The Money Pit Calls & Answers

Learn what to use to seal cracks in brick. Find out why you shouldn't use mortar mix to seal cracks in a brick structure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to get rid of carpenter bees. Learn how to prevent carpenter bees from eating the wood fascia by taking down the wood and putting up AZEK, a PVC – extruded PVC trim product. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to clean vinyl siding with OxiClean or Jomax. Find out how much pressure to use when using a pressure washer so you don't poke holes in the vinyl siding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to cool your home with continuous ridge and soffit vents. Learn how the vents work to cool your home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out whether or not you should put a metal roof over a composition roof, or just tear off the old roof first. Learn how metal roofing is energy efficient because of the low-e coating. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to eliminate mold in a basement carpet. Find out how putting in a dehumidifier and a condensate pump can reduce the amount of water and condensation in the basementand help get rid of the mold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out if you may have to replace an old septic sysytem. Learn why you may have to replace the whole system if a pump needs replacing and a septic repair contractor won't repair it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to clean mold from a wood deck. Find out how to keep the mold from coming back by using a bleach solution and trimming trees to allow sunlight to reach the deck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how installing a bigger filter in a koi pond can help to improve water quality and keep algae to a minimum. Learn how the algae forms, and how to keep the pond clean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn what to do when you have a tile floor that is coming loose. Learn why you may have to take out the entire floor and apply a quality adhesive before you lay new tile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to prevent mold from forming on the north side of your home, and prevent it from getting on your ceilings and cabinets. Learn why properly venting your home with continuous ridge and soffit vents and making sure your attic is properly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on replacing a leaky toilet valve. Find out why the valve is leaking through normal expansion and contraction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to kill unwanted vegetation and grow green grass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to cover bleach stains in your carpet. Learn how to dye your carpet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How to install a garbage disposal. Learn if you can install the disposal yourself or if you should hire a professional. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how much insulation you should have for your roofing deck. Learn which types of insulation require a thicker application. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn what may be causing your shower to creak or move. Tips on how to fix the noise and movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to handle cracks in your basement walls. Tips on who to hire to make sure your home's foundation is safe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get step by step instructions for painting gutters, from surface preparation to primer to the final coat. Use a good quality exterior grade house paint that is designed for use on metal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to install insulation under siding. You can leave your existing siding up and attach foam insulation over that. Then put the hardy plank over the foam and nail the foam into the siding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why crosslinked polyethylene plumbing pipe, known as PEX, is easier to install and more durable than other options. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how much insulation you should have in your attic. If you have blown-in insulation, 22 inches is the standard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to replace a sliding glass patio door with a French door. Learn why you should ask the manufacturer for a remodeling door instead of a new construction door to ensure a better fit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to improve drainage around your house to stop your basement from getting wet. Your gutters should be clean and free-flowing, your downspouts should extend away from your house and the soil should slope four to six inches. If you have Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why it is easier than ever to vent a high efficiency furnace or water heater. Get tips on talking to a couple of different contractors and avoiding anyone who wants to take the project in a different direction from what you had in mind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a partially obstructed toilet that isn't flushing all the way. The solution is to take the toilet off the floor and look inside the trap to see what's blocking it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Turning your garage into a den might add to your home's value, but it depends on whether the other homes in your neighborhood have garages. Some buyers will want extra living space and some will want garages--you can't please everyone. If you do Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to use a grout-stripper to clean dirty, mildew-stained grout and trisodium phosphate (TSP) to clean brick. With both products, let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before scrubbing with a stiff brush. Do not use both products on the same Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out whether you can add another layer of insulation in the attic after an animal infestation or whether you should remove it and start from scratch. Also learn about Owens Corning's website, InsulateandSave.com, which has DIY installation tips, a Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix the problem of a room that won't get hot enough when the heat is running. The first option is to bring in an HVAC contractor to see if it's possible to get more duct work or better airflow to the space. The second option is to put Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to build a screen for a metal door. Get step by step instructions and learn why it's better to make a standalone screen that you can screw on the door than to glue the screen to the door. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why floorboards that expand when the heat is turned on are completely natural and nothing to worry about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to install a moisture barrier in your crawlspace. Get tips on taking a big piece of heavy visqueen plastic and laying it edge to edge along the foundation wall. For insulation, use unfaced fiberglass batts held in place with wire Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to choose between Trane and American Standard when it comes to selecting a heat pump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a shaky floor. Learn why the solution is to take the span of the floor joists and add a support in the middle. However, you have to be able to get underneath the floor to reinforce it; you can't do it from the topside. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why Roundup is the most effective product to use for killing weeds. Get tips on using pavers to create a patio that will add curb appeal to your front yard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you should have a professional reglaze your rusted cast iron clawfoot tub instead of going with a DIY kit that won't hold up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out which project to do first when remodeling a kitchen. Learn why you should work from the bottom up and get tips on avoiding trouble when tiling around a dishwasher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a leaking air conditioner. Learn why dust, dirt and other debris inside the air handler can sometimes partially cover the hole where the condensate line comes out and cause water to overflow. Get tips on taking the condensate line Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what to look for in a new central air conditioner. Also learn why you should not replace a gas furnace with a heat pump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to reduce the level of noise coming through a wall. The solution is to put a second layer of drywall on it with insulating glue in between. Do this on both sides of the wall for the best results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to get rid of an odor in your hot water. Learn why you should replace your water heater's magnesium anode rod with an aluminum zinc alloy anode rod. Or, if your water heater is old, you can replace it with a tankless water heater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to sand hardwood floors using a U-Sand machine with a built-in vacuum. It sucks up most of the dust it generates and is easier to use than a belt sander. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you should hire a professional to pour the concrete slab for your shuffleboard court. Learn about shuffleboard templates that help you align the paint properly and consider visiting Shuffleboard.com if you have a well-drained yard and Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to use a brush or a vinegar and water solution to get mineral deposits off your basement walls before painting them. Learn why you should hang a fan from the basement ceiling in front of a window to create enough ventilation while you use Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out your options to fix the problem of water taking too long to heat up. One option is a hot water circulator, but a better long-term solution is to add a second water heater closer to the bathroom. Tankless is recommended. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how much space to leave between the concrete block wall and the frame wall in your basement. Learn why you should use damp-proofing paint and pressure treated or metal studs and install fake vents in the wall to let air circulate behind it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix the problem of weak water pressure in your home. Learn why a pressure-boosting pump is the solution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to replace a refrigerator door gasket with an appliance gasket from a hardware store, appliance store or RepairClinic.com. Also learn why you should consider replacing your old fridge with a new, energy-efficient model. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why insulating a cathedral ceiling requires you to either add a sandwich roof structure or a scissor truss, both of which change the shape of your home. Your other option, which is still work-intensive, is to cover the underside of the Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices