Show Notes
Today, learn the lifesaving benefits of home fire sprinkler systems, six must-know painting tips to help you get pro results, and how changing your furnace filter can make a big impact on your heating bill. Plus, we’ve got expert answers to callers’ home improvement questions!
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Fire Safety: Get added safety on tap by installing a home fire sprinkler system.
- Painting: These 6 simple tips will save you time and money on your next painting project.
- Filters: Improve your HVAC system’s efficiency by using the right furnace filters.
Top Questions & Answers
- Storm Door: The trim on Katie’s entry door is melting from heat trapped behind the storm door. We explain why storm doors aren’t needed and how to ventilate the space.
- Window Leak: Water is leaking inside the top of Dan’s window from a rotted gutter. He should fix the gutter and fascia board first and monitor the leak.
- Roofing: Mary is getting confused by all the choices for replacing her roof. It sounds like the tiles need repair, not replacement, and she needs to clarify options with other roofing professionals.
- Water Heater: Fred’s old gas water heater is vibrating. It’s not worth fixing, and we recommend installing a tankless water heater that’s more efficient.
- Chimney: An external chimney has cracked and the mantle inside has shifted. Rebecca needs to find a professional home inspector or structural engineer, not a contractor.
- Cleaning: Old bathroom tiles have lost their luster. A matte finish won’t get shiny, but Cheri gets tips for the best way to clean the tile surface and what to use.
Ask Your Home Improvement Question
Podcast Transcript
Read Transcript
00:00:23 | TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is the Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
00:00:0 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. |
00:00:00 | TOM: And we are here to help you take on projects you want to get done around your house. You got a project you’re doing right now. Maybe you’re stuck on some part of that project. Maybe you’re planning a project for the weeks or months ahead. Or maybe you’re thinking, man, middle of winter here. I just want to get organized. I want to get things cleaned up. I want to paint. I want to refresh. Hey, whatever’s on your to-do list, you can move it right on over to ours by picking up the phone and calling us with your questions at 1-888-Money-Pit. That’s 888-666-3974. Or go to moneypit.com slash ask and click the blue microphone button to submit your question. Hey, coming up on today’s show, every year firefighters respond to more than a million home fires. But a home sprinkler system can take that number down dramatically. So we’re going to share how to know if a home sprinkler system is right for you. |
00:01:22 | LESLIE: And are you ready to tackle a painting project? Well, there are six important things to consider that are going to save you time and money before you start. We’ll share those tips next on The Money Pit. |
00:01:34 | TOM: And are you looking for an easy way to make your heating system more efficient? Well, it may be as simple as changing your furnace filter if you know how to pick the right one. We’ll fill you in in just a bit. |
00:01:45 | LESLIE: But first, we’re here to help you plan and help you save money on all of those projects and spare you from snafus with your home improvement projects. So let us know what you are working on. |
00:01:56 | TOM: Call us right now at 1-888-Money-Pit, 888-666-3974. |
00:02:03 | LESLIE: Katie in Minnesota is on the line with a question about a door. What is going on? |
00:02:07 | CALLER: I’m having some issues with the front door. My husband bought a storm door, energy efficient. Okay. And we have a door behind there, our front door, and there’s getting to be so much heat between the two doors that it’s melting the trim that’s on the other door. |
00:02:27 | TOM: Yep. Very common. So here’s the thing. You don’t really need a storm door anymore with today’s modern doors. Usually, if they’re installed properly and they have the right kind of weather stripping and the sills are adjusted so that they seal well, you generally don’t need a storm door. Now, of course, all of us enjoy screen doors so that we can leave our interior door open in the warmer weather. But when you put a storm door on top of a door like that, you do get sort of a greenhouse effect where the light comes through that storm door and the heat just builds up between that metal door and the glass, and it will melt, as you saw, the plastic trim around the window pane. So that is very, very common, Katie. You’re in good company with that. Okay. So I would tell you that in the summer, you don’t want to have a storm panel on. You’ve got to get that storm panel off and just put the screen panel in. Otherwise, this will continue to happen. |
00:03:21 | CALLER: Yep. That’s what we do in the summer, but during the winter. So then I had called the company, and they had said that there’s a plate on the bottom where you can raise it. So we raised it, but then the whole door has frost, really thick frost. Is that bad for the door? |
00:03:37 | TOM: Well, it shouldn’t be happening in the wintertime. It really is a summertime condition. It doesn’t get hot enough in the cold months to cause that melting. Oh, we have it now, and it’s winter. It’s not possible. I think it’s probably melted in the summer because it doesn’t get hot enough now, not with this kind of temperature, to melt that trim. The trim melts in the warmer weather. |
00:03:57 | CALLER: Right. Well, the thing is, is we cut the tree down. The door is black. |
00:04:02 | TOM: Okay. And so we just put it in maybe two, three months ago. Yeah, that’s not helping you either. That’s not helping you either, yeah. Is it a steel door? |
00:04:11 | CALLER: Yes. |
00:04:11 | TOM: Yeah. You might want to rethink that door color, but I’m just telling you that you don’t need to have that storm door on it whenever it starts to get warm. And if you do, if you are going to have it, you’re going to get this problem. |
00:04:25 | CALLER: My husband said maybe we should just paint it white and see what it does if it’s still… |
00:04:29 | TOM: Well, it will be better, but I’m just telling you, this is really common, and it happens consistently in warmer weather, and it will just only get worse. Great. right. Well, listen, listen, at least you know that you’re not alone, and it’s, you know, when people see this, they think, oh, my gosh, this has never happened before. No, it happens all the time. Believe me. All right. Good luck with that project. Thanks for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. |
00:04:55 | LESLIE: Dan in Rhode Island is on the line with some sort of leaky window issue. What’s going on? |
00:04:59 | CALLER: I had an issue with the, there was water leaking inside the top of my window. It was like a real rainy day. Okay. But I did notice that on the outside of the house, with a gutter, there was water leaking inside the top of my window. It was like a real rainy day. The gutters were mounted to. It was rotting away, so there was pretty much a hole there, and it seemed like the water might have been getting in and then seeping into the house. |
00:05:18 | TOM: So that’s entirely possible. Just because you happen to see it come in the top of the window doesn’t mean that’s the source of it. It’s most likely the flashing. Now, from your description, it sounds like you may have had an obstructed gutter that backed up and splashed water kind of behind it, rotted out the fascia that would have been attached to that possibly could have been a source for water infiltration, or that could just be a leak. Well, that’s actually pretty coincidental, and there could be an issue with the flashing around the window. What kind of siding do you have on the house? |
00:05:45 | CALLER: It’s actually a, it’s a wood siding. I’m not sure the type of it, but it’s not like a cedar shingle. It’s something a lot older. The house was built in 1960s. |
00:05:55 | TOM: Okay, but it’s some sort of a shingle? Yeah. Well, here’s what I would do. I would fix the gutter and the fascia, right? That’s an easy thing to do. And then I would monitor it and see if it still continues to happen. If it does continue to happen, then what I would do is I would remove the siding around the top and sides of the window and just reflash the whole thing. It’s kind of hard to do this sort of in bits or pieces. You got to really do the whole thing or not do it at all. So that’s the best way to approach it. Let’s do the easy thing first to see the easy, see if that actually does it, which is that gutter replacement. And then if not, we can start to dig a little deeper into it until we get to the bottom of it. You know, if you do get that gutter fixed, or even if you don’t, that’s fine. If you don’t, frankly, there’s another thing you could try, and that is just go outside with a garden hose. And don’t blast it, but maybe like take, if you have a jet on the end of it, take that off. But just let the water roll over the window from the top. You know, go up about a foot or two above the window, wet the siding down as if it was just drenched in a big rainstorm, and see if that lets water inside. That might also give you the clue that there could be a problem with the flashing and not the gutter or an addition of the gutter. Okay? |
00:07:03 | CALLER: Yeah. Now that you mentioned the flashing, maybe it does make sense. Yeah. Now that you mentioned the flashing, maybe it does make sense. You know, you might actually have a, it looks like a piece of vinyl, possibly, that is, it’s like a U-shape. It catches the top of the replacement window, and it goes from the inside over the top of the window and then to the outside. |
00:07:21 | TOM: Sounds like what we call a J-channel. |
00:07:22 | CALLER: From the inside, it looks like a letter J, but then if you kind of go, if you look at it from the outside, the whole piece is probably like a U-shape, I would say, that sits right on top. |
00:07:30 | TOM: You might be talking about either a J-channel or drip edge, but either way, those are all part of the flashing system. And if that window is leaking when you do your hose test, then you’ve got to sort of disassemble that and put it back together With good flashing all around. Okay. All right. Thank you very much. You’re welcome Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-Money-Pit |
00:07:49 | LESLIE: know, we love hearing from our listeners and if you want to make our day leave us a five-star review on Apple podcasts |
00:07:55 | TOM: You know, it really helps us know what we’re doing right and how we can improve our show for you So just go to moneypit.com slash review money pit comm slash review |
00:08:04 | LESLIE: And you might even win a copy of our book. Are you guys still in this winter holiday vacation mode? I know sometimes you like to drag it out to the end of January. It’s okay No judgment, but with everybody gone and out and about so much during this winter season Do you guys know that actually a burglary happens every 30 seconds? That’s why we are so excited to partner with Vivint home security Money pit listeners can get their award-winning smarter simpler home security system right now |
00:08:34 | TOM: Starting at just a dollar a day plus all of our listeners get free professional installation with signed agreement restrictions apply But don’t wait. You must call now 1-800-586-9606 1-800-586-9606 1-800-586-9606 |
00:08:55 | LESLIE: 1 All right heading out to Vegas. We’ve got Mary on the line. What’s going on at your money pit? |
00:09:00 | CALLER: I can’t believe how much money I’m spending on my house to maintain Okay, I would never get that out of a sales or would I? Well, we did depends what’s going on right now that you’re trying to deal with I need to put a new roof on my house Okay, I was basically given the choice By a roofer of using ice and snow Paper That water and I sold ice and water shield. Uh-huh. There was the 15-pound tar paper. That’s no good 30-pound tar paper Uh-huh or rubber Okay, first of all, what kind of roof do you have? Is it what kind of material? It’s Mexican tiles |
00:09:43 | TOM: It’s tiles. Okay, and why are you getting a new roof? Have the tiles deteriorated? They’ve been blowing off. They’ve been blowing off Okay, they’ve been blowing off in such numbers that replacing the roof is the only option I know that there’s more repair here than you want to because the reason I’m asking you these questions is I’m trying to make sure That the guys not just selling you a roof that you really don’t need Because if the tiles are blowing off then it sounds like they’re they need repair They may not need replacement in terms of the question. It concerns me because the options that they’re giving you I’m sure they’re attaching Enormously different price tags associated with them and all of them are not really that much difference in terms of what the cost would be First of all ice and water shield would be rare to use in an environment like Nevada because it’s more common in the north And then what it does is it stops? icicles from forming and what it well doesn’t stop informing if icicles do form and you get a backup of Melted snow going back up on the tile then it will stop it from leaking into the house, but in your environment. That’s pretty rare Secondly the difference between 30-pound felt and 15-pound felt is not very much in terms of expense And that’s just the tar paper that goes underneath the shingles More to the point is what kind of roof shingles are we going to put on this place? Are we going to put new tile back on? or we’re going to go with like an asphalt shingle and you can have asphalt shingles today that actually are Styled to look like the tile that you had now and if they’re if they’re installed properly They actually look pretty darn good. So those are the kinds of options that I would be concerned about Asphalt tile no asphalt shingles. That’s a standard roof shingle But if you look there’s the type of shingle called a dimensional shingle that looks a lot like The old ceramic tile that you’re going to be removing has that same collection It’s got the same color to it and the way it’s built It has an edge that creates like a shadow line that gives you the visual appearance of depth That’s another option for you So I would start with this first of all re-evaluate why you want to replace this roof the fact that you’ve got roof tiles that are blowing off Those ought to be repairable and it wouldn’t necessarily call for a whole new roof if you are going to replace the roof Then you have some different options Which would be more to the point of what’s going to go on the on the sort of the top floor? facing side and not what’s underneath it because I don’t think the expense of ice and water shield or 30 pound or 50 pound asphalt tar paper is going to make a big difference in the overall job that has to be done It’s mostly labor and a small part of that is materials So I would proceed by determining if you really want to tear off that whole tile roof because in most cases those tile roofs can last Indefinitely if they’re well maintained I understand so you’re saying that ice and water is not typical for Las Vegas Yes, I mean how much winter snow do you get well? When it rains, I don’t want it to leak the ice and water shield is not what stops the whole roof from leaking now There are some cases like in Communities where hurricanes are common like down like say in Miami where they cover the entire roof with ice and water shield But in the other ninety nine point nine percent of the country ice and water shield is only used at the roof edge and The design is designed to stop ice dams the only reason they use it in communities like Miami is because if you were to have a hurricane that blew off large pieces of Large sections of your roof shingles The house could stay in could be remain watertight for some period of time and hopefully give you a chance to replace the roof Before it starts to leak |
00:13:12 | CALLER: Okay, how about the rubber base? |
00:13:15 | TOM: Well, I’m not quite sure what kind of rubber roofing you’re talking about But typically rubber roofs are used on flat roofs, and I’m sure if you have a tile roof, it’s not flat |
00:13:23 | CALLER: Oh, I want it waterproof |
00:13:25 | TOM: Well, but the tile roof should be waterproof That’s not that’s not the waterproofing is not in the underlayment as much as it’s in the surface Shingle that you choose. I would talk to some more roofers because I don’t think you’re getting the full Opportunity here to understand the options. It sounds like they’re trying to dazzle you with the details Leslie, but I don’t think she’s getting the full scope here. So I would try to get some more estimates All right. I hope that helps and good luck with that project If you have more questions, give us a call back |
00:13:51 | LESLIE: Well each year fire departments respond to more than one and a half million fires But the National Safety Council says only a fraction of Americans have taken any steps To improve their fire safety and protect themselves Now one way you can add a layer of protection is with a home fire sprinkler system That plus having working smoke alarms and a fire escape plan really is the best way to stay protected from fire |
00:14:16 | TOM: You know a lot of homeowners don’t know that fire sprinklers are an option for their home Sprinklers detect high heat from a fire and they put water on the flames as soon as that fire starts and that limits the smoke and poisonous gases that a fire produces Fire sprinklers also protect your property and your belongings |
00:14:35 | LESLIE: Now if you’re buying a home or moving into a new apartment You want to choose one with a fire sprinkler system if you can Now if you’re building a home or you’re remodeling your existing home You could consider having a home fire sprinkler system installed You want to talk to your local fire department for some help finding a qualified home fire sprinkler installer and know that it’s not going to be An inexpensive ad but boy I bet you’re gonna see some great insurance savings |
00:15:00 | TOM: Right yeah, that’s a good point And there’s a common misconception also that home fire sprinklers can trip unnecessarily like when you burn toast That’s just not true the technology is solid and that’s why we highly recommend this as an option |
00:15:14 | CALLER: Fred in Louisiana is on the line with a question about a water heater. What’s going on this past year We noticed our hot water heater, which is a 70 gallon It’s up in the Attic gas water heater started Like it was bouncing around in the Attic Okay, I called a plumber and they said well you need to get change the anode and I called another one They said well don’t worry about it. No big deal. So I listen to you guys all the time and love your show and |
00:15:42 | TOM: Kind of would like y’all’s opinion. How old is this water heater? |
00:15:47 | CALLER: about |
00:15:49 | TOM: Probably ten years old. Okay, so you’re moving towards the end of the life of the water heater and therefore I wouldn’t tell you to replace the anode that noise as the As the tank expands and contracts and what’s what you’re hearing kind of gurgling |
00:16:04 | CALLER: Creepy kind of sound is common. It’s more than a creep. It’s loud it bumps and like is bouncing up there Yeah, really heavy. Yeah |
00:16:13 | TOM: well Okay, I think the reason that that’s happening is because of the age and because the analog rod is probably shot But I don’t think it’s worth fixing it because it’s ten years old I think that this is a really good time for you to think about doing this and that is to replace that tank water here with a tankless water heater the technology is so great right now with tankless water heaters I was talking to a manufacturer today about a new ream unit for example that is really cool because what it does is it not only You know gives you instant hot water and in an unbelievable or unending amount But it has this recirculating loop in it now so that you know when you get in the shower in the morning You’re waiting for it to go from cold to hot That goes away It basically has a crossover valve built into it So it just provides water hot water to every fixture and faucet for as much as you want it to be |
00:17:08 | CALLER: So that’s kind of cool. What kind of cost are we talking about? |
00:17:11 | TOM: Well those water heaters are probably in the thousand to fifteen hundred dollar range plus installation So it’s going to be more expensive than a basic tank water heater But it’s a lot more efficient a lot more convenient to use so I mean when my water heater goes now |
00:17:29 | CALLER: And the next time it goes I’m definitely going tankless. Okay. Here’s the thing. It’s up in the attic Why did they ever put a 70 gallon water heat up and we can’t get you couldn’t get it out |
00:17:38 | TOM: You can’t take it out of there. Oh you mean because they probably framed it in yeah, I mean, that’s a point |
00:17:42 | CALLER: Oh, yeah, it’s way up in there. I mean, there’s no way to get it down |
00:17:45 | TOM: You can’t get it down through the attic back the act access the whole way. Yeah |
00:17:49 | LESLIE: No, well, listen, maybe they got it up there. Yeah |
00:17:52 | TOM: Well, yeah, but they may have put it up there before they put the floor down or framed in the wall |
00:17:56 | CALLER: It’s built it around it |
00:17:58 | But you know the other thing you could do is you could cut it apart and plumber can cut it apart for you taking out pieces So that’s always possible |
00:18:04 | CALLER: We would install the tankless water heater up in the attic |
00:18:08 | TOM: I would only because all the valves are the gas lines are there and venting these tankless units are really easy because they’re so Efficient Fred they basically have very very slightly warm gases going out of them The gases are so low such a low temperature that you don’t need a metal vent pipe |
00:18:24 | CALLER: You can take it out of PVC pipe. Well, you guys are great I really appreciate it and you answered my question. That’s what I’m gonna do go tankless terrific |
00:18:32 | TOM: Good luck with that project Fred. Thanks so much for calling us at 888 money Thanks guys |
00:18:38 | LESLIE: Rebecca in Tennessee is on the line with a question about a crack in a foundation. Tell us what’s going on at your money pit |
00:18:44 | CALLER: Oh, let’s see. Where do I start? I have an external chimney. I believe they said it was limestone There are cracks that are going from the bottom of it all the way to the top on the front and if you’re facing it on the right side as well and on the inside around the mantle I Put you this way. There are paint chips that have shifted about an inch Above from where they were originally on the wall and there are cracks kind of coming from the vicinity of the chimney down to the windowsill Okay, I had someone take a look at it and he said the foundation under the chimney Was cracked and what it is? I’ve really been given two different opinions as to what I need to do to fix it |
00:19:33 | TOM: Okay, let me ask you a question Rebecca the person you had look at it. Was this a chimney contractor a mason? |
00:19:40 | CALLER: It was a he’s actually a room for an external specialist, but he also works on chimneys He says a contractor and who was the second opinion from another contractor? Yes another contractor and One opinion is the chimney needs to be torn completely down And the other one is it needs to be knocked down to the roof level and tied into the roof now |
