Handyguys Podcast - Home Improvement and DIY Advice

On this episode, Handyguy Paul brings two topics to the podcast pertaining preventing wood rot and to wood and ground contact. Preventing Wood Rot on Door Jambs Paul asks Handyguy Brian about the best way to deal with rotting door jambs and in particular the garage door jambs.  Brian discusses this problem in general as it relates to any exterior door. Exterior jams should be primed and painted on their end grain before installing to help prevent the absorption of moisture. The wood end grain acts as straws, soaking up moisture  over time. Once rot sets in, the best repair is normally a replacement of the entire jam. Paul talks about the complications of having the garage door track structurally attached to the jam. Preventing Wood Rot on Deck Posts In the second half of this episode, the Handyguys discuss the pros and cons of having deck support posts in the ground verses on top of concrete piers. Decks builders often insert deck posts into the ground which can add stability but may lead to excessive rot over time. Listen to the podcast for more details.   Thanks for checking us out. If you enjoyed this audio podcast don't forget to subscribe. You can listen to these shows on your smartphone, iPod, iPhone or other media player.

The Handyguys, Paul and Brian, discuss your mailbox post options in this podcast. Before you dig a hole in your lawn, or get a chinook helicopter to remove your old post (as Handyguy Paul playfully suggests), it’s best to know what choices you have when it comes to choosing a Mailbox Posts. Basically, you want to match your mailbox post to the style of house that you have. In some cases, a neighborhood has the same type of posts and you want to blend in by building one that looks the same as your neighbors’. But if you don’t have any limits to the kind of post you’re building, here are some of your choices: Wood mailbox posts You can choose from a variety of woods when creating a mailbox. The most common are cedar and redwood. You can also opt for pressure treated lumber. Take note that one disadvantage of wood is it rots easily. This means you may have to replace your mailbox post often. Cast Iron mailbox posts From your mailbox post options, cast iron posts are probably the most durable. The only problem is it can easily develop rust, which will then cause damage to your post. Make sure you keep it painted if you’re choosing an iron cast mailbox post. Powder coated posts are also available in the market, which lengthens the life of your cast iron post. Plastic mailbox posts One advantage of using plastic is it doesn’t rust or rot. Plus, today’s plastic posts come in different molds. Some are made to look like stones, which can be perfect for the style of house that you have. Spindigger mailbox posts Spindigger is a new product that your Handyguys have recently tried out and is a good addition to your mailbox post options. Spindigger’s mailbox posts are made of rust proof cast aluminum and require no digging. Handyguy Brian says that it basically has an auger-type device, which screws your post to the ground. To find out more about Spindigger’s mailbox posts, go to www.spindigger.com You can also check out this brief video The Handyguys made installing a SpinDigger. Listen to the podcast for the full discussion.

The Handyguys interview Mike Ballou,  product Manager for John Deere, and discuss Mower maintenance and the best way to care for your lawn. Mower maintenance Proper mower maintenance is critical for having a healthy green  lawn.  Do not begin this new mowing season without changing the oil, sharpening your blades, lubing the joints and checking filters and spark plugs.  Your mower manual will provide all the details you need for proper mower maintenance. Mike provides detailed instructions on: Mowing height blade sharpening and extra blades removing a deck from your lawn tractor Mulching vs bagging mulching blades vs bagging blades vs all-purpose blades adjusting the mower deck wheels on your riding mower deck for best cut (this is very interesting) There is some good material here that the Handyguys have not covered previously. Check out the full podcast and start your lawn off on the right track this mowing season. Mowing height Mike's suggestion to mow your grass is a good one. Set the height to one of the highest settings. This will help prevent disease, crowd out weeds, reduce watering and your lawn will look fuller all season long. Blade sharpening and extra blades We have been longtime advocates of using sharp blades. Mike provides another great tip. Buy an extra set of blades. If you have your blades professionally sharpened you can just swap on your sharp blades while you wait for your dealer to sharpened the dull ones. Mulching vs bagging Mulching is always preferable to bagging. The clippings add water and nutrients back into your lawn. The only time you shouldn't mulch is if you have waited too long between mows and have extra tall grass. When to mow You should only remove about 1/3 of your blade height at one time. This will allow the mulching to work properly and will not stress your grass too much. Blade Sharpening Video You may also want to check out the video we did a while back on how to sharpen and balance your mower blade.

The Handyguys continued a discussion from an earlier episode on generators. Paul wanted to followup with the methods for connecting a generator to your electrical system. Generator Transfer Switches and manual generator interlock devices are discussed on the show. Generator Transfer Switches Manual transfer switches Manual generator transfer switches are best suited for use with portable generators. Essentially you just throw the switch, plug in your generator and start it up. Automatic transfer switches An automatic generator transfer switch is usually used for stand by generators that switch on automatically. They are also the most expensive type of transfer switch and the most complicated to install. They are usually installed by the electrician who installs the standby generator. Interlock devices A manual Interlock is the cheapest method of switching over from the utility grid to your generator power. This Interlock from http://www.interlockkit.com is available in many states and they have versions that fit the most common electrical panels. There is discussion of the pros and cons of using the cheaper interlock method instead of the more typical generator transfer switches. Listen to the podcast for details. Brian's paint color dilemma The Handyguys wrap up by changing the subject to discussing picking paint colors. Brian asks listeners to send @handyguys a tweet with a color for his master bedroom. The first color suggested on twitter may be used when Brian paints his bedroom. Yikes!

Okay - here is a quick tip, not a full show. Lawn Aerating Fall and Spring are a great time to aerate your lawn. An aerator will break up hard compacted soil and allow water and nutrients to better reach the roots of your grass. We all know that, that's not the quick tip. The tip has to do with when you rent an Aerator. Lawn Aerating Problems When you rent an aerator there is often the previous users bits of dirt and grass embedded in the plugs inside tines. Those plugs can contain weeds, weed seeds, other varieties of grass, etc. When you run the aerator over your lawn you essentially will plant whatever the previous user had in their lawn in your lawn. Not good. Lawn Aerating Best Practice Avoid spreading of weeds and take a moment to hose off the tines before you begin aerating your lawn.  

The Handyguys discuss modern refrigerator troubleshooting. Many of these tips apply regardless of who makes your refrigerator. Paul's GE side by side refrigerator is not cooling correctly (model gss25tsre.ss). In this audio podcast The Handyguys discuss how to track down the issues. Some common problems with modern refrigerators include: Ice maker does not work Water line for ice dispenser freezes up Water line or water tank leaks Water valve unit on back of refrigerator can go bad The main control board can go bad or just do dumb things. Paul's Ge refrigerator stopped cooling correctly. His freezer temperature rose a little above freezing and his refrigerator was not keeping the milk cool. Paul looked to the back inside wall of his freezer for a solution. A panel can be removed to expose the evaporator coil. When his refrigerator was not working well he noticed that these coils were frozen which prevents the fan properly cooling the freezer (and therefore the refrigerator as well). The initial fix was to melt the ice on the evaporator coil to allow the unit to operate. This fix lasted about a month before it froze up again. The reason the defrost unit fails is usually the result of a bad defrost heater, defrost thermostat or thermistor. Some older models also have a defrost timer but this feature is handled by the main control board on his model (at least he thinks it is...he's just a handyguy!). Paul tested the heater for continuity and it appeared to be working fine. He also tested and replaced his thermistor. He has a new thermostat if needed but could not wait for this problem to occur again so he just went ahead and replaced the entire control board. Time will tell if this fix worked (it has been about 3 weeks). Paul highly recommends the forums at http://www.applianceblog.com/mainforums/ for advice and feedback on your appliance repairs. Listen to the podcast for all the gory details. Please keep in mind, The Handyguys are NOT appliance repairmen, we don't have schematics for your appliance, and we can't come out and repair your fridge. We just share what we know with out listeners. Good luck on your repair.

Portable Generator Selection Checklist The Handyguys do not own generators but with all the power outages in the news they are certainly thinking about adding this "power tool" to their arsenal. Portable generators are easy to pick up at your local True Value store and you can be up and running quickly with some limitations. Without modifications to your electrical system, you can only connect household items that reach with an extension cord and which are no hard wired (e.g. a furnace blower). If you want the system to integrate with your electrical system for powering items such as the blower on your furnace you will need to have an electrician install a bypass switch. Here are issues to consider before buying that generator: Power. How many watts do you need for your required power equipment in the house. Put a buffer in those calculations to help out a neighbor with their refrigerator! Fuel. Determine how much gasoline you will keep on hand to power the generator. Fuel requires stabilizer or must be replaced on a regular schedule. Most residential codes allow only a small amount of gasoline storage in your garage (generally less then 15 gallons). Noise. Consider how much noise the generator will make. If this is important to you, look for reviews of models that are quieter. Maintenance. The engine will require maintenance and regular running to keep it in good shape. Check out the Run-time. Look at the length of run-time of the generator. Weight. Will you be moving the generator a lot? Does it have wheels? Can you lift it into a truck or trunk? Plan ahead. Research and purchase before a disaster strikes! Have a great new year! We were one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program as well as our writing about our experience. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY project. However, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.

The Handyguys discuss the government involvement in banning traditional light bulbs. Yup - The government has 'outlawed' the tried and true light bulb. Even after this podcast was recorded some representatives in congress have attempted to delay the enforcement of the ban. Despite their efforts it seems the 'ban' will be move forward. Its not really a ban on incandescent - Its a requirement that by certain dates, certain types of bulbs need to meet certain energy efficiency standards. January 2010 will be 100 watt bulbs and other to follow after that. Listen to the podcast as The Handyguys discuss the alternatives, pros and cons as well as discuss personal freedoms and its relationship to community stewardship. Bottom line - CFLs can save you money in the long run and the newest breed of CFL bulbs have nice color, turn on to full brightness much faster and may also last longer. You can find every type, size and style of the CFL bulbs over at your local True Value hardware store. We were one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program as well as our writing about our experience. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY project. However, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.  

The Handyguys did a bit of virtual perusing of the isles of our local True Value. Each of us made a Christmas shopping list and then compared our choices in this entertaining podcast.  We selected some excellent practical gift ideas for the handyguy, handygirl or anyone else. You must listen to the full podcast for our  explanation of why these items belong on your Christmas list.  And Merry Christmas! Alan wrench set Leatherman LED Christmas lights Porter Cable Oscillating Multitool Frost King electric heat cable Grill/Smoker/Fryer Lodge Cookware screwdrivers/all in one screw driver Fire pit Mouse traps Carbon-monoxide  detector Listen to the podcast for all the discussion and why we selected these items. We were one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program as well as our writing about our experience. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY project. However, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Can you save some money using LED Christmas Lights? The Handyguys discuss LED, mini-incandescent and C9 and C7 Christmas lights. LED Energy Savings This podcast was inspired by an article Handyguy Brian read on the Fox News Website entitled Good Return on Investment: LED Holiday Lights. Are they really a good investment? Perhaps, perhaps not! Do the Handyguys dare to disagree with Fox New reporting? In the name of fair and balanced the Handyguys discuss the energy savings of LED Christmas lights. Yes - LED Christmas lights save energy. According to the article you will save about 71.4 cents per 100 light string per season. How about return on investment? You Decide. Handyguy Brian went by the True Value and picked up a 300 light set for $39. That is a projected savings of $2.14 per season. Assuming Brian needed to buy new incandescent strings every 3 years due to failure, assuming $15 each time, and assuming that the LEDs lasted the advertised 20,000 hours (129 years at 155 hours per season), the ROI would 5 years. If ROI was calculated only on energy savings the ROI would be more like 18 years! Bottom line, buy quality, name brand, LED lights with a warranty. Save the info about how to file a warranty claim for your LEDs. The Colored and the Whites What about white lights versus colored lights? The Handyguys discuss an old article by a radio talk show host Michael Smerconish. Michael has said White lights are boring. White lights are sedate. White lights are pretentious. White lights are for fakers White lights are un-Christmas. Wow Michael, tell us how you really feel! Read Micheal's articles Enough with the white Christmas, already! and The Coloreds and The Whites Also discussed are the older style C9 and C7 lights. Listen to the podcast for all the lively discussion. We were one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program as well as our writing about our experience. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY project. However, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Hardscaping options The Handyguys discuss some hardscaping options under consideration for Brian's fathers house - concrete, stamped concrete and pavers. Concrete Ideas and Tips Plain old concrete is the cheapest and fastest option for a front stoop. A small stoop can be done in a day with the following day to remove forms and clean up any dirt around the area. Brian's fathers project (front patio, walkway, side walkway and rear patio slab) came in at about $3500 for plain concrete. Stamped Concrete and Hardscaping Help Stamped concrete is the process where a texture is places in the concrete to emulate the look of stone or brick. Stamped concrete also is typically colored. It's a less expensive option than pavers, installs quickly and has a nice look. Brian's fathers project (front patio, walkway, side walkway and rear patio slab) came in at about $4500 for plain concrete. Pavers or Stamped Concrete Pavers are bricks made from concrete. They come in many different shapes and colors that can be mixed and matched to come up with an interesting and unique look. They are usually more costly than concrete. Pavers also require much more attention to detail in terms of preparation and they are more labor intensive to install. The entire job takes longer than concrete. Brian's fathers project (front patio, walkway, side walkway and rear patio slab) came in at about $9000 for pavers. Listen to the podcast for a full discussion on each of the options.

Stink Bugs! Perhaps we wouldn't hate them sooooo much if they had a better name. Perhaps if Stink Bugs were called Smiley Bugs, Fun Bugs, Sweet Bugs or something else it would make them a bit more likeable. Unfortunately, Stink Bugs are a real issue. Stink bugs come into our houses when the weather cools off, they also can devastate certain crops. Stink Bugs are yet another invasive species that are currently impacting 33 states in the US. Preventing, Controlling and Eliminating Stink Bugs Stink Bug traps can be effective inside or outside the house to control and eliminate infestations. Prevention is another good approach to keep them out of the house.  A Key preventative measure for keeping Stink Bugs out of the house is to caulk and seal up cracks around your doors and windows. Leave your porch lights off so when you come inside you wont let as many Stink Bugs in with you. Bottom line for Stink Bug Control - Trap them before they get inside, Trap them if they do get inside and seal up the house so ones that the traps don't get can't get inside. In this audio podcast The Handyguys discuss the Stink Bug and how to eliminate them from your home. We discuss the Rescue! trap that is available at True Value. We were one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program as well as our writing about our experience. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY project. However, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.

How to kill wasps around the home Our neighborhood has a lot of wasps. They build small nests and find their way into all the protective hideouts provided by vinyl siding, drip edges, gutters and flashing. I don't usually pay a lot of attention to the wasps unless they are building a nest very close to people such as on my deck or front porch. While two of my children were stung last year, the wasps are generally not aggressive and stay out of our way. They are also supposed to eat other insects which is a good thing. Perhaps my permissive "live and let live" policy went a little  far. These creatures began building more nests around the home and bothering my wife and kids who were trying to enjoy the outdoors. It was time to address the  problem and eliminate the  nests. First, I used binoculars to observed the swarming wasps during the day when they are most active so I could see them flying in of out of their disguised homes. I then crept out one of our second story windows during the evening to get a closer look and access to their nests. This method can be very dangerous if you have a steep roof. You can either slip off the roof on your own or with the aid of angry wasps. While on the roof, I used an Ortho Home Defense product which I purchased at True Value Hardware.  It works great and does not seem to stain the siding. It has the ability to spray at areas that are 12-15 feet away and its foam prevents the wasps from making a counter attack. I identified nests in many areas including those shown here: The largest nest was in the rain downspout. I could not believe Wasps could survive the water runoff but the nest was cleverly built on the inside of the spout away from the water which washes down the outside of the spout. If you look closely you can see the nest in the down spout: When I was at the True Value store I picked up a Rescue WHY trap for wasps, hornets and yellow jackets. I was a little nervous about using the chemical spray in first floor areas outside where people like to hang out so I hung up this trap above the porch. After about a week of it being ignored, the Wasps finally started climbing in (perhaps because they no longer had other homes to return to...). I am going to keep using the Rescue trap and see if it continues to eliminate the remaining Wasps. We were one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program as well as our writing about our experience. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY project. However, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Repairing plaster walls and attaching things to plaster walls are discussed in this audio episode of The Handyguys Podcast. The Handyguys received this question from a listener: Would you please talk in detail about homes with plaster walls? I have never lived in a home with plaster walls until now and have only heard horror stories about putting things/pictures, etc, up on the walls. Can curtain rods be hung on plaster? Is it best to live with and/or "enhance" the cracks as a feature, or can they be fixed for a reasonable amount of $$? LOVE YOU GUYS! Thanks! No horror stories here. Some cracks might be inevitable but we discuss in the show doing repairs and hanging things on your plaster walls. Types of plaster walls