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Share ideas and learn about the latest in home improvement and décor from Tom and Leslie.

Money Pit Blogs

Solving Shower Leaks

Thu, 10/12/2006 - 12:56 - Money Pit Team

Our shower upstairs is leaking down the wall to our basement. I've checked everywhere for leaks and it looks like it is in the plumbing somewhere between the shower and kitchen drain. I don't know what to do next except to start tearing the shower out and seeing if I can find the leak. What is...

Solutions for Squeaks

Tue, 10/10/2006 - 07:59 - Money Pit Team

The second floor of our home has some very loud squeaks that can wake the dead in the middle of the night.  Besides the noise, I'm concerned that these might mean our floors are weak.Shirley N., Lincoln, NE

Floor squeaks are annoying but rarely signal impending structural doom.  However, you...

Nervous About Mold

Sun, 10/08/2006 - 10:54 - Money Pit Team

We have an upstairs laundry room.  The hose came out of the washer and flooded the entire laundry room and caused water to drip through the lights of our kitchen, which is just below the laundry room.  To drain the water, we cut holes in the ceiling of the kitchen (a few small ones) and let them...

Wet Basement Blues

Fri, 10/06/2006 - 13:19 - Money Pit Team

My basement just flooded in the latest storm.  I can't figure out the source of the leak and now have wet, moldy carpet.  I need to dry it out and figure out how to get the moldy smell out of the house.  Any suggestions? Darcy D., Chicago, IL

OK, first things first.  Basements that flood after...

Do Roof Shingles Insulate?

Thu, 10/05/2006 - 08:14 - Money Pit Team

I have a question about roof replacement. My composition shingle roof was installed in 1984 and is starting to curl at the edges.  Should I remove the shingles or would it be okay to apply a new layer on top of them? Leaving the old one on seems to provide an insulation in my mind, but I would...

Gutters or Not?

Wed, 10/04/2006 - 11:51 - Money Pit Team

We have a 1960 plantation style home with crown molding under the flashing (no gutters). My lot is 1.5 acres and has an elevation change of 25 feet from the street (high point) to the river (low point). We are installing a French drain system to carry water away from the house, but should we...

Cleaning Dryer Vents

Mon, 10/02/2006 - 21:44 - Money Pit Team

My clothes take a long time to dry and I'm wondering if the vent could be blocked.  I tried cleaning it with a vacuum but can't get too far.  Is there an easy way to clean a dryer duct yourself? Laurie in Kalamazoo MI Yes, there is if you have a right tool.  I use an inexpensive dryer duct...

Burning Question About Newspaper

Sun, 10/01/2006 - 18:21 - Money Pit Team

I have a question that could save my life. My husband insists on burning newspaper in the winter, one sheet at a time to get warm as he sits directly in front of it. Now, this winter, he is going to roll up papers, tie them like a log and then burn them for warmth. I have warned him, my...

Caulk Gaps

Thu, 09/28/2006 - 18:27 - Money Pit Team

In our nine year old house, the spaces where the cabinets meet the drywall were caulked. After about three or four years the caulk began to crack leaving a space in this area. The space gets larger in winter - some as much as one eight of an inch - and in some places hardly noticeable in the...

Roof Cleaning Question

Thu, 09/28/2006 - 18:25 - Money Pit Team

I noticed some unsightly black stains on my shingles roof a few months ago.  I'm guessing they are the fungus/moss that grows on the north side of buildings and spreads from rooftop to rooftop.  What can I use to get rid of them?  Robert G. The best thing to do is to clean the roof with a 1/3...