This year spring storms have brought an unusual amount of flooding and wind damage to much of the country. The first weeks if summer portend a rough and rocky weather-related summer and fall. With storms comes power outages. Here are some tips to help you get and stay prepared for the inevitable. Having a generator at the ready is a great place to start. For the purposes of this article we will classify generators into two groups. Portable and stationary. Portable generators are typically smaller, as the name implies are portable and generally smaller. The benefits to this type of generator...


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Frankly Speaking (4-26-2019) We need to talk. Four words most of us never want to hear. Primarily because it portends a rather unpleasant conversation. However, if you want to manage expectations properly - Great Expectations in Residential Remodeling - 11-19-2018  - good and sometimes frank discussions are critical. The biggest mistakes made in residential remodeling all share at least one common factor. Lack of communications. We have all heard the disaster stories as well as the subsequent analysis. Today I want to write about something more specific. Designing, discussing, planning...


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No time for philosophizing, opinionating or joking around. This is serious. Chicago and a large part of the Midwest will experience freezing low temperatures in the coming days not seen in several years. Here are some tips that may make getting through the next week a lot easier. These tips are in no specific order of importance. In fact some may not apply to you at all. If you know somebody that might benefit from these tips, please pass them on. Lower you heat to the mid 60’s. That right you heard me. Your furnace will be working hard enough this week. Placing more burden on it than...


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Hey Kitchen Guy, now that I have this gorgeous kitchen how do I make my old walls & ceilings look new again? Short answer is, it takes hard work. Long answer is below. Making old walls look good again isn’t easy. I have often been asked to make these old walls look good again. Typically, the timing breakdown for making an old wall or room look great with a new paint job is about 75% prep work, 15% priming and 10% top coat. Here’s what I do.All work should be done under bright lights. You should also try to keep the humidity down in the room to allow the paint to dry thoroughly. If you are working...


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What’s the matter Bunky? Did the last project take a bad turn and now the client hates your guts? Now you’re worried about getting lit up on the internet? Or, the contractor you hired to remodel the kitchen is turning your dreams into a nightmare? My question for contractors, architects, designers and homeowners is this;  were your expectations reasonable and understood by the other people involved? It’s not hard to find someone with a story about a remodeling project that didn’t end well. Whether it ended in disaster or mild disappointment, you still walked away with regret and,...


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Many still suffering with power outages and flooding need to be careful when running extension cords on the ground. Running generators with extension cords through wet areas can be deadly. Do it safely with products like these. And avoid using cords that are missing prongs or are frayed.  https://www.homedepot.com/b/Electrical-Extensi…/N-5yc1vZcger


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It’s show time. No not the Super Bowl or March Madness, I’m talking about the home show season. Coming to a pavilion near you. Here you sit watching the big game hoping your numbers hit. Your team’s season ended ages ago. Well it did for us here in Chicago anyways. In a few hours the Football season will be over and there won’t be any excuses for putting off the 2016 Home Improvement list. There’s a big home show this weekend. Where do you start? Here are a few ideas on getting started and maximizing your trip to the home show. Put your list together: Don’t over think it. Many...


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August 31, 2013 So you are about to buy a new home. The home is in a good school district. This is the home you will raise your family in creating memories that will last for generations. You are impressed with the builder. You love all the moldings and built-in cabinetry, book shelves and cubbies for displaying things. In this price range it goes without saying you want quality. You’re not worried about having to replace anything or remodel the kitchen in a few years because everything is new, high quality made in America. Right? Yeah, maybe, maybe not so much.   Click Here...


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Jeff Kida recently wrote an article published in Remodeling Magazine discussing the traditional work triangle and the concept of "Zone Kitchen Design". Click here to view the pdf version  Remodeling Magazine May 2013 Article You can also read it on line at the Remodeling Magazine web site along with other great articles. www.remodeling.hw.net


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“Q: Dear Kitchen Guy: I would like to buy gift for friends of mine that are real “Foodies”, what do you suggest? A: I can offer you two must have items for anyone serious about cooking. These products are top of their respective classes and Made in America. Click Here for the PDF version of this article Ask The Kitchen Guy 11-30-2012 - Innovative Products for Foodies Must Have Item One: Any serious foodie must have high quality cutlery. I recommend CUTCO Cutlery. I believe it is as good as any cutlery made in the world. Here are some of the benefits to buying CUTCO Cutlery. Free...


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