The Money Pit Calls & Answers

Learn how to prevent your sump pump from overworking. Find out how improving drainage around your home and keeping gutters clean can ease the burden on your sump pump when it rains. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to prevent a sinking concrete driveway. Find out why it's important to have your soil mechanically tamped before pouring a concrete driveway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to patch a concrete sidewalk damaged by rock salt. Find out which kind of sidewalk salt is safest for your concrete walkways and how to use an epoxy compound to patch cracks and other damage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about affordable flooring and carpet options. Find out about modular carpeting, laminate flooring and staining concrete as alternatives to expensive wall-to-wall carpet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to paint and seal concrete around a swimming pool. Find out how a product called Kool Deck can help seal and protect a concrete patio from mildew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to fix a squeaky hardwood floor. Get methods for resecuring a hardwood floor that squeaks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to remove moss from brick steps and repair cracked mortar from between bricks. Find out how a bleach solution will kill moss and allow you to replace the mortar between bricks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to install a whole-house fan for cooling. Find out the difference between a whole-house fan and an attic fan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to prevent mold in closets and storage areas. Find out why lack of airflow can promote mold growth in areas where organic materials are stored. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to clean vinyl siding. Find out where to purchase vinyl siding cleaning products online. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to patch cracks in the walls and ceiling. Find out how using fiberglass drywall tape will repair cracks in walls and ceilings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips for installing a metal roof. Learn how metal roofing requires its own special underlayment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why a gulping toilet can mean a blocked vent. Find out why toilets make gulping noises when a vent is obstructed by an object. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to repair crumbling brick and mortar steps. Find out how to mix up a repair compound for cracking and deteriorating brick stairs and cracking mortar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why poor roof ventilation can cause shingle damage. Find out how to propertly ventilate an attic and roof to prevent shingles from curling, cracking, and falling off the roof. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about insulation options for plaster walls. Find out how blown-in insulation can be installed without tearing out plaster walls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why you should clean your air conditioner to prevent mold. Find out how to clean black mold from your walls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to replace your bathroom caulk with mildew-proof caulk. Find out about DAP kitchen caulk with mildicide that inhibits the growth of mildew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to eliminate mildew odor from under a wooden deck. Find out how adding a ventilation system can help get rid of humidity and moisture that causes smells from under wood decking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to prevent moss from growing on your roof. Find out how trimming trees and reducing shady areas as well as installing zinc strips will stop moss from growing on roof shingles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about intalling an energy efficient electric water heater. Find out why tankless water heaters are energy efficient when working with gas, but not as an electric water heater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to prevent mold and mildew growth on bathroom walls and ceiling. Find out how installing an exhaust fan can keep mold from growing in your bathroom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about synthetic stone material as an exterior house alternative to brick facing. Find out where to purchase synthetic stone products for your home's exterior from Owens Corning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out if a home inspector should disclose that a home is modular. Learn why modular homes are often better built than homes built from scratch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn when to install an energy-efficient furnace instead of an electric heat pump. Find out why an electric heat pump is not recommended for climates where there are dramatic temperature fluctuations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips for opening stuck doors and windows. Learn how to use a block of wood and a hammer to loosen up a stuck window. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about tankless water heaters for multi-family homes. Find out why tankless hot water heaters are an energy-efficient option for multifamily homes and can provide individual heaters for each unit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about removing dye stains from kitchen cabinets. Find out how sanding the wood can help get a stain from haircolor or hair dye out of your cabinet door or drawer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to remove a foreign object from a garbage disposal. Find out how to use a flashlight and a vacuum cleaner to dislodge an object stuck in your garbage disposal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to replace an electrical outlet. Find out why you need to hire an electrician to upgrade an old electrical wiring system to enable you to use three-prong electric plugs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to intall terracotta tile in a gazebo. Get tips for preventing cracking and weather damage in terracotta tiles used outdoors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to seal grout to keep it clean. Find out how applying multiple coats of sealant to white grout will prevent it from getting dirty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about the best flooring options for basements. Find out why you should never install carpet in a basement because it fosters mold and mildew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to reduce condensation in your air conditioning ducts and vents. Find out how insulating the area around your rood vents and air ducts will reduce humidity and prevent condensation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips for painting paneling. Find out what kind of primer to use on paneling before painting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about repairing a backdraft in a home with radon. Find out how a vent system depressurizing on the first floor of a home might be a problem with a backdraft in a home with radon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to paint stucco. Find out how to cover stains on a stucco house with latex paint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to seal stone walls and prevent water damage. Find out how flaking, cracking and peeling stone can be protected from rain and sprinkler water by applying a clear sealant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn what to do when you see spackle through a coat of wall paint. Find out how using a primer before painting a wall will prevent you from seeing the spackle through the paint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn what to look for in replacement windows. Find out about Energy Star ratings, and why you should look for a label from the National Fenestration Rating Council when looking to buy replacement windows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how particles in the dishwasher are the result of a drain valve problem. Find out how to repair a drain valve in your dishwasher to get rid of particles and spots on dishes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to lay hardwood flooring to make a room look bigger. Find out how the direction you install your wood floor planking can make a small room look larger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why fireplace cleaning logs are unsafe. Learn why you should hire a chimney sweep instead of burning a corrosive log that cleans creosote from inside your fireplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Compare a standard tank water heater with a tankless hot water heater. Find out why with a tankless hot water heater you'll never have to wait for hot water. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to change the color of tile grout. Find out how concrete dye can be used to darken the shade of your ceramic tile grout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to repair worn or cracked sidewalk. Find out why you shouldn't pour concrete over an existing sidewalk when installing or fixing an old sidewalk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Read about bathroom remodeling to add value to a home. Find out about replacing a bathtub and installing a shower with multiple showerheads to add resale value to a home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to match colors on new brick and mortar. When you've had new brick work done, find out how to change the color of your mortar or grout and brick the age them and match your old brick and mortar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to fix a squeaking floor. Find out how to drill into the subfloor to stop a floor from squeaking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices