Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Well, it's the weekend Welcome Aboard at Home with Gary Salivn.
That is hours brought to you by Jaws Cleaners. You know
springs here and some of the Jaws Spring cleaning packs.
It's just in time to tackle those spring cleaning jobs.
You can order the Jaws Cleaners at Jaws jawscleans dot
com and if you want to use the coupon code Gary,
(00:54):
you get free shipping on well I think it's purchases
over like thirty five bucks and that's the refillable cleaner.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
It's good stuff.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Use them all the time at our house. Again, it's
Jaws Jaws cleans dot com and get the Caddie Peck
easy to get that spring cleaning chores done around your home.
All right, taking your calls rerunning home projects, it's eight
hundred eight two three eight two five five and uh
(01:24):
we'll chat and talk about your home project. I know
it's been in a lot of parts of the country
very wet, spring flooding and different things along nose lines.
If you happen to have that issue in your community,
in your area, and you happen to have a crawl space,
I would encourage you to really kind of take a
(01:45):
look at it, even, you know, even if it's just
a couple of two feet clearing in there, get up
on a little step ladder if needed, and look back
into the crawl space with a flashlight and see what's
going on there and what you're looking for. You know,
that basement or the basement area maybe dry as a bone,
(02:07):
the cross base may not be. And see if you
can see any puddling. See what kind of shape the
cross space is in. And what I mean by that
is if the underside of the floor or the ceiling
of the cross base is insulated, is that insulation still
(02:29):
intact or is it wet and kind of falling down
and probably moldy? And you know all that gunk is
there plastic on the ground, is there a some pump
back there? If you're not real sure of those things,
just again get up there with a flesh like kind
of investigate what's going back in that cross base. Because really,
(02:51):
when our homes, you hear a lot of discussion right
now about unhealthy homes and making your home more healthy,
the air quality in your home, and a lot of
those problems emanate from the crawl space, and especially crawl
spaces that are not encapsulated, or there's issues with water
(03:13):
intruding into the crawl space, and you know, you don't
know unless you look. So today you'll hear me talk
a lot about you know, let's take a walk around
the house, see what's wrong, checking the crawl space and
another thing to check, and we rarely do this. We
pay attention to our basements a lot because well, if
(03:36):
you have a basement, you know, you probably store a
lot of stuff down there. Crawl spaces in a lot
of cases, that's just kind of the creepy little place
we never pay much attention to unless we have a
problem and we have to pay attention. But it's usually
accessible to our eyeballs. We can kind of see what's
going on there, and so put that on your list
(03:58):
to do that.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
In an area that I.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Said is forgotten or we don't pay much attention to,
is the attic. The attic is ignored. The attic in
a lot of homes is difficult to get up into.
Maybe you have a pulldown ladder, maybe you don't. If
you don't, that's a good nice house addition and might
(04:22):
be something you want to add to your home to
make it more accessible. But whether you do or you don't,
and whether you can or you can't, meaning getting up
into the attic, I would encourage you to either find
somebody to get up in the attic, or if you
can get up into the attic, get up there and
take a look around there. That's an area again you
(04:44):
can have some issues. You can have leaks, and a
lot of times you can have molds on the underside
of the roof. And of course just saying oh, I
got a leak isn't really helping much, right You gotta
you got to find out why, where, and how do
we fix that. But if you don't get up there
(05:06):
and you don't know anything's going on, eventually it'll get
ahead of you. And that bill is Boy, it's been
a long time since I said it, but it's so
very true that five dollars repair will quickly become a
fifty dollars repair, which can become a five hundred dollars repair,
and if you really let it go, it'll become a
five thousand dollars repair. That's what we don't want to have.
(05:29):
So up in the attic, you can look at the ventilation,
if it's open, if it's clear as insulation covered the
vent over down at the soffits and the facia boards
down at the edge of the roof.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Is is that open?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Is that air free flowing to make the ventilation work
in the attic? Is there waves in the insulation? Does
it need to be spread out a little bit? Is
the insulation wet? Is there mold on the bottom of
the roof boards. Those are things you want to pay
attention to, and those are things that can be easily corrected.
(06:11):
Don't store stuff in attics. That's another thing. People have
a tendency to outside out of mind and put stuff
up in the attic, and I just wouldn't do that.
It's not really designed to be a storage area. There
are ways to properly store up in the attic if
you wanted to, and it's usually done by a lift
(06:32):
and a platform where you can actually lower the platform,
stack something on it, and then through a mechanical device
it goes up into the ceiling. That would be fine,
but just take your attic and throw a piece of
plywood up there and just start stacking boxes And not
really a fan of that, and also you could get
(06:54):
yourself in trouble with weight. They're not really designed to
do that a friend of mine. He starts or and
stuff in an attic, and all of a sudden, the
seams of his drywall ceiling started being exposed. That actually
moved enough that it was tearing the drywall tape, and
it had a textured ceiling on it, like a popcorn
(07:16):
ceiling in the attic. And it ended up being a
little bit of repair, not necessarily a big expensive repair,
but it was still a repair. So I'd kind of
stay away from that so we can talk about what
you want to talk about. Those are a couple of
things that I have on my list to check and
(07:38):
certainly would be applicable to anybody. Especially basement cross space.
We love to say, certainly have attics that where you
can get into and see what's going on. But I
would certainly put that on your list. We'll also be
spending more and more time outdoors, and it's never, ever,
ever too early to start talking about deck concrete patching.
(08:01):
We got into a lot of that yesterday also, so
we'll take those calls too. It's eight hundred and eight
two three eight two five five, and let's go to
the phones. We got Ran Ran, Welcome, Hi, Gary.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Listen, it's the same age old battle, always keeping the
water out. And I've got this big deck around the house,
walk around deck and uh it requires you know, every
I try to do something, it's so big, or I
try to do something every couple of years. We noticed
a few years back when we put our stain on,
we're we're blessed up there. We just have a bevy
(08:36):
of hummingbirds that come in. But about the time that
they start coming in is about the time you want
to stay in the deck. We noticed a few years
ago that kind of drove them off. The one I'm
looking at and thinking about is a something has a
lower uh what is tremonious relativity?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
But the yeah bocs, yeah, yeah, exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
So there's if there's something that is effective that doesn't
have that at that high level of evaporation there. Because
my wife is convinced that's what drove them off. And
they came back, but never quite in the same numbers
or anything else. And I understand they're quite sensitive.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
So well, I guess there's you know, your two basic
types of deck stains is a oil base and a
water base. Acrylic deck stains. Your your oil base and
your modified oil deck stains are going to have a
(09:33):
higher voc versus a water base deck stain, So that
would be in you know, and that would be the
easy way to make the determination, rather than getting everybody's
MSD sheets and going through and see what all the
vaulta or gaining compounds are. But your water base will
be much less uh, it will also dry faster, It
(09:56):
will also last a little longer. A good quality acrylic
or water base will have more resistance to the ultraviolet lights,
which you certainly have plenty of. And the negative on
in acrylic or a water base is it would have
a tendency not to penetrate as well as an oil
(10:18):
base into the wood. So there's some maybe another step
or two additional steps that you know, you could use
to make sure that it's going to penetrate into the
wood fibers, and one of those would be after you
clean it, use what they call a deck brightener, which
(10:39):
is basically a mild oxalic acid, which is a wood
bleach basically, which would open up the pores and allow
the the the water base to penetrate deeper into that wood. So,
you know, I hope that answer your question, but yes,
that would be in fact, a lot of oil based
(11:00):
deck stains or even you know they're they're not. You
can't mbindment in certain states.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Now, yeah, I think that does because I, like I said,
we've not every three years is about I find as
much as I can get away with.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I think that's story.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
I know. This one deck stain that I talk about
is called Defy. It's a water based deck stain. And
you know, there's so many environmental conditions that really determine
the longevity of a deck stain. And their tag is
our deck stain will give you an additional year's worth
of life. And I remember years ago when I when
(11:41):
it first came out, well what is the average? And
right away the I guess it's always different because if
you're in a really shaded area and you don't really
get a lot of sun at that deck, you probably
you probably.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Have more.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Mildew and fungus than you'll have you know, fading an
ultra violet damage to the deck. And that's very true,
and you might get five years, but the average deck
in a sunny location you're gonna get two three years.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
But we're full sun and we had snow last night.
It was snow. Yeah, not very much, but you know
we're thirty five hundred feet. Hey, it's always nice to
talk to you.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Gary.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
I wripped this stuff down and looks like we've got
a We've got a plant for one more of the
one more of the tasks to keep the water out
of the house.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
There you go round, take care of Thanks. All right,
Let's take a break and come back and get some
more questions answered.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
You're at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
Help for your home is just a click away at
Garysullivan online dot com. This is at Home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Every paint removal project comes with its own set of challenges,
and finding the right product for the job can be difficult.
I have the solution. Deman has developed a complete paint
removal test kit that will help you zero in on
the best paint removal product that you need for your project.
Test kit includes a down samples of smart Strip, Advanced,
smart Strip Pro and peel Away paint removal products with
(13:24):
all the necessary items you need. You can get your
test kit at participating Sherman William's locations or visit Dumontglobal
dot com to purchase a kit, or find a retailer
near you. Spring is here and sorrow.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
The Jaws Spring Cleaning Caddie packs just in time to
tackle your spring cleaning jobs. This all in one cleaning
solution features five high performance Jaws cleaners, including my favorite
streak free glass cleaner, plus refill pods, microfiber towels, and
Jaws dishs spray, all neatly packed in a convenient caddy.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
With Jaws just add.
Speaker 6 (13:55):
Water system, you'll clean smarter and faster. This limited time
spring caddipeck won't last. Order now at jawscleans dot com.
Enjoy free shipping on orders over thirty five dollars. Mosquitoes
can transmit deadly diseases, including wesnow virus, but some mosquito
dunks kill mosquitoes before they're old enough to bite. Just
(14:16):
float an organic mosquito dunk and ponds bird bass rain
barrels in any standing water to kill mosquito larvae for
thirty days or longer. Don't worry. Mosquito dunks won't harm people, pets, fish, birds,
or wildlife. Mosquito dunks are available at garden centers, hardware
stores and online. Visit some Responsible Solutions dot com. Dirty patio,
(14:38):
don't scrub it wet and forget it. Wet and forget
the easy outdoor cleaner. Wet and forget works overtime with
Mother Nature to eliminate unsightly black and green stains on
your patio or deck with no scrubbing, power washing or bleach.
Use wet and forget on all your outdoor surfaces, including driveways, siding, roofs,
and fencing. Wetin forgets available in con and trade or
(15:00):
extreme reach jose En. Purchase Wet and Forget in store
online at Loew's Minards or ace.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Well.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Working around the home and you're at home with Gary
Sulvan where we can discuss your projects maintenance, repair, and
let's get back to the phone calls.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
We've got Clark Clark Welcome, Good morning, Gary, morning.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
All right, greetings from up state northern New York on
the south shore of Lake Ontario.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
There you go. How's it today? Is it a nice
day or is it a cold one? Still?
Speaker 7 (16:00):
Ah?
Speaker 4 (16:00):
We're working outdoors at home with Gary Sullivan. You are
my go to pro Gary.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
There you go, Thank you.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Now, I have created a seven acre replica of at
around that great camp and on a fifteen hundred square
foot house. I've got six custom decks, and this is
my question. Where the ballusters typically are placed underneath the handrail.
(16:31):
I have had the craftsmen installed quarter inch roughly four
foot by four foot plexiglass clear panels, and that brings
the outdoors into the deck space with a composite deck.
What I need from you, Gary, is what I can
(16:51):
use as a cleaner that will not scratch, cloud or
otherwise have braised the surface of the quarterage plexigas panels.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Yeah, there is, I know. Back in jeez, let me
answer it differently. What you're looking for is a glass
cleaner that does not control contain silicones or alcohol. Okay,
so your question, it's a good question because computer screens,
(17:23):
TV screens, eyeglasses, iPads, acrylic plexiglass, you can't use regular
window cleaner. So there are specific window cleaners, usually the
much better ones that don't contain those particular products. One
(17:44):
of them you hear me talk about all the time,
and that's the Jaws glass cleaner. It's Jaws. I always
talk about it, really about how good it is because
it doesn't leave streaks. But the side benefit of that
is no alcohol, no silicones. You can use it on
(18:06):
computer screens, plexiglass TVs and otherwise you would create almost
like a stain or a cloudiness to that. So that's
what you want to use Clark, and you can get
it right online at their website, or you can get
it on Amazon. It's jawscleans dot com.
Speaker 4 (18:29):
I wonder if that might even be available at true
value hardware.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
I don't think so. They sell this around the world.
It's a very environmentally safe product also, but it's almost
internet based, though they are now making inroads into the
brick and mortar stores. But I think you're going to
have to get it off the website or off their website.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
If there's a promo code throw in my name. Gary.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I don't know if there's any discounts running right now,
but every now and then there is. But it's great stuff.
It seriously is Clark, and it would certainly serve your purpose.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Well, Gary, you are a stand up guy and at
home with Gary Sullivan on the weekends. Really rocks. And
I'm used to giving grades in all areas of academia,
my friend, and you always get an eight.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Month There you go. Thank you, Clark, you made my day.
Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
And coming up, we have our friends in from Rotor Ruter.
We're going to talk about things to check. Yeah, I'm
talking about your plumbing system coming into the springtime after
a pretty harsh winter. We'll continue at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
Solutions to your home improvement are as easy as calling
one eight eighty three. Talk this He's at home with
Gary Sullivan. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
Tired of sticky fly ribbons that get stuck to everything, Well,
you'll love the newest fly trap from Rescue called Flypad.
Flies are lured to the trap with special colors and patterns,
and thanks to an innovative ridge surface, it keeps your
fingers away from the glue. Flypad can be used anywhere
you need fly control. Flypad is a sticky fly trap
that won't stick to you. Flypad is made in the
(20:34):
USA by the makers of the popular Rescue flying Yellowjacket traps.
Learn more at Rescue dot com. Get a grip make
your home safer and more beautiful. Add track Safe anti
slip color code to ugly blotchy floor surfaces, then top
it off with award winning track Safe Anti slip sealer.
Renew concrete, stone and prepainted surfaces.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
With these easy to apply.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
Products from disce Coatings great for both inside and outdoors.
Track safe products deliver a aggressive anti slip performance with
all weather durability. Get on track and order products today
with free shipping from the home depot lows Ordish Codings
dot com. That's Daicchcoatings dot Com. I've had my easy
Breed ventilation system for over fifteen years in love it.
(21:15):
Easy Breathe is small, standalone youit that mounts on basement walls,
plugs in and vents air out, creating air exchanges, getting
rid of musty odors, staying in air, and making homes
healthy again. There's no maintenance, just set it and forget it.
I encourage you to visit letter E letter z breed
dot com see for yourself. Give them a call at
eight sixty six eight two two seventy three twenty eight.
(21:36):
Easy Breathe units are now twenty percent off plus a
free humidity monitoring kit. Give them a call today. It's
Easybreed dot com. Hey, Gary Salvian here for Zlar pumps.
Zalor's been keeping homes safe and dry since nineteen thirty nine,
and their passion for excellence is why it's the only
name I trust to keep my basement dry. For your
home's groundwater protection system, you got to check out tho
(21:58):
Xlor Model sixty three some pump with the LED plug
and the aquanut Fit five O eight battery backup system.
Together they're your guaranteed water protection system when installed by
a factory certified installer. To find your installer today, go
to Zolar pumps dot com.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
All right, back here we go at home with Gary Sullivan,
out and about checking things around your home. I hope
the sun is out hopefully in your neighborhood. In mine,
it is bright. Join us now is Paul Abrams. He's
director of public relations for Roto Ruter and Paul, welcome
again at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
How you doing.
Speaker 8 (23:01):
I'm well the sun is shining here too, and it
feels great.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Yeah, yeah, I'm ready to go. I'm sure you are.
I know.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
It's Roto Ruter plumbing and water clean up. How the
water clean up people go, Oh.
Speaker 8 (23:13):
They have been busy, and you might imagine with all
this rain in the Midwest, we have seen just the
phone ringing off the hook as they.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
Say, yeah, yeah, I'm sure there was certainly an abundance
of water as we in our homes as homeowners, and
we cycle out of winter in the spring in the summer.
Maybe our maintenance and care around our home wasn't the
best it should be. Is there a couple of things
(23:42):
we I guess one of the things we should everybody
is taking a look at that some pump. I just
Ron Wilson and I we were just talking. He goes like, uh,
I think I need a new some pump, And I said,
why is because I think it's old. Anything mean to them,
but anyway, some pumps last like ten years, right, Yeah.
Speaker 8 (24:06):
That's right. I mean the way you know, and I've
had I'm on my third house, and I can say
that in my first two that some pump seemed like
it ran every thirty seconds to a minute, even in
July when it was dry. And if that's your case,
you need to replace that some pump every five years.
Now my current home, it's it's one of those sleepers.
