Show Notes
Got roof leaks, too much clutter, or chipped ceramic tiles? This episode offers simple steps to manage leaks, expert advice to declutter your home, and creative solutions for repairing damaged tiles. Tune in for your home improvement fix and more DIY advice!
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Home Organization: Clear your mind and your space with home organization tips to conquer clutter.
- Leaks: Learn how to minimize damage from a roof or plumbing leak.
- Ceramic Tiles: Try these handy hacks when you can’t find a replacement for broken ceramic tiles.
Top Questions & Answers
- Driveway Repair: Ed’s concrete driveway is starting to separate at the expansion joint. He gets tips on using a backer rod and urethane caulk to seal the gap.
- Structural Support: Mary wants to open up her ceiling rafters, but she should consult an engineer or architect to design a structural plan for this risky project.
- Insulation: The furnace can’t heat an old house with poor insulation. Andy should install two layers of criss-crossed insulation in the attic.
- Floor Gap: There’s a gap between the new wood floor and the front door threshold. We advise Nancy to use a piece of molding for a thin gap or cut a piece of flooring for a wide gap and tap it into place.
- Windows: How can Karen let the heat in but keep the cold out of her windows? Cellular shades can be left open during the day and closed at night to keep things comfortable.
- Siding: Should Mike replace Western red cedar siding with pine? Pine is not insect- or weather-resistant, so we suggest looking at Hardie Plank siding instead.
- Painting Garage Doors: Carolyn needs to refinish her metal garage doors. She gets tips for sanding, priming, and painting the doors with the right products.
- Sink Surface: There’s an ugly black ring around the bathroom drain. Debra can try cleaning it with oxygenated bleach, abrading the surface, or covering the area with a wide drain.
- Painting Siding: Paint just won’t stick to David’s redwood siding. It’s a smart idea to apply Kilz primer first, then use good quality paint over it as soon as possible.
Ask Your Home Improvement Question
Podcast Transcript
Read Transcript
00:00:24 | TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is the Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
00:00:30 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. |
00:00:32 | TOM: And we do mean floorboards to shingles and everything in between. If you’ve got a question about a project you’d like to get done around your house, a home repair, a home improvement, a renovation, a decor project, can’t decide what color paint is going to work best, all of those are great reasons to reach out to us because that’s what we do. We’ve been doing this a long time. We love talking with you every single show. About the projects you’re doing in your house. So your job is to help yourself first by calling us with those questions. You can call us at 1-888-Money-Pit. That’s 888-666-3974. Or you can post your questions to moneypit.com slash ask. And if you go there, just click the blue microphone button. You’ll have the opportunity to record your question and you’ll move right to the top of the line for our answer. So let’s get started. The number here again is 1-888-Money-Pit. Roof leaks can send most homeowners into a serious panic. We’re going to talk about that today. But if you take a few easy first steps, that can help you avoid serious damage that both the roof and plumbing leaks can cause. We’ll tell you what you need to know. |
00:01:33 | LESLIE: And do you ever feel like clutter is taking over your home? Well, we are going to share some home organization ideas that stick just ahead. |
00:01:41 | TOM: And ceramic tiles are durable and easy to care for. But what happens if one breaks and you just can’t find a replacement? We’ll share some fast fix-ups for tile projects. |
00:01:51 | LESLIE: And whatever else you’re trying to work on in your house, whatever project you guys have going on, whether it’s a design project, whether it’s an exterior project where you’re thinking about selling your home, whatever you’ve got going on at your money pit, this team Money Pit can help you get those projects done. So give us a call. |
00:02:08 | TOM: The number here is 1-888-Money-Pit. That’s 888-666-3974. |
00:02:14 | LESLIE: Heading out to Michigan where we’ve got Ed on the line who’s dealing with a driveway that’s cracking up a little bit. What’s happening? |
00:02:20 | CALLER: The concrete driveway has a slight slope to it. And at the expansion joint where two sections meet, it’s beginning to separate a little bit. I was wondering if there was something that I could do perhaps. I didn’t know whether some foam would fit in there and put caulking over it. Or do you have some other solutions? |
00:02:52 | TOM: Sure, Ed. So the space that you say it’s cracking, it’s really just separating. It’s an expansion joint. Does that have like a piece of tar backer in it right now? Usually it’s like a tar piece that’s about a half inch wide and four or five inches tall. Has it got anything like that in there now? |
00:03:09 | CALLER: No. It’s basically a seam, so to speak, that they put in there to avoid cracking someplace else. |
00:03:18 | TOM: But there’s no other material in there. So it’s just two slabs. Two slabs separating. Is that correct? Yes. Okay. So very simple solution here. And that is what you’re going to do is you’re going to first clean that out. There’s going to be dirt and grime, sometimes moss in there. Go ahead and clean that space out. Then you’re going to insert what’s called a backer rod. It’s like a foam tube. And they come in different diameters. You want to buy one that’s bigger than the gap so it has some side pressure to hold it in place. And you insert that into that space there. And you want to insert it down so it’s maybe about three-quarters of an inch or an inch below the surface. Then on top of that, you are going to apply a flowable urethane caulk or sealant. And that’s going to flow across that backer rod and then sort of lock to both sides of the concrete. And this way, when you’re done and it’s nice and dry, that concrete driveway will expand and contract along that expansion joint and not pull apart anymore. Now, the reason you’re putting the backer rod in there, because if you don’t, you’re going to waste a heck of a lot of sealant. It’s just going to fall into the bottom of the hole. So you put the backer rod in first, and then you’re only filling the area above it. Right. Does that make sense? |
00:04:21 | CALLER: Yes, it does. Very good. I certainly appreciate it. |
00:04:26 | LESLIE: Well, it’s time to talk remodeling with Mary. We’re heading up to Utica, New York to do that. Mary, tell us what you’re working on. |
00:04:32 | CALLER: I have a seasonal home, and it’s from the 1960s, the early, all paneling and everything. My son took all of that down, right down to the studs and the ceiling and everything. And he would like to do away part of it with the ceiling. Oh, I see. So he’s going to do the ceiling joist and go up to the rafters to make it look more like it has an open space all there. And I’m worried about the structural integrity of the place. |
00:05:04 | TOM: Yeah, you definitely should be worried about that, because you can’t just take away the ceiling joist. They’re keeping the walls from spreading outward. You need an architect to look at that and to tell you exactly how to accomplish this, because you’re going to have to make some structural adjustments to make that happen. You can’t just take away all those ceiling joists, because the outside walls will bow. |
00:05:26 | CALLER: Even if you put a cow up there? |
00:05:29 | TOM: Well, I mean, you are going to put some sort of a collar tie across, but where you put that, how you attach it, what the width of that is, what the size of that is, those are all structural questions that have calculable answers if you have an engineer or an architect spec it out for you. But to just guess at it is really risky. Oh, okay. It’s also going to be harder to insulate, by the way, that area, because your ceiling joists are probably not that deep. So it’s very hard to insulate a cathedral ceiling, unless you use spray foam insulation. And if you do that… |
00:06:02 | CALLER: You’re going to use spray foam on it. |
00:06:04 | TOM: Yeah, if you use spray foam, and you’re going to have to have a contractor do that, obviously. If you use spray foam, then you don’t have to worry about the ventilation part of it, and it’ll be a much more efficient way to go. |
00:06:13 | CALLER: Yeah, I just thought maybe there was a rule of thumb of how far down you should put the collars, but apparently not. |
00:06:18 | TOM: Yeah, that’s going to depend on a lot of factors. So that’s why you’re going to have an expert look at it, okay? |
00:06:24 | CALLER: Yep, thank you. |
00:06:25 | TOM: Good luck with that project. All right, bye-bye. |
00:06:27 | LESLIE: Hey, you’re tired of living in a money pit? Well, we’re here to help. And if you want us to help out, it would be awesome if you could leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Just go to MoneyPit.com slash review. It’s only going to take a minute, and it means the world to us. Heading out to Pennsylvania, where we’ve got Andy on the line. What is going on at your money pit? |
00:06:46 | CALLER: Well, right now, our house… Our house is really old, and the furnace just can’t handle. I think we have some insulation. I think it’s that really old type that’s like newspapers and wood shit. Things are a bit creaky around here. |
00:07:03 | TOM: So, Andy, can you get up in your attic? Is the attic accessible? |
00:07:06 | CALLER: It is, but it burnt out. It’s all charred out, burned down like 100 years ago. |
00:07:12 | TOM: I’ll presume it’s still structurally sound. We wouldn’t be having this conversation. But here’s the best way to restore some level of comfort to your house is by adding insulation. And in your case, that insulation in an older home, it’s typically settled and sagged inside the ceiling joists, which is what you see when you go up in an attic and look down. So what I would do is if it looks like you don’t have much insulation, I would replace what’s there, and I may even put in two layers. I’d put one running parallel to the ceiling beams. And the other one perpendicular. So you kind of crisscross them like a pie crust. And in doing so, you’re going to find a big difference because the ceiling is where most of the heat loss happens. And if you can only insulate one area of the house, you know, people ask me about insulating the floors and the walls and so on and so forth. The attic is always the number one place that really delivers the quickest return on your investment and really actually generates some warmth. Now, the project has actually gotten easier. Owens Corning has a new type of fiberglass insulation out now that is really easy to handle. And it doesn’t, like, separate and get, like, friable and released to the air like the old stuff did. It’s called NextGen. NextGen insulation by Owens Corning. So take a look at that. It’s not expensive. It’s affordable. And I think it will make a huge difference in your house. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
00:08:42 | LESLIE: Heading to Arkansas. We’ve got Nancy on the line. Who’s working on a project. Let’s just say there was some flooring maybe done by her husband that needs some help now. What’s going on? |
00:08:54 | CALLER: I have a question about a gap between our new wood floor that my husband put down and the front door threshold. There’s a gap that needs to be filled. |
00:09:08 | TOM: Hey, well, he did the hard part, Nancy, right? I mean, he finished the whole floor except for this little spot near the front door threshold. So a couple of ways you can deal with that. Now, it depends on how big a gap this is. And if it’s a fairly thin gap in that you can’t really get another piece of flooring in there, like, let’s say it’s maybe less than a quarter of an inch. In that case, you’re going to want to use a piece of molding on top of it to basically go between the front door threshold and the new section of the floor. However, preferably if it’s a little bit wider than that. I would cut a piece of flooring to fit that exact distance. Whatever the width is, I would cut a piece of flooring and drop it right in there. Even if it was only an inch wide, I would cut that flooring. I would pre-finish the floor, by the way. If the rest of it’s already done, it will make it a lot easier. And then tap it in. And in fact, I would probably make it a little snugger than maybe you think it needs to be. So it kind of holds itself in place. All you’re going to need to attach this is maybe two or three pretty sturdy finishes. And you would pile it out the holes before you drive the nails in. So like if it was a number 8 or number 10 nail, you’d probably use like around a maybe 3 32nds bit first. And this way it won’t split that thin piece of wood. You tack it in place. I’d probably put a little glue under it. And then you should be good to go. And after that, the only one that will ever notice that gap and the story behind it will be you. Everybody else is just going to step on it and walk right over it. It’ll look great. |
00:10:39 | LESLIE: It’s true. |
00:10:40 | TOM: Sometimes we hyper-focus on the one thing we know that’s wrong with the nail. I mean, you and I do it just because it’s like a habit. Well, because you see it. |
00:10:47 | LESLIE: So you know. Well, if you’ve ever had a roof leak, you know how stressful that can be. Now, the key is to act quickly. You want to minimize the damage and figure out where that leak is coming from. |
00:10:58 | TOM: Now, the first thing you should do is grab a bucket or container to catch that dripping water. That’s going to protect your floors and everything that’s underneath from further damage. And if the water is coming from your ceiling, here is a really important trick. Take a screwdriver and make a small hole or a couple of small holes in the drywall where the water is pooling. |
00:11:20 | LESLIE: But wait, you want to make a hole in the ceiling on purpose? That seems counterintuitive. |
00:11:24 | TOM: Yeah, it is counterintuitive. But what it does is it actually prevents the ceiling from becoming damaged by the water. And then it will swell. It will sag. It can collapse. Let me give you a good example. We had an incredibly bad storm several months ago, six, eight months ago. And there’s a section of roof in a house that I maintain that’s flat. The water was so bad, it actually had come up over the window sills, which was crazy. I’ve never seen that happen before. And it leaked through the window sill straight down into a family room below. I put holes in the ceiling. I took out at least five gallons of water from that leak. So imagine that, five gallons of water poured through that ceiling. And you know what? That ceiling was in perfectly flat condition when the rain stopped and when I got it fixed up. All I had to do was a little bit of spackle, some prime, and I was good to go. So can you imagine any other circumstance when you could have a leak with five gallons of water that the ceiling doesn’t become totally nasty as a result? But it didn’t happen that time. |
00:12:22 | LESLIE: If it would have stayed even on the ceiling. Like, you could have had all that drywall fall off. It could have been way, way, way worse. Right. |
00:12:28 | TOM: I just gave it a place to go. Yeah. |
00:12:30 | LESLIE: I mean, that really is a smart move. But finding the source of that leak, I mean, definitely that can be the tricky part of this. So you kind of have to think about, like, where are these leaks most common? Think about your plumbing vents, chimney, where roof meets section of wall, that kind of thing. Those are the places that you want to inspect first. |
00:12:48 | TOM: Yeah, definitely the most common places. Now, if you can’t pinpoint it, here’s another helpful tip. You can grab a garden hose and a friend, and one of you heads to the roof and the other one stays in the attic. You start by running a small amount of water over the roof beginning below the suspected area. And then work your way up a few feet at a time until you see where the water is coming through. Because sometimes water will come through in one spot of the roof. But they don’t, like, run down a rafter or part of a truss and then drip to the ceiling in another part. And they don’t align, so it can be a little bit confusing. But if you follow that procedure, you’ll get a pretty good idea where it’s leaking. Yeah. |
00:13:26 | LESLIE: So if you are able to find that leak, the next question is whether you can fix that leak yourself. Now, if it’s a simple repair and you’re comfortable with DIY projects, definitely go for it. But if it’s more complicated or you’re not a fan of heights, calling a pro is definitely the best step. |
00:13:41 | TOM: Absolutely. The most important thing, though, is to act quickly and take those first steps. And that’s going to prevent further damage. |
00:13:48 | LESLIE: We’ve got Karen in Tennessee on the line who’s feeling the chill. What’s going on? |
00:13:52 | CALLER: I have some really nice windows that get lots of sun. And they let the heat in from the sun in the wintertime. And they are like the double window, I guess, like the type that’s… You know, it’s supposed to keep out the cold. But it doesn’t. So I need something to put over them that will allow the heat to come in but keep the cold out. And I’m wondering if you have some kind of like film or something, you know, that I can put on there to do that. |
00:14:22 | TOM: So, Karen, I think the fact that you have thermal pane windows, that’s what you’re describing, that’s insulated glass, is a good thing. It’s nice to hear that they let some heat in during the day. But the reason that they’re letting cold get in through that same glass in the evening is because there’s probably not a low E window. So it doesn’t have any reflectivity to it to keep the heat on the hot side, so to speak. So here’s what I want you to do. I think you should have a thermal shade like a cellular shade. Cellular shades have an insulating ability. And what you’re going to want to do is just make it a habit of keeping those open during the day and then keeping them down at night. Now, by the way, there are fairly inexpensive automation systems that can raise and lower these shades for you based on the time of day and where the sun is, in fact. So you could look into those as well. But I think having them up during the day, you’ll be able to capture some of that heat. And then dropping them as soon as the sun goes down will help keep some of that warmth inside. Because what happens is when the air from your house starts to circulate and hot air rises, but when it strikes that cold glass as it gets really cold, it chills and it falls. It kind of feels like a draft, even though it may not exactly be a draft. It’s uncomfortable. But when you put the cellular shade in between the window and you, then that doesn’t happen as much, and you’ll be a lot more comfortable. |
00:15:44 | LESLIE: Mike in Arizona is on the line. You’ve got a question about siding. What’s going on? |
00:15:48 | CALLER: My house currently has western red cedar as siding, but it’s like 20 years old and really in bad shape. And I’m wondering, because of my local place, if I can go with a pine tongue and groove siding versus a tongue and groove siding. Is appropriate for this area? |
00:16:14 | TOM: So, Mike, you want to replace the western red cedar with pine, but you’re going to basically have the same situation. The fact that you’re replacing wood with wood, that pine in 20 years is going to look just as bad, if not worse, because, by the way, pine is not as insect resistant and not as decay resistant as cedar is. So if you really want wood siding, and the existing wood siding has just deteriorated, I would simply replace it with more western red cedar. Now, that said, if you want to get away from wood siding, I would take a serious look at hardy plank siding or hardy shingle siding. The hardy sidings are really well made, and they’re basically a cement siding. And they are pre-painted at the factory. I, for example, have wood shingles on my house, and I have hardy shingles on my garage. And from the street, they look identical. But I can tell you that I’ll be doing a lot more painting of the house than I will of the garage, because those shingles just don’t wear out. |
00:17:12 | LESLIE: How long have I had my hardy shingles? Ten years now? Yeah. All I do is occasionally, like, power wash a little area. The house looks pristine. |
00:17:21 | TOM: All I’ve had to do was spray a little mildecide on it to get rid of some of the moss that likes to grow on it. But other than that, it looks perfect. It has shown no wear whatsoever. It’s just amazing stuff. |
00:17:31 | LESLIE: No, and it looks like the real deal. It does. It looks like real shingles. So there’s no, you know, there’s no downside. Yeah. |
00:17:38 | TOM: So you’re not picking up any benefit by replacing cedar siding with pine siding. But if you want to pick up a benefit, I would switch out, maybe go with a hardy. Or if you really like the wood, then just go with the cedar again. But this time, use a solid color stain on it. That’s going to give it more protection. You’ll have to do that probably about every five years to keep it from cracking and checking and wearing out again. So glad to have you with us today here on The Money Pit. If you’ve got a project in mind you’d like to get done, have you de-decorated for the holidays? Did you get everything put away and stored for the year ahead? Then we get to drag it out next year and do this all over again. I know that we’re getting all that wrapped up one step at a time here at our Money Pit. Hey, but you’ve got questions about projects you want to tackle now or in the future, it’s a great time to reach out to us. The number is 1-888-Money-Pit. That’s 888-666-3974. |
00:18:30 | LESLIE: Heading to Florida where Carolyn’s on the line has some rusty doors that need painting. How can we help you? |
00:18:35 | CALLER: I’m needing to repaint or fix my garage doors. They’re metal and I don’t know what I have to do. They do have some rust on them and so I guess I’m going to have to sand them down and treat them. But I just don’t really know what to use on them. |
00:18:54 | TOM: So that’s a pretty straightforward project. So the first thing you need to do is you need to sand off those rust spots. Because you don’t want to paint over the rust. So you want to sand them off. You use a very fine grit sandpaper for that. Probably something that’s around 200, 300 grit like an emery paper will work well for that. And then next, you do need to prime them. I would recommend Rust-Oleum. And you can buy that, you know, buy the quart, buy the gallon. You don’t want to prime that whole door. And by the way, aside from sanding that rust spots, you want to lightly sand the whole door and make sure it’s clean. Because again, you don’t want to have anything in between that and the primer. Then you can use a Rust-Oleum primer on the entire door. And then on top of that, you’re going to use, I would just stay with the Rust-Oleum line and use a top coat of color from there. It’s a little tricky when you’re dealing with garage doors. You have to sort of have them propped open a little bit because otherwise the door, when it closes, it rubs against the weather stripping. And of course, that mars up the paint finish. So you’re going to have to sort of pick a day when it’s warm enough where you can have that garage door open. And let it dry. And just don’t put it down all the way. If you leave it sort of suspended in the air about maybe halfway down, you’ll probably be okay. I would work one side at a time. It’s going to be a bit of a time-consuming project. But it’s pretty straightforward and it’s not that difficult. |
00:20:14 | LESLIE: So are you feeling like clutter is taking over your home? I feel like this happens especially after the holidays. You know, you end up with so much more stuff. Where does it go? I know I’m feeling like that. And I know I’m not alone. That clutter builds up quickly. But with a few simple strategies, you can reclaim your space and you can stay organized. Yeah. |
00:20:34 | TOM: So home organization, if you think about it, it’s not just about having a need home. It can actually save you time and reduce stress. I know I feel so much better when the house is organized and cleaned up. So let’s start with the most important step. Declutter by category, not by location. So think about it. Instead of tackling one room at a time, focus on specific items like clothing or books or books. Paperwork or knickknacks. It’s easier to make decisions when you see everything in one place. |
00:21:03 | LESLIE: Oh, for sure. I mean, I just did a major decluttering of those sort of they’re not even catch all drawers in the kitchen. One’s the utensil drawer and one’s like the cooking utensils drawer. But I only have like three drawers in the kitchen. So these guys fill up quick. I just dumped everything out and sorted it. And a good sort of method. And it didn’t necessarily work with the kitchen drawers. But think about in the other areas that you’re working in the house. You want to kind of separate things into a keep, donate, toss system. Like, you know, you’re going to make piles of things. Think about it. Like, did I use it in the last year? Does it serve a purpose? Maybe not. Think about how you use this item. And then think about if it’s time to let that item go. You will definitely feel lighter immediately. Once you’ve decluttered, though, now you’ve got to organize. And a great tip is to store the items where you use them. For example, keep your coffee supplies near the coffee maker. Store the cleaning supplies in the rooms where you actually use them. It’s going to make it so much more efficient and so much more easy to find. |
00:22:06 | TOM: Yep. And here’s another trick. Use clear bins or labeled baskets. They’re perfect for grouping similar items. And the labels make it really easy to find what you need. And even easier, most importantly, to put things back where they belong. And also, don’t forget about the vertical space. I mean, installing shelves or hanging storage to take advantage of unused items. Use walls areas. Makes a great way to keep items up off the floor and maximize your storage. |
00:22:31 | LESLIE: And here’s my favorite. Adopt the one-in, one-out rule. So if you go out and you get something new and bring it into your house, whether it’s clothing, a kitchen gadget, anything, get rid of an old item. It’s really a simple way to keep that clutter from creeping back in. It also kind of keeps your spending down because you’re like, well, I don’t really have anything I want to get rid of. So don’t get the new thing. |
00:22:53 | TOM: Totally agree. And these tips don’t just clear the clutter. They help create a home that works for you and not against you. So start small. Keep it manageable. Tackle one category at a time. Stick with systems that make sense for your lifestyle. |
00:23:06 | LESLIE: If you want some more organization tips and decluttering advice, head on over to MoneyPit.com and we’re going to give you your dream. We’re going to help you find it to be reality of having this organized home. It’s the new year. I know I’m going to say it again and again. But let’s get your home in tip-top shape, you guys. And start by being organized. Heading out to Fayetteville, Pennsylvania, where Deb’s on the line. So I’ve heard about ring around the collar. I’ve heard about ring around the tub. But you’ve got a ring around the sink? |
00:23:34 | CALLER: What’s going on? My problem is that I have a bathroom counter combination sink. It’s beautiful. It’s creamy yellow. I love it. Nothing’s wrong with it. Except right around the drain is this ugly black that won’t come off. And my husband said, we might have to just replace the whole thing. I said, that’s ridiculous. Everything’s perfect except that spot. There’s got to be something to use. He mentioned something like a Lime-A-Way. We haven’t tried anything yet. But it’s like I said, just the ring around the drain part. Everything else in the sink is perfect. I hate to get rid of the whole thing for that. There’s got to be something. Even if we have to sand it or something, maybe there’s a new product to get rid of that black. But it’s really a shame because everything else is perfect. |
00:24:20 | TOM: Yeah, Debra, I know what you’re talking about. And I know you’re talking about a new product. And what happens is that is the area of the sink with a composite sink, which is pretty sure what you’re referring to, where it really wears. The finish of the sink wears. And then over the years, you get just sort of the dirt and the grime that embeds itself into that space. Sometimes you get a reaction between the metal drain that’s there and the sink itself. It’s funny you mentioned sanding. I think if it’s you’ve done all this sort of over-the-counter products attempts. I mean, I would try CLR maybe just to make sure you check that off the list. That’s the calcium lime rust remover. But I would try that. I would also try an oxygenated bleach. But if those two things don’t work, you could consider disconnecting the drain, basically pulling that all out and then seeing if you could abrade some of that dark area away with some steel wool. I don’t think sandpaper will work, but it would allow you to have a better shot at it. And then when you put it back together, make sure you use a new drain connection from the top side because you will stop getting any additional deterioration. And you might even consider one that’s slightly wider. If it has slightly wider lip on that metal drain, that would actually cover the old black, which is probably forming between the drain itself and the sink. So there’s a couple of ideas for you. Hopefully one of those will straighten this problem out without you having to replace the entire thing. |
00:25:49 | LESLIE: Well, ceramic floors are not the same thing. They are durable and they are easy to care for. But from time to time, you may need to make some repairs to your ceramic tile floor. Now the repairs can vary. It can be a grouting repair or it can even be replacing a cracked or broken tile. Now the problem is with replacing tiles is that you might not have that matching tile handy. Well, we’ve got some magic tricks to help them reappear. Yeah. |
00:26:14 | TOM: And this is something that happens a lot. You set out to do like a bathroom model and it’s not always with an old house either. Even a 10-year-old tile can sometimes be hard to find. So think about this. When replacing any tile, it’s always best to use one that’s left over from the original installation. Then you can be sure that the replacement tile is going to match perfectly to the existing ones. And if you don’t have any extras scrolled away, you can bring the broken piece to a well-stocked tile store where you might be able to find a new one that’s a very close substitute. |
00:26:45 | LESLIE: That’s right. Now you can also consider stealing a tile from an area that’s not visible. Like maybe it’s inside of a closet or under the refrigerator or dishwasher. Now, removing the old tile definitely is a tricky project, but it is possible. Now, another option is to have tiles made to order. It’s, I mean, this is if it’s a simple looking tile or a color glaze or something. It will cost considerably more to have that glaze custom made. You just want to make sure that any replacement tiles do meet the standards for ceramic floor tiles. |
00:27:17 | TOM: All right. What if you heard all those ideas and you go, nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, not going to work. Okay. So despite your best efforts, you can’t find a replacement. Well, you could forget about trying to match the tile altogether if you take this approach, and that is to fill it with an accent tile of a different color or texture. Now, in that case, you might want to randomly space out a handful of tiles around the floor or the wall to make that fix blend in with the rest of the field. I’ve used this approach with a lot of materials and projects over the years, and it’s really interesting because somebody invariably in my life will say, wow, that looks great, and they have no idea that it was a fix for something that got screwed up or I couldn’t fix any other way, but they see it as a positive improvement. So complimentary accent tiles are a good option. |
00:28:05 | LESLIE: All right. Good tips. Now, we’ve got David from Ohio on the line who needs some help making paint stick. I know it’s a tricky subject here, but sometimes it really just doesn’t want to. What’s going on? |
00:28:18 | CALLER: I have questions about redwood siding. I have an older home built in the 50s. Paint has a hard time staying on the place. I’ve removed most of the paint, and I’m coating it with a Kills exterior oil-based primer. I was hoping to find what a good top coat paint would be for that. |
00:28:36 | TOM: Well, you know what? It sounds like you’re doing the right thing by priming that siding. Now, if it hadn’t been painted, we would have told you to use solid color stain and not paint, because solid color stain, as it wears, as it ages, it sort of fades out. Paint, as you’ve experienced as it wears, can tend to peel off. But the fact that you’ve prepped it and now have used a solvent-based Kills primer on the whole thing, I think that was a really smart thing to do, because that is what gives you that sort of locking sort of adhesion quality. Now, on top of that, in terms of paint quality, I would recommend a good quality paint, and by that, I mean probably Sherwin-Williams or maybe Benjamin Moore, two very good brands. Within those brands, you’re going to have choices as well. I always find, I usually go to the local Sherwin store near me, because the guys in there always know a lot about the different variations of paint product that the company makes and can give me a really good recommendation. So I think as long as you stick with those name brands, you’re going to be fine. I wouldn’t wait too terribly long between the primer. And the paint, though, because you don’t want that, the primer’s not designed to stand up to weather, and you want to get it on as soon as weather will permit. |
00:29:54 | LESLIE: Nicole wrote in asking, I’m buying a house and I’m concerned about toxic black mold. She wants to know what is it and what does she do about it? |
00:30:01 | TOM: Yeah, that’s in the news a lot. It sounds so nasty. Toxic black mold. Well, it’s technically known as Stachybotrys charturum, and that’s probably going to be the answer to a Jeopardy question, so make sure you write that down. It’s a kind of micro fungus. It’s a kind of micro fungus that can produce what are called mycotoxins, and they can impact human health, especially in those who have mold allergies. And some molds thrive in high humidity. Stachybotrys really requires a consistently wet condition, like a steady leak, to grow. Now, those mold allergies are going to happen when your immune system overreacts to those mold spores that get in the air, and if you inhale these spores, your body can produce antibodies that fight them, which can then cause an allergic reaction in severe cases. Now, mold allergies are a very common disease. They can trigger asthma-like conditions, but focusing on overall mold prevention is really the key to this. Keep in mind that there are over 100,000 types of mold, and only a few cause allergic reactions, and being allergic to one type of mold doesn’t mean you’ll be allergic to the other. So just be aware, if you see it in small amounts, you can clean it yourself. There is advice, actually good advice, from the New York Department of Health on how to do exactly that if it’s less than 10 square feet. If it’s a bigger mold problem, you’re going to need a professional. |
00:31:16 | LESLIE: All right, Nicole, good luck to that. |
00:31:19 | TOM: Well, if you’re getting ready to rent an apartment, there are many things to consider outside of those four walls. Leslie tells you what you need to know to make the best choice in where you live in this edition of Leslie’s Last Word. Leslie, moving to a new apartment is a pretty exciting step. |
00:31:34 | LESLIE: Yeah, I mean, it is a big one, especially if it’s the very first time you’re living on your own, or you’re moving into your own space. You know, choosing the best rental probably is the key of starting off successfully, but you want to make sure that you’re getting the most out of it. You want to make sure that you manage all of the expectations. Is the neighborhood great? Is the commute going to be easy? Is your favorite grocery store a good place to shop nearby? You want to think about all of those things, especially the commute. Now, it could be the perfect apartment, but if it’s a half an hour or more commute from your job or school, is that okay? Do you feel like that’s going to get old really quick? You know, set those realistic expectations and see how you can manage that. You know, the distance doesn’t have to be the only deciding factor in choosing the apartment, but you want to make sure that you’re getting the most out of it. But it does make a difference. Now, not only does the commute mean time spent on the road every day, it means money spent in gas. Maybe there’s commuter tax, depending on the time you come in and out of the city. This is a sore spot for us New Yorkers right now. But these are all things to think of, you guys, so you have to think about that. Are there traffic patterns that are going to affect where you park in your neighborhood or the busyness of the neighborhood? If you are using a car, is there a place to park? Do you have a driveway? Great. If not, what’s the street parking light? If you don’t have a car, do you have easy access to public transportation? How long is it going to take you to get to work? You know, all of those things. Also think about, just because I commute at weird hours to Good Morning America, there’s not always a train or subway at the times that I need. So think about that as well. Can you take a train? Is there one available? And don’t forget about all the little amenities that that neighborhood will have to offer. Are there good restaurants? Does it seem like it has a good vibe? Is it walkable? Is it shoppable? All of those things. I mean, these are, I know it seems very like minute details, but they’re going to make your living experience so much better. We’ve got some tips that you can check out, eight things you need to know before getting your first apartment. It’s right there on moneypit.com and congrats you guys who are making this big move, enjoy and good luck. |
00:33:33 | TOM: Good advice. This is the Money Pit Home Improvement Show. Hey, coming up next time on the program, we’re going to talk about windows that are old and drafty. You think I’m talking about you? Well, pay attention. Because it may be time to consider replacement windows, but if you are in that position where you’re trying to decide if that’s a project you want to take on, how do you know if it’s really going to work out? We’re going to share seven key tips to help you make that very important decision on the next edition of the Money Pit. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
00:34:02 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. |
00:34:03 | TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself. |
00:34:02 | 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 2025 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.) |
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