LESLIE: Betty in Georgia has a question about the pillars around her house. What can we do for you?
BETTY: I have six pillars that are around the front of my house, under the front porch…
TOM: OK.
BETTY: … and they are eight inches around, eight feet tall. They put nails around the base of those and in the front, where the sprinklers pop up and water the shrubs, over these years …
TOM: Right.
BETTY: … it has rusted those nails out and the water has seeped in there and bugs and it is rotted in the front of the pillars.
TOM: OK, are these square, wood pillars; like, you know, porca (sp)? They’re round.
BETTY: They’re round pillars.
TOM: OK.
BETTY: And they’re hollow.
TOM: Hmm. Yeah. So they’re architectural. Do they look …?
LESLIE: Mm-hmm, not structural.
TOM: Yeah, they’re not structural. Or are they structural?
BETTY: I think they are. Yeah.
TOM: Do you know if there’s a column, a structural column, inside and the pillar is pretty much cosmetic around the outside of the column?
BETTY: Yes, yes.
TOM: OK, that’s good news. So in this case, then what you could do is you could use a wood filler or a water putty or something of that nature, carve out all of the rotted area and then just simply patch those rotted spots; sand them, prime them, paint them and move on.
BETTY: Right, right. That would – that was one of my husband’s ideas but I was looking for something …
TOM: And your husband had a good idea. (Leslie chuckles)
BETTY: Yes, yes. After 48 years he’s got a great idea. (all laugh)
TOM: Alright, Betty. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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