Show Notes
Join us today to discover ways to keep your renovation costs in check, tips for heating your garage so it’s usable year-round, and must-know steps for winterizing your sprinkler system to avoid freezing mishaps. Tune in for expert advice on making your home winter-ready and functional on any budget!
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Renovation Budget: Before your blueprints bust the budget, learn how to manage home renovation costs.
- Garage Heating: Warm up your workspace with garage heating hacks.
- Sprinkler Systems: Follow this chill-proof checklist for winterizing your sprinkler system.
Top Questions & Answers
- Roofing Repairs: Terry finds out that her roofers were right when they replaced the flashing to fix her leaky chimney.
- Deck Stain: The stain on Ted’s hardwood deck just won’t dry! This happens sometimes with new stain products, so he should wait some more before trying to remove it and reapply a different deck stain.
- Glue Removal: Sylvia is stuck with old carpet glue! She should use a citrus adhesive remover to soften the glue, then add a new layer of plywood before installing hardwood flooring over that.
- Soundproofing: How can Ian soundproof the recording studio he’s building? We recommend adding a layer of sound-resistant drywall and sealing any outlets and openings.
- Generator: Can you use a power generator in an apartment? It’s not very convenient, since Linda would have to use a portable generator and run extension cords outdoors.
- Damp Basement: Mike wonders if a dehumidifier would dry up his damp basement. He needs to solve the source first by improving the grading and drainage outside his home.
- Concrete Repair: Leah’s concrete porch keeps cracking and is unlevel. We discuss the specific products she needs to adhere to the concrete base and make repairs.
Ask Your Home Improvement Question
Podcast Transcript
Read Transcript
| 00:00:24 | TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is the Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
| 00:00:24 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. |
| 00:00:24 | TOM: And we make good homes better, and we can help you do just that if you reach out to us right now with your questions. You can call us at 1-888-Money-Pit, that’s 888-666-3974, or simply post your questions to moneypit.com. We’d love to hear what you’re working on, what you’re dreaming of working on, what project you started, which projects you got stuck in, and maybe one of the ones that you want to tackle as the months tick by. All of that’s possible, so reach out to us with those questions. Hey, coming up on today’s show, are you renovating your house? Well, if you are, you’re not alone, because 93% of homeowners plan to, according to a new survey. But with financial hurdles and budget overruns being so common, we thought it’d be a good idea to share the top ways to avoid very costly mistakes and manage your renovation budget like a pro. |
| 00:01:23 | LESLIE: And also ahead, do you use your garage as a workshop or a hangout spot? Well, winter can make that tough, but we’ve got tips on how to add heat to your garage and turn it into a year-round workspace just ahead. |
| 00:01:35 | TOM: And if you’re lucky enough to have a sprinkler system for your lawn, now is definitely the time when that system needs to be winterized, because you don’t want to see what happens when it’s not. Trust me, I’ve seen it. It happened to me once. It was a big mess. We’ll explain what needs to happen to avoid an unplanned winter wonderland from showing up. |
| 00:01:52 | LESLIE: But first, we want to help you create your best home ever. So whatever it is that you are working on this almost holiday season, getting your house in tip-top shape for all of those visitors, let us know so we can lend a hand. |
| 00:02:05 | TOM: Plus, if you reach out today with your questions, you might just win yourself a copy of my brand new book, Home Maintenance for Dummies. So call us right now at 1-888-Money-Pit. That’s 888-666-3974. Let’s get to it. Leslie, who’s first? |
| 00:02:20 | LESLIE: Heading over to Florida, where we’ve got Terri, who’s not only had to repair her roof and chimney once, but had to do it again. So let’s find out what’s going on. |
| 00:02:28 | CALLER: I have a chimney that has a rock facade on it. It’s like a rock veneer. And the roofers that went out there to replace shingles and repair the fascia around the chimney where it meets the pitch roof, they discovered that they needed to completely reseal the entire chimney. So I was wondering if that was necessary. But they ended up doing it. |
| 00:02:53 | TOM: So when you say reseal, did they replace the flashing or did they tar it? |
| 00:02:57 | CALLER: I had contractors that were doing interior work and they found a leak. So they went up there and tried to save me money. They put flashing around the chimney, but I didn’t know this. When I got back from a trip, I see that they had tarred it. But not only that, they used shingles that didn’t match. And then after the fact, the roofer found out that they didn’t even use an asphalt underlayment. So I couldn’t do anything about it. So that’s why I’m here today. I’m going to continue to have leaks. And I was in a situation where I was in a home stretch before I sell my house. I was ready to have pictures taken and I got major leaks inside. It damaged the interior. |
| 00:03:33 | TOM: So the roofers then did it right. They took it all apart and then reflashed the whole thing? |
| 00:03:37 | CALLER: Yes. Yes. Yeah, they did. |
| 00:03:39 | TOM: That was the right thing to do. But you know, it’s unfortunate because it is true that sometimes contractors or even roofers that want to make a fast fix will simply use an asphalt patching material there. And that never works. I mean, if it does work, it works for a really short period of time. So while this is kind of a hassle for you, ultimately, it sounds to me like it was |
| 00:03:56 | CALLER: done right. Yeah, because they explained that they have to use, there’s several layers and they have to do it right. And then they remove the sloppy tar job all the way around. Because see, I put myself in a prospective buyer and that’s a red flag. If I don’t know, you got major leaks, I’m backing out. |
| 00:04:14 | TOM: Absolutely. Yep. You’re absolutely right. All right. Take care now. Thanks for calling. |
| 00:04:17 | LESLIE: Bye-bye. We’ve got Ted in Connecticut on the line who’s having an issue with a deck standing project. What’s going on? |
| 00:04:23 | CALLER: Well, I have a hardwood, tropical hardwood deck that we had issues with cupping because of the invisible fastener configuration and the deck’s close to the ground, so there’s a lot of moisture and decided to just flatten it out and put a solid stain on it. So we had it done professionally. Floor standing people did it, did an exquisite job. And then they rolled on an opaque, oil-based deck stain. Did a beautiful job. Now the weather was iffy after that. It was kind of damp. Didn’t really rain on it before it started to dry. However, it took a very long time for some, well, I’m talking about a month now. And it’s closest to the house where it was put on with a brush. You can put your finger on and it’ll still come up gray. And it’s just not setting properly. And I’m wondering, I called the manufacturer and they said, well, try wiping it with mineral spirits. Well, that just would take it right off. They also suggested maybe purple power as a degreaser to try to get any excess oil that might not have penetrated the wood. Now the wood being very dense and very hard might be part of the problem. Yeah. But right now it’s fall. And of course it was beautifully warm today. And most of it is drying, it’s still taking way too long. None of it’s peeling. None of it’s come up. Some of the oil from the wood has come through on some planks. And when it rained, it left little orange puddles and that wiped off with water. But still, some of the planks are more yellowish than gray because of all that. Yeah. I’m afraid to re-create that. Yeah. I’m going to coat it in the spring because I’m afraid it won’t dry again. |
| 00:06:28 | TOM: For what it’s worth, Ted, I have seen this more often than not with the newer paints and stains, both oil-based and latex-based. My opinion is I believe the chemistry is changing so quickly to try to make these paints more environmentally friendly, to try to get rid of some of the harmful chemicals that we put in paints for so many years, that the chemistry has just taken a lot longer to set up. I mean, I did a floor myself this past summer, and we had it sanded. And it wasn’t hard wood, and I do agree that it’s probably complicating things here because you’re not getting the same absorption. But this one was fur, and I’m telling you, it probably took six, eight weeks before it wasn’t tacky. And that was bothering me. It eventually dried, and now it’s fine, and there’s no issues. It just seems to take a lot longer. And I really think it has to do with the chemistry. So I would tell you to go through this and see if there’s anything you can do about it. I would tell you to go through the winter, and by the time we get around the next summer and some of those hot days, hopefully this thing will no longer be doing what it’s doing now. If it is, then you’ve got no |
| 00:07:34 | CALLER: options at this point then to take it off and start again. But wouldn’t I end up with the same |
