Aside from the entertainment factor, his year’s show was absolutely spectacular. After spending four days on the show floor, I had a chance to compile a list of 15 products that really stood out to me. However, as is always the case, I’m quite certain there are dozens of other worthy products that I simply didn’t get the chance to review. Nonetheless, these “fifteen faves” are definitely deserving!

I’m listing them in alphabetical order, because I don’t see any one product as being better than another. I would encourage you to check out each of these products’ web sites, too, for further information.

Alum-A-Pole Hand Bendable Seamless Flashing

When it comes to flashing, builders have typically used aluminum. The only problem is when you install it against treated lumber or some fiber cement boards, the aluminum can corrode. Go ahead and ask me about the columns in front of my house. They were wrapped in aluminum and within a couple of months, it looked like someone poured acid on them.

You also have to use a brake to bend the aluminum to shape as you dispense it from the roll. This new vinyl Pro-Trim flashing was pretty amazing. It comes in 25′ and 50′ rolls that can be bent by hand and won’t corrode.

Basement Technologies Water Trek Aqua Route

We’ve had several questions on our radio program, Homefront, about problems with water seeping into basements. Of course, if it wasn’t sealed properly from the outside, it’s difficult to find a good solution. There are many good water sealers on the market, but few really offer a permanent solution. Personally, I don’t believe there is a “paint-it-on-and-forget-it” solution out there.

This Water Trek system, however, was impressive. It works with any water problem and footing configuration in the basement, and it’s had some really good reviews by independent research and testing companies. Since it’s an installation-type product, there’s a lot more involved than just slapping on a coat of elastomeric; but, given the peace of mind it can bring, this one is worth checking out.

Beam EasyReach Retractable Vacuum Hose

It’s pretty much an industry standard for central vac hoses to be 30′ long, but it can be a royal pain trying to roll them up for storage. This new hose from Beam (an Electrolux division) starts out at only 13′ long. One twist and you can extend the hose to 30′.

Then, when you’re ready to store it away, simply touch a button and the vacuum pressure literally sucks the hose back into place! It took me about 15 seconds to master the art of retraction, too. I don’t have a central vacuum system in my home, but if I did . . . this would be a part of it!

Bluegate Inc. Floating Glass Shelves

This one qualifies for my “You-Gotta-Be-Kidding-Me” Award. You’ve got these 1/4″ tempered glass plates mounted on the wall with absolutely no hardware whatsoever. All you see is glass . . . nothing else. Top that with the fact that these little gems hold up to 100 pounds!

The secret is in the tongue and groove system of the glass plates. You simply notch your wall (regardless of the material), run a bead of paintable adhesive caulking (no silicone!), insert the glass and sponge away the excess caulk. Lots of applications for these shelves, various sizes are available, and they look stunning!

Bosch GTL3 Hybrid Line Laser

If this tool was a dog, it could very likely win Best of Show! (That had to make Barbara Walters very proud.) There’s so much to describe in the design of this laser that I would take up way too much space on this article.

The fact of the matter is that it’s the perfect toolbox companion for anyone who has a tile floor or wall tile project. It projects sharp, visible layout lines at 0°, 45°, 90° and 135° and it’s accurate to within 1/16″ at 20 feet. Be sure to look at all the features listed at their site online.

Broan-NuTone Recessed Fan Light

The new design of this recessed fan light is what sets it apart. I got to see it in action, and the fact that it operates automatically and—here’s the really cool part—only costs about $1 per year in energy consumption definitely increases the Wow-Factor.

In addition to the new recessed fan light, they’ve re-designed the lens assembly on their other bath fans to have the most amazingly bright light you’ve ever seen in a vent fan.

Hafele Omni Track System

I’ve seen some storage systems similar to this one, but the extruded aluminum backing (as opposed to plastic) makes this the storage system of choice. It’s lightweight, durable, and very easy to install. The hanging hooks and bins are also a snap to put into place.

It is a bit more pricey than some systems, but you know the old saying . . . you get what you pay for. The Omni Track will be hanging around a lot longer than the plastic systems; and, in the long run, that’s where you’ll save some money.

H-P Products Vroom Garage Vac

The Vroom Garge Vac from H-P Products doesn’t hit the market until June 2010, but I think it’s going to be very popular when it does. It hooks up to the central vacuum system in your home, has a 24′ retractable hose, and (unlike other garage vacuums) it doesn’t take up a single square inch of precious floor space.

The ceiling mounted system makes it ideal for practically any garage out there, and it can help clean up everything from your car to the workbench to the floor.

Johnson’s Tool Company Saw Guard Dog

This is, by far, one of the most practical tool accessories I saw on the floor. What I first liked is that the booth wasn’t manned by pitchmen. These were honest-to-goodness carpenters who were out in the trenches.

The Saw Guard Dog is an add-on piece to your circular saw that, with the push of a button, will lift your guard out of the way for better visibility. But, since the “dog” is doing the dirty work, your fingers never come close to the blade. I think OSHA must be in love with these guys. Two sizes are available and, if you’re as guilty as I am about lifting that guard every time you cut, you need to grab one right away.

Lennox SunSource Home Energy System

Lennox has been a long-time industry leader in HVAC systems. Heck, just look at how long ol’ Dave Lennox has been around. I swear, he hasn’t aged a day. He was born in 1855, but I saw him at the show.

This new SunSource system is going to debut in May 2010, and it uses solar modules to help offset the cost of operation. You can start with one panel or have up to fifteen. It all depends on your personal needs or aesthetic desires. You can also monitor the whole thing online and check out how much you’re saving or look at the carbon offset. Also, with some of the federal and state solar tax credits available, now would be a good time to make the sunny switch.

Perfect Products DoorSaver II

Necessity is the mother of invention. That tells the whole story of this product. The inventor was having a tough time with his daughter always damaging either the door or the casing with those flimsy little hinge stops.

The unique design of the DoorSaver II allows you to make your existing door hinge a hinge stop. What’s really amazing is the fact that it works without ever touching your door, the wall, casing or baseboard. It’s new, so it may not be readily available just yet, but it’s going to be the new standard, I believe.

RIDGID Fuego Compact Cordless Combo Kit

Guys like me love tools, but it’s always tough picking out just one. So, when I got the chance to look over the 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Fuego Combo Kit . . . well, let’s just say it’s like taking Gandhi to an all-you-can-eat buffet.

I love these new designs. The One Handed Reciprocating Saw was particularly impressive. With the additional incentive of affordable price points, RIDGID has got a real winner here.

Ryobi Tek4 Cordless Tools

Here’s another tool group that’s hard to nail down a single item. Ryobi’s new Tek4 line was introduced earlier, but they have a lot of new stuff coming out soon, including the Tek4 Solar Portable Power that will hit the shelves in June 2010.

When you consider that it will recharge any mobile phone or other electronic device for only $99.97, it’s a pretty good deal. It will also feature an internal battery pack where energy can be stored so you have recharging power anytime, anywhere. This particular item will be exclusive to The Home Depot.

Sommer Garage Door Opener

The tagline for this opener is, “No Maintenance. No Noise. No Kidding!” When you actually see and hear it in action, you’ll understand. This is one of the coolest garage door openers I’ve ever seen.

Aside from the fact that the chain never moves (so no problems with sagging, breakage, etc.), you’re not limited to a center installation. You can mount this on the side of the garage door and regain any overhead space. It’s got a lifetime warranty on the operator and is fully-compliant with the 1993 Garage Door Opener Safety Law.

Velux No-Leak Skylight

You’re probably saying what I did, “Yeah, right.” A no-leak skylight is about as possible as a snowball in you-know-where. But, I have to admit, with three years of research, development, and testing . . . the folks at Velux may just have figured out how to keep the devil in snow cones.

The new skylight has a third layer of water protection, so in addition to the underlayment and the flashing, you have an added seal between the frame and the roof deck. The demo I saw was convincing, and if they’re confident enough to put it in writing…well, that says a lot. This isn’t your daddy’s old plastic bubble skylight. Welcome to 2010.

Keep in mind that not all of these products are available just yet, but they will be before the end of the year. Be sure to visit the web sites, which you can get to by clicking on the name of each product above. Just tell ‘em, “Allen sent you.”

Related posts:

• (713) International Builders’ Show 2010
• Homefront Radio Show for March 13, 2010
• Homefront Radio Show for February 6, 2010

Don’t you just love it when you get an unexpected surprise? Unless, of course, it’s like the surprise I got this weekend. It was one of those cold, gray, dull, rainy weekends that make you want to just stay in bed. That’s kind of hard for me to do, though. You see, I’ve always been a bit of a morning person. In fact, sleeping in to me means 6:30 a.m.

Nonetheless, my daughter and I made the best of the wet weekend that we could. We went out to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant . . . we played games on the computer . . . we even went to see the new Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog. In spite of the weather, it actually had the makings of a decent weekend. Until I heard . . .

“Daddy, why is there water on the counter?“

I looked over and water was dripping out of the wall cabinets. I walked into the kitchen, turned on the light, looked up at the ceiling and noticed it was turning into a leopard with spots all over. Somewhere, somehow the roof was leaking.

Of course by this time there was very little I could do. Nighttime had set in and it was still raining. So I did what I could to mop up the water and strategically place pots and pans where I could to catch the drips, and I knew that by the next day I would be missing a block of time at work to be up on my roof making repairs, especially since the next day showed an 80% chance of rain during the day and the evening, and another 70% the next day.

Did I happen to mention that we’re in the midst of the Christmas season and on top of the TV episodes were trying to put together, we’ve also got a Christmas trivia radio show to do? On top of all that, we had to make a run to Detroit, plus shoot three days with Joe Truini prior to that. In other words, December is an extremely busy month. This could not have happened at a worse time, but I can guarantee you that my insurance company would not accept any excuses if I did not get up on the roof to mitigate any further damage. So, like it or not, today I was a temporary roofer.

If you ever run into this type of situation where you need to make temporary repairs to your roof in order to keep the water from pouring in and ruining a ceiling — or worse, several thousand dollars worth of expensive furniture, electronics, flooring or whatever else you may have in your home — here are a couple of friendly tips.

Make sure you have all of your tools and materials before you ever go up on the roof. Making as few trips as possible up and down the ladder is just common sense. Plus, if you’re a klutz like me, the fewer times you go up and down a ladder, the less likely the chances are of a disaster happening.

Materials are pretty easy. You’ll need some tarps (I purchased two 9 x 12 blue tarps), some treated one by two’s, a handful of eight penny nails and a tube of 100% silicone.

Your tools will include a ladder that reaches at least 2 to 3 feet above the eave of the roof, a broom or rake to help remove any debris, hammer, caulking gun, nail apron, a small saw to cut the 1 x 2’s to length (I like using a coping saw for something this simple) and, for me, the most important tool of all . . . my Cougar Paws. That happens to be the brand name of the shoes I wear any time I get on a roof. This isn’t meant to be a commercial, but . . . Cougar Paws makes an excellent shoe that practically guarantees that even someone as clumsy as me won’t fall off the roof due to a slick surface.

The tarps, 1 x 2’s and the broom and/or rake can be tossed up on the roof from the ground. The remaining tools can easily be carried in the nail apron, which means you should only have to make one trip up. Installing the tarp is as easy as laying it out on the roof and attaching it with the 1 x 2’s on top. They need to be running vertical with the roof, nailed down securely and then place a dab of silicone on top of each nail head to seal off any chance of moisture seeping through the nail holes.

If you have to use more than one tarp, be sure to lay the lower level first and let the next tarp overlap the lower one by at least a foot. The top of the tarp should roll over the ridge to prevent water from running underneath and making any efforts totally worthless.

Here’s result of my frantic race against more oncoming thunderstorms. You can see that I have five rows of 1 x 2’s holding the tarp down. During the evening, the gulley-washers came down again and I crawled up into the attic twice to check for leaks, but not a drop was found.

Not long ago I was listening to some of the questions that came in on our Homefront radio show hotline. Sometimes this can be the biggest chore because it takes so long. Other times it’s one of the most entertaining portions of my day because some of the questions are absolutely hilarious. Case in point: one lady called in and said she had a new home that had been winterized and she wanted to know, “How do I de-winterize it?” Okay, so here’s the short answer: Don’t.

Winterizing your home is just a fancy way of saying you’re making it more energy efficient. Don’t misunderstand, there are some things that you will want to remove as the warmer weather sets in, but for the most part these winterizing steps are just fine to stay in place all year long. That being said, here are my top seven suggestions that you should think about doing to help protect your home against Old Man Winter and make the colder temps more tolerable.

1. Stop Air Leaks

This means a thorough inspection of all windows and doors, HVAC registers, interior attic access openings, and any openings specifically designed for pipes or wiring. This is something that you really have to do on a yearly basis, even if you have caulked around your doors and windows in the past. Caulking has a tendency to shrink and deteriorate over time, especially if you used an economy brand. Here’s another surprise for some people. Did you know that weather stripping can actually shrink? If you’re lucky, you won’t have to replace any of this for several years, but inspect all these areas annually.

2. Wrap Plumbing Pipes

Earlier this year, I was featured on a local CBS news story giving my advice for an upcoming freeze. In the course of the story I mentioned that foam pipe insulation is one of the cheapest, easiest things you can purchase and install to help protect your home against cold weather. But sometimes, something that simple can be a challenge. Especially when everybody on your block, down the street and in the entire city limits decides to purchase foam pipe insulation at the same time.

If for some reason you go to your home center and find all the pipe insulation sold out, you do have other options. These aren’t the best options, but they’ll do in a pinch. You can wrap pipes with old towels, rags and even newspaper. Just make sure you wrap all of the pipe that is exposed, and tie it off with twine, wire or the old reliable standby, duct tape.

3. Reverse Ceiling Fans

When it’s time to turn on the heater, it’s time to reverse the rotation of ceiling fans. How do you know when the fan is going in the right direction at the right time of the year? Simple, stand directly under your ceiling fan and look up. In the winter, the blades should be turning clockwise. Unlike the summertime, though, you don’t want the fan motor on high. Air movement is what makes you feel cooler, so in the winter, keep your fan on the lowest setting. This will help circulate that warmer air that tends to rise back down into the living area without creating too much of a cooling breeze. Here’s the slogan I came up with (try not to point at me as you laugh): In summer, counter keeps you cool. In winter, clockwise is the rule.

4. Inspect Ductwork for Leaks

This is easier said than done, but not impossible to do as a homeowner. The last thing you want is to have all that expensive hot air spilling into your attic or crawl space. You may want to consider having a professional come in and inspect for leaks with their precision equipment. It may cost you $200 or $300, but that much money may be worth it to save you the aggravation of trying to find the leaks yourself. If you do find leaks, you can use special metallic tape and brush-on mastic to seal up the gaps.

5. Insulate Windows

If you have temporary storm windows and doors, now’s the time to put them back up. If you don’t have them or can’t afford them, you can purchase a temporary plastic film that installs on the inside of the windows. It’s not my first choice, but if you have older, single-pane windows, this could be a smart move to get you through the winter.

6. Install Programmable Thermostat

Pick one up that allows you to program the week days separate from the weekends. When you’re at work and the kids are at school, program the inside temperature to be 10° – 15° F lower than normal. Then, program the unit to kick back up to your comfort level about 30 minutes before you get home. Here’s another thought. Make your comfort level 5° cooler and wear sweaters inside. You may not like this one, but it’s amazing how much that 5° can save you on your heating bill.

7. Check Insulation

If you can see the top of your ceiling joists in the attic, you need more insulation. You can have more blown in or just roll out additional batts on top of the existing insulation. If you add batts, be sure to use the unfaced kind. If your home is on piers, make sure you have some insulation between the floor joists.

This brings up another point, especially if you have a crawl space that has air vents in the sides. Those vents are placed there to circulate air and keep moisture from building up in the crawl space. Excess moisture can lead to mold and mildew. The question is, do you close those vents in the winter? If you live down South, my advice is leave them open. Southern winters can be fairly mild and moisture/humidity levels are still a concern. North of the Mason-Dixon, however, as long as you have drier air in winter, it won’t hurt to close the vents in those colder months. However, that really won’t do you much good unless the crawl space walls are also insulated.

This is, by no means, a complete checklist, but I think they belong pretty close to the top of any list that you come up with. Certainly you can add to these items, things such as keeping your air filters changed on a regular basis and making sure any fireplace—whether wood-burning or gas—is in top-notch operating capacity.

By the way…in case you’re interested, numbers 3 and 5 SHOULD be part of your annual DE-winterization . . .

Related posts:

• How to Winterize an Apartment to Save Energy

The key to painting aluminum siding is preparation and priming. All of the chalkiness must be washed and scrubbed off, and any flaking paint removed. In a nutshell, you need to start with a clean palette.

Once everything is clean and dry, you’re ready to apply your primer. Here’s where a lot of people make a mistake and, unfortunately, I’ve even heard of “professional” painters who do this. They apply a latex primer.

This is probably the worst thing you can do when painting aluminum siding. Most latex paint has ammonia in it, and that includes primer. Ammonia has a chemical reaction to aluminum, which produces a tiny amount of gas.

Latex paint, by nature, is very elastic, so you end up with an elastic coating with gas bubbles underneath it. If you don’t quite see the problem here just think about how your own insides react a couple of hours after eating two or three bean burritos . . . ’nuff said, right? The gas build-up under the latex primer pushes up and out, which bubbles and flakes the top coat, in other words, it causes the paint to fail.

The solution is to use an oil-based primer specifically designed for metal surfaces. You will have to wait longer for an oil primer to dry, but it’s better than having to re-do everything within a year or two.

Once the primer is dry, top coat with a 100% acrylic paint. If you take this approach to your aluminum siding paint project, you’ll have a long-lasting finish you can be proud of.

Related posts:

• How to Paint Galvanized Sheet Metal, Gutters, or Valley Tin
• How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets
• Paint and Primer in One Can

And, while I do love solid wood cabinets, don’t think you’re giving up quality by choosing a manufactured cabinet. A lot of people confuse the material on some manufactured cabinets with particle board, so take a moment to find out exactly what you’re buying.

Pull a pre-fab cabinet off the shelf at any discount warehouse and chances are good it’s nothing but glorified particle board. The description may say something like “Wood Grain Simulation” or something similar. If you look closely, it’s usually just contact paper plastered over particle board. They’re okay for the workshop or maybe the garage, but not your kitchen.

When I think about a manufactured cabinet, I don’t ever recommend the “Off-the-Shelf” special. Quality manufacturers like Merillat, KraftMaid and American Woodmark are worth looking into. When you order manufactured cabinets from the home center or kitchen showroom that are built specifically for your home’s design, you’ll typically have three construction options for the cabinet boxes:

• The basic line uses furniture board or engineered wood. This is the stuff that looks like particle board, but it uses a polyurethane resin to adhere the wood particles making it a very sturdy waterproof board. To be honest, in some ways it’s superior to plywood, but I personally don’t like seeing it on a visible end panel. If you need to trim your budget some, look into getting the basic line for everywhere except end panels.
• The mid-grade boxes are furniture board with a wood veneer on the exterior side. Still excellent quality and a true wood look and feel.
• Top of the line would be solid ply boxes.

The boxes of the basic line, in my opinion, are fine for most kitchen applications. Beyond that, I like to step-up the quality of the drawer boxes. Make sure you get dovetail joints and, if possible, full-extension drawer guides.

The important thing to remember with manufactured cabinets is to make sure you’re using a company with a good reputation and don’t be afraid to ask about the grade of furniture board they use in their manufacturing process.

There’s so much more to talk about to make a basic line look amazing, like door end panels, rope molding and furniture legs . . . but I’ll save that for another post!

Related posts:

• How to Choose Quality Cabinets for Your Kitchen
• Why Prefabricated Cabinets Are Expensive
• (706) Top 5 Kitchen Remodeling Decisions

Mark was always very talented. He had such an amazing voice and still does to this day. When he sang a song, it would make the angels swoon. He makes me sick. If I had a dozen 5-gallon buckets strapped to me, I still couldn’t carry a tune.

But could he successfully approach a major home remodeling project? I just never saw Mark as a let’s-grab-some-tools-and-tear-out-this-wall kind of guy. Here’s the difference between Mark and a lot of people. Instead of saying, “I can’t do something like that,” Mark’s approach is, “I bet I could do something like that…and if I can’t on the first try, at least I’ll learn something along the way to try it again.”

When Mark and his wife Tammy purchased their home, this is what the kitchen looked like:

Now, even though there’s nothing really wrong with that picture, it is a very dated look. You’ve got sheet vinyl flooring, stained cabinets that match the wall paneling, square edge laminate countertops, a nine-light exterior door, white appliances and it looks like a 36” four-blade ceiling fan.

Now let’s take a look at the “AFTER” picture:

Can you spot all the differences?

1. Replace Flooring

Sheet vinyl has been replaced with ceramic tile.

Mark found these beautiful pieces for less than $1 a square foot….MUCH less.

2. Paint Cabinets

The cabinets have been re-painted. The two-tone look is perfect for this kitchen. They could have easily been all painted white to brighten up the room, but I don’t think it would have had the same distinct character as it does now. New hardware has also been installed to bring the kitchen into the 21st century. Nicely done.

3. Paint Paneling

The dark paneling has also been painted over in the same bright color. It’s amazing how those brighter colors can make a room look larger. Painting over paneling is a chore, too. You need to sand it lightly to remove the gloss, or even use a liquid deglosser. The primer you use is key. I personally would recommend an oil-based, stain-blocking primer. Once the paneling is primed, you can even use drywall joint compound to fill in the grooves.

4. Concrete Countertops

The countertops Mark installed are amazing. With no previous experience, he created molds and made these countertops from concrete! And, yes, it took a couple of tries, but what a difference!

If you look closely, the base cabinets on the left have an overhang to create a bar for eating. While I probably would have looked at creating the bar at the pass-through, Mark says the drawers in the cabinet are still accessible. This eating area allowed Mark and Tammy to do away with the dinette, freeing up more room.

Yep, that’s exactly what Mark did. Smart move. The backsplash is also new. Look closely and you’ll see tile. In case you’re not too keen on putting mastic on the walls, you should look for a new product coming to The Home Depot this fall called Simple Mat. It’s basically a two-sided adhesive mat that you place on the wall, then stick your tiles to it. You can put up your tiles and grout it all in the same day, eliminating the need for wall mastic.

5. Remove Wall

Since I just mentioned it, there’s also a pass-through where there once was a solid wall. Are you kidding me?!?! Tear out a wall?!?! Yes…a do-it-yourselfer really can do something like that. Once again, you’ve opened up the space, brought in more light and have now made this portion of the home more “people and gathering” friendly.

6. New Appliances

The white appliances have been upgraded to stainless steel.

This is a major purchase, but even if it’s not in your budget, you can turn your existing appliances into stainless by painting them with a very special product called Liquid Stainless Steel. Check out their website for a couple of really cool ideas.

7. Replace Door

The exterior door was replaced with a nice full-view door, which allowed Mark to get rid of the ugly storm door. Again, this is a great way to add some natural light and brighten the room.

8. Paddle Fan

The final touch was to get rid of the dinky, old ceiling fan and put up a nice 52” five-blade model.

So let’s answer the question now. Is do-it-yourself really worthwhile? I took these pictures to our construction estimator. For a professional to come in and do all this, including the purchase of the new appliances, you’re looking at somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000. Of course, it all depends on your area of the country, but that’s pretty conservative.

Mark provided all his own labor and paid about 1/3 of that amount. Personally, my answer to the question is a resounding, “YES!”

Before you sell yourself short on your abilities, just try it. And don’t forget to look for those special deals and the “scratch and dent” specials out there. Above all, have fun and make it a family event.

Believe me, the satisfaction of a job you do yourself is so much better than shelling out your hard-earned dough. At least, it is for me and my wallet. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a singing lesson.

Related posts:

• (700) Kitchen Expansion: Removing Wall Opens Up Space

One of the perks of being on television is the many invitations you get to do all kinds of crazy and fun things. Several years ago when I was anchoring the morning news program on our local NBC affiliate, I was invited to this out-of-the-way zoo in the sleepy little town of Wilmer, Alabama. I’ve always been a nature lover, but apparently it wasn’t my day to be a friend of the animal kingdom. I should have known better when the director of the zoo said, “Oh, you can go in there with the lion. He won’t do anything.”

Did the red flags start waving wildly in my brain? Of course not. My right calf wound up locked in the lion’s mouth, and I had to use my camera tripod to knock him off. Being the consummate actor–the show must go on and all that jazz–I limped out of the cage with a few holes in my pants and a leg that would turn the most interesting shade of blue then yellow, and was led to the reptile barn.

Again, where are the red flags? A couple of rather large snakes were draped over my shoulder. This isn’t a big deal, because snakes don’t really bother me. However, the two snakes they chose turned out to be members of opposing gangs, because the minute they locked eyes on each other, they started hissing, spitting and striking at each other . . . with my head in the middle of the action.

Eventually I made it out of the zoo with most of my appendages and clothing intact. Did I learn a lesson? Well, snakes still don’t really bother me, but I steer clear of lions these days.

All that was just a cool true-life story to lead into a question Danny and I were asked this past week on the radio show. “How do I keep snakes out of my yard?” The question came up as to whether or not sulfur is an effective snake repellent. This is one of those way-back-before-there-was-television remedies that your great grandfather told you about. But the truth is, sulfur won’t do a thing to repel snakes. In fact, they’ll slither right through it and get the powder all under their scales, which does nothing more than really irritate them.

Now be honest . . . if you don’t like snakes in your normal everyday world, how do you think you’d like a snake that’s really ticked off?

If you want to treat the perimeter of your house, look for liquid called naphthalene. This is the stuff you find in mothballs, but you can purchase it in liquid form. Finding a supplier may be a challenge, but it’s possible. If you have a crawlspace, scatter a few mothballs underneath. Just make certain you don’t put the mothballs out in the yard where a child can find it and mistake it for candy.

Another common question we get deals with other unwanted pests like spiders and roaches. As far as spiders go, again, they don’t bother me. I catch them and put them outside. But roaches are another story. I’ll run screaming like a little girl. I hate those things.

Here in Mobile, the roaches are so big you have to look twice to make sure it’s not a Chihuahua walking across the floor. I have one of those ultrasonic plug-in repellents and, while nothing I know of works 100%, I’m pretty happy with it. I may see a roach two or three times a year. Same with spiders.

There’s also the plug-in type that claims to use your home’s electrical wiring to repel roaches. It somehow creates a pulsing effect that works like the ultrasonic units. Admittedly, I’ve never used them but it’s something we’re going to test very soon and share the results with you in one of our upcoming episodes in the 12th season of Today’s Homeowner.

In the meantime, I’ve been invited to experience the thrill of swimming with a great white shark. Sounds pretty safe. After all, I don’t see any red flags . . . .

The month of May has been one of the craziest, busiest, most tiring months I’ve had in a long time, and it’s not even halfway through yet! Danny & I had back-to-back trade shows in week #1 of May. The first was the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Atlanta followed by the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, with working on both the television show AND radio show, I didn’t get to spend as much time as I would have liked looking over all the new stuff at K/BIS.

I did, however, get to spend more time exploring the Hardware Show and have my Top 10 Picks Plus One Bonus. Let me emphasize, though, that these are not listed in any preferred order. In fact, I’m going to list them alphabetically by company simply because they all deserve the #1 spot! And, even though I got to see a lot, I only scratched the surface. I’m sure there were many more amazing products that I’ve overlooked.

EarthTronics Honeywell Wind Turbine

The Honeywell Wind Turbine from EarthTronics is an energy generator for both homes and businesses that was a definite eye-catcher. I know that there’s nothing new about wind turbines, but what really set this one apart was the fact that it can generate energy in winds as little as 2 mph. It won’t be on the market until December 2009, and when it hits the shelves, it will run you around $4500, but it will start saving you money immediately on your monthly electric bill.

Fiskars Rainwater Harvesting Systems

The Smart Rain Barrels from the folks at Fiskars blew me away. Yeah, I know…a rain barrel is a rain barrel. It’s just a big tub that catches water. What makes this system unique is Fiskars’ downspout water diverter which automatically channels water from your downspout to the barrel. When the barrel gets full, instead of an overflow that just dumps the excess water right on the ground next to your home’s foundation (which you don’t want), it allows the water to continue down the downspout and drain away from your house. It’s really quite innovative.

General Tools Dovetail Jig

I’ve been a General Tools fan for a couple of decades now. It all started with a doweling jig I purchased back in 1989. I still have it, use it, love it. This year, they introduced their new EZ Pro Dovetailer Jig, and it is one of the most unbelievably cool tools I’ve seen in a long time. Any woodworker will tell you that a dovetail is one of the best joints you can have, and for less than $60, you can make a PERFECT dovetail joint right out of the box. My birthday is in September…..anyone?

Giani Granite Countertop Paint

If you ever wanted to start a heated debate/argument with me, tell me how smart it is to paint your countertops. I have NEVER recommended that. The paints I’ve seen have never been able to withstand the abuse and, frankly, they look ugly. Last year, Floyd Thomas impressed me with his stainless steel paint. Well, he did it again this year with their new Giani granite paint. It’s a mineral infused, water-based resin that you paint over your old laminate tops and, I have to admit, it looked unbelievably good! In fact, I found it hard to believe the tops were actually painted laminate. To address the durability issue, the topcoat is the same type of polymer you would find on car bumpers. I’ve switched sides. I love this paint, and I think I’m going to give it a shot in my own home. The best part is that for the price of a single square foot of granite, you can transform your average size kitchen countertops into a granite lookalike.

Green Toad Pivoting Paint Brush

The Pivoting Paint Brush by Green Toad is just one of those “gee-that-makes-sense” products. With its ergonomically-designed handle and a 360° rotating attachment, it makes any painting job a breeze. What’s really cool is that this product was actually designed using the recommendations of physical therapists! The whole system comes with five different brush sizes and styles, two rollers and two size handles. But wait, there’s more! Get this…the whole thing is biodegradable, compostable and recyclable! These folks were really thinking.

Lehr Propane Powered Lawn Equipment

Lehr Incorporated out of Los Angeles has “environmentally friendly technology” as their byline. They’ve proved it with the new Eco Trimmer, which is a string line trimmer powered by propane. You’re talking about no gasoline and oil to purchase, mix and store…no spilled gasoline…no evaporative emissions…no hydro-carbons killing the ozone…and only Lehr has it, because it’s a patented product. The propane canisters are available all over the place and you’ll get a full two hours of run time on a single canister. They also have a propane-powered blower and later this year, they’re coming out with a lawn mower version! I would definitely look into replacing your gas-powered tools with these.

LiquiLock Toilet Gel

I love this stuff and hate myself for not thinking of it! Any time you have to pull a toilet, whether it’s for repairs or new flooring or what-have-you, there’s always some water left in the bowl. If you’re not careful, it’ll spill all over the place and you’ve got this gross, unsanitary mess to mop up. Or, you can sponge it out, which is equally disgusting. Enter LiquiLock. This is a little 0.4 oz packet of granules that, in essence, turns the remaining water into a gelatin. You can remove the toilet with zero water spilling anywhere, and when it’s time to replace the toilet…get ready for this…you hook it back up, turn on the water and the gelatin starts breaking up. All you have to do is flush it down and you’re done. My hat’s off to the guy behind this one, Adam. I’m definitely adding some of these packets to my toolbox.

Orcon Natural Pest Control

Admittedly, I first visited this booth just to see how they were keeping 15,000 ladybugs in check. I kid you not, they had 15,000 live ladybugs. Orcon Organic Control was there promoting 100% pure, safe & natural pest control. In addition to ladybugs, they had worms, beneficial nematodes, mason bees, and organic repellants for gophers, moles, deer, rabbit, dogs and cats. What was truly refreshing was how passionate these folks are about their products. We’ve all become too accustomed to pouring chemicals all over our yards when Mother Nature has some pretty awesome pest control devices.

Rapid Warrior Utility Knife

The Rapid Warrior from Rapid Tools definitely gets the Transformer Award. This is, at first glance, a simple utility knife, but it has the capability of switching to become a mini-saw. I’m not sure how they came up with the design, but it’s really impressive. With just the flick of an interior toggle, you can switch from a utility blade to a reciprocating saw blade. The whole transformation takes mere seconds, and the really cool part is that you aren’t tied to using only their blades. Any utility knife blade or reciprocating saw blade can be used.

Red Toolbox Tools for Kids

I think these tools are the absolute bomb. Red Toolbox has designed REAL tools to fit in a child’s hand. Along with the tools, they have projects the child can do with their parent. I’m talking about birdhouses, toolboxes, treasure chests and games galore. To quote from their press kit, “Red toolbox is about you and your kids working, creating and learning together. It’s a chance to have loads of fun and spend quality team-time” together.

My bonus pick is every bit as deserving as the previous 10

Slice Ceramic Safety Cutter

This company debuted a ceramic cutter that was simply amazing. The Slice Safety Cutter is a little green machine with a recessed ceramic blade that will slice through paper and plastic like nobody’s business, but you can’t cut yourself. You know those hard plastic blister packs that so many things come in today that you have to resort to nuclear weapons to get them open? Yeah, it cuts through those, too. The blade stays sharp, never rusts and the design is very finger-friendly. Plus, it has a magnet imbedded, so you can slap it on the fridge and it’s always handy. Since it only costs about six bucks, you can get a couple so you have one in the house and one in your toolbox.

Related posts:

• Homefront Radio Show for October 3, 2009
• Homefront Radio Show for October 17, 2009
• Homefront Radio Show for August 22, 2009

It’s no secret that my daughter, Savannah, is the love of my life. But there are days… Last weekend I was in the middle of those pesky Saturday morning chores and wasn’t paying attention to what was going on in the other room. As the morning wore on, Savannah wound up on the computer playing a Barbie game.

As I walked into the family room, I noticed the old Civil War sword that I own was sitting on the floor. Immediately the red flags started waving and I searched for the cat to make sure it was still in possession of all nine lives. When the feline was found in fair health, I started inspecting the couch. Apparently, I jumped to conclusions, because nothing was out of place or prepared for the skewer.

It happened to be a very nice day with a warm spring-like breeze in the air. The back slider, the front and back doors were all open to enjoy the fresh air. Just as I reached to pick up the sword and put it away, I noticed the screen door of the slider. Sure enough, not once, but twice it received mortal battle wounds.

Of course, the interesting part is discovering exactly what 10-year-olds consider to be bad. I think Savannah concluded that if the cat wasn’t shish kabob and the furniture wasn’t hemorrhaging, then all was right with the world. And, to be frank, it’s hard to get too upset when your child is stretching her imagination. It seems she was playing Peter Pan. Who knew my screen door could make such a formidable Captain Hook?

So, to answer the question…home improvement guys have kids so they never run out of projects. Maybe I should have become an accountant. Needless to say, Barbie is on a two-week vacation from the Lyle household.

That’s a pretty dramatic sounding title, isn’t it? Danny and I had a blast this past weekend broadcasting our new radio show, Homefront with Danny Lipford. Neither of us are strangers to doing radio shows, but put both of us in a small room for a couple of hours and you can almost guarantee some major cutting up.

But all kidding aside, this is a great opportunity to get some of your home improvement questions answered in person via the radio. Between the two of us, we have a wealth of knowledge at your disposal.

If you’re too shy to pick up the phone, you can e-mail us your questions to ask@homefront.com. Check out our website at homefront.com to find out how to call in and listen to the show.

Related posts:

• Danny to Appear on The Early Show and CNN
• Homefront Radio Show for October 24, 2009
• Homefront Radio Show for November 28, 2009