MY OUTDATED BATHROOM CONTEST...WIN $2000

It’s your bathroom. If you’re like the rest of us, it’s where you spend more than 30 minutes per day. On a busy day, you may not find time to recline in the living room or even catch a meal at the kitchen table, but try as you might you will experience 30 minutes with your toilet.
How is your experience?
Welcome to National Builder Supply’s My Outdated Bathroom Experience. We’re providing a $2,000 bathroom upgrade to the individual who can portray the most compelling view into their outdated bathroom experience. Here is what we suggest: You’ve got 30 minutes today, why not take a look around? Soak it all in. Then tell us about it. Have fun with it and tell your friends because some of those 30 minutes is spent in their outdated bathroom. After all, 30 minutes a day becomes 8 days a year! Share your experience for the chance to upgrade your bathroom today.

Prize: $2,000 Bathroom Upgrade!

Prize Eligibility : This contest is open to people at least 13 years old that
reside in United States.
Contest Starts : July 22, 2009 at 11:32 am (PDT)
Contest Ends : September 30, 2009 at 11:59 am (PDT)

Official Rules :
Each entry needs to include at least one photograph with some commentary
Individuals can vote on each submission once throughout the contest
Bathroom photos need to be legitimate (your bathroom) and in good taste (not in use ;)
The entry with the most thumbs-up votes at the end of the contest period will win
The sponsors reserve the right to bar any entry deemed inappropriate or fraudulent
Thanks for sticking to the rules!

CRASH FOR CLUNKERS?

In my continuing concern for the environment and "green" solutions for our basic needs I greeted with much interest and on this past Monday blogged about the much anticipated “Cash for Clunkers” program giving you some details and some websites to go to for further info. Well apparently it has been such a success that after only 6 days in operation it is either cancelled or on life support depending in which un-named source you care to believe. This morning the AP is reporting that the White House was assessing its options amid concerns the $1 billion budget for rebates for new car sales may have been depleted. Transportation Department officials called lawmakers earlier Thursday to alert them of plans to suspend the program as early as Friday. White House official said later the program had not been suspended and they were reviewing their options to keep the program funded and was working to assess the situation facing what is obviously an incredibly popular program. Originally the program was scheduled to last through Nov. 1 or until the money ran out. As of Wednesday the AP reported that 22,782 vehicles had been purchased through the program and nearly $96 million had been spent. But dealers raised concerns about large backlogs in the processing of the deals in the government system. A survey of 2,000 dealers by the National Automobile Dealers Association found about 25,000 deals had not yet been approved by the government, or nearly 13 trades per store. It suggested that with about 23,000 dealers taking part in the program, car dealers may already have surpassed the 250,000 vehicle sales funded by the $1 billion program.

The news programs have been rife with reports from dealerships of the vast success of the program with many dealers testifying, on camera, of their inability to keep up with the traffic in their showrooms and equally stating that even though they had originally thought that the program would be a bust instead it has been a boon to the car business which has been on the ropes for some months now and as we all know the government has had to step in to rescue both Chrysler and General Motors. An east coast Florida dealer reported selling 50+ Toyotas since Monday where he hadn’t sold 50 cars total in the last 3 months. Additionally there have been reports of confusion both from the dealers, buyers and the Government office in charge of the program with arbitrary changes to old EPA ratings on older model cars being changed after deals have been made. In this case dealers are demanding that the buyer either pay the $4500 or bring the car back.
I’m sorry to say if your plans were to race out this week end and trade the old buggy in on something new and economical you may have waited too long but watch the news and check with your local dealers for updates. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MAKE A DEAL AND DRIVE OFF WITH THE NEW CAR UNTIL YOU KNOW AND HAVE CERTIFICATION THAT YOUR DEAL HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE TRANSPORTATION DEPT. There are desperate dealers out there that could easily mislead you to believe that your deal is done and then in a few days call you back with a demand for more money.
I will also try to give you any updates that I run across and will post them here and on our Twitter site @NBSUPPLY.

Vacation Prep...Do I turn the water off?

This may come a little late in the vacation season but well worth discussing anytime of the year. The question was asked, the other day, on one of the threads I watch, “should I shut my water off in the house when on vacation?” The answer is positively yes. You never know what can happen when you're away and how much damage can be done by out of control water in your home. I call to mind friends who, several years ago, left their home for an extended vacation and while gone a shut off valve on one of their plumbing fixtures failed and started water flowing all over their single story ranch home (a very expensive home by the way). I do not remember how many thousands of gallons they were billed for but the damage was incredible. Not only was their carpeting soaked but the hardwood floors buckled and popped off the floor, kitchen cabinets were ruined, the sheet rock soaked water half way up all of the walls, clothes wicked water up into the closets, the appliances were ruined, all of the electrical outlets had to be replaced, much of their beautiful wooded furniture was ruined and any upholstered furniture that was in contact with the floor was ruined. I was absolutely dumbfounded by the damage. The home was almost considered by the insurance company to be a total loss and everything in it was totaled. What would cause a valve like that to fail? It can be many things, too much water pressure from the meter over a long period of time can cause valves to fail, a sudden burst of pressure can cause it, and face it some shut off valves just get old corroded and fail. Other things that can happen are the hot water heater can go critical and the T&P valve can blow off or worse yet not blow, pipe joints can fail over years, toilets can be stuck and overflow, cold weather can cause freezing of pipes, even an unknown crack caused in a previous winter that has had just a small indiscernable leak can suddenly burst and cause vast damage. The list can go on and on including vandalism when a home has been broken into and the vandals turn the water on…think “Home Alone”..lol.
The bottom line is if you’re going to be away for more than a brief period of time it doesn’t hurt to turn the water off at the main shut off or at the street (if you have the tool). Additionally anytime you are going to impede the water flow especially hot water, shut the circuit breaker or gas line off to your hot water heater because you can do permanent damage to a hot water heater that has no water in it. You should also refer to an earlier blog I wrote about how to winterize your home to get details on how to properly drain a house for cold weather.

CASH FOR CLUNKERS

Today’s blog is going to veer from the DIY realm somewhat but nonetheless is a subject close to my heart and something that I continue to address every chance I get. I am a car fanatic without the means to pursue that fanatasism and more so I am involved in and a strong proponent of “green” topics and initiatives. Being an ex-accountant and by nature and education an economist I am also very concerned with the state of the economy, today, both here in the US and in the World. With all of these issues in mind I wanted to put some information into the flow about the US “Cash for Clunkers” program. Here from the official US Government website are the particulars of the program in a nut shell and applicable links for further info. I urge everyone to look into this opportunity to both take a gas guzzler off the road, to better our economy by increasing demand for the auto industry and to beautify your driveway with a new car. I had to get a DIY purpose in there somewhere.LOL

The CAR Allowance Rebate System (CARS) is a $1 billion government program that helps consumers buy or lease a more environmentally-friendly vehicle from a participating dealer when they trade in a less fuel-efficient car or truck. The program is designed to energize the economy; boost auto sales and put safer, cleaner and more fuel-efficient vehicles on the nation's roadways.
§ Your vehicle must be less than 25 years old on the trade-in date
§ Only purchase or lease of new vehicles qualify
§ Generally, trade-in vehicles must get 18 or less MPG (some very large pick-up trucks and cargo vans have different requirements)
§ Trade-in vehicles must be registered and insured continuously for the full year preceding the trade-in
§ You don't need a voucher, dealers will apply a credit at purchase
§ Program runs through Nov 1, 2009 or when the funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
§ The program requires the scrapping of your eligible trade-in vehicle, and that the dealer disclose to you an estimate of the scrap value of your trade-in. The scrap value, however minimal, will be in addition to the rebate, and not in place of the rebate.
Consumers will be able to take advantage of this program and receive a $3,500 or $4,500 discount from the car dealer when they trade in their old vehicle and purchase or lease a new one. Consumers you do not need to register anywhere or at anytime for this program. However, to find out eligibility requirements click here.
What is NHTSA doing to guard against fraud? Click here for more information. Allegations of fraud may be reported by calling our toll-free 24-hour hotline at 1-800-424-9071
§ Qualified consumers may participate in the CARS Program between July 1, 2009 and November 30, 2009 on authorized funds are no longer available.
§ Qualified consumers will receive a credit of $3,500 or $4,500 for an eligible trade-in toward the purchase of lease of an approved vehicle under CARS Program.
§ Qualified consumers will receive the $3,500 or $4,500 credit at the time the purchase their new vehicle.
§ Dealers must provide consumers with any other advertised rebates or discounts in addition to the credit they receive through the CARS Program.
§ Consumers should expect to conduct their deals at their dealership of choice, not on the Internet.
§ Consumers should expect the dealers to provide their best estimate of the scrap value for their eligible trade-in vehicle. Dealers are allowed to deduct $50 from this value for their administrative costs.
§ Consumers should expect that all information collected through the CARS Program will be kept confidential. Social Security members are not required for a CARS transaction.
For further info consult the links above or get out to an authorized new car dealer, kick some tires and see what the program can do for you

Should you buy a $400 faucet?

I answered a thread on GardenWeb/bathrooms the other day where a writer was asking for opinions or permission to pay $400 for a Grohe faucet she was in love with. As I have written in past blogs faucets can be a very personal purchase and involve a lot of emotions. After all a housewife may spend more time with her kitchen faucet than any other item in her day to day life, including her husband. With this thought in mind it should be pleasant to the sight, comfortable in the hand and certainly should be reliable, sort of like her husband. So would you scrimp on money or less be careful on choosing the spouse or maybe the solution is a spouse with money?? LOL. Well maybe that’s a bad analogy but does point out that a faucet can be an important purchase and money may not always be the determining factor. Long term quality is important to me, whereas another writer stated that he wasn’t going to buy an expensive faucet because they were easily replaced and he figured he could spend $100 instead of $400 on a faucet any time over 1 year of service was profit to him. His opinion was that faucets are easy to replace. I wonder how long it takes him to get around to replacing it? How angry does his spouse have to get to have him do it? How do they get by when the faucet falls apart in the middle of Thanksgiving dinner and his local big box store is closed? I answered the thread that I felt there was no replacement for quality. I drive a Mercedes, all be it a very old Mercedes, but it is still a quality automobile and even after 20 years when I get in it to go somewhere it fires right up and takes me down the road and safety and never ceases to make me feel good driving it. Could I have bought a car that would have given me good service? Maybe but would I have loved it all these years? Probably not. So should the lady buy her $400 faucet because she loves it? I say absolutely.

What is Kerdi?

As I venture forth day to day reading and commenting on forums and discussion groups another phrase that I see come up often is “Kerdi”. After doing a little research I find that Kerdi is the name brand of a series of components used to install shower stalls and to insure their water tightness. The following is cited from an article by Schluter-Kerdi, the manufacturer of this system, and included in today’s blog with my thanks for using it and giving them full credit for the information herewith. To read the article in full and to get further information on and questions answered about the system refer to http://www.schluter.com/3783.aspx

“The hygienic and maintenance-free characteristics of finished tiled coverings account for the prevalence of this ideal surface in bathroom and, specifically, shower applications. However, because the integrity of the tiled surface relies upon a system of water management to protect the sub-shower assembly from moisture penetration, tiled showers have always represented a considerable challenge for installers.The traditional method of installing a shower receptor has some obvious drawbacks. Typically, an installer must place a mortar bed, sloped to the weep holes in the sub-drain, prior to installing the pan liner. Once this "pre-slope" has cured to the point where it can be walked upon, the pan liner is installed - with its tenuous connections to the clamping ring in the sub-drain, seaming, and carefully fitted corners around the curb area, all of which must be bonded with the appropriate solvent-based bonding agent. Each of these steps must be completed, and the weep holes protected from being clogged with mortar, before the shower pan is ready to receive the setting bed for the floor tiles. This conventional methodology requires substantial time and labor. However, since shower pan liners are placed below the mortar setting bed in a conventional assembly, receptors successfully constructed in this manner allow moisture to saturate the mortar bed. This can increase the risk of leakage, cause efflorescence, lead to deterioration of the mortar bed itself, and foster bacteria and fungus growth.
The industry responded to this situation by developing bonded waterproof membranes, which bond directly to the mortar bed and protect it from becoming saturated. In 1987, Schluter-Systems supplied the industry with an effective seaming and waterproofing solution, SCHLUTER-KERDI. KERDI is the most user-friendly, sheet-applied waterproofing membrane in existence. Because it is so thin and lightweight, it hangs as easily as wallpaper. “

As with all the blogs I write I hope this one will help you to understand this to be one of many solutions for your DIY project and will give you a starting point for research to lead you to your best alternatives

What about Tankless Hot Water Heaters?

I see questions and comments about tankless water heaters on the forums I follow almost on a daily basis. It is a new technology that I have no experience with and because it is ill advised that they be installed by the layman DIY’r my friends at National Builder Supply have chosen not to sell them. But when has my not knowing about something kept me from finding out information and passing it on? Much of the following info comes from the website, http://www.tanklesswaterheaterguide.com/ to whom I give the credit and thanks for the use of their info.
So let’s start from the beginning and answer the basic questions. More thorough answers and diagrams are available on the above website.
What is a Tankless Water Heater? also called Instantaneous or Demand Water Heaters, provide hot water only as it is needed. Traditional storage water heaters produce standby energy losses that cost you money. We only heat our homes when there is a demand for heat. In the same way, a Tankless Water Heater is used only when there is a demand for hot water.
How do Tankless Water Heaters work? Tankless water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. Therefore, they avoid the standby heat losses associated with storage water heaters. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. In an electric Tankless Water Heater an electric element heats the water. In a gas-fired Tankless Water Heater a gas burner heats the water. As a result, Tankless Water Heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water. You don't need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water. Typically, gas-fired Tankless Water Heaters will produce higher flow rates than electric Tankless Water Heaters. Some smaller Tankless Water Heaters, however, cannot supply enough hot water for simultaneous, multiple uses in large households. For example, taking a shower and running the dishwasher at the same time. To overcome this problem, you can install a “whole house” type Tankless Water Heater or install two or more Tankless Water Heaters, connected in parallel for simultaneous demands of hot water. You can also install separate Tankless Water Heaters for appliances—such as a clothes washer or dishwater—that use a lot of hot water in your home. Other applications for Tankless Water Heaters include the following a remote BBQ, outdoor sinks, pool house or pool shower, remote bathrooms or hot tubs. ATankless heater may also be used to serve as a booster, eliminating long pipe runs, for solar water heating systems, dishwashers and sanitation.
For homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, Tankless Water Heaters can be 24% – 34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. They can be 8% – 14% more energy efficient for homes that use a lot of hot water, around 86 gallons per day. You can achieve an even greater energy savings of 27% – 50% if you install a Tankless Water Heater at each hot water outlet.
Selecting a Tankless Water Heater: Before buying a tankless water heater, consider the following:
1.Fuel Type:(Electric or gas)
2.Location, size and demand
3.Application

1.Fuel Type: If you choose electric you must ensure that you have a circuit or circuits that will support your Electric Tankless Water Heater. It may be necessary to put your Electric Tankless Water Heater on its own circuit or circuits. You should consult with a qualified, licensed electrician for more information.
If you plan to purchase a Gas-Fired Tankless Water Heater, consider the gas-type and venting requirements: You will first need to identify whether your gas type is Natural Gas or Propane. It is imperative that you examine your current gas line to ensure that it will meet the requirements of your new Gas-Fired Tankless Water Heater. The requirements of the Tankless Water Heater may exceed that of your existing tank-style water heater.
Next, you will need to consider venting requirements for your specific installation scenario. There are a few important things to keep in mind when purchasing the gas venting accessories for your Gas-Fired Tankless Water Heater. Be sure that you purchase Category III stainless steel (UL1738 certified) venting for your Gas-Fired Tankless Water Heater. "Type B" venting accessories are not acceptable. Also, be sure to check local building code to ensure that your specific needs will be completely met.
Additionally, many Tankless Water Heater manufacturers offer gas venting "kits". It is recommended that customers evaluate the needs of their specific installation to ensure that they will be getting all of the necessary gas venting accessories. Depending on where you will be installing the Tankless Water Heater, a pre-made kit will probably not meet your needs. Ensure that you measure out the vent route and consider where the discharge will go through the wall or ceiling, consider the necessary clearances, and consider ample access to air for combustion, then buy the appropriate gas venting pieces.
Note: Gas-Fired Tankless Water Heaters may still require a minimal electrical connection. Be sure to review installation requirements for the units you are considering for purchase.
2. Location, Size, and Demand: When deciding which Tankless Water Heater to purchase, you will also need to consider where you will need hot water. Are you looking for a unit that will heat the water at one bathroom sink (single point application), an entire bathroom (multipoint application), or an entire house, apartment, or condo (whole house application)? It is important to recognize the number of fixtures that will require hot water. Each fixture will have its own demands. The flow rate is especially important, since Tankless Water Heaters will generate a temperature rise based on the flow rate demanded. Next, you should look at your ambient incoming water temperature. If you live in a cold climate, like New York, your incoming water temperature will likely be much lower than if you live in a warm climate, like Florida.
3.Tankless Water Heater Installation and Maintenance: Proper installation and maintenance of your water heater can optimize its energy efficiency. Proper installation depends on many factors. These factors include climate and local building code requirements. You should have a qualified, licensed plumbing and heating contractor install your Tankless Water Heater.
I hope this helps to give you an overview of tankless water heaters. This blog should not be considered, alone, as the final information that you need to make a decision about the use of a tankless water heater for your home. The ultimate guide should be a licensed professional.

Does Your faucet Have a Lifetime Warranty?

I see many inquiries and discussions, on the many forums I follow, about leaking faucets. As you read these discussions you begin to see that there is not always one simple answer as to why a faucet leaks. In the old days when faucets were simple it was just a bad washer or something that had loosened that could have just been tightened. With today’s complicated faucet systems it can be a buildup of sand stuck in a valve or too much water pressure over a long term which can cause that valve to fail. With the new style single handled faucets the valve and its components are the heart of the mechanism and if it fails you can experience anything from a leak to complete failure to be able to control the faucet. The obvious long term durability of any faucet can come from its components and the materials they are made of. The best fixtures are brass and ceramic but there are products that are mostly plastic. The better quality fixtures are both more easily repaired as well as being worth repairing where you might find a less expensive fixture easier to cast aside in favor of a new one of similar value or the experience may have taught you that you would be better served to buy a more expensive faucet that will provide better life expectancy. Along with the better fixtures also comes a better warranty with most of the more expensive products on the market today offering “lifetime warranties” of parts and finishes. The most prominent of these product lines is Moen. As best I can tell Moen began this warranty program guaranteeing their faucets for the life of the original owner covering products manufactured back to 1995 but I am aware that they hace extended this coverage to faucet much older. The following is the exact language of Moen’s warranty from their website:
“Moen® products have been manufactured under the highest standards of quality and workmanship. Moen warrants to the original consumer purchaser for as long as the original consumer purchaser owns their home (the "Warranty Period" for homeowners), that this faucet will be leak and drip free during normal use and all parts and finishes of this faucet will be free from defects in material and manufacturing workmanship. All other purchasers (including purchasers for industrial, commercial and business use) are warranted for a period of 5 years from the original date of purchase (the "Warranty Period" for non-homeowners). If this faucet should ever develop a leak or drip during the Warranty Period, Moen will FREE OF CHARGE provide the parts necessary to put the faucet back in good working condition and will replace FREE OF CHARGE any part or finish that proves defective in material and manufacturing workmanship, under normal installation, use and service. Replacement parts may be obtained by calling 1-800-289-6636 (Canada 1-800-465-6130). Proof of purchase (original sales receipt) from the original consumer purchaser must accompany all warranty claims. Defects or damage caused by the use of other than genuine Moen parts is not covered by this warranty. This warranty is applicable only to faucets purchased after December, 1995 and shall be effective from the date of purchase as shown on purchaser's receipt.”

Additionally I can tell you that I am aware of many occasions when Moen has simply sent the customer a complete new faucet when either parts were no longer available or when they deemed the faucet not repairable. I can also tell you that I have shared this info with many Moen owners who were unaware of the warranty as well as owners of several other major product lines that have chosen to match this warranty.
The bottom line, before you tear apart a leaky faucet or pitch it in the trash and buy a new one determine the manufacturer and explore their warranty you may certainly be able to save yourself at least the cost and search for parts but may also gain an entirely new fixture.
National Builder Supply is a proud Moen dealer as well as the Moen premium “Show House” brand as well as many other quality brands.

What are the Effects of Hard Water and How do I Fix it?

With the popularity of my 3 blogs on “What’s That Smell?” one of the issues has been what to do about hard water situations. This is a subject that , I personally, have never had to deal with and admit that my knowledge is limited. Last week I wrote that I had started playing around with “Twitter” and while I find it to be mostly full of spam and get rich quick schemes, I have managed to establish some new friendships with folks in various elements of the home improvement business that I am not well versed in. One of these friendships and cooperative efforts comes from Ian Adams at Crawford Supply. They own a division called Charger Water and deal in several home based water treatment systems. In reading the material Ian sent me the one that intrigued me the most and seemed to fit the scenarios that I have been running across lately was one called the “Iron Breaker”(AS PICTURED LEFT). From this material here is a brief explanation of what hard water does to your home and appliances and how a water softener system such as the “Iron Breaker” works.
Hard water causes unwanted mineral buildup in appliances, on glasses and silverware, and stains shower curtains and doors. It also robs much of the cleaning power of expensive soaps and detergents. A water softener system reduces the minerals that cause rust stains, damaging build-up, unnecessary money spent on cleaners and are the simplest and most dependable. Conditioned water means a softer Iife style and all of your water using appliances will lead longer lives. Dishwashers, automatic clothes washers and, of course, your water heater will benefit from reduced scale buildup. Adding years of life to major appliances and postponing expensive replacements. Your home's plumbing system is vulnerable to mineral scale accumulation inside the pipes. As hard water build up closes the pipes, water flow is restricted reducing water pressure. Soft water prevents scale buildup, preserves water pressure and helps prevent serious plumbing problems and unnecessary repairs.
How does it work? Hard water passes through the media tank containing resin beads coated with sodium ions. The calcium and magnesium ions are exchanged for sodium (or potassium) ions, thus softening the water. When the beads have trapped the hardness and need to be incinerated the system’s meter-driven valve recharges them with brine from the brine tank Regeneration occurs automatically at metered intervals. Calcium and magnesium ( hardness ions) are freed from the beads and replaced with sodium or potassium ions and the system is ready to soften water, agaln.
The Crawford Group of Companies, like National Builder Supply, are a family owned company based out of Morton Grove, Illinois. They have been in business for over 30 years. They touch all facets of water – kitchens (water and cabinets), baths, and even radiant heating systems. The Crawford Group of Companies provides solutions for plumbing, heating and kitchen cabinets. They are strategically located in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, a distribution network that proudly serves the Great Lakes Region. The Crawford Group is made up of Inland Supply, KDA of Wisconsin, Builders Plumbing Supply, Builders Heating Supply, Plumbers Equipment Company, Crawford Supply and Charger Water, the division that deals with water softener products such as the one discussed today. http://www.chargerwater.com/ for further info and many thanks to Ian Adams for helping me today.

Whats the Definition of High Efficiency Toilets?

In past blogs I have addressed the need for more "green" technology and attitudes. Of late I have run across more and more forum threads from readers that don't understand the new low flush and dual flush toilets so borrowing from Toto, the undesputed leader in this technology, here is a discussion of the differing types of water saving fixtures.

High Efficiency Toilets
If a toilet is “high efficiency,” flushing twice to clear the contents isn’t exactly efficient. TOTO’s rigorous flushing performance testing methods have proven to be more extensive than current industry standards, helping to ensure outstanding one-flush performance and true water savings.
High Efficiency Toilets (HETs) should be able to flush using at least 20% less water than is mandated by law and should not need to be flushed more than once to do their job. They should require minimal cleaning with environmentally unfriendly detergents. They should flush quietly. They should be user friendly and comfortable. And they should be available in a wide variety of design styles that fit with the existing (or future) bathroom décor. These are the guiding principles that drive our design of high-performance, High Efficiency TOTO Toilets.
TOTO offers more HET choices than any other manufacturer.

TOTO High Efficiency Flushing Technologies
TOTO engineers have devised a revolutionary way to harness the powerof water and gravity to create a more powerful 1.28 GPF flush that maximizes cleaning action. Using two nozzles (instead of rim holes), water can be used more efficiently for a better rim and bowl wash, while directing more water to the siphon, for a more powerful flush.Double Cyclone features:
Hole-free rim design means less trapped dirt and bacteria. and that means less cleaning.
The dual-nozzle water propulsion system allows more water to be directed to the siphon.
Unlike pressure assist toilets, which can be noisy and are made with more complicated moving parts, E-Max is a simple, elegant and quiet solution for effectively flushing 1.28 gallons. Utilizing the same proven engineering as our legendary one-flush performance 1.6 GPF G-Max Flushing System, the 1.28 GPF E-Max reinforces TOTO’s performance reputation, while offering an additional water savings of 20%.

E-Max features:
Wide 3" flush valve provides a quick, consistent and powerful flush.
Large 2-1/8" trapway is glazed to optimize waste passage.
Pilot operated fill valve ensures quiet operation and a clean shutoff at any water pressure.
Extra-large siphon jet works in conjunction with the large glazed trapway; the siphon jet pulls away waste with incredible force.

The TOTO Dual-Max Flushing System

is the leading choice for dual flush performance and conservation. Traditionally, dual flush toilets sacrificed either performance or conservation. Our goal was to optimize water conservation and set a high bar in flushing performance.Dual-Max features:
Allows you to select the appropriate amount of water usage from 0.9 GPF to 1.6 GFP.
TOTO Aquia® toilets with Dual-Max flushing feature a clean, skirted bowl design, offering an unmatched convergence of style and efficiency.

In summation the choice is up to you, dual flush, 1.28 gpf or 1.6 gpf but whatever the choice Toto has the toilet for your needs and National Builder Supply is one of America's leading Toto dealers offering both price guarantees and free shipping whether you are buying one or 100 toilets. Call them today with questions or ask me in the comment section below and Ill be glad to get you answers.

Is it Tweet or Chirp?

Man I’m feeling especially old today. Most of you know that I am a very young 61, which is defined by my children as the number of years since dirt was invented on earth or just a few days short of when the serpent tempted Eve. In my thoughts I always relate to the fact that I graduated from college the year that the digital hand held calculator was brought on the market and I have been trying to play catch up on understanding computers and such ever since. I first laid hands on a PC in 1988 I didn’t own my first PC until 1997 and then there was the internet. I got AOL at the same time and I am still so afraid of it that I have never even changed my provider or email address in those 12 years. I have struggled to keep up with each new operating system and although I currently have a computer that uses Windows Vista the view isn’t so great from here in my opinion and my best friend (Crash and Burn Hennecy…now you get the idea where the “crash” came from?) has been telling me that I should change to Mozilla? Wasn’t that Godzilla’s mother? What did she have to do with computers? So what has provoked all this today? My good friend, Marcus Morgan, the owner of National Builder Supply , called yesterday with the great idea that I should start “Tweeting”. I told him I was just too old to take up bird watching and besides my disabilities would make it tough to hang around in the forest listening for tweets from some bizarre long missing exotic bird. Now Marcus is not only persuasive but used to getting his way so the next thing I know he’s got a “Twitter” expert on the phone and has me set up with an account complete with followers and followees. At least I think that’s what they have me set up for but the first message I received went something like this “I would love 2 hear tips on home improvement (that use your parts) with link to the part. Make the tip juicy!!”. Now I am not so old as to not understand that one! But that’s not the kind of helpful tips I’ve been offering here on the blogsite but I guess I’m flattered? The damn thing keeps asking me what I’m doing? Hell I’m old and infirm. I’m trying to take my next breath, worried about when I am going to pee again and what’s for dinner! Why would anyone want to know about that?
My heart much less my brain can get wrapped around anymore new technology so if my blogs over the next few weeks seem, strange blame it on me trying to learn how to whistle like a bird. In the meantime of you want to ‘TWEET” at me, follow me at NBSUPPLY and I will try to chirp back atcha or whatever it is I’m supposed to do. Somebody help me or just take a gun, shoot me and mercifully put me out of my computer/internet misery!

A Quick Fix for an Old Bathroom Mirror

A couple of weeks ago I detailed the fiasco that my little remodeling project had turned into. If you missed it I had an unscrupulous contractor who did a poor job and didn’t fulfill his obligations. I joined Angie’s list and reported him and spread the word amongst my neighbors and friends to spare others the trials that I experienced in dealing with this guy and taught me a good lesson to read my own blogs on ”how to hire a contractor” all of which I feel as if I ignored completely. In the meantime my saving grace was my old friend Erik who came in and made sense of the whole mess and got me in a much better mood.
While Erik was doing his magic he did something that I think was noteworthy and is a great idea for those of you who may have an old medicine cabinet in the wall that drives you crazy and you don’t know what to do about it. As long as we had the bathroom torn up I decided to buy a new vanity to replace an old one that had only doors and no drawers. The vanity I chose came with a great oriental influenced sink and the drawers that I needed. When we opened the box we found that it had come with the bonus of a free matching dark framed beveled glass mirror(see pic above) but with a medicine cabinet over it with the most horrible mirror on it (see pics above) I could not see a use for it. It only took Erik a moment to point out that the old mirror was simply attached with a “piano” styled hinge that would easily adapt to the new mirror. In a matter of a few minutes he had removed the old mirror and attached the new one to the piano hinge and we had added a great new feature to the bathroom. Why tell you all this? You may very well have the same problem. A built in medicine cabinet with the old fashioned or maybe even damaged mirror on it and have just learned to ignore it because of the trouble and expense involved with taking the entire medicine cabinet out and replacing it with a new fancier one. Save yourself some time and effort and look at the hinge. Is it attached to the mirror with screws? If so you can make a simple replacement by just shopping for a new mirror with the correct dimensions and remove the old one from the hinge and replace it. You could easily find a great antique or high styled mirror that would change the entire look of your bathroom without having to give up the convenience of the medicine cabinet.
As seen in the pictures, my next project has to be paint, tile or new wallpaper. My apologies and admitted embarrassment for the old stuff seen in the pics. I just don’t know whether my nerves can take another project for the time being. I wonder if Erik can do tile???

What is That Smell?....Yet Again (Episode Three)

One of my first blogs remains the most read and commented on blog that I have written in my last 9 months was entitled “What’s that Smell?”
http://nationalbuildersupply.blogspot.com/2008/11/what-is-that-smell.html

I followed this one up with “What’s that Smell…Episode Two”
http://nationalbuildersupply.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-is-that-smell-episode-2.html

as I ran across more different cases and provided the answers. With these two blogs I thought I had covered all the bases and all of the fixes until this past weekend when I ran across yet another puzzling case on one of my favorite forum sites “The DIY Chatroom”.
http://www.diychatroom.com
The thread went something like this:
“Gentlemen,I'm a 29 year old first time homeowner. I recently bought a 14 year old home on 5.35 acres in southwestern Illinois. I am on a well/septic, and have had a few plumbing problems.I am somewhat handy, and know enough to be dangerous. I recently replaced my propane water heater myself, so I no longer am taking cold showers. However, my hot water seems to have a grey tint to it, and smells. I suspect my anode rod may need replaced. As far as I know, I am only on a small filter on my side of the well pump. I have no softener, and the problem is limited to the hot water. From what I have gathered, bacteria in the water heater are causing the color and sulfur dioxide smell which makes my hot water unpleasant. Does this sound like a correct assessment to you, and the anode rod replacement will fix it?”

With my answer as follows:
“It does sound like a possibility but you wouldn’t normally think about having to replace anode rods on a new HWH. But if your well is producing high iron content water the anodes do convert the iron to sulfur dioxide and produce some pretty vile smelling water. Take a sample of your water to your local county ag. agent or to the health department and get an analysis. You may have to invest in some form of water treatment to cure the problem. I am no pro in that department so hopefully another reader will chime in and help us on this one.”

Following my answer was this additional idea from another contributor with a solution that I had not heard of before but makes sense:
“You have bacteria in your well and you need to shock it. Simply pour 1 or 2 gallons of bleach down the well head and let it set for 3-4 hrs then turn on an outside hydrant and let it run untill you get the smell of bleach then let this set for 24 hrs. After 24 hrs turn on the outside hydrant and let it flow until the smell is gone. This should get rid of the smell.Color is another issue. If it is black more than likely it is the bacteria in the well. It could also be the well itself if it is an old well that is lined in steel or an old jack pump that is steel as well. Start with the bleach and work from there. On my well I have to put a gallon of bleach down the well every other month.I would also suggest that when the water enters your house it run through a sediment filter then a carbon filter and then a UV light.”

Then one last idea which should cover all the bases:
“Shocking the well will kill the bacteria there now and as soon as the chlorine is gone, new bacteria comes in with the water recovering the well and you're all but back where you started except, some bacteria were not killed' because they produced slime that now hardens and then chlorine can't penetrate it. So you've made things a bit worse but in short time your odor is back in the hot water. So turn the temp up on the heater to 140f for a few hours or overnight and kill'em that way. Then turn it down until the odor comes back. The bacteria is a group of harmless sulfate reducing bacteria. Or buy water treatment like a chlorination system or remove the rod and void the warranty or replace it with a different type.”

I have the feeling this is just another one of the many as yet undiscovered and undiscussed “smell” issues that can come up with your plumbing plus we have yet to even begin to discuss the potential smells that can be produced by the constipated husband, the teenager who will eat anything and suffer the consequences later or the polite female in the family who swears that smell could not have come from her and instead defers to one of the former possibilities.
My thanks to my fellow DIY’rs at the DIY Chatroom for the use of their words of wisdom and I hope it that this, or one of my other blogs, helps you get past the question of “WHAT IS THAT SMELL” in your home. As always questions and comments are welcomed and much desired.

More on How to Install a Bathroom in the Basement

I wrote yesterday about the ADA and have in the past blogged about the how to build an ADA compliant bathroom in your home from scratch or how to convert the bathroom you have to ADA standards.
http://nationalbuildersupply.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-to-plan-handicapped-ada-compliant.html
This subject along with my blog about adding a bathroom to your basement continue to receive a lot of “google” hits meaning there are a lot of you out there thinking about putting that bathroom in the basement that you’ve been promising your family for a while. I see this as one of two trends in the U.S. today, the first being the economy and the need to upgrade your home to get more value from it and the second being the proliferation of “mancaves” further defined as a place in the basement for ole dad and his buds to watch the games on a big screen TV and knock back a few without the interruption of kids and the wife. Both are worthwhile projects. Consistently additions of bathrooms and renovation of existing bathrooms and kitchens list very high on the return of investment scale. Converting useless empty space in a basement to a family room, guest quarters or other uses including the addition of a bathroom equals big money return on sale of the home. The problem with adding a bathroom to a basement is almost always a matter of “lift” or ejection of the sewage from a location below grade to the drain line in your home or in simple terms your basement is below the level of your septic tank or sewer line. Additionally there is usually a concrete foundation floor that doesn’t allow for the laying of the plumbing lines for the toilet. In my previous blogs I showed examples of two types of units that can facilitate the solving of this problem. One a self contained sewage ejector system that can be neatly buried in one hole which will allow you to establish a drain and ejector for the toilet, sink and shower in one simple hole in the foundation or basement floor. The other is a simple device that mounts on the floor and simply allows you to mount the toilet on this device and either step up to the toilet or build a false floor to the level of the device. There are many such devices on the market but good examples are found at W.W.Grainger at the following website http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/wwg/productIndex.shtml?from=Search&newSrch=yes&operator=keywordSearch&search_type=keyword&action=Go%21&QueryString=basement+toilet&submit.x=27&submit.y=6
For further info on this type of project take a look back at my previous blog on the subject at
http://nationalbuildersupply.blogspot.com/2009/05/can-i-install-toilet-in-my-basement.html
I usually publish blogs 3 days a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays but because of the July 4th Holiday I’m posting today so that I can wish you all a safe holiday and maybe jog you into a great weekend project to start planning.
Thanks to all who read and follow my blogs and PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR TO LET ME KNOW OF FUTURE SUBJECTS YOU WOULD LIKE COVERED.

WHAT IS THE ADA AND WHY DO WE NEED IT?

In an effort to give you folks what you want, I have continued to watch my “sitemeter” as to the questions that are being asked or “Googled” that lead them to my blog. As I have mentioned before, for the first few weeks after joining the sitemeter the most frequently asked question was someone seeking complaints or experience ratings on doing business with National Builders Supply. In an effort to answer this question I wrote at least two blogs citing letters furnished to me from my friend Fran Byrd as well as discussing Marcus Morgan’s customer service philosophy. Those blogs seemed to have done the trick because now the trend has turned in a new direction, one which I have addressed before but feel obligated to discuss again.The one nearest to my own needs, the ADA compliant bathroom.
First I guess we should discuss what ADA means. It stands for “Americans with Disabilities Act”. This governmental regulation was enacted a few years back with much celebration and aggravation by the public and especially by business folks. It is a broad sweeping set of regulations which require retail businesses and offices to maintain certain standards as to accessibility for those of us who are handicapped. This means everything from handicapped marked parking spaces, to curb ramps, extra wide entrance doors and exits, and the ubiquitous ADA height toilet (God’s and the government’s gift to us old folks). Honestly as a business man I originally was as against the governments forcing us to put these changes into effect as anyone could be. I saw it as a forced expense as well as an inconvenience to everyone until a few years back I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Syndrome. As my condition worsened I found it more and more difficult to walk from a far parking space and became thankful for the disabled placard my doctor got for me which allows me to park in a handicapped marked space. I began to appreciate the fact that supermarkets provided the motorized shopping carts that I had once disdained. With every passing day as my disability worsens and I grow less and less able to live on my own I realize that there are a world of people out there who are not as lucky as me. Those folks are still having to find jobs, having to ride buses to get to those jobs, having to negotiate wheelchairs onto sidewalks and into buildings and are having to manage the most personal of daily activities, such as going to the restroom, without any assistance except for the fact that the ADA requires toilet stalls with extra wide doors. higher than normal toilets, sinks that are accessible from a sitting position with faucets that can be easily reached from a wheel chair or while trying to stand on crutches. I say lucky because at this stage of my life I do not have to go to an office every day although I wish I could, but I do still have to live alone and manage most of my day to day activities by myself. I am blessed with a small monthly disability check from Social Security, medicare to help pay some of my medical expenses and of course as I mention all the time I have Mike and Dianne Hennecy, my best friends for 42 years, and Bill and Shirley Whiteside, my neighbors across the street, whose daily help keeps me able to live alone and not have to be in assisted living or a nursing home. Although I try not to drive, I do occasionally have to venture out to the grocery or drug store, or to a doctor visit and that disabled parking spot and the little motorized cart makes it possible. At home I have the advantage of an ADA height toilet, which I brag about constantly and most recently acquired a TOTO Washlet to make my toilet functions easier. I still have to have safety bars in my bathroom and tub, a seat to sit on in the tub and live in fear of a fall every time I go to bathe. My previous blogs about ADA compliant bathrooms in the home called out the easy and the more expensive changes that can be made to the home bathroom to make it easier on disabled and elderly people and if you have not had a chance to read up on those 2 blogs please reference back to them for more specifics. For the time being I am having to take it one step at a time to get mine into the more expensive sort. I still have to deal with a narrow door opening, a step over tub and sometimes awkward faucets but I am getting there. If you have someone in your home or family that is disabled or approaching older age, now is the time to take these things into consideration. If you are planning a remodel or building a new home consider going ahead with the ADA recommendations and lastly if you are a business person who has had to endure the inconvenience of restructuring your place of business to comply with the ADA, know that it is not for naught. Know that it is needed daily by so many people and know that I for one thank you.

Why Do I Need Plumbing Vents?

I have seen a lot of activity on the forums and discussion groups of late about plumbing ventilation or “waste stacks” and although I have written on it before it seems that maybe a better explanation is needed to help people understand the need for vents. To start with let me begin by answering the basic question that I answered for a reader on Saturday morning, yes if you install a new sink it must have a vent. Can it be connected to an existing vent stack? Maybe but that really depends on how close the existing stack is to the new sink and how much you are already venting with the existing system.
Now let’s back up and briefly discuss what a vent does. Vents really are necessary for two reasons. The first reason is to vent captured methane or sewer gas up, out and away from the house. Every fixture has a “P” trap or device to keep sewer gas from coming back up through the sink or toilet but that doesn’t allow for the gas to escape from your pipes. The vent stacks are attached in line with all of your drain lines and run vertically up and out of the house to a prescribed height above your roof line. This height varies by code from each venue, but usually is at least 18” or higher from the roof line. These vent stacks are normally clearly visible protruding from your roof usually directly above plumbing fixture locations in your home. This allows the sewer gas to escape up and away from the area of windows and doors in the house and up into air circulation. The second purpose for vents is to allow for better drainage. The best way to demonstrate the need for this is to take a bottle of water and turn it upside down. You will notice that the water does not pour out evenly but instead gurgles out or may become trapped completely if the liquid is thicker than water. Likewise water or sewage that is draining from your house gets air pockets trapped in the drain line and without vents these air pockets keep the fluids from escaping easily and will cause drains to operate slowly or will cause them to loudly gurgle when trying to drain. Many new home owners will experience this when moving into a newly built home and discover that the plumber, in order to cut some corners, may have shorted the number of vents needed. This is especially true in rural areas where building codes are not enforced with inspections before the walls are closed up. To increase vents and have them hidden in walls can be a very awkward and messy retro fit requiring walls to be removed and new punctures to be made up through ceilings, plates and the roof. The potential for future leaks and other problems is high. Vents can be run on the outside of a house and in fact in older homes, that were retro fitted with plumbing when indoor bathrooms became the vogue, vent pipes many times could be seen running up the outside walls of the house and sticking up above the roof. Obviously the process of adding vents must be a prime consideration any time you decide to add a plumbing fixture of any kind to an existing system or plan to expand your home. This decision will become just as important as how will the plumbing drain and where will the water source come from.
Finally the gurgling I discussed earlier when water is draining can be caused by something other that a lack of original vents. If you have been living in your home for a while and the drains start gurgling then there can be other problems. The vents themselves can become clogged. This usually occurs with an accumulation of leaves and trash in the vents from where they stick out of the roof and small animals and birds have been known to used these vent pipes as ideal nesting locations. A plumbers snake or auger inserted from the roof down will usually unclog the vent and force the debris down and out through your drain lines. Gurgling can also occur when your drain lines themselves begin to clog and the water can not escape fast enough. As addressed in other blogs of mine, this too can be cleared with the use of a snake.
More and more it seems that a 25' plumbers auger begins to become one of those necessary additions to your DIY tool box or if not the phone number for your local plumber should be tattooed on a convenient apendage.

HOME DEPOT CARPET INSTALLATION DEAL

While out shopping for flooring for the previously blogged about contractor fiasco, I was at my local Home Depot. Many times they have end cap specials or weekend markdowns. As it turned out the best deal on laminate flooring I could find was at Lumber Liquidators for 6mm maple finish for $.78 per square foot but 40+ miles away. The local flooring contractor supply house agreed to match the price for the same merchandise so the deal was made locally eliminating the need for a trip and keeping the business local. As a rule you should use the internet to seek out the best in pricing and then don't be shy about asking the competition to match or beat the price.
Although I didn't find the laminate I wanted at HD I did run across a carpet special that was hard to beat. I don't know whether it was local or a chainwide event but they were offering whole house carpet installation no matter how large your house, for $139 total as long as you purchased the carpet there. I felt this was hard to beat and as long as the house was going to already be in turmoil I would also replace the long suffering carpet in my house. They had some great deals on in stock carpet so I made the deal. As opposed to the lying, cheating and shoddy work of the laminate installer, HD was the epitome of professionalism. They made an appointment to come measure for the carpet, showed up on time. They made an appointment for the installation and made 3 phone calls for verification and time coordination and the installation crew showed up right on time and much to my pleasure they did a great job. Nice guys, thorough in all of their work and at the completion presented me with their boss's business card and an unexpected 1 year installation warranty. FOLKS I CAN NOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE. About 3 hours after they left the boss called to verify my satisfaction and the performance of his crew. What a way to do business!

To complete my contractor experiences on a high note I want to mention one more important operative in this otherwise trying scenario. I am proud to say that I am a father and a grandfather. I have 3 sons, John 45, Donovan 40, and Joseph 28. The youngest is the father of my only grandchild, Tristen William Warren who is now 5 and has exemplifies the old adage that “if I had known how much fun a grandbaby could be I would have had him first”. Along with my sons I have also been something of a surrogate father to several young men along the way. These kids were contemporaries of my kids, friends who were usually the ones that my sons brought home and for various reasons they stayed or seemed to be there at the dinner table or asleep on the sofa on Saturday or Sunday morning when I would get up. Many because their home lives weren’t good, one from a broken home that was forced to live with grandparents who just weren’t ready to raise another child and didn’t understand him. Another whose step father was twice the age of his mother and just wasn’t interested in being a dad to him. Then there was Alan, or Erik as he is known these days. A brainy little kid that I thought would surely be a rocket scientist, but because of a pretty much dysfunctional family became lost and suffered many difficulties. It is Erik who came to my rescue this week. He lives about 100 miles away from me but when I communicated how upset I had become over the contractor situation and the mess that my little home had become last week, showed up on my doorstep on Monday morning to try to make things right for me. He came fully equipped with every tool and piece of power equipment is little car could carry and in 3 days he has managed to get me back on my feet. He repaired screw ups left by the unscrupulous contractor, moved the furniture for the carpet crew and got it back in place, trimmed off the bottom of all my doors, put my safety railing back up, cleaned out my closets and spare room piling a vast mountain of trash on the street just in time for the trash truck to pick it all up this morning and most importantly spent time with me to get my nerves and emotional side back in balance. He even got “Nate” back his sofa to hold down. Nate was just about as lost as I was with the mess and spent most of our first night back in the house just wandering around all night looking for a comfortable place to lie. His charge? First he wanted me to make him chicken and yellow rice like I used to make, and asked for $25 to pay for his gas and a new circular saw blade. Now I’m not much of a cook, always claiming that the best thing I made for dinner was reservations, but I did make the requested dish and I must say it was wonderful and even made enough for Erik to take home to his wife and mother and some to share with the Whitesides across the street from me. They are the kind folks that I have written about who are always checking in on me and sharing dinners with me. I also managed to come up with a little more than the cash ge requested. Enough that his wife will not object to him coming back another time to effect some more minor repairs and projects that I just can’t get done.
Just what an ole Dad needs, a good friend, an honest, reasonably priced contractor and most importantly a much adored member of my extended family.
See Erik I told you Id make you an internet star!!!

Hell Hath No Fury Like Faucetman Scorned!

Here’s some further info for those of you that read my blog from last Friday, “Multiple System Failures…”. I have to tell you that every time I walked through the house this past weekend , I saw more and more of the damage that the ill chosen handyman had inflicted on my home and my emotional state of mind. I have been just sick about it. Sick that I let someone take advantage of me as badly as this guy did, sick over the mess he left for me to have to try to have friends, family and additional hired folks to correct and, I guess, finally sick and worried about the other folks that this shyster has or will take advantage of. I live in a senior citizens community and this guy makes his living here on this property. You can’t ride through the area a single day without seeing his truck somewhere in the area and to me that means the potential of other friends and neighbors being taken advantage of. But you know no one had spread the word. No one had posted a notice on the community bulletin board about their problems with him, no one had gotten up at the monthly breakfasts and told their story. Why? embarrassment, shame, and /or fear of his intimidation. These neighbors and friends are like me, most unable to do major things for themselves anymore. Some are widowed ladies who have never been able to do DIY projects and always had a loving husband to take care of the little projects. Some disabled, like me, and know what to do but just can’t pull it off any more. But as I write this blog I tell you the one thing that I am not disabled about, too ashamed of, afraid of or intimidated by, is this guy. As I set out to spread the word about my experience with friends close by I began to see a pattern of his operation. I began to hear of the many horror stories of his misconduct that have gone unreported. I heard that he recently was hired to build a $6000 screen porch and he failed to pull a permit for the construction and when the county discovered the construction the entre porch had to be torn down and the customer is still trying to get their damages back from the guy. He comes in with promises of a great price and instills confidence. As he gets into the job he attempts to change his estimate to get more money. With my job, as an example, he told me he had misfigured how much material he needed and would need more money than the agreed upon price. Fortunately for me I told him a contract was a contract and he would do what he said for the money paid. I am 6’4” and weigh way in excess of 300 pounds and have been known to intimidate folks just by entering a room. Then he tried to change the terms by changing the job, why not use ceramic tile instead of laminate flooring, he just so happened to have a deal on some tile. I found out over the weekend that tile would have come from another neighbors job he was also working on while on my job. Probably got that customer to order more tile than needed and was then going to sell me the ill gotten tile and raise his installation price. I didn’t want tile so that part of his plan didn’t work. Then he tried to charge me for what he called “extra work” that was not in the contract but was tacitly implied like taking the doors down and trimming off the bottoms, having to move the appliances, having to disconnect the icemaker line on the refrigerator. The list went on and on. He tried to make me feel ingratiated to him for all the things he did for “free” for me. Ultimately though what he did to get what he deemed fairness when I wouldn’t give in to him was to just plain perform shoddy work and cause damage wherever he could. As I related on Friday, he damaged the toilets, ruined the prefinished moldings, sprung at least one door by bending a hinge so that the door would not close, took down a safety railing on one of my entrance steps and failed to replace it and last but not least abandoned the job without replacing moved furniture leaving my house disheveled and causing me to have to remain out of my home for six days instead of the promised three while friends and hired professionals helped put things right. My form of fairness returned for the many problems he left for me is to make sure I can tell as many people in the area about him and by telling YOU what to look for and what not to do in the future when dealing with this type of business man. I am posting notices, going to speak to the monthly community meeting, and I am posting a complaint about him on “Angie’s List”. For those of you that may not be familiar with “Angie’s List”, it is an internet site that allows for postings of complaints and recommendations of local business, medical professionals, contractors etc in the hopes that other folks can be spared the heartache and monetary loss a culprit like my guy can inflict.
Paybacks are hell!! I feel better already.

Multiple Systems Failure or Murphy's Law at Work!

Well there was a day in my DIY life where I would have attacked the project myself after all it was going to be simple, just replace old sheet vinyl floors in both of my bathrooms with new laminate wood floors. More and more these days I find it difficult to walk, have to use a cane, difficult time getting up and down, have to use one of those electric lift chairs, have to have an ADA height toilet, grab bars in the shower and the list goes on and on. Hell, it’s time to admit that with my infirmities it easy to say “my get up and go done got up and went” ! With all this in mind I hired a local handyman service to do the job for me and the nightmare began. Thus began what I refer to as MULTIPLE SYSTEMS FAILURES or Murphy’s law in effect. For those of you that may not know of Murphy’s law, it’s a 10 tenet list of all the things that can go wrong with a project but the 2 most frequently in action and especially for me this past week were:
1. IF ANYTHING CAN POSSIBLY GO WRONG IT WILL
2. IF MORE THAN ONE THING CAN GO WRONG THE ONE THAT WILL CAUSE THE MOST DAMAGE WILL OCCUR FIRST AND EACH IN SUCCESSION IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE.
Meanwhile back to the project. I made the contract with the handyman for a fixed amount of money and for that he would remove the toilets and replace them and as would be expected include new wax rings, replace the sub floor using stainless steel screws, float the seams so as to provide a even surface for the new floor, install the new laminate floor and trim out with matching molding. Additionally I decided to change the vanity out in one bathroom with a newer style with drawers replacing the old one that had only doors and had always annoyed me. The handyman said no problem he would do that as part of the same money because to do the job properly and more easily he was going to remove the old one anyway. Because both bathrooms were going to be useless for the 2 day repair and refurbish my trusty dog, “Nate” (see previous blogs for a pic), and I moved to my best friend’s home to wait it out. What was estimated to be a 2 day job turned into 3 days and even then nothing but problems and a real possibility at small claims court or a local handyman with multiple fractures of the knee caps.
The problems began simply enough. I bought the vanity and found it still sitting in its box on the carport after the handyman called to say he was done. His explanation, the plumbing came in from the side and the vanity was only cut out in the back and so it wouldn’t fit. A simple cut out of the side which was against the wall and unseen made that a simple fix along with a verbal attitude adjustment delivered by my trusty friend “Crash and burn Hennecy” who is not known for his tactful way of dealing with people who get on his bad side. I don’t think the handyman now believes that Mike has a good side at all.
Again we get a call that the vanity is in and the job is done….well except that we have a small leak that the handyman has been unable to repair and he had left the job with the water turned off. Small leak? Both toilets were leaking from the tanks, the shut off valves and from underneath and had flooded the new subfloor and laminate and my newly purchased and much loved TOTO Washlet was also leaking. A licensed plumber and $240 later I had new shut off valves, one badly corroded and in need of replacement because it would no longer work, the other badly damaged by the handyman, 2 new flanges , under one toilet where the old one was rusted out under other where the handyman had damaged it while installing the sub floor, replacement of a lost gasket in the Washlet , lost when he took it apart when removing the toilets and 2 sets of double wax rings to compensate for the new floor height. Along with all this he had installed the faucet back on the new sink top and used no thread teflon tape or pipe dope and no plumbers putty thus when you turn on the faucet you get about as much water from under the faucet as out of the faucet. We didn’t discover this latter fact until after the plumber had left. “Crash and Burn” will attempt to fix this which will probably start a whole new cycle of Murphy’s law. Thankfully there is nothing electrical involved because Mike’s history of new electrocutions is legend.
Additionally we found that in installing the vanity he had ripped large sections of wallpaper away, cut out several pieces of molding that had disappeared with the trash and hadn’t bother to mitre any corners of the moldings in either bathroom having wasted $80 worth of custom pre-stained molding that matched the new laminate flooring. The handyman has promised for 3 days to return and repair some of his problems but I think the fact that I have been watching the door with a shotgun in hand has deterred his efforts.
The lessons to be learned? Know your handyman better and get all in writing. My own rule that I violated because the handyman was slick talking and the job so simple which is also why Mike paid him in full before the job was finished (sob story on his part...big heart on Mike's heart). Know that things can go wrong that aren’t anyone’s fault such as my old corroded shut off valve and flange. Of course finally know that nothing in DIY is ever easy so have the ultimate respect for Murphy’s law and know that it will prevail. I long for the days when I could do it myself and didn’t have to depend on others.

WHAT'S THE LATEST IDEA IN URINALS?

Recently I wrote a blog entitled “From bidets to urinals…something for everyone” in which I discussed current new trends in bathroom fixtures and all of the options available to us these days. In this same vain I ran across an interesting discussion thread on one of my favorite forums, Gardenweb/Bathrooms, the other day where the question was pondered…” Any ideas for an unobtrusive urinal?” As the father of 3 sons and a nearly lifetime user of urinals myself I believe I can speak with some authority on the subject but oddly enough what came to mind first was not to find an unobtrusive urinal but one that would stand out instead. I recalled an article from the N.Y.Times a couple of years back about an artist named Clark Sorenson and his many artistic urinal and bathroom creations, reference http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/25/garden/25urin.html?_r=2 and the pictures above. These are not only obtrusive, but beautiful and useful. I’d have one if I could afford one. But most of us have to settle for a more simple solution and from this same thread on Garden Web came ideas such as a PVC pipe mounted on the wall, messy and crude in my opinion, various pictures of commercial varieties of urinals including one that looks like an egg mounted on the wall and one with a lid on it which I am sure my sons would have, unlike the toilet seat they never put down , would have never lifted. Another writer suggested a clapping device be attached to a standard urinal to encourage better aim…applause delivered with a successful aim would make the “shooter” take better aim and possibly improve his self esteem. The very best idea and admittedly probably the most expensive was to install a waterfall in the bathroom to be used as a urinal but the downfall would be that unlike most waterfall that simply recycle the water, used as a urinal would be using water constantly so that the urine could be disposed of. In these days of drought and bad economy we can’t afford a waterfall. In the mountains of North Ga. Where I’m from, a convenient tree as always served as a good urinal, maybe not so good for the tree but we have plenty of them to spare and after all it is the answer to where a bear goes! So maybe a very “green” bathroom would work with a tree conveniently planted in the bathroom for those of us mountain men.
In summation, urinals can be a great idea especially in a home with lots of boys/men but probably regardless of which option you might choose the urinal or its substitute from this list of many alternatives is still likely to cause a stir with your guests and folks in the neighborhood. This is almost as noteworthy as my recently purchased TOTO Washlet which has caused a major stir and talk in my neighborhood as well as a string of visitors marching through my house to see it and to get in line to have a chance to sit on it. How do you think the neighbors would react to the pink urinal pictured above? Wait until they see I have a solid bronze casket stored in the spare bedroom! More on that in a later blog, in the meantime that will give you something to ponder.

PRICE MATCHING AND OTHER THOUGHTS

A few months ago I did a study, for my own edification, of several different online plumbing sales websites to both familiarize myself with what people were offering and to also see who was offering the best prices, what brands and to see what features stood out as to price matching, shipping costs, return goods policies and general customer service. Needless to say I was shocked to see the variations and still, til this day wonder how some do any business if the consumer just shopped around and clearly read and compared sites. Since that time one major site (Homeclick) with 8 different divisions selling everything from plumbing to door knobs has filed chapter 7 bankruptcy leaving customers stranded without their money or their merchandise. I learned late last week that someone is trying to now resurrect that brand and website and only time will tell as to whether they are successful or will the customer again fall victim. The lesson that we all see repeatedly, regardless of who you buy from or what you buy online from widgets to around the world cruises, pay with a credit card or through a reputable payment service like “Paypal” where if you don’t get what you were promised then you have a chance to get your money back.

The first time I remember ever hearing of a price matching guarantee was when Circuit City, now completely out of business, was first opened. They promised to match or beat anyone’s price. The first time I had the chance to see if they really meant it was when I went out to buy a new fangled device called a cordless telephone. Now today I don’t even have a land line anymore but then the cordless was a miracle of modern technology. I went first to where everyone went, Sears, and found a SONY brand I liked priced at $89.95 and at the urging of my oldest son then trekked to the new Circuit City to check them out. Sure enough they had the same phone but priced at $129.95 with a young sales rep who was anxious to point out the guarantee that it was the best price in town. When I pointed out to him the error of his ways and that meager Sears had him beaten on price and by $40 you would have thought I had shot him. He went to his floor supervisor who then went to the store manager who then called the district manager who then called the home office. The concensus of their opinions was that I was lying and they promptly suggested I take my business to Sears, buy the phone and bring it and the receipt back and prove it to them. So as angry as I was I still managed to drive back to Sears, buy the phone and then back to Circuit City where I proceeded to collect my price plus 10% difference that their ad and sales man had promised, a princely sum of $44. No wonder they finally went out of business. Today price guarantees are easier to enforce. Yesterday I was shopping for some new laminated flooring for my kitchen and bathrooms. I went online and priced it at several big retailers including HD, Lowes, Lumber Liquidators and Floor and Décor, The best price was from Lumber Liquidators but a 40 mile drive away from me. At the urging of my contractor I went to his “shopping club” nearby where he assured me they would meet or beat any price I had found. They wanted $1.99 per square foot and proudly guaranteed their price for what I had already found for a low of $.78 per square. Unlike the old Circuit City episode the sales lady simply said OK lets look at the competitors website, verified what I said was true and promptly, in accordance to her promise, she met the price and saved me a 40 mile drive, It pays to shop around know who your best vendors are and don’t be afraid to take them up on the challenge to meet or beat a price.
As always, good for words of wisdom and encouragement from her position squarely on the firing line of commerce at National Builder Supply. here is Fran Byrd’s take on price matching and little tricks of the trade to watch out for from some less than honest online dealers.

“From time to time we are asked to price match with other websites. So I just wanted to let you know the guidelines that we follow when we are ask ed to do that. Trust me we are all in favor of a cheaper price. I bargain shop all the time. At no point am I willing to give up quality to save a dollar or two. So what we look at is does the other site have this item/items in stock and can they ship them from their warehouse today? A lot of people don't realize that the face of some of the websites are nothing more than a few people sitting in a room answering the phones, as soon as you place your order with them they then fax a purchase order over to "some other warehouse" and that is who actually ships your order. Here at National Builder Supply we are all sitting about 20 feet from all the toilets and faucets you see on our site. They are here and WE ship your order. Then is it the same quality items? Let’s just use a Price Pfister item #T43-YP0Y (Ashfield Bathroom sink faucet) for example. On our site this is a 4 inch Lavatory faucet with a metal pop-up drain. Another website has this same faucet for about $40-$50 cheaper. But the one they sell has plastic parts. You will know this by the description, it says 50/50. Well if I did not work here, I would say 50/50 what? Then order it because it is cheaper. But now that I know you want the all metal one because it will hold up better over time.Then we ask, do they charge shipping? We have free shipping on ALL orders over $100. No exceptions. We will ship you one or 20 toilets for free. You WILL NOT see the little bitty printed exception to their free shipping promise on our website. Lots of websites have that huge banner at the top of the screen FREE SHIPPING and then underneath it says in little type *excludes large packages, which obviously includes toilets.”
The moral of the story is Apples to Apples….dont get hung up just on price alone. Is it truly the same merchandise? Do they have it in stock and can meet your deadline? Is their promise of free shipping truly free? Last but not least, from Richard’s (that’s me) book of wisdom, can they demonstrate with their history that they do what they say? I’ve spent the last 3 blogs answering that question about NBS because I have found a lot of people seeking the answer and finding out that they are VERY REAL and there is only pride to be found in the way they do business. Call Fran and talk to her about your needs you will find that she really exists and isn’t a figment of my imagination.

THE LAST WORD ON COMPLAINTS AND COMPLIMENTS

I have written 2 blogs of late about experience ratios from customers of National Builder Supply and I intend this to be the last in hopes that those of you who are seeking comfort in purchasing online will see the transparency that the good folks at NBS and the H.M.Wallace companies offer. No matter which of the online entities you happen across they all represent solid , thoughtful and honest customer service and great value. They also have a presence on EBAY listed as National Builder Supply with feedback and “Power Seller” history in which you can deal with confidence if EBAY is your choice of business venue.
In seeking a history of complaints I found the only one to be an EBAY feedback complaint from a toilet pictured with a toilet seat and the seat was not included. The site clearly shows that the customer must choose their option of a seat and color. To avoid this problem, as I mentioned in the previous blog, Marcus Morgan, the owner, asked me to undetake a complete review of the manufacturers catalogs comparing the websites for picture, price and inclusion of every catalog item. This is how serious they are about trying to make your purchasing experience as pperfect as possible.

I asked Fran to dig deep and relate to me the most frequent problem that arises that causes customer concern. After all no one is perfect but I believe the folks ay NBS certainly try. Fran had related an actual episode in which this example of problem had arisen and I wrote about it in my previous blog. In her own words here is how it happens:

“I'd say that the one major problem we have goes a little something like this:

A customer comes to one of our website and orders a toilet, or 5 toilets. They don't really read the policies section. The price is great, so all is well. In a few minutes they get a email confirming the order. They check out the address and maybe the total. Everything looks good. A day or so later they get another email, we are shipping their order. They see the tracking number, maybe they even track the package. But not one time on the site or in any of our emails do they read any of the very important information printed.
When you order one toilet we ship that via Fedex ground. They will leave it at your door with no signature required. You have 48 hours to inspect it and report any damages back to us. This is not because we want to be mean, its because we are only given a certain amount of time to file a claim with Fedex. The toilets are NOT broken when they leave here, so this means Fedex broke the toilet along the way. Keep in mind we are not asking you to make sure the toilet works, we only want you to check it for shipping damages.
So the customer waits two weeks until the plumber or contractor comes to install it to open the box and guess what?? Its broken.
They call us to tell us, but really there is nothing we can do. We have relayed through the site and every email that we send them the instructions on receiving the toilets, but they still find some way to make this our fault. We work very hard to hold up our end of the deal by offering great prices on INSTOCK items with excellent customer service. At some point the customer has to be held accountable for not holding up theirs.
Really to be honest this is not a typical story when you are ordering more than one toilet, because the freight truck drivers know that those have to be inspected at the time of delivery. This is more common in single toilet orders. If we could eliminate this issue, I feel like we would have no issues at all.”

Seems simple enough doesn’t it? Take a moment to read the policies but more importantly than that, no matter who you buy from or what you buy it makes sense to immediately check for damages and report it so that the replacement or refund can be made in a seamless and painless way.

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM FRAN BYRD....MORE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BUY FROM NATIONAL BUILDER SUPPLY

A few days back I wrote a blog about “why people should buy from NBS” because my “Sitemeter” was showing a world of people ending up here on my site in response to that question. I had also written back in February and included a few of the many letters complimenting NBS on their customer service and pricing, something, I’m convinced, that the entire staff works very hard at every day. Well the questions are still coming in so this morning I called my friend, Fran Byrd, at NBS and asked for some more letters either good or bad so I could give readers as much info as possible because although there is a world of info online about National Builder Supply there is NO BAD NEWS but also lacking in letters of praise. I have always been of the opinion that Americans will take the time to write when they are unhappy about something but rarely to compliment and a company needs both. Fran is also on the firing line at NBS and is always good for a quote so I asked for that also and will add it here later in this blog.
First I have mentioned many times that the driving force behind NBS and the associated companies of H.M.Wallace, is Marcus Morgan. Marcus’s family has been in the brick and mortar plumbing supply business for many years but it was Marcus who conceptualized the idea of selling those products online back in 2002. He gathered his 2 best friends from high school and Fran, also a high school friend, and started H.M.Wallace and the rest is history. The main thrust of the business is customer service and my experience both as a customer and friend has shown this to be the very best anyone could hope for. As an example most of you know I am retired and write this blog as a favor to Marcus but to also keep myself busy with the many discussion groups and forums in which I participate daily. In addition to those things Marcus recently asked me to embark on a new project to enhance the customer service experience and to assure there is no problem with their website. I am comparing the catalogs of every manufacturer against the NBS website for any variance of product picture, description, and price to make sure that when a customer shops online with them they get the right information to make their decision as easy as possible and lower the chance of any problem arising.
Recently an online competitor named “Homeclick” filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy and then last week their website reappeared trying to sell items. I discussed this with Fran as to whether she had heard about it and garnered the following quote about one of her experiences trying to help a Homeclick customer…
“With Homeclick, I had one lady who called me crying asking me if I had a number to Toto corp. because she ordered a black toilet from Homeclick and when she got it, it was broken. She called them and they said they could not help her. So I called them and asked for a supervisor, I explained the situation to him. She had got the toilet the same day. He said they did not have any more of the toilets in stock and I ask him to file a claim and give her a credit. He said “we don't do that”, he said they should have more toilets in about 4-6 weeks. She could not wait because the house was set to close before then. He said she will just have to wait. I did not tell him who I was or who I was with. He was really rude and just refused to help the poor lady. I have had tons of people call me with similar stories. I just know I would NEVER order from them.”
And this from Fran about a recent customer service problem at NBS…”We just had this one lady buy a toilet from us on Ebay, in the policies section it clearly says the toilet has to be inspected and any damages reported back to us in 48 hours. She waited A MONTH to open it and what do you know, it was broken. Normally we could have told her, sorry there is nothing we can do. But to keep our Ebay rating at 100% and to emphasize our willingness to keep the customer happy, we sent her a new toilet. We can't always do that, but I asked her to make sure she would not give a negative feedback for the exchange of the new toilet. That kind of stuff hurts you so bad because we don't always get the chance to go on and explain the details of the situation.”

HERE ARE SOME RECENT LETTERS FROM SATISFIED CUSTOMERS:
Just wanted to let everyone know what a great job everyone is doing. Especially Fran, There was a slight issue with the shipping address but she handled it without any problems. THANKS FOR A GREAT JOB and at a great price. I will be glad to continue doing business with a company that goes above and beyond to do a GREAT JOB........ Thanks again from a loyal customer for life.............. Bruce S.

Just a note to say I am glad I found your website and very happy with you service, also your packaging is awesome my unit came in excellent condition. I will be ordering all my Toto toilets from you.
Thanks, Jack


Thank you for taking care of my order. Not many companies are as easy to work with. Your Customer Service is excellent, starting with the nice woman who answered the phone this morning.


I want to thank Fran for her stellar response to my order request. I learned my order had not been shipped even though I had been told four days earlier it had shipped. After speaking with Fran, she immediately expedited shipping and it arrived just two days after I spoke with her. Super woman to the rescue!!! Thanks Fran.


I want to tell you what a pleasure it has been doing business with you. The entire process was a refreshing reminder that people can still get ahead by doing business the old fashion way-great service, great products, good value. From order to delivery, your staff was courteous and helpful and the process was seamless. Thanks again.Fred B.
Hi: I want to thank you for giving me the number for Moen, that was so kind of you to write. I contacted them and a very nice gentleman like yourself asked me lots of questions on the tap and he is sending me a new one and the rings and whatever I need to install it.
Thanks again,
Janet L.

Just wanted to thank you for everything. Our order arrived today in perfect shape. Your packing--with free shipping-- is the best I have ever seen and we received our order very quickly. It's been a pleasure dealing with you.Bob H.

Thank you so very much. It is rare today to find a business that trulycares about customer service. As soon as I receive the new faucet, Iwill call my plumber and have him install it and send the defective oneback to you. Again, I can't thank you enough. If there is a placeonline that I can share the encouraging and positive experience that Ihave had with your company, I would be pleased to do that.Thank you!!!! Sincerely, Marla M.
I just wanted to let you know that we are so pleased with our new TOTO toilet that I ordered from your company. It was so nice not to have to wait weeks for the delivery. Your turn around time is fantastic! Our shipment arrived undamaged and installation was a breeze. (According to my husband). Thank you for your great service.

Thanks Fran for the help today. Now you see her pic at the top here’s some other important info on her:
MY ROLE AT NATIONAL BUILDER SUPPLY: Customer Service
THE THING I LIKE BEST ABOUT NATIONAL BUILDER SUPPLY: Working with a great group of people in a relaxed atmosphere
A FAVORITE MOMENT AT NATIONAL BUILDER SUPPLY: Every time we get a phone call or an email letting us know we did a great job
ESSENTIAL DVDs: Save the Last Dance, The Notebook, Weeds, Without a Paddle, Finding Nemo, Dexter, Toy Story 1&2, P.S. I love You, The Lion King
ESSENTIAL CDs: Prince, Tribe Called Quest, Mary J. Blige, Maroon 5, Beastie Boys, Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Daughtry, TI, Kanye West, Kenny Chesney, Kellie Pickler
MY HOBBIES, PASSIONS & INTERESTS: I enjoy spending time with my family, watching my son play soccer, watching movies, and going to the beach..
MY MOTTO:This too shall pass