Wildfire smoke solutions, 4th of July safety and banning pizza in NYC

[: 00:00:00

[00:00:23] Eric Goranson: You got a fire going. So just keep the garage door closed. Use it, close it. Don't leave that. Let that. Lingering while you're doing the yard work and stuff. Just keep it closed. It's just a good rule for that. Second of all, make sure your gutters are 100% cleaned out cuz those are little Tinder boxes. If it hasn't rained for a couple weeks, you have leaves, debris, any of that stuff up there.

[: 00:00:46

[00:01:05] Eric Goranson: If you have trees, bushes, shrubs, and everything out there that you are trying to keep watered and you're wasting a bunch of water root Quencher puts that water. Right down at the roots. So head to root quencher.com and if you head over in our podcast listener, don't forget there is a discount code in the ad.

[: 00:01:24

[00:01:40] Eric Goranson: You know, we have had, over the last number of years, wildfire smoke has been a, a big topic. And I remember as a kid having wildfire smoke and things like that. So it's not something that's really new, but it's something that seems to have gotten a little bit worse over the years. Well now there are places, other places in the country that are dealing with it from Canada, [00:02:00] you know, now in the Midwest and East Coast is gonna get it again here.

[: 00:02:03

[00:02:26] Eric Goranson: Where newer houses are, are much more wrapped up and with house wrap and things were sealed up so that you get a little bit less outside air coming in. But if you've got an older house, there's a couple things that I would recommend. First, if it's smokey outside, don't keep any of the windows and doors open.

[: 00:02:43

[00:03:12] Eric Goranson: So I would probably temporarily shut that down until the smoke is done from outside. And then as long as you can, don't use things like your clothes dryer, because if you think about it, a clothes dryer has a couple hundred CFM of air that is pushing outside. That air has to come from someplace, so that's gonna take it around.

[: 00:03:32

[00:03:55] Eric Goranson: And then third, if you've got central heat and air, I would turn your fan on low. [00:04:00] And just let it run. Let it move the air around the house, cuz now you're gonna be filtering that air and make sure you put a clean filter in. I always have one extra clean filter because what happens is, is that that smoky air, if you have a good Merv filter and Merv is the filter rating out there.

[: 00:04:19

[00:04:34] Eric Goranson: So put a good anti allergen filter in there. But here's the thing, those filters are gonna get plugged up really quickly. I have had it where one of those filters that's gonna last for four months. Lasts for about three weeks because all the stuff coming in. So you really wanna make sure that you've got that dialed in and that you're good to go.

[: 00:04:55

[00:05:18] Eric Goranson: And if you don't have one, I would pick one up, get something good. Don't get the the off-brand from Amazon, but get a good air purifier. You know, companies like LG and others are making them, but that is what I would do. And keep those in there. Now, if you've got a, a door that is needing repair and it's leaking, you know, putting some damp towels down to keep that from, you know, air from coming in is not a bad idea.

[: 00:05:44

[00:06:06] Eric Goranson: Uh, change your clothes cuz they're gonna be all contaminated as well. Anytime you can cut down that particulate matter coming in. It's gonna be healthier for you in your home. And then, you know, guys, I hate to say it, maybe it's dust mask time. And I know we all hate in masks. They're not fun to wear. But if you have a N 99 mask out there, Or one of the carbon ones, those are the ones to wear.

[: 00:06:30

[00:06:59] Eric Goranson: So [00:07:00] it's a catch 22 on trying to keep things clean and really trying to keep that, you know, that, that, uh, smoke. Out of your house. But, uh, little common sense goes a long ways, especially when you're running your Ven fans and stuff like that. So, and when you, when you see the air get better out there, you know, I always say make sure that you're doing stuff like water in your lawn, any of the dust that comes around with that.

[: 00:07:26

[00:07:48] Eric Goranson: So you're gonna have better filtered air. And of course, if you've got any health conditions, things like that, asthma, just be very, very careful guys, that you're not doing something that's gonna put you in a bad situation. [00:08:00] Well, coming up here next, we're gonna talk about some of my favorite things to do on the 4th of July and, uh, some outdoor kitchen slash barbecue tricks that I have, and there's some really good ones out there.

[: 00:08:10

[00:08:29] Eric Goranson: So make sure that when you dive into that, that you're gonna be good and set. Because I tell you what, you don't wanna have the, the flame up grill fire from that or your, or your pellet grill not working correctly. So you need to find that balance. Of a good working grill. If it's a charcoal one, clean out all your ashes and uh, get things ready to go.

[: 00:08:52

[00:09:12] Eric Goranson: July is when it starts coming apart. And now that we're on the 1st of July weekend, here it is, time to get that thing dialed in. And so that's gonna be one of my favorite things here. And then I'm gonna talk about fire prevention as well coming up here. And another one because I wanna make sure that, uh, you know, the kids playing with fireworks, whether they're legal or not.

[: 00:09:29

[00:10:10] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to The Round the House Show. This is where we help you get the most outta your home through information and education. Happy 4th of July weekend, everybody. 4th of July on Tuesday this week kinda leads for a different kinda weekend, but that's okay. I know some of you out there are milking the four day weekend and congrats to you out there having a good time and enjoying yourself on a much deserved break.

[: 00:10:35

[00:10:56] Eric Goranson: And then go over to the, uh, Fox 12 page that that is [00:11:00] posted from. And you'll see our playlist of, uh, chi. Getting close to a hundred videos up on, on YouTube of great content for you out there from everything from building a covered patio to, uh, building that fence that we talked about here a few weeks ago.

[: 00:11:15

[00:11:35] Eric Goranson: So it's something that can be easily preventable. So let's walk around and I'll tell you some of my tips and tricks, and this works also against other small fires, things like that. If you've got a wildfire coming, these are all the same rules. So over 4th of July weekend, especially when there's legal or illegal fireworks, doesn't matter.

[: 00:11:52

[00:12:13] Eric Goranson: Just keep it closed. It's just a good rule for that. Second of all, make sure your gutters are 100% cleaned out cuz those are little tinder boxes. If it hasn't rained for a couple weeks, you have leaves, debris. Any of that stuff up there. And all it takes is a firework to bounce off the roof, get down in there, and that's where a lot of those fires start from.

[: 00:12:34

[00:13:01] Eric Goranson: So just make sure that you've got that kind of dialed in, and then really make sure that you've got all the brush bushes, everything trimmed away from the house. Here's my rule. If there is a bush. Tree shrub touching the house, cut it back. It needs trimming. You don't want anything touched in the house.

[: 00:13:22

[00:13:50] Eric Goranson: So, And then really make sure that you've got any other debris piles picked up. You know, if you've got a stack of [00:14:00] firewood, I don't wanna see it stacked up against the house, maybe up against a shed, something like that. And then making sure that. All of your vents are clean on the roof and make sure you don't have any other junk and debris in there as well.

[: 00:14:14

[00:14:35] Eric Goranson: And the others that don't because in our dry season, many people just let their go lawn go white and it's white all year round up until rainy season, and then it's green through the whole winter time, and then when it comes back, people don't water it. And it's just white. Again, the problem is, is those can be a huge fire hazard, massive fire hazard.

[: 00:14:58

[00:15:27] Eric Goranson: So what happens when a sponge dries up? It shrinks up, it gets small, you put water on, it goes right back up again. Well, that's cycling your home because your home is built on clay then, so your house is going to move a little bit each time. So I have had engineers. Structural engineers tell homeowners, your house is built on clay soil.

[: 00:15:53

[00:16:21] Eric Goranson: It's funny, a fresh crack in a foundation like that has a sharp edge, one that has moved around a lot, doesn't. It's got more of rounded edges so you can kind of see what's going on there. So just be very careful guys on that stuff and really make sure that you've got all the leaves, debris, everything picked up around, and that's gonna be a safer house.

[: 00:16:42

[00:17:05] Eric Goranson: Years ago I used to play with a lot of 'em and we had some serious damage that happened to houses. You know, we had some people almost get hurt before. So these are things that I just want everybody to be careful with. And then my last little safety tip here for the day of. 4th of July stuff is if you're out there, gonna be roasting the Turkey or doing anything like that, or taking the chicken and throwing it in the, in the, uh, fryer outside.

[: 00:17:28

[00:17:47] Eric Goranson: And if we can stop people from losing homes on the 4th of July, that's for a great better weekend. So, uh, get that flag out in the front of the house. Enjoy the time with family. This is one of those times that, uh, everybody [00:18:00] should enjoy these freedoms that we have here in the United States and enjoy and respect each other's way to have out a great time out there and everybody get along.

[: 00:18:10

[00:18:26] Eric Goranson: Don't go anywhere. Lot more coming your way.[00:19:00]

[: 00:19:12

[00:19:36] Eric Goranson: You know, we have seen, uh, we've got the Electrification America guys coming on later in the show today, which is great, and they're not pushing on this very hard, the, the gas range ban. But come on, people. We have got to do a better job if you are going to get things more electrified. And this is not to our next guest, but just to the people out there that are trying to make this argument [00:20:00] of, of a greener earth.

[: 00:20:01

[00:20:29] Eric Goranson: It's simple. I've used it. It works really well. But trying to pry that gas range outta somebody's hands and enjoys it is a, is a pretty bad idea when it is such a minor part of the game out there. And this same ridiculousness has gone to New York City. New York City rules cracked down on coal and wood-fired pizzerias.

[: 00:20:57

[00:21:25] Eric Goranson: So pizzerias with ovens installed prior to 2016. Are gonna have to buy these pricey $20,000 air, air, air filtration system for their pizza ovens. And it's crazy. I mean, I get but think about how, I mean, I get that they're trying to make the air cleaner, don't get me wrong. But there are such bigger pieces to be going outta the pizza pie here, if you know what I [00:22:00] mean.

[: 00:22:00

[00:22:22] Eric Goranson: I'm sorry. You know, and you're seeing that I saw in Tacoma where they were going after a coffee roaster that had to do the same thing because of the particulate matter. And going after these little ones like this. I mean, I get it. If you're building a new pizzeria and you're gonna have to put in a new one with that, cool.

[: 00:22:43

[00:23:24] Eric Goranson: So let's, let's add some realistic. Expectations to this, but, uh, hopefully, um, this is gonna, this is gonna, cooler heads will prevail on this, but I mean, absolutely insane. This is gonna be one of those things that I think that the public is gonna fight for because we all need to have our wood-fired pizzas and to sit there and to be, uh, shutting down pizzerias that have been around since the forties or.

[: 00:23:55

[00:24:26] Eric Goranson: You know, um, I think we need to have some balance to this. You know, I. I have no problem with going to a heat pump to save energy and to have cheaper electricity bills and not have gas. I, I'd switch from a gas, from a very nice gas water heater going to a, an electric one because it made sense to me. It saved me a ton of money and I had more water, so I'm cool with that.

[: 00:24:54

[00:25:15] Eric Goranson: Let's help people that have oil burning furnaces and stuff like that. Let's help these guys get up into a more efficient system where that's gonna save the money and help out. But this little stuff going after the, uh, the pizzas, the barbecues, the gas ovens. I think this is a battle you're going to lose.

[: 00:25:37

[00:25:53] Eric Goranson: Cause I think there's a lot of great things out there that can happen when you talk about this kind of thing. [00:26:00] So let's, uh, let's fix all these people that have, you know, really inefficient stuff. Let's get 'em going. Let's, let's help people have better, cleaner, healthier homes. And that's gonna be a key right there.

[: 00:26:13

[00:26:47] Eric Goranson: Back in the day, but Mc Mars had deadly mold spreading through his Malibu home in the early two thousands, and he was having hallucinations due to the combination of [00:27:00] substance abuse and mold exposure. And so when the band was not playing, he was living in Malibu and didn't realize he was in a mold infested home.

[: 00:27:12

[00:27:42] Eric Goranson: And ended up getting healthier. So that's good. But, um, man, that is bad. And so that's one of those things I. He, you know, you gotta watch out for your house. Uh, especially if you've had a long history of rock and roll like that [00:28:00] and abused your body. And I'm a, I'm a Mc Mars fan, but, uh, be careful out there with, uh, with that mold in your house, because I tell you what, that's a real danger.

[: 00:28:10

[00:28:27] Eric Goranson: We'll be right back after these important messages. Don't go anywhere.[00:29:00]

[: 00:29:04

[00:29:18] Eric Goranson: You'll find, uh, everything about the radio show, podcast, television show, all of it out there. Just look for around the House show. And, uh, there are some imposters out there. But guess what? We are the original around the house here and, uh, this is our 35th year. On the radio, so pretty impressive. Uh, we've got a long history here of that.

[: 00:29:40

[00:30:01] Eric Goranson: It's very inexpensive and, uh, the around the House Insider, and if you head over to our. Our website, you can find it there. And that is over at Around the house online.com. Well, I wanted to talk a little bit about some favorite things that I've been finding out there for you, the homeowner, even the contractor out there.

[: 00:30:20

[00:30:39] Eric Goranson: No, they're not paying me to say this. I just like it. It's beautiful, durable. And when I can put a fence up and get maybe 30, 40, 50 years out of it, and all I have to do is rinse it down a couple times a year, I'm sold. Cause I tell you what I'm tired of having to do. Fence repairs on cedar and all that other stuff, and, uh, cost effective and it goes [00:31:00] up quickly.

