LESLIE: Denise in Alaska, welcome to The Money Pit. What can we do for you?
DENISE: Hey, I’m kind of preplanning.
TOM and LESLIE: OK.
DENISE: Well, preplanning with a post problem. I’ve had a sidewalk that looks like yuck for years because it’s about 20 years old.
TOM: Alright.
DENISE: It’s got big pit marks. You know where the cement shavings kind of come up …
TOM: Uh-huh.
DENISE: … you know and it looks really ugly and it’s actually starting to be kind of a danger. And I’m trying to think – the girls and I thought we would try to do a sidewalk on our own next year.
TOM: Alright.
DENISE: Next spring.
TOM: How old are the girls?
DENISE: We’re all in our 40s. (chuckling)
TOM: Alright. Oh, so all the sisters, huh?
DENISE: Well, yeah. We try to take on little projects that we think we probably could do for a learning experience.
TOM: I just was wondering, when you said, “the girls,” you had a couple of kids who were going to help you; maybe your daughters or something. (laughing)
DENISE: Oh, no, no, no. These are women. These are …
TOM: OK.
DENISE: … foolish women. Foolish.
TOM: Alright. (laughing)
DENISE: Anyway, and so what I (chuckles) – what I’m wondering is now we’re planning ahead for next summer …
TOM: Alright.
DENISE: … to do this because of course we’re in Alaska and, you know … (Leslie chuckles) Anyway, so, I’m wondering are we going to take those old pieces of cement out; dig everything up before we make the forms and do it all – or can we make forms around what’s there; pour over?
TOM: No. If you pour over, it’s going to end up spawling because what’ll happen is, especially in your climate, you’ll get moisture between the old and the new concrete …
DENISE: Aw, shoot. (Leslie chuckles)
TOM: … and it’ll break and it’ll crack off and you’ll have to repeat the whole process next year again.
DENISE: I knew you would say that. (laughing)
TOM: Yeah, so you’re going to have to break it out. You know, break up the old pieces and get it out. You’re going to have to build the forms.
DENISE: Yep.
TOM: And really, the care here and the time is to building those forms and making that they are letter perfect; nice and level, that you don’t pour too big of a piece, that you put dividers between the sections and have it all ready and good to go before you call the concrete truck in.
DENISE: OK.
TOM: And I can only imagine the look on that guy’s face when he shows up with that truckload of concrete working with big, burly masons all day long and sees you girls there ready to take the load. (laughing)
DENISE: Yep, in our shorts and our sunglasses. Bring it on, buddy. (laughing) (Leslie chuckles)
TOM: You’re going to make his day. (laughing)
DENISE: Yeah, maybe so. Maybe that might be the bright spot, right? (laughing)
TOM: Alright. Well, good luck with that project.
DENISE: Hey thanks, you guys. I listen to you all the time. You’re great.
TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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