Episode 1996
Get Ahead of the Game: Eric G's Ultimate Summer Project Tips for 2025!
Eric G is here to kickstart your summer projects with a treasure trove of tips to tackle before the fun in the sun begins! This episode is all about being proactive and getting those home improvement tasks done early so you can kick back and enjoy your vacation without a care in the world. We dive into everything from sprucing up that trusty barbecue (seriously, don’t let it catch your house on fire!) to ensuring your deck is safe and sound for those backyard parties. Plus, Eric shares the lowdown on essential AC maintenance to keep you cool when the heat hits. Get your toolbox ready and let’s make sure your home is summer-ready, because we all know that when the sun's shining, we’d rather be out playing than fixing!
Summer's just around the corner, and if you're anything like me, you're itching to kick back and soak up some sun—preferably with a cold drink in hand. But before we hit the beach or fire up those backyard barbecues, Eric G. is here to dish out some must-do summer project tips that’ll keep your home in tip-top shape! He dives into the nitty-gritty of home prep, urging us to tackle those inside projects before the heat hits. Picture this: you’re lounging on the patio, sipping lemonade, and your AC is humming along without a hitch because you swapped that dusty air filter out (you know, the one that’s been hiding in plain sight since last summer?). Eric emphasizes the importance of regular maintenance—like keeping an eye on humidity levels and giving your HVAC system a little TLC. He’s also got a cheeky reminder to check your deck for safety; after all, we want to avoid any ‘deck disasters’ when our friends come over for that summer barbecue. So, grab your toolkit, put on your favorite tunes, and let’s get our homes ready to rock this summer!
Takeaways:
- Getting ahead of summer projects means you can kick back and enjoy vacation vibes without a care in the world!
- Don’t let your barbecue become a fire hazard; give it some TLC before the grilling season hits!
- Inspect your deck for safety; a quick check could save you from a disaster when entertaining friends.
- Humidity control is crucial for a comfy home in summer; keep an eye on those levels to avoid the sticky situation!
- Change your air filters regularly; a clean filter keeps your AC running smoothly and your air fresh this summer!
- Safety first: ensure that window screens are secure to keep little adventurers from taking unexpected dives!
Links referenced in this episode:
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Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:The House with Eric G.
Speaker B:Your go to source for everything home improvement.
Speaker B:Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or just looking to make your space shine, Eric G.
Speaker B:Is here to guide you through the latest tips, tricks and trends coming up in this week's first hour of the show.
Speaker A:Now the next one here is on that barbecue.
Speaker A:Make sure you don't have it up against the house.
Speaker A:How many people are melting that vinyl siding or spitting grease on it or catching the side of the house on fire?
Speaker A:Make sure you got a few feet between that in the back of the barbecue.
Speaker A:There's a lot of heat there.
Speaker A:No sense causing damage there.
Speaker A:Now the next one here is inspecting those decks for safety.
Speaker A:Take a look.
Speaker A:Get underneath it.
Speaker A:If it's three feet off the ground, get underneath that thing and make sure that it's connected to the house correctly.
Speaker A:That sill plate.
Speaker B:So grab your toolbox, put on your thinking cap and let's get to work right here on around the House with.
Speaker A:Eric G.
Speaker A:Welcome to the around the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G.
Speaker A:Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker A:This hour is brought to you by my friends at Monument Grills.
Speaker A:Check them out@monument grills.com these guys have really got a brand new grill and I tell you what, I'm loving mine.
Speaker A:I've got one of the evanescence series, the Omni 425.
Speaker A:This thing is absolutely amazing.
Speaker A:It is something that is spectacular to cook on.
Speaker A:Need to check them out@monument grills.com today.
Speaker A:I thought it's post Memorial Day weekend.
Speaker A:We've had our beginning of summer and we are now full swing into summer graduations going on for kids and college kids.
Speaker A:Everything else has been going on for a matter of weeks now depending on where you're in the country.
Speaker A:And I thought let's talk about summer prep projects around your house.
Speaker A:What are some of the things you should be knocking out before here we get out and start playing hard outside.
Speaker A:What are the things that you need to do to make sure that you're gonna be good in August or September and you can get some of these projects knocked out maybe on a rainy day or something like that where maybe you're not at the lake, on the river, the ocean or up in the mountains, whatever you decide to do or just barbecuing in your own backyard.
Speaker A:I thought this first segment we would talk about things you can do inside to make sure you're ready for the summer heat.
Speaker A:In the first one is an obvious one.
Speaker A:It is change your air filtration unit.
Speaker A:If you've got that filter for an H vac system, whether it's a mini split or a full central air conditioning, make sure you put a fresh one in there.
Speaker A:Make sure that thing doesn't freeze up on the hot day.
Speaker A:Make sure you're ready to go and then you'll be fine.
Speaker A:That is one of the biggest things you can do.
Speaker A:So many people forget to do about it.
Speaker A:They maybe changed it in the fall or they didn't change it last month.
Speaker A:It depends on what size of filter you have.
Speaker A:If you've got those little 1 inch filters and you've got pets, you're probably changing those things once a month.
Speaker A:If you've got the big 4 or 6 inch filter, maybe you're doing every 4 months or 6 months, depending on how your system works.
Speaker A:So it's really depending on what you're trying to do and the system you've got.
Speaker A:But make sure you stay on top of that.
Speaker A:I can't tell you.
Speaker A:I've seen people that have had those four inch filters and they're two years in and they forgot and they look like a Mexican blanket sitting on the back of your car.
Speaker A:It's not good.
Speaker A:Looks interwoven in.
Speaker A:There's a pattern to it.
Speaker A:Never a good thing.
Speaker A:When you pull out your air filter, I've got two big dogs and it's one of those things that really.
Speaker A:Those dogs love to put some air out there that has filled with dander.
Speaker A:We've got pollen from the trees.
Speaker A:It's been a bad pollen area this year in my neighborhood as well as all that pet hair.
Speaker A:Now, it depends where your return air vent is.
Speaker A:I've noticed that if yours is on the floor and you've got pets, it loves to grab every little bit of pet hair dander.
Speaker A:All the stuff from your pets grabs in there.
Speaker A:It's a little better when it's on the ceiling, but it still pulls it in.
Speaker A:I've got a lot of it coming in and mine's in the ceiling in my entryway where they put it in there.
Speaker A:And I tell you what, it definitely grabs it.
Speaker A:So shows you how much there is.
Speaker A:Now here's the thing too.
Speaker A:If you've got any kind of an air filtration system where depending on what you've got going on, you want to make sure and run that fan.
Speaker A:That filter really runs and the fan needs to go for that to run.
Speaker A:So maybe having it run 20 minutes every hour or something like that to make sure it's filtering the air now when it's hot outside and the AC is cranking along, it's no big deal.
Speaker A:But on those 70 degree days, you want that air filter to work right, or if you paid extra money to have some kind of a static filter or a UV filter, make sure that's running a lot more.
Speaker A:So that way it's getting you that clean air.
Speaker A:So that's the key right there, making sure that's running.
Speaker A:And maybe you want to run a little more on fan just to get that air filtered out.
Speaker A:Next up is humidity.
Speaker A:That is a big problem.
Speaker A:We've had experts on the show before and they've said that 80% of the homes in the US should probably need a dehumidifier.
Speaker A:So controlling humidity is key.
Speaker A:Now you want to have that below 60%.
Speaker A:I like it below 50% personally, and that can be tough.
Speaker A:If you get above 60%, you have got a mold growing machine right there and it's going to feel hotter than what it is.
Speaker A:That's why when you look at your thermostat and you go, man, 70 degrees in here, it's cold or it's 7 degrees and it's hot.
Speaker A:Most likely it's a humidity issue.
Speaker A:And that's where the problems arise.
Speaker A:So think about that.
Speaker A:Humidity gives you that same feeling the temperature does.
Speaker A:So if you're high humidity in your house and your AC unit is maybe oversized, it might not be taking enough humidity out of the air.
Speaker A:So that's where you can watch that.
Speaker A:If you've got a crawl space with dampness down there, that's going to bring that up there.
Speaker A:Because 60, 70% of your air in your house, if you have a crawl space is going to come up through that floor.
Speaker A:So that's why I'm having a vapor barrier down there, making sure that you've got adequate ventilation, that you've got a dehumidifier.
Speaker A:And I'm not talking one of those little go to Target and buy one of those little things that you have to go dump.
Speaker A:I'm talking a serious like inline or a built in dehumidifier that drains off the water and really keeps it a lot better for you.
Speaker A:So that's a great way.
Speaker A:So watch your humidity, your humidity in your house.
Speaker A:And if you go, ah, I don't know, I have a stupid old dumb thermostat that doesn't do that and I don't want to put an electronic one on there.
Speaker A:Just go get a weather station off Amazon or your local hardware store, make sure and grab something There, because that'll tell you what your indoor humidity is.
Speaker A:And that's a way I've also tested the basement and other things, is you take the mobile unit for the weather station and go take a look around.
Speaker A:Put it there for a couple hours.
Speaker A:Take a look.
Speaker A:Wow, it's super humid there.
Speaker A:I've got a problem.
Speaker A:So you can really troubleshoot those humidity areas there.
Speaker A:Next up, every single season, you should be having your AC unit serviced by your local technician.
Speaker A:Here in Portland and Bend and my area here, I use pyramid heating and cooling.
Speaker A:They've been great partners over the years.
Speaker A:Love those guys.
Speaker A:They come out and work on my system every year, make sure it's tuned up and ready to rock.
Speaker A:That way it doesn't leave me hanging.
Speaker A:Because I tell you what, it's those years that you missed.
Speaker A:Even though my system's new, I still have it.
Speaker A:So it's clean.
Speaker A:That outside compressor, you clean the fins off out there, make sure that's working great.
Speaker A:Make sure you've trimmed all the bushes.
Speaker A:Back away from that.
Speaker A:Want to give it two or three feet around the outside of that so it can breathe well.
Speaker A:And that'll keep you going right there.
Speaker A:If you've got window air conditioners, you're like, man, I just got window air conditioners because I'm in an apartment.
Speaker A:This is all I can do.
Speaker A:Or a condo.
Speaker A:Easy.
Speaker A:Keep those things cleaned up.
Speaker A:Clean the screens, make sure that it's leveled correctly so it's draining correctly so you're not putting that water back into the space.
Speaker A:Make sure it's working good.
Speaker A:Now, the last one here I want to talk about is window safety.
Speaker A:I think in my area here, we had about 50 kids that get hurt every year falling out of window screens.
Speaker A:So if you've got those tiny kids, don't stack things in front of the windows.
Speaker A:Don't put the dresser there.
Speaker A:They'll use it as a ladder.
Speaker A:And then put those window locks so they don't go out there because kids will lean up against that stupid screen.
Speaker A:Screens are great for keeping bugs out, but they're not good for keeping kids in.
Speaker A:And we lose way too many kids out there each year by parents, grandparents, babysitters, whoever.
Speaker A:By not watching those kids and making sure that we've got those window locks on or they're windows that they can't open.
Speaker A:So make sure you got those things dialed in.
Speaker A:30 bucks you can go out and get.
Speaker A:I bet you if you were super stressed on money, bet you if you reached out to your local fire department, they might have some kits to come help you.
Speaker A:That's just like with the, with your smoke detectors, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms.
Speaker A:If you can't get up in the ceiling and you don't have the ability to hire somebody, call your local fire department, see if they on a slow time will come do it many times.
Speaker A:They'll come hook you up, they'll come take care of you.
Speaker A:But let's keep those kids safe.
Speaker A:This has been something I've been seeing every single year, and it's just maddening.
Speaker A:That 20 bucks for the locks can keep a kid alive and you'll be good to go.
Speaker A:So think about that.
Speaker A:All right, guys, when we come back, we're talking about what you can be doing on your back deck to get ready.
Speaker A:We'll do that just as soon as around the House returns.
Speaker A:We're getting ready for summer.
Speaker B:To find out more information, head to aroundthehouseonline.com don't change that dial.
Speaker B:Around the House will be right back after these important messages.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the around the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Speaker A:Hi, I'm Eric G.
Speaker A:Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker A:This hour is brought to you by our friends at Money McGrills.
Speaker A:If you're looking for that brand new barbecue and you want to get something that lasts, you're on a budget, check them out@montymcgrills.com I've got some new videos coming out with these guys.
Speaker A:You want to check?
Speaker A:Take a look at that.
Speaker A:That's going to be over@aroundthehouse online.com but we've got some great stuff coming up that I want you to watch.
Speaker A:I'll be doing some cooking on mine so I can show you kind of what you can do.
Speaker A:What's one of these great grills for a budget?
Speaker A:If you're out there and you're like, man, I need a good grill, trying to save some money.
Speaker A:Money McGrills has got you covered.
Speaker A:Something you can buy and not be thrown away in two years.
Speaker A:That's the great thing with these guys.
Speaker A:And check them out@montymcrills.com we've been talking about summer prep, things to be doing on that rainy day or that stormy day that you want to get things dialed in or you just want to have it ready for your whole summertime fun.
Speaker A:We're just talking about, you know, getting ready inside your house for some of the basics there.
Speaker A:And now we're gonna take it back out to your back deck, things you should be doing this time of year to make sure.
Speaker A:Now, some of this stuff we talked about in our spring home maintenance checklist, and this is kind of an extension of that.
Speaker A:And I appreciate you guys tuning in today.
Speaker A:I was out sick last night and probably still hear a little bit of it in my voice.
Speaker A:Man, that cold came and just kicked me in the chin.
Speaker A:It was a pretty tough week trying to do tv, trying to get stuff done.
Speaker A:We got some new stuff that's gonna be coming up on tv.
Speaker A:Boy, some of our best segments and best hours or half hours of the show are coming up here.
Speaker A:We're gonna fizz fit, you know, just finish this season off with a bang here at the end of June.
Speaker A:And we got some exciting new things with the show.
Speaker A:We'll be making announcements for later on here, but one chapter will be closing, another one will be opening.
Speaker A:Gonna have some fun here.
Speaker A:So don't be afraid.
Speaker A:We will not be going anywhere.
Speaker A:We've got some big stuff ahead as one chapter closes and one open.
Speaker A:So I can't wait to tell you about that.
Speaker A:I probably said too much.
Speaker A:I'll probably get my hand slapped for that.
Speaker A:But that's how this goes.
Speaker A:Well, on your back deck.
Speaker A:One of the biggest things that people forget is that barbecue maintenance, getting that thing cleaned up.
Speaker A:You've got that five or six year old barbecue.
Speaker A:Maybe you haven't ran it that hot.
Speaker A:You've been really running it cool.
Speaker A:Just doing some burgers real quick and off you go.
Speaker A:That fat and grease can get built up.
Speaker A:And when you go to cook something hot, holy smokes, you got a fire.
Speaker A:And that can get way out of control.
Speaker A:That can get way out of control.
Speaker A:You get a grease fire going in there and now you're worried because you got a propane tank or natural gas or whatever you're cooking on.
Speaker A:For my barbecues, I spent most of my life cooking on charcoal, which I absolutely love the flavor of.
Speaker A:But I tell you what, there is something nice with natural gas and propane for quickness.
Speaker A:Pellets, whole new thing, great for smoking.
Speaker A:Not always the easiest to get a steak going when you want to get a good sear.
Speaker A:And you know those are getting a lot better out there.
Speaker A:We'll bring some experts on here later on this season here to talk more about that.
Speaker A:But get that barbecue cleaned up, scraped out.
Speaker A:Make sure that you've got all the pieces working correctly.
Speaker A:If you've burned through some burners, fix those.
Speaker A:Maybe it's time to retire that.
Speaker A:You know, sometimes those you go on by those 303 and $400 barbecues sometimes the parts are worth more than the freaking new barbecue is.
Speaker A:And that's when you want to go out and get a new barbecue.
Speaker A:That's why I like Monument and some of their stuff.
Speaker A:They've got six or ten year warranties on their parts like that.
Speaker A:So you can get a bunch of years out of it for a good price.
Speaker A:So just make sure you get the barbecue cleaned up.
Speaker A:Don't use any crazy cleaners run down to your home improvement store.
Speaker A:Get the barbecue cleaners out there, the degreasers that aren't going to be something that's harmful for you to be cooking on later.
Speaker A:Just get it good and clean.
Speaker A:And I always say get it cleaned up, cook on it once and then have your big party.
Speaker A:Just like your oven indoors.
Speaker A:You don't have to be burning off some of that stuff and have a taste in your food.
Speaker A:So do a trial run before the big party you're having, especially coming up on fourth of July.
Speaker A:So just make sure you got that dialed in.
Speaker A:Now the next one here is on that barbecue.
Speaker A:Make sure you don't have it up against the house.
Speaker A:How many people are melting that vinyl siding or spitting grease on it or catching the side of the house on fire?
Speaker A:Make sure you got a few feet between that and the back of the barbecue.
Speaker A:There's a lot of heat there, no sense causing damage there.
Speaker A:Make sure you got that dialed in.
Speaker A:Now the next one here is inspecting those decks for safety.
Speaker A:Take a look, get underneath it.
Speaker A:If it's three feet off the ground, get underneath that thing and make sure that it's connected to the house correctly.
Speaker A:That sill plate, is it nailed?
Speaker A:If it's nailed, it's not correct.
Speaker A:Make sure you got lag bolts into the studs using the right materials.
Speaker A:That galvanized cannot go well with sometimes with the, with the newer pressure treated stuff.
Speaker A:So make sure that you've got the right coated or stainless screws, leg bolts going in to hold that thing together.
Speaker A:So many of those deck videos we see on YouTube or Instagram or Twitter or TikTok or whatever.
Speaker A:You see those decks pulling away from the house.
Speaker A:Well, that's because they didn't fasten it correctly or they didn't flash it correctly.
Speaker A:So make sure that that is every single stud along the way.
Speaker A:It's got a good fastener in it and it's held together with the right flashing to control water.
Speaker A:That's good to go.
Speaker A:Next up, poke around a little bit, Grab an awl or something, even your pocket knife.
Speaker A:Start poking around and see how rotten that deck is, that's one of our biggest problems these days.
Speaker A:We put a 40 year deck on it with a composite and we got a 15 year framed underneath it with pressure treated.
Speaker A:So that can be an issue, especially in wetter areas.
Speaker A:And if you got a lot of stuff that's coming off the trees, coming between the deck boards, things get rotten.
Speaker A:All of a sudden you got a rotten frame underneath it.
Speaker A:So make sure you got that dialed in.
Speaker A:Also make sure as you're poking around, as you're looking for that stuff walking around on top, see if it's spongy in spots, that'll tell you a story, you'll feel that.
Speaker A:And then making sure that whoever built it, whether it's you or Buddy or the original builder of the house or a professional, make sure they put all the brack.
Speaker A:If you've got frame materials coming together, there should be a Simpson or any one of the other brand brackets in there with the right amount of fasteners in it.
Speaker A:And if somebody used deck screws with those, put the right screws in there.
Speaker A:Simpson and other companies make rated ones for those brackets.
Speaker A:So make sure those are dialed in.
Speaker A:And then walk around and make sure that you've got, you know, that railings dialed in.
Speaker A:Make sure that's going where you want it to be.
Speaker A:Make sure it's not wobbling around.
Speaker A:You want to make sure if you got a couple friends up there that are three cocktails deep, they're not going to end up in your yard or on the patio, bun below or anything else.
Speaker A:When in doubt, when it comes to decks, you can hire an inspection company to come out and take a look.
Speaker A:Even deck companies sometimes will come out and take a look and give you a free inspection or a pretty fair inspection either way and tell you what needs to be fixed.
Speaker A:That can be a good one.
Speaker A:That way you got it dialed in.
Speaker A:Just making sure that it's fastened to the house, that you got things not rotted, you got the railings dialed in.
Speaker A:The deck boards are detailed up, looking good, right?
Speaker A:Fasteners and brackets, you're going to be good to go.
Speaker A:And be careful.
Speaker A:Don't go out in a hot tub unless you engineered for it.
Speaker A:Anything heavy out there?
Speaker A:I think I saw one a couple of years ago where somebody was doing a roof job and they stacked a pallet of roofing on the deck and didn't pay attention to that.
Speaker A:And sure enough, that thing went, you know, timber as it fell over.
Speaker A:Make sure that you've got whatever you're putting on that deck.
Speaker A:It's rated for whatever you're doing.
Speaker A:I've had decks where I've walked out at homes.
Speaker A:There was one up in north of me.
Speaker A:About 45 minutes I walked out, we were looking at the house.
Speaker A:We're doing some ruana.
Speaker A:She's I don't like my deck.
Speaker A:I walked out, didn't realize that that deck was daylight.
Speaker A:Basement down below is about 22ft off the ground.
Speaker A:I walked in that thing and it's like walking on a trampoline.
Speaker A:And I jumped back in the house because I thought I was going for a wild ride.
Speaker A:We'll be right back after these important messages.
Speaker A:We're just getting started.
Speaker A: gs to get ready for summer in: Speaker A:We'll see you after these important messages.
Speaker A:Don't go anywhere.
Speaker B:To find out more information, head to aroundthehouse online.com.
Speaker B:don't change that dial around the house.
Speaker B:We'll be right back after these important messages.
Speaker A:Foreign welcome back to the around the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G.
Speaker A:Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker A:If you want to find out more about us, head over to aroundthehouse online.com for our new website over there, powered by site Hype Designs.
Speaker A:And then this hour is brought to you by our friends at Monty McGrills.
Speaker A:Check them out on montymcgrills.com for that new barbecue if you're enjoying summertime.
Speaker A:And went, man, last weekend my barbecue was embarrassing me.
Speaker A:I couldn't get it started.
Speaker A:It wasn't cooking right.
Speaker A:Time for a new barbecue.
Speaker A:Head over to montymcrills.com now.
Speaker A:We've been talking about summer prep projects for your home.
Speaker A:Segment three here, third segment of this first hour that we talk about the yard.
Speaker A:There are so many things we can be doing in that yard to get it dialed in ready for summertime.
Speaker A:Now the first one here on this list is an important one.
Speaker A:Want to make sure that all trees and shrubs are trim back away from the house.
Speaker A:We've got things flowering.
Speaker A:We got things growing.
Speaker A:Anytime that bush, shrub, tree, whatever is touching the house, that is just a super highway for bugs, rodents to get right into there.
Speaker A:So keep them back a few feet, get it dialed in time to get them trimmed up.
Speaker A:Whether you get up there or professional, make sure you just get it cleaned up and away.
Speaker A:Now the other thing is to start keeping an eye out for those bugs and rodents, those depending on where in the country you are.
Speaker A:It could be a yellow jacket, could be a wasp, could Be a hornet, could be anything out there.
Speaker A:There's killer bees to termites, to everything else.
Speaker A:Just take a look and do a walk around.
Speaker A:If you see those sugar ants, deal with the carpenter ants, termites, any of those things, deal with yourself immediately or hire the professional to come in and tackle it for you.
Speaker A:Because anytime that's either going to be a danger, a headache, or it could be something that's absolutely going to ruin your investment and cost you lots of money down the road.
Speaker A:So really, take a look at that.
Speaker A:Mice, rats, even squirrels.
Speaker A:Any of those rodents out there, moles that tear up your yard, good time to get after them.
Speaker A:I tell you what, in my area, my neighbor next door has been hammered on just.
Speaker A:She's got a beautiful yard put together, it's all landscaped.
Speaker A:And the rodent guy over there dealing with the moles has been.
Speaker A:Boy, he has been working overtime over there.
Speaker A:I see all these buckets with traps underneath them, and he has been really trying to get it.
Speaker A:I have a road between my house and their house, and I think that has been enough to keep those guys from coming over here.
Speaker A:But holy smokes, those things, when they get in your property, they can tear stuff up.
Speaker A:And that is absolutely miserable.
Speaker A:Especially when you're trying to keep your garden, your lawn, everything else looking good.
Speaker A:It's like Caddyshack.
Speaker A:You're trying to chase that thing down, and it can be tough.
Speaker A:Spend the time, watch for those mice.
Speaker A:I saw field mice by my house the other day, so I'm setting some traps for that.
Speaker A:Make sure those guys are dialed in.
Speaker A:All it takes is one neighbor out there to be throwing the bird feet in the ground, feeding the birds and the squirrels and whatever, and you've got a mouse, field mice, rat superhighway going.
Speaker A:Tell you what, when I was working in Tacoma, Washington, we had this old building that went down, three stories down, two stories underground, had tunnels down to the waterfront.
Speaker A:Those wharf rats that came up there, they were like little possums, cats.
Speaker A:Things were slow, nasty.
Speaker A:You get those things going.
Speaker A:Just want to make sure that you get those rodents taken care of.
Speaker A:I know it's Mother Nature, but I don't want them in my house.
Speaker A:Spend your time, get them dialed in, they'll be good to go.
Speaker A:So next one here is, keep the area around your foundation pretty moist, especially if you have clay soil.
Speaker A:If you've got clay soil, you let that dry out.
Speaker A:Tell you what, that shrinks up now.
Speaker A:Your house moves a little bit.
Speaker A:You get cracks in the drywall, cracks in the foundation, brick, tile, whatever.
Speaker A:Then you get a rainstorm soaks back up again.
Speaker A:It's like the dry sponge and the wet sponge.
Speaker A:You want to stop those cracks from happening or at least reduce them with clay soil.
Speaker A:Make sure you keep that at a consistent moisture level.
Speaker A:That way you don't have to worry about the house moving so much.
Speaker A:Houses are not traditionally put on bedrock that could be 20 or 30ft down below.
Speaker A:They're just sitting on the top of the soil, down 18 to 24 inches or even less.
Speaker A:I see houses in the desert southwest out there where they're basically digging out for a mono pour and they're putting a little footing around there, and they're pouring all the concrete at once.
Speaker A:And they've got some rebar, no foam, no nothing like that.
Speaker A:Get that clay soil and it dries out.
Speaker A:That house is just going to start cracking.
Speaker A:That's a great way to do that.
Speaker A:I've learned that from an engineer.
Speaker A:To keep that soil nice and moist.
Speaker A:Even if you're not going to water your lawn, make sure that you keep that area wet so that house doesn't move around as much.
Speaker A:You'll be a little bit better.
Speaker A:Now, we were talking about this, but I tell you what, I got nailed a few years ago, and just those hornets, wasps, yellow jackets, any of those flying insects, including mosquitoes.
Speaker A:And there is some cool new technology for mosquitoes out there.
Speaker A:There are companies out there that have these little pods out there that will actually kick on and give off mosquito repellent around.
Speaker A:You should have to wear it.
Speaker A:And you could put those around the perimeter of your yard.
Speaker A:They'll automatically turn on.
Speaker A:You can turn on the defense system and you're rocking and rolling.
Speaker A:There's also little things that look like rice cakes you can drop into that little ditch pond or something like that if you don't want those mosquitoes around.
Speaker A:And they'll keep the larvae of the mosquito from going.
Speaker A:I used to live on a canal that was super slow.
Speaker A:And man, we'd get mosquitoes.
Speaker A:You walk outside, the bats are flying overhead, mosquitoes are flying around.
Speaker A:They're trying to carry you off.
Speaker A:You throw that into that little pond right there.
Speaker A:That'll knock them down pretty quick.
Speaker A:And then weeks later, there's no mosquitoes, or you've got a really reduced.
Speaker A:You don't have to put all that nasty bug stuff on you.
Speaker A:So that's not a bad place to be.
Speaker A:And the other one here too is just keep that yard trimmed up and cleaned up.
Speaker A:We'll talk about wildfires and Storms here, next segment.
Speaker A:But really, if you can keep a little water on that.
Speaker A:Now, there are places in the country where they go, hey, you're on water restriction.
Speaker A:You can't do anything with it.
Speaker A:My brother lives in eastern Washington, and they told him as of June 1, he can't run a charcoal barbecue.
Speaker A:He can't run a fire pit.
Speaker A:You can't do any of that stuff.
Speaker A:And I guess what those guys, not that they have a huge fire hazard, they're just trying to do that.
Speaker A:People are gonna be barbecuing, people are gonna be doing their thing.
Speaker A:No one's gonna pay attention to that up there.
Speaker A:Really keep things nice and moist that way.
Speaker A:If you do have that barbecue out there, that way, if you do have that fire pit going, you don't have all this tinder around there.
Speaker A:It's gonna keep it going.
Speaker A:Now, one thing, when you've got a fire pit, I like the smokeless ones.
Speaker A:Those are cool.
Speaker A:You got to be careful.
Speaker A:If you're in a tree area where you got lots of trees, you can have that fire pit going.
Speaker A:But make sure that if it's sitting in the ground, you don't start a root fire.
Speaker A:Because I've seen people do that.
Speaker A:We've been out camping and have started that.
Speaker A:All of a sudden, that'll start burning underground.
Speaker A:And now you've got a fire that goes for days or weeks underneath that, and that could catch that tree on fire, and you can get a forest fire going.
Speaker A:So be really careful where you do those fire pits to make sure it's not over some big root system where you could actually catch a big tree on fire.
Speaker A:I've seen that happen.
Speaker A:The SAP gets hot burns and you got a hot mess.
Speaker A:So safety is key right there.
Speaker A:To make sure that you've got the right place for that.
Speaker A:Make sure that there's nothing overhead.
Speaker A:It's just like with barbecues.
Speaker A:You don't want to have a cover over the top of that's flammable unless you put a hood over it.
Speaker A:It's like a kitchen.
Speaker A:Same thing with a fire pit.
Speaker A:If you've got branches hanging down, you get some sparks.
Speaker A:Last thing you want to do is catch the canopy on fire and have a bigger thing.
Speaker A:Now, another thing with the yard, if you're doing projects out there, plan those things out.
Speaker A:If you're going, hey, I'm going to build a new deck.
Speaker A:You need electrical for it.
Speaker A:What else do you need for your final end product?
Speaker A:You put an outdoor kitchen in.
Speaker A:You putting in a hot tub out there.
Speaker A:Make sure that you've got all the right pieces so you can sit there and keep it dialed in.
Speaker A:That way you're not having to rebuild things twice, tear boards up, put electrical in, do it all as part of the major plan.
Speaker A:Planning is key for these kind of outdoor projects.
Speaker A:Hey, if you got any questions to me, head over to aroundthehouse online.com.
Speaker A:you can message me there.
Speaker A: ep projects for your home for: Speaker A:I hope everybody's been out there hitting the water, enjoying themselves.
Speaker A:It's that great time of year for us to go out and spend with family and friends and just take a little R and R from the daily office life or that blue collar life of you out there swinging the hammer, doing the electrical work or laying the pipe for the plumbing.
Speaker A:Any of that around the house.
Speaker A:Be right back after these important messages.
Speaker A:Don't go anywhere.
Speaker B:To find out more information, head to aroundthehouse online.com don't change that dial around the house.
Speaker B:We'll be right back after these important messages.
Speaker A:Foreign welcome back to the AROUND the House show, the next generation of home improvement.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G.
Speaker A:Thanks for having some fun with us today on this subject.
Speaker A:Summer prep projects for your home.
Speaker A:This hour is brought to you by our friends at Monty McGrills.
Speaker A:Check them out at montymcrills.com and I wanted to talk about this one here because it's just we talk about a lot here in the show, but I just wanted to mention storm and fire safety around your house.
Speaker A:As we've learned over the last couple years, wildfires are now really happening in all 50 states.
Speaker A:Doesn't matter if you're in Washington state or Florida or Hawaii or anywhere else, protecting your home from wildfires has become an increasing issue.
Speaker A:Even earlier this year, we saw the wildfires in New Jersey, which for me in the Pacific Northwest seemed very foreign.
Speaker A:But it's just showing us how either trash or land management issues are coming up where we created areas that, well to burn and when it gets dry, we have a fire in our hands.
Speaker A:So really spending some time and understanding what you can do to protect your home with wildfires and hurricanes.
Speaker A:You can get those storms down in California, you can get them all up and down the East Coast, Gulf coast states and in the Pacific Northwest, even even up into Alaska, we have windstorms.
Speaker A:We'll get 120, 130 mile an hour winds that come through every few decades and just absolutely destroy us.
Speaker A:I was sitting there in my twenties in my apartment complex in Kennewick, Washington.
Speaker A:All you friends over there in Kona 610 radio country might remember this.
Speaker A:I watched in my off Olympia street, these apartments that I lived in.
Speaker A:I watched the drywall crack in my living room as the sheer forces were racking the building.
Speaker A:It took the sheathing off the roof in many places down to the rafters.
Speaker A:And we had hundred plus mile an hour winds just absolutely went through and destroyed town.
Speaker A:And that was in the probably early 90s is my guess.
Speaker A:And it was just an absolute hot mess.
Speaker A:So even there, no chance of a hurricane.
Speaker A:But those windstorms can do massive damage.
Speaker A:And when you're doing those remodels, take a few minutes and go, wow, maybe I should get a garage door when I replace it.
Speaker A:That's meant for high winds.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:There's certifications for that for Florida.
Speaker A:Gulf coast states that need that.
Speaker A:You can add it too.
Speaker A:That can make a difference if you've got tornadoes, high winds, things like that.
Speaker A:Pay attention to those things because that's just a big sale as well as some of the things you can do for windows.
Speaker A:So just make sure that you're dialed in.
Speaker A:Those big windstorms can be big.
Speaker A:Whether it's a hurricane or not.
Speaker A:It's something to consider.
Speaker A:And just make sure that as you're walking around your house that if you're not going to water your lawn, maybe do some kind of alternative landscaping so you don't have something that can burn.
Speaker A:I drive around my neighborhoods here in the summertime in the Pacific Northwest on the western side of the state, people just don't water the lawns.
Speaker A:They let them go white.
Speaker A:That's just a combustible nightmare right there.
Speaker A:If you were to have a fire in the neighborhood and around the 4th of July when you get kids setting off fireworks, whether illegal or not, that can be a big issue.
Speaker A:So something to consider there.
Speaker A:Don't have that wood cedar fence.
Speaker A:Go right up to the edge of your house.
Speaker A:Whether it's pine, cedar, whatever, put a gate in there, make sure that gate is metal.
Speaker A:That way you don't have that fire line going right up to the house.
Speaker A:And go back and take a look at one of our previous episodes.
Speaker A:We do a lot on it and it's a big deal for you to learn a lot about this stuff.
Speaker A:We do deep dives in it.
Speaker A:So just look it up on your favorite podcast player or if you're listening on the radio, go log into your favorite podcast player.
Speaker A:Take a look at our back catalog.
Speaker A:We have entire episodes with experts on it.
Speaker A:Lots of different things to take a look at, but that can be a big one.
Speaker A:So that really covers my summer prep projects for your home.
Speaker A:There's a lot of things out there.
Speaker A:Just keeping things clean.
Speaker A:Go through, make sure things are adjusted as far as door sweeps.
Speaker A:Try to keep it as efficient as possible.
Speaker A:And like I said, an hour number, the first segment here of this hour of the show.
Speaker A:Just make sure that you've got that AC working as best you can.
Speaker A:And be careful because many times when we get smoke in the air, things like that, you want to make sure you got the house pretty well sealed up and that you can control what air is coming in and what air is going out.
Speaker A:That way you don't get those harmful bad air quality stuff inside your home because that's again another summer issue.
Speaker A:So get it sealed up tight and then on the good days you can vent it back out again and make sure you got fresh air inside that is clean.
Speaker A:One thing I wanted to talk about, I'm gonna slide into the back of this show here.
Speaker A:We've got some big changes coming up here and around the house.
Speaker A:Not so much on this radio show and podcast, Tom.
Speaker A:We've got some great guests coming up.
Speaker A:Again, I like to balance that out so we don't just have guests all the time.
Speaker A:We'll have some times that we have a lot of guests, sometimes we don't.
Speaker A:But the big changes are going to be happening here at the end of June on the TV show.
Speaker A:We're going to be making some changes there.
Speaker A:So all of you on Fox 12 plus you will see that show go away at the end of the month.
Speaker A:We are nearing the end of my three year contract on the show.
Speaker A:It has been wildly successful.
Speaker A:We have our best audience numbers we ever had and we have done some great things with it.
Speaker A:But I want to take it out of the Pacific Northwest and take it to a larger audience for you guys across the country.
Speaker A:We have about what, 650 videos up there and being that the network has that, I'm not sure how long those will be up there, but make sure you go back and take a look on our page.
Speaker A:We'll be making some paint changes there too, but we're going to be dialing up a brand new around the house television show coming to a station near you and I'll be working on that so that's some big changes there as well as in my personal life.
Speaker A:I'm getting ready to put my house up for sale here in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Speaker A:Not going to be moving out of place here.
Speaker A:Just that chapter is closing.
Speaker A:Went through a divorce.
Speaker A:The new one's opening up and I'll be working on a whole brand new project house coming soon.
Speaker A:So we've got some great stuff going on.
Speaker A:I'm in great shape.
Speaker A:Guys.
Speaker A:Things, things happen for a reason.
Speaker A:As we know out there.
Speaker A:Every one of us have these challenges and it's pretty sad out there.
Speaker A:So many of my friends, so many of my family members that I know out there, not so much immediate family, but just people that I call family are struggling out there right now and relationships.
Speaker A:I think I've got five or six people I know in the middle or just finishing up a divorce.
Speaker A:It's sad.
Speaker A:And this is one thing, I want to tie this back to your house as well.
Speaker A:If you're having trouble in your relationships and you are going to power through an upcoming remodel project, spend the time to work on that relationship and get it solid before you do it.
Speaker A:Because the last thing you need to do is go through a remodel project, which is stressful to the most awesome relationship.
Speaker A:And then if you're not dialed in, that can be even more hard because you've got a house to put back together and a relationship to fight through.
Speaker A:So take the time, get your personal stuff in order.
Speaker A:That can be costly on multiple fronts.
Speaker A:So a little advice out there.
Speaker A:Not saying that's what happened here.
Speaker A:I had a different situation that was 100% out of my control.
Speaker A:So those things happen.
Speaker A:Not going to air my dirty laundry on a radio show and podcast out there, but things happen.
Speaker A:Chapters change.
Speaker A:And I'm so excited for what we got coming up ahead.
Speaker A:And we've got some new stuff coming that I just can't wait to share with you.
Speaker A:So make sure you tune into the show here.
Speaker A:I'll be giving you updates.
Speaker A:And if you're looking for a house this summer here in Lake Oswego, Oregon, on point 4 acres with lots of home tech in it.
Speaker A:It will be coming on the market soon, in the next month or two.
Speaker A:I'm just going through and getting those projects done like you guys out there.
Speaker A:I've got so many projects that are 90% done and I'm just going down the list and going, okay, I need to get this done.
Speaker A:I need to get this done.
Speaker A:And some things that we had to do for TV to make it easier to film and things like that that I've got to finish up because great example, did some renovations to the garage.
Speaker A:Usually I'd come in and do my drywall and lights and all that stuff in there.
Speaker A:I had to keep openings in there so we could put cameras up there so we could shoot segments.
Speaker A:So get those projects finished up.
Speaker A:I've got little tiny details like my outdoor pizza kitchen, that whole thing to get finalized up, all those different things.
Speaker A: use project coming up here in: Speaker A:I'll be taking a little bit of a break as we get the show together on that, but that won't affect anything we're doing here.
Speaker A:But we've got some great fun stuff coming up that I'm just so excited to share with you guys and make sure you subscribe and tune in to the show here each and every week.
Speaker A:If you're a radio listener, thanks for tuning in on the Talk Media Network.
Speaker A:We're gonna have some great shows coming up as well as on the podcast player.
Speaker A:If you missed the show, make sure you tune in there.
Speaker A:We're gonna be heading out here.
Speaker A:Our number two of the show.
Speaker A:If you're listening radio and sometimes people, we've got sports and things like that.
Speaker A:If they don't carry the second hour of their show, don't worry.
Speaker A:Just go into your favorite podcast player and look for the around the House show and you can find it all right there.
Speaker A:Second hour coming up.
Speaker A:We're going to be talking about designers and the top 10 mistakes that they can make, plus some other tips as well.
Speaker A:We'll do that just as soon as around the House returns.
Speaker A:We got a great show ahead.
Speaker A:We're just getting started.
Speaker B:Thank you for tuning into the around the House show.
Speaker B:If you are on the radio, make sure you check out the podcast for additional content during the week on your favorite podcast player or at aroundthehouseonline.com we will see you next time.
