#2388 – Crystal Clear: Window Cleaning Tips | High-Efficiency Washers and Dryers

Show Notes

Join us as we reveal the pro secrets to crystal-clear windows, the benefits of high-efficiency washers and dryers, and the potential of basement bedrooms! If you’re seeking the answers to these or other home improvement challenges from today’s callers, we’re here to help!

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Cleaning Windows: Get crystal clear results with tips on the best way to clean windows.
Washers and Dryers: Find out whether high-efficiency washers and dryers are worth the additional cost.
Basement Bedrooms: Adding a basement bedroom can be a good idea, as long as it complies with building safety codes.

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Do you have a home improvement or decor question? Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here.

Podcast Transcript

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0:00:24	TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles. This is the Money Pit Home Improvement show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
0:00:29	LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
0:00:30	TOM: And we are so happy to be here with you this day on this beautiful weekend. It’s a chilly weekend in our part of the woods. Maybe it’s chilly where you are. Maybe that’s prompted you to think about ways that you can improve the heat in your house or maybe at least not waste as much. Maybe you want to step up the insulation or maybe you’ve had it with this thing we call winter and you’re ready to plan some projects for spring. If they’re on your to do list, you can put them on 2 hours. When you reach out to us with your questions, we’d be glad to help. The number here is 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974. Or better yet, go to Money Pit e-commerce Ask all you have to do is click the blue microphone button and talk to us. We’ll get your question and get you into the next show. Coming up on today’s program, we’re going to talk about high efficiency washers. They’re on the rise. And also they have Energy Star certified dryers now that can cut energy by like 25%. But the question is, because they’re more expensive, do they make sense? Are you going to make it back in efficiency? So we’ll sort that out, tell you if it’s a smart guy.
0:01:32	LESLIE: And we could all use a little more sunshine this time of year and spotless windows can help. We’ve got tips on how to clean your windows like a pro and you won’t even need any paper towels.
0:01:42	TOM: And a basement might be a good choice for a bedroom in a bit of privacy, but building codes demand some very special requirements for sleeping spaces that are below grade. We’ll sort out if these make sense for your home in just a bit.
0:01:54	LESLIE: But first, are you dreaming about a project that you really want to tackle? Well, if you can dream it, you can do it and we can help. So let us know what your projects are, what you are dreaming of, how we can help you achieve those dreams. Because that’s what we do. We’re the dream makers, right? Is that it.
0:02:10	TOM: Calls at 1-888-MONEY-PIT or post your questions to moneypit.com/ask. Let’s get to it. Leslie, who’s first?
0:02:18	LESLIE: Sandra in North Carolina is on the line. How can we help you? Today?
0:02:21	CALLER: We’re trying to decide which quality of filter to you for our furnace filter switch out. Should we use the ones that are cheaper like the four for $2? Or should we use the HEPA filter quality ones that are like $20 for your furnace filters when you change them out?
0:02:38	LESLIE: Well, with filters, you’re definitely getting what you pay for and it really depends on what the situations are with everybody in your house. Now, the less expensive a filter, you know, the thinner that membrane is going to be. And of course, the wider that webbing is, if you will. So it’s really not going to stop very much. You know, Tom and I always joke that they’re called Pebble Stoppers because that’s really the only thing that’s not cutting through there, actually. So it really depends. You know, the less money you spend, the less things that are getting trapped. If you’ve got somebody with allergens in the house, you want to spend a little bit more money because you’re definitely going to get what you pay for.
0:03:11	CALLER: Okay. So I need to go to a quality filter because I have a lot of allergies. And the people that that built the house need to go with the cheaper filter so you can let air circulate.
0:03:22	TOM: Yeah, well, look, a good quality filter does not block the air, whether it’s, you know, one that’s designed for better filtration or one that’s designed for lesser filtration. None of these things block the air. So if you have allergy issues, you have asthma issues you definitely want is a good quality filter. And if you want the ultimate infiltration, what you might want to think about doing at some point is installing an electronic air cleaner. This is a device that’s built into the HVAC system right near the furnace generally, and these are incredibly efficient at taking out, you know, 95% plus of the contaminants that are in the air. I mean, there’s electronic air filters today. You can take out microscopic sized particles.
0:04:04	CALLER: Okay. Well, we appreciate your information. You’ve been very helpful.
0:04:08	TOM: You’re very welcome. Sandra, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
0:04:12	LESLIE: Brian, Illinois is on the line and there seems to be a crack in the front of the garage. What is going on? Are you getting water in the garage? Is it on the door? What’s going on.
0:04:21	CALLER: Here? When the house was built about 21 years ago, they brought in a cement saw and they cut marks in it to control the cracking. Okay. Well, the first cut is four feet from the garage door. Well, now that part next to the garage has settled down. So when it rains, the water runs towards the garage, which is making it worse. And. Okay, I saw a commercial on TV for this mud jacking outfit. And they say for a little more than half what it cost to replace the cement, they could jack it back up in place, but you’ll see the marks where they drill the holes to put the cement in. And will it last? Should we do the whole driveway over or is there some way we can do something to make it look good? And last? It’s a beautiful place. We have no problems with anything except you drive in the driveway and you see that.
0:05:09	TOM: Yeah. So when you get close to the driveway, that last slab, so to speak, tilts in towards the garage. And it’s one running water up against the house. Is that correct? Yes. Yeah. And that’s going to could affect the foundation that’s holding the garage up because you throw a lot of water under it, it becomes less stable and you get a lot more movement. So I do think it’s an important thing to fix. Mud jacking will work and it can replace that area as long as they can lift that slab. Nice. And even so, it doesn’t crack and become worse. I would just try to get there, guarantee that that they’re not going to crack the slab in the process. But if they can get the mud underneath it, they’re basically filling in the low spots, bringing that slab up and then it’s not going to collapse anymore because the concrete they put under it, the mud, so to speak, takes up that void. So I wouldn’t be afraid of doing that. And if it turns out that that’s less expensive than breaking that one piece out and just pouring that one, please new, then I think you can do that if you decide to break that out. I don’t think you have to do the whole driveway. You could just do that one piece and make sure the soil below is properly tamped. You’re going to have to replace that would fill dirt and stone and get it tamped down. Tamping is really key. So it’s really solid. What’s happened is water’s gotten over there over the years. It’s soften the soil and that’s what’s caused that slab, too, to sort of rotate with the car going back and forth. So I think either option is okay, it becomes an economic choice. My only concern is that you commit to spending money on mud jacking in the break in the slab, and then you’re kind of almost back to the beginning.
0:06:37	CALLER: Okay, sounds great. Sounds like you got the answers.
0:06:39	TOM: Yeah, well, we try. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
0:06:44	LESLIE: Galen in California is having an issue with the countertop. Tell us what’s going on.
0:06:47	CALLER: I am about four and a half years ago, I remodeled my kitchen and installed Corian countertops and I used the pattern called Savannah. It’s one of the light ones, so I’m getting ready now to sell my home and looking at the countertops, there really sounds like, I mean, thousands of hairline scratches. And I’m wondering how can I bring back their luster? They never were shiny, but, you know, they were lustrous.
0:07:10	LESLIE: Yeah, they do have like a satin finish that looks very rich and nice. But obviously over time, just from, you know, normal wear and tear, they are going to dull and, you know, not look so great. There’s a good website that generally specializes in granite and marble care. It’s called Stone Care.com, but they do have some products for Corian and there’s actually a spray.
0:07:33	LESLIE: You know, it’s made to reduce a residue on the surface. I’m not sure it’s going to help you with the scratches, but it could be a good starting point. It’s called their Deep Cleaner for Corian, and that might be a good place to start at least.
0:07:49	CALLER: Okay. Yeah. I don’t know that they’re that dirty. I do keep them quite clean, but it’s just a question. It’s just those hairline scratches. And when the sun comes through the window, you really see them.
0:08:00	TOM: What that product does is it will also put any residue from all the cleaning that you have been doing so religiously, which is a good thing. The other nice thing, though, about Korean is the scratches can be repaired and if the Korean can be re polished, basically lightly sanded, so to speak.
0:08:17	CALLER: wondering about that.
0:08:18	TOM: Right. Actually pull those scratches right out. So that’s not something that I would recommend that you do the first time out. No contact a kitchen cabinet company for example they might have installer and for a reasonably small fee they might come out and re polish those tops for you. They’re going to have all the tools and the equipment as well, and probably they can pull many of those scratches right out.
0:08:41	CALLER: Well, thank you. That sounds like the way to go for me. All right.
0:08:43	TOM: Well, good luck with that project and good luck selling your house.
0:08:46	CALLER: Well, thank you. And best to you both.
0:08:49	LESLIE: Hey, you want to support our podcast and help us grow? Well, go ahead and leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll be forever grateful. Plus, you’ll be helping other homeowners discover our show. Just go to Money Pit dot com slash review. James in Minnesota, You’ve got the Money Pit. How can we help you today?
0:09:06	CALLER: Bought a house about a year ago, and I don’t know how old the water heater is because there was a foreclosure and I had gone downstairs and took the cover off and turned up a little bit to try to get a little more hot water out of it, temperature wise. And I noticed on the inside that it seems wet, like the fiberglass insulation on the tank. So I was wondering if that means like the tank is going bad or do I need to start saving money to buy a new water heater?
0:09:36	TOM: The water heaters in your basement?
0:09:37	CALLER: Yeah, it’s in my basement. Correct.
0:09:39	TOM: You know, sometimes you get a little condensation inside of that. Does your water stay hot or does you does it seem to run out quickly?
0:09:47	CALLER: No, it stays hot for a while. It’s just not as hot as I like it. So I just went down to dial it up a little and I saw it was wet inside and I don’t see anything leaking from the bottom.
0:09:58	TOM: Okay. Well, generally when water heaters leak, everybody knows that. Okay? It’s not it’s not subtle.
0:10:03	CALLER: You know? Yeah. Okay. All right.
0:10:04	TOM: I doubt it’s I doubt it’s leaking badly right now. You may have a bit of condensation in there. However, what you want to keep in mind with electric water heater, is it first of all, they’re very expensive to run. And so it’s a good idea to have a timer on them. Secondly, with electric water here, there’s two coils, not just one. So on the outside of the water heater, you should see two panels, one up high and one down low. And each one of those has its own thermostat. And so in order to adjust the temperature, you have to open both them up. And with a screwdriver and insulated screwdriver, you turn it very carefully until it’s about 110 degrees on both of them. And with a 40 or 50 gallon water heater, how many bedrooms I mean, how many bathrooms do you have in the house.
0:10:50	CALLER: Too?
0:10:51	TOM: So 40,000 would be smallish, maybe adequate. 50,000 would definitely be good if you were ordering the age of it on the on the label, on the water heater. There’s generally a date that’s either written plainly on that or it’s coded into the serial number. So if you look at the serial number, you look at the date, you may see a date on there and you can figure out how old this is.
0:11:17	CALLER: Okay, great. Thanks so much.
0:11:19	TOM: You’re welcome. James, thanks so much for calling us at 88 Money Pit.
0:11:23	LESLIE: Well, if you’re in the market for a new washer or dryer, you might be asking yourself if buying the most efficient one available is worth the additional cost. It’s an important consideration because some washers and dryers use even more energy than a refrigerator. Yeah, but.
0:11:38	TOM: While high efficiency washers and Energy star certified dryers can cut energy, are these more efficient in more expensive washers and dryers? A smart buy? Well, the answer is a definite. It depends.
0:11:54	LESLIE: All right. Well, first, let’s talk about how energy efficient washers and dryers work differently from standard appliances. Now, first of all, a high efficiency washer, it’s going to spin faster. It uses less water and it rings out more per load and uses less energy. A front loader is still going to be the most popular, but top loaders are gaining momentum. Now a high efficiency dryer features moisture sensors that detect when the clothing is dry and then it shuts off the dryer automatically. They also combine traditional vented heat with a heat pump, which cuts costs and energy output by recycling that generated heat. So it’s a super smart system there. Now, the reviews for high performance washers and dryers have been positive. But high efficiency dryers do require longer dryer times, meaning more air is being rented outside. And that can have the effect of driving up your overall heating and cooling costs.
0:12:46	TOM: Now, to choose the best high efficiency appliances, that can be challenging because there are a lot of different options. So here are a couple of things to look for. First, you definitely want to use the energy guide label. That’s the big yellow sticker that shows yearly energy usage compared to other models in the same category. It features a lot of very helpful information that you can rely on, especially if you’re comparing appliances. Now, as the washers go, front loaders spin fastest and they are the most efficient and also the gentlest on clothes, but they do shake. So anti vibration pads might be needed. Top loaders cost about $200 less, but save less energy. And one perk they do let you add clothes mid load because there’s always that extra sweatshirt or sweat pants or whatever that you forgot to throw in there. Towels we were talking about just last week. And this way you can toss them right in. Now, to maximize savings, look for labor savers. These are the delay start settings that lets you preset cycles for when utility costs are lowest. Quick wash cycles are another feature that were great for lightly soiled loads, requiring less cleaning and they can save you big in the process. They reduce the hours that’s running plus wash times by about 10% or more. Bottom line, if you need a new appliance now, it is generally a good idea to always choose one that’s EnergyStar rated. And considering the high amount of energy traditional models use, you will earn back the cost increase sooner than usual.
0:14:10	LESLIE: Keith in Delaware is on the line with a fireplace decorating question. Tell us what’s going on.
0:14:15	CALLER: I have a two by two foot chimney system. Concrete block with a terracotta blue in it, and it’s in the garage. And on the living room side of the wall is a red brick fireplace that’s four feet wide and floor to ceiling. And the hearth in front of it is also four feet wide and fits into the room about six feet. And the end of it is a is a radius to the four foot, kind of like a popsicle stick. And we don’t really originally had a wood stove on it. So there’s an eight inch flue about two feet up off the floor. We’d like to change it over to some sort of decorative stone, but since some of it’s probably attached to drywall, some of it’s attached to a concrete block, do we take it down? Can we attach to it? Will it stay up? And then what do we do with the hard shoulder? Try to chip some of the brick off and then put a stone.
0:15:09	TOM: On So you’re never really going to use this hearth for a fireplace?
0:15:12	CALLER: Well, it was originally for a wood stove. There was never a fireplace. We’d like to put a wood stove back eventually.
0:15:18	TOM: Like, well, if you’re going to put something back, then you don’t want to destroy what’s there.
0:15:22	CALLER: Is there some sort of product that’s been enough that it doesn’t make it too big and bulky in appearance? Once we cover it over with some sort of a stone?
0:15:29	TOM: Keith You know, there’s a product on the market that’s pretty new. It’s called Air Stone, and their website is Air Stone. AECOM. And it’s an easy to apply stone veneer. You might want to take a look at that because you could actually attach that to the top of the brick and come up with a totally new look to it. Okay. In fact, they’ve got some photographs of some folks that have done sort of fireplace makeovers on their website, in their blog section at air Stokes slash blog.
0:15:57	CALLER: We had thought about painting it, but we didn’t really care for the for the painted approach. I guess we’d have to use muriatic acid and all that to be able to cover it properly. We are committed to changing, whether it be paint or stone. We’re just trying to refresh the room and give it an update appearance. And the brick is just an older dingy reddish color right now.
0:16:18	TOM: You know, I don’t want you to ignore the fact that painting this room with an appropriate color shade could change the look of it as well. Right now, it sounds like the focus is on the fireplace. But Leslie, if he was to choose some complementary colors to kind of bring this all together, I think it could make an impact as well, don’t you think?
0:16:33	LESLIE: I mean, it can, but with the brick playing such a predominant role, you’ve got to feel comfortable with it. And the colors that will work. Now with a red, your complementary colors to it are going to be sort of in like the green brown tones that will sort of, you know, work well on the color wheel. It really depends on what your esthetics are and what the look of the space is. I mean, have you thought about using like a slate or blue stone, some sort of different approach to sort of sheathing it?
0:17:07	CALLER: We had thought about that back on the hearth. That would probably be a good choice, that it would be easier to sort of woodstove on right.
0:17:14	LESLIE: Just on the hearth and then leaving the rest brick and then, you know, that way, you know, I’m not sure how close to the wood, the wood stove you might be, but you could do some interesting floor cushions, you know, to give yourself a little seating area around it or some cute benches or there’s even I’ve seen I’m not sure who makes them, but I’ve seen some, you know, bronze legs, little benches that would surround a fireplace hearth that are then upholstered on top and they’re sort of built into the hearth itself to create like a surround.
0:17:45	CALLER: that’s a neat idea.
0:17:46	LESLIE: Now, since it does take up so much space and you could then utilize it.
0:17:50	CALLER: All right, those are some great ideas.
0:17:52	LESLIE: Margie in Maryland need some help with a kitchen incident gone awry? What happened?
0:17:57	CALLER: What happened is it’s sort of like a barbecue gone bad inside my house. I had some deer meat in a big pot on the stove. It was had a cover on it. And I stepped out for a while and I came back and there was smoke everywhere in my house. And we opened everything. We opened all the windows and doors and all of that. And what I need is to find out how to get rid of the smoke smell. It is just disgusting. It’s terrible. And I we’ve done what we can. I’m washing my poor wash machine is going nuts. I just wash, wash, wash everything. And we’ve breezed on the furniture and but my, my, my wood furniture. I don’t know what to do about. And my walls and my painted woodwork. Because the day that it happened, I washed up the floor with vinegar and water. But it seems like the longer it goes there, it’s getting harder on the surfaces that it’s touched. And I just need some help to figure out how to clean it up, especially on the wood furniture, the walls and the painted woodwork.
0:19:15	TOM: Well, on the furniture, on the woodwork, I think something like Murphy’s Oil Soap would be a good choice. That’s a that’s a mild solution that smells pleasant. It’s designed specifically to clean wood surfaces. However, I suspect that the source of most of the smell is going to be in because of materials that are harder to clean, like fabrics, rugs, couches, upholstery, pillows, that sort of thing. And for those, you really need to have a professional company come in and clean them. I mean, there are there are companies like I think ServiceMaster is one of them that specialize in fire and smoke cleaning and water cleanup. And they have the right equipment with the right types of chemicals to take the odors out of those sorts of things. What you can do is clean those hard surfaces on your own as far as the walls are concerned. I would mix up a fairly weak TSP solution, dry sodium phosphate. You can pick that up in the painting section of any hardware store or home center and wash the walls down with that. Okay.
0:20:18	CALLER: Yes. Thank you so very, very much. I really appreciate it.
0:20:22	TOM: You’re welcome, Margie. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money Pit.
0:20:26	LESLIE: Well, cleaning windows is something that takes a lot of time to do. But have you ever felt that even after all of that work, they don’t look all that much better? It may be because you’re using the wrong cleaning materials. For example, rubbing glass with paper towels or cloth towels creates static soap. Before you know it, that dust and dirt are stuck right to that window again. A better option is to use a squeegee. You can start at the top corner and move that squeegee back and forth on moving it down like you’re drawing a letter s. But here’s the real secret. After each stroke, you need to wipe that blade dry. But not with any old towel. You need a lint free towel like a cloth diaper or old table linens.
0:21:06	TOM: Now, if your window has panes, you want to use a utility knife to cut the squeegee so it fits the width of the pain. And then be sure to pull it down in one single stroke. Also, you don’t need any fancy store bought cleaners. You can stick with a homemade solution made of liquid detergent and warm water. When it drips, use a cami cloth to soak up all that extra water because it absorbs without the streaks. That’s why I love those kameez. They really do a great job.
0:21:30	LESLIE: All right. Now we’ve got Derwin in Texas, who’s dealing with a fascia board situation. Tell us what’s going on.
0:21:35	CALLER: I have a feature board that is always put on. There is I have a one by four fish board that’s nailed up on there and then the one by two is nailed on the top portion of the one by the fascia board. Yep. And which kind of in the gutter is now to the Wal-Mart too. So I guess the one by two keeps the gutter from resting up against the fascia board. Got it. Rotting. So. But the drip. There’s a drip edge. This now to the top. So like a two by two drip edge. And the top part of the drip edge is now to the roof deck. And then it lays the other half is lays into the gutter.
0:22:16	TOM: So what you want to know is how can you get the rotted fascia board out without taking apart your gutter and your drip edge and your spacer and all that stuff? Right? Right. There’s no way to surgically remove the fascia. It’s like one part of the assembly. Right. So you’d have to take the whole thing apart. Now, I mean, it’s not it. It sounds like a lot of work. It’s not a tremendous project to get a gutter off. It’s not something you can do yourself because you don’t want to bend it. So you have to do it with some help. Take the gutter off the one piece. But there is an opportunity here, and that is that when you replace the fascia, I would not put wood fascia back. What I would do is I would use a product called Aztec. Aztec. This looks like wood, so it can look like that old one by four that you had, except it’s made of cellular PVC. So it cuts like wood. It looks like wood, but it never rots. So I would definitely suggest that this is an opportunity to improve the material that you’re using there. Now, whether or not you put back the spacer in the gutter the way it was before is up to you. You really don’t need to have a spacer. You could put the gutter right up against the Aztec, then have the roof just lay into the top of the gutter. That would be the most normal assembly for that kind of thing. But if you want the spacer and it just works out better because that’s the way it was before, then what you could do is by one by six, Aztec cut one and a half inch strip off of it, use that as a spacer and use the rest. You have one by four left and use that for the fascia and you’ll have the strip just in one piece.
0:23:47	CALLER: So it cuts just like wood.
0:23:48	TOM: Looks like wood cuts Like wood doesn’t rot like wood. Thanks so much for calling us at 88 Money Pit.
0:23:56	LESLIE: Jan in California is having a wallpaper removal situation. Tell us what’s going on.
0:24:01	CALLER: I’ve been removing wallpaper and repairing for 50 years and I’ve never come across it where you take the wallpaper off and it looks like there’s the paper lining behind it. I’ve had some people tell me that this is a filler for the texturing, so the wallpaper looks smooth and others tell me that it’s a liner and it fills the whole wall with pencil lines where the wallpaper goes. I don’t want to damage the sheetrock that’s underneath, so I’m a little leery about taking that off or leaving it on or what I should do with it.
0:24:35	TOM: So your end game is to get down to the drywall?
0:24:37	CALLER: Well, it doesn’t have to be if I can texture over what’s there, but it’s almost like a paper. And I don’t know if we can put the mud and everything on that.
0:24:47	TOM: If it’s adhered well, then I don’t see why you couldn’t texture over. Do you want to use a texture paint?
0:24:52	CALLER: No, I want to use the texture that I’ve had on the walls.
0:24:56	TOM: The key here is whether or not the surface that you’ve exposed is well adhered to the drywall underneath. If it’s well adhered, then you can go ahead and put your texture over that. If it’s not, then your texture can be on there for a couple of months and could start falling off in chunks when that backer paper pulls off. As long as it’s well adhered, then I don’t see any reason you can’t go on top of it.
0:25:19	CALLER: Okay. I appreciate you. Enjoy your program all the time.
0:25:23	TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
0:25:26	LESLIE: Well, while many young adults return home to save money and if your home has a basement, it can offer all the advantages of apartment living, but at a fraction of the cost. While the lifestyle might not create total living independence, a successful basement remodeling project does help establish an important first step to that goal.
0:25:46	TOM: True, but building on a basement living space, while not quite as simple as just assembling a bed frame and popping in a mattress and maybe plugging in an extra refrigerator to stay safe, It’s really important that the basement remodeling meet current building codes. The most critical of which is providing egress. And that refers to a way to get out in the event of an emergency.
0:26:04	LESLIE: Now, a proper egress is not only for the benefit of the occupants. Compliance with the standard is also essential for firefighters and other emergency rescue personnel who may need to carry backpacks with gear or oxygen tanks into a basement in the event of a fire.
0:26:19	TOM: Now, while typical basement windows provide light and a minimal amount of ventilation, indoors can provide weather, resistance and security, especially designed egress window wells or basement doors are available that meet modern building code standards for that all important emergency exit.
0:26:35	LESLIE: And having young adults return home to live with mom and dad in the family basement might not be the most preferable arrangement for either party. But if it does occur, the first step should be to make sure that the living space is up to code and your kids have a safe exit in case of emergency.
0:26:51	TOM: Or if they get in late, they don’t want to disturb you. They can just, you know, slide through the window because it’s big enough.
0:26:56	LESLIE: Now, Sparky in Georgia is on the line with a question about cleaning a bathroom. How can we help you today?
0:27:03	CALLER: I live in a subdivision, about 65 employees out in the country. I actually test the water on a daily basis for the chlorine and report that at the end of the month to the local provider. I’ve got a two bedroom house and one bathroom. I’ve got no problem with the water in the tank or the bowl in the master bedroom. I’ve got the bath where it’s got a black ring, water ring, and I’ve replaced the water line. The inside of the water tank replaced the entire bowl, and it continues to come up. Even after we cleaned the bowl, we still get that black water ring.
0:27:41	LESLIE: So you’re able to remove it, but it comes back.
0:27:43	CALLER: That’s correct.
0:27:44	TOM: And it only shows up on that bathroom and not others.
0:27:47	CALLER: That’s correct. And the products that we’ve gotten from the store off the store shelf have not been able to help either. And we’ve actually gone to the Internet and says the more chlorine you put into, the more that black ring will come back. But we clean the bath, both bathrooms with the same products.
0:28:01	TOM: The toilets, the same age.
0:28:02	CALLER: The same age. Yes. I’ve called the water company and they say said they don’t have a clue. And I said, I’ve sampled the water and tested every day for the monthly reports.
0:28:11	TOM: I wonder if there’s something different about the porcelain finish on that toilet, for example, if it if one if one toilets finish was maybe it was scrubbed more over the years and as a result it’s worn off. Some of it’s porcelain, so it’s a bit more porous and becomes more of a trap for bacteria to kind of grow in. And I’m speculating here, I’m kind of shooting from the hip, Sparky, because I know that that you’ve tried all of the all the sort of normal things, but it’s confusing that it happens just in this one particular bathroom with this one particular toilet. I guess, given everything that you’ve done, have you considered just replacing the toilet and seeing if that does it?
0:28:47	CALLER: Well, that we’ve done that. I’ve got to go back and you may be on to something because one bowl is round, which is the one issue that we’ve got. The other bathroom, it is oblong. So they work to the same manufacturer but two different bowls.
0:29:01	TOM: That would be the only thing that seems left because you’ve done everything else.
0:29:04	CALLER: I was just one of there are some product on the market other than Coca Cola.
0:29:08	TOM: Yeah, well look, there’s a lot of products that clean this, but it’s not going to stop from coming back. I mean, the go to product for me is sealer. Have you used that yet?
0:29:16	CALLER: No, I have not.
0:29:17	TOM: So that’s an old standby take a look at seal R calcium stands for calcium, lime and rust. It basically is that one of the best toilet bowl cleaners out there inexpensive and give that a shot. But if it continues to develop that issue, I might consider replacing the toilet. If it’s really bothersome, either that or get one of those one of those tiny bowl man with the blue dye. So you just don’t notice it.
0:29:39	CALLER: Correct? Yeah. There you go. Thank you very much.
0:29:41	TOM: All right, Sparky, thanks so much for calling us at 88 Money Pit.
0:29:46	LESLIE: Andrew in Maine wrote in and he’s thinking about switching to an induction range. He says, I have a gas cooktop with a downdraft and I’m considering changing to induction. My understanding is that it would be faster, more efficient and easier to keep clean. What considerations should I know about when making the switch? I’ve heard that induction cooktops have reliability issues. How much of a concern is this in your experience? You know, I don’t really know honestly about the reliability issues. What I will say, we have an induction cooktop and Good Morning America that we use for cooking segments. My friend moved into a home that has an induction cooktop. Their experiences and mine in the studio are fantastic with them. They heat quickly the heat evenly. The best part about it is once you remove the pot, they cool almost instantly. So cleaning is a breeze with the right products and it’s all smooth surface glass. So you just clean right up. There’s nothing to take a grill away or a grade or anything to do extra cleaning. The trick here though, Andrew, is that induction cooktops only work with certain types of cookware. It has to be able to hold a magnet. So like if you take your pot or pan, you can stick a magnet to the bottom of it. You know it’s going to work on the induction cooktop because that’s how they heat up. If you have cookware that’s not magnetic in that way or specifically made for induction cooktops they’re really not going to do the trick. They’re not going to get hot. It’s not going to work. I remember when I first moved into her home, which is like, I don’t understand. It’s taking forever to cook the pasta for the kids. When it used to take 2 minutes at home and I’m like, Your pot’s not right for your stovetop type. And once she switched it, I mean, water boils instantly. So you might not be considering the cost of this cookware and cookware can be pricey and you’re going to need all new. So definitely keep that in mind.
0:31:37	TOM: Yeah, not only that, I mean, just first of all, purchasing the appliance. They’re not inexpensive. You have to run a 240 volt electrical circuit to it and you have to remove the gas lines and everything that’s there now. So it’s a pretty big improvement. You got to be really into induction cooking if you’re going to take all of these steps.
0:31:56	LESLIE: All right. Now we have Brian who has a question about reinforcing a bathroom floor. He says he’s remodeling a bathroom in a 1955 house and the subfloor is rotten where the tub was and one joist has termite damage. I’ve dealt with the termites, but I’m wondered, how do I repair these joists?
0:32:12	TOM: Good question. So this is probably a good application of what’s called substring. So substring is when you have a bad floor joists. It could be rotted or it could have been.
0:32:22	LESLIE: When you cozy up to your best friend, your sister.
0:32:24	TOM: Yeah, exactly. And bolt on for dear life. So you put another Joyce, a brand new one right next to the damaged one. Now, it’s important that you have this new one be from burying point to burying point. So what I mean by that is if it goes across the whole C basement or maybe halfway across the basement, because there’s a beam there, the sister has to be that long. Can’t just be like patch, it has to be the full size. So that it actually will carry the load. And then all you do is you connect them together. You go together first with construction adhesive and then I use carriage bolts Bolton together, and it becomes like a substitute joist for the one that’s rotted. Then you can go rebuild normally on top of that. So it’s a really good way to reinforce a floor that’s had that kind of damage.
0:33:10	LESLIE: All right. Good luck with that project. I hope this new bathroom comes out wonderfully. And, you know, maybe you’re getting to sink so everybody has a chance to brush and wash at the same time.
0:33:18	TOM: This is the Money Pit Home Improvement Show on air and online at Moneypit.com. Hey, guys, thanks so much for spending a part of your day with us. If you’ve got questions about projects you’d like to get done, remember you can reach us 24 seven by dialing 1-888-MONEY-PIT. Or for the quickest response, just go to Moneypit.com/ask.
0:33:40	TOM: Click the blue microphone button. Until then, I’m Tom Kraeutler.
0:33:44	LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
0:33:45	TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself.
0:33:47	LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.

	(Note: The above referenced transcript is AI-Generated, Unedited and Unproofed and as such may not accurately reflect the recorded audio. Copyright 2024 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.)