[: 00:31:00

[00:31:24] Eric Goranson: And I tell you what, they have figured out how to use this and make it really nice. So if you're, it will give you your, your, your pieces, your brackets, the wood, the whole thing. And so they did, they've had the deck planter software out. Now they've got the fence planter software out. It's free. And you can do the takeoffs off of it.

[: 00:31:46

[00:32:05] Eric Goranson: And, uh, the Fence Planter software, you'll have to sign up. Uh, we get on their email list when you sign up. That's okay. But, uh, they go through and, um, what's cool is that they have partnerships available too, where you could actually send it over to some place and place an order. So, uh, it's really cool. So just remember that, uh, when you open up that on your computer, you're gonna have to either have Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Apple Safari.

[: 00:32:35

[00:32:56] Eric Goranson: I thought that was super handy as far as taking on a project and [00:33:00] having all the stuff without having to go spend money on it. So I like that. And uh, Simpson Strong-tie of course, is just such a solid brand of stuff. That, uh, is really cool and I wanted to sit here for a minute and, uh, talk about some summer projects I'm gonna have coming up, which means you're gonna have a little sneak peek here of what's coming up on the, on the TV show coming up.

[: 00:33:20

[00:33:41] Eric Goranson: So opener. So what this does is instead of mounting up in the middle of your garage, this mounts up to the side and grabs a hold of the shaft that where the springs are. And so it's really compact. It goes over there and then they have a new video door. Bell kind of opener. So it's like a ring [00:34:00] doorbell for your garage door.

[: 00:34:01

[00:34:19] Eric Goranson: We've got that. And then we're gonna be playing around with some, uh, Fiberon cladding. So, uh, we're gonna be putting on some of the, the Fiberon products, like it's a, uh, like it's a, uh, instead of going on a deck, it's gonna be going on the front of the house. That's a good one as well. So we've got a lot of different things happening here that you don't wanna miss coming up on the television show.

[: 00:34:39

[00:35:14] Eric Goranson: I get things kind of backed up where water can come up to the garage door and uh, I don't wanna see that ever happen again. So we're gonna make sure and get that taken care of so that way the water gets outta here and I don't have to worry about flooding out my house anymore. So that's all coming up on the round the House Show.

[: 00:35:29

[00:35:50] Eric Goranson: We'll be going through that and we've got a lot more of that. We'll be doing a, uh, a, uh, certainty Roofing. We're gonna watch how three Tab Roofing and, uh, architectural [00:36:00] Roofing's made. So we've got a lot of great stuff coming up on the show, and if you wanna catch any of that stuff, we do have the videos over and around the house online.com and you can see it.

[: 00:36:08

[00:36:28] Eric Goranson: So stay tuned for the Around The House Show, and you can stream that over@kpt.com on Saturdays at 10:00 AM Pacific. They will be playing that every single Saturday over there. All right, one more thing before we finish up our number one of the show today. Wanted to give a friendly reminder to all of you out there, the rules of the American flag when you're hanging it, if you've got that on the post or out on your flagpole.

[: 00:36:57

[00:37:19] Eric Goranson: And, uh, make sure it's made in u s a while you're at it, you know? I mean, there's so many companies now that are making them the u s make sure you've got that versus the, uh, you know, target special that maybe he's not. Make sure that it is made in the United States of America. At least you wanna be giving those guys your business.

[: 00:37:37

[00:38:00] Eric Goranson: And it's looking good and it's not touching the ground. Let's run with those to begin with. And, uh, if you're gonna fold it up, coming down off the pole and you're, you're, you know, not gonna have it up the whole time, no worries. Maybe it's a good time to learn how to do that. I learned that when I was a little kid in the Boy Scouts how to, how to fold a flag.

[: 00:38:20

[00:38:36] Eric Goranson: If you, if you're, uh, you know, representing the military out there, if you have. Uh, been in service like that, that's another great thing to show the kids out there to understand what's going on. Alright, everybody, well, looking forward to our number two. We're gonna talk about saving you some money on your power bills and, uh, really trying to help you guys out with, uh, some new things that can save you money.

[: 00:38:58

[00:39:18] Eric Goranson: You know when when I did mine there weren't any good rebates for mine. I had to pay what the cost was. So let's see if we can save you some money in the next hour of around the house. Coming up next. Thanks for tuning in around the house.