#2530 – Building Your Dream Deck | Best Alternative to Roof Replacement | Power Up for Summer Storms

[Producer Jim]

The Money Pit is presented by RoofMaxx Roof Restoration Treatment and Ladera by Pavestone. Now here’s Leslie Segrete.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is the Money Pit. I’m Leslie Segrete and I’m joined as always by my partner in crime, Jim Kenzie, the Money Pit’s amazing senior producer and resident rock star. Jimmy!

 

 

 

[Producer Jim]

Whatever.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

That’s right. Well guys, we are now officially into the summer season, like I know it just started, but I’m going to say we’re in it because it’s summer.

 

And summer is the best time of year for adventures and memory making with those closest to you, so get out there and enjoy the season. But always look to us for your best home improvement advice and we’ve got a great hour for you. You know, adding a deck is the perfect way to create extra space for you to enjoy your home.

 

It can also add additional resale value when it does come time to sell. A deck can be a pretty fairly straightforward project, but if you’re not careful, it’s pretty easy to make some costly mistakes. So we’re going to show you what you’ll need to avoid when building the deck of your dreams.

 

And now that it’s summer, you’re spending a lot of free time outside of your house and perhaps you’re noticing that your roof has seen better days. Well, asphalt shingles tend to dry out over time and that can lead to a roof replacement, which could be super expensive, but there is a better solution, so we’re going to share those details in a bit. And with all those storms summer has to dish out, losing power has become an all-too-common part of life across the country.

 

We’re going to share some tips to help you keep that power on. But first, we want to hear all about the projects that you are working on and even just dreaming of working on, so give us a call right now at 888-MONEYPIT. Jim, who’s first?

 

[Producer Jim]

Going out to Point Roberts, Washington, Leslie, we’ve got Linda on the line who would like to speak about kitchen countertops. How can we help out?

 

[Linda in Washington]

Thank you so much for your information. Your show’s excellent. Aw, Linda, you’re so sweet.

 

Tell us what’s going on. I bought this house that was built in the 80s and I’ve never, never, never liked these very, very dark forest green Formica countertops. I just wanted to know about these new products that I could sort of paint over.

 

Do I have to sand Formica first or put on any kind of kills or anything that’s going to make it work properly?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, so it sounds like you’re talking about Daich Coatings and we here at The Money Pit love their product very much. They have been a sponsor on the show, but we actually use the product. I’ve used the product on Hotel Impossible.

 

We’ve used it in our own homes. We’ve used it at friends’ homes. We’ve used it at rental properties.

 

It’s a great product if you have a very solid sort of Formica countertop that you don’t like the color of, that you’re just tired of, but you don’t want to spend a ton of money in getting a solid surface. You can actually, through Daich Coatings, look at their line of things. There’s one called LuxROCK.

 

There’s one called Marble Dream. LuxROCK, it’s a kit. It ends up looking just like granite.

 

It is very, very easy to do. It’s super user-friendly. There’s a ton of different color options and I promise you, once applied and sort of followed through in the steps, it’s going to look great.

 

Marble Dream is the same. The issue, though, is make sure that Formica on your countertop is well adhered. You don’t want to have any structural damage in the countertop itself.

 

But basically, everything you need is right there in the kit. You just kind of lightly sand that Formica just to rough up the surface a smidge so that the paint product sticks to it very, very well. I mean, it’s really great.

 

You can check them out at DaichCoatings.com and that’s D-A-I-C-H. It’s a great option for your situation and it’s very, very user-friendly and the price is as well.

 

[Linda in Washington]

It sounds perfect and I can follow your instructions perfectly. Thank you both. Oh, you’re so welcome.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEYPIT.

 

[Producer Jim]

Wow, we’re heading out to our buddy Holland’s area of the country. We’re going to Rhode Island with Michael, who’s dealing with some uneven heating and cooling. Tell us what’s happening.

