Rosie on the House

If I conserve water, will my energy costs drop?

2012-01-27T11:59:00.000-08:00

Want to help conserve both? Take care with energy-intensive tasks by following these tips.

Do full loads when you use clothes washers or dishwashers.
Replace showerheads with low-flow models that save up to five gallons of water a minute.
Showers use less water than baths, so shower and keep it short. Fix leaky faucets; small drips add up to big waste.
Wash clothes and dishes after dark, when there’s less competition for electricity from your neighbors.
Turn the water off while you brush your teeth or shampoo your hair. You can save 200 gallons a week.

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For more information and for answers to all YOUR Home Improvement, Landscape and Gardening questions, visit our website: www.rosieonthehouse.com

Should I get a solar water heater?

2012-01-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

If somebody offered you free gas for your car, you’d gratefully accept. So why are you turning down free hot water for your home?

Up to 15 percent of your energy bill goes to heat water—but it doesn’t have to. The sun can do it for free.

When it’s time to replace your water heater, consider installing a solar version. Don’t let the price tag—several thousand dollars compared with several hundred for a conventional water heater—scare you off. By the time you claim your federal and state tax credits and get your APS rebate as an incentive for installing such an energy-efficient device, you’ll pay as little as $1,000 out of pocket for your fancy new system if your water use is average.

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The Solar Store can answer your questions statewide.

What are the pros and cons of compact fluorescent light bulbs?

2012-01-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are poised to replace those familiar incandescent bulbs we’ve been using since electricity became a household necessity.

Among their benefits:

CFLs use 90 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.

They emit very little heat. Unlike CFLs, incandescents waste energy because they spend 90 percent of their energy on heat and only 10 percent on light. That also adds heat to your home’s air and makes your air conditioner work harder.

CFLs last about 10 times longer than incandescents, so you don’t have to change your light bulbs nearly as often.

The quality of CFLs continues to improve. Early versions of fluorescent light bulbs were an odd white color, took a long time to light up when you flicked the light switch and gave off a buzzing sound. Today’s CFLs are smaller, come on almost instantly, appear close in color to the traditional incandescent bulb and are silent.

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What are some steps I can take to save money on my electric bill by running my pool pump more efficiently?

2012-01-06T12:19:00.000-08:00

Sign up with your electric utility for a “time of use” rate plan; both APS and SRP offer them. You’ll pay a reduced rate for electricity if you run your pool pump and other appliances—like your dishwasher or washing machine—during hours of the day when demand for electricity isn’t at its peak.

1. Example: SRP will cut your “off-peak” rate from the standard 11 cents per kilowatt-hour (a measure of electricity use) to around 6.5 cents if you run your pool pump and other appliances between 8 p.m. and 1 p.m. during the summer. If you run the devices between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m., you’ll pay more to use the same electricity.

SRP estimates that “time-of-use” customers save up to 7 percent on their electric bills.

2. Run your pool pump less. It’s not necessary to run it around the clock. Most manufacturers recommend running it between eight and 10 hours a day in the summer and about half that in the winter.

3. Put a timer on the pump so it automatically shuts off after those hours, and set it to run only when you’re paying off-peak rates.

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For more information and for answers to all YOUR Home Improvement, Landscape and Garden questions, visit our website: www.rosieonthehouse.com

Tap Hidden Storage

2011-12-31T05:42:00.000-08:00

If Santa brought you everything on your Christmas list this week, your new year’s resolution might be to find a place to store it all.

In surveys of homeowners, most say they don’t have enough storage space at home.You might have more than you think. Here are some places to look:

Walls. Cover an entire wall with open shelving, where you can display books, knick-knacks and pictures. Place decorative baskets on some of the shelves to hold—and hide—small items that you want to keep out of sight.

Bedroom closets. If your closets are the old “pole-and-plank” kind—with a single rod for hanging clothes and a shelf so high you can’t reach it, get ready to reorganize. Closet organizers let you add shelves, drawers, racks, hooks and cubbyholes so every blouse, suit, shoe and necklace has a place. At the very least, move your rod up so it hangs 84 inches from the floor, and add another one underneath that is 42 inches from the floor. Keep your tall shelf; it’s a good place to store out-of-season clothes.

Kitchen pantry. Chances are, yours has two to three feet of wasted space near the floor. Place shelves from floor to ceiling in the pantry. Choose slide-out shelves so you can easily retrieve the cans and small appliances you keep in the closet.Inside kitchen cabinets. Unless your cabinets are fairly new, you’re probably stacking pots, pans, dishes and food so deep that you can’t see what’s in the back. Retrofit you cabinets with lazy Susans and slide-out shelves that make easy work of retrieving your items—so you can stuff more in them.

Under every work surface. Opt for built-in cabinets or open shelving under the kitchen island, the tool bench and the bathroom vanity.

Inside furniture. When it’s time for new furniture, replace kitchen chairs with benches whose seats open up to double as storage chests; find ottomans with hollow centers for hiding magazines.

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I'm overwhelmed with holiday preparations. Can you help me get organized?

2011-12-16T16:00:00.000-08:00

If you’re feeling that it’s impossible to get your home ready for holiday houseguests. Good news: You can do it.

A tip: Fix yourself a cup of hot cocoa, start a fire in the hearth and get comfortable in your favorite chair. Then make a list—and check it twice—of everything you need to do so your home makes a good impression on your houseguests—and so it makes them feel comfortable during their stay. Then enlist the help of your family and make appointments with any service pros you’ll need to help you finish the chores on time.

Here’s my pre-holiday honey-do list:

Have the furnace inspected. Chances are, you’ll have the heat on while company’s here, at least overnight. You’ll rest easier knowing a heating and air conditioning technician has given your system a once-over and cleared it—or repaired it—so it won’t leave your guests in the cold.
Sweep the chimney. It’s a messy, time-consuming job, so you might want to hire a professional chimney sweep. Choose one who can do both a cleaning and an inspection. An inspector will look for cracks in the masonry, damaged dampers, worn-out chimney caps and other problems, in addition to removing what you can’t see: the creosote, soot, ashes, dust, leaves and even birds that are stuck in the flue and chimney.
Hang your stockings by the chimney with care—a lot of it. Hanging stockings can damage your mantel and pose a fire hazard. Tips: Use the smallest hook or nail you can find so the hole you pierce into the mantel will be nearly invisible when you remove the nail after the holidays. Move holiday stockings away from the mantel before lighting a fire.
Gussie up the guest room. If it’s been doubling as a sewing room, a storage space or a home office since last time grandma came to visit, get in there and clean it out. Move your personal items to another room so you won’t have to bother your guests to retrieve them during their stay. Make room in the closet for company to hang clothes. Launder the bedspread, and place a candy cane on each pillow. And if your guests have stayed with you over past Christmases, frame a holiday photo from their last visit and display it in their room.

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Will 7UP extend the life of my Christmas tree?

2011-12-09T13:05:00.000-08:00

You’ve added bleach, aspirin, soda, syrup or sugar to your Christmas tree’s water to help the evergreen last longer. Did they work?

Tree experts say they don’t. It seems like they would: The common blend of 7UP and bleach seems like it would, indeed, make the tree’s water more acidic and help the tree take in more moisture and food. The sugar in the soda, it seems, would help feed the tree. The disinfectant in the bleach would prevent mold, fungi and algae from forming.

So it seems. Yet it’s an urban myth, and it’s not true.

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How can I prevent my Christmas tree from becoming a fire hazard?

2011-12-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

If your Christmas tree catches on fire, it can fill yourhome with deadly gases and quickly burn the gifts underneath it—as well as nearby furniture. Don’t make your home one of the 210 that burn every holiday season because of a problem with the Christmas tree.

Here are some tips for keeping your family safe around the tree:

If you buy an artificial tree, choose one with a label that says it is fire-resistant. If you prefer a metal tree, do not use electric lights. Faulty lights can charge the tree with electricity and electrocute anyone who touches it.
Select the freshest live tree you can find. Here’s how to tell if it’s fresh: Its needles should be green and hard to pull from the branches. Needles shouldn’t break when you bend them between your fingers.
Water your tree every day.
Place the tree away from heat sources like the fireplace and heating vents.
Don’t put the tree up too early. If it dries out, it will ignite more easily.

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For more information and for answers to all YOUR Home Improvement, Landscape and Garden questions, visit our website: www.rosieonthehouse.com

5 tips for buying tools for handy folks on your list

2011-12-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

Choosing a tool for someone else isn’t as easy as running to the hardware store and picking up the latest thing.

I’m awfully particular about my tools. I’m still using the same putty knife I bought 30 years ago. If you buy me a new one, I’ll still walk around with my old knife that’s served me so well all these years.

Some of the do-it-yourselfers on your holiday gift list might feel the same way about their tried-and-true tools—and probably would have invested in the fanciest, newest products already if they really wanted them.

To someone who’s serious about home remodeling and repairs, tools are personal. So if you want to surprise someone with a shiny new tool on Christmas morning, get to know the working style of the person you’re buying for.

Here are five guidelines for buying tools for the handiest people on your shopping list this season.

Know the kinds of projects your loved one likes to work on. If he or she uses tools only occasionally for light jobs like hanging pictures and tightening hinges, choose smaller tools designed for those everyday fixes. But if you’re buying for someone who’s elbow-deep in building an addition or gutting the guest bathroom, you’ll want to choose sturdier, professional-grade tools.
Buy the highest quality tool you can afford. In tool world, that’s usually the most expensive tool in its category. Serious handymen and women think of their tools as a long-term investment. They want them to work, and they want them to last.

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For more information and the answers to all YOUR Landscape, Garden and Home Improvement questions, visit our website at www.rosieonthehouse.com

What kind of tools are right for women DIYers?

2011-12-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

Any woman knows it’s often quicker and easier to do something herself than to wait for, pay for or pray for someone else to help her out.

So more women are becoming do-it-herselfers. If you’re a handywoman—or want to be—consider investing in lighter-weight tools designed to feel comfortable in a woman’s hand.

The new Tomboy Traveler is an eight-piece kit of pink tools: magnetic head hammer, pliers, utility knife, ratcheting screwdriver, tape measure, torpedo level, mini hacksaw, latex-grip gloves, and of course, a pink bag to hold it all. Order it and lots of other right-sized tools from www.tomboytools.com.

Among the lightweight, smaller-grip tools at Barbara K! is a new 12-volt power drill that allows you to sling the battery pack on your hip while using it, substantially lightening the drill’s weight. The Power-Lite Cordless Drill kit also works with the battery pack attached for a true cordless effect. The kit, which has a rubber grip and multiple speeds, sells at www.amazon.com.

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Made in America

2011-11-23T10:32:00.000-08:00

video platform video management video solutions video player

Fioro

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What are some guidelines for a backyard playground?

2011-11-18T10:39:00.000-08:00

Here are 18 ways to build or add on to your kids’ at-home playground in a way that will entice them to move from the couch in front of the TV to the great outdoors where they can exercise and socialize.

1. Add the unexpected, like rock walls, rope ladders and tunnels.

2. Go a little high-tech. Trick out a play set with everything from an intercom to solar panels to a telescopes.

3. Give them shelter. A structure with a roof or canvas awning allows kids to play outside even during a light rainfall. Stock the shelter with chalkboards and games so there’s plenty to do. Add solar-powered or low-voltage lighting, and the play house will be usable in the evenings, too.

4. Cover up. Likewise, placing an awning or a shade sail over the swing set and jungle gym will protect your children from sunburn. Even a big umbrella offers kids a place to cool off and get out of the sun for a while.

5. Revise the slide. Look for sliding boards with waves, scoops and spirals for an updated take on the original.

6. Consider the age of the children who will use your homemade playground. Toddlers love slides, while older kids like more challenging equipment, like monkey bars. Avoid equipment with openings that are just big enough for your child to squeeze through but might be difficult to escape, or with moving parts that could catch a child’s little fingers.

7. Mix it up. Including a variety of equipment, from slides to see-saws to ladders to open spaces for ball games, will keep kids engaged as they get older.

8. Don’t skimp on cost. The cheapest playground equipment probably won’t be the most durable or the safest. Play sets made from lightweight materials, smaller bolts and cheap accessories won’t endure constant use or the added weight your kids naturally put on as they get older.

9. Consider chemical-free. Redwood, for example, naturally resists insects and rot.

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What is xeriscaping?

2011-11-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

Xeriscaping is water conservation through creative landscaping. It involves combining low-water plants with hard surfaces around your lawn, and encourages water-smart design and maintenance of your property.

Here are Xeriscaping’s seven basic principles:

1. Design your yard with water conservation in mind. Work with a landscaper on a plan that locates a shaded patio, ground cover and even a few higher-water plants close to the house, where they can help cool and shade it. The farther from the house a plant is, the more drought-tolerant it should be.

2. Choose low-water plants. Arizona abounds with native, drought-tolerant plants that are hardy and colorful. A landscaper can help you select the right ones for your yard’s soil condition and exposure.

3. Limit your lawn. Grass needs lots of watering, so plant as little of it as you can stand. Limit it to your children’s play area and a pet run, and use ground covers and hard surfaces over the rest of the yard.

4. Irrigate efficiently. Replace your whirly-bird sprinkler—the one that waters your sidewalks and house as well as your lawn—with an inexpensive drip irrigator, which drips water only on the plant that needs watering. Rig your sprinklers to timers. Invest in an irrigator with a controller that automatically senses when your plants need water and doesn’t turn itself on if they don’t.

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How can I update my concrete patio’s look?

2011-11-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

Do-it-yourselfers and contractors are dressing up concrete patios with acid stains in every color, with overlays that mimic the look of flagstone and other more expensive, natural materials, and with stamps that can be as unique as the homeowner who picks them out.

Some of the most popular ways to turn a drab slab into something fancy underfoot include:

Stamped concrete. Patterns and textures are pressed into newly poured concrete before it’s fully dry. Combined with stains that add realistic color, stamped concrete can imitate the look of brick, cobblestones, flagstone, wood, pebbles or even seashells—at a fraction of the price. Plan to pay around $6 to $8 per square foot for stamped concrete with a single pattern and color, or more for elaborate designs. This is more a job for a contractor than a do-it-yourselfer.

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For more information and for all YOUR Home Improvement questions, visit our website at www.rosieonthehouse.com

How can I give my powder room more pizzazz?

2011-10-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

Your half bath is one of the rooms of your home that
every guest will see, so this small room make s a big impression. Make it pop by adding a few designer touches.

Some ideas:

“Furnish” the room with a wood vanity and cabinets in a rich finish that would be nice enough to display in the bedroom or kitchen.
Splurge on a granite or marble countertop. Select natural stone for the floor. Texture the backsplash with stone tiles or a textured finish like troweled-on clay. Experiment with some finishes beyond paint. Stilll too pricey? Take a look at travertine, which has become popular for powder room floors and backsplashes.
Hardwood floors also are popular. If the bathroom floor matches the floor of the hallway outside of it, the room will appear larger when the door is open.
Experiment with color. Play with rich, dark colors—or your favorite color—on walls and cabinets.

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Can I add security lighting without raising my energy bill?

2011-10-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Even if you spend a bundle on outdoor security lighting, there’s no need to overspend when you operate it.

Energy-efficient security lights conserve electricity, focus light only on the areas you want to illuminate, and attach to timers or sensors so they switch themselves off when they’re not needed.

Too many outdoor lights shine large amounts of light in every direction--including upward, where the light is wasted, and outward, where it will shine through your neighbor’s windows instead of onto your patio or driveway. Light your yard, not the sky.

Here are Rosie’s tips for more energy-efficient outdoor lighting:

Install properly shielded overhead security lighting. The shield will concentrate the light, making the best use of it and reducing light pollution.
Don’t use more light than you need. Too much light can give off an uncomfortable glare, which actually lowers visibility. Shielded lighting will allow you to use a lower wattage bulb and prevent your deck from looking like a stadium.
With lighting used strictly for security, install a motion sensor instead of leaving it on all night.
For security, walkway and porch lighting, use fixtures with a timer or photovoltaic cell unit so the lights will turn off in the morning.
For security lighting, use a low-pressure sodium bulb, which gives off the same amount of light with less wattage. For other lights, switch to compact fluorescent or metal halide bulbs, which are the most energy-efficient.

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For more information and answers to all your Home Improvement Questions, visit our website:
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Should I replace, reface or refinish my cabinets?

2011-10-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

So you’ve added a splash of color to the walls in your kitchen and upgraded the appliances, but it’s not quite enough. Those cabinets still seem drab, bringing down that fresh look you were going for. Or perhaps you’re looking to sell your house, but the kitchen is not a selling point because of worn-out cabinetry. Your cabinets need a pick-me-up, and professionals usually opt for one of three ways to give your kitchen a facelift: replacing, refacing or refinishing.

Replacing is self-explanatory; you are replacing everything and going for something totally new. A company comes in, guts your kitchen and gives you brand new cabinet doors, drawers and boxes. This can make the most dramatic changes. You can go from a very traditional look to a modern, European style, change the wood, add doors with glass panes, or even restructure the kitchen layout. This is great for old, rundown cabinetry that’s been chipped, cracked and worn. Keep in mind you won’t have access to your kitchen at all, so you’ll be checking out new restaurants in the area or enjoying picnics in the back yard for a while.

For a little less drastic and more economical kitchen renovation, refacing is the next option on the list. It also doesn’t take as long to finish. You pick out new doors and drawer fronts to replace the ones you have, and the existing cabinet boxes are covered with a veneer to match your new doors/drawers. There is a wide variety of colors and finishes to choose from, even wood finishes. For those who want to update their kitchen look without changing the layout, this is a great option. And since the doors and drawer faces are being replaced, they don’t have to be in mint condition.

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How can I renew my cultured marble countertops?

2011-10-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

How can you spruce up the look of your kitchen or bath without spending a fortune? Freshen up your countertops! Here’s how to buff out scratches and stains in your cultured marble.

Cultured marble is made from powdered marble that has been cast in polymer and covered in a gel coat. Marble alone is very porous and would stain easily if installed alone. With every day use, the gel coat loses a little shine and surface scratches reduce the luster of cultured marble.

Restoring the life to your cultured marble takes some finesse and patience. You will need an electric buffer with a 1” thick wool buffing pad and a solid polishing compound. Be careful that you do not use a buffer with more than 1800-2300 RPM’s; a higher powered buffer will burn the cultured marble. We suggest a solid compound over a liquid product. The solid will turn to dust when used, but dust is easier to clean up than the splashy mess that a liquid compound creates.

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How can I find salvaged and reclaimed materials for my remodeling project?

2011-10-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

Shop at second-hand retailers and salvage yards, and shop often. Like a thrift shop or a discount clothing store, salvage stores get new stuff in all the time, and it’s likely to be completely different from the items you saw there last time. To get the best deals, visit your favorite spots regularly.

Ask for what you want. Describe what you’re looking for to salvagers and shopkeepers, who can keep an eye out for similar pieces when they’re collecting inventory for their stores.
Start your search online, but buy in person. Like any building material, a photo of a salvaged item might differ slightly from the physical piece in quality, texture or color. And unless you find a one-of-a-kind heirloom piece that you can’t get anywhere else, avoid buying from out-of-town vendors. There’s no sense paying to have a second-hand toilet shipped to you when you can pick one up from a salvage yard a few miles from home.
Scour classifieds and auctions—in newspapers, in person and on Web sites like craigslist. And don’t settle only for what others have posted; post your own ad so readers will know what you’d like to buy.

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For more information about ALL your Home Improvement projects or the right professional for the work you need, visit our website at www.rosieonthehouse.com

How can I give my home’s exterior a quick “facelift?”

2011-09-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Just as crown molding and chair rails can dress up a room inside your home, decorative brick or stone veneer can put a fancy finishing touch on the exterior of the house.

Adding architectural details like contrasting trim around windows and doors can add value and curb appeal to your home during a time when you might not be in the mood to spend a lot of money to completely change its look.

Veneer is thinner—half an inch to an inch thick compared with around four inches for standard brick—and lighter-weight than full brick or stone, so it can be easier for the do-it-yourselfer to work with.

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For tips about all your Home Improvement Questions visit our website at www.rosieonthehouse.com and Tune in EVERY Saturday morning on KTAR (PHX), KNST (TUCSON), KQNA (PRESCOTT), KASM (SEDONA) and KAFF (FLAGSTAFF)

How to do decorative concrete finishing

2011-09-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

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How can I remove nail polish that spilled on my wood floor?

2011-09-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

If you’ve spilled nail polish on your finished wood floor, you’re probably going to remove part of that finish when you remove the nail polish. So my friends at East Valley Floors suggest that you try to remove the dried-on nail polish by using a damp, white towel to dab a bit of rubbing alcohol on the spot before you put anything harsher on your delicate finish.

Before you apply it to your spot, test it on a piece of scrap wood or on a spot of your floor that’s covered by furniture or carpeting.

If rubbing alcohol doesn’t remove the nail polish, dab the stain with mineral spirits—a mild, petroleum-based solvent that painters sometimes use instead of turpentine to clean paint brushes. Be careful not to spill the solvent on the unstained area of your floor, as it might remove the finish.

Still no luck? Break out the nail-polish remover—but use a non-acetone brand. And if that still doesn’t do the trick, try an acetone-based nail polish—but be aware that it’s going to take the finish off of your floor along with the polish. Lacquer thinner will work much the same way.

If you’re careful to dab just the polish and not the surrounding floor, you will create only a small area of damage to the floor. Lightly sand the unfinished area and then recoat it with an oil-based urethane, using a narrow, artist’s paint brush.

How do I apply a faux finish?

2011-09-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

1. Choose a base coat. You’ll use it to paint the entire surface of the wall or item you want to finish. The base coat may be any color you like. It will remain the primary background or “fill” color. Rosie recommends an interior latex enamel with a satin finish for this step.

2. Choose one or more glazes. These will blend with each other and the base coat to create different colors and hues. You may use oil-based glazes or water-based (latex) glazes. Rosie recommends oil glazes because they dry slower so you have more time to create the effect you want. Tint the glazes by mixing one part paint in any color you choose with four parts of clear glaze. You can buy glazes at home and paint stores.

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Tune in this weekend for all the tips on upgrading your home in the most economical way! Visit our website for answers to all your Home Improvement questions. www.rosieonthehouse.com

5 reasons to finally get organized

2011-09-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

Clearing clutter or building shelves or even hiring a pro to help you thin out your collection of worn-out , never-worn or out-of-style old clothes, shoes, purses and knick-knacks will help you get your house organized. Still, nothing but a change of attitude and behavior will help you stay that way.

An organized home is important to your sense of order, your peace of mind and even the quality of your life. Here are five reasons to keep your house organized:

1. Save time. Here’s a familiar scenario: You have a project to complete, and you figure it will take you an hour. Then, you can’t find the tool, the piece of paper, the utensil or the information you need to get the chore done—even though you know you just saw it somewhere. That’s because you either don’t have a place where you always store such things—or you didn’t put it in that place last time you used it. So you spend an hour looking for what you need, and a second hour using the tool to complete your project. What else might you have done with that second hour if you had been organized?

2. Save stress. You’re running out the door, late for an appointment, and you can’t find your car keys. Your kids are rushing to get to the school bus, but someone can’t find her left shoe or his backpack or last night’s homework. They start blaming each other or you, an argument begins, someone cries and either they miss the bus or they go to school without the things they need.

Create a “drop zone” either in the garage or in the mud room or foyer where the family passes through to get into the house. Install lockers or a wall unit with a separate compartment for each family member. Purses, keys, backpacks, musical instruments and other items you usually need to take with you when you leave go there—no exceptions. It’s also a great place to put up a bulletin board where you can post reminders for your spouse and children.

3. Save money. I brought home a cool new jacket not too long ago, only to find one exactly like it hiding between the other jackets I have crammed into my closet. I simply forgot I had it because I couldn’t see it when I opened the closet. More than once, I’ve deliberately run out to buy something I need even though I know already own it—because I can’t find it.

Knowing where everything you own “lives” in your house means you’ll have it when you need it. Getting rid of the clutter and then routinely placing items back in their place gives you a better chance of remembering what you already have so you won’t buy unneeded items. Plus, you might find some stuff in your closets that you can sell during a garage sale, at a flea market or on a Web site like Craigslist.

Keep an inventory of the items in your home, which you can do only if you know everything you have and where it is. A book with photos, descriptions and locations of everything you own will come in handy if your home ever suffers from a fire or robbery.

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For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. Rosie Romero is an Arizona contractor who has been in the Arizona home building and remodeling industry for 35 years. He has a radio program from 8-11 a.m. Saturdays on KTAR-FM (92.3) in Phoenix, KQNA-AM (1130) in Prescott and KAZM-AM (780) in Sedona, KNST-AM (790) in Tucson and KAFF 930 AM in Flagstaff.

The best Queen of Clean solutions for cleaning windows

2011-09-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

For Outdoor Windows

2 Quarts Warm Water

1/2 cup Cornstarch

Mix it in a bucket. Use a sponge to clean, then buff dry

For Indoor Windows

50% water

50% rubbing alcohol

Put in a labeled spray bottle. If using on mirrors, spray paper towel with mixture, then buff dry with a cloth.

Read more...

For more tips on cleaning or any question you may have about your home, house, castle or cabin...Visit our website at http://www.rosieonthehouse.com/

How can I get rid of crickets in and around my home?

2011-08-04T18:57:00.000-07:00

If you’re seeing crickets inside your home, the more serious predators are sure to follow. So get rid of those crickets—fast.

Here’s what not to do: Don’t empty a can of Raid on those creepy crawlers. Sure, you’ll drown the ones you can see, but their friends will simply sidestep the chemicals when they come out of their hiding places.

A better strategy is to find out where they’re hiding and lure them out with a granular food bait that will trap them. You also can use sticky traps or concoct your own traps using a jar containing some water and molasses.

Part 2 of that strategy is to keep the chirping pests from getting inside in the first place. Crickets may seem like benign little creatures, but they’ll eat through everything from wallpaper glue to wool to silk. And they’ll attract hungry scorpions and spiders.

To keep them outside, you have to find them. They live in voids, like under those decorative boulders in your yard, in your sprinkler system’s valve box, or under the sidewalk and patio. Anywhere there’s a space between the ground and another object, you’re sure to find crickets, which love moist, cool hiding places.

If you find a nest and spray it with a pest spray, be prepared to watch what looks like a river of the bugs pour out of it. More than 1,000 crickets can cram into one tiny nest.

Once they’re gone, fill in that void with dirt or expansion foam, which you can buy at any home store.

One place you’ll find crickets for sure is around your home’s foundation, especially in that gap between the stem wall and the stucco. Use a caulking product called a home seal—it’s a spray-on foam that helps seal the gaps that allow bugs like crickets to walk right into your home.

Use a mirror to look for large gaps under the home, especially around the corners, and fill them in.

Sealing gaps in the foundation also will stop scorpions and other pests from coming indoors.

While you’re sealing holes, search for other places where critters can come into the home from outdoors—the roof line and entry points for plumbing and electrical connections, for example. Trim bushes and tree branches so they don’t hang over the roof and drop bugs in a place where they can crawl through crevices and into the attic.

Even holes in window screens or a gap between a door and the floor are invitations for pests to walk right into your home.

To the best of your ability, create a barrier anywhere where insects could get in out of the sun. If you do that, you’ll naturally bring your pest population down. If this seems like a lot to keep up with—and I admit it is—considering hiring a professional pest-control company to do it for you. These firms supply monthly preventive treatments—stronger and longer-lasting than the ones you can buy at a home store—and a trained professional to find the pests for you—before they take over your home.

For more information, visit our website: http://www.rosieonthehouse.com

Rosie on the House-TOP FAQ: What are the pros and cons of Kool Deck versus an acrylic pool deck?

2011-07-26T13:24:00.001-07:00

It used to be that every backyard swimming pool looked just about the same—because everybody relied on the same product—Keystone Kool Deck—to keep the deck around the pool comfortable under bare feet. In fact, if your pool deck was built before the mid-1990s, it’s probably covered with that familiar mottled-beige concrete.

Today, acrylic is becoming even more popular than Kool Deck because it’s easier to install and maintain. Here are the pros and cons of each:

Kool Deck

Keystone Kool Deck was invented by a Tucson company—Mortex—in 1962 for use as a surface coating over concrete swimming pool decks, walkways and patios. Applied to freshly poured concrete, Kool Deck creates a colored, textured cement surface that the manufacturer says is as strong as the base concrete.

Kool Deck Pros:

lowers the surface temperature of concrete by around 20 degrees—more than any other deck material.
withstands thermal expansion and contraction better than concrete.
Is fairly easy to clean.

Kool Deck Cons:

is more complicated to install than acrylic, so it takes someone trained specifically in the use of that deck topper. If you go with Kool Deck, make sure your installer is trained and experienced in applying this specific material.
fades under the Arizona sun, so its color is hard to match if you have to patch it up during a repair.
must be applied to freshly poured concrete before it dries in order to bond.

Acrylic

An alternative to Kool Deck is a thin coat of acrylic or polymer concrete—usually a mixture of modified acrylic resin, Portland cement and sand—applied over plain concrete to give it a texture.

Acrylic Pros:

can be fashioned to look like flagstone, Saltillo tile, brick and even Kool Deck.
can be acid-stained or custom-textured for a unique look around the pool.
may be applied to new or old concrete.
is usually finished with a solvent-based sealant that makes it stain resistant and easy to clean

Acrylic Cons:

when textured, is cooler than plain concrete, but n

Rosie on the House TOP FAQ- What is the correct Mortar Mix ratio for Masonry?

2011-07-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

Clem Hellmann of Quality Block and I agree that with pre-mix bags available, unless you are on a major jobsite with at least a dozen masons it's just not worth mixing yourself. However, if you are inclined to do so our friends at Superlite Block have provided the industry standard directions below.

There are a variety of mortar mixes that the mason contractor can mix up, depending on the type of material that is being installed:

* Type M (2500 psi)
* Type S (1800 psi)
* Type N (750 psi)

The different types are achieved by varying the ratio of Portland Cement, Lime and Sand. Type S mortar is the most common for the Arizona market so we will use this as the basis for our comparisons.

There are three primary ways to make mortar:

1. Portland Cement, Hydrated Lime and Masonry Sand
2. Masonry Cement and Masonry Sand
3. Pre-mixed Mortar

The Portland Cement, Hydrated Lime, Masonry Cement and Pre-mixed Mortar are available in bags, the Masonry Sand is generally available in “bulk quantities” that are delivered by a truck or can sometimes be purchased in big “super sacks” from the big box retailers.

Portland Cement
94# bags
Lime
50# bags
Masonry Cement
70# or 78# bags
Pre-mixed Mortar
60#, 80# or 94# bags
Masonry Sand Usually a pile of sand is delivered to the jobsite by a dump truck. The sand is measured into the mixer by means of a standard square point shovel that is “mounded full”. This is referred to as a “shovel of sand”

Portland Cement, Lime and Sand

This is the “old school” method, the standard for the industry that all other methods are compared to. In order to make a Type S masonry mortar one would proportion the materials into the mixer in this manner;

1 bag
94# of Portland Cement
½ bag 50# Hydrated Type S Lime
28 “Shovels” Masonry Sand
7 to 8 Gallons Clean Water

Mixing Procedure:

* Put 2/3 to 3/4 of the water into the mixer
* Add the Portland Cement and Hydrated Lime to the batch
* Add the sand into the mixer, adding water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency
* Mix for 5 minutes in a mechanical paddle type mixer

Amount of water required to make good mortar will vary depending on the desired consistency of the mortar. For stiff mortar use less water, for wet mortar use more water. If you do not add enough water the mortar is so stiff that it is unworkable and very difficult to use, if you add too much water the mortar turns to “soup” and you will be unable to use it.

Masonry Cement

Masonry Cement is simply a product that has Portland Cement and Hydrated Lime already blended together in the proper proportions. In order to make a Type S mortar with Masonry Cement one would proportion the materials into the mixer in this manner:

1 bag 70# or 78# Masonry Cement
18 to 20 “Shovels” Masonry Sand
5 Gallons Clean Water

Mixing Procedure:

* Put 2/3 to 3/4 of the water into the mixer
* Add the Masonry Cement to the batch
* Add the sand into the mixer, adding water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency
* Mix for 5 minutes in a mechanical paddle type mixer

Add water to achieve desired consistency of mortar, less water for stiff mortar, more water for wet mortar.

Pre-mixed Mortar

This is the easiest mortar of all to make. Pre-mixed mortar is a combination of Portland Cement, Hydrated Lime, and Masonry Sand already blended together in the proper proportions to make a Type S mortar. All that is needed is to add sufficient water to achieve the desired consistency, usually about 5 to 6 quarts for an 80# bag. Pre-mixed mortars are a little unique in that they require a slightly modified mixing procedure.

Mixing Procedure

* Put 2/3 to 3/4 of the water into the mixer
* Add the Pre-mixed mortar into the mixer, adding water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency
* Mix for 3 to5 minutes, turn off the mixer and allow mortar to “slake” for 2 to 3 minutes, re-start the mixer and mix for an additional 2 to 3 minutes adding water as necessary to achieve desired consistency.

Pre-mixed mortars use a kiln dried sand that has a higher water demand. It takes a few minutes for all of the water to be absorbed into the dry sand, hence the need for a prolonged mixing time. If you do not allow the mortar to set and “slake”, it will feel gritty on the trowel and will be difficult to work with.

All of these mortar may be mixed by hand in a wheelbarrow or “mud tub” for those of us who do not own a mixer. A mortar hoe is a great tool when mixing by hand, as well as the obligatory square point shovel. I have found from past experience that a standard construction grade wheelbarrow is too small to mix a full bag of Portland Cement, ½ bag of Hydrated Lime and 28 shovels of sand. It will just barely fit 1 bag of Masonry Cement and 18 to 20 shovels of sand. A standard wheelbarrow very comfortable fits 3 of the 60# bags of Pre-mixed Mortar, or 2 of the 80# or 94# bags of Pre-mix Mortar. Follow the same mixing procedures as when using a mechanical paddle mixer.

Rosie on the House: Hail Damage Repair on Good Morning Arizona

2011-06-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

Did you miss Rosie on Good Morning Arizona talking about Hail Damage Repair? Check it out!

For all Rosie's Good Morning Arizona morning segments, visit Rosie's YouTube Channel!

Palo Verde Troubleshooting

2010-09-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

Certified Arborist John Eisenhower of Integrity Tree Service helps troubleshoot a Palo Verde tree that appears to be dying for Rosie on the House radio show caller.

Learn more about John Eisenhower in this September's Partner of the Month article at RosieOnTheHouse.com.

Coming to Phoenix; The Concrete Decor Show!

2010-03-12T08:15:00.001-08:00

Anyone who knows me knows my passion for cement products, and in particular, decorative concrete. Stamped, stained, coated, polished, colored, flattooed, sculptured and even furniture, I love it all!

When I started the construction planning for my house, I didn't waste a minute considering flooring options. From Day One, I knew it was ALL going to be decorative concrete. The only question was: To what extent?

There are so many available options for decorative concrete, so the challenge was settling down and making decisions. In the end, I selected a wood-patterned, stamped, colored concrete for the patios; acid-stained concrete for the interior floors, with cattle brands randomly flattooed into the finish; and an epoxy-coated garage floor with rodeo imaging embedded.

My problem now is not that I have to maintain and upkeep my decorative concrete floors (because almost no maintenance is required); it's that I'm out of concrete floors to decorate! What to do now?

Enter the Concrete Decor Show, coming right here to Arizona. Industry leaders from all over the world are gathering March 17-19 for educational seminars, hands-on training, and to browse the exhibit hall at the Phoenix Convention Center. And don't you know, yours truly will be right in the middle of it all!

You don't have to have a passion for decorative concrete like I do to attend because this show has something for everyone. If you're an architect looking for new ideas, don't miss Tuesday's keynote speakers, including world-famous Will Bruder and Fu-Tung Cheng. If you're a builder looking for a competitive advantage in your homes, check out Thursday's Next Generation of Concrete Countertops. Are you an artisan already in the trade but struggling with business direction? Don't miss the 1 p.m. session on Controlling Business, Finances and Goal Setting. Homeowners looking to update or create something different and distinctive for the home can check out the hands-on sessions next to Heritage Park. Is green your keyword? Be downtown Friday morning for the Sustainable Concrete seminar.

Think this is for boys only? Hey, I wasn't lying when I said they have something for everyone. Handywomen, the topic of Friday's luncheon, is hosted by a panel of four women, including our local expert Tamryn Doolan, inventor of the Flattoo, on Opportunities for Women in Decorative Concrete.

The most exciting part for any site-built homeowner in the desert Southwest is you already have the most expensive part of decorative concrete out of the way: the initial install of the concrete. So don't leave it dull and gray; do something decorative with it!

Whether you sign up online or pay at the door, make sure you mention Rosie on the House for discounted pricing. Plus, I'll have special give-aways for the first two dozen people who catch me on site. I'll be wearing my red or blue Wrangler long-sleeve shirt with the Rosie on the House logo over the left pocket and on the sleeve.

Here is what I personally have my eye on:

Tuesday: Pre-Conference Keynote
Wednesday: Polished Concrete 101, Concrete Countertops - Getting it right, Graphics for Decorative Concrete.
Thursday: Recycling Content for Decorative Projects, Adventures in Theming, Taking the Mystery out of Sealers.
Friday: Expanding Beyond the Iron Oxide Color Space.

Somewhere in between all that I'll make my way through the exhibit hall of vendors, find someone who can help me in the planning of my multi-level concrete flower garden wall for my back yard that will also serve as a protective wall around my vegetable garden, and then I'll swing by the Phoenix Children's Museum to check out the koi pond imaging applied to the concrete floor there.

For a complete list of details and links for the Concrete Decor Show, check out the event page on RosieOnTheHouse.com.

I got a fever, and the only solution is more decorative concrete!

Tune your radio in every Saturday morning 8:00am - 11:00am.
Call in Number (888) Rosie-4-U
Find your local Arizona station.

~Arizona's Favorite Most Trusted Home Improvement Resource!

~Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

###

Don't make hard times harder.

2009-10-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

For most of us, our homes are the largest investment we'll make in our lives, but all too often it's the investment we know the least about.

Closing the fourth quarter of 2008, the median home price for single-family residence in Pinal County was $119,000, and in Maricopa County, it was $130,000, according to Arizona State University's realty studies. Name one other investment of that scale that happens so easily that you just see a "for sale by owner" sign staked out front, call the number, agree to a price, sign some papers, and by the end of the month have your name on the title. I sure can't think of one, and if there is such an investment, I can tell you we'd all do a lot more research into it than we do for our homes.

Plus, we'd probably tend to it a little more carefully than we do our homes, which seem to get our attention only when something breaks.

Most of us don't seem to care how the thermostat, air-conditioning unit, water heater, light fixtures or insulation work. All we care about is that they do work. But left on their own--with no regular maintenance or tune-ups, they won't work forever. And when they break down, it can be way more expensive to fix them than it would have cost to simply maintain them.

There's never really a good time for something to break down, and right now definitely isn't a good time.

Unfortunately, our homes don't know what hard times are, so they can't save up their problems for better days. Broken water lines, busted garage door springs, locked-up AC compressors, fried heating elements, zapped electrical circuits, overflowing toilets ... when something needs to be fixed, it needs to be fixed!

All of those problems rob us of a little of our quality of life--and can cause permanent damage to our homes (our big investment) if we don't fix them right away. And repairs can be expensive.

Any horse owner will tell you, "If you think buying a horse is expensive, just wait until you have take care of it!" The same is true of our homes.

I know saving money is important. We're all trying to cut costs a little here and there and save a little more than we did before. Yet a poor decision at home can cost a lot more in the long run.

So if you're thinking about hiring a guy on the cheap to fix what ails the biggest investment you'll ever make in your life, please reconsider.

The Arizona Registrar of Contractors reports almost a 50 percent increase in complaints against unlicensed contractors over the last year. You see reports in the news about the latest victim, who was taken for $60K by an unlicensed contractor. You breathe a sigh of relief that it wasn't you. But you might be struggling to pay for repairs yourself, and so it might seem tempting to hire an unlicensed guy who's just trying to make a few bucks on the side and promises he'll fix everything correctly.

If you act on that, you're making yourself part of a huge problem. The honest truth is that the problem is not the economy or the unlicensed contractors; it's the demand for them. Every complaint about the shoddy work and dishonest business practices of unlicensed contractors would stop tomorrow if we simply stopped hiring them on a wing and prayer, hoping to save a few bucks.

Would you hire a doctor to do surgery who wasn't a licensed, bonded, insured, certified M.D. with a long list of references? Would you hire a podiatrist to remove a brain tumor? Of course not. So why would you trust your largest investment to a contractor who isn't legitimate or qualified to do quality work?

So far, this is a song with no ending. I don't even want to count the number of phone calls and e-mails we've taken at Rosie on the House over the years from homeowners who spent their hard-earned money on a too-good-to-be-true deal from a guy who "seemed nice enough"--and are left in a deep hole with only a spade to dig themselves out.

For a lot of folks, times are hard enough as it is. Don't make it harder on yourself by cutting corners when it comes to your most cherished, most expensive possession. Take your time and do it right. Hire licensed, bonded, insured contractors who have the experience and qualifications to get the job done right the first time.

Of course, most contractors are legit, and they'll do good work for a fair price. Here's what Joyce, a Rosie on the House listener, had to say about her experiences with six different contractors. Audio

This won't solve all of your homeowner problems. But when you hire a qualifed, licensed contractor, at least you're not setting yourself up for failure.

Rosie on the House
www.RosieOnTheHouse.com

Tune your Radio in every Saturday morning!
8:00am - 11:00am
Call in Number (888) Rosie-4-U

Phoenix FM 92.3 KTAR
Prescott AM 1130 AM
Sedona AM 780 KAZM
Tucson AM 790 KNST

~Arizona's Favorite Most Trusted Home Improvement Resource!

~Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

Water Treatment from a one-time skeptic

2009-03-05T15:15:00.001-08:00

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

Tune in your Radio every Saturday morning!
Call in Number (888) Rosie-4-U

In Northern Arizona on 780 KAZM AM from 8:00am – 11:00am
In Phoenix on News 92.3 KTAR FM from 8:00am – 11:00am
In Tucson on NewTalk 790 KNST AM from 10:00am - Noon

~Arizona's Favorite Most Trusted Home Improvement Resource!

~Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

###

Infectious Habitat-itis

2009-01-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

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.

Christmas traditions at Rosie's house

2008-12-18T15:08:00.001-08:00

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,

A new look at vinyl windows

2008-11-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

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,

The new website launch.

2008-08-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

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,

Rosie on the House
www.RosieOnTheHouse.com

Tune in your Radio every Saturday morning!
Call in Number (888) Rosie-4-U

In Northern Arizona on 780 KAZM AM from 8:00am – 11:00am
In Phoenix on News 92.3 KTAR FM from 8:00am – 11:00am
In Tucson on NewTalk 790 KNST AM from 10:00am - Noon

~Arizona's Favorite Most Trusted Home Improvement Resource!

~Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

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