Show Notes: All The Things You Wondered – On the House
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Show Notes: All The Things You Wondered

By on May 17, 2020
wonder

Ever wonder how you can store more of your stuff in your garage?

Or what that pink stuff is that’s growing in your bathroom?

What’s square foot gardening?

Or what acetylated wood is?

Learn about all the things you wondered and more in this week’s show!

Missed our live show? Don’t worry! Because we have a podcast of the show. It’s the same thing we aired on the radio, but ready for you whenever and wherever you are! Check it out here. 

 

Garage Storage Buying Guide  

 If you want to clear the clutter and make enough room in the garage for the family car, there are so many options available to organize your garage better than Marie Kondo! Here is a simple guide to find garage storage solutions and ideas that fit your style. 

 

Garage Storage Systems 

If you’re looking for a complete, matching, multiple-piece set for your garage, a garage storage system might be right for you. With some systems boasting dozens of garage cabinets, these storage systems are capable of holding so much that just about everything in your garage has its place. 

The systems come requiring either partial or full assembly. Some pieces, like cabinet pieces, will require you to mount them on the walls of your garage, but everything is modular so you can arrange the pieces as you wish. The result is getting the exact arrangement you want that you can easily change, while keeping as much of your garage’s floor space clear of clutter. 

Shelving Units 

Garage shelving makes use of unused vertical space and helps get your stored items off the floor. Storing items vertically can save a lot of valuable floor space, increasing your garage’s overall storage capacity and providing a safer, more productive work area. You can still build your own shelves from dimensional lumber and plywood. Or you can choose from the following installation options: 

  • Wall-Mounted Shelving: You can get wall-mounted, heavy-duty wire shelving designed especially for the garage. Most wall-mounted shelves are designed to hold up to 100 pounds per linear foot of shelf. Some systems have a plastic coating that protects the shelving from the sometimes-harsh garage environment and prevents rust and corrosion. The open wire construction of the shelves allows air to circulate around your stored items and helps decrease mold and mildew in moist climates. Another option is to use heavy, metal shelving brackets attached to your walls to support dimensional lumber, medium-density fiberboard (MDF) or plywood shelves. 
  • Freestanding Shelving: Freestanding shelves are available in wood, wire and resin. These units give you the flexibility of having your shelves away from walls or other support structures in the garage. A strategically placed set of freestanding shelving units can create a designated space for laundry or shop activities. Some units are available with locking-caster wheels so you can move the entire unit with ease and then lock it securely in place. 

 

When you’re buying shelving units, there are several factors that you should consider: 

  • Wall-Mounted vs. Footed Shelving: Wall mounting might ultimately save you the most space, but after installation, that shelving won’t move again without more installation. If you know what you want your garage storage system to look like, wall-mounted installation might be for you. If you’re still unsure and want to be able to change your mind, skip the wall-mounted installation for now. 
  • Casters vs. Feet: Casters are lockable wheels that come on the bottom of several shelving systems. They make moving cabinets and lockers easy, as long as none of your stored items are easily moveable. Feet come in handy when you don’t need to move cabinets and lockers as often. Some shelving systems have adjustable feet that will allow you to compensate for an uneven floor. 

 

Utility Cabinets 

  • Utility cabinets are available in resin, metal and wood/wood composite materials. They’re a convenient way to store items behind doors and out of sight. Some offer lockable doors to keep curious little ones from accessing sharp tools or dangerous household chemicals. 

 

Tool Cabinets and Chests 

  • Steel tool cabinets and chests are well-suited for garages and workshops with large tool collections. Drawers and trays hold bulky tools and small accessories. Many cabinets have heavy-duty, lockable casters and integrated security locks. 

 

Pegboards and Hooks 

  • Pegboards and hooks are a versatile method of shop and garage storage. You can easily move the hooks around and adjust them, as your storage needs change. 

Storage Bins and Boxes 

  • From storing sporting equipment to holiday decorations, there are many different bins and boxes that you can use to organize your garage. Use clear ones to quickly identify what you need. 

 

Wall and Rafter Hangers 

  • There are various types of hooks and hangers available. Simply secure the hook to a wall stud or ceiling rafter. You can store anything, from ladders to hoses to bicycles, depending on the type of hanger you choose. 

 

What’s Pink and Grows In Your Bathroom? 

Eww … there’s weird pink stuff growing in the bathroom.

Gross!

If you have pink stains in your shower and pinkish sludge on your shower curtain, then you’re probably looking at a case of pink mold. What is this common bathroom infestation and how do you get rid of it? 

What Pink “Mold” Really Is 

Pink mold usually appears as a fuzzy (but not in a good way!) or slimy buildup in damp areas of your home — most commonly on the shower curtain or the grout between bathroom tiles. Although this gunk is commonly called either “pink mold” or “pink mildew,” it is actually a type of water-borne bacteria, Serratia marcescens. 

And it’s not always exactly pink, either. Its color — caused by a red pigment produced at room temperature — is often closer to orange. 

 The Health Dangers of Pink Mold  

If you spot pink mold anywhere in your home, get rid of it ASAP. 

Even though this type of bacteria is not as dangerous as black mold, all kinds of health problems can result if you come into contact with pink mold in the shower or elsewhere in the house. The risk is worst for elderly family members, young children, or anyone who has a compromised immune system. Even your pets are vulnerable! 

Here is a list of the many health hazards associated with pink mildew: 

  • Breathing difficulties 
  • Endocarditis 
  • Gastrointestinal ailments 
  • Infection of open wounds or sores 
  • Meningitis 
  • Osteomyelitis (bone infection) 
  • Pneumonia 
  • Septicemia (blood poisoning) 
  • UTIs (urinary tract infections) and bladder infections 

Steps to Pink Mold Removal 

To remove pink mold from hard surfaces (walls, countertops, ceilings, shower chairs, etc.) and tile grout:

  1. Prepare for pink mold cleanup by donning protective gear: gloves, breathing mask, and goggles. Never allow your skin to come into direct contact with mold or bacteria. 
  2. Scrub all areas affected by pink mold, using a loose paste of baking soda and dish detergent (in a 4:1 ratio). 
  3. Spray with a half-and-half solution of water mixed with either bleach or vinegar. (Never use bleach and vinegar together; the combination creates toxic fumes.) 
  4. Allow to soak for 10 minutes. 
  5. Scrub and rinse once more. 

 

Pink Mildew and Mold Prevention 

Whew! Getting rid of that pink stuff in the shower is not a simple process. Fortunately, once it’s gone, you can successfully keep it at bay with the following easy tips. 

After thorough cleaning, treat affected hard surfaces with a biocideal cleaner. 

Ventilate your bathroom to prevent excessive moisture in the air.  Switch on the exhaust fan before you shower and leave it on for 20 minutes after. 

Wipe down bathroom walls with a squeegee or towel after showering or bathing 

Clean up any soap and shampoo residue, which may act to feed the mold. 

Take care of any water leaks. 

 

If you have a problem with pink mold (or have experienced one in the past), remove bathroom carpeting. Replace with a rug or bathmat that can be washed and dried readily. 

 

What is Square Foot Gardening?  

First of all – what exactly are the benefits of square foot gardening? Why is it a worthwhile approach to gardening in the first place? 

For the backyard gardener, or even the newbie to urban homesteading, this perennial method is your perfect food-growing option for more than just a few reasons: 

  • Grow as much food within a small space as you would with some traditional row-planted gardens 
  • Compact 4-by-4 foot raised bed garden makes for easy access 
  • No need for a big yard – grow food on patio, balcony, or smaller plot 
  • No weeding at all (with the right setup using weed-free soil mix) 
  • Less work and strain on the body 
  • No negative effects or damage to the yard 
  • Incredibly easy – ideal for new gardeners 
  • Save money with minimal management by sourcing your own food 

Plus, in a 4×4 foot raised bed structure (the method’s standard raised bed dimensions), you don’t have to do anywhere near the amount of work required for the in-ground planting of a larger plot. 