(24:26):
It only comes on when when we get just a
real downpour. And that pump's probably gonna last me ten years.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Well, I gotta check mine because I think mind's in
about that age too, So you know, being a little
ahead of the curve here, might be real important. Is
there is there ways that we need to check that
some pump you know, just the test, did I guess?
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (24:51):
And this is the right time to be doing it.
If if you haven't had a downpour in your area
that is, you know, forced that pump into action, then
what you need do is either get a hose through
the basement window and down into the pit, or a
five gallon bucket of water and pour it down into
that sump pit. And if it's working properly, that pump
should turn itself on, remove most of the water from
(25:14):
the sump pit, and then turn itself back off again.
And you'll want to hear that check valve slam. You
hear those sounds. That's when you know it's doing its
job and it's working for you. If it isn't, you
need to get in there and find out why it isn't.
The most common thing to wear out on a sump
pump is the float switch, which turns it on and
off in the first place. And you want to get
(25:36):
in there, Gary and look down in that pit. And
if there's a bunch of gravel and you know, pebbles
and debris in there, you should should reach in there,
put a glove on, reach in there and sweep that
stuff out of there. Because the intake on most sump pumps,
the water intake is up the bottom, and if it
sucks that debris up against that intake screen, it can
(25:57):
block water off and prevent it from doing it. I
had that happen in one of my basements years ago,
and it sucked a piece of plastical a Kroger bag
or something up against that scrain and that pump maybe
working at ten percent of its capability, So the basement
still got water in it because it wasn't doing it
wasn't able to work one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Sure, Sure, I know rotor Ruter installs some pumps, and
ron Ad asks is that something you can do? And
people always ask me that is you know there you
can do a lot of things. Is some pump is
something that can be installed if you have some mechanical ability.
(26:39):
But another thing to consider, whether you do it or
you have rotor Ruter do it, is a is a
backup pump. I think that's becoming critical anymore.
Speaker 8 (26:51):
Oh, you you are so right, Gary, the backup some pump.
Because you think about the nature of storms. Sometimes you
get the thunder and lightning and out power. Well, if
you don't have power, your some pump can't work. So
there are battery backup options and they're pretty smart these days.
Some of them will send notifications to your smartphone to say, hey,
(27:13):
pump is working or as a battery backup some pump,
I just turned myself on and I'm working in your
basement now, And that's when you need to spring into action.
But we also have water powered backup pump so often
called venturi pumps. Sure that use water pressure from your
city water supply, which is very reliable and it sort
(27:33):
of creates a siphon effect. You use a lot of water,
but your basement won't flood and it's probably the most
reliable backup some pump you can buy.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Yeah, all right, So then the other thing, how about
floor drains and things. I'm sure with all the again,
you don't have to have flooding around your house to
have this problem, but a lot of times that's what
precipitates it because of waste lines and stormlines tied together
other and older neighborhoods. Can we do anything inspecting floor drains?
Speaker 8 (28:05):
Yeah, you know, we talked about Gary. You know pouring
a five gallon bucket into a sump pit. You don't
need that much. Get a half gallon or gallon milk
jug and fill it full of water and pour some
into each of your floor drains and make sure that
the water doesn't back up or bubble up onto the floor.
If it's doing its job, it should handle, you know,
a pretty steady flow of water. And if it isn't,
(28:27):
then that drain's got some sort of a blockage in there,
maybe some debree that needs to be cleaned out. And
you know, if you've got some sewer smells in your
house and you're wondering where they're coming from, but you
haven't filled those traps. It's like that U shaped trap
beneath your kitchen. Think there's one of those under your
floor drain too, and when those get empty, they allow
(28:48):
that sewer gas to come up into your house. If
you've got a musty smell in your basement, laundry room,
even you know, some garages have these, go around and
fill those traps up, and you know, test the drain,
make sure it's carrying water away quickly. And then you're
doing two things at once. You're filling that that that
block there and you're preventing that sewer gash from coming
into your home.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
That's a great tip, especially now.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
I know a lot of people, you know, snowbirds, they
go to Arizona, they go to Florida, They're gone through
in four months and.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
They come back.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
You know, I if you didn't do anything as a
precaution there, I'd certainly get that jug of water and
start doing bethub drains and floor drains for that matter,
any drain. Right, it depends on your house, but in
a lot of cases, those can dry out over the
course of three or four months and your home can
smell like it, you know, a bunch of sewer gas.
Speaker 8 (29:41):
So sure can Yeah, I guess bathroom or maybe the
kids are off college and that bathroom doesn't get used much,
and those sewer gases can come up through those sink
drains and top drains the same way.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
One of the things I'm always cautioning people in in
the fall is to uh disconnect that hose to the
outdoor faucets, because I'm sure there's a lot of people
in the next probably four weeks that are going to
be surprised because they're gonna go out and they're gonna
turn that faucet on and they're going to find a
leak on the inside of the home.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Do you run into that at rotoruter?
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Oh?
Speaker 8 (30:17):
Yes, you know, Gary, You're so right, And it's important
I'll describe this, folks, so that that you do this
the right way, because a lot of homes have an
interior shut off valve down in the basement or sometimes
it's in a you know, a closet or something, if
you've got a slab home, and what happens is you
turn that valve off and that prevents your water supply
(30:39):
from feeding the outdoor faucets. So what you do is
you turn those off in the fall, and then you
go outside and you open the faucet. You drain that
water out so it can't freeze and damage your pipes.
But if you forget to or you've left your garden
hose connected to that outside faucet and that water inside
is frozen, it carries that freeze up into the fat
(31:00):
itself and into the connecting water supply line. So what
happens is you do damage on the inside. And when
people come around in the spring and they as kind
of turn things on and you know, hook up the
hoses have you thing, They turn on that and they
don't see it until they go back down into the basement.
But there's a water leak down there because that pipe.
So folks go back and forth. Go and if you're
(31:22):
turning that water on down in the basement, go outside,
test the faucet outside, and then go back into the
basement and make sure nothing's leaking because it only takes
a few minutes before water damage occurs.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Well that's great.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
And if you got a buddy, a partnering crime here,
get them downstairs in the basement and when you open
up that hose bib outside, they can give you a
big old holler if there's leak, because you don't want
to ignore that. I mean, I guess that's why Rotor
Ruter ended up doing water cleanup is because people ignored that.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Correct.
Speaker 8 (31:56):
Yeah, yeah, you know we were always having you know,
people say, well, oops.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You there, we just lost him.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
I think we lost him, all right, Uh, Paul, if
you're listening, no panic again. The website is rotrouter dot com.
He's at the ballpark right now. His son's a wonderful
Oh he's back. I was just going to say goodbye, Paul.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
No.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
I was telling him, you're at the ballpark today, aren't
you your son playing today?
Speaker 8 (32:30):
I am, yes, good, Yeah, it.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Looks like he's enjoying it and so are you. So
that was really the one two three things I wanted
to talk about was the fawcetts and the sump pumps
and the water clean up. Of course, Rotor Ruter offers
full plumbing services. We all know about the Rotor Router
and the drain cleaners and everything, but also regular plumbing.
(32:56):
And you got a very comprehensive website where you help
people with their plumbing projects. I mean, you got some
great videos there.
Speaker 8 (33:04):
We do, and you know, we got something brand new Gary.
We just introduced the first Roto Router mobile app and
all that stuff, those videos you talked about, DIY information
is all on the app and you can keep track
of your service histories and go when did we put
that water heater in? Oh, we Rotor rit Or put
that in. Then you know twenty sixteen. We carry all
(33:26):
your service information from the path into that app.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
Nice and you'll.
Speaker 8 (33:30):
Have it at your fingertip. So that's we just introduced it.
We're going to be doing regular updates. To it, and
even better than having to go to the website, you'll
have it all on your smartphone.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
So yeah, see right now, I got. All I got
is my sharpie pen and I marked it on my
solar pump. So when I get off today, I'm going
to go see how old my some pump is. I
may be calling you your year.
Speaker 8 (33:52):
Old school like I am. Gary.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
That's what I do.
Speaker 8 (33:54):
I take a silver sharpie and write it on the
pump and on the water heater and those things. But yeah,
now you can do it and the app if if
that makes it easier for you, you can download at
the app Store, Google Play. And it's a lot of fun.
We've had a lot of fun designing it and making
it as useful as possible.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Very good, well, Paul, thanks for joining us. Get us
a win today, okay.
Speaker 8 (34:15):
We sure well. Thanks Gary, have a great.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Day, take care bye bye, all right, Paul Abrams, he's
a public relations guy.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
I wrote a ruder and a great guy and a
driving force.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Said, wrote a ruder to get this information out in
people's hands. And again, with the different technologies of having
all your files in there, I see more and more
companies doing that.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
It's a great, great idea.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
All right, let me give you the phone number you
can grab a line. We're talking about your home projects
and also giving you a little knowledge about things to
check around the home. It's eight hundred eight two three
eight two five five your calls. Next, You're at home
with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
Helm for your home is just a click away and
Gary Sullivan online dot com. This is at home with
Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 6 (35:19):
Rust ruins everything it touches, vehicles, furniture, tools, toys. Russ
doesn't know how to stop, but Blaster knows how to
stop rust. Stop it, bust it up, clean it off,
and prevent it from ever happening with pbe Blaster the
number one product to break free rusted or stuck parts period.
Then use Blaster's surface shield rust protected to protect from
(35:40):
rust from ever forming in the first place. It's simple,
Blaster knows rust. So get to know Blaster products at
a home outo or hardware store near you, and always
work it like a pro.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Well.
Speaker 6 (35:51):
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure, and that's true when it comes to preventing
a basement flood. Hey, Gary Sulvan here from my friends
at rote A Router Plumbing and water.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
There're the some.
Speaker 6 (36:01):
Pump experts and can install back up some pump that'll
prevent basement flooding even during a power outage. And if
your primary pump is getting up in the years, well,
Roto Ruter can replace that too. Trust me a lot
cheaper than a flooded basement. Called Roto Router at one
eight hundred. Get routo today. Spring is here and sow
the Jaws Spring Cleaning caddy packs just in time to
(36:23):
tackle your spring cleaning jobs. This all in one cleaning
solution features five high performance Jaws cleaners, including my favorite
streak free glass cleaner, plus refill pods, microfiber towels, and
Jaws dish spray, all neatly packed in a convenient caddy.
With Jaws just add water system, you'll clean smarter and faster.
This limited times spring cleaning caddy pack won't last. Order
(36:46):
now at Jaws cleans dot com. Enjoy free shipping on
orders over thirty five dollars. Dirty exterior, well, don't scrub it.
Wet and forget it. Wet and forget the easy outdoor cleaner.
Wet and forget works over time with Mother Nature to
a m and e unsightly black and green stains on
the exterior of your home with no scrubbing, powerwashing or bleach.
(37:06):
Use wet and forget on all your outdoor surfaces, including decks, siding, roofs,
and patios. Weting forgets available in a concentrator, extreme reach
hose en purchase wet and forget in a store or
online at Loew's Minards or Ace.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
All right, Becky, do we go at home with Gary
Sullivan ticking your calls at eight hundred and eighty two
three eight two five five, and to the phones we go.
We have Lenora.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Welcome, Hi, GARYL.
Speaker 7 (37:54):
I have a unique situation. Can you hear Nick?
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Yes? Hell, I gotcha.
Speaker 7 (38:00):
I have a very I have a very unique situation.
I have a cistern on my property that was built
in nineteen oh eight, and we've turned it into a
swimming pool years ago. And my problem is that we've
bought paints to ply POxy paint, to steal it and
(38:21):
paint it. Because it's made out of brick and whatever
the mortar was in nineteen oh eight, I have no
idea what it is, but it just keeps on cracking,
and I really want to get it up and running again.
And I want something that I can paint over it
or I don't care what color it is. I just
want to be usable again. It's six feet deep and
(38:43):
thirty two feet across.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Yeah, there's some I don't have a name of a product.
There are certainly word becomes difficult. Is when you said,
you know the mortar and I don't know what kind
it is is that's very accurate because a lot of
the brick in nineteen oh eight and a lot of
the mortar was mixed right on site, right, you know,
(39:11):
so we.
Speaker 7 (39:11):
Don't who Yeah, so I just don't put over was
very very white looking.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
One of the things I would take a look at
is there's different systems and country Jesel cistern companies that
actually do liners for cisterns.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
Now, the coatings.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
One of the biggest cistern or waterproof coatings that used
to exist was great for basement walls, but it was
not designed for cisterns. It was called thorough Seal. I
don't know if a product, Yeah, thorough seal. And really
(39:53):
what it comes down to is you know how much
pressure is in that cistern. I don't even know how
to tell you to calculate something that's six foot deep
and thirty two feet long. I don't know what the
pounds per square inch is, and there's a calculation for that.
There is a waterproof paint called dry lock, and it's
dry l Ok and it comes in wide, it comes
(40:17):
in clear, and it holds back ten pounds per square inch,
which is a lot of water pressure. But I don't
know if it's designed for cisterns. I know in hardware
stores of years ago, they would have a concrete block
and they'd have a little water pump pumping water into
(40:38):
this block, and the water would weep right through the block,
and then the other half of that block was painted
with dry lock and there would be no weep each
through that block. But that's not much water pressure, but
ten pounds per square inches is sizable. So I would
have to get online under the dry lock and see
if it talks about cisterns. But like I said, there
(41:00):
is commercial liners that they line old cisterns with. And
if you've had some problems with failure of the mortar
and even the brick, maybe I think maybe having a
mechanical liner over there might be your best option.
Speaker 7 (41:19):
Well, I think I've tried to contact one of the
cistern liner companies and I never could get them to
call me back. So it's like every year I'm having
to or every other year I'm having to repaint it
or do something with it. And I really want to.
Plus I want to change it from my whale water,
which I have a five horse power pumpmrgible pump in
(41:42):
it that will pump three thousand gallons an hour in it,
so I know it takes eight hours to fill it up.
So oh, I want to change it from well water
to salt water. So I've got a better filtration system
with it, with an ionized system that I don't have
to use as much chemicals in it because when.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
But even with the salt water, I think I think
you'd be better with that liner even more so. Now,
So is there another company you can try or I'd
keep trying, And I really think that's your answer.
Speaker 7 (42:15):
I just know I'm just one company. I just kind
of googled it and tried to contact one months ago.
But I really want to go ahead and get it
done for good one time, and just you know, because
I've got it, I've got it set up just like
a pool. We cut the square hole in it for
the for the pump, you know, just filter through the
(42:37):
system and all just like a swimming pool. And so
I know, I've got to change all that stuff to
the SAM filter and all that to go to salt water.
But I've heard their stories and you'r I used to
listen to you years ago, and then all of a sudden,
it just you popped up on the radio one morning
and I was like, yes, I need to call him.
(42:58):
I can get through like fifteen times this morning and
keple busy like shocks when you probably got through.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Yeah, yeah, no, we're busy on a weekend.
Speaker 8 (43:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (43:10):
You know.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
One of the other things, as you're telling me this story,
I'm kind of thinking of another alternative rather than focusing
on cisterns, maybe contacting a pool company and see if
you know, since you've got to have some pool work
done and filtering in different things along that line, see
(43:33):
if there is a pool filter or not filter, but
liner that could be going over that brick cistern walls.
You know, that might be another avenue to explore since
you're kind of striking out on the cistern companies. But
check with a pool company and see if there's a
liner that they could install when they make the other
(43:54):
adjustments to make that work.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
I hope that helps. Leonora.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Thank you very much for the call. I appreciate it listening.
I appreciate that too, and we'll continue with your calls
at eight hundred eight two three eight two five five.
Don't forget April's Healthy Home Awareness Month, and right now
you can save twenty dollars off during the month of
April and plus two free humidity monitoring kits for your home.
(44:19):
You're right, I'm talking about the easy Breed ventilation system.
It's letter E letter zbreed dot com. Check it out great,
great discounts, plus the humidity monitoring kits which is so
important to keep in the air healthy in your home. Again,
it's easy Breath dot Com. Like I said, we'll continue
with your calls next dot Home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 5 (44:53):
Hey, it's the weekend and you have fixed questions. Give
Gary a call at one eight hundred eighty two three talk.
This is at Home with Garry Sullivan.
Well, it's the weekend Welcome Aboard at Home with Gary Salivn.
That is hours brought to you by Jaws Cleaners. You know
springs here and some of the Jaws Spring cleaning packs.
It's just in time to tackle those spring cleaning jobs.
You can order the Jaws Cleaners at Jaws jawscleans dot
com and if you want to use the coupon code Gary,
(00:54):
you get free shipping on well I think it's purchases
over like thirty five bucks and that's the refillable cleaner.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
It's good stuff.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Use them all the time at our house. Again, it's
Jaws Jaws cleans dot com and get the Caddie Peck
easy to get that spring cleaning chores done around your home.
All right, taking your calls rerunning home projects, it's eight
hundred eight two three eight two five five and uh
(01:24):
we'll chat and talk about your home project. I know
it's been in a lot of parts of the country
very wet, spring flooding and different things along nose lines.
If you happen to have that issue in your community,
in your area, and you happen to have a crawl space,
I would encourage you to really kind of take a
(01:45):
look at it, even, you know, even if it's just
a couple of two feet clearing in there, get up
on a little step ladder if needed, and look back
into the crawl space with a flashlight and see what's
going on there and what you're looking for. You know,
that basement or the basement area maybe dry as a bone,
(02:07):
the cross base may not be. And see if you
can see any puddling. See what kind of shape the
cross space is in. And what I mean by that
is if the underside of the floor or the ceiling
of the cross base is insulated, is that insulation still
(02:29):
intact or is it wet and kind of falling down
and probably moldy? And you know all that gunk is
there plastic on the ground, is there a some pump
back there? If you're not real sure of those things,
just again get up there with a flesh like kind
of investigate what's going back in that cross base. Because really,
(02:51):
when our homes, you hear a lot of discussion right
now about unhealthy homes and making your home more healthy,
the air quality in your home, and a lot of
those problems emanate from the crawl space, and especially crawl
spaces that are not encapsulated, or there's issues with water
(03:13):
intruding into the crawl space, and you know, you don't
know unless you look. So today you'll hear me talk
a lot about you know, let's take a walk around
the house, see what's wrong, checking the crawl space and
another thing to check, and we rarely do this. We
pay attention to our basements a lot because well, if
(03:36):
you have a basement, you know, you probably store a
lot of stuff down there. Crawl spaces in a lot
of cases, that's just kind of the creepy little place
we never pay much attention to unless we have a
problem and we have to pay attention. But it's usually
accessible to our eyeballs. We can kind of see what's
going on there, and so put that on your list
(03:58):
to do that.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
In an area that I.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
Said is forgotten or we don't pay much attention to,
is the attic. The attic is ignored. The attic in
a lot of homes is difficult to get up into.
Maybe you have a pulldown ladder, maybe you don't. If
you don't, that's a good nice house addition and might
(04:22):
be something you want to add to your home to
make it more accessible. But whether you do or you don't,
and whether you can or you can't, meaning getting up
into the attic, I would encourage you to either find
somebody to get up in the attic, or if you
can get up into the attic, get up there and
take a look around there. That's an area again you
(04:44):
can have some issues. You can have leaks, and a
lot of times you can have molds on the underside
of the roof. And of course just saying oh, I
got a leak isn't really helping much, right You gotta
you got to find out why, where, and how do
we fix that. But if you don't get up there
(05:06):
and you don't know anything's going on, eventually it'll get
ahead of you. And that bill is Boy, it's been
a long time since I said it, but it's so
very true that five dollars repair will quickly become a
fifty dollars repair, which can become a five hundred dollars repair,
and if you really let it go, it'll become a
five thousand dollars repair. That's what we don't want to have.
(05:29):
So up in the attic, you can look at the ventilation,
if it's open, if it's clear as insulation covered the
vent over down at the soffits and the facia boards
down at the edge of the roof.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Is is that open?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Is that air free flowing to make the ventilation work
in the attic? Is there waves in the insulation? Does
it need to be spread out a little bit? Is
the insulation wet? Is there mold on the bottom of
the roof boards. Those are things you want to pay
attention to, and those are things that can be easily corrected.
(06:11):
Don't store stuff in attics. That's another thing. People have
a tendency to outside out of mind and put stuff
up in the attic, and I just wouldn't do that.
It's not really designed to be a storage area. There
are ways to properly store up in the attic if
you wanted to, and it's usually done by a lift
(06:32):
and a platform where you can actually lower the platform,
stack something on it, and then through a mechanical device
it goes up into the ceiling. That would be fine,
but just take your attic and throw a piece of
plywood up there and just start stacking boxes And not
really a fan of that, and also you could get
(06:54):
yourself in trouble with weight. They're not really designed to
do that a friend of mine. He starts or and
stuff in an attic, and all of a sudden, the
seams of his drywall ceiling started being exposed. That actually
moved enough that it was tearing the drywall tape, and
it had a textured ceiling on it, like a popcorn
(07:16):
ceiling in the attic. And it ended up being a
little bit of repair, not necessarily a big expensive repair,
but it was still a repair. So I'd kind of
stay away from that so we can talk about what
you want to talk about. Those are a couple of
things that I have on my list to check and
(07:38):
certainly would be applicable to anybody. Especially basement cross space.
We love to say, certainly have attics that where you
can get into and see what's going on. But I
would certainly put that on your list. We'll also be
spending more and more time outdoors, and it's never, ever,
ever too early to start talking about deck concrete patching.
(08:01):
We got into a lot of that yesterday also, so
we'll take those calls too. It's eight hundred and eight
two three eight two five five, and let's go to
the phones. We got Ran Ran, Welcome, Hi, Gary.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Listen, it's the same age old battle, always keeping the
water out. And I've got this big deck around the house,
walk around deck and uh it requires you know, every
I try to do something, it's so big, or I
try to do something every couple of years. We noticed
a few years back when we put our stain on,
we're we're blessed up there. We just have a bevy
(08:36):
of hummingbirds that come in. But about the time that
they start coming in is about the time you want
to stay in the deck. We noticed a few years
ago that kind of drove them off. The one I'm
looking at and thinking about is a something has a
lower uh what is tremonious relativity?
Speaker 2 (08:52):
But the yeah bocs, yeah, yeah, exactly exactly.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
So there's if there's something that is effective that doesn't
have that at that high level of evaporation there. Because
my wife is convinced that's what drove them off. And
they came back, but never quite in the same numbers
or anything else. And I understand they're quite sensitive.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
So well, I guess there's you know, your two basic
types of deck stains is a oil base and a
water base. Acrylic deck stains. Your your oil base and
your modified oil deck stains are going to have a
(09:33):
higher voc versus a water base deck stain, So that
would be in you know, and that would be the
easy way to make the determination, rather than getting everybody's
MSD sheets and going through and see what all the
vaulta or gaining compounds are. But your water base will
be much less uh, it will also dry faster, It
(09:56):
will also last a little longer. A good quality acrylic
or water base will have more resistance to the ultraviolet lights,
which you certainly have plenty of. And the negative on
in acrylic or a water base is it would have
a tendency not to penetrate as well as an oil
(10:18):
base into the wood. So there's some maybe another step
or two additional steps that you know, you could use
to make sure that it's going to penetrate into the
wood fibers, and one of those would be after you
clean it, use what they call a deck brightener, which
(10:39):
is basically a mild oxalic acid, which is a wood
bleach basically, which would open up the pores and allow
the the the water base to penetrate deeper into that wood. So,
you know, I hope that answer your question, but yes,
that would be in fact, a lot of oil based
(11:00):
deck stains or even you know they're they're not. You
can't mbindment in certain states.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
Now, yeah, I think that does because I, like I said,
we've not every three years is about I find as
much as I can get away with.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
I think that's story.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
I know. This one deck stain that I talk about
is called Defy. It's a water based deck stain. And
you know, there's so many environmental conditions that really determine
the longevity of a deck stain. And their tag is
our deck stain will give you an additional year's worth
of life. And I remember years ago when I when
(11:41):
it first came out, well what is the average? And
right away the I guess it's always different because if
you're in a really shaded area and you don't really
get a lot of sun at that deck, you probably
you probably.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Have more.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Mildew and fungus than you'll have you know, fading an
ultra violet damage to the deck. And that's very true,
and you might get five years, but the average deck
in a sunny location you're gonna get two three years.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
But we're full sun and we had snow last night.
It was snow. Yeah, not very much, but you know
we're thirty five hundred feet. Hey, it's always nice to
talk to you.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Gary.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
I wripped this stuff down and looks like we've got
a We've got a plant for one more of the
one more of the tasks to keep the water out
of the house.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
There you go round, take care of Thanks. All right,
Let's take a break and come back and get some
more questions answered.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
You're at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
Help for your home is just a click away at
Garysullivan online dot com. This is at Home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Every paint removal project comes with its own set of challenges,
and finding the right product for the job can be difficult.
I have the solution. Deman has developed a complete paint
removal test kit that will help you zero in on
the best paint removal product that you need for your project.
Test kit includes a down samples of smart Strip, Advanced,
smart Strip Pro and peel Away paint removal products with
(13:24):
all the necessary items you need. You can get your
test kit at participating Sherman William's locations or visit Dumontglobal
dot com to purchase a kit, or find a retailer
near you. Spring is here and sorrow.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
The Jaws Spring Cleaning Caddie packs just in time to
tackle your spring cleaning jobs. This all in one cleaning
solution features five high performance Jaws cleaners, including my favorite
streak free glass cleaner, plus refill pods, microfiber towels, and
Jaws dishs spray, all neatly packed in a convenient caddy.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
With Jaws just add.
Speaker 6 (13:55):
Water system, you'll clean smarter and faster. This limited time
spring caddipeck won't last. Order now at jawscleans dot com.
Enjoy free shipping on orders over thirty five dollars. Mosquitoes
can transmit deadly diseases, including wesnow virus, but some mosquito
dunks kill mosquitoes before they're old enough to bite. Just
(14:16):
float an organic mosquito dunk and ponds bird bass rain
barrels in any standing water to kill mosquito larvae for
thirty days or longer. Don't worry. Mosquito dunks won't harm people, pets, fish, birds,
or wildlife. Mosquito dunks are available at garden centers, hardware
stores and online. Visit some Responsible Solutions dot com. Dirty patio,
(14:38):
don't scrub it wet and forget it. Wet and forget
the easy outdoor cleaner. Wet and forget works overtime with
Mother Nature to eliminate unsightly black and green stains on
your patio or deck with no scrubbing, power washing or bleach.
Use wet and forget on all your outdoor surfaces, including driveways, siding, roofs,
and fencing. Wetin forgets available in con and trade or
(15:00):
extreme reach jose En. Purchase Wet and Forget in store
online at Loew's Minards or ace.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Well.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
Working around the home and you're at home with Gary
Sulvan where we can discuss your projects maintenance, repair, and
let's get back to the phone calls.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
We've got Clark Clark Welcome, Good morning, Gary, morning.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
All right, greetings from up state northern New York on
the south shore of Lake Ontario.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
There you go. How's it today? Is it a nice
day or is it a cold one? Still?
Speaker 7 (16:00):
Ah?
Speaker 4 (16:00):
We're working outdoors at home with Gary Sullivan. You are
my go to pro Gary.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
There you go, Thank you.
Speaker 4 (16:08):
Now, I have created a seven acre replica of at
around that great camp and on a fifteen hundred square
foot house. I've got six custom decks, and this is
my question. Where the ballusters typically are placed underneath the handrail.
(16:31):
I have had the craftsmen installed quarter inch roughly four
foot by four foot plexiglass clear panels, and that brings
the outdoors into the deck space with a composite deck.
What I need from you, Gary, is what I can
(16:51):
use as a cleaner that will not scratch, cloud or
otherwise have braised the surface of the quarterage plexigas panels.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Yeah, there is, I know. Back in jeez, let me
answer it differently. What you're looking for is a glass
cleaner that does not control contain silicones or alcohol. Okay,
so your question, it's a good question because computer screens,
(17:23):
TV screens, eyeglasses, iPads, acrylic plexiglass, you can't use regular
window cleaner. So there are specific window cleaners, usually the
much better ones that don't contain those particular products. One
(17:44):
of them you hear me talk about all the time,
and that's the Jaws glass cleaner. It's Jaws. I always
talk about it, really about how good it is because
it doesn't leave streaks. But the side benefit of that
is no alcohol, no silicones. You can use it on
(18:06):
computer screens, plexiglass TVs and otherwise you would create almost
like a stain or a cloudiness to that. So that's
what you want to use Clark, and you can get
it right online at their website, or you can get
it on Amazon. It's jawscleans dot com.
Speaker 4 (18:29):
I wonder if that might even be available at true
value hardware.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
I don't think so. They sell this around the world.
It's a very environmentally safe product also, but it's almost
internet based, though they are now making inroads into the
brick and mortar stores. But I think you're going to
have to get it off the website or off their website.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
If there's a promo code throw in my name. Gary.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I don't know if there's any discounts running right now,
but every now and then there is. But it's great stuff.
It seriously is Clark, and it would certainly serve your purpose.
Speaker 4 (19:07):
Well, Gary, you are a stand up guy and at
home with Gary Sullivan on the weekends. Really rocks. And
I'm used to giving grades in all areas of academia,
my friend, and you always get an eight.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Month There you go. Thank you, Clark, you made my day.
Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
And coming up, we have our friends in from Rotor Ruter.
We're going to talk about things to check. Yeah, I'm
talking about your plumbing system coming into the springtime after
a pretty harsh winter. We'll continue at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
Solutions to your home improvement are as easy as calling
one eight eighty three. Talk this He's at home with
Gary Sullivan. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
Tired of sticky fly ribbons that get stuck to everything, Well,
you'll love the newest fly trap from Rescue called Flypad.
Flies are lured to the trap with special colors and patterns,
and thanks to an innovative ridge surface, it keeps your
fingers away from the glue. Flypad can be used anywhere
you need fly control. Flypad is a sticky fly trap
that won't stick to you. Flypad is made in the
(20:34):
USA by the makers of the popular Rescue flying Yellowjacket traps.
Learn more at Rescue dot com. Get a grip make
your home safer and more beautiful. Add track Safe anti
slip color code to ugly blotchy floor surfaces, then top
it off with award winning track Safe Anti slip sealer.
Renew concrete, stone and prepainted surfaces.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
With these easy to apply.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
Products from disce Coatings great for both inside and outdoors.
Track safe products deliver a aggressive anti slip performance with
all weather durability. Get on track and order products today
with free shipping from the home depot lows Ordish Codings
dot com. That's Daicchcoatings dot Com. I've had my easy
Breed ventilation system for over fifteen years in love it.
(21:15):
Easy Breathe is small, standalone youit that mounts on basement walls,
plugs in and vents air out, creating air exchanges, getting
rid of musty odors, staying in air, and making homes
healthy again. There's no maintenance, just set it and forget it.
I encourage you to visit letter E letter z breed
dot com see for yourself. Give them a call at
eight sixty six eight two two seventy three twenty eight.
(21:36):
Easy Breathe units are now twenty percent off plus a
free humidity monitoring kit. Give them a call today. It's
Easybreed dot com. Hey, Gary Salvian here for Zlar pumps.
Zalor's been keeping homes safe and dry since nineteen thirty nine,
and their passion for excellence is why it's the only
name I trust to keep my basement dry. For your
home's groundwater protection system, you got to check out tho
(21:58):
Xlor Model sixty three some pump with the LED plug
and the aquanut Fit five O eight battery backup system.
Together they're your guaranteed water protection system when installed by
a factory certified installer. To find your installer today, go
to Zolar pumps dot com.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
All right, back here we go at home with Gary Sullivan,
out and about checking things around your home. I hope
the sun is out hopefully in your neighborhood. In mine,
it is bright. Join us now is Paul Abrams. He's
director of public relations for Roto Ruter and Paul, welcome
again at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 2 (22:59):
How you doing.
Speaker 8 (23:01):
I'm well the sun is shining here too, and it
feels great.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
Yeah, yeah, I'm ready to go. I'm sure you are.
I know.
Speaker 1 (23:07):
It's Roto Ruter plumbing and water clean up. How the
water clean up people go, Oh.
Speaker 8 (23:13):
They have been busy, and you might imagine with all
this rain in the Midwest, we have seen just the
phone ringing off the hook as they.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
Say, yeah, yeah, I'm sure there was certainly an abundance
of water as we in our homes as homeowners, and
we cycle out of winter in the spring in the summer.
Maybe our maintenance and care around our home wasn't the
best it should be. Is there a couple of things
(23:42):
we I guess one of the things we should everybody
is taking a look at that some pump. I just
Ron Wilson and I we were just talking. He goes like, uh,
I think I need a new some pump, And I said,
why is because I think it's old. Anything mean to them,
but anyway, some pumps last like ten years, right, Yeah.
Speaker 8 (24:06):
That's right. I mean the way you know, and I've
had I'm on my third house, and I can say
that in my first two that some pump seemed like
it ran every thirty seconds to a minute, even in
July when it was dry. And if that's your case,
you need to replace that some pump every five years.
Now my current home, it's it's one of those sleepers.
(24:26):
It only comes on when when we get just a
real downpour. And that pump's probably gonna last me ten years.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Well, I gotta check mine because I think mind's in
about that age too, So you know, being a little
ahead of the curve here, might be real important. Is
there is there ways that we need to check that
some pump you know, just the test, did I guess?
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 8 (24:51):
And this is the right time to be doing it.
If if you haven't had a downpour in your area
that is, you know, forced that pump into action, then
what you need do is either get a hose through
the basement window and down into the pit, or a
five gallon bucket of water and pour it down into
that sump pit. And if it's working properly, that pump
should turn itself on, remove most of the water from
(25:14):
the sump pit, and then turn itself back off again.
And you'll want to hear that check valve slam. You
hear those sounds. That's when you know it's doing its
job and it's working for you. If it isn't, you
need to get in there and find out why it isn't.
The most common thing to wear out on a sump
pump is the float switch, which turns it on and
off in the first place. And you want to get
(25:36):
in there, Gary and look down in that pit. And
if there's a bunch of gravel and you know, pebbles
and debris in there, you should should reach in there,
put a glove on, reach in there and sweep that
stuff out of there. Because the intake on most sump pumps,
the water intake is up the bottom, and if it
sucks that debris up against that intake screen, it can
(25:57):
block water off and prevent it from doing it. I
had that happen in one of my basements years ago,
and it sucked a piece of plastical a Kroger bag
or something up against that scrain and that pump maybe
working at ten percent of its capability, So the basement
still got water in it because it wasn't doing it
wasn't able to work one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Sure, Sure, I know rotor Ruter installs some pumps, and
ron Ad asks is that something you can do? And
people always ask me that is you know there you
can do a lot of things. Is some pump is
something that can be installed if you have some mechanical ability.
(26:39):
But another thing to consider, whether you do it or
you have rotor Ruter do it, is a is a
backup pump. I think that's becoming critical anymore.
Speaker 8 (26:51):
Oh, you you are so right, Gary, the backup some pump.
Because you think about the nature of storms. Sometimes you
get the thunder and lightning and out power. Well, if
you don't have power, your some pump can't work. So
there are battery backup options and they're pretty smart these days.
Some of them will send notifications to your smartphone to say, hey,
(27:13):
pump is working or as a battery backup some pump,
I just turned myself on and I'm working in your
basement now, And that's when you need to spring into action.
But we also have water powered backup pump so often
called venturi pumps. Sure that use water pressure from your
city water supply, which is very reliable and it sort
(27:33):
of creates a siphon effect. You use a lot of water,
but your basement won't flood and it's probably the most
reliable backup some pump you can buy.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
Yeah, all right, So then the other thing, how about
floor drains and things. I'm sure with all the again,
you don't have to have flooding around your house to
have this problem, but a lot of times that's what
precipitates it because of waste lines and stormlines tied together
other and older neighborhoods. Can we do anything inspecting floor drains?
Speaker 8 (28:05):
Yeah, you know, we talked about Gary. You know pouring
a five gallon bucket into a sump pit. You don't
need that much. Get a half gallon or gallon milk
jug and fill it full of water and pour some
into each of your floor drains and make sure that
the water doesn't back up or bubble up onto the floor.
If it's doing its job, it should handle, you know,
a pretty steady flow of water. And if it isn't,
(28:27):
then that drain's got some sort of a blockage in there,
maybe some debree that needs to be cleaned out. And
you know, if you've got some sewer smells in your
house and you're wondering where they're coming from, but you
haven't filled those traps. It's like that U shaped trap
beneath your kitchen. Think there's one of those under your
floor drain too, and when those get empty, they allow
(28:48):
that sewer gas to come up into your house. If
you've got a musty smell in your basement, laundry room,
even you know, some garages have these, go around and
fill those traps up, and you know, test the drain,
make sure it's carrying water away quickly. And then you're
doing two things at once. You're filling that that that
block there and you're preventing that sewer gash from coming
into your home.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
That's a great tip, especially now.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
I know a lot of people, you know, snowbirds, they
go to Arizona, they go to Florida, They're gone through
in four months and.
Speaker 2 (29:16):
They come back.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
You know, I if you didn't do anything as a
precaution there, I'd certainly get that jug of water and
start doing bethub drains and floor drains for that matter,
any drain. Right, it depends on your house, but in
a lot of cases, those can dry out over the
course of three or four months and your home can
smell like it, you know, a bunch of sewer gas.
Speaker 8 (29:41):
So sure can Yeah, I guess bathroom or maybe the
kids are off college and that bathroom doesn't get used much,
and those sewer gases can come up through those sink
drains and top drains the same way.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
One of the things I'm always cautioning people in in
the fall is to uh disconnect that hose to the
outdoor faucets, because I'm sure there's a lot of people
in the next probably four weeks that are going to
be surprised because they're gonna go out and they're gonna
turn that faucet on and they're going to find a
leak on the inside of the home.
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Do you run into that at rotoruter?
Speaker 3 (30:16):
Oh?
Speaker 8 (30:17):
Yes, you know, Gary, You're so right, And it's important
I'll describe this, folks, so that that you do this
the right way, because a lot of homes have an
interior shut off valve down in the basement or sometimes
it's in a you know, a closet or something, if
you've got a slab home, and what happens is you
turn that valve off and that prevents your water supply
(30:39):
from feeding the outdoor faucets. So what you do is
you turn those off in the fall, and then you
go outside and you open the faucet. You drain that
water out so it can't freeze and damage your pipes.
But if you forget to or you've left your garden
hose connected to that outside faucet and that water inside
is frozen, it carries that freeze up into the fat
(31:00):
itself and into the connecting water supply line. So what
happens is you do damage on the inside. And when
people come around in the spring and they as kind
of turn things on and you know, hook up the
hoses have you thing, They turn on that and they
don't see it until they go back down into the basement.
But there's a water leak down there because that pipe.
So folks go back and forth. Go and if you're
(31:22):
turning that water on down in the basement, go outside,
test the faucet outside, and then go back into the
basement and make sure nothing's leaking because it only takes
a few minutes before water damage occurs.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Well that's great.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
And if you got a buddy, a partnering crime here,
get them downstairs in the basement and when you open
up that hose bib outside, they can give you a
big old holler if there's leak, because you don't want
to ignore that. I mean, I guess that's why Rotor
Ruter ended up doing water cleanup is because people ignored that.
Speaker 2 (31:55):
Correct.
Speaker 8 (31:56):
Yeah, yeah, you know we were always having you know,
people say, well, oops.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You there, we just lost him.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
I think we lost him, all right, Uh, Paul, if
you're listening, no panic again. The website is rotrouter dot com.
He's at the ballpark right now. His son's a wonderful
Oh he's back. I was just going to say goodbye, Paul.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
No.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
I was telling him, you're at the ballpark today, aren't
you your son playing today?
Speaker 8 (32:30):
I am, yes, good, Yeah, it.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Looks like he's enjoying it and so are you. So
that was really the one two three things I wanted
to talk about was the fawcetts and the sump pumps
and the water clean up. Of course, Rotor Ruter offers
full plumbing services. We all know about the Rotor Router
and the drain cleaners and everything, but also regular plumbing.
(32:56):
And you got a very comprehensive website where you help
people with their plumbing projects. I mean, you got some
great videos there.
Speaker 8 (33:04):
We do, and you know, we got something brand new Gary.
We just introduced the first Roto Router mobile app and
all that stuff, those videos you talked about, DIY information
is all on the app and you can keep track
of your service histories and go when did we put
that water heater in? Oh, we Rotor rit Or put
that in. Then you know twenty sixteen. We carry all
(33:26):
your service information from the path into that app.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
Nice and you'll.
Speaker 8 (33:30):
Have it at your fingertip. So that's we just introduced it.
We're going to be doing regular updates. To it, and
even better than having to go to the website, you'll
have it all on your smartphone.
Speaker 1 (33:40):
So yeah, see right now, I got. All I got
is my sharpie pen and I marked it on my
solar pump. So when I get off today, I'm going
to go see how old my some pump is. I
may be calling you your year.
Speaker 8 (33:52):
Old school like I am. Gary.
Speaker 4 (33:53):
That's what I do.
Speaker 8 (33:54):
I take a silver sharpie and write it on the
pump and on the water heater and those things. But yeah,
now you can do it and the app if if
that makes it easier for you, you can download at
the app Store, Google Play. And it's a lot of fun.
We've had a lot of fun designing it and making
it as useful as possible.
Speaker 1 (34:10):
Very good, well, Paul, thanks for joining us. Get us
a win today, okay.
Speaker 8 (34:15):
We sure well. Thanks Gary, have a great.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
Day, take care bye bye, all right, Paul Abrams, he's
a public relations guy.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
I wrote a ruder and a great guy and a
driving force.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
Said, wrote a ruder to get this information out in
people's hands. And again, with the different technologies of having
all your files in there, I see more and more
companies doing that.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
It's a great, great idea.
Speaker 1 (34:38):
All right, let me give you the phone number you
can grab a line. We're talking about your home projects
and also giving you a little knowledge about things to
check around the home. It's eight hundred eight two three
eight two five five your calls. Next, You're at home
with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
Helm for your home is just a click away and
Gary Sullivan online dot com. This is at home with
Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 6 (35:19):
Rust ruins everything it touches, vehicles, furniture, tools, toys. Russ
doesn't know how to stop, but Blaster knows how to
stop rust. Stop it, bust it up, clean it off,
and prevent it from ever happening with pbe Blaster the
number one product to break free rusted or stuck parts period.
Then use Blaster's surface shield rust protected to protect from
(35:40):
rust from ever forming in the first place. It's simple,
Blaster knows rust. So get to know Blaster products at
a home outo or hardware store near you, and always
work it like a pro.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Well.
Speaker 6 (35:51):
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure, and that's true when it comes to preventing
a basement flood. Hey, Gary Sulvan here from my friends
at rote A Router Plumbing and water.
Speaker 2 (36:00):
There're the some.
Speaker 6 (36:01):
Pump experts and can install back up some pump that'll
prevent basement flooding even during a power outage. And if
your primary pump is getting up in the years, well,
Roto Ruter can replace that too. Trust me a lot
cheaper than a flooded basement. Called Roto Router at one
eight hundred. Get routo today. Spring is here and sow
the Jaws Spring Cleaning caddy packs just in time to
(36:23):
tackle your spring cleaning jobs. This all in one cleaning
solution features five high performance Jaws cleaners, including my favorite
streak free glass cleaner, plus refill pods, microfiber towels, and
Jaws dish spray, all neatly packed in a convenient caddy.
With Jaws just add water system, you'll clean smarter and faster.
This limited times spring cleaning caddy pack won't last. Order
(36:46):
now at Jaws cleans dot com. Enjoy free shipping on
orders over thirty five dollars. Dirty exterior, well, don't scrub it.
Wet and forget it. Wet and forget the easy outdoor cleaner.
Wet and forget works over time with Mother Nature to
a m and e unsightly black and green stains on
the exterior of your home with no scrubbing, powerwashing or bleach.
(37:06):
Use wet and forget on all your outdoor surfaces, including decks, siding, roofs,
and patios. Weting forgets available in a concentrator, extreme reach
hose en purchase wet and forget in a store or
online at Loew's Minards or Ace.
Speaker 1 (37:39):
All right, Becky, do we go at home with Gary
Sullivan ticking your calls at eight hundred and eighty two
three eight two five five, and to the phones we go.
We have Lenora.
Speaker 2 (37:49):
Welcome, Hi, GARYL.
Speaker 7 (37:54):
I have a unique situation. Can you hear Nick?
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Yes? Hell, I gotcha.
Speaker 7 (38:00):
I have a very I have a very unique situation.
I have a cistern on my property that was built
in nineteen oh eight, and we've turned it into a
swimming pool years ago. And my problem is that we've
bought paints to ply POxy paint, to steal it and
(38:21):
paint it. Because it's made out of brick and whatever
the mortar was in nineteen oh eight, I have no
idea what it is, but it just keeps on cracking,
and I really want to get it up and running again.
And I want something that I can paint over it
or I don't care what color it is. I just
want to be usable again. It's six feet deep and
(38:43):
thirty two feet across.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
Yeah, there's some I don't have a name of a product.
There are certainly word becomes difficult. Is when you said,
you know the mortar and I don't know what kind
it is is that's very accurate because a lot of
the brick in nineteen oh eight and a lot of
the mortar was mixed right on site, right, you know,
(39:11):
so we.
Speaker 7 (39:11):
Don't who Yeah, so I just don't put over was
very very white looking.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
One of the things I would take a look at
is there's different systems and country Jesel cistern companies that
actually do liners for cisterns.
Speaker 2 (39:30):
Now, the coatings.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
One of the biggest cistern or waterproof coatings that used
to exist was great for basement walls, but it was
not designed for cisterns. It was called thorough Seal. I
don't know if a product, Yeah, thorough seal. And really
(39:53):
what it comes down to is you know how much
pressure is in that cistern. I don't even know how
to tell you to calculate something that's six foot deep
and thirty two feet long. I don't know what the
pounds per square inch is, and there's a calculation for that.
There is a waterproof paint called dry lock, and it's
dry l Ok and it comes in wide, it comes
(40:17):
in clear, and it holds back ten pounds per square inch,
which is a lot of water pressure. But I don't
know if it's designed for cisterns. I know in hardware
stores of years ago, they would have a concrete block
and they'd have a little water pump pumping water into
(40:38):
this block, and the water would weep right through the block,
and then the other half of that block was painted
with dry lock and there would be no weep each
through that block. But that's not much water pressure, but
ten pounds per square inches is sizable. So I would
have to get online under the dry lock and see
if it talks about cisterns. But like I said, there
(41:00):
is commercial liners that they line old cisterns with. And
if you've had some problems with failure of the mortar
and even the brick, maybe I think maybe having a
mechanical liner over there might be your best option.
Speaker 7 (41:19):
Well, I think I've tried to contact one of the
cistern liner companies and I never could get them to
call me back. So it's like every year I'm having
to or every other year I'm having to repaint it
or do something with it. And I really want to.
Plus I want to change it from my whale water,
which I have a five horse power pumpmrgible pump in
(41:42):
it that will pump three thousand gallons an hour in it,
so I know it takes eight hours to fill it up.
So oh, I want to change it from well water
to salt water. So I've got a better filtration system
with it, with an ionized system that I don't have
to use as much chemicals in it because when.
Speaker 1 (42:02):
But even with the salt water, I think I think
you'd be better with that liner even more so. Now,
So is there another company you can try or I'd
keep trying, And I really think that's your answer.
Speaker 7 (42:15):
I just know I'm just one company. I just kind
of googled it and tried to contact one months ago.
But I really want to go ahead and get it
done for good one time, and just you know, because
I've got it, I've got it set up just like
a pool. We cut the square hole in it for
the for the pump, you know, just filter through the
(42:37):
system and all just like a swimming pool. And so
I know, I've got to change all that stuff to
the SAM filter and all that to go to salt water.
But I've heard their stories and you'r I used to
listen to you years ago, and then all of a sudden,
it just you popped up on the radio one morning
and I was like, yes, I need to call him.
(42:58):
I can get through like fifteen times this morning and
keple busy like shocks when you probably got through.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Yeah, yeah, no, we're busy on a weekend.
Speaker 8 (43:08):
You know.
Speaker 2 (43:10):
You know.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
One of the other things, as you're telling me this story,
I'm kind of thinking of another alternative rather than focusing
on cisterns, maybe contacting a pool company and see if
you know, since you've got to have some pool work
done and filtering in different things along that line, see
(43:33):
if there is a pool filter or not filter, but
liner that could be going over that brick cistern walls.
You know, that might be another avenue to explore since
you're kind of striking out on the cistern companies. But
check with a pool company and see if there's a
liner that they could install when they make the other
(43:54):
adjustments to make that work.
Speaker 2 (43:56):
I hope that helps. Leonora.
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Thank you very much for the call. I appreciate it listening.
I appreciate that too, and we'll continue with your calls
at eight hundred eight two three eight two five five.
Don't forget April's Healthy Home Awareness Month, and right now
you can save twenty dollars off during the month of
April and plus two free humidity monitoring kits for your home.
(44:19):
You're right, I'm talking about the easy Breed ventilation system.
It's letter E letter zbreed dot com. Check it out great,
great discounts, plus the humidity monitoring kits which is so
important to keep in the air healthy in your home. Again,
it's easy Breath dot Com. Like I said, we'll continue
with your calls next dot Home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 5 (44:53):
Hey, it's the weekend and you have fixed questions. Give
Gary a call at one eight hundred eighty two three talk.
This is at Home with Garry Sullivan.
At Home with Gary Sullivan News
Popular Podcasts
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Decisions, Decisions
Welcome to "Decisions, Decisions," the podcast where boundaries are pushed, and conversations get candid! Join your favorite hosts, Mandii B and WeezyWTF, as they dive deep into the world of non-traditional relationships and explore the often-taboo topics surrounding dating, sex, and love. Every Monday, Mandii and Weezy invite you to unlearn the outdated narratives dictated by traditional patriarchal norms. With a blend of humor, vulnerability, and authenticity, they share their personal journeys navigating their 30s, tackling the complexities of modern relationships, and engaging in thought-provoking discussions that challenge societal expectations. From groundbreaking interviews with diverse guests to relatable stories that resonate with your experiences, "Decisions, Decisions" is your go-to source for open dialogue about what it truly means to love and connect in today's world. Get ready to reshape your understanding of relationships and embrace the freedom of authentic connections—tune in and join the conversation!