WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:03.879 Kf I Am six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp, 2 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:10.240 the House Whisper on demand on the iHeart Radio appf 3 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:15.240 I Am six forty Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. 4 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:18.920 I Am Dean Sharp, the House Whisperer, custom home builder, 5 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:22.440 custom home Designer, inviting you to join me for the 6 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:27.359 next two hours in that magical space that exists somewhere 7 00:00:27.800 --> 00:00:30.920 between the world as it is and the world as 8 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:34.159 it should be, as we work to turn your ordinary 9 00:00:34.200 --> 00:00:40.200 house into an extraordinary home. It's an all calls weekend. 10 00:00:40.320 --> 00:00:43.560 I love these weekends. I love taking your calls, talking 11 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:45.920 with you about what's going on with your home, and 12 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:48.159 you know, helping out if I can. 13 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:52.560 So let's do it. Let's talk to Evan. Evan welcome home. 14 00:00:53.240 --> 00:00:56.079 So my problem is I had a waterline break the 15 00:00:56.159 --> 00:01:00.399 other night in my house. It's flooded the spare bedroom 16 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:04.799 and bathroom and the hallway all the way into where 17 00:01:04.840 --> 00:01:07.640 the dining room and living room is. It bore up 18 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:11.040 the floor and so my insurance adjuster is telling me 19 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:13.000 they can't match it. 20 00:01:13.079 --> 00:01:14.400 I won't be able to match. 21 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:17.040 It, so they're going to pay to replace the entire floor, 22 00:01:17.159 --> 00:01:19.359 the wood floor area in the house. 23 00:01:19.439 --> 00:01:19.680 Yep. 24 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:23.439 And my my question to you is people are telling 25 00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:27.599 me to go with vinyl laminae, to go with a 26 00:01:27.640 --> 00:01:31.959 hard another hardwood, and I'm asking what your recommendations might be. 27 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:37.719 Okay, really good question. So Evan, what was the water 28 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:40.239 line that busted? Is it in the slab? Is it 29 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:43.760 something overhead? Tell them give me a little more space overhead. 30 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:47.519 It was overhead. It was over fine, and the joint. 31 00:01:47.319 --> 00:01:51.439 Failed and it was raining and that My wife woke 32 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:53.159 me up but ten thirty at night and said the 33 00:01:53.239 --> 00:01:56.439 house is flooding. And it was just literally flooding out 34 00:01:56.439 --> 00:02:01.120 of the Yeah, the overhead fan, the air conditioning vent 35 00:02:01.239 --> 00:02:03.760 around it. It was just raining water everywhere. 36 00:02:04.920 --> 00:02:08.080 What a mess. I'm sorry to hear that. Okay, here's 37 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:12.280 the thing. If you are if you guys wanted hardwood, 38 00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:14.960 if you've always wanted hardwood, if hardwood is the thing, 39 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:18.479 I know your gun you're feeling gun shy because of 40 00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:21.759 this disaster that just happened. But if we're confident that 41 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:24.840 we've addressed the problem, addressed the leak, if we're confident 42 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:29.120 with the rest of the system, then you don't go 43 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:32.319 back with hardwood again. I'm not a I'm not a 44 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:37.919 big fan of compromising the design of a house just 45 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:41.479 because we get gun shy or we're afraid as the 46 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:44.840 result of an accident that has happened before. You know 47 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:47.680 what I'm saying, It's kind of like it's like it's like, 48 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:50.800 you know, the kids on the skateboard outside, he falls 49 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:53.439 and and he broke his leg. Okay, we get it. 50 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:58.840 We're riding a skateboard. That can happen. Once the leg heals, 51 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:02.240 the parent who now wrap that kid up in like 52 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:07.319 six layers of insulating foam on all the legs and 53 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:11.319 has an oversized helmet and goggles. And you know, it's 54 00:03:11.400 --> 00:03:13.120 kind of like the kid who wears a helmet and 55 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:16.000 goggles when they goes to chess club because the chance 56 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:18.800 there's there's a chance one of those pieces could fly 57 00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:20.240 off the board and put an eye out. 58 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:24.439 So to make that we just. 59 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:29.120 Yeah, just had new carpet and new wood grain ceramic 60 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:31.439 tile put in the bathrooms two weeks ago. 61 00:03:32.439 --> 00:03:35.479 Okay, And so my wife's like, well, do we match 62 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:36.400 the ceramic tile? 63 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:39.319 And I'm like, well, the people that install it with 64 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:41.319 the price is going to be like thirty. 65 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:42.199 Grand to do it. 66 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:44.360 I don't think the wood forest then replaced bad. 67 00:03:45.639 --> 00:03:50.000 Yeah, so you know you the insurance is going to 68 00:03:50.080 --> 00:03:54.479 pay for and should pay pay out for the replacement 69 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:57.120 of what you've got. So if it's hardwood, they should 70 00:03:57.159 --> 00:04:00.360 write you a check equivalent to redoing it all in 71 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:03.960 replacing hardwood. If you want to move up to the 72 00:04:04.039 --> 00:04:08.800 ceramic tile. From a design perspective, that kind of you know, 73 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:14.159 kills two birds with one stone in that a ceramic 74 00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:17.040 plank floor is going to be bomb proof throughout the 75 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:21.120 whole house and continuous flooring so that there's no change 76 00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:26.120 in between the house proper and the bathrooms. But again 77 00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:30.680 that isn't a necessity. So yeah, if you put in 78 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:33.240 luxury vinyl plank, that's what we're talking about. If you 79 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:36.120 put in luxury vinyl plank, yeah, it is now a 80 00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:39.000 waterproof and bomb proof throughout the whole house. And if 81 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:43.720 there was another accident, then the it's not going to 82 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:48.040 ruin a luxury vinyl plank floor. However, luxury vinyl plank 83 00:04:48.279 --> 00:04:53.480 is not the same as real hardwood. It is an 84 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:59.120 emulation of hardwood. It's really good looking stuff. It's also 85 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:02.759 way cheaper than hardwood. So I think you guys just 86 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:05.360 have to sit down and make a decision of both 87 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:09.120 financially and design wise, which way you want to go 88 00:05:09.560 --> 00:05:13.319 with this. I can't really push you one direction or 89 00:05:13.319 --> 00:05:16.120 the other because there's no right answer to it. The 90 00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:19.680 fact of the matter is, if we were always afraid 91 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:23.120 that a pipe would burst in any house, we'd never 92 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:27.000 put hardwood in any house ever, right because it's moisture 93 00:05:27.079 --> 00:05:29.639 sensitive and there's just no way around that right now. 94 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:32.079 We don't have the technology to get around that right now. 95 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:36.480 So I want you to have confidence in your plumbing system. 96 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:40.160 I want your plumbing system rechecked, okay, especially if it's 97 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:43.639 a peck system. Those joints should not be failing. So 98 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:47.720 if you're confident that, okay, the plumbing issue has been resolved, 99 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:52.360 then I know, you know it's always natural to feel 100 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:56.360 gunshy after a big blow, but you know, why not 101 00:05:56.480 --> 00:05:59.439 put hardwood back? If hardwood is what you really want. 102 00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:03.439 Luxury vinyl plank is great. So just to be clear, 103 00:06:03.560 --> 00:06:09.000 the insurance company should is obligated to replace everything at 104 00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:12.040 the cost of the hardwood. If you want to turn around, 105 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:14.600 then and do the luxury vinyl plank and save yourself 106 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:20.120 some money as you go. Great or take the payout 107 00:06:20.160 --> 00:06:22.480 for the hardwood, and then throw a little extra of 108 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:26.399 yours in and go porcelain plank everywhere. That's a good 109 00:06:26.439 --> 00:06:29.680 way too. Both of those choices would be bomb proof, 110 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:33.040 and the hardwood choice gets you back to where you 111 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:36.000 would go. So those are really your three options, and 112 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:39.560 it's ultimately a design decision for you and your wife 113 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:43.319 to work out. Just try to avoid feeling gun shy 114 00:06:43.920 --> 00:06:47.160 because you just had this disaster. I know that's a 115 00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:50.160 hard thing to do, but do your best with it. Evan, 116 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:53.480 thanks for the call, buddy. I love our listeners questions. 117 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:56.879 They stretch my brain. How about some more of your 118 00:06:56.879 --> 00:07:00.399 calls when we return. You are listening to Home Sharp, 119 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:04.160 the house whisper y if I being sharp, the house 120 00:07:04.199 --> 00:07:08.920 whisper at your service, Welcome home. We are doing an 121 00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:13.480 all calls weekend, So let's go back to the phone, 122 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:14.000 shall we. 123 00:07:14.600 --> 00:07:16.839 Carol, Hey, Carol, welcome home. 124 00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:20.480 Hi, thank you. I'm growing a dragon fruit and I'm 125 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:24.480 making a dragonfruit trellis. I'm using a four by four 126 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:31.120 redwood post attached to a concrete block post support that 127 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:35.639 has a zinc coated strap. I'm going to place that 128 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:42.480 into a twenty five gallon hard plastic nursery grade pot 129 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:45.360 fill it with soil. And the reason I'm using this 130 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:49.519 trellis is for stability because they get kind of heavy 131 00:07:49.560 --> 00:07:54.439 at the top. My question is will the strap or 132 00:07:54.519 --> 00:08:00.920 the concrete leach harmful chemicals into the soil, which we'll 133 00:08:00.920 --> 00:08:03.199 go into the roots then eventually into the fruit. 134 00:08:04.800 --> 00:08:06.639 Uh no, no, it won't. 135 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:09.000 Wonderful. 136 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:11.199 Okay, that's all I wanted to thank. 137 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:12.439 You very so easy. 138 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:13.639 That was so easy. 139 00:08:14.560 --> 00:08:15.639 You made my day. 140 00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:21.000 Thanks Carol, Thank you, enjoy your show, Thank you. 141 00:08:20.959 --> 00:08:24.040 Bye bye, Thank you so much. Yeah. 142 00:08:24.160 --> 00:08:28.040 No, you know, concrete is concrete. There are a lot 143 00:08:28.040 --> 00:08:31.600 of different forms of concrete. Concrete is a combination of 144 00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:36.000 an aggregate sand of different sizes, sand, gravel, and cement 145 00:08:36.120 --> 00:08:39.720 portland cement most of the time, Uh, it is. It 146 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:44.519 is not a material that it leaches out harmful things 147 00:08:44.600 --> 00:08:48.519 to a garden. Somebody else asked about cinder blocks too, 148 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:52.080 and cinder blocks are also cinder blocks are different than 149 00:08:52.360 --> 00:08:53.320 standard concrete. 150 00:08:53.320 --> 00:08:55.360 By the way. Uh did you guys know that? 151 00:08:55.559 --> 00:08:57.720 Yeah, well you probably you can tell right when you 152 00:08:57.720 --> 00:08:59.320 take a look at a cinder block, it's made out 153 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:03.320 of concrete, but it's a combination of concrete and fly ash. 154 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:09.600 What is fly ash? It's the leftover ash from burning coal. Yeah, cinders, 155 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:14.360 That's where the cinder in cinder block comes from. Cinders 156 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:20.399 of burnt coal. Carbonized coal ash gets added into a 157 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:24.320 cement concrete mixture, and because the cinders are so lightweight 158 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:27.000 and they take up space, the cinder block ends up 159 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:29.519 being considerably lighter than it would be if it was 160 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:32.759 just a pure poored cement block. Also, though it's not 161 00:09:32.840 --> 00:09:35.240 as strong, but you know, it does its job. So 162 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:38.320 there you go. But none of those things are dangerous 163 00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:40.320 to the soil around them. 164 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:44.320 My goodness, how does he know these things? Let's talk 165 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:46.840 to Debbie. Hey, Debbie, welcome home. 166 00:09:47.080 --> 00:09:50.639 Many years ago law new house. It had a spa 167 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:52.440 that had to be taken out because I had a 168 00:09:52.519 --> 00:09:56.080 crack at it, and I installed one in place of it, 169 00:09:56.120 --> 00:09:59.440 but never had it connected. And now that I want 170 00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:02.200 to do it, the fellows said, well, it's indoors. You 171 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:05.679 can't hook it up inside. You've got to move it 172 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:08.720 outdoors and take you six thousand dollars. So I really 173 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:11.440 wasn't too happy about that because I thought, well, the 174 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:14.440 heck with that thing costs a little more than that. 175 00:10:14.519 --> 00:10:17.799 But you know, you know, it has two seats, and 176 00:10:17.879 --> 00:10:20.879 you know the jets whatever all they come with, so 177 00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:23.399 maybe they won't stuff you, but it stumps me, and 178 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:25.639 I hate to part with six thousand dollars for something 179 00:10:25.639 --> 00:10:27.559 that costs just a little more than that. 180 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:30.559 I got you, all right, so let me ask you, 181 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:33.279 so is this a Is this a free standing spa 182 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:36.360 like a fiberglass spa sitting on its own platform and 183 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:36.759 all that. 184 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:38.600 Okay, yes it is. 185 00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:40.600 It's on wheels or whatever. I don't know what it's on, 186 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:44.200 but anyway, it's movable. You know, it's a thermal spa. 187 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:45.600 That helps Benny. 188 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:47.759 Right now, Why does he Why did he tell you 189 00:10:47.799 --> 00:10:49.720 it was going to cost you six thousand dollars to 190 00:10:49.759 --> 00:10:50.559 move it outside? 191 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:53.799 Well he said it couldn't be hooked up indoors and 192 00:10:53.840 --> 00:10:57.679 it's uh, it needs to be at two thirty stamps. 193 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:01.720 Okay, so yeah, but it needs it needs two and 194 00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:04.840 twenty two hundred and forty. Actually we call two twenty, 195 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:07.679 but it's actually two forty. It needs a two forty 196 00:11:08.200 --> 00:11:09.440 hookup power hook up. 197 00:11:09.480 --> 00:11:16.559 All right, that's understandable. But here's the thing with code. Okay, yeah, 198 00:11:16.720 --> 00:11:17.919 that's in code. 199 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:23.080 When so convenient I Okay, So here's what I'm gonna 200 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:27.320 recommend to you. I want you to call somebody else. Okay, 201 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:31.639 Now there's a half truth here. Okay, the half truth is, yeah, 202 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:35.559 it is a mess. By the way, Never, never, never, 203 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:37.679 should they have had that spa indoors. 204 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:39.080 It just shouldn't be. 205 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:41.600 And there's a reason why we don't want you to 206 00:11:41.639 --> 00:11:44.480 put a spa like that indoor. You think about this 207 00:11:44.879 --> 00:11:48.120 like an indoor spa at like a health club or 208 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:51.679 a gym. Okay, these are built in by allowance with 209 00:11:51.879 --> 00:11:55.279 like an indoor pool. But to build an indoor and 210 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:58.080 I've done my share of indoor pools and spas, by 211 00:11:58.120 --> 00:12:00.919 the way, because I've had some clients who have been 212 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:04.000 super happy to pay for them. But the structure that 213 00:12:04.039 --> 00:12:08.279 you have to build around that in terms of airflow 214 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:12.200 of ventilation to get the chlorine gases that seep out 215 00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:16.120 of these bodies of water a pool and a spa. 216 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:21.080 Also the heat, the mist, the humidity that builds up 217 00:12:21.080 --> 00:12:23.279 as the ring. There's just there's a whole lot of 218 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:26.759 things that go into it, and it is almost always 219 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:29.639 all well, it's always a mistake to just pull one 220 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:32.480 of those spaws into the house, even if it's outside 221 00:12:32.519 --> 00:12:35.759 on an enclosed porch or whatever. So now that doesn't 222 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:37.919 mean it has to sit out there cold and naked 223 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:40.320 in the rain. You could have a structure over it 224 00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:42.799 or around it, but it can't be part of the 225 00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:45.360 interior structure of the house. You're just asking for all 226 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:49.399 sorts of problems. So that part, my friend, is true. 227 00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:52.879 The part that isn't true is that it's just automatically 228 00:12:52.919 --> 00:12:54.399 going to cost you six thousand dollars. 229 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:54.759 All right. 230 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:57.440 If this is a free standing spa, it was designed 231 00:12:57.639 --> 00:13:02.919 to sit outside, okay, because they aren't designed to sit inside. 232 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:05.960 So it is sitting in its own little weather structure. 233 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:08.720 If you put a nice foam cover on it probably 234 00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:11.279 has one that's a weather proof cover. You can add 235 00:13:11.320 --> 00:13:13.960 to the weather proofness of this spa by adding a 236 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:16.240 more elaborate cover, like the kind of cover that you 237 00:13:16.279 --> 00:13:19.240 would put over your car that you park outside. You 238 00:13:19.240 --> 00:13:22.080 can get a really, really nice cover for it. It 239 00:13:22.159 --> 00:13:24.480 needs something to sit on out in the yard. It 240 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:27.639 can sit on the patio, sit on the patio concrete. 241 00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:30.759 It doesn't need a big elaborate foundation underneath it, just 242 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:34.759 something stable. It could sit on pressure treated six by 243 00:13:34.879 --> 00:13:37.360 six square of lumber. It could sit on a nice 244 00:13:37.399 --> 00:13:43.039 stable area of gravel. And as far as electricity is concerned, 245 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:47.399 I would be hard pressed to imagine somehow that it's 246 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:51.679 going to cost six thousand dollars to run two hundred 247 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:56.279 and forty volt electricity to your SPA panel, regardless of 248 00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:58.679 where you put it in your house. So the point 249 00:13:58.759 --> 00:14:01.759 is this, Yes, it needs to go outside, and when 250 00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:03.840 it comes to how much is that going to cost, 251 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:05.399 who's going to do it and where are you gonna 252 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:07.919 put it? You need to make a few more calls. 253 00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:11.679 So the fella who was advising you on it, that's 254 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:14.200 all well and good. Maybe he wasn't trying to maybe 255 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:17.559 that was his best estimation of it, but uh, you 256 00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:21.600 should call a couple of other contractors, have them come out, 257 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:26.120 get at least three estimates for this debbie, so that 258 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:29.279 you know what it's really really going to cost you, 259 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:32.440 because six thousand is a lot of money just to 260 00:14:32.519 --> 00:14:36.120 run one electrical line out there. I don't care if 261 00:14:36.120 --> 00:14:40.840 there's nothing magical about it being two forty versus one twenty. Okay, 262 00:14:41.519 --> 00:14:44.480 it's just you know, maybe a location's tricky. Maybe it is, 263 00:14:44.559 --> 00:14:47.120 but I'd be shocked if moving it outside is going 264 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:51.440 to cost you six thousand dollars. So get more estimates 265 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:55.240 from more reputable contractors, and then you'll know you'll see 266 00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:59.200 a concessant consensus starting to form among the numbers. You'll 267 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:02.039 also get some good advice along the way. So that's 268 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:05.519 where you go with it, all right, my friends, when 269 00:15:05.720 --> 00:15:09.120 we return more of your calls, your Home with Dean 270 00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:10.240 Sharp the House Whisper. 271 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:14.600 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 272 00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:16.480 KFI AM six forty. 273 00:15:17.879 --> 00:15:23.440 KFI AM six Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. You 274 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:26.679 are Home with Dean Sharp the House Whisper. That's me 275 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:30.320 and you know what we're doing. We are taking your calls, 276 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:35.240 whether it's a DIY question, construction issue, a design question. 277 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:38.519 I love design questions, so anyway, so why don't we 278 00:15:38.559 --> 00:15:39.279 just dive back in. 279 00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:41.159 Hey, Dave, welcome home. 280 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:45.559 My family lives in the thirty five hundred square foot, 281 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:50.360 two story single family house in Orange County of bill 282 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:55.159 Lyon Home and we a year ten years ago, I 283 00:15:55.360 --> 00:15:59.679 spent about fifty thousand upgrading the back put in, starring 284 00:15:59.720 --> 00:16:06.919 a hard roof, tile floor, granite countertops, in an outdoor 285 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:13.240 kitchen with three different barbecues and sinks, and our kitchen 286 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:18.600 needs a similar upgrade. We have hardwood cabinets that we like. 287 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:19.360 They're oaked. 288 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:24.039 We love wood. We have it's a nineteen sixty nine 289 00:16:24.039 --> 00:16:26.960 at home if I didn't mention that, and it's got 290 00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:31.240 tile countertops, and we put in a new tile on 291 00:16:31.320 --> 00:16:35.240 the floor when we redid the patio, but the floor 292 00:16:35.360 --> 00:16:39.759 is chipping. The tile was substandard. We need new flooring. 293 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:42.799 We want to replace our countertops. We want to keep 294 00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:46.720 the oak cabinetry, and we like wood so much that 295 00:16:46.759 --> 00:16:50.120 we'd like to go hardwood countertops. So we'd like your 296 00:16:50.120 --> 00:16:51.200 recommendation there. 297 00:16:51.639 --> 00:16:52.879 Okay, all right, I got you. 298 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:57.120 Well, good on you and for you know, being bold 299 00:16:57.320 --> 00:17:00.720 and wanting to do some cool stuff. So here is 300 00:17:00.759 --> 00:17:04.400 the thing for just as a general recommendation, and I'll 301 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:06.119 get back to this in a second. I have no 302 00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:11.039 issues whatsoever with hardwood countertops, none, zero issues. I know 303 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:14.720 people all over southern California are like, oh, we would 304 00:17:14.799 --> 00:17:17.599 never do that. That's fine, then don't do it. But 305 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:21.279 I'm just telling you, as somebody who's been building homes 306 00:17:21.319 --> 00:17:24.400 and designing homes for you know, almost forty years now, 307 00:17:24.839 --> 00:17:27.920 hardwood is a brilliant countertop. People are like, well, that 308 00:17:27.960 --> 00:17:31.480 will never last up to you know, spillage and moisture. 309 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:33.960 And it's like, well, if you've ever been on a 310 00:17:34.039 --> 00:17:37.079 boat that has a galley in it, I guarantee you 311 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:41.079 this one thing. The countertop on that galley is hardwood. 312 00:17:41.160 --> 00:17:43.559 If you've ever gone into a pub and sat at 313 00:17:43.599 --> 00:17:48.559 a bar, the bar is hardwood. So yeah, the idea 314 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:51.960 that wood doesn't hold up to abuse and or moisture 315 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:54.920 is a myth. Now you got to do it right, okay, 316 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:59.319 So but there you go. There's my feeling about hardwood countertops, 317 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:01.640 even so much so that Tina and I half of 318 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:04.400 the counters half of them in our kitchen. 319 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:04.920 Uh. 320 00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:08.200 The specifically, the counter that the sink is in is 321 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:14.119 a two inch thick walnut, black walnut, and it just oiled, 322 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:18.720 not finished with polyurethane or anything, just oiled with mineral oil. 323 00:18:19.160 --> 00:18:23.799 And it's years old now, and it years and years 324 00:18:23.799 --> 00:18:27.240 old now and it looks like brand new and all 325 00:18:27.240 --> 00:18:29.319 we have to do is just reoil it and gaboom. 326 00:18:29.400 --> 00:18:33.519 So anyway, now the trick for you, Dave is going 327 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:37.880 to be this you've got you're thinking about putting hardwood 328 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:41.160 floors in the kitchen, you've got oak cabinets, and you're 329 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:44.160 thinking about wood. Now that as a wood lover, you 330 00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:47.079 know that that's a lot of wood. And so the 331 00:18:47.160 --> 00:18:49.039 key is this. I'm not going to tell you not 332 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:52.119 to do all of that wood, but I am going 333 00:18:52.200 --> 00:18:55.880 to be very very specific. You need to wisely create 334 00:18:56.039 --> 00:19:00.799 contrast between the floor, the cabinets, and the tops. So 335 00:19:01.039 --> 00:19:04.799 whatever color the oak is of the cabinets, that's a lock, right, 336 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:08.920 because they're all finished out. Whatever color that is, you 337 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:14.359 want some contrast in lightness or darkness and in intensity 338 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:19.119 of color for the countertops number one and number two 339 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:22.279 for the floor. If we go oak on oak on it, 340 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:25.200 Actually the material itself is irrelevant. I would not use 341 00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:28.240 oak for the countertops just because oak doesn't do as 342 00:19:28.279 --> 00:19:33.359 well with these things. But the floor, the cabinetry, and 343 00:19:33.400 --> 00:19:36.720 the counter if you went with the same kind of 344 00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:39.599 style and the same general tone, you're going to end 345 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:42.440 up with a wood cave. And you don't want a 346 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:45.680 wood cave in your kitchen where your kitchen used to be. Okay, 347 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:48.640 So in order for it to really pop, for it 348 00:19:48.680 --> 00:19:51.359 to really shine, for it to really show itself off, 349 00:19:51.599 --> 00:19:53.960 you just want color contrasts. So if the cabinets are 350 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:56.880 staying dark, then you want to go lighter with the 351 00:19:56.920 --> 00:20:01.119 counter or vice versa. Our cabinets our kitchen are white. 352 00:20:01.240 --> 00:20:05.400 They're just there. They're beautiful wood cabinets, but they are white. 353 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:09.079 And so the dark wallnut's sitting on top of those 354 00:20:09.079 --> 00:20:12.519 cabinets and then we have a brick style tile floor 355 00:20:12.599 --> 00:20:15.799 underneath them. They all just show off and compliment each other, 356 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:19.200 you know, super well. Uh, but we have done wood 357 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:22.720 on wood on wood before. But the key is contrast, 358 00:20:22.799 --> 00:20:27.599 heavy contrast so that you don't get that cavy bleed 359 00:20:27.640 --> 00:20:28.319 out effect. 360 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:29.119 Uh. 361 00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:32.359 And so there you go, and uh, my recommendation as 362 00:20:32.359 --> 00:20:35.480 far as the wood, there are several species of hardwoods 363 00:20:35.480 --> 00:20:39.039 that work really, really well. You should just get yourself 364 00:20:39.079 --> 00:20:44.599 down to a hardwood specialty shop or lumberyard that specializes 365 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:47.599 in hardwoods and uh and check out what they've got 366 00:20:47.640 --> 00:20:49.640 and the you know, see how you guys feel about it, 367 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:51.599 because it's one of the one of the fun things 368 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:55.759 about picking out hardwoods for situations like this. Every piece 369 00:20:55.839 --> 00:20:59.079 is different, you know, it's not just standard lumber, and 370 00:20:59.119 --> 00:21:01.680 a lot of people are one like, Okay, where do 371 00:21:01.799 --> 00:21:04.279 I find such things? Because you know, I didn't see 372 00:21:04.279 --> 00:21:06.720 anything at the home depot or Lows or at the 373 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:08.960 lumber yard down the street. Now, first of all, your 374 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:12.160 lumber yard down the street may have some, but there 375 00:21:12.200 --> 00:21:17.240 are shops all over southern California that specialize in these 376 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:20.960 kinds of woods. Two things you need to do. One, 377 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:24.440 when you're talking about wood that you're going to use 378 00:21:24.440 --> 00:21:29.279 for finished products like countertops or furniture, it doesn't come 379 00:21:29.319 --> 00:21:32.799 in it's not sold in inches by inches. It's actually 380 00:21:32.920 --> 00:21:37.680 sold in quarter inches thicknesses. So if you're looking for 381 00:21:37.720 --> 00:21:40.720 a two inch countertop slab, you're going to be looking 382 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:44.119 for an eight quarter or an eight over four, okay, 383 00:21:44.680 --> 00:21:47.640 because that's how they're rated that way. So if you're 384 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:49.160 looking for an inch and a half, it's a six 385 00:21:49.240 --> 00:21:51.640 over four, and one inch is a four over four. 386 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:55.119 That's just lingo. If you walk in speak in the lingo, 387 00:21:55.960 --> 00:21:58.799 they're gonna dig you. Where do you find it? All 388 00:21:58.839 --> 00:22:02.119 over the place. If you're up here in eastern Ventura 389 00:22:02.200 --> 00:22:05.960 County or the West Valley, then you know, get out 390 00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:08.920 here to a gore and go to Canao Hardwoods. If 391 00:22:08.960 --> 00:22:14.839 you're in La Bonhoff lumber of course, classic my buddies 392 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:17.960 over at Angel City Lumber. Please go to Angel City 393 00:22:17.960 --> 00:22:20.200 and check out what they've got. If down in Anaheim, 394 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:23.079 you've got a lot of choices, among which are California 395 00:22:23.160 --> 00:22:27.359 exotic hardwoods, and there are others. There are many, many others, 396 00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:30.440 but there just gives you a sample of North Valley, 397 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:35.119 Northwest Valley, LA, and Orange County. These kinds of places 398 00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:38.119 are all over the place. The last thing I'm going 399 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:41.119 to tell you is when we do a countertop, my 400 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:45.599 preference is not to super seal the wood in terms 401 00:22:45.720 --> 00:22:50.200