Show Notes
Get the practical advice you need in this episode, with tips on constructing a raised garden bed, optimizing garage space, and troubleshooting vacuum issues. From gardening to storage to cleaning, we’ve got tips to help homeowners with these and other home improvement questions!
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Raised Garden Bed: Get tips on building a raised garden bed for the perfect DIY project.
- Garage Space: A new survey reveals how homeowners are optimizing garage space in creative ways.
- Vacuum Repairs: Find out what to do when your vacuum cleaner’s suction sucks.
Top Questions & Answers
- Crack Over Stairs: Anne is worried that cracks above her stairs are caused by her house shifting. She needs a home inspector who specializes in structural issues.
- Drain Pipe: The cast iron drain pipe under Dan’s basement floor keeps clogging. He can get it relined with a fiberglass sleeve without having to remove the pipe.
- Rusty Bathtub: Can an old rusty cast iron tub be restored? Margaret could have it reglazed by a professional, but it may be better to just replace the tub.
- Window Replacement: What should be included in the cost of window replacement? Michael gets advice on quality indicators, measurements, and more.
- Basement HVAC: Mark has questions about the radiant heating above his basement ceiling. We’ve got suggestions about drop ceilings and disconnecting the heating.
- Shower Plumbing: Jackie is replacing an old tub with a tile shower. She’ll need to have a plumber reroute a new diverter valve.
- Garage Door: Scott’s garage doors freeze when snow melts off the cars. New rubber gaskets that won’t stick to ice and installing garage floor tiles that drain will help the problem.
- Hardwood Floors: What is the best way to maintain new hardwood floors? We’ve got concerns about steam cleaning and suggest checking the manufacturer’s instructions.
Ask Your Home Improvement Question
Podcast Transcript
Read Transcript
| 00:00:04 | LESLIE: Welcome to The Money Pit where we make good homes better. I’m Leslie Segrete. Coming up this hour we’re gonna share some great information that will help educate and inspire you to make those home improvement projects a success. Whether you are do-it-yourselfer or a do-it-for-me kind of person, we are here to lend a hand. Coming up, a new survey reveals how homeowners are transforming their garages into the most productive spaces of their homes. We’re gonna share how you can optimize your garage space for maximum efficiency and creativity. Also ahead, building a garden bed is a perfect DIY project to take on this time of year. It’s relatively simple and it gives you space to grow veggies and flowers or pretty much anything you’d like. We’re gonna walk you through those step-by-steps. And now that it is spring cleaning season, the number one tool you |
| 00:0 | JIM: need to work and work pretty well is gonna be the vacuum. And if yours just doesn’t have the sucking power that it used to, we’re gonna share troubleshooting tips to get it back in action. But first, what’s your home renovation plan for the season ahead? You have a project or two in mind? Well we want to help you create your best home ever. So whether you want to renovate a house, a condo, or an apartment, we can help you with answers to those questions and help you renovate and remodel like a pro. Jim, who’s on the line? Out in Maryland, Leslie, we have |
| 00:01:44 | LESLIE: Robin, who’s doing a flooring project. How can we help out, Robin? Yeah, I hear you, but the only thing here is if you put the laminate right on top of that, you need to make sure that you’re not blocking your dishwasher in. Because if you have a floor that’s higher than the dishwasher, and it’s okay if you have like those screw legs, you know, that adjust the height of the dishwasher, you can kind of give yourself an inch or so of room where you can adjust those legs up or down and get it out without having to deal with removing the countertop over that flooring. I’ve seen people actually lock the dishwasher in by putting the flooring right up against it, and now they can’t get it out without truly removing the countertop. But in terms of your question about the sill, yes, you can put a transition piece across that’s, you know, probably a good idea, because there’s going to be so much traffic in this room, it will make sure that that area of the floor doesn’t start to buckle or wear more quickly than the rest of the room. I would probably just choose something that matches the color. I don’t know if you’re going to find the exact product that you’re using made in the sill version, but you could probably find something close. I mean, generally you get those sills from the manufacturer at the same time as you’re getting the flooring, but if you’ve got two completely different things, I would go with something that sort of matches whatever else is in the room. You know, maybe it’s metal, or maybe it’s marble, or maybe it’s a different color wood that you’re pulling an idea from a different room, or the room that it, you know, is adjacent to, or the cabinets, but you’ll find something that will go. Should I have it be wide, like the four inches of the wall? Yeah, again, it’s got to be about four inches wide. I’ve got a transition in my house that’s about eight inches wide, because I’ve got to cover the whole depth of the floor, and it just happened to work out well for that space. But a threshold should definitely be about four inches wide, otherwise it’s going to simply be hard for you to attach it. And if you’ve got a really thin piece of trim in there already, you want to make sure that it’s wiggle-free. There’s just a ton of foot traffic in this area, so that width is going to help you keep everything very stable. Okay, that’s very helpful. So lift the feet on the appliances before… Yeah, obviously take the refrigerator out, too. I mean, you don’t want to block in any appliances. You’re going to be super sad if you have to get, you know, if chances are, say, you get this beautiful floor down, and then a month or two later the dishwasher dies, and then you just can’t get it out, and you’ve got to kind of take everything apart, whether it’s the counter, |
| 00:0 | JIM: or the flooring. Let’s just do it right the first time. All right, Robin, good luck with your project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. Because you know darn well I would break the countertop, Leslie. Of course you would. I mean, I feel like that’s just what’s bound to happen, and it’s always like that. You start one small project, and then, you know, something happens, and you break something, or you drop something, or… It’s my life story. Yeah, same-sies, Jim. Okay, we’re going to go up to Maine, and we’ve got Lee on the line. He’s got a window quandary. What’s going on? |
| 00:05:34 | CALLER: What’s going on, Lee? I have a really nice home. It was built in 2000. It’s a 3,000-square-foot, hip-roof colonial, well-built, except, I think, for the windows. I have low-e glass windows, not the highest-quality windows. I think the builder could have done a better job there. And I notice during the day that I have a lot of… Well, when I wake up in the morning, I have a lot of moisture on the windows, and I’ve read on your website about how to treat that. And one of the things you mentioned was perhaps upgrading the windows to a replacement window. And I’ve thought of that, but at the same time, I have a concern. If you do a replacement window, do you lose some of the window area? And if you don’t use the replacement windows, would you have to take out the moldings around the windows and start from scratch? |
| 00:06:34 | LESLIE: All right. Well, first of all, is the moisture that you’re seeing, is that condensation that’s on the inside of the glass? Or is it more of like a fog condensation that you’re seeing between the panes of glass? |
| 00:06:47 | CALLER: It is on the glass, on the lower part of each upper and lower window. It’s your basic window with a sash that has a lock. And I’m seeing it on the upper window and the lower window. |
| 00:07:04 | LESLIE: All right. And you’re sure it’s not in between the glass? It’s not like you have a thermal pane window where you have like two panes of glass with some space in between? No. All right. So then maybe what’s going on here is you just have high humidity inside your home. And that’s worth taking a look at things like making sure your kitchen vent fan is vented to the exterior of the house. Same with a bathroom fan. It’s got to be vented to the exterior. And look at all the different ways that moisture could be getting into your home. Generally, poor drench conditions actually can be a problem. You can get your foundation, can turn your foundation simply into sort of this big evaporative pad that soaks up all the water and then evaporates it directly into your home. And all of those reasons and more give you sources of high humidity. And simply eliminating some of that can definitely help a little bit. Now, in terms of those windows, I’d say a couple of options do come to mind. I mean, there’s such a thing as an interior storm window that you could be considering, which would be less expensive than replacing your entire window. And that’s something you might put in just seasonally because I suspect this is more of a cold weather problem than a warm weather problem. Now, secondly, you asked about how a replacement window would work. Well, to be called a replacement window by its very description means that we’re not taking apart the siding and the trim from the inside or the outside. If you do all of that, that’s a new construction window. A replacement window is going to fit inside the opening of the existing wood frame exactly. |
| 00:0 | JIM: In a perfect world. Yeah. |
| 00:08:33 | LESLIE: Yeah, right, Jim. You always have to make sure that it’s measured correctly by the professional that’s going to install it. Because if there is an issue, which sometimes there’s measurement issues, at least it’s on them to kind of fix it. If you measure this yourself and it’s off, it’s on you. You now own a window that doesn’t fit and a new window that does fit. So, I mean, you can either do a replacement window or an interior storm window. But once you do all of that, you kind of just have to really work on reducing those humidity levels inside that are contributing to making this problem. And then all of that will go away. |
| 00:09:07 | CALLER: Well, I appreciate that. I like the idea of the replacement window. There’s two reasons. One is my current window, they don’t make, the company doesn’t even exist anymore. So maybe by getting that upgraded window, I would get a much better product. And I noticed where I locked the windows, I guess that piece is called the sash. The windows don’t fit together very well either. So maybe they’re, I don’t know, a quarter of an inch off or so. So I feel like I get some air intrusion from there as well. So upgrading the windows maybe would give me better heating efficiency in the home as well. |
| 00:09:47 | LESLIE: For sure. If you replace that window with an upgraded window that’s available today, there’s been so many advancements in energy efficiency that you’re going to end up with a way better window in the first place. So I would start by looking for a window that’s been certified by Energy Star. And you’re going to see a label right on the window for that. Then there’s also going to be a label for the NFRC, sort of. It’s the National Fenestration Rating Council. You’ll see that label. It has several different measurements on there. And you can use that to just simply compare and contrast between windows to determine the level of energy efficiency of that glass on that window that you’re purchasing. Because that’s super important. That’s going to tell you how much thermal efficiency those windows are going to have. |
| 00:10:29 | CALLER: Okay. That sounds good. You’ve really put my mind at ease knowing that, you know, the replacement window is not, I’m not going to lose much area. So I appreciate that. |
| 00:10:40 | LESLIE: Well, you’re very welcome, Lee. Good luck with your project. Sounds like you have a beautiful home. |
| 00:10:45 | CALLER: Okay. Thanks again. Great talking with you. Bye. |
| 00:1 | JIM: And Leslie, could you imagine on career day at school a kid saying, and my dad’s a fenestrator. |
| 00:10:54 | LESLIE: No one would know what that means. Right. Right. But now Lee does. Now Lee knows what the National Fenestration Council does. |
| 00:1 | JIM: Well, he certainly does now. |
| 00:11:03 | LESLIE: Hey, are you 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. Jim, let’s get back to the phones. |
| 00:1 | JIM: Oh, no. The women from New York teaming up on me again. We’ve got Kim on the line in New York. How can we help out, Kim? |
| 00:11:26 | CALLER: I have a water heater. It’s oil-fired, I guess is what you would say. And two years ago, we just got city water lines at my home. The rest of the years, the house is 56 years old. It’s been well water. And I’m getting a staining or discolored water. |
| 00:11:49 | LESLIE: All right, Kim. Are you seeing this only from the hot water side? |
| 00:11:52 | CALLER: Yeah. I put a paper towel in the sink and I drip the water and it’s all discolored. |
| 00:11:56 | LESLIE: Well, you definitely have some rust in there somewhere. And I’m not quite sure if that’s coming from the water heater or if that’s coming from the plumbing line. But that’s probably what’s happening. Now, if you let that water run for a long time as opposed to just dripping, is it still discolored? |
| 00:12:12 | CALLER: Yeah. I let the water in the bathroom sinks just run as thin for quite a while. |
| 00:12:17 | LESLIE: All right. And there’s a film, like a colored film. How old is that water heater? Well, I don’t know where to look for the age of it. All right. But what would you guess? |
| 00:12:24 | CALLER: Probably 06 when I hit it. |
| 00:12:26 | LESLIE: All right. Well, it’s probably older than that. You know what? It’s pretty old then. So you’re probably at the end of a normal life cycle for that water heater. And you may be replacing it sooner rather than later. Now, you did say it was oil fired, but you don’t have gas in the house? No. There’s no gas lines out here. All right. So your option was either electric or oil. Is that right? Correct. All right. So there’s another type of water heater today that’s electric and it’s much more efficient than the old fashioned electric water heaters. And I just want to make sure that you’re aware of it. It’s called a heat pump water heater and it uses a different type of technology. And the prices on these have come way down since they first came out. And there are a number of really interesting benefits to those heat pumps today that might make them more attractive to pick up than another oil water heater, which is going to be expensive and not nearly as efficient. So I would definitely take a look at a heat pump water heater. Oil fired ones are expensive. Yeah, they’re less efficient and you’re going to pay more for it. Okay. Thank you. I will look into this. Yeah, definitely look into it. All right. Good luck. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. Okay. Thank you. Well, the garage has long been associated as a birthplace of innovation. I mean, just think about it. It’s where the first Apple computer was pieced together and where Nirvana honed their craft before skyrocketing to fame. And I’m sure a lot of less well-known businesses also got their start in their garage space. So it’s no surprise that a recent survey conducted by Craftsman revealed that the first Apple computer was pieced together and where Nirvana honed their craft before skyrocketing to fame. |
| 00:13:58 | LESLIE: And I’m sure a lot of less well-known businesses also got their start in their garage space. And I’m sure a lot of less well-known businesses also got their start in their garage space. And I’m sure a lot of less well-known businesses also got their start in their garage space. And I’m sure a lot of less well-known businesses also got their start in their garage space. And I’m sure a lot of less well-known businesses also got their start in their garage space. And I’m sure a lot of less well-known businesses also got their start in their garage space. And I’m sure a lot of less well-known businesses also got their start in their garage space. That sounds like wishful thinking. I don’t think I know 76% of people that keep their car in the garage. But other garage uses do include plans to utilize the space for home improvement projects or gardening. Over a quarter of the respondents credit their garage space for kickstarting a lucrative side hustle. More than two in five homeowners have transformed their garage into a gym or exercise area. And finally, half of all homeowners intend to invest in a garage organization solution within the next year. So whether you are big on camping, gardening, working on a car, or, you know, hopping from project to project, it’s really smart to get that garage organized and set it up for success for however you plan to use that space. And, you know, maybe you actually intend to park your car in there, which, who knows? What a novel idea! |
| 00:1 | JIM: I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anybody like that. How are you doing that, Leslie? |
| 00:15:23 | LESLIE: I never have. |
| 00:1 | JIM: Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me. My garage is definitely my weak link. |
| 00:15:28 | LESLIE: Steinfeld had a funny joke. He would always say that garage is one letter away from garbage. And so it’s kind of like the last stop before you put something in the trash too many times. |
| 00:1 | JIM: Yeah, funny show, by the way. |
| 00:15:42 | LESLIE: Loved it. |
| 00:1 | JIM: Kenny’s got a new house, Leslie. Lucky man. And some interesting things are happening there. Kenny, what’s happening? |
| 00:15:50 | CALLER: It’s a two-story house. And when I’m downstairs looking up at the ceiling of the second level, I can almost see the outlines of all the studs. And I’ve looked up online, and I think it’s something that might be called ghosting. I’m just not sure what to do with it, and just looking for some advice. |
| 00:16:06 | LESLIE: All right. Welcome, Kenny. Yeah, it is called ghosting, and it’s not when, like, that job or person you like doesn’t call you back. |
| 00:1 | JIM: Number blocked? What? You’ve got to be kidding me. |
| 00:16:15 | LESLIE: Right. It’s totally different in this situation. Ghosting is basically—I mean, think about it. If warm air rises, right, so you have dust in the air, or even this happens a lot when you burn candles or you do a lot of cooking and you get some smoke that gets into the air. It’s going to stick to the cooler parts of the ceiling above. So what’s happening is that soot or moisture or whatever is coming up from the dust and the dirt and all of those things goes flying up into the air in the warm air as it rises and sticks to that cool part of the ceiling. And what’s happening is you’re noticing that that cooler part is the bottom of the joist touching the drywall itself. So you’re going to end up—especially if the surface above is heated. So you’re really going to see sort of the outline of those joists with this sort of ghosting. In your case, you can’t really insulate, so it’s just going to be a maintenance issue for you, I guess. So what I would say is when you’re ready to paint the ceiling, I would prime it. Make sure you use a good quality primer because that’s going to seal in anything that’s already on the ceiling. And then a good quality top coat that’s a sealing paint. You don’t want to use anything that has a sheen to it. Or you’re going to notice some other issues. You’re going to see nail pops, cracks, weird things that happen when the drywall isn’t installed correctly. But if the surface is flat, you’re not going to see any of that. Make sure you pick up a washable paint because what you’re going to need to do is when things start to sort of ghost up again, you’re going to take a clean sponge mat. You’re going to hold it upside down, get it damp, and literally just wipe down that ceiling when you start to see that buildup again. So for you, this is just going to be a maintenance project. |
| 00:17:47 | CALLER: Oh, well, that’s fantastic. That’s doable for me. I appreciate it. All right. |
| 00:17:51 | LESLIE: Good luck with your project, Kenny. Thanks for calling us. And you can happily say we didn’t ghost you at 888-Money-Pit. |
| 00:17:59 | LESLIE: Jim, who’s on the line? |
| 00:1 | JIM: On Little Rock, we’ve got Nancy who has some plumbing issues going on at her Money Pit. So what’s going on there, Nancy? Fill us in. |
| 00:18:08 | CALLER: We’ve got a 22-year-old house. And about a month ago, only the cold water in the master bathroom got a real bitter smell. a taste. And even a tiny sip is just enough to really make you feel sick. I’ve just quit using it for drinking. I will get my water out of the hot water tap before it gets hot. And that’s what I’ll use to rinse my mouth and everything, brushing my teeth. Are you finding the issue in other faucets in the house? None of the rest of them have any problems like that at all. They seem to be going just fine. The upstairs bath, the kitchen, the hall bathroom don’t have any issues with the taste of the water. |
| 00:18:53 | LESLIE: And do you have an ice maker with a water line too? Is there anything weird going on there? Yes. |
| 00:18:58 | CALLER: The ice maker, just all of a sudden here a few weeks ago, I started getting almost blue ice cubes. Wow. I poured the ice out and I threw away the blue ice cubes. And then I poured the ice out and it ran. And I got clear ice cubes. But I poured them out and got some more. And it seems to be doing fine. I haven’t seen it come back. |
| 00:19:22 | LESLIE: Yeah, that’s super unusual. But we’ve got some ideas here. I mean, I’m not convinced that you’re absolutely right. I think what I would do here is, first, are you on city water or are you on well water? We are on city water. All right. So I would report this to the water company and request that they test the water at your house. And secondly, I think you should test the water by hopping online and finding a good comprehensive water test. They’re not expensive. They’re going to test for a whole host of contaminants. And they’re going to test that water and see what comes back. And if you ever see something odd again, like with that nasty tasting water, if you taste that cold water and it tastes really bad, grab some of that immediately and send that in for a test. And I would do a little research on your own by testing the water to see if we can figure out what’s going on because it definitely doesn’t sound right. Sometimes fixtures deteriorate and you get more metal and more metal leaches into that water. But I don’t know what’s happening here. It doesn’t hurt to replace that fixture in the master bath. But I’d be really concerned about that water condition in the whole house, so I would definitely start there. Okay. |
| 00:20:25 | CALLER: Thank you very much. |
| 00:20:26 | LESLIE: Well, building a raised garden bed can be a super simple DIY project. It’s perfect for adding greenery and growing your own veggies and herbs and flowers. So here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create your own raised garden bed. First of all, you’ve got to choose a location. Select a spot near your home. Make sure you have a yard that receives adequate sunlight for all the plants that you plan on growing. You’re also going to want a space where the ground is relatively level to help with stability for that raised garden bed. Remember, you can also put it on wheels. So if your yard has like a tricky sunlight situation, you can build something that’s more portable. Next, you’ve got to determine size and shape. Think about the dimensions and shape of this garden bed. Common sizes are about four by four or four feet by eight feet. But keep in mind that you don’t want these garden beds to be wider than four feet, because otherwise you’re not going to be able to access it from all sides. Next, you’ve got to gather your materials. So purchase or gather those necessary materials based on your chosen dimensions. You want to opt for treated wood or cedar or redwood, which are naturally resistant to rot. Then your next step is to assemble the frame. Now, you can use your wood boards, construct the frame for that raised garden bed. If you’re using multiple boards for each side, then you’re going to want to make sure that you’re using the right size. You want to secure them together at the corners with screws and nails. Now prepare the site. Clear the whole area where you’re placing this raised garden bed of any debris, rocks, weeds. It’s also a good idea to lay down some landscaping fabric or even cardboard just to kind of prevent those weeds from growing up and into that raised flower bed. Now you’re at the point where you can place the flower bed, position the assembled frame in that desired spot. Make sure it’s level. You can adjust by adding or removing soil underneath. And then fill this bed with soil. You want a mixture of high quality soil and compost. Or you can kind of even pick up a ready-to-use bedding mix. And you want to get enough so that you have a depth of at least 6 to 12 inches of soil. And that’s really going to depend on the plants that you’ll be growing. Now plant your garden. And once that raised bed is filled with soil, you can put anything you want. Veggies, herbs, flowers. But follow those planting instructions for each type of plant. And make sure you leave the recommended space between everything to get that optimum growth. Also follow watering directions. You want to make sure you water your newly planted garden thoroughly so that that soil remains consistently moist but not waterlogged. And keep in mind that because the garden bed is above ground, it will dry out more quickly than a garden that’s planted directly into the ground. You can get started on this project now. And you’re going to be enjoying a homegrown salad with a little bouquet of fresh flowers in no time flat. You’re invited for dinner, Jim. I’ll make you a salad. |
| 00:2 | JIM: Thanks, Leslie. |
| 00:23:17 | LESLIE: You’re welcome. |
| 00:2 | JIM: Ah, Leslie. Out to the great state of Texas. We’ve got Randy who’s dealing with some glass shower doors. What’s happening, Randy? Give us the details, please. |
| 00:23:28 | CALLER: Well, I was just curious as to a product that I could apply to my glass shower doors. It’s called Rain-X, Randy. It’s a product that you can apply to your glass shower doors to help propel the water so that it doesn’t dry up into water spots and whatnot. Yeah. |
| 00:23:43 | LESLIE: So if you leave it alone, is the water like leaving like a little bit of crustiness sort of on the glass? Correct. Because if it is, it might just have some mineral deposits in it, and you’re going to get those sort of white stains that really stick. So are you familiar with a product called Rain-X, Randy? Yes. |
| 00:24:01 | CALLER: Yeah. |
| 00:24:01 | LESLIE: Well, you can use Rain-X on a shower door, and it’s going to work fantastically. So if you apply it to the inside of the shower door, first you want to get them really clean and then follow the instructions on Rain-X. You want to make sure that you put it on with a damp cloth, let it dry, then you buff it. I think you’re going to find that those shower doors will release that water miraculously for a few months. In fact, a lot longer than the product lasts when it’s on your car because it doesn’t get as much abuse from constant rain that it could outside. But it doesn’t have the abrasion factor going on there. So I think Rain-X is going to be a good trick for that. And, of course, the other thing is to just kind of get you and the rest of the family in the habit of wiping down the doors when you’re done with the squeegee. I mean, a lot of times you’re going to see people keeping squeegees right in their shower. They sort of suction cup to the wall or right to the door itself, and that does help a lot. But I would definitely give the Rain-X a shot. Okay. Super good. All right. Good luck with that, and thanks so much for reaching out to The Money Pit. |
| 00:25:03 | CALLER: We appreciate you. Thank you. |
| 00:2 | JIM: That doesn’t mean they have to shower in winter washer solvent, does it? No. Boy, honey, you look a lovely shade of blue today. |
| 00:25:12 | LESLIE: That would be just weird, Jim. |
| 00:2 | JIM: Oh, big surprise from me. Yeah, weird. Go figure. |
| 00:25:20 | LESLIE: Well, is your vacuum cleaner acting up? You know, the fix may be easier than you think. You kind of just have to start by checking the suction. If it’s poor or if it’s just not happening at all, there could be a clog in the hose, the bag. The filter or the canister just may be full and need to be replaced or emptied. You know, there’s a lot of different reasons why the suction could not be so great. Are you hearing a funny noise or is the vacuum vibrating? Well, if it sounds like it’s coming from the motor area, you might have a broken fan blade inside. If the noise is coming from the brush area, then it could be a defective brush roller bearing or maybe even the brush roller itself. If either is defective and needs replacing, those are pretty easy DIYs. Now, if your vacuum is simply hard to push or maybe you smell burning rubber, it could suggest that you’ve got a broken or a worn out belt. So check that brush roller for any obstructions. Clear away any pet hair or carpet fibers. And if that brush roller begins to spin freely with the belt removed, you can reinstall the belt and test for proper operation. So there’s some things that you can kind of do to troubleshoot what’s going on. If you do find that you need to replace that vacuum cleaner’s belt, buy two, keep that extra one handy. Maybe where you keep the vacuum bags or your cleaning supplies or even go ahead and just tape it to the vacuum handle so it’s always there. You know, these belts are cheap. They’re worth having an extra one on hand always. So definitely start to troubleshoot this vacuum. Let’s get it working again before we have to run out and buy a new one. If you want some more troubleshooting tips, you can visit moneypit.com and search vacuum cleaner. |
| 00:2 | JIM: Ah, the smell of a burning vacuum cleaner belt. |
| 00:27:04 | LESLIE: Ah, gross. |
| 00:2 | JIM: It’s horrible. |
| 00:27:07 | LESLIE: All right, now we’ve got Lee who reached out to us through moneypit.com slash ask or through the app. So this is awesome, and it’s a Vox Pop recording. So let’s listen to Lee. |
| 00:27:14 | CALLER: I have cement board siding on the exterior of my home. I have a German Shepherd puppy that gnawed the corners off of four pieces of the siding in the middle of a wall. The corner, what I mean by corners, it’s about a triangular corner. It’s about an inch deep on each board. Obviously, I can’t remove the board off the home. So how do I repair that to get it looking somewhat normal? |
| 00:27:46 | LESLIE: Well, Lee, I think, first of all, it sounds like you have a really cute pup who needs a new toy because just chewing on the corners of your walls isn’t going to work. So first, we’ve gone to the pet store. We’ve got a new toy. But I think repairing the damage is going to depend on how much of it is actually physically damaged. If it’s a small area, which it sounds like what you’re describing, there’s a product called Wood Epochs. It’s a two-part product. And basically, you take a scoop out of each little pint-sized container, and you mush it together, and it becomes like a putty. And you just kind of keep mushing it and mixing it until it becomes activated. And then you use this putty to actually form that corner. Now, depending, it could be a little difficult where you have surfaces that are adjacent to, you know, to the wall. Or maybe you get different things. Or maybe you get different movement. It depends. I mean, if you can reform this corner, that’s what’s really cool about the Wood Epochs. It just depends on the area that you’re working on. Because if you can get into the spot and make that corner, it’s going to be great. But if it kind of butts against a frame or something, you’re going to have a little bit more of a difficult time. And once it dries and cures, you can sand it. You can chisel it. You can saw it. I mean, basically, it becomes just like wood. And then, of course, you’re going to have to paint it. Now, the other part of it is that you obviously can’t remove the siding. I mean, you can remove the siding. It’s not an easy project. But it can be done. It’s done all the time. And typically, the way this happens is the first piece comes off. And then usually, it’s kind of damaged. It can’t be replaced. I mean, it depends if it’s clappered, for example. I’ll give you a trick of the trade, though, for clappered siding. If you have nails that go through the clappered, what we would recommend in a case like this is to take a very long, thin-set nail and just drive the nail all the way through that first board and the second board underneath that. And then what that does, it tends to release the board that’s like tucked up under it. And then you can take it out. And then what you would do is cut a new piece. And then you can kind of stagger that joint. So if the first piece, maybe you’re going to put down like a two-foot piece on the end of a building, the second layer down, you might put that joint four feet from the end of the building and so on. So you don’t end up with everything sort of stacked on top of one another. You may also need some professional help here if none of this makes sense to you. But I can tell this kind of thing happens all the time. It can be repaired that way. I would give the wood epoxy a shot first because, you know, nothing ventured, nothing gained. And of course, take that puppy on a field trip to the local pet store and find something good to chew on. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-Money-Pit. I’m Leslie Segrete, and I’ve got Jim Kenzie here who’s going to throw me an email question. Who’s up this hour? |
| 00:3 | JIM: We’ve got one here from Phil who writes, Can I use hardwood planks in my basement? We’ve extended our gutters and added a French drain, which empties into two different sump pumps, so water shouldn’t be a problem. |
| 00:30:39 | LESLIE: All right. Well, good job here, Phil, on taking all of those necessary steps to keep your basement dry. But that said, you really can’t put solid hardwood planks below grade because even if you don’t have water, you certainly have high humidity just because it’s, you know, built into the ground. That concrete is eventually going to hold enough moisture and humidity to make those boards want to twist and warp. So not the best choice to put a natural hardwood downstairs. If you do want a natural wood look, the best type of wood flooring and really the only type of wood flooring that you can put in a basement is called engineered hardwood. It looks just like regular hardwood from the top side, but it’s laminated. So think about it. That top layer is real wood. And then below it, you’ve got concrete. You’ve got different layers that are glued together and sort of at opposing grain. So it makes it super structural and really, really durable. And it’s much like that because the top layer is the hardwood that you want and that you love. But all of those under layers are dimensionally stable, which makes it perfect for below grade space. Now, there’s other options like engineered vinyl plank. EVP is amazing. It looks like wood. It comes in hundreds of different designs and colors. And it’s completely unaffected. It’s not affected by any level of moisture. I mean, including a full flood, if that were ever to happen. But you definitely don’t want to put down a hardwood in the basement. You’re just going to be unhappy when it starts to warp and twist. And you know what? You can always add a beautiful area rug and make that basement space feel super cozy and finished. There’s a lot of great options when it comes to below grade flooring. And I know you’re going to find the right one. Go the EVP route. Go the EVP route. All right. Jim’s obviously got a favorite. |
| 00:3 | JIM: Hey, Jim. Hey, crew. Are you looking for an easy way to make windows sparkle? Well, Leslie has a recipe for a natural window cleaner you can mix up from stuff you have at home already in today’s version of Leslie’s Last Word. Take it away, Leslie. |
| 00:32:38 | LESLIE: All right. Well, now that that weather is warming up, it’s a great time to brighten up your windows to let the sun shine through. After a long winter, you do find that a lot of dirt and grime and salt and sand can accumulate on the windows. So here’s an easy way to get those windows sparkling again. All right. So you want to mix one part white vinegar with 10 parts water. And then you can use old cotton socks to wipe them clean. And I mean, you can even put the socks right on your hands and get into all the corners and grooves. And that’s going to leave the glass shiny and bright. Newspaper also does a great trick to leave those windows streak free. If the screens are looking a little yucky from their winter wear, a lint roller is an awesome way to freshen them up. You also want to try on the days when you want to clean the windows, try to go with one. You want to make sure that you don’t want to leave them on a cloudy day so the sun doesn’t dry out the cleaning solution too quickly. And then that’s going to leave streaks. And it’s going to make you have to work harder. And if you’ve got some hard to reach windows, you can clean both sides at once with a magnetic cleaner. These things are super awesome. I thought they were always only for fish tanks, but no, you can use them on your windows as well. They are powerful magnets. They attach from the interior and the exterior of the pane. And then it’s makes like a super-efficient way to clean that window. And if you’ve got some hard to reach windows, you can clean both sides at once with a magnetic And they’re super fun as well. So why not go ahead and give it a try? You may be able to clean that window without flipping the pane in. So who knows? Let’s get to get those windows super sparkly this spring and summer season. |
| 00:3 | JIM: Sprinkly. How many S’s were there in a row there last week? |
| 00:34:11 | LESLIE: She sells seashells by the seashore. |
| 00:3 | JIM: And she can have at it because I couldn’t do that if I tried. |
| 00:34:18 | LESLIE: You know, sometimes I trip myself up. Sometimes I don’t. |
| 00:3 | JIM: There you go. |
| 00:34:21 | LESLIE: Next week, guys, on the Money Pit. If building a patio is on your to-do list this week, you’re going to want to make sure that you have a patio that will last for many years to come. Thanks so much for joining us here on the Money Pit. 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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