Show Notes
- Apartment Gardens: Love to garden but don’t have outdoor yard space? Get tips on growing an apartment garden.
- Home Security: Effective home security cameras need to be positioned properly. Find out where to place cameras to keep your home safe.
- Sealing Concrete Surfaces: Concrete patios, driveways, and sidewalks take a lot of wear and tear. This product will keep concrete looking like new.
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
Plus, answers to your home improvement questions about:
- Refinishing Hardwood Floors: Joyce wants to know the best way to refinish her hardwood floors. We share the steps on what to use and how to do it.
- Cleaning Vinyl Siding: Doug needs to clean spray foam residue from his vinyl siding. He’ll need some WD-40 and a putty knife to soften and scrape it away.
- Sump Pump: The sump pump wasn’t turning on and now it’s making a gurgling sound! Renee gets info on what may be affecting her sump pump and how to improve drainage.
- Hot Water Pressure: Steve is not getting good hot water pressure. He should check the valves all along the line to see where the flow is being restricted.
- Popcorn Ceiling: A popcorn ceiling in a bathroom is a terrible idea! Bill scraped it off and now he should use primer to seal it and then use a flat paint.
- Leaking Pool Pipes: Sherilynn has a steel pool with a leak somewhere in the pipes. We suggest disabling the existing pipe and running a new line to replace it.
- Garage Floor: The garage floor is not level and water is going towards the wall of the house. Bill can use a floor-leveling compound to even out the concrete.
- Roof Replacement: The roofer wants to add a third layer to Ella’s roof. It’s a bad idea because it will retain heat and accelerate the deterioration of the top layer.
- Kitchen Flooring: William likes the look of bamboo flooring for his kitchen. It’s a good, durable choice if that’s his style, and we offer some additional options.
- Rust Stains: Metal banister rails left rust stains on Tamra’s pavers. She can try using chemical or natural acid rust removers to clean the stains.
Podcast Transcript
Read Transcript
| 0:00:35 | TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles. This is the Money Pit Home Improvement show. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
| 0:00:40 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. |
| 0:00:42 | TOM: Look around your house. What projects are on the to do list today? What projects are on the future to do list the president’s to do list or the I’m stuck in the middle to do list to get done today and then reach out to us with your questions because we have got years and years of experience waiting to help you get that project done. You can do that by calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. Or better yet, for the fastest possible response, go to Money Pit, AECOM, slash ask and click the blue Microphone button. Coming up on today’s show, we’re going to talk about apartment living. One of the advantages, apartment living has a lot of advantages. And I know you apartment dwellers agree with me, but having a yard that you can call your own is definitely not one of them. That said, it’s no reason to give up on the idea of having your very own garden. We’re going to share some tips to help you create a bountiful garden using only the space you have. |
| 0:01:33 | LESLIE: And now that vacation season is coming up. It’s a good idea to step up your home security. But if your system includes security cameras, it’s important that they’re positioned correctly. think about it. How many times have you seen a video of a break in or other crime where that video was so bad that it’s practically useless? So we’re going to walk you through the most common errors to avoid so that your home is fully protected. |
| 0:01:55 | TOM: And if your spring cleaning checklist includes power washing stains. Concrete surfaces, we’re going to share a sealer that you can use to protect against a wide variety of those stains and make sure that they come back. |
| 0:02:05 | LESLIE: Plus, we’ve got a great giveaway this hour. It’s a new product from Gates coatings called Rock Patch, and that can help you easily repair and restore any concrete surface that was damaged over the winter. And it’s a prize pack worth almost 50 bucks. |
| 0:02:17 | TOM: Qualify. All you need to do is reach out with your home improvement question. The number here is 88 Money Pit. That’s 888-666-3974. Go to Money Pit icon slash ask. Click the blue microphone button. Let’s get to it. Leslie, who’s first? |
| 0:02:33 | LESLIE: Joyce in Missouri is on the line with a floor finishing question. How can we help you? |
| 0:02:37 | CALLER: I do have a question about my hardwood. It’s the old solid hardwood from there’s put down back in the fifties. I love it. And I refinished it all for about 15 to 17 years ago. And with the time and traffic that Top is wearing now and I need to send it down and resurface it. When I did it, the and I used Jim Steel. But I want to know what would be the best product that would be long term lasting and something that would be user friendly for an individual. |
| 0:03:09 | TOM: Okay. So first of all, in terms of the sanding it down part, does the floor have any really severe wear or is it just the finish that’s worn? |
| 0:03:17 | CALLER: Just the finish so. |
| 0:03:18 | TOM: You don’t have to send it down all the way. What you can do is you can basically just lightly sand the surface. There is a machine called a u sand machine, which is like a brace of disc sander that you can rent at a home center or a hardware store and has like four brace of discs in it. It does have like a vacuum system built in, so it doesn’t leave dust all over the place, but it won’t wear down the wood too much. So just sort of take that top layer of finish off and get it ready to be refinished. Because with hardwood floors you don’t want to sand them completely down if you don’t have to, because that takes many years off their life. When you take all that finish off down the road would it’s really not necessary. And then after you sand it, then you can apply an oil based polyurethane. So not low water based, but oil based, not acrylic base, but oil based. And you’re going to apply that with what’s called a lamb’s wool applicator. It’s kind of like a mop. If you dip into a paint tray, you apply it and very smooth. Even coats start on one end, work your way out the door, and then leave for a good four or five, 6 hours, depending on the weather. |
| 0:04:24 | CALLER: Okay. With the windows open. Yeah. |
| 0:04:26 | TOM: Yeah. If it’s a nice dry day and the windows are open, that the best thing. But just remember whatever it says for drying time on the can, at least double it, because it tends to be a bit sticky for a while. |
| 0:04:36 | CALLER: Okay, so an oil based polyurethane and a lens wool applicator. Yep. |
| 0:04:40 | TOM: And then with a light sanding before you start the whole thing. Okay. |
| 0:04:43 | CALLER: Sounds wonderful. Thank you so very much. And you’ll have a wonderful day. |
| 0:04:47 | TOM: Thanks, Joyce. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. we get more questions on floors than any other topic on this program. |
| 0:04:58 | LESLIE: Well, and they occupy a large portion of your home. That is always something to do. |
| 0:05:03 | TOM: And they take a lot of abuse. So that’s probably why people need to fix them all the time. |
| 0:05:08 | LESLIE: Now we’ve got Doug in Virginia on the line with a siding question. How can I help you? |
| 0:05:12 | CALLER: Yes, I get my son’s house has some vinyl siding on it. And the folks that owned it before he did were patching something with some of the spray foam insulation, the cracked solar stuff, and it fused out all over the siding. So I know I can go back and cut it. So it’s cut what’s extra stuff? But when I get down close to the vinyl, what can I clean the residue off with to make it clean without damaging the vinyl? |
| 0:05:38 | TOM: It’s very difficult because you get those. Those foams are usually polyurethane and they have real adhesive qualities to it. Really, it really adhesive. So what you can do is try to gently scrape it off with a putty knife, but make sure you want an older one is better because it won’t be quite so sharp and very carefully do that. And then I’ve well, I’ve stripped off some foam errant foam with WD 40 as the solvent. So you might want to try that with a scotch pad because Scotch Bay is not abrasive, but you could spray the siding with the WD 40 and then work the Scotch pad back and forth. You may find that you pull off some of that. Some of that residue really depends on what kind of foam it is. But you’re right, once it’s dried, cut as much of it off, and then try to a braid the rest of it off, but do so with a mind not to damage the siding. |
| 0:06:32 | CALLER: Okay, well, give it a try. WD 40. Yep. |
| 0:06:36 | TOM: Try it. It’s one of the thousand uses for that stuff. they say the only the only two things. You talking WD 40 and duct tape. They’re pretty close. Then I can. |
| 0:06:44 | CALLER: Go over the whole back of the house of WD 42 to realize. |
| 0:06:47 | TOM: Well, I would if. If it’s the whole back of the house. He’s talking about spot cleaning. Okay, But if it’s all back of the house, then I think you got a bigger problem. I think you’re looking at new siding. |
| 0:06:56 | CALLER: But what I get an oily spot when I use the WD 40, that would look different. And you. |
| 0:07:00 | TOM: Will. You will. But soap and water will take it away. |
| 0:07:03 | CALLER: I guess that’ll state. |
| 0:07:04 | LESLIE: And that’s why it’s good for only like a little spot. |
| 0:07:07 | CALLER: All right. Thanks a lot. |
| 0:07:08 | TOM: All right. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 88 Money Pit. |
| 0:07:13 | LESLIE: Hey, guys, if you’ve heard a helpful tip or two while listening to our show, please help us help even more home improvers by dropping us a five star review on Apple Podcasts. |
| 0:07:22 | TOM: That would be awesome. And you might even win a copy of our book My Home, My Money Pit, Your Guide to Every Home Improvement Adventure. Just go to Money Pit Icon slash Review. Well, if the winter season left your concrete walks or patios looking a bit bad, maybe you use some of that rock salt on it. They’re all pitted. We’ve got a great product we’re giving away on today’s show that can help. It’s new from Dish Coatings. It’s called Rock Patch. Now, I like this because most of the time when you find a patching material, you have to mix it up. It’s usually powder. This is in a can. All you do is pop the lid, give it a stir. Two and a way you go. You can fill cracks. You can fill holes. You can level out some surfaces and get it ready for a new painting or maybe new flooring, whatever it is. You can do it quickly and easily. The Days Coatings Product Rock Patch is available online at Danish Cottages.com and IKEA’s COTTAGES.COM, as well as Home Depot and Lowe’s. But we’ve got one gallon to give away today. It’s going out to one listener drawing at random. So make that you reach out to us with your questions at Moneypit.com/ask. |
| 0:08:26 | LESLIE: Renee, you’ve got the Money Pit. How can I help you today? |
| 0:08:28 | CALLER: My question is concerning my sump pump. Obviously, if I’m pulled in the basement and for a long time, for several months, I had not heard of something going off a few weeks. A few months ago when it was raining very hard, I went down to the basement to see why this pump was kicking on and it would be the well was filled with water. So I went ahead and I drained the water out by a bucket being taken buckets and just pouring buckets of water out until I got down to see where the fall of the wall was. And it still wouldn’t come on. So I tapped the wall and eventually when the water rose, it will kick on again. But now I’m hearing this gurgling sound in my kitchen sink piping, and I want to know why. |
| 0:09:18 | TOM: Where is the sump pump discharging, as it does discharging into this basement sink? |
| 0:09:22 | CALLER: Sump pump discharge. It is. It’s connected to the outside sewer line. And that’s I guess that sewer line is connected to the basis, the kitchen sink. |
| 0:09:34 | TOM: Okay. So first of all, it has to go through a trap. If it doesn’t go through a trap, you may get sewage gas that comes back into the basement. So that’s the first thing. Secondly, the gurgling might just because it doesn’t have enough water in the sump itself, you probably pulling a lot of air in there. And thirdly, because your sump pump was filling up when you had heavy rain, the source of that water is usually within your ability to repair and stop generally when your sump pump fills up after heavy rains because your gutters are clogged or overflowing or your downspouts are not discharging away from the foundation or the soil around the house |
| 0:10:13 | TOM: is not slipping away from the outside walls. That’s what causes problems with water filling up in basements and flood and floods in a sort because an outside surface drainage is just not set up right. So I would focus on improving your exterior. Drainage is a great article on money FT.com about how to solve what basements. A lot of that advice applies to this, and then you’ll find that the sump pump will have to run that much less. |
| 0:10:37 | CALLER: Okay, that’s great news. |
| 0:10:39 | TOM: Rene, thanks so much for calling us at 88 Money Pit. |
| 0:10:43 | LESLIE: Stephen, Michigan is on the line with the water heater. Question What can we do for you? |
| 0:10:46 | CALLER: My hot water tank has no good water pressure behind it. |
| 0:10:49 | TOM: Where are you spotting this? Is it at a particular faucet or fixture or is it multiple bathrooms throughout the house? |
| 0:10:55 | CALLER: Everywhere. My shower, my sinks, my washing machine, anywhere where I have like how if I just have like hot water going in my washing machine, it takes forever to fill up. It’s like when I go to take a shower. If I just have the call, everything just straight cold water going. I have nice pressure behind it. |
| 0:11:15 | TOM: And let me ask you a question. How old how old is your house? Stavros okay, I think you’ve got a problem with the valve somewhere on that hot water line that’s restricting the flow because the water pressure is going to be the same for hot and cold when it comes into the house. So the fact that it’s going through the water heater and then slowing down means that something is clogging it or something is basically slowing down that flow. So I think that the problem would most likely be at the water heater itself, either the water flow into it or the water flow out of it. And it could be that one of those valves is stuck, closed or partially stuck. I would close the valves all the way and then open them back up and see if that makes a difference. I would also follow the line back to make sure that every single valve is fully open on that hot water side. And I suspect that you’re going to find something that’s partially closed and that’s what’s causing this. Steve, thanks so much for calling us at 88 Money Pit. |