Traditional plaster are often made by installing strips of wood lath to the framing and then multiple coasts of plaster are spread over the lath. The plaster can contain pig hair or horse hair for strength. This may also be applied, in some instances, over a masonry, brick or stone wall. Modern plaster, also called veneer plaster, is installed over a substrate board, similar to drywall. Hanging things on plaster walls Paul had good results with what he calls "tempered picture hanging nails" or also called hardened steel picture hook nails. You can get these at your local True Value hardware stores. Make sure you read the package for how much weight the particular hook can hold. You can also use a screw into the lath or a stud. A trim head screw would be ideal but other screws could be used as well. How about curtain rods? YES, you may be able to install the curtain rods with the hardware provided. If you are installing heavy curtains you will want to use a longer screw than may come with the curtain rods and then make sure you screw through the plaster and into the framing around the window. If you are attaching heavy things like shelves, and you can't screw into a stud, you may want to use a Toggle Bolt. These expand behind the wall to provide good holding power but will need a larger hole to install them. All of these attachment methods assume your plaster walls are in good shape. What if they are not? Then you may have to repair the plaster before attaching anything to it. Repairing plaster walls There are a few types of common repairs; cracks, missing pieces or separated lath and plaster.  The repair method will vary depending on what type of plaster you have and how it was originally installed. Repairing plaster separated from lath If the plaster has separated from the wood lath its likely because the "keys", where the plaster connects to the lath, have broken off. You need to re-attach the plaster to the lath. This can be done with drywall screws but a better solution would be to use "plaster washers". These washers are either metal or plastic. They are about 1 1/2" wide, a screw is inserted through the washer and driven into the wood lath. The washer pulls the plaster tight against the lath. You will need these washers every foot or so (or every few inches depending on how bad the plaster is detached) to secure the plaster. Once the washers are installed, and the plaster is stabilized, you then skim a coat of new plaster over the washers to hide them. Repairing cracks in plaster walls It seems that cracks in plaster are sometimes unavoidable in old homes. These homes will move with the seasons and cracks will re-appear over time.  A traditional approach to repairing cracks involves removing any loose plaster and then filling the crack with new plaster, also using some paper or fiberglass joint tape if the crack is large will help. If the house does move a lot then there may be little that can be done to keep the crack from re-occurring. If the crack is small, Paul suggests just using a flexible, paintable, caulk in the crack. The flexibility of the caulk gives you a better chance that it will stay put and the crack will not re-appear.

How should the do-it-yourselfer handle dust? When the handyman moves inside to cut and sand wood, a major hazard exists with all the dust that is accumulated in the air and potentially in your lungs.  The Handyguys talk about how to control dust from ruining your day and potentially your life. In order to protect yourself from dust, consider these strategies: Take into account the dust created by a tool before you use it. Purchase tools which incorporate dust collection as part of the tool design. Install a dedicated dust collector and an air cleaner. Work outside Wear respirator The Handyguys discuss these tips and their own dust collection and mitigation strategies in this episode. Residential Sprinkler Systems The Handyguys discuss a somewhat controversial issue regarding residential fire suppression systems or sprinkler systems. The controversy isnt regarding the benefits of such a system, yes, they do save lives and property. The controversy is if governments should require them to be installed in new construction or major remodels. Handyguy Brian thinks it should be an individuals choice and such an expensive option should not be mandated. Pennsylvania recently repealed the requirement after only a few months in effect. In times when builders are hurting for business and customers are trying to save every dollar they can, it's not wise to put additional costs on the industry. Listen to the discussion. Oh, and please no nasty emails if you don't agree with us. Disagreeing comments are welcome if they are respectful and tasteful.