Hot Tips For Cool Summer Home Improvements

Ideas and innovations from America’s popular home improvement radio team

Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete host The Money Pit, a nationally syndicated radio show that fields hundred of calls each week from listeners seeking advice on everything from soup to nuts and floor boards to shingles.  In this issue, Tom & Leslie respond to some of the most common questions they receive in the summer season.

 

Q:  My husband hates to run the air conditioner as he says the house gets too damp.  Is this normal or is there any way to fix it? Judy P., Jupiter, FL.

 

Tom:  It sound’s like your air conditioner may be too big.  While it seems this might be a good thing, it’s not.  Air conditioners that are too big don’t run long enough to take moisture out of the air inside your house.  As a result, they waste energy and leave you feeling cold and clammy, not to mention increase the risk that you could develop a mold problem.  We’d suggest contacting a local heating and cooling company to have your house “sized” for the proper size air conditioner.  As a rough rule-of thumb, you generally need one ton of A/C power for every 600-800 square feet of living space. 

 

Another option is to consider installing a whole house dehumidifier.  Aprilaire (see Aprilaire.com) makes one that will remove up to 90 pints of water a day from the air inside your home.  Unlike room dehumidifiers that have to constantly be emptied, a whole home dehumidifiers are installed into your heating and cooling ductwork and run automatically.  One benefit of whole home dehumidification is comfort.  With all the moisture out of the air, you won’t need to run your central air conditioner nearly as much and that will save some money in the long run.

 

 Q:  We’ve been thinking about buying a pressure washer to clean the siding and walks around our home.  I’ve started to look around but the number of options makes it extremely confusing.  Can you tell me where to begin? Linda H., Bayside, CA.

 

Leslie:  Pressure washers are a good tool for cleaning a variety of items in and around the home such as cars, boats, patio furniture, decks and sidewalks.  To pick the right one for you house, just remember the “Three P’s,” Water Pressure, Gallons Per Minute and Price.

 

First, pick a unit with the right water pressure – how much pressure you needs depends on the type of job you’re going to be doing.  A basic light-duty pressure washer (1300 – 2000) is 30 times as powerful as a garden hose but a good choice for cleaning boats, cars and siding.  Medium-duty machines (2000 – 2600 PSAs) are good for cleaning grease and grime.  And heavy-duty (2,700 – 4,000 PSI) work well for stripping surfaces for repainting.

 

Next, consider how much water it can deliver.  The larger the Gallons Per Minute rating, the more surface area a pressure washer can clean.  A higher GPM flow rate can clean a larger area faster.  Last, consider price.  Pressure washers range in price from a low of $100 to more than $2,000.  If you’ve decided what pressure and GPM you need for your cleaning jobs, the price range you need to look in will naturally fall into place.

 

A good place to compare manufacturers, features and prices is pressurewashersdirect.com. The web site sells a wide variety of units and has a comparison tool to make it easy to review pressure washer’s side-by-side.

  

Q:  We just completed remodeling our basement and, when we tore out some paneling around a window, thousands of little insect wings flew out all over the place.  It was pretty disgusting.  Any idea what these could be? Elaine N., Camden, NJ

 

Tom:  Yuck!  My guess is termites.  Termites live in the soil and build mud tubes to travel in and out of your house for a free meal of luscious floor joists, wall studs or any other tasty morsel that is holding up your home sweet home.  During the warmer months, termites grow wings and “swarm”, leaving the safety of their deep soil nests to fly off wreak more havoc on houses.  If I’m right, there’s no surprise why you found them near the window.  Once these little buggers get airborne, they head right for the light.

 

Here’s what you’ll need to do:  First, contact a local pest management professional and order a comprehensive inspection of your home.  Much of the damage termites’ cause may not be obvious to you but a trained pro can spot it a mile away.  If termites are confirmed, request a treatment be done with a new class of high-tech “undetectable” liquid termiticides like Termidor Termite Defense (see termidorhome.com).   Undetectable termite treatments are applied to the soil around your home where the termites live.  Because they CAN’T be seen, smelled or sensed by termites in any way, termites will pass through the treated zone and get it on their bodies.  Then they transfer this to other termites in the colony and…Viola…The whole termite colony gets wiped out leaving your home officially termite free.

  

Q:  The combination of hot weather and not much rain has my lawn looking more like a hayfield.  Is the grass dead? Peter G., Glasgow, KS

 

Tom:  If you’ve ever watched your lawn fade from luscious green to wheat-field brown, you know how difficult it can be to maintain a healthy lawn throughout the dog days of summer.   But while summer heat can quickly turn a blanket of green grass in your yard to hayfield, lawns can survive to thrive again with just a few precautions.

 

First, cut back on mowing.  In hot, dry weather grass often goes into a semi-dormant state and will come back when weather conditions improve.  Mowing once a week is plenty.  Also, it’s best to keep the grass a little longer in the summer so don’t cut as often.  Cutting too frequently can mean the grass looses more moisture from the cut tips, and mower wheels can leave brown stripes on stressed lawns.  A good mowing height is 2 ½ to 3 inches.

 

Leslie:  If your lawn is in good shape you can allow your grass to go into a semi-dormant state by cutting back on watering.   If brown is not your color and you prefer to water, do so very early in the morning to give the lawn a chance to dry by night time to discourage problems with bugs and diseases.  It’s best to water heavily a couple times a week to encourage deeper root growth, rather than light watering every day.  Roots that are closer to the surface are more susceptible to heat.

 

Q:  How can we make our exterior patio feel like an extension of our decorating style and create an outdoor room? Nicholas L., Barrington, IL.

Leslie:  Creating a space outside your house that you can call your own is a great idea.  Whether you have an existing patio or deck, or simply want to set aside a space on your lawn, there are lots of weather proof elements that can be combined to create an inviting space.

The first step in creating a comfortable exterior space is to define the visual borders of that area.  This can be done with furniture, awnings or trellises.  You can also create a tented “ceiling” for your exterior room.  To do this, install two trellises or arbors at either end of your new space and use bamboo from your local garden center to run the length between the trellises.  Place one at the top and then two on each side where the curve starts.  Then, lay panels of your favorite fabric over the top piece of bamboo so it runs toward each of your two side pieces and place the fabric between to the two pieces of bamboo on the sides.  You can billow the fabric panel as much as you like from the top to the side pieces but make sure there is enough clearance for folks to walk around. 

It’s important to make sure that any furniture you place in your exterior room is weatherproof, including the fabrics for the furniture or any type of awning you may create.  A great website for exterior furniture and fabrics is www.giati.com. All of the fabrics are 100% solution dyed acrylic fabrics and are guaranteed not to crack, fade, split, or peel.  They are also scrubable and mildew resistant.  Fabrics like these can customize your exterior without sacrificing any of your style. 

Q:  I love the idea of a weatherproof rug for our patio but the designs are limited.  Any ideas? Trevor K., Stamford, CT.

Leslie:  Why not try painting a rug in your exterior room?  By painting a rug, you can create an interesting decorative element that stands up to the sun and rain.  To do this, you’ll need a good oil-based primer like Kilz (see kilz.com) and concrete floor paint.  If the color choice is limited, remember that you can tint concrete floor paint to any color you need. 

To create the rug, first prime and paint on your base color and allow to dry well.  Then, lay out a design or even just a border using rug stencils or patterns which are available at your local craft shop.  Make sure you wipe the stencil between each use and use a brush that is not too wet.    For a fun tassel edge pick up a tassel stencil as well.  Paint the tassels in a lighter shade first.  Allow to dry well, and then use a darker color and off set it from the first round with the stencils.  This will create a realistic shadow effect.  Be as creative as you like and as colorful as suits your tastes.

Q:  After a couple of months of heavy grilling, my gas grill needs an extreme makeover of its own.  Do you have any tips for a mid-season grill cleaning? Ellen G., Brookline, MA.

 

Tom:  The same char broiling action that flavors ribs, chick, steaks and burgers you cook on grills all summer long, can really cause problems if you don’t stop and clean the grill once in a while.  Here’s what to do:

First, soak the grids in hot, soapy water and clean them with a nylon-scrubbing pad. If they’re really encrusted, use oven cleaner in a well-ventilated area and rinse clean.  Next remove the lava rock or ceramic briquettes, clean them with a wire brush and replace any that are deteriorated.  Then remove the burner, brush it clean and check carefully for cracks, split seams or holes. If any are found, the burner should be immediately replaced.  Lastly, check all the rubber gas hoses for cracks and replace any that show the slightest sign of wear.

Now you are ready to put the grill back together and check all gas connections for leaks. To do this safely, mix a 50/50 solution of liquid dishwashing soap and water. Brush the solution on all gas connections and watch for bubbles. If any are seen, the connection is leaking and should be fixed before firing the grill.

 

Leslie:  Well Tom, now that you told them how to clean the grill, the only thing I can do is help make it dirty again!  So, here’s my recipe for a fabulous barbeque sauce. This is the messiest sauce out there but it is so worth it.  It works on flank steak, chicken, ribs, or just about anything else you can grill.  Enjoy.

 

32oz bottle of ketchup

3 tablespoons garlic salt

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

½ cup molasses

¼ cup honey

 

Mix well in a bowl and marinate for at least three hours or overnight.  Use extra sauce to brush on during grilling.

 

Then see Toms grill cleaning instructions again.

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