| 00:07:40 | TOM: situation? Well, I wouldn’t use the same product. And I can’t get into which manufacturer the painters did use on this. But I wouldn’t think of it… I would think… I’ll tell you one thing I would do. I would use a different stain. I would use a different stain. I would use a different stain. And then a different topcoat. So in other words, I would probably use, since it is hardwood like that, I would probably use an oil-based stain. And then once the stain dries, then I’d put a clear finish over that. I wouldn’t use a solid stain like we would use for siding. |
| 00:08:11 | CALLER: The reason I use the solid is I thought maybe that would seal it a little better and maybe avoid the cupping issue. Because the wood is water. The solid stain just means it has more… The wood is water. |
| 00:08:22 | TOM: The solid means it just has more solids in it. And it covers the grain more. But it doesn’t seal better. It just tends to last longer than semi-transparent or certainly transparent. And I think if you had a deck that was made out of fir or pine, you’d be having probably a different result now. But because you have a beautiful hardwood deck, I think that’s probably contributing to this because the oil in that natural hardwood is making it very difficult for the stain to be absorbed. And I think that’s leaving a lot more of it on the surface than perhaps we’d like, and perhaps even more than the contractor was used to, depending on what his experience was with working with hardwood decks. |
| 00:09:06 | CALLER: Thank you very much. |
| 00:09:08 | LESLIE: Hey, are you a fan of our podcast? Well, leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and we’ll be doing a happy dance. Plus, it helps us keep the show going and growing. Just go to MoneyPit.com slash review. Here’s a great reason to reach out to Team Money Pit. We’ve got up for grabs this hour a great new book by a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful author. It’s called Home Maintenance for Dummies, and it’s written by Tom. And he’s amazing. You’re going to get so much wonderful information, whether you are a seasoned DIYer, or maybe you’re just getting started. This really is the perfect practical guide to keep your home in tip-top shape. And maybe Tom will even sign it for you. Maybe. |
| 00:09:45 | TOM: I’d be happy to do just that. Yeah, it’s kind of like an encyclopedia for your house. You’ll learn how to complete almost any kind of home maintenance project, everything from, say, routine inspections to major appliance repairs. Tom Kraeutler, MoneyPit.com. I’ll see you next time. Bye. We’re going to give one copy away to one lucky listener, drawn at random. So make that you. Reach out to us right now with your questions at 1-888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:10:06 | LESLIE: Sylvia in Ohio is on the line. What’s going on? |
| 00:10:09 | CALLER: Our carpet in our kitchen is glued down like 20 years ago. Did you say carpeting in your kitchen? Yes. They use glue to put the carpet down. My question is, how do we get it off the floor |
| 00:10:22 | TOM: without tearing the whole floor out? What kind of flooring was it glued over? Is it hardwood? |
| 00:10:27 | CALLER: No, just… Plywood? |
| 00:10:29 | TOM: Yes, uh-huh. Some sort of a subfloor. So really, you don’t have to get it completely off. You just have to kind of get it smooth so you can put whatever kind of flooring down you want to do over that. What kind of flooring do you want to end up with, Sylvia? We want to put hardwood over it or on it. So what you should do is get a citrus adhesive remover. There’s a number of different citrus-based adhesive removers. They’re not as caustic as some of the other adhesive removers. Okay. And what it will do… …is soften that adhesive. And your goal here is just to get any of the sort of the thicker, chunkier areas removed so that what you could do is put down another layer of plywood, an underlayment of plywood, say like a quarter-inch Luan or something like that. Then on top of that, you can install your hardwood floor. There’s lots of options with the hardwood floor. You can use engineered hardwood, which is thinner but very, very beautiful. And it’s more dimensionally stable than it would be a… Probably a better choice for a kitchen because if you put regular hardwood down and you ever had a big leak, spilled a pot of anything, it will swell up and become damaged. But if you use engineered, it’s much more stable and resistant to any type of swelling when it gets damp or wet. |
| 00:11:42 | CALLER: Oh, that’s great. Thank you. |
| 00:11:44 | TOM: Oh, you’re very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:11:48 | LESLIE: Well, a new study by Clever Real Estate on Home Renovation Trends in 2024 found that when compared to boomers, millennials are nearly 50% more likely to have a hardwood floor than millennials. Millennials are nearly three times more likely, and Gen Zers are nearly two times more likely to prioritize those home renovations that could increase a home’s resale value. |
| 00:12:05 | TOM: Yeah. I mean, to me, that makes perfect sense because if you think about it, boomers have probably been in those homes a lot longer. And when they were younger, they probably did prioritize those improvements, but now they’re probably more set in their ways, right? |
| 00:12:17 | LESLIE: Yeah. And I mean, it really does make sense. I mean, overall, the top three reasons homeowners renovate are to repair damage about 35% of the time, increase comfort 35%, and increase the home’s value 30%. |
| 00:12:29 | TOM: Now, nearly all homeowners plan to renovate in the future. That was a whopping 93%, but 90% of homeowners have put off renovations with 42% citing financial constraints as the main reason. |
| 00:12:41 | LESLIE: Yeah. The study found that throughout their homeownership, 49% have spent more than they expected on those renovations, and more than half of homeowners, 52%, would rather DIY those projects to save on costs. Now, of those who hired contractors, 53% went over budget and 46% experienced significant delays compared to just 42% and 32% of DIYers, respectively. |
| 00:13:07 | TOM: Yeah. I think we can help here, Les, because there are ways to better manage those costs. So two important things to do to help would be this. First, start with a plan that details the specifications of your project. So you need to have a sort of a to-do list as to what you expect to do. And with as much detail as possible, even before you talk to contractors, you want to list colors of fixtures, types of tile, whether you’re rewiring, whether you’re expanding, whether you’re ripping out the floors, all the things that need to be done. You want to try to develop that list of to-dos. And in the business, we call that specs. And generally, you start with an architect, and the architects will develop the specs with the bigger projects. But you can do it with smaller projects as well. And the reasons that those are so important is because this way, you’re going to deliver those specs to the contractors and ask them to bid based on that. And this way, they’re bidding based on what you expect that job to be when it’s done and not what they think should be done to it. And if they disagree with anything, you guys can talk about it, but you’ll be able to have an apples-to-apples comparison among contractors because they’re all bidding on the same thing. It’s like, you know, if you wanted to buy a TV, it’s got a retail price. It doesn’t change where you go, right? Well, with these specs, specs are not going to change, but you’re going to have the ability to compare all the results of those contractors. And the second thing, and you really got to get into it to understand this, is what we call a change order. Now, a change order is just that. It’s an order to make a change to an agreed-upon set of specifications. So let’s say that as you get into the project, you find termite damage. Well, you didn’t expect to have to replace the main girder because it’s termite damage. Maybe you shouldn’t, but maybe it was underneath drywall and you just couldn’t. No. Well, that’s a change. Now, when that happens, you want to have a contract. There’s an addendum to the contract that says, okay, here’s the original price, here’s the change that we want to make, and here is how much more it’s going to cost or how much it’s going to save me if you decide, hey, I don’t want that window in that place where I thought I wanted a window, so now we’re going to put one less window in. That’s reflected in the change order. What this does is it stops all the surprises that happen at the end when it’s time to settle up because what you expect to pay ends up being what you actually pay, and there’s no surprises at the end. If you use change orders, if you start with a plan, it all comes down to communication. Keep that communication clear between you and the contractor, and that project is definitely going to come out exactly as you dreamed it could. |
| 00:15:41 | LESLIE: Ian in North Carolina is on the line and wants to build a recording studio. We might be able to help with that. |
| 00:15:47 | CALLER: Well, it’s kind of a bucket list project. I was given my grandmother’s old house, and they built on an extension of the house, and I’m trying to convert it into just that, a semi-professional recording studio. And I’ve done a little research on this acoustic phone stuff, but it’s ridiculously expensive, and I’m trying to figure out a different method to basically achieve |
| 00:16:12 | TOM: the same effect. First of all, if you want to soundproof a room in a residential home, you have to use materials that are specifically designed to do that. Probably, the least you can do the least expensive way to do it is with a material called soundproof drywall or sound-resistant drywall. There’s a couple of different brands that sell this product, but essentially what you would do is you would put a second layer of drywall over the existing layer. And this new drywall has sound-resistant capabilities to it or qualities to it, so it absorbs the sound and keeps it nice and quiet. Where the rubber meets the road with this, is at the penetrations to the wall. So if there’s a light, an outlet, or a switch, there are some very specific steps you have to take in those areas to soundproof them. And there’s like a putty that has to be installed around it. It’s quite involved. But that’s the least expensive way to probably do this. Generally, when you have sound-resistant construction, you have kind of a wall inside of a wall so that the two walls are not touching each other. |
| 00:17:23 | CALLER: Like floating. |
| 00:17:24 | TOM: Yeah, kind of like floating, like a non-touching wall. Yeah, like a non-bearing wall. Right, right. Okay. But, you know, you could do that to the walls and the ceilings, but then what do you do about the floor? Right. Okay. So, you know, take a look at soundproof drywall and see if that kind of gets you closer to where you want to go on this, okay? |
| 00:17:40 | CALLER: That sounds great. Thank you so much. |
| 00:17:42 | TOM: You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:17:46 | LESLIE: Linda in Ohio is on the line and needs some advice on purchasing a generator. How can we help you? By the way, great idea. |
| 00:17:51 | CALLER: Is it possible to use a generator when you live in an apartment? Perfect. |
| 00:17:55 | TOM: So are you talking about what kind of generator, like a portable generator or a standby generator? |
| 00:18:00 | CALLER: Basically standby if my car goes out. |
| 00:18:03 | TOM: So, I mean, for an apartment, you have to understand that a standby generator or a whole house generator is something that’s permanently installed, Linda, so the answer would be no. That said, you could use a portable generator, but of course you’d have to run wires, you know, extension cords from the generator itself into the house, so it’s not very convenient. There is something called a transfer switch that can work for a portable generator where it’s kind of like having a mini electrical panel inside, but again, it’s something that requires some installation, and generally when it’s an apartment, you can’t do that. So the only thing you could really do would be to have a portable generator, one that you took out of storage, put outside because you can’t run it in the apartment, and then run extension cords in to try to deal with that short-term, hopefully, power outage. |
| 00:18:50 | CALLER: Wow, that sounds like it would be difficult. |
| 00:18:53 | TOM: Yeah, it’s not the best answer, but I mean, it’s because generators are something that are permanently installed into the building’s sort of core electrical system, and that’s why it’s real important that they be done correctly. You can’t, you know, when you install these transfer switches inside, they have technology built into them to prevent what’s called a back feed, so that electricity doesn’t go back through the wiring and can hurt an alignment, for example, that’s working on the power line. So you can’t really run it without the transfer switch. And that has to be permanently installed. And the generator itself is a very big appliance. That said, a portable generator, you know, is much smaller. Now, if you just want to power a couple of things, you know, you could use a very small generator. Generac has one that’s called the IQ, that’s 2,000 watts, that’s under 1,000 bucks, and will, you know, power a fair number of household items, small appliances, lights, that sort of thing. But you have some options there, but again, you have to use an extension cord. Okay. |
| 00:19:50 | CALLER: Well, thank you. |
| 00:19:51 | TOM: All right, Linda, good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:19:55 | LESLIE: Well, if you’re an avid DIYer and you happen to have a garage, you can bet there are many projects that get worked on in that space. But in the winter, that gets a lot tougher as the garage is that one place under the roof which isn’t heated. Today, however, adding garage heating is a task that has become very common for homeowners, especially since so few of us use that space for actually putting your car in. I mean, I almost don’t know anybody who puts their car in the garage. You know, today, your garage really is just as likely to be a laundry room, a workshop, a play area, even like a pet zone. So there’s lots of uses for that space. |
| 00:20:32 | TOM: Oh, absolutely. Now, if this is a project you’d like to explore, the most common option is a forced air heater. These will deliver instant heat, kind of like a conventional furnace, and they’re designed to solve any outdoor heating needs, which is essentially what you’re doing when you’re in the garage because it’s an unheated space. They’re available in great numbers. They’re not only gas or electric, they’re easy to use, they’re easy to install, and they’re a great way to warm up an entire garage. Now, gas forced air heaters do need a gas line, of course, and both need an electrical outlet, and the gas heater would also need a vent. So the size is going to depend on how much space you need to heat, and that depends also on where you are in the country. Right. |
| 00:21:08 | LESLIE: But as a basic rule of thumb for forced air garage heaters, it’s kind of that you’re going to need 45,000 BTUs to heat a two- to a two-and-a-half-car garage. And 60,000 BTUs for a three-car garage. So keep that in mind by comparison to your home’s heating system. I mean, that’s a lot of extra heating expense. |
| 00:21:27 | TOM: Well, it definitely is. I mean, because I’d say that an average boiler or furnace is probably, you know, 60,000 to 80,000 BTU size for the entire house. So to put that just in the garage, it’s going to cost you a bit to run that. But the flip side of that is you’re not running it all the time, right, because it heats up quickly. One way to cut that expense, though, is to add some insulation. And the only way to do that is if you have insulation in your garage. You know, keep in mind that the only wall that would be insulated typically in a garage is the wall between the house and the garage, because that’s sort of an exterior wall. So if you’re going to heat, though, all the exterior walls in that garage should be insulated. Plus, most garage doors are also not insulated. And frankly, even if they are, there’s not much room to put insulation in there. So adding foam panels to insulate the garage door can help as well as reduce noise transfer. And if you’re already considering a new garage door, specify an insulated wall. It’s a very marginal cost that would be added. And the last thing to look at is the seal on the bottom of the garage door and around the sides, but mostly on the bottom. Make sure the door hits evenly to the floor and that there’s a rubber seal there. That will keep a lot of wind from getting into that space. |
| 00:22:31 | LESLIE: Mike in Rhode Island is on the line with water in the basement. What is going on? |
| 00:22:35 | CALLER: Well, it’s not water, but it sweats is what I’m told. And I own a two-story apartment. And I’ve come to find out that it was built on a swamp. And after doing my research, not my research, my son has done most of the research. He’s a geek on the Internet. And I have COPD, and I was referred to a couple of plumbers. And then I got a referral from this. I mean, I got a couple of quotes from a couple of plumbers. And then I got a quote from a company called Pioneer Basements who said they could solve the problem with a dehumidifier. Have you ever heard of them? |
| 00:23:26 | TOM: All right. So let me stop you right there, Mike. So the moisture that you’re reporting in the basement is not likely sourcing from anything underground. This is a very common question we get on this show. In fact, if you go to moneypit.com, one of our most read articles is right there. And it’s about solving damp and leaky basements. And waterproofers.com. We don’t have the market cornered on this. Generally, the reason you have dampness and leaking and condensation in the basement is because the grating and the drainage at the foundation perimeter is off. And by that, I mean the downspouts are blocked. They’re not discharging far enough away from the house or the soil is flat or the soil slopes into the house. So the place you want to look for the solution here is not necessarily inside the house but outside. After you get all of that done, certainly if you wanted to add a dehumidifier to that space to kind of finish it off, that’s fine. But you need to stop by cutting back on the sources of the water which will be outside. And it could be as simple as a downspout that’s blocked or just discharging water right near the corner of the foundation. We see that all the time. And it’s an easy fix to get them extended. And you’ll be amazed at the immediate result of a far, far, far drier basement. |
| 00:24:37 | CALLER: Hey, you know, I listen to you guys every weekend. I’ve got an old house. And I get a problem. I say, oh, good. Yeah. I mean, like when you say from sticky windows, I said, knock the window down instead of up. And, damn it, it worked. How about that, huh? I’m so glad to hear that. |
| 00:24:57 | TOM: You guys are extremely helpful. Thank you very, very much. You’re very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. Hey, have you ever wished there was a book that you can crack open and find the answer to any home maintenance project that you’ve got going around in your house? Well, there is because I wrote it. It’s called Home Maintenance for Dummies. It’s brand new, just out on the market. So whether you’re a seasoned DIYer or just getting started, the guide is packed with practical tips to keep your home in tip-top shape. And we’re going to give one away to one lucky listener that reaches out with their question to 1-888-Money-Pit. This covers everything from seasonal maintenance checklist to troubleshooting common home issues. It is a go-to resource for year-round upkeep. It’s also a great holiday gift. It’s available for $24.99 at Amazon or at moneypit.com slash dummies. That’s moneypit.com slash dummies. |
| 00:25:47 | LESLIE: Don’t miss your chance to win a free copy and take control of your home maintenance like a pro. Call us now at 888-Money-Pit. Well, sprinkler systems are a luxury that affords you a beautiful green lawn and garden all spring and summer long. But if you live in a climate where they need to be winterized, it’s a job that has to get done right. Or you could be facing a big repair bill come springtime. |
| 00:26:10 | TOM: Yeah. You know, I have always blown out my sprinkler system. I don’t do it myself. I have a sprinkler contractor do it because they have the equipment. But we did have a miscommunication some years back where I thought it was done and it actually wasn’t. Winter caught up and reminded me very quickly that it wasn’t done because the pipe that fed from the main valve to the sprinkler system actually ruptured. And man, what a big mess that was. Fortunately, I had valves in the right place that could turn off quickly. But it just goes to show you that it can be quite a mess. Now, there are really three ways to winterize a system. A manual, automatic, and blowout. And the first step in all cases is, of course, to turn off the water supply valve. Yeah. |
| 00:26:50 | LESLIE: And the first way that you do this is by using a manual drain valve. You’re going to find that located at the low end of the low points of the sprinkler lines. You want to open the valves and allow that water to drain. Warning, sometimes that water is still under a lot of pressure and it can come out kind of quickly at first. So just be ready. Next, some systems have an automatic drain valve. And that’s going to be located at the end and the low points of those irrigation piping. Now, these will automatically open and drain the water if the pressure in the piping is less than 10 PSI. So to activate these, you shut off that irrigation water supply. |
| 00:27:26 | TOM: And lastly, the sprinkler lines can simply be blown out. Now, this is a process that’s done by a pro. It uses forced air from a very powerful compressor to make sure all the water has been pushed out of those pipes, completely removed. So, no matter which way you do it, you can do it. Get it done now and get it done right so you don’t end up with your own version of the Frozen movie in your backyard. Might look like fun, but it’s quite a mess and very expensive to fix. |
| 00:27:52 | LESLIE: Hey, Tom. Yeah. You want to build a snowman? |
| 00:27:57 | LESLIE: Leah in Kansas is on the line with a concrete question. Tell us what you were working on. |
| 00:28:02 | CALLER: I’m in an old house that I got in a survivorship. And it’s got an old, probably was built in the 60s. I’m in the prairie of Kansas. It has an entryway concrete porch. It just keeps cracking and cracking due to earthquakes. We had a pretty good one a week or so ago. And now it’s really unlevel. Some of the cracks are small enough that I can fill and aren’t unlevel. And I’m just wondering, because I don’t know, I don’t live near a Lowe’s or a Home Depot or anything like that. It seems like an hour and a half drive away. There’s a local hardware store about 10 miles. Can you fill small cracks with Quikrete or do you need concrete or Sacrete? I don’t know what the differences are. Okay. |
| 00:28:48 | TOM: So, first of all, the type of repair material you use is different than the type of material you would use if you were, say, pouring a new concrete slab. And you mentioned Quikrete. That’s a great brand. And they have a wide variety of repair products. You have the option to repair the cracks. You could also resurface that concrete. There’s a product for that. And in all cases, the difference between that type of a product, a repair product, and the original sort of concrete product is that the repair products are designed to adhere to the original concrete base. You know, if anything is loose, of course, you have to pop that out and restore it. But short of that, there are plenty of concrete repair products that are out there. And, you know, you’re going to obviously have to get yourself to a hardware store or lumberyard to find it. You can do some research online at their website. But you want to make sure you choose a repair product because it is designed specifically to adhere to those surfaces. Okay. |
| 00:29:44 | CALLER: Thank you so much. All right. |
| 00:29:46 | TOM: Good luck. 888-666-3974. Hey, Robin from Kentucky reached out. And she says, we’re building a white house that has an Owens Corning Harbor blue roof. A professional home decorator said if the blue roof had black in it, then she would use a bronze paint for the front door and shutters for a classic look. I got to say, Leslie, I can’t imagine using bronze. I can’t imagine using bronze paint on shutters and maybe on a door. But there’s probably some better options, right? She wants to know what our advice would be for the right color for doors and shutters in this house. |
| 00:30:16 | LESLIE: Well, I feel like I’m going to go to my paint wheel here because Sherwin-Williams is the maker of this urbane bronze color. So while you and I initially are like, oh, it’s metallic, it’s more of like this oil-rubbed bronze grayish black tone. And it has like a blue base to it. So in looking at that without just sort of initially hearing bronze, I do kind of feel like this is a great choice. I mean, I think the idea of coordinating with the roof and the flex and the shingles is very smart because sometimes those shingles do have a lot of different color tones and flex to it that you can pull from and find something that might seem interesting and a little different than what you might normally go to like a traditional black or just more of a brighter prime tone. But I do like the idea of this urbane bronze. It’s very nice. It has a blue base to it. So I think going with your Owens Corning Harbor Blue Roof Shingle, you’re going to pick up that tone to it and it’s going to give a richness and a warmth to it. You can also, I mean, if you’re feeling a little bit more brave, you can go with a brighter, happier color as well that kind of makes a standout choice, whether that’s a red or a berry tone or a hunter green. But I do like the suggestion of the urbane bronze. So I say go for it. |
| 00:31:29 | TOM: All right. Good advice. |
| 00:31:31 | LESLIE: All right. Let’s jump into the next one. This one is from the foundation. |
| 00:31:37 | It says, I know that two by six floor joists would work to 15 feet, but I need a center girder beam to support them. My question, is there another type of beam that would span that full 30 feet? Wouldn’t that be more of like an engineered piece rather than, and also how do you transport that? |
| 00:31:56 | TOM: Yeah, it would be. And I got to tell you, even though maybe technically, and I’m not sure this is the case because I have to look up the span table. But 15 feet seems like a really long way to run a two by six floor joist. So I would never do that. It’d be bouncy as heck if it did support it, right? So yeah, there is a beam that can support up to 32 feet. As you say, Leslie, it is an engineered beam. It’s called a TJI or a trust joist. It’s made by the Weyerhaeuser company. And the TJI joist can span up to 32 feet according to the company’s specification tables. Now a TJI looks like sort of a wood version of a steel I-beam, right? So imagine the flat steel on top and bottom and then sort of the vertical piece at the web that sort of connects it. It’s like that except it’s made of wood. So there’s like a laminated top and bottom that’s pretty heavy. And then there’s a web that usually looks like a piece of OSB. But I’m sure it’s something more durable than that that kind of gives you that height in between. Now transporting them is tricky. They come on very long trucks. But I’ll tell you what. They don’t squeak. They’re really strong. They’re not going to warp. They do have to be engineered by a professional. And TJI will actually do this for you. So I would start there. Go to their website, which is trustjoist.com, T-U-R-S-J-O-I-S-T.com. All right, Maurice. Good luck with that. This sounds like it’s going to be an awesome and huge home. This is the Money Pit Home Improvement Show. Hey, thanks for spending this part of your day listening to us. We hope we’ve been helpful in the tips and advice we’ve delivered. If you guys have a question and you couldn’t get through on today’s show, hey, remember, you can reach out 24-7 by going to moneypit.com. There’s a handy blue button there that will activate your microphone. You can record your question. It will come right to our studio for the fastest possible response. But until then, I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
| 00:33:43 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. |
| 00:33:45 | TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself. |
| 00:33:47 | 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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