| 0:12:08 | LESLIE: Well, if you live in an apartment or a townhouse and you’d still like to enjoy a garden this summer, a little planning and an assortment of containers of different sizes and depths, that’s really all you need to set up your own apartment garden, plot on your balcony or your porch. So, first of all, let’s talk about those containers. Now, the larger the container, the more crops that you can grow. But you’re also going to need varying depths as well. For example, some crops like a chive, basil, radishes, lettuce, those are going to do just fine in a fairly shallow container that’s going to hold about 4 to 5 inches of soil. Other crops like think about onions, mint peas, garlic, bush, beans, those need at least six inches of soil to thrive. So you’ve got to think about what you’re growing. To help you determine the right container. |
| 0:12:54 | TOM: Now, as for that soil, it’s best to stick with soil that’s meant for outdoor containers. Most home and garden centers will sell soil as designed for raised beds, which is essentially what you have. This soil is fertilized and very rich in nutrients to give your garden a quick start. Now, for sun, most plants require at least 6 hours of sun today to thrive. If your urban gardening space doesn’t get that much, you either need to stick with the varieties that can do with less sun or consider putting your containers on casters so that you can move them around to follow the sun as it moves throughout the day. |
| 0:13:29 | LESLIE: Yeah. And finally, don’t forget to plan for a good watering can or a drip irrigation system. Now there are some really helpful small and automatic drip irrigation systems available on sites like Amazon that are specifically designed for container gardens. And this is where I always fail. It’s like in the correct amount of watering. So an irrigation system, if you’re like me and you’re like, Oh, it’s fine, or water later, this will take all of that guesswork out and just water it as often as you need it to without you even thinking about it. |
| 0:13:58 | TOM: And just like a larger garden creating and maintaining urban gardening from a balcony, a patio or a door stoop takes both time and commitment. But there’s nothing like stepping out on the balcony to gather yourself up some fresh ingredients for a tasty meal whenever you want. our first balcony gardening experience started with us sort of cheating a little bit. We had these planters and we wanted to grow basil and we tried growing it from seed and it wasn’t going so well. And so I was in the supermarket once and I saw the big bushes of basil with the roots attached. I thought, Huh, I wonder. Well, sure enough, those roots took very quickly and we just had massive basil bushes for the entire season based on my supermarket choice. |
| 0:14:42 | LESLIE: Bill in Texas is on the line and has a painting question How can we help with your project? |
| 0:14:46 | CALLER: I’m remotely in my bathroom and it had popcorn on the ceiling. I scrape that off. My question now is, is there a special sealer? I need to put on there other than like a Kiehl’s primer before I paint? |
| 0:15:00 | LESLIE: Well, yeah, a primer is exactly what you’re going to need. You’re going to want a primer. A Kills primer is fantastic, especially if you have any uneven surfaces or uneven finishes, I should say, or areas of mold or areas of discoloration. That’s the type of primer that you’re going to use to really seal everything in. And once that’s dry, you can go ahead and top it with any latex topcoat, a good quality sealing paint. Some people go with white, some people will tend to sealing paint slightly just to give a softer space. Totally up to you. |
| 0:15:30 | CALLER: I get all that all that texture off the corner of do they make the paint with the texture a lot like texture in it now. |
| 0:15:38 | TOM: Well I mean I think they do have textured surfaces, kind of like stippled surfaces, but I don’t know if you want to go back there. The thing is, if you did a good job of scraping all that old popcorn off and can I just say what a dumb idea that was for somebody to put popcorn on a bathroom ceiling? Oh, my. |
| 0:15:55 | LESLIE: Goodness. To make it fall down. Yeah. |
| 0:15:58 | TOM: Yeah. let’s not only put it in the damp location, let’s give it lots of nooks and crannies. Working girl mold, right? we can make it impossible to clean, so, so well-done scraping that away. But I would say that if you got it all scraped away, and if you apply the good quality primer like Leslie suggested, followed by an equally good quality flat, very important. That’s flat, though, because if you do anything with a sheet is going terrible, but flat latex paint, I think you’re going to be good to go. I dare say that people are not going to be going into your bathroom looking up and go Bill, love your house, but that ceiling’s a bit rough. I think you’re good on that. |
| 0:16:34 | CALLER: All right. Very good. Thank you. |
| 0:16:37 | TOM: All right, Bill, take care. Thanks so much for calling us at eight. Any money fit, man? Popcorn in the bathroom ceiling. What a bad idea that was. |
| 0:16:44 | LESLIE: Sherrilyn in Delaware is on the line with a leaky pipe in a pool. What’s going on? |
| 0:16:48 | CALLER: Yes, we have a steel pool built right after World War Two. They had a lot of excess steel, and they found the large pool to build. And we have it somewhere in the pipes. We have a leak, and we’re not sure exactly what the material of the pipes is at that. We think it might be black. |
| 0:17:10 | TOM: This is the pipe that does white. This is the pipe that fills the pool. This is a drain line. What kind of pipe? |
| 0:17:15 | CALLER: We’re talking about a pipe that either goes to the pool from the pump and returns back to the pool for the pump or raise the top for who to go to the phone. |
| 0:17:23 | TOM: I don’t have a good solution for you for repairing an active pipe like that short of replacing it. Generally speaking, when you have underground lines like that, that that rupture, it’s not a matter of repairing it. It’s a matter of replacing it. And it may be that you can leave the other pipe in place and just basically disable it and then install a new line to do the same thing that the old line was doing. |
| 0:17:45 | TOM: But repairing it is not an option. |
| 0:17:48 | CALLER: Right? Right. |
| 0:17:49 | TOM: Unless you get access to it by basically digging down and exposing it. But it’s usually easier to run a new line. |
| 0:17:54 | CALLER: All righty. Well, thank you. I thought we thought we’d bring it up to have a hard childhood. |
| 0:17:59 | TOM: Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT. |
| 0:18:04 | LESLIE: Bill in Michigan is on the line. How can we help you today? |
| 0:18:06 | CALLER: My wife and I built a house about ten years ago and we have a two car attached garage. And the problem is, is that the floor of our garage is not level. And so when water drops off the car from rain or more particularly ice, snow, it drops off onto the garage floor and starts to go in different, different low spots on the floor. And a lot of it goes directly towards the wall of our house. Okay. So I’m wondering if there’s anything we can do to correct that problem without having to remove the floor and replace you. |
| 0:18:42 | LESLIE: Use something like Arbitron or Abacus to figure out which one is the leveling compound, but to build up more on one side or will that just automatically try to go flat? |
| 0:18:51 | TOM: I’m thinking Leslie, it’s so much work to be able to deal with a surface this big, to try to get it level again, that I actually think it’s frankly going to be easier to tear out the old floor. That might seem extreme, but you may be surprised that with the right tool, like a jackhammer, you can have your entire floor torn out in like a couple of hours. |
| 0:19:12 | TOM: It breaks up really easily and then you could properly level it, properly reinforce it, and then repair it and be done. |
| 0:19:21 | CALLER: I was afraid you’re 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. And so the water drips down there. So I could do that I guess. But I don’t know the likelihood of being able to take concrete off of those. |
| 0:19:40 | TOM: Yeah, that does know that dramatically. I was thinking to be over a filter like every other one. But yeah, that does make it a lot harder. So I guess you are going to have to look into a floor leveling compound for this. And there’s a variety of products out there that this can this can work with. But the key is it’s not just more concrete. |
| 0:20:00 | TOM: It’s a product that’s designed specifically to stick to the existing concrete floor. Okay. you have the full temperature swing there in Michigan. And if you don’t have good adhesion, you’re obviously going to have the second layer chip off so it can be done. It’s a bit of a pain in the neck, but it definitely can be done. |
| 0:20:18 | CALLER: Would you suggest a concrete contractor, do you think they would be familiar with the options there? |
| 0:20:24 | TOM: You may be better off having a pro do it because you really have to set some forms to get this level just right and then you remove them as you go. So then it. |
| 0:20:33 | CALLER: Drains. How much how much could you put on top of a floor that I described? |
| 0:20:37 | TOM: Oh, you could put two or three inches. |
| 0:20:39 | CALLER: Okay. Yeah. Okay. I appreciate that. |
| 0:20:42 | TOM: You’re welcome, Bill. |
| 0:20:43 | LESLIE: Well, now that vacation season is coming up, it’s a good idea to step up your home security system. But if your system includes security cameras, it’s important that you have them positioned correctly. think about it. You see these videos of break ins all the time on the news. And sometimes those videos are so bad that they’re really not as helpful as you want them to be. |
| 0:21:02 | LESLIE: So you’ve got to set up for success in the event of the unthinkable. |
| 0:21:05 | TOM: Now, first, focus on the most vulnerable points of entry about 79% of break ins happen either near the front door or a first floor window or the back door. So these are the most vulnerable areas, and statistically, those are the areas most likely to be the point of entry for any would be burglars. |
| 0:21:20 | LESLIE: Yeah, and a height matters. So you need to cover the right angles at the right height. You don’t want to put them so low that a burglar can easily reach them, cover them, vandalize them whatever. Put it out of use. A good rule of thumb is to install cameras 8 to 10 feet off the ground and then angle the camera itself for the best coverage. Also, don’t place a camera inside your house looking out if it’s behind a glass window that’s going to get direct sunlight at some point in the day. That window is going to create a ton of glare and then that can potentially even block out the footage completely. |
| 0:21:51 | TOM: Now, you also want to check lighting unless your cameras have really good night vision settings, make sure enough lighting exists so they can record clearly, if not, add additional lighting or add motion sensors to pair with each camera so the lights come on when the camera comes on. And finally, keep in mind that unless your cameras are monitored most of the time, footage you’re going to get is going to be after the crime has occurred. There is, however, a system out there called Deep Sentinel that we like that basically has these cameras monitored. 24 seven is pretty affordable. We cover that. More on our guide to security cameras on Money Pit dotcom. So check it out right there. |
| 0:22:28 | LESLIE: Ellen Arkansas is on the line with a roofing question. How can we help you? |
| 0:22:31 | CALLER: I got a roof job coming on this in a couple of weeks as the dilemma roof and adorn my siding. Now, I had a big oak tree in my back yard. I had it cut down, but in the meantime it was there so many years. It left mold here. Not a green stuff growing on my shingles, right? Yup. The gas that’s going to do my roof said that. Oh, that’s okay. You can get up to three less shingles before you have to take the old shingles off. And I say, well, no, strikes are a negative vibe in me because my husband have allergies. Would that affect us? They say they’re going to put the new roof over the old roof and the mold. I told him, No, that’s not going to happen. He said, Well, what we’ll do. Well, or spray it with bleach the mold and we’ll rake it and then we’ll just cover it with the new roofing. And my question is, this is so much money, is that wise? |
| 0:23:33 | TOM: Well, here’s the thing. Yeah. you can put three layers of shingles on, but it’s a really bad idea to do that. Aside from the fact that you’ve got some sort of growth on this roof, the whenever you put a second layer of shingles on the first two layers in your case tend to retain a lot of heat. And especially in an environment like Arkansas, where you have really hot summers as that heat is retained, it accelerates the deterioration of the top layer. So in my experience, if you had a roof that typically would last 20 years, you put a shingle, a layer or two of shingles underneath, you’re going to have it last more like 13 to 15 years. I’ve seen it cut a quarter to a third of the life off by doing that. So it’s always smart to remove all layers. You’re probably trying to avoid it because it’s expensive to remove. Old layers are going to pull it off and then got to get rid of it. But it absolutely is the best way to do a roof replacement. And if you’re planning on being in that house for most of the life of the roof, it’s well worth it. Now, in terms of the moss or the mold or the mildew or whatever is on there, there are many, many things that can grow on a roof depending on the environmental conditions. And it’s not always mold, although people tend to call it that. There’s a product called spray and forget that we have a lot of experience with and you spray in on the roofing surface and tends to smother all of those biological growths and stops them from coming back. It will kill what’s there. It will naturally just die off and go away. And then there’s a bit of a residual effect to it that stays on there. And if you apply that about every two years, you’re not going to ever see any mold or moss or mildew or algae or lichen or anything else grow on that roof shingle. It’s spray and forget scum. Okay. |
| 0:25:20 | CALLER: Okay. I appreciate it. |
| 0:25:22 | TOM: Yep. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT. |
| 0:25:27 | LESLIE: William from South Carolina is on the line with a flooring question. How can we help you today? |
| 0:25:30 | CALLER: Okay, I’m getting conflicting stories about bamboo flooring, and we won’t put bamboo down in the kitchen. It’s a stranded bamboo. How will that work? |
| 0:25:41 | LESLIE: It’s a stranded bamboo. Is that what you said? |
| 0:25:43 | TOM: Yes. What’s the form of this? Is a tongue and groove. |
| 0:25:45 | CALLER: Yes, it’s tongue. Andrew. |
| 0:25:46 | TOM: So why are you concerned about putting it in the kitchen? It’s a perfect choice for that. |
| 0:25:50 | CALLER: I’ve heard several people say it’s a bad choice. It’ll soak up too much liquid if you steal water on it or not. |
| 0:25:56 | TOM: Bamboo. |
| 0:25:57 | LESLIE: Yeah. Now, a bamboo floor, really is good for all kinds of high moisture situations because of the way that it’s made, because of the way that the bamboo is super durable. I think for a kitchen, though bamboo has a very specific look. And if that’s what you’re going for, then that’s great. If you want some other options for a kitchen, I personally love to put a caulk floor in a kitchen. It’s got a little bit more give to it. Super durable. Again, it’s not something that you would want to necessarily have spill a lot of water on it. But should you? You’d be okay. But the caulk flooring is beautiful. But there are so many other options. there’s vinyl tiles and vinyl planks and vinyl flooring that are made to look just like any other type of lumber or stone, for that matter. And they’re super durable. you can get them very, very where you can put them in high moisture situations. There’s a lot of other products out there, whereas bamboo has got a look. And if that’s what you want, it’s great for the application. You just have to think about what the durability of it is, the ease of installment, those type of things. |
| 0:26:55 | CALLER: Okay. I do appreciate it. And this is my man. Thank you. |
| 0:27:00 | TOM: All right. Well, good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 88 Money Pit. |
| 0:27:04 | CALLER: Thank you. |
| 0:27:06 | LESLIE: Well, if you’ve ever poured a fresh concrete porch, patio, driveway or sidewalk, you may notice that while it looks fantastic when it’s first done, it can quickly lose that new concrete luster. Well, Quick Read has a product that both cures new concrete and seals, new or existing concrete to protect it against a wide range of stains. |
| 0:27:25 | TOM: Yup. It’s called Quickly Cure and seal, and it works for both new or existing concrete. Now for new concrete, curing seal promotes proper curing, which helps make the concrete stronger. It also increases durability and reduces shrinkage cracks. |
| 0:27:39 | LESLIE: Now for existing concrete, it’s going to repel water as well as protect and seal those surfaces from acids, grease, road, salt and more. I also like that it makes the surface easier to clean and then when winter comes along, it’s also going to protect it from future winter damage caused by those freeze and thaw cycles. |
| 0:27:56 | TOM: To learn more about Quecreek, current SEAL had to quit Crypto.com quickly. It’s what America is made of. |
| 0:28:03 | LESLIE: Heading to Georgia, where Tamara is on the line with a rust problem. What’s going on in your money pit? |
| 0:28:07 | CALLER: I was having some work done inside my house that’s actually have the banister put in with metal rails. Okay. So they were. |
| 0:28:16 | LESLIE: Cutting up the rails. |
| 0:28:17 | CALLER: Outside on my pavers, on my walkway and wouldn’t see anything. And then winter came and went and were left with a very bad stain and the pavers. And we don’t know if we should use a pressure washer or chemical, something to take it out. |
| 0:28:35 | TOM: Well, you definitely do not want to use a pressure washer because that’s going to destroy the pavers. What you want to do is use some sort of a chemical product or a natural acid to take it off. So you can start with the easy stuff. Most rust removers have some sort of acid in it, so you can start with by pouring lemon juice on the rusted surface. Let that sit kind of work it in with a nylon brush or a wire brush. In addition to lemon juice, you can try natural vinegar that works as well, that those two don’t work. Now, I would use a product like iron out. Have you seen iron out? Many people use it in the in the laundry to take iron stains out of clothing but that works really well as well. |
| 0:29:13 | CALLER: Okay, I’ll try that sealer. |
| 0:29:15 | TOM: Yeah. that would be worth a shot. I think you’re in the right. Department here. Or you could use TSB, tri sodium phosphate. You mix that up into sort of a thick, soapy solution and apply it to the rusted out areas, the rust stained areas. Let it sit for a while and then rinse it off. |
| 0:29:29 | CALLER: Terrific. Thank you so very much. |
| 0:29:32 | LESLIE: Jumping into our questions here with Joan, who says when we first bought our house in northwest Georgia, the interior was newly painted with neutral colors. However, it was about a year before I realized that every room in this five bedroom, three bathroom had been painted over wallpaper. |
| 0:29:48 | TOM: Oops. |
| 0:29:49 | LESLIE: my goodness. First of all, those must have been some very well adhered seams. |
| 0:29:54 | TOM: If you’re not the spot. That right. Whew. |
| 0:29:56 | LESLIE: All right. So now she wants to know, is there a good way to strip already painted paper that probably won’t suck up any steam or any kind of wallpaper? Removing solution. Thank you for your show and your podcast. I enjoy and appreciate you immensely. All right. Thanks, John. |
| 0:30:09 | TOM: I don’t know how mentally you’re going to appreciate this. Listen, this is a hard project, no matter how you look at it. And a lot of it depends on how well adhered that paper is. I would try the traditional steam approach. What I would do is I would use a paper tiger, which is a tool you’re probably familiar with that puts lots of little holes in the wallpaper. I would try this in one area and see how it goes. I would definitely rent the steamer and see what this process is like. If you’re lucky, the paint actually helps that wallpaper stick to the back of it, makes a little bit thicker to grab on to. But if I can get that steam to work for you and it could with this paper, Tiger, it may. It will work. You may be able to pull this off in bigger pieces. So that’s definitely where I would start. If that doesn’t work, then Leslie, I think we’re talking about covering those walls with the drywall. I don’t know what other options we have. |
| 0:30:54 | LESLIE: How to make your room smaller by a half an inch. That should be cool. |
| 0:30:59 | TOM: Yeah, well, actually, you could use you could use even thinner drywall. You can use the 3/8 or quarter inch drywall, but it’s like you have to put the walls up. You have to attach them and you have to tape and spackle, and. |
| 0:31:06 | LESLIE: You have them all your plugs and your switches out. |
| 0:31:09 | TOM: That’s a big job. Yeah. Wow. Oh, boy. They must really like that wallpaper back then, huh? That’s it in every room. |
| 0:31:16 | LESLIE: Oh, my goodness. That is just a lazy way to paint. It really is. |
| 0:31:21 | TOM: maybe I wonder, could you put new wallpaper over the old? |
| 0:31:24 | LESLIE: I don’t know. Will it stick to the paint or will the paint laminate from the old paper? |
| 0:31:28 | TOM: It’s like all the rules are broken now. |
| 0:31:30 | LESLIE: Yeah, Now it’s just like. Yeah, whatever. Good luck. Sorry, John. I’m sorry, babe. |
| 0:31:36 | TOM: Well, spring and summer are peak season for real estate sales. And if you’re the owner of a home that’s new or even new to you, it may be tempting to move in now and paint later. But painting before you move in is hands down the best bet. Leslie goes over the reasons why in today’s edition of Leslie’s Last Word. |
| 0:31:53 | LESLIE: Listen, guys, I get it. After months of dreaming about the new home, it’s finally yours. And you want nothing more than to move your things in immediately. But before you schedule those movers, consider these reasons to start with a few coats of paint instead. Simplest reason, guys, is interior Painting is a lot simpler when you can move freely in a space that doesn’t have furniture, boxes, anything else. So it’s great. Just because of the fact that it’s empty. your painting project is going to take a lot longer. If you’ve got to cover things, uncover furniture, move things, remove rehang, all of that stuff. It’s also going to save you a lot of money if you’re working with a professional painting contractor, because they’re going to finish that much faster in that empty space. That’s going to keep a lot of dollars in your pocket. Now, painting first also simplifies interior decorating. If you’re designing a space from scratch, starting with a fresh paint color scheme will help drive other decisions for that picture perfect result. And finally, it just feels good. there is nothing like a fresh coat of paint to make a home seem cleaner, fresher, more welcoming. And get this, guys, more yours. So just make sure you use a top quality, 100% acrylic latex paint, and you’re going to get a stain resistant finish that’s going to look new for years to come and be so happy in your new space. |
| 0:33:02 | TOM: This is the Money Pit Home Improvement Show. Thank you so much for spending this part of your day with us. Coming up next time on the program, if you’d love to have a backyard swimming spot but hate the smell of chlorine, well, you’ve got options. We’re going to give you the scoop on natural in-ground pools that are pond like gorgeous and very earth friendly. On the very next edition of the Money Pit. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
| 0:33:23 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. |
| 0:33:24 | TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself. |
| 0:33:26 | LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone. |
| (Note: The above referenced transcript is AI-Generated, Unedited and Unproofed and as such may not accurately reflect the recorded audio. Copyright 2023 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.) |
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