Show Notes
In this one-stop shop for all things home improvement, we’ll tackle the war against bathroom germs, explore the art of building a paver patio that lasts, reveal expert tips for restoring rotted wood, and answer more questions from callers. Whether you’re a seasoned DIY enthusiast or a novice homeowner, this episode has something for everyone!
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Bathroom Germs: Experts are flush with ideas on the best way to stop the spread of bathroom germs.
- Paver Patio: Get some tricks of the trade on building a paver patio that will last for years to come.
- Rotted Wood: When wet weather leads to rotted wood, learn how to restore and rebuild the damaged areas.
Top Questions & Answers
- Air Conditioning: A contractor tried to upsell Mike on cleaning his HVAC system. Better options are using good air filters and a coil cleaner to loosen dust and spores.
- Roof Leak: Mary’s roof started leaking after a cold spell formed ice dams. We explain the damage they cause and the repairs that should be covered by her insurance policy.
- Water Heater: Marty’s tankless water heater keeps the water hot but doesn’t deliver it any faster. Installing a hot water recirculating pump may speed things up.
- Wall Finish: Should a Venetian plaster effect be used on the whole room or just an accent wall? Diane really likes the look and we suggest trying it on one wall first.
- Basement HVAC: Mark gets advice on repairing the drywall ceiling in his basement without damaging the radiant heating system.
- Insulation: John’s remodeling his house and considering adding spray foam insulation. We agree it would provide a lot more efficiency and answer his ventilation concerns.
Ask Your Home Improvement Question
Podcast Transcript
Read Transcript
| 00:00:21 | LESLIE: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is the Money Pit. I’m Leslie Segrete. What are you guys working on? We are well into the spring season. We’ve got summer in our minds. We’re thinking about being outside. We’re thinking on tackling all of those great projects to make our home even better, so we can love it more and be super proud of all the projects that we are doing. And we here at Team Money Pit can help you do just that. Give us a call anytime at 888-Money-Pit, so we can help you out with all of the things you are working on or planning to work on. And as always, check out MoneyPit.com, where you can get a ton of great information. Coming up this hour, if building a patio is on your to-do list this spring, we are going to have tricks of the trade to build a patio that will last for many years to come. And also ahead, if a new roof is in your future, there’s one type that looks great, it can stand up to virtually anything that Mother Nature can dish out, and it can do that for 50 years or more. We’re going to explain why metal roofs are the best choice for durability, style, and energy efficiency just ahead. Also, spring, it’s pretty rainy this time of year. You’ve got wet spring weather ahead. And you may be finding rotted wood in places where water is spending more time than it should be. We’re going to explain the easiest way to restore the rot and stop it from getting worse. But before we get to all of that, we are here to help you get ahead of all of the projects that are popping up at your money pit, because that’s usually what happens. When it’s raining outside, it’s pouring inside with projects. We’re going to share all of the things from advice to answers to hot new products right here on the Money Pit, your one-stop shop for all your projects. All things DIY. So give us a call at 888-Money-Pit. Jim, who’s first? |
| 00:0 | JIM: That would be our first caller, Leslie. |
| 00:02:09 | LESLIE: That’s great. I love that. |
| 00:0 | JIM: Funny how that works. |
| 00:02:11 | LESLIE: Good place to start. Yeah. |
| 00:0 | JIM: We’ve got Mike on the line, Leslie, in Florida, who’s got an AC issue, which is probably one of the last places you’d want to have an AC issue. What’s going on there, Mike? |
| 00:02:22 | CALLER: Hey, yeah, thank you. I appreciate that. We just moved down here. My wife and I retired, moved to Florida six months ago. And we had an air conditioning folk come out and do an inspection, and they said because of the age of the system, they weren’t able to use any kind of a brush or machine to get it cleaned out, dust out of the AC vents. And he said it would just create so many holes in it that it would be impossible, plus it’s room to get up in there. And his suggestion, he cut open the plenum box, showed me some pictures of some, looked like mold issues. And his suggestion was to put in a UV light. Have you heard of much success with the UV light? |
| 00:03:04 | LESLIE: Well, honestly, I’ll tell you what it sounds like, Mike. It sounds like you’ve got an air conditioning guy that’s trying to sell you some upgrades. Truly. I mean, first of all, I don’t really believe in duct cleaning, especially with the flex ducts. It’s really not necessary. And, you know, I think any dust that’s kind of floating around in the ductwork itself can be trapped with the right kind of filter. So if you have an efficient filter, you’re going to trap all the dust in terms of that. A UV light, it’s a great idea to have one as well in the filter. That definitely helps. I mean, the idea here is that the air blows across. It’s lighted. That light kills any spores that are in there. But in my experience, those lights have to be pretty intense to do a job that a lot of folks think they’re getting done. So there’s a product called Coil Cleaner. So if you take that platinum part and you blast that coil with the Coil Cleaner, all of that stuff is going to loosen up and be sucked right off with a vacuum or even brushed away. So to me, it sounds a lot like he’s trying to upsell you on some improvements to your system where I don’t think you necessarily need it. You know what I’m saying? |
| 00:04:09 | CALLER: All right, that makes sense. And yeah, he definitely is trying to do an upsell. |
| 00:04:13 | LESLIE: Yeah, and by the way, what does that have to do with your ducts being dusty or, you know, one doesn’t have anything to do with the other? These guys come out. You’ve got an old system. You can do one thing. You can do another thing. It’s just like because the system is old, it doesn’t mean it’s not working right. You just keep it clean, use a good filter, and enjoy your life and stay cool, all right? |
| 00:04:35 | CALLER: We’ll do that. |
| 00:04:36 | LESLIE: All right, Mike, good luck with your project or good luck in general now that we’ve told you you don’t have a project. |
| 00:04:42 | CALLER: Thank you very much. |
| 00:0 | JIM: West Virginia, that’s where we’re heading, Leslie. We’ve got Mary on the line who’s dealing with some bad weather, and now we’ve got some leaks. What’s going on there? |
| 00:04:52 | CALLER: About three weeks ago, we had a really bad snow. The temperature went down to about one degree, which hasn’t happened here in 13 years that we’ve been living here. What happened was we have a roundhouse, and so we had a leak in the ceiling, which came down on the wall. The builder was called, and he came, and he said that the ice came under the shingles and caused the problem. And then we asked the insurance company, and he said the same thing. Does it make sense? |
| 00:05:28 | LESLIE: Yeah, it does make sense, and I’m so glad that you called your insurance company because what’s happened to you is called an ice dam, and that should absolutely be covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy. Generally, ice dam storm damage is covered, and what happens is this. You had some snow, and then it starts to collect towards the edge of your roof, and then when that happens, it comes back. It kind of warms up, and so the roof higher up starts to melt, and that water runs down the roof, and then it hits this edge of snow that because there’s an overhang, and it generally stays cooler where the rest of it of the roof is sort of above your attic and condition space, that cooler has frozen and becomes like a dam, and that water coming down can’t drain off. It kind of backs up, and then it finds its way under the shingles, and then it ends up in the ceilings and the walls, right at the exterior of the house. I mean, it’s a super common pattern for an ice dam. It’s classic, and that repair is going to require removal of the ice dam, and then removal of your roof or at least part of the roof around the perimeter, and this is the time that the contractor needs to install something like an ice and water shield, which is basically just an additional layer of material that goes from the edge of the roof and about three feet up. It’s just truly the width of the roll, and it’s designed specifically to protect that very important area of the roof at the overhang where the dams are created. Now, is the insurance company going to pay a claim for this? You know, how did it go with them? They are saying that it’s only inside, that the shingles have to be changed or removed. Okay, so they’re just coming up with a fix for the interior leaks, but if we don’t address what’s going on with the roof, it’s going to happen again. So what I would advise here is to contact a public adjuster, and that public insurance adjuster is somebody that works for you and not the insurance company, and they basically submit the claim to the insurance company on your behalf. And trust me when I say they don’t miss a speck of paint or a single roofing nail. I mean, it is required to get your place back in order. If you do not do this ice dam repair, you’re going to end up with the same problem over and over and over again. And if the claim is submitted correctly, they’ll cover that and then some. You know, to truly make this correct, you may end up with a whole new roof. You may just end up with the front part, you know, the first quarter part of the roof being repaired and replaced. But it doesn’t cost you anything to sort of get this going because these adjusters work on a commission. They get paid based on the claim. So it’s better to go this route and make sure that you’re getting all of the correct fixes and the correct costs associated with what your insurance should be covering. And then you know the job’s being done right. Well, thank you for this information. Hey, you want to make our day? Well, go ahead and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts and we’ll be jumping for joy. Plus, you guys, your feedback helps us make the show even better for you. Just go to MoneyPit.com slash review. Let’s get back to the phones, Jim. |
| 00:0 | JIM: Oh, Cape May is beautiful, Leslie. And that’s where Marty is hanging on the line with a question about a tankless water heater. Marty, what’s up? |
| 00:08:39 | CALLER: My question is I have a tankless water heater. Which is on the second floor of my home. And that’s the reason, that was one of the major reasons we got a tankless one so that if it didn’t, so there was no leakage problem and destroyed the whole house. However, it takes almost five minutes for hot water to get from the time I turn it on in the sink in the kitchen, which is on the first floor, to have hot water. Is there anything I can do? Is there something wrong with the way? It’s hooked up or set up or this particular hot water heater. Why is it that I do not get hot water faster than five minutes? |
| 00:09:21 | LESLIE: All right, Marty. Well, you are calling from pretty much Tom’s most favorite place in the United States, Cape May. It really was such a wonderful spot that he and his family love to visit. So thank you so much for joining us. Well, this is a common misunderstanding. I mean, when it comes to the difference between a tanked water heater and a tankless water heater. So while a tankless water heater heats that water continuously, it doesn’t necessarily speed up the time that it takes that hot water to come out of your faucet because it’s not a matter of the type of water heater in this case. It’s the physical distance from the water heater, regardless of its tanked or tankless, to that faucet itself. So I think sometimes folks think because they go tankless and it’s instant hot water and all of that, that it’s, you know, yeah, instantly heating that water. It still has to run through a faucet. It still has to run through all of those pipes to get to where you are calling for it from. Now, there are systems. Watts makes a system that’s a recirculator and that basically keeps that hot water running through the pipes all the time. So you don’t have to wait for it so much. And it’s on a timer. So it kind of runs when you need it. So first thing in the morning, you know, after sports practice, before bed, that kind of stuff, because it does cost a little more to operate using this sort of thing. But when you get a tankless water heater. You do get energy efficiency and you can get an unlimited supply of hot water. But you still have to wait those first few minutes for that water to get from the heater itself to wherever that faucet you are at. And in your case, it sounds like the kitchen. So sadly, it’s just a distance issue here, not a water heater issue. I hope that helps. So are you dreaming of creating a relaxing paver patio space that you can enjoy as the weather warms and all that beautiful sunshine is approaching? Well, if so, we are here to tell you that this is a definite DIY capable project. And we’ve got some tips to help you get that done. First of all, in the realm of DIY patio possibilities, brick, natural stone, cement pavers. Those are kind of your main choices when it comes to picking a material. All three varieties are installed in sand with a regularly shaped natural stone being the biggest challenge to work with. Because, you know, you’ve got all these odd shapes. And you’re kind of trying to piece them together without creating a ton of space in between. It’s kind of like a giant outdoor jigsaw puzzle. Now, figuring out the layout of your patio is the next step. You really need to assess what’s going on in your space that you’re thinking of putting in this patio. Think about drainage that you might need. You know, a good trick of the trade here is to just take some rope and some stakes and outline the area, the shape of this patio that you want. And look at it. Do you like it? Occupy the right area of the yard that you want? Do you already have the furniture? Well, then put it inside the roped off area and get a feel for how that space will kind of play out once the patio is done. And don’t trip over the rope as you’re sort of moving all this around. Now, the most common paver patio mistakes come from not properly prepping that base. So you want to take your time and properly excavate, level, and then line the patio area for long-lasting trip-proof results. And once that is done, you can add the patio bricks or the stone or whatever you pick. And that’s kind of the fun part, because if you pick something that’s like a generic shape, like a rectangle, you can install it in so many different ways. So, you know, I mean, you can even look online to look at patterns for patio paver stones and get a sense of all the different ways that you can lay it out. It doesn’t just have to be in a line. You can do something really beautiful. Now, if you already happen to have a concrete patio, but it’s just looking a little wavy, it’s not going to work. It’s going to be worn and unattractive. There’s actually a special type of paver brick that’s half the thickness of the normal brick that you can easily lay on top of your old patio. They’re called Milano pavers. Pavestone makes them. And that’s a really great way that you can kind of reinvent that patio that’s already there without having to tear out that old concrete. So lots of great ways that you can bring back to life a patio or start from scratch. But I promise you, this is a project you can tackle now. So come Memorial Day, you are having the best party or you’re just chilling out with your family. Whatever it is, you’re going to have a great patio that you will absolutely enjoy. And you did it yourself. |
| 00:1 | JIM: All right. Now we’re going to talk plaster wall finishes with Diane. Diane, how can we help out? Hi. |
| 00:13:55 | CALLER: I want to do a Venetian plaster effect in my movie room. Okay. And I bought the product from Lowe’s with Valspar. So I’m not sure if it’s a true Venetian plaster, but it’s supposed to be probably an easier way to do it. And I wasn’t sure if it would work. |
| 00:14:08 | LESLIE: I don’t know if I should do it on a focal wall only or do the whole room or if that would be too much. Well, let’s talk a little bit first about what Venetian plaster is. It’s a plaster that when it’s mixed, I mean, this is in its traditional form back in Italy, which is why they call it Venetian plaster. They mix that color tint into the plaster that then was troweled onto the wall. And as it was troweled on, it sort of became polished. So you get these areas of variegated shine. And it’s not porous, but it kind of looks like in some spots it’s shiny and some spots maybe you skipped a spot with the sheen. It almost has like a coral look to it in some spots because you can get these rough pocky areas and then you have some areas that are super shiny. I mean, it’s a technique, but the way it’s sort of been packaged now to make Venetian plaster easier to achieve at home is that it’s a technique. It’s a technique in a product and it’s sort of that’s how you put it up. I mean, it’s like a texture and it’s flat. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve seen it. I mean, it’s very popular in restaurant spaces, in galleries. It’s sort of a combination of both finishes, a texture and a flat because you get these smooth, shiny, burnished areas. And then right next to it, you have these openish spots. And while it’s flat, it still kind of has these divots into it. So it’s kind of a mix of these two textures. And I think that’s what you want to do in the process of the install. |
| 00:15:37 | CALLER: I’m thinking I just want to do maybe two focal walls instead of the whole room. But that’s what I wanted your advice if you had anything to add to that. |
| 00:15:44 | LESLIE: You know, Diane, I can’t tell you how many calls we get about these textured surfaces. And people are tired of them and they want to get rid of them. And it’s hard to know that you’re going to love it for the long haul. And you will put in a ton of work in installing it. It is beautiful. And it’s a finish that if you like, you’re going to love it in the house. And it’s a process that you’re either willing to learn or, you know, sometimes pay quite an expense of having it installed professionally for you. But if it’s something that you know you love, like you’ve seen this Venetian plaster look somewhere, then I would say go for it. It’s been very popular. It has continued to stay popular in the right type of space. And the color is sort of rich and muted at the same time because of that burnishing. I mean, it really is a very lovely finish. I mean, it definitely is great for sort of more of a focal wall look than an entire room. Is this something that you’re planning on doing yourself? Yes. Yeah. So I think you’re going to find that it’s definitely sort of a trial and error sort of project. Maybe if you can, get a sample piece of drywall that you’ve sort of prepped first. And then work on the technique so that you feel comfortable before you actually apply it to your walls and on such a larger surface. And I would definitely just keep it as that focal wall or maybe even just the area. Above a wainscoting or something like that, depending on the room you want to put it in. But I for sure would work on like a good sample section, figure out the process I feel most comfortable with, and make sure I’m happy with the results. Okay. Thank you so much. Getting you unstuck. That’s what we do here at The Money Pit. And no matter what that project is that you are stuck on, we can help. We’re kind of like that virtual WD-40. It doesn’t matter what the question is. We’re pretty good, Jim and I, for 1,001 uses. 1,000 uses. |
| 00:17:32 | LESLIE: In your future, there’s one type in particular that can stand up to virtually anything our climate crisis can surprise you with. From hurricanes to wildfires, this roof not only looks amazing, but it can last up to 50 years. And we’re talking about quality metal roofs. Now, a metal roof really is the best choice for durability, style, and energy efficiency. And there’s lots of reasons that you should be considering one now for your home. First, let’s talk about longevity. Now, quality metal roofs will last up to 50 years, sometimes even more. And that’s three times longer than a traditional asphalt shingle. Plus, they are 100% recyclable and can be remade into another roof or repurposed in another way, which makes them an eco-friendly choice, which you’ve got to love. Next, you know, they’re weatherproof. You know, given that rapidly changing nature of our climate, these metal roofs do survive. They’re engineered to withstand extreme winds, hailstorms, even the threat of wildfires. And in snow-prone areas, they hold their own against heavy loads of snow and ice. Now, let’s talk about energy efficiency, which isn’t usually a consideration when it comes to choosing a roof. But there’s a big energy efficiency benefit here when you choose today’s quality metal roofs because they have a coating that reflects that solar heat away. And that cuts down on your cooling costs. And it keeps your home comfortable year-round. And you know what? They just look great. Metal roofs come in an array of colors, textures, designs. They’re going to match pretty much any architectural style that your home has. If you want to learn more about metal roofing, you can visit metalroofing.com for resources, education, and access to quality installers. While you’re there, be sure to download the MRA, the Metal Roofing Alliance’s Buyer’s Guide. It’s a free resource to help you choose and install. And maintain your metal roof hassle-free. Check them out at metalroofing.com. |
| 00:1 | JIM: Ah, Mark is out in arid Nevada. Not the city of, just the condition usually. |
| 00:19:42 | LESLIE: It’s a dry heat. |
| 00:1 | JIM: Yeah, it is. Which means it’s not hot at all. Right. Okay, Mark, what’s going on at your money pit? |
| 00:19:49 | CALLER: I’ve got radiant heat in my house here. Radiant heat, of course. Down in the basement. The basement is completely finished. Finished and everything. The rock on the ceiling is falling. |
| 00:20:04 | LESLIE: All right, but wait, why is it falling? I mean, was it water damaged or something, or was it not attached well? What’s going on? I don’t think it’s attached well. I can’t find, none of the seams are taped. Well, that’s odd. So you’ve really, you’ve got two options here. I mean, if you can identify, and you certainly should be able to identify where those ceiling joists are above that, then you should just be able to resecure everything. I wouldn’t use nails. Definitely drywall screws because they’re not going to back out like a nail would. And then you tape and spackle those joints. And that’s really the best way to do it. If you don’t want to deal with all of that, or you don’t like the idea that the ceiling is covered up because you’re blocking access to the mechanicals, wiring, plumbing, you could take all of it down and install a drop ceiling. And drop ceilings today are actually kind of attractive. I mean, drop ceilings used to just very much be like a schoolhouse or an old-timey basement of the 70s. But they’re really lovely today. And the tiles themselves can look like a whole host of styles. Plus, you then have access to everything above the ceiling. And that could be, you know, a way to approach that as well, Mark. There’s no nailing or anything. Well, does the ceiling have heat in it? I mean, the ceiling that’s loose and hanging down. Do you know for a fact that you have radiant heat going through that ceiling? Okay. |
| 00:21:26 | CALLER: The deal I was worried about was like running screws down the joists where the sheets come together. I’m not sure where the wires are. You know what I mean? All right. |
| 00:21:39 | LESLIE: So then it is an issue, and you should be concerned about that. So I think at this point, you know, I wouldn’t resecure it because there is a risk that you could pierce it, and that would be bad. I think you’re probably going to end up having to take it down, maybe replace the heating as well at the same time. I don’t think it’s a situation where you can preserve what’s going on. There’s radiant heat going through the ceiling. Is the heat in the basement necessary? Because another thing that you could do if you disconnect that section of the heat, you could use an electric radiant baseboard unit instead. I mean, it’s common in a lot of basements, you know, especially where you are, that don’t have to be heated year-round, maybe just when you get some exceptionally cold weather. And even though electric radiant heat is expensive to operate because, you know, you’re paying for the electric charges, you wouldn’t have to have those radiators on all at the same time. |
| 00:22:30 | CALLER: Right. Actually, it’s in a small room. The basement is sectioned in two rooms, and it’s just a small room like an office would be, you know, and I actually don’t have the heat on in there. |
| 00:22:43 | LESLIE: Well, then maybe that’s the answer. Maybe you just disconnect that heat, the radiant heat that’s in the ceiling, take it down, and start again. |
| 00:22:50 | CALLER: Yeah, because there’s thermostats in every room controlling every room individually. |
| 00:22:54 | LESLIE: That’s interesting. How old is your house, Mark? It was built in 94. Wow, so you’ve had that radiant heat since 94. Uh-huh. I mean, we really don’t see a lot of radiant heat much older than that. So, I think it’s done its purpose, and it’s time for something else. All right, good luck with that project, Mark. Okay, thank you. You’re welcome. Well, when wood gets wet and stays that way for a long time, it rots. And with all the rainy, wet spring weather we’ve had and definitely is still on its way, you may very likely find a problem. You may find rotted wood in places where water is spending more time than it should be. Now, we’re talking about places like a wood windowsill or your wood porch columns, trim around your doors, even the wood that trims the corners of your home or the fascia just behind the gutters. Places like this that get wet, stay wet, and they may not have been painted frequently enough. So, those are going to deteriorate quickly into a soggy, mushy, rotted mess. But instead of replacing wood that rots away, there is a way to restore and rebuild those areas for a fraction of the cost of wood. Now, there’s two products that we love to use for this. One’s called Liquid Wood, and the other is Wood Epochs. They’re both made by Abitron, and that’s a company that we’ve been recommending for almost as long as the Money Pit has been a show. I can remember, actually, when I first bought my home in 2003, my basement floor was not level. And Tom was like, oh, you want Abacast by Abitron. So, truly, my first interaction with Tom and the Money Pit was with an Abitron product. So, Liquid Wood and Wood Epochs are no strangers to the home improvement game. They are both products that are high-performance epoxy adhesives, and they will work together to restore and rebuild those rotted or damaged wood areas. But the first thing you have to do, guys, is you have to prep that surface properly. You want to make sure you remove all of the paint in the area. If there’s any oil or dirt or grease, you’ve got to clean that away. And the moisture content in the wood needs to be below 17%. I’m not saying you have to measure it, but you have to make sure that that wood is dry. Now, if you’ve got a deep hole, what you have to do is sort of fill that hole first with the Wood Epochs. And then once it’s cured, you use the Liquid Wood. You then mix the two parts equally in a small container. And it’s kind of important that that container isn’t too wide or too shallow. And then you mix it well. And you can brush or even paint. You can pour it into that spongy, damaged area of the wood. And what happens is that damaged wood becomes fortified with the Liquid Wood. It kind of becomes strong wood again. It, like, fills in that spongy mess. And once it’s cured, you just kind of sand it to clean it up. And you finish it as you would any other part of the trim. So great products to use, great project to tackle if you’re dealing with this, and definitely something you can do on your own. Let’s get back to the phones. Jim, who’s up? |
| 00:2 | JIM: Leslie, John in Florida is on the line. And he’s dealing with some issues with some siding. What’s going on, John? Can you tell us what’s happening? |
| 00:25:57 | CALLER: Just was going to remodel the interior of my house. I had a bunch of wallpaper and, like, the stuff on the ceiling all bubbles. And I just wanted to get rid of it all. |
| 00:26:07 | LESLIE: All right. Are you talking about a textured ceiling, John? Yeah. |
| 00:26:09 | CALLER: Textured ceiling. So I figured the easiest way, because I wanted to do the wiring anyway because it was aluminum wiring, that just take out the drywall and start from scratch. So all the ceiling. All the studs are there, but I just took everything else out throughout the whole house. And a friend of mine said, geez, you should cocoon the house with the spray foam insulation. And I said, geez, the house won’t breathe or anything. Is that okay? And he goes, I think so. I was just curious of what you guys thought of the spray foam and doing the whole thing. |
| 00:26:37 | LESLIE: Tom had spray foam insulation in his home. And he really loved it. He always thought that made such an improvement with the efficiency of his home’s heating. And it really, really was helpful. And it’s funny because once he put in the spray insulation, he would always get these letters from the utility company being like, wow, your house is way more energy efficient than the house next door. And he was like, all I did was blow on the insulation. So spray foam is definitely a great way to achieve excellent energy efficiency in your home. And the nice thing about a spray foam insulation is that it expands as it’s applied. So it’s going to go into all of those nooks and crannies. In terms of breathability, you would have to have an exceptionally tight house to have really any breathability issues. And if you did, you could use an air-to-air heat exchanger, which is a device that works with the HVAC system. And it basically pulls fresh air in from outside, cools it or heats it, depending on the season, and then circulates it into the home. But with an existing house, it’s probably going to be super unusual for you to need that. Right. |
| 00:27:43 | CALLER: So they were talking about spraying. So they would spray the walls. And then just go right up into the ramp. And then they said you have to have your HVAC has to have a vent inside that conditioned space upstairs. So you think that’s a good idea then? |
| 00:28:00 | LESLIE: A really super energy efficient home that’s built that way from scratch, maybe you’d have to do something like that. But I don’t think it’s going to be an issue for an existing home like yours. |
| 00:28:09 | CALLER: Inside the ductwork up in the attic, they said you need to have at least one vent in there because it’s going to condition that whole space above your head. |
| 00:28:19 | LESLIE: Oh, like a ridge vent or a soffit vent? |
| 00:28:21 | CALLER: No, just inside the ductwork. |
| 00:28:23 | LESLIE: All right. I hear what you’re saying, I think. I don’t know why they’re telling you you need that. It really doesn’t make sense to me because you would essentially be encapsulating the attic space in the walls. And what I find is that in the attic, you want it usually to be the same temperature as the rest of the house with this spray foam insulation, no matter what time of year it is. So it never gets super cold in the winter. It doesn’t get too hot in the summer. It doesn’t get super-hot in the summer. It kind of just stays neutral most of the time. So I’m not really sure why they’re suggesting that you open an HVAC duct up there. |
| 00:28:54 | CALLER: I think they were talking about airflow up there to move air a little bit because I’m down in Florida. I’m maybe half a mile from the Gulf. |
| 00:29:05 | LESLIE: You’re right. Maybe it is a local thing. I mean, I’m an East Coast gal, like Northeast. You’re a Gulf Coast guy. So maybe it is something more about the area that you’re in. I mean, generally speaking, the show loves spray foam insulation. It works. It works well. It’s always a good idea. And in your case, you’ve got all the drywall off. So this really is the best opportunity to do so. And I mean, between the popcorn ceiling and the aluminum wiring, you really hit the jackpot with this one. And all the old wallpaper. |
| 00:29:34 | CALLER: Yes. |
| 00:29:34 | LESLIE: The wallpaper too. You’re right, John. Good luck with that project. Yeah. |
| 00:29:38 | CALLER: That makes me feel a lot better knowing that you think it’s a good idea. Thank you so much. Yeah. |
| 00:29:42 | LESLIE: You’re very welcome. |
| 00:29:43 | CALLER: Bye-bye. |
| 00:29:44 | LESLIE: We’ve got Samantha here. What’s she asking, Jim? |
| 00:2 | JIM: Samantha writes, I have a 100-year-old home in the Midwest, and my foundation walls are bowing in about an inch, inch and a half. I’ve had a few foundation contractors look at it and give me their opinions, which vary quite a bit. Contractor A says the bowing is not significant enough to worry about and gives me a price just to brace it up with I-beams. Contractor B says a partial or full foundation replacement is necessary, and every contractor always seems to ask one question about the subject. You know, how much do you want to spend? Why should that have anything to do with it? |
| 00:30:21 | LESLIE: Yeah. I mean, it’s kind of interesting that they’ll basically construct a repair for you, Sam, that matches the amount of money that you’re willing to spend. |
| 00:3 | JIM: Just so happens. I know. |
| 00:30:33 | LESLIE: Oh, that’s what you have? Well, that’s how much this is going to cost. So my concern here is that, you know, both Contractor A and Contractor B, you know, while maybe awesome contractors, they, I don’t think, have credentials for being structural designers. So they’re not a licensed architect. They’re not a licensed engineer. They’re not even a designer. They’re a contractor who knows how to build stuff and put stuff together, which is awesome. But in this case, you need some really expert-specific advice. If those walls are bowing an inch to an inch and a half, that’s pretty significant. So first and foremost, stop calling contractors. They’re only trying to sell you whatever fix that they happen to specialize in that they think is going to do the trick. |
| 00:3 | JIM: Based on your budget that you just told them. True. |
| 00:31:22 | LESLIE: Now, the only way really to properly address this is to contact a structural engineer because that engineer is skilled and certified to analyze this problem. And then they’re going to prepare a detailed report advising how you should fix it. And that’s going to include specifications on how that job should be accomplished. And once you have this report, and only when you have this report, do you submit it to contractors. And at this point, you’re saying, what do you think we should do to fix it? You’re actually saying, look, this is how I want it fixed. It’s spelled out in this report from a structural engineer. What’s your price for doing exactly what’s here? And the best part with this sort of packet of information is that there’s no variation from pro to pro. So you’re getting truly comparable bids because each of these contractors are bidding on the exact process of this project. And the mistake here is that a lot of people start talking to different contractors. That contractor is sort of giving their level of advice, but they’re not qualified to provide that advice. And it’s also sort of a conflict of interest if they’re specifying a repair that they can do, but that might not be the repair for what’s structurally needed. Now, there’s one more really important step in that once this job is complete, you want that same structural engineer to come back and re-inspect it and provide an addendum to that letter that says, this work is great, it was done right, and everything is structurally sound. Because this way, when you go to sell the house, you’ve got complete proof that you’ve had the repair designed, executed, and completely and totally signed off on. And it’ll have no impact on the value of your property. Because it’s been done correctly. Because this really is truly the only way to handle something, Samantha, of this nature. And you know, we wish you lots of luck on this one. Thank you so much for joining us this hour here at The Money Pit. It’s definitely been a spring project-filled hour, from building a paver patio to choosing a fantastically weather-resistant roof in a metal roof, and even fixing all that rotted wood that this relentless spring rain has brought you. Whatever it is that you are working on at your money pit, remember, the show continues online at MoneyPit.com. And we are here for you. Remember, guys, 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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