[00:00:00] Aaron Brundage: It's around the house. I'm originally way back in the day when I put it in originally, and I just kept seeing all of these projects that we were installing that have this amazing outdoor lighting and what it can do for a project. And I went back in afterward and I added lighting down the road. And was I able to do that?

[00:00:23] Aaron Brundage: Yes. One of the beauties of pavers, for example, in a project like ours is you can add to it, make adjustments to it in some ways over time, like I was able to with lighting, but also. Tell you, Eric, after I did that, the impact, the lighting had on the project was so tremendous for me. And not only when I was out there, but now I'm even inside just looking out and, Oh man, how cool does that look with something like lighting?

[00:00:47] Aaron Brundage: So yes, I learned the hard way in my situation. And I like to tell people, let's think about everything on the front end, including something.

[00:00:55] Intro: When it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to [00:01:00] know that we've got you covered. This is around the house.

[00:01:04] Eric Goranson: Welcome to the around the house.

[00:01:06] Eric Goranson: next generation of home improvement where we can help you with your design, DIY or construction project and help you get the right information where you can do that project right the first time. I'm Eric G. Thanks for joining us today. To find out more about this show, head over to around the house online.

[00:01:23] Eric Goranson: com and if you need help with your next home improvement project or whatever you're trying to tackle, give us a call on our home improvement helpline. That number is 833 833 8333. 239 4144 that number again is 833 239 4144 springtime people are out there trying to tackle those outdoor projects and something I think sometimes there's some of the most misunderstood projects out there.

[00:01:47] Eric Goranson: We've got Aaron from system pavers. Welcome to around the house, brother. Excellent. Thank you for having

[00:01:53] Aaron Brundage: me, Eric. Very happy to be here,

[00:01:55] Eric Goranson: man. This is great. You guys are nationwide. It seems on doing [00:02:00] these outdoor projects. I know your brand is system pavers, but you tackle a whole front and backyards of a house.

[00:02:07] Aaron Brundage: It's absolutely correct. What's funny when I started with system pavers, geez, about 16 years ago at this point, that's what it was. It was pretty much just pavers that walkway, that driveway, the walkway went to a, a rectangle patio in the backyard. And it is just so much more now. It is really transformed into that true outdoor living, right?

[00:02:26] Aaron Brundage: Where it's not just the pavers it's. So many other outdoor living elements that we can incorporate. Of course, everything from the pergola to built in barbecues and fireplaces and fire pits, the outdoor lighting and synthetic turf. There's so many things that we can do. And it's really a transformation from just, just a patio to a complete outdoor living oasis.

[00:02:48] Eric Goranson: Man, I was at the National Hardware Show about a week and a half ago down in Las Vegas taking a look around and if somebody thinks that outdoor living is gone, there were about a hundred different companies [00:03:00] out there of different barbecues, heaters, fireplaces, outdoor living accessories. And if you looked at a part of a scale, you'd go, man, if I walked into a Hardware store, home improvement store.

[00:03:13] Eric Goranson: This would be half of the store compared to what they had there. So it is big and there's some great innovations coming out there as well.

[00:03:20] Aaron Brundage: Yeah, there's no doubt about it. I think we've seen things shift over the years as well. Back in 2020 was a big one, right? When, uh, people couldn't spend as much time indoor gathering with friends and family.

[00:03:31] Aaron Brundage: So it became an outdoor situation. Now the trend towards outdoor living was already happening at that time, but I just think that was a huge boost in that outdoor living world. And now people want to be able to have. Uh, a lot of the features and comforts of indoors, but have that on the outside of their home.

[00:03:47] Aaron Brundage: And not only just everything that offers from an entertainment and an enjoyment standpoint, but what it can quite frankly do to increase the value of your home, increase the square footage, you now have all this [00:04:00] entertainment space and places to spend time on the outdoors of your home as well.

[00:04:04] Eric Goranson: You think about it right now, we went through COVID, got through that.

[00:04:06] Eric Goranson: Now in today's market out there, we see interest rates have more than doubled for some people out there. So maybe they were planning on, okay, kids are going to be at this age. We're going to double our square footage at this year. And now we're getting into 2024 and they're still high. So those people are, many of them are going, I can't really afford to go buy that next house with double the rate on interest.

[00:04:29] Eric Goranson: So. We better fix up what we got so we can get that extra square footage and outdoor living is the cheapest square footage you can add to the house.

[00:04:37] Aaron Brundage: Yeah, there's no doubt about it. And so people are doing it that way. People are also thinking maybe I was going to take that vacation and the cost of doing something like that can be astronomical.

[00:04:46] Aaron Brundage: So how about a staycation, right? Where you can just keep that vacation feel alive, but right in your backyard.

[00:04:52] Eric Goranson: Man, no kidding. And let's go back to what you guys started with, with pavers. I think it is one of the most misunderstood [00:05:00] DIY projects when it comes to outside. Cause so many people go, Oh yeah, I'm just going to level it out.

[00:05:05] Eric Goranson: I'm going to throw some blocks from my home center on the ground. And then they wonder why a month later, everything's all wonky.

[00:05:11] Aaron Brundage: Yeah, that's very true. And unfortunately we hear, we hear those stories too often and it's fun to come in and rescue somebody from that situation. One of the best things that I ever did myself was when I put my paper project and my outdoor living project in.

[00:05:25] Aaron Brundage: I jumped in with the crew and I worked alongside him for a week and gained an entire new appreciation as to what a project like that really entails. And it is. Quite frankly, it's backbreaking work to do it right. And that's such a big, important piece of the puzzle is with a project like this, it's got to be done, right.

[00:05:43] Aaron Brundage: And I think there is a misunderstanding about it. People think that maybe you can just level out some sand and get some pavers on the ground and maybe put up some two by fours on the side and hold it together. And that is not a recipe for longevity in any way. When it comes to a [00:06:00] project like this, uh, it is, Base building it from truly the ground up is what is so important on a project like this and in a huge piece of the puzzle is eliminating so much of those native soils that are underneath the project.

[00:06:13] Aaron Brundage: Because really, without doing that, you're just leaving yourself susceptible to so much shifting and movement that, again, a project like this isn't going to last. So just to add some perspective, in an area like our Colorado location, for example, the soils around the area can be super poor and a lot of clay, a lot of bentonite in the soil.

[00:06:34] Aaron Brundage: We're removing. Depending whether pedestrian or vehicular, we're moving eight inches to nearly a foot of that native soil underneath the project before we're building it back up. Such an important piece of the puzzle that people miss out on.

[00:06:47] Eric Goranson: Yeah, it's really depending. And that's the problem too, is so many people go, Oh, I jumped on and I watched a YouTube video and that was my answer.

[00:06:53] Eric Goranson: And I'm like, Yeah, but that was in Florida and that was your soil type and you're sitting there outside of [00:07:00] Boston doing it. And it's a completely different project just because of the different soil types and conditions, what mother nature is going to throw out.

[00:07:08] Aaron Brundage: Yeah, without a doubt, not only just those, just those native soils, but then you got the other elements, right?

[00:07:13] Aaron Brundage: Freeze thaw comes into play and then maybe just brutal heat in the summer or humidity in certain areas. And again, freezing winters. So there's a lot of factors that come into play. Yeah. You've got to build it right the first time,

[00:07:26] Eric Goranson: man. I've even seen some driveways and things that were done that were like, again, this is expert level stuff, but this is why you bring the experts in is where you wanted the water to drain one way, but the slope on the patio driveways going the other way, so you have a drainage plane below it, that's kicking at one direction, and then you've got your base above that, that's.

[00:07:48] Eric Goranson: Herman, you're sloping the driveway the other direction. Absolutely incredible. Some of the stuff you can do. That's never seen in the finished product.

[00:07:57] Aaron Brundage: Yeah, there's no doubt about it. And that's a lot of that's [00:08:00] underneath the project, right? Like you said, you don't see it, but it's such an important piece.

[00:08:03] Aaron Brundage: Drainage, something that a lot of people wouldn't think of, especially on the DIY part of things, but it's such a huge aspect of what, what a great top notch. Paver installer contract is going to be looking at is where is that water going to go? We talk about the elements and how it can affect the project.

[00:08:20] Aaron Brundage: Water is absolutely one of them as well. So whether it is channel drains, French drains, getting those, getting that drainage out to the swales, getting it away from the projects, getting it away from your house are very important things. Last thing you want to do is build this great paper project and then have all the water going towards your house, affecting your foundation.

[00:08:38] Aaron Brundage: Big piece of the puzzle. Let's get that water out of there,

[00:08:41] Eric Goranson: man. I've seen that. I had somebody, oh, this is probably seven or eight years ago. I got called out to take a look at the project. I was helping out a foundation contractor and they had done a DIY patio. Didn't realize that they kicked that thing just slightly back towards the foundation when it all settled in and they were taking a 12 by 14 area and dropping it right up against the foundation [00:09:00] wall and couldn't figure out why they had water in their base.

[00:09:02] Eric Goranson: But

[00:09:02] Aaron Brundage: yeah, that's not a recipe for success, is it?

[00:09:05] Eric Goranson: No,

[00:09:06] Aaron Brundage: not at all.

[00:09:06] Eric Goranson: So it's crazy on this. That's the, and the other thing is the beauty right now of the different styles and patterns out there. It used to be, okay, you've got your half dozen or dozen patterns to go. And now with the different manufacturers and the colors and the patterns.

[00:09:22] Eric Goranson: You can do something that looks very traditional and something that looks very contemporary these days.

[00:09:26] Aaron Brundage: So true. And there's always evolving trends when it comes to the different shapes and colors and sizes and things in the industry and as to how a project like this can look, but so much of it comes down to personal preference in a way.

[00:09:40] Aaron Brundage: And that's one of the beauties.

[00:09:42] Eric Goranson: You've been listening to our interview with Aaron Brundlage from System Pavers. Around the house. We'll be right back after these important messages. Don't go anywhere.[00:10:00]

[00:10:09] Intro: What's up? This is Stixx Zadinya 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.

[00:10:27] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to Around the House. Show the next generation of home improvement, where we can help you with your design, DIY, or construction project. I hope you get the right information where you can do it right. The first time to find out more about this show, head over to around the house, online. com.

[00:10:41] Eric Goranson: And if you need help with that next project, give us a ring over at 8 3 3 2 3 9 41 44. That number again is 8 3 3 2 3 9 4 1 4 4. Now let's get back to our conversation with Aaron Brundlage from system pavers.

[00:10:57] Aaron Brundage: Uh, a product like a paver, where there are so many different [00:11:00] options available that you can really find.

[00:11:03] Aaron Brundage: Ones that fit exactly what you're looking for. Not only what you really love, but maybe what really compliments very importantly, what compliments your home. Maybe it's the color of your home, the color of your roof, the surrounding area. There's so many different options out there, but I think that's a very important piece of the puzzle is.

[00:11:20] Aaron Brundage: What do you love? How do you plan on utilizing the area? Are you going to paint your house in a couple of years or change that roof? And you want to make sure that this is going to be a project that's going to, it's going to last a lifetime for you and really be that perfect fit back there. And we talk about these emerging trends.

[00:11:38] Aaron Brundage: You've probably seen some of these even tumbled products, right? So yeah, if you think about it. Are relatively new in the big scheme of things to, to, to the United States, you go over to Europe and there are pavers everywhere and they've been weathered and they've been tumbled and they've got this look to them, which can absolutely be emulated here.

[00:11:58] Aaron Brundage: And people, maybe you have seen that or [00:12:00] spent time over there, want to incorporate that into their projects here and are able to do so with some of the products that are out there, which is great. But then maybe somebody wants that super sleek, more modern look. Also a ton of options available there as well.

[00:12:12] Aaron Brundage: So that really the possibilities are endless when it comes to papers.

[00:12:16] Eric Goranson: Yeah. You can make it look like an Italian stone road or an Italian contemporary mansion, depending on what house you visited all with pavers, which is pretty trick.

[00:12:25] Aaron Brundage: So true. So true.

[00:12:27] Eric Goranson: And then you get into that. And I think the biggest problem that I see with many homeowners out there that when I'm called in with questions and things, what do I do now is the lack of planning of the complete project, right?

[00:12:40] Eric Goranson: Like, they'll go in and go, I just put in all this new fence and new yard and new everything else. Now, I think I want to put in a paver patio with a fireplace in the middle of it. And it's, you just made this so much harder. I always tell people, make sure and plan the entire project from start to dream [00:13:00] finish, so you can get the prep work done.

[00:13:02] Eric Goranson: Maybe you're not doing it today, but maybe you're running the gas line or the electrical, so you're not having to tear up the work that you did last year.

[00:13:09] Aaron Brundage: Such an excellent point. And one that I was just touching on as well. I think that's such an important part of. The process and the process is not just the installation process of a project like this, it's the process from when you first start thinking about what am I doing out here?

[00:13:24] Aaron Brundage: What do I want this to be like? What do I want it to look like? How very importantly, how do I want to utilize the area? How am I going to entertain back here? Do I want to entertain large groups, smaller groups? What other kind of features do I want out here? Well, as a kitchen guy, Eric, that inside the home, the kitchen is a huge place for people to gather, right?

[00:13:44] Aaron Brundage: And now people want to be able to do that on the outside of the home. And it takes a lot of planning. You're talking about things like running gas lines or water lines, whatever it may be. But to have that figured out early on in the process, am I changing the color of my home or the landscape [00:14:00] here? So that.

[00:14:01] Aaron Brundage: You really thought this all out because again, this isn't a temporary situation. This is a project that you want to last a lifetime out here. And to really check all those boxes as to how you're going to utilize the area out there. And I love talking about things like the kitchens, for example, where it just used to be, you go out and you've got the grill out there and it's not like that anymore, it doesn't have to be like that anyway, certainly can be, but.

[00:14:23] Aaron Brundage: Why not have it be a full blown kitchen outside where everybody's gathering around as well. We've got bar stools on the back where friends are talking while you're grilling or you're on the side burner or the griddle or maybe the smoker and you've got the fridge for the beverages out there, the sink, everything that you had inside that you can really have in an outdoor kitchen as well.

