Foreign.
Speaker BThe House with Eric G.
Speaker BYour go to source for everything home improvement.
Speaker BWhether you're a DIY enthusiast or just looking to make your space shine, Eric G.
Speaker BIs here to guide you through the latest tips, tricks and trends coming up in this week's second hour of the show.
Speaker CNow I am a group expert over on Facebook on a group called Ask a Cabinet Maker.
Speaker CIf I go through and take a look at the issues that I see with cabinetry, when people come on and go, I've got a huge problem.
Speaker C95% of the time it is not from a big box retailer.
Speaker CIt is not from a large cabinet maker.
Speaker CIt is from Air Quotes, a small custom shop in their neighborhood.
Speaker BSo grab your toolbox, put on your thinking cap and let's get to work right here on around the House with.
Speaker CEric G.
Speaker CWelcome to the round the House show, the next generation of home improvement improvement.
Speaker CI'm Eric G.
Speaker CThanks for joining me today.
Speaker CIf you want to find out more about us, head over to our website.
Speaker CYou can find everything from our YouTube channels to social media links to everything else at aroundthehouse online.com and of course, this hour is brought to you by my friends at Monument Grills.
Speaker CYou have to check out their new MNS and series advanced stainless steel grills.
Speaker CThese things are amazing.
Speaker CThey are tough and they are smart.
Speaker CThis is not your throwaway grill that lasts two years that you buy at the home improvement store.
Speaker CYou can get these@monumentgrills.com or many of your favorite grill retailers, like even some of the big box stores.
Speaker CAnd a little secret, sometimes you can get them to put it together for you though.
Speaker CIt's an easy assembly.
Speaker CWell, today I wanted to put my design hat back on for you and we're going to talk my secrets of designing kitchens and baths today in this hour now, there's a lot of people, they're like, man, that bathroom has got to go.
Speaker CMaybe you got a little water damage.
Speaker CMaybe it's just time to give it that upgrade or that kitchen that you are just tired of looking at.
Speaker CAnd you said last Thanksgiving season that you weren't going to cook on it again and you're going to dive into it this year.
Speaker CHere are my tricks, tips, secrets to designing.
Speaker CYou know, here, here's a little background about me.
Speaker CI am a certified kitchen designer.
Speaker CI got that certification way back in 1999 and designed design kitchens for eight years beyond that.
Speaker CAnd so that is a certification through the National Kitchen and Bath Association.
Speaker CAnd I have designed thousands of kitchens across the west coast internationally.
Speaker CThey have been all around everywhere stuff on the east Coast.
Speaker CI have traveled around and done a lot of projects like that.
Speaker CWell, today I thought, you know, let's dive in first here.
Speaker CWell, let's go into some kitchen design tips here, because that is probably one of the more expensive remodels you will do in your house, is diving into that kitchen.
Speaker CAnd one of the things that you need to be careful with before is making sure you pull the right permits and stuff on this project.
Speaker CBecause there's a lot of gotchas in most areas.
Speaker CIf you don't have a range hood that exhaust to the outside, you will be forced to put one in.
Speaker CThat is current building code out there in most areas.
Speaker CNow, there are some people out there, Tom, that live in areas that are kind of the wild west of building codes.
Speaker CBut in most areas that ventilation is required.
Speaker CAnd if it's not, you should be putting it in anyway.
Speaker CThat vent hood needs to vent all the way outside, be a proper sized.
Speaker CAnd if it's too big, do you make sure you're putting in bank up air to replace that air coming in?
Speaker CSo if you've got a 500 cubic, you know, feet per minute CFM hood that's going out, so you have 500 basketballs of air when it's turned on leaving the building, you need to replace that air with a makeup air unit to make sure that that's coming back in so you don't suck any carbon monoxide or any, you know, bad dirt out of a crawl space, anything like that.
Speaker CSo you want to make sure you're replacing that air.
Speaker CBut that's really not a big deal for an H Vac professional to install inside your house in most cases.
Speaker CNow, in my kitchen design tips, one thing.
Speaker CBack when I started kitchen design, they had what they called the kitchen triangle.
Speaker CAnd that was the space between the cooktop, the sink, and the refrigerator as a triangle.
Speaker CNow, that to me, is a kind of an outdated way of designing, and they've kind of started to go away from that a little bit, because many houses have, when you get into big kitchens, two sinks, two refrigerators, and that starts to get complex to me.
Speaker CI have always liked to design in zones.
Speaker CYou have a prep zone, which is between the sink and the cooktop.
Speaker CYou've got a cleanup zone that's on the other side of that.
Speaker CAnd then you've got that cooking serving where you're putting all those things around the cooktop there to make sure that you've got a place to put things like your spices Sauces, whatever else you're working on.
Speaker CAnd there's also landing zones near the oven.
Speaker CSo let's talk about that a little bit.
Speaker CImagine standing there looking at your kitchen window.
Speaker CSo imagine this, and your range is on the right hand side.
Speaker CSo now, as you're looking at the window, that right hand side is going to be your prep zone.
Speaker CWell, where do you want to put your dishwasher?
Speaker COn the opposite side on the left.
Speaker CBecause above that countertop, right where that countertop is, that's your cleanup zone.
Speaker CSo when you're over there prepping and you're wanting to get stuff out of the way that you're going to clean, after you're done doing the task you're doing, you put your stuff over there on top of that.
Speaker CYou don't want the dishwasher to be right in that zone between the cooktop and the sink, because now your cleanup zone is right there in the way, and then the other side of that.
Speaker CSo if you're sitting there looking at your sink, you now have the dishwasher on the left, the range over there a little farther down on the right.
Speaker CNow, I want to put a double trash can bin underneath the cabinet to the right of the sink.
Speaker CSo that way, when you're prepping in that area, you can be prepping, you've got maybe some packaging, you've got some stuff that you're not gonna put down to the garbage disposal, you wanna throw it away.
Speaker CNow, that's underneath you right there in the lower cabinet.
Speaker CAnd if you're sitting in front of the sink and you're cleaning off dishes to put them in the dishwasher, you're scraping that off into the trash on the right, and you're putting them on the dishes on the left.
Speaker CNow that's kind of some of the things you wanna think about, of how you want to do that.
Speaker CAnd that's a great way to make sure that you're laying that kitchen out correctly.
Speaker CAnd the same thing is if you've got that, you know that double ovens, or oven, microwave, or any one of the iterations of that, from speed ovens to air fryers or whatever that's built in, I want to have a landing space right next to that.
Speaker CSo if you take that turkey out, where are you setting it, your baking cookies, where you put them, is that on the island?
Speaker CIs it?
Speaker CPiece of countertop next to it, what is it?
Speaker CSo these are all things that you want to think about in that zone area.
Speaker CNow, one of the first things that it's funny.
Speaker COne of the first rules that I've always done, and it doesn't always work out this way, but many people start out designing a kitchen.
Speaker CWhat do they do?
Speaker CThey take the sink cabinet, center it on the window and then start building around that.
Speaker CNow, yeah, many people want that.
Speaker CThere is some unwritten rule that says that sink has to be over there in front of the window.
Speaker CWell, that could also be a prep area with a tiny sink if you've got a bigger one.
Speaker CAnd the sink could go in the island.
Speaker CSo it's really depending on what you're trying to do and how you're going to design the space.
Speaker CBecause really it's kind of up to the designer and you.
Speaker CAnd yes, that is one of my rules that I have on here.
Speaker CHire a kitchen designer.
Speaker CHire a certified kitchen and bath designer.
Speaker CNow I'm old school.
Speaker CWe had certified kitchen designers, we had certified bathroom designers.
Speaker CNow they have combined this together in the latest iteration.
Speaker CIt's a certified kitchen and bath designer.
Speaker CYes, I am grandfathered.
Speaker CI could go in there and take another couple little tests and be a certified master kitchen and bath designer.
Speaker CI'm not going to do that.
Speaker CI don't need that for my career.
Speaker CI don't have to worry about spend the time to prep for another test.
Speaker CThese tests are massive.
Speaker CWhen I took it back in the day, that was a huge test.
Speaker CIt was an eight hour day test, hand drafting, you know, probably three and a half hours of multiple choice questions.
Speaker CAnd they did it once a year.
Speaker CIf you failed, you tried it the next year.
Speaker CI made it the first time through, but it was a tough battle to get through it.
Speaker CSo really thinking about how all these things go.
Speaker CAnd sometimes, guys, when you're designing in a kitchen, taking it, making that or adding in that island can be a bad idea, especially in smaller kitchens.
Speaker CI want to see a minimum without seating of 42 inches of walkway space around that island.
Speaker CMany kitchens can't do that.
Speaker CAnd anything less than 42 to me is a mistake.
Speaker CYou want people to be able to pass each other.
Speaker CYou want people to be able to walk around and to be able to do their stuff like that.
Speaker CSo make sure you've got the space to do this.
Speaker CIf you've got seating there and it's not a major walkway, your minimum is more like 60 inches from countertop to whatever.
Speaker CAnd I like to have a little bit more if you have people walking past it.
Speaker CSo those are some of the basic rules.
Speaker CWe'll be right back after these important messages.
Speaker CDon't change that dial.
Speaker BTo find out more information, head to aroundthehouse online.com.
Speaker Bdon't change that dial.
Speaker BAround the house.
Speaker BWe'll be right back after these important messages.
Speaker AThese days will never understand.
Speaker CWhat it's.
Speaker ALike to play an instrument.
Speaker BWhat's up?
Speaker CThis is Sticks Itenia and Satchel from Steel Panther.
Speaker CAnd you are looking listening to around the House with Eric G.
Speaker CYeah, we love Eric G.
Speaker CAnd you should too.
Speaker CWelcome back to the around the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Speaker CI'm Eric G.
Speaker CThanks for joining me today.
Speaker CIf you want to find out more about this show here, head over to our brand new website, aroundthehouse online.com and of course, this hour is brought to you by our friends at Monument Grills.
Speaker CIf you're looking for that brand new barbecue, check them out@monument grills.com we've been talking my secrets to kitchen and bath design because as you guys know, and I've mentioned before, if you're a listener to the show, I am a certified kitchen designer that's been designing since early 90s, certified since 1999.
Speaker CThis is my bread and butter of what I specialized my career in doing a lot of this remodeling, building new homes.
Speaker CBut the kitchens and bathrooms are always my forte.
Speaker CNow this next segment here I wanted to talk about, since we were talking kitchens, some of my tricks here.
Speaker CAnd hiring a certified kitchen and bath designer is one of the most important ones.
Speaker CAnd here's why you now have an expert in your field.
Speaker CI would hire designers now.
Speaker CI had this company that I started up in Seattle.
Speaker CI have nothing to do with it anymore.
Speaker CI had business partners in there that you learn lessons in business when you figure out that you got the wrong business partners in and they are running that business now in Seattle.
Speaker CAnd as I say politely, good riddance.
Speaker CBut here's the thing.
Speaker CWhen you hire a certified designer, you get somebody that has passed the test and knows what they're doing.
Speaker CNow when I would hire designers right out of college, they've got their degree, they have passed.
Speaker CI still have another year of time invested in them to get them up to speed to the real world.
Speaker CNow you as a homeowner or even your contractor, designing out the kitchen or just somebody in a cabinet shop is an issue.
Speaker CThey need to have a year under their belt after college to be proficient to do this.
Speaker COtherwise you are now their bell curve, the learning curve.
Speaker CThe mistakes that are going to happen could happen on your job.
Speaker CAnd that's where I don't like working with a new designer now maybe they've got systems where they've, they're teaming up with people or they've got people doing double checks.
Speaker CBut what I would do as a business owner is I would have my designers work, especially if they were new, work with a contractor for a week, install crown molding, put in kitchen cabinets so they understood what's going on.
Speaker CYou have a homeowner going in there and copying your previous design.
Speaker CAnd walking into the home center and getting cabinets or having them quickly laid out could be your most expensive mistake because you're missing so many things.
Speaker CThink about what went into a kitchen 30 years ago.
Speaker CIf you have a 30 or 40 year old kitchen.
Speaker CYeah, the average lifespan of a kitchen is about 15 years.
Speaker CBut if you've got that 30 or 40 year old kitchen, think about that.
Speaker CWe didn't have everybody going down to Target and Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn, wherever getting all those accessories.
Speaker CIt was pretty basic.
Speaker CForty years ago we were trying to figure out where to put the microwave cart.
Speaker CNow we've got all these other things to store in there.
Speaker CSo it's a completely different utility area for storage.
Speaker CSo that's why you never want to copy that whole plan.
Speaker CYou want to update that as you go through.
Speaker CAnd that's why having somebody that is smart, that is experienced, that can do that with you.
Speaker CAnd most of the time, it doesn't cost you anymore.
Speaker CIf it does, it's tiny and it will save you money in the long run.
Speaker CThe mistakes you make as a designer, if you're a homeowner trying to play designer on this, the mistakes you make will definitely cost you more than what the designer was that could have done it for you and had a better project.
Speaker CSo take the ego, slide it away, you're not saving money and go hire that designer to come work with you.
Speaker CNow, many times that certified designer is already just going to be your designer.
Speaker CYou're getting their expertise for free as part of the process.
Speaker CNow one other thing here too that's really important now, I am a, a group expert over on Facebook on a group called Ask a Cabinet Maker.
Speaker CNow this is Corbin Clay's group over there.
Speaker CHe comes on my show from time to time.
Speaker CWe have a lot of fun with that and he's really good with that page.
Speaker CNow here's the thing I see over there in the Ask a Cabinet maker.
Speaker CNow, there's 34,000 people in this group.
