WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:04.040 KFI AM six forty. You're listening to Dean Sharp The 2 00:00:04.080 --> 00:00:10.080 House Whisper on demand on the iHeart Radio app. Thanks 3 00:00:10.119 --> 00:00:14.240 for joining us on the program from wherever you are listening, however, 4 00:00:14.279 --> 00:00:18.920 you are listening via our broadcast, our terrestrial broadcast, that's 5 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:21.320 what they call them these days, you know, radio waves 6 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:25.559 going out terrestrial or whether you're listening digitally on the 7 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:31.160 stream live from anywhere else on planet Earth. That's it's 8 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:35.280 that's a reality. It's a reality anyway. Welcome to home, 9 00:00:35.359 --> 00:00:38.119 where every week we help you better understand that place 10 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:41.439 where you live. I'm Dean Sharp, the House Whisper here 11 00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:43.960 with you live like I am every weekend, Saturday morning, 12 00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:47.840 six to eight Pacific time, Sunday mornings nine to noon 13 00:00:47.880 --> 00:00:51.840 Pacific time. This morning, I am having a discussion with 14 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:57.600 you about was that? Was that? A? Yeah? Somebody, there's 15 00:00:57.640 --> 00:01:01.000 a squirrel on the hammock. I'm having a discussion with 16 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:05.159 you about the stuff in your home that you would 17 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:08.239 say it was this way when we bought it, the 18 00:01:08.879 --> 00:01:11.799 mistakes that you've inherited from somebody else when you bought 19 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:15.439 your home, and finally, finally some advice on how to 20 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:16.879 fix them. And we're going to get back to that 21 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:19.599 in just a bit, but as is our custom, it 22 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:22.159 is the top of the hour, which means it's time 23 00:01:22.200 --> 00:01:25.920 to go to the phones and talk to you about 24 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:32.239 your call. So let's stock to Wayne. Hey, Wayne, welcome home. 25 00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:35.480 Yeah, thank you. So we're the ones in Irvine doing 26 00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:41.000 the unwanted house remodeling and I have We work for 27 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:43.400 a Norwegian company. My wife is still in love with 28 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:46.760 the Everybody in Norway has heated floors in the bathroom, 29 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:48.840 so that's what we want to put in. So we're 30 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:51.120 thinking of electric heated floors. We want to get your 31 00:01:51.319 --> 00:01:51.920 thoughts on it. 32 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:57.319 Okay, electric heated. I mean, I love heated floors. If 33 00:01:57.400 --> 00:02:01.400 I had my way, I would never put four stair 34 00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:05.599 heating into another home ever. Ever. Again, now you know 35 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:10.039 understanding that most people have four stair heating in their homes, 36 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:13.599 and I'm not gonna spend people's money unnecessarily by just 37 00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:16.599 redoing it for the heck of it. But I love 38 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:20.520 radiant heat floor. I just love radiant heat in general, 39 00:02:21.080 --> 00:02:23.639 and I think it's the best kind of heat. It's 40 00:02:23.680 --> 00:02:25.840 the most efficient kind of heat because it starts at 41 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:28.759 the floor and it moves through the room. As it 42 00:02:29.159 --> 00:02:32.439 as it should, and so on and so forth. So 43 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:34.960 I'm a huge fan. I have a feeling though your 44 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:42.360 question is is geared more specifically towards I mean, can 45 00:02:42.439 --> 00:02:44.719 you do it? Should you do it? What kind of 46 00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:46.120 break should heat you let me know? 47 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:51.719 Right, yeah, yeah, we're looking at electric heat under the 48 00:02:51.719 --> 00:02:55.039 tile that we tile flooring in both bathrooms and the 49 00:02:55.319 --> 00:02:56.039 heat under that. 50 00:02:56.759 --> 00:03:02.759 Okay, So generally speaking, electric heat under the bathroom floor 51 00:03:02.759 --> 00:03:06.879 and a bathroom remodel is that's the direction we normally 52 00:03:07.039 --> 00:03:10.080 nudge people when that's all that's happening. If you're going 53 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:12.960 to do a whole house or a significant area of remodel, 54 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:16.599 and you've got control of floor levels something I'm about 55 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:19.479 to talk about here on the program of the Oh 56 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:21.439 I'm sorry, it was that way when we bought it. 57 00:03:22.439 --> 00:03:25.080 I don't want you to to have to radically change 58 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:29.919 the floor level of the bathroom versus the rest of 59 00:03:30.199 --> 00:03:32.400 the bedroom that you're walking into or the hallway that 60 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:36.159 you're walking in from, because you've put radiant heat under there. 61 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:39.719 And and in a lot of situations when you've already 62 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:41.599 got a slab that you're working on, or you've got 63 00:03:41.639 --> 00:03:44.520 an established floor level that you can't change. If you 64 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:49.560 go with a liquid system a hydronic system, then you're 65 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:53.280 going to have to lift that floor considerably because you've 66 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:55.919 got to have the tubes running through there, and it 67 00:03:56.039 --> 00:03:59.719 just takes up more space. Electric takes up about an 68 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:03.479 eight of an inch of space, not consider because it's 69 00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:06.639 a pad. It's a very low lying Let me be generous, 70 00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:09.240 I'll say the electric system takes up a quarter of 71 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:13.719 an inch because because it's an electric pad that lies 72 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:16.680 out that you would set underneath the tile, embedded in 73 00:04:16.759 --> 00:04:20.720 the tile system. So the cool thing about electric radiant 74 00:04:20.839 --> 00:04:25.319 heat systems is that they don't significantly raise floor levels, 75 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:28.680 and that's why we think that it's a really good maneuver. 76 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:34.639 Also in terms of cost, initial cost, laying down electric 77 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:37.680 radiant floor pads in a limited space like a bathroom 78 00:04:37.720 --> 00:04:40.399 area is going to be much less expensive than doing 79 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:45.000 a whole hydronic system with pumps and tying it into 80 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:47.399 a heat source and all of that kind of stuff. Now, 81 00:04:47.959 --> 00:04:56.360 ultimately a hydronic system will yield less expensive operating costs, 82 00:04:56.439 --> 00:04:59.680 but we usually only find that when it's tied into 83 00:05:00.279 --> 00:05:02.600 a larger area, like we're going to do the whole 84 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:04.720 master suite or we're going to do the whole house 85 00:05:04.839 --> 00:05:07.879 or this half of the house or whatever, because the 86 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:11.399 electric costs a little bit more to run as it 87 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:15.000 operates on a regular basis. I would make the argument though, 88 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:17.560 if you have solar, it's probably already offset, so no 89 00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:20.680 big deal. And even in a small space like a bathroom, 90 00:05:20.920 --> 00:05:24.040 it usually does not make any significant dent because the 91 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:28.279 heating is so efficient an electric radiant heating system or 92 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:32.600 any radiant heating system. Because it's heating you right up 93 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:34.920 through your feet, right up through your legs, right where 94 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:39.720 you are. As it passes by way of convection up 95 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:43.319 to the upper areas of the room, you can get 96 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:46.759 by with running it at a much much lower level 97 00:05:46.800 --> 00:05:49.439 than if you have to force air heat a room. 98 00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:53.319 Most of the time those vents overhead anyway really pushing 99 00:05:53.399 --> 00:05:56.279 the heat down. So I'm all for it. And the 100 00:05:56.360 --> 00:06:01.600 electric systems work really well. They also integrate well depending 101 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:04.480 on what your tile system is, So I would say 102 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:07.399 if you're just looking into it, look into like what 103 00:06:07.560 --> 00:06:12.120 a shlooter system has to offer, because schlooter has an 104 00:06:12.199 --> 00:06:18.279 integrated electric cabling system that's very customizable, plus the base 105 00:06:18.360 --> 00:06:20.920 that you're actually setting it on is already ready to 106 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:24.000 receive the thin set for the tile. It's a great 107 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:26.879 little system, not the only one out there, but well 108 00:06:26.879 --> 00:06:27.680 worth looking into. 109 00:06:29.279 --> 00:06:29.560 Great. 110 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:32.480 Okay, thank you, all right, Wayne, good luck with that. 111 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:37.000 We can we wait? No, all right, So we're gonna 112 00:06:37.000 --> 00:06:39.079 hear some news and when we come back more of 113 00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:41.800 your calls. Your Home with Dean Sharp, the house whisper. 114 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:46.120 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 115 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:47.720 KFI Am six forty. 116 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:53.240 We are talking about the stuff you have inherited, the 117 00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:57.920 mistakes you've inherited in your home from the previous owner owners, 118 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:00.639 the kind of stuff that you say it was this 119 00:07:00.759 --> 00:07:03.600 way when we bought it. I want to get beyond 120 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:05.759 that with you today. I want to actually help you 121 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:10.120 identify it and change it so that so that your 122 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:13.800 home is firing on all pistons, as it were. But 123 00:07:13.959 --> 00:07:16.839 right now we are in the middle of taking calls. 124 00:07:16.839 --> 00:07:18.839 So we're going to return to that conversation in just 125 00:07:18.920 --> 00:07:21.360 a bit. And I'm want to go back to the phones. 126 00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:25.040 I want to talk to George. Hey, George, welcome home. 127 00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:30.079 Good morning, signor Deine. I have a question. We are 128 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:35.279 working in the nineteen twenties house in Glendale, and we 129 00:07:35.720 --> 00:07:39.480 tore up some walls and we found some horse hair 130 00:07:39.720 --> 00:07:41.560 plaster that is. 131 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:42.680 There, and we're kind of worried. 132 00:07:42.680 --> 00:07:45.199 Do you think that has as asbestos? I know it 133 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:47.800 was before the asbestos craze. 134 00:07:47.439 --> 00:07:50.040 Those like thirties and forties, but I was just kind 135 00:07:50.040 --> 00:07:53.000 of worried. What do you think, sir Ah. That's a 136 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:55.519 very interesting question. I think this is maybe the first 137 00:07:55.560 --> 00:07:59.240 horse hair plaster question I've ever had on this show. George. So, 138 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.000 when you say you were, can I just your home 139 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:02.879 or you work? Are you a part of a crew 140 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:04.600 remodeling this house? 141 00:08:05.800 --> 00:08:09.360 I'm helping a friend to some remodeling demo work. 142 00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:12.839 I guess you could. I got you, all right, So, 143 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:16.959 nineteen twenties home. The likelihood that there is asbestos in 144 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:23.519 that plaster is very, very very low, thank you. It's 145 00:08:23.639 --> 00:08:26.439 just it's not that asbestos wasn't around then, and it's 146 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:29.839 not that it wasn't in use, but it wasn't being 147 00:08:29.959 --> 00:08:34.720 used in plaster walls, in residential plaster walls. To my knowledge, 148 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:38.759 I've never encountered that before, and so but I will 149 00:08:38.919 --> 00:08:41.600 I'll tell you this if there's any concern. If there's 150 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:46.600 any concern, then a test would be worth doing, okay. 151 00:08:46.840 --> 00:08:50.120 And a test is not an abatement. Okay, it's not like, oh, 152 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:53.080 tens of thousands of dollars to get this stuff. Okay. 153 00:08:53.320 --> 00:08:56.039 A test is just a test, So you know, a 154 00:08:56.039 --> 00:09:00.039 couple three hundred dollars to have a section tested and 155 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:05.039 sent away just to confirm. But generally speaking, no horse 156 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:09.759 hair plaster fibers in the whole reason that horse hair 157 00:09:09.799 --> 00:09:11.840 plaster is what it is. And people are scratching there 158 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:14.720 like what is horse hair plaster? All right? There was 159 00:09:14.759 --> 00:09:19.080 a time before World War two, pre war in which 160 00:09:19.159 --> 00:09:24.240 many many plaster walls, lime based plaster walls were mixed 161 00:09:24.440 --> 00:09:28.879 with a fiber in order to help them hold together 162 00:09:28.960 --> 00:09:32.759 and not crack. And guess what animal hairs? Yes, animal hair. 163 00:09:33.320 --> 00:09:37.000 Horse hair was probably most common, but there are other 164 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:39.679 animal hairs that could be mixed into it as well. 165 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:41.919 And when you tear up that plaster, you end up 166 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:44.480 with these fibers in there, and some people have looked 167 00:09:44.519 --> 00:09:47.679 at those and said, oh no, that fiber must be asbestos. 168 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:51.039 So if it's a real yeah, if it's a real 169 00:09:51.080 --> 00:09:53.279 horse hair plaster wall, now here I can tell you 170 00:09:53.320 --> 00:09:56.879 one thing. If you have a chunk of it in 171 00:09:56.919 --> 00:09:59.519 your hand. And this is a relatively safe test because 172 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:01.759 you're not you know, even if there was asbestos there, 173 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:04.879 you wouldn't be disturbing it. Okay, but you got a 174 00:10:04.919 --> 00:10:07.879 little a chunk of it in your hand. If you 175 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:11.440 if you get out a lighter and and hold the 176 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:17.000 lighter near those fibers. Uh, if it's asbestos, nothing will happen. 177 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:20.720 Those fibers won't move, they will just be there. The 178 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:25.639 whole point is asbestos is you know, fire resistant, fire retardant, Okay, 179 00:10:25.879 --> 00:10:29.440 so they won't be affected by the heat or the flame. 180 00:10:29.879 --> 00:10:32.879 If it's horse hair, just like regular hair, it'll shrivel 181 00:10:33.000 --> 00:10:36.440 up and just gone it'll be. It'll shrivel and change it. 182 00:10:36.600 --> 00:10:38.120 So you know what I mean. So a little, a 183 00:10:38.159 --> 00:10:42.080 little spot on the spot peace of mind investigation. This 184 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:47.080 is not, however, me saying, oh absolutely you got free 185 00:10:47.080 --> 00:10:49.440 rein there. There's no way there can be any asbestos 186 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:51.720 in those walls whatsoever. I'm not saying that. I'm saying, 187 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:54.879 if there's any concern on your part, go ahead and 188 00:10:55.159 --> 00:10:57.960 have a little peace tested sent out to a lab 189 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:01.039 for peace of mind. But what I am saying is 190 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:04.120 the likelihood of there being a specied in that wall 191 00:11:04.360 --> 00:11:07.759 is very very very low. 192 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:11.879 Thank you, sir, thank you, thank you. 193 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:17.600 Good Thank you so much, George. I appreciate it, and 194 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:20.879 have fun, have fun helping out with the friend and 195 00:11:20.919 --> 00:11:25.240 getting that house. I love houses built in the twenties. Now, 196 00:11:25.399 --> 00:11:29.799 they can be problematic because life. The problem with them, 197 00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:35.000 other than being one hundred years old, is is that 198 00:11:35.879 --> 00:11:39.080 they were designed for a different time and a life 199 00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:42.639 in a different time, and we don't live our lives 200 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:45.240 in the twenty first century that exact same way, and 201 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:50.000 so they can be tricky and tough. However, the level 202 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:54.759 of craftsmanship, the level of integrity that goes into a 203 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:58.720 ninth a typical just a typical nineteen twenties I'm not 204 00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:03.399 talking about luxurious or an ultra custom or just a 205 00:12:03.559 --> 00:12:07.000 typical house built in the twenties. The level of attention 206 00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:12.759 and craftsmanship that went into those homes is so high. 207 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:16.039 It's why most of them that have even been marginally 208 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:20.639 cared for are still standing in really good shape today, 209 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:24.679 despite the fact that they don't have modern seismic engineering 210 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:27.240 in them, despite the fact that they don't have any 211 00:12:27.279 --> 00:12:30.799 modern engineering in them, the fact that they are still 212 00:12:30.840 --> 00:12:35.039 standing loud and proud today has everything to do with 213 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:38.840 the quality of the materials being used and the craftsmanship 214 00:12:38.840 --> 00:12:41.960 and the integrity that went into building homes pre World 215 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:46.559 War Two all across the country. Plus the design elements 216 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:52.919 were pretty dang sexy as well. So we love investing 217 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:55.879 in century homes and reworking them. But there are things 218 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:58.720 you have to be aware of. And by the way, George, 219 00:12:58.720 --> 00:13:01.879 if you're still listening, I would be more concerned myself 220 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:05.440 now here you thought you were off the hook, I 221 00:13:05.480 --> 00:13:08.000 would be more con I'd be less concerned about finding 222 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:11.039 asbestos in the plaster walls, and I'd be more concerned 223 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:14.840 with lead paint on the surface of the wall kicking 224 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:18.440 up and disturbing lead based paints. Now, if it's been 225 00:13:19.039 --> 00:13:22.480 redone and redone and modernized throughout the years, great, But 226 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:25.559 if it's just been coded over with other things, that 227 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:29.919 would be something to be concerned about disturbing lead based paints, 228 00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:33.879 because that was super common in the twenties. In fact, 229 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:36.440 the more lead in the paint, the better. It made 230 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:39.639 a very strong paint, very very strong paint, also very 231 00:13:39.679 --> 00:13:43.039 toxic and not something that you would ever want to 232 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:49.679 encourage a child to lick the wall. Tina's like, Dean, 233 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:52.159 why would you ever encourage a child to lick the wall? 234 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:58.720 I wouldn't, But it happens. It happens. They're gonna, they're 235 00:13:58.759 --> 00:14:01.240 going to If you have a toddler in your home, 236 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:04.720 just know this. You see are they are they in 237 00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:07.960 sight right now? Are they in can you see them? 238 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:09.759 Are they in your line of sight right now? Good? 239 00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:14.240 Because the minute, the minute you lose sight of them, 240 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:16.720 you can know this. They're in their room somewhere. They're 241 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:20.080 licking a wall. That's what they're doing. So you better 242 00:14:20.120 --> 00:14:23.120 be sure that your walls are non toxic. All right, 243 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:25.200 I'm just saying that's the kind of quality advice you 244 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:28.039 get here on the program. All right, when we return, 245 00:14:29.080 --> 00:14:31.039 and I'm going to be coming back to calls later 246 00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:32.519 in the show, So if you're on the line and 247 00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:37.200 you can hold, please hold. When we return, we're going 248 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:40.279 to go back to our list of stuff that was 249 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:41.720 that way when you bought it. 250 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:46.279 You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from 251 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:47.879 KFI AM six forty. 252 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:53.559 You are Home with Dean Sharp. The house whisper Elmer 253 00:14:53.639 --> 00:14:56.200 is picking some happy music today and I'm loving it. 254 00:14:56.279 --> 00:14:59.399 I'm loving He's reading my vibe like he does. He 255 00:14:59.480 --> 00:15:03.320 and I like this like this, just like Psychic Twins. 256 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:10.919 Thanks Elmer, appreciate it, but exactly everybody loves it. Uh okay, 257 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:15.440 it was this way when we bought it. Many of 258 00:15:15.519 --> 00:15:18.840 us have inherited somebody else's mistakes in our homes, and 259 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:21.720 the question is how do you identify them? How do 260 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:24.240 you fix them. We've talked about room editions that destroy 261 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:27.039 light and flow in the first hour of the show. 262 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:31.360 I just want to tack onto that very quickly, very quickly, 263 00:15:31.480 --> 00:15:38.399 the subject of house darkening patio covers. Patio covers are tricky. 264 00:15:38.440 --> 00:15:42.799 They are way trickier than they seem like they should be. 265 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:48.120 And here's why. Number One, you do a patio cover 266 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:51.879 for one of two reasons, almost always because you're looking 267 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:56.440 for some shade, okay, looking for shade. Second reason you 268 00:15:56.519 --> 00:15:59.000 do a patio cover is you may you may be 269 00:15:59.159 --> 00:16:03.519 wanting a a weather proof cover overhead so that you 270 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:07.559 could be out on the patio while it's raining or 271 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:11.600 whatever the case may be, well in inclement weather, and 272 00:16:11.679 --> 00:16:16.320 so that you're not getting wet on you. These are 273 00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:19.840 the two main reasons for a patio cover in southern California. 274 00:16:19.879 --> 00:16:24.360 Mostly it's shade, and secondarily it becomes the whole oh, 275 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:26.480 I want to be outside even if it's raining kind 276 00:16:26.519 --> 00:16:29.559 of thing. Okay, So here the tricky problem with a 277 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:34.240 patio cover is that number one, the shade issue. A 278 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:37.279 lot of people have committed to patio covers, which, by 279 00:16:37.320 --> 00:16:40.559 the way, because of that, darken the room that they're 280 00:16:40.600 --> 00:16:44.519 attached to. Right, that shade can make a room very 281 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:47.600 very dark. Here's the thing. A patio cover on the 282 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:52.639 south facing side of the house, Okay, south facing sun. 283 00:16:53.440 --> 00:16:56.840 That's where the sun is in the northern hemisphere. It's 284 00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:00.440 ever so slightly at the peak of summer, it's still 285 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:04.400 a few degrees in the southern sky, and this time 286 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:07.920 of year it's getting lower and lower in the sky. Okay, 287 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:11.480 And so a lot of patio covers get planned and 288 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:17.440 built without having ever figured out the shade study. In 289 00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:20.319 other words, where is the shade actually going to fall? 290 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:25.079 Because with the sun a few degrees off kilter into 291 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:28.599 the southern sky, the shade from a patio cover does 292 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:32.160 not fall straight down under the footprint of the patio cover. 293 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:35.599 It falls at least a few feet back. So let's 294 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:40.119 say you build a twelve foot fifteen foot deep patio 295 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:43.720 cover on your south facing side of your home. All right, 296 00:17:44.119 --> 00:17:47.680 there you go. Great, where does the shade show up? Well, 297 00:17:47.799 --> 00:17:52.480 maybe in the very very heighth of summer July and August, 298 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:56.599 maybe most maybe twelve of that fifteen feet is in 299 00:17:56.680 --> 00:17:59.920 the shade this time of year, maybe three or four 300 00:18:00.079 --> 00:18:04.119 feet of that footprint is in the shade because of 301 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:07.839 the angle of the sun. But regardless of whether you're 302 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:12.880 getting shade where you wanted it, you're absolutely always going 303 00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:15.559 to get shade where you don't want it, which is 304 00:18:16.319 --> 00:18:20.200 more darkness inside the room. Now, some people are like, listen, 305 00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:23.640 I need a patio cover just because I don't want 306 00:18:23.799 --> 00:18:28.759 southern sun blazing in through my windows and doors on 307 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:30.519 the south side of the house. I get that, and 308 00:18:30.519 --> 00:18:33.880 that's a valid concern. Uh, you just got to be 309 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:36.160 very very careful how we're going to plan this out, 310 00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:39.279 because the sun moves, you know, I don't know if 311 00:18:39.319 --> 00:18:43.400 you've noticed that. Actually, let's let's not be too Copernican 312 00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:47.920 about this. Let's let's say that the earth moves and 313 00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:52.200 the sun comes up from our perspective in the east 314 00:18:52.640 --> 00:18:55.160 and sets in the west, so that shade is always 315 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:59.559 constantly moving. And that's why patio covers are trickier than 316 00:18:59.559 --> 00:19:02.119 they see because what we're trying to do with one 317 00:19:02.279 --> 00:19:08.960 rigid structure is achieve something that kind of capture something 318 00:19:09.000 --> 00:19:11.680 that's always on the move. And some of them worn't great. 319 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:14.359 A lot of them don't work so great at all, 320 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:17.640 and a lot of them mess up the sightlines and 321 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:21.519 the rooflines of the back of a house. And sometimes, 322 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:24.680 again my previous advice, when it comes to a room 323 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:27.559 edition that's untenable, sometimes the best thing you can do 324 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:30.680 with the patio cover is just remove it. Now, I'm 325 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:36.400 not a massive fan from a design perspective of contraptions 326 00:19:36.440 --> 00:19:38.079 that you put on your house, but I will tell 327 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:41.759 you this, this is one of those areas where I 328 00:19:41.880 --> 00:19:47.759 even I would consider a retractable awning that can actually 329 00:19:47.799 --> 00:19:50.559 fit in a canister up against the house and only 330 00:19:50.599 --> 00:19:52.200 be put out when you need it and can be 331 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:54.680 pulled back in when you don't, so that it doesn't 332 00:19:54.799 --> 00:19:57.200 just mess up a lot of stuff. That's not always 333 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:00.759 going to be the case either. I'm just saying patio 334 00:20:00.839 --> 00:20:05.079 covers far far trickier than they would appear to be. 335 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:10.160 I personally, if we want to spend time outside. I 336 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:14.920 personally would rather build a shade structure detached from the 337 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:18.960 house out in the yard than the one that's attached 338 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:21.720 to the edge of the house by way of a 339 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:24.759 patio cover. Why because further in your yard is a 340 00:20:24.759 --> 00:20:28.839 far more pleasant place to be a destination to go to, 341 00:20:29.799 --> 00:20:34.000 even in inclement weather, and right next to your house, 342 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:36.839 right next to the stucco walls and all the concrete 343 00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:39.440 next to your house. It's used if you were to 344 00:20:39.559 --> 00:20:42.839 do an emotional tour of your home, right now, of 345 00:20:42.839 --> 00:20:46.480 your backyard, it's probably the least likely place that you 346 00:20:46.519 --> 00:20:49.599 would say, oh, yeah, this is my favorite spot, okay, 347 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:53.720 because I love sitting next to a warm stucco wall 348 00:20:53.799 --> 00:20:56.480 on a hot day. No, it's probably out under the 349 00:20:56.480 --> 00:20:58.400 shade tree or out in the midst of the garden. 350 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:01.480 So why not push it all out there? Anyway, just 351 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:07.079 saying house darkening patio covers can be just as probablematic 352 00:21:07.559 --> 00:21:14.640 for the lightness of a room as a room addition 353 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:16.880 in the wrong place. Well, what about that light I 354 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:21.960 don't want streaming into my house? Get room darkening shades, 355 00:21:22.039 --> 00:21:24.759 light filtering shades on the windows, and just drop them 356 00:21:24.839 --> 00:21:30.319 down to accommodate those severe direct sundays. Just because the 357 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:35.839 light is harsh, so diffuse it but eliminating it, you 358 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:38.880 might end up inadvertently causing a room to go way 359 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:42.359 darker than you ever wanted it to be. There, you go, okay, 360 00:21:43.279 --> 00:21:47.480 Now we move on to yet another issue that is 361 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:52.160 a design mistake. I'm not going to mince words, and 362 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:55.640 it quite often results from either a we didn't have 363 00:21:55.640 --> 00:21:58.559 the budget to do this right, or be the contractor 364 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:01.559 didn't even mention to me that we could have changed 365 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:04.000 this and done it a different way, or you just 366 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:06.400 inherited this way. But this is how these things happen, 367 00:22:06.519 --> 00:22:11.839 and that is severe flooring height transitions inside a house. 368 00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:18.880 Flooring height transitions most likely to occur when we walk 369 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:24.000 into a kitchen or a bathroom. Why because we've decided 370 00:22:24.039 --> 00:22:28.200 to tile in there, or to put some kind of 371 00:22:28.559 --> 00:22:32.640 surface in there that is much thicker than was originally planned, 372 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:39.920 and the subfloor, the flooring underneath the new surface was 373 00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:43.759 never lowered to accommodate the thickness of the new material 374 00:22:43.960 --> 00:22:47.240 going on. This especially shows up as a problem in 375 00:22:47.559 --> 00:22:53.480 houses ironically with raised foundations, Because I say that ironically 376 00:22:53.519 --> 00:22:57.119 because a raised foundation house is a house that's the 377 00:22:57.240 --> 00:23:01.000 easiest to change the level of a floor inside a 378 00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:04.640 room because it's not like you're jackhammering up a slab 379 00:23:04.799 --> 00:23:08.839 in order to get to that. The reason why tiling 380 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:11.599 in a bathroom that has a slab on it usually 381 00:23:11.640 --> 00:23:15.319 doesn't create massive floor height problems with the rest of 382 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:19.240 the house is because tiles, which you are only three 383 00:23:19.279 --> 00:23:22.920 eighths of an inch thick, can be thin set directly 384 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:26.920 to the slab as the base, and as a result, 385 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:30.480 it's hardly you know, higher than the carpeting or the 386 00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:34.200 hardwood outside in the hallway. But if you have a 387 00:23:34.319 --> 00:23:37.720 raised floor house, in order to prep it what was 388 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:42.839 originally wood or maybe plywood and linoleum in an older home, 389 00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:46.720 now we've got to do a build up. We've got 390 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:48.680 to do a build up to stiffen that floor. We 391 00:23:48.759 --> 00:23:51.680 have to put a thick mortar base down in order 392 00:23:51.720 --> 00:23:53.839 to get ready for the tile. And the next thing 393 00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:56.480 you know, we're up an inch inch and a quarter, 394 00:23:56.680 --> 00:23:59.559 sometimes even an inch and a half in order to 395 00:23:59.559 --> 00:24:02.680 get tied on that floor in there. And you know, 396 00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:05.839 if it wasn't for that angled little threshold piece, you'd 397 00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:09.400 stub your toe walking into that room. It's weird, it's awkward. 398 00:24:09.880 --> 00:24:13.200 It didn't need to happen on a raised foundation house 399 00:24:13.240 --> 00:24:18.319 because when the floor was completely out and ready to 400 00:24:18.359 --> 00:24:21.240 be redone, that was the time to pull the sheathing 401 00:24:21.319 --> 00:24:26.359