And there I was, peaceful in my ignorance until someone goes and points out the obvious and then I can’t stop thinking about it and how I am going to deal with it.

“So what are you going off on this month Joe?” you are probably thinking, and you would be right.  Yup, I am going to do a thought dump on you about garage door openers.  And yes it is all because I was invited to Ohio for a tour of  the Genie Garage Door Opener factory.

I have kind of taken these lifestyle enhancement devices for granted.  They are just there.  I always figured that as long as the door went up and down when you wanted it to, that was pretty much it.

So after learning a few things it seems there is a lot more to it than that.  The door has to not only go up and down, but consumer feedback tells The Genie Company that it has to go up and down in all weather conditions, reliably, quietly, and quickly.  And then, when we are not paying attention and either leave something in the way, or do not pull the car in far enough, we want the opener to make up for our inattentiveness and not squish whatever it is we have left in the way.

Let’s back up a bit here.  When did garage door openers become such a part of our daily life?  Many homes do not have garage door openers.  “How can they live without them?” you might be saying.  I’d say that they seem to be living just fine without them for whatever reason they have chosen.  But, for some of us, me included, driving up and hitting the button and NOT having to get out and open the door is refreshingly nice.   I think a lot of it comes from the fact that many of us rarely use our front door except to chase off salespeople or let in guests.  We use the garage to come and go in and out of the house.  I know this is true because I fix a lot more garage to house doors than I do front entry doors.

Back to those mechanical marvels.  1993 brought in the mandated safety beams at the left and right bottom of your doors.  These are supposed to keep the door from coming down on people, pets, and things.  If your door does not have these, it has either been modified (not good), or is older than 1993.

It is a sad commentary but today, in our over worked, over stressed, short on time, multitasking, phone and texting, gotta get the kids somewhere crazy out of control days (and I am just talking about the Mom’s out there), we drive away and wonder if we even closed the garage door.  For some, this is a real problem, and Genie has even fixed that for us with their Closed Confirm^TM remotes that let you know if you forgot to close the door.

Hmmm. Thinking.  My opener has no safety beams, buzzes, rattles and yanks the door into elevated submission and drops it unceremoniously onto the concrete with every close.   That can’t be good either.  I guess I better put “Install a new garage door opener” on the to-do list.

Sometimes we have too many choices.  And with that often comes a greater opportunity for making the wrong choice.  Not politics, not restaurants, not wives and husbands, I am talking about really important choices.  Which caulking to use.

I was looking at that section at one of the big stores and noticed that there were over 84 different caulkings.  I stock 7 on my trailer and this seems to take care of just about everything.

Now I understand that there might be one “kind” of caulking but it comes in maybe 6 colors.  OK fine, I’m just trying to make a point here.

I think that you need the following in your garage workshop and you will be able to take on almost any situation around your house.

#1- White Big Stretch Caulking.  Use this inside or outside, anywhere it is going to get painted over.  Trim to siding.  Baseboards to sheetrock. Shelving to cleats, even in hidden areas like new windows to sheathing or watershields.  Good stuff.  I really like it.

#2 Clear and White Polyseamseal.  I try to buy the “Ultra” version of this when I can because it is great for tubs and showers.  I use the clear over grout joints in corners and for toilets to tile floors where a color caulk will look ragged.  This is also a good adhesive when it dries, but it takes a while.  Clear is nice when there is a painted or tinted finish that needs to be sealed or up against.

#3 Kitchen and Bath Silicone in White and Clear.  Silicone is probably the most misused caulk out there.  Never use silicone on anything that ever was or ever will be painted.  However, it is great to seal metals, cultured marble, glass, and plastics.

#4 Butyl Gutter and Lap Cement.  Grey and Gooey.  This stuff will stick to just about anything and never really hardens up.  A good sealant for gutters obviously, but also for other places like flashings.  Don’t even think about trying to paint it.

#5 Polyurethane Caulk.  Silver Grey.  A good crack filler for concrete as well as mortar joints or anything around or in concrete.  Nothing matches concrete, but this is close.  It dries to a very rubber like quality, but sticks better than silicone to masonry.

Sure, there are needs for specialties in caulking like fire caulk, specific colors for wood floors and laminate floors, Bone and Almond colors for some plumbing fixtures, and of course roof sealants and penetration fillers.

Also in the caulking tube format comes Construction Adhesives for wood and foams, various roof cements, cove base adhesive, and mix in the tube epoxy and anchoring cements.

To go with any of the above, extend the life of an opened tube with “Red Caps”.  Trust me, you will think of a different name for them when you see them, but they are worth the cost.  $5 of these saves me $100 is wasted, dried up caulking.

How’s that for a thrilling column.  Maybe next time I’ll get controversial with glues!

This month marks the start of the 25^th year of The HomeFix Show on the radio.  25 years!  Wow.  It was never my intent to do this show this long.  But then, things do not always turn out the way you intended.   Thank you for listening to the show all these years.  If you are new to the program, thanks for joining in!

I am one of those that somewhat goes along for the ride.  I believe that through positive thinking, prayer, subtle influence, faith and desire, you tend to create your own opportunities.  25 years ago I never intended to be a Remodeling Contractor.  In 1987 I could not imagine still being on the radio in 2011.  But that is how it worked out.

Last month I wrote about over doing it when it comes to getting your home ready for sale.  Now I want to talk about under-doing it.

There is a good chance you are not selling your home now or any time soon. The majority of homeowners are not selling or moving.  So why is it that “Resale Value” comes up in so many conversations about remodeling or improvements?  Put quite bluntly, who cares what the next owner of your house will want, you are the one living there now and this project should be for you, not them.

People say “This is our Forever-house”. Or “Our next down-sizing will be an urn”.  “They will take us out of here on a stretcher.”  OK, if that is what you truly believe, why are you worried about having what you want?

Not only that, but by the time it comes to sell your house, which sooner or later will happen, will you really care?  I’ll use the example of counter tops.  A lady I was working with on her kitchen really, really, wanted a bold and bright counter top on her new cabinets with a colorful backsplash of glass tiles.  “Great!  Sounds fun!” I said, but she was worried about it not being “Neutral” enough if she ever had to sell.  I asked if selling was in her plans.  “Oh heavens no, not any time soon.”  So then do what YOU want!  It is YOUR house!  Enjoy it, have fun with it.  And after many years of enjoying it, it is OK to change it out again.  Or let the next person worry about it.  In the mean time, you had fun with it.

You are the one living in your home and given the resources and desire to make changes that allow you to enjoy your home more, I say “Go for it!”  There is a daily pleasure and satisfaction you will get from living in your home, not just passing through it.

So is it possible to overdo this concept?  Sure it is.  There are always extremes but that definition is up to you and what you are comfortable in and with.  And by the way, if I can help make those dreams come true, you know where to find me, hopefully for the next 25 years!

Most people tend to overdo it when it comes to selling their home.

Bet that got your attention if you are involved in this subject somehow.

I have seen it time and time again where people think that they have to make major changes to their home in order to be able to sell it.  They feel that if they do not make the improvements or do the remodeling, no one will want their house.

Let me get a disclaimer out of the way.  What I am NOT talking about here is maintenance.  Broke things need to be fixed.  Loose needs to be tightened, peeled needs to be scraped or glued, dirty needs to be cleaned, and clutter needs to be reduced.  Those are givens.  When you put your home up for sale, it should be the most detailed, clean, staged and merchandised presentation you have ever made.  So good that you will say to yourself “Why are we moving?  This place is nice!”

Yes it is, that is why you bought it.  And so will someone else.

Where overdoing it comes in is when you try to out-guess the desires of the buyer.  You change the color of the exterior paint and trim even though it does not need to be painted.  You replace perfectly good counter tops, you put in new light fixtures to change the finish, or you rebuild the deck to make it bigger.  In the right market, these all my get you a quicker and higher priced sale, but not today in my opinion.

I say to sell things just as they are.  Clean, detail, organize, make the yard look beautiful, trim all the bushes and trees, hose off sidewalks and driveways, clean out the garage, scrub the showers and baths, wash windows, vacuum and then clean everything again.  And make the price lower.  If you try to “Get back” the thousands you spent making the house more appealing, you could be in for a letdown.

Selling today is tough.  Your mission is to get people through the door.  Buyers have been learning that all is not what it appears and investigation and possibilities can be of great benefit.  I suggest to you now, that you provide some samples.  Perhaps a new carpet that goes with the woodwork, or countertop samples that will work with the color of the cabinets.  Maybe even a couple of catalogs with light fixtures highlighted and some paint fan deck chips.  If people can see themselves in your home, you are halfway to a sale.  Set up a “What if” table.

A lot of people do not have vision.  They cannot see past certain elements.  They cannot imagine the living room with that wall to the kitchen torn out.  They cannot see hardwood floors instead of carpet. They cannot see the kitchen turned around 90 degrees.  These are the most dangerous people (Buyers).  Dangerous because these are the ones we impulsively try to please and change our homes for.  We put in the new tile shower only to hear back that this person is not an “Earth tone person”  And that is what you just paid $2500 to have installed.

If you try to outguess the buyer, or to predict a desire, or to anticipate a style or trend, it will cost you time, money, and will cause stress and discomfort.  Sell it like it is.  Just fix it, clean it out, and clean it up.

I can tell you that we NEVER get over it. I am talking about us males of the species and the past.  Particularly when it comes to our toys.  Ladies, you might not want to keep reading because you have been fed a load of crap by us, your loving companions.

Us guys are simple, basic, and not as deep as you may be lead to believe.  Or maybe you already know this.  It does not take much to keep us happy.  We are cleaned up cavemen.  Hunt. Gather.  Eat. Sleep. Scratch.

I was going through some files that my Dad kept in a cabinet at his house.  He passed away a few years back and I saved some paperwork to look more into later.  In one of the files, I found a sales brochure for a 1957 MGA.  My Dad had one of these cars…  Until I was born in 1959.  Then it was sold for practical reasons and the better good of the new family.  From there on out, it was Oldsmobiles.  He never really talked about ithe MGA, and there are only a few photos of him and the car.  A black hardtop. But he sure looked happy with that car.

Seeing this fold out, full color, option laden, horsepower and handling stuffed printed literature made me think.  He never got over it. He told us he was OK with getting rid of it.  I now know by the fact that this well cared for sheet, carefully filed away, was still a thread for him to hang onto.  If only I would have known sooner.  Wouldn’t it be fun to present Dad with one of those as a surprise?  “Here you go!  It’s from us kids.  Have fun with it!”  He would have loved it.

I think back to my early family years and the things I no longer do or have.  I have told myself it is OK, that that was then and this is now.  But I still have a hard time letting go of the good time memories.  It is a different time, and I am different.  I also realize that the good times are probably not as good as I remember.  But, and this is what feeds the thoughts of us guys who can remember, we always have a hope and desire to recreate, this time just a little better.

I’d like to have my 1968 El Camino back.  I’d like to live in our first house again and fix it up the way we always dreamed of.  Heck, I’d even like to set up the sound equipment and DJ some dances like I did in College in the 70’s.  Man, what I could do with a couple of i-pods instead of lugging all those crates of albums around.  If only.

So is it bad to have these thoughts of people, places, or things long gone?   I am not so sure that it is.  Talk to someone, find out a past passion in their life.  Watch the discussion come to life with animation and enthusiasm. If it is a guy, he will probably go home after that conversation and think about a way to make it happen for him again.

So to the Females out there, a word of caution.  Do not tell us to grow up and get over it.  We never will.  We may never act on it or recreate it ever again, but the spark and dream will always be there.  And besides, if we grew up, we wouldn’t be a person you would want to be around.  I know those guys, and they are miserable.

I made a trip to Denver to visit my Mom and since my Sister was out of town, I stayed at her house.  I offered to fix anything that needed fixing while I was there to one: give me something to do, and two: to make me feel less guilty for eating all her food.

She left me her wish list and it looked like it was all pretty simple for me.  Fix a broken drip irrigation line, fill the BBQ propane tank, Adjust the bathroom door latch so the door will stay closed, put new fluorescent tubes in kitchen lights, and fix the toilet that refills with water every now and then.

Piece of cake.  3 hours max.  Off to a Denver box store for supplies.  Drip line spliced, tank exchanged for full one, door adjusted, tubes in- but also had to replace two holders that were cracked and I replaced all 6 of the plastic lay in diffusers as they were somewhat yellowed.  2.5 hours so far.  And then the toilet.

I hate plumbing.  It is never easy.  I hate plumbing.  It is never one trip to the store.  I hate plumbing. I have to lay on my back and I get wet.  I – hate –  plumbing.

I soon heard the noise that my sister did.  That “Pssssssht” of the tank filling back up.  Now most all of the time this is simply a bad flapper.   No tools needed.   I put in a new Fluidmaster flapper and thought I was done.  A few minutes later… Psssssssht.  “Perhaps the flapper was wrong.”  Back to the box, back to the house, pop in a new Korky flapper…. Wait….wait…. Pssssssht.  “Dang it!”   “Well maybe the fill tube is leaking or cracked. I’ll try that.”  Back to the box, back to the house, drain the tank, take the tank off, put in a new fill tube, new tank bolts and doughnut gasket, and the new flapper the fill tube came with…and…. Pssssssht.  “#$%@&!+”  “What else could it be?  The Fluidmaster fill valve looks pretty new.  Maybe it is leaking backward somehow?

Now if you know plumbing, you know this can’t happen.  So did I.  But the madder you get, the more you forget.  And I wanted to get it done.  I hate Plumbing.  Back to the box, back  to the house, and I installed a new Fluidmaster.   Pssssssht” “$%#@ *&^@# !%$&@#!”  OK, time for a break.  And then it happened.  The worst of the worst.  The un-manliest of all possibilities.  That which we men shouldn’t ever do.  I read the instructions.  And there it was.  Buried between the French and Spanish versions of the step by step text,  in a little box with a line art drawing of the fill tube and a big slash through it, was the Fluidmaster bowl fill hose stuck down in the fill tube.  It basically said “Don’t do this or your tank will siphon and you will hear a Psssssht every now and then. Use the plastic clip fitting and shorten the hose as needed.”

I hate Plumbing.  I made the assumption that the way it was when I got there was the way it should be, just broken somehow.  I was wrong.  So I used the plastic clip and shortened the hose.   And…  and… and….nothing!  That was it!  Fixed!

And a lesson learned:  “Tell all friends and family-  I don’t do plumbing!”

“I know this Guy that can do that.”  Or Gal.  Whatever gender, I am going to use Guy as a generic descriptor. End of disclaimer.

Isn’t it a great feeling when you have your “Guy” to take care of you when you need help?  My Son-in-law Luke pointed this out to me about how he, although a highly skilled musician doesn’t know much about fixing things.  He is glad he married my Daughter and got me as his House Guy.  He also has a Car Guy, a Tax Guy, a Medical Guy and so on.

We surround ourselves with people who can take care of us, and do the things that we are not capable of doing for ourselves for whatever reason. Or even just the things we do not want to do.  I know what Luke means.  It is comforting to be at the place in life when your network of Guys is in place and at the ready when you need them.

Then trauma sets in.  You lose one of your Guys.   He quits or moves, retires, becomes a Chef, or decides to become a different kind of Guy.  You have to find a new Guy!  Perhaps the first Guy knows another Guy that can and is willing to take care of you.  That makes the first Guy a Good Guy for caring about you after the relationship.

Think about the last time you relocated your life.  New town, new surroundings and no Guys in your circle.  You have to start over and find a Guy for this, a Guy for that.

Most Guys come into our trust from referrals from others.  As a Remodeling Contractor, referrals are my best source of new business.  That and the HomeFix Radio Show.  “You did some work for my neighbor, my Sister, my friend, my (insert the connection of your choice).”  These people know something about you, before you know anything about them.  When it comes to marketing yourself, this is the type of business you want to attract.

Much to the dismay of many of  my fellow contractors, and to a point in direct contradiction to traditional ways of doing business, I make my list of Sub-contractors and professional resources available to anybody who wants it.  I call it my “Resource Directory”.  It is published on-line at my website, www.JoePrin.com.  It is on the page that first comes up, right side, middle.  Click on it and print it off or save it for yourself.

The names on the list are “My Guys”.  These are the people I rely on to do the things I can’t, or don’t, or won’t.  The list evolves as I have experiences with new Guys.  And if one on the list ticks me off, they are off the list.

Why is giving you this info abnormal?  Because a lot of people hold their “Guys” close to their chest and in secret.  I look at it another way.  The busier I can help to keep these Guys, the longer they will be around when I need them.  And yes, I call in a few favors now and then like “I don’t care how busy you are, I need you on Wednesday.”

If you need help, check out this list.  And sleep well, that you know who to call when you need help.  Tell them Joe sent you.

This has got to be my most absolute favorite time of year.  Anticipation blooms as much as the flowers.  Everything becomes new again, and starts over.  It is like hitting the “reset” button.  Optimism.  Hope.  Excitement.  Faith.

My Spring is filled with the pent up Winter thoughts and desires of projects and home repairs and improvements.  All Winter long I have been telling myself “As soon as the weather gets nicer I am going to…”.  Well, here it is!  I like doing this stuff.  I enjoy this type of work.  I made my hobby a career.  I like to sweat, and I like to have my muscles hurt the next day.

This is the year to fix the north fence line.  This is the year to kick our kitchen remodel into gear.  This is the year to get the sprinkler system in the front yard.  This is the year my garden will be fantastic.

I can hardly stand it.  A few weeks back, it was pretty nice outside.  Being the Garage Guy that I am, I felt that I had better straighten up a few piles, organize a few things, and generally bond with my workbench again.  It has been several months without any quality garage time.  So at about 11 AM I said those five magic words to my wife: “I’ll be in the garage”.

At 6 PM I returned to the real world.  I have to tell you, it was great.  I got more stuff done in those seven hours than I would have ever thought.  I cleaned out cabinets.  I straightened shelves.  I got 5 boxes of junk ready for a yard sale.  I fixed a belt sander and my radial arm saw.  I cleaned out my truck and tool trailer, I put new ends on 5 air hoses, replaced two broken hammer handles, over filled our Recycle Bin, cleaned out the gardening bench and painted some door trim.  I even built a Harvest table out of an old door and some ratty peeled paint table legs I salvaged on a dump run.

What is significant about all of this is that none of it was planned.  A lead to B to C and to D.  None of these things were “On the list”.  None were urgent.  They were just there.

Now either you get this, or you don’t.  It is a behavioral understanding.  Sympathy or Empathy.  Ying and Yang.  Almond Joy or Mounds.

The desire to get things done is what makes us get out of bed.  It sets off a chain reaction and with that comes an attitude shift.  I feel this is very healthy.  When you desire, but feel you can’t do anything about it, frustration sets in and negative things happen.  When you desire and feel you can do something about it, and do, positive things happen.

Spring is here!   It’s going to be a great day!  Hit the reset button!  Find the motivation and the desire to get some things done.  Big things, little things, perhaps even some things that you might forget about in a day or two, but know this; it is still a move forward and with that comes progress and good things will happen.  Just take the time to enjoy it, and look forward to the next challenge.

I am a big believer in proper planning when it comes to remodeling.  I have to be to keep my jobs on schedule and on budget.  However, I often have to challenge my clients and customers to do some work on their end before we can have more meaningful discussions.

Some clients have everything picked out when we make first contact.  Some have nothing chosen.  Most are somewhere in-between.  Here is where my advice for today comes in for you and your next project.

If you read my book, “I Want A New House”, you know I like to put things on paper and those papers go in a project notebook.   Same is true for remodels.

I want you to build a notebook.  Three ring binder, dividers, paper, clear sleeves and all.  Old School.  Forget the iPad, laptops, and computers.  We are going Stone Age here and for a good reason.

Your remodeling notebook is as much for others to look at as for you to review. Nothing beats a notebook for showing what you are thinking.

In this binder you will place all of the product literature, on-line print outs, photos, business cards, and notes.  As thoughts and desires evolve and change, out with the old, in with the new.

You also need to make some lists.  Lists of your likes and dislikes. (Yes both, not just Likes.  Sometimes it is easier to define what you don’t want than what you do want.) Lists of decisions that have to be made.  Lists of what you want as an end result and another list of what your Spouse wants.  What is important and what is only a maybe.

As you travel to showrooms and home shows, gather as they say in the military, Intel.  Talk to the representatives and make notes, pick up handouts and catalogs, take pictures of displays and put it all in your notebook sorted under the proper tabs.

Review your original thoughts and the lists frequently as things change as you progress.  Keep costs and projected expense budgets in there too.

So now when I show up and start to talk to you about your bathroom, kitchen, or addition, you have done a lot of the homework as to what you want to see incorporated in the job.  And, more intelligent pricing can be determined because more of the material and style selections have been made.  He may have been thinking Cherry cabinets.  You were thinking White.  She wanted Hardwood floors, you wanted Carpet.  All of this has been worked out in advance, on paper, in the notebook before I ever get there.  And because of this, our meeting is much more productive and informative.

I must say though, that this comprehensive and somewhat exhaustive exercise is not for everyone.  You may not know what to choose, what the options are, or where to look for them.  100% in-your-home design service is available, but the cost of the project goes up because time is the most valuable commodity in remodeling and the clock is always ticking as the talking takes place.

So where do you think it came from, where has it been?  It has always been somewhat of a fascination of mine to know where things came from.  I can look around my workshop and pretty much tell you where every nut, bolt, bracket and tool came from, or from whom.  Same goes for the contents of my home.  Except this trunk.

Sometime in the 70’s, my Wife Vicki bought this trunk at an Antique Shop in Colorado.  Then was where her history on the item began.  From then till now, it has served as a storage locker for blankets and quilts, sweaters and even photo albums and special trinkets.

But there is a story to be told that we do not know.  At some point in the past, a previous owner painted the trunk a blue-ish green color.  It had a busy life after the paint job because it is well worn in most areas.  The metal is rusted badly on the bottom, to the point of being downright dangerous to hands and flooring.  The wood interior has peeling paper and cracks and splits throughout.  The hinges for the lid are still functional, but not for much longer.  Only one side still has the leather strap.

I was told by someone that these trunks were originally sold to “The Rich Folks”.  Normal people bought flat top trunks to move their goods.  The rich ones bought these because they had to be stacked on top of the others and were treated to better care and were off loaded first.  Also, baggage handlers could not walk on top of them.  Truth?  I don’t know, but it makes a good story.

The one feature of this trunk that causes my imagination to wander is the front lock mechanism.  Or lack of it.  It has been blasted off by a shot gun.  The metal is peppered with holes and a few shot show up in the interior from time to time.

Somebody wanted into this trunk bad enough to pull the trigger.  What did they find?  Family treasures, jewelry? Or blankets, quits and sweaters?

The trunk served us well as a storage vessel and was pretty much was used more for art (form) rather than function.  As we have been downsizing, we decided to let it go.  At a yard sale, we put out the trunk. “$350 Firm”.  No takers.  The next year, “$250 Firm” and still no takers.  The last time, $150 Firm with the same results.  Although it seemed like thousands of people all knew of a trunk just like this one in their family history, no one needed it bad enough to pop with the cash.

Today we all pull behind us suitcases with telescoping handles and little rubber rollers.  In a hundred or so years will we look at one of those and wonder?  I doubt it.  And I will probably never blast one with a shot gun.

So for now the trunk is on a top shelf in the garage, getting dusty and waiting.  Perhaps when the living room is remodeled, it will end up back inside.  Time will tell.