[00:00:00] Eric Goranson: It's around the house. Hey guys, it's Eric G. We got a great show lined up for you here. We're going to talk about my top 10 tips and maybe a few more. If we get time for exterior projects, it doesn't matter if you're painting, doing a deck, or if you're building a fence, I've got some great tips for you today that could save you some money and make this job so much easier.

[00:00:31] Eric Goranson: These are those little things. People get totally tripped up on that can really reduce the lifespan of the project that you're working on. Or even the worst. This is one of those things can really cost you some serious money. So sit back, hold on tight. We've got a one hour show here that is ready to rock and you'll be ready to tackle those spring projects.

[00:00:52] Eric Goranson: Now let's get to the show. When it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to know, but we've got you [00:01:00] covered. Best is around the house. Welcome to the Around the House show, the next generation of home improvement. I'm Eric G., thanks for joining me today. If you want to find out more about us, head over to AroundTheHouseOnline.

[00:01:14] Eric Goranson: com. And, of course, if you want to track me down, you can give us a call here in the studio at 833 333 8333. 239 4144. That number again is 833 239 4144. And hey, before I forget, I do want to talk about my shows that are coming up on my Around the House Northwest this weekend. If you want to stream it out there, just look for KPTVFox12.

[00:01:38] Eric Goranson: Or you can head over to our YouTube page and see stuff over there. We've got a great show lined up. We've got a lot of great stuff happening on the video format. So make sure you check that out. We're going to be installing a earthquake shutoff valve for the natural gas. We're going to be talking about so many different things.

[00:01:54] Eric Goranson: I do a test on deck stains to see which one's going to work the best in my [00:02:00] climate. And it was shocking. It was pretty fun. And we're going to talk about a little of that today because we are going to talk about my top 10. Really tips for exterior projects. And I did a test and it's just pretty amazing.

[00:02:12] Eric Goranson: And I went through and I was surprised, but not surprised. I went through and did a test and I picked out five different deck coatings and thought, okay, I'm going to apply them per the manufacturer's directions. And I had some big brands like Olympic bear PPG Thompson's water seal. And so what I did is I went through on these on some newer cedar deck boards or nice and dry.

[00:02:39] Eric Goranson: And a one by six, five quarter cedar and did sections of them. And then I went through and applied each one per the direction. Some were one coat, some were two coats, some were oil based, some were water based. And I was really amazed at how it turned out. So the first finish to fail that just basically disappeared.

[00:02:59] Eric Goranson: Was the Thompson's [00:03:00] water seal and what it is. I went through to simulate some scuffing. So I took about six or eight swipes of 400 sandpaper over the top of it, just to see if we could give a little wear to it. And then I took my pressure washer with one of the rotary tips, not the really deep ones, but just like your softwash type tip.

[00:03:16] Eric Goranson: And I washed over the top of it and it pretty much wiped the water seal right off of it. That just didn't hold up. The waxiness came off and it pretty much looked like. Brand new wood when it was done. The best water based was the bear that went on there so well. I was so impressed at how that turned out.

[00:03:34] Eric Goranson: And then for the oil based, the PPG went on really well. And that was the Prolux. I was really impressed with that. And so it turned out pretty good. There was the other ones held up fine, but I think there was two that that really performed the best. And that was going to be the bear and the PPG Prolux and the Prolux.

[00:03:52] Eric Goranson: I like it. It was a one coat. And it held up really good. That didn't have any degradation of the finish at all. And then the bear did almost [00:04:00] equally. So I think the Prolux because it was oil based was sheeting water just a little bit better than the bear. But to tell you what, it was super solid, but that's really not what we're talking about today.

[00:04:09] Eric Goranson: We're gonna be talking about my top 10 picks for exterior projects and the things that you can do to make sure that they go off without a hitch here this summer, and these are my little tips and tricks first off, when you're building an outside deck, here's my first tip. Use joist tape to seal off the top of your framing.

[00:04:29] Eric Goranson: Now this is a big deal and it's been, boy, if you jump on some of the deck forum groups out there, you'll have the proverbial old guy and I've been doing it for 30 years. So I almost fall into this, but you get the old guy going, I've been doing it for 30 years. It doesn't, I never had a problem. Here's the thing, joist tape works and what it does, it is a kind of a butyl based and they actually make liquid stuff you can paint on as well out there that does the same thing.

[00:04:52] Eric Goranson: But what it does is it's a black coating. That you either roll onto the tape or paint on with a liquid and it seals the [00:05:00] top of the joist where the water tends to collect. And what happens is when you put a screw through it and hold a deck board down, it seals around that screw. And the why, really why this makes sense and why you need to take a look at this is because nowadays we're putting composite deck boards down that have a 30, 40 year lifespan.

[00:05:21] Eric Goranson: That's the warranty period. Even longer on some of them out there. And here's the thing. Now you're putting that on a wood deck that probably, if you don't maintain it, you've got a 15 year lifespan. So instead of doing steel, which is what people are starting to do. And it's even aluminum out there. Now, people are doing the joist tape to get that extra life out of it.

[00:05:42] Eric Goranson: And it makes a huge difference. It doesn't take long for water to get collected underneath that. Uh, because you think about it, that deck board is not breathing and you're now trapping moisture down underneath it. And that can be a problem, especially in climates where you get rain a lot. And if you get mixed rain, especially down the South, where you [00:06:00] can get summer rains that really bake it in there and just keep it damp, high humidity areas works really well.

[00:06:06] Eric Goranson: So take a look at that joystick. Even if you're using pressure treated, it's a great way to go to protect that framing. That way you can do it once and forget about it. And that makes a big difference when you're doing that kind of stuff. So take a look at the joystick. It's a great way to go. Number two here is when we're talking decks, make sure that if you're connecting it to the house, you're doing your flashing correctly.

[00:06:30] Eric Goranson: And what I mean by that is when you connect that ledger board in, I want to make sure that you're removing the siding off and you're attaching that ledger board, which is holding your framing that needs to be bolted into the framing of the house. And when you do this, you need to flash around it to keep moisture from coming back there.

[00:06:49] Eric Goranson: And so what I like to see is your typical window flashing going in around that to make sure that you get it sealed behind it. Then you're going to put that through and then you're going to do [00:07:00] metal flashing over the top of that to make sure that you've got that dialed in. And so that metal flashing is going to divert water.

[00:07:08] Eric Goranson: To go around that rim joist out away from the house. So you're not putting water back in there and causing rot of the exterior surface right there. And then you're going to bring the siding back down over the top of that. And that way you've got water that's directing around that in a way. And if you don't, now you have water coming back in.

[00:07:26] Eric Goranson: And that's a problem if you've got, uh, Let's say you've got an old eighties, nineties deck that you're rebuilding for the second or third time, and no one's changed it. This is where the big fails are is that we've really changed how we do this stuff over the years. Sometimes people, if you had a really good deck builder, they'd throw some, uh, 30 pound felt back there to help with that.

[00:07:44] Eric Goranson: But really that's where the issues are. So take the time, go through, make sure that you've got that flashed. And flexible flashed correctly, both of those materials in there. And if you want to see a good video on that, there's a great one over that a buddy [00:08:00] did over with fine home building. That really goes through your, another YouTube page and find that information over there.

[00:08:05] Eric Goranson: Maybe that's something I'll do here of getting in that flash correctly. That could be a really good video. Maybe that's a pro tip coming up for my TV show, but this is a great one to make sure that you're doing it right. And if you can do that correctly, you're going to be dialed in and it's going to look really good.

[00:08:20] Eric Goranson: So, and that way you do it once and forget about it. The other way people do it as I see is they'll go through and stand the deck off the house by half an inch. And so it's not protruding in that. And then they just leave a gap there and then they don't let this, the house support the deck. But if you're going to do that and make sure you've got enough cross bracing and make sure that thing's locked in.

[00:08:39] Eric Goranson: So you don't get 10, 15 people up there having your backyard party and having it fall off the house, or at least start racking up there. So that house does a lot to solid place that deck. So if you're going to make a freestanding one, make sure you've designed that correctly and you don't mess that up.

[00:08:56] Eric Goranson: You know, probably my best tip for you is if you're doing that [00:09:00] freestanding deck and it's more than a couple of feet high, bring in that engineer to make sure you've got that dialed in. Cause I don't want to make sure that you got people out there having a good time. You're partying away. Last thing I want to do is see that thing come over.

[00:09:10] Eric Goranson: And then of course you got to be dealing with the railings and everything else. So maybe having somebody draw that up and make sure you're good. And in most areas, once you get up that high, anyway, you got to pull a permit. So take the time, do it right. And it's going to save you some serious money and that's going to be a smart one there for you.

[00:09:26] Eric Goranson: So that's, that can be really a great way to do that. All right, everybody. Well, we've got to go out to break here. Don't change that dial around the house. We'll be right back after these very important messages. Don't go anywhere.[00:10:00]

[00:10:09] Eric Goranson: What's up? This is Dixie Dania and Satchel from Steel Panther. And you are listening to Around the House with Eric G. Yeah, we love Eric G and you should too. Back

[00:10:29] Eric Goranson: to the Around the House show. I'm Eric G. Thanks for joining me today. We've been talking about my top 10 picks. For exterior projects, those tips and tricks that we can take a, take on to make sure that we're doing these things right. And that these projects will last. And that's the key. I really like doing stuff that's going to last the longest.

[00:10:48] Eric Goranson: And so you get that durability out of it. And usually that's what saves you money the most. And that's the cool thing with that. So we've been talking about these exterior projects, what you can do to make them turn out a little bit better. Now here's [00:11:00] one thing before you get out and start painting your house this year and do those exterior painting projects.

[00:11:05] Eric Goranson: Make sure that you use a really good caulking. Don't go down to your home center and get that cheap painter's caulk because you're just going to be doing it again in the fall, because here's what happens. It doesn't matter where you're at in the country. You're going to have expansion and contraction.

[00:11:19] Eric Goranson: If you've got pieces of vinyl that are painted like trim, if you have wood, different materials, they all move at different rates. And so you want to make sure. That you've got something that's going to hold up. And when you're going around, re caulking before you paint is part of the prep. And that is the biggest part of doing it is that you want to get in there, remove all the old caulking, take the time and then go around and do.

[00:11:45] Eric Goranson: All of your exterior caulking at this time before you paint. Now, of course you want to be using a latex based caulk for this, or some of the other ones that are paintable. There's a lot of different urethanes and stuff out there. You just don't want to be using the silicone, but my favorite is actually a latex [00:12:00] and it is made by Sashko and it is called big stretch.

[00:12:03] Eric Goranson: What I love about this. Is it really moves more than any other caulking out there. And so that means you have a less chance of splitting, but here's one thing. That's interesting that you need to know about caulking. If you have a little tiny, just you, like you did the trim, it's gorgeous. You've got just a little tiny bit of room in there.

[00:12:23] Eric Goranson: That's probably the hardest for keeping sealed up because you need a little more material to give it stretch, right? So if you want that caulking, instead of having that 32nd of an inch gap, you probably would have been better having a 16th or maybe even an eighth to put that in there and give it the most area to move.

[00:12:44] Eric Goranson: Because what happens is when you have that little 32nd inch gap in there, you're probably going to push it out when it expands and there's not enough material to stretch back in. So having a little bit more materials, actually a good thing in there, and it'll give you more durability in the long run, [00:13:00] but using a good caulking like that is really key to having that project hold up.

[00:13:04] Eric Goranson: And you're not going to be doing it back in the fall again, or next spring again and going around it. And I did my house in black. And so it was dark. It's awesome. I went around and use that and you get the extreme temperatures with darker colors. So you'll get some sun on it and that really gets hot.

[00:13:21] Eric Goranson: And in the cold, it's still cold. So I am in the shade and a lot of it. So it's one of those things that I get the most movement out of it. And it's been perfect for me. So use a great caulking when you're tackling a project like this, you'll be much better off. All right, now here's a big one. And this is one we're going to talk about for a few minutes here.

[00:13:38] Eric Goranson: And it's one of the biggest mistakes that are made in painting out there. Use the right primer before you paint. And that does not mean buying that gallon of paint that is painting primer in one. All that means is that you've got a, probably a paint that might be coverage, get a little more coverage on your first coat.

[00:13:56] Eric Goranson: It might cover up over a different color, a little bit better, [00:14:00] but painting primer in one is a myth. It's a beautiful marketing ploy. Hey, this is better than everybody else. Cause that's painting primer in one, but you still need to prime. And the problem is that over the years it used to be, we just had one primer and that's what you put out there, but now there's probably a half a dozen common ones out there, and that's a really big deal of using the right one.

[00:14:25] Eric Goranson: So for instance, if you're doing drywall inside the primer, if you've got new drywall, you want to use a PVA primer. That is a primer that will soak in and lock in that paint from soaking in any further. So you're not putting 10 gallons on that wall. It stops it, locks it in, gives a vapor barrier for that dot to go through and suck that pain in.

[00:14:46] Eric Goranson: So that's what keeps you doing that. But I wouldn't use that on the outside of a house. That's where you want to use an all purpose primer up there. That's really going to work well. And if you've got adhesion issues, you want to make sure that you've got an adhesion primer or it says [00:15:00] adhesion primer on there.

[00:15:01] Eric Goranson: Now there's ones out there too. If you've got peeling paint and there are adhesion primers that work well, there's even primers that have a fill basic. You can go on there and spray it over the top of peeling paint. It's going to fill in all those kind of spots that you've had to feather out. It really gives a good surface to it for paint.

[00:15:19] Eric Goranson: And so that's another way to go. Now there's primers that are pH balanced. If you've got a block wall or a concrete wall you're trying to paint, that's designed for the pH of concrete or concrete block. You've got that as well. And just as you've got that, you've got cabinetry and trim primers. You've got mold resistant primers, mold stopping primers.

[00:15:42] Eric Goranson: There's a lot of different primers out there, but generally whether you're using an oil base or a water base. You want to make sure you're using the right primer for the project. And if you've got worries about, if you're going around and you're okay, I'm going to start painting the house and you go around and you're [00:16:00] hitting a pressure washer out there, you're getting a clean, you're doing the pressure washing and yeah, if you're blowing it up underneath some lap siding, you're doing it wrong.

[00:16:06] Eric Goranson: If you're going top down, giving the house a good scrub before you paint it and you notice paint coming off. Maybe that's the time you go, okay, I better put a coat of primer on this. Now, another trick too, is if you're worried about it, you're like, man, I got a dark color. I don't want to put white primer on it.

[00:16:22] Eric Goranson: Again, talk to your paint store and see if they can tint that primer. You can have them tenant. So it's closer to the color of what you've got. It's good to have a little contrast to it, but if you can get halfway there from the white, you're going to look good. And you'll be able to tell where your coat coats of paint are.

[00:16:36] Eric Goranson: And that way you notice just have primer up there if you miss a spot, but if you can really get it close. Then you have that contrast for painting and make life a little bit easier, but make sure that's going to get good adhesion on there. So if the paint's perfect and you're just putting another color over the top of it, maybe that's not needed.

[00:16:52] Eric Goranson: And maybe that paint and primer would be great. But if you've got old paint, it's a deteriorated finish. It's washing off. We've got areas where [00:17:00] you've got that. Make sure at least you prime that. And if you've got bare wood areas, do the same thing. Hit that first with pain. Otherwise you're going to see the grain.

[00:17:07] Eric Goranson: It's going to soak in. It's not going to look like anything else. So that primer really helps you get the correct sheen over everything and make it look good. So primer is your friend. Use it. And usually it's cheaper than the paint. So save yourself some money, put it up there and then you'll be good to go.

[00:17:24] Eric Goranson: All right. Now, one of the biggest ones we're gonna have to go out to break here in a second. And we'll talk about this in the next segment, but before you tackle that outside deck, before you start doing that whole backyard project plan ahead for come up with a five year plan, what are you going to do?

[00:17:40] Eric Goranson: And here's why, if you're like, I'm going to build my deck and later I'm going to put an outdoor kitchen on it. And I'm going to have a built in barbecue and I'm going to have an outdoor fridge and a television before you do the deck, run the utilities out there, run your electrical, run your natural gas, run everything that you need out there.

[00:17:58] Eric Goranson: If you're going to be going out and doing that for the, [00:18:00] for an outdoor fire pit, and you want to have that out there, run all those things early. So they're there. Maybe you're not using them this year. But make sure you plan ahead and we're going to talk about this a little bit more when we come back because planning ahead is the key to this project over the long term.

[00:18:14] Eric Goranson: Because what happens is we get all in a hurry. I'm going to put the fence up, but maybe you didn't plan ahead to get equipment back there to dig the pool or anything else. Now you're tearing stuff down again. We're having to move stuff and that's when it gets expensive. So. Coming up with a great plan.

[00:18:28] Eric Goranson: And I've got some great ideas how to do that. We'll talk about that as soon as we return. You're listening to around the house. We'll be right back after these important messages. Don't go anywhere.[00:19:00]

[00:19:00] Eric Goranson: Hey, this is Ron Kiel, the metal cowboy from Kiel, the Ron Kiel band and Steeler, we are rocking around the house with Eric G.

[00:19:13] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to the round the house show. I'm Eric G the next generation of home improvement. Thanks for joining me today. We've been talking today. About my, uh, top tips for those exterior projects out there. Things that'll really help you get through it. Before we get back into that list again, I did want to talk about my nearly 400 videos that we have up 396, and that'll be over 400 this weekend over on our YouTube page, which you could actually find that just Google up or go over to YouTube and go KPTV, Fox 12, Oregon, and look for the around the house playlist over there, We have done some fun projects over there.

[00:19:48] Eric Goranson: And if you're looking for some how to stuff we've done, some of our most recent stuff, I actually, these guys were amazing. Grand Canyon gas logs. I did the fireplace upgrade here in my house to some brand [00:20:00] new gas logs, and these are absolutely trick. And you could do these inside. You can do these outside.

[00:20:04] Eric Goranson: So they are an outside project as well. If you have a fireplace out there, you want to do, but these are a new natural gas log set or propane, depending on what you've got. And it's the first set that I've seen where the gas actually comes out of the log. So it looks like a real fire. And so the, they've really built these logs out of ceramic like tiles.

