The Money Pit Calls & Answers

Find out why you don't need sheathing if you are putting a metal roof on your barn. Learn why it is important to call in a roofer to do this dangerous job rather than attempt to do it yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why treated wood is a good flooring option for a covered porch that won't be exposed to the sunlight. You'll have to refinish it from time to time but it will be less expensive than composite decking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to pump water from a crawlspace and improve drainage conditions around the outside of the house to prevent flooding in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to safely remove lead paint. If there's a lot of paint to be removed, hire an EPA-certified contractor instead of trying to do the job yourself. If it's exterior paint, it could fall into the dirt and toxify the soil around your house, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to re-do peeling paint. Find out how to apply a coat of primer to prevent your paint from peeling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to get rid of carpenter ants. Find out how Termidor can effectively get rid of your ant infestation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to get rid of zoysia grass. Find out how to make new grass grow to replace the zoysia grass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out about the signs and symptoms of a water hammer. Learn about the possible solutions to this typically non-serious problem, such as securing the pipes or installing a water-hammer arrestor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to paint over a water stain. Get tips on lightly sanding the surface and using an oil-based primer before adding the topcoat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find information about finishing newly stripped stair treads. Learn about coverings, paints and finishes for old stair treads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to clean moss from shingles. Get tips on increasing sunlight to the shingles and using a bleach solution to clean them. Also learn why you should install copper or nickel flashing on the roof. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to clean mildew from painted aluminum siding. Learn why you must be careful so as not to remove any paint in the process. Get tips on using a siding cleaner, such as JOMAX, in addition to cutting back on overhanging trees to get more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to get an oil stain out of your concrete garage floor. Get tips on trying trisodium phosphate, TSP, to lift the stain. If that doesn't work, you might want to restain or paint the floor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out the typical location for a firewall: between the garage and the house. Also learn about changes in wall construction over time, from the late 1800s to the present day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about window treatments for two sides of a patio door. Find out how the Pella Designer Series of patio doors and windows have the window treatments sandwiched between panes of glass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why installing ductwork in an above ground basement is essential to maintaining the air temperature. Find out which ducts will be installed by a professional to maintain the temperature in the above ground basement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how using the right stripping product can remove paint from a deck so that it is ready to receive stain. Find out which product is recommended for staining the deck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to have an old oil tank drained and removed from your basement. Find out how to use a tank remediation service to pump out old oil and remove the tank from your home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to remove powdery white mineral deposits from walls. Find out how moisture can cause white salt deposits on interior walls, how to improve drainage to prevent mineral deposits, and how to clean mineral deposits from walls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to restore a clawfoot tub that has been used as a horse trough for some time. Get tips on having it professionally re-enameled. Also learn why you will need to refit your bathroom fixtures and reinforce the floor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about Styrofoam insulation. Get tips on how to use Styrofoam insulation in your attic for extra warmth throughout your home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tips on making your windows more energy-efficient without replacing them. Learn about adding storm windows and weatherstripping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to patch holes in a concrete driveway using an epoxy-based concrete patching product. Plus, find out why using potassium chloride to melt ice in the winter will help prevent further deterioration of the concrete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get best practices for repairing, patching and leveling a sunken segment of cracked concrete driveway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you should replace your ductwork instead of repairing it. Every time you have a hole in a duct, it makes it that much more inefficient. Also learn why you shouldn't use duct tape on ducts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to get cold air to circulate upstairs in your house. Learn why having one central duct system that handles both floors is preferable to having two zones with two separate systems. You will need a good HVAC contractor to make sure you have Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to drill through concrete board. Get tips on pilot drilling the board before you put the screws in. Use a thin concrete bit, about 1/8-inch, with a carbide tip. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to cover wall paneling to give it a different look. Learn about your options, such as painting the paneling or covering it with 1/4-inch drywall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When soil dries out and pulls away, find out whether gap around the perimeter of a house between the soil and the foundation should be filled - and with what. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what could be causing your sanded wooden cabinets not to absorb the stain you are trying to apply. The likely answer is that there is some substance sealing the wood that is causing the stain not to take. Your alternative is to paint the Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why you should fill your bathtub with water before caulking. Find out how your bath tub expands and contracts, and how filling it before caulking will prevent cracking and crumbling grout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to choose the best floor for a dining room. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to remove paneling in a garage. Learn why your plan of action will depend on how the paneling was installed, and how much work you are willing to do on this task. If you decide to leave it up, get tips on painting the paneling a glossy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to repair sinkholes using clean fill dirt and learn when to call in an engineer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about smart storage for small apartments. Find out about Rev-a-Shelf, a product that allows you to pull cabinet contents down to a lower level. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to keep a shed cool in the summer heat. Get tips on applying a reflective coating specifically made for roof surfaces, such as ReflectoWhite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a wood porch that shows signs of wear and tear. Get tips on sanding down the surface, then resealing or repainting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how whole house air cleaners work with your furnace. Find out how turning on the fan in your air conditioner during winter will efficiently clean the air in your home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on painting the waterproof membrane on the exterior basement wall. Find out what paint the team recommends using and what the team recommends doing for future protection against water that may seep into the basement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get ideas of how to landscape around a home's foundation so that moisture won't get into the basement. Learn which shrubs could be used as accent areas, and which shrubs can be used for adding height to the low foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn whether or not it's worthwhile to remove replacement windows and reinstall them in an addition. Find out why the weather seal in the reinstalled windows may not be as effective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why a cast-iron sink is the best option if you want a kitchen sink that's easy to clean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why a cold water line feeding an electric water heater feels warm to the touch - and whether or not it's reason for concern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to remove cracked paint before repainting a wall. Get tips on scraping off the loose paint and washing the wall down with TSP before applying a good quality primer and latex topcoat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to remove mulch artillery fungus from siding. Find out how Jomax cleaner or steel wool can help clean fungus spots from siding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a garbage disposal that shakes. Learn why it's probably a balance issue, and get tips on getting it replaced under warranty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When rubber sticks to your tile, learn how to reseal the surface. Find out how Mexican saltillo tiles may cause rubber carpet pads to stick. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why contractors who charge outlandish sums of money to "waterproof" your basement do not have your best interest in mind. If your basement floods when there's heavy rain, the solution is to make sure you have a good gutter system and to Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you must first put down insulation before you put down plywood in your attic. Get tips on mapping out an area in the center of your attic for storage, and adding 12 to 15 inches of insulation in the rest of the space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to attach crown molding from a cement ceiling. Find out how a Quick Clips system can allow you to hang decorative architectural moldings where you have a concrete ceiling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices