Building a Greenhouse | How to Refinish Hardwood Floors | Hidden Costs of Home Improvements | Ep #2244

SHOW NOTES:

• Greenhouses: Learn how to extend your gardening season by building a DIY greenhouse in your yard.
• Hardwood Floors: Refinishing hardwood floors can be a time-consuming project with great results. Find out how to restore the beauty of old wood floors.
• Home Improvement Costs: You may be overlooking a few items when you budget for that home improvement project. We’ll tell you about some hidden costs.

 Plus, answers to your home improvement questions.

• Carpenter Ants: When you take down a tree that’s infested with carpenter ants, where will they head next? Tom calms Anna’s worries about the pests going into her house.
• Outdoor Steps: The railroad ties on Matt’s long flight of landscaping stairs are rotted out. We’ve got advice on an affordable alternative for rebuilding the steps that’s durable and easy to shovel.
• Mold in Attic: Will adding blown-in insulation prevent mold in the attic? Tom explains why Kathy needs more ventilation, not more insulation, in her Cape Cod-style home.
• Electrical: If you’ve changed your electrical wiring plans in your basement, what’s the best way to patch up the holes and start over? Katherine learns about disconnecting wires at the electrical panel and ways to cover the outlet holes.
• Moisture Barriers: Moisture under Jonathan’s hardwood floor is causing it to swell and buckle. We’ve got suggestions about vapor barriers, drainage, and dehumidifiers.
• Home Warranties: Diane wants to keep up with the maintenance on her newly built home. Tom tells her about a useful home maintenance checklist and the importance of her homebuyer warranty coverage.
• Metal Roofing: The screened-in porch at Dan’s house gets way too hot because of the metal roof. He can deflect the sun’s UV rays and reduce the heat by applying a radiant coating to the roof.
• Soundproofing: What’s the best way to block out the sounds of noisy neighbors next door? Adding a second layer of drywall and a green glue noise-proofing sealant may quiet things down a bit for Donna’s son.
• Cracked Ceramic Tile: Should ceramic tile flooring with hairline cracks be repaired or replaced? Valerie’s best option is to remove the cracked pieces and replace them with tiles that are the same or something complementary.

Do you have a home improvement or decor question? Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here.

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