[00:20:23] Eric Goranson: So they look very real. And second of all, the flames come out of the logs themselves. So it looks like a wood burning fireplace and that's a great, uh, Upgrade to your own system right there and works really slick hour and a half. You got that thing knocked out And you've got a brand new looking fireplace.

[00:20:37] Eric Goranson: So really trick without all the extra construction work, but really we've got stuff I'm I show people how to put up Mailbox numbers bath fan maintenance. We got a new product that we took a look at if you've got a flooded basement called aqua Drain caddy that helps clean up to that flooded basement or garage We did a whole buying guide on sighting and sheesh we talk about so many different things Including what we talked about in the [00:21:00] podcast this last week, the Roborock S8 Max V Ultra.

[00:21:03] Eric Goranson: This is a vacuum cleaner, mop, scrubber, floor dryer. It does all those things all in your automatic stuff. So take a look. Our biggest one we did here, which was last week, that thing's been taken off on the views. I show you step by step how to DIY stump removal. And that's a lot of fun. So take a look at that.

[00:21:22] Eric Goranson: We talked with Craig Elworthy from Lawn Brite. And then we actually went through and did some tarp testing to see what are some of the best tarps out there. So lots of different stuff. We've been talking about my top 10 picks for these exterior projects. What are the best little tricks and tips for this?

[00:21:38] Eric Goranson: We were talking about using Joyce tape to seal the top of your framing, making sure you flashed that deck when you're doing it and making sure you're doing the windows and doors correctly. Flashing is your friend. When you're doing this stuff. So make sure that you've got that. And then before you paint, use a great caulking.

[00:21:54] Eric Goranson: I like the Sashko big stretch. That's my favorite, easy to use water cleanup and [00:22:00] stretches the most. And then of course, we're just talking about using primer before you paint. And when we went to break last hour here, we were talking or last segment, we were talking about. Planning ahead for the future.

[00:22:10] Eric Goranson: And when you're working on a backyard project, this might be the time to sit down with a outdoor designer and draw out your entire plan so you can start knocking it out. And plan for it. You want to run all those utilities first, like this was a big project and then start adding the stuff on top of it.

[00:22:28] Eric Goranson: So that way you're not digging up that brand new lawn. That way you're not doing all those things. So really plan ahead, come up with a game plan. If you're talented enough, get on, jump on, find a free program, design out your backyard, get it all planned out, make it look good. Say, okay, here's my game plan.

[00:22:45] Eric Goranson: So come up with a good game plan. And chase it from there. So you don't have to do projects twice because that's where things get expensive. Now, the next one is planning ahead for extreme weather, and this is not some global [00:23:00] warming discussion we're getting into here. I'm not going to start that debate on a whole improvement show.

[00:23:04] Eric Goranson: Could be interesting, but I'd want to have everybody else involved on it so we can have a good battle. But here's the thing. This is where. Planning ahead is good. If you're building a deck cover, for instance, build it for stronger than the strongest wins you get. If you're in hurricane country, which is a lot of the East Coast and the South, plan for that.

[00:23:30] Eric Goranson: Build it like you got a hurricane coming. Build it so you don't have to worry about it later. Do the things that'll make it survive that. Spend the time. If you're in the Northeast, build it for snow load. In the Central, wherever you're at, Build it for the weather you get and the worst stuff. So that way it's going to hold up and that's really the key building this.

[00:23:51] Eric Goranson: So it's going to be there for the test of time. If you've get high winds, did you build the fence correctly? Did you do it right? Did you put in the [00:24:00] concrete? I know some people dry pack it, but did you put it in right? Did you put in post protectors to keep it from rotting out? What are some of the things, and that's another trick too.

[00:24:08] Eric Goranson: If you're putting in a new fence right now, new wood fence, take a look at post protector. These slide over the bottom of the posts when they go in. This is not on my top 10, but it's a cool product. So it slides over, seals it up. And when you put it in the ground. It keeps it from rotting, which is really cool.

[00:24:24] Eric Goranson: So you don't have to worry about those rotten off fence posts, nothing worse than changing out rotten wood fence posts. This will keep you from having to do that. And if you've got them in the ground, you're like, Oh, I wish I would've known. They do make a system that you can get ahold of those same guys, a post protector, and you can drill in and add that treatment to the posts.

[00:24:39] Eric Goranson: Like they do to the, and you wonder, you're like, wow, how did that telephone pole last there for 40 years? One, it's got the creosote over the top at many times, but two, they actually go around and treat those posts. Every number of years, drill in. And they actually add a treatment to the inside of it. So it breaks down.

[00:24:56] Eric Goranson: So that's a solid one right there. That's a great way to do that. [00:25:00] So something to think about with that to keep that going. So plan for the extreme weather and make sure you're, if you're putting in a sink outside, is it going to make it through a freeze? What's your plan on that? Are you going to blow it out of your, like your sprinklers?

[00:25:11] Eric Goranson: What are you going to do? So that's another big one right there. Next up here is ladder safety and having the right equipment. When I am always like sometimes the worst on the ladder. Yeah. I have more than once stepped on the step that says, do not step here or above this. Yeah. Dual D is charged. But really getting some stuff to really get you there.

[00:25:33] Eric Goranson: And for instance, I've got a new project and I'm working on here. I've got some stuff. I'm tired of standing up on the big extension ladder. So I've been doing some stuff here to make sure that I can do things a little safer. So what I did is I actually went out and got scaffolding. So I have my own set and that really can make a huge difference.

[00:25:54] Eric Goranson: When it comes to doing a project and being on a, just a good standard footing, [00:26:00] right? Extension ladders are not fun, especially when you're trying to hold on. You're trying to balance. You've got one arm. If you could have a couple sections of scaffolding and get it done where you are working around, it's so much faster and you can really get the thing done a lot faster.

[00:26:17] Eric Goranson: So. Here's the thing. You don't have to go out and buy it. You can go down to your tool rental place and get it as well, but maybe taking some little steps like that to make a better deal with that. Now, the company that I went with on my, you get this stuff at Lowe's. So it's really cool. Take a look at build frames.

[00:26:33] Eric Goranson: So basically what it is, it's a set of scaffolding, but it's expandable width wise. You can take it inside outside. So it's a five by five scaffolding, but you can narrow it down for tighter areas. You can go to, I think it's like a 30 inch goes up to To 60 inches, but build frames, you can get the frame itself for about three 49, I think over at Lowe's online.

[00:26:55] Eric Goranson: And then of course you get your different planks and stuff. You need it. But if you're doing a bunch [00:27:00] of projects, you've got your own siding project and we tackle on these things. It's a good way to go. And then you own it forever and you'll never have to go out and rent it again. And when you want to go out and do stuff and set up scaffolding, it's not a bad way to go.

[00:27:13] Eric Goranson: All right, guys, we got so much more to talk about here, getting the right safety stuff, having the harness. For getting up on top of that roof. Fall protection. These are all things on the exterior stuff. I'm actually putting up my fall protection stuff here this weekend, getting that dialed in. So I'm good to go.

[00:27:29] Eric Goranson: So I finally got all the pieces and parts for that so I can make that work. And then there's one more trick I want to give you here before we go out to break. There's a company out there that's based out of Australia and you can get these online. Amazon has them lock jaw, ladder grip. These are a thing that'll take your extension ladder and it will actually connect to your gutter system and lock it on there real quick.

[00:27:51] Eric Goranson: So your ladder doesn't slide. So the gutters is not a structural thing, but if your gutters are. Install correctly. It's going to keep her from sliding side to side. [00:28:00] And if you've got your angles, it's just going to keep that thing steadied up against it. And it's going to lock that ladder in for you. So take a look at lock jaw ladder grip.

[00:28:08] Eric Goranson: I have one on my house. I'm pretty impressed with it. I think they're smart to use when you're jumping on that ladder and you're getting up there with any kind of extension ladder, it works really well for that. And that's a good way to go. So pay attention to some of those things. They're pretty smart and they get the job done for you.

[00:28:23] Eric Goranson: And it's a really impressive when you get the right safety stuff. Yeah. And, uh, fall protection harness, they start about 99 bucks. There's a lot of them out there and they work well and keep you safe out there. Keep you from getting hurt. You can get onto that next part of the project had too many friends get hurt, falling off, and if you can do a few things like that, we'll keep you around for the next project round the house.

[00:28:43] Eric Goranson: We return after these important messages. Don't go.[00:29:00]

[00:29:02] Eric Goranson: It's the end of the show drinking down people. It's time to go. That time again, it's last call. Welcome back to the around the house show the next generation of home improvement. Thanks for joining me today I'm eric g really appreciate you guys tuning in if you want to find out more about us head over to our website around the house online.

[00:29:22] Eric Goranson: com We've got a ton of stuff over there. You can find uh, of course if you're listening on the radio You can find the podcast over there including our um, our weekly or basically we have a special that comes out Every single wednesday if you're listening on the radio and I call it our weekday special we cover little topics It's only about 10 minutes long, usually eight to 12, 14, whatever we do that day.

[00:29:44] Eric Goranson: But it's a little midweek catch up and we catch the breaking news, new hot topics. Stuff that's happening, product recalls, all the stuff that's going on during the week and that heads out and you can catch that anywhere out there on any podcast player. So just [00:30:00] look for around the house. You'll see it out there and take a look at that.

[00:30:03] Eric Goranson: We do a lot of great little quick updates on that and hit some pretty hot topics at time. If you want to get ahold of us, you can give us a call at 833 239 4144. That number again is 833 239 4144. 4 1 4 4 and make sure you're catching our TV show around the house. Northwest take a look on some of the streaming services.

[00:30:22] Eric Goranson: You can find it there or over at our website. All right, guys, we've been talking about these top 10 tricks and tips for exterior projects that I've been working on. And here's the next one here. We were talking about. Having the right safety equipment. Next up here, using the right decking. Now there's a strong debate out there.

[00:30:42] Eric Goranson: A lot of people go, Oh man, I love my hardwoods or I love my cedar. And that's awesome. The problem that I have with wood decks and I haven't found a finish that's held up more than two or three years, especially in my climate, it just doesn't work. And if I [00:31:00] have a walkway to a hot tub or a pool or something like that, it just gets worse.

[00:31:05] Eric Goranson: Maybe I'll get a year and a half out of it. Two years. It just doesn't hold up for me. And so primarily cedar or treated wood, both of those I've just had tons of problems with. And yes, I've done the prep. It just doesn't hold up. So that's why I've gone to composite decks. Composite decks aren't all created equal.

[00:31:24] Eric Goranson: Some of the complaints in hot weather is that if you get on a composite deck, it's a hotter surface than the wood. And that could be true. There are When you're looking at different brands out there and different colors, if you've got a darker color, of course, it's going to be more like pavement. But there are solutions in the composite world out there.

[00:31:42] Eric Goranson: For instance, moisture shield decking makes a composite decking that reflects heat. So it probably is cooler even than that dark toned wood deck that you have, or at least the same temperature on mine. When I had my dark stained deck that was next to it, I would go [00:32:00] over to the, from the wood that would be warmer.

[00:32:02] Eric Goranson: It would be cooler when I go to the composite. Where typically it's the other way around. So that's something that's really cool as far as dealing with that. And then my favorite for, if you want something that is a premium deck that looks cool, that's about the easiest to install, take a look at Millboard.

[00:32:22] Eric Goranson: Millboard's a company we've had them on the show before you hear the ads sometimes in our show on the podcast. These guys here are absolutely amazing. I love them. They do a great job and the boards are completely different than everybody else. They're molded. They're not that rolled on stamp. Basically looks like what these are molded at a real wood.

[00:32:40] Eric Goranson: So when you look at it, you're like, what coating is on this wood? It's amazing. And it is super durable. It's rubberized. And then the cool thing is that it's got a stone core to it. So it has a composite core on the inside and then their trim pieces. Here's a little trick. If you want to do something super cool.

[00:32:56] Eric Goranson: They have trim board. So if you want to do the outside radius, [00:33:00] you can cold bend them. Yes, you can take that and do a radius around the outside. It looks like you got out the greatest heat bending stuff to bend composites and you can do it cold that way. It makes it much easier and you don't have to go out and spend thousands of dollars on blankets to actually be able to bend the stuff, to do something trick.

[00:33:18] Eric Goranson: So take a look at it. It is a super durable product. I love it. It's got a rubber guys coating And you screw through the surface of the deck and it has a self healing like rubber like when you get a nail In your tire and you can't see maybe it went through here. You can't tell it's got that same material So what happens is when you sink that screw it just disappears.

[00:33:37] Eric Goranson: It goes away. You can't see where it is So that's a great product right there. So take a look at the decking. There's lots of choices out there You're not just stuck with what's in your home center You There's a lot of different brands out there. Find what looks good for you, but to jump online and take a look at that millboard guys, it's super cool stuff.

[00:33:53] Eric Goranson: It is impressive. And I've done some projects with it. They've got different textures and they even have composites on the siding now [00:34:00] too, where they have the cladding. So you can use that on the side of your house as well as on your decks and walkways. So really cool stuff. Now the next one here is paying attention to your fasteners.

[00:34:11] Eric Goranson: What are you putting everything together on that exterior project? I hope you're not using those just regular gold. Universal screws because I tell you what those kind of work, but they're basically gold drywall screws. They just don't hold up. You'll snap them off the work. They don't work well. They don't hold things together longterm.

[00:34:30] Eric Goranson: If you're going to use a screw fastener, my favorite ones are the grip right deck force. That is a great way to go. I love those things. They make them for wood and for composite. So they really give you a great grip and they go in easy. They cut right through and they've got different screw threads for whether you're working with a composite material or wood.

