1. On the Air - Listen to Us Anytime, Anywhere
2. Ask Tom & Leslie - A/C Problem
3. Short Cuts - Coming Apart at the Seams
4. Fun Fact - Blah to Beautiful with Beadboard
5. Dot Common Sense - Safety First
6. On the Wire - Enhance Your Entry

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ASK TOM & LESLIE

Kathy, we're sorry to hear that you are so uncomfortable with your new A/C system. It sounds like it was not properly designed. Anything you do, like add an attic fan or more attic vents (a much better option, by the way) will not solve this design problem. If the contractor is still available, you need to ask them to come back and solve this. If not, you should get some quotes from HVAC firms, bite the bullet, and pay someone to do what should have been done in the first place.

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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.

Loose, grime-gathering seams in vinyl flooring may peel away at your patience, but you can fix them. Special sealers applied to the seams in sheet flooring can hide a repair or prevent a loose seam from getting worse and tearing the floor. After gluing down a loose seam, you must also apply a seam sealer to prevent moisture and dirt from getting beneath it. Vinyl flooring repairs can take practice so if you've got several to make, it may be best to hire a pro to fix them all at once.

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FUN FACT

Installing Beadboard Wainscot is straightforward project that can make a dramatic impact on a room. By matching trim details such as the cap and baseboard with the rest of the millwork, wainscot can enhance the whole style of a home. The style especially popular in high traffic areas, such as mudrooms and bathrooms because its painted or stained finish stands up well to wear and tear. The following installation tips come to us courtesy of Fine Homebuilding magazine:

• Measure the whole wall first: To make sure you don't end up with a narrow sliver in the corner, take a quick measurement of the wall. If needed, you can start with a half-piece instead of a full board to ensure that you don't end up having to use the tweezers to install the last piece.
• A guide strip keeps the top straight: Start by snapping a level chalk line around the room to indicate the top of the beadboard (usually around 35 inches from the floor). Then tack on a temporary straightedge with small brads. Keeping the top of the beadboard in a straight line provides an even edge for the cap to rest on.
• Start plumb and stay plumb: Tack the first board in place and check it with a level to make sure it's plumb. If need be, plane the board on the casing side until the leading edge is plumb. Then check every couple of feet to make sure it stays plumb. You can correct for plumb in the field by opening a slight gap between two boards at the top or bottom.
• Nail where it won't show: In place of nailing along the length of the boards, run horizontal beads of construction adhesive about 16 in. apart on the substrate. Then face-nail the top and bottom of each board where the trim will hide the nails.
• Scribe around windows: To get precise cutlines around window casing and other obstacles, make a scribe guide by ripping the tongue off a length of beadboard. This gives you the exact finished width of the board. Dry-fit the last full board before the window casing then trace the cutline on the dry-fit board.

For more information, check out Fine Homebuilding magazine on newsstands now or on the web at www.FineHomebuilding.com.

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DOT COMMON SENSE

Wet surfaces and too many fixtures in small spaces are often the cause of bathroom falls for thousands of people each year. To cut down on the risk of injury, choose flooring that will not trip you up when wet. Or make sure bath mats cover enough of the surface to give you traction. Also, instead of a bathtub, consider a shower with a low threshold. Also, install strong handholds and grab bars for extra support. For more information on how to avoid household accidents, visit www.HomeSafetyCouncil.org. The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national non-profit organization solely dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year.

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ON THE WIRE

One of the easiest and most visual home improvements homeowners can make to the exterior of their home is replacing the entry door system. The latest research shows that an enhanced entryway can add thousands of dollars to a home's perceived value. Therma-Tru and NFO Worldwide found that an enhanced entryway can add as much as $24,000 to a home's perceived value, which is approximately five times the cost of the entry system. There are few other upgrades to a home that deliver this kind of return. Therma-Tru recently conducted focus groups with homeowners and found that most now look at the entryway of their home as a sign of the quality of the home. They feel that a front entryway makes a statement about the entire house. Homeowners believe that a front entryway reflects what one would expect to find inside the house and reflects the kind of people who live inside the house. Homeowners surveyed overwhelmingly said they would pay extra for a front entryway that reflects the image they would like to create. Consumers typically replaced doors for appearance, energy efficiency, outdated style and performance reasons, with appearance the primary reason for front doors and performance the reason for other entry doors and patio doors. Nearly all remodeling homeowners agreed that putting in their new door enhanced the value of their home, and that if they were to build a new home, 96% said putting extra money into a front entryway would be the right thing to do.

Today's homeowners want high-performance advanced materials that outlast and out-perform their old-fashioned counterparts, such as wood and steel. Therma-Tru is helping to drive that trend with Tru Performance. The new Classic-Craft® American Style Collection™ by Therma-Tru Doors is a reflection of traditional Craftsman style. The Collection provides structural simplicity; understated, straightforward style; solid construction and uncomplicated design. The craftsman-style door is designed with vertical groove, straight graining, clean and simple lines, square wood edges and a wide, full-length lock block. Therma-Tru added new styles to its popular Fiber-Classic and Smooth-Star Collections with new oval and rectangular glass and frames. These new door styles are more detailed, create eye-catching entryways and bring additional light into the home. For more great ideas and information, check out www.ThermaTru.com.

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Copyright 2005 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.