It’s started; just yesterday a 6-person jury and a judge awarded $2.4 million to a Coconut Grove, Florida family. The drywall distributor, Banner Supply Co., is responsible for delivering half of the settlement. This case will probably send them to the poor house; what about all the other litigation cases against them? But in all fairness, they rolled the dice and lost.

And what about the carpenters who installed this tainted Chinese drywall in the first place? The media hasn’t even mentioned them yet and all those vultures in suits are still busy settling mesothelioma asbestos cases.

Hanging drywall is a dusty job. Hangers use either drywall saws or Rotozips to cut out rectangles circles, squares, and rectangles for can lights, electrical outlets, and things like that. My contention is that if merely the presence of this stuff will corrode copper, what’s the dust from it doing to carpenter’s lungs? The culprit is high sulfur content.

The only parties involved that we can be reasonably sure aren’t going to sue are the poor workers in the Chinese factory. I’m pretty sure they just go with the flow like the guys that put the lead paint on all the exports.

So what’s likely to happen? It’s fairly obvious that a building supply distributor can’t fund all the claims. They’re just not in the same fiscal league as big oil, big tobacco, or big pharma. It smells like another government bailout orchestrated by Obama and his band of Chicago thugs.



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In these tight economic times, it seems everybody is looking for a way to pinch pennies. One of the best places to begin is in the home. But the commitment to lower utility bills requires biting the bullet and opening the wallet.

There are many home improvements that will start you down that frugal road - insulation, radiant barrier foil, and replacing your incandescents with fluorescents. But a huge ROI is installing replacement windows.

There are a lot of variables to consider. It’s a balance between budget, aesthetics, and the geographic area you’re located in. Another consideration is what you need to install in order to order to qualify for an energy tax credit. It’s not enough to simply have Energy Star products like it is with refrigerators or dishwashers.

Where you live is as important. What will qualify in Wisconsin is not necessary the same as in Texas. What wacky, goofy, out-of-touch guys those legislators up in Washington are.

Then there’s the choice of filler in double-pane windows. The most common choices are air (poor), argon (better), and krypton (best, and not just because it freaks Superman out).

The prices for these three fillers go from low to high along with their efficiency. Krypton doesn’t cost more just to clean out your bank account; the gas itself is expensive. Many experts will tell you that the price isn’t justified as the payback time frame is so darned long.

Read more about fillers, pros and cons of the different types of frame materials, the U-factor, and how the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) applies to your choice. Education is key before you talk to a salesman.

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I used to hate to install crown molding. The problem was in getting the corners mitered correctly. Too many angles all at once. It’s been made a little easier now with the introduction of plastic type materials. Check my article on installing polyurethane crown molding.

One of the benefits of using polyurethane or PVC is that the price is actually cheaper than wood. Of course, the way I see it, the drawback is that all you can do is paint it. I just like the look of wood. I’ve got oak crown molding in my living room.

Anyhow, the primary reason this new material has made installation easy is that the corners are pre-mitered. You can buy them as one-piece units or left and right-hand pieces. The separate versions are handy when your corners aren’t exactly 90 degrees.

I also notice that some companies are making crown molding out of styrofoam. Huh? What will they think of next?

You might also like to read:

• Balance a Room with Faux Windows
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I know; the first time I heard of soy-based insulation, I also had a what-the-heck moments too. It’s true though. It is available in both open-cell and closed-cell versions; the closed kind is best suited to exterior walls and the open for the interior.

One problem is that it is hard for the DIYer to retrofit because of things like, well, drywall, brick, and siding. But for new home construction it’s hard to beat. Read the whole article on soy insulation.

If this thing really takes off, I wonder if the same thing will happen to corn due to ethanol. What a misguided concept that is. Problem is, corn is one of those primary products. It goes into all kind of livestock and chicken feed. It goes into cereal and many canned and boxed foods

It’s the old law of supply and demand. When more of the available corn crops go to fuel initiatives, the price goes up. Ergo, food prices go up, up, and away, just like the old Superman show on TV. In fact, this morning on the news, it was announced that this summer the price on meat will be the highest in 20 years.

I suppose you could always go vegan. As long as you don’t include corn in your meager bottom-of-the-food-chain food lineup.

But back to insulation. Add it to your home. You will save money every month on your utility bills and you can claim an energy tax credit the next time you file your taxes. I know - I lowered my bottom line during the last filing for both attic insulation and radiant barrier foil, which is classified as an insulating product.

So, the bottom line is insulate thyself. And stock up on meat by-products while you still can.

You will also want to read:

• Radiant Barrier Foil and Paint
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I know I recently posted about spring and raised be vegetable gardening, but I would be amiss if I didn’t cover some related issues.

I’ve recently planted 2 trees. The first was a Satsuma Orange and the second was an Improved Meyer Lemon. I followed Howard Garrett’s organic tree planting method for both. The satsuma is planted in the ground and the lemon is in a large container.

And yes, I’ve been doing a lot of mowing (the fun never stops around here). What’s new with the lawn this year? I’m moving away from Randy Lemmon’s fertilization schedule and going organic. It all has to do with improving the soil itself instead of just feeding the vegetation with chemical products.

We’ll see how it goes. I can always go back if I’m not satisfied with the results.

I hope all of you have done your taxes. I got mine filed 2 days before the deadline. And yes, I’m getting a refund again. You’ve gotta love tax deductions.

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• How to Remove a Tree Stump
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I wrote on this topic way, way back in February of 2009. Drywall contractors, mostly in Florida, Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana, thought they were getting a good deal on materials. As they found out later to their financial dismay, they were buying and installing tainted Chinese drywall.

Gotta love those trading partners. You know, the ones that feed our kids toys with lead paint on them, export poison toothpaste, and want to put the Dalai Lama out of business.

After many lawsuits over this highly corrosive drywall, the federal government finally stepped in and rendered guidelines. The Consumer Product Safety Commission informs us that electrical wiring, outlets, circuit breakers, fire alarm systems, carbon monoxide alarms, fire sprinklers, gas pipes and drywall need to be removed from affected homes.

Inez Tenenbaum, chairwoman of the commission, says, “We want families to tear it all out and rebuild the interior of their homes, and they need to start this to get their lives started all over again.”

Well, it’s unclear why it took the CPSC this long to state the obvious, but the stickier issue of who is responsible for funding the demolition and reconstruction has yet to be determined.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., is of this opinion, “The way I see it, homeowners didn’t cause this. The manufacturers in China did.” “That’s why we’ve got to go after the Chinese government now.” At least one lawmaker has the cojones to dare to put the blame squarely where it belongs. After all, some of the drywall manufacturing companies are run directly by the Chinese government.

The problem is that the liberal majority in congress just now are too morally flaccid to take that approach since the Chinese government is currently funding their bloated social programs, nationalization of private industry, and bailouts for incompetently managed sectors of the economy.

In fact, many senators are floating a trial balloon that states that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (yes, our friends in FEMA) should help homeowners pay for costs not covered by insurance. That means tax money from citizens still lucky enough to have jobs in this current Obamanation. I’m not making this up. Meanwhile, our rockstar “people-think-I’m-cool!” president with the lowest approval rating in my memory is too busy shooting hoops to address the economy.

Meanwhile, people who live in these homes are getting sicker and sicker. The drywall in question emits 100 times as much hydrogen sulfide as domestic drywall. If you remember your high school chemistry class, you’ll recall that this is very bad news. And the government is going to put FEMA in charge?

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

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This past weekend I replaced the door to my daughter’s bedroom. I won’t go into the gory details of why I had to do it; anyone with kids can probably figure it out. Anyhow, the whole trick to installing a new door with an existing frame or door jamb is getting the hinges right.

First, it goes without saying that having the right tools pays off. Please, please, don’t use a wood chisel to mortise the new door for the hinge leafs. Yes, I know it can be done, but chances are they won’t lie flat. Instead, use a router with a mortising bit.

Whether you want to use new hinges or not is up to you. I did because the previous owner had painted over the original ones. Why would you do that to a brass finish? Go figure. Anyhow, the bottom line, as I said at the beginning of the article is getting the hinge placement right. Check out the details in my article on how to install hinges and install a door.

The Alternative: Install a Prehung Door

No doubt about it; prehung doors are the greatest thing since sliced bread, as they say. Basically, the door is already hinged and hung in the frame. It’s secured to stay stable until after the unit has been installed.

Why is this a plus? Because all the precision work has been done for you. You simply put it in place, shim it as needed to ensure that it’s plumb and level, and nail that baby into place. Easy cheesy, lemon peesy. If you can get that kind of gig on a piecework basis, go for it.

How about those Commercial Doors?

I love these. They are steel jambs, painted battleship gray. They have an angle-iron spreader at the bottom that you cut out with a cold chisel after you hang the drywall but before you swing the door.

All the areas that you would mortise on a wood door are just recessed in the steel with screw holes already drilled. The jambs are designed to secure to metal studs in the rough opening with supplied clips.

Once you slide the drywall between the steel studs and the flange on the door jamb and secure it with drywall screws, it’s solid as Sears.

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Not long ago I won a tool sweepstakes just for following the Sears Blue Crew on Twitter. One of the power tools was a new #21807 Craftsman table saw. I’m very impressed with it so far. It retails for about $250 so I think I did pretty well, considering they even paid shipping. Go here to read all the gory Craftsman table saw review details that I posted.

Cordless Tools have Come a Long Way

Cordless tools are another sector of the power tool industry that have really improved. When that sector was represented by wimpy electric screwdrivers I was pretty skeptical. But the industry has really matured. One of the things that propelled improvement is battery quality.

The voltage capacity has increased and technologies such as Li-Ion Lithium Ion batteries have reaped benefits. These have the benefit of eliminating the “battery memory effect”. I’m still not convinced that cordless circular saws are ready for prime time, but I’m sure they will be at some point.

Not All Changes are “Improvements”

Specifically, key-less drill chucks may or may not be a good idea. They take a simple mechanical device and add more complexity in a spot that takes a beating anyway. The one on my DeWalt cordless drill just froze up on me lately.

I bought a keyed replacement at Home Depot and so far it’s working well. Now if I can just keep up with the key…

You might also be interested in reading:

• The Best Home Remodeling Tips Revealed
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Technology marches on. Resistance is futile. Whoever would have expected the evolution of all the apps for Apple’s iPhone? It makes sense though. If Apple can make this phone the must-have gadget of the day, there is no doubt that they will remain profitable. Have you seen their stock performance lately?

Surprisingly, there is a whole slew of apps that make remodeling easier. I’ve recently posted an article by a guest author on the 20 top iPhone home improvement apps. Some are fairly average but others are quite clever.

I, for one, have not moved up to something as sophisticated as the iPhone for uber-computing. Nope, can’t afford it when I have to fund the kid’s unlimited texting. That stuff will eat you up if you don’t buy the package.

When she first wanted it, I went over and thought I signed up for it. Next month, I got a texting bill from AT&T for about $1200! I called them and they said I had signed up for unlimited texting on the principal line (we’re on a family plan with 3 phones). I said no, I specified her number.

They countered with, “Sorry, it defaults to the principal number.”

I tactfully told them they could default to kissing me where the sun don’t shine because that was obviously trickery, and not only was I not going to pay the texting charges, they might as well hire a collection agency because I wasn’t going to pay the regular bill either.

All of a sudden I became a valued customer again. Go figure. As for kissing my backside? There’s an app for that!

Other articles you might enjoy:

• How to Build a Recessed Medicine Cabinet
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Spring is almost here and it’s about time! I guess those of you up north are ready to lose all that snow. No snow here; just cold rain. But it’s time to get ready for spring vegetable planting.

I used to do my gardening in the back yard in a plot of about 15′ X 15′. Problem was, it was just a lot of work and it was hard to keep the dogs out of it. So last year about this time, I decided to build a raised bed garden to grow tomatoes, basil, etc. Basically, just things I like to eat but cost a lot at the grocery store.

I had fairly good luck with it but discovered that I could have had a better yield by preparing the soil with better garden soil amendments. So that’s just what I did week before last. Of course this is an ongoing thing, done yearly.

For this purpose, I keep a compost pile going. This is a good way to go organic; use natural broken down matter rather than chemicals. What’s the point of putting all that stuff down the garbage disposal? If you don’t eat it, mulch it!

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