WEBVTT - Thom chats with the home improvement guru Gary Sullivan 12/18/2025

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<v Speaker 1>Harry, Let's get right to it, because I was thinking

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<v Speaker 1>about when you sent me this email last night. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>looking around my house and you know, we have a

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<v Speaker 1>fireplace right in the middle of the living room, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the whole nine yards. We're going to talk about home

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<v Speaker 1>safety tips for the holidays. Let's start with we have

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<v Speaker 1>a live tree. Let's start how important is it to

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<v Speaker 1>continue to make sure that thing has water on?

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<v Speaker 2>Oh, it's so important. You ever see any of those

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<v Speaker 2>videos when they actually light to Christmas?

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, I have a friend of mine that does it

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<v Speaker 1>outside every year, and I've never seen anything like it.

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<v Speaker 2>It is unbelievable how quickly it gets consumed. So we

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<v Speaker 2>don't want it to dry out. And a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>this is just common sense, but it needs to be

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<v Speaker 2>repeated every year. Don't put the Christmas tree over a

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<v Speaker 2>register vent that's blowing warm air on it. Not that

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<v Speaker 2>it's going to catch fire, but you're going to dry

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<v Speaker 2>it out. Make sure. And when you first cut that

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<v Speaker 2>tree and cut the little you know, stump down at

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<v Speaker 2>the bottom, open up the and let us start drinking water.

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<v Speaker 2>It's amazing. You're gonna You're gonna fill up that stand

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<v Speaker 2>every day, every day, okay, and it'll take about two

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<v Speaker 2>or three weeks before it starts sealing off. So keep

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<v Speaker 2>it really watered, I mean from a standpoint of just

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<v Speaker 2>keeping it from drying out.

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<v Speaker 1>So important. Okay, that's number one. And then I started

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<v Speaker 1>paying attention. I talked about the fireplace right and hanging

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<v Speaker 1>garland that could be hanging down off the mantle, say

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<v Speaker 1>above it, and you don't want that obviously, right.

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<v Speaker 2>Right right, and and kind of the same way. I

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<v Speaker 2>guess a lot of it depends, I'm on what type

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<v Speaker 2>of garden you know, you got that foil garden and

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<v Speaker 2>stuff like that. How much heat comes out of the

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<v Speaker 2>fire box and just kind of warms that mantle. But

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<v Speaker 2>you don't want to be hanging evergreens there. And I

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<v Speaker 2>see it all the time this time of year, and

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<v Speaker 2>I'll even say something to the people like them, So.

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<v Speaker 3>You guys use that fireplace during the holidays and it's

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<v Speaker 3>always yeah, you know, we always make a good fire

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<v Speaker 3>and Christmas, and go like what you know, I just

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<v Speaker 3>I'm not trying to be you know.

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<v Speaker 2>Nosy, but I wouldn't put that garland there. And then

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<v Speaker 2>they look and they go, oh, yeah, that makes sense.

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<v Speaker 1>Because I do have a question for you on that

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<v Speaker 1>one though, is the fake garland stuff is flammable? As

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<v Speaker 1>you know, a lot of people will go out and

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<v Speaker 1>then they'll you know, when they get their tree, they'll

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<v Speaker 1>get the garland that you know is live for all

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<v Speaker 1>intents and purposes. Is there a difference as far as

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<v Speaker 1>being more flammable, Well.

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<v Speaker 2>There is to a degree. So some of them will

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<v Speaker 2>say flammable. In fact most of them will, okay, but

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<v Speaker 2>it's nothing like a real live garland. Again, going back

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<v Speaker 2>to the story about the Christmas tree, how fastly it

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<v Speaker 2>can busts. This would lot of your garden garland's plastic.

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<v Speaker 2>It may melt or kind of warp. So I was

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<v Speaker 2>really kind of focusing on the live. But it's really

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<v Speaker 2>not a good place to put garland anyway because there's

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of heat coming out of that firebox.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes there is, okay, now talking about a lot of folks,

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<v Speaker 1>I've seen it done. They burn the gift wrapping, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>or boxes right right in a fireplace after people open

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<v Speaker 1>them up.

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<v Speaker 4>Not a good idea, it's not, it really is.

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<v Speaker 2>And here's the story on that. So I think a

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<v Speaker 2>couple months ago we might have talked about making sure

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<v Speaker 2>the chimney is clean, making sure the creoso's gone out

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<v Speaker 2>of the chimney. It's flammable, make sure you haven't had

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<v Speaker 2>a chimney fire. Let's say you didn't heed the advice

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<v Speaker 2>and you don't know when you had that chimney cleaner inspected.

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<v Speaker 2>If there's kreosode in there, it catches fire with real

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<v Speaker 2>hot quick fires, which is exactly what paper produces.

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<v Speaker 1>And so that would be more reason than to follow

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<v Speaker 1>that up based on those of us that have seen

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<v Speaker 1>a Christmas tree and the way it ignites and burns

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<v Speaker 1>almost immediately.

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<v Speaker 4>Sure don't burn tree trimmings in the fire place.

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, and it happens all the time. I mean, it

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<v Speaker 2>happens all the time. And you know, once we get

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<v Speaker 2>to November, I'm sure you know, you watch the news

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<v Speaker 2>and there's there's a house fire almost every other no

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<v Speaker 2>doubt about it, and they never say what caused it.

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<v Speaker 2>But we don't have those problems in the summer, and

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of times it's just because we've got everything inside.

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<v Speaker 2>People are burning fires, they're cooking more, et cetera. So

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<v Speaker 2>I know these are common sensical, but boy, just just

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<v Speaker 2>think about it. What happens it's pretty You throw the

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<v Speaker 2>paper in there and maybe you get a little different

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<v Speaker 2>color of flames. But that's burning so hot, and if

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<v Speaker 2>that chimney's dirty, you run the risk of a chimney fire.

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<v Speaker 2>And if you've already had a chimney fire and that

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<v Speaker 2>liner's cracked, you run the risk of starting the house fire.

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<v Speaker 1>Okay, sometimes my wife does this from time to time,

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<v Speaker 1>where she'll close the flume right, and then all of

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<v Speaker 1>a sudden, I'll fire up the you know, the fireplace,

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<v Speaker 1>and then you know, smoke is everywhere now. Cracking the

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<v Speaker 1>window certainly helps, right m M. Anything else that the

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<v Speaker 1>well recommend, it's the.

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<v Speaker 2>Real deal too, Not so much as that. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>it certainly would do that if the damper was closed.

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<v Speaker 2>But a lot of times it's negative air pressure inside

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<v Speaker 2>our homes. So remember, you build a fire, it creates heat,

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<v Speaker 2>It warms the chimney, and it creates a drawl bringing

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<v Speaker 2>the smoke out. But if you got the kitchen fan

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<v Speaker 2>and somebody's doing a cooking and it's a ventilating fan,

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<v Speaker 2>that's pulling air, and that's pulling air down the chimney,

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<v Speaker 2>or the bathroom fan, it's pulling air down the chimney,

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<v Speaker 2>so you get a negative air pressure inside the house,

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<v Speaker 2>you start a fire, and the smoke can't really warm

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<v Speaker 2>up the chimney, so it starts coming into the house.

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<v Speaker 2>That's not a good look. No, just crack the window.

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<v Speaker 1>So now, now here's the one that these things terrify me.

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<v Speaker 1>They always have. I don't know why. I never had

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<v Speaker 1>a bad experience from them, but talking about space heaters,

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<v Speaker 1>these things just scare me to death. Now, there are

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<v Speaker 1>certain places, in certain ways that you would suggest do

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<v Speaker 1>not do these things. If you're using a space heater,

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<v Speaker 1>what would they do well?

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<v Speaker 2>For sure? And if people read the directions and all

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<v Speaker 2>people do Number one, a lot of them will say

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<v Speaker 2>don't use in bathrooms for just basic reason. A lot

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<v Speaker 2>of water. Make sure they're ul listed, make sure it

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<v Speaker 2>has a ground false circuit interrupter on the plug of

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<v Speaker 2>that space heater. And the number one thing is people

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<v Speaker 2>get a space heater and then they run a lamp

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<v Speaker 2>cord extension cord that's fifteen feet long.

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<v Speaker 4>That's a no no.

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<v Speaker 2>It tells you do not use extension cords with this.

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<v Speaker 2>Those things are pulling about fifteen hundred watts. That's a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of juice. So no extension cords on a space heater,

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<v Speaker 2>and don't run them under the carpet or under a

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<v Speaker 2>throw rug in a doorway or in the family room.

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<v Speaker 2>People walk over that carpet. It's abrasive on the back

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<v Speaker 2>with jute. So no, no to the extension cords, and

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<v Speaker 2>read the directions. And if you're going to buy one,

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<v Speaker 2>see what that thing is actually designed to be, how

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<v Speaker 2>it's designed to be used, and keep flammables away from

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<v Speaker 2>these things, you know, like blankets and stuff about it.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, and with all that in mind, a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>us have a fire extinguisher. Probably a lot more of

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<v Speaker 1>us do not.

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<v Speaker 2>Boy, I agree with that. And then the next big

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<v Speaker 2>question is doeserve by the family know how to use it? Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>And I'll bet you a lot of people driving right

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<v Speaker 2>now said no. No.

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<v Speaker 4>There's you know, the old the old fire extingus.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, pull the pin, you take, you aim, you

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<v Speaker 2>sweep at the base of the fire. But there's a

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<v Speaker 2>lot of fire extinguishers out there now that come in

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<v Speaker 2>almost it's almost like an aerosol, like an aerosol campaign,

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<v Speaker 2>only it's about twice as big as an aerosol, has

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<v Speaker 2>as much power as a regular good sized fire extinguisher

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<v Speaker 2>so they can be conveniently located. They're inexpensive and there's

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<v Speaker 2>no mystery. I mean you it's like aerosol. You press

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<v Speaker 2>the button down on the top and it's blowing out

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<v Speaker 2>the powder and putting out the fire. It's an ABC,

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<v Speaker 2>so it takes care of you know, all types of fires.

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<v Speaker 2>But man, today they just go you know, fireplace, no fireplace,

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of cooking. If you do anything at all

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<v Speaker 2>and you don't have one, go buy one today and

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<v Speaker 2>put it in the kitchen cabinet underneath the stove, okay,

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<v Speaker 2>and you can probably get to the garage with it.

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<v Speaker 2>You could probably get to the fireplace with it. You

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<v Speaker 2>can get to the cooking. But there's nothing worse than

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<v Speaker 2>having a kitchen fire or something like that and you

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<v Speaker 2>have nothing.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, I got less than a minute. Last thing

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<v Speaker 1>that I found interesting you put on here about trimming

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<v Speaker 1>candle wicks.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, that's another thing. Number one we all know,

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<v Speaker 2>blowout the candles before we go to bed. Before you

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<v Speaker 2>light it again, make sure it's just got about a

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<v Speaker 2>quarter inch wick at the top. Tom. If it's got

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<v Speaker 2>a real long one, you'll get a real long flame.

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<v Speaker 2>It'll produce a lot of smoke. You can kind of,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, you can kind of start messing up your

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<v Speaker 2>walls if you're burning them a long time with the

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<v Speaker 2>long wick, So trim those wicks down. The base of

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<v Speaker 2>a pillar candle should almost be two times the size.

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<v Speaker 2>Add the pillar candle, make sure it's good and steady,

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<v Speaker 2>and stay safe.

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<v Speaker 4>Amen. Merry Christmas to you, my friend. You are the

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<v Speaker 4>very very best. Tom.

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<v Speaker 2>You have a merry Christmas too. Well talk in a

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<v Speaker 2>couple of weeks.

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<v Speaker 4>I guess I'll look forward to it, all right. God

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<v Speaker 4>speed ahead.