Around the House with Eric G®: Home Improvement Remodeling & DIY

This weekend on Around the House: how to remodel a house you plan to rent out. Which finishes survive tenants, what's worth the spend, and what just drains your budget, so your rental stays full and your repair calls stay low.

Hour two answers questions from Around the House Nation, our free Facebook group, starting with a big one: can adding more insulation actually cause mold? Spoiler: two vapor barriers with nowhere for moisture to go is a mold sandwich. Join the group and your question could be on a future show: search Around the House Nation...

This weekend on Around the House: how to remodel a house you plan to rent out. Which finishes survive tenants, what's worth the spend, and what just drains your budget, so your rental stays full and your repair calls stay low.

Hour two answers questions from Around the House Nation, our free Facebook group, starting with a big one: can adding more insulation actually cause mold? Spoiler: two vapor barriers with nowhere for moisture to go is a mold sandwich. Join the group and your question could be on a future show: search Around the House Nation...

Episode Summary

Is America short on homes, or short on affordable ones? In this Wednesday Punch List, Eric G walks through this week’s mortgage rates, existing, pending, and new home sales, builder price cuts, the remodeling market, Portland job losses, and the latest product safety recalls from the CPSC.

What We Cover

Mortgage Rates

Is your furnace ready for winter? We're busting the most common heating and cooling myths with Athen Ashby of Pyramid Heating and Cooling, the team that's taken care of Eric's house for more than a decade. They serve Portland and Central Oregon (Bend), Oregon CCB #59382. (We legally have to do that in Oregon)

We cover what homeowners should do right now before cold weather hits: changing the air filter (and why that cheap one-inch filter can overheat your furnace), annual gas tune-ups, flame sensor cleaning, and why register filters and "beauty cages" around your outdoor unit do...

Want a smarter home but don't know where to start? We sit down with interior designer Wendy Glaister of Wendy Glaister Interiors for a beginner-friendly, DIY guide to home technology that you can actually install yourself.

We start with the foundation: a fast internet connection, a speed test, and a mesh Wi-Fi system that gets rid of dead zones. Then we get into picking one smart home "language," like Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings or Matter, so all your devices work together from one app and you're not juggling 12 of them. Eric shares his favorites: Lutron...

This Saturday on Around the House with Eric G, we're covering smart home tech and how your HVAC system really works! In hour one, Wendy Glaister joins us and Eric teaches Home Tech 101. That means easy smart home products like a one-swipe "good night" scene that locks the doors, closes the garage, lowers the blinds and sets the outdoor lights. We'll also talk about why smart devices like video doorbells only last about five to seven years. In hour two, we sit down with Pyramid Heating and Cooling to explain how your furnace and HVAC work, which noises warn...

Portland's downtown hotel crash and a nationwide crackdown on unlicensed contractors both hit homeowners, and we break down why. I saw hotels in Portland go from hundreds of millions to pocket change, and that cascade matters even if you're only worried about a kitchen remodel. We riff on jaw-dropping numbers. The Royal Sonesta was bought for $108M in 2016 and resold for about $6.8M. Yeah, you heard that right. We talk about how hotel and commercial fire sales reshape downtown cores, and why those downtown problems eventually trickle into neighborhood housing markets. I give the bleak-but-useful view: commercial collapse can...

If you like bathrooms that feel like a tiny resort you can actually afford to enjoy, I want to walk you through my top 10 picks for a 2027 master-bath remodel — the stuff I’d spend money on (and in many cases already did). We chat about the gear that transforms a wet, mildew-prone box into a spa-like, low-maintenance oasis: AirMada’s airjet shower drying system that blows showers dry in 20–30 minutes (seriously, mold hates it), Ardex Flexbone heated floors that warm tile and benches, and Thermasol’s Total Wellness steam systems with aromatherapy, chromotherapy and touchscreen controls. I point out why linear...

Alright, here’s how I’d play 2027 if I were you: the housing market is shifting from a relentless seller’s treadmill to something friendlier to buyers — at least in most metros. I walk you through the numbers we’ve been watching (Redfin’s gap, inventory creeping up, average time on market around 33 days) and explain why mortgage rates in the mid-to-high sevens aren’t apocalypse-level — they’re just the new normal compared to the dreamy 3% era. I also tell it straight about deferred maintenance: water is the slow killer of houses, and if you let caulking, roofing and exterior wood slid...

Buckle up — we’re jumping straight into the 2027 game plan and I’m the one steering this conversation with a coffee cup in one hand and a measuring tape in the other. We talk about whether you’re remodeling, buying new, or hunting for that first home, and I give the kind of no-nonsense pointers that actually help you avoid rookie mistakes. We also get real about silica dust: I lay out how quartz granules become a health hazard when fabricators dry-cut without respirators or water suppression, why manufacturers and cutters both share the blame, and what could happen if regul...

Forget polite corporate spin — I ripped into something that smells funny and I’m dragging you along. I talk about how Lennar spun off Milrose (they split it off in early 2025), and then Milrose went on a buying spree: more than 700 finished homes across 15 states in about a month, roughly $200 million worth. My antennae went up when Hunter Brook Media (and yes, they’re affiliated with an investment firm) started poking around and found Milrose buying homes that were supposed to be held as land — not rented out. Then filings changed, suddenly allowing Milrose to rent finished houses. Investors filed a...

Home ventilation with Ken from Panasonic: ERVs, bath and kitchen exhaust fans, crawlspace moisture and MERV-13 filters for better indoor air.

Ventilation is the single biggest thing you can do to keep your home healthy, and John and I got into it with Ken from Panasonic. We talked about why the dusty little $29 fan most builders put in isn't cutting it, and why a quality fan with a real ECM motor pays for itself. Ken has one humming away in his own crawl space that's been running for 18 years.

We broke down ERVs: two fans...

Eric had a family emergency this week so we had to jump into a best of episode as he had to jump on a plane to the midwest: AI remodeling estimates with Instabid.pro: scan your kitchen with your phone, get a contractor bid in minutes. A Best Of on AI estimating.

John and I start by poking at those viral 3D-printed house videos. They look great, but I'm not convinced a stack of concrete tubes makes it through a real winter. Then we get to something actually useful: Instabid.pro. You walk a kitchen with your...

AI is changing construction and remodeling in America — and right up front we dig into how machine smarts are speeding up the slowest part of every project: design and estimation. We promise, there won’t be a robot under your sink installing plumbing tomorrow, but these tools get homeowners real, region-priced numbers fast, keep contractors honest, and shave off a ton of admin so builders can stop living in spreadsheets. Eric G had to jet to the Midwest for a family emergency, so we threw together a remastered best-of for you this week with extras you probably missed the firs...

Buying new construction with 7% mortgage rates: builder rate buy-downs, pre-drywall inspections, buyer's agents and this week's product recalls.

This week's Punch List is a quick one. I recorded from a hotel room in Rochester, MN, near the Mayo Clinic, because family comes first, so forgive the scratchy voice. Next week we're back with a fresh show.

The housing market is weird right now. Mortgage rates are over 7%, but prices are drifting down, so if you can handle the payment it may be a smart time to buy. Builders are getting creative to move houses. They're...

Walk your floor plans at full scale with Joe Matejka of Walk Your Plans: life-size blueprints that catch home design mistakes before you build.

What if you could walk through your new house or remodel before anybody pours concrete? Walk Your Plans projects your blueprints at exact scale on the floor, and Joe Matejka told us builders and designers catch over 90% of pre-construction mistakes this way. That's a lot of $20K to $50K fixes that never happen.

I'll admit I used to tape out kitchen islands with foam board so clients could picture them. Amateur...

Smoke and carbon monoxide detector tips from Kidde for Fire Prevention Week: new UL standards, low-level CO alerts, lithium battery fire risks.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detector tips from Kidde's Stephanie Berzinski and Jason Kohm: new UL standards, low-level CO alerts, lithium battery risks. Smoke and CO detectors aren't the dinosaurs our parents screwed into the ceiling. The UL rewrites turned them into little computers that can tell a real fire from burnt toast, so people stop ripping them off the wall. Kidde's newer units will even nag you at the 10-year mark so you finally replace...

Fire Prevention Week had us nerding out on the tiny stuff that can save big lives — I sat down with Stephanie and Jason from Kidda and we chased down the recent UL upgrades, low-level CO alerts and why smart alarms actually deserve a coat of respect. We talked about how CO detection used to be a blunt instrument (boom – 70 ppm and you’re toast), and how the new low-level devices now flag you at about 35 ppm — a meaningful change for kids, seniors, pets and anyone with health issues. I walked through how those particles in the air get measured, why the...

This week on The Punch List, I break down my favorite Amazon Prime Big Deal Days picks for your home, from Roborock robot vacuums and Lutron Caséta dimmers to BORA sawhorses and a Chamberlain myQ video keypad. We also cover a big batch of product recalls and what Berkshire Hathaway's $8.5 billion Taylor Morrison deal means for housing. Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are happening right now — I’m talking hot steals like Roborock robot vacuums, Lutron Caséta dimmers, a bargain Rove dash cam and even Chamberlain MyQ garage video keypads, but heads up: these Prime-only prices end Wednes...

We walk you through a no-nonsense, fall-before-winter home audit that I’ve been doing on the show for over two decades—no fluff, just the stuff that keeps your house from turning into a soggy money pit. I kick things off with water management because water is the enemy (dramatic, but true). Clean gutters, unclog downspouts, and make sure water gets at least 10 feet away from the foundation; if your gutters dump at the curb, run a hose and watch for pooling, roots, or corrugated plastic joints that rot out. If you’ve got irrigation or underground sprinklers, blow them o...

I'll show you my tricks on how not to get ripped off by a bad foundation contractor—seriously, learn the moves so you don't end up paying for drama and a leaky floor. We dig into crawlspace realities too (that gross air with spiders and rodents absolutely can creep into your home), plus why radon testing and encapsulation might be the smart play in some markets. Hour two is our Around the House Annual Fall Home Maintenance Checklist: caulk windows, doors and siding, inspect weatherstripping, and fix that garage door seal — basically hunt down every sneaky air gap like a ho...

Alright, let me give it to you straight — I want you calm, curious, and not handing over a giant check because some flashlight-wielding salesperson played the fear card. We walk through how concrete behaves (it cracks — that’s normal), how to read those cracks (hairline vertical = cosmetic; horizontal, stair-step, or anything wider than about a quarter-inch or that accepts a business card = time to investigate), and why soil, trees, old mixes (yeah, sometimes sand from the beach with salt), or poor compaction can turn a boring leak into a structural headache. I even tell a story where a broken sprink...

This week on The Punch List, I break down why buyers finally have the upper hand, with mortgage rates back above 7% and Redfin reporting 57.9% more sellers than buyers in August. We run through the latest product recalls, and I recap emceeing Rock the Locks, where I proposed to Alisa backstage and she said yes. We kick this midweek Punch List off with that high-energy recap before diving into the real stuff. We dig into fresh housing data: mortgage rates have crept back above 7% (Freddie Mac ~7.03%, Bankrate ~7.33%), existing-home sales hit a 2026 low, and Redfin says there were about 57.9% more sellers...

Fall decorating trends with interior designer Wendy Glaister: warm layered lighting, rich colors over greige, smart home timers and holiday prep.

Interior designer Wendy Glaister of Wendy Glaister Interiors joined me to talk about making your house feel warmer and brighter as the days get shorter. After years of greige, people are moving toward richer colors, plaids, florals and Ralph Lauren-inspired looks, plus timeless details like Greek key patterns.

We talked about layered, warmer lighting and simple smart-home setups that put lamps, fireplaces, blinds and thermostats on timers. Then decorating do's and don'ts: easy on...

Empty nester home design with interior designer Wendy Glaister: upsizing instead of downsizing, plus stylish aging-in-place features.

More empty nesters are skipping the downsize. Interior designer Wendy Glaister joined me to talk about clients who are upsizing or redesigning their homes for an active next chapter. Pandemic-era priorities and wanting a better quality of life are driving a lot of these decisions.

The fun part is aging-in-place features that look high-end, not like a hospital: zero-threshold showers, bidet-ready outlets, better lighting, heated floors, safer induction cooktops and sound-insulated offices and bathrooms.

Wendy shared...

Hold on tight—we're spilling the tea on a trend that flips the script: empty nesters upsizing. I'm Eric G., and Wendy Glaster and I race through a story that sounds like lifestyle porn for people who suddenly find themselves with extra square footage and a newfound love of entertaining. We walk you through a couple who decided not to gut and cling to their old house but to buy big instead—carriage house, outdoor kitchen, Olympic-size pool, acres of lawn. Seriously, they went full social-hub: Bible studies, baby showers, grandkid blowouts—their place is basically the community’s favorite...

Mold lawsuits against home builders D.R. Horton and Lennar: HVAC sizing, building science failures and what new-home buyers should do.

I think mold is quietly turning into the next lead paint or asbestos, and I'm waving a big flag about it. Volume builders like D.R. Horton and Lennar are getting hit with lawsuits over undersized HVAC, poor framing, poorly ventilated attics, wet lumber and homes built so tight they sweat themselves into mold. That's not "just maintenance." It's basic building science, and it's failing.

I walked through the Dixon v. D.R. Horton...

Master bathroom remodel tips for 2026: budget, designers, shower waterproofing, tile installers, aging in place and bath fan ventilation.

Planning a master bathroom remodel? I walk through my top 10 tips so you don't blow the budget, hire the wrong crew or build a shower that fails in five years.

Start by checking neighborhood comps on Zillow before you design, so you don't over- or under-build. Hire your designer at the drawing stage, not after demo. Pay once, or pay the contractor twice. While the walls are open, plan for aging in place, add Rockwool insulation (one...

AI in construction and remodeling is moving fast — and a lot of the hype doesn’t hold up on a real jobsite. On this episode of Around the House, certified kitchen designer Eric G and co-host John Dudley cut through the noise on AI-powered design, estimating, and bidding, and what actually helps homeowners, contractors, and remodelers today.

They dig into the buzz around 3D-printed concrete houses — aesthetics, insulation, durability — and why practical building systems still win for most projects. Then they get into AI kitchen design and phone-based scanning that can turn a room into visuals, material lists, a...

Hold on tight — we’re serving up a weekend tease that’s part tech nerd rally, part contractor confessional. I (Eric) and John trade war stories about how AI is creeping into construction estimates and, frankly, making some of the old guesswork look amateur-hour. We dig into how automated estimate tools are changing what homeowners see from contractors, why a slick algorithm can be both a blessing and a headache, and how the speed of tech collides with the human chaos of finding someone you trust with your home. John’s rant about contacting 20 contractors and getting only two bites is...

Alright, here's the midweek chaos I called the Punch List — I'm Eric G., your loudspeaker for home stuff and occasional festival hype. I kick things off by bragging about being the MC for Rock the Locks in Umatilla (Sept 25–27) — three days, 25 bands, camping, and a ridiculous amount of classic rock goodness. If you’re wondering why a home-improvement nerd is moonlighting as a concert MC, it’s because we appreciate good build quality whether it’s a guitar rig or a soffit detail. I promise I’ll be handing out high-fives and remodeling tips between bands. Come say hi; I’ll trade a f...

Strap in — we take a smart, slightly snarky tour through what makes a house actually behave like a home instead of a mysterious money-eating box. I sit down with Emily Mottram, an architect and building‑science nerd in the best way, and we pick apart a Maine project that’s equal parts summer cottage and winter puzzle. Picture this: an attached garage with a room above it, a septic tie‑in that had to snake under a plowed driveway, and a boulder that refused to be diplomatic about burial depth. We walk through why driveways actually get colder when you plow...

I got real about security with Brandon Smith from Aura — no fluff, just the gap homeowners keep tripping over. I tell the story about pulling up to my driveway and finding my garage gutted (sunny weekday, tools gone), calling 911 and waiting...and waiting. Brandon and I dug into why cameras and recorded footage aren’t the finish line: in a lot of cities the police won’t prioritize property-only calls or need more verification before they roll. Aura’s neat move is bringing a human deterrent back into the loop — on-demand guard vehicles that roll up, flash some lights, and make t...

Eric here — I sat down with Emily Mottram and we basically went full nerd on how houses actually work (spoiler: physics wins). We nerded out on the four control layers — air, water, vapor and thermal — and why missing one of those is like forgetting the eggs in your cheesecake: the whole thing collapses. Emily walked us through real-life horror and hero stories (a gorgeous remodel that still fell to wildfire, and a Habitat-for-Humanity build that outperformed a multimillion-dollar mansion). We chatted flashing — yes, International Flashing Day is a thing now — and how sloppy tape-ups, flapping housewrap, or a single mis-sequen...

Eric G just got back from a raucous little jaunt to northeast Oregon, and let me tell you, it's all about the vibes up there. Picture this: the stunning Wallowa Lake State Park, where the mountains give you serious postcard envy, and the fishing is... well, let's say it's more about the adventure than the catch. Eric reminisces about childhood trips where he fished with his dad, and despite the low water levels this time around, the nostalgia is thick in the air. We dive into the importance of taking breaks, soaking in nature, and how that recharge can...

Labor Day is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than with a deep dive into the heart and soul of American craftsmanship? We’re shining the spotlight on two remarkable companies that embody the spirit of our Made in America 250 celebrations: Ardex and Evolve Stone. This episode is packed with insightful conversations that unveil the intricacies behind American-made products, starting with Ardex. Join Eric G. as he chats with William White, who shares the magic behind Ardex's innovative tile installation systems. From the importance of proper substrate preparation to the revolutionary new V1300 underlayment, we discuss how Ar...

Get ready to kick off your Labor Day weekend with a bang as we dive deep into the world of hardwood flooring! This isn’t just any old flooring chat; we’re talking about the ins and outs of wood species, installation tips, and the unique quirks that come with each type of floor. Ever heard of black walnut? Oh boy, it’s a beauty, but it comes with its own set of challenges, especially if you’ve got a sun-drenched living room that could fry an egg! We’ll explore how UV rays can turn your gorgeous floors into a sun...

Labor Day Weekend is here, and what better way to celebrate than by diving into the world of hardwood flooring with the experts from Treadline Hardwood? In this lively episode, Eric G. invites Titus and Kelly, his neighbors from Portland, to chat about the ins and outs of hardwood flooring. It's a laid-back but informative discussion that tackles everything from the intimidation that homeowners often feel when faced with flooring choices to the nitty-gritty of refinishing. Eric shares his horror stories of DIY disasters, and the pros weigh in on why hiring experts can save you from a floor...

With the crisp autumn air beckoning and winter lurking around the corner, it's time to prepare our homes for the chilly months ahead! Eric G. is here to spill the beans on how we can save some serious cash and keep our homes cozy without breaking the bank. Forget about splurging on a brand-new furnace; all you need is a Saturday and a bit of elbow grease! We dive into the world of duct sealing—yes, that’s a thing—and how it can drastically cut down your heating bill by as much as 30%. Imagine saving that extra cash just b...

As the kids gear up for another exciting school year, it's the perfect time to hit reset on our home organization. This episode dives deep into the art of transforming our spaces into functional havens that can withstand the chaos of family life. We’re revisiting some stellar tips and tricks we picked up over the summer for decluttering and organizing, with insights from expert Shelby Cornette, the original Neat Freak herself! We chat about everything from tackling the dreaded playroom to creating a zen-like kitchen space, all while keeping things light and fun. So grab your favorite cozy dr...