Get ready to dive into the nitty-gritty of home improvement with Eric G as he spills the beans on some sizzling hot topics this week! First up, we’re chatting about the rollback of energy standards for federally run projects—yep, it’s happening, and Eric’s got some thoughts on whether it’s a blessing in disguise or just a sneaky way to keep costs down. Spoiler alert: he’s not shy about sharing his mixed feelings! Also, if you’re curious about what’s cooking this weekend, Eric’s got the lowdown on his upcoming appearance at the Bend Home and Garden Show, where he’ll be working his magic. Plus, there’s a little behind-the-scenes peek at the new Around the House studios taking shape, and trust me, you won’t want to miss it! Grab your favorite drink, kick back, and let’s get into it!
A midweek pit-stop in the whirlwind of home improvement brings us back to the ever-busy Eric G, who’s got his hands full—not just with projects but with some spicy news on energy standards. Buckle up, because Eric dives into the juicy details of the federal rollback on energy standards that were supposed to add some serious efficiency to new builds. Now, I know what you’re thinking—less regulation sounds great, right? But Eric, ever the thoughtful critic, points out that while it may ease the financial burden upfront, the long-term implications could have us all scratching our heads and wallets. After all, who wants to spend $30,000 to save on energy bills only to realize it’ll take nearly a lifetime to break even? It’s a classic case of balancing costs versus benefits, and Eric lays it all out for us in his signature easy-going style. But wait, there’s more! This isn’t just doom and gloom; Eric shares some personal anecdotes about his whirlwind week, including a fun dinner with some fellow podcasters, and gives us a sneak peek into his new studio build. That’s right folks, he’s not just talking the talk; he’s walking the walk as he constructs a new soundstage. With plans for videos and even live sessions, he’s gearing up to bring us more of the content we love. So whether you’re tuning in for the energy standards tea or the behind-the-scenes studio gossip, this episode has a little something for everyone. Get your hammers ready because it sounds like we’re about to see some serious action from Eric and the gang in the coming weeks!
Takeaways:
- In this episode, Eric dives into the rollback of energy standards and its implications for home building costs, revealing how it could save homeowners thousands in the long run.
- We get a sneak peek into the exciting new studio build for Around the House, complete with insulation and walls for all the future fun we have planned.
- Eric highlights the importance of balancing energy efficiency with home health, warning that overly tight homes can lead to mold and health issues.
- This weekend, Eric will be at the Bend Home and Garden show, ready to mingle and share some home improvement wisdom with fellow enthusiasts.
- Get ready for a guest appearance from Dude Dad in the upcoming episode, promising a fun blend of humor and home tips that you won’t want to miss!
- Tune in this weekend to hear all about the 60th anniversary celebration at Park Rose Hardware, filled with barbecue tips and local stories that keep the community connected.
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Around the House
- Apple
- Park Rose Hardware
- Pyramid Heating and Cooling
Links referenced in this episode:
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Information given on the Around the House Show should not be considered construction or design advice for your specific project, nor is it intended to replace consulting at your home or jobsite by a building professional. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show.
Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:The House with Eric G. Your go to source for everything home improvement.
Speaker B:Whether you're a DIY enthusiast or just looking to make your space shine, Eric.
Speaker A:G. Is here to guide you through.
Speaker B:The latest tips, tricks and trends.
Speaker B:So grab your toolbox, put on your thinking cap and let's get to work right here on around the House with.
Speaker A:Eric G. Welcome to the around the House show, your trusted source for everything about your home.
Speaker A:Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker A:I'm Eric.
Speaker A:Boy, tell you what, it's been a great week this week.
Speaker A:We got some nice stuff coming up this weekend.
Speaker A:We'll talk about that a little bit later.
Speaker A:Wanted to get you updated here in our midweek update, this update here.
Speaker A:And I'll tell you what, there's a lot of news out there, but one of the ones that's kind of interesting is that we're seeing for more federally run projects.
Speaker A:We are seeing them roll back energy standards that were supposed to be coming into place this year.
Speaker A:Now I know there's people out there going, wow, this is cool.
Speaker A:I wish we had those.
Speaker A:And I, I always like to save energy.
Speaker A:It's expensive, we get it.
Speaker A:But here's where this makes a difference.
Speaker A:This was gonna push it up to a new level.
Speaker A:And what was gonna, basically what was gonna happen is, is we were gonna add anywhere, depending on the climate zone, depending where you're at in the US it was gonna add anywhere from the lowest budget I saw was about $8,000.
Speaker A:The highest I saw was $30,000 to the average price of a home being built.
Speaker A:Now, I love energy standards.
Speaker A:At the same time, some of these, when you put them in a package and added that cost, it was going to take, depending on what you had to do, between 30 and 90 years to get the dollar back that you spent.
Speaker A:I kind of have a problem with that because that's a long time for a house and it's never going to pay off.
Speaker A:So I love smart energy upgrades, things that make a difference if you're in an area where electricity was inexpensive.
Speaker A:We used to be that way here in the Pacific Northwest until they got rid of all the cheap energy options except for our dams and nuclear coming out of Hanford.
Speaker A:But we had coal fired plants, we had gas fired plants.
Speaker A:They've pretty much shut all of them down here.
Speaker A:And of course, our rates went up and continue to go up.
Speaker A:I think this bill showed up another 4 or 5%.
Speaker A:This stuff keeps adding up.
Speaker A:And I'm not going to debate how green it is because I tell you what, I've seen a lot of those pictures of the windmills, big fiberglass windmills sitting in landfills and going, well, that doesn't seem like that's any cleaner.
Speaker A:Those will be there for a thousand years.
Speaker A:So I really.
Speaker A:I'm happy that we're rolling some of that back.
Speaker A:I do like some of the things that they were putting in there, like they were mandating heat pump water heaters, which I think are a smart way to go.
Speaker A:That is one of those things that every home I put in from here on out or remodel, I'll be putting one in.
Speaker A:And that's just my personal preference.
Speaker A:I like that I can heat water with 500 watts of electricity.
Speaker A:And really, that's like five light bulbs.
Speaker A:That simple.
Speaker A:Love it.
Speaker A:Great.
Speaker A:If you're on a generator.
Speaker A:I took my gas one out to do that and it performed amazing and cut my bill by half.
Speaker A:How cool is that?
Speaker A:So I like that.
Speaker A:That is.
Speaker A:That's smart stuff like that when it instantly starts paying off and you put money back in your pocket.
Speaker A:But some of these things with the super high efficiency stuff that you have to fix more often, that's more complex.
Speaker A:I think we're getting into a spot where we're just making homes more unaffordable.
Speaker A:I think that's a problem.
Speaker A:So it's something that I see that we're heading the right direction on some of this stuff.
Speaker A:And I do like efficiency.
Speaker A:And I think we also really need to be thinking about are we doing these homes and making them healthy?
Speaker A:Because many times these efficiency standards can turn around and make the house too tight, and there's not enough fresh air coming in.
Speaker A:And then you've got mold, you've got sickness, you've got all these things that happen.
Speaker A:So you want to make sure you get that all dialed in.
Speaker A:So that's a big one right there.
Speaker A:I wanted to give you guys a quick update.
Speaker A:We.
Speaker A:There'll be some videos starting to roll out here pretty soon.
Speaker A:We are in the middle of building out the.
Speaker A:Around the house new studios.
Speaker A:We have a new soundstage studio here being built just south of Lake Oswego.
Speaker A:Got the building.
Speaker A:We're.
Speaker A:We're building the.
Speaker A:The entire thing out right now on the inside.
Speaker A:So I'm doing some insulation, building some walls, doing some really cool stuff.
Speaker A:So we have a great studio to work with there in the future.
Speaker A:And we're trying to really get on board here with Apple podcast video coming out here this summer and the rest of this so we can get this.
Speaker A:And the fun part is we'll be able to do some live stuff, too, where you guys can be a part of it, and that makes it pretty easy.
Speaker A:So you want to make sure and keep an eye out for that.
Speaker A:We'll do some signups if you want to be a part of that, where you can be part of the audience.
Speaker A:And that's what we're working through.
Speaker A:And.
Speaker A:And it'll be kind of fun.
Speaker A:And so it's really going to be a new, great place for us to do that kind of work.
Speaker A:We'll even do a little bit of automotive motive stuff in there for some maintenance stuff.
Speaker A:We're going to kind of widen out for everybody out there, so that way people get to see what we're doing there on the inside.
Speaker A:So there's a little inside baseball.
Speaker A:I should see some videos coming out on that pretty soon.
Speaker A:I got a lot of materials that are coming out that are getting delivered or I'm picking up in the next week or two.
Speaker A:And so that's going to really, really help us.
Speaker A:It's going to really help us.
Speaker A:So I'm excited about that.
Speaker A:Other things last night, had a great time with Craig Williams from the Homeowner Show.
Speaker A:If you've caught that podcast out there, he's been on our show here.
Speaker A:I've been on his there.
Speaker A:He was in town from Texas for a few days and went out to dinner.
Speaker A:Had a great time with him and his wife last night.
Speaker A:Four of us were just having a.
Speaker A:A blast, telling stories and.
Speaker A:And they were up here hiking, having a good time.
Speaker A:So congratulations to them on getting a little bit of R and R out and coming up here at a beautiful week in the Pacific Northwest.
Speaker A:Another thing, I will be down at the Bend, Oregon Home and Garden show in the Pyramid Heating and Cooling booth on Saturday.
Speaker A:So for all you people over in Bend, that's where I'll be.
Speaker A:And I'll be down there on Saturday, blasting down there.
Speaker A:It's going to be a quick trip over and back because we've got so much going on in our world here.
Speaker A:So we've got a lot going on.
Speaker A:All right, everybody, I'm going to wrap this one up pretty quickly.
Speaker A:I've got a lot to do, and I know you do, too, and we got a great show coming up this weekend.
Speaker A:Here's a funny one.
Speaker A:We got Tyler coming on the show.
Speaker A:Yeah, Dude Dad.
Speaker A:Can you believe that?
Speaker A:Dude dad on the show.
Speaker A:And then I'll be broadcasting from last weekend's.
Speaker A:It's a recording from last weekend's show where I was at Park Rose Hardware and I was down there for their 60th anniversary party.
Speaker A:And so I was down there and had some fun with that one because they're friends of mine and anytime I can help out a local hardware store, to me, that's a lot of fun.
Speaker A:And they are my local hardware store here and I was down there for the party.
Speaker A:We talked to some great people.
Speaker A:We talked about hardware, we talked about a lot of barbecues.
Speaker A:So there's a lot of barbecue tips and tricks coming up in that one as well.
Speaker A:And that's coming up on this weekend show.
Speaker A:All right, everybody, I'm gonna wrap this one up.
Speaker A:Thanks for tuning in to around the House.
Speaker A:Make sure you follow us on social media.
Speaker A:You can just find all of our stuff over ataroundthe house online dot com.
Speaker A:I'm Eric G. Thanks for tuning in to around the House.
Speaker B:Thanks for tuning in to the around the House show.
Speaker B:Make sure you subscribe on your favorite way to catch podcasts.
Speaker B:Also be sure to subscribe to our new YouTube channel and you can find it at around the House HQ and ring that bell for updates.
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Speaker B:You.