Article Archive – The Inside Outside Guys

The Inside Outside Guys: The ‘Five Ps’ Help Find a Reliable...

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 16, 2026 ~ At some point, we all have to hire a professional to help us with household repairs or replacements. It can be a very stressful situation for several reasons, not the least of which is the very personal nature of our domicile. On top of that is the issue of money and the potential effect on ego should we make a bad decision. There is a formula The Guys use to limit the potential for negative results when vetting a contractor. We call it The Five Ps for short, but it literally becomes the basis for our “measuring stick” when assessing a firm.

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The Inside Outside Guys: Are All Cabinets the Same? How To Spot the Quality

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 9, 2026 ~ Cabinets come in all different shapes and sizes. They are also available in many different price points. It makes sense that you might have a high-end, custom product in the one household room with the highest level of fit and finish: the kitchen. This room also tends to be the most utilized space in the house as well, so quality products are in demand for function, beauty and longevity. Is there really a difference between one product and another? Aren’t all cabinets the same despite variations in color?

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The Inside Outside Guys: Should You Install a Roof Window in Your Home

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, Sept. 18, 2026 ~ They have been around for thousands of years. Perhaps the Oculus in Rome is the best-known open hole in the roof of the Pantheon. It dates from 600 B.C., creating a nearly 30-foot opening in the spherical dome of unreinforced concrete.

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The Inside Outside Guys: Building a Dream Home Starts With the Right Dirt

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, Sept. 18, 2026 ~ Dreaming is fun. Even as contractors, the Guys often started a project for a client where various realities dictate how a job would progress versus the way it would be accomplished if money were no object. We asked ourselves, “If we could build a house without the normal constraints that limit specifications, what would we include?

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The Inside Outside Guys: Why Your Concrete Slab is Cracking and Failing

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, Sept. 10, 2026 ~ We take it for granted. We use it for foundations, driveways, floors, patios and sidewalks. We drive on it. We play games on it. We throw parties on it. Yet we never really notice it until there is an issue. Concrete. A wonderful household amenity that adds value to our living experience — until it doesn’t.

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The Inside Outside Guys: Are Your DIY Home Repairs Actually Legal?

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, Aug. 27, 2026 ~ What work can you legally perform in your own home? There are many schools of thought with regard to this issue, some grounded in fact, others in hope or belief. The answer lies somewhere between the two depending on where you reside.

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The Inside Outside Guys: Smart Home Tech That Makes Life Easier and Safer

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, Aug. 20, 2026 ~ Tech. It’s all we hear about today for everything from our houses to our vehicles and beyond. It can at once be humbling, frustrating, and amazing, especially to older Guys like us. A good friend of the show, builder David Compo, introduced us to several applications in a model home he built a few years ago in Michigan.

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The Inside Outside Guys: Planning a Home Project? Why you Must Call 811 First

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, Aug. 13, 2026 ~ This is the time of year to anticipate those Fall plantings many homeowners will engage. That beautiful, six-foot Blue Spruce you’ve had your eye on for the front corner of the lot will sit better throughout the dormant winter months if it is planted in the Autumn.

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The Inside Outside Guys: Why Finishing Your Basement is a Risky DIY Project

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, July 30, 2026 ~ This seems to be the time of year homeowners are looking ahead to the autumn family gatherings and contemplating a lack of space. When people start to look down to expand the functional use of their home, we suggest they speak with experts like the folks at Finished Basements Plus, BP, in Commerce Township.

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The Inside Outside Guys: Is it Better to Build a New Home or Remodel Yours?

From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, July 23, 2026 ~ So, your current home no longer meets your needs, and you have to make a big decision. Do you build a new home, remodel your existing digs, or look at an existing dwelling elsewhere? On the plus side, newly built homes carry several advantages, not the least of which should be a reprieve from major equipment and system replacements for a few decades.