Episode 2259
Don't Fall Behind: Your Ultimate Guide to Autumn Home Prep!
As we dive into the cozy vibes of fall, Eric G is here to guide you through the essential preparations for your home. He kicks things off by reminding us that the season is not just about pumpkin spice lattes and football games; it’s prime time for tackling those pesky home projects that have been hanging around like a bad smell. From cleaning out those gutters to inspecting the roof and ensuring your house is prepped for the rainy days ahead, Eric emphasizes the importance of getting these tasks done before the chill sets in. He humorously recalls his own blunders of waiting too long, only to find himself in a race against the weather with caulking that just won’t dry. Eric doesn’t stop at just roofs and gutters; he dives into the nitty-gritty of deck safety. With a mix of wit and wisdom, he details the hidden risks of neglecting deck maintenance and the critical importance of inspecting that ledger board—the unsung hero of deck stability. He shares some eye-opening anecdotes and practical tips, ensuring that your outdoor space is not only a place for summer BBQs but also safe for gatherings with friends and family. The conversation flows effortlessly between practical advice and light-hearted banter, keeping the energy high as we prepare our homes for the cozy season ahead. The episode wraps up with a friendly reminder to check your HVAC systems and get them tuned up before the cold hits. Eric shares insights on how regular maintenance can save you a ton of cash in the long run and even improve your home’s air quality. With a sprinkle of humor and a dash of urgency, he encourages listeners to take the proactive approach and avoid the last-minute scramble when winter arrives. So, grab your tools, roll up your sleeves, and let’s get our homes ready for fall!
Takeaways:
- Taking care of your gutters and downspouts before the rains hit is crucial to avoid water damage.
- Inspecting your deck and ensuring all connections are secure can prevent catastrophic failures during fall gatherings.
- Now's the time to schedule your HVAC maintenance so you're not shivering in the cold when winter hits.
- Cleaning out those gutters can save you from a waterfall in your living room later on down the line!
- Pest control is essential; ensure tree branches are trimmed back to keep critters from invading your cozy space.
- Planning those big projects for next year now can save you time and stress when spring rolls around.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Steel Panther
- Trane
- Carrier
- American Standard
- Bryant
- Pyramid Heating and Cooling
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Information given on the Around the House Show should not be considered construction or design advice for your specific project, nor is it intended to replace consulting at your home or jobsite by a building professional. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show.
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:Ready to turn your house into the home you've always dreamed of, without the headaches or huge bills?
Speaker B:You're tuned to around the House, the nation's number one home improvement radio show and podcast with expert advice that's helped millions tackle everything from remodels to repairs.
Speaker B:Hosts Eric G. And John Dudley have got you covered with the best advice and information about your home.
Speaker B:Now let's get this hour started.
Speaker A:Welcome to the around the House show, your trusted source for everything about your home.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G. Thanks for joining today.
Speaker A:We have a great show planned for you.
Speaker A:This hour going to be talking about, yeah, fall prep starts now.
Speaker A:Here's the thing.
Speaker A:Football starting back up in the preseason.
Speaker A:So is college football.
Speaker A:We're seeing kids getting ready to go to school in some parts of the country in the next few weeks.
Speaker A:And this is that time where it's so beautiful out out in many places.
Speaker A:You can get some of those fall projects knocked out now so you can enjoy your fall.
Speaker A:So you just don't have all that stuff hanging on your list to do.
Speaker A:So it's a great time to start kind of planning ahead, especially if you got some bigger projects.
Speaker A:So the first thing I wanted to talk about today, and this is an important one, and this is great for the west side of the country right now.
Speaker A:We've got a great footprint out there on the radio and the podcast just because of my location out here.
Speaker A:But for all you on the east coast, you understand this as well because you are not immune to that.
Speaker A:We've been talking about the wildfires and the smoke this last week.
Speaker A:It's been ugly in the Pacific Northwest.
Speaker A:So we have just here in Oregon, we've got what, 2 million acres now?
Speaker A:I think last week I said one.
Speaker A:Now we're 2 million acres that have burned.
Speaker A:So there's a lot of stuff going on and I'm sure it's even more than that, but that's the last report that I saw.
Speaker A:But anyway, we've got a lot going on and some of this stuff is going to be just fall get ready for winter stuff.
Speaker A:But at the same time, it's also kind of fitting into some of that stuff, too.
Speaker A:That's a really good idea.
Speaker A:So one of the things that's so important that we forget, especially as going into fall, is getting out and taking care of the roof, the gutters and just all of that building envelope stuff because it's a great time to do it.
Speaker A:I've made this mistake of doing it in the fall.
Speaker A:That's way deep in fall going, I got to get rid of this stuff.
Speaker A:And now we've got rain in the air, it's cooler and the caulking doesn't want to dry as good.
Speaker A:And there's a lot of things going on.
Speaker A:So let's go down the list here.
Speaker A:So here's the thing.
Speaker A:Cleaning those gutters out, making sure those downspouts are completely clear working.
Speaker A:And when they come out of that downspout, they need to go into a storm drain system that gets that water at least 12ft away from the house.
Speaker A:I don't care if you're in the desert.
Speaker A:I'm sure if you are, you get some of those kind of more monsoonal rains that come in where it'll drop a quarter half inch or two in an hour or two.
Speaker A:And so that water has to go someplace.
Speaker A:You will cause foundation damage with those downspouts that drain right next to the foundation.
Speaker A:Because you're just point loading that.
Speaker A:Whether you're a slab on grade, you can undermine that.
Speaker A:If you've got a crawl space, you could put water down in it or, or cause if it's older concrete.
Speaker A:I've seen that water create some serious damage in that stuff that was built in the tens, teens, twenties, thirties, those earlier twentieth century stuff that we see out there.
Speaker A:As far as foundations and a basement, it's even worse.
Speaker A:You're point loading that.
Speaker A:And that's one of the leading causes of actually the leading cause of water in the basement is because of that situation.
Speaker A:So what I like to do in that situation is go ahead and make that downspout drop right down.
Speaker A:I will grab 3 or 4 inch pipe.
Speaker A:I think the bigger the pipe the better.
Speaker A:And I'll take it down underground and so I'll put it into a grate.
Speaker A:We can either drop down into it or go right into that.
Speaker A:They make all the fittings to do that.
Speaker A:You can use PVC or abs.
Speaker A:I think right now PVC is cheaper.
Speaker A:So that can help you out.
Speaker A:Take that underground and then put it out into either a perforated pipe or into a dry well or daylight it if it's downhill.
Speaker A:You just don't want to be putting that water uphill on the ground.
Speaker A:So you want to make it go underground and get it at least 12ft away from the foundation.
Speaker A:That's one of those things that can really make a huge difference and it'll keep the water from being up there on top.
Speaker A:Now, some houses in some neighborhoods you will see especially homes built in my area, it's in the homes that are built in the nineteen, nineteen nineties, two thousands, two thousand and tens.
Speaker A:If they design the storm drain system in your neighborhood to take all that water, what you'll see is, you'll see that come out through the side of the curb.
Speaker A:I know in the east coast this probably isn't something that's popular over there, but over here we've seen that.
Speaker A:So they can control the stormwater as best they can.
Speaker A:So make sure if that's the case, if you've got that little 3 inch round hole on the side of the curb, or even 2 inch round hole, make sure that's clear.
Speaker A:When I cleared mine out probably a decade ago, on the house that I had that was in that kind of neighborhood, I had to park my truck out there because I started pulling it out.
Speaker A:I was snaking it out.
Speaker A:I had so many roots in there.
Speaker A:I actually went in there with a rope, tied it around the root mess that was in there, got it all tied in, pulled it, and it was crazy.
Speaker A:I pulled out probably 15ft of root mess.
Speaker A:That was the diameter of the pipe that was completely plugged.
Speaker A:So I cut that up, put it in my recycle bin, sent it down the road.
Speaker A:I was worried I was pulling hard enough on it that I was actually gonna pull out the pipe that was in there as well.
Speaker A:But it didn't happen.
Speaker A:So I got that cleaned up and then really got that working.
Speaker A:So that, that was a big one.
Speaker A:So that kind of situation, just make sure that's working.
Speaker A:And then every five years or less is better.
Speaker A:But every five years, you should have somebody come in there and hydro jet out your storm drain system to get all the roof granules, all the leaves, stuff or whatever.
Speaker A:Get any roots that are in there, get that taken care of, and get that good to gold.
Speaker A:That way you don't have that backing up.
Speaker A:I used to be able to see.
Speaker A:I could drive down the street on a rainy day and see the downspouts back flowing around the base.
Speaker A:And even up at the top of the gutter where the water couldn't come out because it was plugged and it was just putting it down the siding of the house unneeded, get those things working correctly.
Speaker A:And if it's been a bit, make sure you get that all cleaned up, ready to rock.
Speaker A:So that way you're good to go.
Speaker A:That'll really help you out on making that work correctly and keeping that water out of the basement crawl space or for undermining that foundation.
Speaker A:So gutters cleaned out there's a lot of new tools out there.
Speaker A:I haven't found one that I liked in living in the Pacific Northwest or I had with my last house.
Speaker A:I should have had gutter guards, but I was gonna do a new roof and didn't end up doing it.
Speaker A:But I would go through there with my leaf blower and just walk the low pitch roof, walk along there, blow it on the ground, and then just do a good cleanup outside.
Speaker A:And then I could rake it up and get it out of there.
Speaker A:But I was having to do that almost every month to keep those things clean.
Speaker A:So right now you wanna make sure those things are dialed in, assembled right.
Speaker A:If they're dented, fix them.
Speaker A:If they're loose, fix them.
Speaker A:It's a great time to do that around these summer storms that we're seeing out there.
Speaker A:So that's the first one.
Speaker A:Next thing is I'd be walking around making sure, okay, what pests do you have going on?
Speaker A:I mean, it was so funny.
Speaker A:This last week my brother sent me a picture from our beach house and we had a trash panda walking across the roof.
Speaker A:So we're like, okay, not sure how he got up there.
Speaker A:No, it wasn't Jimothy, but it was Jimothy's cousin, I think, and was going across the roof up there and ended up walking there.
Speaker A:And I'm like, that's a big problem.
Speaker A:So we've do some trimming of trees and stuff around there because obviously it's using one and dropping down onto the roof because there are no signs anywhere else of that animal getting up on there.
Speaker A:So we're going to be doing that, getting that dialed in.
Speaker A:Make sure that those trees and bushes are at least three feet back.
Speaker A:Make sure that when the wind blows it's not blowing up against stuff.
Speaker A:I got to do some trimming here because the, the tree has been growing this year and it's already touching the siding at my house here.
Speaker A:So I got to start working on that.
Speaker A:That is one of my projects.
Speaker A:I'll be doing this to get that all taken care of.
Speaker A:So make sure that's good.
Speaker A:Make sure you don't have any wasp nests.
Speaker A:I just put a hornet's nest up by the shop that I've been working on.
Speaker A:And man, that thing already has about 50 of them there in the bag for that.
Speaker A:So I'm gonna be putting another one up here tomorrow, getting that dialed in on the other side of the shop, making sure that I can get as many of those things out.
Speaker A:I am not a yellow jacket hornet.
Speaker A:And I like those traps because they don't get the honeybees.
Speaker A:And I'm really taking those things down and getting those out of there.
Speaker A:So anytime I can trap those things and get them from coming around and biting me.
Speaker A:Not doing that because I tell you what was it 18 months ago?
Speaker A:Almost two, probably about two years ago, I was out there getting ready for a TV shoot for the around the House show.
Speaker A:And I tell you what, man, I was digging a fence post, didn't realize the fern right next to it had hornets in it.
Speaker A:Yellow jackets, whatever they were.
Speaker A:And I got swarmed and they were in my hair.
Speaker A:I got hit about 22 times.
Speaker A:Had to go into the hospital and get a anti venom shot because they were concerned about that.
Speaker A:Doctor took care of me.
Speaker A:But that is not fun for anyone.
Speaker A:Little prevention goes a long way if you're in the Pacific Northwest.
Speaker A:Yeah, they love to make nests in those.
Speaker A:So around the house.
Speaker A:Be right back with more right after these important messages from our lovely sponsors.
Speaker B:And the kids these days will never understand.
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Speaker A:This is Sticks it in Ya and Satchel from Steel Panther and you are.
Speaker B:Listening to around the House with Eric G. Yeah, we love Eric G. And you should too.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the around the House show.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G. Thanks for tuning in today.
Speaker A:Well, we've been talking about kind of these fall prep things, roof to deck, all the things that you should be starting to worry about this late summer and fall getting ready for winter time to get those projects knocked out of the way.
Speaker A:If you're stuck at home for a day, just go out there and get some of these things knocked out so you don't have to deal with it as much.
Speaker A:Now one thing that I wanted to mention to put a bow around our first segment there is with roof gutters and the building envelope.
Speaker A:Just make sure all the caulking's dialed in and make sure there's no rot or anything like that.
Speaker A:Take a look at the roof, have it inspected, see how it looks up there.
Speaker A:Free time to get those things repaired, fixed, cleaned, treated, whatever needs to be done, and get that.
Speaker A:And that's also a good fire prevention thing anyway, so take care of that investment.
Speaker A:New roofs are not inexpensive.
Speaker A:Well, in this next segment here, I wanted to talk about deck safety and those hidden structural risks.
Speaker A:And I tell you what, this is one of those things that, you know, depending where you are in the country, this can be a big deal if you're in the desert, sometimes that wood just gets so dried out it gets dry rot, it gets cracked, it just ends up going to powder and you have an unsafe situation.
Speaker A:Now if you're in a wetter area like I am, things are just always wet and they're rotting and things just don't last.
Speaker A:And that's been one of the problems that you saw early on with composite decks.
Speaker A:I love composite decks and there's many different types of composite deck.
Speaker A:I was down at the beach and I saw this last weekend and I saw the first version of what I would call the Trex type deck where they had the wood pieces in with the composite and it was pretty well worn out.
Speaker A:It had done really well.
Speaker A:Probably a 20 year old product there and it was looking like it had seen better days.
Speaker A:It was pretty well washed out, color was missing and it was just kind of this looking like gray.
Speaker A:Play doh.
Speaker A:Now decks have come a long way with that.
Speaker A:But the problem is when you put a 20 year product on there and then you've got wooden framing underneath that could be pressure treated or not.
Speaker A:Sometimes that only lasts 8, 10, 12 years.
Speaker A:So there are things you can be doing now when you're looking at decks and this is where you want to make sure, oh, I just put new decking on it.
Speaker A:Great.
Speaker A:You got to get underneath that deck.
Speaker A:And here's where the problems occur.
Speaker A:One of them is that connection between the deck and the house.
Speaker A:If that is not flashed correctly, especially on higher decks, anything over about 24 inches, that is where the biggest strength part of that is.
Speaker A:And that is where that can pull off the house.
Speaker A:Some DIY deck builders will take 16 penny nails with their nail gun.
Speaker A:They'll shoot it in, call it good, but they miss the flashing, the counter flashing, the metal flashing, the flex flashing.
Speaker A:All the things that you need to do to build that correctly.
Speaker A:And there's a lot of different ways to do it.
Speaker A:Some people will do these little pucks where it keeps it off the house.
Speaker A:You will see other people put it up against the house, have flashing behind it, around it, middle flashing, drip edge across the front to put the water around that.
Speaker A:There's a lot going on there.
Speaker A:So you really need to know what you're looking at and what that looks like.
Speaker A:If you see nails in there and no mechanical fasteners like lags or structural screws, then you want to stop, take the time, run down to your hardware store, get the right ones and add those fasteners in there.
Speaker A:I also want to see a lot of mechanical Connections.
Speaker A:I like using the steel brackets where they need to be for all the connections.
Speaker A:So the joist to the beam, to the post, to the ground, I want to see in the ground.
Speaker A:I want to see that in concrete or something that is similar.
Speaker A:And I say that because not only is all you don't always see concrete used in some areas, you're seeing deck builders now putting in helical piles to hold up that where it's screwed down in.
Speaker A:That's an engineered solution.
Speaker A:If you've got a kind of an unstable ground there.
Speaker A:I'm seeing people use these.
Speaker A:These pier pads that are actually steel rods that get pushed in a different angle and they'll go out almost like feet to hold it up.
Speaker A:And they go right down into the ground.
Speaker A:Maybe 8, 10, 12ft.
Speaker A:And there's maybe 6 or 8 of those things that go in there, sometimes 5 or 6, depending on what you got going, depending on the system.
Speaker A:And those will hold up.
Speaker A:But nonetheless, it needs to be something in there because you also want it to hold the deck removing.
Speaker A:And it needs to be tacked to something that's heavy.
Speaker A:So if you have a heavy windstorm, it doesn't lift the deck either.
Speaker A:So those are the things you want to make sure that you got dialed in, especially on a deck like that.
Speaker A:So make sure all that stuff is.
Speaker A:Make sure the posts are good.
Speaker A:If they're in the ground, it's always a concern because those posts can be really an issue.
Speaker A:If they're in the ground, they can be rotten off.
Speaker A:And now you've got something that could collapse down there.
Speaker A:And then make sure that you've got things engineered correctly.
Speaker A:Don't just go putting the hot tub up there.
Speaker A:Or my favorite one on YouTube is the roofer that started stacking a pallet on the deck that it wasn't designed for and the thing collapsed that the guy was stacking on there.
Speaker A:Have no idea.
Speaker A:I heard the guy didn't get hurt.
Speaker A:But still, it's one of those things that doesn't go well.
Speaker A:So make sure you've got that dialed in and just make sure that is inspected.
Speaker A:All the handrails, all that stuff you can pull off.
Speaker A:There's deck inspection sites on the web.
Speaker A:You could pull up their inspection sheet or worst case, just have somebody come out and do a deck inspection.
Speaker A:That is a deck building expert in your area, pay them to come out, do an inspection and tell you where it's at.
Speaker A:I just want to make sure we're not getting people up there for Labor Day.
Speaker A:And you've got a deck that is messed up.
Speaker A:So that's a big one right there.
Speaker A:Just make sure you got that inspection done and you're looking good.
Speaker A:That's a key.
Speaker A:Now, the other thing is, too, is if you're planning on a deck, just make sure that you're designing it correctly.
Speaker A:I can't tell you how many times I've been sent pictures and when do you need a permit.
Speaker A:Ask those questions.
Speaker A:Sometimes if it's under 18 inches, you might not need one if it's under a certain size.
Speaker A:So get your inspections done, make sure you're good, get that done.
Speaker A:Just again, follow those rules of what needs to happen.
Speaker A:There's a reason why.
Speaker A:And they'll say, for instance, that you're over 30 inches or something like that.
Speaker A:Whatever it is in your area.
Speaker A:I don't know what it is in your area, but if it's over that, you'll need a handrail.
Speaker A:That's all safety stuff.
Speaker A:And they'll keep you from getting sued if your buddy's had a couple too many Coors lights and ends up falling off the deck.
Speaker A:You want to make sure you got that dialed in and looking good.
Speaker A:So just make sure that deck is fixed up and it'll be nice.
Speaker A:Now's also a great time to be doing that refinishing of those wood decks.
Speaker A:If you've got cedar or southern yellow pine or something like that, depending on where you are in the country, that can really help you out.
Speaker A:And it's a good time to do that if you've got that dry time.
Speaker A:Now, some places in the country, you'll see these summer storms, like in the south, that'll pop up, hitch in the afternoon.
Speaker A:Just make sure you got a.
Speaker A:A few days of dry heat there, and it can be a good time.
Speaker A:Now, be careful, read the directions, because most of the deck finishes you see out there have to be put down or a temperature stays in a range for a while.
Speaker A:Like today here, Smoky, we've got some wind.
Speaker A:It's not awesome.
Speaker A:So the key here is, when you're dealing with that, make sure you've got the outside conditions that are going to be the best for that product.
Speaker A:And that's really a key to make sure you've got that.
Speaker A:And you've got to do the prep right.
Speaker A:So make sure you buy the product, understand it.
Speaker A:If you're going to clean it, be careful pressure washing, especially with these softer woods, you'll destroy it.
Speaker A:Only have to sand it.
Speaker A:So make sure that you've got the right prep going and you don't put too much of the product on.
Speaker A:I've seen so many people out there.
Speaker A:I'm just going to put the one, I can only do one coat, so it's going to be heavy.
Speaker A:You put it on there and then you got a sticky mess for the next six weeks until the dirt gets caught into it.
Speaker A:You got a hot mess.
Speaker A:And then make sure you buy something that's highly rated.
Speaker A:I am not a big fan of like Thompson's water seal and I'm sorry, guys, I don't like calling brands out too much.
Speaker A:But it's one of those products that here in my area, the first couple rains, the stuff just literally washes off and it doesn't do much.
Speaker A:Look at some of the good sealers out there.
Speaker A:The color you want around the house.
Speaker A:We'll be right back after these important messages.
Speaker A:Don't change that dial.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the around the House show, your trusted source for everything about your home.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G. Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker A:If you're listening on the radio, make sure you follow us on social media.
Speaker A:Find out our YouTube, everything else like that.
Speaker A:Just head over to aroundthe house.com and if you're listening on the podcast today, just make sure you hit that follow button on your favorite podcast player because that way you get to see things like our midweek special that doesn't make it on the radio and all of their content that ends up being very special.
Speaker A:Now I wanted to get back and discuss here some of these fun things we've been talking about.
Speaker A:We were talking deck safety in the last segment here and of course roof gutters, building envelope on, kind of just getting that fall prep going around your house.
Speaker A:Now next up here, you just got to get our H vac systems dialed in before you need them.
Speaker A:And here's some of the stuff.
Speaker A:What's interesting, I was just this last week not gonna name the builder because I'm not gonna sit there and throw them under the bus by any means.
Speaker A:But Lisa's son is buying a house and went over to take a look at it.
Speaker A:Brand new construction, major national builder.
Speaker A:And even in a brand new home, there are things that you really have to pay attention to.
Speaker A:Some of it is maintenance and some of it is making sure that if you've got an heating and cooling system like a gas furnace with AC or electric furnace and ac or even oil furnace and a separate ac, whatever that is, even a mini split, you're taking care of it and maintaining it.
Speaker A:New systems are so expensive, they're way more expensive.
Speaker A:And that's just because what we've had to do with following the government's energy guidelines and that's just what it is.
Speaker A:So that's why you're seeing some H vac systems now are costing what, three times what it did just a few years ago?
Speaker A:And so you want to make sure that you keep your system going because many times they're not making the key critical components like the compressor or some of that stuff or even the refrigerant that's in the system.
Speaker A:So if you want to keep yours going, stay on the maintenance that will get you the most life out of it.
Speaker A:Now here's the big save for you want to save some money, get a hold of the people that maybe installed it or one of the licensed dealers that are in your area for that brand, whether it's Trane or carrier or American Standard or whoever else it is out there, Bryant, whatever the brand name is, just make sure that you've got a service technician that has taken a peek at that every season.
Speaker A:What I mean by that is if you're going to be sitting there coming into fall in the next couple months, you probably want to have them come out and take a look at the heating system, get it dialed in.
Speaker A:If it's gas, get it fine tuned.
Speaker A:They're going to get that thing so it's giving you the most heat and the most efficient heat.
Speaker A:I can tell you what, I have had more people save a ton on their gas bill in the winter by just getting them to fine tune it.
Speaker A:Maybe it's running too rich which is using too much fuel.
Speaker A:And then you can get it more dialed in, lean it up a little bit, put out better heat and save you some money.
Speaker A:And the same with oil, if it's using too much, it's not burning correctly.
Speaker A:That can be another one.
Speaker A:Those are all important things to make sure you've got going well and that way you're good to go.
Speaker A:So take the time, get that dialed in and then go through, check the filters.
Speaker A:Especially if you're wildfire.
Speaker A:Smoke that three month filter or even that one inch filter that just is a paper one.
Speaker A:You might be changing that every couple of weeks.
Speaker A:So make sure you're checking that thing often.
Speaker A:Turn the system to off, go down, pop the COVID take a look at it.
Speaker A:If it looks dirty, just get it cleaned up, get another one.
Speaker A:I'm not a big fan of the throwaway of the, the, the recleaning ones because you can have stuff that gets caught in there that you're not rinsing out.
Speaker A:I like to get as good a filter as I can.
Speaker A:And if you've got the old 3 quarter inch filter or 1 inch filter that's in there, whatever that is, it might be time to have your H Vac Professional put in.
Speaker A:If there's room a 4 inch filter in there so you can get mud much better air quality inside because those filters will last longer and they really work well.
Speaker A:There's ones out there if you have a carrier system, they have their D GAPPA system which is good.
Speaker A:And that's a kill and.
Speaker A:And filter type thing where it has a.
Speaker A:A just basically what it does.
Speaker A:It'll zap the dust particles and viruses and anything else in there.
Speaker A:So it's really good for that.
Speaker A:Some of the other ones, like what Aprilaire makes is a good universal one that can go in there and it's a great filter cartridge.
Speaker A:They are more expensive, but you can get three to six months out of those depending if you've got pets or whatever your air quality is.
Speaker A:So those are key.
Speaker A:It's really going to help you take down the dust in the house.
Speaker A:So if you've got that stuff going on, that's key.
Speaker A:Now if you don't want to, if you want to reduce the dust in your house and go, oh man, I would like to have less dust in my house.
Speaker A:Here's the secret.
Speaker A:When you come in, pop the shoes off by the front door or by the garage or the side door.
Speaker A:Wherever you're coming in, take those things off, keep them over the side.
Speaker A:And then if you've got clothes on that you were dusty in, like a sweatshirt or something like that, drop it off there.
Speaker A:If you can keep from dragging that in, it's going to really reduce it.
Speaker A:So that's where a lot of that stuff is.
Speaker A:You're dragging it in.
Speaker A:So drop the shoes off, always a good thing.
Speaker A:And it'll keep your house cleaner.
Speaker A:And then just make sure you're always cleaning those floors.
Speaker A:If you've got carpet, you're vacuuming it.
Speaker A:Just get it all dialed in.
Speaker A:You'll be much better off, you'll be happy and it'll really reduce that PM 2.5, which is that level that you're looking for to keep that as low as possible for us right now, with all the smoke, depending on where you are in the country, that's even more.
Speaker A:So just make sure you get all those particulate matters off of you because it's going to be creeping in around every door, window, Everything else.
Speaker A:So make sure you got that taken care of as well.
Speaker A:Any of those big gaps, even if you got that window air conditioner, just make sure that's sealed up tight so you're not getting any air coming in through that.
Speaker A:Because it's already going to be trying to drag some air naturally from outside.
Speaker A:And the more you can keep that going, the better off you will be.
Speaker A:So maintenance is key.
Speaker A:I want you to guys get the most out of your system without having to go out and spend money on a new one.
Speaker A:Because many times you're just not making those parts like we were talking about earlier.
Speaker A:And then spend some money on a good programmable thermostat as well.
Speaker A:If you've got one.
Speaker A:We're going to upgrade the.
Speaker A:We have got the standard one here.
Speaker A:I'm going to put it in a smart one here that's a little smarter than what I've got.
Speaker A:So we can really make sure it put some sensors around the house to see where we're at because I want to make sure that we've got that working.
Speaker A:This house has just a single stage system that's really not too complex, but I want to make sure because we've got some issues here where you'll get 7 to 8 degrees higher upstairs and downstairs.
Speaker A:And even with the air circulating, it can be downright cold when you're trying to keep it 70 degrees upstairs, you can be 65 or less downstairs.
Speaker A:So we have to find that happy medium for that.
Speaker A:So those are things that you can get fine tuned in as well with your H Vac professional as they take a look around sometimes putting sensors in and deciding when it turns on the fan, on to fan versus recirculate.
Speaker A:Those are things that you can do with some of these newer, smarter systems.
Speaker A:So that's good.
Speaker A:If you've got a fireplace you use for heat, great time to get the chimney sweep out, take a look at it, inspect it, clean it, get it all ready for your fall Fires don't stand in line when it's everybody's calling when it's 35 degrees outside, just make sure you get it in.
Speaker A:Now I'm not a big fan of just burning those creosote logs in there to get that gone.
Speaker A:I'd like to see you get it all dialed in.
Speaker A:Great time for that.
Speaker A:This is also the time of year I'm gonna bring this one up here too, that barbecue outside.
Speaker A:Great time.
Speaker A:If you've been barbecuing all year, great time of year right now to go through and get that dialed in, get it cleaned up.
Speaker A:One of my if you've got a gas barbecue, if you're one of the millions of people out there that have the gas barbecue, that pan in the bottom, my secret there is to go through and spend the time.
Speaker A:Wrap that in aluminum foil.
Speaker A:Get the heavy duty thick stuff, not the cheapy get it at the dollar store, but the thicker stuff that you get.
Speaker A:Wrap it in that a couple times and that will be very easy cleanup in the future when you go to clean.
Speaker A:At least the bottom tray is not going to have a half inch of gunk that's fired on there if you've got that gas barbecue.
Speaker A:So that's a key right there.
Speaker A:One more thing here too.
Speaker A:Just make sure your water heater is all dialed in.
Speaker A:If it's gas one, make sure it's looking good, cleaned up, ready to rock and maintained.
Speaker A:If you've got a drain it, flush it doing that stuff, great time to do it now, but it's not so crazy outside.
Speaker A:That's a good one to dial through right there.
Speaker A:The heating and cooling one, guys, is super smart because what happens is I just want to say this to make sure I'm super clear on that.
Speaker A:That tune up, they can catch things that could break in the future.
Speaker A:I've had problems where the on the AC where I've lost the starting capacitor on the motor.
Speaker A:If I would have had somebody out to inspect that, they would have caught it before it went going.
Speaker A:Hey, this is Swan up.
Speaker A:It's probably on its way out.
Speaker A:Let's replace it.
Speaker A:Sometimes that 20 or $30 part is way easier for them to throw on than you trying to figure out why it's broken.
Speaker A:Calling up for an emergency service call and getting that.
Speaker A:And that's one thing with service calls.
Speaker A:If you're on the maintenance plan, many of these companies will put you priority front of the line.
Speaker A:And my friends here locally like Pyramid Heating and Cooling in the Pacific Northwest here and they're located in Portland and Bend, Oregon.
Speaker A:They're my go to guys here.
Speaker A:Great friends with those guys.
Speaker A:Anyway, they will sit there and even have a monthly payment, for instance, where you can pay that just like a subscription around the house.
Speaker A:Be right back.
Speaker A:Don't change that dial.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the around the House show.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G. Thanks for listening to us today and I appreciate you catching all of our shows out there.
Speaker A:This is our second hour of the day.
Speaker A:If you missed part of it, you can always catch it on your favorite podcast player and if you're listening on the radio, just check with your local radio station to see the times.
Speaker A:It's usually on their website and they can find out.
Speaker A:You can find it right there.
Speaker A:They've got a lot of great information for you as well as a quick shout out when you hear these sponsors that are in the middle of the show.
Speaker A:Whether it's on the radio, on the podcast, these are the people out there that keep this show on the air.
Speaker A:So do your best, do business with those folks.
Speaker A:If you're listening in your local town, they're the ones that are supporting this show.
Speaker A:And I just want to say thank you to all the sponsors out there that you're hearing across the country on the radio and the podcast or anywhere else you're hearing it, whether you're streaming it or anything else.
Speaker A:I appreciate every single one of you.
Speaker A:We've been talking about kind of the fall prep starts now.
Speaker A:Trying to get ahead of some of this stuff before fall so you don't feel bad at going to the game, checking out the tailgating, that kind of stuff and getting that stuff all ready to rock.
Speaker A:Another one of the things in this fourth segment I wanted to say is take a minute and do an inspection around your vehicle.
Speaker A:Take a look.
Speaker A:I gotta give my buddy a hard time.
Speaker A:He's been getting a car ready for sale.
Speaker A:He had that second car that he has been driving.
Speaker A:Nice, beautiful BMW.
Speaker A:Vintage but very cool, rare.
Speaker A:He sent me pictures yesterday.
Speaker A:Oh my gosh.
Speaker A:He got about 15,000 miles too long on this set of tires and they were almost slicks.
Speaker A:And on the very inside you could see where the struts have let the car sag a little bit.
Speaker A:It's put those wheels a little bit up and it ate through the inside of the tires enough that guess what?
Speaker A:There were cords showing.
Speaker A:There's metal coming through.
Speaker A:So do a quick check of your vehicle right now.
Speaker A:It always gets forgotten.
Speaker A:Take a look at those tires.
Speaker A:You're gonna make it through snow, water, whatever you're dealing with out there.
Speaker A:Check the day code on the side of the tires.
Speaker A:If it's something over than six years, you are now in the trouble zone for tires out there.
Speaker A:I bought a used RV this last year and guess what?
Speaker A:I hit the 5 year mark here this winter on those tires.
Speaker A:Which means guess what?
Speaker A:I'm doing the spring.
Speaker A:I'm going to be putting new tires on there because I can guarantee you even though Those tires have 50% tread solid, it is way cheaper for me to change those things out than to pay the Deductible and the added damage when it rips the side of the trailer off when I have a blowout on the freeway.
Speaker A:So you want to make sure that those things get dialed in on your vehicles real quick.
Speaker A:So check the tires, check your battery.
Speaker A:When that battery is 4, 5, 6 years old, you're in the danger zone as well.
Speaker A:So if that battery out there, take the date code on that, take a look at it.
Speaker A:If you get cold in the northern half of the country, you know what happens.
Speaker A:There'll be one morning you're going out to get to work.
Speaker A:It's cooler in the morning.
Speaker A:You hit the start button, turn that key, and it doesn't start.
Speaker A:So when in doubt, if you know nothing about cars, go, I have no idea what I'm looking at.
Speaker A:Take it in.
Speaker A:Have your local shop that you trust take a look at it, give you a safety inspection, take a peek and make sure it's good.
Speaker A:And always check those shock struts, all that suspension stuff, making sure it's good.
Speaker A:If you've got something that's making noise, it's talking to you, take a listen and make sure that you're getting that car dialed in.
Speaker A:Let's keep it safe.
Speaker A:And one of the other things that I'm seeing too, that we run into in the fall, and it's something for you to take care of if you've got one of the newer houses out there, and this is a big problem, especially in the northern states, where maybe it's 50 degrees outside, it's been raining, it's pretty nasty.
Speaker A:You pull that wet car in the garage, the garage is insulated.
Speaker A:It's attached insulated door on it.
Speaker A:You're now hot, boxing that hot engine in there.
Speaker A:It's high humidity, high temperature.
Speaker A:It'll add 10 or 15 degrees to the garage.
Speaker A:Sometimes when you put a vehicle in there, because the engine being warm, all that radiating heat, now you've got high humidity out there.
Speaker A:So what I like to do in the garage, put an air quality and humidity sensor out there so you can see what carbon monoxide looks like, what the humidity looks like.
Speaker A:And when in doubt, either put a dehumidifier out there or get some ventilation in there.
Speaker A:Put in a bath fan with a humidity sensor on it.
Speaker A:That will at least move that air outside of that space so you can make sure and help ventilate that space.
Speaker A:Because I don't want you to have all the Christmas stuff, your holiday ornaments, all that stuff stacked up in the shelves out there, maybe the golf clubs, whatever Else, and you go get them out and they got a nice warm, fuzzy blanket on them, a mold, because that can happen.
Speaker A:So make sure you got those things dialed in.
Speaker A:Now, I wanted to give you here, before we get to the end of the show, I wanted to give you my priority list here to make sure.
Speaker A:If I only do three things this week, I'm going to sit there and say, hey, clean your gutters, inspect that ledger board in the deck and schedule that H vac service.
Speaker A:Those are my top three right there.
Speaker A:That I would get knocked out first because those are going to take care of many of the big projects and safety things that come up this time of year.
Speaker A:So let's do a little prevention there.
Speaker A:Let's stay on top of that.
Speaker A:And it's going to really help you get things dialed in.
Speaker A:Now the other thing is too, if you're in a wildfire area like we talked about, put that at the top of the list.
Speaker A:That's the little asterisk here.
Speaker A:Make sure you've got everything well watered outside.
Speaker A:If you've got any tree branches and brushes, brush up against the house.
Speaker A:Get that dialed in as well.
Speaker A:So those are top ones to make sure you got things cleaned up, ready to go for fall.
Speaker A:Now the other thing is too, guys, and this is one of my keys if you're thinking about doing projects next year.
Speaker A:Yeah, next year I'm gonna put a sprinkler system in, I'm gonna put up a new fence.
Speaker A:I'm gonna get that stuff dialed in.
Speaker A:Now is the time to start planning, get the dimensions, talk to a designer, figure out what the project is going to be needing for the fence?
Speaker A:Okay, do I know where the property line is?
Speaker A:Do I need to get a.
Speaker A:To schedule somebody to come out and do a survey to find out where the property marker is, maybe have the conversation with the neighbor to see if they'll pick up half the cost.
Speaker A:All these kind of things can really help, and it's a great time of year to do it.
Speaker A:Now, one thing, if you're getting contractors out there to come out, maybe help you with some of this one, a lot of the contractors are slow across the country in many parts, so they should be calling you back pretty quick.
Speaker A:But it's also vacation time still for a lot of people squeezing in the last month or so of summer.
Speaker A:So don't be surprised if they take a week to call you back.
Speaker A:If they're out camping in the mountains, fishing, doing all that stuff, just make sure that.
Speaker A:Don't be too surprised if it Takes a few days to get back a hold of you.
Speaker A:Because vacation time for contractors is big right now.
Speaker A:This is that last little bit before that they're trying to squeeze it in.
Speaker A:Especially when it's slow out there, they will go out and do that.
Speaker A:So that is another one of those things to just keep in mind.
Speaker A:Might help you out and stop that frustration.
Speaker A:So that's my fall prep stuff.
Speaker A:I do want to tell you some of the stuff I'm seeing out there.
Speaker A:And it opened my eyes doing that house inspection this last week.
Speaker A:Going through.
Speaker A:I walked up to the side of this house, look up on the second floor, and I'm like, wow, that siding is really wavy.
Speaker A:And you take a peek around, look at it.
Speaker A:Wow.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:First thing I noticed, that's going to be an issue.
Speaker A:So I walk in the house, I go upstairs in the bedrooms because this is on the second floor.
Speaker A:I put my four foot level up against the.
Speaker A:The wall where the headboard's going to go.
Speaker A:That's obviously the place this is designed for.
Speaker A:Outlets are in the right spot.
Speaker A:You can really see it.
Speaker A:Good spot for it.
Speaker A:Put it up against the wall in four feet.
Speaker A:There is a half inch of bow in that wall so I can rock it back and forth.
Speaker A:I put it up against the wall in the flat.
Speaker A:The end of that four feet, there's half inch plus probably five, eight if anything.
Speaker A:Man.
Speaker A:Huge bow in the wall.
Speaker A:Can't see it inside because of the flat.
Speaker A:White.
Speaker A:Just don't see it.
Speaker A:Drywallers covered it, but they sure didn't shim when they did it.
Speaker A:But the problem is when you go outside, you see it and that siding is just.
Speaker A:It looks like it's all wavy.
Speaker A:It looks like there's a time shift up there.
Speaker A:I walk around the neighborhood and I could tell that the framers were all the same on this project.
Speaker A:Same parts, the same house.
Speaker A:And I think what happened, and this isn't in their defense, but I think what happened was, is they started framing and they let those kind of interior walls pull in and push out in certain spots.
Speaker A:So it really created an issue where that all came together.
Speaker A:And so that can be a big issue.
Speaker A:It just kind of moves it around a little bit, pulls it in, pulls it out.
Speaker A:Depending on how they got it.
Speaker A:They weren't continually putting the level on it.
Speaker A:That or they just had some green lumber that they were framing with and it bowed, it twisted and they just went right over the top of it.
Speaker A:But to have a half inch in and a half inch out all the way down the wall that gives you a net one inch of movement.
Speaker A:And when you've got lap sighting outside, I tell you what, you get to see that.
Speaker A:And it's pretty crazy.
Speaker A:So I'm not going to call these guys out.
Speaker A:I'm not sitting here trying to bash anybody.
Speaker A:I'm not going to get in that kind of fight or start that fight today.
Speaker A:But if you're out there looking at a brand new house, make sure you get that inspection done.
Speaker A:If you're having a house built, even more importantly, pay for an inspector to come out and do those key places.
Speaker A:Make sure that you get the framing inspection done.
Speaker A:Because before the drywall and insulation goes, this stuff gets caught when it's already done.
Speaker A:Like we're in that situation now.
Speaker A:Not a lot that can be done.
Speaker A:I guarantee you this builder is not going to go in there, rip out the drywall, rip off the siding, reframe that wall, put it back in and do that big remodel.
Speaker A:Hey, if you got a comment or you want to say hi to me, hit me up over to roundthehouse online.com.
Speaker A:You can find me there on any one of our social media channels.
Speaker A:I will try to get back to you as soon as I can.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G. Thanks for tuning in to around the house.
Speaker A:Grab your buddy, grab your butt.
Speaker A:Take this good time and turn it up louder.
Speaker A:No one ever talks about night they.
Speaker B:Went to bed Countenance.
