How to Seal Garage Floors #1114161

TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Give us a call, right now, because we are here to help you take on your next home improvement project. We know you’ve probably got a list somewhere of stuff you’d like to get done around your money pit. Why don’t you give us a call and we’ll slide it over to our list and tackle it together? I am confident we can get her done. The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974.

Coming up on today’s show, with winter upon us, now is a great time to take steps to protect your garage floor with coatings that can beautify the space, protect the floor and make it easier to clean. We’re going to have details on that project, just ahead.

LESLIE: Plus, we’ll have a review of portable heaters that are great for porches, patios and tailgates, just in time for the big game.

TOM: And also ahead, if there’s one improvement that you can do right now and will deliver an excellent return on investment, all while making you more comfortable, it’s this: add insulation. We’re going to have insight on a high-tech insulation that can stop drafts and reduce heating costs all at the same time.

LESLIE: Plus, this hour, we’ll shed some light around your home because we’re giving away the brand-new Mr. Beams Home Safety and Security Lighting Bundle, including the new Mr. Beams High-Performance Security Light and the NetBright version of the same light, which will enable up to 50 lights to come on when just one detects motion.

TOM: The Security Lights sell for 49.99 and 69.99 but Mr. Beams is including even more lights in the package, for a total value of over 169 bucks. So call us now. We’ll shed some light on your home improvement project and maybe send you the Mr. Beams Home Safety and Security Lighting Bundle to shed light on the rest of your house. The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974.

LESLIE: Tim in California is on the line looking to go solar. What can we do for you?

TIM: I’ve been in my home for 25 years and my wife and I have – are considering going solar. And we are kind of at odds, I guess, if you want to say. I’m more of against it and she’s more for it. So maybe I thought I could get a little bit of advice on your end of maybe good pros and cons of the solar industry.

TOM: So, I presume we’re talking about active solar, where you’d have panels on your roof, as opposed to passive solar, which is where you do things to your house to make it a solar collector. Is that correct?

TIM: Solar panels on the roof to reduce our electrical …

TOM: And how are you planning to pay for those? Are you planning to buy the system and install it yourself or are you planning to use a company that would lease them to you and kind of split the revenue?

TIM: It would definitely, definitely be done by a professional. I’m good at a lot of things but that one is out of my hands as far as – I wouldn’t know the first place to start.

TOM: Well, look, there are companies out there that specialize in solar installations and they often have an offer where, essentially, they’re leasing the panels to you. Those panels go to work collecting the sun and converting it to electrical energy. And then that – some of that energy you use and the excess energy gets fed back into the grid. And then they have some sort of calculation that tells you how much of that you’re paying for and how much of that they’re getting. And what I found is that the variety of deals, so to speak, on these are many and they’re really hard to compare apples to apples. But I think what I would be concerned about is a couple of things.

First of all, I wouldn’t put solar panels on my roof unless I knew my roof was fairly new and in good condition. Because taking them off to replace the roof is going to dramatically change the economics of that project, right? So you want to make sure your roof’s in excellent condition.

Secondly, with any panels that I put on, I want to make sure it has a really good warranty by a company that’s been around long enough to actually have a chance of fixing it if something breaks. You know, they take a lot of wear and tear up there, so you want to make sure that they’re going to perform well.

And in terms of these solar-energy providers, you might also want to find out what rebates are available, because they keep changing and there’s always local and state and federal rebates. And find out how that plays into the whole thing. And try to get this to a point, if you talk to a number of providers, where you have a chance at making an apples-to-apples comparison. I would do that work, talk to those folks because you’re not going to do it yourself. And I think what’ll happen is the cream will kind of rise to the top.

When you get close to choosing the provider, make absolutely certain that you get a list of their customers, not ones that they finished last week but ones that they finished last month, six months ago, a year ago or two years ago. So you actually have the ability to talk to somebody who’s had their product in their home for all of that time. It can really give you a sense as to what kind of return on investment you can expect to find. Does that make sense?

TIM: That’s great advice. No, that’s very, very good. I appreciate that advice.

TOM: Alright, Tim. Well, good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Chang in Rhode Island, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

CHANG: I had one of the rentals – in the bathroom, around the frame, that the window is all like a little black mold around there. I’ve never seen that before.

TOM: Yeah. That’s not uncommon, that type of mold: the little, tiny, black mold specks in the bathroom. It’s usually something called Cladosporium. And some people can be allergic to it but it’s not as much a concern as some of the other types of mold that are out there.

What I would do is I would mix up a solution of bleach and water, maybe about 25-percent bleach. And I would spray that mold and let the bleach sit – let the solution sit on there for a while, like 5, 10 minutes. And then you can kind of rinse it off and wipe it away. That will get into that mold where it grabs onto the surfaces and makes sure it can’t come back. And I think you’re just going to have to keep an eye on it because depending on the conditions inside your bathroom, it could form again.

Do you have a good ventilation fan in that bathroom, Chang?

CHANG: I do have an exhaust on the top of the bathroom but I don’t know how often they use it.

TOM: Yeah. So what you might want to do is put that on a motion detector so it comes on when anybody goes in there or a timer so that it can stay on after a shower. And this way, it gets all the moisture out before it gets turned off. I think if you take the control and the operation of that away from the occupants, you’ll find that it’s much more effective in keeping the moisture down, which will stop mold from growing.

CHANG: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I have to tell them to do that. But this time, there is nothing I can do. Just try to clean with bleach and then – can I sand it out and then paint a water paint?

TOM: No, no. This is not a situation where you’ve got to paint over it. You just want to get rid of it. This is a cleaning project, OK? I mean certainly, if you’re going to paint the room, then you would get the mold off first but this is not the kind of thing. You don’t want to sand it because then you’ll release it into the air. If you spray it with the bleach, it’ll kill it. Then you can wipe it down.

Alright, Chang? Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: You are tuned to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com. What are you working on this pre-Thanksgiving weekend? You guys, there’s a lot of stuff to tackle. I know you’re going to have the doorbells ringing very, very soon. So let us help you get everything organized and in tip-top shape at your money pit by giving us a call at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

TOM: 888-666-3974.

Up next, football season is upon us and we’ve got some tailgating tips, including advice on the best portable heaters to stay warm while you cheer on your team. It’s all coming up, after this.

TOM: Up until now, you purchased insulation to insulate, to help keep warm spaces warm and cool spaces cool.

LESLIE: But now, Owens Corning has changed all of that with Pure Safety High Performance Insulation. Pure Safety not only insulates but also actually contributes to a healthier, safer and more comfortable environment for your family.

TOM: That’s right. First, it’s a high-density, all-purpose insulation that efficiently fills cavities in your home with a layer of thermal protection. Next, Pure Safety contributes to healthier indoor air. It stays put in walls and floors and produces 50 percent less dust than some other insulation products. That means healthier air for your family to breathe.

LESLIE: Pure Safety is also fire-resistant. In case of a fire, you’re going to have extra minutes to escape to safety. And those are minutes that can make all the difference.

TOM: And finally, Pure Safety reduces noise up to 50 percent. It helps to keep outside noise out and reduces inside noise from traveling from room to room inside.

Pure Safety High Performance Insulation from Owens Corning, a single product that will enhance your family’s health, safety and comfort. Learn more at PureSafetyInsulation.com. Pure Safety, the greatest home improvement you’ll never see.

ANNOUNCER: Today’s Money Pit is presented by Mr. Beams. Lighting solutions that can be installed in five minutes. No wires, no electrician, no kidding. Find Mr. Beams lights at major retailers and learn more at MrBeams.com.

TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Love to talk with you at 1-888-MONEY-PIT and help you take on your home improvement projects. Also, we are giving away a great prize, this hour, to one caller drawn at random. And that is the Home Safety and Security Lighting Bundle by Mr. Beams, which includes the brand-new Mr. Beams High-Performance Security Light.

I saw this light, I played with this light,I made a video about this light. I loved it. It’s very bright: 500 lumens of battery-powered, motion-activated light. It can definitely increase the security around your home, including doorways and garages and sheds and porches. What’s cool about it is the heads adjust, so you can cover up to about 800 square feet just by sort of switching the heads and making them cover that big, wide area. And it comes in both a standard and a NetBright version.

Now, the NetBright technology is interesting because it kind of interconnects all of these lights. And if one light detects motion, all the NetBright-connected lights come on at the same time.

The High-Performance Security Light is 49.99. The NetBright version is 69.99. But the entire bundle includes a lot more products from Mr. Beams, for a total value of 169.96. Going out to one lucky caller drawn at random. If you’d like to see these, head on over to MrBeams.com or you can call them at 877-298-9082.

Leslie, who’s next?

LESLIE: Kathy in Michigan is on the line with a painting question. How can we help you today?

KATHY: I have a cinder-block house and it seems to peel kind of easy. And one side of the house, where the water’s located, I think they have rust spots coming through but not from the inside, only the outside.

TOM: OK. Do you have sprinklers?

KATHY: No.

TOM: And the rust spots are on the inside you say?

KATHY: Outside.

TOM: I wonder where that rust is coming from, Leslie. I wonder if there are maybe some metal ties inside the block walls that could be releasing that rust.

LESLIE: It could be, because that does happen very commonly. And the cinder block does tend to be very hydroscopic, meaning it’s going to just suck up all the water from the surrounding areas and just kind of hold onto it at times. So if there is any metal in that, you can see rusting.

TOM: So I think what you’re going to need to do is to spot-prime those rust areas and you need to use a good-quality primer. I would use an oil-based primer – an oil-based exterior primer. After you sand those rust spots away, I would spot-prime them with the oil-based primer and then put the topcoat back on top of it.

I think this is going to be a situation where you’re going to have to manage that paint job, Kathy, so that this doesn’t get worse. And if you ever get ready to do the entire house, then you would simply remove that old paint and then prime the entire surface. And I think that will also do a good job of sealing in any rust spots that form.

KATHY: OK. I like that. I thank you.

TOM: Good luck. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Well, for many of us, it’s the most wonderful time of year: football season. But before you head out to cheer on your favorite team all winter long, make sure your tailgate is also poised for victory.

TOM: Forty percent of tailgaters spend more than five hours pre-gaming. But it only takes a few minutes to discover how super cold it can get. Well, you can put that suffering behind you if you add warmth to that tailgate party.

Now, open flames are too dangerous and generators have historically been too loud and heavy. But inverter generators, on the other hand, they are lightweight and quiet and they draw power from fixed DC sources, like car batteries and solar panels.

LESLIE: Another option for warmth: consider using portable patio heaters. Now, you’ve seen these at open-air restaurants. Most of them run on propane. And they’re going to warm up a good-sized area.

Now, while you’re keeping warm, you’re also going to want to keep your beverages cold. There’s some really great, new coolers on the market that do much more than that, like come complete with charging stations for your cell phone.

TOM: For more great game-day ideas, head on over to MoneyPit.com and search “tailgating.”

LESLIE: Andrew in Minnesota, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

ANDREW: I have built a house starting with the lower level, which is a 4-car garage. And I buried it on three sides with dirt for the insulation – the earth-berm insulation. And it has started, in the last few years, to show a little dampness coming through in certain times of the year: heavy rains or in the spring. It was originally coated with a black tar kind of a coating around the entire outside of the block work.

And I’m wondering about – you know, I think I’m pretty sure that the drain tile has gotten messed up somewhere along the line and I’m wondering about a variety of ways to probably redo the drain tile. But also, I thought I’d better check and see if there’s a preferred method that’s a lot easier than the things I’m thinking.

TOM: So, describe it to me. Is this a concrete-block garage?

ANDREW: It is. It was a – this is a pretty unique house. It’s solar electricity only so far, soon to have wind and there’s kind of a poor man’s geothermal thing going and stuff like that. But I started at the – I wanted to start right away with the efficiency. And so, I had the frost footing – we’re in Minnesota, so they had a frost footing way down – and then get a full, I think, 8 or 10 (inaudible at 0:15:37) block. And then literally had a dirt guy come out and bury it on 3 sides, about three-quarters of the way up.

TOM: Does that earth berm slant away from the house so that direct rainfall will wash away from those walls?

ANDREW: It does. But there may also be kind of a problem with that, too, because it’s a relatively steep A-frame so that the runoff from the roof – which I’m just about to get gutters but I haven’t gotten them yet. The runoff from the roof, especially in the back, would be heavy and would drain straight down.

TOM: So, a couple of things come to mind. First of all, I’m glad you told me about the gutters. That is absolutely the first thing that you want to do. I think a lot of folks don’t recognize the importance of having gutters around the house. It’s not just to keep the water from rolling off the roof and hitting you on the head. Managing that water around the foundation will address a lot of these issues. If you can collect that water and get it going through downspouts and extend those out at least 4 to 6 feet away from the house and then make sure it drains away from the property, you’re just going to have a whole lot better time keeping moisture away from that house. Also, it makes it more structurally sound.

Now, you mentioned that you may have to replace the French drains or the curtain drains. There is something new that can help with that and it’s from a company called NDS. And they call it an EZflow Drain. It’s a prefabricated French drain. So what happens is you have this perforated French drainpipe that’s surrounded by – it kind of looks like packing peanuts. And then it’s surrounded by a filter cloth. So instead of making your French drain where you have to dig out a hole, you have to put stone in, you’ve got to put pipe in, you’ve got to put more stone, more stone, more stone, more filter cloth and then more stone and more dirt, which is a lot of work, you can just drop this prefabricated pipe in the ground, cover it with dirt and you’re good to go.

So I think between those two things – improving those curtain drains and also getting gutters on the house – you’re probably going to see a significant drop in the amount of moisture that you’re dealing with.

ANDREW: OK. Great. Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll even go one better than that. I’m actually going to store the rainwater.

TOM: OK. Well, there you go. And that makes perfect sense, right? I mean you’re going to go all solar, you might as well get a rain-barrel collection system in there and perhaps a drip-irrigation system for your garden, right?

ANDREW: Yeah, that sounds good. I like the idea of the new method that you’re talking about. And I did plan to do gutters all the way around, even though the roof has only got fascia board on the front and the rear.

TOM: There’s lots of ways to attach a gutter. So, get that project done. I think you’ll be very successful, OK?

ANDREW: Alright. Thank you very much.

TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: We’re going to Mike in Michigan who’s got some concerns about working in the cooler temps.

Welcome, Mike.

MIKE: I heard a rumor that there’s cement that can be applied in much colder temperatures. But upon my research, I haven’t found any company that sells it or has any knowledge of it.

TOM: You talking about caulk?

MIKE: Yeah. To seal joints and cracks?

TOM: Well, generally, the solvent-based caulks can be used in a lot lower temperatures than the latex-based caulks. Are you using silicone caulks?

MIKE: No, we’re also using polyurethane.

TOM: You might want to look at the silicone products. Now, this is nothing special; it’s not a new type of product. But I know that some painters use these down to 0 degrees.

Now, the trick is keeping it warm enough to apply it so it flows well. But if you can keep the caulking tube warm and then go outside and use it, the application should be OK down to almost 0 degrees, as I recall.

MIKE: OK. And the freeze/thaw cycle, I know, is water turns to ice, it expands. That will not expand the sealant being wet?

TOM: No. Because it’s solvent-based. You don’t have the same expansion issues.

MIKE: OK. And how well does that level out? Do you have to more or less putty it in and smooth it out yourself?

TOM: It is more difficult to level out because of the cold temperature. As you know, if you’ve ever used this kind of thing on a warm day, it flows really nicely. But because it’s chilly, it definitely doesn’t flow as well. But if you’re skilled with the caulk gun, you should be fine with it, you know. And cleanup is a little bit more difficult, as well. But again, it comes down to your skill and I’m sure, if you’re doing it all these years, that you’d be able to overcome that issue.

MIKE: Yes, yes. We’re just looking – when we heard about it, we figured, “Well, if we can get another month or two out of the season of doing sealant, we can make more money each year by doing so.”

LESLIE: There’s also a product out there called a “caulk warmer.” And it looks like a – sort of like an insulated lunchbox but it’s more like an envelope-style. And you can hold two to five tubes, depending on which size you get. And that can help you keep the caulk at a flowable temperature while you’re getting ready to work.

MIKE: Oh, OK. I appreciate all your help and assistance. You folks have a great day.

TOM: Alright. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Next up, before that snow and ice melts off your car, get your garage floor protected to stand up to all that abuse. We’ll have advice on the best coatings, after this.

MARILU: Hi. This is Marilu Henner from The Marilu Henner Show. And I’m obsessed with these guys. You’re listening to The Money Pit, my buddies Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Up until now, you purchased insulation to insulate, to help keep warm spaces warm and cool spaces cool.

LESLIE: Pure Safety is also fire-resistant. In case of a fire, you’re going to have extra minutes to escape to safety. And those are minutes that can make all the difference.

TOM: And finally, Pure Safety reduces noise up to 50 percent. It helps to keep outside noise out and reduces inside noise from traveling from room to room inside.

ANNOUNCER: The Money Pit is presented by CliqStudios.com, the smarter way to get a designer kitchen. Visit CliqStudios.com/Free and get a free copy of their Kitchen Cabinets Buyer’s Guide, produced in partnership with This Old House.That’s C-l-i-q-Studios.com/Free.

TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Well, it’s called “fall” for a reason, folks. Autumn leaves might make a mess on your lawn but they can make an even bigger problem if they clog up your gutters. Clogged gutters lead to a lot of problems, like cracked foundations and flooded basements and leaking roofs. So you really need to keep those gutters clean, keep that water moving in the right direction and keep those downspouts extended well away from your home to avoid a whole host of potential issues.

LESLIE: Adele in New Jersey is on the line with a flooring question. How can we help you today?

ADELE: We just had new carpeting installed in our living room/dining room and we’re having the balance of the house done in about a week-and-a-half. We are now finding, when you walk through the living room and dining room area, we are getting a few squeaks in the floor in walking.

Now, whether that has anything to do with our subfloor – the house is approximately only 28 years old. We bought it new when it was built. Now, do you think it might be a problem with the subflooring? We do have a crawlspace.

TOM: So, underneath the carpet, what is the subfloor? Is it plywood?

ADELE: Yes.

TOM: OK. So, you have a good opportunity now, not for the rooms that you’ve already carpeted but for the ones you’re about to carpet. When you take up the old carpet, you need to go through and re-nail or screw the subfloor down to the floor joist. Because those boards loosen up and as you step on them, they’ll – they move back and forth and that’s the squeak.

So, what I would like to see your contractor do is pull the carpet up and then take some drywall screws – these case-hardened steel screws that are sold everywhere today – and physically screw the plywood down to the floor joist. You put a screw in – about four screws across the width of the plywood on every single floor joist. You just go from one end to the other. They’re driven in with a drill, so it’s a very easy job to do. And that will really tighten up that floor and reduce the movement dramatically and that will prevent, if not eliminate, squeaks under that carpet.

ADELE: Yes. Oh, that sounds terrific. Thank you so much for your help.

TOM: Alright, Adele. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Sure, a garage is for housing your cars. But these days, it’s all so much more. Many families use it as an entrance to their home. It can often be a workshop, a hobby space or maybe even a home gym area.

TOM: Gosh, I wish it could be a hobby space or a home gym. I can’t even get my car in there these days.

LESLIE: Nope.

TOM: But with the garage getting so much wear and tear, it does make sense to give the floors a protective coat that will do double duty and also beautify that space. Here to give us a step-by-step walkthrough for this project is This Old House host Kevin O’Connor.

Welcome, Kevin.

KEVIN: Hi, guys.

TOM: So, garage floors not only have to look good but they’ve got to stand up to some pretty severe conditions. I mean I always think of road salt sort of dripping off the car after a long drive in the winter roads. What options do we have to create a floor that looks good and stands up and is really stain-resistant?

KEVIN: Well, if you wanted to do all of those things, then you’re probably talking about an epoxy floor coating. And this is something that goes down just like paint. And in fact, it’s a great weekend project, great for DIYers. We showed a couple people on Ask This Old House how to do it and they’ve had good luck with it.

TOM: OK. So, it sounds like a good approach. How do we get started? What’s first?

KEVIN: So the first thing you want to do is you want to prep the surface. And you want to find out if your garage floor already has a sealer on it or not. And to do that, you simply just spread some water on it. If it soaks in, then you do not have a sealer likely. If it beads up, then you probably have a sealer. Or if it beads up in little spots, then you probably have grease in those little spots. And you want to make sure that you go out and you degrease the entire surface.

LESLIE: Now if you’re using a degreaser, is it OK if it runs down your driveway and then into your yard at all?

KEVIN: We’ve had good luck using, actually, biodegradable degreasers that are effective in doing the job and there is no harm when they run out of the garage and are washed off.

TOM: Now, after degreasing, there’s an additional step that is one that is fairly specialized to this project and that’s acid etching. What does that exactly do for the project?

KEVIN: That allows for good adhesion between the epoxy and the actual concrete. And when we’re talking about acid, that means that we’re going to need chemical-resistant rubber boots, rubber gloves and eye goggles. You want to follow the instructions that are on the container because you’re going to be mixing this acid with water and you want to get that mix right.

One little tip here is make that mix in – a plastic watering can is a good example but something plastic, not metal because you don’t want a reaction with the metal. And then you simply spread that acid down onto the floor with a brush. You’re going to rub it in and you’re going to create a physical etch in the concrete which will then wash off, vacuum up and make sure you’ve got a nice, clean surface.

TOM: OK. So once the etch step is complete, next is the epoxy?

KEVIN: Correct. And you do want to make sure that this floor is completely dry before you get to this.

TOM: OK.

KEVIN: Now, the epoxy will come in two parts. One is the paint and the second part is the hardener. You’ll need to mix them together as directed by the manufacturer. And know that there’s a chemical reaction that’s occurring that’s going to allow the paint to dry very hard and give you a durable finish.

TOM: So unlike traditional paint that air-dries, this is actually a sort of a chemical cure.

KEVIN: Right. And you’re going to have a certain amount of time to work with this. I’d say probably two to two-and-a-half hours is the pot life. So, think about once you make this mix, you’ve got to be ready to go. And you don’t want to paint yourself in the garage.

LESLIE: Right.

KEVIN: Bite it off in small, little pieces, maybe 2 feet by 6 feet. Do one section and then move onto the next.

LESLIE: And how many coats do you need? Is it just a one-coat kit?

KEVIN: You could do one coat but you’re going to get a much better coverage with two coats. It’s going to be a better color and there’s going to be better coverage throughout. So two coats is what we typically advise.

And the other thing that I would add is if you’ve got cracks or if you’ve got dents and divots in the concrete, you’re not going to get rid of those with this epoxy. It’s not going to fill those. It is, essentially, like paint but you can actually throw down those little flakes, those little chips in the second coat of wet epoxy. That’ll give it a little bit of texture but it’ll also create sort of a variation and you’ll be a lot less likely to see that crack running right through your garage.

TOM: Also helps hide the dirt.

KEVIN: It does help hide the dirt. It’s a pretty cool look.

TOM: Kevin O’Connor, the host of TV’s This Old House, thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit. Sounds like a great project for this weekend.

KEVIN: My pleasure to be here.

LESLIE: You can catch the current season of This Old House and Ask This Old House on PBS. For local listings and step-by-step videos of many common home improvement projects, visit ThisOldHouse.com.

TOM: And Ask This Old House is brought to you on PBS by Gorilla Glue, for the toughest jobs on Planet Earth.

Just ahead, the best way to cut energy costs and improve comfort is by adding insulation. We’ve got tips on a very environmentally friendly way to do just that, after this.

TOM: Up until now, you purchased insulation to insulate, to help keep warm spaces warm and cool spaces cool.

LESLIE: Pure Safety is also fire-resistant. In case of a fire, you’re going to have extra minutes to escape to safety. And those are minutes that can make all the difference.

TOM: And finally, Pure Safety reduces noise up to 50 percent. It helps to keep outside noise out and reduces inside noise from traveling from room to room inside.

ANNOUNCER: Today’s Money Pit is presented by Caseta by Lutron. Simple to use, simple to set up. Learn how you can win a $5,000 smart-home upgrade, at OurLifeUpgrade.com. No purchase necessary. Ends 12/15/16.

TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

Give us a call at 888-MONEY-PIT. We’re going to help you tackle whatever it is you are working on at your money pit. Plus, this hour, we’re giving away a Home Safety and Security Lighting Bundle by Mr. Beams. And that includes the Mr. Beams High-Performance Security Light.

Super bright. About 500 lumens of battery-powered, motion-activated light that’s going to increase the security all around your house. Adjustable heads. Two adjustable heads cover about 800 square feet, so you can really light those large areas. And it’s available in a NetBright version. Now, NetBright is an amazing technology that allows all of your spotlights to sort of communicate with one another. So when one light detects the motion, all of them will activate.

This High-Performance Security Light is about 49.99 and the NetBright version is 69.99. But the bundle includes several Mr. Beams lights, for a total value of 169.96. Check it out at MrBeams.com or give them a call at 877-298-9082.

TOM: Going out to one lucky caller drawn at random. Make that you. Pick up the phone and give us a call, right now, for the answer to your home improvement question and your chance to win at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Rob in Washington is on the line and is dealing with some flooding. Tell us what’s going on.

ROB: Well, I own a 1-acre lot and I’m surrounded by 58 acres of green belt. And my house sits up in the front of the lot and I have a cement driveway that runs down into a 1,200-square-foot shop. And every time it rains here in Seattle, which is every other day …

TOM: Yeah, frequently.

ROB: And at Daylight Savings, we get an extra hour of rain. But I get – my shop floods and I need to know what kind of drain system I can put in in front of my shop. The cement is maybe 14, 16 feet wide.

TOM: So basically, Rob, what is happening is the water is running down the cement driveway and into the shop. Is that the main source of the water? What you need to do is to put a culvert across the driveway.

So the way that works is you, essentially, cut the driveway in half; you slice out a gap in the driveway. And it might be 8 or 12 inches wide.

ROB: How close to the shop, though?

TOM: I would go probably a few feet in front of it. I wouldn’t go too far away.

ROB: OK.

TOM: Because that just gives you more water – more sidewalk to collect sort of in front of it. So I would go fairly close to it. And then you basically cut the driveway in half and you drop this culvert in, which is sort of like a U-shaped channel. And then on the opposite end of it, it’s attached to a drain line, which would go to a curtain drain.

So the water would go down the garage, it would fall into this culvert. And you can buy these or order these at building-material supply centers that service, you know, masons. And people that do more commercial-type work can be able to find these premade. And the drain tile – the drainpipe – will connect to the culvert so the water would go out to this drain line and then you go into a curtain drain.

So the curtain drain you’d make yourself. And again, on the downside of the property, you’d carve out an area about 12 to 18 inches wide and deep, fill it with stone, lay the drainpipe in there, cover it with more stone, put some filter cloth and then some topsoil or whatever you’re going to cover it with.

So, essentially, the drainage for this is invisible once it’s done but you’re intercepting that runoff down the driveway and running it around the building and into the drain tile. And that pipe that you install there must be perforated. And I would recommend using solid-PVC perforated pipe, not the flexible, black, landscaping perforated pipe.

ROB: OK. Thank you, guys.

TOM: Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

Well, if your home is expensive to heat or cool or if you find that it’s constantly drafty, now is a great time to think about improving your home’s insulation. Now, this is a project I took on just a couple of years ago for my very drafty, or I should say formerly very drafty, 1886 farmhouse. And I did it with Icynene Spray-Foam Insulation. I’ve got to tell you, it’s never been more comfortable or more energy-efficient in its, what, 130-year history.

LESLIE: Yeah. And the great thing about Icynene Spray Foam is that it’s a kind of two-in-one product because it both insulates and seals out drafts, which is probably why you feel so much more comfortable now.

TOM: Well, definitely. I mean Icynene also has a new version called Icynene Classic Max, which is a high-performance, ultra-low-VOC, open-cell version. And it’s the only open cell to have earned the GREENGUARD Gold Certification, which is cool because it’s a rigorous third-party testing of the chemical emissions from the product. So you know it’s going to be great to use.

LESLIE: Yeah. In fact, most spray-foam product requires homeowners to stay out of their homes for 24 hours after the installation. But because the product has such a ultra-low-VOC emission, homeowners can reenter their home about two hours after the installation is complete.

TOM: Between the air-sealing and the insulation, homeowners can expect to save up to about 40 percent on their heating and cooling bills with Icynene Classic Max.

Icynene is really the evolution of insulation. You can learn more about this product at Icynene.com. And if you’d like to get the full story behind my home’s Icynene transformation, download The Money Pit’s free Guide to Insulation at MoneyPit.com.

LESLIE: Dennis in Alaska needs some help cleaning up hard-water residue. What can we do for you today?

DENNIS: Yeah, I was wondering if you knew of a product that could take care of that rusty-looking stuff on a porcelain …

TOM: Try CLR. CLR stands for Calcium, Lime and Rust and it works super well at removing those rust stains. It’s readily available at home centers and supermarkets, as well.

DENNIS: I could probably find it down at Home Depot or someplace.

TOM: I’m sure you can, Dennis. It’s been around for years and it does a really good job. Sort of one of those standard things you’ve got to have on your cabinet shelf.

DENNIS: Right, yeah. OK. I’ll look into it.

TOM: Alright, Dennis. Good luck.

This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. Up next, if you think you’re ready for winter, there might be one small plumbing project you need to tackle. But if you do it now, you could avoid a major busted pipe when the temperatures really drop. We’ll tell you what that is, after this.

TOM: Up until now, you purchased insulation to insulate, to help keep warm spaces warm and cool spaces cool.

LESLIE: Pure Safety is also fire-resistant. In case of a fire, you’re going to have extra minutes to escape to safety. And those are minutes that can make all the difference.

TOM: And finally, Pure Safety reduces noise up to 50 percent. It helps to keep outside noise out and reduces inside noise from traveling from room to room inside.

TOM: Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Hey, we’d love to hear what you’re doing at your money pit. Pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

Hey, here’s a project that can save you a major hassle this winter. Even though your yard work might be done, you don’t want to let the cold get to your outdoor faucets. You know, those outside faucets are very prone to freezing and if it happens, you can face broken pipes, leaks and big water or repair bills. So, be sure to shut off that valve that feeds the external faucets, to guard against that freeze damage. And you also want to loosen the little brass cap that’s on the side of the valve.

Now, go down to your basement or your crawlspace, find that pipe where it goes out the wall to the exterior and then look behind that. You’re going to find a valve. Sometimes it’s maybe a foot away, sometimes it’s 10 feet away.

LESLIE: Sometimes it’s in the most awkwardest (ph) place to reach, as well.

TOM: Well, it’s always in the most awkward place to reach. But find it and hang a tag on it that says “hose bib” or “outside faucet valve.” And remember to turn that off in the wintertime. This will drain that line of all the water that’s in it and it’ll ensure that it won’t crack and freeze and flood out your house, your basement, your crawlspace if it gets super cold outside. And then next spring, you can open it back up and you’ll be good to go for the season ahead.

LESLIE: Alright, guys. While you’re online thinking about all of your money-pit projects, shoot us an e-mail or post a question. I’ve got one here from Jonathan in California who writes: “I’ve heard that UV lights can be used to stop mold growth. Is this a legitimate remedy or a scam? I had my air-conditioning unit serviced recently and was told that there’s mold in there. So I’m trying to figure out the best way to get rid of it.”

TOM: Well, listen, first of all, mold can always be visually determined. And so if it’s the HVAC contractor that’s trying to sell you some sort of an upgrade, I would proceed cautiously. Yes, UV lights can help deter certain types of bacterial growth from the duct system itself or more importantly, the air, but it’s not a one-stop shop. If it turns out that you do have a serious problem with dirty ducts, then you should have them professionally cleaned.

But generally speaking, the best way to keep your air clean is to improve the quality of the air filter. Problem is that a lot of times these air filters that are sold on the market are very thin and very porous. And they don’t do a very good job of keeping out dust mites and bacteria and small particles that can get in the air. If you buy a higher-quality filter, like a pleated filter, you can get much better air cleaning out of that. And that’s where I think you’re best to spend your money rather than put in expensive systems, like UV lights. I think you’ll get a lot more protection in terms of your air if you have a very good-quality filter.

If you really want to go all out, you could put in what’s called an “electronic air cleaner,” which is incredibly efficient and can even trap virus-size particles.

LESLIE: Alright. Next up, we’ve got a post here from Samantha in Washington who writes: “I have a gray porcelain sink in my bathroom. And the bottom – the part near the drain – is dull and staining. What can I use to reseal it or clean it?”

TOM: I think the misunderstanding here, Samantha, is that you’re thinking that this is a surface that needs to be cleaned. It’s generally not. It’s really a surface that’s worn. And in terms of resealing, porcelain does not reseal. I mean it pretty much has to be replaced. And so I don’t have a lot of good news for you on this. If it’s something that’s getting corroded because of rust, you may want to replace the drainpipe itself. But resealing it is not something that is easily done. There are some topical applications but they just don’t tend to stick around very long.

LESLIE: Sam, you’re probably the only person who’s noticing the stain by the drain. I think it’s something that you can live with until it’s time to get a new sink.

TOM: You are listening to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. Thank you so much for spending this hour with us. That’s about all the time we have to tackle projects with you. But you can call us, 24/7, at 1-888-MONEY-PIT and talk to our team. If you leave your number and the description of your project, we’ll actually call you back the next time we are. You can also post your questions online at MoneyPit.com.

I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …

LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.

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