Rosie on the House

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Water Treatment from a one-time skeptic

Before I get up on my soap box to talk about water treatment, there's something about me you should know: Water treatment and I have a past.

The first home I can remember living when I was around four was a modular in New River, where were we had no city services; we were on a septic and had to haul water from Desert Hills.

I should note that nobody in my family ever died from the water, and as far as I know, none of my friends did, either. We spent most of our days working and living outside, so the house really was just a place to sleep and get away from the lightning when the monsoon hit. My drinking faucet was the garden hose. Water filters? Never heard of them.

Needless to say, water treatment was never a priority for our family. So as an adult, when people I knew started talking about treatments to soften the water and make it taste better, I was big skeptic. I figured these things were gimmicks and a huge waste of money.

So it figures that my first assignment when I started working for Rosie on the House in 2001 was to research the different water treatments.

I've never been one to turn down a challenge, so I took the project on thinking it would take one day to confirm what I already knew: that water treatment is a worthless service. Oh, so little did I know!

I read everything and listened to everyone, from Consumer Reports to clients my dad had worked with when he owned the remodeling company Legacy Custom Building & Remodeling. I spent days on this, and the more I learned, the less sure I was that my old attitude about water treatment was right.

Then came a light at then end of the tunnel--in the form of Robin Pettyjohn of Water Treatment Technologies, who in the middle of the night on instinct sent an e-mail to RosieOnTheHouse.com that changed my life forever.

OK, it didn't change my life. But it definitely changed my mind about water treatment.

Robin so sincerely made the case for water softeners, which negate the effects of Arizona's "hard" water, and reverse-osmosis systems, which make the water taste better, that I had to give them both a try.

So I paid Robin to install both in my home, with the agreement that he would remove them and refund my money if I wasn't pleased.

Well, two houses later I wouldn't even think of owning a home without a water treatment system for a list of reasons that could go on for days!

So I'm sold. But there's a catch. Not all water treatment systems or companies are created equal. There's a lot of smoke and mirrors in the market when it comes to water treatment. I've heard more scare tactics from sales reps and false claims from manufacturers than I care to remember!

The bottom line is simple, though: If science can't prove that a thing works, it doesn't hold water (pun intended!). And on this point, I know I'll never change my mind.

When you shop for your water treatment system--and if you see a scaly mess on the edges of your faucets and around your drains, you need a water softener--you'll run into claims, testimonials and even accusations about good products and bad ones. Don't let them confuse you. For something as simple as water, we have the technology to test for results. If a product claims is will soften your water, find out how. (You can't soften water without salt.) If a product says it will remove the scales that hard water forms in your plumbing fixtures and pipes, that doesn't mean it will soften your water or prevent future scaling. It probably means the product is a descaler, not a softer. You need a softener, which prevents the problems.

If you wish to research this for yourself, start by reading Rosie's answers to his listeners' frequently asked questions, listen to our web audio feature with another one of our great water treatment specialists, EcoWater Systems, listen to this segment from our Saturday morning radio show and most importantly our interview with David Perry of the Arizona Water Quality Association.
Part 1.
Part 2.

But take it from a skeptic. You will come to the same resolve I have.

Rosie on the House
www.RosieOnTheHouse.com

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~Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Infectious Habitat-itis

Hey y’all!

I believe everyone has a gift, a gift given to us by our Sovereign Ruler to use to serve His higher calling. Those we remember from history, good and bad, are the ones who used their gifts as men and women of honor and who always stood up for what they believed in.

My role is service, in one form or another. Since I was young, it seemed I was always able to help others in some way. When I couldn’t or wouldn’t, it weighed on me, and it made me more willing to help someone the next time I had the opportunity, even if I had second thoughts. Thankfully, my upbringing has kept those instances to a minimum.

I grew up in a family that dedicated itself to service, and that service started at home. My father, Rosie, never allowed any of his six children to expect or demand our Mom to wait on us. If he had to ask us to help her clean the kitchen, take out the trash, pick up our rooms or anything of the sort, well--let's just say it was too late at that point for an excuse!

Mother was no different. I remember the first time I mowed the grass. Mom fired up our old, gas-powered, pull-start lawn mower and handed it over to me because Dad had a long day and it would be a great surprise if he came home with no chores to do. I couldn't even see over the handle bars, and the lawn, once I finished with it, looked 10 times worse than it did before I started.

Yup, I started as a person of service at a young age. I remember the mailman threatening--only half jokingly--to turn my parents into Child Protective Services when he saw me operating a chop saw when I was 8. I don’t know what the big deal was. I was just cutting the cedar siding for the interior lining of the hall coat closet with dad's chop saw.

So as an adult, when I learned about Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit that lets me use my hands and my tools while serving others, I knew it was a perfect match for me.

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit organization that helps deserving families build and buy homes of their own. Volunteers donate money, time and materials so the cost of building the home is as low as possible, and the family that moves into the home pitches in at least 200 hours per adult of “sweat equity.” They stand alongside the builders helping with construction, painting, yard work or anything else that needs doing. If they’re not able to do that, they work in the Habitat store—ReStore—or office.

Once they get the keys to their castle, they pay an affordable mortgage, and that money goes back into a pool that helps build the next home for the next deserving family.

I caught Habitat-itis the first time I worked on a project, and my fever for it has only gotten worse as I've spent more time around the people who believe so passionately in its mission. After I had been involved with Habitat for a number of years, it became clear I was hooked for life.

The Rosie on the House team was building our first home for what used to be known as Habitat for Humanity Valley of the Sun (now it’s Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona),

and I was helping nail on the roof sheathing. I had not yet met the future homeowner, Kahn, who turned up working alongside of me, hauling sheets of OSB up to the roof rafters to nail down. The care he took to not waste a single nail by bending it--he drove them all perfectly straight--was almost like watching a father care for a precious newborn baby. On the day the home was complete, when I saw how proud Kahn was to own a home that he, his wife and his three kids could call their own, I was thoroughly infected with Habitat-itis.

One of Habitat’s mottos is: “It's a hand up, not a handout," and that’s what means the most to me. That’s what I saw in Kahn that day. He is a grateful man who worked as hard as he could to earn the help he accepted from Habitat because he knew it would enable him to provide for his family through the sweat of his brow. Who could ever ask for more?

Kahn inspired me, and I think of him whenever I’m with Habitat again, working on another home for another grateful, deserving family. When I think of Kahn, I can’t help thinking of the music of country music inspirational singer Chris LeDoux, singing one of his signature songs with Bon Jovi, Bang a Drum. The song is infectious, just like volunteering for and supporting Habitat for Humanity. And like Kahn, it’s just something I can’t get out of my mind.

Chances are, you’ll hear me humming Bang a Drum if you ever find yourself banging nails next to me on the roof of a Habitat house. And in no time at all, you’ll be as infected with Habitat-itis as I am.

If you dare to see what a difference one pair of helping hands can make, join me on a Habitat jobsite and catch Habitat-itis for yourself.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christmas traditions at Rosie's house

Hey y'all!

You think of Rosie on the House as the most popular home-improvement radio show in Arizona.

For me, Rosie on the House means something much more literal.

For the six kids who grew up in Rosie’s house, Christmas officially

began on the Eve with the reading of a Cajun Night Before Christmas, because you know, chere, dem dere flyin' reindeer what you call dem, dey can't fly low through dem cypress kness and Spanish moss, no! Who better to share that story with y'all than my grandpartners, Baby Kay and Dr. Rosie? Here’s an audio recording.
Just click the following link to play
Cajun Night Before Christmas!
*Originally aired on Rosie on the House Christmas Eve 2005.

Shortly after the reading and our second glass of Southern eggnog is when we’d hear Santa Claus on the roof of our Scottsdale home, stomping around in his big, black, cowboy boots, jingling a string of holiday bells and shouting, in a curiously familiar Cajun accent, “Ho, ho, ho!” into the chimney so we’d be sure to hear him as he unloaded our presents from his sleigh.

We were always already tucked into our beds, eyes wide open, hoping that our parents, Rosie and Jennifer, had been wrong when they warned us that Santa never entered the homes of boys and girls who weren’t asleep.

That stompin’ Santa, of course, had Rosie cheeks and a big Rosie voice. And he really did climb up onto the roof every Christmas Eve yelling, “Ho, ho, ho!” to get us kids to go to sleep.

We didn’t. Once the noise trailed off, we raced to the Christmas tree to see what he left. We were up so early, in fact, that our parents had to make a rule: We couldn’t wake them until 5 a.m. — and we had to have the coffee ready when we did.

Then we unwrapped our toys and gag gifts before chowing down on what we’ve always called a

“Joe” breakfast — a skillet of potatoes, onions, eggs, bacon and cheese, watching whichever movie Santa had left us that year and taking a nap. Then it was off to Mama Kay and Papa Rosie’s house, where we spent the rest of Christmas with aunts, uncles and cousins — sometimes 30 or more of us gathered for the day — and more presents and food and singing with Uncle Pierre playing Linus & Lucy from A Charlie Brown Christmas on the piano complimented by the rest of the great family pianists including Aunt Karen and Baby Kay herself!

Like all family Christmases, ours has changed as we’ve gotten older, welcomed new family members and said a sad goodbye to others. But the memories are so crisp, and our traditions — food, music, family — all remain.

I’d like to share some of our Romero family Christmas traditions with you. Starting first with some of my favorite Christmas songs always heard around the holidays...If you are like my sister Rachael, you stared listening to Christmas music back in August...

Artist -> Album -> Favorite Song on Album

Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers -> Once Upon a Christmas -> Once Upon a Christmas
Elvis Presley -> Elvis Christmas -> O Come, All Ye Faithful
Amy Grant -> A Christmas Album -> Heirlooms
Vince Guaraldi Trio -> A Charlie Brown Christmas -> Linus & Lucy
Alabama -> Christmas Volume I -> Christmas in Dixie & Volume II -> Little Drummer Boy
Alan Jackson -> Let it Be Christmas -> Let it Be Christmas
The Carpenters -> Christmas Portrait -> Carol of the Bells
The Nutcracker -> St. Louis Symphony Orchestra -> Waltz of the Flowers

And what would a Romero Christmas be without some good pecans? By popular demand, here’s Mama Kay’s recipe for her famous Cajun-spiced, roasted pecans, along with Rosie's Buttermilk Biscuits and the family secrets on deep-fried turkeys! But make sure you read the safety tips for deep-frying your Christmas turkey first!

I hope your holidays will bring back warm memories for you, too, and that you’ll put a little Cajun spice in this year’s celebration!

Sincerely,

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

A new look at vinyl windows

Hey y’all!

You might want to sit down for this.

Really, I don’t want you to faint dead when you read this.

You’ve heard my dad, Rosie, put down vinyl windows for years and years on Rosie on the House. You’ve javascript:void(0)heard me do it, too, and the reason is simple and logical: Vinyl windows just can’t stand up to the hot Arizona sun.

The sun’s ultraviolet rays can make vinyl windows sag and crack and fade and even chalk—and suffer from what we like to call that ugly vinyl “smile.” Once that happens, your windows will be the only ones at your house with a smile—because you sure won’t be happy.

We’ve always recommended aluminum-clad wood windows—wood windows with a sturdy aluminum armor that resists sun damage on the side that faces outdoors.

So here’s why I wanted you to sit down before you read this: Rosie and I are big believers in the Pella Windows and Doors brand—a brand that traditionally did not make vinyl windows, which typically cost quite a bit less than wood-framed, aluminum-clad windows. Now it does.

Rosie and I took a tour of Pella’s new vinyl window plant in Tucson, where the company makes its new Encompass vinyl windows and patio doors. I have to admit I was impressed.

The Encompass window is made with a steel-reinforced, interlocking sash, and a fully welded frame and sash to prevent heat transfer through the frame. But here’s the biggie: A chemical in the vinyl—called titanium dioxide—inhibits the UV light from causing the window frame to chalk and fade and smile.

Now, I still wouldn’t put vinyl windows in my own home. When I built my house, I chose Pella’s ProLine windows. You guessed it: They’re wood windows with a sturdy aluminum cladding on the outside, so I could stain the wood that’s exposed on the inside but I don’t have to worry about the sun ruining the outside of the windows because of the protective aluminum “skin.”

Those windows are good quality, and they cost a little bit more than vinyl.

Here’s my new thinking: If you can’t afford wood-and-aluminum windows, and you feel that vinyl is really the only kind of window that fits your budget, go ahead and buy Pella’s vinyl windows. They’re not going to be the best windows on the market because they’re made from vinyl. But they’re going to be the best vinyl windows on the market because they’re made by Pella. You can also hear me say this for the record from our October 25th broadcast by downloading this MP3.

The vinyl Encompass window comes with a lifetime guarantee on the frame, so if it starts smiling at you, you can go and smile at someone who works at your local Pella store—where they’ll make good on that guarantee. The window glass is also energy-efficient enough to block 80 percent of the outdoor heat from getting indoors, and it’s backed by a 20-year warranty.

That’s the nicest thing I’ve ever said about vinyl windows.

OK, you can stand up now.

Sincerely,

Sunday, August 10, 2008

The new website launch.

Hey, y’all!

You know me as Rosie’s son and co-host on our Saturday morning Rosie on the House radio show. You also might know that I’m pretty good with my hands, be it with a tool belt or computer. I am an Arizona native raised by a Cajun family on my Daddy's side and by an Irish family on my Mama's side, and I'm proud of both!

Right now, I’m proud of launching the new Rosie on the House Web site in August. This newly designed, newly content-rich Web site has been my “baby.” I had a lot of help from the Rosie on the House team, of course, but I devoted months and months of planning and ideas as I worked with our new Web partner. i-ology.

One of the site’s new features is this blog. This is our first-ever blog, and we're planning to use it to share our thoughts about everything from home improvement tips to hot remodeling trends to our family’s secret recipes for down-home Cajun cooking. (OK, we might only give away half of the secret recipes). We’ll blog about the Rosie on the House show, about the experiences Rosie and I have working with Habitat for Humanity and about some of the great, indepth ideas our listeners bring to our attention when they call us on the air or submit an idea for a show..

I hope you’ll enjoy our blog every month and let us know what you think. Send Romey (me) your ideas and we’ll blog about them. And check our Web site often. This redesign is just Phase 1 of a three-phase makeover!

While you’re on our new Web site, have a look around. Here are some of my personal favorites on the site:

Romey’s Pick #1: Did you know Rosie has a Referral Network that includes a list of the Arizona home-improvement contractors he thinks are the best in the state? If you need a plumber, drywaller, remodeler, HVAC guy--anyone to help you with a home-improvement, maintenance or building project--you’ll find someone here who’s so good that Rosie & I would (and do) hire him to work on own homes. Go to the Home Page and click on “Let’s Find a Rosie-Certified Parnter.” You’ll be asked to choose a password the first time you log on so you can enter the Referral Network without any hassle in the future.

Romey’s Pick #2: If you want to do your job yourself, you can get lots of help from our “See How It’s Done” section, which offers you step-by-step instructions--with photos--for projects like flattoo imprinting and building an Integra wall. Click on “Learn from Rosie” to see our small-but-growing list of “See How It’s Done” topics. This is a new feature and will more than likely be our largest area of growth in the next six months!

Romey’s Pick #3: Check out our frequently asked questions (FAQs) about dozens of home-improvement topics. Our new site makes it easier for you to find the information you need because we have added subcategories to narrow down broad categories like plumbing and flooring. That means less searching and scrolling for you! Click on “Learn from Rosie” to see our huge library of FAQs.

Our Web site will continue to evolve as we add new features that bring you the best of 20 years of Rosie on the House.

We aim to keep RosieOnTheHouse.com Arizona’s premier Web site for homeowners. If there is something missing that you are personally looking for, drop us a line and let us know what y’all would like to see. It's as easy as clicking here to Contact Us!

Sincerely,

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