1. On the Air - Win a Great Prize!
2. Ask Tom & Leslie - Installing Vinyl Flooring
3. Short Cuts - Fireplace Facelift
4. Fun Fact - Open House Hints
5. Dot Common Sense - www.hgtv.com/color
6. On the Wire - You Need to Vent

ASK TOM & LESLIE

This week's question comes to us from Elizabeth who says, "We want to install new vinyl tiles in our kitchen. Do we have to remove the old ones? Should we put down anything first? Also, we have a radiator in this room, how do we install the tiles in the area of the radiator?"

Elizabeth, installing news self-adhesive vinyl tiles is an easy do-it-yourself project. The first step is to check the surface. If the original floor tiles are still sticking, there is no reason to remove them. But you will need a clean dry surface for the new tiles to stick to. To accomplish this, clean the floor thoroughly with a wax remover. Another thing to consider: don't line up the new seams with the old seams. You are better off covering them by off setting the tiles. As for the radiator, it should have no effect on the new tiles so go ahead and install the new floor around it.

GOT A QUESTION ABOUT YOUR MONEY PIT?

1. The toll-free studio hot line is 1-888-MONEY PIT. Find out when we broadcast in your area by checking out our website at www.MoneyPit.com. Each week we take dozens of calls, give great advice and offer callers a chance to win a terrific prize awarded to one random caller to every show.
2. Call when it's convenient for you, 24 hours a day, same number: 1-888-MONEY PIT. A live person takes your call 24/7! So -- WHENEVER you have a home improvement question -- phone it in. Simply tell our phone screener your first name, and where you're calling from...and ask your question. We’ll get back to you with the answer – or even call you back during the show!
3. Click here to email your question to us. We may read your email on the air and we also respond personally to many of the email questions we get.

Give your fireplace new meaning during the spring season. After giving it a good cleaning, consider putting a beautiful plant in the opening. Ferns do well in shade and add a punch of life to your room. Lacking the green thumb for this? Consider making a screen from plywood and paint. Personalize this screen with anything from a collage of images, stenciled patterns or photos.

FUN FACT

Homeowners often put their house on the market in the spring. Open houses are great ways to attract potential buyers. There's a new trend now when showing a home called "staging". Set up your home like those models you see in new construction subdivisions. Remember, dirty socks are dirty socks whether in a bungalow or in a palatial estate. Buyers are grossed out all the same. Don't make them work too hard to find the assets of your home. Pack away your collectibles. Buyers might not be able to see past the clutter of your prized baseball hat or butterfly collection. Take a decorator's eye to your home. Clear clutter and add simple accessories like candles or plants. And finally, bring on the curb appeal. Clean up and spruce up the outside to draw those buyers in and you'll be making a bundle on your Money Pit in no time!

DOT COMMON SENSE

More color cowardly than color courageous? HGTV.com has a new section that's devoted to helping you choose the hues that suit both your personality and home. The section, called "Choose Color!", offers an interactive "Pick-A-Palette" tool. There's also a presentation of the four main ways to use colors. Each image contains "hotspots" that pop up with color tips and links to related content. You'll also find articles on colors and common associations, as well as dozens of ways to enliven up styles in all sorts of spaces. Check it out at www.hgtv.com/color.

ON THE WIRE

In today's air tight houses with low-infiltration windows and walls packed with insulation, unventilated bathroom moisture has nowhere to go but into the walls where it can cause mold, poor indoor-air quality and structural damage. Venting the bathroom no longer means installing a ceiling exhaust fan that sounds like a low-flying jet. In fact, the latest bathroom exhaust fans are so quiet you barely can hear them. Fine Homebuilding has a new special issue on newsstands now, Projects Around the House, including tips on choosing and installing the right bathroom fan.

• Vent through the roof or out the wall: The fan can exhaust air through the roof using a roof vent or out a gabble-end wall using a clothes-dryer vent. Under no circumstances should the fan vent through or into the attic through the soffit vents; air will be sucked back into the house.
• Use short, straight ducts: When a curve is necessary, attach the duct to the fan and create a short, sweeping arc toward the ceiling to determine the duct length as well as the best location for the roof vent.
• Don't cut your roof shingle tabs: When mounting the vent on the roof, trace the vent receptacle onto the roof. If the circle is touching a shingle's tabs, remove that shingle before cutting.
• Flash on three sides: Make sure to install flashing around the back and sides of the roof vent to prevent leaking.
• Seal ductwork tightly: All ductwork joints should be sealed tightly with aluminum duct tape - the common fabric tape deteriorates over time.