#2395 – The Room You Hate to Clean | Sow Smart: Best Soil for Your Lawn

Show Notes

Today’s show is about cleaning quirks, lush lawns, and illuminating insights. Listen as we discuss the one room we all dread cleaning, dig deep into the secrets of soil, and shed light on exterior lighting. Tune in for expert advice and ideas for all your home improvement questions!

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Ask Your Home Improvement Question
Podcast Transcript

Bathroom Cleaning: It may be spring cleaning season, but this is the one room people most hate to clean.
Lawn Care: Grow a lush lawn by using superior soil.
Exterior Lighting: Add safety, security, and style with a great exterior lightscaping design.

Ask Your Home Improvement Question

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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00:00:30	TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is the Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
00:00:35	LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
00:00:36	TOM: Here to help you take on the projects that you want to get done around your house. We’ve been at this for over 20 years, and we love what we do because we get to help you make your home exactly what you want it to be. To help you create your best home ever is what we do. So, if you’re a do-it-yourselfer or a do-it-for-me kind of home improver, you are welcome. The number here is 1-888-Money-Pit. Or you can post your questions at moneypit.com slash podcast. Coming up on today’s show, spring cleaning season is here. And while cleaning is never really popular, there’s one room that people really hate to clean. We’re going to share what that room is and what people are willing to give up to never, ever have to clean it again.
00:01:18	LESLIE: And whether you want to repair low spots in your lawn or install a new one, the dirt used to grade your lawn makes a big difference in how that grass is going to grow. So, we’re going to share some tips. We’re going to share some tips on the best soil to use for this project.
00:01:31	TOM: And we’re going to talk about safety, security, and outdoor style because a good outdoor lighting design can deliver all three. So, we’ve got tips to improve your home’s exterior lightscape, so to speak.
00:01:42	LESLIE: And today, we’ve got a great product up for grabs from Team Money Pit that’s going to help you update a kitchen or bath. It’s from Daich Coatings, and it’s called Luxrock Solid Surface Granite Countertop Kit.
00:01:54	TOM: Yep, I use this for a project at my house, and you can actually read all about it. On a post online at MoneyPit.com, but we’re giving a Luxrock kit away worth almost $300 to one listener drawn at random who calls us with their question or posts their question to MoneyPit.com slash ask. So, let’s get to it. The number again, 1-888-Money-Pit. Leslie, who’s first?
00:02:16	LESLIE: Heading out to Pennsylvania, we’ve got Dawn on the line with a decking question.
00:02:20	CALLER: I listened to the question earlier about refinishing a deck. We did use a solid color stain on the deck. It is exposed to sun and rain with no covering on it. When we refinish it the next time, would it be advisable to put some kind of a sealer, like a polyurethane, over that stain?
00:02:42	TOM: So, Dawn, if you’re using a good quality solid stain, you absolutely don’t need to put any kind of sealer on top of that. You mentioned a urethane or a varathane. That’s not going to help you in this case, and it’s really not going to buy anything in terms of longevity. You want to make sure that that wood can breathe. It’s going to give the board. Some ultraviolet UV protection will cut down the cracks and the checks and the color. It should last you a few years. You shouldn’t be doing this every year. I’m afraid if you put anything on that that’s like a sealer, like a urethane, like you’re suggesting, it’s just going to peel and look really terrible. So, I think you’ve done the right thing, and you just take it from there.
00:03:17	LESLIE: Steve from Illinois is calling in. He’s got a question about windows. Now, I know when you get estimates on things, they can be all over the place. So, how do you know what’s too high and what’s not? Come on, Steve. Tell us what’s going on. Come on, let’s give you a hint.
00:03:29	CALLER: We bought a home, and we have a set of windows that go out into the backyard. Several of them are screw-out type windows. We got an estimate from Renewal by Anderson for $13,000. And we were just wondering if windows actually are that expensive or if we should shop around.
00:03:51	TOM: Well, Steve, if you’re talking about the entire house, a $13,000 estimate doesn’t seem too outrageous. If you’re talking about the one side of the house, and they’re just sort of plain, basically, you say screw-out windows, I’m guessing you mean casements. That sounds really expensive. That would be like, what, $2,000 a window? That would be kind of crazy. So, I think the best thing for you to do regardless, though, is to go ahead and get a number of bids. I mean, Renewal by Anderson is a very good company and a good quality window. But I would turn to the Angie website at angi.com. They have a whole section devoted. They have a whole section devoted to replacement window contractors. Put into that website form what you’re trying to accomplish, and you’ll get a number of calls pretty quickly. You’ll get some additional prices, and certainly, you can make a decision from that. And if you want to learn more about, like, what makes one window better than the other, on moneypit.com, there is a great post that we put together called How to Choose Energy-Efficient Replacement Windows. It walks you through all the standards that you should check for. Okay. Okay. Okay. Make sure that it’s a good window. So, I think if you follow that advice, you’ll be in pretty good shape. Good luck with that project, and let us know how you make out.
00:05:06	LESLIE: And now to Cape Cod, where we’ve got Sherry on the line. What’s going on at your money pit?
00:05:10	CALLER: Well, hi. I have an Anderson slider door. Okay. It never did it when it was new. It’s about 20 years old. Okay. The bottom railing where the door slides, I think it ices. And right by the door, there’s plywood underneath the carpet. And what it does is moisture turns that carpet a dark brown, and I think it’s tannins from the plywood, but lo and behold, it’s that bottom rail that ices, and I think that’s where the water’s coming from, because it’s never wet.
00:05:45	TOM: Well, I mean, first of all, Anderson makes a heck of a good sliding glass door. Of all the doors out there, that’s one of the most durable. The first thing I would do is I would check the alignment on the door, and you’ll find that on the bottom of that door. There’s going to be two plastic caps, one at one of the sliding door and one of the other. And when you pull those off, you’ll see that you can put a screwdriver in there and rotate it. And as you do that, there’s a wheel that will adjust the height of the door on that track. And by turning one or the other, you can adjust alignment. So I would check it to make sure that when that door comes into the jam, that it is absolutely parallel with the door jam. Okay. That’s great. Because if it’s off a little bit, then that could… That could be one of the reasons you’re getting maybe some moisture or humidity or draft in that space. And then also, very often, those doors are going to have an extra tiny piece of foam sort of glued to the edge of it so that when it closes, it pulls in real tight. You see this on sliding doors. You also see it on regular doors, too. It’s like an extra piece of weatherstripping. It’s only about an inch and a half square, and it’s adhered to the very bottom of the jam. Usually, the jam is on the bottom of the door. Not so much the sliding door, because it stays better that way. And so when that door comes in, it pulls tight and seals it. So I would look at the alignment there first, and then I would try to determine whether or not there’s any gaps. And the last thing I would do is I would go outside, and this is easier to do at night, with a strong flashlight, hold it parallel to the bottom of the door and even under the door. And then on the inside, have another person see if they can see that light streaming through. Because you may have some gaps. Under the door that have formed over the years. And if you find those, you can seal those with an expanded foam insulation. Now, there’s one great stuff makes a number of these. You want to use the one that’s rated for windows and doors, because it’s not quite as stiff, and it won’t move that sill plate. It will just sort of fill up the space. Or you could caulk it. But I would check for gaps. I would check the alignment for the door, and I would add that little tiny piece of weatherstripping. Okay?
00:07:52	LESLIE: Thank you so much. Thank you.
00:07:54	TOM: Bye-bye.
00:07:55	LESLIE: Bye Hey, guys. If you’ve heard a helpful tip or two. While listening to our show, please help us help even more home improvers by dropping us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts.
00:08:04	TOM: That would be awesome. And you might even win a copy of our book, My Home, My Money Pit, your guide to every home improvement adventure. Just go to moneypit.com slash review.
00:08:14	LESLIE: Give us a call. Let us know what you are working on here at Team Money Pit. We love to help you out with projects. And we also love to give amazing products away to help you tackle those projects. And perhaps you’re thinking of updating a kitchen or a bath with a granite countertop, but don’t want to spend the bucks. Well, we’ve got a great kit called the Luxe Rock Solid Surface Granite Countertop Kit up for grabs this hour. One kit covers 40 square feet of countertop, so it’s perfect for a smaller kitchen or a bathroom project. There’s five colors, and the whole transformation will make you look like you have a beautiful new smooth stone surface, and it performs just like the real granite. So it’s definitely an awesome prize. It’s $299. You can find it at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Daich Coatings.
00:08:58	TOM: But we’ve got one kit to give away to one very lucky listener who reaches us with their questions. So reach out to us now at 1-888-Money-Pit. That’s 1-888-666-3974, or post your question at moneypit.com slash ask.
00:09:13	LESLIE: Michael in Raleigh is on the line, new listener, new homeowner, and definitely has a lot of questions about how this home is built. What’s going on?
00:09:22	CALLER: There’s a sunroom that’s attached with the roof. The roof is new. The sunroom is old. And it has footings that seem to be partially buried. We’re not sure if there’s enough footings down there. We’re not sure how to check yet. And then the inspector said that the frame of the sunroom isn’t bolted to the foundation of the house. So we’re not sure if that’s something to be worried about. And there was an unfinished support beam underneath the frame of the house that had no pier to the ground. So those three things are just kind of weird. And we weren’t sure how scary they were, but we were going to try to get them fixed. And we’re just not sure the best way to go about it.
00:10:06	TOM: So, Michael, you definitely have a lot of reasons to be concerned. What you’re describing to me sounds a lot like a scenario that I often saw as a professional home inspector. And it kind of goes like this. When the house was built, at some point there was a slab, like let’s call it a patio, off the back of a wall. Somebody got the bright idea. That, hey, we’re going to create a sunroom and we’re just going to build this sunroom, which very often they come in kits or they’re built from scratch and they build it on top of the patio. But here’s the thing. Patios are not foundations. They’re patios. They’re only four or five inches thick, typically, and they’re not designed to be stable enough to become really living space of the house. So now that the sunroom was built on top of it, and then you mentioned that the new roof overlapped. The sunroom, it sounds kind of sloppy. Obviously, your home inspector found that it wasn’t bolted to the house or it wasn’t bolted to the homeless foundation. Again, kind of like bringing me down that path to thinking that this was just all thrown together very haphazardly. And you say you don’t know how to check if it has a foundation. That I can help you with. That’s actually pretty easy. The way I used to do it is I would take a very long screwdriver. I used to buy these screwdrivers, Leslie, when I was home inspecting. I must have been like one of the only people to buy these. I’d always get them at Sears. And it was a straight screwdriver that was about 14 inches long.
00:11:36	LESLIE: Like, what do you actually use that for?
00:11:39	TOM: Like, I don’t know. If there was a straight screw in a diesel engine, you need to reach to it. But I used to use it so much that I would like almost wear off the tip of it. And I would take that and I would use it a lot because I would check for termites with it right by poking wood. But I would also poke for foundations. I would take that screwdriver and I would insert it underneath the slab. And buildings like this at a 45-degree angle and almost all the time, it would go straight in, indicating there was no footing ever. And so basically, if you’ve got a house that’s got one of these sunrooms on, it’s worth nothing. It’s not fixable. There’s nothing that you can do to make it any better. If it becomes a problem, you simply got to tear it off, go back to where you were with the patio, or take the patio out and actually build it like an addition, which means you put a slab in first that has footings built into it. The other thing of concern, as you mentioned, that there’s some sort of unsupported beam in the basement, that’s all bad stuff. So it sounds like your home inspector did a decent job with flagging this stuff for you. I’m a little bit surprised you didn’t take it further by telling you how serious it is because just from your descriptions, I’m concerned. So I think you need to get more information from your home inspector or get a second opinion, perhaps from even a structural engineer or an architect before you move forward because I’m concerned that one, if not both of these things. Could lead to some very expensive repair bills in your future. Well, spring cleaning season is here. And while cleaning your house is never really a popular task, there is one room that people hate. I mean, really hate to clean. And that’s the bathroom.
00:13:11	LESLIE: Oh, it’s a terrible spot to clean. I mean, how much do people hate cleaning their bathroom? Well, one in five Americans would give up. Oh my God, seriously, half of their annual salary just to have a bathroom that stayed clean and sanitized forever. Listen, America. America, you give me half of your annual salary, I’ll come and clean your bathroom. I think that’s a fair deal.
00:13:32	TOM: Well, that’s according to a new survey of 2000 US adults, which found that Americans would also give up eating out or take out 25% there. They would also give up their favorite show or series. They give up a year’s worth of internet access just to keep that room clean. So they really, really don’t like cleaning bathrooms.
00:13:49	LESLIE: I mean, how many boy children do these people have living in their houses? Because I have two boys and the bathroom gets, pretty gross, pretty fast, but I mean, I don’t mind clean. I’ll just clean it. You just clean it, guys. Now, conducted by one poll on behalf of Microband24, the survey found that the bathroom habits that are the most annoying include leaving toothpaste or makeup stains on the mirror or sink. That was 30% in there. Forgetting to flush the toilet, 29%. And peeing on the seat or around the toilet. I mean, those are all things I hate, but. That’s every day we do it. Oh my God, it’s like five times a day with the boys. We’re back.
00:14:26	TOM: Well, the research also found that 39% would be embarrassed if their guests used the bathroom when it was dirty. However, as many as 60% say they only sanitize the home ahead of entertaining or knowing people are going to see it. So there you have it. The survey conducted on behalf of Microband24, which just so happens to be, go figure, a disinfectant.
00:14:47	LESLIE: Listen, I keep like sanitizing wipes in the bathroom right next to the toilet on the floor. And I know I’m the only one who does it, but once a day I’m in there like, wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe. And, you know, maybe if you tackle it more often, it won’t be so bad.
00:15:00	TOM: There you go.
00:15:01	LESLIE: Janet in New York, you have got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?
00:15:05	CALLER: I’ve had a new countertop installed on a newly built house. And my options were granite or granite. And they installed the countertop in the kitchen. And I’ve looked online and I’ve talked to several people. And I get so many different options or different ways. And I’ve looked online and I get so many different ways to keep it clean and to maintain it. Right. My biggest thing is this granite seems to be more work than my Formica countertop that I took out.
00:15:37	TOM: Yeah, you’re right about that. You know, everyone thinks, well, it’s granite. It’s going to be indestructible. Well, it is. But the finish needs a lot of work to maintain. I mean, the quartz countertops are a lot easier to maintain than granite. But granite is porous by nature. And so, you know, they mill. The granite. And then they finish it. And that sealer has to be redone from time to time, usually every few years. And you have to stay on top of it with cleaning and polishing. So you’re right. It is more work than a Formica countertop ever was. Right, Leslie? Yeah.
00:16:12	LESLIE: And you also have to make sure that whatever cleaning supplies you use, you know, are safe for a granite or a natural material surface. Because you don’t want to put something on that could deteriorate the protective coatings on top of it. And, you know, be careful with the edging that you seal. You don’t want to select because an OG edge, while more decorative, is a little bit more delicate. And when you’re washing the dishes and the buttons on your jeans are rubbing against it, it could eventually wear that away. You just have to be careful. But they look great and definitely worth the work.
00:16:38	CALLER: Oh. Well, my other question is, is we have a, there’s a drop sink in it. And I’m kind of concerned because the big thing everybody says is, or the experts, is to don’t let water sit. Don’t let. Don’t let, you know, any liquid stay on it for any length of time. What about the lip or the rim underneath the granite where the sink is? It’s, do you know what I mean? The sink is an underneath one, so there’s a little hangover.
00:17:09	TOM: It’s not going to deteriorate. It is granite. But, you know, and you’re not going to see that spot. So it’s just a matter of keeping it clean just so that you don’t get any growth of any mold or fungus in there. Because that can smell sometimes. So I would just stick with. With good quality granite cleaners. One we’ve been recommending for years is a line by Stone Care. People seem very happy with that. There’s a cleaner and a polish. You can find that at Amazon and Walmart and places like that. Not too terribly expensive. And just try to stay on top of it. Oh, good. Thank you. You’re welcome. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit.
00:17:47	LESLIE: Now we’ve got Josh on the line who’s dealing with a mysterious water stain. What’s going on?
00:17:50	CALLER: I have a question regarding repainting my bathroom. I want to paint. The ceiling and the wall is a new color, but the ceiling has a water stain on it. But I’m not quite sure where it’s coming from.
00:18:01	TOM: Well, Josh, I know exactly where that water stain is coming from, even though it would seem like I’ve seen your house. But it’s probably coming from the vent pipe right above that bathroom, which is where most of those water stains, those water leaks will happen. Because all the toilets, all the plumbing systems in the house are basically going to go up through the roof and vent. And where the vent goes through the roof, there’s a piece of vent flashing, which is like this combination. Aluminum and rubber piece that basically slides over the top of the vent pipe. And then the shingles cover the top half of it, and it’s exposed to the bottom half. And the rubber sealer that goes around the pipe is basically where it breaks down, that rubber gasket. It dries out over time, and it cracks, and it rips. And then when you get driving rain, it leaks in around the pipe, which falls its way right down to the ceiling of your bathroom. So I would look at that pipe where it comes through the roof, because I can bet you that it’s the most likely place that this leak is. It’s being caused by. And if that’s the case, you’re just going to have to either do it yourself or have a roofer replace that vent flashing, and that should definitely solve it.
00:19:01	LESLIE: All right. Mystery solved.
00:19:03	TOM: Well, whether you want to repair low spots in your lawn or install a new one, the dirt used to grade your lawn makes a big difference in how well the grass grows. So here are a few tips to keep in mind for this project.
00:19:16	LESLIE: Yeah. First things first, before that first shovel touches your lawn, be sure that you go. And get a call out there so you can have the pros come out and mark all of those underground utilities. You do this by calling 8-1-1. The service is free, and it can prevent hitting a water line, electric, gas, any of these things that you could just be like, oh, I’m going to dig right here. And then you could cause a massive, massive mistake. So definitely take the time. Call 8-1-1 and learn where everything is. They mark it all out so you know exactly where it is safe to do so. Now, when you are grading your soil, you may notice low and high spots in the ground. In a few cases, you can simply move that subsoil around from the high spot to the low spot to kind of even it out. Once that subsoil is exposed, you may find the remains of old organic matter that you have to remove or what’s going to happen as things start to grow again. When that organic matter underneath starts to decay further, you’re going to end up with lower soft spots again on the lawn.
00:20:14	TOM: Now, let’s talk about the dirt itself. There are really two types of soil typically used around the house. The first is called clean-filled dirt, and the second, of course, is topsoil. Now, clean-filled dirt is just that. It’s designed to build up the soil levels. It’s designed to be well-packed. We’ve talked on this show many times about the importance of grading around a foundation perimeter if you’re trying to keep water away from the house so you don’t get leaks in a basement or crawl space. Clean-filled dirt is used for that kind of project. When I see it, I think of sort of a baseball mound. It has sort of the same color, and it packs in much the same way. So clean-filled dirt should be used. If you have a real low spot, you’re trying to bring it up close to grade. And then topsoil is a very organic, dark, rich soil that’s designed to support the grass growth. So if you had a big divot in the lawn, you’d fill it with clean-filled, get it within, you know, level or within an inch or two of the top because the topsoil is going to settle. And then you put topsoil over that, and then you can seed. So generally, you want soil to be at its highest point at your house and then slope downward and away. So you use fill dirt. To make that grade, and then you cover it with topsoil. Just keep in mind that fill dirt drains and topsoil doesn’t. So if you tried to regrade with topsoil, it would be like throwing a bunch of sponges around your lawn.
00:21:31	LESLIE: Yeah. Now, once you’ve got everything added properly and you’re ready to start sowing the grass seeds, you can go ahead and do that. After that topsoil has been added, you can install sod, whichever your method of preference is for growing that new lawn. But now you can do it. So go for it and really get ready to enjoy a beautiful, lush lawn this season.
00:21:49	TOM: Just don’t forget.
00:21:50	LESLIE: Water, water, water that lawn when it’s brand new like that until the seedlings start to take. Yep. Patrice is on the line and has a question about adding some LED lighting to her bath. Welcome, Patrice.
00:22:00	CALLER: I’m seeing a lot of LED lights on TikTok trending, and I think it looks really cool. I think it would make my bathroom look really cool. But I don’t like the fact that you have to plug it into the wall, and I think that the cable is a little unsightly. Do you have any tips for covering up the wire or having the effect? I have an LED light in the bathroom without having to have an ugly wire hanging out of my ceiling.
00:22:27	LESLIE: You know, I get it. You don’t want to see a lot of cords. You want to make sure things look clean. I mean, I think with LED lighting, you know, there’s a lot of different options for things that are cordless or a pro electrician can hide the cords. I mean, it really depends on the type of fixture that you’re looking at to determine the best way to disguise that. If there are some cords or cabling that you do need to see. I. I always try to run it behind a piece of conduit or a piece of molding or some crown molding. It’s kind of dependent on where that fixture is going. There are ways that you can hide it behind a piece of trim so that’s not being pinched or compromised in any way. But it’s totally hidden in a super decorative manner. Yeah.
00:23:08	TOM: The other option is there are a lot of LED lights out there now that run off batteries because they just don’t use that much power. But then you’ll have to be dealing with switching the lights on and off, and that’s going to lose its value pretty soon. I think that would get you pretty bored. So I like your suggestion, Leslie. Great ways to hide those cords. Well, guys, if you’d love to have a granite countertop, but maybe you’re just afraid of the cost, we’ve got an option for you. We’re giving away a kit from Dice Coatings called Lux Rock Solid Surface Granite Countertop Kit. One kit covers 40 square feet, and it looks absolutely beautiful. You can spread this easily over an old countertop. So if you have an old Formica countertop or you’ve got an old granite countertop or an old Corian top or an old soapstone top, you can spread right over the top of that. And once you’re done with the Lux Rock, you will see a beautiful granite surface appear as if magic. I did this in an apartment that we were renovating, and it really came out great. The kit’s worth about $300. It retails for $299 at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and DiceCoatings.com. But we’ve got one to give away to one lucky caller, so make that you. The number here is 1-888-Money-Pit, 888-666-3974, or post your question at moneypit.com. By clicking the blue microphone button.
00:24:22	LESLIE: Jack in Nebraska is on the line with a flooring question. How can we help you?
00:24:25	CALLER: I want to put a new floor in my basement. And somebody has told me that some of these new engineered wood products, like the snap-together floors, they said that some of those are okay for basement application. Now, is there any truth to that?
00:24:41	TOM: It’s absolutely true. Now, just keep in mind that when it comes to wood flooring, there’s pre-finished wood flooring, which is solid. And that’s not rated for a basement. And then there’s pre-finished wood flooring, which is engineered. Now, engineered flooring is essentially made up of many layers of wood. It’s a bit like plywood in that you have different layers glued together at opposing angles. Except with the engineered wood flooring, the top layer is hardwood. And it looks just like solid hardwood. In fact, once it’s down, you really can’t tell the difference. And because it’s made up of different layers that are glued together at opposing angles, it’s dimensionally stable. And it can be exposed. So moisture or humidity, like you have in the basement, without swelling and cracking and splitting. And so, yes, engineered wood flooring is a perfect choice for a basement. And if you want another option, you could look at laminate floor, also modular in the sense that it locks together. And laminate flooring comes in many, many, many different types of sizes and shapes and colors. In fact, I saw some reclaimed lumber-looking laminate floor recently at a big trade show that was just spectacular. I mean, it really looked like… The original wood floor. So lots of options there for basement flooring. Just don’t go with solid. Okay.
00:25:54	CALLER: Well, you answered my question. Thank you very much.
00:25:56	TOM: You’re welcome, Jack. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit.
00:25:59	LESLIE: Well, if you’d like to step up the look of your home’s exterior this spring season, a good lighting design can help. Now, the lighting is not only going to add safety and security, but style if you do it well. So here’s what you need to consider. First of all, think about your budget, because exterior lighting costs can range from a little to a whole heck of a lot. And adding a lightscape to a home where you plan to be for only a few years will merit a different level of exterior lighting investment than one that you’re planning to be in for a long time. But even so, if you’ve got bigger lighting plans, this is one improvement that you can easily spread out over a number of seasons or do one side or type of lighting at the time. So you can definitely spread out the cost.
00:26:41	TOM: Now, let’s talk about durability. So whether you’re working with a pro or shopping for a DIY system, you really want to go for a quality fixtures and components. Low voltage is definitely the way to go, but you really need to work with a good material like copper or brass. There are a lot of really cheap fixtures out there, guys. And I’ll tell you, they look good for about a season, and then they start to fail one after another. And by the time you get to be three years in, you know, probably got half of them that are still working. So it’s kind of a situation where you get where you paid for. I’d rather see you do this in layers, maybe just do the front first and then work through other parts of the house. Next to save some money, but you really don’t want to cheap out on those fixtures because you will regret it. Yeah.
00:27:23	LESLIE: And a good way to sort of stay focused and stay on task is to create a mood board, create a focus here. Definitely think about what you want, put it down on a board, look at it, come up with ideas. And then what you can do is look at the range of outdoor fixtures out there that make it possible to illuminate your home’s exterior as well as any Hollywood lighting designer could do. And focusing is key. So you can focus on. Areas of architecture, you can have focal points that you want to sort of give these bright spots or more dramatic spotlights and then build the rest of that outdoor lighting scheme around that. I mean, is it a tree? Is it a pergola? Is it, you know, something that you want to be that area of focus, but only, you know, by looking around your yard overall, you want to shoot for a natural look that kind of replicates moonlight. That’s kind of softly streams in from above as opposed to heavy doses of uplighting. Again, do a lot of research. Look at inspiration images online, create that sort of mood board that you can look at and then figure out how those lighting hacks are being created. And then you can do the same in your own yard.
00:28:29	TOM: Absolutely. It really is nice though. When you’re all done, that lighting really adds a lot to the ambience of the home.
00:28:35	LESLIE: Now we’re going to Missouri where Tammy is having issues with her new furnace. What’s going on? Let’s talk you through this.
00:28:42	CALLER: I replaced the furnace here before the beginning of winter. And since then, I’ve been using it for a long time. And I’ve had a buzzing noise in my breaker box every time it kicks on. I would like to say that the furnace that I replaced was about up to my knees and the newer furnace was about chest high. Would that have something to do with the pulling of the ants or?
00:29:06	TOM: Well, the size of the physical size of the unit may or may not be related to this. It’s more like how much power is it pulling and how is it wired in to the breaker box. But if you’re getting a vibration. In the breaker box itself, that’s not a good sign. The breaker could be deteriorating internally. And what you’re hearing are the early stages of that or perhaps the advanced stages that I don’t know. I would tell you that if you got that kind of a signal, I would definitely have it checked out by an electrician. Open that panel up, have them pull out those breakers, look behind them, make sure it’s sized properly, make sure nothing is over fused, for example, where the wrong size fuse is being used on a wire. And they’re fine. If we’re not protecting it from overheating, it’s definitely not a good sign and shouldn’t be happening. And you need to get it checked out further. OK, Tammy.
00:29:54	LESLIE: All right. Thank you. Jenny from Kansas wrote in to Team Money Pit, and she says, I’d like to move my washer and dryer from the basement to our unheated garage. She says, other than plumbing for the washer, do I need to do anything special beforehand, like add insulation to the space or heat it? I believe this will help dry up the basement and our poor little humidifier will finally get some relief.
00:30:15	TOM: Well, you know, we get this question fairly frequently, and there are a few very real deterrents to moving your washer and dryer to the garage. First, without additional heating, you definitely are going to risk water lines freezing up in an unheated garage. So since heating a garage quickly becomes really expensive, even once it’s insulated, you might find yourself spending a lot more money than you ever anticipated on cleaning clothes and the convenience. But there is something else. There is something else in your question, Jenny, that grabbed my attention. You talked about the fact that your basement is excessively humid from, I guess, the dryer. It’s very unwise to vent a dryer into a basement, which is the only reason it would be contributing to the humidity. So if your dryer is vented, it definitely needs to be vented to the outside. You need to make that happen. Now, I think if I were in your shoes, I’d concentrate on the dehumidifying and the basement issue. By taking steps to make sure that that washer and dryer are properly installed and vented outside. And if you really want to consider moving the washer to a more convenient space, why not consider a stackable washer and dryer? Even full-size washers and dryers are stackable today. We used to have a washer and dryer that was side by side, and I bought a stacking kit and put the dryer on top of the washer. And now we saved a whole lot of space by doing that. So you have other options to get this project done. But I generally don’t. I don’t think it’s a good idea to move a washer and a dryer into an unheated garage.
00:31:49	LESLIE: And I mean, think about it. The amount of laundry everybody does. You’d be freezing your tootsies off trying to do all that laundry in an unheated space.
00:31:56	TOM: Well, are you a first-time homeowner and wondering what you need to know that a seasoned money pitters already do know? Well, Leslie has the lowdown in today’s edition of Leslie’s Last Word. Leslie?
00:32:07	LESLIE: Yeah, congratulations. You are the proud owner of your very first home. So now what? Well, like having a baby, a home has to be cared for. And apparently does not come with instruction manuals, just like the kids do not. So as a first-time homeowner, it is your job to maintain your home all year long. So the first thing you’ve got to do is invest in the tools that you’re going to need to do that. A basic toolbox should include a hammer, some screwdrivers, a pry bar, a level, an adjustable wrench. You can go ahead and add power tools later, a drill, a circ saw. You know, think about the things you’re going to be working on. Now, understanding the basics of your home’s mechanical. System is a must as well. So make sure you know where your water main line is, how to turn it off in the event of an emergency, get acquainted with the circuit breaker box, know where it is, know what to do. And remember that home ownership puts you in charge of covering all of the utilities. So if the initial months in your new abode have given you sticker shock over power and water costs, take some steps to manage how you spend those energy dollars. And finally, even if you’re in a brand new home that’s under warranty, it’s worth it. It’s wise to have a contingency fund to cushion those curve balls that life will definitely throw at you as a homeowner. If you’re looking for some more great tips, you can Google Money Pit first time homeowner tips. We got a lot to share.
00:33:27	TOM: This is the Money Pit Home Improvement Show coming up next time on the program. Adding a backyard deck is one surefire way to increase your home’s living space. But is building a backyard deck a DIY project or one you ultimately will need a pro to tackle? We’ll share some guidelines to help you sort that all out. On the very next edition of the Money Pit, I’m Tom Kraeutler.
00:33:49	LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
00:33:50	TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself.
00:33:52	LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.

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