Home with Dean Sharp

Following all this marimba and xylophone chitchat, Dean heads back to the phone lines. In the second hour, the first caller had safety concerns following last year’s big wildfires that devastated parts of SoCal. To that end, he’s been researching fire prevention devices for homes and is wondering if there’s a trade show that will offer all these tools and devices in one place? Spoiler: What rhymes with Shmas Shmegas? Next up, a long-time listener wanted Dean’s tips on Daikin cooling and heating systems that are placed on the wall of her Oregon vacation home. To more cooling questions! One caller was wondering if closing air conditioning vents in rooms that aren't being used will affect the airflow in other rooms, or the energy costs. Lastly, what to do if your old garage floor gets wet when it rains and you can’t find the source? Detective Dean may have the answer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As half the U.S. freezes over with a diagonal storm swiping across the country causing a state of emergency in 16 states, Dean is grateful we live in sunny Southern California where icy weather rarely touches us. Today’s first caller has a question about Dean’s recommendations regarding the self-sealing vapor barrier that replaces traditional roofing paper. Our next caller has a beautiful timber fireplace mantle that gets so hot to the touch that it melts the ornaments and evaporates the plant water. What can DeeDee do about it? A listener from Northern California has tall grass growing in her roof shingles — what’s up with that? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to home design, there are hundreds of architectural styles and thousands of variations on those, but if you visit any home in any city or town across America, there will be one of four styles of home. So, what are those four types of homes? The first is the saddest, it’s the house of neglect. In Dean’s expert eyes, the second one is nearly as bad as the house of neglect — it’s the house of bad ideas! What’s the third kind of American home? It’s the one that makes you smile. The fourth house is not one that gets your attention for any of the reasons listed. In fact, it doesn’t get much attention at all because there’s nothing particularly memorable about it. It’s the filler house that longs to be more. And there are 10s of millions of ’em. Let’s talk about it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's first caller has questions about the best type of flooring to place over a concrete slab to prevent mold. The next caller is installing an electric fireplace and wants Dean’s expert design opinion about mounting height and pop-out, plus recommendations on the best type of TV to mount over the fireplace. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When it comes to home design, there are hundreds of architectural styles and thousands of variations on those, but if you visit any home in any city or town across America, there will be one of four styles of home. So, what are those four types of homes? The first is the saddest, it’s the house of neglect. In Dean’s expert eyes, the second one is nearly as bad as the house of neglect — it’s the house of bad ideas! What’s the third kind of American home? It’s the one that makes you smile. The fourth house is not one that gets your attention for any of the reasons listed. In fact, it doesn’t get much attention at all because there’s nothing particularly memorable about it. It’s the filler house that longs to be more. And there are 10s of millions of ’em. Let’s talk about it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Solar power? So many questions that Dean is ready to answer! Spoiler alert: Dean is a fan of solar energy, especially here in California, where it will still save you money. What can Dean tell us about acrylic stucco finishes? Turns out, a lot! The last caller has a dark corner in his bedroom and he is trying to figure how to bring in the daylight using LED lighting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dean’s first caller is having hot-water troubles in her kitchen and needs to know what is necessary to get hot water to her sink, like, yesterday! The next caller is in his brand-new house. It sits on poured concrete slabs that are reinforced with metal bars, and there is a sign placed near the slabs by the builders that says “do not drill” — what does that mean? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dean takes your calls all show! Helping you understand a little more about your home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dean takes your calls all show! Helping you understand a little more about your home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dean takes your calls all show! Helping you understand a little more about your home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dean takes your calls on a Saturday morning! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dean teaches you how to cope with concrete cracks! Dean Sharp design wizardry can be heard every weekend on KFI AM640. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cost, quality and time. For you to get the best out of your home design, you must give time to your project in the right way — it makes all the difference in the world. Slow down. Good takes time, excellent takes even more time. When it comes to design, listen to your house, but most importantly, listen to yourself! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s first caller is having fireplace issues. When she attempted to light it on this cold, rainy morning, an ash smell covered the entire house — what's up with that? The next caller's bathtub faucet snapped clean off! He looked inside the spout and saw that it was completely corroded internally. Can he replace it himself? Back on the phones, a listener’s home was built in 1955, and she recently had the old roof replaced with asphalt slats. Previously it had wooden shingles, and she’s wondering if the roofers should have put plywood over the slats? The last caller is about to undertake a bathroom remodel and had questions regarding the recirculation pump and general design. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cost, quality and time. For you to get the best out of your home design, you must give time to your project in the right way — it makes all the difference in the world. Slow down. Good takes time, excellent takes even more time. When it comes to design, listen to your house, but most importantly, listen to yourself! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A listener lives on the bottom floor of an apartment complex and said there was no sound insulation laid. The sound impact goes boom, boom , boom in each of her rooms! What can she do to make her space a quieter sanctuary? Our next caller is on a budget and wants to know what Dean thinks about painting over old tile floors instead of replacing them? Our final caller has 12-year-old granite countertops that are getting a bit rough as if they’re losing their top coating. She still loves her kitchen; it’s not outdated, so she is wondering about the best course of action. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s first caller has a problem with termites and is wondering about the company that can turn wood into a metal-like substance that's stronger than steal and not termite prone? Do we really want to blow up the world’s rainforests for the building industry? The next caller needs to correct his hardwood floor because the subfloor wasn’t laid properly and now it’s buckling, plus that kind of engineered hardwood is no longer available. How does he fix it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the end of 2025! How has your year been? It’s time to turn a corner, and that’s a good thing. Today we’re talking 2026 trends! What is a trend, according to Dean? Something like the color of the year, according to Pantone. Dean has no problem with that, but what he doesn’t like is when home decor is treated like disposable fashion that you change out every year or two. In other news, home renovation shows like those you see on HDTV are seeing a sharp decline in viewership, so that’s why networks are bringing back the classic home shows we know and love. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s first caller needs a dehumidifier for her house, which was remodeled in 2000 and does not have air conditioning, due to mildew from living close to the beach. She wants Dean's input on how to reduce the damp. The next caller has a big porch that needs resurfacing, especially due to pooling water, so he’s asking Dean about the best products to use? To tack onto the first caller, this listener is wondering how to rid her home of moisture and mildew if the home is located in a cold environment? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s the end of 2025! How has your year been? It’s time to turn a corner, and that’s a good thing. Today we’re talking 2026 trends! What is a trend, according to Dean? Something like the color of the year, according to Pantone. Dean has no problem with that, but what he doesn’t like is when home decor is treated like disposable fashion that you change out every year or two. In other news, home renovation shows like those you see on HDTV are seeing a sharp decline in viewership, so that’s why networks are bringing back the classic home shows we know and love. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.