 

[Michael in Rhode Island]

Okay, so what’s happening is you have to wear a jacket downstairs because it’s so cold, but upstairs, it’s actually warm and we actually want to turn the A.C. up even higher. I tried to insulate around the doors with some of that foam tape and I even have a little sleeve in front of the door that kind of blocks the air coming out from below the door, but it’s still really cold. Now, the first floor is kind of like our basement half-finished.

 

You have to kind of walk upstairs to get to the first level of the living room.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, so it’s like a split-level home?

 

[Michael in Rhode Island]

Exactly, yeah, but you don’t go downstairs. You actually only can go up because we’re on a hill. When you’re walking in the front door, you’re going in the first level.

 

When you’re walking out the back door, you’re actually on the second level.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, well, let me ask you this. What kind of heating system do you have?

 

[Michael in Rhode Island]

Gas furnace.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Okay, so it’s gas fuel, but is it forced air? Is it one furnace? What’s it like?

 

[Michael in Rhode Island]

One furnace, yeah. We only bought the house a year ago and it died as soon as we got there, so we got a brand new one.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Okay, so when the new system was put in, the HVAC contractors should have done a heat loss calculation to make sure that they’re putting in the right size for your home because it sounds to us like maybe that system isn’t balanced correctly and you don’t have supplies and returns that are working together to even out that sort of airflow, and when that happens, it’s not reaching the proper temps. It’s not getting it to the right spaces. That’s kind of the first place I would look.

 

Now, homes heat and cool not just by blowing air out of the registers, but by pulling it back in and then reconditioning that air over and over and over again, so it’s either reheating or recooling that air, and that’s going to repeat until that thermostat says, all right, I’ve met whatever temperature you’re calling for. So it sounds to me like you’ve got a big imbalance causing this, and it’s not just going to be a matter of sealing up drafts and that sort of stuff, even though that’s a good idea. I don’t think that’s your core problem here.

 

I think it’s the way the system was designed. You’re not getting enough airflow into the places that you need it to. So I would start with that HVAC contractor that put that in because this is definitely something they should have gotten right in the first place, okay?

 

[Michael in Rhode Island]

All right, thank you very much. Love you guys. Thank you.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

We’ve got experience.

 

[Producer Jim]

You know, Leslie, I actually had good luck. I was trying to balance my system out, and it got better, but it wasn’t great. I ended up moving the thermostat about 20 feet to a different part of the house, took care of 95% of the issue.

 

Where are the thermostats located in sampling the air versus, you know, especially if you have, like, your thermostats directly underneath a vent, not brilliant.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Oh, yeah, and that’s where mine is. Mine’s right under my return, and that’s why I’ve always had issues with my AC, but there’s nowhere else to put it.

 

[Producer Jim]

Mary in Wisconsin, you’ve got the money pit with Leslie Segrete. What can we help you with today?

 

[Mary in Wisconsin]

I’m redoing my basement, and I’m wondering about flooring. It has had a rubber-backed carpet, which has been taken up, so we’re down to the concrete, and I’m just wondering what would be a good thing to put back down on the floor there.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, well, Mary, I can see that at a time in this country, rubber-backed carpet was super popular, but generally speaking, we don’t recommend carpeting for basements because a basement can just be so damp, regardless of where you are in the country, and you can build up a lot of debris in the basement, and that can cause allergic reactions. There could be dust mites and all of that sort of thing that can kind of nest in carpeting and be yucky. So you want to look for a smooth surface material, and your best options would be laminate flooring.

 

It’s beautiful. It can look like a hardwood floor or a tile. It’s made of different composite materials, and it is a very, very tough surface, and it floats.

 

It’s not glued down. It kind of floats on top of that floor, or you could choose a special type of hardwood flooring called engineered hardwood. Now, solid hardwood is not recommended for a basement because it is too moist, but the engineered hardwood is made up of different layers of hardwood itself and sort of put at opposing angles of wood grain, if that makes sense.

 

So it does make it much more structurally stable, and you can actually refinish it a couple of times. So it has the benefits of hardwood, but it’s made a little bit differently. Now, it’s interesting.

 

You can do so many different things with that basement, and you can make that wood floor or tile floor or vinyl floor, whatever you choose, look really comfy by adding area rugs. It goes down anywhere. You can even get pretty large ones so that it does feel almost like the basement has carpeting, but in a sense, it’s really got the correct floor just for the climate of the basement space.

 

It’s really nice. I mean, I think wall-to-wall carpeting in a basement kind of looks dated anyway. A solid surface laminate engineered hardwood is much more common today, and it’s definitely a great project for that space.

 

[Mary in Wisconsin]

Is there something feasible in a price range, though?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Oh, I mean, Mary, when it comes to price point, if you do some research online, go to your local building centers, you can find, you know, in every range of price point. So just kind of know what you want to spend square footage-wise or overall for the basement, and the folks at the stores can kind of direct you in the right direction for that dollar amount because there is something for every price point. I’ve seen them online, a laminate flooring for around $2 a square, but there’s a lot of options out there that are much more expensive.

 

So just think about what it is that you like, you like the look of, and stick to that budget, and you’ll be in great shape. Okay, thank you. All right, Mary, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEYPIT.

 

Hey, Money Pit Podcast fans, you want to help us out? Well, go ahead and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, and we’re going to give you a virtual high-five. Plus, you’ll be helping us spread the word about our show.

 

Just go to moneypit.com slash review. You know, summer is the season to let your home shine, literally, so why not rent or borrow a power washer and clean your siding, the walkways, the decks? You’re going to be amazed at the grime that’s built up over time, so you’ll want to start with a low-pressure setting and test a small area to avoid damage.

 

And this is where sort of, like, the best discovery happens, because wait till you see how much yuck just goes away from that one spot, and then you are in for, like, the most satisfying project of, I’ll say the weekend, but probably the week, I’m going to say. It instantly freshens up your home’s exterior without a single nail or paintbrush in sight. Best project ever.

 

Just remember, though, it’s going to be very easy to just continue going up and down the block and doing your neighbor’s house because you’re like, wow.

 

[Producer Jim]

They’re cool, yeah.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Look at the big difference. It really is, like, my favorite project of the summer season. So, you know, don’t take the whole weekend and do everybody’s house unless you’re just feeling super generous on this summer sunny weekend.

 

[Producer Jim]

And don’t write your name in the cement.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

No, you can.

 

[Producer Jim]

You can forever.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

You write your name first, and then you do the rest of it. Like, I draw pictures. Some of them are silly.

 

Some of them are not suitable for work. And then I erase them all with the rest of the power washing.

 

[Producer Jim]

You just got to be careful because if you get the wrong tip on there and you’re running too much pressure, you can permanently destroy wood, concrete, bunch of stuff.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right. Just on the sidewalk, guys, okay?

 

[Producer Jim]

I’m a buzzkill. I know.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Always killing the buzz, Jim. All right, guys. If you are looking for some more great tips, be sure to check out the Money Pit Podcast.

 

We can’t wait to see you there. Jim, let’s get back to our callers.

 

[Producer Jim]

Let’s head out to Illinois where we’ve got Paul, and he’s dealing with an old home with some roofing issues. Please fill us in with a little more detail there, Paul.

 

[Paul in Illinois]

Late roof, having a hard time, gutters, they’re backing up. The roof’s 30 foot tall, so I’m having a hard time getting up there. And this time, it’s hard to get anybody out here to do it.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Well, what kind of gutters do you have? Have you heard them being called anything?

 

[Paul in Illinois]

These are the box gutters.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right. So they’re built into the house, the box gutters. So basically, your roof is kind of flat at that front edge, and then it has a trough built into it where that water’s supposed to collect and then run down a downspout, correct?

 

[Paul in Illinois]

Yes, and I have like a probably a 3-foot soffit underneath it, you know, like a big overhang.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, I mean, they probably clog up at the spouts a lot because those holes are pretty small. I mean, even though you’ve got a big, wide, built-in gutter system there, one of the things that you can do to kind of help this, and that’s typically the repair you do when you get tired of this type of gutter, is that you add to the front edge of the roof. So right now, you’ve got this kind of flat section, and then you have a pitch section, right?

 

So generally, what a roofer will do is that they’ll build the pitch section over that flat box gutter, and then put a traditional gutter on the outset of that. And in doing so, you’re bypassing that box gutter system because you’re getting backups, you’re having issues cleaning it. But usually, those built-in gutters will just kind of wear out pretty quickly and not last nearly as long as a metal gutter would.

 

[Paul in Illinois]

Yeah, I think you’re right on the path. The problem is that my downspouts are not big enough, and I don’t have enough on the house.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, so I think in this situation, you kind of either have to make sure that everything is free-flowing, nothing is blocked, or you can kind of extend the roof over that built-in and put a properly sized, better-functioning gutter system on the house. I think if you’re putting in a traditional 5-inch or 6-inch gutter, that should definitely do the trick. They’re bigger, they virtually never clog.

 

You can also put in a gutter guard so that you don’t ever have to clean since you said that the roof is kind of high up and you don’t know how to get up there. Let it be put on with the gutter guard so that this way, you’re saving yourself from a chore that, quite frankly, you’re not comfortable with and could be dangerous.

 

[Paul in Illinois]

I really appreciate your help.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, well, you got it. Good luck with that project.

 

[Producer Jim]

And Leslie, on gutters, you really can’t go too big. So if it’s a question of one size or the other, go big.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, go larger, unless it’s a budget buster. I don’t really know how they compare price-wise.

 

[Producer Jim]

They’re more, but if they’re saving you major headaches, and the gutter guards are a little more expensive, but it’s so close, that’s the time to do it.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, well, there you have it. Well, when it comes to adding a backyard deck, this really is one sure-fire way that you’re going to increase your home’s living space, probably its resale value as well. But if you’re not careful in the process, it’s very easy to make some costly mistakes.

 

So here’s what you do to avoid those expensive mistakes. First of all, think about traffic flow and convenience. A lot of people like their decks to be just off of the kitchen.

 

I mean, for obvious reasons. If you’re going to build a wraparound deck, try to have the door to the deck just off of the kitchen, because that’s going to make summer barbecuing and even wintertime grilling a breeze. Also, you want to make sure that you include room for a dining area with chairs, and that it’s not between you and the pathway to that kitchen and the grill.

 

And don’t forget to consider options like a built-in bench or planters, lighting. All of this makes your deck much more user-friendly, comfortable, stylish, enjoyable. So you have to think about the whole process when you’re in the designing and building phase.

 

Now, when it comes to materials, if you choose to build a wooden deck, you have to keep in mind that that’s going to be the least expensive option is pressure-treated wood. That requires upkeep in the form of stains, sealants. You’ve got to keep out the weather.

 

This has to be done every couple of years. If your budget does allow, though, cedar is a great choice because it’s naturally weather and insect resistance, and it weathers to like this really beautiful sort of mellow gray tone. Composite decking is beautiful, and it generally requires little to no upkeep, but it’s very much more expensive, guys.

 

So you have to look at your budget here. I mean, even more so expensive than some fancy wood decking, and you’re not likely to see that value come back when it comes to a sales point of view. However, from an enjoyment, maintenance, beauty standpoint, it’s definitely high up there.

 

If you are planning to stay in your home for the foreseeable future, it’s a great option that definitely eliminates the worry of splinters on your bare feet, although it does tend to get hot in the sun, so you might not be barefoot as often as you like, but it’s beautiful and definitely worth the extra expense. So, guys, whatever you’re planning for your deck, think ahead, plan ahead. It’s going to be a great project.

 

We can’t wait to hear all about them, so give us a call at 888-MONEYPIT. Jim, let’s get back to the phones.

 

[Producer Jim]

All right, Leslie, we’ve got Catherine. She’s got a fire pit question, and she hails from Delaware. How can we help out today, Catherine?

 

[Catherine in Delaware]

Well, I’d love to have a homemade fire pit in my backyard. I don’t want to buy a metal one. They’ll only get rusty, right?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, the metal ones do get rusty, but they can last a very long time. I mean, with a built-in fire pit, you’re going to have to deal with how that fire pit sort of looks and functions in the off season, and it’s kind of hard to shovel snow around, and it’s kind of hard to just maintain, at least with the metal fire pits, you can kind of put it away when you’re done with it for the season and take it out if you have a nice, crisp autumn night you want to use it for. And that, with a stone one, they’re definitely gorgeous, but they’re definitely a more permanent solution.

 

So if you’re more used to having that area of your backyard for multipurpose, it’s going to kind of limit what that area is for. But if you are thinking you want to do something out of stone and you want it to be a little bit more permanent, there’s a great product called Ladera. It’s made by a company called Pavestone, and they actually have a fireplace kit, well, a fire pit kit, I should say, that is super great.

 

I mean, I think the kit will have everything you need to build something at like 40 inches by 15 inches, so maybe a 40-inch square one. But there’s a lot of different options. There’s a lot of different faces on it, so you can sort of have it look really customizable and beautiful.

 

All right, can’t wait to hear how it goes. Good luck with that. Being that this is the first official weekend of summer, it’s time to have your home’s decor reflect that new season.

 

You can swap out heavy rugs, the throw pillows, all of those blankets for something that’s more of like a breezy summer fabric. You know, think cotton, linen, even light outdoor-friendly materials. You want to opt for fresh colors, turquoise, coral, citrusy greens.

 

That’s really going to give your living space a seasonal pop. It’s a fast, affordable refresh that can make your home feel lighter and more in tune with the sunny season. Sounds like it’s time to start decorating, you guys.

 

But first, give us a call at 888-MONEYPIT. Jim, who’s on the line?

 

[Producer Jim]

Leslie, we’ve got Victoria from Arkansas. She’s on the line, and she’s having a grout issue. What’s happening, Victoria?

 

[Victoria in Arkansas]

Well, you know, grout this, grout that, grumpy, grumpy grout. Okay, grumpy grout.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

What’s going on?

 

[Victoria in Arkansas]

You know, I hate grouting. It’s real tough. But this is with granules in it.

 

But there’s just a couple small areas where it’s falling out. Do I still need, I mean, this is a pretty tall shower. Do I still need to pull out all the grout from the top to the bottom, or can I just grout those few little particles that fell out?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

No, I mean, if you’ve got areas where it’s really secure and not coming out, you definitely don’t need to re-grout those areas. But where the grout has popped out, you know, that’s the area that you have to refill. You don’t happen to have any of the original grout left by chance.

 

[Victoria in Arkansas]

No, because I bought this house about four years ago, but I found the same type of grout, but it is kind of like a sandy grout. Are you familiar with that?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Well, it depends. All right, so the grout that you have is sandy. Generally, a sandy grout means it’s meant for wider grout lines, and that’s generally for a floor.

 

The one that’s smoother, more fine, is generally the wall shower grout. So it depends. Could you use it on the wall?

 

Absolutely. It’s just going to have a little bit of a thicker texture than the other would for the walls. Now, the other thing is, are you sure it’s the same color?

 

Because if you don’t get the color right, you are going to notice, even if it’s just like a slight shade different from the white or ivory, whatever it is. Because sometimes when you mix it up wet and it looks like, oh, great, matches exactly, it will tend to dry darker. So I would do a little test patch just to make sure that they are pretty close.

 

Make sure you feel comfortable with the heavier grout, the more sanded grout, and that should definitely help you out.

 

[Victoria in Arkansas]

Oh, thank God. Grateful that you guys called me back and saved me all that time and aggravation.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Oh, you’re super welcome. No worries.

 

[Victoria in Arkansas]

No more grumpy grouting.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, take care. Well, now that you’re spending more time outdoors, you may be noticing that your roof has seen better days. If your roof is more than 10 or 15 years old, you might be thinking that’s going to be time to replace that roof soon.

 

And you know what? You might be right. As roofs age, those shingles do dry out and lose their water resistance.

 

And this is especially true today because most shingles actually have less asphalt in them than ever before. And that means that they’re going to dry out faster. And when that happens, that shingle itself is going to need to be replaced, and that can be a pretty expensive project.

 

Now, there’s another way that you can extend the life of your roof. It’s called RoofMax, and it’s a roof restoration treatment that restores the flexibility and waterproofing protection of aging asphalt shingle roofs. And this can save you over 80% of a traditional roof replacement.

 

RoofMax’s new technology uses natural plant-based bio-oil for a full asphalt shingle restoration. And this gives those shingles back their flexibility, and it can instantly add five years of life to your roof. It’s kind of like when you treat an older deck or your driveway to give it new life.

 

RoofMax does something very similar for an asphalt roof, and it only uses revolutionary technology that sort of soaks those old, brittle shingles with millions of microbeads of all-natural bio-oil to restore their flexibility and prepare them to better protect your home. Now, each RoofMax treatment comes with a five-year flexibility guarantee. With three treatments possible once every five years, RoofMaxx can add up to 15 years of life to your asphalt roof, and that’s huge.

 

If you want to learn more and set up an appointment with your local RoofMaxx dealer, head on over to roofmaxx.com. That’s R-O-O-F-M-A-X-X dot com. They’re going to come to your house, they’re going to look at the roof, they’re going to make an assessment, and they’ll let you know if RoofMax is a good application for your home.

 

If it’s not, they’re going to tell you so. And if it is, they’re going to tell you so also and totally give you a big savings but give you back more time with your roof, which is a huge cost saver. So check them out at roofmax.com.

 

All right, Jim, let’s get back to the phones.

 

[Producer Jim]

Give me a second. I’m going to roofmaxx.com because…

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I’m like, I want to do it on my house.

 

[Producer Jim]

I do need it on mine. Hey, RoofMaxx folks, we need to talk.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, truly. My roof is 15 years old. I feel like it’s time.

 

Jim, let’s get back to the phones.

 

[Producer Jim]

Now we’re going to Louisiana, Les, and we’re going to be talking to Greg. Something about a toilet issue? What’s happening?

 

[Greg in Louisiana]

The shutoff valve handle broke off. Of course, the water’s still flowing through it. I don’t have a leak or anything like that, but I was trying to figure out the best way to fix it.

 

I know I’ve got to cut the water off to the house, but I didn’t want to damage my piping stuff, you know?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

All right, that’s super frustrating, and it’s something a lot of us have to deal with. I specifically went to change all of the things, the fill valve, the flapper valve, all of it, and I went to turn off the water flow to the toilet, and I couldn’t budge that dumb football-shaped valve. It probably hadn’t been turned in forever and a day.

 

For some reason, the handles are a little thinner. They, like, strip more easily, and it’s not something that you’re turning on and off regularly, so it’s like they just get stuck, and then they break. So, you know, when it really happens, that’s just you’ve got to replace the valve.

 

Now, with that said, I’m guessing you have copper pipes. You know, PEX fittings are designed to be used with copper pipes, and they have valve-to-pipe connections. They also have pipe-to-line connections, and if you follow the instructions, it’s actually a pretty simple plumbing project to install one of those valves.

 

It’s no soldering involved. They sort of go into, like, the Y valve, so you have these two spigots, and you kind of, you know, when you’re replacing them, like, we did one in the kitchen, and so the valve came in through the wall. One went to the dishwasher.

 

One went to the sink. It was kind of a tight spot. I didn’t want to get in there with a torch.

 

I didn’t want to get in there, do all the things. So the PEX is great. It kind of goes into these tight places with very simple tools, and it’s great in a tight spot.

 

So if you want to try replacing this toilet valve with a PEX-fitted one, they’re inexpensive, and you can pick them up at the home center. The only problem is you have to make sure that on the pipe itself that sticks out of the wall, that you have the correct amount of stub there. So you may have to go into your wall a little bit, but it’s the easiest remedy for this currently.

 

[Greg in Louisiana]

Yeah, that was what I was concerned about because the amount of space between the wall and where the valve, you know, made the 90-degree upwards, there’s not a whole lot of space there. That’s why I was concerned about maybe not having enough room to work with.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Is it a tile wall or is it drywall?

 

[Greg in Louisiana]

Drywall.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Okay, so in a worst-case scenario, you may have to cut open that drywall a bit to sort of get the pipe right for this repair, but it’s not a terrible job to fix. And here’s a trick of the trade. When you’re doing a patch like that, don’t just cut out the tiny little area around it.

 

Try to go from stud to stud so that you’re making your cut right down the middle of the stud, and when you’re making the repair, yes, it’s a larger piece, but it’s properly supported. It’s easier to go in. You can probably work a little bit better in that wider space than trying to just stay in such a small spot, and you want to resecure this new piece of drywall with drywall screws right back into the studs, and then tape and spackle it and touch up the paint.

 

And that should do the trick. A lot of folks have this issue. I mean, it’s happened to all of us.

 

[Greg in Louisiana]

Appreciate you guys. Y’all have been a great blessing today, and thank you for sharing that information with me.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

You got it. Good luck. With the full heat of summer, here to stay for the foreseeable future is your yard getting too much sun?

 

Well, why not try adding a shade sail? It’s a pergola with fabric panels or even a simple outdoor curtain setup, and not only is it going to make your space more comfortable, it kind of gives it that resort-like style. You want to look for UV-blocking materials that will hold up to the summer weather, and you want to make sure you anchor them securely so that you’re ready for both chill lounging and, of course, those sudden breezes that come up.

 

Sudden picks when you build your shade canopy. I love outdoor projects, and I love being outside in the summer season. Hanging out in the backyard is, like, my most favorite.

 

So let me see what you guys are working on. Well, summer storms can be fast and fierce. They come rolling in with lightning, heavy winds, and the potential to knock out power in a flash.

 

But with a little preparation, you can keep your home and your family safe and comfortable when the lights do go out. So first of all, let’s try to keep the lights from going out. First things first, you want to invest in a backup power source.

 

If outages are common in your area, you can consider a standby generator. These systems automatically kick on when the power goes out, and that keeps essentials like your fridge, the air conditioning, medical devices all up and running. They’re not cheap.

 

I mean, they’re not as expensive as they used to be, but they are a game-changer, especially if you work from home or if you have health concerns. If you want a more affordable option, a portable generator can keep your basics powered, but you really do need to make sure that you operate them safely, outside, away from the doors and windows, and never in a garage due to the risk of carbon monoxide. Next, you want to think about surge protection.

 

Lightning strikes can send a surge through your home’s wiring, and that can fry out electronics in an instant. A whole house surge protector that’s installed at your electrical panel is your first line of defense. You can also layer in point-of-use surge strips for your computers, the TV, the routers.

 

Those are small investments that can protect some of your most expensive devices. We lost a dryer in a lightning storm, so we now have a whole house surge protector. It’s definitely, who knows if it’s made a difference since then, but I have those same appliances since, so better safe than sorry.

 

Now, don’t also forget about storm prep basics. You want to trim the trees and remove dead limbs near the home and the power lines to prevent damage during high winds. You want to clean your gutters and downspouts so that water drains properly and doesn’t back up near the electrical system.

 

And you want to check that your sump pump has a battery backup, because if you rely on it to prevent basement flooding and the power goes out, guess what? You could be in a bad way. Finally, create a storm kit with essentials, flashlights, batteries, battery-powered radio, portable phone chargers, bottled water, non-perishable food, and keep it all in an easy-to-grab tote that you know exactly where it is so you’re not scrambling in the dark.

 

I mean, really, a little planning goes a very long way when it comes to staying safe and keeping the power on, or at least staying sane when those summer storms hit. And remember, if you’re ever unsure about any electrical work, call in a licensed pro. It’s not just about convenience.

 

It’s about protecting your home and your family. Well, summer is the perfect time to give your home’s curb appeal a boost. You can start with a fresh coat of paint on your front door.

 

Bold colors, think like deep blue, sunflower yellow, even just a classic red, really pop in the sunshine. You can add some planters with bright seasonal flowers, like petunias or marigolds. And don’t forget to update your house numbers or hardware for just that modern touch.

 

These very small changes can make a big impact and welcome your summer guests with instant charm. Well, now let’s check out the Money Pit inbox and pick an email. Jim, who’s up first in the email world?

 

[Producer Jim]

We’ve got one here from Lisa, and she says, Moles have started to show up in my garden. What can I do to get rid of them? I don’t want to use any kind of pesticide because we grow vegetables.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

And you know what? Moles are not bunny rabbits. They’re weird-looking creatures.

 

[Producer Jim]

I think they’re cool.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

I mean, they’re so strange. Have you ever seen a star-faced mole?

 

[Producer Jim]

No.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Instead of like an adorable little snout, it’s like fingers. I wish you could see that. That’s what I’m doing.

 

[Producer Jim]

I’m going to go Google that. You just answered this question, right?

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Yeah, check them out because those will be like, get out of here. What is that weird thing? And you’re right.

 

It’s definitely a concern. Even though there are pesticides that are acceptable for that use around a home garden, there’s really an easy way that you can get rid of them, and that’s by using a type of worm. And it’s a totally microscopic worm.

 

It’s called a nematode. And you can use them in the garden, and you even order them online and get this. You can actually order them on Amazon.

 

You can find them in a lot of places, but it’s very easy to get. They’re crazy, crazy, crazy tiny. They come in like the littlest package you can imagine.

 

And in that tiny package is like 5 million worms in like a teaspoon. So, believe it or not, they are that, that tiny. You buy them.

 

They come in a freezer pack. Sometimes they come with a sprayer, or you can use a hose sprayer or a pump sprayer. You mix the nematodes in the water, and then you spray the garden.

 

And basically, those nematodes are predatory worms that are going to hunt down and kill the insects, which is what the moles are eating. The moles have zero interest in your garden. They love these sort of bugs that live in the ground.

 

And they want to eat those, so these nematodes will get rid of them. And they’re totally safe for people, for pets, for the plants. If you do two applications in your garden, I mean, you know, we’ve used this before.

 

We saw moles. I put an application of the nematodes. A few weeks later, I put another application.

 

I wasn’t going to have anybody messing with the new veggie garden. And you know what? Problem solved.

 

We had the best garden ever. Everything was growing beautifully. The moles were not bothering anybody.

 

I don’t know where they went to, but they definitely weren’t in my yard anymore. So check out nematodes. Do we have time for one more, Jim?

 

[Producer Jim]

We do. We’ve got one from Ken, who’s thinking about installing replacement windows. I would like to know how these are different from other kinds of new windows.

 

[Leslie Segrete]

Well, you know, they actually differ a lot. So when you buy a new construction window, those are designed to go into the wall while it’s being framed and before the siding goes on. They’ve got a flange around the window.

 

It kind of rests on top of the framed wall, and that’s how it’s physically attached with nails. And then you put the siding on and finish building. Done.

 

If your house is already constructed, removing the siding is like a disastrous job. You’re never going to get it back the way you want. So a replacement window is what you would do.

 

It’s designed to fit inside of the old opening, so the old jam. You take out the top and bottom, you know, functional part of the double hung window, and then you slide the new ones in. It’s custom-made.

 

It fits right in, and it’s pretty quick. So that’s really the difference, and you want to make sure you’re buying the right one. Thanks again for kicking off your summer with the Money Pit.

 

Let us know what projects you have on the horizon or something that you might just need some guidance with, and we’ll include that in some upcoming episodes of the Money Pit. We’d love to hear about it, you guys. The show continues online at moneypit.com.

 

It takes a village, folks, so be part of it. Remember, you can do it yourself, but you don’t have to do it alone.