Show Notes
In this show, learn how to install gutter guards yourself and avoid costly pro services, hear expert advice on key homeowner knowledge, and get inspired with ideas for an affordable countertop upgrade in just one weekend. Tune in for tips, tricks, and products that make homeownership a breeze!
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Gutter Guards: Installing gutter guards is easy and affordable with step-by-step DIY tips.
- Home Maintenance: Find out 5 essential things to know about home maintenance.
- Marble Countertops: Countertops get a new look in a weekend with a kit that makes marble dreams come true.
Top Questions & Answers
- Pests: Fruit flies are invading Lorna’s kitchen. She can seal the drain with tape to see if that’s where they’re coming from and if so, pour oxygenated bleach down the drain.
- Insulation: Should Michael install closed-cell or open-cell spray foam insulation? Spray foam is a great choice, and closed-cell works better in a moist environment.
- Flooring: What kind of flooring is best for a beach house? Loretta’s options include attractive and durable engineered hardwood, laminate, and vinyl plank.
- Siding: Wade can’t find replacements that match his siding damaged in a hailstorm. A public adjuster will make sure the insurance company completely replaces all the siding.
Ask Your Home Improvement Question
Podcast Transcript
Read Transcript
| 00:00:00 | ANNOUNCER: The MoneyPit is presented by FindTape.com. Now, here are Tom and Leslie. |
| 00:00:31 | 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 working on? You getting ready for the big Halloween holiday? You want to make sure you have plenty of light for those trick-or-treaters that are coming up? You don’t want any tripping hazards around your property. If you’re a big decorator, that’s always a hassle for us. Got to make sure we run those extension cords so nobody walks on them and trips. But if you’re looking for some advice on anything from Halloween decor to a big remodeling project, you are in the right place because that’s what we do. We’ve been doing this for 20 years. We love taking your calls and answering your questions about projects that you either do yourself or maybe projects that you want to hire a pro to tackle. We’ll give you some tips, some advice, some ideas on how you can get them done right the first time, perhaps how you can save some money along the way and maybe decide whether or not the project is worth tackling or not. Based on the benefits. So whatever’s on your to-do list, you can slide it right over to ours by calling us at 1-888-Money-Pit or posting your questions at moneypit.com. Coming up on today’s episode, if the thought of cleaning your gutters makes you groan, you’re probably a good candidate for gutter guards. But while hiring a gutter company to install these can be ridiculously expensive, buying the product and either installing them yourself or hiring a handyman to do the project can be a lot less expensive. So we’ll walk you through what needs to be done. |
| 00:01:53 | LESLIE: And when it comes to homeownership, knowledge is power. Understanding how you can care for and maintain your home and then plan for all of those necessary repairs, it’s essential for preserving and enjoying it for all those years to come. So Angie Hicks, the founder of Angie, is joining us with the tips for five essential things you should know about your home. |
| 00:02:13 | TOM: And if you guys are ready for a kitchen or bath update, but you don’t have the big budget for a major redo, we’re going to share how to create a beautiful new countertop or bath vanity in just a weekend. |
| 00:02:23 | LESLIE: But first, do you feel like you’re in a constant game of tug of war with your house and your house is winning? Well, we’re here to help you take back the lead from advice to answers to hot new products where you’re one-stop shopping for all things DIY. |
| 00:02:38 | TOM: Call us right now with your questions at 1-888-Money-Pit. Two things will happen. First, we’ll do our best to give you the answer to your home improvement question. Plus, we’re also giving away from Koda a two-pack of multi-directional LED shop lights so you could win some pretty, pretty neat lights. It’s going to go out to one listener drawing at random from those who reach out to us with their questions. So, call us right now. The number is 1-888-Money-Pit. Or better yet, go to moneypit.com slash ask, click the blue microphone button and you can record your question to us right there and get the fastest possible response. So, let’s get started. Leslie, who’s first? |
| 00:03:13 | LESLIE: Lorna in Rhode Island is dealing with some flies at home. Tell us what’s going on. |
| 00:03:17 | CALLER: Fruit flies. They seem to be invading the kitchen. And I’m thinking about what I’m going to do. I’m thinking they’re heading for the garbage disposal area, but I’m not really sure. I mean, are they coming up out of the garbage disposal? No, they don’t seem to be. |
| 00:03:31 | LESLIE: I mean, generally, if you think they’re coming to the sink or from the sink, sometimes people will actually put some tape over that drain and just seal that off to see if they are coming from there. This way, if they’re getting stuck on the underside, you know they’re coming up from the drain and then that would be a different approach. Oh, okay. |
| 00:03:47 | TOM: Yeah, you could do that during the day. Say, when you go out for the day, just cover the drain temporarily with the tape and keep an eye on it. Okay. And the other thing that you could do is you could, if that’s the case, then you could put some bleach down that drain or maybe some OxiClean or something like that and then cover the top of it. And that tends to really sort of gas any that are sort of laying in there. |
| 00:04:07 | CALLER: Oh, okay. So straight bleach or mixed with water or? |
| 00:04:12 | TOM: No, you could just put some straight bleach down there or you could use OxiClean, the powdered bleach. |
| 00:04:16 | CALLER: Okay. All right. Yeah. Great. Well, thank you. |
| 00:04:20 | TOM: You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:04:24 | LESLIE: Michael in Louisiana is on the line with a question about insulation and the different types. How can we help you? |
| 00:04:30 – 00:0 | ANNOUNCER: Hey, my question is about closed cell versus open cell foam and in a roof deck application, the difference between using open and closed cell foam and roof deck rot. |
| 00:04:44 | TOM: So first of all, it’s a really good product to use for any type of a roof insulation. Spray foam insulation is really the best way to go. It’s not, you know, the best way to get to butch. But any roomaine is sin nosotros. But let’s talk a little bit more about team press, all right? Yeah. So tapes that you have. Correct. So one thing we can do on tap tops is probably only use a little more than maybe two years is we have an extension available on the platform. That is the costs of conscience paint on the one. So this is actually from Team Press only. How many are you using then? We don’t know. www.audio.com Closed-cell is probably the better way to go. For example, we see houses along the beach where the underside of the floor structure is sprayed. In those applications, I like to recommend closed-cell over open. |
| 00:06:05 – 00:0 | ANNOUNCER: So I think I understood that the industry several years ago was recommending closed-cell for roof deck scenarios, but then they kind of got away from that and went back to open-cell due to moisture accumulation in the roof deck. Yeah. |
| 00:06:22 | TOM: I’m not familiar with that. I mean, I would talk to the manufacturer of the product that you’re deciding to work with. I did my house and I used Isonene. I was really happy with them. They’re a Canadian company, one of the biggest in the world with that product. But there are lots of good companies. It also comes down to the installer because it’s a product that has to be mixed on-site. It’s not like you’re heading to the home center and picking up some rolls of insulation. This stuff is mixed and applied right there. So the experience of the installer is really important as well in getting the job done right. |
| 00:06:50 – 00:0 | ANNOUNCER: So we had our installation. The entire roof foam insulated about a year or so ago, and I’ve noticed that the interior humidity level since then has been higher than what we had previous to that. So I don’t know if the overall envelope of the house obviously is much tighter. But the home was built in the mid-’90s, so we have kind of builder-grade insulation and builder-grade windows in the exterior walls. So I know that the roof deck and the eaves and all that are much tighter. |
| 00:07:27 | TOM: You know, I understand what you’re saying, Michael, and it’s entirely possible because you have now less natural ventilation. You basically may have taken a home that had several air changes per hour and now cut that way back. It is possible that you could have a bit more humidity inside. But I mean, I think that that’s not a problem. I think it’s just a condition that you should manage, and especially in an area like Louisiana, where you are, you know, at 100 percent humidity, you know, nine months of the year it would seem, right? You might want to think about using a piece of equipment that’s designed specifically to reduce humidity. For example, there’s a type of product called a whole home dehumidifier. Now don’t confuse this with a dehumidifier you typically see on a lower level of a house that’s hooked up to a bucket and just dumps water out. This is actually installed into the duct system as part of the HVAC system, and it runs on a humidistat. And when it comes on, it is designed only to reduce the humidity. It’s designed only to pull humidity out of the air, and it can do so in a really surprising volume. It can take out like 100 pints of water a day. So in your area, that might be something that I would consider, especially if I’m seeing excessive humidity inside the house. But I think you’re on the right path with the spray foam. Very good. Thank you. All right. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:08:45 | 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 in at 888-Money-Pit.com. And we’ll be wrapping us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. |
| 00:08:54 | TOM: That would be awesome. And you might even win a copy of our book, My Home, My Money Pit, your guide to every home improvement adventure. Just go to MoneyPit.com slash review. Well, if you’ve got a workspace that could use a serious lighting upgrade, like a basement or a garage or any other place that’s a bit dim, we have got an awesome giveaway going out to one lucky caller today. |
| 00:09:16 | LESLIE: That’s right. We’ve got two sets of Kodas 2-Pack Multi-Directional LED Shop Lights. I’ve got a couple of them. I mean, these are super versatile. They’re incredibly dynamic. Each one is going to shine between 1,000 and 8,000 lumens, so they’re super bright, but you can sort of adjust that brightness to your needs. You can use them for like a gym-like feel. You can main light your garage or work area or even full brightness for those big, detailed projects that you might be working on. And the best part is they come pre-assembled, and you can link up to six fixtures, which makes installation a breeze. Each set retails for $99. But we’ve got two sets up for grabs. For one of you lucky listeners. |
| 00:09:54 | TOM: Reach out to us right now with your questions at 1-88-Money-Pit or at moneypit.com slash ask. |
| 00:10:00 | LESLIE: Loretta, you’ve got the Money Pit. How can we help you today? |
| 00:10:03 | CALLER: We’re in the process of building a beach house, and we have a crawl space, no basement, because of the water level there. Basements are not allowed. Everything we’ve looked up and just trying to find out what’s going on. We’ve been looking around and we’ve seen different types, laminate, vinyl, and have read so many mixed things about it that we just were undecided of what to do now. Okay. |
| 00:10:49 | TOM: So, if you’re thinking solid hardwood, what’s the best way to do it? Solid hardwood, I would agree. There is, however, a type of hardwood called engineered hardwood that is much more dimensionally stable and can work very successfully in damp locations. Engineered hardwood is, if you can think of the way plywood is made where you have different layers of wood that are glued together at opposing angles, but the top surface is what you see, that’s kind of what engineered hardwood is in terms of how it’s made. There are different layers that are glued together at 90 degrees, and when you see the finished board. The top of it, that is all that you see when it’s all down, is the hardwood, and the rest of it basically is the part that gives it this sort of structural rigidity in different conditions. So, you definitely could use an engineered hardwood, but that said, sure, there are lots of great laminate products, and also the new type of product that looks like pretty much laminate or can look like hardwood is called EVP, which stands for engineered vinyl plank. I just put a beautiful… EVP floor down in my mom’s kitchen for her, so I wanted a floor that was going to take the traffic and handle the moisture and the spills and that sort of stuff, and the chair scuffs. And man, it looked great. It looks like an antique, kind of an old wood floor, and the whole thing’s made out of vinyl, but I’m telling you, nobody can tell when they walk in this kitchen and look down at it. And vinyl’s the last thing you would guess, because they’ve done such a great job now with how these products are made and the colors that they put in and the textures that they put in. It looks just like, you know, the real thing, which in our case was an old wood floor. |
| 00:12:22 | CALLER: Mm-hmm. And it’s definitely good with, like, humidity and… |
| 00:12:26 | TOM: Well, it’s vinyl. You could use it under water and have no effect. |
| 00:12:31 | CALLER: Okay. |
| 00:12:31 | TOM: Right. So I would take a look at those products, and I think you’ll find something that’s going to work well for you. Okay. |
| 00:12:38 | CALLER: How about price-wise? |
| 00:12:39 | TOM: The EVP is going to probably be less expensive than the engineered hardwood, but it’s not terribly expensive either way. |
| 00:12:44 | CALLER: All right. We’ll take a look at it. |
