December 20, 2025 • 45 mins
In this hour of "At Home with Gary Sullivan," Gary dives into the world of smart homes and winterizing your lawn mower. He chats with caller Carl about fixing cracks in a condo floor and discusses the importance of proper maintenance. Later, he talks with Ron Wilson about his new snowblower and shares tips on how to store your lawn mower for the winter. The episode also covers topics like smart home devices, battery-operated equipment, and DIY projects. Gary takes calls from listeners and offers advice on various home improvement and maintenance issues.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:32):
All right, it's the weekend.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Welcome here at home with Gary Salvan. It's I was
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We use it at our house. Is very very effective.
Use it once a week. All right, let me give
you the phone number. You're more than welcome to jump
on board as we chat a little home improvement during
a very busy time of year. I get that, but
(01:18):
there's always things to do. Now. The one thing I
want to kind of talk to you today about, and
that is smart homes.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
There are so.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Many things that you know are utilizing the smart technology.
Some people doing nothing, some people doing a little, some
people begging not to do anything, other people begging to
do everything. Where do you stand? Where do you stand?
And what's the coolest thing that you've incorporated in your
(01:50):
home in terms of smart technology, and you know, how's
it working for you. I'd love to get your input
on that. It's eight hundred eight two three eight two
five five. Obviously that segment's going to continue to grow.
And I'm trying to think back to what the first
(02:11):
thing I ever saw was, and it's probably been fifteen
or twenty years ago, and it was at a special
store that worked on smart technology and theaters, and I
think it was these the smart light switches and the
(02:33):
shades smart technology there.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
But now it's everywhere.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
As I was just looking at some of the things
I have in my home, you know, from the shades,
the garage door opener, to the sump pump, to the thermostats.
Even if you're not planning on a smart home in
a lot of cases, yeah, security lights. It's it's slowly
(02:58):
creeping in in the tech technologies there and it's intriguing
outdoor lights. Some are cloud based. In fact, tomorrow we're
going to have an expert on it's going to talk
about that. But i'd like to know where you are,
and I know there's going to be people that are
gonna really like what they've incorporated in their house. There's
(03:22):
going to be people. And I was at a luncheon
this week and the fellow was he had just got
a furnace in his home, and his wife was there,
and this technician was installing everything. When it came to
the thermos statue is no, no, no, I don't know
what kind of thermostat you want, but I want one
where I can either move it down or move it up.
(03:47):
I know you can still get him. He never told
me what he ended up with. My guess is not that,
but maybe so you know, that's one thing that you
might have smart technology in your home, but exactly you know,
does where's your home fall in in terms of smart technology?
(04:08):
So the number, if you would be kind enough to
join the conversation, it's eight hundred.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Eighty two three eight two five.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Five, And feel free to jump on board. The next
thing as we start having colder weather, and we certainly
had cold weather last week and kind of warm it
up right now in a lot of parts of the country,
certainly the midwest, Northeast and things like that. Maybe not
you listening in the southeast right now, but the lawnmower,
(04:41):
I think we can say, well, those days are done
for this year, we're not going to be doing too
much more mowing, and maybe it's time we winter rize
it or begin the storage process. And exactly what do
you do when the season's over? And I know my house,
(05:04):
the last time it was used, well, it's probably a
couple of weeks ago. I mean last weekend we had snow,
so May it was a couple of weeks ago. And
mine's still sitting in the garage and ready to go.
But I don't think it's going to go anywhere. You know,
it's time to start thinking about, you know, winterizing it
(05:24):
or storing it. And of course, whenever you're doing that,
the first thing you want to do is clean it,
and mine could use some of that, you know, scraping
the grass clippings from the deck, use a plastic scraper, well,
putting I forks really good, hose it off lightly, don't
forget to disconnect the hose. After you do that, let
(05:44):
it dry completely, and just kind of clean the whole surface,
underneath the sides and everything else. Just do a good
job of that. Then we'll get into the mechanics throughout
the day as we work our way through the weekend,
and before.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
We do that.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
We got Ron Wilson coming up, and we got Carl
to lead us off today.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Carl, welcome, Hi, good morning. We're going to question about it.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I got a question about my floors I'm doing. I'm
doing some remodeling on my house and I pulled up
the lnoleum floor and it seems like I'm on the
second floor of a condo. So it seems like the
base between the continent the second floor and the first
floor was I don't think it's concrete, but whatever it is,
it's it's kind of looks like concrete. It's all cracked.
(06:31):
And when I walked across the floor when it was
just a linoleum, before I gripped it up, I could
hear that it was pop. I need how do you
fill those cracks?
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Well, first we got to know what it is.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
It's the floor leveler type of the white pottery. I mean,
I don't even know because I thought I thought it
was probably would with something under there that leveled the floor.
But it looks like cemen.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Okay, Well, I don't know what it would be, but
let's just say it's it's concrete, okay. And when that
vinyl was installed, they use you mentioned floor leveler, which
is a cementatious coating where they can you know, kind
of level it out because a lot of the flooring,
(07:20):
you know, you want as level as you can get,
especially if you're doing laminates and things like that. Vinyl
kind of goes with whatever grade you are. But with
a vinyl, if there's pot marks in it or cracks
or anything like that and you don't level it, that
vinyl will take the shape of the floor. So if
it's concrete and it's got a floor leveler on it
and all that's kind of cracking loose and popping and
(07:42):
stuff like that, it would be like everything else, you know,
the first thing you got to do is prepare the surface,
and the surface preparation would be to remove certainly all
the loose.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Floor leveler that's there.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
You want to get that cleaned out the best you can,
and then once you have it cleaned out, you can
reapply a new floor leveler on it, or a concrete
resurfacer if that's the case. But a floor leveler is
the thing that you would usually use for a concrete substrate,
(08:18):
and you do see a lot of that in condos.
That's probably what it is. So I would remove the
loose parts and get some you know, are you going
to install the next.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Flooring or what?
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, I would have a snap in the floor.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Okay, all right, and that's like the lamin it snap
in yes, certa okay, yeah. So luckily on those they
kind of have a pad underneath them and everything else.
So really what you want to do is get rid
of the loose stuff and just you know, you'll level it.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
But you know it.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Doesn't have to be done perfectly because that snap in
is kind of a floating floor. Anyway, make sure you
leave that expansion a quarter inch around the perimeter of
the room.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
But yeah, that's that's how you would do that. Okay.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
So now when I so, when I get that all leveled,
the laman that does have a backing on it, could
I put like a sound is if I put the
sound be it said, a lot of warranties you're avoid
if you put like the sound barrier on top of
the lay the snap in flooring on top on on
top of that.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Right right, Well, I guess set your choice.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
You could put a sound barrier on there, but the
warranty is going to be voided, okay, And I tell
this to everybody, Carl, whether it's a roof or whether
it's a floor, and I really do. I said, a
lot of floor manufacturers are are different. They're all kind
of different. To read the directions and check that out,
(09:43):
just you know. I'll use roofing as an example. If
you put a second layer on, people always want to
put a second layer, and you can do that, you'll
avoid the warranty.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
On the roof.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
You can not have adequate ventilation, you'll ruin the warranty.
So you know they're telling you you're gonna lose the
warranty not to do that. It doesn't mean you can't,
but they don't recommend you do it. So I guess
it depends how noisy it is.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
You're the top floor though right.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
I'm on the second floor. But it seems to me
that the building moves and shakes and pops and cracks,
and I don't think it was the highest quality when
they put in conducts anyway. Right, But so if it's
if it has no need for a underlayment and you
put one in that really.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I would follow their installations directly. I really would, because
there are different kinds. But the the laminates have gotten
so much better even with sound by having that board
underneath the laminate that you'll cut some sound out. Now,
if you've got a really big problem, that's a different thing.
But I would I wouldn't mess with the directions. I would.
(10:53):
I would adhere right to the directions. Uh, they make
the product, they've tested, probably hundreds of things add or
delete from their product, and I would follow those installation
recommendations for sure. All right, thank you much for the call, Carl,
and we'll continue. Ron Wilson, he's up next, and you're
at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Take said right with a call to Gary Sullivan at
one eight hundred eight two three talk. This is at
home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
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(13:59):
All right, bring in our gardening friend. Not much gardening
going on on the outside of our home. Mister Ron Wilson,
How in the world are you you're behaving?
Speaker 5 (14:09):
Yes, sir? Are you yes? Sir?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Really yes, sir. Congratulations, Thank you so much. Congratulations on
the snowblower.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
By the way, thank you so much on that as well.
By the way, what's wrong with my thermostat where I
can just slide it up and down?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Nothing's wrong with Oh okay, but I was I was
asking people because I get both sides of the story.
I mean, I get some people that don't want nothing
in their house, and I got other people that everything
is automated. I'm just really curious where people stand on
liking smart homes or not liking them. But sometimes you don't,
(14:50):
you know, your your choices are limited, right, Yeah, I
mean everything is going that way. I don't need a
smart refrigerator, but those are big ones.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
That was gonna be my first of all, I don't
have one of the little slide up and down temperatures. Now, No,
it's on a dial, so I turn it. Oh, a
little little pointer at the top of it.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Well, I have a friend. They go like, you use
you know, your phone for your thermostat and he goes no.
I said, you got a program you need to cut
the temperature back and then no. I said, well, you're
probably leaving a little money on the table. He says, yeah,
but probably not too much. I go, well, what do
you mean. He goes, well, I just turn it down
(15:32):
when I go.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
To bed night. Oh, well you can do that.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
You can do that helps keep your memory going, Yeah,
I mean down. Yeah, or you.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Can walk into a room and flips the switch.
Speaker 5 (15:45):
So my question was going to be do you have
a smart refrigerator?
Speaker 1 (15:49):
I don't. I do not are those to be set up?
Speaker 5 (15:53):
Those those tell you what your inventory is and what
you need.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
To order, and there are there are my.
Speaker 5 (15:59):
Inventory changes so much in our refrigerator.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Well, you know, yeah, I didn't feel I needed.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Are you crazy?
Speaker 1 (16:08):
You don't need that?
Speaker 5 (16:09):
You don't need that?
Speaker 1 (16:10):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Because then if they start telling you what your inventory
and your refrigerator is, they'll put a conscience to it.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Hey, you're not supposed to ask that.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
And did you know this is two hundred and forty
calories per tablespooth.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Mister Sullivan, don't don't touch that ham.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
So no, I do not have that.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
But I got a smart stuff.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Garage door opener.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Uh, smart security cameras, smart kids, thermostat.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Why are the kids always smart but we're not?
Speaker 5 (16:46):
I don't know how to you picked up that? Yeah,
where'd they get that from? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I seem to be not as smart. But the kids
are always smart. They're right all the time too, you know.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
Oh, just like their mom.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
So tell me about your snowblowers.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Seriously, I mean this, you got to be excited about that.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
You know what's funny is still in the box they
shipped it to me, and you know, and that amazing
it comes to your front door. Yeah, I can't wait
to get it. I can't wait to use it. But
it's a It's battery supposed to last up to about
an hour. Okay, I'm just you know, I'm gonna buy
two more batteries so I can make it go longer.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
But right, yeah, what's the voltage on that battery?
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I don't remember, Okay, I'm just curious.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
I did do all that research though, I did look
through all that stuff. I'm amazing, it's amazing available out there.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
How that makes I bought a I didn't Well, I
did buy it. I bought a battery operated lawnmower back
in March. And the place I bought it from they
you could return it within I think three months. And
I was a little concerned because my yuard was kind
(18:00):
of right on the borderline of the extent that that
battery could go, and it wasn't making it. And it
came with the second battery so I could when it went,
I could charge it and use the other one and
the charge it. But sometimes it would be three chargings
and they kind of said like one. And obviously what
the reasoning was was it was springtime. We have heavy growth,
(18:25):
even though you're cutting it every four days.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
And it's damp and thick, thick, thick, Yeah, and it.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Just wasn't going to work. It probably would have been
great after that ninety days when we go into drought,
it probably would be fine. Uh So anyway, I returned it,
so not to discourage you, I've got other things that
are battery operated, you know, including a blower, which I
absolutely love.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
But I'd be real curious to see how how that goes.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
We're going to find out, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Whether an hour, because like I said, I did well,
that was their point. Fifteen yeah, thirty minutes.
Speaker 5 (19:04):
That was their point. When you read the description, how
large would drive away? It will clear and you look
at that compared to my mom's and I should. I mean,
I handshovel that thing in less than an hour.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
So you're an animal.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
I am an animal. By the way, that condo if
it moves and pops and cracks and has noises, how
to call an exorcistem.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Run for cover?
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Christmas?
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Christmas to you, sir? Alright, anybuddy, take care all right?
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Uh we'll continue at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
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Speaker 1 (22:17):
All right back at it we go. You're at home
with Gary Sullivan. Let me give you the phone number
you can join us.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
It's eight hundred eight two three eight two five five.
We got a question regarding your home little maintenance repair
question today is how much are you embracing the smart home?
And what devices do you have on your home that
are controlled by your phone? Just very curious on that,
(22:42):
whether it's the thermostatus, of security lights, lighting shades.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Just dial us up again.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
It's eight hundred eight two three eight two five five.
Things to do. I think mown season for the most
of us is completed. I'm talking about, you know, story
the mower.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
What to do?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
We talked about cleaning it. The bottom of the deck,
the top of the deck, the clippings, get a good
and clean. It's a great time to do just that.
And then you're gonna have to deal with the fuel.
Most important step. A couple options, two good options, and
pick one and stick with it. You can stabilize the
(23:22):
fuel and that's usually stabilizers to stabilize, you get the
hardware stores mixed with gas and you keep the gas
in the tank and that's good for about six months,
and there's a stay Built is probably the biggest brand
name out there. After you add this stabilizer and I'll
(23:43):
tell you how much to add, you run the engine
for about five to ten minutes. It'll stabilize, the fuel
gets into the carburetor, and again filling the tank nearly
full when that'll reduce the condensation. That's an important step
when I said pick one instead with it year after
year after year. Option B is drain the fuel and
(24:05):
that's really better for not better, but usually you'll do
that if it's a you know, long storage beyond the
six months. But I have a tendency to do this one.
Drain the tank and the car carburetor bowl, run the
engine until it dies, and that kind of to me
(24:26):
cleans up everything, takes everything out of the equation if
you will. It prevents that carburetor from coming up completely
and it's a good way to store. Wouldn't necessarily do
it if I had a metal gas tank just because
of condensation. I know a lot of people say, no,
you don't want to do that. Dry out the gaskets.
I've not had that problem, but those are your two options.
(24:48):
Don't just GI mode the grass three weeks ago and
it's pushed it into the garage or storage shed and
it's going to stay there until next spring. Don't do that.
You do option A or Option B. And also old oil.
(25:09):
Change the oil really every year, and don't do it
in the spring. Do it now it's a really good
time because old oil has acids in it and moistures
and that can do some damage to the engine too.
So clean that out and then then be ready to go.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
In the spring.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Don't don't start doing that in the spring and letting
that old oil. And don't guess just sit in that
in that mower. I guess a lot of things. We
were talking about battery operated equipment, so you got to
ask yourself that where you stand with that. How do
you handle a battery more for storage, Well, the first
(25:49):
thing you'd want to do is disconnect and remove the battery. Actually,
the first thing you want to do is probably read
your owner's manual and see how it recommends you to
store your but disconnect and remove the battery. I'm sure
it's in there. You store it indoors. It's got to
be cool, it's got to be dry. And there's also
kind of like a trickle charger is it's called a
(26:10):
battery tender and charges it turns on kind of keeps
the charge every.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Four to six weeks.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
So just a couple of things to do. If you
got a gas one again, the spark plug, I might
remove that clean with a little motor oil and the cylinder,
pull the starter quart a couple of times and reinstall
the plug. Check the blade. We're always talking about sharpening
(26:39):
the blade. This would be a good time to do it.
I know, you know it's busy this week and next week,
but in January it seems like life can slow down,
you know pretty much, and looking ahead and get some
of these projects done, might be might be a real
(27:01):
good idea. I will tell you the storage location. I
mentioned the garage. I also mentioned the shed. And you
just want to make sure where you're storing it is
relatively dry. And you know, if you got a shed
and it's just like a dirt floor or something, not
a great place because moisture rises up kind of like
(27:23):
in a crawl space. That moisture just rises up right
into you know, the stuff you're storing tools. Rust mowers
have problems there. So anyway, just kind of oh, by
the way, when you're storing that battery on the battery
type again, you want to be careful. We talked about
(27:45):
this last week. We're talking about indoor temperatures and garages
if you decide to store it in there. The storage
temperature for batteries, ideally, from what I can kind of
take a look at now, is forty to seventy degrees,
and you know you might want to just we're talking
(28:08):
about the indoor temperature and garages. It was very cold
in my city. It was down to near zero, and
I was talking as low as it got in my garage.
I think was around forty five this past week, which
would be fine. But I have walls that are insulated.
I have an insulated garage door. It's in good shape,
(28:30):
it's weather stripped, it has a sweep or a gasket
at the bottom, and I can maintain that temperature quite
quite easily. If you do not have insulated doors, do
not have insulation in the walls, that can be a
whole nother story, right, So make sure you know where
(28:52):
you're storing it and what that temperature would be. So,
but yeah, clean it up, get it ready and get
it stored for down to handle. Some of the newer
ones really store nicely. Take a very little room. You know,
handles collapse very easily, and you know, makes a tough
project pretty easy. Also, if you're you know, a gardener
(29:15):
like mister Wilson is that we chat with every Saturday morning,
take a look at the tools, make sure they're clean.
You can sharpen those with a file, and then just
we talk a lot about blaster lubricants. That is a
really good way to keep excuse me, keep moisture off
(29:38):
of tools and preventing them from rusting. And there's also
rusty moving products that blaster has. Again it depends on
the temperature and how much moisture is in the garage
or the shed. But if you keep them clean, keep
them sharpened, and put some sort of protect in on them,
(30:01):
like an oil or like a silicone, you really minimize
you know, the rust and stuff that you can get onto.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
A lot of a lot of tools.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
If you got wood handle still, maybe an old shovel,
a little tongueil on there, we'll do a real good
job of protecting that wood. So if you'd like to
join us, grab a line. We've got a spot for you,
happy to take your calls. Maybe there's a couple of
things in your home that are bothering you, or maybe
(30:31):
we're still picking up some issues from earlier in the year.
I know a lot of projects got really shortcutted this year.
I remember the question I was going to ask Ron
and then this would be one of them. Somebody asked
me this past week, and it was about that last fertilization.
(30:53):
You know, we had kind of an early early winter.
As I was talking about storing the mowers, mine hasn't
been used probably for about three weeks. Usually I use
it up to about mid December. So obviously that season
got cut short, and I imagine fertilization, maybe even some
narration in different parts of the country also got short.
(31:17):
And I wanted to ask him if it's just too late.
My guess as it is, but we'll let the expert
decide there. All right, again, the phone lines are open.
We'll take a break, come back and take your calls.
Eight hundred eight two three eight two five five. You're
at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Help for your home is just a click away at
Garysullivan online dot com. This He's at home with Gary.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Sullivan, Gary salivent here for the Zalor Pump Company. Zalar
leads the way and some pumps and battery backup systems
(32:02):
with continuous innovation. Now you can see the light with
their led plug illuminating Zalor green when the powers present.
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Check it out today on the popular Zolar model sixty
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the located factory certified installer in your area zalorpumps dot com.
(32:26):
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(32:46):
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and more pros are getting done, and with winter here,
Blaster products can really help for protecting from and dealing
with rust. Like Blaster's Premium MultiMAX synthetic lubrican. It's odorless
(33:09):
and provides the longest lasting lubrication and protection against corrosion.
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purchase call eight six six eight two two seventy three
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Speaker 1 (34:14):
Well, taking your calls.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
We're going a little home improvement maintenance repair field.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Free to join us.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
It's eight hundred eighty two three eight two five five
and let's get back to the phones.
Speaker 6 (34:24):
We got Larry, Larry, welcome, Hey, I John, I have
a question for you.
Speaker 7 (34:32):
Heavy sliding door on the rear of the house. It
opens pretty easy, but when we're gonna close it and
wants to like chip and stick, there's nothing in the
bottom of the track. Make sure that So you've got
any suggestions on trying to make it roll a little
easier when you close it?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Well, I mean it can start as easy, really, Larry,
is just lubrication. But is there rollers in the up
part of the door? How's it assemble?
Speaker 7 (35:02):
I really can't tell. Is there a way you can
take that door out without having it?
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Depends what kind of door you have? I mean, some
you can, some you cannot. I think probably what I
would start with the beginning. You don't have the make
of the door or anything along those lines, do you No?
Speaker 7 (35:22):
I do not.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Yeah, you might want to look for a little plate.
They're usually you know, on the where it slides up
against the jam or the side of the door. There's
usually a plate which will have the manufacturer on there.
And get to their website and just see if you
can kind of pair up. There may even be a
model number there where it describes, because sometimes there's some
(35:48):
adjustments up at the top of that door, but not
all the time, and some you can take out, but
not all the time. So I think that's really where
i'd start if you want to do the most basic
of maintenance, which it could be, but it could be
so many other things. I would probably clean even even
(36:08):
though you said the clock the track is clean, I
would still clean it, probably with a little mineral spirits
and a rag and then put in a silicone or
a teflon spray.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
See if that helps. I mean, it could be.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
That the you know, the the base of that track
is being pushed up a little bit and it's just
kind of jamming against itself. There's there's a lot of variables,
but you could start with the lubrication and maybe you'll
hit it there.
Speaker 7 (36:37):
Okay, all right, well, aren't for the suggestion, man.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
You're quite welcome, Thank you all right again, it's eight
hundred and eight two three A two five five talking
a little home improvement and things that go bump in
the night.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
I had an issue or a front hand an issue.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
And you know we've all been there, doorknob going through
some drywall and wanting it to wanting to patch it,
et cetera. And it reminds me of just the little things.
It's all about prevention. Last week, we had Beth Harper on,
she's an insurance broker, and she was just talking about,
(37:13):
you know how insurance companies are really kind of getting
a little picky whether this problem was caused because you know,
it was an accident, or was it just lack of maintenance.
And this is not a big deal, but you know,
a doorknob goes through the drywall, it goes through the
(37:34):
drywall because the doorstop was missing. In his case, it
was just in a state of disrepair. There was an
old spring doorstop and it wasn't even tightly connected to
the base that was screwed into the base board. And
on occasion I'll tell people to just kind of go
through their house and take a look at the doorstops.
(37:58):
And I did that myself and you'd be amazed. I
mean you'll you'll find a handful of them that either
the bumper is torn or missing, or the door stop
just isn't getting the job done anymore. You know, the
spring type, it's.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Not very erect.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
It's just kind of it's like a spring that has
already sprung. And just replacing those really can you know,
save yourself a maintenance and repair, And especially if you're
living in a house with kids, because those doors open
a little more abruptly than maybe we would That door
gets thrown open instead just just opened. So check the
(38:38):
door stops also. As our homes dry out, we talk
about that a lot this time of year, and they
are drying out because it's colder outside and it's colder
even inside, and we don't have that humidity in many
parts of the country, and it dries out, and doors
all of a sudden they either you know, they don't
(39:00):
close maybe in the summertime, but in the wintertime they
don't stay open. You open them up and it just
kind of slowly closes. Again, those can be fixed pretty
dog gone easily. You know, as you're checking the doorstops,
if you run into one of those doors, just take
a look. The first thing I'd do is make sure
(39:22):
the screws that are in the hinges one part of
that hinge into the door, the other part into the jam.
Make sure those screws are nice and tight and don't
strip them, but make sure they're snug, and that may
solve your problem. In another case, if they're a little
(39:43):
loose and you tighten them out and it doesn't solve
the problem, you might have to build that bottom hinge
out a little bit. So if you take the screws
out of the hinge that are into the jam, put
a little, uh, maybe a couple of toothpicks behind that,
and then right up the screws and see if that helps.
But the easiest way kind of cheaters with, but it
(40:06):
works really well, is if you pop a hinge out
and those pins are removable, and maybe do it to
the lower hinge. Pull that pin out and the pin
is connecting the two halves of the hinge, if you will,
and you get a screwdriver and a hammer and just
(40:29):
tap that pin straight out, take it downstairs as the workman,
put it in your device and just tap it. Just
put a slight bow in it and that'll usually correct
that problem. The door will stay open. It'll still close
easy enough. You don't want to bend it a lot,
but just a slight bow just add a little friction
(40:52):
to it and keeps it from kind of closing itself
if you do happen to strip the screw out. I'm
big on toothpicks today. One of the things I do
is take out the screws on that hinge and you
you know, you know which one is top, bottom or
middle one, and then just take a couple of little
(41:13):
pieces of toothpick. Correct a toothpick, little wood glue, stick
it into the hole, put the hinge, and then run
the screw into there. That's a great way to function
as a filler and enable you really to make that
screw nice and taught. So you know a couple of
things to do, you know, as you're just taking a
(41:35):
good look about the house.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Oh and here's a here's a crazy one.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Because there's always things if you own a home and
you're paying attention to it, there's always things you find.
And this happened yesterday. I'm pulling into the garage, which
is on the side of the house, and I look
in the brick wall is more and it's right by
the dryer vent and it's wet. I mean it's a
(42:04):
darker color brick, and so I know it's wet, and
I'm like, what.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
In the world is by the vent? What's going on there?
Speaker 2 (42:12):
And then as I look at the vent from the
car I haven't even gotten out yet, I see lint
hanging out of the screen. The man, nothing could be
filled with lint, I don't know. I parked the car
and I go out and look and it was unbelievable.
I pulled the screen out and I literally scraped an
(42:33):
area about the size of my hand and it was lint,
and it was probably an eighth of an inch thick.
And I walked into houses I said, has that dryer
been working funny lately? And shese, yeah, I was just
going to ask you about that. This thing's not drying clothes,
and it was. It was simply because there was lint
(42:54):
on the screen on the outside of the vent. And
that's so often why I'm telling folks to.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
Just pay attention things.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
If things don't look right, they're not right.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
There's a reason.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
And that wet brick made me take notice of the
vent and pulled that out and I checked those periodically
and there was no problem. And really, what I think
the cause of it was we had washed a bunch
of blankets. It's probably a bunch of lint, and it
accumulated and when the regular wash was doing it wasn't
(43:26):
trying to close as well because the vent was clogged.
And I'm telling you that baby was clogged. It was
almost by the time I scraped all the lint out
and packed it, it was about the size of a baseball.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
I mean, that's much note was in there.
Speaker 6 (43:43):
So again, remember if those clothes aren't drained properly, it
very well could be just the vent pipe or the
vent screen is clowned.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
It's easy enough to fix.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Our phone number if you'd like to join us Love
to Heavy, it's eight hundred and eight two three eight
two five five.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
We'll continue with your calls. You're at Home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
Weekends mean a never ending list of things to do
around your home. Get help at one eight hundred and
eighty two three talk You're at Home with Gary Sullivan.
All right, it's the weekend.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Welcome here at home with Gary Salvan. It's I was
brought you by Wet and Forget. They got the new
sixteen point nine ounce Wet and Forgets shower. It's a
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It's color safe again. It's the Wetting Forgets hour and
bathroom cleaner. Check it out and good luck with it.
We use it at our house. Is very very effective.
Use it once a week. All right, let me give
you the phone number. You're more than welcome to jump
on board as we chat a little home improvement during
a very busy time of year. I get that, but
(01:18):
there's always things to do. Now. The one thing I
want to kind of talk to you today about, and
that is smart homes.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
There are so.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Many things that you know are utilizing the smart technology.
Some people doing nothing, some people doing a little, some
people begging not to do anything, other people begging to
do everything. Where do you stand? Where do you stand?
And what's the coolest thing that you've incorporated in your
(01:50):
home in terms of smart technology, and you know, how's
it working for you. I'd love to get your input
on that. It's eight hundred eight two three eight two
five five. Obviously that segment's going to continue to grow.
And I'm trying to think back to what the first
(02:11):
thing I ever saw was, and it's probably been fifteen
or twenty years ago, and it was at a special
store that worked on smart technology and theaters, and I
think it was these the smart light switches and the
(02:33):
shades smart technology there.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
But now it's everywhere.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
As I was just looking at some of the things
I have in my home, you know, from the shades,
the garage door opener, to the sump pump, to the thermostats.
Even if you're not planning on a smart home in
a lot of cases, yeah, security lights. It's it's slowly
(02:58):
creeping in in the tech technologies there and it's intriguing
outdoor lights. Some are cloud based. In fact, tomorrow we're
going to have an expert on it's going to talk
about that. But i'd like to know where you are,
and I know there's going to be people that are
gonna really like what they've incorporated in their house. There's
(03:22):
going to be people. And I was at a luncheon
this week and the fellow was he had just got
a furnace in his home, and his wife was there,
and this technician was installing everything. When it came to
the thermos statue is no, no, no, I don't know
what kind of thermostat you want, but I want one
where I can either move it down or move it up.
(03:47):
I know you can still get him. He never told
me what he ended up with. My guess is not that,
but maybe so you know, that's one thing that you
might have smart technology in your home, but exactly you know,
does where's your home fall in in terms of smart technology?
(04:08):
So the number, if you would be kind enough to
join the conversation, it's eight hundred.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Eighty two three eight two five.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Five, And feel free to jump on board. The next
thing as we start having colder weather, and we certainly
had cold weather last week and kind of warm it
up right now in a lot of parts of the country,
certainly the midwest, Northeast and things like that. Maybe not
you listening in the southeast right now, but the lawnmower,
(04:41):
I think we can say, well, those days are done
for this year, we're not going to be doing too
much more mowing, and maybe it's time we winter rize
it or begin the storage process. And exactly what do
you do when the season's over? And I know my house,
(05:04):
the last time it was used, well, it's probably a
couple of weeks ago. I mean last weekend we had snow,
so May it was a couple of weeks ago. And
mine's still sitting in the garage and ready to go.
But I don't think it's going to go anywhere. You know,
it's time to start thinking about, you know, winterizing it
(05:24):
or storing it. And of course, whenever you're doing that,
the first thing you want to do is clean it,
and mine could use some of that, you know, scraping
the grass clippings from the deck, use a plastic scraper, well,
putting I forks really good, hose it off lightly, don't
forget to disconnect the hose. After you do that, let
(05:44):
it dry completely, and just kind of clean the whole surface,
underneath the sides and everything else. Just do a good
job of that. Then we'll get into the mechanics throughout
the day as we work our way through the weekend,
and before.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
We do that.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
We got Ron Wilson coming up, and we got Carl
to lead us off today.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Carl, welcome, Hi, good morning. We're going to question about it.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I got a question about my floors I'm doing. I'm
doing some remodeling on my house and I pulled up
the lnoleum floor and it seems like I'm on the
second floor of a condo. So it seems like the
base between the continent the second floor and the first
floor was I don't think it's concrete, but whatever it is,
it's it's kind of looks like concrete. It's all cracked.
(06:31):
And when I walked across the floor when it was
just a linoleum, before I gripped it up, I could
hear that it was pop. I need how do you
fill those cracks?
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Well, first we got to know what it is.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
It's the floor leveler type of the white pottery. I mean,
I don't even know because I thought I thought it
was probably would with something under there that leveled the floor.
But it looks like cemen.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Okay, Well, I don't know what it would be, but
let's just say it's it's concrete, okay. And when that
vinyl was installed, they use you mentioned floor leveler, which
is a cementatious coating where they can you know, kind
of level it out because a lot of the flooring,
(07:20):
you know, you want as level as you can get,
especially if you're doing laminates and things like that. Vinyl
kind of goes with whatever grade you are. But with
a vinyl, if there's pot marks in it or cracks
or anything like that and you don't level it, that
vinyl will take the shape of the floor. So if
it's concrete and it's got a floor leveler on it
and all that's kind of cracking loose and popping and
(07:42):
stuff like that, it would be like everything else, you know,
the first thing you got to do is prepare the surface,
and the surface preparation would be to remove certainly all
the loose.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Floor leveler that's there.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
You want to get that cleaned out the best you can,
and then once you have it cleaned out, you can
reapply a new floor leveler on it, or a concrete
resurfacer if that's the case. But a floor leveler is
the thing that you would usually use for a concrete substrate,
(08:18):
and you do see a lot of that in condos.
That's probably what it is. So I would remove the
loose parts and get some you know, are you going
to install the next.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Flooring or what?
Speaker 3 (08:28):
Yeah, I would have a snap in the floor.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
Okay, all right, and that's like the lamin it snap
in yes, certa okay, yeah. So luckily on those they
kind of have a pad underneath them and everything else.
So really what you want to do is get rid
of the loose stuff and just you know, you'll level it.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
But you know it.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Doesn't have to be done perfectly because that snap in
is kind of a floating floor. Anyway, make sure you
leave that expansion a quarter inch around the perimeter of
the room.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
But yeah, that's that's how you would do that. Okay.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
So now when I so, when I get that all leveled,
the laman that does have a backing on it, could
I put like a sound is if I put the
sound be it said, a lot of warranties you're avoid
if you put like the sound barrier on top of
the lay the snap in flooring on top on on
top of that.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Right right, Well, I guess set your choice.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
You could put a sound barrier on there, but the
warranty is going to be voided, okay, And I tell
this to everybody, Carl, whether it's a roof or whether
it's a floor, and I really do. I said, a
lot of floor manufacturers are are different. They're all kind
of different. To read the directions and check that out,
(09:43):
just you know. I'll use roofing as an example. If
you put a second layer on, people always want to
put a second layer, and you can do that, you'll
avoid the warranty.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
On the roof.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
You can not have adequate ventilation, you'll ruin the warranty.
So you know they're telling you you're gonna lose the
warranty not to do that. It doesn't mean you can't,
but they don't recommend you do it. So I guess
it depends how noisy it is.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
You're the top floor though right.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
I'm on the second floor. But it seems to me
that the building moves and shakes and pops and cracks,
and I don't think it was the highest quality when
they put in conducts anyway. Right, But so if it's
if it has no need for a underlayment and you
put one in that really.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
I would follow their installations directly. I really would, because
there are different kinds. But the the laminates have gotten
so much better even with sound by having that board
underneath the laminate that you'll cut some sound out. Now,
if you've got a really big problem, that's a different thing.
But I would I wouldn't mess with the directions. I would.
(10:53):
I would adhere right to the directions. Uh, they make
the product, they've tested, probably hundreds of things add or
delete from their product, and I would follow those installation
recommendations for sure. All right, thank you much for the call, Carl,
and we'll continue. Ron Wilson, he's up next, and you're
at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
Take said right with a call to Gary Sullivan at
one eight hundred eight two three talk. This is at
home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Thanks, thank you. So what can make your winner easier
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Speaker 5 (11:52):
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Speaker 2 (11:54):
It reduces friction while preventing rust. Enjoy this winter and
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(12:16):
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(12:38):
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(13:00):
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(13:21):
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(13:59):
All right, bring in our gardening friend. Not much gardening
going on on the outside of our home. Mister Ron Wilson,
How in the world are you you're behaving?
Speaker 5 (14:09):
Yes, sir? Are you yes? Sir?
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Really yes, sir. Congratulations, Thank you so much. Congratulations on
the snowblower.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
By the way, thank you so much on that as well.
By the way, what's wrong with my thermostat where I
can just slide it up and down?
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Nothing's wrong with Oh okay, but I was I was
asking people because I get both sides of the story.
I mean, I get some people that don't want nothing
in their house, and I got other people that everything
is automated. I'm just really curious where people stand on
liking smart homes or not liking them. But sometimes you don't,
(14:50):
you know, your your choices are limited, right, Yeah, I
mean everything is going that way. I don't need a
smart refrigerator, but those are big ones.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
That was gonna be my first of all, I don't
have one of the little slide up and down temperatures. Now, No,
it's on a dial, so I turn it. Oh, a
little little pointer at the top of it.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Well, I have a friend. They go like, you use
you know, your phone for your thermostat and he goes no.
I said, you got a program you need to cut
the temperature back and then no. I said, well, you're
probably leaving a little money on the table. He says, yeah,
but probably not too much. I go, well, what do
you mean. He goes, well, I just turn it down
(15:32):
when I go.
Speaker 1 (15:32):
To bed night. Oh, well you can do that.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
You can do that helps keep your memory going, Yeah,
I mean down. Yeah, or you.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Can walk into a room and flips the switch.
Speaker 5 (15:45):
So my question was going to be do you have
a smart refrigerator?
Speaker 1 (15:49):
I don't. I do not are those to be set up?
Speaker 5 (15:53):
Those those tell you what your inventory is and what
you need.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
To order, and there are there are my.
Speaker 5 (15:59):
Inventory changes so much in our refrigerator.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Well, you know, yeah, I didn't feel I needed.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Are you crazy?
Speaker 1 (16:08):
You don't need that?
Speaker 5 (16:09):
You don't need that?
Speaker 1 (16:10):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Because then if they start telling you what your inventory
and your refrigerator is, they'll put a conscience to it.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Hey, you're not supposed to ask that.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
And did you know this is two hundred and forty
calories per tablespooth.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Mister Sullivan, don't don't touch that ham.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
So no, I do not have that.
Speaker 5 (16:31):
But I got a smart stuff.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Garage door opener.
Speaker 2 (16:36):
Uh, smart security cameras, smart kids, thermostat.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Why are the kids always smart but we're not?
Speaker 5 (16:46):
I don't know how to you picked up that? Yeah,
where'd they get that from? I don't know.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I seem to be not as smart. But the kids
are always smart. They're right all the time too, you know.
Speaker 5 (16:55):
Oh, just like their mom.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
So tell me about your snowblowers.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Seriously, I mean this, you got to be excited about that.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
You know what's funny is still in the box they
shipped it to me, and you know, and that amazing
it comes to your front door. Yeah, I can't wait
to get it. I can't wait to use it. But
it's a It's battery supposed to last up to about
an hour. Okay, I'm just you know, I'm gonna buy
two more batteries so I can make it go longer.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
But right, yeah, what's the voltage on that battery?
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Do you know?
Speaker 1 (17:28):
I don't remember, Okay, I'm just curious.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
I did do all that research though, I did look
through all that stuff. I'm amazing, it's amazing available out there.
Speaker 2 (17:38):
How that makes I bought a I didn't Well, I
did buy it. I bought a battery operated lawnmower back
in March. And the place I bought it from they
you could return it within I think three months. And
I was a little concerned because my yuard was kind
(18:00):
of right on the borderline of the extent that that
battery could go, and it wasn't making it. And it
came with the second battery so I could when it went,
I could charge it and use the other one and
the charge it. But sometimes it would be three chargings
and they kind of said like one. And obviously what
the reasoning was was it was springtime. We have heavy growth,
(18:25):
even though you're cutting it every four days.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
And it's damp and thick, thick, thick, Yeah, and it.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
Just wasn't going to work. It probably would have been
great after that ninety days when we go into drought,
it probably would be fine. Uh So anyway, I returned it,
so not to discourage you, I've got other things that
are battery operated, you know, including a blower, which I
absolutely love.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
But I'd be real curious to see how how that goes.
Speaker 5 (18:56):
We're going to find out, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Whether an hour, because like I said, I did well,
that was their point. Fifteen yeah, thirty minutes.
Speaker 5 (19:04):
That was their point. When you read the description, how
large would drive away? It will clear and you look
at that compared to my mom's and I should. I mean,
I handshovel that thing in less than an hour.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
So you're an animal.
Speaker 5 (19:16):
I am an animal. By the way, that condo if
it moves and pops and cracks and has noises, how
to call an exorcistem.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
Run for cover?
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Christmas?
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Christmas to you, sir? Alright, anybuddy, take care all right?
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Uh we'll continue at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Start a project and don't know how to finish it,
Call Gary at one eight hundred and eighty two three talk.
You're at home with Gary Soliva.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
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Speaker 1 (22:17):
All right back at it we go. You're at home
with Gary Sullivan. Let me give you the phone number
you can join us.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
It's eight hundred eight two three eight two five five.
We got a question regarding your home little maintenance repair
question today is how much are you embracing the smart home?
And what devices do you have on your home that
are controlled by your phone? Just very curious on that,
(22:42):
whether it's the thermostatus, of security lights, lighting shades.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Just dial us up again.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
It's eight hundred eight two three eight two five five.
Things to do. I think mown season for the most
of us is completed. I'm talking about, you know, story
the mower.
Speaker 1 (23:01):
What to do?
Speaker 2 (23:01):
We talked about cleaning it. The bottom of the deck,
the top of the deck, the clippings, get a good
and clean. It's a great time to do just that.
And then you're gonna have to deal with the fuel.
Most important step. A couple options, two good options, and
pick one and stick with it. You can stabilize the
(23:22):
fuel and that's usually stabilizers to stabilize, you get the
hardware stores mixed with gas and you keep the gas
in the tank and that's good for about six months,
and there's a stay Built is probably the biggest brand
name out there. After you add this stabilizer and I'll
(23:43):
tell you how much to add, you run the engine
for about five to ten minutes. It'll stabilize, the fuel
gets into the carburetor, and again filling the tank nearly
full when that'll reduce the condensation. That's an important step
when I said pick one instead with it year after
year after year. Option B is drain the fuel and
(24:05):
that's really better for not better, but usually you'll do
that if it's a you know, long storage beyond the
six months. But I have a tendency to do this one.
Drain the tank and the car carburetor bowl, run the
engine until it dies, and that kind of to me
(24:26):
cleans up everything, takes everything out of the equation if
you will. It prevents that carburetor from coming up completely
and it's a good way to store. Wouldn't necessarily do
it if I had a metal gas tank just because
of condensation. I know a lot of people say, no,
you don't want to do that. Dry out the gaskets.
I've not had that problem, but those are your two options.
(24:48):
Don't just GI mode the grass three weeks ago and
it's pushed it into the garage or storage shed and
it's going to stay there until next spring. Don't do that.
You do option A or Option B. And also old oil.
(25:09):
Change the oil really every year, and don't do it
in the spring. Do it now it's a really good
time because old oil has acids in it and moistures
and that can do some damage to the engine too.
So clean that out and then then be ready to go.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
In the spring.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Don't don't start doing that in the spring and letting
that old oil. And don't guess just sit in that
in that mower. I guess a lot of things. We
were talking about battery operated equipment, so you got to
ask yourself that where you stand with that. How do
you handle a battery more for storage, Well, the first
(25:49):
thing you'd want to do is disconnect and remove the battery. Actually,
the first thing you want to do is probably read
your owner's manual and see how it recommends you to
store your but disconnect and remove the battery. I'm sure
it's in there. You store it indoors. It's got to
be cool, it's got to be dry. And there's also
kind of like a trickle charger is it's called a
(26:10):
battery tender and charges it turns on kind of keeps
the charge every.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Four to six weeks.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
So just a couple of things to do. If you
got a gas one again, the spark plug, I might
remove that clean with a little motor oil and the cylinder,
pull the starter quart a couple of times and reinstall
the plug. Check the blade. We're always talking about sharpening
(26:39):
the blade. This would be a good time to do it.
I know, you know it's busy this week and next week,
but in January it seems like life can slow down,
you know pretty much, and looking ahead and get some
of these projects done, might be might be a real
(27:01):
good idea. I will tell you the storage location. I
mentioned the garage. I also mentioned the shed. And you
just want to make sure where you're storing it is
relatively dry. And you know, if you got a shed
and it's just like a dirt floor or something, not
a great place because moisture rises up kind of like
(27:23):
in a crawl space. That moisture just rises up right
into you know, the stuff you're storing tools. Rust mowers
have problems there. So anyway, just kind of oh, by
the way, when you're storing that battery on the battery
type again, you want to be careful. We talked about
(27:45):
this last week. We're talking about indoor temperatures and garages
if you decide to store it in there. The storage
temperature for batteries, ideally, from what I can kind of
take a look at now, is forty to seventy degrees,
and you know you might want to just we're talking
(28:08):
about the indoor temperature and garages. It was very cold
in my city. It was down to near zero, and
I was talking as low as it got in my garage.
I think was around forty five this past week, which
would be fine. But I have walls that are insulated.
I have an insulated garage door. It's in good shape,
(28:30):
it's weather stripped, it has a sweep or a gasket
at the bottom, and I can maintain that temperature quite
quite easily. If you do not have insulated doors, do
not have insulation in the walls, that can be a
whole nother story, right, So make sure you know where
(28:52):
you're storing it and what that temperature would be. So,
but yeah, clean it up, get it ready and get
it stored for down to handle. Some of the newer
ones really store nicely. Take a very little room. You know,
handles collapse very easily, and you know, makes a tough
project pretty easy. Also, if you're you know, a gardener
(29:15):
like mister Wilson is that we chat with every Saturday morning,
take a look at the tools, make sure they're clean.
You can sharpen those with a file, and then just
we talk a lot about blaster lubricants. That is a
really good way to keep excuse me, keep moisture off
(29:38):
of tools and preventing them from rusting. And there's also
rusty moving products that blaster has. Again it depends on
the temperature and how much moisture is in the garage
or the shed. But if you keep them clean, keep
them sharpened, and put some sort of protect in on them,
(30:01):
like an oil or like a silicone, you really minimize
you know, the rust and stuff that you can get onto.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
A lot of a lot of tools.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
If you got wood handle still, maybe an old shovel,
a little tongueil on there, we'll do a real good
job of protecting that wood. So if you'd like to
join us, grab a line. We've got a spot for you,
happy to take your calls. Maybe there's a couple of
things in your home that are bothering you, or maybe
(30:31):
we're still picking up some issues from earlier in the year.
I know a lot of projects got really shortcutted this year.
I remember the question I was going to ask Ron
and then this would be one of them. Somebody asked
me this past week, and it was about that last fertilization.
(30:53):
You know, we had kind of an early early winter.
As I was talking about storing the mowers, mine hasn't
been used probably for about three weeks. Usually I use
it up to about mid December. So obviously that season
got cut short, and I imagine fertilization, maybe even some
narration in different parts of the country also got short.
(31:17):
And I wanted to ask him if it's just too late.
My guess as it is, but we'll let the expert
decide there. All right, again, the phone lines are open.
We'll take a break, come back and take your calls.
Eight hundred eight two three eight two five five. You're
at home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Help for your home is just a click away at
Garysullivan online dot com. This He's at home with Gary.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
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Speaker 1 (34:14):
Well, taking your calls.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
We're going a little home improvement maintenance repair field.
Speaker 1 (34:18):
Free to join us.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
It's eight hundred eighty two three eight two five five
and let's get back to the phones.
Speaker 6 (34:24):
We got Larry, Larry, welcome, Hey, I John, I have
a question for you.
Speaker 7 (34:32):
Heavy sliding door on the rear of the house. It
opens pretty easy, but when we're gonna close it and
wants to like chip and stick, there's nothing in the
bottom of the track. Make sure that So you've got
any suggestions on trying to make it roll a little
easier when you close it?
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Well, I mean it can start as easy, really, Larry,
is just lubrication. But is there rollers in the up
part of the door? How's it assemble?
Speaker 7 (35:02):
I really can't tell. Is there a way you can
take that door out without having it?
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Depends what kind of door you have? I mean, some
you can, some you cannot. I think probably what I
would start with the beginning. You don't have the make
of the door or anything along those lines, do you No?
Speaker 7 (35:22):
I do not.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
Yeah, you might want to look for a little plate.
They're usually you know, on the where it slides up
against the jam or the side of the door. There's
usually a plate which will have the manufacturer on there.
And get to their website and just see if you
can kind of pair up. There may even be a
model number there where it describes, because sometimes there's some
(35:48):
adjustments up at the top of that door, but not
all the time, and some you can take out, but
not all the time. So I think that's really where
i'd start if you want to do the most basic
of maintenance, which it could be, but it could be
so many other things. I would probably clean even even
(36:08):
though you said the clock the track is clean, I
would still clean it, probably with a little mineral spirits
and a rag and then put in a silicone or
a teflon spray.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
See if that helps. I mean, it could be.
Speaker 2 (36:22):
That the you know, the the base of that track
is being pushed up a little bit and it's just
kind of jamming against itself. There's there's a lot of variables,
but you could start with the lubrication and maybe you'll
hit it there.
Speaker 7 (36:37):
Okay, all right, well, aren't for the suggestion, man.
Speaker 2 (36:40):
You're quite welcome, Thank you all right again, it's eight
hundred and eight two three A two five five talking
a little home improvement and things that go bump in
the night.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
I had an issue or a front hand an issue.
Speaker 2 (36:53):
And you know we've all been there, doorknob going through
some drywall and wanting it to wanting to patch it,
et cetera. And it reminds me of just the little things.
It's all about prevention. Last week, we had Beth Harper on,
she's an insurance broker, and she was just talking about,
(37:13):
you know how insurance companies are really kind of getting
a little picky whether this problem was caused because you know,
it was an accident, or was it just lack of maintenance.
And this is not a big deal, but you know,
a doorknob goes through the drywall, it goes through the
(37:34):
drywall because the doorstop was missing. In his case, it
was just in a state of disrepair. There was an
old spring doorstop and it wasn't even tightly connected to
the base that was screwed into the base board. And
on occasion I'll tell people to just kind of go
through their house and take a look at the doorstops.
(37:58):
And I did that myself and you'd be amazed. I
mean you'll you'll find a handful of them that either
the bumper is torn or missing, or the door stop
just isn't getting the job done anymore. You know, the
spring type, it's.
Speaker 1 (38:16):
Not very erect.
Speaker 2 (38:17):
It's just kind of it's like a spring that has
already sprung. And just replacing those really can you know,
save yourself a maintenance and repair, And especially if you're
living in a house with kids, because those doors open
a little more abruptly than maybe we would That door
gets thrown open instead just just opened. So check the
(38:38):
door stops also. As our homes dry out, we talk
about that a lot this time of year, and they
are drying out because it's colder outside and it's colder
even inside, and we don't have that humidity in many
parts of the country, and it dries out, and doors
all of a sudden they either you know, they don't
(39:00):
close maybe in the summertime, but in the wintertime they
don't stay open. You open them up and it just
kind of slowly closes. Again, those can be fixed pretty
dog gone easily. You know, as you're checking the doorstops,
if you run into one of those doors, just take
a look. The first thing I'd do is make sure
(39:22):
the screws that are in the hinges one part of
that hinge into the door, the other part into the jam.
Make sure those screws are nice and tight and don't
strip them, but make sure they're snug, and that may
solve your problem. In another case, if they're a little
(39:43):
loose and you tighten them out and it doesn't solve
the problem, you might have to build that bottom hinge
out a little bit. So if you take the screws
out of the hinge that are into the jam, put
a little, uh, maybe a couple of toothpicks behind that,
and then right up the screws and see if that helps.
But the easiest way kind of cheaters with, but it
(40:06):
works really well, is if you pop a hinge out
and those pins are removable, and maybe do it to
the lower hinge. Pull that pin out and the pin
is connecting the two halves of the hinge, if you will,
and you get a screwdriver and a hammer and just
(40:29):
tap that pin straight out, take it downstairs as the workman,
put it in your device and just tap it. Just
put a slight bow in it and that'll usually correct
that problem. The door will stay open. It'll still close
easy enough. You don't want to bend it a lot,
but just a slight bow just add a little friction
(40:52):
to it and keeps it from kind of closing itself
if you do happen to strip the screw out. I'm
big on toothpicks today. One of the things I do
is take out the screws on that hinge and you
you know, you know which one is top, bottom or
middle one, and then just take a couple of little
(41:13):
pieces of toothpick. Correct a toothpick, little wood glue, stick
it into the hole, put the hinge, and then run
the screw into there. That's a great way to function
as a filler and enable you really to make that
screw nice and taught. So you know a couple of
things to do, you know, as you're just taking a
(41:35):
good look about the house.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Oh and here's a here's a crazy one.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Because there's always things if you own a home and
you're paying attention to it, there's always things you find.
And this happened yesterday. I'm pulling into the garage, which
is on the side of the house, and I look
in the brick wall is more and it's right by
the dryer vent and it's wet. I mean it's a
(42:04):
darker color brick, and so I know it's wet, and
I'm like, what.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
In the world is by the vent? What's going on there?
Speaker 2 (42:12):
And then as I look at the vent from the
car I haven't even gotten out yet, I see lint
hanging out of the screen. The man, nothing could be
filled with lint, I don't know. I parked the car
and I go out and look and it was unbelievable.
I pulled the screen out and I literally scraped an
(42:33):
area about the size of my hand and it was lint,
and it was probably an eighth of an inch thick.
And I walked into houses I said, has that dryer
been working funny lately? And shese, yeah, I was just
going to ask you about that. This thing's not drying clothes,
and it was. It was simply because there was lint
(42:54):
on the screen on the outside of the vent. And
that's so often why I'm telling folks to.
Speaker 1 (43:01):
Just pay attention things.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
If things don't look right, they're not right.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
There's a reason.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
And that wet brick made me take notice of the
vent and pulled that out and I checked those periodically
and there was no problem. And really, what I think
the cause of it was we had washed a bunch
of blankets. It's probably a bunch of lint, and it
accumulated and when the regular wash was doing it wasn't
(43:26):
trying to close as well because the vent was clogged.
And I'm telling you that baby was clogged. It was
almost by the time I scraped all the lint out
and packed it, it was about the size of a baseball.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
I mean, that's much note was in there.
Speaker 6 (43:43):
So again, remember if those clothes aren't drained properly, it
very well could be just the vent pipe or the
vent screen is clowned.
Speaker 1 (43:54):
It's easy enough to fix.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Our phone number if you'd like to join us Love
to Heavy, it's eight hundred and eight two three eight
two five five.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
We'll continue with your calls. You're at Home with Gary Sullivan.
Speaker 4 (44:36):
Weekends mean a never ending list of things to do
around your home. Get help at one eight hundred and
eighty two three talk You're at Home with Gary Sullivan.
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Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
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
Betrayal: Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a brand new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack. And make sure to check out Seasons 1-4 of Betrayal, along with Betrayal Weekly Season 1.