Home with Dean Sharp

Dean talks about your home's curb appeal and how important it can be especially when you're looking to sell it.  He walks you through how to create a home with nice curb appeal.  Dean also answers listener questions about entry doors and the right kind of door for different climates, pressure treated wood for fences and how to remedy an issue with a floating floor.

In the first hour, Dean dives into the topic of landscaping, explaining the differences between landscape, hardscape, and softscape, and what homeowners can achieve with each. He encourages listeners to rethink and potentially redesign their landscapes, emphasizing that builder-provided landscaping is often an afterthought.

Dean provides seven compelling reasons to invest in landscaping, highlighting the ease of building irrigation lines with proper guidance from digalert.com. He discusses the importance of nature in our lives, explaining how less expensive plants can grow to full size over time and the benefits of consulting nurseries about plant maturity.

Dean also touches on the historical context of landscaping, noting how controlling nature was once a display of wealth, and now, with urbanization, our exposure to nature is limited. He concludes by taking a call about a lawn shrimp infestation, clarifying that these creatures are crustaceans, not insects.

In the second hour, Dean continues the discussion on lawn shrimp infestations, explaining their beneficial role in composting but highlighting the need to address excessive moisture to prevent them from invading homes. He reassures listeners that lawn shrimp are not harmful to health and pest control services can assist with cleanup and moisture control.

Dean then talks about the benefits of landscaping and takes a call from a listener interested in creating a Japanese-style garden, advising them to consult local bonsai nurseries for expertise. He explains the differences between hardscape, landscape, and softscape, describing how each serves different outdoor needs. Hardscape includes solid surfaces like stone or concrete, while softscape encompasses natural elements like soil and plants.

Finally, Dean discusses the purpose of hardscape in modern landscape design, emphasizing the importance of boundaries such as walls, fences, and hedges to define different areas. He encourages designing landscapes to balance functionality, efficiency, and the return of nature to the property.

In the third hour, Dean discusses landscape design for the 21st-century home, emphasizing the need for more nature and less visible structure to create a park-like feel. He uses Central Park as an example of expertly done landscaping that blends hardscape with nature seamlessly.

Dean highlights that landscaping offers the highest return on investment, encouraging homeowners to rethink and redraw their outdoor spaces. He advises against following existing landscape lines, suggesting a more natural and whimsical approach to design that minimizes hardscape but remains accessible.

He also addresses the growing disconnect from nature, noting that the current generation spends significantly less time outdoors than their parents, leading to increased anxiety and other issues. Dean references the nature pyramid on his socials, which outlines the necessary amount of nature exposure for maintaining health.

Dean wraps up the show by summarizing the key tips and strategies discussed, emphasizing the importance of personalizing and enhancing your outdoor space to improve your quality of life.

In the first hour, Dean focuses on the topic of lawns as summer approaches, debating whether to add to them or remove them in light of potential droughts. He explores the historical significance of lawns and advancements in lawn tools, discussing the traditional meaning of lawns in the early 20th century and the ongoing debate in California about maintaining or tearing them out during droughts.

Dean covers the types of grasses, particularly the non-native Kentucky bluegrass commonly used in the U.S., and the misconceptions about the water requirements of lawns. He highlights efficient irrigation methods and native California grasses that need less water. Dean also discusses creating habitats to restore nature displaced by our homes. The hour wraps up with Dean taking a call about managing rodent issues.

In the second hour, Dean addresses various home improvement topics, starting with a caller's question about wall insulation and the differences between plaster and drywall. He suggests options like removing plaster to install thick rockwool insulation or adding a new wall inside the existing one.

Dean revisits the concept of non-native grasses and their impact on insect life, emphasizing that native plants are essential for a healthy ecosystem. He explains that non-native lawns can be as detrimental as paving over the yard in terms of habitat.

The discussion shifts to water consumption, where Dean highlights the benefits of planting native California grasses, which require less water. He also advises against zeroscaping and plastic grass, advocating for planting more trees and maintaining some eastern grasses to cool the environment. Dean concludes with practical tips for reducing lawn water usage, such as proper irrigation and downsizing the lawn.

Dean continues with part two on biophilia's outdoor living style (our relationship with nature). 
 Dean believes that dead silence isn’t the best for relaxation but, how birds and their sounds are the key to relaxation. Dean talks about how the patterns of trees and their branches also helps the mind go to a relaxed state. Dean shares his expertise on a delayed water heating system & how a bridge valve could help with issue.

Dean helps a caller dealing with buckling luxury vinyl  and how to fix the problem. Dean says views and vistas are important and every house needs more windows for great views & that includes a nice landscape with your outdoor living.  Dean shares about the biggest mistakes people make in their backyards and on outdoor furniture. Pus, Brian from Aldik Home furniture joins Dean as he talks about their products and how to bring your outdoor living area to life.

Dean chats with Roy and Brian from Aldik Home Furniture as they discuss the build of their pieces as the store is a furniture store paradise! Dean provides a caller dealing with termites in her home and what method of exterminations are out there; a whole house tenting or on-spot treatment approach. 
Roy and Brian chat about high quality teak outdoor furniture. Dean shares a video on socials on a piece of work from the Aldik Furniture store to showcase its craftsmanship.
Brian talks about the strongest outdoor umbrella and is now available at Aldik Furniture that has been tunnel tested. Plus, Dean recaps on outdoorliving. 

Dean talks about biophilic outdoor living as he defines what biophilia means and how it has become very popular in homes.New generation of individuals are spending about 17% less time outside than other generations and its causing major stress/learning disabilities. Dean shares how humans have a natural connection with biophilia realm. Also, background noise equals stress such in urban living areas. Dean adives a caller on what type of paint to use when painting a porch near a lake.