4-Season Greenhouse | Bathroom Lighting to Make You Look Good | Crack-Proof Concrete | Ep #2136

TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: What are you guys doing on this early autumn weekend? Fall is almost here. Starts in just, I think, a few days. And that is the time when we kick off lots of home improvement projects around the house because it’s not too hot outside, it’s not too cold. You can work inside, you can work out. You can do roofing and painting, you can start working on kitchens and bathrooms, especially if you expect to have a couple of extra folks than maybe you had last holiday season over towards the end of the year. Now is when we take on all of those projects. And if you need help, well, that’s what we do.

So pick up the phone and call us with your how-to questions. Ask us whether you can do it yourself or whether you need a pro, how do you get started. The number here is 1-888-MONEY-PIT. And you can also post your questions to MoneyPit.com.

Coming up on today’s show, now that it’s getting colder, it will soon be time to wrap up our gardening for the year. And boy, we have had a great garden.

LESLIE: You’ve had a big haul this season.

TOM: We went over the top on plants. Although, I have to say when I first set up the garden, I thought, “I don’t know. Kind of dinky. I don’t know what we’re going to get.” Man, was I wrong. We got 71 or 2 cucumbers so far, then they started to kind of die back. And now, we are inundated with tomatoes and we’re still growing. But soon enough, it’s going to be time for that garden to go away.

However, if we had a greenhouse, that wouldn’t happen. Greenhouses are becoming more and more popular. I’m thinking about finding a place to put one so that we can extend some of the gardening into the fall and more importantly, start earlier in the spring. We’re going to talk about that today. We’ve got some recommendations for greenhouses that you can add. They come in kits today, they’re not that expensive and you can practically have veggies all year round. So we’ll see what we can do to hook you up.

LESLIE: And also ahead, when you wake up each day and you catch that first glimpse of yourself in that bathroom mirror, do you want to run back to bed and hide under the covers? Well, that reflection staring back at you may very well not be you that’s bothering you. It could be your bathroom lighting. We’re going to share tips to help you improve your natural glow.

TOM: You mean the green glow isn’t natural that I see?

LESLIE: No, no, no, no, no.

And you know what? It’s funny, the lights in my bathroom just went out recently and all I had was – I know it – LED ones but I got some cool-temperature ones and I hate it. It is awful.

TOM: Yeah. Right. I know, it’s too much information. I don’t need to see that closely.

LESLIE: It’s so bright, it’s like blue. I’m like, “Ahh.”

TOM: And also ahead, now that winter is approaching, it’s also a good time to make sure your outdoor concrete surfaces are protected. If you’ve got a concrete porch or a patio or a driveway or a sidewalk, it’s a good time to seal those surfaces. So we’ll walk you through that project.

LESLIE: And no matter when you listen to The Money Pit, you can always get in on our fun giveaways. And this one is sure to make you want to stick around. We’re giving away the Arrow GT300 Glue Gun and it’s an awesome glue gun. It’s worth 49 bucks.

TOM: Going out to one listener drawn at random. Make that you. Pick up the phone and call us with your questions at 888-MONEY-PIT. That’s 888-666. Or post your questions to MoneyPit.com.

Let’s get to it, Leslie. Who’s first?

LESLIE: Russ in Iowa, you’ve got The Money Pit. What can we do for you today?

RUSS: I have some casement windows. The old crank-style ones?

TOM: OK. Yep.

RUSS: And I want – we need to replace windows but can those be replaced with double-hung windows easily or is it going to be major work?

TOM: Well, if it’s a casement window, you don’t have an existing sort of window jamb that would stay behind. If it was an old double-hung and you took out the sashes, you could slip a replacement window in between that and use the old sort of frame but just replace the sashes. Because it’s a casement window, you physically have to take the entire window out. So it’s more like doing a new-construction window installation where you have to, you know, kind of mess with the siding to get the whole window out and then put a new window in.

In terms of the shape of it, too, if it’s sort of shaped for a double-hung, double-hungs are more tall than they are wide. Casements can be kind of squatty in terms of their style. So you want to make sure it’s going to look good.

But listen, if you’re going to take the casement out and it’s not going to fit a double-hung well, why not put in a new casement but just put in a good-quality casement, like an Andersen, for example? And that can fit alongside double-hungs quite well. In fact, I’ve got both casements and double-hungs in my home and they look quite natural together.

RUSS: OK. I just had – every house we’ve had has had casements and they’ve all rotted and had problems.

TOM: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

RUSS: So, I was looking – something different. But OK, that answers my question.

TOM: What kind of siding do you have?

RUSS: Vinyl.

TOM: Yeah. So you’re going to have to peel back the vinyl to do this. There’s no way around that. Because you have to basically set the new double-hung against the sheathing and then put the J-channel in and fill the vinyl in around it.

Now, if these new vinyl, double-hung windows are bigger than the casement, you’re not going to have any issues with needing to try to replace siding. Just make sure it’s a little bit bigger and then be careful about the siding that you remove.

The siding does come down pretty easily. And what I would tell you to do is number each piece with a piece of tape and a number on it so you make sure you get it back in the right order. And you can basically cut it to fit. So, it’s more work but it can look fantastic when you’re done.

RUSS: OK. OK. Alright. Thanks, guys.

TOM: Good luck, Russ. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Valerie in Arkansas is on the line with a flooring question. What can we do for you today?

VALERIE: I have some ceramic tiles on the floor that have cracked. And it’s just a hairline crack but I was wondering if there was a way to repair those or if they have to be completely replaced.

TOM: You cannot repair a cracked ceramic tile. Once cracked, it will always be cracked. The question is: can you pop the cracked tile out and replace it? Are additional tiles of the same make available? That could require some research.

But if you can’t find the exact same tiles, you may have some other options. You could try to replace it with a complimentary tile: one that may actually be a décor piece and kind of stand out on purpose. Or you could look for an area where you have tile that maybe went into a closet or something like that and try to remove that and use that to replace the cracked tile. That’s kind of an extreme example of it.

But at the least, the least you need to do is to figure out why it cracked, though. And usually, that has to do with the floor system in that perhaps it wasn’t properly installed to begin with. Does that make sense?

VALERIE: It does, it does. I was afraid you were going to answer it that way, though.

TOM: Leslie, where are some places that Valerie might look for if she was thinking about finding matching tile for an older floor?

LESLIE: It’s challenging to find a tile once, especially, it’s been discontinued and also, if you are new to the house and it’s an old tile and you just don’t know where it is.

So, say you’ve got a box. If you’re lucky enough to have a box that has something with the manufacturer on it, you could at least reach out to the manufacturer and see. Or maybe you’ve got one or two new tiles kicking around. There are a few manufacturers across the United States that you can actually send that tile to and they’ll actually make it for you, if they have that glaze in their stock. A couple of them that do that are North Prairie Tileworks. They’re in Minneapolis. But that’s going to be a bit on the pricier side. It’s going to run around $30 per square foot. So it really depends on how important it is to actually have this tile and to match it.

It’s tricky. If you can try a couple of architectural salvage yards, maybe you can find something that works. But I do like the idea of popping out a couple of things here and there, to sort of make a purposeful pattern and add a detail in that wasn’t there before. I think it’s a cost-effective way to sort of keep the integrity of the tile you love but make it new without spending a ton of bucks.

VALERIE: OK. Alright. I’ll try that then.

TOM: And hey, if you are a pro contractor, if you’re a remodeler, if you’re a custom builder, we have partnered with LL Flooring to launch a brand-new podcast that’s designed to provide tips and ideas and resources to help you improve the success of your business. It’s called the Pro Files Podcast and it’s all about pros teaching pros, sharing strategies and sharing solutions that are going to save time, increase profit and improve your customer satisfaction. We’re going to be profiling contractors on the show who are veterans and those who are willing to share tips and tricks and ideas that are specific and actionable to help make you more successful in your business.

LESLIE: You can listen and follow the Pro Files Podcast at LLFlooring.com/Pro. That’s LLFlooring.com/Pro or wherever you get your pods.

Well, no matter where you listen to The Money Pit, you can always get in on our fun giveaways and this one is sure to make you want to stick around. We’ve got, up for grabs, the Arrow GT300 Glue Gun.

I mean this glue gun is amazing. It’s perfectly designed, so it’s really comfortable to use and your hand’s not going to cramp up if you’re working with it for a long time. It helps you get into those really hard-to-reach corners. It’s perfect for school projects, crafting. We’re all going to be diving headfirst into those school projects, right now, probably through the next 6 months. But specifically, I feel like the fall is very craft-heavy.

But you can use the glue gun for upholstery, crafting, tons of stuff. This really is the best glue gun.

Right, Tom?

TOM: Absolutely. It’s worth $49. Going out to one caller drawn at random. So if you’d like to win the Arrow GT300, call us with your home improvement question or post it to MoneyPit.com. Our number, again, is 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Now we’ve got Ricky on the line dealing with some pests who just want to destroy his garden. What’s going on, Ricky?

RICKY: Something is attacking two particular things in front of my house. I have a lilac bush and I have a crabapple tree that are kind of under attack. They’re really decaying. I sprayed them with an antifungal, antiparasitic bug mix and they seemed to do better. But when I stop spraying them, they just get worse and worse and worse. And I spray them every week.

TOM: Well, Ricky, in our part of the country, we have the same problem with deer. We don’t so much have the smaller mammals that you’re talking about but we get deer, we get rabbit.

The solution, though, is the same. You need to use a repellant and the fungicide is not a repellant. Maybe it’s working for you out there because it’s the only thing that you’ve got and for some reason they don’t like the taste. But there actually are repellant products.

Now, they’re available as a ready-to-mix product, which means you spray it out of the bottle. They’re available as a concentrate, which you have to mix up and put in a pump-up sprayer. Or you can get them as a pellet, which is sort of like a granule. And that’s the one that I find that we like the best because it’s so easy to do. We simply sprinkle it around some of the low landscape around our house that the deer and the rabbits love to munch on and they stay away from it.

It is true, though, you’re going to have to do this about every 2 weeks or so to keep them away. Because as soon as you stop and they figure out that the food’s good again, they’re going to come back.

In the alternative, you can start looking for landscaping that is naturally deer-resistant or naturally animal-resistant, like arborvitaes, for example. We use Green Giant arborvitaes up here because the animals don’t like them. They like everything else but they don’t like that.

LESLIE: And boy, do they grow beautifully and quickly, those trees.

TOM: Absolutely.

LESLIE: Well, now that it’s getting colder outside, it’s soon going to be time to wrap up our gardens for the season. But if you have a backyard greenhouse, you can actually extend that growing season significantly.

Tom, you better take notes because I know you want to keep growing tomatoes all year long.

TOM: I don’t want to stop. Last week, we spent an hour outside, my son and I, separating vines because they were overlapping and sort of cutting each other off. We had to untangle them and then I had to extend the trellis up to 6 feet so that we could hang them up high and have them continue to grow as long as possible. I even took some wire hangers, because I have a gutter right over where the gutter is, and I hooked up the wire hanger to the top of the gutter. I just dropped it in there and then I tied off to the bottom of the wire hanger.

So it looks a little shlocky, maybe a little less professional than my usual quality work. But you know, it’s the back of the house and I’m just all about the tomatoes right now. Want to keep them going as long as possible.

LESLIE: It really is providing a perfect function, so good use for the hanger.

But guys, you could actually build a greenhouse and it’s not that big of a deal. I mean if you’ve got limited space, you can build a mini greenhouse, which is probably going to be your best bet. They’re small, they’re portable. They’re not going to fit Tom’s gigantic tomato garden but you can fit a lot of things in there, because these’ll go in a nice, small, tight, narrow, area.

Another option is low-tunnel greenhouses. And because of their size, you can actually use them when they’re necessary and then you can kind of take them away when you don’t need them anymore.

TOM: Now, prefab is another easy way to step it up from there. We love these greenhouse kits that are out now. They have a door, they have shelves. They take only 30 or 40 square foot of space. And we’ve highlighted three favorites in our post about backyard greenhouses on MoneyPit.com, so you can check that out.

Now, if you’re lucky enough to have a larger piece of land and you want to add a traditional greenhouse, that’s always fun. This kind of structure, though, is like building a small building. It’s got walls and a roof, typically made from see-through material. And the old ones use glass but today, you can use plastic or acrylic. And then the glass traps the heat in the structure while protecting the inside from the elements, like the cold, the snow and the wind.

LESLIE: Yeah. Now, your greenhouse, it’s normally fitted with tables or shelves so that you can actually grow the plants in there. And some greenhouse tables are actually manually heated, which is great if you live in a cooler climate.

TOM: So, for all the details, check out our post “Backyard Greenhouses” online at MoneyPit.com. Just search “backyard greenhouse.”

LESLIE: Alright. Now we’ve got Lynn in Delaware on the line who’s got a leak in the basement that’s as if somebody’s turned a faucet on. What’s going on?

LYNN: Well, last Thursday we had a torrential rain in Delaware.

TOM: OK.

LYNN: And I was so afraid of trees falling in the rain, I ran down to my basement immediately. And about maybe 2 minutes being down there, I hear some sound like somebody turned on a faucet.

TOM: OK.

LYNN: So, I looked behind the – where the faucet is. It comes from the inside. The water pipe comes from the outside unto the inside. Water was just gushing. It was just gushing in, just like a faucet.

TOM: So, it was coming around the pipe, where the pipe comes through the wall?

LYNN: Yes, yes.

TOM: OK. Yep. Alright. So that makes sense. What happens is when you get a torrential rain like that, it’s going to find the path of – the easiest path in: the path of least resistance. And the holes that are drilled through foundation walls for things like plumbing, like the hose bibb in your case, are going to provide an easy entry.

So, what I would tell you is a couple of things. Now, it probably only happens when you get maybe a severe downpour like this, maybe even one that’s fueled by rain. But I would – number one is I would take silicone – and you can buy a tube of silicone in a little – in a can, squeeze tube or you can buy one just to put into a caulking gun. And I would seal the gap around where the pipe comes through the foundation wall. So, next, I want you to do the same thing on the inside. This is going to stop what happened to you most recently.

But the other thing I want you to do is to take a look, if you can, at the drainage conditions outside that wall, because you might find that maybe you have an overflowing gutter there or that you have soil that is sort of settling down and maybe it’s moving too much water towards that area of the – I don’t know how high up this hose bibb is. But generally, the roof and surface drainage conditions are what starts this all. And it’s an easy fix. You’ve just got to figure out what it is.

Downspouts are also really important to check. Most of the time when the gutter companies put them in, they drop them pretty close to the foundation. We always like to see them extended out 4 or 5 feet so you’re moving all that water out away from that wall. And if you can kind of move it out and keep it away, you’re going to find that the whole space is a lot drier.

And in your particular case, with this little gusher that happened, sealing the area around the pipe should stop that from happening the next time.

LYNN: Oh, OK.

Now, another thing that I’m wondering, now that you said about the ground settling and everything, this particular step where I’ve had – not gophers. What are those things, groundhogs that used to dig under there?

TOM: Groundhogs, yeah.

LYNN: And I’m wondering if they could have messed – moved the dirt and made a path or something to this particular …

TOM: Yeah, they may have. They may have. Generally, that first 4 to 6 feet you want to do what you can to keep the soil sloping away from the walls those first few feet. So if it does settle in, you just add clean fill dirt. Not topsoil but just fill dirt. They’re inexpensive. And you pack it in there and you slope it away. Then you could put some mulch or you can put some topsoil and grass over that. But you want to have that soil sloping away. And it is going to settle every once in a while and especially if you get any overflowing gutters. It’ll just erode and wash away.

LYNN: Yeah.

TOM: So, that – maintaining that sort of slope and that space to keep the walls as dry as possible is important. And it really does help solve a lot of problems with water in the basement and even dampness in the basement.

LYNN: OK.

TOM: OK?

LYNN: I appreciate that. That’s what I will do then. Thank you so much for taking my call.

TOM: You’re very welcome.

LESLIE: Hey, guys. Do you need some help with a reno, repair or a décor project? Maybe you want to freshen up your home for fall but you need a little cash and some advice to get it done? Well, we’ve got both. Now through October 15^th, we’re partnering with BobVila.com to launch the $2,500 Freshen Up For Fall Giveaway.

TOM: Enter now at BobVila.com for a chance to win one of five $500 Amazon gift cards for your next fall fix-up project.

So, Leslie, when I woke up this morning, heading down to my kitchen, I noticed on the floor there was a protein bar. Now, we keep a stack of protein bars around for snacks now and again.

LESLIE: Wait. Do you have any of the kids’ dogs with you?

TOM: No. No dogs in the house.

LESLIE: OK.

TOM: It’s just Sue and I.

As I got closer to the protein bar, I noticed not only is it a protein bar, it’s been chewed. It’s been chewed open. And sure enough, I noticed next to it, there was some – also some insulation that had been pulled up from the crawl space. And you know what that means: mice.

LESLIE: Mice.

TOM: And I was astounded. Because you know where we kept these protein bars? Ten feet away, two feet off the floor inside a wicker basket.

LESLIE: What?

TOM: Yes. The protein bar probably weighs twice as much as whatever mouse grabbed it.

LESLIE: Well, unless it had some buddies. Teamwork.

TOM: Yeah. I think they work together. And they somehow got this protein bar down and into the kitchen and that’s where it ended. But the weird thing is we didn’t just have one protein bar in that basket. We had a few. And there was only one left. And then, as we started to clean the whole thing up, we found out they tried to chew on the bag that we had birdseed in. I was like, “Oh, man.” We must’ve gotten hit with a swarm of mice all at once. So, that’s not the way you want to wake up in the morning.

LESLIE: No. That’s the worst.

TOM: And I’m going to have to – I got it all cleaned out and now I’m working on sealing up some more gaps and then putting out some bait, putting out some traps. We’ll see what happens.

LESLIE: Heading over to Tennessee where Laurie is on the line with a question about a concrete floor. How can we help you, Laurie?

LAURIE: The flooring that we have now – and it has some cracks – I want to know what I need to do to fill those cracks.

TOM: Well, cracks in concrete are really pretty typical. So I wouldn’t get too upset that you have a crack or two in that surface.

If you want to repair those cracks, if it’s something like a garage floor, for example, you can patch those. There are different products that are used specifically for repairing concrete. They’re available in a tube, they’re available in a caulk gun, they’re available, also, as – in sort of like a stucco-like consistency that you can recoat the surface with. So, if you have a surface that’s really badly cracked or it’s deteriorated, you can use a product like Re-Cap, which is made by QUIKRETE. And you apply that to the old surface. It adheres perfectly. And when you’re done, looks like a brand-new concrete slab has been poured.

LESLIE: Well, when you wake up each morning, the first thing you do, you get up, you head to the bathroom, you flick on the light. And crazily, that brightly-illuminated reflection of your sleepy self staring back at you is probably not the best way to wake up. I know I’m ghoulishly blue like, “Ahh” in my bathroom every morning.

TOM: Yeah. Well, listen. The good news is that scary image is probably not you at all. It’s probably bad bathroom lighting, which is super, super common. So to help, we’ve got some tips on how you can straighten that out and get super-brilliant bathroom lighting instead.

Now, one thing you want to look out for is fluorescent lighting, including those CFLs. You don’t want to wake up to that because they give you a greenish glow. And if you’ve got overhead lights, they simply cannot distribute the light evenly enough to provide the right amount of illumination for most bathroom tasks. So, what you need to do is include three types of lighting in a bathroom: task lighting or general lighting, accent lighting and then decorative lighting.

And in addition to all that, you want to do what you can to increase your natural light. So, how do you get more natural light in the bathroom? Well, consider adding a skylight, consider adding a sun tunnel, which is sort of an easy-to-do skylight. Flood that bathroom with light using glass-block windows. You can’t see out but they let lots of light in and still provide that level of privacy. So do what you can to provide as much natural light as possible.

LESLIE: Now, another area you’ve got to think about is the lighting for your tasks and general usage in the bathroom. So, for grooming purposes, your bathroom task lighting should illuminate the sink area with a 60-watt lightbulb, which is about 750 lumens. And if you have a wide vanity, you might consider a four-lamp fixture or maybe even a bar light on the wall, installed above the mirror. This way, it’s going to shine directly down.

Now, you also want to consider accent lighting. If you’ve got a pedestal bathroom sink, you can use vanity wall scones as accent lighting on each side of that bathroom mirror to illuminate the space. Now, these typically use 40-watt bulbs, which is about 430 lumens. And don’t buy the cool, daytime-temperature ones, like I did by accident. It’s way too bright when I wake up at four in the morning to leave for work.

And lastly, let’s talk about decorative lighting. Now, these are going to showcase the architectural features of that bathroom. For example, if your bath has really tall ceilings and some crown molding, you might consider a small, really cute antique chandelier. It kind of dresses up the room. If you’ve got a standalone whirlpool, you can use decorative pendant lights to provide subtle bathroom lighting. I mean really think about how you use that room. This is your chance to have a dimmer and really create the ambience for the space. Because sometimes, you want to relax in the tub and other times, you need the bright light for makeup.

TOM: Yeah. So this way, you’ll always look your best and avoid that frightening start to the day. Choose your lighting carefully.

This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. We would love to help you choose your home improvement projects carefully and help you get them done. Reach out to us with those questions at 888-MONEY-PIT or post them to MoneyPit.com.

LESLIE: Heading over to David who wants to talk about some insulation. Tell us about your project.

DAVID: I’d like to use my garage just for leaving my cars and a few projects. Above the garage is non-living space, just an attic. Should I insulate my – above the ceiling while I air-condition the garage for the first time?

TOM: So David, I – thinking this through – are of the opinion you probably should insulate it and here’s why. Now, typically, insulation, what it’s going to do is if you have heat, for example – which you don’t have, in this case – it would rise and it would keep that heat in. However, in this case, you’re going to have a very hot attic and it would be great if the layer of insulation was there at the ceiling, because it’ll stop some of that really hot attic from radiating down through the ceiling in your garage in Florida and warming the garage.

So I don’t think you can go wrong by insulating that ceiling. You don’t have to go crazy with it. But if you put 6 inches up there, I think it would make a difference. In terms of the split ductless, excellent choice. And if you do have an opportunity to insulate the walls, I would do that, as well, for the very same reason. I think the A/C is going to work a lot less if the place is a little bit better insulated.

LESLIE: We are giving away one of my favorite products, this hour, because I use it a lot. I am talking about the Arrow GT300 Glue Gun. And it was actually named The Best Glue Gun by Popular Mechanics, so a lot of people agree with me that this glue gun kicks major booty. And we’ve got one to give away to one lucky DIYer.

Now, the Arrow GT300 Glue Gun, it’s a high-temp glue gun. It’s heavy duty, it’s super durable. It works great for DIY, crafting, pro projects, upholstery, you name it. It’s going to heat up fast, has a drip-resistant nozzle and a glue-control adjustment knob, so it really makes it easy to use the glue that you need without wasting the glue. It is a fantastic glue gun, so be sure to call in this hour.

TOM: It’s worth $49. Going out to one caller drawn at random. Make that you. The number, again: 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974. Plus, you can post your questions to MoneyPit.com.

LESLIE: Ellie in Wisconsin is on the line and just got a new place – congratulations – and you’re looking to put up some wall shelves, do some decorating and show some things off. How can we help?

ELLIE: I have a new home that is actually brand new (inaudible) everything inside. I would like to put up wall shelving. I desperately need wall shelving for the bathrooms, I think, because I don’t know where else products would go. And I have no idea where to – first to begin.

TOM: Well, bathrooms are a great place to start your how-to project, Ellie. You know, I give you a lot of credit for going out there and buying a few tools to get yourself started with.

In terms of these shelves, if it’s a small shelf – for knickknacks and things of this nature – you don’t really have to attach it to the studs, which makes the project a lot easier. There’s a whole bunch of different types of wall anchors that are out there that basically will hold just fine in that drywall. If it’s even a little bit heavy, you can use something called a “toggle bolt” or there’s a cool little connector that’s called the Monkey Hook. It’s a piece of wire that goes into the drywall, then bends up behind the wall. And those things can handle up to 50 pounds.

So, I wouldn’t get too worried about having to go over the top with some heavy-duty shelves and drilling through the walls. Because aside from finding the studs, you also want to make sure you’re not finding your plumbing pipes with that drill and causing a leak, which would be a big mess.

LESLIE: Yeah, Ellie. You really just need a light-duty drill driver that’s going to help you with a ton of projects around this new house. And for shelving, make sure you pick something stylish. You can go for some that are more shallow, more of a leaner ledge if you just want to put some artwork or some pictures on it. You can go for ones that are more deep. Maybe you want to put cookbooks or some bathroom products on it, depending on where you’re putting the shelf.

But make sure that you properly anchor it for the weight that you plan to put on it. And it’s always good to put more weight anchors than you might actually put on the shelf, because it’s better to be safe than sorry.

TOM: Yeah. But if it’s light duty, you don’t have to go ahead and worry about connecting it to the studs. You’ll be able to hang it right from the drywall with – using the types of connectors that we talked about.

Well, guys, with winter fast approaching – I know, it’s hard to believe but yes, it’s coming – makes it a good time to make sure your concrete is protected, though, before the snow and ice arrives. I just did this project and I used the QUIKRETE Cure & Seal. It worked really well. And you can use it for new concrete or you can use it for existing …

LESLIE: Yeah. And for new concrete, the QUIKRETE Cure & Seal promotes proper curing, which is going to help make that concrete actually stronger. And it’s also going to increase its durability and reduce those shrinkage cracks.

TOM: Yeah. And so if you already have the concrete surfaces, it will help repel water, it’ll protect it and seal those surfaces from acids and grease and the road salt that constantly is dripping off your car and a lot more. I like that it makes the surface easier to clean, too. I find that I can sweep up the garage floor a lot easier after it’s been sealed. And it protects it from winter damage that’s caused by the freeze-and-thaw cycles. Because if water gets into that concrete and freezes, it starts to crack and spawl and then you’ve got to patch it. So, you can avoid all that by using the QUIKRETE Cure & Seal.

Head on over to QUIKRETE.com. That’s QUIKRETE. It’s what America is made of.

LESLIE: Steve, you’ve got The Money Pit. Let’s talk flooring. What’s going on?

STEVE: So I have a 1975 RV that’s got that green shag carpet. And I want to rip that out and put a hardwood flooring. And my question is, is that possible to put a laminate floor in an RV?

TOM: Steve, you can definitely rip out that old, nasty 1975 shag carpet and get yourself a nice, clean hardwood-floor surface. But I wouldn’t use hardwood for it. I would use engineered vinyl planks. These rigid planks look just like hardwood but they wear so much better. And especially, this is an RV. It’s going to be moving around, so you want something that’s got a little flex to it. So I would just use that.

I’d take out the old floor. You’ll probably have a decent subfloor there if you have to make any repairs. Then go ahead and put the engineered planks on top of it.

LL Flooring has a line called CoreLuxe. It is 100-percent waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about spills. And it’s really inexpensive and it’s totally a DIY project. So, that’d be my suggestion.

LESLIE: John dropped us a line at MoneyPit.com and he says, “We’ve got a bungalow in Rhode Island. It was built in 1927. The side walls have blown-in insulation from 1970. We replaced the roof about 9 years ago and we would like to insulate. We’re confused on what way to go. Spray foam or the pink stuff?”

TOM: John, when you say insulate the roof, do you mean the attic rafters or the attic floor?

LESLIE: Like the floor?

TOM: Right. Because it’s important that I know the difference.

Now, if it’s the rafters that you’re insulating, then I think spray foam is absolutely the way to go and here’s why. Because if you use fiberglass, you’re going to have to leave an air gap between the fiberglass and the underside of the roof sheathing. And by the time you get done doing all of that, you’re not really going to be able to get much insulation up there for whatever value it is. You will get more R – more resistance to heat loss per inch – if you use the spray-foam insulation because you don’t have to worry about it being vented. It basically is a different type of system. It doesn’t require the ventilation.

Now, if it’s the floor, then I think the new PINK Next Gen Insulation from Owens Corning is a good option. It’s a totally new formulation, very easy to work with and totally environmentally-friendly. And whichever way you go, you will be feeling a lot more comfortable this winter as a result.

LESLIE: Alright. Good tips there for John.

Now we’ve got something from Lucy, who writes: “I want to paint our brick fireplace white. I know painting means it’s going to be permanent and that’s fine with me. However, I saw that there are white brick stains and I want to know if a white stain is better than paint.”

TOM: I haven’t seen these, Leslie. Do they kind of look sort of like that white chalky look on top of the red brick?

LESLIE: I mean I’ve not seen anything that’s specifically made for brick yet. It might be something new that I haven’t used – you know, haven’t had a chance to use. But I imagine it would probably give it more of that washed effect, which I would caution depending on the type of brick you have.

TOM: Yeah. Yeah.

LESLIE: Because some people have brick that’s more mustard yellow, some brick is more true red. I think that really would look good on something that’s more in that red, burgundy, the darker brick tones, if that’s truly what it is, if it gives it that washed look.

If not, a solid coat of white paint really does make a brick wall look lovely. And you’re right: it’s going to be there for ages and ages. So, make sure you love it. Pick a white tone that works for your space. There’s so many different shades of white, Lucy. I swear, you should just spend some time poring over them because some feel more yellow, some feel more gray. They all look white at first glance.

But definitely take some time and choose one that’s going to give you the right warmth that you’re looking for for the space and go with something that’s easily cleanable, as well.

TOM: Yeah. That’s what I was thinking. You want to have something that’s got a little bit of a sheen on this, because you might get some smoke stains on there. And if it’s totally flat, you are never, ever going to be able to clean it. And you’re probably going to need multiple coats. And I would encourage you to do a primer coat before you do anything, because that’s going to soak into the brick and really seal it nicely. And then it will be a terrific surface with a lot of adhesion for that topcoat.

So, prime it, then use a finish coat that’s got a sheen. Maybe like a semi-gloss, right?

LESLIE: Yeah, definitely. Because you’re going to want to be able to wipe it down, because it’s just going to get dusty. You are going to get that smoke sort of stain on it, as well, from the fireplace. But it’s going to look great and then you can pick a really awesome mantel, maybe something natural wood.

TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show and we are so psyched that you guys are here with us today. We hope that we have given you some valuable tips and ideas to save time, save money, save aggravation, save perspiration when you’re planning and taking on and getting those how-to projects done. Whether they’re design, décor, repair, improvement, we love to talk shop with you. If you’ve got questions and weren’t able to get through this hour, we apologize but we are open, literally, 24/7 at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. You can always leave your questions. We’ll call you back the next time we are in the studio. Or you can post them to MoneyPit.com.

But for now, that’s all the time we have. The show does continue online. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …

LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.

END HOUR 1 TEXT

(Copyright 2021 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.)

TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: What are you guys doing on this early autumn weekend? Fall is almost here. Starts in just, I think, a few days. And that is the time when we kick off lots of home improvement projects around the house because it’s not too hot outside, it’s not too cold. You can work inside, you can work out. You can do roofing and painting, you can start working on kitchens and bathrooms, especially if you expect to have a couple of extra folks than maybe you had last holiday season over towards the end of the year. Now is when we take on all of those projects. And if you need help, well, that’s what we do.

So pick up the phone and call us with your how-to questions. Ask us whether you can do it yourself or whether you need a pro, how do you get started. The number here is 1-888-MONEY-PIT. And you can also post your questions to MoneyPit.com.

Coming up on today’s show, now that it’s getting colder, it will soon be time to wrap up our gardening for the year. And boy, we have had a great garden.

LESLIE: You’ve had a big haul this season.

TOM: We went over the top on plants. Although, I have to say when I first set up the garden, I thought, “I don’t know. Kind of dinky. I don’t know what we’re going to get.” Man, was I wrong. We got 71 or 2 cucumbers so far, then they started to kind of die back. And now, we are inundated with tomatoes and we’re still growing. But soon enough, it’s going to be time for that garden to go away.

However, if we had a greenhouse, that wouldn’t happen. Greenhouses are becoming more and more popular. I’m thinking about finding a place to put one so that we can extend some of the gardening into the fall and more importantly, start earlier in the spring. We’re going to talk about that today. We’ve got some recommendations for greenhouses that you can add. They come in kits today, they’re not that expensive and you can practically have veggies all year round. So we’ll see what we can do to hook you up.

LESLIE: And also ahead, when you wake up each day and you catch that first glimpse of yourself in that bathroom mirror, do you want to run back to bed and hide under the covers? Well, that reflection staring back at you may very well not be you that’s bothering you. It could be your bathroom lighting. We’re going to share tips to help you improve your natural glow.

TOM: You mean the green glow isn’t natural that I see?

LESLIE: No, no, no, no, no.

And you know what? It’s funny, the lights in my bathroom just went out recently and all I had was – I know it – LED ones but I got some cool-temperature ones and I hate it. It is awful.

TOM: Yeah. Right. I know, it’s too much information. I don’t need to see that closely.

LESLIE: It’s so bright, it’s like blue. I’m like, “Ahh.”

TOM: And also ahead, now that winter is approaching, it’s also a good time to make sure your outdoor concrete surfaces are protected. If you’ve got a concrete porch or a patio or a driveway or a sidewalk, it’s a good time to seal those surfaces. So we’ll walk you through that project.

LESLIE: And no matter when you listen to The Money Pit, you can always get in on our fun giveaways. And this one is sure to make you want to stick around. We’re giving away the Arrow GT300 Glue Gun and it’s an awesome glue gun. It’s worth 49 bucks.

TOM: Going out to one listener drawn at random. Make that you. Pick up the phone and call us with your questions at 888-MONEY-PIT. That’s 888-666. Or post your questions to MoneyPit.com.

Let’s get to it, Leslie. Who’s first?

LESLIE: Russ in Iowa, you’ve got The Money Pit. What can we do for you today?

RUSS: I have some casement windows. The old crank-style ones?

TOM: OK. Yep.

RUSS: And I want – we need to replace windows but can those be replaced with double-hung windows easily or is it going to be major work?

TOM: Well, if it’s a casement window, you don’t have an existing sort of window jamb that would stay behind. If it was an old double-hung and you took out the sashes, you could slip a replacement window in between that and use the old sort of frame but just replace the sashes. Because it’s a casement window, you physically have to take the entire window out. So it’s more like doing a new-construction window installation where you have to, you know, kind of mess with the siding to get the whole window out and then put a new window in.

In terms of the shape of it, too, if it’s sort of shaped for a double-hung, double-hungs are more tall than they are wide. Casements can be kind of squatty in terms of their style. So you want to make sure it’s going to look good.

But listen, if you’re going to take the casement out and it’s not going to fit a double-hung well, why not put in a new casement but just put in a good-quality casement, like an Andersen, for example? And that can fit alongside double-hungs quite well. In fact, I’ve got both casements and double-hungs in my home and they look quite natural together.

RUSS: OK. I just had – every house we’ve had has had casements and they’ve all rotted and had problems.

TOM: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

RUSS: So, I was looking – something different. But OK, that answers my question.

TOM: What kind of siding do you have?

RUSS: Vinyl.

TOM: Yeah. So you’re going to have to peel back the vinyl to do this. There’s no way around that. Because you have to basically set the new double-hung against the sheathing and then put the J-channel in and fill the vinyl in around it.

Now, if these new vinyl, double-hung windows are bigger than the casement, you’re not going to have any issues with needing to try to replace siding. Just make sure it’s a little bit bigger and then be careful about the siding that you remove.

The siding does come down pretty easily. And what I would tell you to do is number each piece with a piece of tape and a number on it so you make sure you get it back in the right order. And you can basically cut it to fit. So, it’s more work but it can look fantastic when you’re done.

RUSS: OK. OK. Alright. Thanks, guys.

TOM: Good luck, Russ. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Valerie in Arkansas is on the line with a flooring question. What can we do for you today?

VALERIE: I have some ceramic tiles on the floor that have cracked. And it’s just a hairline crack but I was wondering if there was a way to repair those or if they have to be completely replaced.

TOM: You cannot repair a cracked ceramic tile. Once cracked, it will always be cracked. The question is: can you pop the cracked tile out and replace it? Are additional tiles of the same make available? That could require some research.

But if you can’t find the exact same tiles, you may have some other options. You could try to replace it with a complimentary tile: one that may actually be a décor piece and kind of stand out on purpose. Or you could look for an area where you have tile that maybe went into a closet or something like that and try to remove that and use that to replace the cracked tile. That’s kind of an extreme example of it.

But at the least, the least you need to do is to figure out why it cracked, though. And usually, that has to do with the floor system in that perhaps it wasn’t properly installed to begin with. Does that make sense?

VALERIE: It does, it does. I was afraid you were going to answer it that way, though.

TOM: Leslie, where are some places that Valerie might look for if she was thinking about finding matching tile for an older floor?

LESLIE: It’s challenging to find a tile once, especially, it’s been discontinued and also, if you are new to the house and it’s an old tile and you just don’t know where it is.

So, say you’ve got a box. If you’re lucky enough to have a box that has something with the manufacturer on it, you could at least reach out to the manufacturer and see. Or maybe you’ve got one or two new tiles kicking around. There are a few manufacturers across the United States that you can actually send that tile to and they’ll actually make it for you, if they have that glaze in their stock. A couple of them that do that are North Prairie Tileworks. They’re in Minneapolis. But that’s going to be a bit on the pricier side. It’s going to run around $30 per square foot. So it really depends on how important it is to actually have this tile and to match it.

It’s tricky. If you can try a couple of architectural salvage yards, maybe you can find something that works. But I do like the idea of popping out a couple of things here and there, to sort of make a purposeful pattern and add a detail in that wasn’t there before. I think it’s a cost-effective way to sort of keep the integrity of the tile you love but make it new without spending a ton of bucks.

VALERIE: OK. Alright. I’ll try that then.

TOM: And hey, if you are a pro contractor, if you’re a remodeler, if you’re a custom builder, we have partnered with LL Flooring to launch a brand-new podcast that’s designed to provide tips and ideas and resources to help you improve the success of your business. It’s called the Pro Files Podcast and it’s all about pros teaching pros, sharing strategies and sharing solutions that are going to save time, increase profit and improve your customer satisfaction. We’re going to be profiling contractors on the show who are veterans and those who are willing to share tips and tricks and ideas that are specific and actionable to help make you more successful in your business.

LESLIE: You can listen and follow the Pro Files Podcast at LLFlooring.com/Pro. That’s LLFlooring.com/Pro or wherever you get your pods.

Well, no matter where you listen to The Money Pit, you can always get in on our fun giveaways and this one is sure to make you want to stick around. We’ve got, up for grabs, the Arrow GT300 Glue Gun.

I mean this glue gun is amazing. It’s perfectly designed, so it’s really comfortable to use and your hand’s not going to cramp up if you’re working with it for a long time. It helps you get into those really hard-to-reach corners. It’s perfect for school projects, crafting. We’re all going to be diving headfirst into those school projects, right now, probably through the next 6 months. But specifically, I feel like the fall is very craft-heavy.

But you can use the glue gun for upholstery, crafting, tons of stuff. This really is the best glue gun.

Right, Tom?

TOM: Absolutely. It’s worth $49. Going out to one caller drawn at random. So if you’d like to win the Arrow GT300, call us with your home improvement question or post it to MoneyPit.com. Our number, again, is 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Now we’ve got Ricky on the line dealing with some pests who just want to destroy his garden. What’s going on, Ricky?

RICKY: Something is attacking two particular things in front of my house. I have a lilac bush and I have a crabapple tree that are kind of under attack. They’re really decaying. I sprayed them with an antifungal, antiparasitic bug mix and they seemed to do better. But when I stop spraying them, they just get worse and worse and worse. And I spray them every week.

TOM: Well, Ricky, in our part of the country, we have the same problem with deer. We don’t so much have the smaller mammals that you’re talking about but we get deer, we get rabbit.

The solution, though, is the same. You need to use a repellant and the fungicide is not a repellant. Maybe it’s working for you out there because it’s the only thing that you’ve got and for some reason they don’t like the taste. But there actually are repellant products.

Now, they’re available as a ready-to-mix product, which means you spray it out of the bottle. They’re available as a concentrate, which you have to mix up and put in a pump-up sprayer. Or you can get them as a pellet, which is sort of like a granule. And that’s the one that I find that we like the best because it’s so easy to do. We simply sprinkle it around some of the low landscape around our house that the deer and the rabbits love to munch on and they stay away from it.

It is true, though, you’re going to have to do this about every 2 weeks or so to keep them away. Because as soon as you stop and they figure out that the food’s good again, they’re going to come back.

In the alternative, you can start looking for landscaping that is naturally deer-resistant or naturally animal-resistant, like arborvitaes, for example. We use Green Giant arborvitaes up here because the animals don’t like them. They like everything else but they don’t like that.

LESLIE: And boy, do they grow beautifully and quickly, those trees.

TOM: Absolutely.

LESLIE: Well, now that it’s getting colder outside, it’s soon going to be time to wrap up our gardens for the season. But if you have a backyard greenhouse, you can actually extend that growing season significantly.

Tom, you better take notes because I know you want to keep growing tomatoes all year long.

TOM: I don’t want to stop. Last week, we spent an hour outside, my son and I, separating vines because they were overlapping and sort of cutting each other off. We had to untangle them and then I had to extend the trellis up to 6 feet so that we could hang them up high and have them continue to grow as long as possible. I even took some wire hangers, because I have a gutter right over where the gutter is, and I hooked up the wire hanger to the top of the gutter. I just dropped it in there and then I tied off to the bottom of the wire hanger.

So it looks a little shlocky, maybe a little less professional than my usual quality work. But you know, it’s the back of the house and I’m just all about the tomatoes right now. Want to keep them going as long as possible.

LESLIE: It really is providing a perfect function, so good use for the hanger.

But guys, you could actually build a greenhouse and it’s not that big of a deal. I mean if you’ve got limited space, you can build a mini greenhouse, which is probably going to be your best bet. They’re small, they’re portable. They’re not going to fit Tom’s gigantic tomato garden but you can fit a lot of things in there, because these’ll go in a nice, small, tight, narrow, area.

Another option is low-tunnel greenhouses. And because of their size, you can actually use them when they’re necessary and then you can kind of take them away when you don’t need them anymore.

TOM: Now, prefab is another easy way to step it up from there. We love these greenhouse kits that are out now. They have a door, they have shelves. They take only 30 or 40 square foot of space. And we’ve highlighted three favorites in our post about backyard greenhouses on MoneyPit.com, so you can check that out.

Now, if you’re lucky enough to have a larger piece of land and you want to add a traditional greenhouse, that’s always fun. This kind of structure, though, is like building a small building. It’s got walls and a roof, typically made from see-through material. And the old ones use glass but today, you can use plastic or acrylic. And then the glass traps the heat in the structure while protecting the inside from the elements, like the cold, the snow and the wind.

LESLIE: Yeah. Now, your greenhouse, it’s normally fitted with tables or shelves so that you can actually grow the plants in there. And some greenhouse tables are actually manually heated, which is great if you live in a cooler climate.

TOM: So, for all the details, check out our post “Backyard Greenhouses” online at MoneyPit.com. Just search “backyard greenhouse.”

LESLIE: Alright. Now we’ve got Lynn in Delaware on the line who’s got a leak in the basement that’s as if somebody’s turned a faucet on. What’s going on?

LYNN: Well, last Thursday we had a torrential rain in Delaware.

TOM: OK.

LYNN: And I was so afraid of trees falling in the rain, I ran down to my basement immediately. And about maybe 2 minutes being down there, I hear some sound like somebody turned on a faucet.

TOM: OK.

LYNN: So, I looked behind the – where the faucet is. It comes from the inside. The water pipe comes from the outside unto the inside. Water was just gushing. It was just gushing in, just like a faucet.

TOM: So, it was coming around the pipe, where the pipe comes through the wall?

LYNN: Yes, yes.

TOM: OK. Yep. Alright. So that makes sense. What happens is when you get a torrential rain like that, it’s going to find the path of – the easiest path in: the path of least resistance. And the holes that are drilled through foundation walls for things like plumbing, like the hose bibb in your case, are going to provide an easy entry.

So, what I would tell you is a couple of things. Now, it probably only happens when you get maybe a severe downpour like this, maybe even one that’s fueled by rain. But I would – number one is I would take silicone – and you can buy a tube of silicone in a little – in a can, squeeze tube or you can buy one just to put into a caulking gun. And I would seal the gap around where the pipe comes through the foundation wall. So, next, I want you to do the same thing on the inside. This is going to stop what happened to you most recently.

But the other thing I want you to do is to take a look, if you can, at the drainage conditions outside that wall, because you might find that maybe you have an overflowing gutter there or that you have soil that is sort of settling down and maybe it’s moving too much water towards that area of the – I don’t know how high up this hose bibb is. But generally, the roof and surface drainage conditions are what starts this all. And it’s an easy fix. You’ve just got to figure out what it is.

Downspouts are also really important to check. Most of the time when the gutter companies put them in, they drop them pretty close to the foundation. We always like to see them extended out 4 or 5 feet so you’re moving all that water out away from that wall. And if you can kind of move it out and keep it away, you’re going to find that the whole space is a lot drier.

And in your particular case, with this little gusher that happened, sealing the area around the pipe should stop that from happening the next time.

LYNN: Oh, OK.

Now, another thing that I’m wondering, now that you said about the ground settling and everything, this particular step where I’ve had – not gophers. What are those things, groundhogs that used to dig under there?

TOM: Groundhogs, yeah.

LYNN: And I’m wondering if they could have messed – moved the dirt and made a path or something to this particular …

TOM: Yeah, they may have. They may have. Generally, that first 4 to 6 feet you want to do what you can to keep the soil sloping away from the walls those first few feet. So if it does settle in, you just add clean fill dirt. Not topsoil but just fill dirt. They’re inexpensive. And you pack it in there and you slope it away. Then you could put some mulch or you can put some topsoil and grass over that. But you want to have that soil sloping away. And it is going to settle every once in a while and especially if you get any overflowing gutters. It’ll just erode and wash away.