Speaker CIf I go through and take a look at the issues that I see with Catry, when people come on and Go.
Speaker CI've got a huge problem.
Speaker CWhat is that problem?
Speaker C95% of the time it is not from a big box retailer.
Speaker CIt is not from a large cabinet maker.
Speaker CIt is from Air Quotes, a small custom shop in their neighborhood.
Speaker CNow you've heard me say this before, if you're a regular listener, but custom, that word in cabinetry means nothing other than they're building it for your project.
Speaker CMost craft made and most things that you order at the home center that are big name brands, they're making it for your project too.
Speaker CSo custom has no meaning when it comes to quality.
Speaker CYou could have an 8 year old in a wood shop class building you a kitchen cabinet and that's custom.
Speaker CCould look horrible.
Speaker CAnd many times the custom cabinet makers don't have a finish that is going to hold up.
Speaker CAnd that is one of the biggest weaknesses or the Achilles heel of any kitchen is that finish.
Speaker CAnd my rule is if you can walk into a paint store like your home center or even a Sherwin Williams and buy that cabinet finish off the shelf, you probably have the wrong cabinet finish.
Speaker CAnd if they're finishing on site, you're gonna have problems.
Speaker CNow there are places in the country where painted white cabinetry is sent out raw and they install it and they paint it there.
Speaker CIt is going to be a lower quality finish than what most cabinet places will do.
Speaker CSo think about that because you want that baked on conversion varnish or two part urethane finish.
Speaker CWater based finishes are so much better.
Speaker CNow you want that finished in a very clean room.
Speaker CAnd here's the difference.
Speaker CIt's do you buy your Mercedes off the lot from the dealer and bring it home and have somebody paint it in your garage?
Speaker CYou know what that's going to look like?
Speaker CIt'll look horrible.
Speaker CSame thing comes with your cabinetry.
Speaker CI want a factory finish where they put it through on a flatline finishing system.
Speaker CIt's been sprayed, it's been sanded, it's been sprayed again.
Speaker CThere's a clear coat on top.
Speaker CWhatever they do is their finish process in a very clean area.
Speaker CNow here's the problem.
Speaker CSometimes you can spend half a million dollars or a million dollars on that finish system and that's okay.
Speaker CBut you want that technology in your cabinets because I tell you what, someone who's ever had a flipped house where they went through and painted the cabinets with latex paint, way too soft.
Speaker CWhen they take the wall paint, put it on the cabinets, it's gummy, looks nasty, not a good thing.
Speaker CSo make sure that they're using a good finish.
Speaker CAnd when we come back, I want to talk about some of the things that you're going to run into with a design that I want to make sure with kitchen and bath cabinetry what you need to be looking for in that contract from that manufacturer.
Speaker CAnd if they're not doing it this way, you're probably better to find someone who does because these are the things that'll keep you from having a disaster that will protect you as a homeowner.
Speaker CAnd of course, it will protect them as well.
Speaker CSo everybody's on the same page.
Speaker CWe'll do that just as soon as around the House returns.
Speaker CWe're talking kitchen and bath design secrets from me, Eric G.
Speaker COn around the House here.
Speaker CTo find out more information, just head over to our website aroundthehouseonline.com we'll be right back after these important messages.
Speaker CDon't change that dial.
Speaker CHey, this is Ron Keel, the metal cowboy from Kiel, the Ron Keel Band and Steeler.
Speaker CWe are rocking around the House with Eric G.
Speaker CRaise your welcome back to the around the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Speaker CI'm Eric G.
Speaker CThanks for joining me.
Speaker CToday.
Speaker CWe've been talking kitchen and bathroom design secrets.
Speaker CIf you want to find out more about us, head over to the website aroundthehouse online.com and of course this hour is brought to you by our friends at Monument Grills.
Speaker CCheck them out@monument grills.com and of course that Omni Pro M and S and Series grill.
Speaker CThat is the new way to grill.
Speaker CYou got to check it out over there@monument grills.com we've been talking about my kitchen of bath design secrets and here in this third part of the show, I wanted to really dive into more details of what you should be watching for.
Speaker CWe were just talking about how custom might be your worst option when it comes to cabinetry.
Speaker CNow, no shade thrown.
Speaker CThere are some amazing small custom cabin shops out there across the U.S.
Speaker Cbut there's also a lot that are absolutely horrible that are contractors building their own cabins in the garage that have poor finishes.
Speaker CIt's really where kind of the Achilles heel is.
Speaker CAnd just don't use the word custom like that, thinking it's quality.
Speaker CCustom has no word association with quality when it comes to cabinetry.
Speaker CSo be careful.