[00:14:43] Aaron Brundage: But again, just to your point, takes a ton of planning on the front end. It's so important. To really work with the right person that's going to have all these things in mind, put the time into it, really talk it out and have that be a big part of the planning process.

[00:14:57] Eric Goranson: A lot of the projects I've done outside like that, all of a sudden you're looking at it [00:15:00] going, wait a minute, I need six circuits out here of electrical.

[00:15:03] Eric Goranson: I'm doing a hot tub. I'm doing some ceiling heaters. I've got The refrigerator, I've got all the appliances that are now kitchen appliances, almost going in out there. And then you've got all the different things from exterior lighting to fans, to all these different things. It can be like an addition when, if you're not careful, if you're building that luxury space.

[00:15:22] Eric Goranson: So that planning is key. And then you bring in the natural gas and the water, and it can be a big project just to get the foundational stuff done before you get the shovel up.

[00:15:32] Aaron Brundage: For sure. You bring up something like outdoor lighting. And once again, I have a story that I always tell and love to speak with our clients about and it, cause it really hits home for me.

[00:15:41] Aaron Brundage: And I think it really does for a lot of people that I speak with when I put my project in, I did not consider. Lighting at the time originally way back in the day when I put it in originally, and I just kept seeing all these projects that we were installing that have this amazing outdoor lighting and what it can do for a project.

[00:15:59] Aaron Brundage: And I went [00:16:00] back in afterward and I added lighting down the road. And was I able to do that? Yes. One of the beauties of pavers, for example, in a project like ours is you can add to it, make adjustments to it in some ways over times, like I was able to with lighting, but I'll tell you, Eric, after I did that, the impact the lighting had on the project was so tremendous for me.

[00:16:22] Aaron Brundage: And not only when I was out there, but. Now I'm even inside just looking out and, oh man, how cool does that look with something like lighting? So yes, I learned the hard way in my situation. And I like to tell people, let's think about everything on the front end, including something like lighting.

[00:16:36] Eric Goranson: Lighting is pretty easy these days, especially because with LEDs and stuff, they use so much less power.

[00:16:42] Eric Goranson: It is so easy to pre wire for lighting out there when you're doing the project. The wire is not that expensive. It's all in the fixtures. So if you know where that is, and you've got it marked out, you can pre wire that out there. And then it was phase two, put the lighting in, but at least you've got that route and it's out there and where it's going to be anyway.

[00:16:59] Eric Goranson: Even if you're going to [00:17:00] knock this out in sections, if you plan for it, it just saves you money, saves you time. The last thing anybody likes doing is driving equipment across a brand new lawn,

[00:17:09] Aaron Brundage: you're hitting the nail on the head, such a simple thing to do with proper planning on the front end. Something like the wires.

[00:17:15] Aaron Brundage: Absolutely. Let's run those where necessary, be able to have points that we can build off from there. But Hey, if the lighting's not the time right now, pretty confident you're going to find it to be time for down the road, so let's prepare for it.

[00:17:27] Eric Goranson: Yeah, it's a definitely a must have outside because it just changes the entire feel of everything where people just go You could not have changed anything had your house that way for two years You put the lighting and people go in the evening.

[00:17:39] Eric Goranson: What did you do to your backyard? What did you do lighting?

[00:17:43] Aaron Brundage: we'll set up, uh, we'll set up a demo for example, and I set it up around, people come out and they look at their, and they're blown away about how it's transformed their property and then we'll turn it off just to show them the impact. They're like, no, turn it back on, turn it back on.

[00:17:57] Aaron Brundage: It looks so good. And that's really the, [00:18:00] the impact that it makes.

[00:18:01] Eric Goranson: Yeah, and there's so much more reliable too. And guys, I'm not talking about going to your home center and grabbing the 99 kit off the shelf. I'm talking about go to your lighting store and get the stuff that you can put out there and get a decade out of with a weathering and looking like it's brand new versus the stuff that you throw out there.

[00:18:16] Eric Goranson: And. Please don't go buy the solar lights at the big box store. Cause you're going to throw mine next year. It's not green. Could

[00:18:24] Aaron Brundage: not agree with you more. We're talking about quality in a lot of ways here and, and it pays to have a good quality product out there, especially when it comes to lighting, again, exposed to all those elements.

[00:18:35] Eric Goranson: We'll be right back. We'll continue this conversation with Aaron Brundlage from System Pavers just as soon as Around the House returns.[00:19:00]

[00:19:00] Intro: Hey, this is Ron Keel, the Metal Cowboy from Keel, the Ron Keel Band and Steeler. We are rocking Around the House with Eric G. Raise your fists!

[00:19:12] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to Around the House, show the next generation of home improvement, where we can help you with your design, DIY or construction project, help you get the right information.

[00:19:20] Eric Goranson: Where you can do it right. The first time to find out more about this show, head over to around the house, online. com. And if you need help with that next project, give us a ring over at 8 3 3 2 3 9 41 44. That number again is 8 3 3 2 3 9 4 1 4 4. Now let's get back to our conversation with Aaron Brundlage from system pavers.

[00:19:42] Eric Goranson: And there's so much more reliable to and guys, I'm not talking about going to your home center and grabbing the 99 kit off the shelf. I'm talking about go to your lighting store and get the stuff that you could put out there and get a decade out of with a weathering and looking like it's brand new versus the stuff that you throw out there and.

[00:19:58] Eric Goranson: Please don't go buy the solar [00:20:00] lights at the big box store. Cause you're going to throw them away next year. It's not green. Could

[00:20:04] Aaron Brundage: not agree with you more. We're talking about quality in a lot of ways here. And, and it pays to have a good quality product out there, especially when it comes to lighting, again, exposed to all those elements, get the right product out there that can have such a positive impact.

[00:20:18] Eric Goranson: Yeah. If it's not in the budget this year, wait till next year, do it right. Because all you're going to do is throw it away. And I promise you, it's not going to be cheaper next year. Such good

[00:20:27] Aaron Brundage: advice.

[00:20:28] Eric Goranson: That's just how it goes. You guys build a lot of stuff outside as well. It's not only pavers and stuff, but you jump into like gazebos and all the different stuff outside.

[00:20:37] Aaron Brundage: Yeah, we sure do. I'll tell you one of my favorite things that we're seeing a lot of now is of course, not just fire pits, but fire places above that fireplace. Outdoor television, again, people it's outdoor living. They're spending more time out there. They've got some couches around the fireplace. They're watching a game up on the, on the TV above the fireplace.

[00:20:56] Aaron Brundage: What a cool place to gather. Another one is [00:21:00] pergolas. You talk about gazebos and pergolas and. The pergola situation is, is amazing right now. So there's some very cool products that are out there. It's not just your typical wood pergola, which is great. Don't get me wrong. And that is, can be a perfect focal point for a lot of projects and a great place for people to gather under.

[00:21:18] Aaron Brundage: But also these days there are what are called louvered pergolas. And I don't know if a lot of people have seen these, but I was blown away the first time. Uh, I saw one of these and what a great addition to a project, especially if you're in an area that's extremely sunny or maybe tends to be more rainy, the ability with a louvered pergola to have those slats be open when you want to let more light in, maybe it's a half shut situation and shade it up a bit or hey, weather's moved in or that sun is just way too bright, you close them all the way, you've literally created another room on the outside of your home so that the pergolas are amazing right now.

[00:21:52] Eric Goranson: Yeah, those lured ones are super trick. I saw one for the first time a few years ago, one of the shows and then they're just popping up everywhere now, [00:22:00] but depending it's so regional, right? So like in Florida or California, you're just trying to get that hot beating sun off you. But in more than Northern States, you're trying to keep the rain, the drizzle, the weather off of you.

[00:22:11] Eric Goranson: It's really just depending on what you're trying to do. And. Some of the metal ones out there are just stunningly gorgeous. Cause they're so simple and clean because they're built out of metal. Totally.

[00:22:22] Aaron Brundage: Absolutely. So durable, super sleek, super beautiful. And again, it's about picking what's going to compliment the rest of the project so well also, isn't it?

[00:22:30] Aaron Brundage: So we want to, again, with maybe that old world feel, will somebody wanted more of that tumbled paver, for example, maybe that is a more traditional wooden burglar and how those marry together so well, and again, if we're maybe looking for that. Sleek, more modern feel. You get that modern feel of a metal pergola.

[00:22:47] Aaron Brundage: And again, the louvers, a lot of different options there. It's about really tying it all together and making sure it's going to be the perfect, the perfect, perfect match.

[00:22:55] Eric Goranson: But then again, you want to plan the pergola before you do the pavers. So if you're going to bolt it down [00:23:00] into concrete, the last thing you got to do is bolt it down to a paver.

[00:23:03] Eric Goranson: I didn't get to solve anything for you. So you got to plan these things out, right? You want to get the footing down there for the pergola so you can do the pavers around it.

[00:23:10] Aaron Brundage: Another perfect example. So the importance of planning and you said it great yourself, maybe something's not in the budget right now, but it's something you think you may want for down the road.

[00:23:21] Aaron Brundage: There are so many different ways to prepare. For that, for down the road and, and you said it yourself, putting some cassons in marking where there's, where those are so that you can still enjoy the, enjoy everything you wanna do. Now, maybe it's a year or two down the road where it's time to add that you pop those out, are able to have access to do what's necessary and you're off the races with a proper installation where you didn't just piece mail it here at the end.

[00:23:48] Eric Goranson: Yeah, it's so brutal when I see it and it's all that beautiful works getting torn out all that hard work. And then half the time when it's a DIY project, you can never get it back as good as you did before. So you're trying to [00:24:00] get things together and you can see the, maybe you couldn't get it packed, right?

[00:24:04] Eric Goranson: You couldn't get it in there just right. You didn't get things lined up just perfectly. It's good just to be able to plan it out or even better plan it out and bring the pros in to handle it for you when it's a little bit bigger, because. You know, sometimes people just don't have the time to tackle the project themselves.

[00:24:18] Eric Goranson: They know it. They go, Oh man, I'm not going to spend the next four weekends out on my hands and knees in my backyard. I'd rather be out on the lake with my friends.

[00:24:26] Aaron Brundage: Absolutely. And it's one of those things that I was mentioning earlier. Not only can it be absolutely backbreaking work, but it's super time consuming as well.

[00:24:33] Aaron Brundage: So to have a professional who is dialed in, it's been doing this for so long. Knows the process. Again, I talked about the process of. Planning and preparing for the project. But then again, that process of the installation, there is a right way to do it and it needs to be done every aspect of that project and it's super time consuming, but so to have a professional come in and do it can shave a lot of that time off, but [00:25:00] certainly allow, allow a homeowner to go out and do the, play that golf, get out on the, on the lake, like you said, and then be ready to come back and enjoy a project that's been.

[00:25:08] Aaron Brundage: Professionally installed backed by a wonderful warranty and ready to enjoy it and last a lifetime.

[00:25:14] Eric Goranson: Absolutely. So how do people start projects with you guys? I know everybody's a little bit different, but right now we're cruising into spring and people are like, all right, this is the year we're going to do it.

[00:25:24] Eric Goranson: We got to have that space. We got a family reunion coming up in August. There's always these things that push people to that edge or my kids weddings coming up, what's the best way to start the process, right?

[00:25:33] Aaron Brundage: Yeah, I, right now there's a few different ways and just reaching out to us is the first. So systemfavors.

[00:25:39] Aaron Brundage: com for example, one of the ways on our website, just not coming and checking out everything we do, we can set appointments right through our site. Contact us to set up a consultation, but having us out to your home and coming out to the home to be able to really, like I said, get an, get an idea of what you're looking to do, really do that comprehensive [00:26:00] design process is so important and then getting on the schedule, having us come out and get this project installed, fortunately, we are able to, because of us just being such a well oiled machine, for example, we're able to come out and, you know, Get your project completed in a timely fashion, in a very professional manner.

[00:26:18] Aaron Brundage: We're all about that very comprehensive design process, but also that very high quality and durable installation process. And so it's a matter of reaching out to us. What's so cool these days too, is we can be found not just on our website, but a lot of the social media sites. So everybody today is on Pinterest, for example, or checking things out.

[00:26:40] Aaron Brundage: Oh yeah, oh yeah, without a doubt on YouTube and you can check out a lot of our transformations befores and afters and just get a lot of different ideas for even before we come out to your home and see projects that we've already completed. And I'll tell you what, if you weren't already excited about an upcoming project, check out some befores complete transformations.

[00:26:58] Aaron Brundage: And it is just. [00:27:00] Puts you over the edge in excitement.

[00:27:02] Eric Goranson: And that's the easy way to have the best backyard in the neighborhood right there. And you can, uh, wow your friends and quite frankly, just have your outdoor place of solitude that you can go enjoy when you just want to get away.

[00:27:13] Aaron Brundage: Without a doubt. It's a cup of coffee in the morning, just relaxing.

[00:27:16] Aaron Brundage: It transfers into that, the whole, the neighborhood gathering place in the evening,

[00:27:20] Eric Goranson: no questions. So a couple of other things I wanted to ask you, what have we not talked about today? Cause I mean, you guys have so many facets of your stuff and I also do want to ask you as well as a second part of that question, where are you guys located across the country?

[00:27:32] Eric Goranson: Cause I know you have a lot of different markets you're in.

[00:27:35] Aaron Brundage: Yeah, we really do. As far as locations are concerned, we're throughout Texas. We are in Greater Phoenix area, Las Vegas area, Greater Denver area, all up and down California. We are in Oregon, in the Lake Oswego, Portland area. We are in Washington in the Greater Seattle area.

[00:27:53] Aaron Brundage: So we're really all over the place. A lot of different options that we service, a lot of different people that we can service. It's not just [00:28:00] a one location somewhere, which is great. We can accommodate so many people in so many different areas. And I think you also asked what else maybe haven't we talked about today?

[00:28:09] Aaron Brundage: Again, I think the importance of just emphasizing the process and working with a very established contractor, established organization that has been doing something for a long time.

[00:28:22] Eric Goranson: You've been listening to our interview with Aaron Brundlage from system pavers around the house. We'll be right back after these important messages.

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

[00:29:12] Eric Goranson: to around the house. Show the next generation of home improvement. We can help you with your design DIY or construction project. Hope you get the right information where you can do it right. The first time to find out more about this show, head over to around the house, online. com. And if you need help with that next project.

[00:29:27] Eric Goranson: Give us a ring over at 833 239 4144. That number again is 833 239 4144. Now let's get back to our conversation with Aaron Brundlage. From system pavers,

[00:29:41] Aaron Brundage: the whole design process, that installation process, the follow up from it warranties to back it all up. I think all of these things are important. I think all of that is very important.

[00:29:52] Aaron Brundage: Can't just have one or two of those. You really need the whole thing is, is I think if you want to assure yourself that additional peace of [00:30:00] mind that comes with all, that's what you're looking for,

[00:30:03] Eric Goranson: man. No question. And no shade thrown on any of the landscapers out there, but I've seen so many people out there hire their landscape company to, Hey, while you're out there, give me a number on the patio real quick.

[00:30:13] Eric Goranson: And, or the front driveway or something like that. And I go driving by going, Oh, that's not going well, because I can see a guy there with the jackhammer pulling out the concrete. And as the one guy's hauling it off, there's another guy on that same gravel, just throwing blocks down on the ground. And I'm like, Oh

[00:30:32] Aaron Brundage: no.

[00:30:32] Aaron Brundage: Oh, you're just holding your breath for that situation. Aren't you? Oh boy, this is going to turn out. And you know what? Conversely, we specialize in what we specialize in and we're not the landscaper, for example. These guys are creating unbelievable landscapes out there. Absolutely beautiful. To compliment what we do, we focus in our lane and we're, we're always focused on being the best, the experts in our lane, but you're right.

[00:30:56] Aaron Brundage: Finding that person who's dedicated to their craft, I think is [00:31:00] important as well.

[00:31:00] Eric Goranson: It is Aaron Brundage. Thanks for coming on today. Where do people find you again? Let's send them to the website.

[00:31:06] Aaron Brundage: Yes, please. Systempavers. com. Check us out. I would love to come out and meet with you and learn about your dreams and vision.

[00:31:13] Aaron Brundage: Bring it to a reality.

[00:31:14] Eric Goranson: Thanks for coming on today, brother. I appreciate it.

[00:31:17] Aaron Brundage: Thank you, Eric. Appreciate it, man. There

[00:31:18] Eric Goranson: was a ton of great information in there as well as if you're a contractor, homeowner, even a DIYer. Or if you're just going to hire to have it done, there's a lot of great tips inside all that last discussion we had right there.

[00:31:31] Eric Goranson: So special thanks to system pavers for coming on the show. Now, since arts are belated birthday, I figured why not give a little history lesson of what around the house has started out as since it's our 36th birthday week. Yeah. We have been around for 36 years now. Have I been on this show for 36 years?

[00:31:51] Eric Goranson: No, we're creeping up on a decade. But I am the fourth host of around the house show. And we're based in Portland, Oregon. It was [00:32:00] started here in Portland, Oregon, geez, 36 years ago. And I took the show over about eight and a half years ago from handyman, Bob strong, who was for almost a decade, the host there.

[00:32:11] Eric Goranson: Of around the house show. And then I came over and it was around the house then with handyman Bob. And then I came on as the co host as around the house with handyman, Bob and Eric G in my background. Just so you know, this, I have over 30 years in the design and construction of residential structures. So.

[00:32:32] Eric Goranson: My background is actually as a certified kitchen designer. I was actually in 1999. I got my certification as a certified kitchen designer from the national kitchen, the bath association in the eight years before that, I spent the time designing kitchens and bathrooms and everything interior. Now, I grew up with my father who was, I, he's classified stuff.

[00:32:54] Eric Goranson: So we'll just say he worked in the nuclear industry and we'll just leave it at that. But what he [00:33:00] did was he worked with me every weekend. We were working on cars, working on DIY projects, working on home improvement. And I have to give a lot of credit to my friends over at this old house because I would not probably be doing this today.

[00:33:15] Eric Goranson: If it wasn't for that first season, which is technically the second season, because it aired nationally during its second season, but I got involved watching this old house as a little kid. And my dad saw that and back before the internet, back before that stuff. He actually got ahold of the station there that the TV station where it was broadcast from and turned around, ordered the plans for the house and they sent them out and had them delivered.

[00:33:42] Eric Goranson: And I got them in the mail and I could follow on the project with the blueprints, which was super cool to do at that young age. And I think that really got me going with home improvement. And I got to give my dad credit for that. I took wood shop at high school. I took welding. I [00:34:00] took auto body. Became a certified welder there for a little bit and at a high school, didn't really use it because I was working on hot rods and doing stuff.

