Show Notes
Today, we’re gearing up for power outages with a plan to keep you powered through summer storms. We’ll also reveal how to safeguard against ticks and explore paint colors that can transform your space and elevate your mood. Join us as we answer these and other home improvement questions for all your DIY dilemmas!
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Paint Tips: Learn how to brighten your mood and your home with the right paint colors.
- Tick Bites: Protect yourself outdoors with tactics to prevent tick bites.
- Power Outages: Navigate your way safely through a power outage with these blackout basics.
Top Questions & Answers
- Structural Cracks: Cracks in the foundation and basement are getting bigger and the walls are bending. Dixie must immediately contact a structural engineer to make sure repairs are done correctly.
- Asbestos: Jason’s basement ductwork has crumbling asbestos. He should have the material tested and have any asbestos removed by a professional.
- Door Glass: Should a door with milky glass be repaired or replaced? It’s a cosmetic issue caused when the insulation seal fails, but it would be simpler for Pam to replace the door.
- Deck Stain: Ray wants to seal his wraparound wood deck. We recommend using a solid color deck stain that will be more durable and last longer.
- Water Heater: Eva is concerned about possible damage from an upstairs water heater. We suggest turning off the main water valve when she’s away so she won’t worry, and saving up for a tankless water heater.
- Indoor Pool: How to reduce humidity from an indoor pool? Leslie should isolate the pool room from the rest of the house and use a dehumidifier and mold-resistant materials.
- Drop Ceiling: Kathleen wants a faux tin ceiling in her sunroom. Drop ceilings offer great options as long as they’re attached properly.
- Buckling Floor: Engineered hardwood floor installed on a concrete slab is starting to buckle. It needs to be replaced, but Todd should contact the floor manufacturer.
- Roof Pitch: Charlene wants to replace the shingles on her low-pitch roof. She shouldn’t have asphalt shingles, but a metal roof would be a great investment.
Ask Your Home Improvement Question
Podcast Transcript
Read Transcript
| 00:00:04 | TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
| LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. | |
| 00:00:09 | TOM: What are you guys working on this weekend? You got a project you want to get done? Well, we are here to help you do just that. If it’s a problem project, if it’s a fun project, if it’s a decor project, all good reasons to reach out to us with your questions at 1-888-Money-Pit |
| 00:00:51 | LESLIE: or go to MoneyPit.com slash ask and click the blue microphone button. We’ve got a great show planned for you. Coming up, power outages. They can strike without warning, especially with summer storms and hurricane season upon us. So we’ve got a plan to help you power through when your power is done. And now that we’re in the hottest part of the summer, and boy has it been crazy hot, we are also at the peak season for ticks, and they can carry some pretty dangerous diseases. Coming up, we’re going to share the surprising way ticks can grab a hold of anyone passing by and how you can keep them off for good. And painting is a perennially popular project. And of course, picking the perfect paint color is a great way to brighten up any room. But did you know that some paint colors also have been shown to be able to brighten your mood as well? It’s true. We’ve got tips on the best paint colors to spark both a better mood and a brighter space. But first, we want to help you create your best home ever. If you can dream it, you can for sure build it and we can help. So let us know what you’re |
| 00:01:51 | CALLER: working on, what you’ve got planned, what you’re thinking about starting, anything. In any phase, we can help you get it to the, you know, the finish line. Let us know what you’re working on. 888-666-3974 or post your questions to moneypit.com slash ask. Let’s get to it. Leslie, who’s first? Dixie in Illinois has a question regarding a crack in the basement and the possibility of it caving in. Dixie, are you calling us from like a pile of rubble or are you just concerned? I’m actually concerned. |
| 00:02:22 | TOM: Because it started out with just hairline cracks, you know, following along the concrete blocks and there’s cracks in each corner of the foundation above ground as well as these cracks in the walls below in the basement. But the cracks are getting bigger and bigger. I mean, there’s some of them that are gaping, you know, like I want to even say an inch and a half, two inches. You have an inch and a half crack? You mean width? It’s open an inch and a half? |
| 00:02:48 | CALLER: Well, they are, well, you can’t see through the crack, but the walls are bending in. We’ve even put like reinforcements. |
| 00:02:57 | TOM: All right. So horizontally, like the cracks are horizontal and they’re bending in, Dixie? |
| 00:03:01 | CALLER: Most of the ones that are bending in are horizontal. Yes. But the cracks do go up and down as well. |
| 00:03:07 | TOM: All right. So you need to immediately contact a structural engineer and have the foundation inspected. This sounds serious. I can tell you that typically horizontal cracks are caused by frost heave, where the drainage conditions are poor at the outside of the house, water collects there, soil freezes and pushes in. But you have that many cracks and those cracks are that significant. You need not a contractor. I want you to find a structural engineer. You’re just hiring this guy to inspect the home and prepare a report discussing the condition of the foundation. And if repairs are needed, the engineer should specify those repairs. Then you can bring a contractor in to follow the engineer’s specification and make the repairs. And then finally, make sure you bring the structural engineer back to inspect and certify that they were done correctly. Because at this point, unless you follow those steps just like that, you’re going to have a serious deficit to the home value. So that’s why if you have it inspected by a structural engineer, repaired by a contractor per the engineer’s specs, and certified by the engineer as okay, you have kind of a pedigree for that repair and you can pass on to future home buyers. Okay? Does that make sense? |
| 00:04:18 | CALLER: Okay. But how do you find a structural engineer? |
| 00:04:21 | TOM: So there’ll be local engineering companies. You could also check the website for the American Society of Home Inspectors, ASHI, A-S-H-I dot org. Now, those guys will not necessarily be a structural engineer, but there may be an engineer among them that’s also a home inspector. All right. Thank you very much, Dixie. I hope that helps you out. |
| 00:04:39 | LESLIE: Jason and I was dealing with some asbestos. Asbestos removal, a topic I’m very familiar with these days. Jason, what’s going on at your money pit? |
| 00:04:46 | CALLER: Well, we bought a house and in the basement, the ductwork has crumbling asbestos tape around all the seams. And I didn’t know it was asbestos at first. A gentleman, a friend of mine kind of told me that it was, which was good to know because I would have just started tearing it off there. But I know that it can be dangerous. And I’ve been told to put on a good HEPA filter mask and wet the filters and such and you can take it off and wear gloves and be careful. But is that really the case? I mean, do I have to legally hire a professional to come in and remove something like that? |
| 00:05:25 | TOM: It’s definitely a smart thing to do, Jason, because the problem with asbestos is it’s very, very fine. It’s finer than smoke. If you were to release asbestos particles and assuming there was no wind, it would take eight hours for them to hit the roof. That’s how fine they are. So what you’re seeing is only part of the problem. What you’re physically seeing, those chunks, is only part of it. This is a situation where you really can’t do it yourself. |
| 00:05:50 | LESLIE: Yeah. And the other part of the equation is the disposal. You know, it’s like you can’t just take it and put it in a trash bag and stick it outside. I’m in the process of having, you know, asbestos shingles removed from my home on the exterior and they have to be not only properly taken down and, you know, packed up in a certain manner, but they have to be completely, like, driven off to another state and certified that they’ve been disposed of in a proper manner. Now, I’m sure with just the tape wrapping the piping, that’s not going to be the extreme case there. But you do have to make sure that it’s disposed of properly. You don’t want to get in any trouble. |
| 00:06:28 | TOM: And by the way, Jason, you know, you can’t visually identify asbestos. So the very first thing you should do is to have a sample of the material tested to confirm that it is, in fact, asbestos. |
| 00:06:38 | CALLER: You don’t want to do that. |
| 00:06:39 | TOM: An asbestos lab. Leslie, you just had asbestos testing done. Who did you use for that? Was it a local lab? |
| 00:06:45 | LESLIE: It was a local company that, you know, also does the removal. But there are several companies. I would just, you know, look locally at asbestos removal. And it was fairly simple. And the test took about two days. And it gives you a percentage of asbestos found in the item. I mean, it’s interesting. |
| 00:07:01 | CALLER: Well, thanks so much for your time. And hopefully it won’t be too costly that I have to call it a money tip. |
| 00:07:08 | TOM: And thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:07:12 | LESLIE: Hey, you want to support our podcast and help us grow? Well, go ahead and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll be forever grateful. Plus, you’ll be helping other homeowners discover our show. Just go to MoneyPit.com slash review. Pam and Marilyn, you’ve got the Money Pit. How can we help you today? |
| 00:07:28 | CALLER: Off of my master bedroom, it has a small deck out there. Apparently, the seal has broken. It’s two pieces of glass that had some sort of, I don’t know. Some sort of thing inside of it. And it’s now looking really milky. I’m wondering if I can replace it by getting another glass door or can I replace the glass alone? |
| 00:07:50 | TOM: Okay, so what’s happening is you have insulated glass and that seal between the panes of glass is called swiggle. And when the swiggle fails, then moisture gets in there between the panes of glass and then you get condensation, which is that white, milky, yucky appearance of the glass. Now, it impacts the energy efficiency, you know, in some way. But other than that, it’s pretty much just cosmetic. And I say that because it’s not an easy fix. You have to replace the sliding glass door or replace the glass and it’s probably less expensive to simply replace the door itself. You get a good quality Pella or Anderson sliding glass door there and you’re not going to have to worry about glass that fails for a very, very, very long time. And I think that that is probably… the best way to attack that problem. Either live with it and accept the fact that it’s going to be yucky looking or replace it with a new good quality slider. |
| 00:08:47 | CALLER: Okay, sounds good. Well, thank you for your help. |
| 00:08:49 | TOM: You’re welcome. Good luck with that project, Pam. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. Well, we’ve all seen news stories about entire communities without power for days at a time. If a powerful storm leaves you without power, though, what should you do? |
| 00:09:05 | LESLIE: Well, first, here’s something that you should not do, and that’s don’t use candles. You want to make sure that you invest in some good flashlights with bright LED bulbs. Keep them handy and always in the same spot. And remember to check the batteries, charge them, whatever you need to. And if there’s a remote, keep it with it, even tape it to it so you don’t lose it. |
| 00:09:23 | TOM: Now, if your power goes out, you want to power down appliances and don’t restart them until the electricity has been restored for at least a half an hour, especially air conditioners. You know, if your air conditioner goes off, and it comes back on right away, or you try to turn it back on right away, like within a minute, you are totally stressing out that system, and it can lead to early failures of the compressor. So be patient. Let it settle down. Make sure we have good power. And sometimes that takes a bit of time when a whole community is down for all the power to come back up where it needs to be. So wait, be patient, and then turn it back on. And this way, you’ve given the power company time to re-stabilize the grid and avoid another blackout. |
| 00:10:03 | LESLIE: Yeah. Now, when it comes to your food, you want to start thinking of your refrigerator at this point when the power is out as a cooler. So try not to open that fridge door, that freezer door. Eat the food from the fridge first and the freezer later. Those frozen items are going to last several days if you don’t keep opening the door. I mean, that is key. Don’t keep opening the door. It’s the same stuff that was in there the last time you looked. |
| 00:10:24 | TOM: And finally, we hear it with virtually every storm because a generator was left running in an enclosed space. People die. So never, ever do that. Don’t run a generator inside even an open garage area or under a carport where the fumes can build up and find their way through the cracks in windows and doors or as people go in and out of the house. Just don’t do it. Never, ever run a gas power generator indoors. Or don’t cook with charcoal either. We hear about this too. Folks will think they can start a charcoal grill because maybe they’re having trouble cooking because maybe they have electric range and it’s going out. And so they go to charcoal. They do it in the garage. And guess what? Carbon monoxide builds up, gets into the house, and that’s that. So be very, very conscious of not doing something like that. If you’ve got a generator, it can run in the rain. It’s fine. So push it out away from the house, run some extension cords, and take it from there. |
| 00:11:14 | LESLIE: All right. Next up, we’ve got Ray in Minnesota who’s working on a decking project. How can we help you? |
| 00:11:19 | CALLER: Yeah. I just bought a house, and it was built in 2008. And I have a big wraparound porch, and it looks like it’s never been really maintained since they built it. And so, especially with the Minnesota winters up here and the weather, looking to seal it, but not really sure what to use, and also not really wanting to have to do it every single year. So just wanted to get some advice about what I could do. |
| 00:11:47 | TOM: So is the porch flooring a finished floor, or is it like a deck, like pressure-treated? |
| 00:11:52 | CALLER: Pressure-treated wood. It’s a deck. |
| 00:11:54 | LESLIE: And is there anything on it currently? No. |
| 00:11:56 | TOM: So what you can do is you could apply a solid-color decking. There’s a deck stain to that. Okay. And a solid-color stain is going to last longer than a semi-transparent or certainly a transparent stain. But you use a deck stain because deck stains also have some durability to them. |
| 00:12:13 | LESLIE: Yeah. The benefit of the solid-color stain is that because it’s a stain, it’s actually going to penetrate the surface of the wood. So the color will actually get into the lumber itself. And then a solid stain obviously has more pigment to it. So given the fact that your deck has had nothing on it for however many years, it probably looks a little worn in places and maybe worse for the wear. So a solid stain is going to sort of cover all of that up while giving you some color and still act as a stain since that’s what it is. And generally, if you apply it correctly, you’re going to get about five years on horizontal surfaces and, you know, about seven years on vertical. It really depends on the weather conditions, the application, how you prep it. Is the wood totally dried out when you’re putting it on? But a solid stain is probably the best bet. |
| 00:12:58 | CALLER: Okay, okay. I had one question about it. I’ve seen some commercials for some new products that are more kind of like concrete-based, almost like more of a paint type thing. What about those? Are those good? Or would you recommend using something like that? |
| 00:13:15 | TOM: Don’t do it. I think you’re talking about the products that are like liquid siding and things of that nature. If you were going to consider a product like that, I would Google the name of that product and the word complaints because we’ve seen a lot of complaints about those. We’ve seen a lot of complaints about those products that claim to, you know, encapsulate the surfaces that they’re applied to just not working very well. I would stick with the basics. A good quality solid color stain from a good manufacturer is going to last a long time and you certainly won’t be doing it every year. |
| 00:13:43 | CALLER: Okay, great. Well, I really appreciate the information and the help. |
| 00:13:48 | LESLIE: All right. Now we’ve got Eva in North Carolina on the line with a water heating question. How can we help you today? |
| 00:13:53 | CALLER: Our home is about 11 years old. We have a hot water heater on our third floor of our home. And I’m a little nervous about it being up on the third floor. And with it aging out, I’m concerned about it potentially bursting or leaking. So what we’d like to do is replace the hot water heater in this house. However, we’re not sure. We kind of have a disagreement. We’re broke right now financially. But we would, for peace of mind’s sake, I would like to possibly look into a tankless. My husband thinks we should just replace the current one that we have upstairs on the third floor. With the same darn thing. Because he’s like, you know, if it’s new, it won’t leak and it won’t burst. So what do you guys suggest? |
| 00:14:37 | CALLER: How old is the water heater? |
| 00:14:39 | CALLER: As old as the house, I presume. The house is about 11 or 12 years old. |
| 00:14:43 | TOM: Well, if it’s an 11-year-old house, it’s going to have an 11-year-old water heater. And while, yeah, that’s closer to the end of a normal life than not, believe it or not, it’s not horribly old. I mean, I’ve seen water heaters go 15, 20 years. |
| 00:14:57 | CALLER: But because it’s on the third floor of the house, I’m nervous because, you know, water is going to, it’s not like it’s in the basement or the garage. So if there is a leak or something like that, I’m concerned about there being a lot of water damage to our home. |
| 00:15:09 | TOM: I understand. And that would happen if a pipe broke as well. So if you want to replace it with a tankless, that is going to be more expensive than a tanked water heater. But it’s definitely worthwhile because they last a lot longer. And they also give you on-demand hot water, so you never really ever run out of warm water. If you’re concerned about your plumbing system’s reliability in general, just make it a practice that whenever you guys go away for a weekend or longer, you turn the main water valve off. You don’t need to leave water on when you’re not home for an extended period of time. So that might also be something you might want to start doing on a regular basis. |
| 00:15:47 | CALLER: So whenever you’re going to be gone for the weekend or more than a couple of days, turn the main water valve off. |
| 00:15:51 | TOM: That’s right, because you don’t need it on. In this way, if the water heater ever were to break, it would lose the 40 or 50 gallons that’s in it, but it would not constantly run, run, run. Gotcha. |
| 00:16:01 | CALLER: So going back to my original question, what do you guys suggest we do? Because my husband thinks, well, let’s just get a new one, you know, the same thing, and then he thinks it’s going to give me some peace of mind. |
| 00:16:12 | TOM: Okay, here’s what I would do. You said that money is tight. I don’t want you to throw good money at bad ideas. And I think replacing it with the same thing is kind of a bad idea, especially since it’s 11 years old. What I would prefer to see you do is live with that for another year or two, save up some money, and then put in a tankless. Okay. |
| 00:16:27 | CALLER: And do you recommend tanklesses go in the crawl space or in the garage or outside? |
| 00:16:34 | TOM: Well, they can pretty much go wherever you want. If you put them outside, they get a little less efficient because, of course, the outside temperature is cold, and that means they have to work a little bit harder. Okay. And sometimes they’re put in rooms that are insulated or outside closets or that sort of thing. But you have the flexibility because a tankless water heater is going to be about a quarter the size of your tanked water heater. |
| 00:16:52 | CALLER: Okay, so it sounds like that’s what you recommend is a tankless, but maybe just live with this one for a year or two. |
| 00:16:58 | TOM: I think that makes the most sense. Okay, Eva? Okay, thank you. You’re welcome. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. I don’t feel like 11 years old is a terribly old water heater. |
| 00:17:08 | LESLIE: No, I mean, given that a lifespan is 10, 12 years, and you’re right, I mean, before we moved in, the one in our house was like 20 years old. |
| 00:17:16 | TOM: I used to see that all the time as a home inspector, and yeah, it’s old, but not worth emergency replacing. |
| 00:17:22 | LESLIE: No, just for peace of mind. There are other things that you can do. |
| 00:17:25 | TOM: There’s enough life left in that to risk, you know, not doing it now and saving up your money for a year or two and then going tankless, because tankless is definitely the technology that is state-of-the-art today and worth every penny of its cost. |
| 00:17:38 | LESLIE: Leslie in Tennessee. I feel like I’m talking to myself. Welcome to the Money Pit. How can we help you? |
| 00:17:43 | CALLER: Yes, we have a question. After several years of having an outdoor pool and enjoying it but not being able to use it to cause the full four seasons here in East Tennessee, we were wanting to add an addition on the house, and we’d love to put a small indoor pool, just like a little lap pool, you know, only about probably half the size of our outdoor pool, and we was wondering what would be the best type of construction. Our house is a frame house with brick, but you have moisture problems, I know, with an indoor pool. So for an addition, I wanted to see if y’all had any recommendations for certain materials or a certain type of system to reduce the moisture in the home, or what would you do? |
| 00:18:25 | TOM: Well, there are dehumidifiers that are designed for pool rooms. I mean, they’re similar to whole house dehumidifiers where they take out a lot of water from the air. I would definitely isolate the area where the pool is from the rest of the house so that the moisture is contained into one space, and that makes it easier for you to manage that level of moisture. You know, it could maybe just be a sliding glass door or something like that that separates it. But in terms of the material, you have to be very careful with the venting. For example, on the roof above, you have to choose materials that are mold resistant in terms of the surface. You know, for example, instead of using paper-faced drywall, you might use fiberglass-faced drywall. That doesn’t grow mold because it’s not organic. So with a few things like that and the right mechanical system, and the pool manufacturers that you’re talking to, the installers, they’ll be very familiar with this because, you know, if these pools are being put into inside spaces, you’ve got to deal with the evaporation. |
| 00:19:17 | CALLER: All right, well, that’s helpful there. And so just, so more or less probably a pool manufacturer or a pool place around here would have that recommendation, Sam. |
| 00:19:26 | TOM: Well, they would. And generally, we’re going to probably talk about mechanical dehumidification. And then in terms of the construction of the space, just be mindful to choose materials that are not easily going to grow mold and certainly materials that are cleanable, okay? |
| 00:19:40 | CALLER: That’s great. Well, thank you very much. And I appreciate you all being on our radio here in Northeast Tennessee. |
| 00:19:44 | TOM: All right, Leslie, thank you so much for calling us at 1-888-Money-Pit. And good luck with that project. |
| 00:19:52 | LESLIE: Well, we’re in pretty much the hottest part of the summer. At least it feels that way. And hopefully we’re on the downside of all that heat. But it’s also the most active time of year for many types of insects, including ticks. Now, it’s important to take some steps to make sure that ticks don’t ruin your summer fun. You know, ticks and the Lyme disease that they can carry are major threats to your health. So be smart about protecting yourself and your family whenever you’re outside. You want to always wear long sleeves. You want to tuck your pant cuffs into your boots or your socks. Yes, I know we’re making you look very glamorous. But trust me, you can deal with looking like this for a little bit to avoid Lyme disease. And you want to choose lighter colors because that’s going to make a tick easier to spot on your clothing. And then layer on insect repellent that’s designed to be applied both to your skin and to your clothing. |
| 00:20:42 | TOM: Yeah, and while you’re outdoors, guys, try to stay to the center of hiking paths and avoid grassy and marshy areas. You know, people think ticks jump. They don’t. They sort of hang on shrubs and tall grass just waiting for you to brush by. And once you’re back home, inspect yourself and your kids for clinging ticks before those bites happen. And if you do find them, you can get rid of them quick. |
| 00:21:05 | LESLIE: Now we’ve got Kathleen in Illinois on the line, and she’s got a question about a vaulted ceiling. What can we do for you? |
| 00:21:10 | CALLER: I’m calling about a renovation project that we are trying to do on a three-season sun porch. And it’s like a 12 by 27 room. We did tackle doing window replacement by ourselves, and we managed to do that. They’re vinyl-clad windows that tilt in kind and everything. But the ceiling right now is like 12-inch tiles that are like they seem to be glued up to the ceiling. They’re not on a grid system. You know, they’re just up there. And we want to put faux tin. And we’re wondering if that’s a project that we could tackle, or is that something that’s left to professionals? Or, you know, we’re looking for your advice. We had some damage from rain on the roof, and we’ve had the roof replaced. But I even like painted over where the water stains were with that Zuzer stain stop. And you can still see that, you know, it did not cover it. So we need to change the ceiling. |
| 00:22:15 | TOM: Hey, you know, they make these tiles that are a drop-ceiling type of a tile that looks just like tin. Have you seen those, Kathleen? |
| 00:22:24 | CALLER: Yes, we have. And we thought that those were very cool. And we didn’t know, like, do you think just like, you know, liquid nails or something to put it up over these existing tiles? |
| 00:22:36 | TOM: What’s underneath the tiles? Plywood sheathing? |
| 00:22:39 | CALLER: I don’t know. It feels really solid, you know, when you push it. |
| 00:22:43 | TOM: I would try to figure out what’s underneath it. You could take some pieces of the old tiles apart, see how thick that is. I would prefer to have a mechanical attachment like a staple or something like that than just simply the glue. The glue’s okay. |
| 00:22:56 | LESLIE: I mean, I would use liquid nails and something else. Uh-huh. |
| 00:22:59 | CALLER: Yeah, exactly. |
| 00:23:00 | CALLER: And you don’t think it would like, you know, I don’t want it to look uneven. You know how they, you see sometimes those grid systems where the tiles kind of, you know, droop and swoop and look. |
| 00:23:11 | TOM: No. No, if it’s done really well, it looks great. I mean, we’ve seen them at really high-end decor showrooms where you have some really upscale decorating done and they look fantastic. Okay. |
| 00:23:22 | CALLER: All right. Well, thank you so much. |
| 00:23:24 | TOM: You’re very welcome. Good luck with that project, Kathleen, and thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:23:30 | LESLIE: Now we’ve got Todd in Mississippi on the line who’s got a wood floor and it’s starting to buckle. Welcome, Todd. How can we help you? |
| 00:23:36 | CALLER: Hey, yes. That’s exactly right. I had a hardwood floor installed. It was in my home, so we had, it was completely gutted. And my home is on a concrete slab and we actually had professionals come in and install the hardwood floors. And so, but anyway, we had moved into the house after the, well, after the flooring had been installed and started, you know, living in the house. And about a year into it, after moving back into the house, the floors just started buckling in several different places. And I was unsure why it was doing that. |
| 00:24:07 | CALLER: So this is solid hardwood that was installed on top of the concrete slab? |
| 00:24:11 | CALLER: It’s engineered hardwood. It’s over a concrete slab. And of course, before they installed it over the slab, they had put down, they had used the Bostik’s Best, you know, adhesive and put all of that down. And it’s supposed to have the moisture barrier and what have you built into the adhesive. But after a year of probably, you know, living in the house, we noticed different areas that started buckling. Actually, some were worse than others and it’s just only gotten worse. |
| 00:24:38 | CALLER: Do we know that this is swelling and not any movement at all? Is there any movement of the floor that’s causing this? |
| 00:24:43 | CALLER: I think it’s just swelling. I don’t think there’s any moving of the floor. I mean, in most areas, it seems pretty intact and tight. And a friend of mine had, you know, said, well, maybe they didn’t leave enough space in between the walls. And, you know, we checked that and, of course, there’s enough gap in between the walls, you know, for, you know, natural expansion and what have you with, you know, levels of humidity. But it’s actually, you know, buckled in quite a few places. In some areas, I mean, you almost trip over just buckled so bad. |
| 00:25:12 | TOM: Yeah, and I’m surprised to hear that because engineered hardwood is supposed to be dimensionally stable. It’s not supposed to do what it’s doing. |
| 00:25:20 | CALLER: Did you, by any chance, reach out to the manufacturer for any suggestions as to why this might be happening? |
| 00:25:26 | CALLER: No, I have not. Actually, I have not done that. And I didn’t know if I should reach out to them or also I didn’t know as far as on the Bostik’s best because it was supposed to have the built-in moisture barrier as well. And so I didn’t really know who to reach out to. |
| 00:25:43 | TOM: I would start with the floor manufacturer. But, look, the answer I’m going to give you is the answer you don’t want to hear and that is it’s not repairable. |
| 00:25:51 | CALLER: This is a situation where you’re going to have to cut the floor out and start again. |
| 00:25:54 | TOM: Okay. |
| 00:25:55 | CALLER: Well, that’s not necessarily the news I wanted to hear. But, I mean, I can start there and I can, like I said, I can get with the manufacturer and check on that. |
| 00:26:03 | TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:26:06 | LESLIE: Well, painting is a popular profession. It’s a great project to spruce up any space. But did you know that some paint colors have the added ability to perk up your mood and brighten that space at the same time? For example, let’s talk about orange. You know, it creates a warm and inviting environment. You want to look at softer shades with maybe a pink or yellow undertone to help liven up a foyer. But I do love a punchy bright orange, too, or even one that has a more red base. There’s so many beautiful shades of orange. Now, blue is another favorite. And don’t be afraid to go dark. You know, with blue, it’s a good idea to paint a large swatch. You can paint a large swatch on your wall and check it out at different times of day, different lights. I know it’s an extra step, but it’s totally worth it. I mean, you’re trying on clothes. Paint’s kind of a bigger project than just trying on a pair of jeans. And it’s definitely something you want to last. So definitely paint a large swatch where you can see it go through different times of day, natural light, your lamps in the space. Because, truly, something can look one way at one point and a completely different way at another. And finally, yellow is just such a happy color. But if you go too light in a room with a lot of natural light, yellow can kind of lean towards white. So you want to go for a deeper shade, maybe something that has sort of a slight orange undertone, almost like a marigold. Great color for a room. Yeah. |
| 00:27:17 | TOM: Now, the idea is to paint a big swatch on the wall. That’s really key. So buy a small can and test it. Leslie, as you were saying, the lighting is going to change. The lighting in paint stores, first of all, is usually nothing like the light in your own home. And if you do this in your home, you can watch the light throughout the day and see how the color changes and make sure you’re happy with it. During the morning, during the afternoon, during the evening when you have lighting on in the house. Make sure this is the color that really is going to work for you and you’ll be very happy with the result. |
| 00:27:44 | LESLIE: Charlene in Louisiana is on the line with a roofing question. What are you working on? |
| 00:27:48 | CALLER: I have a shallow roof on my house. They call it like a 2-3 pitch. It’s not flat. I mean, it’s, but it’s very shallow. Okay. Almost no attic. You know, about maybe two feet in there. I was interested in an aluminum roof. You know, like a lifetime roof. And I wanted to know which would be better, that or a regular shingle roof, like an architectural roof. |
| 00:28:14 | CALLER: You don’t have the pitch for an asphalt shingle roof. |
| 00:28:17 | TOM: You need to have at least a 3-12 or 4-12 roof to put in shingles. |
| 00:28:22 | CALLER: Well, I have shingles on it now. And they’ve been there for like 20 years. |
| 00:28:26 | TOM: I’m telling you, you may, but it’s not right. You can only put shingles on a roof that’s got a minimum pitch of 3-12 or 4-12. And if you’ve got them on there right now, count your blessings, but it shouldn’t have been put on there. And any roofing manufacturer will tell you that. If, you know, if you, your options, therefore, are either to do, say, a rolled roofing or a rubber roofing or a metal roof, as long as it’s rated for that low pitch. And I think the metal roof’s a great investment if you’re going to be there for the long haul. But that’s what I would invest in because, you know, with that low of a pitch, you probably don’t see it very much. And you want to make sure that it’s really going to be watertight. And with a low pitch, you just can’t use an architectural shingle. It just won’t work. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:29:14 | LESLIE: Jack from Mississippi wrote in to Team Money Pit and says, I recently redid my kitchen. I have a new stove and I seem to have more of a greasy film on everything after I cook. Is this a ventilation problem? Would installing a better fan help? |
| 00:29:29 | TOM: Well, it sure sounds like it. I mean, there’s no other reason to have greasy film on everything. After you cook, unless you have a very weak or non-existent fan. The first question I would ask, Jack, is, is your fan a vented fan or is it a recirculating fan? If it’s a recirculating fan, that means it’s not ducted to the outside. Those don’t do nearly as good a job of venting cooking fumes where all this grease comes. And I would recommend you use a vented fan. And if you do have a vented fan, you better make sure it’s working properly, that it’s free flowing, that there’s no obstructions. I found nests in the ducts of vented fans. So you really need to make sure that when you turn that fan on, there should be a flapper on the outside that pops right open and has a really strong airflow. So I would look into ventilation. I definitely think that’s the cause of this. And once you figure out what’s causing the obstruction, you should be good to go. And that grease should go away. |
| 00:30:20 | LESLIE: All right. Now, Marianne wrote in to Team Money Pit saying, I’m about to tackle my first interior painting project, and I don’t want to wind up with the same rough-looking results I’ve seen in other homes. Ooh, she’s calling people out. What painting preparation steps do I need to take to make sure that my interior painting project turns out well? |
| 00:30:38 | TOM: First of all, we’ve got to clean, right? Because you can’t just paint over what’s there. What we would recommend you do is mix up a TSP solution. That’s trisodium phosphate. And you can find that in the home center’s hardware store. Just follow the label directions for the mix. Put it in a bucket. What works really well is like a floor brush, because you can dip it in the bucket, turn it upside down, and get the spots in the ceiling as high up on the wall, and just clean that drywall. And you want to wipe it down with some damp rag after you’re done so that you get the soap off, and then let it dry. Let it dry really, really well. You’ll be amazed at how much dirt and grime comes off walls that look perfectly fine until you do something like this. So cleaning the wall is really critical. The second step is primer. Leslie, I think a lot of people like to forget the primer, right? |
| 00:31:27 | LESLIE: Well, I mean, I think they hope they don’t need it. But, you know, especially if it’s a new home to you, or it’s been a very long time since a painting project has been done in the space, and you’re not exactly sure what is sitting on that surface, primer is going to be kind of like the glue that gets the paint to stick really, really well. So it is a step that you don’t want to skip. And also, if you have, say, a dark color on the wall, and you’re trying to go with a lighter color, or a light color, and you’re trying to go with a super saturated tone, the primer can help you sort of bridge the step to that top coat. And it definitely is, it’s an extra step, no doubt. Cutting in the same amount of things twice now, because you’ve got a prime and then you’ve got a paint. But overall, you’re going to get a smoother, more thorough covering that’s not going to have what we call holidays, you know, these spaces where the paint takes a vacation. But you’re just going to be more thrilled with the outcome and the durability of the painting project. You’ll be doing this project, you know, years and years and years from now, probably more because you’re tired of the color than the finish is not holding up, you know? |
| 00:32:36 | TOM: Yeah, and you know what, if you’re going with a darker color too, you could tint the primer to make it easier to cover what you have there, and that will absolutely impact the finished look. |
| 00:32:45 | LESLIE: All right, good luck, Marianne. Tape is your friend. |
| 00:32:48 | TOM: You are listening to the Money Pit Home Improvement Show. Thank you so much for spending this part of your day with us. We hope we’ve given you some good tips and ideas to take on the projects that you want to get done around your house. Remember, you can reach us 24-7 with your questions at MoneyPit.com. Just go to MoneyPit.com slash ask, or you can call us at 1-888-Money-Pit. Until next time, I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
| 00:33:13 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. |
| 00:33:14 | TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself. |
| 00:33:16 | LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone. |
| (Note: The above referenced transcript is AI-Generated, Unedited and Unproofed and as such may not accurately reflect the recorded audio. Copyright 2024 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.) |
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