#2516 – Deck Check: Tips to Avoid a Deck Collapse | Water Quality and Taste | Metal Roof Tip Feature

[Jim]
The Money Pit is presented by Daich Coatings and the Metal Roofing Alliance. Now, here’s Leslie Segrete.

[Leslie Segrete]
Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit. I’m Leslie Segrete. Happy Mother’s Day to all of my fellow mamas out there.

Ladies, you know what? We handle a lot with our home, our families, and work all while trying to just be ourselves. Phew!

You know what? We deserve this time for celebration, and hugs to all the mamas out there that are hurting this weekend. We hear you, and we send our love.

All right, let’s get to some great home improvement content, which, by the way, moms out there, hopefully somebody else is doing the projects around your Money Pit. If not, I’m with you. I’m doing projects, too, this weekend, so whatever you’ve got going on, we hope you are celebrating as well.

Coming up this hour, every spring and early summer season, we see those news reports of a deck party that takes a disastrous turn for the worse when a poorly built deck or a worn-out deck collapses. Now, these terrible accidents could be avoided with a seasonal deck exam, so we’re going to share the how-tos for that. And also ahead, we’ve all learned the benefits of drinking lots of water, but many people across the United States are facing water issues right in their own homes.

Well, there are a few things that you can be doing right at home to improve the quality of your drinking water. And this is the time of year when those experts at the weather company start predicting the that are going to happen in 2025. And they’re predicting 19 storms to form, 9 of which will become hurricanes, and 4 of which could reach Category 3 status or stronger, and that’s according to their outlook that was just released.

Now, that’s above the 30-year average tally for both hurricanes and storms, and it’s just a couple of hurricanes shy of 2024’s total of 11 hurricanes. Now, this means that building materials and home construction really need to be able to stand up against Mother Nature, so we’re going to share some of the benefits of a metal roof. All right, guys, give us a call.

Let us know what you are working on at 888-MONEYPIT. From advice to answers to hot new products, we are your one-stop shopping for all things do-it-yourself. So call us now at 888-MONEYPIT.

Jim, who is first?

[Jim]
Annie out in Iowa. You’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help out today?

[Annie in Iowa]
Yes. I have a front porch stoop. It’s uncovered for the most part, four foot by about 15, and half of it was built over 100 years ago, and the concrete is kind of crumbly.

What’s the best way to cover it, you know, restore it, make it smooth?

[Leslie Segrete]
So you can restore deteriorated concrete, Annie, and there are products that are designed especially for that purpose, and I think I’ve all just exposed that I cannot ever say deteriorated. I don’t know why that is such a hard word for me.

[Jim]
You’ve been outed.

[Leslie Segrete]
I outed myself, and I’m totally fine with it. Deteriorated. Good luck with that, everybody.

I’ll just have to say it super slow. So there are products that can restore deteriorated concrete, Annie. I’m trying.

So the problem here, though, is that people kind of make a mistake is that they’re using standard cement and kind of trying to put it right over the old concrete, and it’s not going to work. It’s going to kind of stick for a minute, but it’s not going to stay put. So Quikrete has a line of products that are meant to sort of patch this concrete where you have the damage, and a lot of them are epoxy-based, so they’re going to stick really, really well.

And there’s even some resurfacing materials that are actually super strong, and when you try to pull them apart, they actually pull apart the old concrete first. I mean, they’re sticking so well. So you want to look at one called ReCap, and it’s worked very well that Quikrete makes, and you can put that on top of the entire surface, and you kind of smooth it out, and it will look like brand new concrete.

[Annie in Iowa]
Some of the divots and gouges are like half an inch, three quarters of an inch deep.

[Leslie Segrete]
Yeah, I think a half an inch, three quarters of an inch is kind of an okay depth. I forget how deep it actually says that it can go, but that’s pretty minor. Definitely read the instructions.

If it exceeds what their recommended directions are, then you would have to use a patching compound first. So you patch those larger cracks, the holes, what have you, and then put the ReCap on top of that once everything’s cured.

[Annie in Iowa]
And how about standing up to cold temperatures? We get a lot of ice and snow here.

[Leslie Segrete]
Yeah, that’s a good point with the temperature differences. I mean, ice and snow is always very detrimental to a concrete surface, so you have to make sure that you’re using products that are meant for concrete. You want to make sure that anything that you’re using as far as a resurfacing product has that sort of epoxy in it that’s meant to really adhere well so that it won’t separate.

