The Inside Outside Guys: Powered Anode Rods Preserve Water Heater Function
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, Jan. 31, 2025 ~ Nearly every building has a water heater. While many are operated by resistance-type heating elements, the majority of them are gas fired. That sheet…
The Inside Outside Guys: Inside Lighting can Brighten Your Mood
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, Feb. 13, 2025 ~ Ah, the dregs of winter. Everyone is suffering from seasonal affective disorder and praying for the sun to shine. But there are things you…
The Inside Outside Guys: Strength of referrals
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, Feb. 6, 2025 ~ Some say there is no such thing as a “win-win” negotiation. The Guys strongly disagree. We believe there should never be a loser in…
The Inside Outside Guys: How We Condition Air
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 23, 2025 ~ We still design homes for heating in a cold weather climate. When we modify the temperature or humidity or cleanliness of the air, we are…
The Inside Outside Guys: New Year Resolutions for the Home
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 16, 2025 ~ Welcome to the second Friday following the holiday season! This is the deadline by which most of us have officially given up on our New…
The Inside Outside Guys: Heat Movement
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 9, 2025 ~ It’s all about heat. That precious commodity without which we would all perish. Understanding how heat moves can help you to keep your home, and…
The Inside Outside Guys: Attic Ventilation and Why it’s Important
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 2, 2025 ~ Why is attic ventilation such a big deal? You hear the Guys talk about it incessantly, especially this time of year. Most often, in the…
The Inside Outside Guys: Lead in the Home
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 26, 2024 ~ The word “plumbing” comes from the Latin word for lead, plumbum. The Romans popularized the use of lead in water and sewer pipes and…
The Inside Outside Guys: Communication Skills
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 12, 2024 ~ We recently sat with a young wife who had stepped away from her career to represent the couple during a major build and remodel…
The Inside Outside Guys: Doing Your Homework Can Lessen the Need for Complaints
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 5, 2024 ~ When we started the show more than 16 years ago, we hoped to avoid stories like this one. A listener was looking to have…
The Inside Outside Guys: Grout Basics
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 28, 2024 ~ Tile is still a popular amenity in homes, particularly in baths and kitchens. Everything from small, 1-inch square ceramic to large format sheets of…
The Inside Outside Guys: Stairs, and the Steps that Make Them Safe
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 21, 2024 ~ Stairs. Most of us use them every day without thinking. Nearly every home has a set or two; from steps into the house, steps…
The Inside Outside Guys: Understanding professional service companies
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 7, 2024 ~ The Guys are often asked about the criteria we use to refer professional companies to our listeners. One commitment we always look for is…
The Inside Outside Guys: Painting tips from a pro
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 31, 2024 ~ It seems odd that a professional painting company would give the Guys DIY tips for painting to share with our listeners every week. But…
The Inside Outside Guys: Consumer Complaints
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 24, 2024 ~ This article is for contractors only. And, to further exclude potential readers, this is intended only for those companies who choose long-term success and…
The Inside Outside Guys: Floating homes trending as lots dry up
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 17, 2024 ~ Imagine a floating home. No, this is not a backhanded reference to the recent events in Florida. Nor is it about motorized yachts or…
The Inside Outside Guys: All about Barndos
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, September 10, 2024 ~ About 150 years ago, people lived in post-frame barn structures. Back then, it was critical to survival to have the family’s animals protected in…
The Inside Outside Guys: Surveying, The Oldest Profession?
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, September 15, 2024 ~ Several years ago, a listener contacted us regarding a property he and his wife had just purchased. The home was situated on a 10-acre…
The Inside Outside Guys: Fall Masonry Inspection Can Ward Off Trouble
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, August 29, 2024 ~ Now is the time of year to look at that exterior masonry. Masonry, like concrete, has an affinity for water and will absorb it…
The Inside Outside Guys: Answering Your Concrete Questions
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, August 15, 2024 ~ The Guys get a lot of questions this time of year regarding exterior concrete. Concrete is one of the largest products by volume used…
The Inside Outside Guys: What Does Your Warranty Really Mean?
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, August 8, 2024 ~ It’s been a great ride. These past several years have seen an explosion in requests for the services of building contractors. Pent-up demand for…
The Inside Outside Guys: The True Cost of Bad Decisions
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, July 25, 2024 ~ Years ago, we were visiting Toronto for a weekend and decided to sup at an exclusive, and quite expensive, French restaurant. It was a…
The Inside Outside Guys: DIY Hardwood Floors
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, July 11, 2024 ~ People are funny. The construction industry has tried for years to sell us on the benefits of well-built homes that will save energy and…
The Inside Outside Guys: Keeping Your Cool
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 27, 2024 ~ Keep cool. Sounds like a hipster admonition from the ’60s, but it is applicable today as we kick off summer with a streak of…
The Inside Outside Guys: The Cost of Housing
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 20, 2024 ~ It’s just dirt, right? The pieces of earth we build homes on are often referred to as “dirt” when discussing the cost of housing,…
The Inside Outside Guys: Understanding the Builder License Law
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 13, 2024 ~ If you are a regular listener to the Inside Outside Guys, you are aware we have begun a series of public service announcements, PSAs,…
The Inside Outside Guys: Window Treatments Add Insulation as Well as Aesthetic Appeal
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 6, 2024 ~ Why do buildings have windows? It seems a bit crazy to design secure shelter against enemies and the environment only to construct openings in…
The Inside Outside Guys: When Pests are Bugging You
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 30, 2024 ~ We keep our place up north conditioned year-round so we can visit it in June or January. On a recent trip to the lake,…
The Inside Outside Guys: Gutter Mistakes
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 23, 2024 ~ Does every house in the Midwest need rain gutters? Does every house in the Midwest that has rain gutters have them properly installed, maintained…
The Inside Outside Guys: Alternative Housing Options
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 16, 2024 ~ The national housing shortage is very real. Michigan alone is projected to have a shortfall this year of more than 160,000 units. Affordability is…
The Inside Outside Guys: Brick Pavers or Decorative Concrete?
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 9, 2024 ~ Brick pavers and decorative concrete have been popular choices for paving projects in Michigan for many years. They both offer unique benefits and can…
The Inside Outside Guys: What’s That Project Worth?
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 2, 2024 ~ Everyone has a budget. Whether buying a Porsche or a Pinto, maximizing value and function are critical components of the transaction. Part of the…
The Inside Outside Guys: Tub-To-Shower Conversions Can Offer Safety, Style
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 25, 2024 ~ One of the most difficult things we all come to terms with is diminished capacity as we age. We grew older bounding up and…
The Inside Outside Guys: Older Home Considerations
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 18, 2024 ~ How often do we drive by a magnificent older home and marvel at its timeless beauty? So many of these were built to a…
The Inside Outside Guys: To Enjoy Your Project, Select the Right Remodeling Company
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 11, 2024 ~ Are you ready for a kitchen remodel? Do your outdated laminate countertops and particleboard cabinets make you never want to invite anyone inside your…
The Inside Outside Guys: Backyard Water Management
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 4, 2024 ~ With the arrival of spring rains, the Inside Outside Guys are anticipating an increase in questions about water mitigation for flooded yards in southeast…
The Inside Outside Guys: Lighting Up Your Life
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, March 28, 2024 ~ We underestimate the importance of light in our homes. From safety to psychological to physical performance issues, light is a critical component of our…
The Inside Outside Guys: Spending Time Up Front Can Lessen Need For Costly Change Orders
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, March 14, 2024 ~ The license law in Michigan and many other states requires contractors to submit written proposals that include clear specifications and pricing for the work…
The Inside Outside Guys: Home Safety Assessments Can Help you Age in Place
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, March 7, 2024 ~ We all acknowledge that getting older is a blessing and a curse. As time goes by, most of us tend to experience reduced capacity…
The Inside Outside Guys: Evaluating Your Countertop Choices
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, Feb. 29, 2023 ~ What choices do you have when it comes time to replace those countertops? For the past decade or so, granite has been the go-to…
The Inside Outside Guys: Understanding Egress Doors and Windows
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, Feb. 23, 2023 ~ What is a means of egress? We hear the term all of the time in reference to windows, but what does it really mean?…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Economies in Building a House
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, February 8, 2024 ~ A very small percentage of the people that have ever walked the face of the Earth actually get to own a house. An even…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Life is a Negotiation
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, February 5, 2024 ~ We love to spend money. If that weren’t true, credit card usage and personal bankruptcies would not be so prolific. In what other place…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Listening to Your House
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 25, 2024 ~ For most of us, winter can now be over. We enjoyed a beautiful white holiday season, and we are now mentally ready for spring….
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Strategic Deconstruction
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 18, 2024 ~ Compare the phrase “building demolition” with “strategic deconstruction.” One implies the possible reckless use of a sledgehammer or other heavy equipment, while the other…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Why You Need “Make-Up Air” at Home and How to Get It
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 11, 2024 ~ Everyone knows what an exhaust fan is. You have them in your baths and, perhaps, the kitchen, laundry or other workspaces. They are intended…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ What The Dip Tube in Your Water Heater Does
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 28, 2023 ~ There you are, in your master bath, with the hot water running out of the sink faucet, when you notice the flow is not…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Ensuring Chimney Safety for a Warm and Cozy Home
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 21, 2023 ~ From the earliest cave shelters to the grand castles of Europe, fire has been the primary source of warmth for thousands of years. Even…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Learning About Anode Rods
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 14, 2023 ~ Nearly every home has one. Water heaters are ubiquitous in buildings, though they are not all the same. In most cases we heat and…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Add Color to Your Life
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 7, 2023 ~ Who really chooses that color you have to have on your dining room accent wall? You might believe it was your refined taste and…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Keeping Your Home Safe and Cozy in the Cold
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 30, 2023 ~ The hosts on 760 WJR‘s “‘JR Morning with Lloyd Jackson, Jamie Edmonds, and Guy Gordon” recently posed a great question to the Guys. Lloyd,…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Winter is Coming
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 16, 2023 ~ As much as we don’t like to think about it, winter is coming and it’s time to prepare. Here are a few of the…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Add Space for the Holidays
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 9, 2023 ~ Do you have family coming over for the holidays? Perhaps you’ve had a space crunch in years gone by when a lot of people…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Leaving Your Home in the Cold
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 2, 2023 ~ Are you closing down your northern home before you head to a warmer climate for the winter? Perhaps you are simply shutting down a…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Contract Basics
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, February 3, 2023 ~ Don’t sign that contract for home improvements! Not yet anyway. It is good that you are being offered a written contract since it is…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Geotherm Systems
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 19, 2023 ~ Think of one kilowatt-hour, kWH, of electricity as the equivalent of operating 10 100-watt incandescent light bulbs for one hour. The average cost of…
The Inside Outside Guys ~ Eliminate Cold Floors
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 19, 2023 ~ I have never met a Midwesterner who enjoys cold floors in winter. Some cold floor issues are harder to solve than others, like that…
The Inside Outside Guys: Stair Requirements and Safety
DETROIT, January 12, 2022 ~ What is the second leading cause of personal injury to people in the United States? Injuries from falls on stairways is right behind those sustained in automobile accidents. According to the American Journal of Emergency…
The Inside Outside Guys: Quieting Water Pipes
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 5, 2023 ~ Not every home improvement project has to be a home run. Some tasks that improve quality of life in the home are small in…
The Inside Outside Guys: This is Not Your Father’s House
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 29, 2022 ~ You may not remember the 1980’s when the industry and governments were concerned about global cooling. Look it up. We knew worldwide reserves of…
The Inside Outside Guys: Gifts That Keep on Giving
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 22, 2022 ~ This is a great time of the year. We all want to express our love and appreciation for those near and dear to us…
The Inside Outside Guys: Why Foundations Fail
From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 24, 2022 ~ Every building has one, but not every building has a good one. Foundations are intended to transfer the load of a building to the soils below and to…
The Inside Outside Guys: Understanding Flat Roof Systems
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 24, 2022 ~ You’ve heard “The Guys” for years saying that any building needs a great roof and a great foundation. But in that discussion, we have ignored a huge segment of…
The Inside Outside Guys: Accessibility Ramps for Your Home
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 16, 2022 ~ It’s the last thing you ever expect to need, but life without one can be almost impossible. “It” is a ramp intended to help us navigate various height differentials…
The Inside Outside Guys: Dealing with Lead Paint
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 16, 2022 ~ Everyone is aware of the recent issues regarding water contamination by lead pipes, but few maintain an awareness of the ongoing issues with lead paint. It is estimated that…
The Inside Outside Guys: Seal the Duct System
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 3, 2022 ~ Everyone who has ever lived in a home in the Midwest is aware of it. It might be the feel of cold air moving through an exterior wall receptacle…
The Inside Outside Guys: Mark Before You Dig
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 27, 2022 ~ You can hardly blame the guy. He and his wife had moved into their new home two years ago. All efforts to find a good contractor to build that…
The Inside Outside Guys: Change Orders
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 13, 2022 ~ You finally found that perfect remodeler for the project you’ve dreamed of for years. You, your spouse and company personnel went through it together from early design to specification,…
The Inside Outside Guys: What’s in Your Water?
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 7, 2022 ~ So, there I am watching some banal programming on the tube the other night. The show is constantly interrupted by advertisements talking about contaminated water at a military base…
The Inside Outside Guys: A Cautionary Tale
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, September 29, 2022 ~ You did everything right. You created a budget and saved your money for the dream kitchen you’ve always wanted. You sought out referrals for the best contractor, then researched…
The Inside Outside Guys: Furnace Maintenance
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, September 22, 2022 ~ It was just a few decades ago that the start of school in the fall also signaled that it was time to get that fuel oil tank topped off…
The Inside Outside Guys: Labor Appreciation
By: Ken Calverly and Chuck Breidenstein This past week we all celebrated Labor Day, more as a harbinger of the change of seasons than a celebration of the great workforce that built this nation and continues to keep it moving…
The Inside Outside Guys: Slab-on-Grade Duct Systems
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, August 25, 2022 ~ When you next get the chance to go outside, I want you to find a hole in the ground that is an entrance to some critters den. Make certain…
The Inside Outside Guys: Gutters, and How They Protect Your Home from Disaster
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, August 18, 2022 ~ What would you guess the No. 1 cause of basement flooding is in the US? Hydrostatic groundwater pressure, snow melt, burst pipes, public utility backups or water runoff from heavy rains? If you guessed…
The Inside Outside Guys: Tending to Your Masonry Chimney
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, August 11, 2022 ~ Talk about “out of sight, out of mind!” Who ever sticks their face in a chimney to conduct a visual inspection of the flue? “The Guys” usually save this…
The Inside Outside Guys: Countertop Choices that Will Stand the Test of Time
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, August 4, 2022 ~ If you are like 95% of current homeowners, you would like new countertops. Most of those people believe there are three or four choices as to the type of…
The Inside Outside Guys: Find the Pro Before You Need Them
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, July 28, 2022 ~ You woke up this morning to the sound of running water and discovered a cascade coming through the walls and running over the floors. The realization dawns quickly that…
The Inside Outside Guys: Get Energy Efficiency Done Now
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein As Seen in The Detroit News Homestyle Section DETROIT, July 22, 2022 ~ Are you too hot or too cold in your own home? Given the choice, which do you prefer? Let’s be honest, when you are too cold…
The Inside Outside Guys: Understanding Lawn Care
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, July 14, 2022 ~ What creepy, slimy creature eats decomposing grass, helps aerate our lawns and is generally killed en masse by our use of chemical fertilizers and herbicides? If you responded with…
The Inside Outside Guys: Setting Expectations Between Owner and Contractor
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, July 7, 2022 ~ Decades ago, a friend who was an avid outdoorsman met the girl of his dreams. That Fall, he skipped deer camp for the first time in his life to…
The Inside Outside Guys: Learn How to Determine Cost to Value
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 23, 2022 ~ You just had that roof installed nine years ago and a bunch of shingles blew off in yesterday’s wind. You do the smart thing and email your installing contractor….
The Inside Outside Guys: A Modest Proposal: Self-Inspecting Contractors
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 30, 2022 ~ Years ago, we spoke with a contractor who had undertaken some work on a small commercial space for a client. The work included replacing a 100-foot strip of sidewalk…
The Inside Outside Guys: When is it time for a kitchen or bath remodel?
Photo by: Guido Mieth via Getty By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 17, 2022 Don’t think too hard on this one. What are typically the two most expensive rooms in your home? If you answered “kitchen” and “master…
The Inside Outside Guys: Which Window Should You Buy?
Photo: David DelPoio / The Providence Journal / USA TODAY By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 2, 2022 ~ They are all the same, right? Framed glass that may or may not open. You can stand on either…
The Inside Outside Guys: Creating Healthy Basement Air
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 26, 2022 ~ They were not meant to be lived in. The modern evolution of what we call basements began as a convenient way to store and access canned goods, especially during…
The Inside Outside Guys: Insulated Siding Systems Continue to Evolve
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 19, 2022 ~ It was going to be the siding product of the future for housing. The commercial side of the construction industry had discovered it years before and embraced the design…
The Inside Outside Guys: Housing of the Future?
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 5, 2022 ~ What do the names Climatrone, Eden Project, Biosphere and Green dome have in common? They are names of facilities constructed to function as examples of “buildings of tomorrow.” In…
The Inside Outside Guys: Attic Fans: Are They Useful?
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 12, 2022 ~ If you lived on the Gulf Coast in the early part of the last century, you were privy to the evolution of different versions of the Swamp Cooler, initially…
The Inside Outside Guys: Standby Power a New Must-Have for Homeowners
Photo: LifestyleVisuals / Getty Images By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 28, 2022 ~ The American culture has seen the cycle repeat itself many times. Where the advent and affordability of new technology or systems led to the mantra, “Someday,…
The Inside Outside Guys: Strapping down the house
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 22, 2022 ~ We’ve all seen it at least once; that view of Dorothy’s house spinning in the air off its foundation as the home magically leaves Kansas and is deposited in the Land…
The Inside Outside Guys: Spring Walkabout
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 14, 2022 ~ Finally! It is not only spring on the calendar, but the weather is cooperating, and we are seeing the yellow daffodils brave early morning frosts to poke their heads out of…
The Inside Outside Guys: Common Questions About Deck Maintenance
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, April 7, 2022 ~ The Guys get a lot of questions this time of year regarding decks. Most either involve refinishing a wood deck, maintenance issues for older decks or decks people want to add a three-season room to….
The Inside Outside Guys: Increasing the Amount of Skilled Workers
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, March 31, 2022 ~ This question is just for the adults living in a home or apartment. In the past three years, have you had any difficulty finding skilled and trustworthy people to perform maintenance, repairs or…
The Inside Outside Guys: Buying Kitchen Cabinets
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, March 24, 2022 ~ Everyone in America uses them every day without thought. Kitchen cabinets are the midnight sentinel no one thinks about. They do their job without notice and are rarely acknowledged until they…
The Inside Outside Guys: Water — What’s in Your Tap?
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, March 17, 2022 ~ Fresh water. It seems to be everywhere. In fact, if you live in Michigan, you are never more than six miles from a lake or river and never more than 85 miles from one…
The Inside Outside Guys: Those, Cold, Cold Basement Floors
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, March 10, 2022 ~ Every Midwesterner knows the issue. You invest thousands of dollars in finishing that lower-level space only to realize your feet are cold whenever you spend time enjoying it. We really shouldn’t be surprised. That floor…
The Inside Outside Guys: How Long is my Warranty?
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, March 3, 2022 ~ You hear us say it all the time: The company you hire and the name on the product they install is second to the written warranty they provide. We are a couple of years…
The Inside Outside Guys: Three-Season Rooms You Can Enjoy
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, February 24, 2022 ~ The days are starting to get longer and cabin fever has reached its acme, but those cool breezes make it prohibitive to sit on the back deck or front porch to enjoy the…
The Inside Outside Guys: Taking Your DIY Questions
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, February 10, 2022 ~ Most of the systems in a home require the services of a professional at some point. But every homeowner experiences smaller issues that may just require a little know-how and resourcefulness, as evidenced…
The Inside Outside Guys: Seal Your Ceiling
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, February 3, 2022 ~ You’ve seen weather patterns before where warm, moist air, rises, cools and turns to ice only to eventually melt and rain back down. But I’ll bet you never witnessed it…
The Inside Outside Guys: The Lowdown on Dirty Electricity
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 27, 2022 ~ From our email bag, here are a few questions we find to be on the minds of many listeners. Q. I love listening to WJR in my kitchen, but whenever I turn on the overhead lights…
The Inside Outside Guys: Radon, The Invisible Killer
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 20, 2022 ~ It is colorless, odorless and tasteless. It is so “invisible,” in fact, that many claim it doesn’t even exist. But the facts are undeniable; at least 1 in 10 lung cancer deaths, totaling…
The Inside Outside Guys: International Builders Show Highlights Innovations
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, February 17, 2022 ~ If you were looking for a builder during the week of Feb. 8-10, they were very likely in Orlando, Florida, where nearly 120,000 industry professionals converged for Design and Construction Week which included the National Kitchen…
The Inside Outside Guys: Completing Your Basement, Part Two
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, January 13, 2022 ~ In our last article, we performed our preliminary basement room and wall layout. We then determined where mechanical work needed to be done and where egress needed to be provided. We also got…
The Inside Outside Guys: January Home Show Means it’s Time to Look Ahead to Spring
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 30, 2021 ~ How will you invest in your home this coming year? So many people don’t even want to think about it until we get into the spring and summer months, but if the past…
The Inside Outside Guys: A Message to Contractors: The Right Sidewall Insulation Keeps You Cozy
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 23, 2021 ~ You’ve heard it forever. Everybody knows it. Even radio “experts” will tell you. Heat goes up. So, every wise homeowner does the smart thing and jambs as much thermal insulation as they can…
The Inside Outside Guys: A Message to Contractors: Good Communication is Top Priority
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 16, 2021 ~ Every week The Guys create an article directed to our listeners. For a little change of pace, we have chosen to direct this column to the contractors in our beloved industry. These are trying times…
The Inside Outside Guys: Q&A About Ice Dams
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 9, 2021 ~ Tis the season for ice and all the related potential damage that it can cause. The Guys get a lot of questions regarding ice on the roof; something every homeowner has to deal with…
The Inside Outside Guys: Homeowner Associations
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, December 2, 2021 ~ When America began to settle into the suburban land around cities after WWII, a new series of issues began to arise that no country had previously dealt with. Our Levittown subdivisions consisted of individually owned parcels and buildings,…
The Inside Outside Guys: Protect Your Home When You’re Far Away
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 25, 2021 ~ OK. I guess we can all finally admit summer is gone and it’s time to either shut down and abandon the lake house or even the main house and leave the state altogether…
The Inside Outside Guys: Universal Design Helps People Age at Home
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 18, 2021 ~ In an old “Seinfeld” episode, Jerry makes a comment to the effect that the reason for his parents being in Florida is simple – when seniors retire, they are required to move there. In a similar vein,…
The Inside Outside Guys: Air Quality Affects Home, Health, and Comfort
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 11, 2021 ~ Who would have thought that the greatest danger of breathing contaminated air might come from the air supply ducts in our own homes? According to the EPA, the potential concentrations of indoor pollutants are…
The Inside Outside Guys: Keep Design in Mind Even with Septic Systems
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, November 4, 2021 ~ As the country was settled over a few hundred years, we were primarily a rural and agrarian population. Houses located in the middle of a hundred acres of land had the same requirements…
The Inside Outside Guys: Answering Your Questions About Concrete
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 28, 2021 ~ The Guys receive several thousand emails each year from listeners with housing questions. Though we respond to each of them individually, they often follow seasonal themes that apply to many of us. Going into the…
The Inside Outside Guys: All About… Toilets
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 21, 2021 ~ What do the words dunny, loo, bog, and john have in common? They are used throughout the world to refer to the bathroom, which houses the throne. Forget iPhones, big-screen TVs, electric cars and…
Inside Outside Guys: Understanding Window Ratings
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 14, 2021 ~ How would you like to have the “windows” from 13th-century Rome in your home these last few rain-drenched months? They were simply a hole built into the roof to allow for natural…
The Inside Outside Guys: Fire Protection for Your Home and Family
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, October 7, 2021 ~ In the time it takes most people to read this article, approximately five house fires will start in the US. Between now and this time tomorrow, nearly two people will have perished in a…
The Inside Outside Guys: Full Service Contractors
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, September 23, 2021 ~ Fifty years ago, the process of getting a foundation built for a new home involved numerous sub-contractors. You paid a surveyor to locate the building on the property, then brought in an excavator…
The Inside Outside Guys: Too Much Regulation?
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, September 16, 2021 ~ A story was relayed to The Guys about a remodeler working in an “upper-end” jurisdiction. Part of the work involved replacing an existing concrete sidewalk that bordered the property…
The Inside Outside Guys: Whose Land is It?
