The Money Pit Calls & Answers

Find out how to remove old wallpaper. Get tips on using a paper tiger and a solution of fabric softener and water, applied with a spray bottle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to reduce your utility costs by properly insulating your home. Get tips on adding 18-22 inches of blown-in insulation in your attic and ventilating your attic with ridge and soffit vents. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to repair rotted plywood. Get tips on using Durham's Rock Hard Water Putty on small areas of rot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to clean stubborn rust stains in your bathtub. Get tips on using a hydrochloric acid product called "The Works," or if that fails, pumice cleaners or a bath surround to hide the stains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why noisy pipes are nothing to worry about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to determine what size tankless water heater you need for your home. Get tips on going to the manufacturer's website and looking for a sizing guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about tankless water heaters, which only heat the water when you actually use it. Get tips on buying one that is the right size for the number of bathrooms in your home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out whether it's OK to remove wall paneling that has insulation underneath. If the wall paneling was put up with glue, you might have to reface the wall after you remove it. If that's the case, use 1/4-inch drywall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why your best option to minimize energy leaks is to remove your AC window units during the winter. If you must leave them in, get insulated covers for the inside and outside of the units. Also learn about SpacePak, an air conditioning system Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to caulk a tile floor. Get tips on using silicone caulk, which will expand and contract and give you a better looking joint than grout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what polybutelene piping is and why you should avoid purchasing a home that has it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out where you can purchase an ice and water shield for your roof. Learn how it can be combined with Tri-Flex 30 to create a leak-proof, weatherproof roof. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to weatherproof your porch's wood floor. Get tips on stripping it down, using an oil-based primer and then applying an oil-based floor paint. Another option is an epoxy painting system with an anti-slip additive. However, the most Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what to do when the home you want to buy has a serious foundation problem. Get tips on hiring a structural engineer to design the repair and then finding a contractor to carry it out. Then have the engineer come back and inspect the Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to reduce dust in a home with a forced-air heating and cooling system. Get tips on replacing your fiberglass filter with an electronic air cleaner, which is much more effective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to solve window condensation in your basement. Get tips on replacing metal frame windows with new vinyl-framed windows that are more energy efficient. Another option is to reduce basement moisture by improving the drainage conditions Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you should hire an electrician to trace the source of your electrical problems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you should get rid of knob and tube wiring wherever you find it in your home. It is a fire hazard and you should replace it with modern wiring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to heat the floor of a slate patio. Get tips on installing a water-based heating system that circulates antifreeze under the patio. The system could also be electrical, but that would be more expensive. Your other option is to re-pitch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you can't paint a countertop. Get tips on laying ceramic tile with epoxy grout that won't absorb stains. Another option is to get laminate countertops from Lamin-Art. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to retrofit radiant heat under tile flooring in a bathroom. Get tips on installing an electric system designed to go under tile and running it only when you need it in order to save on your energy bills. Also learn about a less expensive Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to finish the concrete walls in your basement to turn it into a home office. Learn about your options, including acid staining, concrete polishing, and stucco. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to get rid of spiders on the exterior of your home without staining the stucco. Get tips on hiring a professional to apply pesticide, or check out a product called Cobweb Eliminator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to stop air from seeping in around your windows. Get tips on recaulking the windows and adding storm windows. Learn why you should consider replacement windows, which are relatively inexpensive and a great investment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how moisture in the ground from a series of hurricanes could cause the floor of your house to settle and crack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out the causes of mold growth in the home and get tips on how to solve the problem. Learn why you should take steps to improve the drainage around your home's foundation and add a dehumidifier to your basement area. Also find out how to clean Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what to do about peeling wallpaper around your shower. Get tips on using a product called Seam Repair, a special glue made to reattach loose wallpaper seams. If the peeling is severe, you'll need to replace the wallpaper entirely. You should Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what your options are for covering up brick. Get tips on whitewashing the brick, which can enhance the look of it. Learn why it would be too much work to drywall over a 14-foot brick wall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out the two causes of window condensation: poorly insulated windows and moisture sources inside the house. Get tips on reducing the moisture by improving drainage conditions around your home's foundation. The other solution is to improve Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to clean stained brick. If the brick is unfinished, use TSP. If it's painted, you will have to repaint. But first use a KILZ primer to seal in the stain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to seal duct joints with mastic. Learn why duct tape doesn't work on ducts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to reattach a composite wood deck. Get tips on numbering the boards as you remove them so you know where everything goes when you put them back. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how lay down tile over your existing slippery tile floor. Get tips on picking out a tile that has a suitable slip resistance rating and is meant for floors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what causes window condensation and learn how to solve the problem. Get tips on installing a whole-home dehumidifier if you have a duct system. Also find out how to keep water away from your foundation walls and properly ventilate your Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you shouldn't seal brick; it traps water inside and makes it difficult for the water to evaporate out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out which is the more cost-effective option: an electric or natural gas water heater. Learn why electric resistance heat is the most expensive type of heat possible. Also get tips on considering a tankless water heater, which supplies hot water Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to remove wallpaper. Get tips on using a steamer, starting at the seams, and then pulling the paper away rather than using a paper tiger, which can be messy. Learn why you should use an oil-based primer on the wall before painting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how much insulation you should add to your attic. Learn what r value means and get tips on adding attic ventilation to make the insulation more effective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to install radiant heat underneath cork flooring. Get tips on asking the cork floor manufacturer if the product can sit on top of the radiant panels without causing any damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to avoid cutting into floor joists in order to support forced-air heat vents. Learn how a split system heat pump works to heat or cool a room. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on installing ceramic tile over existing vinyl flooring. Learn why the tiles need to be put down on a subfloor and find out different options in tile flooring for a small space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why venting an bathroom fan the right way will keep condensation from leaking out of the fan after a shower. Get tips on how adding ridge and soffit vents in the attic will keep the attic insulation dry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to tell if your home has insulation. Find out how to add insulation to the walls and attic of your home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on troubleshooting a ground fault circuit. Learn why some power outlets may not have any power until the ground fault circuit is reset. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to fix drainage issues around a settling house. Get tips on why investing in a basement waterproofing system is not advised. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about replacing old galvanized water pipes. Find out why you should replace all the pipes at once instead of waiting to do either the hot water or cold water pipes first. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to repair a buckling hardwood floor. Find out how to remove the buckled boards without ruining the rest of the hardwood floor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how adding fiberglass batt insulation to your existing insulation will help to insulate your home. Find out how venting an attic with ridge and soffit vents will keep moisture down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how adding a baseboard heater to a small room can be a cost effective and warm way to save on your heating bills. Get tips on which heater is the best to use for your heating needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to get rid of roof moss and mildew. Find out installing copper or nickel flashing can help keep roof moss off your roof. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices