Show Notes
Get budget-friendly apartment decorating ideas, add curb appeal with low-cost landscaping tips, and avoid the risks of hiring uninsured contractors with inspiration and information on today’s home improvement episode! Plus, listen in for answers to additional caller questions on a range of DIY projects.
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Apartment Décor: Get affordable apartment décor ideas to fit your budget and save your security deposit.
- Front Yard Landscaping: Create a welcome entry and add curb appeal with low-cost landscaping tips.
- Uninsured Contractors: If you’re hiring a contractor, protect yourself from liability by confirming they’re insured.
Top Questions & Answers
- Floor Tile Grout: Grout keeps chipping out from one area of Karen’s tile floor. She needs to remove it again and check to see if the surface is unstable.
- Red Cedar Roof: Phillip loves the way red cedar shingles age on other houses, but there’s no way to be sure how his own cedar shingles will darken over time unless he stains them.
- Structural Support: Trish wants to open up her kitchen, but it’s a big project to remove the loadbearing wall. We offer ideas on other ways to make the rooms look larger.
- Drywall Cracks: It’s not uncommon to have drywall cracks over doorways, but Brian needs advice on how to sand, tape, and spackle the wall so the cracks won’t return.
- Pouring Concrete: After cutting down a tree and grinding the stump, Bobbie wants to extend her sidewalk. She should rake out the sawdust and reinforce the hole with stone before pouring cement so it won’t crack.
- Fireplace: Two fireplaces and two chimneys are bringing smoke into Mike’s house. He should ask a chimney expert about improving the chimney draft.
- Wood Bathroom Décor: Should Melanie extend her untreated rustic knotty pine walls into her bathroom? It’s not a good idea, but there are better options that look like wood.
- Garbage Disposer: What size garbage disposer should Brandon get? We recommend a 1/2 to 3/4 HP model that he can install with basic plumbing and electrical skills.
- Radon: Should Sandra have her home tested for radon? We discuss using a DIY test, how to read the results, and guidelines for remediation if it’s needed.
Ask Your Home Improvement Question
Podcast Transcript
Read Transcript
| 00:00:48 | CALLER: If your roof starts to leak, all your floor’s really squeaky, live in a Money Pit, dump your home sweet home by… |
| 00:01:09 | LESLIE: Welcome to the Money Pit, where we make good homes better. I’m Leslie Segrete, and this is episode 2504. So, before we jump into what’s going on this hour, Jim, I have to tell you the strangest thing that happened when I came home from Good Morning America today. Yes? I went in, before I walked the dog, I was like, Sherman, I just need to pee real quick, so let me go in the bathroom. And I opened the door to this very small powder room in my kitchen, and there was water everywhere. It looked like the toilet maybe had, like, some sort of geyser situation, and there was, like, a sewage cleaning truck outside. Like, they were definitely, like, sweeping the sewage lines out front, sort of cleaning them out. So I step outside with the dog, and I’m like, do you think you’re the reason why the toilet was like a geyser in my bathroom? And the guy’s like, oh my god, you mean the toilet, like, exploded off the floor? And I was like, no, no, no, I’m like, the water just was like a volcano everywhere. And it turns out, when they are flushing the sewage line, it kind of creates, like, a negative pressure issue, and he says it’s super rare. I guess I was just closest, sort of, to where the line was, and both bathrooms in my home were The first floor powder room, the toilet seat was down, thankfully, so it was just kind of contained to the top of the floor. But the upstairs bathroom, it was on the ceiling. |
| 00:0 | JIM: Kids in the audience here at home, that’s another reason why. You want to flush. You never know if you’re going to get negative pressure. So make sure that you flush when you leave the room. |
| 00:02:34 | LESLIE: Yeah, definitely. And put the seat down. That’s another tip. |
| 00:0 | JIM: Shouldn’t say just kids. No, wait a minute. Let me rethink that part. Everybody. |
| 00:02:41 | LESLIE: All people in general. Flush, seat down, all good tips to follow, and especially if they’re planning on flushing your sewer lines, because you never know. |
| 00:0 | JIM: The rest of us thank you. |
| 00:02:51 | LESLIE: All right. Well, that was fun. That was a fun discovery. Coming up today on this episode of The Money Pit, your front yard. The front yard is a space that creates a very welcome entry to the home, and it does deliver curb appeal when it comes time to sell. We’re going to share low-cost landscaping ideas to help your home be the standout of the neighborhood. And also ahead, are you ready to move into a new apartment, but you’re wondering how much decorating you can do without risking your security deposit? We’re going to share some simple ideas to make your apartment feel like home without risking that deposit at the end of your lease. And if you’re planning on hiring a pro to help get a project done, there’s one extra thing you might want to check before pressing go. And that is what happens if a worker gets hurt while working at your home. We’re going to share some tips to make sure that you are protected this hour. But first, do you feel like you’re in a constant game of tug-of-war with your house and maybe the house is winning? Well, we have a chance for one lucky listener to win this time. Up for grabs this hour is the Green Machine 62-volt Brushless 20V. It’s a 22-inch electric cordless self-propelled lawnmower. This is a prize worth $649, and it is awesome for the upcoming summer season. Give us a call with your questions right now for your chance to win at 888-Money-Pit. Jim, who’s up first? |
| 00:0 | JIM: We’ve got Mark on the line, Leslie, with some roofing questions. What’s up, Mark? |
| 00:04:15 | CALLER: I’ve got a house that’s probably about 50 years old, and it’s had the roof replaced on it one time. It’s got a tar and the gravel. |
| 00:04:25 | CALLER: It’s got a lava rock roof, tar. And I know I’m going to have to replace that here one of these days. Now, the decking on the roof is actually my ceiling. It’s a 2×6 tongue and groove. And I’m sure they’ve got tar paper on top of that and then some insulation and then the tar and lava rock. And I’m wondering how I’m going to have to replace that, what type of insulation I could use on that. It doesn’t have a lot of pitch. |
| 00:04:53 | LESLIE: All right. Now, when you say decking, we’re talking about like the structural decking? You don’t use this like as a recreational deck, correct? |
| 00:05:00 | CALLER: No. No, that’s the 2×6 is the actual decking for the roof. Like I said, it’s the ceiling on the inside of my house. |
| 00:05:07 | LESLIE: All right. But you’re looking for options in a low-sloping roof then, correct? Right. |
| 00:05:12 | CALLER: Yes. I’d like to go back with metal roof, but, you know, what do I do on top of the decking that I’ve got? |
| 00:05:19 | LESLIE: All right. Got it. So if we’re going to go with a metal roof, you’re probably going to go down to the original decking. And then you’re going to put a new insulating board on top of that. And then you’re going to put the metal roof over that insulation board. And you’re pretty much going to do that same assembly process regardless of the type of roofing that you use. If you were going to use a traditional flat roof like a modified bitumen, which is sort of like a rubberized asphalt kind of product, you would do it in the same sort of fashion. It’s real important though, Mark. When you choose that roofer, you want to make sure that you find one that’s really experienced with flat roofs. Because what I’ve found is that very often when you have groups of roofers that are just terrific with a pitched roof, when it comes to a flat roof, it’s kind of a job they only do on occasion. And they’re not always the most skilled at doing so. And the guys that do flat roofs are a lot more times the commercial roofers. So you could pretty much go with any technique they would recommend based on your particular situation and going to have it done really, really well. But I would say just make sure that the devil is in the detail with these because a flat roof, if you’ve got any defects in the assembly of the roofing material itself or more commonly those flashing points where like, you know, the pipes come through or that sort of thing, that’s where those leaks are actually going to show up. So it’s not an impossible situation. |
| 00:06:37 | CALLER: The original builders here, they put a thin insulation up there and it got so hot in the summer that they took it out and put more insulation in. I don’t know what they’ve done. Yeah. |
| 00:06:48 | LESLIE: There’s a lot of other insulation boards for that. And by the way, about the heat in the summer, if that’s an issue, that’s something that we’re going to have to figure out because something that the metal roof can actually help you with is that the new metal roofs today actually have a lot of low E coating surfaces and they’re going to reflect the heat back off of the roof so it doesn’t become sort of a heat sink that’s going to throw a lot of the radiant energy down into the house. |
| 00:07:11 | CALLER: Okay, great. Yeah, I’m hoping to go metal and then forget it. |
| 00:07:15 | LESLIE: Good luck with that. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. Bye. |
| 00:0 | JIM: All right, Leslie, now we’ve got Annette from Massachusetts who’s hanging on the line and she’s busy running home improvement errands. What’s going on with those windows, Annette? |
| 00:07:26 | CALLER: Well, it seems like my windows, they always, I think it’s a certain degree, like when it’s probably 20 and below, all the windows have a condensation. |
| 00:07:37 | LESLIE: Well, Annette, the reason you have condensation on the inside of your windows is because your windows are not insulated properly or maybe they’re not insulated at all or perhaps that insulation has. So basically what’s happening here is you have warm, moist air inside the house and then that warm air strikes the cold glass and as the temperature of that air chills, it releases the moisture from the air. I mean, think about summer when you have like a glass of iced tea sitting on the table and then you go outside and the outside of the glass gets all wet. That’s exactly what’s happening here. You have those temperature differences sort of clashing and creating that condensation and that’s really an indication that your windows are not as insulated as they should be. Now, I’m not saying that you have to replace those windows. But what I’m trying to explain here is that it might not be a bad time to do that, depending on what your budget situation is and how much of a problem this is for you, because they’re probably just not insulating very well. And the other thing that you can do is make sure with the inside of your house that you’re venting as much moisture out as you can. So this way, if you’re kind of controlling the moisture on the inside, whether or not you replace those windows, you can kind of control the moisture. And if you do, control the amount of condensation you’re going to get. So let’s think about ways you can get rid of that moisture. In your kitchen, if you have a vent fan or a recirculating fan above the stove, that’s not really going to vent that moisture outside. It’s going to kind of kick it back around the room. In your bathroom, if you don’t use a vent fan and you don’t take that moisture out, you’re just kind of dumping all of that moisture into the house. So you want to make sure that if you can with a vent fan over a stove, definitely with a vent fan in the bathroom, vent it outside. And keep it so that that moisture is getting released to the outside of the house. Now, if you’ve got gutters on the house, you want to make sure that they’re not clogged. Because if you have a clogged gutter or a clogged downspout, what happens is that water kind of overflows from the gutter and then goes right next to the foundation. And that water will definitely find its way through the dirt, into the foundation, and into the house. So those are some of the things that you could be trying. Clean, clear gutters and downspouts. Making sure that water is deposited away from the foundation. Control the moisture inside the house. I mean, that’s really what will help you deal with that difference in the moisture, difference in temperature, controlling that condensation. Now, if you do sort of decide that it’s time to replace those windows, you want to look at energy-efficient thermal pane windows. They’re insulated, so you’re not going to get that difference in temperature. And therefore, you’re not going to see the condensation. But I get it. Windows are expensive, so you can kind of start small, maybe replace only a few at a time. Just think about the benefits. And that’s the best approach here. Thank you so much for calling, Annette. And we’ll talk to you soon here at the Money Pit. Hey, Money Pit Podcast fans. You want to help us out? Well, go ahead and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and we’re going to give you a virtual high-five. Plus, you’ll be helping us spread the word about our show. Just go to MoneyPit.com slash review. It’s almost April Fool’s Day, you guys. I have a friend who loves to play tricks on April Fools. And since I recently had the toilet episode with the super flushing, one of his favorite tricks is putting saran wrap on the toilet so that, you know, what happens when you pee on the saran wrap. |
| 00:1 | JIM: Oh, God, I miss junior high. Yeah. |
| 00:10:57 | LESLIE: I still have, you know, high school-age boy children in my home. So these tricks definitely go miles. But let’s hope they don’t do it because I don’t want to deal with cleaning that up. Well, coming up this hour, we have a great prize to give away. We’ve got up for grabs, you guys. This is awesome. The Green Machine 62-volt brushless 22-inch electric cordless brush. It has a super powerful 62-volt battery, self-propelled lawnmower. It has a super powerful 62-volt battery, which is going to give you gas-like performance. And this high-quality lithium battery will give you up to a 70-minute runtime. But best of all here, guys, is it includes two batteries and a battery charger that is super-fast. Check it out at HomeDepot.com. It’s the Green Machine 62-volt brushless electric cordless battery lawnmower. It is a prize worth $649. But for one lucky Money Pit listener this hour, you’re going to win that prize. Jim, who’s on the line? |
| 00:1 | JIM: Luke in Kansas, you’ve got the Money Pit. How can we help you? |
| 00:11:56 | CALLER: We recently just bought a limestone house. And the previous owners had completely remodeled everything. And, you know, with new plumbing, new electrical, you know, new windows, pretty much new everything. The only thing that they didn’t do to this house was the heat and air conditioning unit. And the unique thing about this house is the upstairs and the downstairs are both heated and cooled with two different units. The upstairs unit is an 84 model. And the downstairs unit is a 93 model. And what I’m wanting to do is I’m wanting to take those completely out. And, you know, kind of make it more efficient. But I don’t know really what to do or where to go or how, you know, what should I do. |
| 00:12:52 | LESLIE: Okay. So first of all, when you say more efficient, you want to remove those heating systems now and make it a single zone? Is that what you’re kind of thinking? |
| 00:13:01 | CALLER: You know, since each of the floors are individually heated and cooled, I didn’t know whether I should take those completely out. And, you know, put two brand new heating and cooling units in. Or if I should try to make the whole house. |
| 00:13:18 | LESLIE: No, you should definitely leave a two zone system because this is actually a much more desirable way. And frankly, it’s more efficient as well because typically when you have one heating system, it’s like always in the upstairs. It’s a little bit warmer. And, you know, you’re trying to control the temperature, but it’s reading what’s upstairs. So the downstairs is a little colder than you want it to be. And you may never find that you sort of have a well-balanced heating system or even a cooling system at home. And you get those inconsistencies, you know, if it’s too warm, if it’s too cold, if it’s too windy. If you have two separate zones of equipment, that’s definitely the way to go because you can absolutely control the temperature upstairs and you can control the temperature downstairs. Now, I’m sorry. Did you say that this was a forced air system? Gas fired? You know, what kind of system is it? Natural gas. All right. Natural gas. All right. So now you would have two compressors and two furnaces if you want to update those. Certainly go ahead and do that. You want to make sure you’re putting, though, in high-efficiency ENERGY STAR qualified units. And you don’t have to do them both at the same time. I mean, you may want to do that unit that’s much older first, like I think you said it was 1984 since that one’s super old and probably, you know, on its last leg. Okay. |
| 00:14:32 | CALLER: The other question is do I need to change any of the ductwork for that? No. |
| 00:14:35 | LESLIE: You probably don’t have to change any of that ductwork, but what you do have to change is the outside compressor and the inside furnace and that evaporator coil, which is attached to it at the same time. Because when it comes to air conditioning, that evaporator coil has to match the compressor outside. So it’s sort of like a system that all works together. If they don’t match, they’re just not going to operate that efficiently. |
| 00:14:58 | CALLER: What kind of efficient? Should I go like a 90%, 95%? |
| 00:15:02 | LESLIE: I would say, you know, get the most efficient equipment that you can afford. But remember that if you’re going to be in the home short-term, you may never see the payback on that. If you’re going to be there long-term, chances are you might. So you really have to identify what the most important outcome of this change is. If you’re in a house that you’re only going to be there five years because you’re going to move or you’re transferring your job or whatever, I’d probably, frankly, wouldn’t put in the very most expensive unit because personally, as the time I’m in the home, I’m never going to see that payback. But if it’s something where you’re in the house and you’re going to be there for five years, you’re going to see the payback. If you’re going to be there for 20 years, definitely look at that efficiency because you will see that return on investment over time. You’ll see the payback. |
| 00:15:42 | CALLER: Okay. And what about thermostats? There’s digital thermostats right now, but since I’m replacing everything, should I just go ahead and replace the thermostats too? |
| 00:15:52 | LESLIE: Yeah, I would. I mean, it’s not that you have to replace that as a control mechanism, but there’s so many advantages to the new thermostats today. They’re Wi-Fi enabled, so you can kind of operate them as a remote control. Like whether you’re sitting on the couch or driving home from work, you can check the temperature. I know this sounds like posh-y, but like we have that condo in Vermont, and I know when I get in the car to drive the four and a half hours, I make sure that the heat is up from 62 degrees to 72 degrees so that by the time I get there, it’s nice and cozy and toasty. And you can kind of do the same thing, controlling your heat on your way home during the day if you’re just too lazy. It’s really great. I mean, there even are thermostats that are geofenced, which means you choose the perfect temperature setting for when you’re in the house. And as you’re approaching your home, this app knows that you’re coming home and sets it for you. So there’s a lot of great ways that you can take advantage of these newer thermostats today. And if you’re going to replace those heating systems, I would definitely replace the thermostat at the same time. |
| 00:16:50 | CALLER: All right. Hey, thank you very much. That gives me a good idea of where I need to start now. |
| 00:16:55 | LESLIE: All right. You’re welcome. Good luck with this big change. Well, does the thought of planning a landscape project feel overwhelming to you, especially when you’re trying to design plantings that will create a really great first impression of your home? Well, this whole project doesn’t have to be. So here’s how you should get started. First of all, you want to skip foundation plantings and instead create an entry garden. This is going to be a fresher, more modern idea with wide borders kind of flanking that front walk. And here you can be totally unique. Ideally, your front yard should contain an element of uniqueness. It should relate to the architectural character of your home and to the style of the owners, but at the same time, maintain visual compatibility with the neighborhood. Now, you want to try and mix colors and textures. So you’ll want to compose a really beautiful garden that delivers summer long color, some winter interest, but at the same time, a mix of textures. You’ve got to kind of aim to juxtapose these textures that are going to contrast with each other. So generally, leaves that are categorized as broad, strap-shaped, frilly. So maybe you place a broad-shaped hosta next to a frilly-leafed fern next to maybe a daylily. And that kind of gives you a lot of interest in one area. And I think finally, you kind of have to think seasonally. You want to start by creating that winter garden first. So place evergreens, deciduous shrubs. That’s going to give you a year-round structure. Then go ahead and plan a sequence of plants. So blooming perennials filled in with those pretty annuals. And, you know, maybe add some fragrant plants close to the path so that as you walk up, you kind of get this multi-sensory experience. It does take a little bit of work. And I think if you’re confused or you don’t know where to start or you don’t know what’s best for your home or your area, head to your local garden center. Because first of all, you’re going to see so many examples of what’s available. But pretty much everything there is meant to be in your region. In your zone of the country. And it will thrive. You just kind of have to narrow down sun, shade, mixed light, etc. And those folks at the garden center can help you make all of those right decisions and help you find success locally. What are you guys working on this spring season? I know everybody’s sort of looking toward the big prize, the unofficial start of Summer Memorial Day. So maybe you’re thinking about getting that deck up in tip-top shape. Getting the landscaping beautiful and ready for a big party. Whatever it is, we are here to lend a hand. Hey, guys. Are you ready to unleash your creativity and conquer those home improvement projects like a pro? Well, that’s what we help you do every week on the Money Pit Podcast. Whether you are sprucing up your space for resale or creating your dream home, this podcast is your ultimate guide to success. You can subscribe for free at MoneyPit.com slash podcast. |
| 00:1 | JIM: All right. Joyce from Missouri is on the line. What’s going on with your money pit? Smoke damage? |
| 00:19:55 | CALLER: I have a ceiling that got a bit of smoke damage from a propane fireplace. So I don’t want to paint and have it bleed back through and then have to go paint again. Painting is a big enough job. I want to do it where it will stay white and not bleed through. So my question is do I need to seal it, wash it? What do I need to do before I paint it? |
| 00:20:21 | LESLIE: So with smoke damage, are you seeing yellow stains? Is it all over? Is it in one spot? It’s a smoky color. All right. So what you’re seeing is soot. And that soot can tend to feel maybe like a little bit oily or greasy depending on what was being burnt. I guess it’s from the propane. So you might want to clean it a little bit first with TSP. That stands for trisodium phosphate. And it’s just sort of a great painting prep wall surface cleaner. You can find it in the paint center, right in the painting aisle, the home centers. You mix it up. And you can kind of even mix it a little bit thicker in consistency so it kind of becomes a paste. And you kind of apply it onto those areas you want to wash. And then wash it with a damp rag. And you’ll see that you’ll start to get that soot off first. And you want to let it all dry because once everything is dry, you’re going to want to prime that wall. And you want to prime the entire wall. And you can, even if your area allows it, use an oil-based primer because those tend to seal in the stains a little bit better. And any sort of smoky odor or damage that might have been there from whatever it was will get locked in. And once that’s dry, you can go ahead and paint over it with a latex paint in a color and finish that you choose. And that, because you’ve got the primer on, will really adhere very well to that wall. And hopefully, if you’ve done a good job of trying to clear away that extra soot and the stain and sealing with the primer, nothing should be bleeding through. And that really is going to do the trick. |
| 00:21:50 | CALLER: Okay. That helps me a bunch because I didn’t want to have to redo once I’ve already done it. Yeah. |
| 00:21:56 | LESLIE: No one wants to do a painting project twice. I mean, unless you’re just deciding to redecorate. Painting, again, is no fun. All right, Joyce. I hope that helps you out. Well, for many of you, moving into an apartment is kind of this first stepping stone to buying a home. And while it’s not always easy to find affordable apartment decor, you can make it happen. And here’s a few ideas to get you started. I am a huge fan of wallpaper. And there are peelable, stickable vinyl wall coverings that you can put up and you can take down and it doesn’t damage the walls in any way, shape or form. It’s sort of something that I have always done since my very first apartment. And it’s something that I even do now in my home that I own. Both bathrooms have peel and stick wallpaper. And I love it because I don’t like a white wall. I don’t like fluorescent lighting. It just kind of makes those spaces unbearable. And it’s not great for when you have your friends over either. And it doesn’t make sense to paint an apartment because you’re just going to have to repaint when it’s time to leave. So you can pick out a wallpaper that’s going to add a splash of color. There’s a lot of designs out there that you can choose from that really speak to your personality and your design style. And then when it’s time to leave, you simply peel that wallpaper off. I will share this tip. When you’re picking out your wallpaper, you have to look at the repeat pattern. So if it says the pattern repeats every 24 inches, imagine when you put up that first run, the next one has to either move up or down 24 inches to match to where you left off on that other piece. So you have to account for the waste, I guess, really. So make sure you’re ordering enough because there will be different dye lots. You might not be able to get that same pattern again when you realize you don’t have enough. And then pay attention on the install process because some of them say to start from the right and some say to start from the left. But other than that, super easy, super rewarding do-it-yourself project. Another thing that you can do in a living room space is add a large mirror. It’s going to make the space seem bigger if you’ve got a small space. But it also acts like a piece of wall decor. There’s a ton of options to choose from when it comes to a mirror. And if you’re worried about putting holes in a wall, you can just get an oversized wall mirror. They’re kind of leaners. They lean against the wall with zero chance of damaging that space unless, of course, you have large dogs or children. That may not work. You may knock it over and you will have to anchor it in that situation as well. But there are great leaner living room mirrors that you can put up. Another thing that you can do is makeover a bathroom. I’m telling you the entire ambiance of your apartment will change just by changing out the shower curtain, adding some color, pair it with a cute little bath rug and matching sink decor, hang some signs or some cool posters. Really easy to choose from art in there that’s going to work great in a small bathroom space. And there are adhesive hangers that are designed for easy, damage-free removal when it’s time to move out. So don’t be afraid to put stuff up. Don’t be afraid to make changes that aren’t permanent because while you’re there, you can have a beautiful, stylish apartment. Jim is on the line. |
| 00:2 | JIM: I love the state of Tennessee, Leslie. And Teresa is there right now with a decking question. How can we help out, Teresa? |
| 00:25:06 | CALLER: We just finished redecking our deck outside with treated lumber. And we were going to stack it up. We were going to stain it. So I was very happy, you know, going and trying to pick out my color. And I was told that we’re supposed to wait about a year to stain it. Is that true? |
| 00:25:24 | LESLIE: And it’s brand-new pressure-treated lumber, Teresa? Yes, it is. Yeah. So there’s a formulation that they use to create that lumber to be more weather-resistant. And they basically saturate the wood with whatever that mixture is to make it more durable. So in doing so, you’re dealing with some very green, very wet wood. And if you were to apply a stain at this point, it’s just kind of going to float on the top and not really saturate into the wood. And then you’re going to end up with a strange finished product. And that finish isn’t going to last at all. So what is recommended when you’re using pressure-treated lumber is you’ve got to season the wood. And that means you’ve got to just let it dry out. You’ve got to let it sit there for six months, maybe even a year. And once it does dry out, then you’re able to apply the finish. And it will actually saturate the wood, go into the grain of the lumber itself. And therefore, it’s going to just stay on that wood a lot longer. |
| 00:26:21 | CALLER: Oh, okay then. |
| 00:26:23 | LESLIE: Yeah. And the type of wood that you have is really going to determine what that aging period is. Oh, okay. So six months, not a year. Yeah. I mean, six months, it’s generally a season. I mean, it’s going to end up being a year because if you build it in the spring, you know, maybe by the end of the summer is not enough time. The fall, it starts to rain. Then it’s winter. Spring is rainy. So you’re back at the spring-summer again. So it kind of gives you that full year to go through the cycle of all the weather, the rain, the snow, everything. And then once it dries out from the seasonality, because obviously it will be wet from snow and rain, then you go ahead and apply the stain. And you can go with a solid color stain to give you more saturation, more color coverage, but still see the grain through. That’s the beauty of a solid stain. It’s not a paint. It’s still a stain. Okay. |
| 00:27:14 | CALLER: Well, thank you all very much for answering my question. Yeah. |
| 00:27:17 | LESLIE: All right. Good luck. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. What are you guys working on this spring season? There’s always so much to tackle when it comes to the spring. It’s yard work. It’s garden work. It’s everything on the outside so that now that it’s warming up, you can enjoy the exterior of your home and get all that sunshine and enjoy the space that you’ve created with your friends and family. And we’ve got a great prize up for grabs this hour. That’s going to help you the entire spring and summer and even into the fall. We’ve got the Green Machine 62-volt brushless 22-inch electric cordless battery self-propelled lawnmower up for grabs. It’s got a 62-volt battery that is way powerful. I mean, it does perform like a gas engine. It’s got a high-quality lithium battery. It gives you up to 70 minutes of runtime. But best here, guys, is it includes two of those batteries and the super-fast charger. It is a prize worth $649. Check it on out at homedepot.com. Give us a call at 888-Money-Pit with your question so we can help you out but also give you a chance to win. Jim, who do we have first? |
| 00:2 | JIM: Well, first, I’m not a big fan of cutting the lawn, but you made that sound great. Okay. All right, Leslie, we’ve got Keith in Georgia on the line with a crawl space question. How can we help out, Keith? |
| 00:28:34 | CALLER: I’ve got about a 40 or 50s built home. And my crawl space is probably 18 or 20 inches. It’s really low. |
| 00:28:43 | CALLER: All right. |
| 00:28:43 | CALLER: Listening to y’all show, it says, you know, y’all said that, you know, you need to have some kind of a ceiling on the dirt under there. Just wondering, do you have suggestions on a product that I could use to seal something with a small crawl space like that? |
| 00:28:59 | LESLIE: Yeah, and all you want to do, Keith, is just use polyethylene sheeting. It’s the same kind of sheeting that you might see as like a drop cloth. But it could be a little bit thicker than a traditional drop cloth. Then you go ahead and roll it out and lay the sheeting across that crawl space floor. And I always tell everyone to make sure that you kind of scan that floor first. You want to make sure there’s no debris or anything that could potentially break through that plastic. But then lay that sheeting out across the whole entire crawl space floor. And you can even let it run up the walls a few inches just to make sure you’re getting in there nice and tight and getting full coverage. And just having that plastic sheet. And that sheeting right there on that dirt floor is going to stop a lot of that moisture that naturally will evaporate through the sand and then the soil and up into the house. And just will make your home a lot drier and so much more nice in that space. And it can also prevent mold and mildew from forming, which is huge. |
| 00:29:53 | CALLER: Okay, thank you so much. Because I was trying to figure out, so if I just lay it, it’s not going to seal it. |
| 00:29:59 | LESLIE: No, it really does do a pretty good job. It just covers it up and stops that evaporation. You don’t have to. I mean, it’s really not that hard of a job to do. The hardest part is probably getting the plastic in there and cutting it to size and getting it laid in there nice and flat. So if you start down at one end and kind of work your way down, it should be a fairly easy project to do and you should be good to go. |
| 00:30:21 | CALLER: Okay, all right. That’ll be great. I appreciate it. |
| 00:30:24 | LESLIE: All right, Keith, thanks so much for calling the Money Pit. Well, as you plan your home improvement projects for spring, you might be planning on hiring a contractor to help. If that is the case, you must. I mean, I don’t even know how I can stress this enough. You have to make sure that they are properly insured. If not, you may end up footing the bill in the event of an accident or a renovation gone badly. Now, in many areas of the United States, contractors that work for themselves are not required by law to have liability insurance or even workman’s comp, which is why it’s important for you to have proof of insurance before you start working. So if you’re planning to start any home improvement project with a pro. Also, if you think you’re already covered by your own homeowner’s insurance, you actually might not be. Homeowner’s insurance policies generally don’t cover incidents involving uninsured or unlicensed contractors. Now, the other thing you need to be aware of is that uninsured contractors also tend to be unfamiliar with building codes, and they’re usually unable to or unwilling to apply for those permits. And when a project lacks the proper permits, a homeowner could be ordered to remove or repair that work that’s already been completed. Of course, with all of that extra expense. So make sure you’re hiring a real pro. Check your contractor’s insurance before you allow any work to begin on your property. As always, check references. Go see the work. Call somebody up. Ask the questions. Make sure you go with the right pro for the project so everybody is happy and safe in the end. This is the time. This is the time where we jump into the email questions and help out our listeners who may be, you know, not interested in picking up the phone. I get it. Sometimes you’re too shy to talk. So here’s where we help you out. No judgment. We’ve got a question here from Dawn. Jim, what does she say? |
| 00:3 | JIM: Dawn from Connecticut says, I have a crinkly floor that was a vinyl floor. It was put in a couple years ago. Now, when I walk across it, it crinkles, and it crinkles even when my cats walk across it. So what am I to do? I’m assuming it’s the glue. Thank you so much, Dawn. |
| 00:32:33 | LESLIE: You know, Dawn, I’m wondering if this is like a newer problem or if this was something that sort of happened right from the get-go when it was first installed and you’re just kind of at your wit’s end with the noise. But generally what’s happening here is that that underlayment perhaps wasn’t installed correctly and now is shifting around under that vinyl, and it’s kind of loosey-goosey. And when you’re walking on that vinyl flooring, it’s making a crinkling sound, and it’s going to drive you insane. It definitely will. |
| 00:3 | JIM: Or there was no underlayment. |
| 00:33:03 | LESLIE: That’s true. It could be that there’s no underlayment, and it could just be simply, you know, the unevenness of the subfloor. You know, there’s a lot of steps that go into making sure that the flooring is installed properly. First of all, making sure that that subfloor, the concrete, whatever it is, is level and even and ready to go. Then you need an underlayment based on the manufacturer installed properly, and then the vinyl floor put on top installed properly with the correct trimming, et cetera. So I think you might be at a point in time here where it’s either time to pick it up, see what’s going on underneath, install a new floor, reach out to the person who did the install if you’re within like a year or two and say, hey, what’s going on? But it’s not something that you’re going to be able to just sort of lift up a part and glue down or maybe put a heat gun over an area and hope that it kind of readheres or smooths out underneath. I think you kind of have to disassemble, see what’s happening. Make the repairs and hopefully be able to reinstall what you’ve lifted up. If not, it might be time for a new floor. But the good news here is that there’s always a new product when it comes to vinyl flooring that looks like an amazingly realistic representation of the wood or stone or tile that it is out there representing. So you could get something new that you might really enjoy more. And, of course, that crinkle sound isn’t going to make you and your cat go bananas. |
| 00:3 | JIM: Okay. We’ve got Carol. And Carol says, I’m replacing some outlets. I’m assuming she means electrical outlets. Some older electrical outlets. And the outlets we’re taking out have two black wires and two red wires. Our question is, do we need to replace both of those black wires and both of those red wires on the new receptacle? Oof. |
| 00:34:44 | LESLIE: You know what, Carol? If you’ve got to ask this question about electrical, in my opinion, that means hire a pro because with electrics. Absolutely. There is so much that could go wrong. And I’m not saying it’s not a project that you’re capable of. But if you’re asking the question, you might not be ready to tackle this because there could be some issues with the install. You might not be grounding an outlet correctly. You might be wiring something incorrectly. And that can cause a fire behind the walls. It can cause things to arc and cause a lot of issues down the line. You’re correct here because the older outlets do need to be grounded. They should have a ground fault circuit interrupter, especially if they’re in a kitchen or a bath. I would bring a pro in. If you’re doing a bunch at the same time, that will keep the cost down because it’s sort of one service unit. If you’re doing a service call for everything, definitely go with a pro here and just stay safe, Carol. Well, guys, I have to thank you so much for joining us on this journey to Money Pit 2.0. You know, we’re so used to sitting in the chair next to Tom that it’s definitely taking an adjustment. But I’m kind of excited as to where this new version of the Money Pit is going to go. I love sharing Jim with you guys. Jim has been in Tom and my ear for 20 years. So it’s nice for you guys to kind of hear him as well this time around. We’re so thankful for you to stay with us. We’re so thankful for Tom building the foundation of this Money Pit. And we look forward to what Money Pit 2.0 is going to be. And we thank you for joining us. Remember, the show continues online. And 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.) |
Leave a Reply