The Money Pit Calls & Answers

Find out how to stop a floor from making squeaking, creaking or popping sounds. Learn about why the sound is happening and what products you can use to quiet it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why it's probably not practical to repair numerous dog claw scratches in a laminate floor. Instead, get tips on replacing the laminate floor. Laminate is fairly inexpensive and easy to install. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to remove paint from a concrete porch. Get tips on using a good quality paint stripper. If you decide to repaint, use an epoxy paint, which will be the most durable option. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kitchen exhaust fans can keep cooking fumes form the kitchen but ducting out correctly is key to both its effectiveness and fire safety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix truss uplift. Get tips on replacing paper tape with fiberglass drywall tape and then spackling over it. Learn why you should do that before you consider covering it with molding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a gurgling toilet. Learn why the gurgling sound is caused by a clog or obstruction in the vent pipe. Get tips on hiring a drain cleaning service to snake the lines and see what's happening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to install photoelectric lighting. Find out why it's easier and more cost-effective to replace outdoor lighting fixtures with photoelectric lights than rewiring existing lighting fixtures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what your alternatives are to heating your house with expensive electric radiant heat. Get tips on considering a heat pump or propane furnace instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what you can do to try to quiet a noisy tile floor. If it's really bothering you, there is one, fairly time-consuming solution involving a hole saw and construction adhesive. Otherwise, you'll just have to live with it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to add and match texture to walls. Find out how to best add the texture, whether by painting or using a wallpaper brush. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what to do about a permanent brownish or yellowish stain created when a rubber backed carpet reacts with a vinyl floor. Learn about your options for hiding it, including installing laminate flooring right on top of the vinyl. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to fix a cracking outdoor retaining wall. Find out how masonry sealer will fill cracks in a concrete wall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out whether retiling a kitchen floor is a good project for an inexperienced DIYer. Learn why you can tile over cracked tile as long as the floor is structurally sound. Get tips on considering laminate flooring instead, which is a much easier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn the importance of choosing proper glass windows for a sunspace. Find tips for choosing energy efficient windows and glass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to remove water deposit stains from windows. Get tips on using white vinegar, and if that doesn't work, LIME-A-WAY. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to eliminate moss on your backyard deck. Find out what may be causing the moss to grow on your deck and what to do to get rid of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out possible causes of one toilet sucking water from another, and where to go for help solving and fixing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what your best options are for affordable roofing to replace a cedar shake roof. Learn about DaVinci Roofscapes, which is a composite roofing tile that you can install without plywood underneath if you have spaced sheathing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fill in a well pit with stone. Get tips on also improving drainage conditions in your yard by keeping your gutters cleaning making sure the soil slopes away from your walls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a storm door that is out of alignment. Get tips on leaving the jamb side attached and trying to reset the other two pieces of the door. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why it is not possible to restore vinyl flooring if the finish has worn off. Get tips on using laminate flooring in high-traffic areas of your home. Find out how to uninstall your dishwasher so you can put down laminate flooring in your Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Snaking your drain might be enough to unclog your plumbing. Learn when a drain camera inspection is warranted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get decorating tips for stairs. Learn about carpets, treads, wood refinishing and other methods of decorating staircases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how you can keep your house cooler on hot days by painting your roof with UV-reflectant fibrous aluminum paint. Learn how it can also make your roof last longer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to replace a deteriorating windowsill. Find out how to properly nail in an apron beneath a windowsill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about flooring options for a concrete porch. Find out about travertine and tile flooring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to restart a water heater that has been unused for years. Get tips on flushing the system out and running lots of water. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why it is not really possible to change the color of ceramic tile or sealed marble. Get tips on changing the color of the grout or decorating around the tile instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to stop a yard from flooding. Get tips on installing a curtain drain using a trench filled with stones and a perforated pipe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to install a concrete base for a fiberglass shower stall. Find out how to eliminate a creaking noise when you step into a shower stall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to seal cracks between crown molding and the ceiling. Find out how to use paintable latex caulk to fill cracks that form between the ceiling and crown molding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how using a wallpaper steamer is a quick and effective way to strip sticky vinyl wallpaper from walls. Find out how to prep the walls for painting once the wallpaper has been removed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about cleaning tile grout lines in heavy traffic areas. Find tips for cleaning and stripping tile grout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Read about choosing backer board for ceramic tile flooring. Find out how to use thinset between a concrete floor and ceramic tile flooring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to properly ventilate your toilet to prevent bubbles from appearing. Find out why the occasional bubble is nothing to worry about as long as the toilet works properly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to regrout a tile countertop. Get tips on using a grout stripper and a grout knife to get rid of the old grout. Learn why epoxy grout is a good option when you go to regrout because it will resist stains for longer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a door that is no longer closing properly. Learn why the problem is probably heat-related swelling and get tips on asking the contractor who installed the door to come back and make the needed adjustment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on maintaining and sealing travertine - a form of limestone - and advice and products that keep it from looking dull. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to soundproof a room. Get tips on using a product called Green Glue or QuietRock to muffle the noise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why a shower panel should work OK in your home if it was built recently and you have good water pressure currently. Just be aware that the water pressure won't be as strong with multiple shower heads as it would be with one shower head. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about steps to prevent bathroom mold. Find out how to properly vent an exhaust fan so it doesn't cause attic condensation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to use a grout saw to cut out all of the old grout between the tiles in your shower. Then you can reglue any loose tiles and regrout the whole thing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to clean grout with a grout stripper. Learn how to keep the area ventilated while you are working with the grout cleaner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to create a dust cover in your crawl space by putting down some plastic and pouring about two inches of concrete on top. If it's a large space, learn why you might want to break it up using expansion joints so the sections can move Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out an inexpensive way to paint a concrete bathroom. Get tips on getting rid of the old paint and letting the surface dry well before applying epoxy paint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Experiencing an invasion of fruit flies in your kitchen? Find out how to determine where they are coming from and what you can do about them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on cleaning moss from exterior brick. Learn about Wet & Forget, a gentle cleaning product that you can basically apply and walk away from. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to soundproof a basement condo. Get tips on using a soundproofing drywall called QuietRock and learn why insulation isn't an effective soundproofing material. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn what your options are for repairing or replacing a fiberglass bathtub. Find out how a cracked fiberglass tub can be patched, and how Corian and Silestone are attractive replacements for a damaged fiberglass bathtub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to improve ventilation and prevent mold in a bathroom in a rental home. Get tips on installing a powerful vent fan that is properly vented to the exterior, and installing an occupancy sensor so the vent fan automatically turns on when a tenant enters the bathroom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices