A Word On Brands

Like most D-I-Y's, Handyman and I are frugal and like to save money. Sometimes we have been penny wise and pound foolish. Anyone else been there? Over the years I believe we have learned through trial and error that brand name really counts in appliance purchases. We weren't just bragging when saying we bought a Bosch dishwasher. We learned the hard way to keep up with changes in brand names and what makes a good deal. I am very happy with Bosch brand in both the dishwasher and the washer/dryer set we purchased some years back. These appliances work well, they are quiet (an important asset over time, though not immediately considered usually), and in this day and age: energy efficient.

Handy man notes the fact that this energy consciousness means the dishes do not dry as fully as the replaced 'Kitchen Aid', but for me that is a non-issue.

So when we mention a brand name here it is not to sell you a bill of goods, it is to serve as a fellow consumer giving a consumer report. That is what I most appreciate when we have to go looking for big ticket items... some context on what makes that a good buy for us. When we looked for a new refrigerator the choices were confusing. New Brands, New Features, everything was unfamiliar. We spent so much time running from store to store (our usual modus operandi). I always researched consumer report reviews, etc, and used to keep up with remodeling advertising in the magazines, but that wasn't always the information I needed. I don't need to know what new stylings are in the latest showcase houses... I need to know what is best for the long term in this middle class life I lead.

Peripherals: The Greenhouse

Not having weighed in here for a little while, it was time!

A household is so much more than the shell of the house itself, there are furnishings, interiors and exteriors, and there are the out buildings, which I am calling the "peripherals", here. Nowadays, even the garage is connected to the main house, so we don't think too much about peripherals, but in olden times these outbuildings were important. Think about it: the barns, the chicken coops, the summer kitchens... wow, the outhouse! Most of these were connected to an agricultural mode of living, but sometimes we have our own need for "little buildings".

I've always been the garden nut around here, but in light of the present economy our focus has turned towards a greater sufficiency for good food. Thus, the addition of a small green house!

Just like having a computer and realizing, hey, a pair of headphones would be nice, a printer is really useful... the outbuildings serve the same purpose of expanding the household's capabilities. We didn't have to have a greenhouse, but in a cold climate it sure will be nice for starting plants that need a jump on the season. I always thought green houses and conservatories were pretty, anyway.

We also learned that important lesson on silicone caulk, too. Handyman can tell you more about that in the future, because he just finished the onerous job of cleaning out the faulty caulk from one of the windows that blew out during a recent storm- the 'non-setting' of the expired caulk just wasn't going to hold against the kind of winds we experience around here. So one down and numerous ones to go....
Remember to check the expiration date on that silicone caulk before you buy!!!

Right now I am very happy with the little green house and have started to use it, despite the fact that I have to figure out a way to shade it through the summer months. It gets full sun and heats up quickly. A framework of removable screening (lathe fencing) is going up around it soon.

Tool sheds, gazebos, all sorts of out buildings get added as time goes by.

GE Silicone II Caulk - Warning

I will go into the details of assembling/erecting my new greenhouse later, but wanted to get this out ASAP:

I read where it was advisable to use silicone caulk as an additional adhesive/sealant to better secure the clear plastic window/panels to the framework of the greenhouse. This is indeed advisable.

HOWEVER: Make sure you check the expiration date of the silicone caulk. I learned this the hard way. I just bought this caulk off the shelf at the local hardware store on Saturday (4/5/09), took it home and used it the same day. Now, 2 days later it still is not curing and is just as free flowing as when first applied. Now, I have done alot of caulking over the years, including using 100% silicone caulk, and never had a problem like this. Subsequently, I googled it and found other people had this problem and it was because it was beyond the expiration date. To further research this, I went to the GE mfgrs website, and sure enough, if it has expired IT WILL NEVER CURE!!! It remains like a gooey lubricant. I checked the tubes I bought and they had an 10/08 expiration date.

The only recourse is that you get a refund for the product. Unfortunately, that doesn't nearly begin to compensate for the major effort it will/would take to remove the silicone that you have already applied. You have to totally remove all the expired silicone, using isopropyl alcohol as necessary. In my case I am not going to bother with it, and will just leave it. I had applied 4 tubes of this stuff in 3/16" wide channels. Can you imagine trying to remove some 300 lineal feet of this? Plus I would have to remove all the panels and risk damaging them in the process. Plus not only would I have to remove the silicone from the channels, I would also have to remove it from the panels. This stuff is so gooey/sticky, that the task would be virtually impossible.

SO: If you are going to use 100% Silicone Caulk...be sure to check the expiration date...and buy it as far from the expiration date as possible!

Also, I had bought the GE Silicone II Caulk. A number of the reviews mentioned that DAP brand is a much better product.

I love my new greenhouse, but I still am very upset over this silicone caulk issue.

FURTHER LESSON LEARNED: Always check expiration dates. Never assume the store is rotating stock or pulling expired stuff off the shelves!

Bosch Dishwasher - Further comments

Well, as I mentioned in my earlier post...I have a few comments about our new Bosch dishwasher.

Things I like:

1. It is more energy efficient than my previous Kitchen Aid.
2. It is extremely quiet.
3. It gets the dishes sparkling clean.
4. You don't have to worry about plastic melting if placed on bottom rack.
5. The upper rack is adjustable to two levels to accommodate taller items.
6. Both the upper & lower racks have adjustable prongs which is nice for handling odd size items.
7. Full stainless steel interior tub (including door). Door exterior is black.

Things I am still getting used to:

1. It seems to take longer to run a complete cycle (135 minutes). It has a
countdown timer. This doesn't really matter, since we generally only run one
(sometimes two) loads/day.
2. It does not get the dishes as dry as my Kitchen Aid did. You can increase the drying time (which I did), but they still are not fully dry. It is probably the reason that plastic doesn't melt on bottom rack...it has a lower drying temp. Since we do not (generally) immediately remove the clean dishes, they do tend to fully dry from air/evaporation.
3. It does not seem to hold as many dishes as the Kitchen Aid.
4. It does not have a built in disposer. It does have a filter/trap which they
recommend emptying once a month (or as needed).

In conclusion (to date):

I am happy with this dishwasher. It is quiet and does a very good job of getting the dishes sparkling clean. As I mentioned before, I will never buy a Kitchen Aid dishwasher again because of what I consider a manufacturing defect and the subsequent "brush-off" that their customer service gave me.

Our New Bosch Dishwasher

First, the background:

I purchased and installed a Kitchen Aid dishwasher in my remodeled kitchen in 2001. This was (supposedly) a quality dishwasher with a stainless steel interior tub. My problems began about 4 years later when the catch for the dish detergent compartment door had deteriorated to the point where it no longer existed. This looks like a little $.25 item that could not stand up to the rigors of a dishwasher. Consequently, you could no longer put the detergent in the dishwasher detergent dispenser compartment. I called Kitchen Aid to complain, and they essentially said "screw you, customer". I was left with choice of calling service tech for about $250, putting up with it, or buying new dishwasher. My response to this poor customer service for what I consider a manufacturers defect (in designing a catch that couldn't handle the job), was that I would never buy a Kitchen Aid dishwasher again.

My temporary solution was to start using the 3 in 1 Electrasol Powerball capsules, and drop them directly in dishwasher. This was ok, except for it causing etching of glassware and less than desirable dish cleaning. Anyway, I put up with this annoyance/inconvenience for another 4 years.

Then...after some research...I determined that Bosch has a good reputation, so I decided to get a Bosch dishwasher. I went to Lowes and purchased a Bosch Model SHE45M dishwasher with stainless steel interior. I asked the sales guy for 10% off and got it. Also, asked them to match Home Depot 6 months same as cash and got it. I think I could have even gotten 12 months same as cash if I had asked.

Anyway, bought it, took it home, and installed it (same day). Had to make a couple modifications. In order to run the supply/drain hoses thru the cabinet I had to drill a couple new holes (lower & further to the rear). Other than that, installation was easy.

My opinion so far: Happy, but too early to tell. I was used to the racks on the Kitchen Aid. Bosch is different...and I will have to get used to the difference. Kitchen Aid "customer service" was the deciding factor in going with a different manufacturer. I consider this little $.25 item to me a mfgrs design flaw, and they should have owned up to it.

I will post further comments as I get used to the new dishwasher...

Coming out of hibernation

Yes, I am still alive. I realize I haven't written anything since my last post (on emergency generators) on 10/19/08...over 5 months ago. But, I live in Ohio!!!, and I am just now coming out of the doldrums that an Ohio winter brings. BTW, did you know that Ohio ranks #38 on the list of the "most free" states? So if you don't live in Ohio, and cherish freedom, there are 37 states that offer you more freedom/liberty than Ohio.

Anyway, with spring approaching and my wife encroaching on my freedom to continue hibernating/procrastinating, I am psyching myself up to get busy on some projects:

1. Buy & install a new Bosch dishwasher to replace the Kitchen Aid unit we now have. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am extremely unhappy with Kitchen Aid dishwashers. (I accomplished this a couple weeks ago, and will detail it in my next post).

2. I purchased a 6'x10' greenhouse (disassembled) from Costco. I am looking forward to erecting/assembling this in next week or two, weather permitting. I will detail this experience with you when completed.

Wood Stoves Wood Heat

I found a great article on stoves that heat with wood- pictures of fabulous innovative stoves, history, and statistics all rolled into one big article. Heating with wood?

Old Memories

My Grandmother was an accomplished weaver. Her brother had built her a loom that I remember looking much like this one, a large floor loom. The accompanying post telling of the necessity of storing it reminded me of the fate of my grandmother's loom. Stored in my uncles barn, it was lost in the fire that consumed the barn.

I still have a rug that my grandmother wove on that contraption, both beautiful and ungainly at the same time. I think of diligence, domesticity, and losses... simultaneously.

clipped from grannyfiddler-northofsanity.blogspot.com won't have a place for this beautiful thing soon, so it'll be packed away somewhere - hopefully safe. this loom is over a century old

Get Joe Writing Again

Actually we are talking about Handyman, here, but he referred to himself as Joe, and so Joe it is. Joe Everyman.

We need to encourage him to write again. We got all caught up with the fall round up of general chores and a few remodeling jobs that were a little more work than initially expected. Just the Mushroom Factor in action. The Handyman is a very talented guy; he doesn't always think so, but he is. And we have to keep reminding him about that, which I find a little annoying, but that is likely the way many of us are in our own way. Unsure of our value and abilities.

Anyway, we have gotten him hooked into facebook,and doing the occasional blogging. He likes it, but it is still very foreign territory.

Here is the stuff if you want some:


I don't get any benefit, but just wanted you to know about this- I do get credit for other stuff you order through my associate link, tho:)

Today he put up the front door storm window, and I hung the wreath that I bought @ Sam's Club last week. The poinsettia is in the window, the house is slowly getting clean and the kids are actually in the mood to help out because we are all feeling CHRISTMAS!

The atmosphere here is just wonderful :) ...for the most part.

And I have been burning the Body Shop fragrance oils, which just smell lovely. I'm saving my favorites for later in the season, but this week I've been using the Ripe Fig Fragrance. Yum!

Ok We'll Write- Later!

Not that anyone cares at this point. Here's an old thing I did in an "about me" meme:
If I were...