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, September 9, 2021 ~ Years ago, The Inside Guy purchased an old farm property on some acreage. The property included a barn and other out buildings. A month after the purchase, the neighbor to the west strolled…
The Inside Outside Guys: Leak Detection – Where is That Water Coming From?
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, September 2, 2021 ~ Decades ago, the Inside Guy was called by a real estate broker to check on a home being prepped for a buyer. It seems there was a periodic leak that showed up as stains on…
The Inside Outside Guys: Basement Ventilation is the Key to Clearing the Air
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, August 26, 2021 ~ Ask anyone to describe basement air and you will hear terms like “dank,” “musty,” “moldy” and other adjectives that generally apply to moist, stagnant and unhealthy air. The air we described can cause sinus conditions,…
The Inside Outside Guys: Sump Pumps
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, August 19, 2021 ~ Moving water from one location to another has been a primary concern for mankind since the dawn of time. Devices were developed to furnish water to the king’s fountains, remove water from mines so…
The Inside Outside Guys: Sound Advice
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, August 12, 2021 ~Years ago, the Inside Guy received a call from a custom home builder seeking some advice. It seems a customer was having humidity related issues in a laundry room and master bathroom. The builder had done…
The Inside Outside Guys: The Original Green Industry
DETROIT, August 5, 2021 ~ What do disinfecting wipes, LCD screens, rayon and toothpaste have in common with homes? All use wood products. Highly sustainable, good for the earth, wood products. The Guys have claimed for many years the housing industry was…
The Inside Outside Guys: Stairway Safety
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, July 29, 2021 ~ Chances are good that by the time you read this today, you have already used a set of stairs. The odds are also very good that you did not know the second leading…
The Inside Outside Guys: Housing Problems, Part Two
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, July 22, 2021 ~ Construction mistakes are actually fairly common in housing, but most are small and rectified quickly and the property does not suffer from them. Some take a little more effort to correct than…
The Inside Outside Guys: Common Housing Mistakes That Owners Pay For
DETROIT, July 15, 2021 ~ The Guys have been associated with the noble industry of construction for all of our adult lives. We have seen many mistakes and made a few of our own. The unfortunate reality of some housing mistakes is a…
The Inside Outside Guys: Riding Out The Storm
DETROIT, July 8, 2021 ~ There are only a few things for a homeowner that are worse than finding a basement flooded with storm water or, worse, sewage. Buildings that are serviced by public sewer systems typically have a single pipe…
The Inside Outside Guys: Don’t Buy the Toilet Before You Hire a Plumber
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, July 2, 2021 ~Decades ago, I was in the process of building a new home. Through a catalog I had gotten what appeared to be a great deal on solid brass faucets for the master bath….
The Inside Outside Guys: Is That Home Worth the Cost?
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 25, 2021 ~ Homeownership has long been considered the foundation of the growth of individual wealth in the United States. A large percentage of most people’s net worth is tied to the equity in their home. Homeownership…
The Inside Outside Guys: We Are What We Absorb — Indoor Air
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 17, 2021 ~ Go to your favorite room in the house and sit back in your favorite chair. Take a deep breath. A really deep breath. OMG! What did you just inhale? According to groups like…
The Inside Outside Guys: The Costs of Construction
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 10, 2021 ~ There you are. Sitting in your living room and staring at the four walls, wondering. “Should we build that new sunroom, add that new deck, go ahead with the master bedroom conversion?” People…
The Inside Outside Guys: What’s That Home Improvement Worth?
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, June 3, 2021 ~ There you are. Sitting in your living room and staring at the four walls, wondering. “Should we build that new sunroom, add that new deck, go ahead with the master bedroom conversion?” Today’s…
The Inside Outside Guys: Maintaining Your Lawn
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 27, 2021 ~ Spring is well upon us as trees, flowers and grasses have all awakened and begun to flourish. The Guys are still getting a lot of questions regarding grass lawns. Perhaps the answer…
The Inside Outside Guys: Keeping Cool in The Hot Summer
By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein DETROIT, May 20, 2021 ~ What a marvel of discovery and engineering! It is a really hot and humid summer day inside your home. You walk over to the wall-mounted thermostat, dial a desired temperature, and “viola!”…