With the purchase or construction of such a bed (whether wood, plastic, fabric, or even DIY from makeshift cinder blocks) and the addition of a bottom lining, you can keep your bed completely weed free – thus eliminating out a good chunk of the gardening work entirely. This is especially true if you add a seed-free soil mix rather than planting in soil from your own yard. 

 

  1. GET YOUR GROW SPACE

First, build (or buy) a 4-by-4 foot raised bed box (lined with weed barrier landscaping fabric if you want less weeds and you’re building on top of other soil). 

  1. PUT IN YOUR PREFERRED SOIL

Fill it with fertile potting soil (part peat moss, compost, and vermiculite, or another mix of your choice – preferably weed free). 

  1. LAY OUT YOUR GRID

Overlay a square foot grid atop your box for plant spacing, then plant your seeds. 

  1. GET GROWING!

Water, grow, and presto! 

All of these steps seem pretty simple, right? Nothing new to most of you green thumbs out there. 

 

1-PER-SQUARE PLANTINGS 

Simply form one hole in the center of the 1-by-1-foot square of your choice, and plant your seeds (or transplant your seedling), keeping in mind the seeding techniques and layout guidelines that you’ll find later in this article. 

 

Ever Heard of Acetylated Wood?    

If you search online there are academic journals and infamous online encyclopedic entries that can answer the question ‘what is acetylation’ in a very scientific way. But rather than spin tales of hydroxyls, hydrogen atoms, and other chemistry jargon, in the simplest terms we can muster (in the context of our wood technology) acetylation for us is: 

Subjecting a softwood to a vinegar, which turns it into a hardwood by preventing the cells in the wood from being able to absorb water. 

So acetylated wood is… Pickled wood?

More or less. Yes. 

Ok, the chemistry is a little complex, and the vinegar is acetic anhydride. Not quite the malt vinegar for your fish and chips.  

 

To understand the benefits of using acetylated timber, we should point out the importance of acetylated wood not absorbing water. 

When making anything out of wood, its water that’s one of the main trouble makers. 

Keep wood dry and well maintained and it’s one of the greatest materials of all time. But introduce water? Problems begin to seep in. With untreated, badly treated or unmodified wood, water can bring a whole host of problems including rotting, warping, splintering, swelling, shrinking and being food for hungry insects. 

So acetylation wood technology removes the issue at source. Rather than treating wood with a toxic chemical trying to keep the moisture out. The result is real wood that doesn’t rot. It doesn’t warp, swell or shrink. It doesn’t splinter and it isn’t termite chow. In fact removing all these traditional issues means that acetylated wood presents even more benefits than just ‘not failing’. It is so dimensionally stable (maintains its original shape and dimensions) that it’s perfect for coating and has outstanding durability.  

No longer at risk of traditional wood failure gives you confidence of longevity. Meaning any deck, cladding, windows or doors, boat, desk, fence, shed, giant wooden octopus, or whatever else you want to make, it’s going to last so much longer than any traditional alternative AND  it is considered as a “green” building product. 

Mentioned Links 

~ Thank you~ 

A very special thank you to all of our callers! We live to answer your questions, so keep them coming! 

Thank you to our Technical Support: 

  • Danny Bringer – Chief Engineer  
  • Carol “Remodeling Babe” Carey – Executive Producer  
  • Sam Reed – Associate Producer  
  • Rico Figliolini – Digital Master 

 

Thank you for tuning in to learn all about what your wondering! And check in next week for more cool tips! 

“All The Things You Wondered” Show Notes for On The House with the Carey Brothers aired May 16, 2020. 

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