Latest / Around the House with Eric G®: Home Improvement Remodeling & DIY / Home Improvement Myths: Bathroom Drywall, Oversized AC, Closing Vents and Bleach on Mold

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Home Improvement Myths: Bathroom Drywall, Oversized AC, Closing Vents and Bleach on Mold · Around the House with Eric G®: Home Improvement Remodeling & DIY

• 0:05
  Ready to turn your house into the home you've always dreamed of without the headaches or huge bills.
• 0:11
  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.
• 0:22
  Hosts Eric G.
• 0:23
  And John Dudley have got you covered with the best advice and information about your home.
• 0:30
  Now let's get this hour started.
• 0:33
  Welcome to the around the House show, your trusted source for everything about your home.
• 0:37
  I'm Eric G.
• 0:38
  Thanks for joining me today.
• 0:40
  Well, this is part two of our myths that are all about your home.
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  The stuff that you see on the Interweb and of course, the stuff that you see out there that maybe it's on Instagram, it's a new product.
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  And you're like, does that work?
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  We've got some of those answers today, but first I wanted to give just a little update.
• 1:00
  John Dudley down in Columbia is fine.
• 1:03
  We lost track of him this last week for a couple days because of the big earthquake down there, but he is good, not a problem.
• 1:08
  Survived that down there.
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  So I expect him to be back on the show next week.
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  Well, today we're talking here about those myths around your home.
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  And in our hour two episode here, first off, we're going to talk about systems and construction myths.
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  And this is a big one here because there are so many things out there that I see being done wrong.
• 1:29
  Maybe it's not somebody hasn't learned that there's a new way of doing it.
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  And maybe it was great in 1982, but it's not now.
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  On one of those is drywall is fine behind bathroom tile if it's sealed.
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  Well, I still see people out there on social media putting up green board drywall, which is the water resistant.
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  It is by no means waterproof water resistant drywall and then putting a tile surround around it or something like that and hoping that's going to last.
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  You might have got away with that in 1982, but these days, guys, it's just not the thing right now.
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  You want to be using something that's going to be way more waterproof.
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  And if you've got to put that in there, just go ahead and go with one of the foam board solutions out there that they have that are much more durable, that are waterproof, that you're not think about it,
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  you're not depending on that thin layer of paper to hold everything up.
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  And if you think about it, you've got a water resistant.
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  It's a Big difference.
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  It's like a jacket.
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  If you wear a waterproof jacket out in the rain, you're probably not going to get soaked if you got a good one.
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  But if you wear a water resistant one.
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  Yeah, if it's more than just a quick little shower, you're soaked, it's coming through the seams, it's doing whatever.
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  Same thing with drywall.
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  When you're putting a water resistant drywall in there, you have a compressed gypsum core and all you're doing is adhering to that thin sheet of paper that's on there.
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  It worked back then.
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  We tore them out, we replaced them.
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  It just.
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  There's so many better ways of doing this.
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  So that has been out for a number of years now.
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  I do not believe that there's any application that you should be using that in a shower.
• 3:14
  It's great for maybe doing the rest of the bathroom in if you want to make sure and keep it more water resistant in there.
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  But yeah, use one of the many different systems out there.
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  Whether it's Ardex, whether it's Wedi, whether it's Schluter, there's a ton of different brands out there.
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  Use one of those.
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  Use the same material start to finish.
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  I quit using the hardie backer years ago on any of my projects because I've just had too many problems with it.
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  We've had hardie backer that went on if you're especially in older homes where you've got a little bit of flex in the floor.
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  I've had so many bathroom floors get torn up over the years because there's a little bit of flex and the tile bonded great to the Hardy, but the Hardy is the weak point and it breaks apart.
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  Now you've got a problem.
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  So not bashing Hardy here, but I've gotten away from that and gotten into using better systems that are going to hold up a lot better.
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  And so that's the thing.
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  So drywall just isn't designed to handle sustained moisture exposure behind the tile.
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  So it's going to absorb moisture, it's going to break down, you're going to get mold growth and you're going to have hidden tile problems behind the wall.
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  And by the time the tile pops out, usually you're reframing, you've got drywall work on the other side.
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  It just doesn't work well.
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  So stick with one of the new waterproof membrane systems and you're going to be good for go.
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  You're just going to be golden at that point.
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  The next One here is inside of a house.
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  If you walk around, and this is something that I reported on here, oh, probably 18 months ago when I walked into my local Lowe's store.
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  And I'm not just trash and Lowe's is a, this is a lumber problem everywhere.
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  I walked in there and there was absolute insane mold across everything.
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  There was mold on every single 2x4, 2x6, 2x10.
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  And it looked fuzzy.
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  Here's the thing, when you take that and build your house with it, it's gonna cause problems.
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  That is an instant health hazard.
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  And you'll have people say, oh, it'll be fine once it dries out.
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  Problem is, is once you get humidity over 60% in the home, if you' that humidity, especially in a wall cavity, now you've got mold growing again.
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  Did you kill it?
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  What did you use to kill it?
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  And here's where it gets interesting.
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  One of the biggest myths in home improvement is cleaning mold with bleach kills it for good.
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  Bleach will only work on a very hard, non porous surface.
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  So if you had mold that was on a Formica countertop, that's gonna probably work.
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  Okay.
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  Drywall that's gonna soak in that's porous, not gonna work.
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  And the problem is, is on lumber, the same thing.
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  So you've got these issues and then you've got all the chlorine gas that's coming off of that as well.
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  So you've got all the stuff that's coming off of that.
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  So it's just a no go for me.
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  Take the bleach, toss it away, it will kill that surface.
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  But the problem is, what does bleach have in it?
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  It's got lots of water.
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  So in the bleach off gases and you have water left.
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  Well, that water feeds more mold growth, so it's just not going to penetrate.
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  So it's just not going to work.
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  So you're not going to get down to the roots of the mold, which is where the problem is.
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  And the other problem you can have too is you don't know what mold you're treating.
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  You can be putting that on there and it could be releasing toxins which could make you sick.
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  You just don't know what's going to happen.
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  So it's just the wrong chemical to use for this.
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  There's a lot of other great ones out there.
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  You can get a hold of your local mold remediation company and get some of their stuff.
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  You'll see Concrobium out there.
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  There's A lot of different products out there.
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  And my theory is if you've got mold, then you want to kill it, then you want to seal it and treat it so it doesn't come back.
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  And that's really the key because if you've got it on lumber or something, that's not a finished product and you want to.
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  And that's what we did at the Cannon beach house, guys.
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  That was one of the biggest things we did there because what happened was, is we had mold everywhere.
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  I had two by sixes that looked like oatmeal that was wet.
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  I mean it was bad.
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  So we went through, killed all the mold and then primed everything with a mold killing primer and preventative primer.
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  So it was sealed up so we didn't have it coming back out again.
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  And that's another key when you're working with stuff like that is to stop it from coming back again.
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  Especially on the coast where you can be months of humidity over 60% outside and in an attic or crawl space that could be an issue.
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  So we went through and just made sure that one.
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  We killed everything.
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  We removed any of the mold stuff out there.
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  But if there was any, just kind of light duty stuff, don't use the bleach.
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  We went in, killed it right, and then sealed it up.
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  And that's kind of the first key to doing this is to make sure you get it once and get it gone.
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  Now I can already hear your question coming in.
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  What is the best mold killing paint?
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  And to me there's only one clear winner with this and that is a product called Callowell C A L I W E L.
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  It is an eco friendly 0 voc anchobial paint.
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  You can get it at Green Building Supply.
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  That is Andrew Pace's company that we had on a few weeks ago.
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  It will actively eliminate mold, mildew and bacteria on surfaces.
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  And here's why.
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  It uses a mineral based non toxic formula with a high pH to kill existing spores and prevent future growth for years.
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  So you can use this anywhere, living spaces, bedrooms, offices.
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  It is really great for, for that.
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  And so basically what it does is it just comes in, it's almost like a lime paint where it goes in there and just keeps that from growing.
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  And now you've got a product for years.
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  It's going to prevent mold growth.
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  Even if you're in a bad situation where the high humidity and stuff, it's not going to let it grow there.
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  And so for me, I think that's the best product to use.
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  Don't just go, oh, I bought the whatever brand off the home improvement store and I painted over the top fit.
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  That might not kill it.
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  The secret here is just to let each product do its thing, then the top coat for the preventative and you're good to go.
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  And that's going to leave a much healthier house.
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  And if you're worried about mold and stuff like that, you can do a lot of different tests and stuff out there that will really help you out.
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  All right, we come back.
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  We've got a big one here.
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  Insulation and H Vac myths.
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  This one's going to get interesting because there's a lot on Instagram with this one around the House.
• 9:52
  We'll be right back after these important messages.
• 9:54
  Don't go anywhere.
• 9:58
  Kids these days, you'll never understand what it's like to play an instrument, like being a friend.
• 10:10
  What's up?
• 10:10
  This is Sticks it in Ya and Satchel from Steel Panther.
• 10:14
  And you are listening to around the House with Eric G.
• 10:18
  Yeah, we love Eric G.
• 10:21
  And you should, too.
• 10:24
  Welcome back to the around the House show, your trusted source for everything about your home.
• 10:28
  I'm Eric G.
• 10:29
  Thanks for joining us today.
• 10:30
  Hey, if you want to debate these myths, if you go, I don't agree with you, you can message me over@aroundthehouseonline.com.
• 10:37
  Now we're gonna drive in here to our insulation and H vac myths.
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  And this is a big one.
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  This could run over into the next segment because this is a big one right here.
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  And it's interesting because there are so many things that people do out there and they think it's perfect and it's so flawed.
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  And my favorite bad idea right now are these things that are back.
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  This came out years ago and now it's back again.
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  And you're seeing this with products coming out of China.
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  You're seeing stuff where companies are either having their ideas stolen or it's just stuff that was never a good idea.
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  And it's coming back again.
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  And here we go.
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  Spraying essential oils into your home or H vac system is good for you.
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  There is this new thing if you want your house to smell like a hotel room or a wellness retreat.
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  And so you're seeing these machines where you drill and put a little emitter in the middle of your H Vac duct by your furnace.
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  And it's putting essential oils all over your home.
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  And it sounds so beautiful and it's going to smell amazing.
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  And it's so dangerous.
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  Essential oils can be flammable and undiluted Oil residue building up in your ductwork near blower motors or heating elements is a severe fire risk.
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  H vac systems aren't designed to handle oil buildup at all.
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  And so you could really ruin this.
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  And then how are you going to clean those ducts out if you've got oil sticking to the inside of your ducts?
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  What happens when the little micro dust particles that make it through your H vac filter, they're going to stick to those ducts on the inside.
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  So you're going to imagine this.
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  Another coat of oil, little coat of dust, another coat of oil.
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  Reason why K N racing filters out there for automotive uses oil because it attracts dirt.
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  And those are those reusable air filters you use on racing vehicles.
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  They're horrible for regular vehicles.
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  But for racing engines that just need airflow, they're going to be rebuilding the motor.
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  You're not worried about all the dust.
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  You're just trying to keep the big rocks from coming into the, into your engine.
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  That's what they use these for.
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  Oil is great for that.
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  Problem is the oil just attracts the dust inside.
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  So one, you could have a fire hazard.
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  And some of these things are pretty toxic to breathe, so that can be a big one.
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  So do not ever do that.
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  Really, all you're doing is setting up a vaping setup for your entire home because whatever liquids in that canister, it's going to end up smack dab in the middle of your lungs.
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  So you've got an unhealthy situation, you've got a dirty situation, and you've got a potential fire risk.
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  Horrible idea.
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  I keep.
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  They keep showing up on my Instagram feed.
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  And just be careful.
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  All right, the next one here, spray foam is always the best insulation.
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  That is far from the truth.
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  And I think, and I tell you what, guys, this is one of those things that could be our next health hazard down the road.
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  And I don't know.
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  I want to see the science on this when it's all said and done.
• 13:56
  Spray foam is not an.
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  Not a universal upgrade over other insulation types.
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  Regardless of the application, I have seen more damage done by using the wrong spray foam, by creating layers of areas that can't breathe.
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  So you're making a mold sandwich.
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  If you've got a vapor barrier and you have wood and you have another vapor barrier that traps any moisture.
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  So if you get a roof leak, for instance, and you spray foamed your ceiling, you might not ever see that leak show through.
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  But oh my gosh, that ceiling joist, the plywood or osb just rotting away.
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  And you won't know until you have some structural issues.
• 14:44
  Spray foam can be wrong.
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  It can be an expensive choice in the wrong application.
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  Now, I do see things where I think spray foam makes some sense.
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  If you're looking at a metal building, a shop building that you want to do that you're not living inside, but you want to create a insulation that will work, I think that's great.
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  I think up against some concrete, it could make some sense, depending on what you got going on.
• 15:12
  I would much rather use a product like Rockwool or any one of those type of mineral wool type insulations than I would spray foam.
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  Plus, you've got flammability issues that can be a problem.
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  You've got all these other things if you have a house fire.
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  So just be really careful, guys.
• 15:30
  That is not the universal fix.
• 15:32
  All right, the next one up here, the bigger the AC furnace, the better the comfort.
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  You can go too big.
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  And this happens all the time.
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  And one of the first warning signs of this is your AC is cranking and you still have high humidity in your house.
• 15:50
  If your AC is so powerful that it only runs for a few minutes and shuts off, and then runs for a few minutes and shuts off, and it's doing what they call short cycling, this means it doesn't have
• 16:01
  a chance to remove that humidity inside the home.
• 16:04
  That can one, cost you a ton of electricity.
• 16:07
  Create a fairly dangerous situation with high moisture, which means you could have mold, mildew, and everything else going on, Dust mites, all the stuff that happens there.
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  And three, it's hard on the machine to be starting and stopping.
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  It's not great for it.
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  So take the time, work with a professional.
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  If you have somebody come out that is replacing your H vac system and they just look at the unit that you got in there before and goes up.
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  It's a two ton.
• 16:31
  Let's put a two ton back in there.
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  Slow your roll.
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  I want to see somebody do the heat load calculations to take a look and see what needs to be done.
• 16:42
  Because really, an AC unit is designed to take your temperature down in the home a maximum of 30 degrees.
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  So these are things that you kind of need to work with in your home here in the United States.
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  So take the time, design it out right, and make sure you can get it.
• 16:58
  We've talked about tricks and tips to get it even cooler, but you want the system to be running without really running it too hard.
• 17:06
  And running it too hard can be just shutting it off and on so you want to make sure the properly sized unit will always win the race.
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  And why pay more for something that's going to not work as well?
• 17:18
  So that's a big one.
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  Next one up.
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  Closing vents and unused rooms saves energy.
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  This is not the DIY trick you think it is.
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  Most and most residential systems are not designed for that.
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  Closing vents increases duct pressure, which constrain the system, cause air leaks, and actually reduce efficiency rather than improve it.
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  Now, here's the thing.
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  There's a big asterisk on this.
• 17:48
  If you have a higher end system, in theory that has multiple speed fans and can self adjust like some of the carrier systems out there.
• 18:00
  Like I had an infinity system that you can put it into manual setup mode, it'll automatically basically set up with the duct pressure and optimize itself.
• 18:11
  In theory, you could close rooms off that you're not using, reset that up, have your H Vac technician reset that up and go back at it.
• 18:20
  And it would re basically figure out and go, wow, that's too much pressure.
• 18:24
  We need to do it.
• 18:24
  Dial this back.
• 18:26
  But guess what?
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  That's still inside the insulated envelope.
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  And those interior walls probably aren't insulated.
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  So after all that, you're probably still not saving money.
• 18:36
  When we come back after these important messages, we're going to talk about one more.
• 18:40
  Should you cover your outdoor AC condenser unit and make it look pretty?
• 18:45
  We'll talk about that just as soon as around the House returns.
• 18:48
  Don't change that dial.
• 19:06
  Welcome back to the around the House show, your trusted source for everything about your home.
• 19:09
  I'm Eric G.
• 19:10
  Thanks for joining me today.
• 19:12
  Hey, if you're new to the show, thanks for tuning in.
• 19:14
  Whether you're on the radio, the national podcast, or anywhere out there you're streaming it or catching the show.
• 19:19
  Thanks for joining us.
• 19:21
  If you want to find out more about us, and I've got blogs, we've got other content over there, we've got videos, just head to our website, around the House online dot com.
• 19:31
  We've been talking about all those home myths around your house and the last one here is a big one.
• 19:36
  And again, this is one of those I keep seeing on Instagram and it just drives me insane.
• 19:40
  And it covers your outside, a condenser unit kind of where that compressor is outside.
• 19:46
  And I am seeing all of these people, influencers and all of that, trying to sell you covers to go over your unit outside.
• 19:56
  I tell you what, if you want to damage your unit, if you want to burn it up or if you want to pay way more for your power bill to run that do this wrong and I guarantee you
• 20:09
  that's going to be expensive.
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  So here's what happens.
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  People go, oh, I'm tired of hearing that.
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  I want to put a nice little cover around it.
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  I want to put a cover over the top.
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  I want to put a, a window screen over the top of it.
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  Guess what?
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  You could be creating a problem where you are voiding your warranty.
• 20:28
  You're making it so it's less efficient and more importantly, you could just burn the thing up.
• 20:34
  AC condensers, compressors, they rely heavily on airflow.
• 20:42
  And if you're going to put a cover around it, you should be talking to your H Vac professional who is a dealer for that brand.
• 20:50
  If it's a Bryant unit, it's a Bryant dealer.
• 20:53
  If it's a carrier unit, it's a carrier.
• 20:55
  If it's a train, where I'm going here, many of these units want 2 foot, 3 foot before you put in some kind of structure around it.
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  So it's going to be big.
• 21:07
  You want good airflow, you want to have this stuff around there.
• 21:12
  You need to have the bushes back, because here's what happens.
• 21:16
  That's where the heat is transferring from inside the house to the outside.
• 21:20
  And then when that goes back in, that is now going to be pulling the heat back out of the house and throwing it back outside.
• 21:28
  So airflow is king.
• 21:30
  And if you put a, a cover around it that's 12 inches around each side of it and goes over the top, that's going to cost you more money, just about guarantee it.
• 21:40
  And you're going to burn the thing up, most likely.
• 21:43
  So you need to have, I would say three feet around.
• 21:45
  It is probably a safe distance, but there is so much air that is coming up from that up the top where the fan is, because it's drawing air through that and up.
• 21:58
  So if you put a cover 2ft over the top of that, you're now holding that heat into the unit.
• 22:03
  So most AC companies recommend at least 5ft above that before you can put a cover.
• 22:10
  And the same problem is if you put a screen over the top of that to keep debris out of it.
• 22:16
  There's a reason why they have a fan shroud over the top of it to keep hands and stuff from getting in there.
• 22:22
  But that is designed for the maximum airflow.
• 22:25
  As soon as you put a piece of window screen or mesh over the top of that, guess what, you got a problem.
• 22:30
  You are now reducing that airflow which means that has to work harder, which means that's more powerful and you're going to reduce the lifespan of that unit.
• 22:40
  So don't put everything over the top.
• 22:42
  If you need to trim back trees, bushes to keep stuff from falling into it, do it.
• 22:48
  Because what's going to happen here is this is going to get expensive in today's stuff.
• 22:53
  If you've got an older system, this could cost you $20,000 by putting a crazy cover.
• 22:59
  Because a lot of these older systems, they don't make the parts or the Freon for.
• 23:04
  And so you can't get a new one without putting an entire new system in.
• 23:08
  So do not put one of these covers on it unless it's authorized by your service professional that's been taking care of your unit.
• 23:15
  You're way better off dealing with it.
• 23:18
  If you need to have it move to the other side of the house where you're not seeing it.
• 23:22
  Make it go away someplace, but make sure it's in a place it can breathe and you'll be good to go because you want that transferring that heat away from it to get it out in the air so you
• 23:32
  can keep your house cool.
• 23:34
  So don't put the covers on, guys.
• 23:36
  Let that go.
• 23:37
  It's a waste of money and it's going to cost you more in the long run.
• 23:41
  So that's a big one right there.
• 23:43
  That's my little rant of the day there with that one.
• 23:46
  So the other thing I wanted to talk about here is roofing materials.
• 23:50
  All roofing materials last about the same.
• 23:53
  And treating roofing material choice, dealing with the durability is probably not the best decision.
• 23:59
  Lifespan varies a lot by material and climate exposure.
• 24:05
  Asphalt shingles, metal, tile, synthetics have a very different real world durability.
• 24:12
  And regional stress can be big.
• 24:15
  Like here where I'm at on the wet side of the Pacific Northwest.
• 24:19
  I'm over on the western side of the Oregon.
• 24:22
  And our biggest thing that we have here is, is moss and dirt.
• 24:27
  We'll get moss on there.
• 24:29
  You really have to deal with that with any kind of an asphalt shingle metal, it'll rust.
• 24:35
  That has a problem where it'll bake the finish off in the summertime.
• 24:39
  And then all of a sudden it starts to get there and then you're replacing the roof.
• 24:43
  There's a lot of great new roofing products out there, but you need to figure out the one I probably wouldn't do.
• 24:49
  A metal roof.
• 24:50
  And a place you get big hail is you're going to see those little Dents, but they do make great asphalt shingles.
• 24:56
  They do make metal ones that have a coating on them that are much stronger, that snap together.
• 25:03
  There are a lot of different materials and you want to make sure that you're getting the right one for your climate.
• 25:08
  And here's my trick.
• 25:09
  When you're hiring a roofing contractor, make sure and hire the one.
• 25:14
  Let's say that for example, you found an Owens Corning shingle that you like.
• 25:19
  Maybe it's Malarkey or one of the brands that you see out there.
• 25:22
  Find, go to their website, find one of their authorized trained dealers and work with them.
• 25:29
  That way you don't have, if you have an installation problem, they'll work with you most of the time.
• 25:35
  They'll support you because they've been trained.
• 25:37
  When you just hire the roofer and they're not on there, that can be an issue if it's not installed correctly.
• 25:44
  So I like to find the factory trained people because it's just going to be a better deal.
• 25:49
  All right, the next one here.
• 25:50
  Outside pavers versus poured concrete.
• 25:53
  Poured concrete is always cheaper in the long term.
• 25:57
  That's the assumption that we're seeing on a concrete patio driveway is more economical over time than pavers.
• 26:05
  So poured concrete often has a lower upfront cost but can be more expensive over its life.
• 26:12
  Full surface repair or replacement when it cracks versus pavers which can be repaired section by section.
• 26:20
  So if you've got a great prep work and they come in, it's got the right base, they've compacted it, they've done all the cuts, they used a high strength concrete mix that can last you a long time depending
• 26:35
  on your climate.
• 26:36
  But those pavers can be repaired if you get an area that all of a sudden started to sink or you got an issue that can come in and take care of it.
• 26:44
  So don't just do the upfront costs on these when you're figuring it out, look at the long term.
• 26:50
  If you've got pavers that are lasting twice as long as what a poor concrete driveway in your area is, take a look at that.
• 26:58
  That could be interesting, especially if you're DIY in it.
• 27:01
  So pay attention to that one.
• 27:04
  Now the next one here is a big one and we'll probably run into the next segment with this one.
• 27:08
  Old growth lumber is always better than new growth.
• 27:12
  This is the timeless meme that you see out there where they're comparing two different wood species of wood.
• 27:19
  You've got this really tight grain old growth fur compared to a hemlock tree that was grown complete or fur that was completely different.
• 27:31
  And you'll see them comparing two species.
• 27:34
  One is a full 2 inches by 4 inches.
• 27:37
  The other one is inch and a half by three and a half.
• 27:40
  You get my drift on this?
• 27:42
  Guess what guys?
• 27:44
  Old growth, new growth is not part of an engineering table when they built the house.
• 27:49
  It's not.
• 27:50
  It's by wood species.
• 27:53
  So whatever wood species you're building with that has its load calculations for beams for anything structural.
• 27:59
  But modern framing lumber is graded and engineered to controlled standards.
• 28:05
  So engineered products like I Joist GluLams, LVLS routinely outperform solid old growth timber for structural spans and consistency.
• 28:15
  When we come back, we're going to talk a little bit more about this because I want to dive into this and get you a little more information.
• 28:21
  So the next time that you just kind of shake your head and go, come on guys, we're doing this again.
• 28:25
  We'll talk more about this just as soon as around the House returns.
• 28:29
  If you want to find out more about us, head over to aroundthehouse online.com and make sure you follow us on social media.
• 28:36
  We've got all our channels out there.
• 28:38
  We've got around the House Nation, which is our Facebook group that's private.
• 28:42
  And then of course We've got our two YouTube channels and you can check it out right there around the House.
• 28:46
  We'll be right back after these important messages.
• 28:48
  Don't change that dial.
• 28:59
  Welcome back to welcome to the around the House show, your trusted source for everything about your home.
• 29:03
  I'm Eric G.
• 29:04
  Thanks for joining me today.
• 29:05
  If you're just joining us, we've been talking about those myths, the ones we see or hear about our home.
• 29:11
  That's the best way to do this.
• 29:12
  Or here's a new product and we try to tackle this stuff to really help you out with the right information because there's ton of people out there, including some influencers out there that are really giving bad advice that
• 29:26
  I want to make sure that we can tackle to get you the right information so you can make the right choices for your home or your future home.
• 29:33
  Well, we're going to kind of lightning around this last segment here of the show so we can make sure and get as many as we can in here.
• 29:41
  Now here's one of them that I think is really important.
• 29:43
  New construction homes don't need an independent inspection since the city has already inspected everything that is completely busted.
• 29:52
  Here's why.
• 29:53
  So my girlfriend Elisa, her son and fiance just bought a house and brand new construction, Major builder in a development.
• 30:03
  And so I went through and did a top to bottom inspection on this thing.
• 30:08
  We tested everything, we looked at it, and I had five pages of punch list.
• 30:15
  And it was little things, but there were some big things as well.
• 30:20
  There was a wall that was framed a little sketchily, had a lot of wave in it, more so than you needed.
• 30:25
  It was a half inch, let's put it a little bit more maybe.
• 30:29
  And it was just where they had framed it.
• 30:31
  And there was a.
• 30:32
  Basically a wave in that wall.
• 30:35
  Didn't see it inside, but you could really see it outside with the.
• 30:39
  With the lap sighting out there.
• 30:41
  I gave that list to him.
• 30:43
  We had a meeting yesterday on this, and they went, we're gonna do our best to take care of that.
• 30:48
  Now I know they're not gonna rip it down to the studs, pull up the carpet.
• 30:52
  The house is done.
• 30:53
  It's closing here in two weeks.
• 30:54
  But if they can get the outside so it looks better and there's not just this big wave down the side, if they can take that siding off, shim things out, make it look a lot better, I'm okay with
• 31:07
  that.
• 31:07
  I'm not gonna get them to reframe that whole wall.
• 31:09
  The exterior second floor of the house isn't gonna happen.
• 31:13
  So you have to make some consequences and go, what's that gonna take?
• 31:16
  Okay, let's make it look better.
• 31:17
  Structurally, it's not really a problem.
• 31:20
  But I tell you what, I gotta give hats off to these guys because they looked at the whole list and went, yep, we gotta take care of it now.
• 31:29
  Building code for you out there that haven't gone through this process is the D minus of school grades.
• 31:36
  Yeah.
• 31:36
  Met code.
• 31:37
  Mom and dad, when you were a kid or your parental unit, hey, I passed the class.
• 31:43
  And they're like, in my household, a D minus is not passing.
• 31:48
  You just barely didn't fail.
• 31:50
  Building code should be beyond that.
• 31:52
  Building code is health, safety and welfare.
• 31:55
  But they can have the lowest quality build and still meet building code.
• 32:00
  So my recommendation for you guys out there that are having a house built or you're buying one that's been done, make sure you have an inspection done at certain times.
• 32:09
  I want to have a pre drywall inspection.
• 32:11
  Because if there would have been one at this time, they didn't see this house before it.
• 32:14
  So they weren't there for that.
• 32:16
  You would have caught that at that point.
• 32:19
  And so there were a lot of different things that could have been caught, been easier to fix.
• 32:24
  And I caught A lot of stuff.
• 32:25
  Crawl space was a mess.
• 32:27
  There was doors didn't get painted on the top and the bottom.
• 32:30
  There's a lot of things like that.
• 32:32
  But they're taking care of it.
• 32:33
  They're going to have in a week they're going to have people crawling over that house and getting it taken care of.
• 32:38
  So make sure you get that pre inspection done for your new house builds out there.
• 32:44
  Whether it's a spec house and it's an entry level home or a custom one, have your inspector go through it.
• 32:51
  It'll save time and money and protect your investment every single time.
• 32:56
  So other myths that we have out there, ceiling fans cool down a room.
• 33:01
  Well, ceiling fan doesn't really cool the room's temperature.
• 33:05
  It does create a wind chill effect on your skin that makes you feel cooler when there to feel the airflow.
• 33:13
  Now it will mix the air up.
• 33:14
  If you've got tall ceilings, you can have a 10 degree temperature difference and a tall ceiling between the bottom and the top.
• 33:21
  I see this all the time in my shop because I've got a temperature sensor up by the ceiling so I can kind of see what the temperature is in there.
• 33:28
  You can get 10 degrees difference there.
• 33:30
  But really it's not going to save you any money.
• 33:33
  So turn off those fans.
• 33:35
  Unless you're just mixing the air up so it goes into the air intake a little bit better, it's not going to save you money or keep your house cooler.
• 33:43
  Now the next one here is foundation cracks always mean a serious structural problem.
• 33:48
  Now concrete is designed, it's always going to crack at some point.
• 33:52
  But hairline cracks from normal concrete, concrete curing and settling are extremely common and almost always cosmetic.
• 34:01
  What matters is the cracks width, direction and whether it's growing.
• 34:05
  That's where a good foundation contractor looks at the pattern, not the presence.
• 34:10
  And you want to make sure and bring in a structural engineer before you get quartz to fix it so they can tell you the most cost effective, an easiest solution versus somebody selling you something that is snake oil.
• 34:23
  So always talk to that.
• 34:25
  Basically engineer first and then get your quotes so you know the process.
• 34:29
  That way you're getting a quote for everything for the same process and you could actually look at what the price is.
• 34:37
  So that's another one.
• 34:38
  Another big one here.
• 34:39
  You should crack a window in winter to let your house breathe and control humidity.
• 34:43
  I once busted this wastes heating energy without actually solving ventilation or moisture problems correctly.
• 34:50
  Most modern homes, depending on building code in your area, are better served by proper mechanical ventilation like an HRV or an ERV system that manages air exchanges without dumping conditioned air outside.
• 35:03
  So that's a big one right there.
• 35:04
  That one can add up really quickly.
• 35:07
  So unless you've got a existing problem, that's probably not going to work for you.
• 35:12
  Now, another one that I saw that someone shared with me.
• 35:15
  Metal roofs attract lightning.
• 35:18
  Why?
• 35:18
  It's busted.
• 35:19
  Metal isn't a lightning magnet.
• 35:21
  Strikes are driven by a structure's height and location, not the roofing material.
• 35:27
  If lightning does hit a metal roof, it's actually safer than most alternatives because the metal is non combustible and conducts the strike away rather than igniting.
• 35:37
  If you have a lightning area that you're living in, this is where you probably want to put a defense system in there where they'll come in, put different posts up to conduct electricity to get it down to ground.
• 35:51
  There are systems designed for that and that works really good.
• 35:56
  Guys, I didn't really finish the conversation that we were having here in the last segment about old growth lumber always being stronger and better than new growth.
• 36:05
  So this is a big one right here.
• 36:06
  I wanted to just kind of touch on this for a minute.
• 36:08
  Don't get into the hype of old growth versus new growth.
• 36:13
  I like having for structural wood.
• 36:16
  If you're looking at it right now, I don't want to be cutting down old growth forests because of this myth.
• 36:23
  We are sustainably farming trees out there and we are making sure that's going into designed and engineered structures.
• 36:33
  So unless you're working on an old house where you need to be using old growth lumber, where you're like, hey, I need to put this back in and I want it to be similar and you're gonna go find
• 36:42
  some reclaimed wood.
• 36:43
  That's a whole other story.
• 36:45
  But really I would be worried more about what's going into the house, not the strength of the lumber.
• 36:51
  Because your house is engineered for that.
• 36:53
  So ignore how many rings it has.
• 36:56
  That is worthless information for house construction.
• 37:00
  Now what you're seeing is the new changes for this is you're seeing home builders, remodelers using two by fours that look much more like structural strand or like osb, but stranded lumber where it's made so it's perfectly straight
• 37:17
  and won't warp.
• 37:19
  You'll see this being used in bathroom walls where there's a shower, a kitchen where you've got cabinetry and tile and things like that.
• 37:28
  You're seeing this not so much built in the entire house, but that is happening.
• 37:34
  You're seeing the structural lumber be built that way, the next thing you're seeing is with building code, we're seeing lumber that there is a new stud that's on the market because we're going to have to put continuous insulation
• 37:47
  on the outside of the house, outside of those studs because those studs will send heat through those.
• 37:54
  They will conduct that heat through the wall.
• 37:57
  So what you want is you need a thermal break in that.
• 38:00
  So you're seeing studs that are made like a two by six where they take out the center third of that and they put foam in there.
• 38:07
  So that way you've got a R19 stud, basically instead of having to put another inch and a half or two inches of Rockwool panels or other foam material on the outside of the building.
• 38:21
  So that's the direction we're going.
• 38:23
  And these are things that you can really pay attention to with the new technology going into building.
• 38:30
  You're going to see major changes on how the outside of a house is framed up coming up here in certain areas and going across the country.
• 38:40
  So these are new building codes that we're going to see and it is going to add more price to a house, unfortunately, but it is going to give it better insulating properties that'll be more efficient.
• 38:53
  But I don't know if that's gonna solve anything or make things worse.
• 38:56
  I think it'll probably make things worse in the affordability, but it will give you a better heating and cooling bill in the summer and in the wintertime.
• 39:06
  Alright guys, if you want to find out more about us, head to aroundthehousonline.com you can find me there.
• 39:11
  If you don't like some of my mints, send me a note if you one of them was surprising or you've got your own either hit us up on social media.
• 39:18
  Thanks for tuning into the around the House show.
• 39:20
  If you're listening on the radio, check the podcast because we do a midweek special every Wednesday morning that airs across the network.
• 39:27
  I'm Eric G.
• 39:28
  Thanks for tuning in to Round the House.
• 39:30
  We'll see you next time.
• 39:31
  Turn a frown upside down don't be a stick in the mud Grab your buddy, grab your butt Take this good time and turn it up louder no one ever talks about the nights they went to bed counting them.