And again, when it becomes winter time, just watch the products that you’re putting on there as far as like icy melt so that it doesn’t just pock away at the surface of the concrete. I mean, it’s a lot of stuff to kind of pay attention to, but in the long run, you’re going to make that concrete surface last longer and look better longer. All right, Annie, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEYPIT.

[Jim]
All right, Leslie, going out to the gorgeous state of California to talk to Steve. He’s got a project of flooring he’s working on. What’s up, Steve?

[Steve in California]
I have a question about radiant heat, floor heating. What kind of floor coverings can I put over concrete?

[Leslie Segrete]
I mean, you can pretty much put any kind of flooring that you want over it. It doesn’t get so hot that it affects the floor. You can have carpet, you can have tile, engineered hardwood, real hardwood, even a laminate.

But with real hardwood, I mean, you have to make sure that it’s a specific cut of grain. You want that kind of pre-finished, locked together kind of product because you’re not going to be able to nail it into place. It could be bad because nailing it, you might pierce any of the pipes.

But I think engineered hardwood, if you kind of want that real hardwood look or the refinishable type of flooring, that’s really great. But you could really just go with a manufactured product.

[Steve in California]
Put the plumbing inside the concrete in three inches or …

[Leslie Segrete]
Yep. I mean, truly, it can get through a couple of inches of concrete. It can go through another half inch of flooring, all right?

Once it warms up, you’re good to go. And it’s really a super comfortable heat as well. It’s a good choice.

[Steve in California]
All right. Thank you. Oh, that was the other question.

Is it practical? Is it more practical than central air or something like that?

[Leslie Segrete]
I mean, it is an investment. It’s a hydronic system. So if you’re putting hot water heat in, you’re going to have to put ducted air conditioning system in.

So it’s kind of like having to put two systems in at once. But those of us that have these systems love them. I mean, in Tom’s house, he had radiators from the 1800s.

My home is 1920s cast iron radiators. It’s great. And then I have a ducted air conditioning system.

So I’m kind of getting the best of both worlds. So it’s not really a question of whether or not it’s practical for you. But it really just doesn’t get any better than radiant heat.

It is just amazingly comfortable stuff. And you know, Steve, it doesn’t really matter when you do this project, whatever time of year it is, because at some point you’re using one of these systems. So it’s a great project to tackle any time of year.

Hey, Money Pit listeners, if we’ve saved you some time, money or hassles with your projects, you would totally make our day by leaving us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Just go to moneypit.com slash review. What are you guys working on this weekend?

It’s Mother’s Day. So I’m going to try to work on not so much, but I do really want to get the garden in tip-top shape. It’s kind of the time of year where we can start.

And so I’m gonna. I want it to look really nice this summer. And along the lines of making your outdoor spaces fantastic, we are thrilled to announce that we’ve partnered with Daich Coatings to bring you the ultimate porch and patio makeover sweepstakes.

Right now through June 9th, you can enter to win amazing, easy-to-use DIY products from Daich Coatings that will transform your porch, your patio, or any other concrete surface into an attractive surface that’s going to last for years. You just head on over to moneypit.com slash sweepstakes right now through June 9th. There’ll be two grand prize winners that will each receive about $1,000 in Daich Coating products.

You can choose a decorative surface of either spread rock granite stone coating, track safe anti-slip color coat, or roller rock rollable stone coating. And then you’re also going to get a final coating of track safe anti-slip sealer to create that gorgeous new space right at home. There’ll also be 20 runner-up winners who will each receive a track safe anti-slip color kit valued at $150.

You can enter today at moneypit.com forward slash sweepstakes. So good luck, everybody, and start thinking about those fun summer projects. Jim, let’s get back to the phones.

[Jim]
Lucy in Kansas needs some help cleaning up some lawn furniture. I’m guessing it was stored throughout the winter. Leslie, how can we help you out, Lucy?

[Lucy in Kansas]
We left our lawn furniture out of doors all winter long, and it is covered with a film of just grime accumulated from the weather. We have a combination. Some of it is plastic, some of it is metal furniture, and there’s some fiberglass.

What can we use on that?

[Leslie Segrete]
All right, Lucy. Well, it seems like you have every type of outdoor furniture, and I hate to tell you, there’s not sort of a one product cleans and gets everything ready all approach here. So let’s start with your fiberglass.

You can use pretty much just a basic cleanser with a mild abrasive brush, and you want to kind of brush on some cleanser, clean it up like you would with soapy water, and that generally should do the trick. I also love to use dry erasers on them because it kind of gets rid of anything that might be discolored, that kind of thing. Now, for the wood furniture, same kind of approach.

You can use a soapy cleanser with some water. You may also want to gently use a pressure washer, but what you want to do there is make sure that you’re getting whatever mold, mildew is off of that wood furniture, and then kind of assess the situation after. If that wood furniture was painted or stained or natural, you may have to reapply a finish because maybe your cleaning has chipped away some of the paint, or maybe the stain has faded, or maybe the natural finish isn’t looking so great anymore.

So that’s kind of an approach there with the wood furniture. You may need to then apply something to bring that furniture back to life, paint, stain, an oil, whatnot, but that’s generally a good approach when it comes to wood furniture. And think of it this way, with a little bit of elbow grease, you’re going to have a beautiful new yard set that you can enjoy just in time for the summer season.

[Jim]
And Lucy, if you are using a pressure washer on wood furniture, be super, super gentle. Flip it over and test it on the bottom side. You don’t want wood getting destroyed by a pressure washer that’s set too high, and that’s really common problem.

So just keep that in mind.

[Leslie Segrete]
All right, Lucy. Good luck with that and enjoy that new furniture. Well, every summer, we hear about decks that collapse, causing serious injury or worse to party goers, and those folks are oblivious to the danger right under their feet.

Now the cause is often the same, a deck that’s not properly attached to the home. So before you host your next gathering, I mean, we’re getting into Memorial Day, graduation time, lots of stuff. So you want to be sure to inspect your deck for the most common hazards.

Now here’s a list recommended by the North American Decking and Railing Association. You want to check for split or decaying wood. You need to examine various areas of your deck.

Now this includes the ledger board, which really is a common area of deck failure. And that’s where that deck attaches to the house. You want to also look at the support posts, the joists, the decking boards, the railings, the stairs, and pay close attention if you have damp areas, you know, those spots that kind of are regularly exposed to water.

And you want to look at the areas where they have contact with the fasteners. You need to make sure everything is secure and dry. Now you can use an ice pick or a screwdriver.

I feel like this is Tom’s like home inspector tip that he loved to do. He’s like, just jab it with the screwdriver. See if it’s sturdy.

But it really does work. So you want to check because if that screwdriver or that ice pick kind of goes into that wood about a quarter of an inch or it breaks off without splintering or it feels soft or spongy, that could mean that decay is present. You also want to look for small holes that are indicating an insect activity spot.

Now you want to check those areas of flashing as well because the flashing directs water away from those critical areas where the deck meets the house. And that prevents moisture buildup and serious rot. So you have to make sure that the flashing is intact and properly installed.

And you want to make sure you replace any damaged sections to prevent that water intrusion. Now you also have to check for loose or corroded fasteners. You want to tighten any loose fasteners and secure any popped nails.

Avoid relying those solely on nails for that ledger board because they can back away from their support over time. You can replace those rusted or corroded fasteners to prevent wood deterioration because you need everything to be sturdily secured. A stable deck shouldn’t sag or sway or move at all as you’re examining everything.

Check the stairs. You need to make sure the stability of railings, handrails, risers, stringers. Make sure everything is firmly attached, no decay there.

Clear stairways of anything that could be a tripping hazard like a planter or decor. Try not to wrap the handrail also with like lights or decor because people need to be able to grab a good handhold if they need. You also want to make sure that if you have an elevated deck that those railings are secure.

Any spindles should have less than four inches of spacing and the railing should support at least 300 pounds in any direction. You need to repeat this inspection at least once a year and have any repairs completed promptly. For more deck and safety recommendations, you can visit the website for the North American Decking and Railing Association.

That website is nadra.org. Jim, who’s up next?

[Jim]
We’ve got Fred in Delaware, Leslie. How can we help out today, Fred?

[Fred in Delaware]
I am having a built egress walk out of my basement with steps, about five steps. It’s a double wide, about 72 inches across. I’m wondering, is it required that I have single handrails or double handrails?

[Leslie Segrete]
That’s a good question. I’m not actually sure, but generally speaking, as long as you have a handrail in the middle, you’re okay. If it’s along the wall on opposite sides of it, then I think you probably ought to have two, but if you’re going to put one in, you might as well put in two.

This way it’s safer for anyone that goes up and down in that space. What you could do is ask a local building inspector, since you’re having this built and it’s, quite frankly, going to require an inspection, and you want to know that everything’s up to code. It’s kind of a minor thing for this building inspector, and it’s really good to just get a heads up what they’re going to be looking for so that you know you’re doing it right.

If you want to be safe, you just put in two. I don’t see any reason not to do that.

[Fred in Delaware]
Right. Right. And a side question to that is at the bottom of the staircase there, we have the basic drain.

[Leslie Segrete]
Okay.

[Fred in Delaware]
There’s a lot of rain this weekend, and it’s stacking up.

[Leslie Segrete]
Well, where does it drain to?

[Fred in Delaware]
Well, that was a point of contention. I thought they were going to do this to the sump pump, which is inside the house, but they put it to the outside foundation around the foundation.

[Leslie Segrete]
Okay, but again, where does it drain to? Because if they’re dumping that water around the foundation, then you’re just putting a lot of water around the house, and you want it to go away. You don’t want it to come back in.

[Fred in Delaware]
Well, basically, and I can’t tell because it’s underground, they say it goes into these soft plastic big black pipes, and that goes around and connects with a sump pump inside. They said that, but when I tested it and I poured a lot of water on it last week, I didn’t see any flow of that water back to my sump pump, so I don’t know where it’s going.

[Leslie Segrete]
Oh, so they basically made like a curtain drain for you is what they’ve told you, but if you’re not seeing any water go into that sump pump, I mean, that could be a concern. Now, you could do a camera inspection of the drain. It will cost you some money, and the companies that are drain cleaners, they have those cameras, and they’re basically like a long snake that you run through, and they can always tell where the top of it is, and they can tell you exactly where it’s going, because it does sound like you do have an issue with where that water is going to, and honestly, I’d be worried more about this water, where it’s going, than the handrails at that moment. If it’s brand new and it’s backing up right now, it doesn’t sound like it was put together very correctly, and if it’s at all physically possible, I would much prefer to see that connected by a solid PVC pipe, not a flexible pipe, but a solid one that goes out to the street or out somewhere where you can see it. They say like out to daylight, so you can actually see where it’s going.

It’s definitely a concern, but I think you just need to get some more info, and I promise you, everything’s fixable. It’s just a matter of knowing what you’re dealing with.

[Fred in Delaware]
All right. Thank you.

[Leslie Segrete]
All right. You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEYPIT.

It has officially become time for May flowers. May those April showers be behind us. We have hit that sweet spot for gardening.

It’s warming up enough to officially become time to put those colorful annuals in the ground. I mean, it’s a common rule of thumb that Mother’s Day marks the end of the frosty season, and that makes it the perfect time for those heat-loving annuals and plants and mulch. So get out there and make it look gorgeous.

Jim, let’s see who’s got a project that we can help out with.

[Jim]
All right, Leslie. Leslie, I was just about to get a bite to eat, but I see we’ve got Karen on the line, and she’s dealing with some, let’s say, unwanted visitors. You’ve got flies, huh, Karen?

What’s going on? Ugh.

[Karen]
I have, I think, what is called cluster flies. Never heard of them before in my life. I thought they were coming out of the register at the bottom, you know, I have the heat register and the air conditioning register at the bottom of the floor, and they seem to be accumulating in my master bedroom.

[Leslie Segrete]
Ugh. That is a big population of them, and you’re chasing after them sort of one at a time, but really what they are is they’re called cluster flies. I mean, I’ve even heard of them called attic flies, and it’s pretty, pretty common.

It’s the kind of thing that, you know, if you’ve tried just sucking them up with a vacuum, there’s just too many of them to do it. So you’ve got to find the right pesticide and use that. Generally, there’s one called a pyrolytic.

It’s a pyrethrin type of pesticide.

[Jim]
That’s easy for you to say.

[Leslie Segrete]
It is, you know, because I made sure I knew what I was talking about when it came to this, but I generally, and I’m not going to lie to you, like I hire a pro for this stuff because I want to make sure that the pro is bringing the right product, Karen, for the right type of insect, nuisance, whatever you want to call it. But generally when they’re at the house, I’m like, hey guy, tell me what you’re using. Can I use it?

Can I get it? Oh no, I shouldn’t be. You know, it’s like, I want to know what they’re using.

I want to know if it’s safe around the kids and the dogs and whatnot. But I want to know the approach because if there is a way that you can do this over the counter, so to speak, then I want to suggest that. But the pros are going to have the right product for the right type of insect and know the right amounts to use.

I mean, if you’re just kind of chasing after this yourself one at a time, you’re outnumbered and you’re going to become tired before you get to all of them. So definitely, you know, call in a pro and see what they said. Sometimes they even have maintenance programs where they’ll come twice a year to sort of prevent a recurrence of this.

So we get ants all the time in the spring season at my money pit and they love to sort of, I mean, I can’t even believe the amount of them that just sort of create this single trail that goes from one window frame up around the wall, down around the other wall and like right across to my kitchen wall and then out the other window frame. And it’s like, they’re not even doing anything. They’re just marching along happily, but they drive me bananas.

So we’ve partnered with a new company called Pesties here at the money pit and it’s all sort of do-it-yourself pesticides and it worked tremendously for my ants. I haven’t tried it for any other bug situation at home. Thankfully, I haven’t had any other bug situations at home.

It’s just sort of the spring ant. But what Pesties does is they say, okay, you live here, ants are the issue, this is the type of product we recommend. They give you everything from the gloves to the mixing, to the bag, to the way to apply it.

And you put it on and what made me feel comfortable was that it was safe to use around the kids and the dog and the hamster, you know? So I felt good with this. I can’t speak to the other bugs that they attack, but I’m trusting them so far.

So call a pro, look up Pesties, but definitely get on this. Otherwise, you’re going to be chasing bugs with a towel around your house for ages and ages and we don’t want that. All right.

Thank you so much. Well, across the nation, reports of water quality issues are becoming more and more common. So we’ve got some tips to help you maintain the quality of water in your home.

Now, according to the Water Quality Association, a lot of this comes down to cleanliness, maintenance and common sense. So first, if you have a filter to remove contaminants, you need to maintain it according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Filters overdue for cleaning or replacing no longer remove those contaminants and may become contaminated themselves.

Now the same goes for a water softener. Salt-based systems need to be maintained according to the manufacturer’s specifications and those salt levels should be checked at least once per month. Now you can have the best water treatment in the world, but if you put that clean water into a dirty container, it may no longer be safe to drink.

So it’s super important to clean those water containers regularly. I can’t tell you, you know, it’s like I remember when Brita’s became like a big fixation. It’s like you’d put the filter in but then forget that you actually had to wash the container and then like a few months later, you’d go look at it and you’d be like, oh my God, it’s gross in here.

[Jim]
No doubt. Yeah.

[Leslie Segrete]
Yeah. So it’s like you have to make sure that just because it’s a container with water doesn’t mean it’s not getting yucky inside. So mix a few drops of detergent into the clean water and pour it into that storage container.

Kind of just agitate the liquid and scrub the inside with a non-abrasive scrub brush or a clean dish rag and then rinse that container thoroughly. I mean, we all know the benefits of drinking water every day. So help everyone in your house enjoy fresh, great tasting water with every glass by just following these simple suggestions.

[Jim]
And while you’re at it, Leslie, wash the dog’s bowl. So many people overlook that.

[Leslie Segrete]
I know.

[Jim]
Oh, it gets so gross. Just wash it out and they’re no different than us.

[Leslie Segrete]
I know. Seriously. Poor Snoopaloop.

That’s what we call Sherman. But it’s like, you know, you pick up that bowl and every so often you’re like, oh my God, did the kids not wash it? Because you’ve got to wipe it out and it’s like pink and yucky.

So you got to do the same thing for the puppers.

[Jim]
Yeah. And it takes two seconds. It’s not a big deal.

[Leslie Segrete]
Good job, Jimmy. Happy Mother’s Day to everyone celebrating the moms and the mother figures in your lives. A shout out to the dads who do both.

You know, being a widowed mama myself, I know it’s hard to be the good cop and the bad cop. So dads, you get the special love from me today as well. All right.

Back to business, everybody. Hey, you want to catch up on projects that maybe you have missed on the Money Pit? Then you can listen to the Money Pit podcast.

There’s expert tips and tricks, whether it’s a kitchen upgrade, a bathroom revamp or a total home makeover. You can gain the knowledge and confidence to transform your space into a masterpiece. You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts now and start renovating like a pro.

Let’s get back to the callers. Jim, who is next?

[Jim]
All right. We’ve got Bill, who I’m not going to mention is in my home state of Michigan.

[Leslie Segrete]
Oh, wait. Where are you from, Jim?

[Jim]
Did I ever mention this to you, Leslie? Michigan.

[Leslie Segrete]
No. What?

[Jim]
The wonderful state of Michigan.

[Leslie Segrete]
Okay. Michigan. Okay.

Got it.

[Jim]
Hey, Bill. How can we help out?

[Bill in Michigan]
My wife and I built a house about 10 years ago. We have a two-car attached garage. The problem is that the floor of our garage is not level.

When water drops off the car from rain or, more particularly, ice and snow, it drops off onto the garage floor and starts to go in different low spots on the floor. A lot of it goes directly towards the wall of our house. I’m wondering if there’s anything we can do to correct that problem without having to remove the floor.

[Leslie Segrete]
Hey, Bill. Did you know Jim is from Michigan? Wasn’t sure.

[Bill in Michigan]
That’s true.

[Leslie Segrete]
I think the issue here is when you’re dealing with a floor that’s not level and it’s got some runoff and you’re getting it in different low spots, you kind of want to correct all of those different areas. There’s actually a self-leveling compound out there. I remember when I first bought my home, and it was really a long time ago, 23 years ago, the basement had a concrete floor.

It had some areas of unevenness, and Tom was like, oh, you want to use Abitron. I kept calling it Abicus. That is not the correct answer.

[Jim]
Or Abicab. All right.

[Leslie Segrete]
Abicab.

[Jim]
There you go.

[Leslie Segrete]
Thank you. Thank you. But no, Abitron.

It’s a self-leveling compound. I mean, it mixes up super-duper-duper easy. It’s sort of epoxy-based.

You pour it out. It kind of self-levels on all of the areas that you need to. You don’t even need to pour it over the whole floor surface, just sort of that area of unevenness in the surrounding, and you’ll see that it does the work for you.

Then once you’ve sort of leveled everything out and sort of reinforced everything in that way of levelness, then you can make any repair that you need to with the floor.

[Bill in Michigan]
I was afraid you were going to suggest that, because the problem is, is the floor is sitting on precast concrete beams, because we have a spare storage space underneath the garage, so the water drips down there. So could do that, I guess, but I don’t know the likelihood of being able to take concrete off of those.

[Leslie Segrete]
Yeah, again, I really do just think it’s a floor-leveling compound that you have to look at to sort of make those repairs. In Michigan, where Jim is from, and you, you don’t have to worry about those sort of temperature swings, because when you use these leveling compounds, it’s really meant to provide good adhesion. So it’s not going to be something that you’re going to be able to chip off, and you’re not going to want to get it off.

But truly, if you’re uncomfortable with this, you could have a pro come in and build some forms to get this floor level just correct, and then you would remove them as you go on and so forth.

[Bill in Michigan]
Would you suggest a concrete contractor? Do you think they would be familiar with the options there?

[Leslie Segrete]
Yeah, I mean, you could even have to do about two or three inches, depending on the level, you know, the areas of unevenness. But there’s different approaches. I think this is something you could attempt to do yourself, but if you’re not comfortable, definitely go with a pro.

[Bill in Michigan]
I appreciate that.

[Leslie Segrete]
All right, I hope that helps you out, Bill. Well, the experts at the Weather Company are predicting 19 storms to form in 2025, nine of which will become hurricanes and four of which will reach category three status or stronger, according to the outlook that they just released last Thursday. Now, that’s above the 30 year average tally for both hurricanes and storms.

And it’s just a couple of hurricanes shy of 2024’s total of 11 storms. So this all means that building materials and home construction really need to be able to stand up against Mother Nature. So we’re going to share some of the benefits of having a metal roof.

Now, metal roofs are available in a variety of colors and designs. So not only do they look fantastic, but they offer major performance advantages no matter where you live. We have seen some really wild weather already.

So when you’re installing your new roof, you want to make sure you discuss with your builder quality, water resistant underlayment. You want to make sure they’re using hurricane clips along with interlocking systems because you really want the system to stand up to extreme winds. Now, metal roofs will also handle hail by being less likely to need repair or replacement since they are a class four rated material, which is the highest rating for severe hail requirements.

Now, this really has been like a crazy year weather wise. And I mean, I’m calling fire weather because I don’t know where else to categorize it. We have seen some of the worst wildfires in U.S. history. And I mean, in some places that we never even thought it was possible. Now a metal roof is going to offer the highest rating of protection against ignition, especially when installed with fire resistant underlayment. Smart construction can help you protect your family and your belongings.

And of course, when it comes to energy efficiency, a metal roof cannot be beat. They have coatings that are meant to reflect the heat away and prevent that heat buildup, which is going to reduce your cooling costs during the warmer months. And as an added benefit, metal roofs are super easy to maintain.

Some simple soapy water is going to have them looking as good as the day it was installed. You can pick up your free metal roofing buyer’s guide today at MetalRoofing.com. And this is my favorite time of the hour because I make Jim do some talking because I like it when Jim talks.

[Jim]
Oh, I actually have to work for a living. I see how you’re going to be. I know.

[Leslie Segrete]
I’m like, I know. This is the part where we have Jim introduce emails. But truly, we have people who write in.

Sometimes people don’t call us or, you know, they kind of just quickly tweet us a question. So this is the chance for if you want to just write something in, Jim can read them out and we’ll figure out what’s going on at your money pit.

[Jim]
In the words of the world-renowned Leslie Segrete, we have a writer in her.

[Leslie Segrete]
You wait. It’s going to get put in the dictionary in like a year or two. I’m sure it will.

Mark my words.

[Jim]
Colloquialism. Okay. We have Sharon and she says she’s selling her house and wants to know if it’s the owner’s responsibility to clean out the septic tank and system or have it inspected before the sale of the home.

What other inspections might the buyer or seller need?

[Leslie Segrete]
All right. That’s going in the dictionary too, Jim. I’m going to keep track of your weird word statements too.

Well, Sharon, generally it is the seller’s responsibility to repair any failure to a septic tank or the septic system overall. Now the buyer usually pays for an inspection and here’s why, because you want that inspector to be working for the buyer because otherwise there could be a conflict of interest, right? I remember early on when I was first looking at a home 20-something years ago before Tom was even in my life, I went to look at a home and the real estate agent who was representing the seller said, here’s my inspector and I said, great, thank you.

And then I missed out on a bunch of things that I noticed later on when my dad came to look and my dad was an architect and a handy guy himself and he was like, whoa, look at all these things. Why didn’t your inspector point this stuff out? So it’s super important that you go with an inspector that you find that is certified, that you feel comfortable with.

And that inspector almost always checks out a septic system and problems with the septic tank. Now it’s really important to do. Another thing that the inspector should be doing or you should be having done when you’re looking at a new home is looking for a termite infestation, any sort of bugs, that kind of thing.

Now when it does come time after you’ve had these inspections and you’re looking at the price of the house and you’re ready to move into this finalizing of the contract, you can kind of at this point be like, hey, X, Y, and Z needs to be done. Can we renegotiate the price a little bit? That kind of thing.

So you want to make sure that the house has the certificate of occupancy. You want to make sure that the outlets have ground fault outlets, like in a kitchen or a bathroom, because all of it is negotiable. But you as the buyer really want to do the inspections.

You want to make sure you have something done. And Sharon, you have to be prepared because sometimes you kind of get into a fight for these things to be handled. I mean, you never know what you’re going to get into.

So be prepared, stick up what’s for right, and also be prepared to maybe walk away if the seller is not willing to address some of these things. So you kind of have to be like loosey-goosey, but I know buying a house is so hard. But good luck, Sharon.

I hope it all works out for you. Well, happy Mother’s Day, everyone. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

My ask from my boys every year is to join me on a really nice long hike and then have a late lunch by the water, anywhere, any kind of water, doesn’t need to be fancy. That’s just really how I love spending my holiday, with the kiddos just hanging out. It’s funny.

Last year, I made them go on a six-mile loop hike around a lake out east. And to this day, they’re like, please not six miles in a circle. And I’m like, I’m pretty sure it’s my day.

So that’s what I want. But anytime it’s somebody’s birthday or Father’s Day for my boyfriend, they’re like, no walks, no five miles. Two, maybe two.

Well, hopefully you’re enjoying your day in any way that makes you most happy. Thanks so much for joining us this hour here at the Money Pit. Remember, guys, you can do it yourself, but you don’t have to do it alone.