The Handyguys discuss the government involvement in banning traditional light bulbs.

Yup – The government has ‘outlawed’ the tried and true light bulb. Even after this podcast was recorded some representatives in congress have attempted to delay the enforcement of the ban. Despite their efforts it seems the ‘ban’ will be move forward.

Its not really a ban on incandescent – Its a requirement that by certain dates, certain types of bulbs need to meet certain energy efficiency standards. January 2010 will be 100 watt bulbs and other to follow after that.

The edison base incandescent may soon become a piece of history.

Listen to the podcast as The Handyguys discuss the alternatives, pros and cons as well as discuss personal freedoms and its relationship to community stewardship.

Bottom line – CFLs can save you money in the long run and the newest breed of CFL bulbs have nice color, turn on to full brightness much faster and may also last longer. You can find every type, size and style of the CFL bulbs over at your local True Value hardware store.

We were one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program as well as our writing about our experience. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY project. However, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.

We address a question about shed materials and foundations as well as briefly discuss LED light bulbs.

Sheds

The Handyguys received a call from Rick from Sawdust Chronicles and The Splintered Board podcasts.  He asked

What materials are good for shed siding? Do I need a concrete slab for my shed?

Great questions Rick.

Materials

Sheds can be built with many different choices in materials. Some people will build them with the same types of finishes of their house (siding choice, colors, etc) sometimes people would do something different. A quick google search will turn up thousands of different looks.

If you don’t want to try and go to the trouble of matching siding and roofing from your house, and want to keep things simple, there is a commonly used siding called t1-11. Its exterior rated plywood that looks like board and batten siding. You can also get a version made from OSB that comes pre-primed. I think that’s called “smart panels”. I really like fiber cement siding, i haven’t used it on a shed but its on the top of my list for my next shed. Some brands come pre-primed or pre-painted.

Foundations/slabs

You will want to check with your municipality to determine if you need a permit. In most places you do not need a permit if the shed is build directly on the ground, usually with 4×4 PT runners sitting on some patio bricks. When build this way its not considered a permanent structure. When you build on a slab it is usually considered permanent and will require a permit. Again, check with your code people as this varies. Some areas will also require anchors in the ground, or slab, to prevent it from blowing away in high winds.

Also consider having someone build one for you or deliver one pre-made. My last shed I was going to build it myself but a local company was having a sale. They were able to build me a shed for less money than I could have bought the materials. One man came with the shed pre-build in sections (walls, roof, floor) and pout it together in just a couple hours. I painted it and built a ramp. I saved a few hundred bucks.

Listen to this podcast for The Handyguys discussing all these points.

LED Light bulbs

Handyguy Paul came across a new LED Light bulb from GE. Some of the claims from GE’s press release are:

• Expected to consume just 9 watts—compared with 40-watt incandescent/halogen or 10-watt CFL, while delivering nearly the same light output;
• Expected 25,000-hour rated life—will last 17 years (4 hours per day), which is 25 times longer than a general service 40-watt incandescent or halogen bulb and more than 3 times longer than a standard 8,000-hour rated life CFL;
• LED technology delivers the instant full brightness of an incandescent or halogen bulb;
• Durable solid-state design with no filament to break;
• Contains no mercury and will be RoHS compliant; and
• Feels cooler to the touch than CFLs and far cooler than incandescent bulbs.

Discussing bulbs leads Handyguy Brian to make a clam that short life bulbs have planned obsolescence and that some of Edison’s original bulbs are still burning today. Maybe Brian was imagining things but there are definitely some very old light bulbs still in use today. The discussion further digressed into who preferred DC versus AV electrical, Tesla, Edison or Westinghouse. Seems Paul was correct. Edison was a proponent of DC electrical for the grid and Westinghouse was a proponent of AC.

From wikipedia:

In the “War of Currents” era (sometimes, “War of the Currents” or “Battle of Currents”) in the late 1880s, George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison became adversaries due to Edison’s promotion of direct current (DC) for electric power distribution over alternating current (AC) advocated by Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla.

Thanks Paul for setting Brian straight. Listen to the podcast to hear the discussion.

How do you get your house ready for the Winter Season?

Win this toolkit. Click on the picture to learn how! Hint: valid use of duct tape wins!

Join the Handyguys in a not-so-methodical checklist for the winter season.  This is not your every day handyman (or not so handyperson) checklist.  We have some extras you may not see on other lists. Listen to the podcast as we discuss these items. True Value had all the supplies we needed to get our houses in order.

• As the days get shorter and darker, it is a good time to check all of your outdoor lights.  Make sure they work.
  

  Paul was able to discover these fancy CFLs at our local True Value. They look great don’t you think?

  Perhaps it is time to install a light with a motion detector to secure your outdoor entrances and windows.

• Also, you can now get some wife pleasing outdoor CFL lights.  You don’t have to settle on the curly cue CFL bulbs

• Watch out for leaks and/or water penetration.
  • gutters/downspouts
  • grade flowing toward house
  • clear insulation around soffit vents to avoid ice dams
• Bring in your outdoor furniture
• Replace the grates and flavor bars on your Grill.  True Value has the parts you need for this.
  

  Why not refresh your busted down grill and enjoy a few more cookouts this season. Paul picked up the new flavor bars and grate at True Value. The steaks came from the cow he bought.

• Winterize your yard tools
• Seal/weatherstrip and caulk around window and doors and latch those windows for the winter
• Insulate your unfinished basement.. especially around the rim joist
• Clean your Dryer Vent before it is too cold to work outside
• Install some heavy drapes on your windows to stop drafts.  That’ s what they did in the old days.
• Last chance for pre-winter fertilizer.
• Final chance for exterior touch up paint
• Is it time to stain the Deck in the fall?  Isn’t the sun closer to earth in the Winter?  Brian says no.  Paul says yes. Which is it?

Disclosure

Primer, PEX and CFLs

Costly Handyguy Mistakes: Primer. Use it or lose it.

Skipping primer or improperly prepping a surface for paint cant be a Costly DIY Mistake

The Handyguys continue their new segment this week called Costly DIY Mistakes. These are mistakes are ones we have personally seen or have been asked about by our listeners. This weeks mistake is not using primer when painting. The Handyguys discuss when you need to prime and when you don’t. Also discussed are stain blocking primers. A primer will help your finish paint job last longer.

The Handyguys then address a question about PEX piping

Our listener, Brian M., asks:

Thanks for recommending your podcasts to me on Twitter. I’m just beginning a new basement finishing project and I’ve been enjoying your basement finishing podcast series. Great stuff!

My question is about PEX tubing systems. I have to do some minor plumbing work as part of my project, including the relocation of one or two existing water supply lines that are currently in the way. I’ve been considering PEX systems as a replacement for some existing PVC supply lines because of its supposed flexibility and ease of installation. Are there any pitfalls or difficulties to watch out for when using PEX? To save on headroom, would it be acceptable to run the PEX tubing across joists in the ceiling utilizing knock-out holes in the joists? I only have to relocate one or two existing supply lines and build a handfull of new supply lines. Do you think my project is too small to invest in the specialized tools needed to install PEX?

Click on the image for a full size rendition of Sharkbite fittings

The Handyguys discuss the question.

What is the solution to costly PEX tools? Use SharkBite.  SharkBite® push-fit fittings are designed to simplify pipe installation. The fittings allow the user to connect pipe in seconds with relative ease.

In Handyguy Brian’s recent project he was able to use Sharkbite fittings to simplify the installation, eliminate the need for a torch install without a completely dry joint. Check out the Sharkbite Selection at The Handyguys Amazon Store and listen to the podcast for the details.

What are ya doing lately? Recent Handyguy Adventures

Click the image to see it full size and so you can see the base

Paul installed a new light fixture that included a CFL light bulb with a new kind of base. I guess the “Edison Base” isn’t good enough for those in the government. These new bulb bases will become more common. The base is called a GU24 base. It is a standard on new Energy Star rated light fixtures. The purpose is to prevent you from using a standard incandescent bulb in a new fixture. Oh, and the home centers and hardware stores are not always stocking these bulbs. As Paul found out, they sell the fixture and not the bulb. Argh.

The Handyguys have a solution. Get your GU24 base bulbs from The Handyguys store.
GU24 Bulb Selection at The Handyguys Amazon Store

Lastly – our listener made reference to us being on twitter. You can follow us by following @handyguys or clicking here