00:20:04 | TOM: Let me ask you a question here Rebecca. What do both of these guys have in common? I don’t know they both want your money. That’s what they have in common Okay, so they have a conflict of interest This is a significant project and the potentially serious one and one that may go deeper than what you’re seeing what you’re telling me is Concerning because of the number of cracks and the evidence of movement So I’m going to tell you that what? You should do is find a professional home inspector You can find one that’s certified by the American Society of home inspectors and have that inspector Look at your chimney either a home inspector or a structural engineer, but not a contractor a Home inspector does not do work on the house They only inspect so they don’t have that conflict of interest if you go to the website for the American Society of home inspectors Which is ashy A.S.H.I. Or I think it’s also home inspector org you can enter in your zip code You’ll get a list of certified inspectors in your area. You can call if you chat with them about what’s going on They’ll charge you a small fee You know, maybe a hundred or two hundred dollars. I would guess to do what’s called a partial inspection It’s basically to come out and look at one item But I really think you need a set of skilled eyes looking at that Where the guy’s not trying to sell you a repair to tell you what exactly is going on and what has to happen before you start? spending money for your home inspection? with these Contractors they may be completely right, but I’m uncomfortable whenever you have a contractor that says you got a problem lady But I’m just the guy to fix it for you. It’s just a big conflict of interest and you got a guard against it, okay? Okay, thank you very much. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit |
00:21:46 | LESLIE: Well, if you’re getting ready to paint there are a few things that you need to think about besides deciding on the color Including how that color is going to look on different lighting how much paint you need what supplies you need? All of this is going to be needed to make that project go smoothly Yep |
00:22:02 | TOM: So first up you want to measure the room to figure out how much paint you actually need now you can use an online paint calculator And simply enter the height and the length of each wall and the number of doors and windows and the calculator will tell you how many |
00:22:15 | LESLIE: Gallons you’ll need to buy now if you found a color that you like You can bring home a paint chip as well as a small jar of sample paint because you have to remember that those colors will look differently throughout the entire day the light changes and Nighttime changes how things look your lamps change how things look so you want to paint a small area and just see how you like it Live with it for a couple of days and look at it through the variety of light phases in the day and see what you think |
00:22:40 | TOM: Now the texture of a wall can also impact a paints color So if you’re painting over plaster a textured surface wood paneling or a detailed molding |
00:22:49 | LESLIE: Make sure to paint a sample directly onto those surfaces to see how they reflect light now after you’ve selected that color You need to decide what paint Finish to get and you’re like, but I just picked the color. I’m finished. No, no, no I’m talking about what that paint looks like and how it shines or doesn’t once it’s dry eggshell or satin finishes are going to work well on most interior walls and Semi-gloss is most often used on your baseboards and trim now a glossy finish They’re gonna be super durable and easy to clean But they will show dirt more and I kind of stick with the super high gloss for like a banister or a cabinet |
00:23:25 | TOM: Something like that now if you’re painting a light color over a dark Or one it’s usually a good idea to use a primer as your first coat that will help you cover that original color The primer is also helpful if you’re painting cabinets or furniture because it helps adhere the paint to the surface Just make sure that you’re choosing a high adhesion |
00:23:42 | LESLIE: Primer designed specifically for those shiny surfaces because it really makes the paint stick and finally remember that those high quality tools are just as Important as having a high quality paint cheap brushes and rollers are going to lose their bristles or start to fuzz up And then that can leave some obvious brushstrokes So do invest in good painting tools before you start that painting project and make sure you clean them properly when you’re done so that you can Use them again That’s why they’re a little more pricey because they’re meant to be used over and over and over again Not just chuck them so definitely get some good brushes and learn how to take care of them |
00:24:16 | TOM: Absolutely, and here’s a bonus tip if you have extra paint left over for the project Make sure you clean out the rim of the can before you put the lid back on because that will help seal it and keep the air out and then to make absolutely Sure that no air can get in store it in a cool place But store it upside down because whatever paints left in that can will also act as a sealant keep those minor air bubbles from working their way in and causing that paint to degrade |
00:24:42 | LESLIE: Well if you’re a do-it-yourselfer You know the value of quick easy fixes that can improve your home and save you money and one of the easiest ways to do both Is by keeping your heating and cooling system energy efficient a simple yet powerful step Replacing your furnace filter regularly |
00:24:59 | TOM: Yeah, your furnace filter captures contaminants like dust and pollen and pet hair as those move through the air and through your HVAC system and over time The filter can get clogged and that reduces airflow and what that does is it forces your system to work harder So it forces the furnace to work harder it first forces the air conditioning to work harder and by replacing that filter You’ll not only improve your home’s air quality, but you’ll also enhance The HVAC system’s efficiency and that translates into energy savings and lower utility bills |
00:25:32 | LESLIE: So here’s how you do it first turn off your furnace to ensure safety while you’re working Then you want to check your current filter to check out its dimensions the type the MERV rating and that’s the minimum efficiency reporting value and the MERV rating is going to range from 1 to 16 for most homes a rating between 7 and 12 provides excellent filtration then carefully remove the oil Filter and also pay attention to the direction of the arrow that’s printed on the frame This is going to indicate the airflow and you have to make sure you put it in the same way It was in then go ahead slide that new filter in with the arrow facing the same way |
00:26:11 | TOM: Turn that furnace back on and you’re done. Just a few steps and keep in mind that filters can get dirty quickly Especially if you’ve got pets and pollen or a lot of dust in your home So check your filter monthly and replace it as needed typically every one to three months Depending on the efficiency of the filter itself, but if you stay on top of this very simple maintenance task You’ll keep your air cleaner your system running efficiently and your energy costs under control all while extending the life of your HVAC system So a very simple improvement that delivers a lot of benefit |
00:26:45 | CALLER: Sherry and George is on the line with a question about cleaning bathroom tile. What’s going on? I bought a condo and the bathroom tiles are really really pretty but they’re old and they Have lost their luster and I think it’s it’s you know, I was looking for a solution that didn’t involve demolition |
00:27:06 | TOM: Well that that that sounds like a possibility Let’s see what we can do to help you so you see the tiles have lost their luster |
00:27:13 | CALLER: Is it really the grout or is it the tiles themselves? Oh, no, it’s the tiles They have absolutely like no shine to them whatsoever They’re very very matte and it it’s sort it should have that Lester like the subway tile |
00:27:29 | TOM: Well, maybe no not necessarily I mean |
00:27:31 | LESLIE: There’s a lot of tiles that have lost to have matte finishes right Leslie there are tiles that have matte finishes that tend to get the dirt stuck to them a little bit more easily because the gloss is there really to protect that tile and Sometimes tiles that are purposely meant to have a matte finish will have a coating on them that will help keep the dirt away So it’s really the goal here is do we want to clean the tile that you have? Do we want to change the tile? |
00:27:56 | CALLER: Well, what’s your goal in a perfect world? I would like to clean it and it stay clean and shiny. I would rather end up with a shiny |
00:28:04 | TOM: I don’t think she’s gonna be able to bring it back to shiny if it’s matte finish may not have been ever designed |
00:28:09 | LESLIE: well, it might never have been shiny to begin with and Cleaning a matte finish tile it’s a different approach than cleaning a glossy finish tile because you can use different things on one than on the other because the matte is more porous and you don’t Want to put something on it that’s more aggressive in its cleaning style? That you could use on something with a gloss finish You know I think the issue with the unglazed tile is because the glaze isn’t on it Everything just sticks to it the dirt sticks to it the mold and mildew sticks to it So cleaning it you can’t just pick up, you know a commercial cleanser. It just might be too rough for the unglazed porcelain So generally what we would recommend is using more natural ingredients You can use vinegar and dish detergent and water simple mix of that. I would use about a cup of vinegar a white vinegar Don’t use anything else like a teaspoon of the dish detergent and a gallon of warm water and like mix it around It’s not gonna hurt your hand So you don’t have to worry about gloves and then what you would do is you can scrub the dry tile start with the dry tile with Like a stiff bristle brush not a metal bristle like a plastic bristle brush You know one meant for cleaning surfaces and that will just sort of loosen up whatever dried adhesive dirt mildew Whatever is on there whatever dirt has adhered to that surface and then once you’ve sort of I Guess loosened it up with that stiff bristle brush then take a wet rag like dip a wagon a rag into that vinegar solution and then Clean the tile with that and you should see that the vinegar will start to dissolve whatever Mold or salts or product whatever is on there and the dish detergent just helps to loosen that up and just do it Keep cleaning out your rag going back into the solution and then once you’re kind of satisfied with the cleanliness Of it then rinse everything with clear water and now that should do the trick now I don’t think you can put anything on it to give it a glazed surface because that glaze is Done in the baking process of the tiles |
00:30:09 | CALLER: Okay, well that sounds like a good plan actually I’ll try I’ll give that a try. Thank you. You’re so welcome |
00:30:15 | LESLIE: Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT. Thank you. Bye Marianne wrote in to Team Money Pit saying I have plaster walls into my house And they have cracks I’ve tried to fix the cracks with paper tape and nylon wall tape But the cracks keep coming back through the mudding. How can I fix this permanently? |
00:30:34 | TOM: Yeah, you need another approach for plaster walls there They’re a little bit harder to handle because when the plaster is first installed. It’s troweled Through wood sticks that we call plaster lath and then it spreads sort of behind the lath That’s how it sticks to the wall, but over time it will crack and it will loosen now There is a solution called plaster washers Imagine a large circular washer made of plastic With a screw that once you install it it pulls that plaster tight to the lath tight to the wood lath that’s behind it And then you can actually plaster back over that so if you’ve got like say a big heavy piece of plaster That’s cracking in the ceiling and you don’t want to fall down Plaster washer is a good approach for something like that now from there you can go ahead and Put some nylon tape over the cracks and then replaster or re-spackle over theirs But there is a chance those cracks will keep appearing so over time You’re gonna have to think about either Putting a second layer of drywall over all of that plaster or removing the plaster and putting drywall up I always tend to want to leave it in place and cover it with drywall because when you take the plaster down I find that it makes the job much much more difficult because the old studs being old They don’t line up very well. They’re out of plumb and sometimes you get Variations in the drywall surface that are just hard to compensate for so just maintain as best you can for now But eventually you’re gonna have to redo those walls |
00:32:06 | LESLIE: Yeah, if you do love the look of an older home plaster is definitely an authentic piece of that But it does take a little bit of extra work to help keep that in good shape |
00:32:16 | TOM: Well if you’re a pet lover and an active DIYer to boot you probably already know that all home improvements Don’t necessarily fit all that well with pets Leslie has tips for the best pet friendly floors in today’s edition of Leslie’s last word Leslie |
00:32:31 | LESLIE: Well, if you are a pet lover finding a floor that is gonna work well for your pets is key to a happy cohabitation between you and those lovely pups and Although that Persian rug really does look nice in your home. It might not be the best choice Durability is key here, especially in flooring now You want some floors that are easy to clean up? From like a laminate, engineered hardwood, engineered vinyl plank, luxury vinyl plank, wood look porcelain tile, even ceramic flooring They all make sense since they’re hard surfaces And they’re more stain free than a rug or carpet would be Now another great benefit to this is that hard flooring options will be more comfortable for your dog or cat during the hot summer Months if it has a lot of hair or fur you can definitely get pet friendly flooring that will make your house look amazing You can put out Some area rugs that are easy to clean it just to keep it more homey and have some softer surfaces But just because you have a pet in the house doesn’t mean you can have a great-looking floor |
00:33:32 | TOM: Absolutely for more tips check out pet friendly design and decorating tips for your home on moneypit.com Hey coming up next time on the program It’s been a very cold winter and that means frozen water pipes are a serious risk in fact when water freezes in a pipe It expands and can exert a pressure of over 2,000 pounds per square inch which is enough to rupture just about any pipe filled with water We’re gonna share some very simple and inexpensive ways to prevent that from happening at your house on the next edition of The Money Pit. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
00:34:08 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. Remember you can do it yourself, 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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