There Are No Bad Ideas, Only Bad Decisions | Hour 2

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to house whisper dot Design. All right, it's been a morning of kind of just a casual conversation between friends, of freeing your mind when it comes to approaching your remodel, so that you think a little bit bigger, so you dream a little bit bigger, a little bit more creatively, include more thoughts, do more research in areas that you would normally limit yourself from going to learn more, see more, experience more, demand a little bit more out of this

remodel instead of doing what you normally do, which is to your credit of making do not when it comes to customizing your home. Now is the time to not make do and get out of the way of your home. Now is the time for the home to get out of your way and for it to give and to move. Got me all right? Well, a little more on this as we go, But right now I'm taking calls on I want to go back to the phones. I want to talk to Let's talk to Laura. Hey, Laura, welcome home.

into one way or the other. The attic fan, an attic fan is a fan that is attached to a vent that you know, exhausts hot air out of an attic and it creates a vacuum from another vent, probably just across the way. And yeah, and that's never a problem because the attic fan is attached to a vent,

and it can be detached from the vent. It can have like the the ember proof vent retrofit placed right there and then reattached and remounted so or the mber proof vent can be mounted on the outside if need be. And it's all done very attractively and very quickly. So yes, there's absolutely no reason to not move forward with the ember proof vents. Brand Guard they're my favorite, and they will help you and whether you measure up the situation yourself or if you call a place like brand Guard

and say, hey, can you send somebody out. They don't do direct installs, but what they do is they have a full network of certified installers all over southern California, so they'll put you in touch with somebody who will come out and who will size up exactly your situation, order exactly what you need, and get it popped in there right away.

can be done pretty easily. The so I'm now I'm drawing a quick little line here, splitting your question in two or the answer into and yes, so, yes, a homeowner can do this. Some homeowners don't want to do it. That's what the installers are for. But a homeowner can do this. And when it comes to the vents themselves, yes, getting some finer mesh is better than the stuff you've got. Okay, a finer mesh and installing that is better than the stuff you've got. But finer mesh is not as good

as a fully certified and tested and proven ember proof vent. Okay, it's not just an ember proof vent like for the Brand Guard vents. They're not just a finer mesh system. They actually have a patented baffle system in which the air gets redirected through and there are places where even if an EMBER got through you know, mesh layer number one, it gets trapped in a baffle and it can't get into the attic. And that's just the first stage, that's

the ember stage. And these vents are also rated to shut down the transmission of radiant heat once the fire actually gets close, and shut down the transmission of flames, so flames and radiant heat won't get into the attic and ignite things because of intense heat, and the flames cannot come in through the vents because these vents will self seal once a flame reaches that point of nearing the vents. So they are very very different than just

finer mesh. But finer mesh on your attic screens is better than the big stuff that you've got, So I just want to make it perfectly clear. Amberproof addict vents is not just about finer mesh, but that is definitely better than taking no action at all.

at your service. Good Saturday morning to you. We're just having some nice conversations talking about getting our heads in a remodeling space, being the best possible custom home owners that we can be, because, you know, customizing your home for most of us not a thing that we're trained to think about because we're so used to making do. So I'm just helping you breathe a little deeper, have a little bit more creative space and possibility around you with some tips. And we'll have a few more of

those as we go. But right now I'm taking calls. I want to go back to the phones, and I want to talk to Terry. Hey, Terry, welcome home.

And so here's the thing. If it is mold, okay, uh, And let's assume I'm gonna assume for a momentary that you know that you keep a clean house and that you haven't neglected this bathroom for thir years, and all right, mold. For as dangerous as mold can potentially be in some circumstances, the fact is mold out in the you know, out in the daylight, out exposed where it can be easily cleaned. It is. It is not tenacious as far as being able to clean it. It does not fight cleaning very much.

It doesn't have a lot of fight to put up there. So if it were mold, you'd be able to take a you know, you'd be able to take a bleach mixture and wipe it on there and it would just simply be going away. You'd be able to take just a regular household cleaner and it would go away. Mold is not like I'm not going anywhere and you're all dead. That's just not mold. It likes to grow in the dark and in the moist and not get exposed out

where everybody can see it. So that being said, I'm not one hundred percent ruling it out, but in my experience, ninety nine times out of one hundred, when we've got these gray spots and speckles and blotches happening, it is soap scum mixed with hard water, meaning mineralization leftover that ends up collecting in the corners. And that's why it's so dang hard to clean, because it's kind of this resinous mixture of soap scum wrapped around leftover hard water minerals.

And that's why they're gray, by the way, because they're kind of rocky mineralization, and that's why it's tougher to clean. And so there are some products that will help you do that, like you know, but you just got to find got to make sure, like is it CLR the calcium lime and rust. You just got to make sure that a product like that which just knocks right through mineral deposits isn't going to do damage to the actual

surface of the vinyl. The safest route to go to start with at least, and I always recommend, you know, do the least toxic approach. The safest route to start with would be taking some baking soda, just regular old you know, baking soda, mixing it with some water and making a paste and covering over those pasting it all over and let it sit on there for several hours and then come back with a little bit of elbow grease and see if you can't get most of it

off that way. Baking soda does an amazing job of cutting through that and also lifting up mineralization. But as far as your fear is concerned, my guess is that it's hard water deposits mixed with soap scum, and that's why it's being so tenacious to clean.

assess it, either to you know, patch what's happening and contain it to keep your costs low at the moment, or you may just need to you know, want to commit to you know, let's just redo the living room ceiling.

Let's paint the living room ceiling, but we got to do it right, uh, and then address it and they'll be able to sand it down and check for areas that are clinging properly versus areas that aren't, and then apply a new primer coat to everything, kind of stabilize it all and a new code of paint and it shouldn't be in any way, shape or form an ongoing problem.

But everybody, remember remember when you were talking to a painter or even just taking paint bids or estimates, you know what you want to see in that list of things you don't you know, don't be dazzled by the amazing paint, although amazing paints like Benjamin Moore are the key to it lasting long. But remember that when it comes to paint prep, prep is like ninety percent of

the game. You want to see all sorts of things in the quote for we're doing this to prep, and we're doing that to prep, and we're standing this, and we're getting this ready and we're patching that. And because all of that preparation means that that one or two coats of paint that go up when it's all said and done, are going to cling and hold and last long, long time. Paint is ninety percent prep. All right, thanks so much for the question, and we actually got that out.

I'm running a little bit late, so let's do this. You're listening to Home with Dean Sharp on demand from KFI AM six forty, CAFI AM six forty, live streaming, and HD everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. You are Home with Dean Sharp, the house whisper that is me. We're having a conversation this morning about kind of freeing up your mind as remodeling season is approaching, becoming a custom homeowner, not just expecting a custom home to appear before your eyes.

To get a custom home, you need to be a custom homeowner. We got to stop thinking so much about making do and giving ourselves the freedom to dream a little bit bigger. We're going to talk a little bit more about that in the next segment, but right now I'm still taking calls. We've still got some calls on the board. I want to go back and answer some questions about your home. Let's talk to Spencer. Hey, Spencer, welcome home.

in to replace just the glass. And they said, you know, that's probably going to be like maybe two hundred and fifty dollars where I was quoted four hundred and fifty dollars initially. Have somebody fixed the glass? Am I on the right track? That's basically my question?

one thing to replace the whole door. You may not be able to find one that matches right, And so I'm thinking the same way, you know, call a glass company, call a couple of glass companies and have them come out and take a look at it. And then you know, because it's it's relatively thin glass, it's not heavy duty glass, and they're used to this kind of stuff. And if that frame can in any way be disassembled to free up the glass and then put a new piece in,

You're probably totally on the right track. That's it, all right, buddy. That was an easy one. Wow, I was so easy. I got time for another one. Let's talk to Scott. Hey, Scott, welcome home.

damage to the dry wall anyway. Yes. So in that circumstance, if you've got some uh some uh, you know, major member of a wall fixture on a wall, like a door or a window that needs replacing, and you're also planning on, you know, refinishing the inside of the room, then the classic typical order in construction would be, you know, doors and windows. We build a brand new house, doors and windows go in before the before we ever get

to drywalling. Okay, So in your case, I'm going to say the same thing, just to change out the side and glass door and then you've got nothing to worry about. You know exactly where to cut the drywall to. It'll go in, it'll fit right, nice and tight. Nothing you'll be disturbing it.

then to to where I started today's show. There are no bad ideas. There are only bad decisions. And by saying that, what I'm trying to communicate is the front end here, that ideas, the I, the ideation, the thinking up and the planning and the dreaming, I want you to expand that and not worry about like somehow, oh this is gonna lead to me being over budget and I'm gonna be, you know, spending stupid money on things that I shouldn't be spending money. Ideas are not decisions.

A decision is taking a set of ideas or an idea, shaping it into a you know, a strategy, and then pulling the trigger. That's a decision. And bad decisions are bad, I mean bad decisions, you know, to take things on the wrong track. And bad decisions can cost you time, can cost you money, can cost you all sorts of things. But an idea is not a decision. It's just an idea, and the best decisions come from a rich pool of

fully developed ideas. And if the reason I'm making such a big thing about this is in my experience in working with hundreds thousands of homeowners, at this point, the thing I see perhaps most common in the typical homeowner is this self editing at the very beginning. I walk in the door, and I'm there to help you dream and to think of things, And already I see you're editing yourself and not even allowing yourself to think certain

thoughts about what's possible. And I get that because you're just so used to making do with what you've got, kind of just moving around it because it's there and you haven't had the means or the or the will or the desire to move it out of your way. But a custom home, a custom remodel. Now it's time for the house to move out of your way. But that also puts something on you that you're not used to doing so much, and that is thinking bigger thoughts

and collecting more creative ideas. All right, more on that, right after we find out what is going on? Gean Sharp the house whisper, Welcome home. Thanks for joining us on the program today. All right, I've got some final thoughts about our topic today. Of there are no bad ideas, only bad decisions, kind of freeing your mind as you approach your remodel. Some of you are like, why doesn't he just get down to the brass tax of like how to install a toilet. We've spent plenty of time

doing that, my friend, plenty of time doing that. But when it comes to approaching anything you change on your home. You know what I always say, design matters most. And to get to that place of getting the right design, you as the homeowner, need to stop self editing so early upfront. You need to free yourself up. So let's review where what we've already discussed so far, and then I'm going to give you still a couple of more great tips along the way. Here Custom home starts with

a custom thinking homeowner. Okay, freeing yourself not to make do now the house is going to move out of your way. Create a judgment free sandbox. I'm using air quotes, can you hear them? A judgment free sandbox to play in that could be a folder on your computer. Maybe it's a physical folder sitting on your desk, maybe it's a maybe it's a Pinterest board, whatever the case is. But a sandbox is a place where you can just collect ideas judgment free. You're not judging them. You're putting

things in there because you like them. Period. It's all that you know need be or you're interested in it, or you're gonna pursue it and check it out. Okay, give yourself that freedom. And what does a judgment free area look like? When like, if we're working with two people, like a couple working on a remodel, you know, designing

it in your minds together, dreaming it up together. I would say this one of the most important lessons I ever opted into the design process is and I would say, you know what I'm just going to say life in general is the rules of improv comedy. Okay, improv. If you've ever seen improv done and done it well, I think most people have seen it done. Is when you know somebody on stage just starts kicking out an idea, unscripted idea, and then they've got a partner up there

and they just work off of that idea. And they just create a whole thing. They're improvising as they go, and the people who do it, well, it's just genius and it's super entertaining. At the root of all of that is a principle or a rule, and the rule is that improv that good improvisation, good creative process is all about. It starts with yes. And that's the response

to somebody yes. And the opposite, which is the death of improvisation and the death of creativity, is no. But okay, So what I mean is you you have a thought. You know, maybe I'm your partner and you have a thought, and you're like, you know, here's a crazy thought. What if our home could do? Right? My role as your partner, because these are not decisions, these are ideas. My role of your partner is to acknowledge that, Yes, that is a crazy thought, but yeah, I see the value there.

That's that's interesting. You know. I'm not saying that we should enact it tomorrow, but yeah, yes, and and maybe I can feed something else into that. And now all of a sudden, see that's yes and yes. And the opposite of that in communication and in life is no. No, No, that's ridiculous. And that's where we crush these these potentially really value ideas, and we keep them from growing into

something else, something that really will make a difference. So it's yes and you know, and not always no or well but but you know that you know that's the kind of thing. So the rule is yes and not no and but got it all right, because remember, an idea is not a decision. So there's no need to fear an idea. It's not a decision. It's an idea. Embrace it, play with it. Window shopping is free. There's no need to narrow it to your budget, research, explore, learn,

don't pre categorize yourself. Know that most of your ideas won't make it into the project in the form that they first arrive, but they may spark the most important idea that does change the game. And I'll give you these last two little tidbits here. Give yourself time. You always hear me harping on spending time and slowing it down. Nothing truly outstanding is designed or built overnight. Even with

a well thought out design. We encourage you to layer a project as much as you can, because you know what, with every new completed phase of the project, that project. As your home starts to change shape, it's going to alter the way you experience the space, and it's gonna give birth to other ideas. Take the time, layer things out, take the time to allow it even as you change it, allow it to change you, because that's what happens in

a really good custom design scenario. Remember the iron triangle. You've got three sides time, quality, and cost, and the rule is inviolable. You can have any two of those sides of the triangle that you want, and you're gonna pay for it with the third side. Okay, so if you want it done fast and excellent but overnight like fast and excellent, time and quality, get ready to write a big check. You're going to pay for it in the cost. If you want it done fast and cheap, hey,

no problem. All you're going to sacrifice is quality, that's right. But if you're like most people and you want it the best value possible and the best quality possible, then guess what you have to spend. You pay for it by taking your time. And that's the thing. Give yourself time. Don't last tip, don't try to design the space. Don't just jump into the space. Okay, don't be a designer, be a homeowner, be the person living in the space.

Describe what you want to do in it, and how you want to feel in it, and what you want to experience in it. Those are the most important questions to ask you and yourself right up front. Those are the questions I ask you right up front, so you ask them of yourself. All right, that's all we've got time for today. We have spent the time wisely. I think we're going to be right back here tomorrow for

the big show. Tomorrow's show, we're going to be talking with two Los Angeles attorneys who specialize in damage law, specialize in claims to insurance companies after a disaster, or a pipe breaks or an entire neighborhood burns down, all of the above and more. It's going to be a super, super interesting and informative show. That's tomorrow's show. Don't miss it until then, though, Get out there in this beautiful day and get busy building yourself a beautiful life, and

we'll see you tomorrow. This has been Home with Dean Sharp, the House Whisper. Tune into the live broadcast on ka A six forty every Saturday morning from six to eight Pacific time, and every Sunday morning from nine to noon Pacific time, or anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app