Latest / Own It with Angie Hicks / What Home Improvement TV Gets Wrong (From Someone Who Was On It)

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What Home Improvement TV Gets Wrong (From Someone Who Was On It) · Own It with Angie Hicks

• 0:00
  - Most of the home improvement shows on TV
• 0:02
  make projects seem easy. (upbeat music)
• 0:04
  I would say almost too easy.
• 0:06
  The demo happens in just one weekend,
• 0:08
  and amazingly, the budget always seems to fit
• 0:12
  the average middle-class family.
• 0:14
  The results end up looking like a magazine,
• 0:16
  but none of that is real.
• 0:18
  And my guest today spent years
• 0:20
  helping to create that illusion
• 0:22
  until she finally decided that she was done with it.
• 0:25
  Kayleen McCabe is a contractor, a TV host,
• 0:28
  and trades advocate who went from 911 dispatcher
• 0:32
  to production assistant on "Trading Spaces."
• 0:35
  And then went on to being the host
• 0:37
  of "Rescue Renovation" on the DIY Network
• 0:39
  for over 100 episodes.
• 0:42
  She's here to show consumers the truth
• 0:44
  that TV rarely shows them.
• 0:46
  I'm Angie Hicks, Co-Founder of Angi,
• 0:49
  and this is "Own It,"
• 0:50
  the show where we talk about
• 0:52
  what it takes to own your home without it owning you.
• 0:55
  In today's episode,
• 0:56
  we'll talk about what you can tackle yourself,
• 0:59
  what you should do before you touch anything pretty,
• 1:02
  and why your toilet needs more attention.
• 1:04
  Here's my conversation with Kayleen McCabe.
• 1:07
  Kayleen, it's great to have you here.
• 1:09
  I am excited about this conversation,
• 1:11
  especially since Nate told me that you love toilets.
• 1:14
  And little does one know (Kayleen laughing)
• 1:17
  that back in the early days of Angie's List
• 1:19
  when we had a magazine,
• 1:20
  our November issue was dedicated to toilets.
• 1:24
  - So- - Be still my heart.
• 1:25
  H2O. (laughs) - We are kindred spirits
• 1:28
  here in this process,
• 1:29
  so we will talk toilets. (laughs)
• 1:31
  - I love it, and I'm so excited to be here.
• 1:34
  And yeah, toilets are oddly a strange passion.
• 1:37
  I should have been a plumber.
• 1:38
  Little did I know. - Yeah, so let's go back
• 1:40
  and talk a little bit about your beginning.
• 1:42
  So you grew up with a welder as a dad,
• 1:45
  but no one told you this could be a career.
• 1:48
  You know, so tell me a little bit about the times then
• 1:51
  and how you figured this out,
• 1:52
  that this could be a path for you.
• 1:54
  - It's been a wild adventure,
• 1:56
  but okay, it's been the best one for me, actually.
• 1:59
  So, you know, growing up in the '80s and '90s,
• 2:03
  we still had access to things you could tear apart,
• 2:05
  telephones, clocks,
• 2:07
  all of it, tinkering.
• 2:08
  I was always into science and doing experiments.
• 2:12
  But in the time I went to high school,
• 2:14
  I was kind of a higher aptitude kid
• 2:16
  so I was pushed into the AP classes
• 2:18
  and it was always, "You're gonna go to college.
• 2:20
  What are you gonna do? You're smart."
• 2:21
  And at that time, I still made very, very good grades,
• 2:24
  but I would ditch and go to the library
• 2:26
  to hang out with my friends
• 2:27
  or go hang out where we did the musicals
• 2:31
  and I would help build the sets.
• 2:32
  And we even had a technical school that I could have gone to
• 2:36
  that's known across the country being excellent.
• 2:39
  But because there was such a push for college,
• 2:41
  it was never encouraged,
• 2:43
  it was never even talked about.
• 2:44
  - I think you bring up a really good point.
• 2:45
  I think there is definitely,
• 2:47
  there was a period of time
• 2:48
  I feel like we're kind of phasing away from it that,
• 2:51
  you know, it was like it was college or nothing type thing.
• 2:54
  I'm hopeful we're starting to turn that tide.
• 2:56
  - We are actually,
• 2:57
  because schools were graded on how many attendees
• 3:00
  they had for college,
• 3:01
  which also based a lot of funding on that.
• 3:03
  And now we're starting to see
• 3:05
  districts decouple that funding
• 3:06
  and give as much weighted credits
• 3:08
  to career and technical education,
• 3:11
  and platforms or opportunities.
• 3:14
  And I feel like every student should be in a CTE class
• 3:17
  at some point because you're learning communication,
• 3:20
  critical thinking,
• 3:21
  how to problem solve. - Right.
• 3:22
  - All these things that we aren't teaching other places.
• 3:25
  So I'm possessed about this, Angie.
• 3:27
  It's my career- - Yeah.
• 3:29
  - But also my true love.
• 3:30
  - No, I am too.
• 3:31
  And one of the things that we can do to help,
• 3:34
  you know, fix this trade labor shortage
• 3:35
  is really to change the narrative
• 3:37
  and help people gain exposure to the trades.
• 3:40
  So tell me tell me your story about getting in the trades.
• 3:43
  - So went to college, shortly dropped out.
• 3:47
  I had the chance to become a 911 dispatcher,
• 3:49
  did that for a number of years.
• 3:51
  But at that time,
• 3:52
  we never talked about PTSD for first responders.
• 3:55
  And so I needed a break
• 3:57
  and I had the opportunity
• 3:58
  to become a production assistant on "Trading Spaces,"
• 4:01
  which that was a big hit back in the early 2000s
• 4:04
  where supposedly neighbors liked each other
• 4:06
  and then we would do things to their house
• 4:08
  and catch it on camera.
• 4:09
  That's where I learned that, "Oh, my gosh,
• 4:12
  I need to be in this craft."
• 4:14
  There was something so joyous about working with my hands,
• 4:17
  where before my alarm would go off in the morning
• 4:19
  and it'd hit snooze and it's like, "Ugh,
• 4:21
  I gotta go to work."
• 4:22
  I was getting out of bed
• 4:23
  and I couldn't wait to get to work.
• 4:25
  I was sad to leave at the end of the day.
• 4:27
  And I was lucky enough to be partnered with mentors
• 4:30
  who encouraged me and worked my way up through TV shows,
• 4:33
  worked on a bunch of different ones,
• 4:34
  all behind the scenes and loved it.
• 4:36
  But the grind of working on TV is really hard.
• 4:39
  A lot of folks don't understand that you shoot in cycles,
• 4:41
  and so when you're off,
• 4:42
  you still need to have jobs.
• 4:44
  So I eventually moved back to Colorado, where I'm from-
• 4:47
  - Yeah. - And started a little,
• 4:49
  you know, doing construction work.
• 4:51
  And then I had friends in the industry,
• 4:53
  of the TV industry still, who were like,
• 4:54
  "Hey, there's a new show.
• 4:56
  It's a competition show called 'Stud Finder,'
• 4:58
  and we want you to be on it."
• 5:00
  And honestly, big story,
• 5:01
  the reason I wanted to do this
• 5:02
  because there was a gift certificate
• 5:04
  to Home Depot for $2,500.
• 5:06
  - You could do so much with that.
• 5:08
  - So much, I will never own enough clamps
• 5:10
  or power tools in my lifetime,
• 5:12
  but the other prize was five episodes
• 5:15
  on DIY Network of whatever you wanted.
• 5:17
  - Yeah. - And taking my path
• 5:18
  of helping people through law enforcement
• 5:21
  and other avenues,
• 5:22
  I wanted to help homeowners
• 5:23
  who'd been watching these TV shows,
• 5:25
  though they could do it over the weekend,
• 5:27
  and let me come in and help them and fix it.
• 5:29
  And so my show, "Rescue Renovation,"
• 5:32
  went from five to 100 episodes.
• 5:34
  We did it for five years,
• 5:35
  and that was a gift beyond all belief.
• 5:38
  I challenged the network
• 5:39
  to put me in the most challenging spaces
• 5:41
  because I knew I had a cushion.
• 5:43
  I had a whole network behind me,
• 5:44
  they weren't gonna let me fail,
• 5:45
  and I wanted to learn.
• 5:47
  But with that, then I realized kind of into Season 5,
• 5:50
  how much we were lying to the viewers still.
• 5:53
  And I couldn't handle that, you know?
• 5:55
  The fact that I would have to wear the same clothes
• 5:57
  for months on end so we could make it look like three days
• 6:00
  in the right editing order,
• 6:01
  which is cool,
• 6:02
  but also I want people to be empowered
• 6:04
  by doing remodeling work at their home.
• 6:06
  I don't want them to fall into the trap
• 6:08
  of what I was trying to get them out of.
• 6:10
  And I was becoming part of the problem
• 6:12
  by being a spokesperson to say,
• 6:15
  "No, you could do this remodel for 30,000."
• 6:17
  Meanwhile, it took us half a million.
• 6:18
  So with that, then I transferred into supporting students
• 6:22
  and veterans getting into the trades
• 6:24
  and sharing my story.
• 6:25
  - I think the trades is,
• 6:26
  I don't know, north of 95% male,
• 6:30
  kind of last stat I might have seen.
• 6:32
  I mean, I get so excited when a female tradesperson
• 6:35
  comes into my home.
• 6:36
  So many questions, right?
• 6:37
  - All of it,
• 6:38
  because more women are coming into the industry,
• 6:40
  we're finally seeing clothes that fit properly.
• 6:43
  PPE, like all of our stuff
• 6:45
  is starting to come out in female sizes.
• 6:47
  And so we've also looked at the evolution of tools.
• 6:50
  Milwaukee, Milwaukee was smart,
• 6:52
  they didn't shrink it and make it pink,
• 6:54
  they just realized people have small hands
• 6:56
  and they started to make their tools ergonomic.
• 6:58
  And so now we have ergonomic tools,
• 7:00
  so it's keeping me safer.
• 7:01
  And so I think that just having more people
• 7:04
  who want the best for us in the industry
• 7:07
  is going to change these little things.
• 7:09
  You know, this industry is hard.
• 7:10
  It's physically demanding.
• 7:12
  But I'll be honest with you,
• 7:13
  the best I've ever been treated in a work environment
• 7:16
  has been by men on job sites.
• 7:17
  And I've been loved and celebrated
• 7:19
  because also when I go into work,
• 7:21
  you're judged by your craft,
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  and so I earn respect.
• 7:25
  I want to be listening,
• 7:26
  I want to be a good teammate.
• 7:27
  And I've been accepted by everyone, which is nice.
• 7:30
  So just them encouraging words like,
• 7:33
  "Yes, please come into the industry."
• 7:34
  Sometimes we say cuss words, by the way,
• 7:36
  because we're artists and we're passionate,
• 7:38
  so that's okay,
• 7:39
  it's not a bad thing.
• 7:40
  (Kayleen and Angie laughing)
• 7:43
  - And you might get a little sweaty in the process too.
• 7:44
  - Yes, it's...
• 7:46
  Oh, I call it my reverse French manicure
• 7:48
  when underneath is all dirty.
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  I'm like, "You can't get that in a salon.
• 7:51
  You have to earn that." (laughs)
• 7:53
  - Well, you know, different colors
• 7:54
  for the French manicure tip
• 7:55
  is becoming more and more popular,
• 7:56
  so you're actually a trendsetter.
• 7:58
  - Thank you, Angie.
• 7:59
  I'm gonna put this in my biography someday. (laughs)
• 8:01
  - Exactly.
• 8:02
  Let's talk a little bit about how homeowners
• 8:05
  think about what is achievable
• 8:07
  and what things are out of scope for them.
• 8:10
  - I want homeowners to do stuff,
• 8:12
  and I want them to be empowered by that.
• 8:15
  So two sides.
• 8:16
  If you're a homeowner and you wanna do a project,
• 8:18
  high five, that's awesome.
• 8:19
  Welcome, I love it.
• 8:21
  Double your budget.
• 8:22
  Off the bat, do that.
• 8:24
  I believe homeowners, everything cosmetic.
• 8:28
  So changing out your fixtures,
• 8:29
  your paint color, your baseboard, your trim.
• 8:33
  Trim can be complicated,
• 8:34
  but it can also be a lot of fun,
• 8:36
  and you'd be surprised on how much it'll enhance a room.
• 8:39
  If you increase your baseboard by two inches, ba bam,
• 8:42
  like it looks nice.
• 8:43
  - I did that in a house once,
• 8:44
  and you are exactly right,
• 8:46
  a baseboard can make a huge difference.
• 8:48
  - Huge, yes.
• 8:49
  - Yeah. - So do those things.
• 8:51
  Now, when it starts to get into more complicated stuff
• 8:53
  and you're starting to use demolition tools.
• 8:56
  Oh, here's a quick tip for homeowners too.
• 8:59
  If you do any demo or mess around in places,
• 9:01
  wearing a mask is always wise.
• 9:03
  I'm big about proper PPE.
• 9:06
  - Right. - You know, now when I work
• 9:07
  around the house,
• 9:07
  I do wear my steel-toed boots.
• 9:09
  Be safe.
• 9:10
  Eyelashes, squinting is not a replacement
• 9:13
  for safety glasses.
• 9:14
  Demolition is where it starts
• 9:15
  to get a little bit more complicated too
• 9:17
  because you can start demo,
• 9:18
  but doing a completely good job can be challenging.
• 9:21
  Where do you stop cutting?
• 9:22
  Where do you like end things?
• 9:24
  How do you terminate stuff?
• 9:25
  So when you start to feel a little uneasy,
• 9:28
  hey, maybe you have someone in your family
• 9:30
  who was a craftie, a tradie,
• 9:32
  like ask them.
• 9:33
  And then anything that requires a permit
• 9:36
  needs to be done by a licensed professional.
• 9:38
  Licensed plumbers, licensed electricians,
• 9:40
  HVAC, your MEPs,
• 9:42
  your mechanical, electrical, plumbing.
• 9:44
  So that to me is absolutely critical,
• 9:46
  that's nothing homeowners should ever mess with.
• 9:48
  And a tip too, if you're looking at buying a house
• 9:51
  that looks like it's been done by a DIYer,
• 9:53
  look to see if permits were pulled
• 9:55
  because people can hide a lot under a nicely done drywall.
• 9:58
  - That's a good point.
• 9:59
  So where would I go to find out if permits were pulled?
• 10:02
  - Your city, your city inspector,
• 10:04
  sometimes online,
• 10:05
  do a little bit of research though.
• 10:07
  If you walk in, it's brand new,
• 10:08
  IKEA looking cabinets,
• 10:10
  fresh coat of paint,
• 10:11
  builder's grade fixtures, look around.
• 10:15
  Look a little bit deeper than just what you see,
• 10:17
  and that's where also hiring
• 10:18
  a qualified inspector can really pay off.
• 10:21
  - That is a great point.
• 10:22
  And I think there's so much
• 10:23
  that you can see on a house online.
• 10:25
  You can see pictures, you can see videos,
• 10:27
  but that should never replace going and looking yourself.
• 10:32
  - I mean, think of this.
• 10:33
  Having worked on TV shows,
• 10:35
  there was a line and the camera didn't go past that line,
• 10:38
  and also, you can tell a lot from a house by its smell.
• 10:41
  If it has mold issues,
• 10:42
  if you're looking at something water related,
• 10:45
  and videos don't have Smell-O-Vision yet.
• 10:47
  I'm sure it'll happen someday, not yet.
• 10:49
  - Scratch and sniff, right?
• 10:51
  - Yes. (laughs) (Angie laughing)
• 10:53
  Houses talk to you.
• 10:55
  They do all the time.
• 10:55
  There's the joke, you know, is your toilet running?
• 10:57
  Go catch it.
• 10:59
  But they make noises and communicate with you often,
• 11:03
  and smell is one of them.
• 11:04
  - So for a homeowner who's been in their house a few years
• 11:06
  and never really looked under the hood,
• 11:09
  where do they start?
• 11:10
  - Attic, crawl space, basement.
• 11:12
  - I don't wanna go to the attic and the crawl space,
• 11:14
  those are hot and buggy, right? (laughs)
• 11:17
  - Yeah, but it's your house,
• 11:19
  and congratulations,
• 11:20
  now you have something that sometimes requires hard things.
• 11:24
  You know, being up in your attic,
• 11:25
  you don't have to be up there long.
• 11:26
  You know, if you go up in the winter,
• 11:28
  sometimes you can see you have ventilation problems.
• 11:30
  You'll see frost on the OSB.
• 11:34
  In the summertime, make sure your attic fans are running.
• 11:37
  That's a little simple maintenance.
• 11:38
  And then the basement crawl space,
• 11:40
  check for any sort of water damage.
• 11:42
  That's usually water goes downhill,
• 11:45
  so- - Right.
• 11:46
  - See if you find anything there.
• 11:49
  Look around.
• 11:49
  I've been in this house, we've had it since '83,
• 11:52
  so I am definitely nose-blind to some of the issues.
• 11:55
  I make a list of like, "I should check up on this."
• 11:58
  That'll also help you determine like critical issues.
• 12:01
  - Yeah. - I always go maintenance
• 12:03
  first before making things pretty.
• 12:05
  - Yeah, I know it's hard,
• 12:06
  and I encourage people to go around their house
• 12:08
  and look at it like they're getting ready to buy it.
• 12:10
  If you have cabinetry under a sink,
• 12:12
  you know, it's like pay attention
• 12:14
  when you go to put the towels away under the sink.
• 12:16
  You know, do you have any leaks down there?
• 12:18
  Because you want to make sure
• 12:20
  you're catching these little things
• 12:21
  before they become a big thing.
• 12:23
  - Absolutely, yeah.
• 12:25
  You know, look at your windows.
• 12:27
  And if you wanna go in further depth,
• 12:29
  a inexpensive thermal imaging camera,
• 12:34
  you can get them at a big box store.
• 12:36
  You can go around and see how your windows are sealed,
• 12:38
  if you are losing a lot of energy through those areas,
• 12:41
  that's gonna save you money over time.
• 12:43
  - So let's go back to your point
• 12:45
  about making sure we're taking care
• 12:47
  of the structural and the MEPs,
• 12:49
  but you're like, "Hey, the pretty stuff has to come later."
• 12:52
  How do you help guide homeowners
• 12:54
  to make that right decision?
• 12:56
  Because sometimes you just want the cool kitchen,
• 12:58
  like it was your dream project.
• 13:00
  - You can give yourself small rewards along the way,
• 13:02
  meaning that you need to patch a foundation wall, let's say.
• 13:06
  While you're maybe at the big box store
• 13:09
  picking up some supplies,
• 13:11
  pick up a paint color
• 13:12
  and reward yourself with painting a wall,
• 13:14
  a highlight wall,
• 13:15
  or maybe picking up a new fixture.
• 13:17
  It's okay to reward yourself.
• 13:18
  It's okay to be nice,
• 13:19
  but you have to be realistic
• 13:21
  because if you're going to invest $100,000 into a kitchen
• 13:24
  and you have electrical issues that will collapse it,
• 13:28
  you need to take care of that first,
• 13:30
  otherwise your stove won't work or your refrigerator.
• 13:32
  So light fixtures are always a nice little bump up.
• 13:35
  You'd be surprised the selection too you can find online
• 13:37
  at really decent prices.
• 13:39
  Personally, how I do things
• 13:41
  is if I'm doing a project around my house,
• 13:43
  my little reward is I buy myself a new tool.
• 13:47
  Sometimes it's a clamp,
• 13:48
  sometimes it's a saw blade.
• 13:49
  - Right. - So that's how I
• 13:51
  reward myself because- - Yeah, yeah.
• 13:52
  - Being a homeowner
• 13:53
  is like being the meanest boss you've ever had,
• 13:56
  and sometimes the boss has to be nice to the employees.
• 13:58
  - Right, right.
• 13:59
  Exactly, exactly.
• 14:01
  So you have a rule when you're Googling in depth,
• 14:04
  it's time to call a pro.
• 14:05
  Walk me through how that actually sits.
• 14:07
  - It really is.
• 14:08
  You know, I have met multiple homeowners now
• 14:10
  who have asked, well, it used to be Siri and Alexa,
• 14:14
  but probably now it's Claude or ChatGPT,
• 14:16
  "Is this wall load bearing?"
• 14:18
  And they don't know.
• 14:19
  You know, they might know.
• 14:21
  It's a 50/50 guess.
• 14:22
  And it could be right, it could be wrong.
• 14:24
  Don't do it, just call a professional.
• 14:26
  - Call us, we're around. - Right.
• 14:27
  - There's Angie,
• 14:29
  your service exists for a reason.
• 14:30
  - Yeah. - Call the pros there.
• 14:31
  - So let's touch on budget again.
• 14:33
  So in the opener,
• 14:35
  you were talking about the fact
• 14:36
  that like when you're doing your first project,
• 14:38
  think about your budget, then double it.
• 14:40
  You know, so if you are doing a bigger project,
• 14:42
  say you decide to do the kitchen,
• 14:44
  how should a homeowner go into a project like that?
• 14:48
  - Research.
• 14:48
  Do so much research first.
• 14:50
  And one thing we didn't show behind the scenes on TV,
• 14:53
  and this is sort of frustrating for me
• 14:55
  that we never showed this,
• 14:56
  was before we would start shooting,
• 14:58
  almost every product was on site
• 15:00
  so we weren't sitting around and waiting on,
• 15:02
  "Is this shipment being delivered?"
• 15:03
  Now, eventually that did start to happen
• 15:05
  because we were doing so many episodes at once.
• 15:08
  But planning with that is so helpful.
• 15:10
  So first up, let's say a hypothetical kitchen,
• 15:13
  and it's gonna be a big kitchen remodel,
• 15:15
  you're gonna move plumbing across walls,
• 15:18
  you're gonna put in a window,
• 15:19
  it's the bee's knees.
• 15:21
  - Yeah. - Consult a professional
• 15:23
  because you're going to need permitting issues on that.
• 15:26
  And then, and check your local permitting requirements.
• 15:28
  Sometimes in some states,
• 15:30
  even changing out a vanity cabinet
• 15:31
  in your bathroom requires a permit.
• 15:33
  Now, let's say it's a smaller kitchen remodel,
• 15:35
  you just wanna replace some cabinets
• 15:36
  and you're living in a county
• 15:37
  that does not require permits for that,
• 15:41
  consulting a professional is great
• 15:43
  because they have particular software
• 15:45
  that will help space out stuff.
• 15:46
  Like I don't know if you can see behind me,
• 15:48
  for your viewers,
• 15:49
  there's spacers in here
• 15:51
  because my kitchen was a little bit off,
• 15:52
  so they can help you with the math to do that.
• 15:55
  The reason I say double your budget
• 15:57
  is that you need to be prepared
• 15:59
  to hire a professional to help you out.
• 16:01
  And what's great about that is it's your first time,
• 16:03
  I've met a lot of contractors too
• 16:05
  who are very generous with homeowners.
• 16:07
  I will show homeowners how to do things.
• 16:09
  I want them to be feel empowered too.
• 16:12
  And you might learn something from the pros.
• 16:14
  And be realistic on your timeframe.
• 16:16
  Look at, I've had homeowners
• 16:18
  who want fancy European pieces installed
• 16:21
  and it takes nine months to get here.
• 16:23
  Research is the biggest thing
• 16:24
  because that's going to educate you
• 16:27
  on what are the appropriate wages
• 16:29
  and rates for professionals in your area
• 16:32
  and then you're budgeting for materials.
• 16:34
  Always go for the high end of the material cost,
• 16:37
  never think it's the low end
• 16:38
  because sometimes people also forget
• 16:40
  to calculate in tax, things like that.
• 16:42
  So by doing the research,
• 16:44
  you're preparing yourself.
• 16:45
  And if you're going to do it,
• 16:47
  put together a game plan.
• 16:48
  But being realistic
• 16:49
  because most homeowners also work another job,
• 16:52
  and so this then becomes their weekend chore.
• 16:54
  So give yourself a planned day off
• 16:58
  because what happens
• 16:59
  is homeowners will start a project undereducated,
• 17:02
  it'll go way too long,
• 17:03
  and then it becomes this albatross,
• 17:05
  this burden of guilt.
• 17:06
  They don't wanna go out
• 17:07
  with their friends and family anymore
• 17:08
  because there's this giant mess
• 17:10
  that they have to work on
• 17:11
  in all their free time to get it done.
• 17:13
  And so if they don't give themselves a break, they fight.
• 17:17
  Don't work angry.
• 17:18
  You know, you need to take a break too.
• 17:20
  So that's the balance of
• 17:23
  because we've diluted what it means to be in this industry
• 17:25
  so much by the entertainment industry,
• 17:28
  homeowners think it's easy and it's not.
• 17:30
  And it's really physical too.
• 17:32
  - Using muscles I've never thought I had.
• 17:34
  Yeah. (laughs) - Exactly.
• 17:35
  When all your muscles stop hurting,
• 17:37
  that's when you know you're a full-time tradie. (laughs)
• 17:39
  - Okay, fair.
• 17:40
  Fair, fair, fair. - Yes.
• 17:41
  - So let's talk toilets, so-
• 17:45
  - God bless, yes. - Let's talk toilets.
• 17:47
  - I love them.
• 17:48
  - So you say to replace the O-ring,
• 17:50
  what other things should we be thinking about,
• 17:51
  about making sure our toilets
• 17:53
  are there for us when we need them?
• 17:55
  - Check the plumbing.
• 17:56
  Toilets will talk to you a bunch.
• 17:57
  And I think I love them
• 17:59
  because people are so grossed out about them.
• 18:01
  They're fine, they're totally fine.
• 18:04
  The components in the back of the toilet
• 18:06
  are very inexpensive and easy to replace.
• 18:08
  And that's, I think, one of the biggest calls
• 18:10
  that homeowners bring plumbers out for
• 18:12
  is their toilet's running,
• 18:13
  and it's because the components in the back have gone bad.
• 18:17
  And a toilet is just a simple drain line at the bottom,
• 18:20
  but a lot of people are confused
• 18:22
  thinking it's more complicated
• 18:23
  than it is. - Right.
• 18:24
  - And so there's really three parts.
• 18:26
  The stuff in the back,
• 18:27
  where water comes in usually at the wall
• 18:29
  and where stuff leaves at the bottom.
• 18:30
  So the wax ring will require you
• 18:32
  to disconnect the water line,
• 18:34
  pull the toilet off,
• 18:35
  scrape the old one, old wax ring off.
• 18:37
  And now, science is amazing,
• 18:39
  there are new wax rings coming around that aren't wax.
• 18:43
  They're not wax so they're not gross.
• 18:45
  It'll last you 10 years.
• 18:46
  And then the inside components usually run under $30.
• 18:50
  That's a 20-minute fix
• 18:52
  that any homeowner is capable of doing,
• 18:54
  and that will prevent your toilet from stopping running.
• 18:56
  - Yeah. - So for around,
• 18:59
  let's say, $50 and a day of your time,
• 19:02
  you're gonna take care of a device in your house
• 19:04
  that is critical.
• 19:06
  - Yeah, but make sure you know how to turn the water off.
• 19:08
  - Yes, yes. - That is step one. (laughs)
• 19:10
  - And if you wanna empty out the water
• 19:12
  in your toilet really easy,
• 19:13
  take a bucket full of water,
• 19:15
  turn your water off, flush your toilet,
• 19:17
  dump the bucket of water into your toilet.
• 19:20
  That momentum of the new water coming in
• 19:22
  will actually open up the valve and complete the flush.
• 19:26
  - Suck all the water out.
• 19:27
  - Yeah, you'll drain the majority of your water away.
• 19:29
  Science, it's amazing.
• 19:31
  - Good trick, good trick. - Yeah.
• 19:32
  - So when you look out, say, 10 years from now,
• 19:36
  you know, we're in the midst of a trade labor shortage,
• 19:38
  we are starting to see some young people
• 19:41
  head back into the trades,
• 19:42
  what do you want the world to look like
• 19:44
  from a trades perspective 10 years from now?
• 19:46
  - I think hopefully 10 years from now,
• 19:48
  and we're starting to see this change already
• 19:50
  because we've been talking about this now
• 19:52
  for about 15 years,
• 19:54
  but in 10 years from now,
• 19:56
  I want the public to respect
• 20:00
  somebody who works in the trades
• 20:01
  as much as they do someone, a doctor or a lawyer,
• 20:03
  or went to a university,
• 20:05
  that finally the conversation has shifted
• 20:07
  to understand the value of just professionals,
• 20:10
  we learn in different environments.
• 20:13
  In 10 years, I think the technology
• 20:16
  is gonna be incredible.
• 20:17
  There's a lot of concern with new tech coming in,
• 20:20
  it's going to take our jobs.
• 20:21
  Not in this industry it's not.
• 20:23
  In fact, it's going to enhance our jobs.
• 20:26
  The technology coming in is going to make us safer
• 20:28
  and make us faster with a better product.
• 20:31
  And in 10 years from now,
• 20:33
  I see the industry that the people who work in the trades
• 20:36
  are going to be the big money makers.
• 20:38
  They already are now.
• 20:39
  Statistically, we're showing this.
• 20:40
  If you're working in the trades,
• 20:42
  your average salary,
• 20:43
  this is from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics,
• 20:47
  that you're making 90,000 a year
• 20:49
  if you're in a STEM career
• 20:50
  compared to a non-STEM field is around 45.
• 20:53
  So without the college debt
• 20:55
  or the educational debt,
• 20:57
  you're already making double of your counterpart.
• 20:59
  And I think in 10 years,
• 21:01
  we're going to see as much celebration and emphasis
• 21:05
  and focus on craft programs,
• 21:07
  whether that's an apprenticeship, a trade school.
• 21:09
  I cannot wait to see college signing days at high schools
• 21:13
  and kids are signing with blah, blah, blah tech school
• 21:17
  and union 546. - Right.
• 21:19
  - And it's gonna have as much weight
• 21:21
  as it did and does with the schools.
• 21:24
  So I'm hoping that's gonna level out
• 21:26
  because again, the pay for these young folks
• 21:28
  right now is off the charts.
• 21:29
  It's at least double- - Right.
• 21:31
  - And that's not including benefit opportunities.
• 21:34
  But what happened in years past
• 21:35
  is because we pushed for the higher ed path only,
• 21:38
  we never celebrated the trades professional.
• 21:42
  And so people at home never flexed that they were a plumber,
• 21:45
  that they were an electrician,
• 21:47
  and so then they encouraged their children to go to college.
• 21:50
  And so what we really need is also parents
• 21:53
  to support their children pursuing this opportunity.
• 21:56
  I want people to help change the public discourse
• 21:59
  on what it looks like and means to be in the trades.
• 22:02
  Share with pride what you do.
• 22:03
  - Yeah, I love that.
• 22:05
  I talked to some pros not that long ago,
• 22:08
  and one of the things they said
• 22:09
  that really kind of drove interest in the trades
• 22:13
  was the fact that they were doing jobs that were visible
• 22:17
  and concrete in their community.
• 22:19
  They could drive by houses like, "I put that roof on,"
• 22:22
  or, "I painted that house,"
• 22:24
  or, "I did these things."
• 22:25
  It's like there's something to be said
• 22:27
  for leaving a lasting impression.
• 22:29
  - Oh, forever.
• 22:30
  And this, I mean, every contractor will know
• 22:32
  that their family knows every project they've worked on
• 22:35
  because they tell them incessantly
• 22:37
  when they drive around town.
• 22:38
  So I have a challenge then also for your viewers
• 22:41
  on all the professionals.
• 22:43
  Two things, try to visit a school
• 22:45
  and share what you do as a professional.
• 22:47
  Outside of your family and your community,
• 22:48
  share with pride what you do
• 22:50
  so that in 10 years we have a generation
• 22:53
  of people who want to buy your companies,
• 22:55
  who wanna let you retire,
• 22:56
  who wanna continue on the craft.
• 22:58
  - So what do you want a homeowner to feel capable of
• 23:01
  that they don't feel capable of before this conversation?
• 23:05
  - I want them to have the confidence
• 23:06
  to start something small and then pick up a power tool.
• 23:10
  Learn power tools from somebody who knows how to use them.
• 23:13
  There's some safety with it.
• 23:14
  Once you introduce power tools into the game,
• 23:17
  you can do a lot more fun stuff with your house.
• 23:20
  But I want homeowners to feel confident in doing research,
• 23:23
  which it can be hard.
• 23:24
  Like where do you research?
• 23:26
  Are YouTube videos a good thing?
• 23:27
  Is AI a good opportunity?
• 23:29
  My suggestion is to cross-reference.
• 23:32
  If you see one suggestion, ask AI,
• 23:36
  "Is this the best suggestion?"
• 23:37
  But I want homeowners to really feel confident
• 23:39
  on when to call a professional
• 23:41
  because that's when they get in the biggest problem.
• 23:43
  And to know that they aren't weak,
• 23:45
  you know, you aren't wasting your money
• 23:47
  on somebody who couldn't go to college and hates their job.
• 23:50
  Hiring a professional is hiring somebody
• 23:52
  who loves this industry
• 23:53
  and wants to take care of your home as their own.
• 23:56
  So feel confident- - Right.
• 23:58
  - On what you can do,
• 24:01
  when to stop,
• 24:02
  and when to call a professional.
• 24:03
  - Yeah, exactly.
• 24:04
  And it's so true.
• 24:06
  There's a combination of reasons that drive us
• 24:08
  to outsource things at different points in our life,
• 24:11
  and I think- - Yeah.
• 24:12
  - Kind of understanding when you're kind of at your capacity
• 24:15
  is an important assessment for you
• 24:16
  to be able to make about yourself.
• 24:18
  - Yes, and it takes 28 different trades
• 24:22
  to build a house from scratch.
• 24:23
  And there are certain trades that I don't like.
• 24:26
  I don't like roofing because I don't like heights,
• 24:27
  I outsource that.
• 24:28
  I do not like finishing drywall,
• 24:31
  I will outsource that.
• 24:32
  So as a homeowner, just think of it that way,
• 24:34
  there are 27 different pros to make this thing work.
• 24:38
  I can handle some of them,
• 24:39
  for sure. - Yeah.
• 24:40
  - What are the ones I need to outsource?
• 24:42
  That's great.
• 24:42
  - That kind of DIY or not decision is a tough one,
• 24:47
  and it's individual to each person
• 24:49
  and individual to each project,
• 24:51
  so sometimes even that decision can feel complicated.
• 24:54
  - Always, and it's the most personal decision too.
• 24:57
  You know, we aren't talking about just a pair of shoes,
• 24:59
  this is your home.
• 25:01
  And also, I'm going to have to encourage all of your DIYer
• 25:06
  and especially the parents to encourage your kids
• 25:08
  to look at opportunities in their education system
• 25:11
  to learn these things.
• 25:12
  Because one, I've now met some students
• 25:15
  who can build houses from scratch
• 25:16
  and their parents love it
• 25:18
  because then their kid comes home
• 25:19
  and helps out with the projects.
• 25:21
  - Right, like taking some of those classes
• 25:23
  and some of those trade type classes in school
• 25:25
  just to be exposed to it,
• 25:27
  it'll help you decide whether it's a career for you.
• 25:29
  And at the very least,
• 25:30
  you're gonna pick up skills that'll last you a lifetime.
• 25:33
  - And it'll make you a better consumer.
• 25:35
  You know, then you'll know like, "Oh,
• 25:36
  that person isn't saying the right things,
• 25:39
  I'm gonna take my money to somebody who is."
• 25:42
  So yeah, it's so, so much more than that.
• 25:45
  But love your home. Love it.
• 25:47
  And I want people, I want homeowners
• 25:50
  to be excited about showing off their space to other people.
• 25:53
  - Yeah. - And so
• 25:54
  because they've loved it,
• 25:55
  because they've made it their own
• 25:56
  and did their own special touch on it.
• 25:58
  I want that for folks.
• 26:00
  - Right, exactly. Exactly.
• 26:02
  (graphics whooshing) (upbeat music)
• 26:03
  Here's what I'm taking away
• 26:04
  from my conversation with Kayleen.
• 26:06
  Maintenance first, pretty second.
• 26:08
  Foundation, plumbing, electrical,
• 26:11
  all of that comes before that kitchen
• 26:13
  you've been dreaming about.
• 26:14
  And if your basement's collapsing,
• 26:16
  those new countertops certainly can wait.
• 26:18
  If you have to Google or ChatGPT
• 26:21
  whether a wall is load-bearing, that's your answer.
• 26:24
  Please call a pro.
• 26:25
  Anything that requires a permit
• 26:27
  or plumbing, electrical, HVAC,
• 26:31
  that is not DIY territory, full stop.
• 26:34
  Double your budget on your first renovation
• 26:37
  every single time.
• 26:38
  Not because contractors are out to get you,
• 26:41
  but it's because you don't know what you don't know yet.
• 26:44
  And oh boy, you'll find out.
• 26:46
  Oh, and your toilet.
• 26:47
  Change your wax ring every 10 years.
• 26:50
  It's maybe 50 bucks and 20-minute job.
• 26:54
  And the components in the tank,
• 26:56
  they can be even cheaper.
• 26:58
  This is a project
• 26:59
  that most homeowners can handle themselves,
• 27:02
  but also one that most people ignore until they can't.
• 27:05
  Kayleen says houses talk to you all the time.
• 27:08
  Sounds, smells, moisture in the corner of the basement.
• 27:12
  Your job isn't to be an expert,
• 27:14
  it's just to pay attention.
• 27:16
  I know I've said it before,
• 27:17
  but I'm gonna say it again,
• 27:19
  listen to your house,
• 27:20
  it's trying to tell you something.
• 27:23
  Big thanks to Kayleen McCabe for joining us today.
• 27:25
  And thank you for checking out our channel.
• 27:27
  If you like what you're hearing,
• 27:29
  please follow along and subscribe.
• 27:31
  We have an amazing lineup of guests coming up this summer,
• 27:34
  and we really try to provide content
• 27:36
  that's useful to all types of homeowners.
• 27:38
  So please share this video with that DIY warrior,
• 27:41
  you know who they are,
• 27:43
  who just needs to hire a pro.
• 27:44
  As we've learned, your house is talking to you,
• 27:47
  start listening.
• 27:49
  I'm Angie Hicks,
• 27:50
  and I'll see you next time.
• 27:51
  (graphics popping)