The Money Pit Calls & Answers

Avoid mold with tips to control excess moisture in bathrooms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Frustrated by feral cats running around in your yard and killing the birds? Find out about an organization that specializes in returning these animals to their environment and can help you rid property of feral cats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn the possible cause of rust on bathroom tile grout, and options and how-to advice for replacing it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a squeaky floor. Get tips on finding the floor joist and using a drill to drive a finish nail through the floor and into the joist. Also get tips on having a professional floor finishing contractor using a product like Glitsa to Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a garage roof leak. Learn why tar is only a short-term solution. Instead, get tips on removing and replacing any cracked shingles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cleaners and garbage disposals aren't always enough to keep drains from developing odors. Discover a common drain odor that can't be washed away with soap - and what to do about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to level out a sagging kitchen floor. Find out how mudding can straighten out a sagging floor so that it is ready for new tile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to clean grout. Get tips on soaking a paper towel in a solution of 10 percent bleach to 90 percent water. Stick the saturated paper towel onto the tile and grout and let it stay there for up to 30 minutes. Then remove it and use a nail Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Listen as Tom & Leslie try and help a former builder understand one of the strangest duct systems they've ever hear of. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to keep rugs from sliding around the floor. Learn why spraying something on the back of the carpet is not the way to go. Instead, get tips on buying carpet pads or anti-slip mats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A roof with a steep pitch increases the need for well-flashed gutters. Learn how to bridge the gap between your roof and your gutters for optimal rainwater collection and deflection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn the best course of action to take when recently-installed floor tiles begin shifting and cracking. Plus learn which step you can take to avoid lengthy contractor disputes in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to get oil stains off concrete driveways. Tips on whether to clean it or resurface it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about removing ceramic tile from a plaster wall. Find out how your plaster wall will need repair after chiseling off ceramic tile from the plastered wall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to ensure proper adhesion BEFORE staining cedar shakes, including tips on stripping existing paint and stain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to insulate the walls in a converted garage. Find out why blown-in insulation is your only option to insulate behind existing walls. Get tips on an alternative route to consider: tearing down the drywall so you are not limited to using Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about heat pumps as a possible way to save you money on your energy bill. If you have electric heat, which is the most expensive kind, a heat pump could help out, unless you live in a very cold climate. Overall, a heat pump is less expensive to Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why you should turn off the pilot light when painting near the furnace. Find out how paint fumes near a pilot light could cause a fire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to rebuild an area of your deck where a hot tub used to be. Get tips on adding additional floor joists to build the understructure for the new decking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to make a poured concrete wall look like brick. Get tips on using an acid-staining product to change the color of the concrete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Incorporating new rooms into an existing layout isn't as easy as it sounds. Learn why it's best to hire an architect and interior designer for these remodels - especially in homes with design integrity is a priority. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heavy snow that accumulates on a roof top can be dangerous to both people and the building. That's why it's important to remove it as soon as the storm is over. Learn the best way to do just that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to safely control pests such as drain flies in your home. For more information on pest control visit our Pest section. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to solve the problem of attic moisture with proper ventilation. Learn why soffit vents working in conjunction with a ridge vent is the most effective system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how installing a water hammer arrestor will eliminate banging pipes. Find out what causes water hammer, and get tips on how heavy water rushing through loose pipes can cause pipes to bang around. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn what might be causing your basement walls to be bowing. Find out how to fix structural problems in your home and how to hire a structural engineer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to add heating for a basement. Find out how a Reiker Room Conditioner can help heat up a cold basement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get ideas for natural, homemade pest remedies, and Money Pit's advice for handling bug infestations with pet health and safety in mind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to patch holes in drywall. Get tips on using drywall screws, fiberglass tape and spackle to make the repairs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to fix diagonal cracks from the corners of your windows. Find out when to call a home inspector and when to use drywall tape to fix your cracks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When buildings settle, seams can sometime open up between them, allowing water to potentially leak into the structure. Get tips to water proof these sections and prevent further leaks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what types of cracks can indicate structural damage in a home. Learn why gaps in molding are usually signs of shrinkage in the house. Get tips on how to find an ASHI-certified home inspector to assess your house for structural damage and Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on replacing an old heat pump for one with a higher SEER rating. Find out why gas backup is better then electric resistance heat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DIY Ideas for creating beautiful affordable kitchen countertops for the hardest working room in the house. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn who to call, and which steps to take, as you begin to consider a kitchen remodel - and get a sense of how long your remodel will take. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on painting laminate kitchen countertops. Find out who makes countertop paint, and how long the paint takes to cure and set before the countertop can be used. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to seal tile grout to keep it clean. Find out how using a silicone based sealant on your tile grout will prevent dirt from getting caked down into the grout and causing stains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to use a sander to remove peeling paint from a door. Get tips on using a palm sander or a 1/4-sheet sander rather than a 1-inch sanding disk. Once you remove the loose paint, you can prime and repaint the door. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to remove a popcorn ceiling in your bathroom. Get tips on saturating the ceiling with a Hudson sprayer and scraping off the popcorn with a wide paint scraper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Planning on installing a wood burning add on to your furnace and can't decide how the line should run to your chimney? Learn tips for chimney use for wood burning add on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The popular opinion says that garbage disposers don't work well with homes on septic. But while that may have been true in the past, new food waste disposer technology has made it possible to have both. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn a trick of the trade for caulking a bathtub. Get tips on filling the tub with water before caulking, then letting the caulk dry before emptying the tub. This will ensure a good, strong seal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to remove algae from a limestone border wall. Get tips on using a siding wash product like JOMAX or OxiClean. Let it sit for a while so it can really get into the roots and kill it so it won’t come back as fast. Then scrub it off. The Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to repair cracks in drywall, and a technique to assure that cracks won't reappear after repair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why rubber backing stains linoleum floors and what you can do after the stain is set in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get installation tips that will help keep moisture from penetrating and leaking into a shower base for years to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why blinking lights in the kitchen do not necessarily mean you need to rewire the entire house. However, if you have open junction boxes or open wiring, you should have an electrician come and check all those circuits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to replace a door with rotted sills and jambs. Get tips on cutting the entire door out all the way around, and then installing a prehung exterior door. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to fix gaps in floor boards. Find out how using jute rope, color stain, and a paint scraper can fix and fill the gaps between the floor boards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to pinpoint whether delayed hot water is caused by a faulty hot water heater or a faulty shower valve. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices