July 26, 2025 • 32 mins
It’s an All-Calls Weekend on Home with Dean Sharp! In this episode, Dean opens the phone lines and answers your burning questions about your home. From plumbing tips to smart strategies for remodeling your bathroom, Dean breaks it all down with his signature clarity and creativity. Plus, if you’re stuck with stubborn carpet pad residue after a flooring removal—don’t worry—Dean shares the best ways to clean it up without damaging your subfloor.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp, the
House Whisperer on demand on the iHeartRadio app. Good morning,
good morning, and welcome home. I am Dean Sharp, the
house Whisperer, custom home builder, custom home designer, and every
(00:20):
Saturday morning and every weekend here for you. I am
your guide to better understanding that place where you live.
Today on the show, as we always do on Saturday mornings,
it's your calls. You're the star of the show today.
You set the agenda about what we're going to be
talking about. Anything that's got you going on your home,
(00:43):
it's got you scratching your head, or questions that you've
got regarding construction or diy or architecture or design or decor, landscape, interiors, exteriors,
you name it, all the escapes, all the good stuff.
That's what I'm here for. The number to reach me
eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three three the
(01:07):
numeral two ask Dean eight three three to ask Dean.
It's just that simple. The phone lines are open now
and we will go to those phones just as soon
as you give me a call. A good morning, Sam.
I want to say good morning to our board operator,
our engineer Sam, who is also the wrangler of our
(01:30):
not so live studio audience. How you doing, Bud? Good? Good?
How are you doing, Dean? It's a morning, I'm here.
I have a feeling my voice will catch up with
the rest of me. I actually feel, you know, for
for Saturday mornings, I always feel awake by the time
we get rolling with the show, because you know, we
(01:51):
get up pretty early around here. But as as when
I signed on this morning and as spoke my first
words to Sam, it was clear that those, in fact
were my first words today. Wasn't that clear? It sounded
like there were several frogs in my throat. But those
are gone now they're gone. They're hopping around somewhere out
in the yard, and I'm good to go. Yeah, my
(02:13):
voice is right behind you. It's still hopping its way
up olive at this moment. Tina is you know what,
She's been a little negligent getting into the studio on time.
I've gotta tell you, I think Tina's actually headed to
the gym this morning, because he deserves it. She's had
(02:33):
a week. He's like, I'm going to the gym. I'm like,
that's fine, that's fine, but I think she's gonna pop
in and say hello before she's out of here. But
just so you know, she's my better half, my design partner,
my best buddy in all the world. She is the
person who makes moving through this life, all the ups
and the downs, all worthwhile for me. So she's here,
(02:56):
she's around, and then she's gonna go lift some weights
and then come home and tell me what to do
next with her enlarged biceps, telling me that I better
stay in line. So that's the way it works. Anything
else that I've got to cover here? Your phone lines
are up. Oh, we've got a couple of calls coming in.
(03:16):
You know what, why don't we Yeah, forget, I was
gonna talk to you about this other thing. But I'd
actually rather just go right to the phones. Let's dive in.
We'll at least get one started.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Dan.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Welcome home, Good morning, Dean.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
How are you.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I'm well, sir, How you doing very good?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Very good.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I'm curious about sodium borate as of wood preservative on
new construction or remodels. I'm going through a little bit
of a remodel and my contractor recommended a bor rate preservative,
and I'm just curious on if you've heard of it,
If you've got any thoughts.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Well, bor rates are actually a cop and preservative for wood,
and they also bear the the advantage of being an
anti moisture and an anti insect. Oh, you got a
little bit of background noise there, Dan, You must be
(04:18):
in the car traveling there. I'm just gonna I'm gonna
pop you on hold real quick so we get that
background noise out of there.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Borates are, they're they're just everybody knows. Sodium borate is
a natural mineral and there's nothing weird about it. But
it's got a lot of pretty magical properties. As I said,
we use it in cellulose insulation all the time, and
(04:45):
it is a great expeller of moisture. As a result,
it works well on wood. It's friendly to wood long term.
And also did I just say I did that It
has a a lot of anti insect anti termite properties
as well. Termites do not enjoy ingesting borates. It's toxic
(05:09):
to them. It's not toxic to I mean, I don't
want you to eating borates, But the point is you
can come into contact with it no problem for termites.
It is a no go. The same with rodents as well,
and so it has a lot of just generally good properties.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Dan.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Now, some people don't want to invest in treating their
framing with borates before they cover it up. That's, of course,
a totally independent decision for you to make. But we've
had you know, I don't want to say a lot
of good luck with them, because you know, we've had
certain wood framing members on houses treated with borates and
(05:51):
officially nothing has happened. I mean, that's the thing. It's
the herd. It's hard to prove a negative where it's like, yeah,
you put this stuff on your would and well, nothing happens,
nothing bad happens, And that's the good news.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I appreciate.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I really appreciate the input. I've been doing a little
research myself, and it looks like it's got some fire
properties as well, which is really curious to me.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
And you know why, I don't know why it has
you know why it has fire properties. This is weird,
this weird bit. But sodium borate has a has like
I said, it has a moisture issue. It has moisture.
How do I put it. I'll just I'll explain it
this way. In cellulose insulation, sodium borate once it gets heat,
(06:42):
eat it up and exposed a high heat, it actually
expels moisture. It'll draw moisture out of the wood and
actually bring it to the surface. And so yeah, it's
the same way it works in cellulose insulation. Whatever moisture
is in the material, as the sodium borate heats up,
it actually brings that moisture to the surface, which actually
gives it some fire retardant capability. So it is pretty
(07:08):
outstanding stuff.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I really appreciate. Yeah, it seems like a no brainer
to me, with the cost not being very expensive at all,
and trying to be proactive, it just seems like a
good idea. But I want to just get your view
on it. I appreciate your time, all.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Right, my friend. I appreciate the call and the question,
really really good question. Start us off today. All right,
y'all when we come back, more of your calls. The
number to reach me eight three to three two. Ask
Dean A three three the numeral two, ask Dean. It's
an all calls Saturday morning. You're listening to Home with
Dean Sharp, the house whisper Dean Sharp, the House whisper. Yeah,
(07:47):
that guy here to help you take your home to
the next level. Thanks for joining us on the program
this morning. It's an all calls Saturday morning. You are
setting the agenda. Give me a call. The phone lines
are open eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three
three the numeral two Ask Dean eight three three to
ask Dean. It's just that simple. Anything you want to
(08:11):
talk about regarding your home, anything that's got you scratching
your head, architecture, design, construction, DIY, concerns, you, name it,
we can talk about it. We'll we'll put our heads
together and figure it out. All right, let's get back
to the phones. I want to talk to Joan. Hey, Joan,
welcome home.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Hi, thank you.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
I bought an old house, probably from the thirties in
northern Michigan, and I pretty much have to DIY this
whole thing myself. So it's the problem, one of the
problems I'm having. There's a lot of problems. But I
pulled all the carpet out of the house, and it
(08:54):
does have some hardwood flooring underneath. But when I pulled
out this carpet that I think is maybe from the sixties,
underneath there's about half an inch of black soot and
black chunks that are like charcoli from the pad deteriorating,
and I mean there's almost it's thick, and I'm wondering
(09:16):
the best and safest way to get rid of that.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Well, the safest way to get rid of it is
mask up, put on your gloves, get a nice floor
scraper out there, and you know, then scrape it up,
scrape up what parts you can, get it into bags
and get it out of there. It is the carpet padding.
It is, especially back in the sixties and seventies, was
(09:43):
the lowest form of easily degradable polyurethane, polyurethane kind of foam,
rubbery foam. And so as the years roll on, moisture
in the carpet, moisture, pet urine, I mean, every imaginable
(10:04):
thing works, and especially like in Michigan, temperature changes and
moisture humidity, you can just absolutely wipe out a carpet,
especially a carpet that was laid down in the sixties.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Wow. So anyway, yeah, it's pretty much just a mummified
mess down there. So scrape it up. Now, there may
be some parts that are gooey or sticky A. Actually
that's still just the breakdown of that polyurethane. There are
adhesive removers that will help you get that back up
acetone if you just want to get something right off
(10:41):
the shelf. Otherwise you can go with an adhesive remover.
What is the one that in fact, we were just
doing this not that long ago. Here, I want to
say it was made by let me take a look
here for you picture. No, I don't have it here?
(11:05):
How did I lose it? Oh? Here we go? Uh
Clean Uh the company Clean K L E A n
H makes a great great adhesive remover that now you
know a little bit of acetone and UH adhesive remover. Also,
(11:28):
Bostic makes the Ultimate adhesive remover. That's the one that
we use, Bostic B O S T I K. Bostic
Ultimate Adhesive Remover. Don't over use it because I'm assuming
you might want to be preserving those hardwood floors underneath, uh,
and so you don't want to overuse it because it
can get a little harsh. But essentially the same material
(11:49):
that you would use to take off fingernail polish, you know,
acetone is what you want to use on the floor
with the really sticky stuff. But don't don't fear the
rest of it. Just the mask up and get it
all out of there, and then glory in those nineteen
thirties hardwood floors that just might make this whole thing worthwhile.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
Yeah, maybe just shop back it up.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay, anything you can do, use
a floor scraper for the stuff that's really sticky, and
anything that's gooey, go ahead and use the adhesa remover on.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Do you mind if I ask you one quick question?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Sure, real quick?
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Okay, what's your opinion on the Monsanto force field roughing
versus plywood on a roof that's going through winter with
not much of a pitch.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Okay, so the Monsanto roofing shield the weather shields versus
just plywood.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Yeah, it's like a four x eight and you don't
have to put on the you know, you don't have
to wrap it. It's all just one piece and then
you just put the shingles on top of it.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Yeah. It's a good material. It's a solid material. It's
a solid concept. Okay, it's got to be applied exactly
how they speck it. The problem with pre wrapped vapor
barrier sheets of material is that people often just put
them together and they ignore the seams. There are details
(13:23):
about how to do the seams, and you've got to
do the seams. You've got to work those properly so
that they're all sealed in one to the other. Otherwise
you're defeating the purpose of the whole thing, you know,
being what it is. And if that's in your budget
and it's something that's readily available to you, no problem. Otherwise,
just laying down just standard old plywood and using any
(13:46):
number of overlapping seam sealed elastomeric roof membranes, it's going
to work just fine for you. Honestly, gonna work just fine.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
So you don'tch plywood, I mean CAF plywood.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Half inch or five eights plywood. I prefer five eights
up on a roof so that it maintains its rigidity
up there and it doesn't sag in between roof rafters.
So we prefer doing a roof in five eights and
then using you know, a self sealing membrane up there.
You're gonna be fine, gonna be fine. Thank you, Thank
you so much, Thank you, Joan. Thanks for the call, Michigan.
(14:24):
That's fantastic of course, of course, of course, because it's
like a nine thirty for her, so you know she's
already conquered half the day. All right, y'all, when we
return more of your calls. The number to reach me
eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three three the
numeral two Ask Dean. It's an all call. Saturday morning.
(14:45):
You're Home with Dean Sharp, the house Whisper.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI A M six forty.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Dean Sharp, the house Whisper here to help you transform
your ordinary house into an extraordinary home. That's our goal.
That's why we're here, that's why, that's why I get
up early for you on a Saturday morning, because your
home is worth it. Let's take that house and make
it truly truly your home. By the way, also, if
(15:19):
your home needs some personal house Whisper attention, you can
book an in home design console with this. That's me
and the tea standing in your place with you staring
at the problem, working it out. Just go to house
Whisperer dot design for more info. Speaking of the tea,
guess who has popped in studio with us. It's the tea.
(15:42):
Well welcome home. Good morning, Tina. I love Oh I
heard the elephant. There it is there, it is. There's
your spirit animal. I already told everybody you go into
the gym, so I am. But it's so nice to
be here. Yeah, so nice to see you for twenty second. Yeah,
you're gonna go lift some weight. I go lift some weight.
(16:03):
You're gonna come home and kick my butt. I'm gonna
come home and work hard. That's what I do. You're
gonna work hard to kick in my butt. We got
a little side project going on that we're trying to
get rid of and take care of today. So don't
over overstrain those arms because you still got some workouts
to do once we get to that.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
And I think it is back day, so that's gonna
be interesting. Oh it's back day, not back side day.
Just back not back side day. All right, all right,
all right, have a good show. Thanks, see you by
There she is there, she goes. Ah, he looks good
(16:45):
coming in going. That's what going to the gym does
for you.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Anyway. All right, back to the phones, shall we. Uh,
let's talk to uh Philip. Hey, Philip, welcome home.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Yeah, good morning. I have a question about a bathroom.
We're upgrading a small second bath it's about eight by four.
And for the flooring, the choice, I guess comes down
to a vinyl sheeting or the twelve inch tiles. And
is that a matter of just preference or is one safer,
(17:20):
easier to clean, et cetera. Do you have any comment
about what's a good floor. It's going to be used
every day, so there is a lot of traffic, and
there is a shower, which we'll talk about in the second,
so there might be water from time to time, and
any ideas on that.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Okay, well, all right, So when you say the choices
come down to sheeting or twelve by twelve tie, you
mean twelve by twelve vinyl.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Tiles, ceramic or whatever?
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Oh okay, all right, yeah, well you know, I'm the
ceramic tile floor is a nicer floor than than the vinyl.
It's also going to be a little bit more expensive,
going to involve some more stuff to do along the way.
Is this a are we going down on a slab?
(18:11):
Are we upstairs? What's our story?
Speaker 2 (18:14):
It's a one story and right now there is some
vinyl there, but it's an old house, so it's not
on slab. It's a race foundation.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah, I got you, I got you. Yeah. So Vinyl
is going to now what's the Let me ask you this,
what's the floor material outside in the hallway?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I would it's an odor like the other woman, it's
an odor home. But all the flooring is very nice
and it's you know, the original from thirty nineteen thirty seven,
got you?
Speaker 1 (18:48):
All right? So here's the thing. I'm just going to
say this because I don't get to say it ahead
of time before. People do this kind of stuff very often,
and that is, if you're going to go tile in there, okay,
then you're gonna put down at least you know where
you got your your the the hardwood and the substrate
(19:08):
underneath the bathroom floor. By the time you put down
backer board and tile, then your tile is going to
be up above the level of the hardwood coming in,
So you're going to have a level change, which is
not my favorite. Now there are ways around that, which
is to block in between the floor joists with solid plywood,
(19:33):
not on top of but in between them. It's a
little bit more work, but that allows you to lay
down just the backer board and the tile and actually
end up planing out with that three quarter inch flooring,
which is a beautiful way to go. It's my preferred
way to go anytime we are asked to do that
and to design it, that's always what I say, because
(19:53):
I love the idea, especially in a you know, an
older home, pushing a century home, that we just transition
moodly from the top of the hardwood to the top
of ceramic tile without there having to be a big
step up into the bathroom. That aside, vinyl will get
you there without the extra effort. And there are some
(20:14):
really nice vinyls out there. But also in addition to
nice vinyls out there, there are really nice luxury vinyl
planks out there, which also is going to raise the
floor only a little bit and they interlock with each
other and they float and they might be well, they
would be I think in this case, a sexier, nicer looking,
(20:37):
completely bomb proof and waterproof alternative to just sheet good vinyls.
So that's my suggestion there. But for those of you
who have century homes, you've got to raise foundation home
and you're trying to match up a bathroom floor, think
creatively about how it is that you can lay down
a ceramic tile floor in a bathroom without it sticking
(21:00):
up an inch or so above the hardwood by the
time all the layers are built up. There is a way.
There is a way to do it, and it's sheeting
and blocking in between the joists as opposed to on
top of it. So that's my opinion on that, Philip.
What else did you have for me.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Cheating in the bookie? Okay? The other thing, the shower
valve very hard to turn on and turn off. You
have to really tighten it. Is that something that a
matter of changing some parts? A plumber could do that?
Or do we have to take the valve out because
that would involve but breaking the tile and then in
or replacing a tile.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
What's on the other side of that bathroom?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Shower wall, another bathroom.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Another bathroom, So what's immediately on the other side. Is
it plaster drywall or is it another tub or.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Let's see on the other side, I think it's drywall.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Okay, So there is the answer to your question of
an old valve like that. Sometimes fixing an old valve
like that is actually easier than it seems, because maybe
it's just an old pressurized washer in the valve. But
let's assume, just for the sake of argument, the harder problem,
(22:18):
which is those valves are just old and they're not
going to rehab. Well, here is the secret. This is
what we do all the time. Find out what is
exactly precisely on the other side of that wall, what
is right behind those valves. If it's plaster or drywall,
you're in luck, because that's how we change this stuff
out without tearing up the tile inside the shower area.
(22:41):
We open up the drywall. Just a little bit of
drywall repair. Ain't nothing compared to having to redo tile
in a shower.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
So tile, then we have to break it.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
You said, yeah, if you got tile, then you got
to break it. But if on the back side of
that wall it's dry wall, then you open that up
and we get to those valves from the backside and
slide new ones through the existing tile setup, and you're
good to go with a minimal dry wall repair versus
(23:13):
tearing up everything inside the shower. Philip, thank you for
the questions and for the call good luck. Give a
serious look. I'm just saying a house that is pushing
a century in age is worth your time and energy
to fix it up right. I don't want to spend
your money for you, but it's a little bit more
(23:34):
elbow grease and not really a lot of cost. If
you decide to go with a ceramic tile floor, and
in order to get that level leveled out with the
existing three quarter inch hardwood, that beautiful stuff, what we
do is, instead of sheeting on top of the floor
joist in a bathroom, we will block some edges and
(23:57):
will sheet in between the floor joists the bathroom. That
saves us three quarters of an inch, which means half
an inch of back or board on top of that
and our ceramic tile, and your brand new ceramic tile
floor ends up floating out flush with the century old hardwood,
and nobody will ever question that that's how it was
(24:19):
done on day one. It'll be beautiful, Your feet will
love it, everybody will love it, and it's worth the effort.
So get creative when it comes to these kinds of things.
All right, Let's take a quick break and then back
to the phones. Your home A Dean Sharp the house whisper.
Dean Sharp, the house Whisper Here to remind you that
(24:40):
when it comes to your home, transforming your home design
matters most truly truly, take a pause, take a beat,
think it through. Make sure you are designing the right
process for your remodel. Make sure you're designing the right
artistic influence and steps along the way. You want to
(25:04):
open up flow. You want things balanced, You want good design.
Good design matters most. Why do I say that all
the time, because it's true. Because craftsmanship, the quality of
the work, of course, those are important. The great materials,
of course, that's important. But at the end of the day,
(25:25):
you plug all of that into which costs a lot
of money, by the way, into a poorly thought out design.
All you have is a really expensive, poorly thought out design.
Design matters most. It all begins there. We are doing
a all calls Saturday morning, like we do. The number
to reach me eight three three two. Ask Dean eight
(25:47):
three three the numeral two ask Dean eight three three two.
Ask Dean. Give me a call. The phone lines are open.
We will talk about whatever is going on with your
home today. Let's talk to Kathy. Hey, Kathy, welcome.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Home, Hidine.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
Thanks so much for taking my call, and I appreciate
your show. I have a question about some LED dimmable
clear light bulbs that I put in a metal floor lamp,
and I thought they would be good because led isn't
(26:23):
supposed to get hot, And within about five minutes the
metal shade was super hot. I'm just dering why that
might be.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Okay, So it's in a floor lamp, and the floor
lamp has its own dimmer switch, like a rolling dimmer
switch on it.
Speaker 7 (26:45):
Uh not yet, I was going to plug it into
a dimmer switch. It's for a Airbnb and the original lamp,
the base fell apart the I guess it's called a loader,
the weighted part. So until I repair that, I put
this other lamp in there, and I wanted to eventually
(27:06):
attach it to a dimmer but right now it's just
three individual bulbs and they just turn on turnoff.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Really just individual bulbs that are turning on turning off,
and there's no dimmer switch attached to them right now
at all.
Speaker 7 (27:22):
No, So it's a pole lamp with one shade and
then a little further up another shade, and then a
little further up another shade. Yeah, they're just either on
or off individually. So I thought, well, because Airbnb people
don't always they're not always mindful of when they turn
(27:43):
things off and on.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Yeah, well, okay, so I can tell you this, Kathy,
I'm not sure it's a problem because a clear led
bulbs they tend to even though they're led based clear bulbs,
because they're trying to give off this attractive kind of
vintage look to them. They don't have the same kind
(28:08):
of cooling mechanisms that other bulbs, frosted bulbs that are
back cooled have, So sometimes a clear decorator bulb will,
in fact, well always a clear decorator bulb will in
fact always give off a little bit more heat, even
an LED bulb. I was thinking at first that maybe
you had an incompatible dimmer switch attached to them, and
(28:32):
as a result that they were kind of fighting with
the dimmer switch. But you're just talking about on and off.
So if they're in a relatively tight little metal shade,
then yeah, so you might want to consider instead of
going with the clear bulb, because a clear bulb its
real purpose is to be seen and you know, like
the whole thing exposed. If it's in a metal shade
(28:55):
and we're just talking about light coming out from the
front of the bulb, you might want to consider switching
those out to just a standard kind of frosted LED,
they will definitely be cooler than the clear wins that
you've got there. And when the time comes to actually
put a dimmer switch controlling that lamp, make sure that
(29:16):
you are going to be using an LED compatible dimmer switch,
Otherwise those lights will start to strobe out on you,
they'll start to flash, they'll start to have all these
weird behaviors because LEDs require a different kind of dimmer
switch than an old standard incandescent dimmer switch, which are
still being sold out there unfortunately. So make sure that
(29:40):
your dimmer is LED compatible and you won't have a
problem with that. But as far as them being in
a tight little metal housing with those hoods on a
three stack floor lamp, I would probably change it out
to a either a spot bulb that's coming out of
those directed or a standard frosted bulb as opposed to
(30:02):
the clear, because I'm not sure you really need the
clear if you're not going to be seeing the entire
bulb from every angle.
Speaker 6 (30:09):
Okay, I appreciate that.
Speaker 7 (30:11):
Yeah, it had a bigger frosted bull and it didn't
get hot at that point. Let me ask you this.
I always use one of those slighter dimmers, and I
just wonder do they make those that are good for
LED bulbs. I didn't even realize I needed a dimmer
that was compatible.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Yeah, yeah, No, they make every imaginable kind. Uh, well,
you know what, I take that back, because I'm not
sure I've seen the the the big knob dimmers that
are LED compatible. I'm sure they are. But yes, slider
dimmers totally common. They make just about every kind of
(30:55):
dimmer that you're used to for LEDs now because of
the big changeover that happened a few years back and
so everything is LED based now. But the point is
there are still standard dimmers out there, so don't make
the mistake of just grabbing a dimmer switch off the shelf.
Make sure it says LED compatible and you're going to
be use that with dimmable LED bulbs. That's the other
(31:17):
thing too. Some people have LED compatible dimmers and they
just buy standard LED bulbs. The bulbs have to say
dimmable and the dimmer has to say LED compatible. Then
they'll made up just fine and you'll get everything you
want out of it. Otherwise you're gonna get like a
disco strobe effect happening in the room and you're like,
(31:38):
this is not right, so uh yeah, just make sure
they're made it up properly and you're good to go.
Speaker 8 (31:43):
Kathy, if I've never if I have a dimmer that
I think probably is not LED compatible and I've used
it for years and never had the strobing, is that okay?
Speaker 1 (31:56):
It probably is LED compatible. Then if you've used it
with LED dimmobulbs and you've never seen any strobing, than
it is compatible.
Speaker 7 (32:04):
Okay. Well I bought it way before they even had
LED bulbs, so I better switch out because I'm pretty
sure it's not okay.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
Thanks so much, Dean. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
You're so welcome, Kathy. Thanks for the call and for
your chipper attitude. I appreciate that too. All right, y'all,
top of the hour. Guess what's gonna happen when we
come back? Same stuff. More of your calls. The number
to reach me eight three three two Ask Dean and
it's an all calls Saturday morning eight three to three.
The numeral to ask Dean your Home with Dean Sharp,
(32:42):
the house Whisperer.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty
KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp, the
House Whisperer on demand on the iHeartRadio app. Good morning,
good morning, and welcome home. I am Dean Sharp, the
house Whisperer, custom home builder, custom home designer, and every
(00:20):
Saturday morning and every weekend here for you. I am
your guide to better understanding that place where you live.
Today on the show, as we always do on Saturday mornings,
it's your calls. You're the star of the show today.
You set the agenda about what we're going to be
talking about. Anything that's got you going on your home,
(00:43):
it's got you scratching your head, or questions that you've
got regarding construction or diy or architecture or design or decor, landscape, interiors, exteriors,
you name it, all the escapes, all the good stuff.
That's what I'm here for. The number to reach me
eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three three the
(01:07):
numeral two ask Dean eight three three to ask Dean.
It's just that simple. The phone lines are open now
and we will go to those phones just as soon
as you give me a call. A good morning, Sam.
I want to say good morning to our board operator,
our engineer Sam, who is also the wrangler of our
(01:30):
not so live studio audience. How you doing, Bud? Good? Good?
How are you doing, Dean? It's a morning, I'm here.
I have a feeling my voice will catch up with
the rest of me. I actually feel, you know, for
for Saturday mornings, I always feel awake by the time
we get rolling with the show, because you know, we
(01:51):
get up pretty early around here. But as as when
I signed on this morning and as spoke my first
words to Sam, it was clear that those, in fact
were my first words today. Wasn't that clear? It sounded
like there were several frogs in my throat. But those
are gone now they're gone. They're hopping around somewhere out
in the yard, and I'm good to go. Yeah, my
(02:13):
voice is right behind you. It's still hopping its way
up olive at this moment. Tina is you know what,
She's been a little negligent getting into the studio on time.
I've gotta tell you, I think Tina's actually headed to
the gym this morning, because he deserves it. She's had
(02:33):
a week. He's like, I'm going to the gym. I'm like,
that's fine, that's fine, but I think she's gonna pop
in and say hello before she's out of here. But
just so you know, she's my better half, my design partner,
my best buddy in all the world. She is the
person who makes moving through this life, all the ups
and the downs, all worthwhile for me. So she's here,
(02:56):
she's around, and then she's gonna go lift some weights
and then come home and tell me what to do
next with her enlarged biceps, telling me that I better
stay in line. So that's the way it works. Anything
else that I've got to cover here? Your phone lines
are up. Oh, we've got a couple of calls coming in.
(03:16):
You know what, why don't we Yeah, forget, I was
gonna talk to you about this other thing. But I'd
actually rather just go right to the phones. Let's dive in.
We'll at least get one started.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Dan.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Welcome home, Good morning, Dean.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
How are you.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I'm well, sir, How you doing very good?
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Very good.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
I'm curious about sodium borate as of wood preservative on
new construction or remodels. I'm going through a little bit
of a remodel and my contractor recommended a bor rate preservative,
and I'm just curious on if you've heard of it,
If you've got any thoughts.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Well, bor rates are actually a cop and preservative for wood,
and they also bear the the advantage of being an
anti moisture and an anti insect. Oh, you got a
little bit of background noise there, Dan, You must be
(04:18):
in the car traveling there. I'm just gonna I'm gonna
pop you on hold real quick so we get that
background noise out of there.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Borates are, they're they're just everybody knows. Sodium borate is
a natural mineral and there's nothing weird about it. But
it's got a lot of pretty magical properties. As I said,
we use it in cellulose insulation all the time, and
(04:45):
it is a great expeller of moisture. As a result,
it works well on wood. It's friendly to wood long term.
And also did I just say I did that It
has a a lot of anti insect anti termite properties
as well. Termites do not enjoy ingesting borates. It's toxic
(05:09):
to them. It's not toxic to I mean, I don't
want you to eating borates, But the point is you
can come into contact with it no problem for termites.
It is a no go. The same with rodents as well,
and so it has a lot of just generally good properties.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Dan.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
Now, some people don't want to invest in treating their
framing with borates before they cover it up. That's, of course,
a totally independent decision for you to make. But we've
had you know, I don't want to say a lot
of good luck with them, because you know, we've had
certain wood framing members on houses treated with borates and
(05:51):
officially nothing has happened. I mean, that's the thing. It's
the herd. It's hard to prove a negative where it's like, yeah,
you put this stuff on your would and well, nothing happens,
nothing bad happens, And that's the good news.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I appreciate.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
I really appreciate the input. I've been doing a little
research myself, and it looks like it's got some fire
properties as well, which is really curious to me.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
And you know why, I don't know why it has
you know why it has fire properties. This is weird,
this weird bit. But sodium borate has a has like
I said, it has a moisture issue. It has moisture.
How do I put it. I'll just I'll explain it
this way. In cellulose insulation, sodium borate once it gets heat,
(06:42):
eat it up and exposed a high heat, it actually
expels moisture. It'll draw moisture out of the wood and
actually bring it to the surface. And so yeah, it's
the same way it works in cellulose insulation. Whatever moisture
is in the material, as the sodium borate heats up,
it actually brings that moisture to the surface, which actually
gives it some fire retardant capability. So it is pretty
(07:08):
outstanding stuff.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
I really appreciate. Yeah, it seems like a no brainer
to me, with the cost not being very expensive at all,
and trying to be proactive, it just seems like a
good idea. But I want to just get your view
on it. I appreciate your time, all.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Right, my friend. I appreciate the call and the question,
really really good question. Start us off today. All right,
y'all when we come back, more of your calls. The
number to reach me eight three to three two. Ask
Dean A three three the numeral two, ask Dean. It's
an all calls Saturday morning. You're listening to Home with
Dean Sharp, the house whisper Dean Sharp, the House whisper. Yeah,
(07:47):
that guy here to help you take your home to
the next level. Thanks for joining us on the program
this morning. It's an all calls Saturday morning. You are
setting the agenda. Give me a call. The phone lines
are open eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three
three the numeral two Ask Dean eight three three to
ask Dean. It's just that simple. Anything you want to
(08:11):
talk about regarding your home, anything that's got you scratching
your head, architecture, design, construction, DIY, concerns, you, name it,
we can talk about it. We'll we'll put our heads
together and figure it out. All right, let's get back
to the phones. I want to talk to Joan. Hey, Joan,
welcome home.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Hi, thank you.
Speaker 4 (08:32):
I bought an old house, probably from the thirties in
northern Michigan, and I pretty much have to DIY this
whole thing myself. So it's the problem, one of the
problems I'm having. There's a lot of problems. But I
pulled all the carpet out of the house, and it
(08:54):
does have some hardwood flooring underneath. But when I pulled
out this carpet that I think is maybe from the sixties,
underneath there's about half an inch of black soot and
black chunks that are like charcoli from the pad deteriorating,
and I mean there's almost it's thick, and I'm wondering
(09:16):
the best and safest way to get rid of that.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Well, the safest way to get rid of it is
mask up, put on your gloves, get a nice floor
scraper out there, and you know, then scrape it up,
scrape up what parts you can, get it into bags
and get it out of there. It is the carpet padding.
It is, especially back in the sixties and seventies, was
(09:43):
the lowest form of easily degradable polyurethane, polyurethane kind of foam,
rubbery foam. And so as the years roll on, moisture
in the carpet, moisture, pet urine, I mean, every imaginable
(10:04):
thing works, and especially like in Michigan, temperature changes and
moisture humidity, you can just absolutely wipe out a carpet,
especially a carpet that was laid down in the sixties.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Wow. So anyway, yeah, it's pretty much just a mummified
mess down there. So scrape it up. Now, there may
be some parts that are gooey or sticky A. Actually
that's still just the breakdown of that polyurethane. There are
adhesive removers that will help you get that back up
acetone if you just want to get something right off
(10:41):
the shelf. Otherwise you can go with an adhesive remover.
What is the one that in fact, we were just
doing this not that long ago. Here, I want to
say it was made by let me take a look
here for you picture. No, I don't have it here?
(11:05):
How did I lose it? Oh? Here we go? Uh
Clean Uh the company Clean K L E A n
H makes a great great adhesive remover that now you
know a little bit of acetone and UH adhesive remover. Also,
(11:28):
Bostic makes the Ultimate adhesive remover. That's the one that
we use, Bostic B O S T I K. Bostic
Ultimate Adhesive Remover. Don't over use it because I'm assuming
you might want to be preserving those hardwood floors underneath, uh,
and so you don't want to overuse it because it
can get a little harsh. But essentially the same material
(11:49):
that you would use to take off fingernail polish, you know,
acetone is what you want to use on the floor
with the really sticky stuff. But don't don't fear the
rest of it. Just the mask up and get it
all out of there, and then glory in those nineteen
thirties hardwood floors that just might make this whole thing worthwhile.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
Yeah, maybe just shop back it up.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, Okay, anything you can do, use
a floor scraper for the stuff that's really sticky, and
anything that's gooey, go ahead and use the adhesa remover on.
Speaker 4 (12:25):
Do you mind if I ask you one quick question?
Speaker 1 (12:28):
Sure, real quick?
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Okay, what's your opinion on the Monsanto force field roughing
versus plywood on a roof that's going through winter with
not much of a pitch.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Okay, so the Monsanto roofing shield the weather shields versus
just plywood.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
Yeah, it's like a four x eight and you don't
have to put on the you know, you don't have
to wrap it. It's all just one piece and then
you just put the shingles on top of it.
Speaker 1 (13:02):
Yeah. It's a good material. It's a solid material. It's
a solid concept. Okay, it's got to be applied exactly
how they speck it. The problem with pre wrapped vapor
barrier sheets of material is that people often just put
them together and they ignore the seams. There are details
(13:23):
about how to do the seams, and you've got to
do the seams. You've got to work those properly so
that they're all sealed in one to the other. Otherwise
you're defeating the purpose of the whole thing, you know,
being what it is. And if that's in your budget
and it's something that's readily available to you, no problem. Otherwise,
just laying down just standard old plywood and using any
(13:46):
number of overlapping seam sealed elastomeric roof membranes, it's going
to work just fine for you. Honestly, gonna work just fine.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
So you don'tch plywood, I mean CAF plywood.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Half inch or five eights plywood. I prefer five eights
up on a roof so that it maintains its rigidity
up there and it doesn't sag in between roof rafters.
So we prefer doing a roof in five eights and
then using you know, a self sealing membrane up there.
You're gonna be fine, gonna be fine. Thank you, Thank
you so much, Thank you, Joan. Thanks for the call, Michigan.
(14:24):
That's fantastic of course, of course, of course, because it's
like a nine thirty for her, so you know she's
already conquered half the day. All right, y'all, when we
return more of your calls. The number to reach me
eight three three two. Ask Dean eight three three the
numeral two Ask Dean. It's an all call. Saturday morning.
(14:45):
You're Home with Dean Sharp, the house Whisper.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI A M six forty.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Dean Sharp, the house Whisper here to help you transform
your ordinary house into an extraordinary home. That's our goal.
That's why we're here, that's why, that's why I get
up early for you on a Saturday morning, because your
home is worth it. Let's take that house and make
it truly truly your home. By the way, also, if
(15:19):
your home needs some personal house Whisper attention, you can
book an in home design console with this. That's me
and the tea standing in your place with you staring
at the problem, working it out. Just go to house
Whisperer dot design for more info. Speaking of the tea,
guess who has popped in studio with us. It's the tea.
(15:42):
Well welcome home. Good morning, Tina. I love Oh I
heard the elephant. There it is there, it is. There's
your spirit animal. I already told everybody you go into
the gym, so I am. But it's so nice to
be here. Yeah, so nice to see you for twenty second. Yeah,
you're gonna go lift some weight. I go lift some weight.
(16:03):
You're gonna come home and kick my butt. I'm gonna
come home and work hard. That's what I do. You're
gonna work hard to kick in my butt. We got
a little side project going on that we're trying to
get rid of and take care of today. So don't
over overstrain those arms because you still got some workouts
to do once we get to that.
Speaker 5 (16:24):
And I think it is back day, so that's gonna
be interesting. Oh it's back day, not back side day.
Just back not back side day. All right, all right,
all right, have a good show. Thanks, see you by
There she is there, she goes. Ah, he looks good
(16:45):
coming in going. That's what going to the gym does
for you.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Anyway. All right, back to the phones, shall we. Uh,
let's talk to uh Philip. Hey, Philip, welcome home.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
Yeah, good morning. I have a question about a bathroom.
We're upgrading a small second bath it's about eight by four.
And for the flooring, the choice, I guess comes down
to a vinyl sheeting or the twelve inch tiles. And
is that a matter of just preference or is one safer,
(17:20):
easier to clean, et cetera. Do you have any comment
about what's a good floor. It's going to be used
every day, so there is a lot of traffic, and
there is a shower, which we'll talk about in the second,
so there might be water from time to time, and
any ideas on that.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Okay, well, all right, So when you say the choices
come down to sheeting or twelve by twelve tie, you
mean twelve by twelve vinyl.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Tiles, ceramic or whatever?
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Oh okay, all right, yeah, well you know, I'm the
ceramic tile floor is a nicer floor than than the vinyl.
It's also going to be a little bit more expensive,
going to involve some more stuff to do along the way.
Is this a are we going down on a slab?
(18:11):
Are we upstairs? What's our story?
Speaker 2 (18:14):
It's a one story and right now there is some
vinyl there, but it's an old house, so it's not
on slab. It's a race foundation.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah, I got you, I got you. Yeah. So Vinyl
is going to now what's the Let me ask you this,
what's the floor material outside in the hallway?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I would it's an odor like the other woman, it's
an odor home. But all the flooring is very nice
and it's you know, the original from thirty nineteen thirty seven,
got you?
Speaker 1 (18:48):
All right? So here's the thing. I'm just going to
say this because I don't get to say it ahead
of time before. People do this kind of stuff very often,
and that is, if you're going to go tile in there, okay,
then you're gonna put down at least you know where
you got your your the the hardwood and the substrate
(19:08):
underneath the bathroom floor. By the time you put down
backer board and tile, then your tile is going to
be up above the level of the hardwood coming in,
So you're going to have a level change, which is
not my favorite. Now there are ways around that, which
is to block in between the floor joists with solid plywood,
(19:33):
not on top of but in between them. It's a
little bit more work, but that allows you to lay
down just the backer board and the tile and actually
end up planing out with that three quarter inch flooring,
which is a beautiful way to go. It's my preferred
way to go anytime we are asked to do that
and to design it, that's always what I say, because
(19:53):
I love the idea, especially in a you know, an
older home, pushing a century home, that we just transition
moodly from the top of the hardwood to the top
of ceramic tile without there having to be a big
step up into the bathroom. That aside, vinyl will get
you there without the extra effort. And there are some
(20:14):
really nice vinyls out there. But also in addition to
nice vinyls out there, there are really nice luxury vinyl
planks out there, which also is going to raise the
floor only a little bit and they interlock with each
other and they float and they might be well, they
would be I think in this case, a sexier, nicer looking,
(20:37):
completely bomb proof and waterproof alternative to just sheet good vinyls.
So that's my suggestion there. But for those of you
who have century homes, you've got to raise foundation home
and you're trying to match up a bathroom floor, think
creatively about how it is that you can lay down
a ceramic tile floor in a bathroom without it sticking
(21:00):
up an inch or so above the hardwood by the
time all the layers are built up. There is a way.
There is a way to do it, and it's sheeting
and blocking in between the joists as opposed to on
top of it. So that's my opinion on that, Philip.
What else did you have for me.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Cheating in the bookie? Okay? The other thing, the shower
valve very hard to turn on and turn off. You
have to really tighten it. Is that something that a
matter of changing some parts? A plumber could do that?
Or do we have to take the valve out because
that would involve but breaking the tile and then in
or replacing a tile.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
What's on the other side of that bathroom?
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Shower wall, another bathroom.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Another bathroom, So what's immediately on the other side. Is
it plaster drywall or is it another tub or.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Let's see on the other side, I think it's drywall.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Okay, So there is the answer to your question of
an old valve like that. Sometimes fixing an old valve
like that is actually easier than it seems, because maybe
it's just an old pressurized washer in the valve. But
let's assume, just for the sake of argument, the harder problem,
(22:18):
which is those valves are just old and they're not
going to rehab. Well, here is the secret. This is
what we do all the time. Find out what is
exactly precisely on the other side of that wall, what
is right behind those valves. If it's plaster or drywall,
you're in luck, because that's how we change this stuff
out without tearing up the tile inside the shower area.
(22:41):
We open up the drywall. Just a little bit of
drywall repair. Ain't nothing compared to having to redo tile
in a shower.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
So tile, then we have to break it.
Speaker 1 (22:52):
You said, yeah, if you got tile, then you got
to break it. But if on the back side of
that wall it's dry wall, then you open that up
and we get to those valves from the backside and
slide new ones through the existing tile setup, and you're
good to go with a minimal dry wall repair versus
(23:13):
tearing up everything inside the shower. Philip, thank you for
the questions and for the call good luck. Give a
serious look. I'm just saying a house that is pushing
a century in age is worth your time and energy
to fix it up right. I don't want to spend
your money for you, but it's a little bit more
(23:34):
elbow grease and not really a lot of cost. If
you decide to go with a ceramic tile floor, and
in order to get that level leveled out with the
existing three quarter inch hardwood, that beautiful stuff, what we
do is, instead of sheeting on top of the floor
joist in a bathroom, we will block some edges and
(23:57):
will sheet in between the floor joists the bathroom. That
saves us three quarters of an inch, which means half
an inch of back or board on top of that
and our ceramic tile, and your brand new ceramic tile
floor ends up floating out flush with the century old hardwood,
and nobody will ever question that that's how it was
(24:19):
done on day one. It'll be beautiful, Your feet will
love it, everybody will love it, and it's worth the effort.
So get creative when it comes to these kinds of things.
All right, Let's take a quick break and then back
to the phones. Your home A Dean Sharp the house whisper.
Dean Sharp, the house Whisper Here to remind you that
(24:40):
when it comes to your home, transforming your home design
matters most truly truly, take a pause, take a beat,
think it through. Make sure you are designing the right
process for your remodel. Make sure you're designing the right
artistic influence and steps along the way. You want to
(25:04):
open up flow. You want things balanced, You want good design.
Good design matters most. Why do I say that all
the time, because it's true. Because craftsmanship, the quality of
the work, of course, those are important. The great materials,
of course, that's important. But at the end of the day,
(25:25):
you plug all of that into which costs a lot
of money, by the way, into a poorly thought out design.
All you have is a really expensive, poorly thought out design.
Design matters most. It all begins there. We are doing
a all calls Saturday morning, like we do. The number
to reach me eight three three two. Ask Dean eight
(25:47):
three three the numeral two ask Dean eight three three two.
Ask Dean. Give me a call. The phone lines are open.
We will talk about whatever is going on with your
home today. Let's talk to Kathy. Hey, Kathy, welcome.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Home, Hidine.
Speaker 6 (26:03):
Thanks so much for taking my call, and I appreciate
your show. I have a question about some LED dimmable
clear light bulbs that I put in a metal floor lamp,
and I thought they would be good because led isn't
(26:23):
supposed to get hot, And within about five minutes the
metal shade was super hot. I'm just dering why that
might be.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
Okay, So it's in a floor lamp, and the floor
lamp has its own dimmer switch, like a rolling dimmer
switch on it.
Speaker 7 (26:45):
Uh not yet, I was going to plug it into
a dimmer switch. It's for a Airbnb and the original lamp,
the base fell apart the I guess it's called a loader,
the weighted part. So until I repair that, I put
this other lamp in there, and I wanted to eventually
(27:06):
attach it to a dimmer but right now it's just
three individual bulbs and they just turn on turnoff.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Really just individual bulbs that are turning on turning off,
and there's no dimmer switch attached to them right now
at all.
Speaker 7 (27:22):
No, So it's a pole lamp with one shade and
then a little further up another shade, and then a
little further up another shade. Yeah, they're just either on
or off individually. So I thought, well, because Airbnb people
don't always they're not always mindful of when they turn
(27:43):
things off and on.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Yeah, well, okay, so I can tell you this, Kathy,
I'm not sure it's a problem because a clear led
bulbs they tend to even though they're led based clear bulbs,
because they're trying to give off this attractive kind of
vintage look to them. They don't have the same kind
(28:08):
of cooling mechanisms that other bulbs, frosted bulbs that are
back cooled have, So sometimes a clear decorator bulb will,
in fact, well always a clear decorator bulb will in
fact always give off a little bit more heat, even
an LED bulb. I was thinking at first that maybe
you had an incompatible dimmer switch attached to them, and
(28:32):
as a result that they were kind of fighting with
the dimmer switch. But you're just talking about on and off.
So if they're in a relatively tight little metal shade,
then yeah, so you might want to consider instead of
going with the clear bulb, because a clear bulb its
real purpose is to be seen and you know, like
the whole thing exposed. If it's in a metal shade
(28:55):
and we're just talking about light coming out from the
front of the bulb, you might want to consider switching
those out to just a standard kind of frosted LED,
they will definitely be cooler than the clear wins that
you've got there. And when the time comes to actually
put a dimmer switch controlling that lamp, make sure that
(29:16):
you are going to be using an LED compatible dimmer switch,
Otherwise those lights will start to strobe out on you,
they'll start to flash, they'll start to have all these
weird behaviors because LEDs require a different kind of dimmer
switch than an old standard incandescent dimmer switch, which are
still being sold out there unfortunately. So make sure that
(29:40):
your dimmer is LED compatible and you won't have a
problem with that. But as far as them being in
a tight little metal housing with those hoods on a
three stack floor lamp, I would probably change it out
to a either a spot bulb that's coming out of
those directed or a standard frosted bulb as opposed to
(30:02):
the clear, because I'm not sure you really need the
clear if you're not going to be seeing the entire
bulb from every angle.
Speaker 6 (30:09):
Okay, I appreciate that.
Speaker 7 (30:11):
Yeah, it had a bigger frosted bull and it didn't
get hot at that point. Let me ask you this.
I always use one of those slighter dimmers, and I
just wonder do they make those that are good for
LED bulbs. I didn't even realize I needed a dimmer
that was compatible.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Yeah, yeah, No, they make every imaginable kind. Uh, well,
you know what, I take that back, because I'm not
sure I've seen the the the big knob dimmers that
are LED compatible. I'm sure they are. But yes, slider
dimmers totally common. They make just about every kind of
(30:55):
dimmer that you're used to for LEDs now because of
the big changeover that happened a few years back and
so everything is LED based now. But the point is
there are still standard dimmers out there, so don't make
the mistake of just grabbing a dimmer switch off the shelf.
Make sure it says LED compatible and you're going to
be use that with dimmable LED bulbs. That's the other
(31:17):
thing too. Some people have LED compatible dimmers and they
just buy standard LED bulbs. The bulbs have to say
dimmable and the dimmer has to say LED compatible. Then
they'll made up just fine and you'll get everything you
want out of it. Otherwise you're gonna get like a
disco strobe effect happening in the room and you're like,
(31:38):
this is not right, so uh yeah, just make sure
they're made it up properly and you're good to go.
Speaker 8 (31:43):
Kathy, if I've never if I have a dimmer that
I think probably is not LED compatible and I've used
it for years and never had the strobing, is that okay?
Speaker 1 (31:56):
It probably is LED compatible. Then if you've used it
with LED dimmobulbs and you've never seen any strobing, than
it is compatible.
Speaker 7 (32:04):
Okay. Well I bought it way before they even had
LED bulbs, so I better switch out because I'm pretty
sure it's not okay.
Speaker 6 (32:15):
Thanks so much, Dean. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
You're so welcome, Kathy. Thanks for the call and for
your chipper attitude. I appreciate that too. All right, y'all,
top of the hour. Guess what's gonna happen when we
come back? Same stuff. More of your calls. The number
to reach me eight three three two Ask Dean and
it's an all calls Saturday morning eight three to three.
The numeral to ask Dean your Home with Dean Sharp,
(32:42):
the house Whisperer.
Speaker 3 (32:44):
You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from
KFI AM six forty
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