[00:34:08] Eric Goranson: And then I got into home improvement stuff, working at old hardware stores and designing kitchens. And that's what really got me going in this field. So as through my career, I worked for home Depot for 366 days. Back in the nineties, when they were opening up stores in the Pacific Northwest, I was going around and helping them open up kitchen departments in the stores.

[00:34:34] Eric Goranson: And so I worked on a number of store setups and getting people trained and really training kitchen designers to do that. And then from there, I spent a lot of time up in the Seattle area. I spent a ton of time up there working around for design companies, custom cabinet shops, builders, remodelers. All of that did a lot of great design projects.

[00:34:56] Eric Goranson: I did the cabinetry for a big high rise in Bellevue, [00:35:00] Washington called Lincoln square, which was my biggest one. I got to work with some amazing celebrities up there doing very high end luxury stuff as far as design, where this is computers just weren't that great back then. So we would draw things out.

[00:35:15] Eric Goranson: By hand and have to do that. And it was just a lot of fun doing those projects. Got to meet some crazy cool celebrities up there. I'm not going to drop names, but they're just a listers today, even in some of them are even Grammy award winners. So we had a great time up there. And then for a while there, I was actually going around helping contractors, kitchen, a bath companies, try to turn their businesses around.

[00:35:39] Eric Goranson: So I would get hired on seemingly right before they were getting ready to go out of business. And then I would go into my challenge was to go in there like bar rescue and go in there and see if I could get it turned around without the drama. And there was 1 thing I learned doing that for about 6 or 7 years and some of the times that these issues that they had were [00:36:00] definite problems.

[00:36:01] Eric Goranson: But most of them were situational to the owner. Now there's an exception to my buddy, Dave. He ended up getting caught in that 2008 crush and it took down all of his businesses at the same time, which that happens when you own mall stores back then. And that's just what happens. But everybody else that I was working with during the time, we ended up really going through getting to turn back around.

[00:36:26] Eric Goranson: And as soon as I left, many of these people like on bar rescue, they turned around and struggled the same way. And most of those ended up going out of business after I left. So it's unfortunate, but those same old business habits died hard after I left. And there was one that was a really cool company in Tacoma, Washington, that me and a bunch of friends got turned around, got a profitable, got them paid off, got them back in the black.

[00:36:52] Eric Goranson: Everything was looking good. And then all that work we did that we developed a business plan for, it was a six inch binder of, of a hard [00:37:00] work and sweat. You basically tossed it in the trash can and went, all right, we can get back to normal now that we got our bills paid off and everything else. And I build out of there shortly.

[00:37:08] Eric Goranson: And I tell you what, 18 months later, I was watching the auction online, which was pretty sad to see, but that's just what happened. And so really all of that experience has led me up into. Doing this today. I've been a construction experts in court cases where they brought me in as witnesses and experts.

[00:37:27] Eric Goranson: And of course I've worked in lots of different fields, including foundation repair, remodeling, new construction, all of that. So there was a lot of great things that we did. Over the years, and I've had a lot of fun. Now I do media full time and my wife and I are empty nesters here. So we've got the house that we're constantly working on during the week.

[00:37:49] Eric Goranson: I am actually doing my television show, which is around the house, Northwest over on gray television that airs in Portland. And of course you can find out those videos. I think we've got about 360 [00:38:00] videos up on YouTube and you can find those over at around the house online. Cause we've basically built those.

[00:38:06] Eric Goranson: Individual, the show airs your six or seven segments per show in that, but it airs up and we try to do our best with what we can and getting you the best content out there and as honest and factual as we can. So we're testing new products on Amazon. Sometimes we get really cheesy ones. It's a, a 20 sander.

[00:38:26] Eric Goranson: Like we did a week or two ago. Sometimes we'll find something a little bit nicer and take a look at it. And recently I've got some new products we're going to be doing from the national hardware show. Some of them being award winners. So we'll be talking about here in upcoming episodes of great new products to make life so much easier.

[00:38:43] Eric Goranson: So these are all things. And then just tackling projects, trying to get maintenance, repair, remodeling, and even design into a TV show. 52 weeks a year can be a pretty amazing poll, but it's a lot of fun. And I tell you what, there are a lot more years of around the house show coming up and we've [00:39:00] got some great new surprises coming up too, so stay tuned.

[00:39:02] Eric Goranson: What's some new content and even bigger and better guests. So stay tuned for that. We've got a lot going on. I am running out of time here. It is time to go. We have run through this hour of radio and podcast. So I want to thank everybody for the last 36 years and hopefully another 36 more. Thanks for tuning in to around the house.

[00:39:21] Eric Goranson: We'll see you next week.