Sirius/XM is going through a reorganization of its channels that will be taking place over a two day period on May 8, 2013 and May 9, 2013.  On XM, numerous channels will be changing location including the following:

At Home with Gary Sullivan is distributed on TalkRadio 168...Soon to be TalkRadio 246.

A whole house fan is a great way to bring cool night air into your home and save on air conditioning. These fans are designed to move large amounts of air and in order for them to work effectively they must be properly sized for the house. In order to purchase the proper size fan; multiply the square footage of the living area of the home and multiply by 3 this will give you the cfm of the fan.  This calculation will work as long as you have 8 foot ceilings.

Another important component is the roof must have proper ventilation to push out the hot air from the home and attic.  Gable vents, roof vents and ridge vents all will allow the hot air to escape when using a whole house fan. For every 750 cfm you need 1square foot of uninterrupted venting.

Laminate floor is very popular with homeowners. It is durable and easy to install. One problem many of us have is that the finish becomes hazy over time. This is usually caused by a residue that is left behind when using some cleaning products. I have actually examined the haze up close and it is a film that is left behind.  To remove it….do not use anything abrasive and most cleaning products will make it worse. The floor may look good immediately after using a cleaning product but once it dries it is hazy once again. The best product to remove the haze is Krud Kutter. Use full strength on a cotton cloth and you can see the sticky substance being removed. By the way Krud Kutter also removes scuff marks. 

When Centipede invades your home it can be very disturbing.  They are creepy and most people can’t stand them in their home. Having said that, Centipedes can be beneficial as they feed on termites, bed bugs, roaches and spiders.  The bottom line is people still want them out of their home. So it is all about control, you need to caulk and fill any opening to the outside of your home to prevent entry.  That means weather-stripping around doors and caulking by siding, brick and foundations.  Centipede can’t live without moisture, so remove damp wood, mulch, leaves and debris from the perimeter of the home.  If they are in the home look for any area of moisture and work on elimination of the water.  Using an insecticide dust around the exterior of the home will also help prevent the Centipedes from invading your home. 

There are, many types of roof flashings but the type I see improperly installed more than any other kind is the flashing between a roof and brick.  This type of flashing runs along the roof and is then tucked into the brick.  The problem is a lot of roofers will use just a piece of base flashing.  After a few years and with the movement of the house it begins to have stress on the flashing and pulls it out of the mortar joint.  The home owner starts using caulk but it will never be right.  The proper way to flash this area is with two pieces of flashing (the base flashing) but a secondary flashing that then tucks into the mortar joint. As the house moves the flashing moves with it preventing any problems. Just proves how important quality contractors can be for your home. 

This past weekend we took a bunch of calls regarding interior painting.  That means take down pictures and posters and get to the bare walls. It is important to wash down the walls before painting. Why?  Because indoor dirt is not water soluble so the paint is not going to stick to the walls.  Wash the walls down with a soapy water solution and then rinse. The next part of the project is to fill all the nail holes.  A spackling compound is the perfect fix for this problem. There are several types of spackling and I recommend the Red Devil Lite Spackle. This will dry fast and is easy to work into the holes.  You can also get the type that goes on pink and dries white.  That way you will know when it is time to paint. Painting over the spackle before it has dried can cause an adhesion problem.