[00:34:50] Eric Goranson: So you've got some options there. And of course they come in a lot of different colors and match your screw color to your project. The last thing I hate to see is [00:35:00] somebody putting in gold screws and they've got a dark stain and you see those screws. If you can do a, a black screw with a charcoal stain or a brown screw with a brown stain, it just looks like you knew what you were doing when you got it.

[00:35:13] Eric Goranson: These details matter. If you're in a coastal area, you should be using just basic stainless steel. That is usually the best way to go. They'll be the most durable. It'll last the longest, and you won't have to worry about corrosion. One of the biggest mistakes I see out there is when people are building fences, they'll get the, they'll get the, the galvanized screws, the galvanized staples.

[00:35:31] Eric Goranson: And if you're working with cedar, that's just going to gray streak down every single one of those screw holes, and you're going to have a chemical reaction between that wood and the galvanized. And then it's just going to look bad no matter what you do with it. So avoid that. Use a coated fastener that's rated for cedar.

[00:35:48] Eric Goranson: That way, when you go through, you won't have all those galvanized stains down the front of it that looks horrible. So make sure you do that. Finding the right fasteners. Is as important as the finish you're [00:36:00] putting on there. So that whole thing stays together and lasts. And when you're building decks, when you're building something structural, somebody standing on it, use structurally rated screws and fasteners.

[00:36:11] Eric Goranson: If you're using. Simcenter, my tech use their fasteners that are meant for those. Don't be using the regular deck screws or anything else. You want to be using structurally rated fasteners to hold everything together because those are going to hold up. A lot of these other screws are not structurally rated.

[00:36:27] Eric Goranson: So if somebody gets up on there, that's how you see decks that have fallen down. That's how you see things that have not held up. It's because you didn't use the right screws. So structurally rated stuff that's going to hold up is going to be the best bet for you long term. Now, my last one here on the list is an important one, and I think it's something you should really pay attention to, especially in the evenings.

[00:36:49] Eric Goranson: And it's beautiful during the winter time. Lighting is your best friend outside. Take a look over at my YouTube page. We just did a lighting segment over there and it [00:37:00] is dramatic what it changes your house at night. If you can do exterior lighting, and I'm not talking about getting the Costco solar lights, you're going to throw away next year.

[00:37:09] Eric Goranson: That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about putting in great quality lights. It's going to change how you do things. It changes everything. So getting those good quality lights in there, getting it dialed in, making it look amazing. These are things that are really do it for you. So spend the time, get it done, design out your lighting, because what you can do is if you get the good stuff, I like using the WAC brand.

[00:37:33] Eric Goranson: Transcribed They're a higher quality light the last two decades out there. And then what you can do is you can take those lights, wash them off the front of your house. If you've got some brick, you can make that glow at night. If you've got big trees, you can light up the canopy. You can light up walkways.

[00:37:47] Eric Goranson: If you've got things like a larger driveway that you have to drive around and people are trying to run into the grass and stuff, you can light those areas up. And really make a big difference around the outside of your house. And it [00:38:00] just elevates the entire experience in the evening. It makes us such a dramatic thing.

[00:38:04] Eric Goranson: So plan for lighting, low voltage lighting with LEDs doesn't cost you much as far as the energy use, but really pay attention to that. Now, if you are in an area and this is where you got to be, pay really attention, some areas, especially coastal areas, some places really limit the amount of light. They have those dark sky initiatives and stuff.

[00:38:23] Eric Goranson: You want to make sure that you're following all those rules. So you don't get a note, a nasty gram from the city or the county where your township saying, Hey, you can only have so much light out here. Make sure you've got that dialed in. So you're not breaking those rules. That's a great thing to check out and make sure you've got that taken care of.

[00:38:38] Eric Goranson: But really guys, exterior lighting is the bomb and you can really make some things look absolutely amazing. All those things that you've worked hard on, maybe it's a walkway, maybe it's stairs going up to the deck, whatever. Dial those details in and you can thank me later. That is one of the biggest things you can do outside in the evenings.

[00:38:55] Eric Goranson: And it makes people go, what did you just do? It's absolutely [00:39:00] stunning. It makes for a safer environment as well. So you won't have people lurking around out there. If you can see all the corners of the backyard. You're gonna just be a little bit safer. I think it's great to do that. All right, everybody Thanks for tuning in around the house If you want to find out more about us head over to around the house online.

[00:39:15] Eric Goranson: com And then you can get a hold of us over there including the phone numbers You can email me from over there. And of course check out all the videos. Thanks for tuning in around the house We'll see you next week