#2528 – Hard Facts for Stone Countertops | 5 Home Filters to Check | HOUZZ Summer 2025 Design Trends

[Producer Jim]

The Money Pit is presented by Roof Maxx Roof Restoration Treatment.

 

Now, here’s Leslie Segrete.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit. I’m Leslie Segrete, back once again with my amazing partner, Jim Kenzie. How’s it going, Jim?

 

[Producer Jim]

Woo-hoo, it’s going great, Leslie. Summer’s here. Excellent.

 

I’m stoked. Had a great Father’s Day and all that stuff. I’m ready.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I love it. Well, since it’s summer, we’ve got a lot of projects for you to tackle, you guys. Natural stone countertops.

 

They’re gorgeous. They’re kind of always the first choice when it comes to your kitchen and your bathroom spaces. But I think a lot of people think, whoa, great, natural stone surface, done.

 

They are not completely maintenance-free options, guys. So we’re going to share the pros and the cons of caring for your gorgeous new countertop. And also ahead, once again, we’re about to close our windows and condition the air inside our houses.

 

It is super important that we maintain the health of our indoor air by properly maintaining and changing our filters. We’re going to share the top five most important filters in your home that you need to be checking and cleaning. And you’re like, five.

 

Do I have five? Yeah, you do. Maybe you have more, but there’s at least five we’re going to talk to you about.

 

And now that it’s summer, this is really a great time of the year to take on home design projects. From small-scale updates to large design overhauls, Howes is sharing the top eight summer design trends of 2025. And I’m so excited to share them with you and maybe add one or two to my own money pit.

 

We’ve got so much to share with you all this hour. And I’m happy to report that the new window at my money pit has gone in. And then it rained for a week, so all of the work stopped.

 

Hooray! Womp womp. But good news is that it did not leak.

 

Awesome.

 

[Producer Jim]

Awesome.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Trim work, painting, all of that is happening soon. So hooray to that. I’m going to share some pics because it’s very weird when they take out a giant window from the side of your very small home and all of a sudden there’s a huge hole in the side of your very small home.

 

And then it starts pouring as they’re putting the window back in. It was really an adventure, guys. A true home improvement journey.

 

Well, what are you guys working on at your money pit? I feel like there’s always a never-ending list of things to take care of at home. So how can we help you check some of those things off of your to-do list?

 

Give us a call right now at 888-MONEY-PIT so that we can lend a hand. Jim, who’s first?

 

[Producer Jim]

Carol in Texas, you’ve got The Money Pit with Leslie Segrete. How can we help you out today?

 

[Carol in Texas]

We have a new porch that we put on the back of our house and we use untreated lumber and we put a transparent stain on it. Now, we have two other porches on two different other buildings and they did not get stained or anything. They were treated wood and now they’re kind of withered looking.

 

You know how they turn. So now we’re wondering if we pressure washed them, could we put the transparent stain on them?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, I mean, you could pressure wash them, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. And here’s why. The transparent stain that you put on doesn’t have any pigment in it.

 

So it’s not really doing a job of changing the color or protecting the wood from UV damage, that kind of thing. The natural wood, you know, the look of it is just very difficult to maintain. So what you’re seeing is just kind of natural wear and tear.

 

You can use a pressure washer on wood if you see like mold and mildew growth build up or dirt or just like, you know, winter grime from a season of yuckiness. That’ll help you with that, but it’s not going to help restore the color. So what I would do is give it a good thorough cleaning, make sure you’ve got the surface nice and clean, and then let it dry thoroughly.

 

And then you can add a semi-transparent stain, which will give you a little bit of color but still see the grain through. Or you can go with a solid color stain, but that’s like if you want a heavily pigmented color on that wood surface. You kind of see the texture of the grain, but you’re not seeing the grain through it, if that makes sense.

 

It looks like paint. I don’t love solid color stain unless I’m trying to go for like a very unique, heavily saturated color, but if I’m going with like browns or naturals, I don’t really like it. To me, it just looks like I’ve painted a wood deck, which, you know, down the road could have its place, but if you’re in the newer phase of it, a semi-transparent is going to be awesome.

 

You’re going to see the wood grain, you’re going to get a hint of color, and again, you can pick any color. There’s a lot of colors out there with semi-transparent. Greens, teals, reds, naturally colors.

 

So take a look, that’s going to be the way you want to go, and that will have UV protection in it, and if the surface is prepped correctly, you’ll probably get about, I don’t know, what do you think, Jim, like five years of life?

 

[Producer Jim]

Yeah, yeah, four to seven, I’d say.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

So five. So five, yeah, five works. Five and a half, Carol.

 

Thank you for your help. All right, well, good luck on your farm, Carol. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEYPIT.

 

[Producer Jim]

Cabinets is what’s on Brian’s mind. Leslie, he’s out in Massachusetts. Fill us in here, Brian.

 

[Brian in Massachusetts]

Hi, I have some honey oak kitchen cabinets that I’m interested in painting white. I was wondering if there’s any certain sort of preparation that I need to do, and is there some sort of primer coat that will kind of fill in the grain, because the oak tends to be a little grainy.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, you know, I have oak cabinets, and that grain is so deep and visible and obvious, and that’s great if you want to see what that looks like, but if you want to paint a cabinet, you’re going to either have to fill that grain a little bit so that it gets a nice smooth surface so that the paint will go on much more evenly and not see that grain. But let’s talk about first, what is currently on your cabinets? Are they stained?

 

[Brian in Massachusetts]

No, it’s just urethane.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Okay, so just urethane, but it feels like it’s stained. Is there like a solid coating on top of it?

 

[Brian in Massachusetts]

Yeah.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, well, that just means you have to get that off. Otherwise, anything that you put on is going to slide away. It’s not going to stick.

 

So you can start with either using a chemical stripping agent, depending on that quality of the urethane, or you can just try to sand it and see how much progress you get. But I think you would want to start off with that stripping agent, get everything off that you can, and from there you can just sand it to keep everything looking nice and smooth, then wipe all of that residue away with a tack cloth and get it to a nice clean surface. And then you could go ahead and kind of try to fill it or prime it enough.

 

It depends on how much of that grain you want to see. So for a kitchen cabinet, an oil-based primer is probably going to be your best approach. It flows the most nicely, and it’s going to fill in some of that grain that you don’t really want to see, and it’s super durable, and it’s super sticky, and I mean it’s going to stick to that surface really well.

 

And then when you put that top coat of paint on it, which is where the color is going to be, it will stick also great as well. And if you can use that oil-based primer, you can even go ahead and use an oil-based paint on top, or latex paint, depends on what you’re comfortable with. I sometimes prefer an oil-based paint as a top coat on a kitchen cabinet because it has a little bit more of a sheen to it, but that might not be what you’re going for.

 

But that oil-based primer is going to do the best job of sticking. And then you want to make sure for the cabinets and all of those things that you want to go with a good quality latex paint that’s going to stick and not chip off.

 

[Brian in Massachusetts]

So you recommend the oil-based primer and…

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, for a project like this, oil-based primer is definitely the way to go.

 

[Brian in Massachusetts]

Okay, and there’s not any particular product or oil-based primer that would have… Like, I know I do some work on cars, and they have a spray primer that actually will fill small imperfections. Is there anything like that that might be available?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I mean, I don’t think there’s anything specifically made for cabinetry. You just have to… I know a spray sounds appealing because you think you can do it with the door fronts on and the drawers on, but you’re going to have to take all of that off.

 

Take the doors off, take the drawer fronts off, make sure you label everything so you know where it goes back to. And then you can put the paint, the top coat paint, in a sprayer to sort of help you get a more even, smooth coat, no brush marks, etc. But, like, you’re not going to use a spray paint on this.