Speaker CNow here's the thing.
Speaker CThere are some processes that I want to make sure you follow through this land of kitchen or bath design when ordering cabinetry.
Speaker CFirst off, you want to see very detailed drawings of what to expect you need to have with those drawings on those Drawings need to have the door style, the wood species, the cabinet construction, the finish.
Speaker CAnd never ever let a cabinet maker talk you into finishing it later on site.
Speaker CNever do that.
Speaker CThat stain should be put on in the factory.
Speaker CThat should all be done there.
Speaker CNever let them bring a stain out and do that at the job site.
Speaker CHorrible idea.
Speaker CThat would be an instant fail in my book.
Speaker CI would not hire a cabinet company that does that.
Speaker CThose cabinets should be made, they should be sealed up.
Speaker CThey should be finished before they box them up to head to your house.
Speaker CThere are way too many issues that can come out where trying to stain and put a good quality finish on that in the field.
Speaker CThat's an auto fail for me, in my opinion.
Speaker CSo I want to see everything written down on your elevations and your contract.
Speaker CWhat's the hinges, what's the glides?
Speaker CSoft close, not soft close.
Speaker CAll those specs need to be on the drawings.
Speaker CThey need to be right there.
Speaker CNow, I want to make sure that you have a door style that is the right door style.
Speaker CIt's a sample.
Speaker CI want to see that with the right finish and the right wood species that you initial to approve it.
Speaker CSo you know what that is.
Speaker CAnd yes, you might have to pay to order that.
Speaker COrder it before your cabinets might take a month to get.
Speaker CIt might take five or six weeks to get.
Speaker CIt doesn't matter.
Speaker CYou want that so you know what that looks like.
Speaker CThat way you don't have finish problems are the.
Speaker CJust the.
Speaker CThe cabinet destroyer and the budget destroyer and the schedule destroyer.
Speaker CIf a cabinet shows up the wrong finish, even if you were right as the homeowner and they made a mistake, that is going to put that project sideways for a month, two months, two and a half months.
Speaker CAnd you are going to be without a kitchen for a long time.
Speaker CSo you want to prevent that.
Speaker CSo I want to see that sample color.
Speaker CI want to see the door style.
Speaker CI want to see those initialed by you, handed to the designer so the designer can make sure that gets to the cabinet maker.
Speaker CThat's how that should work.
Speaker CAnd always order that door style to make sure you've got it.
Speaker CSometimes you'll see it and go, wow.
Speaker CI don't like the way the panel fits here between the panel or the veneer in the panel looks different than the frame where your styles and rails are on the other side, like on a shaker door.
Speaker CThat happens.
Speaker COr if you've got detail in the frame, sometimes their spray finisher doesn't do a good job of getting it in there.
Speaker CGetting that and it'll be a little cloudy or to look a little mottled in those corners where it's tight.
Speaker CYou want to see that before it shows up in your kitchen.
Speaker CAnd yes, here's the other thing, and you need to know this.
Speaker CWhen it comes to wood species that change color, like walnuts, like American cherry, you'll be surprised at how much that changes in a short amount of time.
Speaker CIf you have ultraviolet light coming into your kitchen.
Speaker CSo if you've got a pool out back and you get a nice reflection in the morning or the evening of the light coming into that window, make sure that window has low E and all the good reflective UV coatings on it, because you can absolutely cook a cabinet with the wrong light.
Speaker CI was in an old showroom here in the Portland metro area.
Speaker CWon't use their name.
Speaker CThey had a display that was so old in their showroom that American cherry had gone to a bleached called a beech wood.
Speaker CLooks like something that washed up on the beach.
Speaker CIt was this white gray.
Speaker COpen the door, and it was a dark cherry.
Speaker CThat happens with uv with woods.
Speaker CIt will look like it just came off the beach.
Speaker CSo you want to make sure you control your uv.
Speaker CAnd I've had many a customer with plenty of UV going into their kitchen.
Speaker CPainter comes through there after the project.
Speaker CThey've taped up plastic to protect those beautiful cabinets.
Speaker CAs they touch up that paint or maybe put a final coat on.
Speaker CIf the plastics on there for two or three days, they will see little shadow marks where the tape was.
Speaker CNow, that UV will have to come in and just catch things up.
Speaker CIt's not that big a deal, but those are things to be careful with.
Speaker CNow, there's a wood that used to be out there.
Speaker CSome woods will do this as well.
Speaker CThere is a eucalyptus hybrid out there that Georgia Pacific used to make, and it was called Liptus.
Speaker CNow, the problem with that wood, it was good.
Speaker CIt was a green wood species to use, because when you've harvested and cut the tree down, a new tree grow, grew up like a weed out of that trunk and just kept going.
Speaker CSo the regrowth was fast.
Speaker CBeing a hybrid.
Speaker CNow, it looked like a kind of a mahogany eucalyptus, which was beautiful.
Speaker CBut when you did a medium stain on that, the rails, which are the ones are like a train rail, the styles and rails on that were different colors because they refracted light.
Speaker CSo if I held that door up to you and you went, put a blue piece of tape on the darker pieces, and I flipped that door on its side, the darker Pieces would change to the bottom.
Speaker CIt was like a magic trick, just the way light hit it.
Speaker CSo these are things that having that door sample will keep you from finding those things out.
Speaker CBecause there was a lot of people that are upset with that.
Speaker CAnd it was something that the wood did in full light.
Speaker CTheir sales center.
Speaker COn this condo project I was doing, you didn't see it there because there wasn't a lot of natural light.
Speaker CGo up into a condo where there's full glass on the walls to ceiling in there.
Speaker CDifferent story, way different light.
Speaker CSo there were some battles there of that looking a little bit darker.
Speaker CAnd there was nothing you could do.
Speaker CI could have built a hundred doors and that same wood species did it that way.
Speaker CSo something you have to be really careful with on that.
Speaker CSo getting those samples, understanding what that process is, and then of course, making sure that you got the cabinets ordered and coming.
Speaker CStrange things sometimes happen.
Speaker CAnd the farther you are away from that cabinet manufacturer, the more chance you have of damage.
Speaker CLike, I was buying cabinets from back in the day from Wellborn here in Portland when I was living in Seattle, good company, but their trucks came out of, you know, Alabama.
Speaker CSo those cabinets got beat up on the freeway all the way out here.
Speaker CAnd I had a much more likely damage just due to hours on the road compared to a local company that was large.
Speaker CIt was coming out of Seattle.
Speaker CSo that's why you see a lot of these manufacturers changing to having the bigger ones.
Speaker CHey, we're putting in a new factory down in Las Vegas because they're trying to reduce that number and make it so that your cabinets show up on time.
Speaker CI've had cabinets get lost.
Speaker CI've had cabinets get damaged when there was a truck flip over on its side and the cabinets got destroyed.
Speaker CI've had that happen a couple times.
Speaker CThings like that happen.
Speaker CAnd so that's why you never want to start that remodel project until the cabinetry is on site.
Speaker CThat's a big one.
Speaker CThat is a really big rule.
Speaker CSo don't get in a hurry.
Speaker CAnd especially these days with tariffs and all the other stuff, make sure that you've got all the materials on hand before you start that kitchen and bath project.
Speaker CNow, when we come back here, I'm going to talk about some specific bathroom design tips.
Speaker CMy must haves for the bathroom that are things that no matter if you're just doing a powder room, you're doing a huge master bathroom.
Speaker CYes, I use the word master bathroom.
Speaker CIt's not what you think it is.
Speaker CWe'll talk about that in the next segment.
Speaker CSo don't change that dial around the house.
Speaker CWe write back after these important messages.
Speaker BTo find out more information, head to aroundthehouse online.com don't change that dial around the house.
Speaker BWe'll be right back after these important messages.
Speaker CAll right.
Speaker ABaby's drunk.
Speaker AIt's the end of the show.
Speaker ANow drinking down, people.
Speaker AIt's time to go.
Speaker AIt's that time again.
Speaker AIt's last call.
Speaker ALast call.
Speaker CWelcome back to the around the House show.
Speaker CI'm Eric G.
Speaker CThanks for joining me today.
Speaker CThis hour is brought to you by our friends at Monument Grills.
Speaker CCheck them out@monumentgrills.com they've got that Omni Pro MN Essence series.
Speaker CIt's a killer barbecue.
Speaker CSome of the series even have a scale on there that tells you how much propane you have left in the tank.
Speaker CAnd you can just look at the digital display that you could see in the day night.
Speaker CIt works really well.
Speaker CCheck them out@moneymcarells.com we've been talking my kitchen, kitchen and bathroom design secrets.
Speaker CAnd this last segment I wanted to make sure and focus on bathroom design tips, on mistakes, on the pluses, the minuses, things to think about when you're doing this.
Speaker CAnd this is an important one when it comes to bathrooms.
Speaker CYou want to make sure early on when you're planning on this project that you've got enough power in that bathroom.
Speaker COlder homes really had an issue where they had everything on one circuit, the light, the outlets, the fan.
Speaker CYou want to split that out.
Speaker CI really want to have a 20amp circuit for the outlets in there.
Speaker CEspecially if you've got people with a larger bathroom, maybe two sinks, curling irons, hair dryers, kids, whatever, you're going to need that one circuit.
Speaker CYou probably want to put another circuit in so you can put in a, I always put in a plug behind the toilet.
Speaker CSo that way if you ever want to add that bidet toilet seat, if you ever get into a situation where you get injured and have to have surgery, maybe it's a shoulder surgery, maybe you've got something going on.
Speaker CHaving that option to plug in a bidet toilet seat, there can be a life changer for you.
Speaker CAll you got to do is run down to Costco and get a toto right there and you're good to go.
Speaker CBut think about that.
Speaker CAdd that GFCI outlet or whatever is required for local code in your area.
Speaker CRight behind that is a must have for each and every bathroom.
Speaker CAnd it's an added value too to have that to be ready for that for the next people that buy the house.
Speaker CSo make sure you're doing that.
Speaker CI would also think about if it's a bathroom that uses a lot of showers, like a master bathroom.
Speaker CHeated towel rack is a great way to save on doing laundry because that really helps.
Speaker CAnd I always put the ambo ones in my home, and they're just a great way to go with that.
Speaker CSo think a little bit about that.
Speaker CThat is a killer way to do this when it comes to really dialing in that bathroom.
Speaker CNow, I want to talk about my little pet peeve here before we get too far into this.
Speaker CI don't call it the primary.
Speaker CNow, if you're watching my TV show Around the House Northwest, there are some realtors that have rules that they can't call it a master bathroom for their dumb rules.
Speaker CMaster bathroom was first coined in the 20s by Sears Roebuck.
Speaker CThis is not a slavery reference.
Speaker CThat's super dumb for people to say that.
Speaker CReally, a master bathroom is something you're going to get offended about.
Speaker CLet's get rid of master degrees then, because, oh, my gosh, can't have that.
Speaker CMaster plumber.
Speaker COoh, we got to change your name.
Speaker CMaster electrician, Master lock.
Speaker COh, my gosh, they got to change their name.
Speaker CI have to make that.
Speaker CIt's a.
Speaker CLike, it's a thing of syrup.
Speaker CGive me a break.
Speaker CIt's ridiculous.
Speaker CIt's a master bathroom.
Speaker CIt's what we've called it since the 20s.
Speaker CI'm not changing it just because somebody's clutching their pearls trying to make a word something that it's not.
Speaker CEnd of rant.
Speaker CThanks, guys.
Speaker CSo really, when it comes down to it, when you're designing that bathroom, when you're designing that space, put in a good toilet.
Speaker CDon't go buy the house brand one from your home center.
Speaker CAnd really, it's hard to buy a really good toilet or home center.
Speaker CMany of those are there because of price points, not because they work well.
Speaker CNow, I will say American Standard and Kohler has come a long way over the last five years to start to catch up to where Toto is.
Speaker CBut they're not there yet.
Speaker CSo take a look at Toto toilets.
Speaker CPut one in there.
Speaker CThat's the best way to go.
Speaker CThat is a toilet that will be easier to clean.
Speaker CLot less chance of plugging up.
Speaker CIt's going to be more comfortable and better designed.
Speaker CEnd of story.
Speaker CAnd if you don't know who Toto is, they make more toilets worldwide than American Standard and Kohler combined.
Speaker CAnd take a look.
Speaker CGet something.
Speaker CIf you're over the age of 30, look at comfort height.
Speaker CLittle taller.
Speaker CNow if you want to leave one that's a regular height for the kids in the hall bathroom, awesome.
Speaker CComfort height is way better for your legs, way better for your knees.
Speaker CAnd take a look at that bidet toilet seat.
Speaker CWho doesn't like a heated toilet seat?
Speaker CAnd a lot of the new ones now have charcoal filtration.
Speaker CSo if your significant other or your guests come over like that crazy uncle and destroys that bathroom over the holidays, you can make a dent out of that with a charcoal filtration system that's built into the toilet seat as well as a really good vent fan.
Speaker CThat bathroom must have a really good vent fan.
Speaker CNow one thing, when you're looking at ven fans, I like the Panasonics.
Speaker CThey are better in my opinion than the Bro Newtones.
Speaker CI have a Bro Newtone in my house.
Speaker CI swapped them out.
Speaker CI would rather put the Panasonic back in.
Speaker CIt's a better fan.
Speaker CIt really is.
Speaker CIt works so much better.
Speaker CIt's quieter.
Speaker CMy Bro Newtone one that I put in looks good, it's got some good features.
Speaker CBut the problem is that after a while it starts to rattle and make noise.
Speaker CNow Panasonics just don't do that.
Speaker CThey're super quiet.
Speaker CThey're whisper quiet.
Speaker CAnd you want that.
Speaker CSo you're saving some energy by getting that humidity, chemicals and everything else out of that room.
Speaker CSo that's a big one.
Speaker CNow flooring is an interesting one.
Speaker CI like heated tile floors.
Speaker CI think it's a good waterproof solution.
Speaker CI'm not a fan of the bathroom of click together floating floors.
Speaker CI think you're asking for problems getting water underneath it and trapping it.
Speaker CYeah, the water.
Speaker CThe floor is waterproof.
Speaker CYou might not hurt it because it's all plastic, but the water damage underneath it can be a serious issue.
Speaker CSo to me, bathrooms and tile floors make it a lot easier.
Speaker CAnd with grout these days, easy peasy.
Speaker CUse like Ardex to install use their products, their grouts resealed, don't have to go back and seal them, which means they're easy to take care of.
Speaker CThey clean up super easy.
Speaker CSo something to think about when you're looking at that.
Speaker CDon't go buy the grout off the home center shelf.
Speaker CGo to your flooring and tile store, get the stuff there.
Speaker CMakes life so much easier when it comes to that.
Speaker CAnd think about if you're doing a bathroom gut, put some blocks in the wall where would you put towel racks?
Speaker CWhere would you put.
Speaker CIf you had to have knee surgery, where would you put some handles if you're going to age in that place gracefully, where grandma's got to come over.
Speaker CIf you're going to put some decorative grab bars in, are you blocking out for that?
Speaker CTakes you a half hour.
Speaker CPut some blocks between the studs before you drywall and then take some pictures.
Speaker CFigure out where those blocks are.
Speaker CTake a picture with the tape measure to show it.
Speaker CIt'll get saved in your.
Speaker CIt'll get saved in your phone.
Speaker CIt's not a big deal.
Speaker CIt'll work well.
Speaker CThat's the secret to doing that.
Speaker CTake pictures, keep it in the cloud, put in a folder, bathroom or measurements, whatever.
Speaker CThat way you know it's behind the wall.
Speaker CI did that on my bathroom.
Speaker CI took pictures of the walls on the floor when I had the floor up, doing some floor repair.
Speaker CMy kitchen, when I did, had the drywall out of the ceiling, did the same thing.
Speaker CSo I know where things are hiding.
Speaker CThat's a good key right there to make sure you know what's going on and where it is.
Speaker CIt's a big deal.
Speaker CMakes it a heck of a lot easier.
Speaker CMakes it a heck of a lot easier.
Speaker CSo those are some of my tricks.
Speaker CAnd keep in mind, too, if you buy those off the shelf.
Speaker CVanity combo kits, cabinet, countertop, sink, faucet, those are designed in almost all cases to be freestanding, not to go up against the wall.
Speaker CSo you're going to have to either come up with a filler or modify that to go up against the wall.
Speaker CSo just make sure you understand what that does for you and how it goes in.
Speaker CThose are best used freestanding.
Speaker CHave it a couple inches off the wall.
Speaker CThat's what they're planned for.
Speaker CSo think about that when you're doing this.
Speaker CThat's a big deal because you'll buy it, go to slam it up against the wall.
Speaker CAnd anytime a cabinet goes up against the wall, you need to have a filler there that scribes to that.
Speaker CMany of those freestanding vanities don't do that.
Speaker CSo you're gonna have to come up with maybe your own cabinet, your own vanity, your own sink, your own faucets, and go that route.
Speaker CSo that's a key to doing that correctly.
Speaker CSo be careful of just running down to your home improvement store and buying the vanity in one kit.
Speaker CUnless it's standing there on the wall by itself like a pedestal sink, you might run into problems with that.
Speaker CSo if you have any more questions.
Speaker CHit me up over to roundthehouse online.com and I can help you over there.
Speaker CSend me a message.
Speaker CIf you have some tricks and tips that you like, send it over to me.
Speaker CYou can visit me@aroundthehouse online.com all right everybody, that's the end of the show.
Speaker CThanks for tuning in this week.
Speaker CIf you're listening on the radio, check out our podcast where you can catch the midweek special.
Speaker CWe'll see you next week.
Speaker CThanks for tuning in to around the House.
Speaker BThank you for tuning into the around the House show.
Speaker BIf you are on the radio, make sure you check out the podcast for additional content during the week on your favorite podcast player or at aroundthehouseonline.com we will see you next time.
Speaker AUnseen and undiscovered anywhere out beyond the me life is a love song let's be lovers we're all over the radio Take mine I know where to go all over the radio with you.