for joining us today. Hey, if you haven't caught the television show that is around the House Northwest shown right here in the Portland, Oregon market, you can catch it over on YouTube.

[00:29:19] Eric Goranson: Just head over to K P T V. Com and take a look at their YouTube page or just go youtube.com and go kp t v Fox 12, look for the around the house banner and you can find it in the playlist. And then we've got over a hundred videos over there that are, uh, jam packed full of stuff. Like last weekend we had, um, it was so fun.

[00:29:39] Eric Goranson: We went out to, uh, Leatherman tools and uh, that video has been taken off and going viral, which has been great. Well, today we've been talking about those fall projects, stuff you should be doing around the house before we get into winter. Another one is, an important one is to make sure you're dialed in, that you've got everything insulated and ventilated.

[00:29:58] Eric Goranson: Now, many new homes, we're seeing some [00:30:00] problems in the garages. We've talked about it last year. I wanna talk about it again here real quick, that if you've got a brand new house and the attached garage and the inside's all been insulated and you've got a nice insulated garage door and everything's good, when you pull that, that car in, whether it's an electric car or a gasoline or a diesel, that thing is gonna be.

[00:30:20] Eric Goranson: If it's wet, you pull that wet car in the garage, it's drying off, you've got extra high humidity. I have seen in the rainy seasons, people get all the stuff just mold everywhere inside their garage. So when you have that brand new home, make sure that they've put in ventilation. Make sure that they've got either an E R V or some kind of ventilation in there, like a bath fan that gets that air outta there.

[00:30:43] Eric Goranson: That is, uh, based on humidity, so you'll be able to get that taken care of. Now, as far as ventilation, I am not a fan of Powered fan, you know, attic fans. I think they in most cases, uh, create more problems than their worth, because what happens is, is [00:31:00] people go in and replace a roof vent, put one of those in, and then they end up sucking the cold conditioned air outta the house because they didn't open up enough.

[00:31:09] Eric Goranson: Ventilation in the eaves for that or soft events. And so all of a sudden they're pulling conditioned air outta the house and it's costing 'em more money to run than it was before. So be very careful with what you're doing on ventilation, especially with powered attic ventilation that, uh, you need to make sure that you are able to make up that C F M when you turn it on.

[00:31:31] Eric Goranson: If that's a 800 C F M fan, where is that 800 C F M fan? Pulling from, you don't want it to be the conditioned space 'cause that just means you're gonna have to fight that all the time. So make sure that you've got, uh, many times when I see people put in Powered Vent fans in their attic to cool it down is I wanna see them go through and basically create a, um, a non, I don't wanna see that error coming from the Condition [00:32:00] Space app.

[00:32:00] Eric Goranson: So I want to have that. Basically hermetically sealed between the condition space and the attic space. So when you're pulling air, you're pulling it from the, uh, vents and not from the condition space because, uh, like I said earlier, that's, that's a bad recipe for mistakes. So really think about having good ventilation where maybe you've got, uh, wide open soffits and weight wide open ridge and you've got air moving through there and swap it out.

[00:32:25] Eric Goranson: And, uh, that way you've got a, a, a cooler attic space, which can lead to, well, quite frankly, more. Cooler house and uh, more energy efficient. So that's a good one to fight. If you can handle that, you're gonna be much better off. Now here is one that can be a pretty nasty task, and it's something that's on my to-do list for this next year, and that is cleaning out that crawl space or basement.

[00:32:48] Eric Goranson: Now, in many cases, you know 60 to 80% of your air is coming up through those 'cause heat rises. So a lot of that temperature that you have in that air or the air in your crawl space ends up. [00:33:00] Swift up through the floor into your home, and that is why that you see in many times, you know, if you walk into an old house and they've had cream carpet for a long time, you'll see the dirt where the, the cream carpet is darker around the walls.

[00:33:14] Eric Goranson: That's not because of the carpet cleaners. Missed it? Nope. That is because you have air coming around, uh, through the base of those walls coming up around the carpet, and the carpet is turned into your filter medium, and that is all air coming up from that dirty crawlspace or basement. So these are things that you should really take a look at.

[00:33:33] Eric Goranson: So what I wanna see is a crawlspace. I wanna make sure that you've got proper ventilation and that you've got six mil plastic down or greater. That is, uh, seamed and taped and everything is looking good down there. If you are going to be, uh, encapsulating that crawl space, then you need to seal it up and then have a dehumidifier installed and really have that hermetically sealed up where no moisture's coming [00:34:00] through, and then you're just trying to get rid of the trapped moisture that's in there.

[00:34:03] Eric Goranson: So that needs to be all taped and sealed up and no vents or things like that. So making sure that you get that taken care of can be really helpful in eliminating dust. Allergens inside your home with a crawlspace, it's a big deal. So make sure you get that dialed in and you can keep that bad air down where it's supposed to be and not up around your house making a mess outta your stuff.