 

[Brian in Massachusetts]

Oh, I was talking about a spray can.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Oh, no, because if you’re trying to spray paint… Like, you’re going to go through a million cans of spray paint, and they’re way more money.

 

[Brian in Massachusetts]

Well, thank you so much for your help. I appreciate your input, and keep up the good work.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, well, good luck with that project. Let us know how it comes out. I love a painted cabinet.

 

[Producer Jim]

Oh, sure, Leslie. They can be beautiful. Hey, Brian, thanks again for giving us a call here at The Money Pit.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Hey, are you a fan of our podcast? Well, leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and we’ll be doing a happy dance. Plus, it helps us keep the show going and growing.

 

Just go to moneypit.com slash review. Summer is upon us. Woo-hoo!

 

You guys know I’m a winter gal, but I do also love sitting by the water, a lake, an ocean, a canal. It doesn’t matter to me. It’s so rejuvenating to just kind of get that fresh air and watch the water.

 

One of my favorite things, I don’t know if you like to do this, Jim. I love to kind of find a swimming hole. I like to hike there and jump in.

 

Up at my Vermont house, there’s a couple of little places that we like that’s just lovely, because I think nothing beats like a crisp, cool lake swim. They’re just the best.

 

[Producer Jim]

That sounds nice. They just put in a metro park about a quarter mile from here. So we take the dog now.

 

They’re for a walk around the little man-made lake.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Oh, I love that.

 

[Producer Jim]

It is cool. It’s neat.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Wait till the fishies and the turtles show up. It’s going to be the best.

 

[Producer Jim]

Yeah, they said they’re going to stock it, so we’ll see.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Oh, I love it. All right. Well, what are you guys doing?

 

You know, before it gets too hot in your area, now is the time to check your cooling system. You want to clean or replace those HVAC filters, clear the debris from the outdoor units, schedule a professional tune-up if you need it. I like to do ours every year.

 

A little prep now definitely keeps you cool and saves you energy all summer long. All right, let’s get back to our callers, Jim. Who’s up next?

 

[Producer Jim]

All righty, Leslie. We’ve got Bonnie, who’s got some questions about sealing concrete.

 

[Bonnie]

We actually had some flooding a couple of years ago, and we ended up with some cracks. So we fixed the cracks, and now we want to seal it. And we went out and bought some basement sealer.

 

And it’s so toxic, and the smell is so bad that there’s just no way we can use it. And I just wondered if you had a suggestion for something that’s not so toxic.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

So if you’ve got a cracked floor and you’ve already sealed those cracks, I mean, generally you would do that with silicone, and then you want to put something on top of that floor to finish it, you can use one or two-part epoxy product. They work really well. They are going to be smelly a little bit while you’re doing it, but it doesn’t last for long.

 

Make sure you’re properly ventilating the space. Open the windows. Run a fan.

 

Get that air out. And it will work terrifically. When you’re using it, say, on like a new concrete floor, once it’s cured, you can then use a two-part epoxy product where you kind of mix it together, and you mix it according to the instructions, and you have to do it right because you kind of have to stir these and wait a specific amount of minutes before you apply it.

 

And then as you apply it, you can kind of sprinkle in these color chips, and it really makes that plain concrete floor look super finished and lovely, but it also, as an added benefit, hides the dirt. So it’s like it could be in a very high traffic-y space. It’s just not going to look as worn every single day just because of the traffic in the area.

 

You know, in about an hour, you don’t smell anything, and then once a few days have gone by, everything is sealed and lovely. It’s not stinky. It’s very durable.

 

Just make sure you’re ventilating during the process. But these two-part epoxies are great. You can look at Daich Coatings.

 

They make several tons of different options, tons of different colorways as well, and you can see if you can find something that will work for your project there. Okay. Well, thank you very much.

 

 

 

[Bonnie]

I appreciate it.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right. Good luck with that.

 

Well, natural stone countertops are always the first choice when it comes to your kitchen and bathroom spaces, but they’re not a completely maintenance-free choice. So here’s a few pros and cons to consider. First up, stone countertops are somewhat indestructible.

 

I mean, most can take a hot pot, and generally they won’t chip. Homeowners love them, and given the popularity, you can argue that they’re definitely going to add to your home’s value. And, of course, the stone is beautiful.

 

I mean, there’s so many colors and natural patterns, and the finish is almost always clear so that natural beauty really shines through, and you can for sure find a stone that will create the space of your dreams. Now, on the minus side, the stone tops are expensive compared to, like, a solid surface and, of course, laminate, but the prices are going to vary based on the type of stone. Quartz, granite, those are generally at the top end of that price list there.

 

Marble sometimes is a little bit less, but marble surfaces are softer, so they’re not going to wear as well. Plus, they can, the lighter marble can darken over time. Now, in terms of maintenance, granite tops definitely demand the most.

 

They’re sealed when they’re installed, and they do occasionally need to be resealed. And in terms of caring for the stone surface, here are some tips because they do kind of require general maintenance. You want to clean them gently daily, and you can do this with a soft cloth or a sponge, and it can be as simple as warm water and maybe a mild pH-balanced soap.

 

You want to avoid those harsh cleaners, bleach, vinegar. It can definitely dull or etch the surface of the stone over time. If something spills, you want to clean it up immediately because the natural stone, even with that sealer on, is porous, especially marble.

 

So if something acidic spills like lemon juice, wine, vinegar, wipe it up right away to prevent that staining and to prevent etching. Don’t cut directly on the stone surface. Use a cutting board, use a trivet for a hot pot.

 

Even though it can take that hot pot, you want to protect that surface from scratches and any sort of heat damage. Now, you also want to seal the surfaces when it’s needed. Some people recommend every 6 to 12 months.

 

Some people say 2 years. I think the 2 years is okay. You’ll kind of get a sense for how your surface builds up, and you’ll notice it.

 

Like, water doesn’t bead up as well. It kind of gets like dull in spots, and that will tell you it’s time for sealing. Also, try not to drop any heavy cookware on it, especially towards the edge, and especially if you have like a super decorative edge, like an OG edge, because that can tend to chip.

 

You want to polish the surfaces occasionally. You don’t have to do it with quartz, because it tends to maintain its shine. And then, let’s talk about quickly the different types of stone.

 

Marble is going to be the most delicate. You want to treat that with extra care. Granite is durable, but you do have to seal it.

 

The quartz is non-porous. It’s low-maintenance, but it is not heat-proof. So, you’ve got to kind of think about what you like the look of, and what’s going to suit your lifestyle.

 

You know, with smart care, you can enjoy these gorgeous surfaces for decades. I mean, your clothes are going to go out of style long before your countertop does. All right, Jim, who’s up next?

 

[Producer Jim]

All right, Byron is dealing with popcorn, but not the yummy, delicious kind, but the weird sealing kind. What’s going on, Byron?

 

[Byron]

That’s correct. It’s easy to take off, but what do you do afterwards? That was a cost-saving cut for gall wall workers at the time.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, it’s funny, because builders would use that popcorn sealing because it meant that the drywall company and the spacklers didn’t have to do that great of a job. It kind of hid all of the sins, those uneven joints, all the things that you didn’t want to look at. So, first of all, it’s pretty great that you were able to get it all off, and that it was a fairly straightforward project.

 

And by the way, there is a great article on TheMoneyPit.com about people who are dealing with popcorn sealings, because they’re not great, they don’t look great, they’re challenging to paint. And if you’re looking to get rid of it, it’s probably the messiest part, is getting it off of the ceiling. Or, if you do some repair work, like change a light fixture, or have a leak and you try to fix it, when you try to re-spackle and fix that spot, and add the popcorn back, or get rid of the popcorn, it’s kind of a pain in the butt.

 

So, now that you have that gone, good for you, you want to try to get the ceiling in a fairly flat state. So, make sure that everything has been sanded, and is cleaned, and is pretty flat. And then you do want to use a primer, and it’s super important to prime first, especially for a ceiling.

 

And then when you do put a ceiling paint on, make sure it’s a ceiling paint, one that does not have any sheen in it. It’s got to be 100% flat. And you do want to make sure that you go with a good quality ceiling paint, because it’s going to stick as well.

 

And if you have any sort of sheen in that paint, any unevenness from removing that popcorn is going to be like super highlighted, even with just a very low sheen. But good for you, what a project, and what a mess. And the worst is when you’re getting the popcorn ceiling off, and it kind of falls into your hair, and then like re-hardens.

 

It’s a nightmare. But good for you. All right, Byron, congrats on that project.

 

Well, summer social season is here.

 

[Producer Jim]

That’s a mouth twister, right?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I did it. When I wrote it, I was like, summer social season. She sells seashells by the night.

 

But truly, guys, it’s summertime. And just because it’s the social time of year, that doesn’t mean you need to be constantly entertaining. But your outdoor spaces should look like you’re ready to entertain at any moment.

 

You know, whether it’s a vibrant gathering with friends or just a casual night at home with the kiddos on the deck, you can brighten up your patio or your deck space with colorful outdoor pillows, lanterns, even a fun outdoor rug. You can add potted plants or hanging baskets for instant charm. And don’t forget string lights for that perfect summer evening glow.

 

I mean, I love fairy lights outside all year long. It just kind of sets the mood for a magical setting. And seriously, like I could be hanging out anywhere, fancy, not fancy, whatever.

 

Those lights completely set the tone and make a great evening. So even if you’re going to do nothing but one thing, do the lights. All right, Jim, let’s get back to our callers.

 

Who’s on the line?

 

[Producer Jim]

Leslie, we’ve got Steve out in Arizona. He’s on the line and needs some help with cleaning his ducks. That’s duck CT, not CK, right?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

That is duck CT. That was a terrible duck impersonation, by the way. Sorry, Steve.

 

[Producer Jim]

Steve, are you still there?

 

[Steve in Arizona]

I hope I have my ducks in a row. I was just curious. First of all, enjoy your show and learn a lot.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Thank you so much, Steve.

 

[Steve in Arizona]

Well, you’re very welcome. And I just wanted your take or what your feeling is about getting your air ducks cleaned, if that’s something we should consider.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right. So the feeling here is that duct cleaning really is not necessary, unless you’ve done something in your house that’s caused a lot of dust to accumulate, like a huge renovation or something of that nature. What we would advise is to have a better quality air filter installed into the duct system.

 

And that’s really good because then it’s consistently cleaning the air and it’ll make sure that the air going through the ducts are clean, so the insides of the ducts are going to be cleaner, and then all your heating and cooling system is going to operate all the more efficiently because all of that sort of residue is not making its way to the mechanical system of it. So you want to make sure when you’re getting an air filter, there’s something on it called a MERV rating, and that determines its efficiency. So you want to go with something that’s pretty high.

 

It should be at about an 11 or a 12, and that will keep all of those ducts to ducts, not quack, quack, quack, real ducts. Ducts. Ducts.

 

[Producer Jim]

Ducts. Yeah, it’s hard with the S after, isn’t it? Ducts.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

It’s hard.

 

[Producer Jim]

The plural’s a tough one.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Ducts, not duct. You know what we’re talking about here. But that will do a great job of keeping everything sort of clean as it’s flowing through the house.

 

And then you have to make sure that whatever you pick as this filtration system, this filter, it has to be changed out regularly. And they’re going to cost a little bit more because of the way it’s made and how it’s meant to filter everything out so effectively.

 

[Steve in Arizona]

Oh, great. Well, that’s great news. I appreciate it.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Good luck with that, and I apologize for my horrible duck call. Clearly, I’m not a hunter. Well, there’s one maintenance task that often gets overlooked, but it’s crucial for the health and the efficiency of both you and your home, and that’s cleaning the filters around the house.

 

You know, they play a crucial role in keeping your home energy efficient, comfortable, and running smoothly. So let’s dive into the top five household filters you should be checking regularly. Now, first up is the HVAC filter.

 

This filter traps the dust, the pollen, all of those airborne particles, and it prevents them from circulating throughout your home. You want to check that filter monthly and replace it as needed to ensure proper airflow and indoor air quality, and always make sure that you put them back in the right direction. There’s going to be an arrow that lets you know you want the air to flow that way, and you match it.

 

Now let’s talk about the dryer lint filter. You want to clean it every time you use that dryer because it’s going to prevent fire hazards, and it also maintains that proper airflow, but you can’t forget about inspecting and cleaning the dryer exhaust vent at least once a year to keep your dryer running efficiently. Now let’s talk about your refrigerator water filter.

 

If your fridge has a built-in water dispenser or even just an ice maker, it likely has a water filter, and that filter needs to be replaced regularly, sometimes every three months. Mine is every six months, and I kind of have it on auto-reorder because otherwise I would totally forget about it, and, you know, once it arrives, I’m like, oh, it’s been six months, time to swap it out. Now let’s talk about the range hood filter.

 

These filters collect grease, the smoke, the cooking odors, and most of them can be very easily removed, cleaned, and then reinstalled. Now those metal filters can then even be run through the dishwasher, so that’s a great, great, great way to clean them well, because the heat does a good job of getting rid of all that grease. Now lastly, you want to check your faucet aerators, because these are tiny baby filters, and they control that water flow.

 

Now regular cleaning is going to ensure smooth water flow, and it also conserves water. You can also look up WaterSense certified aerators, because it’s a great way that you can save water without compromising on the water flow. If you neglect these filters around the home, it can lead to higher energy bills, repair costs, a less comfortable living environment.

 

So stay on top of these checks to keep your home running smoothly and efficiently. All are super manageable and easy to check off your to-do list in a weekend. Thanks so much for joining Jim and I here on The Money Pit.

 

We’re so glad you did. Coming up, summer is a great time to take on home design projects, from small-scale updates to large design overhauls, Howes is sharing the top eight summer design trends of 2025. So stick around.

 

I’m Leslie Segrete, host of The Money Pit, with my top tips for home improvements this spring. The only thing worse than a toilet that never stops running is going to fix it and getting the wrong part. The Fluidmaster Universal Super Flapper easily converts from a 2-inch to a 3-inch flapper and fits almost every toilet.

 

Stop noise, leaks, and flushing money down the drain. Maximize outdoor living with Trex Rain Escape. This under-deck drainage system keeps rain and moisture out, turning that under-deck area into a dry, livable space for entertaining or storage.

 

It’s easy to install on new decks or when you’re replacing those deck boards and lets you run gas and electric lines. Bison Level Up Adjustable Deck Pedestals let you build ground-level floating decks faster and easier. No need for digging or pouring footers, and they install right over concrete slabs or soil.

 

You can build decks up to 12 inches high and compensate for an up to 8% ground slope. For more, follow The Money Pit podcast at moneypit.com slash podcast. Jim, who’s our next caller?

 

[Producer Jim]

Out in Washington, Leslie, we’ve got Jonas, who’s looking to do some work on his balcony, and he’s trying to gain a little bit more extra room by adding a railing. Could you give us a little more detail, please, Jonas?

 

[Jonas in Washington]

We have a balcony that is above our porch, and currently we have a surface-mounted railing, and we tried to get that replaced. My question is, and one of the thoughts are, to get a fascia-mounted railing instead. The problem is the gutter in the way.

 

We can’t really lower the gutter because there are some beams. What if we take that gutter out? What can be the complication?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

What is the gutter draining? I mean, is it just for the balcony? Does it come from the roof above it that’s kind of feeding into it?

 

Do you know how much water it kind of deals with?

 

[Jonas in Washington]

Yeah, there are gutters above about half of the balcony. The water that is coming down from the balcony is about half the balcony, and the balcony itself is about a 13 by 10.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, so it sounds like you’re moving quite a bit of water through there, and I would tell you not to remove the gutters because the gutters have an important purpose. Not only do they keep the space below drier, they’re securing your foundation, but you put a lot of water around it, and it tends to make the building move. So I don’t think it’s a good idea to get rid of those gutters.

 

I mean, I just think you could be causing a lot more issues by removing that gutter just to change that fascia on the railing. I just don’t think it’s worth it, okay?

 

[Jonas in Washington]

Gotcha. All right, thank you very much.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, you’re so welcome. Sorry about that. Well, summer is the perfect time to give your home a design refresh.

 

From small updates to larger makeovers, Houzz recently released the 2025 Houzz U.S. Emerging Summer Trends Report, which identifies eight new home design trends. Mitchell Parker, Houzz home design expert, is explaining Houzz’s eight emerging summer trends here, and these are all fantastic. Color drenching, are you guys familiar with this term?

 

It is in, and it packs a design punch into any size room. Now, for color drenching, this means a single color is used across the walls, the trim, sometimes the furniture even, and the searches on Houzz were up four times compared to last year, Parker tells us. And this looks fantastic from deep tones to soft neutrals.

 

It truly makes a space stand out, and you might think the room I’m considering this for is on the smaller side, and it’s going to feel small and tight and weird, all the same color. It kind of has the opposite effect. It makes a room feel massive and beautiful, and I love it in a super dark tone, jewel tones even, but you do you, do some research, you’re going to find a lot of things that are going to inspire you immediately.

 

[Producer Jim]

Hey, Leslie?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yes.

 

[Producer Jim]

Without even realizing, I’ve been color drenching for years, the way I paint.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Is everything white? Please don’t say it.

 

[Producer Jim]

No, I just, you know, get ceiling paint on the walls, wall paint on the ceiling.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

That’s not what they mean by drenching, Jim.

 

[Producer Jim]

Oh, okay. Well, who knew, you know?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

You were ahead of your time. All right, let’s talk about some other trends. Metallic accents are in.

 

We’re not just talking about gold or stainless any longer. Copper has returned in a big way from lighting to range hoods, and it looks gorgeous. Beverage stations are a trend, as homeowners are elevating their entertainment options while hosting the summer.

 

Searches for dedicated whiskey bars, I love that, can I come over? Are up nearly two times compared to last year, and searches for coffee bars are up 19%. Other popular searches are for beverage and wine fridges, small wet bars, stylish beverage bars.

 

All of that has jumped about one and a half times, so that’s really great. Another cool thing are fun zones. These are finding their way into people’s home designs, from putting greens to Lego rooms.

 

These are dedicated spaces to have fun and to hang out with your family and friends. That’s a great trend on the rise. Now, we talked about color drenching, but let’s talk about wood drenching.

 

It’s also making its design mark. Natural materials continue to be popular among homeowners, and for good reasons, as designer Parker says, they are having a calming and grounding effect, so we’re seeing a lot of white oak wood paneling with matching flooring, and cabinets can really make a standout home office. French country decor, who knew it would come back from the 80s, but it is back with floral wall coverings and chandeliers.

 

It’s both tranquil and transportative, and it works great for a master bath. Finally, Howes says that water conservation continues to be a summer home design trend, because homeowners are searching for low water landscape options. In fact, searches for succulent gardens increased three times in searches for year over year.

 

Which of these design trends are you going to tackle? So many great ideas. I bet you can find a way to work within your style and your budget for sure.

 

All right, Jim, stop color drenching.

 

[Producer Jim]

I’m just thinking, you touched on a good subject there, building a whiskey bar. Right. With my friends, if I build one, I’m going to build in a trundle bed, because they’re not going anywhere.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Always smart to have a place for your buddies to crash.

 

[Producer Jim]

If you’re drinking, do the smart thing, please.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Now’s the time when Jim and I jump into the email bag. It’s large. We both fit.

 

We reach around, pick out an email. A little stuffy in here. I know.

 

I always go for the one by Jim’s Toesies. This is a little ticklish. It’s fine.

 

[Producer Jim]

Okay, nut job.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Could you imagine if it was really an email bag like that? But it is not.

 

[Producer Jim]

You had to physically get in it.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I know. Could you imagine? But truly, we love that you guys reach out to us in so many ways with calls and your emails, because we are here to help.

 

So let us know how we can lend a hand and what you are working on, because we want you to have the best money pit that you can. All right, Jim, who wrote in this week?

 

[Producer Jim]

Well, Alex in Florida reached out to us, Leslie. And he says, I have a four-year-old central air conditioning system. It works well, except for the front room of my house.

 

It’s always about five degrees hotter. I have the same problem, Leslie. Any idea how I can fix this?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, I mean, generally, when it comes to air conditioning, you have to remember a couple of things. In the design process, the amount of air conditioning that you put into a particular space is going to depend on what the heat gain is for that space. So, for example, here, if the front room of your house happens to face south, that room’s just going to need more air conditioning, because south facing gets the sun for the most hours.

 

And this is something that you should have brought up in the beginning, either when the home was built or when the air conditioning was being installed, if that was separate from the home building time, because these are ways you can adjust it then. But here’s some other suggestions. And let’s try to figure out where the return path is for the air, because sometimes that duct that delivers the cool air might just be too far from that return duct, because what happens is the cool air comes out, but you have to send it back into the return duct to be recooled.

 

Now, if the return duct is in the same room, that’s awesome. But if it’s not, and maybe that room where it is is closed off by a door or some other partition from the house, it might not just be getting back and being able to be recooled and come back to you. So if there’s a door there, maybe leave that door open, or you can undercut the door by basically just taking it off of the hinges and slicing off about an inch on the bottom of the door, so at least there’s a path for that air to be drawn back out of the room and back to the system.

 

You can also take some steps to reduce the solar gain, because that room in the front, which is south facing, is taking a lot of heat throughout the day. So maybe add some curtains or window shades. You can get blackout.

 

That’s going to do a good job of reflecting all that light back and not letting it all get through. And this is going to try to help you out here and help that cooling situation. And finally, you can just contact your HVAC contractor and find out if maybe that duct system there is controlled by a damper, because maybe it’s blocked.

 

Maybe that damper is sort of stuck in a semi-closed position. It can happen, and if it happens to be partially closed and you didn’t know it, simply repositioning that damper could make a world of difference. That contractor can also add a booster to that one duct, which is kind of like an electronic fan that speeds up the amount of air that comes into that register.

 

And it’s sort of kind of a last step, though, if everything else fails, because we certainly don’t want to add something that’s going to cost you to run, but sometimes that’s just the best effective solution. So, Alex, I hope that helps you out. I’m sure down there in Florida you were overheating before the rest of us here in the Northeast, but if you get it figured out, we’re super-duper-duper happy for you, because Florida, my gosh, it is a hot place.

 

Why is it so hot in Florida?

 

[Producer Jim]

Well, because we’re not there when it’s cold.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

It is true, but I mean, my goodness, I hope this helps you out, Alex, because Florida can be super hot, and we know that with a couple of changes, a couple of fixes, maybe you can get that room nice and cool like the rest of the house. Well, that wraps up this hour here at The Money Pit. We hope you learned something new.

 

We are always here to help, so give us a call at 888-MONEYPIT. Do not hesitate to reach out. Remember, guys, you can do it yourself, but you don’t have to do it alone.

 

[Producer Jim]

On The Money Pit Radio Show On The Money Pit Radio Show Pick up your telephone Fix up your home sweet home By calling 888-MONEYPIT