Thumb and Hammer Home Improvement Podcast

Facebook experts, ethernet cable in a wireless world, tracking down a water problem, and an update on the basement renovation.

Home improvement television shows often distort your perception of how long a renovation should take. But you can't compare yourself to a slick television production. And there are advantages to a project taking longer than anticipated.

A look back at our home improvement accomplishments in 2021, update on the current progress with the basement renovation and my final verdict on whether or not the tankless water heater delivers on its promise of energy savings. Plus one drawback of the tankless water heater that caught us a bit by surprise.

This episode is all about the process of doing your own electrical work in Ontario Canada, from filing a Notification of Electrical Work with the Electrical Safety Authority to the rough-in inspection.

Sparky is slang for an electrician, which I am not. However, I have done my own electrical work. This episode covers some of the reasons why you may or may not want to (or, should or should not) do your own electrical work.

I had a few questions about new rules in the electrical code, so I asked a licensed electrical contractor. It did not go well. Find out how five Japanese words might have saved our relationship. Links and resources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igPIk79wAPg Viva La Dirt League: "The problem with workplace jargon: acronyms" (and be sure to check out the rest of their videos). The Simpsons clip is from "To Surveil with Love" S21E20 (audio recorded from YouTube). Electrical Code Simplified- House Wiring Guide by PS Knight is an indispensable guide for homeowners doing their own electrical work in Canada. It may be purchased directly at the following link: https://psknight.com/residential. (not an affiliate link).

This is not a paid endorsement... In this episode of the podcast, I share two products I found after hours of searching for solutions to specific problems I was facing with my home improvements. Xcel IGA I needed to attach the bottom plate of a stud wall to a concrete slab without using mechanical fasteners and construction adhesive was the obvious solution. Xcel makes a variety of adhesives and their IGA product is the best construction adhesive that I have ever used. You can find more information on their websites: Canada: https://XcelProducts.ca Europe: https://excelproducts.co.uk United States: https://xcelprousa.com Zinsser Bin I needed vapor barrier for the garage ceiling. The easiest solution was to use a vapor barrier primer. After many hours of trying to track down a product I had used previously (Benjamin Moore Ultra Spec Vapor Barrier Primer) without success, I found exactly what I needed, readily available locally. This was clearly a case where I was searching for a specific product and not seeing other solutions that were right in front of me. You can read more about vapor barrier paints at the following link: https://joneakes.com/jons-fixit-database/1614-Vapour-barrier-paint-it-does-exist-it-does-work Also, searching Google for "zinsser bin perm rating" will provide lots of useful links. Other Links For a deep dive on BluWood, what it was, where it went, and why I ripped out a wall that I had framed with it, you can read my blog post here: https://www.thumbandhammer.com/what-happened-to-bluwood/ I also talk about it in episode 57 of this podcast: https://www.thumbandhammer.com/ep-57-the-only-way-to-finish-a-basement/

Renovation in the time of Covid.... I already work slow enough and that's without a 2 month-long lockdown during a pandemic. The basement is now ready for drywall and in this episode of the podcast, I review the steps that got me to this point. Framing: The joy of relying on someone else to pick lumber when curb-side pickup was the only option.Electrical: Not much to say in this episode, but I did it myself and it has passed the rough-in inspection.Plumbing: Why I chose to hire a plumber and how failure to take my own advice led to a bit of tension. I also share my opinion of our new HVAC equipment after it has been in use for 6 months and explain why a tankless water heater may not be the green environmentally friendly solution that it has been hyped up to be.

There is no shortage of scam products on the internet. Ted's Woodworking has been offering 16000 woodworking plans for a ridiculously low price for the last decade. Inventors strike out on their own after creating innovative air conditioners, drones, vacuum attachments and their stories are all oddly similar. Plus the one sure way you can get an impressive endorsement for your own product.

You want your basement to feel like the rest of your house. It should be dry, and comfortable. However, the basement is NOT like the rest of the house. The basement is in a hole in the ground. The ideal solution for a warm dry basement is a subject of much debate. I talk about a few of the popular options and the one that was recommended by the insulation company we are hiring.

Figuring out which tasks need to be done first in our basement renovation. Energy audit to qualify for home efficiency rebates. And I completely rethink the layout of the basement at the suggestion of the HVAC installer.

Stuff is happening. Big stuff. In this episode of the podcast, I talk about our choice of furnace and air conditioner for the house, why I decided on a split ductless system for the garage-workshop, and our reasoning for ditching our hot water tank and going with a tankless water heater.

How do you react when someone tells you that something you did is "all wrong?" In this episode of the podcast, I respond to just such a criticism.

If getting stuck in the snow taught us anything, it's that we have to replace our furnace this year. Plus I do a little surgery in the basement.

Looking for a new home improvement or DIY podcast to listen to? Here are my personal favorites that you may enjoy, too.

I've come across news stories about people running afoul of their HOAs by painting their house the wrong color, or putting up Christmas decorations that were deemed too tacky. But I've never experienced what it's like living in an HOA community or talked to anyone who has. Until now. John from AZDIYguy joins me to talk about life in an HOA.

Paying down a mortgage isn't necessarily the end all be all. In fact, by increasing our mortgage, we could end up further ahead in the long run. And in the short term, well, we're finally getting relief from the financial pressure we've been feeling for the past few years.

We are always looking for ways to save a buck. But it's a fine line between cutting costs and cutting corners and often saving a buck now will cost you more in the long run.

So what do you get someone who already has everything?

As homeowners, we have more information and resources available to us than ever before. In this episode I complain about mostly complain about contractors who refuse to acknowledge that we do know what we're doing and know what we're talking about. Link to article on Stuff.co.nz website: "First-home owner nails DIY by watching 'how-to' videos." Visit our sponsor:  LL Flooring. These are the floors homes are built on. Visit the experts at your local store or go to LLFlooring.com/pro to learn more.

Someday. Eventually. In the future. Whether talking about debt repayment, retirement, or home renovations, it's all so abstract. In this episode, I talk about figuring out how realistic a goal is and creating the road map to achieve it.

John from AZDIYGuy.com returns to talk about kitchens, kitchen design and IKEA. And why it's a bad idea to step on the back of a farmhouse sink. John shares his experience from planning to design to execution, why IKEA was the right choice for him and why it pays to hire a designer. The post Ep 45: IKEA kitchen reno with John from AZDIYGuy appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

We have all seen those articles about the home improvements that give you the biggest return on your investment. But what about the ones that can actually decrease the value of your home? The post Ep. 44: Home improvements that can hurt your property value appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

She's back! I am happy to welcome Vickianne, from MyCrappyHouse.com back to the podcast. We talk about how she has been making her crappy house less crappy and answer some very important questions. What has she been up to? What's the deal with Schmoopy? What's changed thanks to the pandemic? There are knots and bows to be tied and maybe, someday, a tome about her home to be written(?) and she talks about all of it on this episode. The post Ep 43: What’s new with Vickiann and her crappy house appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

Before Netflix and other streaming services, some of the only entertainment available in the wee hours of the morning was the infomercial. In this episode of the podcast, I share with you some of the purchases I made over the years either directly from, or inspired by these advertisements. The post Ep 42: As Seen on TV- Stuff infomercials sold me appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

In this episode of the podcast, I share a handful of tales of nature and the nature-adjacent, along with a bit of advice if you happen to live adjacent to nature (hopefully the title doesn't give too much away). The post Ep. 41: Don’t feed the animals appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

This first episode back after a long hiatus does not have a central theme. It is more of a mish-mash of assorted ideas that you may find interesting including a bit of plumbing, a new (to me) table saw and some real estate news. The post Ep. 40: Catching up with Thumb and Hammer appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

The Thumb and Hammer Podcast will return in September. I had actually contemplated sun-downing the podcast and the website but after a lot of thought,… The post Ep 39.7: Announcement: Return of the podcast appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

A brief explanation about the podcast schedule and a request for your help to make the Thumb and Hammer Home Improvement Podcast the best it can be. The post Ep. 39.5: Special Announcement appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

Until you can afford a major renovation, do you live with what you have or can you justify spending money on something destined for the landfill? The post Ep 39: Good enough is good enough for now appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

This is the tale of our new front door, from the sale to installation to service and the mistakes that were made along the way by the parties The post Ep. 38: The Tale of the Door appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

A response to an article on Mashable "11 DIY videos absolutely no one asked for." So, why do makers make what they make the way they make anyway? The post Ep 37: The meaning of making appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

Spending too much money, pricing yourself out of the market, or not spending enough money, hurting your property value. And whether it really matters. The post Ep 36: Over and Under Improving appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

In this episode of the podcast, we look at two popular waterproofing methods plus the steps you can take to avoid such drastic measures to solve your wet basment problems. The post Ep 35: H2Woes- Fixing Wet Basements appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

Making sense of the different types of drywall, drywall compound, mesh vs paper tape and drywall tools. The post Ep 34: The wild and wacky world of drywall appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

An election, a TV show and a board game. Looking back at news topics that as a homeowner, I found to be significant or interesting. The post Ep 33: Year in Review 2018 appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

In this podcast episode, I look at how we so quickly maxed out our credit cards and how saving $600 by DIYing a project could potentially cost much more. The post Ep 32: Money woes and DIY dilemmas appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

Looking back at some of the more memorable open houses I attended and some of the mistakes that were made. The post Ep 31: Tales from the Open House appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

How we freed up some money each month and put extra cash in our pockets after accepting that short-term setbacks stopped being short-term long ago. . The post Ep 30: It’s only temporary appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

From nosy neighbors to noisy neighbors, we all have them. How well we get along with our neighbors is fundamental to the enjoyment of our property. The post Ep 29: Love thy neighbor appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

The business side of the death of a loved one and figuring out what happens to all the stuff that is left behind. The post Ep 28: Mortality Sucks: Death, estates and letting go of stuff appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

The dream is to own your own home. But who is selling that dream? And why? Is your house really an investment, or is it a liability? The post Ep 27: Lies, deception and home ownership appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

As homeowners, we make decisions that impact the environment. We want to be more energy efficient to save money or even the planet. But are we as "green" as we think we are? The post Ep 26: It ain’t easy being green appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

Ask three experts the same question and you'll probably get three different answers. So many competing voices only add to the confusion. The post Ep 25: Information Overload appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

A look back at some of the more interesting news topics of 2017 related to home improvements, construction, real estate, etc. The post Ep 24: Year in Review 2017 appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

Trends come and trends go. Why do we care? The post Ep 23: Trendy is so last year appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

We've all heard the expression, "Measure twice, cut once."  And we all know what that means. I share some my measuring mistakes and the reasons for them to help you avoid making the same mistakes. The post Ep 22: Measure Twice, Cut Thrice appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

Just because you can "Do It-Yourself" doesn't necessarily mean you can do it yourself. Do you know what permits and qualifications you need? I share some of my experiences, some legal, others not so much. The post Ep 21: Permits, legal stuff and DIY appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

Why is it that weekend projects rarely take one weekend? Where does one project end and another one begin? I explore these questions by sharing what I did (and didn't do) on my summer vacation. The post Ep 20: What I did during my summer vacation appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

The perils of not doing the math when it comes to home improvement costs The post Ep 19: Mistakes Homeowners Make: Not doing the math appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.

Three options for heating a garage / workshop. Insulation and ventilation options for a 1-1/2 story Cape Cod. Solution for venting if no soffits are present. Construction jobs, the trades shortage and Millennials. The post Ep 18: Allow me to vent appeared first on Thumb and Hammer.