[00:34:26] Eric Goranson: Now, if you've got a basement, awesome, make sure that you've got that humidity under control down there and then don't have any cracks or you don't have any, um, really places that water is starting to seep through. So really pay attention. If you've got cracks, mark them on the wall to make sure you see if they're moving or not.

[00:34:44] Eric Goranson: And uh, make sure that you get those repaired sooner than later. You can't do it too soon. If you've got some cracks that need to be fixed, now is the time to do it and get that dialed in. It's not that hard to get it figured out. And that can be a d I Y project. I have seen people that are [00:35:00] handy do their own foundation repair projects like that.

[00:35:03] Eric Goranson: When they get the right tools. Now, if you're, you know, almost contractor level, absolutely you can do it. If not, you can hire a foundation professional to come out. But like we talked about in earlier episodes, before you hire that foundation expert, if you're gonna do that, make sure that if you've got cracks and things like that, that, uh, I'm gonna say it again even though I said it a few weeks ago.

[00:35:25] Eric Goranson: Make sure you bring the, uh, structural engineer out first. Write the report on what the plan should be. You will have to pay that person. Then hit up all the other foundation companies with, here's my engineering report, I need you to fix it. What is your best, most cost of effective way to fix it? And let them tell you what that is and lean on the, the structural engineer to tell you what needs to happen.

[00:35:46] Eric Goranson: So that is the key right there. And these are great things. And again, like I've said earlier, don't be afraid of having to jack your house up and put another foundation under it. It's rare. Rarely do you have to do that unless you're moving the house. Um, generally speaking, you can [00:36:00] do any of those foundation repairs that have to jack the house up and while you're still living in it, now, you can't live in the house When they're jacking it up, you're almost better to dig down.

[00:36:08] Eric Goranson: If you need to add some square footage or some height to that ceiling, you can dig down and do it that way. And again, that's just something that you talk to your structural engineer, get things dialed in, have the plan, and then get a quote for people to implement that plan for you. So, uh, many times, even on some horribly failed foundations, we just poured a new interior foundation and that was something that solved it.

[00:36:32] Eric Goranson: And there's so many new ad mixes out there for concrete where you can add stuff in that makes it waterproof and things like that, so you don't get that humidity coming through it. It's almost like a closed cell concrete where stuff won't go through it. So there's a lot of different things you can do out there.

[00:36:46] Eric Goranson: And, uh, even though, um, we've had to do some interior foundations on projects before, Even though you lost maybe a foot or so on the inside space, it's totally worth it 'cause you didn't have to jack the house up and you could live in it during the time. And [00:37:00] that's a pretty good solution for that. So, um, as with any repair, make sure you get on it sooner than later.

[00:37:06] Eric Goranson: If you ignore foundation issues, you're going to have to pay more later for them to get that fixed. So that's a good one right there. And now's the time too, if you're gonna be doing any, uh, minor kitchen remodels and stuff since we are in barbecue season. It makes a lot of sense to be able to do the kitchen stuff right now because you've got a few months left.

[00:37:26] Eric Goranson: In many cases a barbecue, C'S not there. So, um, if you're trying to get your kitchen done before Thanksgiving, if you don't have cabinets on order right now, I'd be concerned. Um, and make sure that you're knowing how stuff is getting to you as well on any of these projects with, um, yellow freight going into bankruptcy that is going to rock the shipping world on the L T L or the.

[00:37:50] Eric Goranson: Less than load, you know, one of the trucking companies like that. So we're gonna see some shortages for a while. Anytime that you take one of the major trucking companies and [00:38:00] eliminate them from the marketplace here in the United States, we know that that's gonna be an issue. So, um, make sure you plan for that.

[00:38:06] Eric Goranson: Don't start that remodel project until all the pieces are in hand. I think that we're gonna start seeing some of these things, uh, shipping across country. Uh, I think we're gonna be in a hurting spot here for a little bit until these other companies can get those truck bought. Till they can get those other yellow freight employees hired and brought on because, uh, there was a lot of yellow trucks that were showing up at home centers and other things like that.

[00:38:29] Eric Goranson: And, uh, now they're having to use other companies that were already busy. And so anytime we lose one of the big three of the shipping companies, it's gonna be a problem for us. So expect for the next four to six months. Some shipping issues. Um, it's just like I saw that, uh, big fire down, uh, this last week in Sherwin at Sherwin Williams at one of their factories.

[00:38:50] Eric Goranson: And, uh, they had some explosions and stuff. You're gonna see probably since it was flammable. Uh, and again, I'm making a guess here, but I'm gonna guess some Sherwin Williams problems are gonna happen, [00:39:00] uh, probably more on their commercial side because their commercial side has, um, more flammable materials than what the, uh, residential, you know, latex paint does.

[00:39:11] Eric Goranson: So, but uh, again, these are things that you should plan for. Make sure you have all those building materials on site before you start the project so that way you can start it and finish it and not be waiting on parts. Alright everybody, well thanks for tuning in around the house. Hour number one. Hour number two, if you're dog.

[00:39:28] Eric Goranson: This one is for you. We're gonna talk about dogs and some new technology just.