TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
TOM: And we are broadcasting from the 2011 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas and we love coming here every year. We always learn something new and we love bringing it back to you because, after all, it’s the only way you’re going to get a sneak peek at this industry-only event.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And you know what? This is a really great time of year to get your do-it-yourself projects going. And we can help with ideas, solutions, tools and of course, products this hour that can make your project go really well.
TOM: That’s right. Lots to see, lots to do here. We are definitely wearing out the shoe leather and it’s all having to do with your money pit. You know, for nearly 70 years, industry insiders have been coming to this show to check out the new and the unique products for your home.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And one thing that we’re learning this year is that it’s all about money-wise improvements that make dollars and sense. And new surveys are showing that homeowners are investing in their money pits but not necessarily by adding that maybe tricked-out man-cave or that top-of-the-line luxury bath. But you can go ahead and do a modest home theater or even just upgrade your bathroom or your kitchen. And you’re going to do just as well and maybe it’s going to even be a better investment, especially in this economy.
TOM: Absolutely. Now, another concept coming to the forefront is the idea of community: helping others out, whether it’s rebuilding storm-ravaged areas or assisting service members returning from duty or even just helping those who help others.
LESLIE: That’s right. Our next guest knows all about the idea of community and helping out. He sees communities come together on every episode of Extreme Home Makeover and Ty Pennington is joining us now. And he’s also a spokesperson for Sears and they’re kicking off the Sears Blue Tool Crew’s Do It Together program.
Hey, Ty. Long time no see.
TY: Yeah. How are you guys?
TOM: We are super, man. And we’re missing you over here. You would be like a little kid in a candy factory and skipping down these aisles.
TY: I know. I can’t wait. I’m going to check it out, for sure. Of course, if it has anything to do with building or homes, I’m all about it. I want to see the new tools, the new trends, the new ideas that are out there because, clearly, that’s where I’m at home.
But yeah, today, I’m actually teamed up with Sears and we’re doing – kicking off the Do It Together program, which is really fantastic. It really is about people sort of pitching in and giving these guys these traveling toolboxes that allow them to go in and really sort of help out a community. And so it is – it’s looking for those stories that communities need to rebuild, to whether it’s a playground for the kids, whether it’s helping out a family that really needs it. It can be so many different things.
And today, we’re actually here helping out a family. They’ve got a member that’s got some disabilities and so we’re – we’ve got a team of volunteers here and we’re sort of doing something that’s very familiar to what I do on the show. And we’re trying to level the playing field, get some access so that they can – their member can actually go from the outside in without having to go up any stairs or ramps. So we’ve got to cut some holes in walls, try and make the bathroom even bigger, with a roll-in ability so that there really is some mobility and an access they just haven’t had yet.
But being involved with Sears on this program is just so neat, because there’s so many people out there that don’t – that they’re sort of the unsung hero that really make huge changes in the community but sometimes they just need the tools.
TOM: Right.
TY: And so this whole campaign is about getting the tools in the right hand. And so, it’s just awesome to be part of and of course, there’s another program we’re doing about sort of that unsung dad: that guy that has the tools, that does incredible things and who really is the one that’s sort of helping out in the community. So, with Father’s Day coming up, that’s the other little contest that you can go to and sort of sign up. If you guys know a dad in your community that could really use the tools or $30,000 to help toward a community project, Sears is all about making sure that happens.
LESLIE: Oh, wow.
TY: So I think if you just go to – if you tweet – I’m sure you guys have the information but if you tweet “Blue Tool Crew” or if you go to Facebook.com/SearsBlueToolCrew, you’ll see all the information there to sign-up. And if you guys have anybody you want to nominate, that would be a place to go.
So it’s a cool project; it really is. And change is going to happen because of it.
TOM: We’re talking to Ty Pennington. He is on the road with the Sears Blue Tool Do It Together Crew, taking care of creating positive change in our country and in our neighborhood and in this case, in Las Vegas, itself.
LESLIE: Ty, are you finding that – I mean you’re really reaching out to recognize guys that are doing this out of the goodness of their own hearts. Is there any resistance to being recognized for these accomplishments or are they just so happy to have the tools and the ability to do more that they’re willing to jump on board?
TY: You know, I think – it’s funny. I’ve really seen it in neighborhoods and communities all through the U.S. – is that people really do want to get involved. And what’s really interesting, too, is that even after we built a house in the community, you find out later that the project itself actually brought people together. They got out of their homes, they rolled their sleeves up and they participated in something that was positive and it brought them together closer as friends and also sort of opened up a whole network of – if you needed this done, if you needed that done.
And so, it’s sort of like helping that neighbor and then I think it gives people hope that when they need help, that there’s a community there for them. So, what I’ve seen has been really, really positive. Even after we leave, it’s a positive connection that continues to go on even after we’re gone.
And I think because of this show, in many ways, that’s sort of spreading around and a lot of times, you don’t see it on a camera or TV. There’s just people wanting to do positive things and I think it’s just a great thing. If we could just spark that idea, spark that want to actually make a difference, then I think wow, that’s something we can all be proud of.
TOM: Well, absolutely. And you light the spark, man, and it just goes up from there. Ty Pennington, host of Extreme Home Makeover and Sears’ spokesman.
And if you want to check out the projects that Ty and the Sears team are doing, go to Facebook.com/SearsBlueToolCrew or on Twitter.com/BlueToolCrew.
Ty, we’ll let you get back to work but thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
LESLIE: Thanks, Ty.
TY: Yeah. Thank you, guys. Thank you. Thanks for having me.
LESLIE: Alright. You’re listening to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com, coming to you from the 2011 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.
TOM: Saving money and going green are two of the trends we’re seeing here. Up next, we’re going to learn about a light bulb that does both.
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ANNOUNCER: The Money Pit is brought to you by ODL’s Add-On Blinds. Enclosed behind tempered glass, they eliminate the need for dusting and exposed cords, both problems with traditional blinds. Plus, they easily install over your existing entry glass. Visit www.ODL.com to learn more.
TOM: Welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
TOM: A very special Money Pit broadcast coming from the 2011 National Hardware Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. We’ve been walking the miles of floor space here to find some new and really interesting ideas and products for your home.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And the emphasis really is on green these days. And right now, we want to tell you about a company that’s on the cutting edge of new lighting that’s really going to help you save energy and money. So joining us is Jarl Johansen. And he’s the electronic research and testing specialist for C. Crane.
Welcome, Jarl. How are you doing today?
JARL: I’m doing very well, thank you.
LESLIE: So tell us, you have a pretty amazing light bulb here that when I’m looking at it – I understand that it’s an LED component on the inside but it looks like an incandescent bulb. And it seems to give off light that’s a little bit more comfortable than a traditional CFL which, to be honest, I know that’s the direction where everybody’s going in and I don’t really like them. I’m saying it.
JARL: Yeah.
LESLIE: I don’t like the light.
JARL: Yeah, I don’t either.
LESLIE: Tell us about your GeoBulb, which is an LED light bulb that truly gives off a soft, warm glow that makes you feel really happy to make this energy-efficient leap forward to a better lighting product.
JARL: Right. Well, GeoBulb is a very energy-efficient bulb and it also has a very, very long life. The power that it consumes is about 7 watts, which is much less …
LESLIE: Seriously.
TOM: That’s a lot less than the average CFL, isn’t it?
JARL: That’s about half the standard equivalent CFL.
TOM: Wow. Yeah.
LESLIE: And when you’re saying a long life, are you talking about 30,000 hours? How many years?
JARL: We’re going for 50,000 hours life expectancy.
LESLIE: That’s amazing.
TOM: Wow.
JARL: And as far as years, it depends on your use. But 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you’re probably looking at close to seven years.
LESLIE: Wow.
TOM: Now, I think one of the reasons that so many folks have hesitated just converting everything to CFL – there’s also the fact that they’re not dimmable. Have you guys addressed that?
JARL: We will be in the next version.
TOM: OK.
JARL: The current ones are not dimmable but that will be coming out.
TOM: I feel a little bit like where we are with CFL development right now is kind of like where we were when low-flow toilets came out. Good idea, push the technology but they didn’t work as well as they really needed to when they first came out.
But I think if we can get the LEDs and also the CFLs to be absolutely, completely interchangeable with every light fixture that’s out there – without having to look up serial numbers and model numbers and matching things up and doing any of that kind of research – then you’re going to see that’s where we’ll turn the corner and we’ve crested the hill and you’ll see widespread acceptance of the technology.
JARL: I agree.
LESLIE: And the GeoBulb actually does fit all sockets, correct?
JARL: It does.
LESLIE: So it really takes the guesswork out of it.
JARL: That it does.
LESLIE: Now, the other thing that I thought was interesting in looking at the packaging is that it’s lead- and mercury-free which I know as a mom of a young child, picking up a compact fluoro, there’s a good chance it might get broken in my house. And I’m always nervous about the mercury content and cleaning it up and how do I dispose of it. But that’s gone with the GeoBulbs, so how do you dispose of it and eventually, seven years down the line?
JARL: Yes. A GeoBulb is an electronic device, so it would be considered e-waste. So it still has that issue that it would need to be wasted as e-waste; it wouldn’t be something you could just throw into your trash.
TOM: Terrific. Jarl Johansen, Electronic Research and Testing Specialist for C. Crane. Thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit here, obviously, at the National Hardware Show, all the tools banging in the background.
LESLIE: It’s so noisy.
JARL: Yeah.
TOM: Where can we go for more information?
JARL: CCrane.com.
LESLIE: Great.
TOM: Alright. Terrific. Thanks, Jarl.
LESLIE: It’s a great bulb and I’m definitely going to jump on being eco-friendly with my light bulbs if I can get a good-quality lighting from an LED. Go GeoBulb.
Alright. Well, hurricane season is just a couple of weeks away and that means that getting your home ready for severe weather is really important. It should be on the forefront of your mind. So impact-resistant windows are a great value for homeowners inland and in coastal areas.
You know, impact-resistant glass can help protect your home from storm damage but it can also keep you safe from burglary attempts. And Simonton StormBreaker Plus windows with KeepSafe Maximum glass is actually going to help keep you safe indoors but it actually keeps those noises outside, so that your home is safe and quiet.
TOM: That’s right. Impact-resistant glass packages also help get you a break on homeowners insurance and energy bills. To find out more, visit Simonton.com. And to learn more about replacing the windows in your home, download our free window-replacement guide at MoneyPit.com.
You are listening to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show, coming to you from the Las Vegas Convention Center site of the 2011 National Hardware Show.
LESLIE: That’s right. It’s an insider-only event and there are products and companies from all over the world exhibiting here. And it’s no coincidence that the show happens right around this time every year, when we’re about to get our spring and summer to-do list ready.
TOM: That’s right.
LESLIE: And one project that I always take on is cleaning the outside of my house. And after this horrible winter that we’ve had in the Northeast, it really needs it. So I’m always so happy to break out my pressure washer. And this is a tool that’s a fantastic investment but you have to know which type you need and how much pressure is right for what you’re doing.
So the folks at Generac have addressed this and it’s a frequently-addressed question.
TOM: Well, that’s right. The experts there say that the first question you should ask yourself is where do you intend to use the pressure washer: at home or at work? A pressure washer used primarily at home doesn’t probably need to be as powerful as one that you use on the job site. Around the house, for example, you shouldn’t need more than 3,000 psi.
Next, you want to ask yourself: what do you want to clean? If you’re looking to simply take the dirt off and grime off the driveway or the patio furniture, you can use a unit with a relatively low pressure. But if you plan on scrubbing mold and mildew off concrete or prepping a house for painting, you should consider a unit with a higher pressure.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. When they’re making their pressure washers, Generac has specifically addressed what consumers say they want most in a pressure washer, including the cleaning power, the reliability and the ease of use. Plus, the horizontal shaft engines really feature a low-oil shutdown that’s going to protect the engine.
And the Generac spray guns have an ergonomic design and an easy-to-pull trigger, which is going to cut down on the fatigue as you’re using it. When you head over to their website at Generac.com, you’re able to see what these pressure washers look like. And here at National Hardware Show, when you pick up the gun, if you will, on the pressure washer, generally the component that mounts the hose is sort of in the front and gets in the way.
TOM: Right. Right.
LESLIE: But they’ve put theirs in the back, which is really a testament to what they do because it’s more plumbing, it’s more copper tubing, which is more expensive to manufacture.
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: But once you pick it up, it really feels different and it makes it so much more user-friendly.
TOM: And let’s face it, using a pressure washer is one of those really fun tools to use because you don’t know that you need it. But when you start working on your sidewalk, for example, and it’s gray and disgusting-looking and you start getting back that fresh, clean, brand new concrete …
LESLIE: You cannot believe how dirty it was.
TOM: And you just want to keep going. And before you know, you’ve worked your way around the whole house.
LESLIE: We had – a garbage man in our neighborhood spilled a can of pink paint on our driveway. We have the dinkiest little pressure washer at our house and it didn’t even touch it. And our neighbor has a Generac and I was like, “Can I borrow it?” And so I picked it up and literally, I did my driveway, my sidewalk and walked up the entire block because I was having such good time with it.
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: It’s one of those addictive home improvements that you’re like, “Oh, I snow-plowed the block. Oh, I pressure-washed your house, my house and everybody else’s.”
TOM: But of course, the key is to choose the right nozzle. And they do have lots of nozzles. So they have nozzles that are great for washing your car, nozzles that are great for really severe cleaning. And I’ve even stripped paint off an old radiator. We took it outside with a nozzle made just for that.
Hey, if you want more information on Generac and their new line of pressure washers, you should visit Generac.com to learn more.
You are listening to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show as we broadcast from the Las Vegas site of the 2011 National Hardware Show. It is a huge event here, drawing 2,300 companies featuring over 100,000 new products from all over the world.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And many of those products are aimed at improving the space that you’ve already got. And more Americans than ever are staying put; they’re staying right where they are, really making the best of what they have. And that includes using every single inch of your space very wisely.
TOM: And the garage is often the last frontier when it comes to organization but there are great products out there to make garage organization easy. Rich Moore is here. He is the sales manager with Gladiator GarageWorks and has a preview of a brand new, just-unveiled storage system.
Welcome, Rich.
RICH: Oh, how are you today?
TOM: We are well. It’s good to talk to you. So talk to us about the new system that Gladiator is rolling out.
RICH: Well, Gladiator is a division of the Whirlpool corporation.
TOM: OK.
RICH: And how this all started was they developed an appliance for the garage and when they were test-marketing this appliance, they found that the common denominator was that most garages were a mess, that people wanted to do something different.
TOM: They had to make room for the appliance.
RICH: Exactly. So, it developed kind of over time. A couple of engineers kind of got the idea and here we are today with a full product line.
TOM: Right.
RICH: So, what we’ve developed is a system to help you organize the garage. And it goes anything from extruded track wall to accessories to stand-alone storage cabinets to, of course, appliances, so …
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And what I like most about the Gladiator GarageWorks line is that it’s sort of a component that attaches to your wall and then you can add to it to what best works for your needs, correct?
RICH: That is correct. You can start with one small piece of track wall and then add to it from there. So your budgets are really kind of thrown out the window. You can start as little as $10 and build from there. You can take the system and zone it, so you can have one for sporting goods, you can have one for gardening, you could have one for tools. You could do pretty much anything that you need to do. Really, the only thing you’re limited by is your own imagination.
TOM: Now, let’s talk about that original appliance, because many of us grew up with refrigerators in our garages and don’t realize that your normal refrigeration system is not really designed to work in the extreme temperature swings of a garage.
RICH: That is correct. So, what Whirlpool came out and did was develop this appliance that – you pick up the extreme temperatures of heat, of cold. You’re going to eliminate a lot of those things, still pick up your energy ratings and have an appliance that’s going to last the lifespan that you expect it to last.
TOM: Right. And you’ve got some very creative appliances where you can actually switch between freezer and refrigerator.
RICH: You can. You’ve got one appliance that you can have a refrigerator on the bottom and freezer on top, as you normally have. Or let’s reverse it; let’s go freezer on bottom, let’s go refrigerator on top.
LESLIE: Because sometimes, you need that larger space for freezing, especially if you’ve got a big family and you’re buying frozen items or you’re having an event.
RICH: You go to the warehouse club, you walk in the door, you load up the freezer.
LESLIE: It’s very tempting in there.
TOM: Rich Moore, the sales manager for Gladiator GarageWorks, great information. And have a great show and thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
RICH: Great and thank you.
TOM: Hey, some great ideas there for Father’s Day and now that we’re on the subject of dear old dad, you want to visit MoneyPit.com for our Father’s Day gift guide. It’s a great resource for the dad in your life who might be challenged – a bit of a challenge to shop for.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And we’ve got a bunch of great – blah, I can’t talk today.
TOM: Good gift ideas, right?
LESLIE: I’m so overwhelmed and excited by the National Hardware Show that it’s just the best place to be.
Seriously, on the website, MoneyPit.com, we’ve got a ton of great gift ideas for dad. And we know that they might enjoy a new tie but maybe they’d really like a fantastic new tool. And on the site, we’re featuring Stanley’s 3-in-1 Flashlight, which is three flashlights that you can actually use together or you can take them apart and use them individually. The heads are going to pivot and they’re basically indestructible.
TOM: Up next, allergy sufferers, you don’t have to suffer so much anymore. Coming up, we’ve got info on a filter that will help clear pollen, pet dander, mold spores from all of the air in your home.
LESLIE: And later, it’s the cheapest way to make the biggest change in your money pit: paint. We’re going to tell you about the right tools that will help you get the job done, still ahead, when we continue The Money Pit broadcast from the 2011 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.
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ANNOUNCER: The Money Pit is brought to you by Behr Premium Exterior Weatherproofing Wood Stains and Finishes, with an advanced, 100-percent acrylic resin that seals in the beauty and seals out the weather. Behr helps you restore and protect decks, fences and siding for the summer and beyond. Don’t just waterproof, weatherproof. Available exclusively at The Home Depot. For more information, visit B-e-h-r.com.
TOM: Where home solutions live, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
TOM: You are listening to The Money Pit on air and online at MoneyPit.com. We are at the 2011 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
LESLIE: That’s right. If you can believe it, there’s actually 100,000 new products being showcased here and we’ve seen …
TOM: And a thousand of them are impact wrenches parked right behind the broadcast table.
LESLIE: Right behind us.
TOM: And we’re so lucky because when we’re here, we get to see some really cool products that are brand new. They’re not in stores yet but they’re on their way to being in those stores.
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: It’s like we’re getting a sneak peek. And we’re always looking for new products that are going to help make your home healthy and we’ve actually found one in the Filtrete Elite Allergen Reduction Filter from our friends at 3M.
TOM: And here to tell us all about that is Larry Cavalier from 3M.
Welcome, Larry.
LARRY: Wow. Thank you. I appreciate being here.
TOM: And it happens to be National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month with 40 million Americans.
LARRY: Exactly. Yeah, definitely.
LESLIE: Yeah, I’m one of them suffering from allergies.
TOM: And I’m another.
LARRY: Yeah.
TOM: So I think it’s really important that we talk about ways to reduce those contaminants inside your house.
So, tell me about filtration as a topic. Now, I think that most folks, when they get their heating system installed, they get sort of those cheap fiberglass filters that are about a buck a piece.
LARRY: Yeah, they’re good for catching rocks, sticks or birds.
TOM: Right. Yeah, pebble stoppers, yeah.
LARRY: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
LESLIE: Sticks and birds.
TOM: And we notice that everything goes through them, they go around them, they don’t fit well and it gets into everything.
LARRY: Definitely.
TOM: So there’s clearly a line – a need for high-performance filters and that’s kind of where you guys fit in.
LARRY: Well, since the 70s – I don’t know if you’ve been around but they’ve tightened up the homes.
LESLIE: Oh, Tom has been around from the 70s.
TOM: Right.
LARRY: Well, when they did that, that increased the indoor air pollution in your home.
TOM: Right.
LARRY: Actually, it’s two to five times greater than the outside air, typically, so …
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: Well, I also think the popularity of forced-air systems for heating and then, of course, cooling – so you’re keeping your windows closed pretty much 365 days a year.
LARRY: Right. Yes, definitely, definitely. And it actually – when you look at indoor air, the EPA has identified it as one of the top main issues to improve.
TOM: Right.
LARRY: Also, changing your filter every three months is very, very critical to having good, good operation of your furnace and cleaning your air, too.
TOM: Well, that’s right, because you have the condensing coil that’s mounted right above the furnace.
LARRY: Right. Right.
TOM: And of course, even though we’re not using the air conditioner, that coil is still having air, with all of its contaminants, passing through it 24-7, 365. So if you allow it to get clogged, that’s going to make your air-conditioning system work harder and it could actually cause premature failure of the air-conditioning system.
LARRY: Right. Actually, you use more energy, as well, too.
TOM: Right.
LARRY: So the whole premise behind filtration – besides cleaning the air, you have to – also to allow for good air filtration, too. That’s what our products do.
TOM: Right, so it’s a trick.
LARRY: Yes.
TOM: It can’t be so dense that you can’t get air through it.
LARRY: Exactly right.
TOM: Now, you guys have figured out a way to take out 94 percent of the large airborne particles. That would be like dust, dust mites, things like that?
LARRY: Right. Pollen, dust mite, pet dander.
TOM: OK.
LARRY: All those big things.
LESLIE: Pet dander.
LARRY: Yes. The things that cause allergies, typically. The small particles are the ones that create asthma problems for people that have those issues and we do a great job at taking out those small particles (inaudible at 0:23:03).
LESLIE: Yeah. About 40 percent more of those microbial …
TOM: Forty times more.
LARRY: Right. Right, right. The small particles typically are the ones that offer triggers for people who have real, real severe asthma problems, so …
TOM: Now, what’s unique about your filter, if you take a look at it up close – now, typically, fiberglass filters look just like fiberglass, right?
LARRY: Right.
TOM: You can see sort of the material. You guys have a different design. It’s sort of like a pleated filter, almost like an accordion shape. So I would imagine that gives you a lot more surface area, which can be more effective in terms of the filtration.
LESLIE: More area to catch things.
LARRY: They also contain charged fibers.
TOM: Oh, really?
LESLIE: Oh, so it really attracts all of those particulates.
LARRY: Yeah. Yeah, plus- and minus-charged fibers, which actually – all the particles floating in the air are plus or minus-charged. Opposite charges attract, so we do – we use that mechanism to actually increase performance, as well, in our product.
TOM: Right. It’s almost magnetic, drawing those fibers in.
LESLIE: Yeah.
LARRY: Excuse me. Right, right. Yeah, North and South Pole. Opposite attract.
TOM: Opposites attract.
LARRY: Right.
LESLIE: And so, because the filter is so high-performance, you don’t need to change it every month? You can do it sort of seasonally?
LARRY: Actually, the pleating allows for longer life, because you have more surface area to collect dust and debris on.
TOM: Right.
LARRY: A flat panel, you don’t have much surface area to collect, so that’s what the pleating does.
LESLIE: Right. And it gets dirty fast.
LARRY: Yes, exactly.
LESLIE: And people always forget, so I bet a good idea is mark on your calendar that first day of the new season and just remember that way.
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: Change out your filter, everything will do much better.
LARRY: Well, actually, we have a reminder program on our internet system, too.
TOM: Right.
LARRY: You just go to Filtrete.com, click on Reminder Program and we ask where you bought your filter, when you installed it. And they e-mail …
TOM: And then they do the work for you.
LARRY: Yeah.
LESLIE: Oh, that’s great.
LARRY: Yeah, yeah.
TOM: Fantastic. Larry Cavalier from 3M, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
It’s the Filtrete Elite Allergen Reduction Filter. For more information, go to Filtrete.com.
Up next, the cheapest and easiest way to completely change the look and feel of a room is, of course, paint. We’ll be back with the products to help make that and any painting project a little easier, after this.
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TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
TOM: You are listening to a very special edition of The Money Pit Home Improvement Show, coming to you live from the 2011 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. We are finding dozens of home solutions right here for you to improve your money pit.
And one thing we’re always looking for is products that can help make your DIY projects easier and less expensive. Did you know that you can easily run you about $4 or more a square foot to hire a professional painter to just paint a room? But you can do it yourself at a fraction of that cost.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. Of course with, you know, a variety of finished products for that space.
TOM: And redos.
LESLIE: But the thing is, you don’t really want to get halfway through a project and realize: “Maybe I’m not doing the best job and I’ve got to call in a pro to sort of rescue the situation.” But if you have the right supplies, you can really avoid a situation where you’re turning to a pro.
So we’re joined now by Jeff Mommer (sp) of ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape. And really, blue painter’s tape, Jeff, is a staple in all of my painting projects. So, what – I mean how can you advance a product that’s so fantastic, to help me do a better job?
JEFF: Exactly. What we’ve taken is our – we have the original Scotchblue 2090 with the orange curve. Everybody knows that tape; it’s got 20 years in the field. We’ve added a paint – an Edge-Lock Paint Line Protector to that tape to help the homeowner and the contractor with the paint seepage problem that many of them have.
TOM: What a great idea.
LESLIE: Yeah.
TOM: So if you’re painting stripes or intersections between colors, sometimes when you paint, it sort of seeps underneath the edge.
JEFF: Yep.
TOM: Now that edge is sort of locked in, so you get a nice crisp, clean line.
JEFF: Exactly. A little extra insurance to get that professional look that the homeowner wants.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And Jeff, even when I use just my regular blue painter’s tape, I would always – I do my base coat, then I tape out whatever my design and then I’d roll back over the tape with that first color so that it would sort of lock in that edge.
TOM: Right. Yep, yep. Base coat.
LESLIE: And then once that dried, go in again with my new color and then I’d get those crisp lines.
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: But having the Edge-Lock technology is going to take away that whole step. I almost wonder if I’m still going to do it that way.
JEFF: Absolutely. It’s going to save you a lot of time and effort in that.
LESLIE: And paint.
JEFF: And paint, exactly. Yep, yep. You can move on to some more fun things.
TOM: Now, Jeff, is there one tape that does everything or is there a variety, depending on the surface that you’re working with?
JEFF: There’s actually a variety of tape. As I mentioned earlier, we have the original 2090. There’s the 2093, which we’re – is for multi-surfaces.
TOM: Right.
JEFF: And you would use that on your baseboards and your moldings and things like that. But we also have the advanced Delicate Surface Tape for really fresh paint when you’re doing those decorative- and striping-type jobs, that you can really use that and …
TOM: Well, that makes sense because you’re not going to have anything on that surface that’s going to be a dirt or anything like that that can affect adhesion.
JEFF: Right.
TOM: If it’s fresh like that, you certainly don’t want to pull it off. Or maybe the paint hasn’t had a real good chance to cure yet. You can keep moving the job along.
JEFF: Right. You can do a weekend job in truly a week and having to wait a couple of weeks to come back and apply tape to something. Yep.
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: Now, I understand that – and Tom and I, in the business that we’re in, people always have a ton of questions.
JEFF: Yes.
LESLIE: And painting really is a great way to achieve a lot of transformation in your home at a very limited cost.
JEFF: Yep.
LESLIE: But you guys are doing something really special. You’re offering pro help to the average do-it-yourselfer if they have painting questions.
JEFF: Exactly. The first weekend in June, we’re offering this Pro Prep Patrol program where people can call in and actually get the advice from professional painters.
TOM: Now, how do you get …?
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And I like, also, that there’s a Skype component. So if I’m doing a terrible job painting, I can have it in the background and be like, “Help!”
JEFF: Yes. Absolutely. We’re going to have them set up so they can be – if you have a question, they can go right to the wall and they can do the project and show you hands-on how to do it.
LESLIE: Oh, that’s great.
TOM: And if you want to reach the Pro Prep Patrol June 4th or 5th, you can call them at 855-HLP-PAINT or you can Skype an appointment by e-mailing them at [email protected].
JEFF: Yes.
TOM: Jeff Mommer (sp) of ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape, thanks for stopping by The Money Pit.
JEFF: Thank you.
LESLIE: Alright. Well, while painting is certainly the cheapest and easiest way to change the look of any room in your home, some guys would argue that painting is kind of also the stinkiest project that you can tackle in a weekend.
TOM: And guys know stink, that’s true.
LESLIE: And if a guy’s saying it, you know it’s bad.
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: And that’s where our next guest comes in. Joining us now is J.C. Burkeland from Beaumont Products. And they’re the makers of Citrus Magic 100-percent natural, odor-eliminating products, which you know Tom and I both love.
And having kids and pets, we use them, J.C.
TOM: Yeah. Hi, J.C. Welcome to the program.
J.C.: Well, hi, Tom. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it, Leslie, also.
TOM: Now, you guys have really expanded and continued to put out products there that are really making homes across America smell a lot better. Talk to us just about the basics of the formulation, because I think a lot of folks don’t really understand. There’s a lot of people claiming the natural sort of banner but you guys truly are natural.
J.C.: That’s correct, Tom. We’re 100-percent pure, natural, citrus air fresheners and odor eliminators. It’s made from fresh citrus fruit and it is nature’s most effective odor eliminator.
Citrus Magic dissolves the strongest odors and continues to eliminate odors for hours afterwards.
TOM: Right.
J.C.: And it actually eliminates odors.
TOM: And it doesn’t have sort of that perfume-y smell, either, and it …
LESLIE: Right. It doesn’t just cover it.
TOM: And the interesting thing about Citrus Magic is that when I spray it in one room of the house, it really does a nice job of really covering a very large area.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And I tend to be a generous user of my Citrus Magic spray.
TOM: Yeah. J.C. loves that.
LESLIE: I tend to just go crazy for it.
J.C.: Yes, I do.
LESLIE: That’s why I buy it far more often.
But J.C., really, I mean I cook a lot at home and I cook – especially in the winter months or the summer when you’ve got the air conditioning on and the windows are closed, it’s like my kitchen tends to stink of all the food that I’m cooking. And with one quick spray of the Citrus Magic, that odor is gone and then, of course, I get excited and spray in the living room and the dining room because I love it.
J.C.: Well, that’s what makes Citrus Magic such a unique product. It does eliminate the odors with just a little bit of use. A small – a can goes a long way. Ordinary air fresheners only cover up odors. They have a lot of water, gas and some perfume but they don’t eliminate odors. And that’s where we have a unique position in the market today, because we are 100-percent natural and we use citrus oil as a base for our air freshener and odor eliminators.
TOM: And you’re also celebrating a very special anniversary: the 20th anniversary for Citrus Magic.
J.C.: Yes. This year, actually, May 10th – or yesterday – was our 20th anniversary in business.
TOM: Wow.
LESLIE: Oh, very exciting.
TOM: Wow. That’s fantastic.
Now, before we let you go, you’ve also got a product called Trewax. We get a lot of flooring questions. Trewax has also – feel like it’s been green since – was it the 1930s or 1940s?
J.C.: Well, Trewax was founded in 1939.
TOM: Right.
J.C.: So it has a long history of taking care of consumers and professional floors. We have an all-natural, hardwood floor cleaner. It’s 100-percent natural. It’s great for regular hardwood floors that are laminates, engineered flooring, cabinets and woodwork, as well. So, it works well in a house. It’s 100-percent natural. No VOCs, no toxins, so …
TOM: You think about your product line – 20 years old for Citrus Magic, since 1939 for Trewax – you guys were green way before green was cool.
LESLIE: Seriously.
J.C.: Well, we like to think that we started green.
TOM: Yeah. Alright.
J.C.: Yeah. So, we were one of the front runners here with Citrus Magic, in terms of the green products and addressing the natural products needs.
TOM: Well, keep up the good work. These products are available at Ace, Do it Best, Sears Hardware, Orchard Hardware Supply and True Value Hardware Stores.
J.C. Burkeland, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
J.C.: Thanks, Tom. I appreciate you having me.
LESLIE: Alright. Still ahead from the 2011 National Hardware Show coming to you from Las Vegas Convention Center, we’re going to talk to you about a push-powered lawn mower that’s battery-operated and it really goes.
TOM: Alright. The Money Pit continues from the 2011 National Hardware Show, after this.
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ANNOUNCER: The Money Pit is brought to you by Stanley Tools, your trusted name in quality hand tools. To learn more about their complete line of quality tools and everything for your tool box, visit StanleyTools.com.
TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
TOM: And The Money Pit is coming to you today from the floor of the 2011 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. And the mood is very optimistic here. Home improvement spending is up after a few dismal years when homeowners had to put their money pits on the backburner. But these days, homeowners are investing in products that really pay off or do double-duty or both.
LESLIE: That’s right. We’re always looking for new products and here at the National Hardware Show, we actually found something from a company called ODL, which is an add-on blind that fits, really, into that double-duty category because it helps to keep your door energy-efficient and they also help to cut down on dust. So if you’re an allergy sufferer, that can really help.
And here to tell us more about the add-on blind is Randy Brown, the product manager from ODL.
Welcome, Randy.
RANDY: Hey, Leslie. Hey, Tom. How are you all?
TOM: We are terrific. And I’ll tell you what, we’ve shown quite a few folks this product in the last 24 hours and the response has been phenomenal. What an innovative solution. So many of us have half-glass and full-height glass doors. And the options for just putting a shade or a blind on there are so limited because of the fact that the doors opening and closing, you always get the banging. You guys have really figured out how to self-contain this in one unit, hidden behind tempered glass, and it really does solve a true need. So congratulations on that.
RANDY: Thanks. We’re thrilled with the product and as you say, consumers have just loved it. When they put it on their doors, I mean they find out it’s no ordinary blind. They get a lot of benefits, a lot of functionality from it.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And I think what’s so interesting is that as an add-on product, if you didn’t make that decision, initially, when you bought that door or a window, say, with that blind encased between those two panes of glass, you were kind of stuck.
TOM: Right.
LESLIE: You were like, “Oh, well. Now I can’t do anything.” But the add-on blind gives you that option. And it’s funny, it’s like now you can really just wander around your house at night and not worry about privacy levels, because that was the toughest. And I know, as a decorator, I see a glass door and you’re like, “OK. Sheers or a gathered drape,” and that’s pretty much the only thing you’ve had. But the add-on blind gives you a lot of choices.
TOM: Well and there’s also a whole science behind the amount of opacity of the glass, as to how much you can see. So with a product like this, you really don’t have to worry about it at all.
RANDY: Yeah. You know, we give the consumer the control. They have the ability to control the amount of visual privacy they want or if they want to look out the front door and the side door. And they also have the ability to control the amount of light flow that would come on. Depending on if it’s a warm, sunny day in the winter, you might want to allow all that light – sunlight – to flood in. In the summer, you might want to block that in order to help keep the house cooler.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And you know what, Randy? I have to say congratulations, because there’s been so much news about corded window treatments – if you’ve got kids in the house or even pets – because they tend to be a hazard. So you’ve made the operating mechanism just a sliding lever on the side, which really operates so quickly and efficiently. And then if you’ve got kids, it’s worry-free.
RANDY: You know what, Leslie? That’s exactly right. By being closed behind the tempered safety class, you have no exposed cords, which you spoke about. You have – you don’t have to worry about dusting or cleaning the blinds. And as you mentioned earlier, Tom, you don’t get that swinging or banging that you get with traditional blinds or shades when you’re opening and shutting the door.
TOM: Now, you can also paint or stain these frames, as well, correct?
RANDY: Exactly.
TOM: And the heights and the widths that are available, are they fairly standard?
RANDY: They’re the most popular size by a large margin: either half-lights or 36 inches long; or a full-light, which is 64 inches in height.
LESLIE: And you know what, Randy? Your price point is fantastic. The half-light at $79 and the full-light around 117? So it’s a really affordable do-it-yourself project.
RANDY: Very affordable and very simple. Very easy DIY install. It won’t take long at all.
TOM: Randy Brown, Product Manager for ODL. Thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
If you want more information on where to find that product, head on over to ODL.com or call them at 866-ODL-4YOU.
You’ve been listening to The Money Pit, coming to you from National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. If you’ve missed any part of today’s program, simply download our podcast of this show or follow the conversation on Twitter or Facebook.
I’m Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …
LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.
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(Copyright 2011 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.)
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