LYNN: Yeah.

TOM: So, that – maintaining that sort of slope and that space to keep the walls as dry as possible is important. And it really does help solve a lot of problems with water in the basement and even dampness in the basement.

LYNN: OK.

TOM: OK?

LYNN: I appreciate that. That’s what I will do then. Thank you so much for taking my call.

TOM: You’re very welcome.

LESLIE: Hey, guys. Do you need some help with a reno, repair or a décor project? Maybe you want to freshen up your home for fall but you need a little cash and some advice to get it done? Well, we’ve got both. Now through October 15^th, we’re partnering with BobVila.com to launch the $2,500 Freshen Up For Fall Giveaway.

TOM: Enter now at BobVila.com for a chance to win one of five $500 Amazon gift cards for your next fall fix-up project.

So, Leslie, when I woke up this morning, heading down to my kitchen, I noticed on the floor there was a protein bar. Now, we keep a stack of protein bars around for snacks now and again.

LESLIE: Wait. Do you have any of the kids’ dogs with you?

TOM: No. No dogs in the house.

LESLIE: OK.

TOM: It’s just Sue and I.

As I got closer to the protein bar, I noticed not only is it a protein bar, it’s been chewed. It’s been chewed open. And sure enough, I noticed next to it, there was some – also some insulation that had been pulled up from the crawl space. And you know what that means: mice.

LESLIE: Mice.

TOM: And I was astounded. Because you know where we kept these protein bars? Ten feet away, two feet off the floor inside a wicker basket.

LESLIE: What?

TOM: Yes. The protein bar probably weighs twice as much as whatever mouse grabbed it.

LESLIE: Well, unless it had some buddies. Teamwork.

TOM: Yeah. I think they work together. And they somehow got this protein bar down and into the kitchen and that’s where it ended. But the weird thing is we didn’t just have one protein bar in that basket. We had a few. And there was only one left. And then, as we started to clean the whole thing up, we found out they tried to chew on the bag that we had birdseed in. I was like, “Oh, man.” We must’ve gotten hit with a swarm of mice all at once. So, that’s not the way you want to wake up in the morning.

LESLIE: No. That’s the worst.

TOM: And I’m going to have to – I got it all cleaned out and now I’m working on sealing up some more gaps and then putting out some bait, putting out some traps. We’ll see what happens.

LESLIE: Heading over to Tennessee where Laurie is on the line with a question about a concrete floor. How can we help you, Laurie?

LAURIE: The flooring that we have now – and it has some cracks – I want to know what I need to do to fill those cracks.

TOM: Well, cracks in concrete are really pretty typical. So I wouldn’t get too upset that you have a crack or two in that surface.

If you want to repair those cracks, if it’s something like a garage floor, for example, you can patch those. There are different products that are used specifically for repairing concrete. They’re available in a tube, they’re available in a caulk gun, they’re available, also, as – in sort of like a stucco-like consistency that you can recoat the surface with. So, if you have a surface that’s really badly cracked or it’s deteriorated, you can use a product like Re-Cap, which is made by QUIKRETE. And you apply that to the old surface. It adheres perfectly. And when you’re done, looks like a brand-new concrete slab has been poured.

LESLIE: Well, when you wake up each morning, the first thing you do, you get up, you head to the bathroom, you flick on the light. And crazily, that brightly-illuminated reflection of your sleepy self staring back at you is probably not the best way to wake up. I know I’m ghoulishly blue like, “Ahh” in my bathroom every morning.

TOM: Yeah. Well, listen. The good news is that scary image is probably not you at all. It’s probably bad bathroom lighting, which is super, super common. So to help, we’ve got some tips on how you can straighten that out and get super-brilliant bathroom lighting instead.

Now, one thing you want to look out for is fluorescent lighting, including those CFLs. You don’t want to wake up to that because they give you a greenish glow. And if you’ve got overhead lights, they simply cannot distribute the light evenly enough to provide the right amount of illumination for most bathroom tasks. So, what you need to do is include three types of lighting in a bathroom: task lighting or general lighting, accent lighting and then decorative lighting.

And in addition to all that, you want to do what you can to increase your natural light. So, how do you get more natural light in the bathroom? Well, consider adding a skylight, consider adding a sun tunnel, which is sort of an easy-to-do skylight. Flood that bathroom with light using glass-block windows. You can’t see out but they let lots of light in and still provide that level of privacy. So do what you can to provide as much natural light as possible.

LESLIE: Now, another area you’ve got to think about is the lighting for your tasks and general usage in the bathroom. So, for grooming purposes, your bathroom task lighting should illuminate the sink area with a 60-watt lightbulb, which is about 750 lumens. And if you have a wide vanity, you might consider a four-lamp fixture or maybe even a bar light on the wall, installed above the mirror. This way, it’s going to shine directly down.

Now, you also want to consider accent lighting. If you’ve got a pedestal bathroom sink, you can use vanity wall scones as accent lighting on each side of that bathroom mirror to illuminate the space. Now, these typically use 40-watt bulbs, which is about 430 lumens. And don’t buy the cool, daytime-temperature ones, like I did by accident. It’s way too bright when I wake up at four in the morning to leave for work.

And lastly, let’s talk about decorative lighting. Now, these are going to showcase the architectural features of that bathroom. For example, if your bath has really tall ceilings and some crown molding, you might consider a small, really cute antique chandelier. It kind of dresses up the room. If you’ve got a standalone whirlpool, you can use decorative pendant lights to provide subtle bathroom lighting. I mean really think about how you use that room. This is your chance to have a dimmer and really create the ambience for the space. Because sometimes, you want to relax in the tub and other times, you need the bright light for makeup.

TOM: Yeah. So this way, you’ll always look your best and avoid that frightening start to the day. Choose your lighting carefully.

This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. We would love to help you choose your home improvement projects carefully and help you get them done. Reach out to us with those questions at 888-MONEY-PIT or post them to MoneyPit.com.

LESLIE: Heading over to David who wants to talk about some insulation. Tell us about your project.

DAVID: I’d like to use my garage just for leaving my cars and a few projects. Above the garage is non-living space, just an attic. Should I insulate my – above the ceiling while I air-condition the garage for the first time?

TOM: So David, I – thinking this through – are of the opinion you probably should insulate it and here’s why. Now, typically, insulation, what it’s going to do is if you have heat, for example – which you don’t have, in this case – it would rise and it would keep that heat in. However, in this case, you’re going to have a very hot attic and it would be great if the layer of insulation was there at the ceiling, because it’ll stop some of that really hot attic from radiating down through the ceiling in your garage in Florida and warming the garage.

So I don’t think you can go wrong by insulating that ceiling. You don’t have to go crazy with it. But if you put 6 inches up there, I think it would make a difference. In terms of the split ductless, excellent choice. And if you do have an opportunity to insulate the walls, I would do that, as well, for the very same reason. I think the A/C is going to work a lot less if the place is a little bit better insulated.

LESLIE: We are giving away one of my favorite products, this hour, because I use it a lot. I am talking about the Arrow GT300 Glue Gun. And it was actually named The Best Glue Gun by Popular Mechanics, so a lot of people agree with me that this glue gun kicks major booty. And we’ve got one to give away to one lucky DIYer.

Now, the Arrow GT300 Glue Gun, it’s a high-temp glue gun. It’s heavy duty, it’s super durable. It works great for DIY, crafting, pro projects, upholstery, you name it. It’s going to heat up fast, has a drip-resistant nozzle and a glue-control adjustment knob, so it really makes it easy to use the glue that you need without wasting the glue. It is a fantastic glue gun, so be sure to call in this hour.

TOM: It’s worth $49. Going out to one caller drawn at random. Make that you. The number, again: 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974. Plus, you can post your questions to MoneyPit.com.

LESLIE: Ellie in Wisconsin is on the line and just got a new place – congratulations – and you’re looking to put up some wall shelves, do some decorating and show some things off. How can we help?

ELLIE: I have a new home that is actually brand new (inaudible) everything inside. I would like to put up wall shelving. I desperately need wall shelving for the bathrooms, I think, because I don’t know where else products would go. And I have no idea where to – first to begin.

TOM: Well, bathrooms are a great place to start your how-to project, Ellie. You know, I give you a lot of credit for going out there and buying a few tools to get yourself started with.

In terms of these shelves, if it’s a small shelf – for knickknacks and things of this nature – you don’t really have to attach it to the studs, which makes the project a lot easier. There’s a whole bunch of different types of wall anchors that are out there that basically will hold just fine in that drywall. If it’s even a little bit heavy, you can use something called a “toggle bolt” or there’s a cool little connector that’s called the Monkey Hook. It’s a piece of wire that goes into the drywall, then bends up behind the wall. And those things can handle up to 50 pounds.

So, I wouldn’t get too worried about having to go over the top with some heavy-duty shelves and drilling through the walls. Because aside from finding the studs, you also want to make sure you’re not finding your plumbing pipes with that drill and causing a leak, which would be a big mess.

LESLIE: Yeah, Ellie. You really just need a light-duty drill driver that’s going to help you with a ton of projects around this new house. And for shelving, make sure you pick something stylish. You can go for some that are more shallow, more of a leaner ledge if you just want to put some artwork or some pictures on it. You can go for ones that are more deep. Maybe you want to put cookbooks or some bathroom products on it, depending on where you’re putting the shelf.

But make sure that you properly anchor it for the weight that you plan to put on it. And it’s always good to put more weight anchors than you might actually put on the shelf, because it’s better to be safe than sorry.

TOM: Yeah. But if it’s light duty, you don’t have to go ahead and worry about connecting it to the studs. You’ll be able to hang it right from the drywall with – using the types of connectors that we talked about.

Well, guys, with winter fast approaching – I know, it’s hard to believe but yes, it’s coming – makes it a good time to make sure your concrete is protected, though, before the snow and ice arrives. I just did this project and I used the QUIKRETE Cure & Seal. It worked really well. And you can use it for new concrete or you can use it for existing …

LESLIE: Yeah. And for new concrete, the QUIKRETE Cure & Seal promotes proper curing, which is going to help make that concrete actually stronger. And it’s also going to increase its durability and reduce those shrinkage cracks.

TOM: Yeah. And so if you already have the concrete surfaces, it will help repel water, it’ll protect it and seal those surfaces from acids and grease and the road salt that constantly is dripping off your car and a lot more. I like that it makes the surface easier to clean, too. I find that I can sweep up the garage floor a lot easier after it’s been sealed. And it protects it from winter damage that’s caused by the freeze-and-thaw cycles. Because if water gets into that concrete and freezes, it starts to crack and spawl and then you’ve got to patch it. So, you can avoid all that by using the QUIKRETE Cure & Seal.

Head on over to QUIKRETE.com. That’s QUIKRETE. It’s what America is made of.

LESLIE: Steve, you’ve got The Money Pit. Let’s talk flooring. What’s going on?

STEVE: So I have a 1975 RV that’s got that green shag carpet. And I want to rip that out and put a hardwood flooring. And my question is, is that possible to put a laminate floor in an RV?

TOM: Steve, you can definitely rip out that old, nasty 1975 shag carpet and get yourself a nice, clean hardwood-floor surface. But I wouldn’t use hardwood for it. I would use engineered vinyl planks. These rigid planks look just like hardwood but they wear so much better. And especially, this is an RV. It’s going to be moving around, so you want something that’s got a little flex to it. So I would just use that.

I’d take out the old floor. You’ll probably have a decent subfloor there if you have to make any repairs. Then go ahead and put the engineered planks on top of it.

LL Flooring has a line called CoreLuxe. It is 100-percent waterproof, so you don’t have to worry about spills. And it’s really inexpensive and it’s totally a DIY project. So, that’d be my suggestion.

LESLIE: John dropped us a line at MoneyPit.com and he says, “We’ve got a bungalow in Rhode Island. It was built in 1927. The side walls have blown-in insulation from 1970. We replaced the roof about 9 years ago and we would like to insulate. We’re confused on what way to go. Spray foam or the pink stuff?”

TOM: John, when you say insulate the roof, do you mean the attic rafters or the attic floor?

LESLIE: Like the floor?

TOM: Right. Because it’s important that I know the difference.

Now, if it’s the rafters that you’re insulating, then I think spray foam is absolutely the way to go and here’s why. Because if you use fiberglass, you’re going to have to leave an air gap between the fiberglass and the underside of the roof sheathing. And by the time you get done doing all of that, you’re not really going to be able to get much insulation up there for whatever value it is. You will get more R – more resistance to heat loss per inch – if you use the spray-foam insulation because you don’t have to worry about it being vented. It basically is a different type of system. It doesn’t require the ventilation.

Now, if it’s the floor, then I think the new PINK Next Gen Insulation from Owens Corning is a good option. It’s a totally new formulation, very easy to work with and totally environmentally-friendly. And whichever way you go, you will be feeling a lot more comfortable this winter as a result.

LESLIE: Alright. Good tips there for John.

Now we’ve got something from Lucy, who writes: “I want to paint our brick fireplace white. I know painting means it’s going to be permanent and that’s fine with me. However, I saw that there are white brick stains and I want to know if a white stain is better than paint.”

TOM: I haven’t seen these, Leslie. Do they kind of look sort of like that white chalky look on top of the red brick?

LESLIE: I mean I’ve not seen anything that’s specifically made for brick yet. It might be something new that I haven’t used – you know, haven’t had a chance to use. But I imagine it would probably give it more of that washed effect, which I would caution depending on the type of brick you have.

TOM: Yeah. Yeah.

LESLIE: Because some people have brick that’s more mustard yellow, some brick is more true red. I think that really would look good on something that’s more in that red, burgundy, the darker brick tones, if that’s truly what it is, if it gives it that washed look.

If not, a solid coat of white paint really does make a brick wall look lovely. And you’re right: it’s going to be there for ages and ages. So, make sure you love it. Pick a white tone that works for your space. There’s so many different shades of white, Lucy. I swear, you should just spend some time poring over them because some feel more yellow, some feel more gray. They all look white at first glance.

But definitely take some time and choose one that’s going to give you the right warmth that you’re looking for for the space and go with something that’s easily cleanable, as well.

TOM: Yeah. That’s what I was thinking. You want to have something that’s got a little bit of a sheen on this, because you might get some smoke stains on there. And if it’s totally flat, you are never, ever going to be able to clean it. And you’re probably going to need multiple coats. And I would encourage you to do a primer coat before you do anything, because that’s going to soak into the brick and really seal it nicely. And then it will be a terrific surface with a lot of adhesion for that topcoat.

So, prime it, then use a finish coat that’s got a sheen. Maybe like a semi-gloss, right?

LESLIE: Yeah, definitely. Because you’re going to want to be able to wipe it down, because it’s just going to get dusty. You are going to get that smoke sort of stain on it, as well, from the fireplace. But it’s going to look great and then you can pick a really awesome mantel, maybe something natural wood.

TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show and we are so psyched that you guys are here with us today. We hope that we have given you some valuable tips and ideas to save time, save money, save aggravation, save perspiration when you’re planning and taking on and getting those how-to projects done. Whether they’re design, décor, repair, improvement, we love to talk shop with you. If you’ve got questions and weren’t able to get through this hour, we apologize but we are open, literally, 24/7 at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. You can always leave your questions. We’ll call you back the next time we are in the studio. Or you can post them to MoneyPit.com.

But for now, that’s all the time we have. The show does continue online. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …

LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.

(Copyright 2021 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.)