Mothers Day weekend and it is a mixed bag of house projects that Joe talks about.  Painting exterior trim and your paint choices, window seal failures and what you can and can’t so about them, butcher block counter tops, birds in microwave vent, slow lights, and a garage opening ghost.  Also Ryan DeArment from Channellock calls in to announce more US manufacturing for Channellock tools as well as introduces the #758 flush cutting plier now in contractor testing.

I need to ask you, the reader of this column each month, if you have noticed something that I have.  I am not sure when it started, or what event triggered it, but it seems to me that people (in the most general use of the term) are getting less patient with a whole lot of things in their lives.

Have you been on Eagle Road going south at about 7:45 AM lately?  It is like a bumper car race at the amusement park!   I am totally convinced that the usage of turn signals is inversely proportionate to the cost of the vehicle.  If you are pulling a trailer, like your friendly neighborhood remodeling contractor-columnist does, that alone is an invitation to see how many times you can get cut off and have to slam on the brakes.  And yet, we all seem to get “there” at the same time.

The lines at the grocery store to me are a negative and opposite reaction to the amount of intuition I possess to choose the fastest line.  Let me pick and I guarantee you we will get behind Mrs. and Mr. Molasses chatting up the Cashier and trying to figure out how to write a check at the same time.

And appointments!  When did a 2 PM appointment change to “Between noon and 4”?  Is it that hard to commit to a schedule?

After deep reflection, is it perhaps me?  Am I the one with the problem?  Oh yeah, I got the Senior Discount last Tuesday at D&B without asking for it and that really ticked me off.  I’m 53 for gosh sakes. I should not have grown out my beard.  Nothing but gray.

I think I am the problem.  If everybody just played by the rules, my rules, we would all get through the day just fine.  I also think that I have come to the conclusion that it is not worth getting all riled up about it.  What’s the hurry anyway?  Why am I in such a snit to make all the lights on Eagle Road?  How can I spend an hour cruising the aisles of the grocery store and not spend 3 minutes in line? I need a chill pill.

Therefore, in the interest of preserving my sanity and the public welfare in general, I am going to relax.  I am going to make more time in my life for the unexpected.  I’ll keep a book in my truck for when people are late.  Or I am early.  I won’t over schedule myself trying to squeeze every minute out of the day.  I’ll hit Eagle Road before or after the rush- or avoid it all together.  (sometime the long way is the short way).  I’ll listen more and talk less.  Talking always gets me in trouble.

The best lessons learned in life are the ones you already know but finally wake up to and acknowledge that they truly do apply to you. We tell our kids this all the time.  We tell them to learn from our mistakes.  Do they listen?  Heck no.  They have to bump their heads a few times and then they realize that we did know what we were talking about.

A Senior Discount has to be earned by those of us not quite there yet.  As I look around at those I admire in life, those I hope to be more like, they are not impatient people.  They are not frustrated and flustered. They are the ones using their turn signals and talking to the cashiers. With a smile on their faces.

Special Program-  The Pilot show for Pets First With Dr. Michael McCown.  Joe talks with Dr. Michael from Pets First Animal Clinic and Brandon Pearson from AFCO Distribution as Pets First launches it’s new food and aparel business and Joe thinks about launching a  new radio show. Will this become a new program?  We’ll see!

Today we talk about water damage in crawlspaces and how to avoid it, weak tree roots with all the rain, gutter cleaning, rust stains on concrete from iron in fertilizer, attic fan motor lubrication, staining and finishing decks.  Callers ask about water stained concrete, building with foam concrete forms, how many layers of fooring can you have, furnace vibrations an Jay calls in and explains the Milgard / Viewpoint promotion and extends the contest end date.

Today’s topic include Home Owner Associations and what they do and why, and how to tell if walls in a house can be removed.  Callers ask about sprinkler valve repairs, putting in a new sprinkler system, hurricane shelters (yes really), replacing tub surrounds and what to do to the drywall, and making repairs to Andersen window hardware.

The Real Estate market is the topic today on the HomeFix Show.  George Brecht from Brecht Properties and Silvercreek Realty Group sits in with Joe to discuss current market trends, changes, mortgage rates, home sizes and buyer and seller mentality.  Callers ask about disclosure and incentives as well as horse properties.  On the home repair side, callers ask about  attic insulation, and squeeky floors.

Those of you who pay way too much attention to this column may recall my writings on the 200,000 mile mark that my Ford F-150 hit.  I felt like a proud Papa showing off pictures of his kid.

Last week that truck made its final trip to a job site.   It happened on the road to Eagle coming back from Emmett.  “Check Engine” came on in heart stopping yellow.  Not only was it illuminated, but also flashing.  “That must be really bad”, I thought.  This was followed by ”thumpa thumpa thumpa” and a “tic tic tic” from under the hood.  The light seemed to flash faster as it went on.

I pretty much coasted into Eagle Auto Repair where the Doc delivered the bad news to me a couple of hours later.  They had to put her down.  Broken rings in one cylinder is what probably did it.

239,000 miles was the final tally.  Hard, abused, contractor towing a trailer miles.  I got my money’s worth out of that truck.  It owed me nothing.

So I had to go truck shopping.  Right then, that day.  Being a Contractor, I cannot be without a truck.  No truck, no way to pull the tool trailer.  No tools, no work gets done.  No work, no income.  First stop, Craigslist. Saw a couple of possibilities, but nobody was answering the phone. So  then off to a few used car lots.

They can “tell” can’t they? Salespeople I am talking about.  It must be the way I walk, but the salespeople must know that I need a truck that day.  I can see the little bit of drool in the corner of their mouth as they know a sale is coming.

Actually it wasn’t that bad.  I am an easy shopper.  Find it, get it, and be done.  It is not worth my life’s energy to spend days and days going back and forth trying to get a few more bucks off or to get  them to toss in an oil change and floor mats.  Not only that, but I have to get back to work and I need a truck…Now!  There’s the drool again.

I found a Red GMC Sierra at Peterson’s Stampede in Nampa.  Carlin there made it quick and easy.  But soon I found out who my real friends were.

You would think I switched political parties!  Or gave up on the Methodists and started going to a different church!  The Ford guys said; “You bought a Chevy?!”  “I Can’t believe it, a Chevy?”  Well not technically I said, “It’s a GMC”.  Same thing in their narrow, blue oval closed minds. “Tsk, tsk, tsk.  What a shame”,  I heard.  I felt so dirty.  And for the record… I also have a Mustang so there is still a Ford in my garage!

And then there were others, General Motors folk.  “Welcome to the Family!” they said.  ‘Bout time you got a real truck. You’ll like that one a lot better!”

So what is my new protocol here?  Should I wave now at other GMC’s?  Nah, probably not cool to do.  It will creep out  all the Soccer Moms.  After all, it isn’t a Harley or a Mustang.  Should I get a Calvin sticker for the back window?  Nah.  Not cool either.  And what about the Dodge guys?  Where do they fit in to all this?  Do they just want to “Ram” us Chevy, excuse me, GMC, and Ford guys?

I just hope it gets me to work trouble free like the F-150 did for so long.

Our Home Inspector, Randy Funk sits in with Joe on the show today to talk about recent activities and inspections.  Callers ask about stucco crack problems, cracks in bathroom drywall by showers, inspection report liability, and tips for someone building a home.  Joe also intorduces the new Viewpoint Windows and Doors promotion where you could win three new Milgard windows installed in your home!  Listen to the show for details.

A story not to be mnissed!  A Boise Homeowner tells the tale of how he is dealing with his Gentek siding problem and what has been done, or more importantly, not done in over five years of problems.  Lesons to be learned here for all of us.  Callers ask about solid surface decking, creaking bath tubs, tile counter tops, and putting TREX over redwood decking.  Joe also gives advice on repainting MDF trim boards that have been water damaged.

The recent rains have caused a lot of water damage issues in our homes.  I hope you have made it through without incident, but for those that do not know what to look for, here are some of the common areas to be concerned about.

ROOFING- Winds that blow off shingles open the roof surface to possible leakage.  Check for any missing shingles and replace them as soon as it is noticed.  Hopefully you kept an extra bundle of your shingles in the garage or shed for just this possibility.  Roof leaks should be repaired immediately and you should also have the attic insulation checked for possible mold growth.  Only after the problem has been corrected should you have the drywall patched up and repainted.

CLOGGED GUTTERS- Down spouts that get plugged can cause siding and trim issues and in some cases water can even get in behind siding making its way through wall insulation and into your sheetrock and carpeting.  Make sure your downspouts are clear and free flowing.  Gutters plugged with leaves and sticks can cause water back up and leakage behind fascia and soffit boards and again, ceiling and wall leaks.

CRAWLSPACES- Check to make sure your crawl space is dry and dusty.  Go down there and crawl around corner to corner.  The soil should be firm and dry.  Any puddles or mud is not a good thing and the source of the water intrusion must be identified and corrected.  Many times it is a downspout dumping into a flower bed or a landscape that is not draining away from the house.  Try adding downspout extensions to take gutter water way out into the yard.  In severe cases, you may need to have a (And this term is often misused-) “French Drain” installed to keep the crawl space dry.

BASEMENTS- Leakage often occurs at the seam between the slab floor and the foundation wall.  The other common place is where “Snap Ties” were installed to hold the forms when the concrete was placed.  If your walls and floor are visible you can see the entry points and can address the issue. The causes are similar to what is mentioned above in the Crawlspace blah blah blah.  However, if there is a more critical issue, like improper soil compaction around the foundation, or severe leakage, the solution could require deep excavation and perforated pipe collection beds around the foundation to carry away water.  Yup, this one gets expensive real quick.

FLATWORK- Driveways, patios, and sidewalks are usually made of concrete.  They are designed to slope away from the nearby structures.  When grade is “negative”, water migrates to the structure, not away from it.  This can cause erosion and settling of the slabs and in some cases cracking.  What commonly causes this is an improper preparation of the base soil and compacted sand and gravel (Road Mix) that is under the concrete.  “Mud Jacking” is a slang term for the process of injecting a slurry grout under the slabs and actually hydraulically lifting them back into position.  While not inexpensive, it is often less than replacing the concrete but only works on non-cracked flatwork.

Take a few minutes and inspect your home.  Hopefully all is nice and dry.