Episode 106
Earth Day Special: Transforming Spaces with Eco-Friendly Innovations
Our Earth Day special boldly addresses the pressing necessity for sustainable living through innovative building practices, specifically in the realm of container home construction. We delve into the potential of green living, exploring how sustainable materials and eco-friendly practices can coalesce to foster a healthier planet. In our discussion, we are joined by Sandra McCullough from Lifestyle Lab and Zach Farren from IFoam, both of whom bring invaluable insights into the importance of energy efficiency and the merits of high-quality materials in home renovation. We emphasize the significance of making informed decisions regarding home improvements that not only enhance living conditions but also contribute to environmental sustainability. Join us as we embark on this enlightening journey towards a more sustainable lifestyle, equipped with knowledge and practical advice for every homeowner.
The Earth Day special of Boxcar Universe presents a compelling discussion on sustainable living, with a particular focus on the innovative concept of container homes. As the episode unfolds, we delve into the historical evolution of human shelters, tracing the journey from primitive bamboo huts to modern concrete structures. This exploration sets the stage for a critical discourse on contemporary challenges: the urgent need for eco-friendly practices and sustainable housing solutions in the face of climate change. The host, Steve Deubel alongside guests Sandra McCullough of Lifestyle Lab and Zach Farren from IFoam, emphasize the importance of making informed choices regarding home improvements that prioritize energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. They advocate for the adoption of sustainable materials, such as low-VOC cabinets and eco-friendly flooring options, which not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of homes but also contribute to healthier living environments. Throughout the episode, listeners are encouraged to envision a more sustainable future by embracing innovative building methods that align with eco-conscious lifestyles, thus building a better planet one box at a time.
Takeaways:
- The podcast episode emphasizes the significance of adopting sustainable practices in our daily lives, particularly in home building and renovation.
- Container homes represent a modern innovation in eco-friendly living, allowing individuals to reduce their carbon footprint while enhancing their quality of life.
- The discussion highlights the importance of investing in high-quality materials, such as cabinetry and flooring, to ensure longevity and environmental sustainability.
- Listeners are encouraged to evaluate their energy consumption habits and consider eco-friendly upgrades, such as insulation and solar energy systems, for long-term savings.
Transcript
Earth Day is here and so is our boldest episode yet.
Speaker A:From sustainable builds to container home innovation, we're talking green living, big ideas and building a better planet one box at a time.
Speaker A:Let's go.
Speaker A:Since the dawn of time, mankind has searched for ways to shelter themselves from the elements.
Speaker A:Over the centuries, these shelters have evolved from bamboo huts to concrete towers.
Speaker A:The last few years, there's been a push to save the planet.
Speaker A:Are you ready to embark on a more sustainable lifestyle?
Speaker A:Look no further.
Speaker A:You're about to enter the adventures of container home living.
Speaker A:And now, contractor, radio and TV personality and your host for Boxcar Universe, Steve Dubel.
Speaker A: his is our earth day special,: Speaker A:And hard to believe that we are already here in April.
Speaker A:But you know, one of the things that we always try and highlight on Earth Day are energy saving and sustainable practices and products for your home, container home, cabin, castle, whatever you're living in.
Speaker A:We want to make sure that you use all the best products and the most eco friendly products.
Speaker A:And I've got two great guests with us today.
Speaker A:We've got Sandra McCullough from Lifestyle Lab along with Zach Farren from iPhone, one of our great sponsors here at Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:And we're going to be talking a lot about those topics today.
Speaker A:I want you everybody to stay tuned because you've got that and more right here on Boxcar Universe, your home for renovating and remodeling your world.
Speaker A:And we'd like to welcome all our listeners to Boxcar Universe today.
Speaker A:As I said, we are God, you know, we're past tax day, thank the Lord and we don't have to worry about that.
Speaker A:And we have to get ready for spring.
Speaker A:Some of our listeners are in some of the more colder climates and here in Arizona, we've had some touches of 100 degrees already and it's been in the 80s and 90s.
Speaker A:So, you know, we've got a lot of us here in the Southwest are thinking about energy savings and utility bills.
Speaker A:And I tell people all that all the time because, you know, one of the things that we do in my company, Ideal home Improvement is we sell solar systems for residential homes so we can help save you money.
Speaker A:If you are interested in doing solar on your home, you need to reach out to me right here@steveoxcaruniverse.com and we'll get some information from you and we'll be able to analyze your home's energy usage and be able to design a system for your home.
Speaker A:And I don't know what more I can say other than, you know, when people get their utility bill, they look at it, they cringe for a minute, especially in the summertime when it's hot, it's and your bill goes up hundreds of dollars a month.
Speaker A:And a lot of times people just pay it and they just send it because they want it to be out of their sight, out of mind.
Speaker A:But if you want to analyze the amount of money that you're using and where that money is going, sending it to the utility company is like putting it into a, sending it down a black hole.
Speaker A:You're never going to see it again.
Speaker A:You get no value out of it.
Speaker A:And the only thing that's going to happen is you're going to see that same outrageous bill in 30, 31 days again for the following month.
Speaker A:So if you want to start saving money and put money towards the value of your home, make sure that you give me a call again.
Speaker A: ment here in the Valley since: Speaker A:So keep that in mind for the energy savings for our Earth Day special.
Speaker A:But right now we want to turn our attention to Sandra McCullough from Lifestyle Lab.
Speaker A:And Sandra, thank you for joining us today on Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:First time here.
Speaker A:Tell us a little bit about Lifestyle Lab.
Speaker B:Yeah, thank you, Steve, for having me.
Speaker B:So the Lifestyle Lab is a lifestyle company.
Speaker B: Phoenix corridor back in like: Speaker B:And we supplied all of the materials for them, specifically cabinetry, flooring, tile, and also some rugs and some light home decor items.
Speaker B:And it became so popular with our builders that we ended up opening up a larger scale showroom over in the Arcadia area, which is a suburb of Phoenix, if you haven't been out to Arizona, really pretty area.
Speaker B:And yeah, we love curating all of our products.
Speaker B:We're a small team, yet pretty mighty.
Speaker B:We've got about 12 of us on the team and we're all looking for constantly bringing in new flooring, whether it's eco friendly or whether it's tile that's also, you know, low VOC and materials that are going to look beautiful in your home, but also be sustainable and have a great purpose as well.
Speaker B:Long shelf life.
Speaker B:So yeah, so cabinets and flooring and tile.
Speaker B:And we also have some home decor.
Speaker B:So we have some beautiful items and we're here in Phoenix and we ship all over across the country.
Speaker B:So we, we love our little business that grew in the last several years to quite a bigger business.
Speaker A:Well, you know, one of the things that I enjoyed coming to visit and getting the tour from your wonderful staff is that as a contractor you're always talking with homeowners and to be able to go out to one facility and look at all the different aspects of what your remodel might need and you don't have to travel all the way around to different parts of the valley is really a stress reliever for the homeowner, which I think is something really great.
Speaker A:Because then as a contractor we could set up an appointment and I usually go down with the homeowner and we go over their plan, what they want to do and be able to sit and get that information from the homeowner you really like, what are you really looking for and basically do that whole consultation.
Speaker A:But we don't have to do it just because it's just for flooring.
Speaker A:You could do it for everything, everything that you have, you know, tile flooring, countertops, all that good stuff.
Speaker A:When you talk about remodeling work, cabinetry, because cabinetry, you know, especially in a kitchen, I think sometimes homeowners are misled because, you know, they go past a big box store and they say, oh, cabinets, well look, it's not that expensive.
Speaker A:Well, you know, it's, it's, you know, looking at an individual cabinet is not looking at the whole big picture of a whole kitchen.
Speaker A:And you know, you could spend, you could spend over 10, definitely going to spend over $10,000 if it's an average or larger size kitchen on a quality cabinet.
Speaker A:And you don't want anything that's going to be, you spend that much money.
Speaker A:Don't, don't go for a cheap cabinet.
Speaker B:Yeah, well, and I think what we love about our concept is that's always been available to like your production builders is we have created the design center concept for the residential remodeler so they can come in and have a one stop shop experience.
Speaker B:We've really simplified it for them so that not only are the cabinets there for them to select along with their flooring and their tile, which is so important, but we also have all different price points represented.
Speaker B:So somebody coming in who tells us well, or the contractor coming in with their client saying our budget is this, we know we can show them a porcelain that might resemble a marble or you know, really kind of stick within A budget and send them in the right location in the showroom so that they can pick out the right materials versus them going around to all the different cabinet stores with their cabinet sample and their flooring sample and their tile sample.
Speaker B:Trying to put it all together, we really kind of toned down that stress for them to see everything in one place, have pricing in one place.
Speaker B:And then we also offer design services.
Speaker B:So a lot of our designers are actual designers and they're accredited to be able to help with all the different needs that may come about in a remodel.
Speaker B:And so we can do design renders, we can do the tile placement.
Speaker B:If it's going horizontal or vertical, we pick out the grout and all of the trim in the showroom.
Speaker B:As well.
Speaker B:So it really is a one stop shop experience that we've created, which I think our clients love because they're like, thank God.
Speaker B:Because it's so stressful to run around.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:I mean, you don't have to go to a whole bunch of places.
Speaker A:The one thing that I always tell people, you know, clients, turn around.
Speaker A:Let's say if we're going to go out to a facility for whatever material that we're looking for as make sure that you pick two.
Speaker A:Because I want you to pick a primary and I want you to pick a secondary.
Speaker A:Because if we go back and look at your primary, if it's over the allotment budget that we've anticipated for your remodel, then you have to make a decision.
Speaker A:Do you want to pay a little more because you like that, or would you rather go for choice number two, which is maybe more within your budget and something that you still like, but you can live with it.
Speaker B:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker B:And I wholeheartedly agree that people should spend their money on a remodel, on their cabinetry and their flooring.
Speaker B:Like, those two really need to be something that you don't wanna cheapen out on.
Speaker B:I mean, I've lived in rentals with cheap cabinets and I can tell you it's frustrating.
Speaker B:So I always tell our homeowners, like, if you've ever lived in a rental with cheap cabinets, you remember that rental and you remember those cheap cabinets.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:Especially the ones that have been painted 10 times.
Speaker B:Yeah, right, right.
Speaker B:Or are falling off the hinges and they're not.
Speaker B:And so it's just like it slams really hard.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker B:And I mean, cabinets have come a long way, but you know, there's also the eco part on it too.
Speaker B:I mean, we've had a lot of cheap cabinets that have come from China and other countries that have paint that's toxic.
Speaker B:And with everyone talking about, you know, staying healthy and having this eco friendly space in their home, like, don't put cheap china cabinets in your house just to save a buck because it's toxic.
Speaker B:I mean, if you've got kids that are getting up against the cabinet on the floor or pets, like, it's not safe.
Speaker B:So I mean, I always say, like, we represent companies that are here in America, specifically in Washington state, so they can get to us pretty quickly.
Speaker B:But we also have some on the east coast that can get to our east coast clients.
Speaker B:And they have great price points and they're solid, great cabinetry.
Speaker B:So it's like you don't have to go cheap, but always invest in quality cabinetry and flooring.
Speaker B:And flooring is another one.
Speaker B:I mean, we have people that come in, they're like, well, I want to spend 99 cents for the floor per square foot or $1.99.
Speaker B:And I'm like, is this for your forever home or is this a rental home?
Speaker B:Because, you know, and even if you've got a rental, like you're going to have a lot of people, you're going to have a lot of traction on that flooring.
Speaker B:And if it's your house, you want to make sure it's not going to start buckling when you're cleaning it.
Speaker B:And you want to make sure it's a solid surface and that you're really gonna love the fact that it's got a long shelf life.
Speaker B:Cause that flooring is underneath your cabinetry, that countertop is on top of your cabinetry.
Speaker B:So you start having cheap on one element.
Speaker B:Then it's like this trickle down effect when you want to replace it, that you gotta then replace the cabinets, then you gotta replace the countertops, then you gotta replace the backsplash, you know, and it's like, why go through that exercise just to save money when you can from the start, you know, there's loans you can get if it's too expensive to get solid, amazing products for your particular project.
Speaker B:But there's financing or you know, people can get equity out of their homes.
Speaker B:There's, there's ways that they can skin that cat if they really want to do it right.
Speaker B:And like I said, we have so many different price points on purpose because we know clients are cost sensitive, but they're, they're priced at a, at a for a product that we know we want to sell them because it's going to have a longer shelf Life than, you know, something they pick up at one of the big box stores that's only got a shelf life of maybe five or six years, it starts falling apart.
Speaker A:That's right.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:And then again, you know, we, as in the service industry, have to keep in mind about who we're speaking to, because, like, is it, like you had said, is it the homeowner?
Speaker A:Is it an investor?
Speaker A:Because the investor and the homeowner are looking at that house, their homes, two different ways.
Speaker A:And I learned years ago that, you know, quotes that you do for a homeowner are not the same kind of quotes you want to do for an investor, because investor is looking at it completely different.
Speaker A:Is it.
Speaker A:We want to make it good enough, but it's like you say, it's not my forever home, so it just has to be good enough to last for a while.
Speaker A:Now, I wouldn't put.
Speaker A:You know, I saw somebody do this once in Scottsdale.
Speaker A:I couldn't believe it.
Speaker A:Sanjay.
Speaker A:They put down vinyl plank flooring in a.
Speaker A:In a neighborhood that should have had a better quality wood floor.
Speaker A:And they just.
Speaker A:They just glued it down to the.
Speaker A:Yeah, I know.
Speaker A:I got.
Speaker A:Yeah, I get.
Speaker A:My skin started crawling when I looked.
Speaker A:I said, you did what?
Speaker A:You know, and then it was so funny because it was a DIY thing.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:So they had it.
Speaker A:They had it all stacked in their garage.
Speaker A:And I want all our listeners to think about this, okay?
Speaker A:If you like doing DIY and you want to put vinyl plank flooring down, okay, if you've ever heard about wood that you have to bring in the house to have it acclimated to the temperature before you put it down, there's a lot to it.
Speaker A:Now, this vinyl plank flooring has the same thing.
Speaker A:They had it all stacked in the garage.
Speaker A:They brought it in the house as they needed it, box by box, and they rolled it out and they put it down.
Speaker A:And everything looked.
Speaker A:It looked wonderful when they put it down.
Speaker A:Well, guess what happened the next day.
Speaker A:They walked in, and now all the seams have spread because the planking shrunk.
Speaker A:Because when it got to normal temperature inside the house, it cooled down, whereas in the garage, it was warm, it was hot, it was probably 80 or 90, and it expanded.
Speaker A:So they laid it when it was expanded, and then it shrank.
Speaker B:Oh.
Speaker A:And then they.
Speaker A:Guess what they had to do.
Speaker B:They had to reinstall it.
Speaker A:They had to tear it all up and throw it away.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And then.
Speaker A:And then he brought somebody in to do it, Right?
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Well, those mistakes cost money.
Speaker B:And so it's like, that's why you should do it right from the beginning.
Speaker B:And, you know, when you're talking about investors, we work with a lot of investors, too, and a lot of contractors.
Speaker B:But our biggest thing that we have always done from the very beginning is ask the right questions.
Speaker B:What's your lead time, like, your whole time for this house?
Speaker B:Like, are you in it for five years?
Speaker B:Are you flipping it?
Speaker B:Are you in it for 10 years?
Speaker B:And even if you're flipping it, like, we had one guy who's like, I don't care what I put in it.
Speaker B:I literally want to sell it within, like, 60 days.
Speaker B:And I told him of a client that we had years ago before him that had done the same thing and had decided he just wanted to put, like, the cheapest stuff in there.
Speaker B:And he didn't go with flooring with us.
Speaker B:He ended up going with, I don't know, a different company.
Speaker B:And then he ended up buying the cabinets from us.
Speaker B:And the reason why we know the story is because he came back and said, oh, my God, the homeowner I sold the house to is suing me because apparently the guy that installed the flooring did it incorrectly.
Speaker B:The flooring was not the right flooring for the threshold, so it was coming apart.
Speaker B:Well, they had to come back and order more cabinets out of this lawsuit from us.
Speaker B:And that's how we knew about the story.
Speaker B:And I was like, oh, my gosh, we told you not to cheapen out on the flooring.
Speaker B:Even if you're going to sell it quick, those homeowners you're selling it to, they're going to be the ones that are moving in with their family, and if they have issues, they're going to go after you because you installed it.
Speaker B:So it's like, you know, you try to make a quick buck and sell a house, do it right.
Speaker B:Even if you're flipping it, even if you're going to be having renters living in it.
Speaker B:Like, you don't have to go and put hardwood in those houses, but make sure that if you're putting vinyl or laminate, it's a quality one that's going to last the next person who's living there for a while.
Speaker B:So you don't have to tear it out and then do the same with the cabinets and countertops.
Speaker B:I don't think you can go wrong with.
Speaker B:But there are countertops.
Speaker B:There was a lawsuit with countertops in the United States about all the particles that were making people sick.
Speaker B:So people have to be careful with that.
Speaker B:Now they're finally getting rid of those, they're no longer producing them.
Speaker A:I think that falls in the category of the Chinese drywall from years ago.
Speaker A:That was another thing that again, doing the eco friendly thing, knowing putting something quality down, but at the same time too, also making sure that you don't have to spend a fortune.
Speaker A:And that's true.
Speaker A:I think people had the wrong viewpoint many years ago when everybody started using the word let's build green.
Speaker A:Well, green was like the buzzword that everybody used to use, but everybody started thinking about, well, doing green cost more.
Speaker A:And I think that's one of the turnoffs in the bad rap that it got originally.
Speaker A:But then as more people started thinking about going eco friendly, that stigma, so to speak, kind of faded away.
Speaker A:And now when you talk about doing green and talk eco friendly, I've learned, I've had people turn around and ask me, well, please describe that to me, what do you mean by that?
Speaker A:Because it's not just spending more money to use a more natural product.
Speaker A:There's a lot more doing it.
Speaker A:And people are building more, are creating more natural products now that are cost effective.
Speaker A:So there's no real reason to go cheap or use anything that's not eco friendly.
Speaker A:And like you say, if you're spending money, spend it right, do it right and be happy with it.
Speaker A:Because you want to sleep at night.
Speaker A:That's why you always do my remodeling.
Speaker A:I want to make sure that the homeowner is happy.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:And I don't want to get a phone call at 3:00 in the morning.
Speaker B:Well, and like you said, the prices have come down because there are more eco friendly products and companies now on the market.
Speaker B:So it's not as expensive as it was even 10 years ago.
Speaker B:And it's the same for food, you know, I mean, people that want to eat healthy and eat well.
Speaker B:I mean, that food that was organic 10 years ago is not as expensive as buying something that's not good for you.
Speaker B:So, you know, you just have to look for those products and talk to the right people that can educate, you know, you, whoever the homeowner might be and what their, their position is on budget to find them the right products.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's for sure.
Speaker A:All right, we're going to take a short break.
Speaker A:When we come back, we're going to have more with Sandra McCullough from Lifestyle Lab.
Speaker A:And then we're also going to be speaking with Zach Farren from iPhone and we're going to talk about one of those things Obviously, if you're home is not insulated adequately, well, then you need to call Zach because he will come out and give you an evaluation.
Speaker A:And you surely don't want to be caught in the middle of July and August when it's 120 outside, especially in Arizona.
Speaker A:And for those listeners think, does it really get to 120?
Speaker A:Trust me, the last two years, July, I think I remember, I think they logged the.
Speaker A:It was an absurd number of the months in July that were over 110.
Speaker A:I mean, after it gets to be like 108, 109.
Speaker A:I mean, you just ignore.
Speaker A:When you live out here, just ignore it.
Speaker A:I mean, you just walk out, it's hot.
Speaker A:I mean, it doesn't make a difference.
Speaker A:One degree, two degrees, it's hot.
Speaker A:But having the proper insulation so that you don't waste energy staying cool is important.
Speaker A:So we're going to talk with Zach later, but I want everybody to hang tight.
Speaker A:We'll be right back.
Speaker A:And you are listening to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:Looking to transform your space with over 30 years of construction experience and featured on radio and TV, Ideal Home Improvement and Legacy Custom Homes AZ does it all, from repairs, remodeling and restorations to new builds, container homes and container pools.
Speaker A:Plus cutting edge solar systems to help homeowners save money on their utility bills.
Speaker A:Hi, I'm Steve Dubell.
Speaker A:Let us help you design and build your dream home with the expertise that comes from decades of experience in the business.
Speaker A: -: Speaker A:Remember, Ideal home improvement and legacy custom homes AZ where your dream home becomes reality.
Speaker A:Don't wait.
Speaker A:Call today.
Speaker A:Stardust Building Supplies is your home improvement thrift store.
Speaker A:Find salvaged and gently used cabinetry, doors, windows, appliances, lighting, plumbing and much more.
Speaker A:Save money, be green and support the community.
Speaker A:Shop and donate at Star Building Supplies Valley locations.
Speaker A:For more info, visit stardustbuilding.org Improve your home's energy efficiency by calling iPhone your comfort and efficiency insulators.
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Speaker A:As a proud sponsor of Boxcar Universe and part of the Ideal Energy Team, I Foam is here to keep your home or business cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter and save you money all year long.
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Speaker A: -: Speaker A:so what's in your attic?
Speaker A:All right, we are back and you're listening to box car universe.
Speaker A:And this is our earth day special.
Speaker A:And my two guests today are Sandra McCullough from Lifestyle Lab and Zac Feren from iPhone.
Speaker A:And I want to go to Zach and have him tell us a little bit about iPhone.
Speaker A:And, you know, we're talking about insulation.
Speaker A:You know, Zach, one of the things that I get hit a lot.
Speaker A:I think.
Speaker A:You ever get hit with one of those questions, like, you always want to chuckle inside, but you want to know that, like, how does this person not know the answer to this question?
Speaker A:Okay, so you get question like, you sell container homes.
Speaker A:I'm like, yeah.
Speaker A:I said, and you build them.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But how do you live in a container home and you live in the middle of the desert?
Speaker A:And I'm like thinking to myself, you know, trying to keep a straight face now and turn around and think like, I'm thinking to myself, did you ever hear of insulation?
Speaker A:And it's like, you know, they're just like a home and then they're like, oh, really?
Speaker A:And the light bulb goes on, you know, like, then they understand.
Speaker A:It's like, you know, it's like a real home.
Speaker A:A lot of times people don't understand it.
Speaker A:But tell us a little bit about iPhone and what you guys do and the eco friendliness of using foam.
Speaker C:So, Steve, first off, you know, and Sandra, thanks for having me here today.
Speaker C:I could talk about energy efficiency.
Speaker C:Tom blue in the face.
Speaker C:But my name is Zach Ferrand with iPhone 151.
Speaker C:We're based out of the greater Scottsdale.
Speaker C:I'm born and raised in Arizona out here in the desert.
Speaker C:So, you know, I know it's hot and it is a problem, but yeah, we do everything energy efficiency related.
Speaker C:We can point you in the right direction if you want.
Speaker C:The blower door test, the BPI certification, roofing foam, attic foam, concrete lifting, blown in insulation, cellulose, fiberglass.
Speaker C:We do it all.
Speaker C:If we don't do it, we have, you know, a sister company or someone that handles it for us.
Speaker C:Like the concrete lifting and the roofing foam.
Speaker C:Right now, we sub that out to our sister companies for now as we get our license, you know, in place and all that stuff.
Speaker C:But yeah, that's what we do.
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean it a lot of times when we go back in and we're doing room additions and things of that nature, I always tell homeowners, I'm like, you know, you need to think about doing Foam.
Speaker A:Because when I'm going to give you, I'm going to do your quote and I'm going to put a line item in there for foaming, for insulation, not just bad insulation, because foam is going to, over the long run is going to give you better R value.
Speaker A:It's going to cover all the nooks and crannies, as they say, to where there could be gaps, where you could lose energy.
Speaker A:And it's just better overall.
Speaker A:It costs a little more than bad insulation.
Speaker A:But like we were talking before the show, it's going to save you a lot of money over the long haul and it's going to start paying for itself.
Speaker A:And I think the one thing that, you know, when you go up in an attic that has bad insulation in it, or let's talk about blown in insulation for a minute.
Speaker A:Not the bad insulation, but just blown in.
Speaker A:You know, everybody says, well, how much do I have up there?
Speaker A:And you get the estimators go up there with their ruler to figure out, okay, how many inches do I have in there?
Speaker A:Does he need any more?
Speaker A:Well, over time that along with bad insulation, it compresses.
Speaker A:It compresses.
Speaker A:And then all of a sudden over the years, you get a 20, 30 year home and the insulation isn't doing its job anymore.
Speaker A:That's why foam is so much better and lasts so much longer.
Speaker A:But tell our listeners a little bit about, because I know they probably have heard this, what's the difference between closed cell and open cell insulation?
Speaker C:There's two major difference between open cell and closed cell.
Speaker C:The first major difference is closed cell has a vapor barrier.
Speaker C:Open cell does not.
Speaker C:Here in Arizona, a lot of these houses we're doing open cell.
Speaker C:We don't have a lot of humidity.
Speaker C:But iPhones started out in Omaha, Nebraska and we got, you know, companies in Texas.
Speaker C:There's four iPhones in Texas, there's one in Florida.
Speaker C:They all use closed cell.
Speaker C:Down there, it's a different zone for the energy requirements.
Speaker C:If you have a very humid area, you definitely want to do closed cell.
Speaker C: ate law in Missouri and as of: Speaker C:The second difference is the R value.
Speaker C:So when we're talking about R value in foam, the R value per inch with open cell ranges anywhere from 3.5 to 3.7 per inch.
Speaker C:And then with closed cell, you're getting about R7 per inch.
Speaker C:So you get double the R value.
Speaker C:But with that, you know, you got to pay for that.
Speaker C:So closed cell is a much more expensive product, a little bit harder to install, so there's a little bit more added labor.
Speaker C:But you know, it ranges, the industry standard, you know, it ranges between A$1 50 cent per board foot per inch.
Speaker A:And again, thinking about, you know, the dollars and cents of it is in looking at big projects, I think sometimes homeowners are pennywise and dollar foolish because they're trying to say, well, let's just do, you know, I need insulation, but let's just do the least expensive.
Speaker A:Well, again, I think it's up to us as educators, as we were talking about earlier, that we have to educate the homeowner.
Speaker A:It's like, okay, so how long, and I ask people, when I sell them solar, how long are you going to be in the home?
Speaker A:Okay, is this going to be important for you to save money over the long haul?
Speaker A:Because like you say, insulation, much like when we talk about solar, the cost of energy is going to be going up.
Speaker A:It's never going to go down.
Speaker A:Never.
Speaker A:So if you invest in something now to save you money, and I always look at it, you know, a lot of people get, have tunnel vision.
Speaker A:They turn around and they, or we could call it the TV BookTube image image.
Speaker A:And they think about, well, I always saw this commercial and I'm really going to get solar or I need insulation.
Speaker A:My house is hot.
Speaker A:I've had hot spots over the years in summertime, I need to do that.
Speaker A:Somebody needs to stop and think about the big picture.
Speaker A:Because, yes, you may need either one of those two things, but until you get a complete energy evaluation to see what's needed, okay, you may need a little bit of both or more one than the other.
Speaker A:So, and then again, what's your budget?
Speaker A:If you need multiple things to be more energy efficient, which ones do you want to do first?
Speaker A:So I mean, in insulation would probably be in my, in my thinking would be one of the things that you'd want to do first to make sure you seal up all those nooks and crannies and have the best opportunity to keep the cool air in your home in summer and obviously keep the warm air from escaping in the wintertime.
Speaker A:So I think that's real important.
Speaker A:Where do you find most of your business in iPhone?
Speaker A:Is it new builds or is it more renovations or homeowners just trying to do the right thing and become more energy efficient?
Speaker C:So, Steve, that's a funny question.
Speaker C: call the Phoenix Metro as of: Speaker A:I've heard that before.
Speaker A:And basically that's out on the freeway every night on the 101.
Speaker A:When I go home, it's starting to.
Speaker C:Feel like Los Angeles.
Speaker A:Yeah, it does.
Speaker C:Be honest.
Speaker A:It does.
Speaker C:There's so much growth, Steve.
Speaker C:We're doing anything.
Speaker C:We're licensed for residential commercial new construction.
Speaker C:I don't care if it's a track home, an existing home, a historical home production home, commercial building, anything from a university to a shed.
Speaker C:We're going to spray foam in.
Speaker C:I'm even trying to work something out in Texas.
Speaker C:You know, they got SpaceX, the purchasing manager out there is Jesse and we have four iPhones down in Texas.
Speaker C:Spray Foam Worldwide is like a magazine for all our spray foam guys.
Speaker C:And they're doing spray foam on the rocket ships that he sends out.
Speaker C:All those fuel boosters get basically high tech roofing foam.
Speaker C:It's a high density roofing foam.
Speaker C:And so, I mean, is whatever.
Speaker C:You can dream, Steve.
Speaker C:We're going to spray it.
Speaker A:Okay, so I'm going to, I'm going to hold you to something now that you've been an official guest on Boxcar Universe and you've let the world know that you've got connections with SpaceX and Starship and everything else.
Speaker A:So the next launch I expect to see some passes, some plane tickets for Sandra and I to fly out to Texas and watch Starship blast off.
Speaker A:Because that's got to be just one monumental thing to see go up.
Speaker A:It's got to be.
Speaker C:I know Elon and Trump are watching this podcast, Steve, so we'll make it happen.
Speaker A:Oh my God.
Speaker A:Music in my heart is.
Speaker A:My heart is pounding now and it's so good, seriously.
Speaker A:But thinking about that again, the foam in way it's used, we, we use it in so many different ways, so many ways.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's just uncanny.
Speaker A:And in, I think as, as being doing podcasts and being an educator and a contractor to be able to go back out.
Speaker A:And I think being in the media in these fields that we're in helps us stay on the cutting edge of everything that is coming down the pike.
Speaker A:Because most of the time we'll see it first.
Speaker A:I mean, not just from what we may hear from our context, but obviously some of the shows like the Builders show up in Vegas every year.
Speaker A:I mean, you see stuff up there.
Speaker A:I mean you go up there, you've got to spend at least if you're going to cover every part of the builder show up there and Learn everything that's going on up there.
Speaker A:You got to be up there for at least three days.
Speaker A:It's massive.
Speaker A:I mean, I was up there two years ago.
Speaker A:It was just unbelievable to go through there.
Speaker A:But some of the stuff that's coming down the pike, we have to share it with the people that are our customers.
Speaker A:So I think it's really important.
Speaker A:But we're going to take a short break.
Speaker A:When we come back, we're going to have more with Zach and Sandra.
Speaker A:We're going to be talking a little bit more eco friendly and how we can actually help you get your home up to speed and do your fair.
Speaker A:I know as those politicians say, your fair share of making your home eco friendly.
Speaker A:So stay tuned.
Speaker A:We'll be right back.
Speaker A:You're listening to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker B:Hi, I'm Erica Thompson, the dominating designer, a hard working artist with a sense of humor.
Speaker B:What is the dominating designer process?
Speaker B:It's just like what you see on tv.
Speaker B:We discuss your wants and needs about your project, go over your ideas.
Speaker B:Then I provide you creative, one of a kind options that fit your budget with respect to your home's value.
Speaker B:When we finish your project, you are set to enjoy your new space.
Speaker B:I would love to help you with your upcoming project.
Speaker B:Please reach out to me on Instagram, the DominatingDesigner.
Speaker D:Hi, I'm Sean with Mr.
Speaker D:Electric and I have a tip to help make your life better.
Speaker D:One important reminder is to call a qualified electrician when you have frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers.
Speaker D:When a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows, it's indicating that you have a problem with some other part of the circuit.
Speaker D:If your breaker trips more than once, you should have a qualified electrician come out and take a look at it.
Speaker D:Contrary to what may be acceptable, you really shouldn't try to continuously try to reset the breaker because there may be a problem somewhere else down the circuit and you could be causing a fire hazard.
Speaker D:There could be a loose connection or some other force, a problem on the circuit and every time you reset the circuit breaker, it could be causing a spark at the other end.
Speaker D:We recommend having a qualified electrician come out and check on the condition of the circuit and make sure that the circuit does not have any problems and it could just be a bad breaker also.
Speaker D:But you definitely want to have a qualified electrician check that out.
Speaker D:To have someone come out from our team may only take a portion of a day, but it could potentially save you a lot of money for your life.
Speaker D:And that's just another way Mr.
Speaker D:Electric has the power to make your life better.
Speaker A:Govern the future of sustainable lifestyle living.
Speaker A:With Boxcar Universe your go to source for cutting edge container home and container pool information.
Speaker A:Want a dream container home or pool?
Speaker A:We can build it for you.
Speaker A:Hi, I'm Steve Dubell from Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:For the latest in container innovation and expert insights, tune in to our weekly podcast, Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:Ready to start your project?
Speaker A: -: Speaker A:All right, we are back and you're listening to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:And we are here today with Zach Baron from iPhone and Sandra McCullough from Lifestyle Lab.
Speaker A:And we've been talking about some eco friendly procedures, products and things that you should be aware of.
Speaker A:If you were going out to think about what you need to do for your home.
Speaker A:I would strongly suggest if you want to do something, and again on Earth day, whatever, you know, they don't want to get too loose with the terms, but if, you know, whatever floats your boat, go out and do something, plant a tree or do something in your yard.
Speaker A:We talk about energy savings.
Speaker A:One of the things that we look at when we talk about solar is we take a look at does the roof, is it getting any shade?
Speaker A:Because that's going to slow down your panels from getting solar, depending on where we put them.
Speaker A:But thinking about energy savings, you know, some of the times, you know, if you have trees on the side of your house, a lot of times trees in your landscaping will cool the side of your house.
Speaker A:So I would strongly suggest all of our listeners to take a look at, you know, their own homes and see what they can do in.
Speaker A:Think about this, guys, if they just choose one thing this year, just one thing, to be more eco friendly and help them save energy in whatever way they want to do, I think they're going to see that they're going to make a difference.
Speaker A:And that's one of the things that we always try and do here on the show is we want to make a difference with homeowners to make smart decisions so that they don't waste money and they can actually live better and more healthier lives.
Speaker A:And I think that's so important because you hear so many times of homeowners that, oh, I've been sick for like years.
Speaker A:And they've been, I said, well, have you been living in the same house for years?
Speaker A:And they say, well, Yeah.
Speaker A:I said, well, did anybody, did you ever think that maybe you're using toxic chemicals to clean your house?
Speaker A:That is a problem.
Speaker A:Or maybe the house that you live in was built with some chemicals that are affecting your health?
Speaker A:And just one quick point from the cleaning aspect.
Speaker A:I used to know somebody in my old neighborhood when I first moved to Arizona.
Speaker A:He was a clean freak.
Speaker A:And there's no other way to describe it.
Speaker A:He was a clean freak.
Speaker A:Everything, everything had to be bleached.
Speaker A:And when you walked in his house, that's the smell that you got.
Speaker A:You just wanted to turn around and run out, run away.
Speaker A:Because that bleach smell was just so bad.
Speaker A:It was amazing.
Speaker A:And there's a way to clean your house effectively eco friendly, but without using something that is really.
Speaker A:I mean, you think about the smell.
Speaker A:How could you live in house that you could smell, constant smell of bleach?
Speaker A:It is just, it sounds mind boggling.
Speaker C:It almost sounds like a hospital.
Speaker C:Everything's white.
Speaker A:Oh, it was worth it.
Speaker A:Oh, oh, don't tell me that hospital.
Speaker A:I'm telling you.
Speaker A:I mean, it was terrible.
Speaker A:I mean, you know, you have that, that smell in the hospital where, you know, well, yeah, you could smell it.
Speaker A:Well, it's clean.
Speaker A:But no, this was, this was just over the top.
Speaker A:There's no other way to.
Speaker B:Well, and there are some great products now on the market too that you can get that are super inexpensive that will clean your house and it won't kill you.
Speaker B:But you know one thing, this brings up a really interesting topic.
Speaker B:That candles are killing people.
Speaker B:Candles can be so toxic.
Speaker B:And when you're talking about cleaning, I know that so many people, I go into their homes and they have these candles that are cheapy candles that are not soy based and they're, you know, there's all those chemicals that are in there and they're burning them.
Speaker B:And I didn't realize that candles were toxic until I went to a friend's house and she was having a little get together and I had such a migraine and I was like, why is my head.
Speaker B:I'm not a migraine person.
Speaker B:I don't get migraines.
Speaker B:And I literally like stepped outside and I immediately started feeling better.
Speaker B:And I was like, oh, that's weird.
Speaker B:And then I went back inside and my headache started back again.
Speaker B:And so I asked her, I'm like, can we blow out the candle?
Speaker B:And she looked at me like, why?
Speaker B:And I'm like, I think the candle's giving me a headache.
Speaker B:And so she was like, okay.
Speaker B:And so she Blew it out immediately.
Speaker B:I started feeling better.
Speaker B:And I don't know why I was sensitive to that particular candle.
Speaker B:I'd never had a sensitivity to candles before, but I was looking at the ingredients on it and I couldn't really decipher which one would have made me feel kind of sick.
Speaker B:But candles over time we've learned because we do carry candles at the lifestyle lab and we're really cautious about, again, curating and making sure that everything we bring in is natural and curated so that it's healthy and toxic free to families and pets.
Speaker B:But people buy candles and light those things up every day or they have the diffusers in their house, the glade ones, I'm not sure if those are healthy or not.
Speaker B:I'm pretty sure they're not.
Speaker B:But again, check the ingredients.
Speaker B:You should be only burning soy based and candles that you know have essential oils that are natural.
Speaker B:They're not going to kill you and your pets just by burning it.
Speaker B:And you don't have windows open.
Speaker B:So you're basically putting yourself in this closed room, whether it's bleach, like you said, where no windows are open, you're cleaning, or whether it's candles like again.
Speaker C:And unfortunately, Zach probably sold you foam, so your whole building structure is an airtight envelope like you said.
Speaker A:We should hope so.
Speaker C:Well, you paid for it.
Speaker A:You paid for it.
Speaker A:Yeah, that's what you bought it for.
Speaker B:But now you bought yourself a death box when you start putting all the chemicals in it.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah.
Speaker C:And that.
Speaker C:Oh, I'm sorry, Steve.
Speaker A:No, I was gonna say that that's the reason why you should turn around and have an accredited professional come in and do an evaluation because they know the questions to ask.
Speaker A:I mean, I know my good friend Dan Hayden, who actually is a home inspector.
Speaker A:He did healthy home checks years ago.
Speaker A:And some of the stuff that we talked about, not only on my podcast but on my TV show we talked about it, is that there are chemicals out there that you need to, to check and see what the ingredients are.
Speaker A:I would think some of that research, if it's going to affect you health wise, you could do that at home.
Speaker A:Go online, check out the ingredients.
Speaker A:You don't have to stand at the store and start reading the back of the boxes or the bottles and seeing what's in there because you'll never remember all the names.
Speaker A:Oh, what was that?
Speaker A:What was this?
Speaker A:Was this good?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Was that bad?
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Look at it when you're home so that you can make educated decisions.
Speaker A:So when you go to the store you have an idea of which products you want to buy that are going to be good for you.
Speaker A:And at the same time too, if you are sick and you go to the doctor, know what some of these things are causing you.
Speaker A:So you need to stay away from products and food that are hazardous to your health.
Speaker A:There's no other way to describe it, just hazardous.
Speaker B:Absolutely.
Speaker B:And when you were on the topic about talking about planting a tree, I know we've had a lot of people, so we sell pavers as well, landscape pavers outside.
Speaker B:And we've had clients come back and say, oh my gosh, we switched out our grass landscaping for pavers and some rocks and we planted some other low watering trees and they were able to go to the electric company and get a rebate check back.
Speaker B:I don't really know what the rebate check was, how much it was, but I know that there was substantial amounts of rebate checks that they can get for also just changing out their landscape to be more energy efficient.
Speaker B:So you could be energy efficient in your home, but you can also be energy efficient outside of your home.
Speaker C:Yeah, I never thought of it outside of the home like that is, you know, a paver.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because they had grass and then you're watering the grass and your water bill is going through the.
Speaker B:You're paying for water anyways to water grass that you may not even be enjoying.
Speaker C:I always, my friend actually had an artificial grass company for a while, 21st century grass.
Speaker C:And I thought about it like from that perspective, but I didn't think about it from like pavers or like the desert landscaping.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean paver is just they one, you get a bigger patio to sit on and if you've got a pool and you just, I mean maybe you have a small patch of grass for a dog or you do like the artificial turf.
Speaker B:But if you can get a rebate back from your utility company to, you know, put some pavers down, go for it.
Speaker C:No brainer.
Speaker B:Go buy yourself some new pavers with that check.
Speaker A:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker A:When thinking about, yeah, I'm sure everybody who's getting a tax return this year.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:This week was tax return week.
Speaker A:Getting on the 15th.
Speaker A:Just, you know, spend that money wisely.
Speaker A:Spend that, invest it in your home to save you money in the long run.
Speaker A:What better thing could you do other than maybe go on a trip to the Bahamas or something, you know, but do something constructive for your home.
Speaker A:And I think that's.
Speaker A:That says a whole lot about it.
Speaker A:But again, both you guys have so great products and at the same time, too, where we're all thinking along the same line.
Speaker A:We want to be able to go do remodeling and use eco friendly products in all aspects at all.
Speaker A:At the same time, too, looking at the bigger picture of the home envelope.
Speaker A:And I know we're going to be involved with.
Speaker A:I spoke with Zach about this already.
Speaker A:We're going to be doing some larger room additions and garage additions here in the next two months as soon as one of the municipalities decides to get off their butt and give us the permit sometimes.
Speaker A:And for those of you out there who've gone out and waited from the city to give you a permit, I don't have to tell you how nerve wracking it could be.
Speaker A:And then when you wait forever and then he comes back with red lines, then you got to go fix the red lines and you have to wait a little bit longer.
Speaker A:But once they're done, you'll be able to go back out and get the framing done, get the insulation put in and all those other good things.
Speaker A:So this way your home is thoroughly insulated.
Speaker A:And once it's all done, then in the new builds, you could always get a new evaluation about it and see exactly where your utility bills were before.
Speaker A:How much energy am I saving now?
Speaker A:Because are we using the same amount?
Speaker A:If it's a larger home, how do they compare?
Speaker A:And then I think that's an evaluation that should be done probably six months after a remodel.
Speaker A:So you at least have some kind of data to look at.
Speaker B:Well, even when you sell.
Speaker B:So I have a real estate background and I can't tell you how many times people that were buying homes would say, hey, can you ask the seller for their energy bills?
Speaker B:Like they wanted to know what the energy bills were.
Speaker B:So I think that's huge.
Speaker B:If they could have that, you know, certificate and tell a future buyer that's purchasing their home, hey, here's the rating, here's what I pay for energy.
Speaker B:Then it makes everything else worthwhile.
Speaker B:If these people are going to buy your home and pay more for it.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, absolutely.
Speaker A:You have to show value.
Speaker A:I think that's so important.
Speaker A:But guys, let's give out your contact information for our listeners so they could contact you.
Speaker A:Sandra, tell us how we can get in touch with you at Lifestyle Lab.
Speaker B:Yeah, so the website's the Lifestyle Lab Shop and we're also on Instagram @lifestyleab shop and also on Facebook.
Speaker B:So certainly reach out, come visit us.
Speaker B:We're open Monday through Saturday from 10 to 5.
Speaker B:We're located in the Phoenix area in Arcadia.
Speaker B:So check us out and put our name Lifestyle Lab in Google.
Speaker B:You'll find our information.
Speaker A:There you go.
Speaker A:And Zach, tell us a little bit about how we can contact you.
Speaker C:Yep.
Speaker C:So just like Sandra Instagram, Facebook, our website, iPhone 151.
Speaker C:Scottsdale.
Speaker C:We're just up the street, you know, right by the air.
Speaker C:Airpark, Scottsdale Quarter.
Speaker C:Come by, you know, say hi.
Speaker C:Shoot.
Speaker C: -: Speaker A:That's really good.
Speaker A:Again, I want all our listeners to thank you for listening to Box Garden University.
Speaker A:It's our Earth Day special.
Speaker A:And again, rethinking about things that you could do for your home.
Speaker A:You know, it's, it's, it's.
Speaker A:We.
Speaker A:I mean, these are things that we should be thinking about, you know, 365 days a year about what we're doing with our home and how we're spending our money, especially when it comes to taking care of your home and the products and services that we use.
Speaker A:But, you know, as we live in this United States, we like holidays or days of recognition, we'll call it.
Speaker A: So Earth Day: Speaker A:So please make sure you take a time out of your day and think about some of those things and what you might be able to do to contribute so that we have a.
Speaker A:We have a better world.
Speaker A:But again, thanks all of you for listening to Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:Remember, we are your source for cutting edge information on remodeling container homes and container pools.
Speaker A:And if you would like to look into getting one of those container pools or homes, please make sure you contact me at stevexcaruniverse.com in Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:The podcast can be heard on any podcast player.
Speaker A:And just remember, let us remodel and renovate your world.
Speaker A:And until next time, we'll see you at Boxcar Universe.
Speaker A:Have a great week.
Speaker C:You're a great American.
Speaker C:I love you.
