TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
And we are on the road today, at the trade show of trade shows for home improvement. We’re broadcasting from the 2019 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. And I’ve got to say, we love coming to this show because before all those home improvement products make it to the store shelves, well, they make it to this floor first. So it’s the place that we get to go to to bring you an inside look at the information, the products and the trends that you will soon be seeing at your favorite home center very, very soon.
And if you love shopping for home improvement and décor and remodeling products, the folks that are here shop for them first. Virtually every major retailer in the space is represented here. These retailers send their expert buyers to find the best products to offer in their stores across the nation and even across the world.
And today’s broadcast is presented by Greenworks, who makes some really awesome tools for DIYers and pros alike. And since we’re talking to both of those groups here at the show, we thought, “Hey, why not start things off with two sets of giveaways: one for those here in Las Vegas and another identical set for those at home?” So we’ve got two Greenworks 2,300-PSI Pressure Washers, two Greenworks Blower/String-Trimmer Combo Kits, two Greenworks Hedge Trimmers and even two Lowe’s $50 gift cards, which is where you’re going to find lots of other awesome Greenworks tools.
So, for those present at the show, just drop by the media stage and drop your card into The Money Pit’s hard hat. And for those at home, head on over to MoneyPit.com to enter the Green Your Home Giveaway presented by Greenworks.
So let’s get to it. To kick off the show, we welcome Rich Russo whose job it is to put this show on.
Welcome, Rich.
RICH: Hey, Tom. How are you doing?
TOM: We’re doing good.
So, listen, first, for those at home, explain why this show exists. I mean who comes here? What connections are made? How does what happens here ultimately influence the products that they’re going to see in stores around the nation?
RICH: Absolutely. Well, the National Hardware Show is in its 74th year. And this is the industry gathering place for the manufacturers that are producing the new products that are going to be on the market in the coming months.
TOM: OK.
RICH: And consumers will be able to buy them very shortly.
TOM: Seventy-four years is an amazing history. You guys first started in New York during the post-World War II housing boom, I understand.
RICH: Absolutely. So the show has evolved since then, absolutely. But the show actually started in New York, moved to Chicago for a while and now we’re in Las Vegas. And honestly, this is the favorite three days of my year, being here in Las Vegas.
TOM: So, the vast majority of the attendees that have come here say that new products are what they’re here to see. You’ve got a lot of major building categories this year. Fifteen different categories. What are we going to be seeing?
RICH: Well, there is some tremendous innovation out here on the show floor. We’ve got products like some smokeless fire pits to robotic lawn mowers. There’s just an amazing array of products out here that you’ll be able to find and be able to buy in stores soon.
TOM: You’re also focusing on some very specialized, unique areas. One of which is tiny homes. Tiny homes are huge today and more and more consumers are looking to simplify their lives. Perhaps this is a vacation property or even maybe a camping property. But you’ve got them built in the parking lot here, too.
RICH: We do, actually. You can come and visit the tiny homes that will be located in the parking lot outside, outside the tailgate, backyard and barbecue area. You can tour the homes. And yeah, as you mentioned, the minimalist lifestyle is really taking off. And that’s what – a trend that we’ve seen here in the industry. So we’re certainly making sure that we’re representing that at the National Hardware Show.
TOM: Yeah. So it’s a growing segment of the industry for sure, kind of doing more with less.
Another area that you have – and I love this one, because this is like the candy bar at the cash register. You call it the “impulse aisle,” right? Stuff that you just can’t keep your hands off and you want to just throw it in the cart at the last minute. What makes a good impulse product?
RICH: I tell you. You know what? I am such a sucker for this area because every time I walk up to the cash register, I’m constantly looking at those things that are on display. All honesty, those are very innovative products that solve a problem that we have every day. So some of these things are like carabiner clips or mini-flashlights or utility tools that you have a use for in your everyday life.
TOM: Right.
RICH: And being there right at the cash register makes it so convenient to just pick up and purchase when you’re visiting the hardware store.
TOM: Yeah. You may not plan a trip to go buy a carabiner, you know? But if you see one, you go, “Hey, I could use that,” right?
RICH: Exactly.
TOM: Yeah, so that makes it the impulse buy.
Also, of course, smart homes have become so much more popular with the Wi-Fi wide availability today. And there’s nothing that we can’t sort of mechanize in the house with some smart-home technology. And you’ve got a whole section here of just that.
RICH: Yeah. We actually have an interactive smart home that is on display here at the National Hardware Show. And buyers can walk through and actually test the products so that they’ll be able to educate themselves on being able to sell them to their consumers when they walk into their hardware stores.
So, this smart-home area is – just been buzzing all show long.
TOM: And of course, the favorite of mine of covering this – because when I first got to this show – and I’ve been coming here for many, many years – is it’s so hard to see everything. But if you go to the New Product World, you can see highlights of these. And actually, this year, I got to be a judge in New Product World, which was kind of cool to pick out my favorites. But that’s kind of neat because you can see sort of one of all the neatest stuff that’s either recently been launched or about to be launched.
RICH: Right. We try and make it as easy as possible for the buyers coming to the show to be able to see the newest, latest, greatest products all in one convenient location. So this year, right directly on the show floor is our New Product World. And that has over 600 new products being launched at the show.
TOM: And also a great focus on products made in the U.S.A.
RICH: What a huge trend that is.
TOM: Yeah.
RICH: People are very, obviously, prideful of their United States heritage. And having this area on the show floor where buyers can come and find products that are made, manufactured and produced in the United States has been a huge benefit for buyers around the country.
TOM: We’re talking to Rich Russo from the National Hardware Show about what we are seeing here on the floor and the kinds of products that you’re going to see in your home in the coming months.
You’ve also got a great section on the tailgate, which is focused in areas for tailgates and backyards and barbecues. I was out there on the parking lot yesterday and all the barbecues were cooking up all sorts of meals and stuff. And you could see, really, the technology in all this equipment.
RICH: Well, we’re right on the heels of Mother’s Days and soon to follow Father’s Day, so barbecuing is going to be near and dear to all of our hearts coming soon and at least in the Northeast, where I’m from. But yeah, there’s a great technology. We’ve got a Traeger Bluetooth-enabled grill that’s being displayed out there. It’ll tell you the …
TOM: Smart grills for your smart home.
RICH: Yeah, it’s amazing. It really is.
TOM: That’s fantastic.
Rich Russo from the National Hardware Show, thank you so much for putting on an amazing event. Seventy-four years in the running. That is almost unheard of today, the history that we’re seeing here. And it’s all because of the hard work of you and your team. Thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
RICH: Well, thank you, Tom.
TOM: You are listening to a very special live broadcast of The Money Pit, presented by Greenworks, coming to you from Las Vegas, Nevada, the site of the 2019 National Hardware Show. If you’d like to join the conversation, you can call in your home improvement or décor question, 24/7, to 1-888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor, where it’s easy to find top-rated, local home improvement pros for any home project. Just go to HomeAdvisor.com.
Just ahead, if you love home improvement, the folks that are here get to find and try out all the new tools before they show up on the store shelves. We’re going to talk to an expert about what they look for in new products, after this.
Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Show broadcasting today from the 2019 Las Vegas National Hardware Show, presented by Greenworks. We’re thrilled to be here checking out the best of the best of all home improvement products hitting the market.
And one of the companies we’re seeing here is Bonide. They have a very effective product to consider if you find the local wildlife are as, well, let’s say as much of a fan of your garden and landscape as you are. It’s called Repels-All and it’s an all-natural repellant that repels wildlife by sense, touch, taste and smell. It can protect plants and structures for up to two months per application. And it’s safe for people and pets when used as directed.
Repels-All comes as a liquid that’s ready to use or ready to spray, as well as a concentrate you can mix yourself. Plus, it also comes in a granule, meaning it’s not going to hurt the animals; it just sends them looking elsewhere for their next meal.
Repels-All by Bonide. Bonide products have been family-made in the U.S.A. for over 90 years. Learn more at Bonide.com.
Well, one of the great pleasures of this show is walking about and learning about all the new product that is hitting the store shelves. And one of the most interesting new products that we’ve seen is the new Greenworks 2,300-PSI Electric Pressure Washer, because I love using a pressure washer. It has sort of a magical quality to it. We all love before-and-after pictures of projects with a pressure wash in your hand. It’s like you have both the before and the after that happen instantly.
With me to talk about that is Brian Stearns from Greenworks.
Welcome, Brian.
BRIAN: Hey, thanks for having me.
TOM: So, you know what I mean? It’s like when you’re using the pressure washer, you see it blast away all of the moss and the mildew and the dirt. And instantly, you get the after, right?
BRIAN: Oh, yeah. You are …
TOM: So you get it both right there. You don’t want to put it down.
BRIAN: Instant feel of accomplishment. It’s an adult Super Soaker. Who doesn’t love it?
TOM: I love that. And now that we’re in the spring-cleaning season, it is a time when we want to blast away that dirt and the moss and the mildew from the sidewalks and the driveways and the siding and the decks and the patios. This product has a lot of technology into it, that we’ve never seen before, that helps you do that.
For example, if you wanted to reach up high and say, get the taller parts of the siding, you used to lose pressure. But you guys have adjusted for that. Tell me about it.
BRIAN: Correct, yeah. They’ve incorporated something called “pressure-sense technology.” So it gives you the power when you need it, right? You’re not going to waste a lot of water. It’s going to know when it needs to hit those high and hard-to-reach places. And with the incorporated brushless motor – which they’re one of the first to bring brushless into a pressure washer, by the way – you’re going to get the extreme power and run time like no other.
TOM: So, all the power you used to need to run non-brushless motors is now basically being able to direct towards the pressure of the water itself, (inaudible) force.
BRIAN: Sure. Limited friction in that motor with the brushless is going to last longer.
TOM: Right.
BRIAN: This is something you can pull out every spring. And that’s what we’re doing right now. Besides clearing out the lawn and getting the yard looking perfect, you’re rolling out the grill and getting the patio set. So, clear off the mildew, the mold from the rails, the pavement, the sidewalk, you name it.
TOM: So the two technologies that work for that, the first is called Smart Flow. And that is a water-pressure sensing technology that’s going to adjust water based on the job – do I understand this right? – up to 2.3 gallons per minute.
BRIAN: That’s correct.
TOM: That’s a lot of water.
BRIAN: It is. Yeah.
TOM: It’ll do that based on when it senses that you need that much additional volume?
BRIAN: Yeah, that’s one of the smart pieces of technology that’s incorporated into this unit.
TOM: OK.
BRIAN: So, it’s not going to waste water and it’s going to give you the power when you need it.
TOM: And then you have the Jet Flow technology and that’s going to respond to the actual job. So that’s where we’re talking about sort of reaching up high on the building. That increases the pressure of the water to get there, right?
BRIAN: Yeah, correct. Again, this is a unit that can do all of those jobs for you, from the very professional to the do-it-yourself. It’s going to knock all those items out, whether it’s a high-to-reach spot on your house or the side of the roof or the siding, all the way to the garage and the patio.
TOM: Now, one of the pet peeves I’ve always had with pressure washers is that when you get all hooked up and you’re dragging it around the yard, everything is bumping and banging and parts are falling off it. And it’s just kind of uncomfortable. You guys have basically designed everything so it locks on board, even the rear-entry gun, so that you’re not really dragging anything.
BRIAN: Yeah.
TOM: And you can get it exactly where you need to go pretty easily.
BRIAN: Sure. This thing is powerful but it’s quiet. And it’s got the kink-resistant hose. It means you could be out pressure-washing at 7:00 a.m. You’re not going to bother your neighbor.
TOM: That’s another (inaudible) right there.
BRIAN: Yep.
TOM: You know, those hoses, you have to almost twist them yourself to unwind them and then rewind them back up.
BRIAN: Sure.
TOM: But with a kink-resistant hose, it’s so flexible you can basically coil it up and pop it on the cart and away you go.
BRIAN: Yeah. And beyond the design of the power and the technology of the motor, look at the onboard storage you’ve got here. You’ve got the onboard soap dispenser, you’ve got an easy way to hang the rack of a kink-free hose and the cord.
TOM: Right.
BRIAN: It’s not a pull-cord. Again, you’re not putting gas or oil or anything into this unit. You’re literally pushing it in and pressing start.
TOM: Yeah. And that’s the nice thing about an electric pressure washer. I mean let’s face it: if you’re near the house, you can always get power, right?
BRIAN: Correct.
TOM: And a push-button start avoids all the hassles of gas and oil and maintenance and odors and annoying your neighbors that are associated with that.
BRIAN: Exactly.
TOM: Yeah. That’s a really sweet technology.
Now, I think one of the most interesting things is that this is exclusive for Lowe’s.
BRIAN: Yep.
TOM: And that I took a look at the Lowe’s website and of course, all you guys live and get lots of feedback from reviewers. Ninety-three percent of purchasers recommend this tool. That’s amazing.
BRIAN: Yeah. We get positive, five-star reviews on this thing daily, sometimes by the hour.
TOM: Wow.
BRIAN: And Lowe’s is such an incredible partner. We’ve been doing so well with this product and the customer feedback speaks for itself.
TOM: Definitely.
So we’re talking about the Greenworks 2,300-PSI Electric Pressure Washer available exclusively at Lowe’s and Lowes.com.
Brian Stearns from Greenworks, thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
BRIAN: Yep. Thank you, Tom.
TOM: Well, if you want to change the look and feel of a room very, very quickly, paint is the way to do that. And in my neck of the woods in New Jersey, I have had the rare experience of being able to visit the Benjamin Moore testing facility, which is this massive field – think of it like a cornfield – except all it has is paint samples in it. You see how they wear. These guys stand around and watch the paint dry, literally, right?
With me to talk about that is David Vogel.
Hey, David.
DAVID: Hey. How are you?
TOM: You know what I’m talking about.
DAVID: The paint farm.
TOM: That paint farm is a fun place.
Now, you’re a manager of new distribution. And I want to ask you, when you take the technology that you learn at the paint farm and you try to figure out where consumers are going wrong with application – because everybody thinks painting is easy but they all make the same mistakes. What’s the most common mistake that consumers make with paint?
DAVID: Well, the expectation is that you want one thing to do everything for you.
TOM: Right.
DAVID: So, when it comes down to preparation, I think that’s 99 percent of it right there. It makes the job of the topcoat a whole lot easier.
TOM: Not skip the prep step. That’s the key. You want to get to the finish coat as quickly as possible but when you don’t prep it, it doesn’t stick.
DAVID: Yeah, absolutely. I mean we kind of go after the old adage: clean, dry and dull. Kind of like me, right? So you basically say, “Hey, look, you’ve just got to make the surface. Give a little bit of mechanical adhesion. Make sure that it’s dry, there’s no water in there, no moisture or anything to kind of combat with the coating on top. And yeah, make sure that it’s dull and go for it.”
TOM: Now, let’s talk about some favorite projects inside the home. One of the things that we’re seeing now a lot of is people that are looking for inexpensive ways to makeover a kitchen. And certainly, painting your kitchen cabinets is a way to do just that. You guys actually have seen that trend and specialized and developed a paint made specifically for kitchen cabinets. Talk to me about that.
DAVID: Yeah. So, we’ve got a pretty cool product. It’s called Cabinet Coat.
TOM: OK.
DAVID: It’s made by one of the companies that we own called Insl-x. And it’s a specifically designed product to go on cabinet systems where the preparation is minimal. So the idea is that you go into a scenario that is going to be a nice refresh or remodel and you want to give a nice, new appearance to the room without breaking the budget.
TOM: Yep.
DAVID: So, yeah, you go in there from a darker color to a lighter color or whatever makes sense for you. And yeah, we have a product that, essentially, is a one-coat coverage type of scenario.
And ultimately, the way the product is designed, it’s designed to be very, very user-friendly. So, for anybody that’s not necessarily a master applicator, they can go in with a small amount of skill set and have a pretty good product that gives them a nice, smooth finish.
TOM: Now, with a kitchen cabinet, you want the surface to be cleanable, right, because you get a lot of grease around it.
DAVID: Absolutely, yeah. Mm-hmm.
TOM: You also need it to be durable because you have a lot of surfaces striking each other, right?
DAVID: Wear and tear. Absolutely, yeah.
TOM: And is that built into this?
DAVID: Totally. So, one of the things that we really kind of identify is the hardness of the coating once we’re done. So the …
TOM: Yeah. Because that’s a key difference between water-based coatings and solvent-based coatings.
DAVID: Huge.
TOM: And that’s why sometimes, with certain applications – like floors, for example – I still am not 100-percent ready to put a water-based coating on a floor.
DAVID: Well, yeah.
TOM: I’m not sure it’s going to stand up, you know?
DAVID: So, this is the interesting thing. So, over the years, over the decades, the scenario was always you take an oil-based coating. That’s going to be the best wear and tear. It’s going to dry super hard.
TOM: Right.
DAVID: However, the fundamental defect with that is that it would actually kind of yellow over time.
TOM: Right.
DAVID: Those lighter colors would. And you can see that in the old scenarios – is that when you open up the old cabinet door, you see kind of the yellowing effect in there.
TOM: Right.
DAVID: This Cabinet Coat product that we actually go after is – that we produce – is a water-based coating. So you get the – all the benefits, all the features and benefits of an oil-based but a nice feel and a nice color retention out of a water-based product.
TOM: Still get that durability. Wow.
DAVID: Yeah, totally.
TOM: Yeah. And just have a few seconds but before we let you go, I want to ask you about Aura, because that is a paint that is DIY-proof. You can’t really mess it up and you get one-coat coverage, right?
DAVID: Absolutely. So it’s any color, any sheen, any room. It’s one of those products that absolutely is a knock-down drag-out. I’ll put a – I’ll do the Pepsi challenge with anybody on that product right there.
TOM: Alright. That’s fantastic.
David Vogel from Benjamin Moore, thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
DAVID: Thanks, Tom.
TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show broadcasting from the 2019 National Hardware Show. Post your home improvement question or call us, right now, at 1-888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor. Get instantly matched with top-rated pros for any home project and book appointments online for free.
Just ahead, imagine inventing a product that became so popular it’s been sold over 50 million times. We’re going to talk to a company based in New Jersey that did just that, next.
Where home solutions live, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show coming to you today from the 2019 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, presented by Greenworks, where we are highlighting some of the best of the best innovations in home improvement and DIY products.
And to help engage those here and at home, we have two sets of giveaways to talk about, thanks to our friends at Greenworks: one for the industry insiders here at the National Hardware Show and another for the DIYers and the pros listening at home. We’re giving away two Greenworks 2,300-PSI Electric Pressure Washers, two Greenworks Blower/String Combo Kits, two Greenworks Hedge Trimmers and two $50 gift cards. That’s where you’re going to find lots of other awesome Greenworks tools.
For those here at the show, just stop by the media stage and drop your card into The Money Pit hard hat. And for those at home, head on over to MoneyPit.com and enter the Green Your Home Giveaway presented by Greenworks.
Well, one of the best parts for me of coming to this show is the chance to catch up with some of the legendary brands who have been innovating for decades. And one of those is the Arrow Fastener Company who’s kicking off its 90th anniversary at the 2019 National Hardware Show.
With me to talk about that and their history and latest innovation is Gary Duboff, Arrow’s president.
Welcome, Gary.
GARY: Hi. How are you, Tom?
TOM: You don’t look near 90 years old.
GARY: No. I’m looking preserved.
TOM: Well, your founder started the company back in 1929. Morris Abrams.
GARY: He did. Yes.
TOM: Very humble beginnings. Tell me about that.
GARY: Very humble. Morris started the company. In fact, as the story goes, he actually funded his honeymoon – got married and funded his honeymoon by – he went to Niagara Falls and sold products door to door, among them staples, from here to Niagara Falls and back so he could get there and back.
TOM: Yeah. Wow. So he took his wife with and hit the road and they sold staples and had a good time.
GARY: Took his wife. With some product and went door to door.
TOM: That’s fantastic. And I guess that entrepreneurial spirit is still with you guys today and going strong.
GARY: It is. We’re excited about our 90th anniversary.
TOM: Now, I think probably one of the most well-known products that you make is the T50. And that’s fascinating to me because it’s been around for five decades now.
GARY: 1957.
TOM: Wow.
GARY: T50 was introduced. And it is one of the most iconic hand tools in history.
TOM: So there are few houses that don’t have a T50 stapler. And in my house, I’ve got about five of them, I think. But 50 million of these have been made.
GARY: It’s over 50 million staple guns in the field.
TOM: Wow. That’s amazing. And of course, all the staples, too, to go with that, too.
GARY: Which is the key for us, right?
TOM: Yeah. Right.
GARY: We sell 50 million staple guns and it’s a little bit like razors and razor blades.
TOM: Yeah.
GARY: You need staples to keep feeding it.
TOM: That’s got to be a lot of wire.
GARY: We actually consume enough wire that if you took it and laid it out end to end, it would go around the world 35 times-plus each year.
TOM: Right. Oh, my God. Really? Wow.
GARY: Each year.
TOM: That’s crazy. Thirty-five plus.
So you guys have – are introducing some new products here at the National Hardware Show, in addition to celebrating your 90th anniversary. One of the products that I know that we like, that you guys make, is the cordless glue gun. And you’ve got a new model of that, right?
GARY: We do. We’re just introducing a couple different products. But one is a, just as you said, a lithium-ion powered glue gun that we’re really excited about. And the reason is – you know, we do all the homework up front. We do all the research.
TOM: Right.
GARY: We’ve done a lot of work with people in the field, consumers: how they use glue guns, why they use them, what’s important to them, what are their unmet needs. And this checks all the boxes.
TOM: Right. What are some of the frustrations that folks have with glue guns that you guys tried to address with this new model?
GARY: Precision. They want to …
TOM: For putting on too much.
GARY: Yeah. Making sure it doesn’t ooze out, making sure that you can get a thinner bead of glue as opposed to just slopping it on there.
TOM: Right. Right.
GARY: And then you’ve got to clean it up afterward. So, yeah, we’re interested in how do we make your life easier, how do we make your project easier.
TOM: Right, right. So, aside from that sort of precision of it, the other thing that bothers a lot of people is the pressure – the constant pressure – you have to put on the trigger to get that glue to come out.
GARY: Yeah.
TOM: So, how do you design around that?
GARY: Well, just that it’s engineering.
TOM: Yeah.
GARY: So, we take it, we engineer it, we go over it. And iteration after iteration, giving it back to consumers again and saying, “What do you think? Is it better? Is this going to meet your needs?”
And then heat-up time, how quick they can heat up.
TOM: Right. Yeah. When you’re ready to go, you want to get going.
GARY: You want to do your project, you want to do it now.
TOM: Yeah.
GARY: You don’t want to wait eight minutes to – for your glue gun to heat up.
TOM: Yeah. Does the glue change? Are there differences in the formulation of the glue?
GARY: There are.
TOM: OK.
GARY: Yeah, based on the project that you want to do, there are slow-set glues which take longer to set but give you a really – a pretty strong bond.
TOM: If you want to reposition things, you would use a slow-set glue so you could move it a little bit and get it where you want.
GARY: Yes. Exactly. Until it really cures, yeah.
TOM: OK.
GARY: So there are a number of different configurations for different glues.
TOM: So what are some of the other ones that you might not be aware of? I think a lot of people think a glue stick’s a glue stick.
GARY: Yeah. Instead of hot melt, it’s cool.
TOM: Oh, OK. Yeah.
GARY: So, yeah, which is great for if you’re working with people that are – I mean especially younger.
TOM: Yeah. Yep.
GARY: Kids use it. And make sure you don’t burn yourself.
TOM: Yeah.
GARY: The curing time is different but there are advantages to it.
TOM: Now, another tool that you’re bringing out is a new, easy-to-use rivet tool. Now, that’s another tool that maybe you don’t need very often but when you do, you want it to work and work well.
GARY: This is the most amazing thing that no one’s come out with this before. But we, again, went out into the field. We looked at people, how they used the rivet tools. And when you’re up on a ladder 6 or 8 feet in the air and you’re trying to rivet something and you need two hands to use the rivet tool, which hand do you use to hold the gutter?
TOM: Right. Yeah, yeah.
GARY: You’re out of hands.
TOM: Right.
GARY: So we actually created a rivet tool that you – a single-handed rivet tool.
TOM: Single hand.
Also, before we let you go, I want to ask you – because you guys have been very busy. You’re rolling out some brands or taking over some brands, including some that I’ve used for years: GoldBlatt, Pony and Jorgensen. I love Jorgensen clamps.
GARY: Yeah, we’re just so excited about the three …
TOM: They line a wall in my house. The garage.
GARY: We’re so excited. There’s such an unmet need for Pony Jorgensen.
TOM: Yeah.
GARY: Everybody we’ve talked to about it loves the brands. Woodworkers, in particular, are very passionate people about their tools.
TOM: Yeah.
GARY: And they – the brand is just so near and dear to their hearts that they’re so excited about it coming back.
TOM: Well, congratulations on all the success. Gary Duboff, President of Arrow Fasteners, thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
GARY: Thank you, Tom.
TOM: Great job.
You are listening to The Money Pit Home Improvement Show coming to you today from the 2019 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Join the conversation. Call in your questions to 888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor. Find top-rated home service pros, compare prices and book appointments online, all for free.
And still ahead, if you love outdoor living, you may find that storing all those outside products when the weather is not very favorable can be a challenge. We’re going to highlight simple, affordable solutions for tucking away lawn chairs, toys or lawn-and-garden tools, after this.
Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler coming to you today from the 2019 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, presented by Greenworks.
And now that it’s getting warmer and we’re spending more time outdoors, it’s super helpful when you have weatherproof outdoor-storage options when you need to tuck away those lawn chairs and toys and garden-and-lawn tools. And Lifetime Products makes several products that I am using in my own home to do just that.
John Maas joins us now. He is Lifetime’s Product Marketing Manager for lawn and garden care.
Welcome, John.
JOHN: Tom, great having you.
TOM: So I’ve got a deck box and I use this specifically to store a propane grill – gas for our grills. Because I don’t like to have to just – we do a lot of grilling year-round. And I don’t want to have to go out and fill up the tank every time. So we have three propane tanks. We stick them in the deck box. That’s just one of millions of uses for this product, all made possible by your technology.
You know, vinyl is not vinyl anymore. And the kind of products that you guys are putting out look as much like wood as I’ve ever seen.
JOHN: Yeah. We’ve been pioneering some different techniques to try and give a more wood-like finish to the products.
TOM: Right.
JOHN: We’ve always done a texture on those but now we’ve brushed them to give a kind of rough-cut feel. Gives us some different looks that we didn’t have before.
TOM: So let’s talk about durability here. What is it that has made these so structural? I noticed that in years past, vinyl products used to be very flexible but now it’s very, very stiff and well-built and very structural in terms of its durability.
JOHN: Yeah. Well, our products are not vinyl. They’re HDPE, which is a high-density polyethylene.
TOM: OK.
JOHN: So, structurally, they’re a little bit stronger on its own. We do purchase a very – we produce a lot of plastic parts across all our categories, so we purchase a very high-grade resin type.
TOM: OK.
JOHN: And in conjunction with that, we put UV stabilizers, inhibitors in there, as well, to keep them structurally – keep the integrity of the plastic for all weather conditions. In addition to that, all of our sheds have steel structures and trusses to help ensure that they’re going to stand the test of time before what you need them for.
TOM: Now, today, folks are downsizing a lot. We’re decluttering and I guess that means that we need more space outside of the four walls of our home. Are you seeing that sort of trend and how are you guys sort of reacting to it?
JOHN: Yeah. So, you see that in the trends with people wanting to declutter. I think people are learning that we went through this period of time where we were trying to acquire so much stuff and had a product for every possible use case that we might have. And now I think people are learning that they want to pare back a little bit on that, downsize and declutter.
So, one of the best options that we’ve got is a variety of different deck boxes, shed styles to accommodate that. Get the stuff out of the garage so you can actually park your car in the garage and get it out where you want to use it, so …
TOM: I saw a shed over at your booth yesterday. It was almost as wide enough to park a car in.
JOHN: Yeah.
TOM: These are getting big. They’re almost like their own tiny home.
JOHN: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. They are – they’re quite large, some of them. Not everything …
TOM: If you want it. If you want it.
JOHN: If you want it, yeah.
TOM: It’s modular, right? I mean it can easily expand.
JOHN: Yeah. Yep. Yeah, we’ve got a variety of different sizes.
I live in a community where we’ve got HOA requirements and so some people need some additional storage. And we’ve got some things that can accommodate that, as well. But yeah, we’ve got horizontal sheds where people can kind of tuck away their garbage cans, their recycling bins. Because sometimes, the HOA won’t allow you to have those exposed.
TOM: Right.
JOHN: And so, we can tuck those and create a different solution for people on those.
TOM: Yeah. So how do you go about planning your storage needs? Obviously, you mentioned if you have an HOA – a homeowners association – that impacts what you can and can’t do on the outside of your property for the good of the order, how else do you sort of figure out how much space you really need?
JOHN: That’s a good question. I tend to recommend that people take the largest item that they want to start with, that they think they might want to get out.
TOM: OK.
JOHN: For me, it was getting my lawn mower out of the garage, getting the grass clippings and all that stuff out of there.
But take the biggest item that you think you’re going to be storing in an outdoor shed. Start with that. We’ve got a variety of different dimensions that you can use to help estimate what you need for square footage. But we also do some renderings to help people visualize what they might put in there. So we’ll throw a lawn mower in, just to help people start understanding the square footage and how they might use that space.
TOM: Yeah. So it’s definitely worth taking the time to get organized and do it virtually so that you know what to expect when you get to your property.
We’re talking to John Maas from Lifetime Products.
And aside from all of the storage products, I saw some beautiful play equipment yesterday you had on the floor. If you want to set up some swings, some climbing equipment, you guys are making that now.
JOHN: Yep. Yep. We make that. Yep.
TOM: Great job with that.
JOHN: We’ve got …
TOM: Yeah. And also tables and chairs.
JOHN: Tables and chairs have been our core. Global leader in tables and chairs for parties, banquets, anything that you might need. That’s been our main core but then we also have the sporting-goods division, which has done basketball hoops. That’s actually the origin of the company, starting out with the adjustable basketball system that has kind of segued into all products made out of plastic and steel, in addition to kayaks. We’ve been in kayaks for almost 10 years now.
TOM: Yeah. You were telling me you transferred from sporting, where you did a lot of work with kayaks.
JOHN: I did. Mm-hmm.
TOM: So, are sheds just as much fun?
JOHN: You know what? I actually really enjoy sheds.
TOM: Alright.
JOHN: Yeah. They’re not probably as much fun as the kayaks but definitely, they’re a great product.
TOM: Absolutely. John Maas from Lifetime, thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit at the 2019 National Hardware Show.
And if you’d like to check out all of Lifetime Products, their website is simply Lifetime.com.
Making good homes better, you are listening to The Money Pit. We are broadcasting today from the media stage at the 2019 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, presented by Greenworks. To see what we see when we’re out covering the show, all you need to do is follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
We’ll be back with more from Las Vegas, after this.
Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler coming to you from the 2019 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
And if you’d like a quick cleaning solution that covers everything from home to garden gnome, that’s a slogan used to describe 30 SECONDS Cleaner, a line of fast-acting cleaners designed to remove algae, mold and mildew off of outdoor surfaces.
With us to talk about that is Josh Scardina.
Welcome, Josh.
JOSH: Hi.
TOM: So how long does it take for this product to work?
JOSH: So it’ll start to work in – yeah, it’ll start to work in 30 seconds or less.
TOM: OK. Alright. So that’s – it’s not going to be done in 30 seconds.
JOSH: No. So …
TOM: That would be nice, though.
JOSH: It’d be great. What I always tell people is cleaning’s a function of two things, right? It’s a function of how dirty your surface is and how porous the surface is.
TOM: OK.
JOSH: So, if you’re working with something like metal or vinyl siding or something that’s not very porous, it’s not going to soak up a lot of product.
TOM: Right.
JOSH: It’ll start working in less than 30 seconds. But if you’re working with, say, concrete or stucco or something that’s going to use a lot of product, it’s going to take a little longer. We recommend using 10 to 15 minutes.
TOM: OK. So, how does this come? Is it a concentrate or is it right out of the bottle? Is it a ready-to-spray product? Talk to me about that.
JOSH: So, we have a couple of different sizes and options available. The most common is the 1-gallon concentrate and that’s a 1-to-1 mix with water in a tank sprayer.
TOM: OK.
JOSH: But we do also have a 64-ounce hose-end attachment. It’s convenient for modern homeowners who just want to plug their hose end into it and spray it on their siding or on their ceiling or – I’m sorry – roof.
TOM: Yeah. Now, it’d be bad to spray it on your ceiling.
JOSH: It would be very bad to spray it on your ceiling, yeah.
TOM: Not recommended for indoor use.
But let’s talk about a roof, for example. Now, when you apply this product, what do you do? Let it set for a while and then wash it off?
JOSH: Right. Yeah. So it’s a two-step process. You want to apply and then rinse.
TOM: Mm-hmm. OK. And then how long? I mean once you do this and you rinse it off, would you expect to get most of the moss off, for example, the first time? Or do you have to come back again and hit it a second time if it’s pretty bad?
JOSH: So, moss is a different area. We do have a product that (inaudible) moss.
TOM: Oh, OK. I’m sorry.
JOSH: What we’re looking at is mostly mold stains, like the black streaks that you get on the roof.
TOM: OK. Got it.
JOSH: For something like that, you would want to spray it on, preferably using the hose-end attachment. That way, you don’t have to use a ladder. You can reach up to 30 feet to get your roof. And you want to spray it on, let it sit for a good 10 minutes and then rinse it away.
TOM: So talk to me about 30 SECONDS and the company. You guys have been around for quite a bit of time now. Since 1977?
JOSH: Bottling and selling since 1977, yeah. It’s a third-generation, family-owned company. Our current co-owner, Jill, it was her grandfather who kind of started the business as a contractor, a painter. And he had a background in chemistry and started bottling and mixing these different detergents and soaps and bleaches to create the formula that we use today. And yeah, we’ve been bottling and selling since 1977.
TOM: There’s a lot of stories like that here at the National Hardware Show.
JOSH: Oh, yeah.
TOM: A lot of folks that, you know, are basically basement or garage inventors or backyard-shed inventors. And here they are selling millions of products with something that they just basically cooked up themselves.
JOSH: Absolutely.
TOM: They were the first sort of hackers, right? We talk about the hacks, the quick ways to get something done. And it’s funny because when you go through some of the new product areas here, you can see the future innovations there, people that have sort of thought about a new thing that didn’t exist and put it together, much like the founders of 30 SECONDS Cleaner did.
JOSH: Yes.
TOM: What kind of feedback are you getting from the crowd here?
JOSH: People have used our product and they’re very pleased with it. I try to go through the spiel and talk about the different active ingredients and all the ins and outs of the product. But at the end of the day, the product just works.
TOM: Now, one concern that folks have is using this around plants and the lawn. Does it have any effect on that?
JOSH: No, it doesn’t. So, our active ingredient is a commercial-grade sodium hypochlorite and it actually contains 70-percent less salts than you’d find in common bleaches. So it is going to smell like bleach. If you get it on your clothes, it’ll stain like bleach but it’s not going to affect the pH level of your soil.
TOM: Fantastic. Josh Scardina from 30 SECONDS Cleaner, thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit.
That’s going to wrap up this hour of The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. It continues online, where you’ll learn all about the new products hitting the store shelves in the coming months, live from the 2019 National Hardware Show.
I’m Tom Kraeutler. Remember, you can do it yourself but you don’t have to do it alone.
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(Copyright 2019 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.)