| 00:12:48 | TOM: Well, the thought of cleaning your gutters makes you groan. You’re probably a good… You’re probably a good candidate for gutter covers or gutter guards. But while hiring a gutter company to install these can be ridiculously expensive, buying the product and either installing it yourself or hiring a handyman to do the work can be a lot less expensive. Yeah. |
| 00:13:05 | LESLIE: First of all, installing gutter guards is really a simple project that requires no special skills. You do need a few basic tools like a ladder, a measuring tape, and tin snips to be able to cut those guards to the length you need. But the first step here is to clean out the gutter, because there’s no point in putting a gutter guard over the gutter. And then you have to put a gauze over an already filled gutter, you guys. So put on some gloves, scoop out any debris with your hand or a garden trowel, rinse out that gutter with a garden hose equipped with a nozzle, and then make sure you flush out the downspouts, because if the downspouts are jammed up, that’s a big problem. |
| 00:13:36 | TOM: Now it’s time to start installing the gutter guards. Now, while there are a lot of guards out there, we found that the stainless steel, sort of micro mesh covers do the best job. Now, these can be really expensive when you hire a gutter company to install them, but when you buy them online, we’re talking about maybe $4 or $5 a foot. We’ve got a post on MoneyPit.com all about gutter guards and in it we link to a brand that offers the guards and the hardware for both 5 inch and 6 inch gutters at a great price. Just search gutter guards on MoneyPit.com and it’ll come right up for you. |
| 00:14:05 | LESLIE: Yeah, and you know what? Installing them really is the easiest part. All you do is slip the back edge under the roofing shingle that are already overhanging the gutter and then that front edge aligns with the front edge of your gutter and it’s attached with those self-tapping screws. One tip here, because you may be trying to get a long section of gutter guard under the shingles, it’s easier if you’ve got a work buddy to help on a second ladder. You guys can work side by side in tandem and get that guard in place. |
| 00:14:30 | TOM: And once it’s done, you’ll be free of clogs from leaves and pine needles and even the occasional tennis ball, which by the way, we found… |
| 00:14:36 | LESLIE: What? Who? Huh? |
| 00:14:38 | TOM: Yeah, we found through much research is exactly the precise size needed to clog a downspout. |
| 00:14:45 | LESLIE: don’t know what you’re talking about. My children never… Yeah. …ever did that and flooded the basement and wrecked everything. What? No. Huh? Wade in South Dakota is on the line and has a question about siding. How can we help you? |
| 00:14:59 | CALLER: Hi. We had a big hail storm come through and it took out a bunch of our siding, our steel siding. And I’m kind of fighting with the insurance company to find an exact match. My question, I guess, is the house is close to 20 years old. What are the chances that the siding that they pick is going to match up with the color? |
| 00:15:21 | TOM: Between little and none. |
| 00:15:22 | CALLER: That’s kind of what I figured. |
| 00:15:23 | TOM: And listen, Wade, this is not a new argument with insurance companies. It happens all the time with roof damage. You know, let’s say you get ice stand damage and you have to just replace like three feet of roof on the front of the house or maybe you get leaks around a vent or something and you have to replace a piece of roof. Insurance companies traditionally replace the entire roof. And in your case, they should be replacing all the roof. They should be replacing all of your siding without argument because they’ve got to restore it at least as good as it was before and giving you mismatched siding isn’t what you contracted them to do. So I would stick to your guns and, sure, give them the opportunity to find a replacement, but they won’t be able to and you don’t have to accept it and you can insist that it all be replaced with brand new siding. Do you have a private adjuster on this to help you with the claim? |
| 00:16:12 | CALLER: Somebody that the insurance company contacted, yes. |
| 00:16:15 | TOM: That adjuster is working for the insurance company. What you want to do is get a public adjuster and a public adjuster works for you, the public, and they work on commission. So it doesn’t really cost you much to have these guys on the job and they’re there to find every single solitary thing that they can claim for and get that into the claim. So everything from picking up the nails on your property that will be part of that construction project to getting the whole house resided, they try to get that claim as full as possible. Because the more they find, the more money they make because they’re all on commission. So I would definitely find a good quality public adjuster, perhaps check with your attorney, do your research, find somebody that has a lot of experience and let them fight for you so you don’t have to fight with the insurance company. Great. I’ll definitely look into that. Thank you. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. Well, as many of our listeners know, knowledge is power when it comes to home ownership. Understanding how to care and maintain your home and planning for necessary repairs is essential to preserving and enjoying it for years to come. |
| 00:17:19 | LESLIE: That’s right. And that’s a subject that our next guest knows a lot about. Angie Hicks, co-founder of Angie, has been helping homeowners find reliable professionals for projects since 1996. She’s here to share five essential things that you should know about your home. Angie Hicks, welcome to the Money Pit. Thank you. It’s great to be here. |
| 00:17:39 | TOM: So when it comes to home ownership, knowledge is power. And there are things, though, that homeowners should be doing and should know about their homes that can help prevent problems. Why don’t we talk about some of those? |
| 00:17:52 | ANGIE HICKS: You know, my favorite one, when I think about getting to know your home, the very first thing you need to make sure you know how to do is turn off the main water in your house. So where is the main water valve shut off in your house? Tom, you mentioned your home inspector. I mean, that is a great thing to learn from your home inspector. Go on the home inspection. |
| 00:18:09 | TOM: Oh, God, yeah. That’s so important. |
| 00:18:10 | ANGIE: Because they can point things out to you and you can ask questions. It’s incredibly valuable. But, you know, I believe that water can be your home’s worst enemy. So knowing where that water shut off valve can avoid a disaster or turn it into a mild problem if you can get water shut off quickly. |
| 00:18:26 | TOM: In our home inspection company, we actually had a set of, I think there were six or seven different tags, valve tags, that we would put on the valves during the inspection. So there was the main water valve, there was the water heater valve, there were the hose bibs, there were the ice maker valves, and so on. And people so appreciated that. We used to hear back months and years later that they were so appreciative of being able to know with confidence what those valves did. So you’re absolutely right. Understanding where they are and what they do and being able to access them quickly in an emergency is really, really critical. It can save you tens of thousands of dollars in flood damage. |
| 00:18:59 | ANGIE: That’s absolutely correct. I think the other thing that I think we a lot of times kind of take for granted and don’t think about having a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and make sure we know where it is. It’s how to use it and that it’s in good working condition. Because, you know, again, this is another example of how you can avoid turning a small problem into a large one. Yeah. |
| 00:19:19 | TOM: And also teaching your kids how to use it, right, Leslie? I mean, you’ve got young boys. Do they know how to use a fire extinguisher? |
| 00:19:24 | LESLIE: Oh, 100 percent. And they know where it is. They know all kinds of fire safety in the house. And I think it’s super important. The kids and I have an evacuation plan in the event of a fire emergency. You know, sadly, a few years back, we had a home in town burned down. And the family was lost, which was horrible for everybody in our village. So we do go over all of these methods of safety, how to put out a fire, where the fire extinguisher is. And, again, I think it’s something people neglect to discuss in their home. |
| 00:19:53 | ANGIE: Like, oh, I don’t need to worry about that. The odds that I need that are very slim. But it’s that moment that you need it that you need it. Yeah. |
| 00:20:00 | LESLIE: And that’s when you panic. So it’s good to practice and know. |
| 00:20:02 | TOM: I’ll tell you, years ago when I was doing a lot of stuff with MSNBC, there was a fire training academy that used to train all of us. They had all their regional fire departments. They had some really cool facilities. But one of their instructors actually came to my house with a crew, and they did a test on my family and I. And they filled the house up with smoke. Now, it wasn’t real smoke. It was a fake smoke. But it just changes your perspective when you literally can’t see your hand in front of your face. You really get messed up in terms of your distance, even in a home that you’ve lived in for many, many years. So understanding how to get in and out of that house in an emergency and where the extinguishers are and what you should be doing first, second, and third is really an important discussion to have with your family. |
| 00:20:41 | LESLIE: Absolutely. So, Angie, what do you think about home warranties? You know, you hear so often that there’s an opportunity to purchase a warranty for especially new construction. Are these worth it? I mean, does it make sense to kind of have this sort of additional protection or not really? Or is the answer, it depends? |
| 00:20:59 | ANGIE: It honestly depends on you and your situation. So, you know, first and foremost, you should always think about the warranty. The home warranties automatically come with the house and the products and understand, you know, whether those are going to cover your potential issues. Sometimes people might think, hey, I might buy an extra warranty on my refrigerator because, you know, I don’t want to have to spend that money yet again if something goes wrong. You know, but make sure you know where those warranties are and know what they cover. And then additionally, sometimes people will receive a home warranty, for example, when they buy a house. Read the details. Understand what’s covered. Understand what’s not. How claims are handled. What pros are going to be doing the work because it all comes down to who’s going to be doing the work for you. And then also, you know, don’t assume, and this is one thing I hear from time to time as well, is that something checked out fine on a home inspection but the home warranty didn’t cover it. The home warranty and the home inspection are two different things, two different companies, two different contracts, et cetera. Make sure you understand the details so that you know what you’re buying and what you should expect. |
| 00:22:10 | TOM: We’re talking to Angie Hicks. She is the founder of Angie’s List that we now call Angie. And Angie, you actually started this as an actual list, didn’t you? Was it back in 96 or so? Was it a paper, a printed publisher? It was paper, exactly. |
| 00:22:26 | ANGIE: It was pre-Internet days. You really were way ahead of your time. |
| 00:22:29 | TOM: Good for you. Good for you. And let’s talk about understanding the different components of your home. I always told my home inspection clients that it was important to kind of have an inventory of key components and ages and predicted life so you would kind of understand when you should expect to replace your roof and how many more years you may get out of your furnace or your air conditioning system because this way you avoid the surprises when it breaks down. |
| 00:22:55 | ANGIE: That’s right. And that’s really important for a homeowner because you might spend, you know, 1% to 2% of the value of your home maintaining, repairing, and updating. And that could be a significant amount of money. And so you don’t want to have surprises. So, you know, when you’re making up your dream list for what you’d like to do around the house for, you know, next year, |
| 00:23:17 | CALLER: make sure you know the age of some of these important structural things that aren’t as exciting to do but are important to do. |
| 00:23:24 | ANGIE: So if your roof is, you know, more than 15 years old, you’re like, you know, at some point I’m probably going to have to replace a roof. You know, kind of also think about the mechanicals. Like your furnace or your air conditioner. How old are they? Because that can help you prepare for saving for them and then also help you make those decisions about whether to repair or replace because sometimes when, especially, you know, a furnace or an air conditioner gets later on in its life and you get a repair bill, it might just be better off to replace it. |
| 00:23:55 | LESLIE: You know, what I think is super interesting, Angie, is that 40% of new homeowners are really surprised at how much they’re spending annually on home maintenance. I think there truly is no understanding of what a home costs to own. So how can we help a new homeowner and even a homeowner who’s already in the house really understand what they need to set aside or how they can mentally prepare for the expense? |
| 00:24:21 | ANGIE: Well, you’re thinking about, you know, kind of buying a home, for example, to kind of avoid that surprise with a new homeowner. You know, when you’re laying out your budget, you need to pay for the mortgage, the home insurance, you know, things like that. You kind of walk your taxes. You know, also budget 1% to 2% of the value of your home for maintenance and repairs. And I think sometimes people don’t have that top of mind because it’s not a hard cost at the time you’re buying the house, right? It’s something that’s going to come in the future. And so kind of thinking about that can help you think about what house I want to buy. You know, what’s my budget? How much do I want to spend on my mortgage if I know I’m going to spend, yeah, $300 or $400 a month on improvements? You know, maybe I want to bring my mortgage down a little bit. Maybe I want to bring my house price down a little bit. Also budgeting that kind of as you go along so that you know. And one thing I recommend, and I try to do this at the beginning of the year, is walk around your house like you’re just getting ready to buy it because you’re never as critical of a house as the one that you’re about to buy. You know, write everything down, kind of put budget aside at that point, and then prioritize those items. You know, so kind of group them by structural problems. Mechanical problems. All the way down to that, you know, kind of new outdoor kitchen you’d like to install next summer. Then lay your budget against it. That way, you know, you didn’t put the kitchen in, the outdoor kitchen in, but then discovered you needed a new roof. And then you’re kind of stuck in a money crunch. So kind of keeping a critical eye on the condition of your home will help you avoid those budget surprises. |
| 00:25:55 | TOM: That makes so much sense. Angie Hicks from Angie. Thank you so much for spending some time with us here on The Money Pit today. Angie, really good to talk to you. Thanks for all the work that you’ve done to help homeowners find contractors to do their jobs well. There are so many out there, and you are the key to connecting us with those pros when it’s time to take on a project. Angie Hicks, thanks again. |
| 00:26:19 | ANGIE: Thank you. |
| 00:26:21 | TOM: Hey, guys. If your workspace could use a serious lighting upgrade, on today’s show, we’re giving away a two-pack of Koda’s multi-directional LED shop lights. The set’s worth about $200. They’re very versatile. They’re very dynamic. H1 shines between 1,000 and 8,000 lumens, so they’re totally adjustable to suit your needs. And the best part is that they come preassembled, so they’re easy to install, and you can link up six fixtures together. They’re available for $99 per set. We’ve got two going out to one lucky listener. If you’d like to make that you, you’ve got to call us with your question. The number here is 1-888-Money-Pit, 888-666-3974. Or go to moneypit.com slash ask. Well, if you’re thinking about updating your kitchen or bathroom but don’t have the budget for a full-room model, we’ve got a great solution. There’s a new countertop kit that’s out from Daich Coatings called Marble Dream, and it can transform your space in just a single weekend. You know, I actually used it on an old worn laminate countertop recently, and now it looks amazing. |
| 00:27:19 | LESLIE: Yeah, you know, one of the coolest things about this kit is that you can create a beautiful swirl effect in the marble, and all you need to do that is a blower. I mean, it uses the heat and the air movement to create this kind of one-of-a-kind flowing marble design in truly no time. So if you have no skills but a hairdryer, this is the project for you. Exactly. |
| 00:27:40 | TOM: And you can control the look by adding accent colors where you want them, then use the blow dryer to sort of move and blend the colors across the surface. The heat interacts with the ingredients, and that creates a realistic marble effect that’s very unique to your project. And I have to say, Leslie, that was the most fun part of redoing that countertop. So watch the material move around when it’s sort of pushed by the blow dryer. It looks awesome. |
| 00:28:03 | LESLIE: Yeah, and it’s so great because it looks beautiful, but it’s also super durable. It resists stains, heat, even impact, and you can apply it to just about anything. A laminate, concrete, plywood, MDF, stone, you name it, you can put it on it. And it’s sealed with a tough polyurethane clear coat, and that’s going to keep the surface food safe and looking great. |
| 00:28:24 | TOM: Yeah, it’s really an easy DIY project to do as well. There’s even a brand new video that walks you through every step over at daichcoatings.com. You don’t need any special skills or artistic ability, and the whole project takes just two days from start to finish. |
| 00:28:37 | LESLIE: All right, you’ve got to love that. And I also love how Peter Daich himself walks us through every step in his videos. He shows you how simple this product is to use and how fun it is to watch the transformation take place to make a gorgeous, swirling marble top. Now, the Marble Dream Kit, you’re going to get coverage for about 40 square feet. So that’s kind of good for a run of countertops. And it costs $169. It comes in two colors, pristine white and cosmos black, and it includes everything you need for the project. |
| 00:29:05 | TOM: Yep, except for the blow dryer. You’re on your own with that. |
| 00:29:10 | LESLIE: I’m sure you’ve got one. |
| 00:29:11 | TOM: Yeah, I got one. |
| 00:29:12 | LESLIE: All right. Well, you can get the Marble Dream Resurfacing Kit with free shipping at daichcoatings.com, and it’s also available at Lowe’s and Home Depot. Rosalie wrote in to Team Money Pit, and he’s looking for three angels who can help him solve crimes. No, I’m kidding. People are like, who, what? Charlie’s Angels for people of a certain age. |
| 00:29:32 | TOM: You just dated us, all right? You don’t even have to explain the whole series. |
| 00:29:35 | LESLIE: Younger people are like, I don’t understand that reference. Anyhoo, Bosley wrote in, I want to remove a bathroom mirror that’s glued to the wall, but I have no idea how to get it off the wall. What is the best way to go about doing this with a lot of protective gear on? |
| 00:29:50 | TOM: Yeah, exactly. That’s a tricky one. So, all right. First of all, you can’t pry it off the wall, obviously. Because it’s going to break. And this is what makes it very dangerous. You need to have proper protection to your face and to your hands and all of that when you work on this. But there is a trick, one trick of the trade. And that is that if you can get a wire behind that window, what you can do is draw that wire like a saw back and forth. And if it’s held on, well, usually it’s held on with like sort of dabs of black adhesive. What that wire will do is it’ll actually pull through that adhesive. It’ll go between the adhesive and the drywall and start to separate. It’ll separate that mirror as you go. But keep in mind, though, the more you work on this, the weaker it’s going to get. At some point, it’s going to release from the wall and you don’t want it to drop. So, it really is a tricky job to do. And even once you’re done, you’re probably going to find that wall is so damaged that you’re going to have to replace the drywall. I don’t think you’ll be able to save it because you’re going to end up tearing off some of the paper surface. But what you could do is put a second layer of drywall over it. You don’t have to use half-inch. You could use the thinner 3-eighths-inch drywall and cover what’s left. But that’s the way to do it. And a lot of patience and a lot of protection. It’s a tricky job. |
| 00:31:00 | LESLIE: And you know what, Bosley? A great trick of the trade. And actually, our engineer loves to do this trick when he removes mirror because he plays the guitar is to use a super thick guitar string. If you can get your hands on one of those, it’s coarse enough to kind of cut through the adhesive. And it’s also thin enough to slip behind the mirror. |
| 00:31:18 | TOM: Well, as the weather cools down, you may be thinking about projects that need to get done before that winter chill sets in. Leslie shares tips on weekend projects that make the most sense. Here are most of fall temperatures in today’s edition of Leslie’s Last Word. Leslie, take it away. |
| 00:31:31 | LESLIE: You know, that’s right. Temperature-wise, fall is the perfect time for tackling projects indoors and out. And here’s a few that are easy to knock out in a small part of your weekend. I’m not taking over your whole weekend, but I’m asking just a little bit of time to tackle these projects. First of all, make sure that your water heater is good for hot showers all winter long. You want to keep it running efficiently so you can drain two gallons of water from your tank heater twice a year. Don’t tackle this, though, without making sure the heater is not only powered off, but you’ve given it at least a full hour to cool down. Now, you also want to keep those heating bills low because even though the weather’s like great right now and maybe you don’t have the heat on, you’re gonna soon enough. So let’s keep those bills low. A fresh furnace filter is key to help you regulate those bills and keep those temperatures high. And if you haven’t done so in a while, those furnace filters need to be changed monthly. And since you’ll soon be closing those windows and doors for good, you can use this time to clean your house the natural way. Vinegar and water works great on windows and wood floors. Salt and baking soda is great to make a paste that you can use as a scouring cleanser. And olive oil and lemon juice creates a chemical-free furniture polish. We’ve got a long list of natural cleaners that you can make yourself on MoneyPit.com. We’ve got a lot to keep you busy for the fall and the winter, so always reach out with projects you are working on so we can lend a hand. |
| 00:32:51 | TOM: Coming up next time on The Money Pit, have you guys been using your heating system? Did you get it serviced before you did? Well, it’s not too late. An annual service by a pro is key to making sure the system remains safe and efficient. We’ll explain the key components to include on the next edition of The Money Pit. I’m Tom Kraeutler. And I’m Leslie Segrete. Remember, you can do it yourself. |
| 00:33:12 | 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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