The Money Pit Calls & Answers

Find out how to replace roof shingles that have blown off in a wind storm. If you can find the shingles, use them only if they are not damaged. Learn why extra nails is not necessarily the best way to secure shingles against strong wind. Get tips on Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to choose among different brands when shopping for a new central air conditioning unit. Get tips on comparing models that are Energy Star-rated so you have a cross-brand basis for comparison and know you are getting an AC unit that will Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what material you should use to build a long-lasting deck. Learn about the benefits of treated wood vs. composite decking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to add insulation to warm up a room. Learn why you should insulate the floor and ceiling rather than the walls. Get tips on sealing, caulking, and replacing drafty windows and doors if you want to do something to the walls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to clean mold off your screen pool enclosure. Get tips on using an environmentally friendly product called Wet & Forget. You can use a garden sprayer to apply it to any exterior surface, including screening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to use wood logs as a decorative border around a raised garden bed. Learn why you should use pressure-treated ties rather than untreated wood, which will rot. Get tips on pre-drilling the wood and using 12-inch spikes to keep the ties in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to repair cracks in a concrete basement wall. Learn why you should use a product specifically made for crack repair, such as one made by Quikrete, because they are flexible and designed to stick to the concrete. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out your options to protect your kitchen wall from getting damaged when the lid of your foot-pedal trash can pops up. Get tips on using Plexiglas on the wall, a felt bumper on the lid, or rubber childproof edging on the lid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what you can do about a burn hole on a laminate countertop. Learn why you can't just cover it with a laminate patch -- it will look bad. Instead, get tips on your other options, such as covering the burn hole with a built-in cutting board, or Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what is causing the plaster to come off the drywall. Learn why a bonding agent should be directly applied to raw drywall. You shouldn't prime it first. Get tips on putting up a thin layer of drywall and starting over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to seal a water stain on your ceiling with primer before you paint to ensure that the stain doesn't show through. Get tips on priming the entire ceiling and then painting the entire ceiling for the best result. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to repair a cracked door frame. Learn why it is caused by the normal expansion and contraction of your house. Get tips on sanding down the area and covering it with perforated drywall tape for a permanent fix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to repair cracks in a concrete block wall. Learn why horizontal cracks are more worrisome than vertical cracks. Get tips on filling the vertical cracks with a silicone sealant that will stick to concrete, unlike mortar. Also learn why you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about the benefits of a tankless water heater and get tips on how to evaluate the manufacturer's service contracts to see if they are worth the money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out the best type of flooring for areas in your home that get a lot of traffic from kids and pets. Get tips on getting laminate flooring with a commercial-grade finish, which is the most durable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to get the smell of pet urine out of your flooring. Get tips on either priming your old subflooring with oil-based primer to seal the wood, or replacing it entirely with OSB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to keep your aluminum sunroom warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Get tips on adding a mini-split ductless system to supplement your existing HVAC plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what kind of dimmer you can use with LED lights. Get tips on getting the Lutron Skylark Contour C-L Dimmer from Home Depot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out the best way to protect your home from lightning. Get tips on installing a lightning-rod system correctly so that the cables connecting the rods to the ground source run nowhere near any other copper wiring or copper plumbing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to pull up carpet in a basement and learn what your options are for a new floor. Get tips on finding an effective adhesive remover and learn why tile is a better idea than paint, which is bound to look uneven. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to cover up rust spots on a porcelain bathtub. Get tips on using a product called Porc-a-Fix that you can find in any home center. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to replace old weighted windows. Get tips on cutting the weights and removing the pulleys and sashes. Learn how to measure your window frames so you can order replacement windows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to repair peeling drywall tape. Get tips on cutting off the loose tape instead of trying to spackle over it. Learn the proper repair method: apply three coats of spackle, sanding in between each coat, then prime and paint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a dryer that isn't heating properly. Learn what the three culprits could be: the heating element, the ductwork, or the thermostat. Get tips on either having the appliance serviced, or replacing it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to stop sound from transferring between rooms. Learn why a permanent solution requires you to put in sound-deadening wallboard and seal any gaps in the ceiling frame. Your other option is to put some sound deadening underneath the carpet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what is causing a noisy water heater and learn how to fix it. Get tips on draining the tank to flush out built-up sediment and learn what temperature you should set the heater to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to cut a shelf so it fits the shape of your A-frame cabin. Get tips on using a tool called a T-bevel to get the angle right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why laminate is a good choice for a basement floor and get tips on following the manufacturer's instructions when installing it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to get rid of a white haze on a floor that you just refinished. Get tips on renting a floor buffer and a sanding screen to take off the upper surface of the floor. Then mop up the dust and add a coat of urethane. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a bathroom that vents to the attic. Also get tips on adding more attic insulation to keep your heating and cooling bills down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on finding a contractor who can install a tin ceiling. It's not a terribly difficult job, and a carpenter with metal-working experience or a good handyman should be able to do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn the best type of paint for basement walls. Get tips on using paint specifically made for basement walls instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to clean an oil stain on a cement floor. Get tips on painting the cement floor with a two-part epoxy paint that includes a degreaser as part of the process. The paint will also make the floor easier to sweep and won't get slippery when Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to get rid of a humming noise in your pipes. Learn why the noise is caused by a valve that isn't completely closing and get tips on replacing your toilet fill valves and sink faucet valves to fix the problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Find out how to repair a faulty hardwood floor installation that left large gaps between floor boards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what type of underlayment to use when installing laminate floor over ceramic tile. Get tips on checking with the manufacturer to see what they recommend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to remove vinyl wallpaper. Get tips on scoring the wallpaper first, and learn a trick of the trade involving fabric softener to help loosen the paper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to insulate foundation walls. Learn why you should insulate the interior, not exterior. Get tips on also insulating the box-beam space, which is more at risk for drafts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what type of flooring to use in a basement after you pull up moldy carpet. Get tips on using laminate flooring or engineered hardwood flooring, and learn why proper installation is key. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out the best location for a pellet stove and learn how to ventilate it. Get tips on having a contractor install it for you so it's done safely. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to repair a metal roof. Get tips on hiring a contractor that knows how to resolder cracks properly. Learn why trying to cover them with tar or caulk will only cause more problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a door that won't close properly. Get tips on tightening the hinges and resetting the striker plate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to control window condensation during the winter. Get tips on reducing the volume of moisture that's inside your house to solve the problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to reface a brick fireplace with ceramic tile. Learn whether you need to prep the brick surface and get tips on putting down a good coat of adhesive for the tiles to stick to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to vent a flat roof properly. Learn how an attic fan works and find out whether it's possible to have too much attic ventilation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to repair a cracked concrete driveway. Learn why concrete is not a good material for repairing cracks in concrete. Get tips on using an epoxy patching compound instead. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to remodel a 1950s kitchen. Learn why opening up the wall between your kitchen and dining room will make the dining room space less formal. Get tips on painting and putting new hardware on the existing 1950s cabinets rather than Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what you can do to improve the air quality in your home. Get tips on pulling up the carpet in your basement, keeping your basement dry, and putting in a filtration system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to patch drywall. Get tips on sanding down the cracks and repairing them with drywall tape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices