Show Notes
Today, we dive into hidden storm damage that may threaten your home and share eight reasons why keeping your gutters clean is crucial. For weekend warriors, we’ve got quick home improvement projects you can complete in a couple of days. Plus, hear expert answers to callers’ DIY dilemmas.
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Storm Damage: After the skies clear, get tips for finding storm damage to your home, both visible and hidden.
- Gutter Cleaning: Learn 8 essential reasons to put gutter cleaning on your to-do list.
- Weekend Projects: Spruce up your space with quick DIY projects that can be done in a weekend.
Top Questions & Answers
- Concrete: Peggy’s concrete slab porch is contacting the vinyl siding. She should remove the bottom siding and install rubberized flashing.
- Attic Ventilation: Dale wants to ensure adequate ventilation in the attic. He has ridge vents but needs soffit vents to make the attic the same as the outside temperature.
- Refinishing Door: Mary’s walnut front doors are peeling from the sun. It will take some time to strip off the finish, sand the doors, add stain, and apply a marine varnish for UV protection.
- Saving Electricity: How can you save on high electric bills? Dane gets tips about LED lighting, types of heating, smart thermostats, and installing drapes and blinds.
- Cinderblock Walls: Is there a way to make cinderblock walls more attractive? It’s not a DIY project, but Kay can have the wall surface covered with a layer of plaster.
- Home Inspection: Scott bought a rental property that’s in bad shape. He needs to hire a home inspector to create a punch list of repairs.
- Brick Stains: There are mineral deposit stains on Louise’s brick mailbox. She can clean the surface with a vinegar and water solution, then apply a masonry sealant.
- Painted Brick: Arthur is concerned about damaging an old brick surface while stripping off paint. He should proceed carefully in an inconspicuous area.
Ask Your Home Improvement Question
Podcast Transcript
Read Transcript
| 00:00:24 – 00:0 | ANNOUNCER: The MoneyPit is presented by FindTape.com. Now, here are Tom and Leslie. |
| 00:00:30 | TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
| 00:00:36 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. |
| 00:00:37 | TOM: What are you guys working on? If it’s your house, you’re in exactly the right place because that’s what we do. We help you improve your home. We help you solve DIY dilemmas. We help you get ready for things that are happening. Like right now, you’re probably getting ready for the big Halloween coming up here in just several days, I guess. But whatever’s on your to-do list, you can swing it right on over to ours by calling us those questions at 1-888-Money-Pit. That’s 888-666-3974. Just ahead on The Money Pit, big winter storms can leave a lot of obvious structural damage in their wake, but there can also be hidden damage that turns into big expenses later on. We’re going to share some tips on how to check your house for damage, both visible and invisible. |
| 00:01:18 | LESLIE: And now that it’s fall, clogged gutters are common. It might seem like a small issue, but they can actually lead to serious and costly damage. We’re going to break down eight reasons why regular gutter cleaning is crucial for your home. |
| 00:01:31 | TOM: And if you guys love to take on home improvements over a weekend, but you know that some of them can take a month of weekends to get done, we’re going to share some that can easily be knocked out in a day or two. We’ve got a few all-in-one weekend projects that you can fit between Saturday morning coffee and Sunday dinner. We will list them out. |
| 00:01:48 | LESLIE: All right. But first, do you feel like you’re in the constant game of tug of war with your house and your house is winning? Well, we are here to help you take back the lead. From advice to answers to hot new products, we’re your one-stop shop for all things DIY. |
| 00:02:02 | TOM: So reach out to us right now with your questions. That number is 1-888-Money-Pit. That’s 888-666-3974. Or better yet, for the quickest possible response, go to MoneyPit.com slash ask. Click the blue microphone button and hit send. Your question will come right to us. We’re here to help you. So let’s get started. Leslie, who’s first? |
| 00:02:24 | LESLIE: Peggy in Louisiana is on the line with a concrete question. What can we do for you today? |
| 00:02:27 | CALLER: Well, we have a slab concrete bottom and it’s built up with board skeletons and it’s covered with vinyl siding. And being in Louisiana, it rains a lot and the rain comes on the porch to where it’s eating the inside wall, which is wood. So it’s going to be a little bit of a challenge. So I’m going to go ahead and take a look at the bottom. And I want to know how I can seal the outside vinyl siding to concrete slab to keep the water from coming in. |
| 00:02:59 | TOM: So what’s happening is that your concrete slab is in contact with the bottom of the vinyl siding. Is that correct? Yes. And right under that siding, is that a wood wall all the way down to the bottom where that slab is? Because typically you’d have about six inches of foundation before you started the siding at a minimum. And then the vinyl siding would start. So if your vinyl siding is going down flush to the slab, it’s going to be almost impossible for you to seal it in any way, shape or form from the outside and stop that from happening. Your only chance would be to take the siding off and then to install some flexible flashings. There’s different types of flashing that you can use. There are rubberized flashings that are very good because you can basically form them wherever you need to get that entire area as tight as you possibly can. And then put the siding back on on top of that. Siding itself, especially vinyl siding, if you were to caulk that or anything of that nature, it’s not really designed to seal in that way. So I feel like you’re just going to be kind of running yourself in circles there. And while it could stop to some extent or slow down at least temporarily that leakage that you’re reporting, the only way to really fix that and to get to the bottom of it is to pull that siding off and to flash it. And we’re only talking about the bottom of the siding here, not all the siding on the house. But the bottom couple of pieces would have to come off to do this job. |
| 00:04:20 | CALLER: Okay. Well, thank you very much. |
| 00:04:21 | TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:04:25 | LESLIE: All right. We’re going up to Dale in Kansas, who’s working on an attic makeover. How can we help you today? |
| 00:04:29 | CALLER: Well, I bought this little house and it’s got a venerage down the center of the peak of the roof and then one two-by-two square opening on the end. And it doesn’t seem like that’s adequate ventilation to get rid of that. |
| 00:04:47 | TOM: So you have no soffit vents at all? You just have the ridge vent, the gable vents, and no soffit vents at the overhang of the roof? |
| 00:04:55 | CALLER: And I put a 12-inch turbine vent on it. But I’m thinking I need more than just that two-foot square vent. I was thinking about putting four 12-inch, I don’t know what to call them, dump vents down towards the lower end of the roof. |
| 00:05:12 | TOM: Okay. Well, you’re on the right track. So let’s talk about attic ventilation and the way it’s supposed to work. So the attic is always supposed to be the same temperature as the outside. So if it’s hot outside, it should be hot in the attic. And if it’s cold outside, it should be cold in the attic. Basically, the attic has to be well ventilated for that to happen. Now, you have actually half of what I usually recommend as a ventilation system, and that’s a continuous ridge vent down the peak of the roof. The second half of that, though, are soffit vents at the overhang of the roof. Soffit vents are good because as the wind blows across the house, that soffit area pressurizes and pushes air up into that soffit. That rides up underneath the roof sheathing where it carts away heat in the summer and moisture in the winter and then exits at the ridge. And that same wind that’s pushing positively against the side of the house and the soffit vents is actually creating sort of a negative pressure at the ridge. So you get this kind of nice continuous flow. And if you have that working for you, then actually what you should do is block off those gable vents because that’s going to kind of interrupt that nice flow that we’ve created. Now, in your case, you have no soffit vents. I would first expect, as a regular roof vent, to be able to lower the soffit at the ridge. The other idea that you suggested was putting in a regular roof vents but lower on the roof. Not a terrible idea but not nearly as efficient as soffit vents. And if you don’t have a soffit, there’s a type of vent called a drip edge vent, which basically extends the roof line about two inches, creates a short soffit that’s pretty effective. But if you can get continuous soffit and ridge venting, that’s really all you need. The other types of ventilators, the turbine, and you mentioned that kind of stuff. You know, it looks like it does a lot, but it’s really nowhere near as effective as having that continuous open ridge and the continuous open soffit, okay? |
| 00:06:53 | CALLER: I’ve never seen, I’m not familiar with that. |
| 00:06:56 | TOM: Drip edge vent, Google drip edge vent and I think CertainTeed, I know CertainTeed makes it and I’m sure others do as well. And it’s a really effective little vent. Now, you may have to do some modifications of your roof shingles at the overhang to get this in. But considering you’re gonna have to modify your roof anyway to put those roof vents in, I think that’s probably the best way to go for homes that don’t have a soffit because it does create that intake point down low on the roof, which is gonna really let a lot of air in and I think you’ll see a big difference. Okay, thanks. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:07:32 | LESLIE: Hey guys, if you’ve heard a helpful tip or two while listening to our show, please help us help even more home improvers by dropping us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. |
| 00:07:41 | TOM: That would be awesome and you might even win a copy of our book, My Home, My Mind, My Home. And Money Pit, your guide to every home improvement adventure. Just go to moneypit.com slash review. |
| 00:07:52 | LESLIE: Mary from Massachusetts is on the line and needs some help with finishing a project. What can we do for you? |
| 00:07:56 | CALLER: Well, I live in a very old home and I have double front doors that are made of walnut. They’re very heavy and very thick, but somewhere along the line, somebody put some kind of finish on them. So now they’re peeling. They face the east so they get, I mean, the west, so they get a lot of summer hot sun. And I just don’t know how to get everything off and then refinish them. |
| 00:08:23 | TOM: So what are the doors made out of? Are they wood doors? |
| 00:08:25 | CALLER: Oh, yes. They’re solid walnut and they’re about an inch and a half thick. Okay. |
| 00:08:30 | TOM: And the finish that’s on it, is it a clear, like a urethane type finish that’s peeling? |
| 00:08:33 | CALLER: Yes, it looks like that. And then there’s some kind of stain on the door that turned really dark, dark wood. Okay. |
| 00:08:41 | TOM: So listen, first of all, congratulations on having a really beautiful, beautiful set of doors. Walnut doors are very rare and that’s terrific. So they’re worth putting the time into it and time you will need for this project, Mary. What you need to do is you need to strip all that old finish off. What I would do is I would take the doors off of the hinges. I’d lay them on a couple of sawhorses. I’d have a vibrating sander. I would just start to sand that finish away and get all of that down to raw wood. It is totally worth it because you can’t put, you can’t put, you know, good finish over bad finish. You got to get down to that wood. Now, once you’re down to the wood, since it’s a darker wood, you know, you may or may not want to stain it. If it turns out that there may be, there’s some unevenness in the coloring of the wood, you could think about adding a stain to try to sort of blend it all in. And then on top of that, you’re going to put a new finish. Now, since these doors face the sun, what I would use is I would use a marine varnish on that. And the key difference with marine varnish is it has exceptionally high UV protection. So it’s going to stand up to that UV radiation from the sun. And not peel off quite as easily as just any other exterior UV would. So strip it down to the raw wood, stain it as needed, and then refinish it with a marine varnish. I would use a satin, not a gloss, because it’ll make the doors look a lot nicer. And then just enjoy them. If you do this, even though it’s going to take you a long time, you know, it’s going to last for years to come. Now, look, it’s also not the kind of project that you can bang out in the afternoon. So this may be a situation where you pop the door off the hinges, which is pretty easy to do. You get it out on the sun, you do as much as you can for the day. You put the door back on the hinges and you close it in whatever shape it’s in at that moment. And then the next time you have time to do this, you take the door off and continue. So it can just kind of continue on. I don’t want you to try to do this vertically. It’s going to make you much more tired. Believe me, gravity plays a big part in being able to do this well. And if it’s laid out flat on a couple of sawhorses in a shady area, it’s just going to be a lot easier for you to work on it. |
| 00:10:39 | CALLER: Okay, just one other quick question. What weight of sandpaper do you use on the vibrating sander? |
| 00:10:45 | TOM: That’s a great question. It depends on kind of how it behaves, so to speak, when you start to use it, but I would start with a medium grit. So that’s going to be around 100 to 125, maybe 150. The thing is, if you go too fine to start, you might find that the paper clogs up. There’s also a type of paper that’s available that looks more like screening or netting. And when you’re working with finishes, that type of material tends to clog less, so if you’re in the home center aisle and you see that as an option, that’s something that you might want to give it a try until you find the paper that works the best. Try not to put too much pressure on it. You don’t want to, if you lean in and push hard down on it and not let the machine do its work, what’ll happen is some of that old finish is going to heat up and it’ll kind of gunk up the paper and ruin it and you’ll just have to get a new piece and continue. But it’s going to take you a while and you’re going to have to do a lot of handwork as well. And speaking of which, if you have sort of nooks and crannies, you have to get into, there are sanding sponges that companies like 3M make. I also see these in the home center paint aisle like at Home Depot. And these sanding sponges, I really like them because they’re squishy, but they’re abrasive, so you can actually crush it up against that uneven molding, press it in there, work it up and down, and it does a good job, okay? |
| 00:12:05 | CALLER: Okay, because there is molding in it. They’re not even flush doors. |
| 00:12:10 | TOM: Yeah, you’ll find that sanding sponge really handy. |
| 00:12:13 | CALLER: Okay. Okay. Thank you so much. I really appreciate your help. |
| 00:12:16 | TOM: Good luck, Mary. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:12:19 | LESLIE: Well, major weather events like hurricanes and severe storms can leave a lot of obvious structural damage in their wake. But there also can be hidden damage that turns into big expenses down the road. We have some tips on how you can check your house after a storm. Yep. |
| 00:12:34 | TOM: So first off, let’s talk about foundations. If you get heavy accumulations of water, well, that can cause a home’s foundation to weaken and potentially fail. So check yours carefully, along both the indoor and outdoor surfaces. And you want to look for areas that are cracked or bulging. |
| 00:12:49 | LESLIE: All right. Now you’ve got to identify the flooded electrical fixtures. Anything that has been underwater definitely needs to be replaced. That includes outlets, appliances, major system machinery like your furnace. Contaminants in that water can damage all of the sensitive components, and that can lead to malfunctions and even electrical fires. |
| 00:13:08 | TOM: Now, here’s a big one. High winds. They can also take quite a toll on the outer skin of your house and leave damage in a lot of areas. So you want to check out every side of your house from the ground and check for loose siding, loose metal trim. Look at those soffits. Give special attention to your roof, too, because driving rain can push up under roof shingles and cause leaks. And loose flashing around chimneys and plumbing vents can also lead to problems. Yeah. |
| 00:13:32 | LESLIE: And there are some post-storm repairs that you can handle on your own. But for bigger and more pervasive problems, it really is best to just call in a pro and tackle it right the first time. We’ve got Dave here. He’s staying on the line from Tennessee, looking to save some dollars on those energy bills. How can we help? |
| 00:13:47 | CALLER: I had a $190 electric bill last month. So I’ve been trying to find ways to save electrical costs, like not having the air conditioner turned down on solo during the daytime. But I’ve been trying to look for the . . . . . . . perfect kind of bulb to save the most electricity. |
| 00:14:16 | TOM: Well, the LED technology is so rock-solid now that that’s definitely the way to go. And the prices have come way down. I mean, you can buy LED bulbs when they first came out. They were like $75 each, which is kind of crazy. But now you can find a good LED bulb for under $10. And the nice thing is that these things last 20 years or more. So it’s not like you’re ever going to have to replace them or certainly not any time soon. So the LED bulbs that are available at home centers and hardware stores, I think, are the way to go. . . . I don’t think that’s going to be the main reason your electrical bill was so high. You mentioned your air conditioning. How is your house heated and cooled? Is it electric heat? Is it gas heat? What do you got? |
| 00:14:54 | CALLER: It’s electric heat. I don’t own my own home. I rent. So I’m probably in the same scenario as a lot of people nowadays who either can’t afford to own their own home or their credit isn’t good enough. Yeah. |
| 00:15:11 | TOM: So let me give you a suggestion. One of the things that I often recommend to renters is that you buy your own thermostat. Now, replacing the existing thermostat in your house is not a very difficult project. And if you were to buy a smart thermostat like a Nest, for example, I’ve got two of those in my home, you’re going to have the capability to regulate your heating and cooling in a way you never, ever did before. There’s a couple of advantages to this. So, for example, the Nest thermostats have a geofence built into them. What that means is you can choose two temperatures, one for when you’re home and one for when you’re not. And when you leave the house, the fact that your phone is no longer in that house tells that thermostat to go down to a vacation setting, which is a lower temperature than it normally would. And when you come back, it starts to cool again. You can also set schedules. And it also has a motion detector built into it. It’s so that if there’s no action in front of the thermostat, it also can go into vacation mode. So, these smart thermostats today give you all sorts of ways for you to save energy. And it’s such a simple installation that when you move out, you could replace the old thermostat and take this with you to the next apartment or the next house and then hook it up there. |
| 00:16:27 | CALLER: There’s only one issue with that. I’m actually a truck driver, and me and my fiancé live here. And we are expecting our… First child together. Congratulations. Thank you. So, she’s always here. She takes care of the house. But a lot of pregnant women, they get a lot hotter during pregnancy, so they tend to use the thermostat quite a bit more. Sure. |
| 00:16:57 | TOM: I understand that. And certainly, we want your fiancé to be as comfortable as possible. But this is just, you know, a short-term situation. Moving on beyond that. You know, the kind of technology that’s available in smart thermostats and other smart home products today is inexpensive and really can overall contribute towards a lot of energy savings. So, I do encourage you to take a look at that. The light bulbs certainly are one thing, and the thermostat is another. You know, being strategic with the drapes and the blinds and making sure that the south windows are well covered so that you reduce heat gain. These are things that you as a renter can do. And that will have an impact on your energy bill. Okay. Thank you. All right, Dane. Good luck. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. And congratulations on your new child. |
| 00:17:44 | LESLIE: Kay in Arkansas is on the line and needs some help changing a wall surface. What’s going on, Kay? Well, it is a sturdy home. |
| 00:17:50 | CALLER: Cinder block. Probably just that thick. But it has been bricked on the outside. But the inside, I would just like something a little more pleasant to look at. Okay. |
| 00:18:02 | TOM: That makes sense. So, are we talking about a basement here? Nope. |
| 00:18:06 | CALLER: This is an above ground. It is a cabin on a lake property. |
| 00:18:12 | TOM: So, you need a paint that can cover the masonry block walls. |
| 00:18:15 | CALLER: Well, a paint or stucco or something that gives it a different texture than a cinder block looks. |
| 00:18:23 | TOM: Kay, the process of coating the interior walls isn’t as much stucco as it is plastering. So, what has to happen is that wall surface has to be covered with a layer of plaster. Much in the same way they used to build plaster walls, you know, many, many years ago in, say, the 30s or the 40s. In fact, in the late 40s, they used to plaster right over drywall and that was one of the best wall constructions ever. So those are the options that you have to choose from. Doing the plaster is probably not the job you want to do as your first DIY project. But if you work with a plastering company, somebody who does this every day, they would have the skills to make the plaster look nice and smooth. And have an attractive surface without really taking up much space in terms of, you know, it getting too thick. Right. |
| 00:19:10 | CALLER: Right. Well, that’s strange. I have plaster walls on my house at home. |
| 00:19:16 | TOM: Well, maybe they’re going to follow you to the new house. Yeah. |
| 00:19:21 | CALLER: Okay. |
| 00:19:21 | TOM: Kay, good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. Keeping your gutters clean isn’t just about keeping things tidy. It’s crucial for protecting your home from serious damage. So, here are eight reasons why it’s important. One, it’s important to make sure you clean those gutters regularly. Now, first, clogged gutters can lead to foundation damage. Water that doesn’t drain properly can pool around your home, causing cracks in the foundation. |
| 00:19:45 | LESLIE: Second, it prevents roof leaks. Now, when gutters are blocked, that water backs up under your shingles and that can lead to rot and leaks. Third, it stops damage to your fascia and the soffits. Overflowing water from clogged gutters can cause these important parts of your whole entire roof structure to completely deteriorate. |
| 00:20:03 | TOM: And fourth, clean gutters help prevent damage. It can prevent water damage inside your home, including basement flooding. Uncontrolled water can seep into your basement or crawl space and lead to costly repairs. And fifth, it reduces the risk of mold and mildew. Standing water near your foundation creates a perfect environment for mold to grow, which can lead to health issues. |
| 00:20:22 | LESLIE: And sixth, that’s right, we’re up to six, gutter cleaning. It does protect your landscaping. Water that overflows can actually erode the soil and damage the plants and shrubs around your house. And seventh, I think this is our big finale, pest infestations can be prevented if you clean those gutters. Clogged gutters are a breeding ground for insects like mosquitoes, and then it attracts rodents looking for nesting spots. Totally gross. So let’s clean these gutters, you guys. |
| 00:20:49 | TOM: And finally, clean gutters extend the life of your gutters themselves. By reducing the weight and the strain of trapped debris, you prevent sagging and premature wear. So keep those gutters clean, and you’re going to protect your home from expensive repairs. Avoid health risks, and even save your landscaping. |
| 00:21:06 | LESLIE: Scott in Missouri is on the line needing some advice on a rental property. How can we help you with that? |
| 00:21:10 | CALLER: I’ve inherited some rental properties from my late father. They’re in pretty bad shape, needing roofs. And when you look at them, you can see the roofs starting to bubble in. And I was wondering who I can get with to find out the building codes for rental properties. |
| 00:21:29 | TOM: So probably the best thing for you to do is to hire an independent contractor. You can hire an independent professional home inspector, and you may have to do some interviewing of home inspectors to find one that’s particularly savvy and experienced with commercial inspections, because that’s what you’re talking about. And there are specialists that are out there. And they can review this property with an eye towards identifying a punch list for you of elements that will probably have to be repaired or replaced to make those apartments safe and viable for tenants. So, you know, if you go the route of having contractors do these inspections, you’re basically, you know, kind of letting the mouse into the cheese house, so to speak, because they’re just going to find stuff they want to sell you to fix. You know what I mean? Yeah. That’s why you’re better off with somebody who’s an independent inspection professional who just wants to give you the right advice. And that, in the end, is going to save you money and give you the ability to make good decisions on what has to be done. Yeah. |
| 00:22:28 | CALLER: Who can I talk to to find the building codes? The building codes and the standards for a rental property? |
| 00:22:35 | TOM: That would be the building department of your local municipality. And they’re going to have a set of codes that they apply to just rental properties in their jurisdiction. And it’s not necessarily going to be up-to-date building code, the same code that you would have if it was, say, a new construction. They’re going to have some safety codes that they’re going to want you to apply to your house. So we’re talking about things like an apartment, making sure that the windows operate so you can get out in the event of a fire, and making sure you have smoke detectors covering every bedroom, and making sure you have a carbon monoxide detector, and things of that nature. So they’re going to have a set of standards for their area. You need to get that list from the building department. But to the many bigger areas that could need repair or replacement, that’s what a home inspector could help you with. And you can find one by going to the website for the American Society of Home Inspectors at ashi.org, A-S-H-I dot org. |
| 00:23:29 | CALLER: Okay, great. Well, I appreciate the information. |
| 00:23:32 | TOM: You’re welcome. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:23:37 | LESLIE: Now we’ve got Louise on the line, who’s got some mystery stains on a mailbox. What’s going on? |
| 00:23:42 | CALLER: Okay, I have a brick mailbox, and it seems to have salt deposits leaking through the outside of it. |
| 00:23:50 | TOM: Is it in the way of a lawn sprinkler by any chance? No, it isn’t. Because often what happens is if it gets groundwater splashed on it, and it gets wet, and that can happen if you have sprinklers in wells, a lot of mineral salts in there that will dry and basically adhere to the outside. What’s happening here is you are seeing some sort of mineral deposits, and you’re going to have to clean it. And the best way to clean it, believe it or not, is to mix up a vinegar and water solution, because vinegar melts the salts. Wow. So you can mix them up in a bucket, splash it down with a nice soft bristle brush, scrub it, and that should make those disappear. They may come back. But the other thing that you could think about doing, once it gets nice and dry and clean, is to apply a masonry sealer to it. And if you use a silicone-based masonry sealer, you want to get one that’s vapor permeable so it doesn’t trap the water underneath the sealer surface, and so it lets it breathe and stops it from cracking and chipping. But that should slow down the showing up of any additional salt stains. |
| 00:24:48 | CALLER: Well, thank you so, so much. I’ll do that. |
| 00:24:50 | TOM: All right, Louise, thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:24:54 | LESLIE: Well, if you love to take on home improvements over the weekend, you’re going to want to know that some of them can take a month of weekends to get done, but some can easily be knocked out in a day or two. So here’s a few all-in-one weekend projects that you can fit in between Saturday morning coffee and Sunday evening dinner. |
| 00:25:12 | TOM: All right. First up, you can paint your tub or your tub surround. We owe a lot to our tubs. Good hygiene, for one. So there’s no reason you shouldn’t give yours a little TLC. Now, the problem is most tubs get so grungy over time that no amount of scrubbing is going to make them shine. Right. So the answer is tub and tile refinishing kits. They contain everything you need to repaint ceramic, porcelain, and fiberglass or even steel or acrylic tubs. You want to look for epoxy-based kits for maximum durability. Now, I had a good experience with one called Ecopel, E-K-O-P-E-L. I used it on a very cool-looking sort of 1960s-style tub. It almost looked like it had racing stripes, the way the tub was modeled. And it looked awful, except for that original design, because the finish was worn, and even to think it had a coat of paint somewhere along the way. But by the time I was done with it, it looked like it came right out of the factory. It was just amazing. But the key here to the epoxy products, you’ve got to follow the instructions. They really lay it out step by step. And if you do that, it’s going to come out great. And, you know, while the finish might not last as long as a new tub, it doesn’t cost anything near that same cost either, and it gives you a chance to really refresh your bathroom’s look. |
| 00:26:19 | LESLIE: All right. Now, also think about remodeling your fireplace. Fireplaces are the focal point of the living room or den. And a fireplace does deserve attention, especially when it comes to your decor. However, revamping that fireplace doesn’t have to mean that you’re springing for an expensive replacement. You can top it off with crown molding, refinish with stone facade, or even something as simple as repainting. These are all ways that you can breathe fresh life into an old hearth. Just remember that painting decision carefully, because once you paint, you can’t go back. |
| 00:26:50 | TOM: Well, you can, but it is a lot of work. All right. So next, you could DIY an outdoor fire pit. You know, tell your neighbors to bring the marshmallows, because fall is the prime fire pit season. And backyard fire pits are fun, and really the stuff autumn memories are made of. Now, they’re not too difficult to build yourself either. Check out the kits from PaveStone, which contain everything you need. So there you have it. There’s a few weekend projects that you could knock off in just a couple of days. If you’d like more ideas, just go to moneypit.com and search for weekend projects. |
| 00:27:21 | LESLIE: All right. We’ve got Arthur in Tennessee on the line. He’s dealing with a painting project. He’s got a painting problem. What happened? |
| 00:27:25 | CALLER: Not much. I’m working on a building in old downtown Johnson City, building the 1890s. Fantastic. And trying to strip some brick. Okay. I’ve stripped part of the brick that was done in the 1950s and had good success, but this is older brick, and I’m not even sure I think it was made on site. And it’s solid and everything, but I wondered what kind of modern options were out there for getting paint off of brick. |
| 00:27:55 | TOM: What did you use to get the paint off of the 1950s brick? |
| 00:27:59 | CALLER: I used a product called Pilloway, and it worked great. |
| 00:28:02 | TOM: Okay. And did you try the same product on the older brick? |
| 00:28:07 | CALLER: I’m afraid to use it because it’s got a rougher finish. |
| 00:28:11 | TOM: Well, that means you’re going to have more binding of the paint to the surface. But what I would do is I would try it in an area that was perhaps a bit less conspicuous, you know, like not at eye level. Maybe down towards the bottom or if there’s any other area that you really don’t care as much about. If you had good success with that particular product, I don’t see any reason not to continue with it, at least to see what happens. Is this a product that is environmentally friendly, or do you find that it’s pretty caustic? |
| 00:28:39 | CALLER: It says it’s biodegradable and a water-based product. But, you know, you do wear gloves and wear long sleeves, but it’s amazing how it works. I’ve had people come by and say, well, why aren’t you using sandblasting or dry ice? And I didn’t know if that is an option. |
| 00:29:00 | TOM: Well, here’s why you definitely can’t use sandblasting, because those old bricks will be damaged by that process. And, you know, it’s costly as well. So I would tell you if the product that you’re using is working well, I see no reason not to keep working with that. And I’m not really familiar with dry ice, but I can’t imagine that that’s going to That’s very easy to use. |
| 00:29:22 | CALLER: Well, I don’t see it being taken off paint very well. |
| 00:29:28 | TOM: Yeah, I agree. I’d stick with what you’re working on. If you’ve got concerns about it, I would definitely try an inconspicuous area, whether that’s the back of the building or the bottom of the building, you know, someplace that you don’t care about as much. We always give that advice when you’re using a product like this. And then just go on from there. Okay. |
| 00:29:45 | CALLER: Hey, I really appreciate it, and I love your guys’ show. |
| 00:29:48 | TOM: Well, thanks, Art. Good luck with that project. And congratulations. It sounds like it’s going to be a really beautiful building when you’re done. |
| 00:29:54 | LESLIE: Jesse in Florida wrote in to Team Money Pit saying, I’m about to put my house on the market. How can I find out what is required for a certificate of occupancy on my home so that I can make any required repairs or upgrades before the home changes hands and before any home inspection is performed? |
| 00:30:11 | TOM: Well, you ought to be checking with your local municipality, your town, because if there is a certificate of occupancy, they’re going to tell you exactly what they require. It’s not like they require you to bring everything in your house up to modern building code, because that’s unreasonable. But they’re going to probably require doors and windows to operate and smoke detectors to operate and that sort of thing. So check with them first. You can also ask your realtor, because they deal with this every day. And if you’re concerned about the condition of property, get a home inspection done yourself. Hire your own home inspection, because this way you’ll find out how the house shows in the eyes of a professional home inspector, and you can address any issues before a buyer is involved. |
| 00:30:49 | LESLIE: All right. Now we’ve got Darlene in New York asking, did you say that a pasty mixture of salt, vinegar, and baking soda is good for polishing brass? |
| 00:30:59 | TOM: Not exactly. It’s actually salt and lemon juice, and it can be used on both brass and copper. You want to make sure you use real lemons, not bottled lemon juice. You know, Leslie, when the kids are small, we like to get those souvenir pennies when we go to different places. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. |
| 00:31:17 | CALLER: Squished flat. |
| 00:31:18 | TOM: So dad’s job when we would go to dinner would be to grab the lemon from, you know, the nearest iced tea glass and the salt shaker and make up a paste and polish it up real bright and shiny. They always got a kick out of that. But you know what, guys? We have a lot of recipes for natural cleaning products just like that that you can make yourself on MoneyPit.com. They’re also featured in my new book, Home Maintenance for Dummies, which you can check out at MoneyPit.com slash dummies. So here’s a couple of examples. Mildew remover. You can brew up a strong thyme tea and alternatively, you could use equal parts white vinegar and salt to strip mildew away. Then you’ve got a sink and toilet bowl cleaner. Just create a paste using baking soda or borax and a little squeeze of lemon juice. You can create a more abrasive cleaner using baking soda or borax alone. And then furniture polish. Just mix a half a cup of lemon juice to one cup of olive oil and away you go. Everything will be shiny and safe at the same time. Because you made all these cleaners yourself. |
| 00:32:19 | LESLIE: All right. Good tips. Enjoy that cleaning, Darlene. |
| 00:32:22 | TOM: Well, there’s a reason the season is called fall. And Leslie has tips on how to handle getting rid of all those leaves in today’s edition of Leslie’s Last Word. Leslie? |
| 00:32:31 | LESLIE: That’s right. You know, fall is upon us. And with all of those leaves fallen from the trees, have you ever noticed that many people like to burn the leaves? You know, burning them is not necessarily the best idea as flames can, you know, very easily spread. Plus, you’re giving up the nutrients. That’s right. But you can’t do that without the leaves. |
| 00:32:49 | LESLIE: And the best way to do that is to toss those leaves into a compost bin. Now, a safer option is to toss those leaves into a compost bin to nurture flowers and veggie gardens come springtime. If your lawnmower is suited for mulching, you can actually run it over all of the leaves. And the chopped up pieces of the leaves are going to help feed your grass as it kind of remains dormant throughout the winter months. And of course, if your town offers leaf pickup, you may be able to just kind of rake them all off to the curb. But here’s a trick for that. Drag the tarp to the street and then dump those leaves. It’s going to make that job go a lot quicker and you’re not going to be sort of raking piles, moving one pile, moving another pile and kind of do it all at once. So whatever you do with your leaves, let’s have a beautiful autumn season. |
| 00:33:30 | TOM: Well, fall is definitely the start of the busy season for plumbers as well because with all that holiday cooking and cleanup, your pipes definitely suffer the consequences. On the next edition of Money Pit, we’re going to share how to avoid a costly emergency call to the plumber. We’re sharing how to avoid a costly emergency call to the plumber and keep the water flowing. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
| 00:33:46 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. Remember you can do it yourself 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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