The Money Pit Calls & Answers

Learn how to install plywood subflooring. Find out how to protect plywood from weather changes, and what kind of fasteners to use to prevent your floor from squeaking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you have no warm water to your washing machine. Learn about the hot and cold valves into your washer and when it might not be a hot water heater problem, but a problem with the washer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how much insulation is in your walls. Learn how to insulate an old home with blown-in insulation, and how to use an infrared scanner to see how much insulation is inside your walls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to eliminate moisture on basement walls. Find out how using a dehumidifier can help get rid of condensation on basement walls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why you should seal your wood deck. Find out why it's important to use a protective sealant on your wood deck, whether you stain it or not. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to fix a noisy gas fireplace vent. Find out why you must call the fireplace manufacturer and follow their product specifications for venting a gas fireplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about biofuel for home heating. Find out how research is being done to use soybean oil to heat homes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about a quick fix for stained pavers. Find out how to flip over a paver for a fresh surface, and how using a putty knife may help lift up a stained paver. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to get rid of drain odor. Find out how a drain inspector can use a camera to find out if something is obstructing your sewer drain and causing sewage odor in your home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn what should be the proper thickness for a concrete patio slab when enclosing a patio to make an additional room. Find out how a six-inch concrete patio will not support walls for an addition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out if you can hook up a pellet stove to a heat pump. Learn why it's better to use a wood furnace in conjunction with an existing heat pump. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to protect an exterior wood door from sun damage. Find out how to apply a clear stain to a wood door to minimize damage from the sun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to repair a cracked brick barbecue. Find out how to use an epoxy patching compound to seal a crack in a concrete and brick bar-b-que. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to fix water in the basement. When all else fails and you've addressed clean gutters, downspouts and the angle of soil around your home, consider a subsurface drainage system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to diagnose the cause of a leaking ceiling. Find out how to tell if it's a condensation leak and how to repair a crack in your ceiling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about solutions for a cold foyer. Find out how to insulate an entry way, and how installing an electric radiant heating system will help warm up a chilly foyer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to trade your bath tub for a hot tub. Find out how to shop for a jetted tub that fits into the space of your standard bathtub, and learn how to prevent bacteria from forming in your hot tub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to eliminate evidence of termites on a fence. Find out how to clean and stain wood where termites have been exterminated. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to use boiled linseed oil to treat cedar siding. Find out why you should used boiled linseed oil but not raw linseed oil for sealing cedar siding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn the cause of low water pressure from the cold tap. Find out about sediment build-up, a closed cold water valve on your water heater, and when to replace a hot water heater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why you should replace a door with hard-to-find hardware. When a door company goes out of business, it's almost impossible to locate replacement parts that are not sold over the counter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Read about adding attic insulation and mixing insulation types. Find out if you can apply spray insulation or blown-in insulation over existing insulation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why you should hire an independent plumbing contractor instead of a plumber who works for a retailer or utility company when you need plumbing repair and installation work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Read about remodeling versus tearing down a home. Find out why you should hire a home inspector rather than a contractor to advise you on potential home improvements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about remodeling options for an old bathtub. Find out about resurfacing a tub with epoxy, and using a fiberglass insert by Bath Fitter to remodel an older bath tub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to get rid of roof moss. Find out where to get two cleaning products that eliminate moss from your roof. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about the causes of noices in a home. Find out how banging noises can be caused by rodents in the attic and even the duct system in your home when the thermostat is turned on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to refinish an old brick fireplace with stone. Find out about cultured stone fireplace finishes that are lighter than real stone when covering up an aging brick fireplace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about air conditioning options, window versus portable air conditiniong units. Find out why portable air conditioning units need to be vented and are unwieldy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to get rid of ladybugs in your home. Find out how to vacuum up lady bugs, check for wall cracks and call a pest control exterminator to eliminate a ladybug infestation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to prevent roof leaks from hurricanes. Learn about underlayments that will prevent water from leaking into your attic in the event of losing shingles in a hurricane or other tropical storm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to dye grout darker. Find out how to remedy grout that dries lighter than expected when grouting a tile floor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Read about installing radiant heat under two layers of flooring. Find out how to mix baseboard heat and radiant heating when installing a radiant heat system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Read about fluorescent vs. incandescent lighting for a kitchen. Find out how compact fluorescent lightbulbs will work in a kitchen fixture and not look like traditional fluorescent lighting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Read about replacement windows, including the pros and cons of vinyl and wood windows. Learn about Energy Star rated windows and choosing an energy efficient window, and how vinyl is easier to clean than a wooden window. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find the cause of black mold on a roof. Learn how to deal with black mold forming on your roof shingles, and how to propertly ventilate an attic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to insulate a basement. Find out what kind of insulation should be used to prevent mold and condensation when using basement wall insulation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to saw a laminate countertop. Find out how to prevent chipping the laminate while cutting the countertop to size. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to strip and paint kitchen cabinets. Find out why you should sand and use primer, and what kind of chemical stripper to use when repainting kitchen cabinets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn about replacing a severely shrinking vinyl floor. Find out how a vinyl floor that pulls away from the wall cannot be repaired and must be replaced with new flooring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to eliminate ceiling dirt that accumulates in stripes along the ceiling joists. Find out how a whole house air cleaner and proper ceiling insulation will prevent soot from accumulating on the ceiling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to use marine cleaner on a fiberglass bathtub. Find out how a boat cleaner works well in removing dirt from a fiberglass bath tub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to resolve running out of hot water in the shower. Find out how you may need a repair to your hot water heater valve or you may need to replace your hot water heater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix bubbling in a toilet when a bathtub is drained. Find out how having a plumber fix your vent pipes will help balance the pressure between your toilet and bath tub. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to hang sheetrock in a concrete basement. Find out how to use Tapcon fasteners to finish a basement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you might need a power vent water heater. Find out how having a horizontal run in your exhaust may require a power vent water heater. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to improve water pressure to second floor showers. Find out why you should check your pipes, your well pressure and your pressure valves to improve water pressure to upstairs showers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Read about choosing ceramic tile for a pool deck. Find out how grout stands up to chlorine and why you should choose ceramic tile with slip resistency for installing tile around a pool. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to stabilize a shaky floor. Find out how bridging a floor joist can help stabilize a floor that bounces or shakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to trim a door to fit. Find out why you should cut from the bottom of the door, and how to repack a door. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices