Show Notes
- Home Improvement Advice: Are social media hacks for home improvement really helping? Find out what one survey says.
- New Caulk Products: Learn about a new line of caulk that’s easy to use and as good as silicone.
- Summer Insulation: Effective insulation can seal summertime drafts that increase air conditioning costs.
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
Plus, answers to your home improvement questions about:
- Circuit Breakers: Why does the air conditioner keep tripping the circuit breaker? Marcie may need a dedicated circuit if the appliance is pulling too much power.
- HVAC: Michael’s roof-mounted HVAC system wasn’t properly insulated. We’ve got tips on insulating the ducts to reflect UV radiation and lower energy costs.
- Kitchen Cabinet Odors: Carolyn cleaned mold from inside her cabinet but it still smells. She should look for hidden mold she may have missed and apply a clear finish or primer to seal the surface.
- Laminate Countertops: Are laminate kitchen cabinets a good choice? We agree that Terry can find a laminate surface that looks great at a fraction of the cost.
- Trees and Foundations: Lynn is worried about nearby trees damaging her home foundation. She can watch for cracks, but it shouldn’t be a problem.
- Mold In Windows: Lots of condensation is causing mold in the channels of the windows. It will take regular maintenance to keep them clean and dry, and Don may need to replace the windows eventually.
Podcast Transcript
Read Transcript
| 0:00:32 | TOM: Coast to coast and floorboard to shingles. This is the Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
| 0:00:38 | LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. |
| 0:00:39 | TOM: Happy summer guys are enjoying this beautiful warm weather. Are you going to the pool? We go to the beach. Are you like stretched out on your deck or your patio? Hey you. Sometimes what happens to me because my mind is always going is I’m stretched out and I’m looking around my yard. I’m going, Oh, there’s a crack. Oh, I got a point. |
| 0:00:57 | LESLIE: That’s not relaxing time. You’re looking at. |
| 0:00:59 | TOM: Things. I know, but I can’t turn it off, you know? So if you’re like a serial renovator like me, maybe you spot a few things and need some motivation or some help to get started. Whatever is the situation that you want to resolve, it has to do with your house, your home, your condo, your tent, your yard, whatever it is. We’re here to help you out. The number here is 188 Money pit. 888-666-3974. So give us a call and we will get right to it. You know, I said tent because I’m thinking about the fact that I’m going to volunteer at the Boy Scout Jamboree for two weeks and sleep in a tent. |
| 0:01:35 | LESLIE: How exciting. |
| 0:01:36 | TOM: How about that, huh? |
| 0:01:37 | LESLIE: Bring your bug spray. |
| 0:01:39 | TOM: 15,000 scouts are going to be there. They need a lot of help. So I’m looking forward to doing just that. |
| 0:01:46 | LESLIE: But it’s awesome. It’s scouts from all over the world, too. It’s not just our scouts. |
| 0:01:51 | TOM: It’s everybody for this one. It’s all from the U.S., although we do have scouts coming from other countries. But the World Scout Jamboree, which is the last time I did this, like two years ago, three years ago for the World Scout Jamboree, we had 50,000 scouts and they were from 150 countries. And so amazing because they’re all there. They’re all good kids, are having a great time. And, you know, we’re there just to help keep them safe, keep them fed, you know, all that sort of thing. |
| 0:02:14 | LESLIE: And you know what? You’re going to have a good time, too. |
| 0:02:16 | TOM: I know I am. And if you guys are planning the trip, we’d love to hear about that, especially if it involves a place where you can get some inspiration for projects around your house. Anyway, reach out to us right now. We’re here to help the number one aid Money Pit or go to Money Pit Tor.com and click the blue Microphone button. Coming up on today’s show, check this out. Less. A new survey found that Social media hacks are saving homeowners over a thousand bucks on repairs. We’re going to reveal the most popular projects and why so many are seeking a quick fix online. |
| 0:02:46 | LESLIE: All right. Or can’t wait to hear what they’re working on. Also ahead, if you’ve got a project that needs caulk, choosing the right caulk to get the job done is the difference between a successful job that’s going to last and one that’s just not going to last. We’re going to highlight a new line of clocks that work just as well as silicone, but clean up as easily with water. |
| 0:03:06 | TOM: Guys, if you’ve noticed your electricity bill is on the rise during this warmer weather. It may not be because you’re running air conditioning. We’re going to tell you where all those utility costs may actually be going. |
| 0:03:17 | LESLIE: But first, we want to help you create your best home. So whether you’re doing a job yourself or you’re hiring a pro, whatever it is, we’re ready to help you get that job done right. The first time. |
| 0:03:27 | TOM: So let’s get to it. The number here is 1-888-MONEY-PIT or go to Moneypit.com/ask. Leslie Who’s first? |
| 0:03:34 | LESLIE: Marcy in Nebraska, you’ve got the Money Pit. How can we help you today? |
| 0:03:37 | CALLER: We have 15,000 BTU it’s a window air conditioner, okay? And it keeps popping our breaker. Yeah, it does it in like the heat of the afternoon. If we have it on the fan, it will pop it. Yeah. Is it the window, the air conditioner or the breaker? |
| 0:03:55 | TOM: No, it’s the breakers doing its job because you’re pulling too much power. Is this like in the bedroom or where is this? |
| 0:04:02 | CALLER: It’s a living room. |
| 0:04:02 | TOM: Living room? Yeah. You know, in some houses, especially older houses, you have typically too much on that same circuit. You ought to really identify what else is on that circuit and see what you can reduce. You know, I have that happen once in a while. In my house, we had we used to have to put a window air conditioner in one room in there because it was just fully exposed and it just needs a little bit of help in the center where it was and get in there. But I knew that if we vacuum in that house, I had to plug the vacuum into the next room, otherwise I’d trip the breaker. So you need to figure out what else is on that. |
| 0:04:34 | CALLER: Well, that’s the only thing that goes on. |
| 0:04:36 | TOM: Well, I mean, and the other thing you could do is you can have an electrician figure out why that’s happening. You can. There’s a way to determine exactly how much power that unit is pulling and perhaps even run an additional circuit just for that unit that’s properly sized. |
| 0:04:52 | LESLIE: Dedicated specifically for. |
| 0:04:53 | CALLER: That. Okay. Well, the. |
| 0:04:54 | TOM: Reason that happens with air conditioners is because when they first kick on, there is sort of a surge of electricity that it needs to get the compressor going. So that tends to push those can push those breakers a bit. And then they do what they’re supposed to do is turn off to prevent the wire from heating up. Does that make sense? |
| 0:05:09 | CALLER: Okay. Yeah. |
| 0:05:10 | TOM: Yeah. So that’s why it’s happening. |
| 0:05:11 | CALLER: So would it be benefit to put like a higher breaker on it? |
| 0:05:17 | TOM: Well, it’s not just a breaker. You have to run them properly sized wire for it so that you have to run a new circuit because you can’t put a tube, you can’t put a larger breaker on, because then you’re defeating the purpose of the breaker. |
| 0:05:28 | CALLER: That’s what I needed to know. Thank you. |
| 0:05:29 | TOM: Well, you’re welcome. Good luck. |
| 0:05:31 | LESLIE: Michael in Arizona, You’ve got the Money Pit. How can we help you today? |
| 0:05:35 | CALLER: No, I bought a little ranch here in Arizona, and during the winter months, my electric bill runs about $60 a month. And during the summertime, it goes up to about $300 a month. |
| 0:05:48 | TOM: That would be nice if it stayed at that level all summer long, wouldn’t it? |
| 0:05:52 | CALLER: Oh, yeah. The house was built with a swamp cooler and there was just a single vent. They had swapped it out for a heat pump with cooling capability. Okay. And the problem is, is they put that thing in, but it’s all on the on the roof. Okay. So everything that the air conditioner is cooling, it goes through 20 or 30 feet of platinum that is exposed to all that sunshine and sunlight and all that desert heat right there on the roof. Okay. And I was wondering if there’s an economical way that I could insulate those plants so that I can hopefully cut $100 a month out of my electric bill. |
| 0:06:33 | TOM: Well, are the air conditioning ducts on the roof that are exposed or are they insulated now? |
| 0:06:37 | CALLER: No, they’re not. They just had a coating that’s. |
| 0:06:39 | TOM: Not just a mask or something, but that’s completely nuts. Yeah, well, they didn’t put the right type of ducting in because, you know, having ducts run on the exterior of a building or across the roof is not unusual. I mean, it’s unusual on a residence, but it’s not so unusual in commercial establishments. But there are types of duct installations that are designed to go around in that scenario. And usually it has a type of like foil face that has a low key capability in order. It reflects the UV radiation off. And usually it’s a couple of layers. There’s a product called reflect ticks that I’m familiar with that makes reflective insulation and radiant barrier products. That’s the kind of stuff we’re talking about. So there are products out that can be used to insulate those existing ducts. It’s just that you weren’t they were installed and that was pretty much malpractice as far as I’m concerned, because there’s no way you’re going to be able to compensate for the loss of that air conditioning. Traveling through those, you know, scorching hot docs is just kind of silly. And I mean, I think that’s a possibility. So insulating those ducts with the proper material is one thing you could do, and that’s probably going to be the least expensive way to go, because the other option is if you wanted to run it through the building, you don’t have to use full sized ducts. There’s a type of system that’s called the high efficiency, low volume. They run through ducts that are about three inches in diameter, and it’s different than the large typical ducts. With the air moves slowly, this air moves very quickly through these smaller tubes. Well, because they’re less than the width of a two by four, you can run them through a lot of places. But that kind of requires a complete system replacement. So I think just getting the right kind of insulation in those ducts is going to be the shortest distance between you and a lower electric bill. |
| 0:08:18 | CALLER: Okay. Yeah, I’ve seen that kind of material. As a matter of fact, I’ve got some of that. I actually made a solar oven for the backyard where I can cooking like a crock pot all day long. And this is heat. I can put a roast in there in the morning. And by the time that 4:00, 5:00 in the afternoon rolls around, it’s due. |
| 0:08:37 | TOM: Yeah. Well, then you want to manage the sun. In this case, you want to keep the sun out away from those ducts. So take a look at Reflectix just as a place to start. And that’s reflectixinc.com. You’ll get a sense as to what we’re talking about. And I’m sure the other manufacturers have to know about that one. But you need to find the right type of duct installation. Get those ducks wrapped quickly before the summer sun really sets in. Okay? |
| 0:09:03 | CALLER: Yeah, that’s what I’m going to do. |
| 0:09:04 | TOM: Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at eight at eight Money Pit. |
| 0:09:08 | CALLER: All righty. Thank you. |
| 0:09:10 | 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. |
| 0:09:18 | 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 Tor.com Flash Review. |
| 0:09:29 | LESLIE: All right. Now we’ve got Carolyn in Pennsylvania on the line, who’s doing some organizing and finding a stubborn cabinet odor. What’s going on? |
| 0:09:37 | CALLER: Well, yes, What we have is a cabinet in our kitchen. It is underneath our countertop. We have a granite countertop and it’s our Lazy Susan. It’s the cabinet in the corner. And about a year and a half ago, we had it moved temporarily out of state for my husband’s job. And apparently I might have wait before leaving, cleaned a dish and put it in that cabinet. And maybe I’m assuming it wasn’t completely dry all the way. Okay. And then when we returned from our three months away, lo and behold, every time we, you know, come into the kitchen, my husband said there’s some kind of a smell here. And he said, And then we ended up opening this cabinet. And lo and behold, there was a little green, just haze on it, and it was mold right inside the cabinet. We were like, Oh. And so I, I had my head in that cabinet for at least three days cleaning it with bleach water and, you know, the whole thing. So there is no more mold in it. But there’s still this sort of lingering kind of a musty smell. |
| 0:10:44 | TOM: And when you close a cabinet up, you know, if you have some humidity, it’s going to react and you’ll get that that kind of the kind of musty odor. Plus, I’m sure you are hypersensitive to it as well right now, having gone through that entire process. One of the things, one of the areas that you might want to check is the Kik board. So that’s the area underneath the cabinet and I’ll tell you a way that you can do that. If you take a mirror like you might have like kind of makeup compact. |
| 0:11:10 | CALLER: Mm hmm. |
| 0:11:11 | TOM: Hold it on top of the floor with the mirror facing up and then use like a flashlight aimed at that mirror, you will see the underside of the keyboard forward without having to, like, put your face on the floor. |
| 0:11:20 | LESLIE: And something that’s going to be gross under there. Yeah. |
| 0:11:22 | TOM: Sometimes you will get you will get some of that mold or that moths which will actually grow on the underside of the Kik board. And you’ll never see it unless you’re looking for it. And that could be the entire source of the odor that you’re smelling. Right now. It’s very it’s actually fairly common because if you think about it, you know, you’re splashing water around the floor when you mop it, and there’s a lot of dirt and dust crumbs off your feed. And that’s what the kick ports for, right? It’s where you stick your feet under as you’re working on the countertop. So it’s actually a tricky spot that you could find some of that. GROSS And I might take a look right there. And the other thing that you might want to do, since you cleaned all that out in the cabinet, I presume, is like super, super dry, I wouldn’t be hesitant about applying a clear finish to that into the inside of that just for the purposes of sealing it in. I might use like a like a latex polyurethane clear polyurethane just to give it some sort of a sealant or even prime it with a product like kills that will seal in anything that might be coming off of that material. You know, if you were to have a fire and you had some smoke damage, if you put a primer on it, that’s what they do to seal that in. So I’m just thinking that it might be an option to seal in some of the odors that you may still be smelling from that cabinet. Of course, it’s going to smell like paint for a few days, but, you know, that’ll eventually wear away. But do a little further investigation to see there might be some spots where you missed some of that growth and start with that. |
| 0:12:41 | CALLER: Yeah. Because of the because of the inserts where they were the lazy Susan it kind of turns around the turntables and other words. I kind of did my best but yeah. And the cardboard, well, thank you very much. That’s great. Great idea. All right. |
| 0:12:55 | TOM: Well, good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. |
| 0:13:00 | CALLER: Thank you. |
| 0:13:01 | LESLIE: Well, according to a survey done by Allstar Home in 2023, get this, nearly one in four homeowners couldn’t cover a $1,000 home repair emergency, so they turned to social media hacks to try and fix it themselves. But while some of those hacks are actually valuable, in almost 25% of the cases, homeowners doing the home repairs themselves. Get this, made it worse. |
| 0:13:26 | TOM: Not good. Yeah, according to the study, and it was actually over 1000 people, one in three homeowners have had to deal with an unexpected repair in 2023, but one in four can’t even afford a thousand emergency repair right now. And that’s why so many are turning to social media to find the solution. |
| 0:13:45 | LESLIE: Yet, in fact, 70% are using socials to find a solution and avoid hiring that pro. Now, one in three listen to this. One in three decided to ignore the problem and just hope that it would go away. |
| 0:13:58 | TOM: How’s that working out for you too? |
| 0:13:59 | LESLIE: Kid really doesn’t work so great with How’s. But you know you do you. And the most common problems people have faced are plumbing issues, appliance issues and h vac issues. Yeah, those definitely don’t fix themselves, guys. |
| 0:14:12 | TOM: Yeah. And those are probably, you know, the top three or so overall required repairs. So if you are going to hire a pro, don’t price shop. More than one in four Americans shared they hired a service provider based on the lowest quote and the shock of all shocks not being happy with the work that they did so right. Come on, you got it. You can’t just you can’t price shop skills like this. It’s not a commodity. Listen, I will pro shop all day long if I want to buy an appliance or a TV or something and I settle on the model, I’m going to find the best price because they’re all the same. It’s just not the case When you’re hiring a service. |
| 0:14:51 | LESLIE: Yeah, you really have to make sure that you hire a pro with a good reputation. And while that might cost a little bit more initially, it’s going to save you money and stress in the long run. I always go back to my friend Liz, who priced out a big renovation on the first floor of her house, ended up going with the guy that was a little less money, took twice as long, ended up costing almost double check. It doesn’t pay itself in the long run. Guys go with good reputation and spend a little bit more upfront. Teri in Alaska is on the line has some questions about kitchen design. How can we help you? |
| 0:15:23 | CALLER: I’m working on my third house. Third, I was supposed to be free when you build them yourself, but that didn’t work enough. But the point here, we’ve got the kitchen cabinets all brand new from factory in boxes, and now we’re at the countertop dilemma before we really get going. And every one of these TV shows is facing granite that people are like, I ain’t buying my house and that kind of stuff. But I was thinking that Granite made that stone stuff. So over $100 a square foot around these parts. So I’m trying to the last blast that we had was pretty darn good and kind of wondering if in the future here is laminate dead? |
| 0:16:04 | TOM: I don’t think so. What do you think, Leslie? |
| 0:16:06 | LESLIE: I mean, I do not think so. I use them a lot on projects for work and I use them on my TV design shows. I actually just did a bakery in Brooklyn for our design show on the Bravo Network, and I used a laminate that looked just like a career marble. I mean, granted, it had seams in some places, and, you know, you knew it wasn’t the real deal, but it looked gorgeous and it was like a fraction of the cost. I mean, it’s really amazing how many options there are. There’s a couple of brands you should look at. It’s Formica, it’s laminate and Wilson Art, and you can order sheets from them. I mean, you might find a better option than what you might find at your local home center. I don’t know how much shipping might be to Alaska, but, you know, there’s a ton of great options out there from things that look like a natural surface to just completely outrageous thing. So I wouldn’t be afraid of a laminate. |
| 0:16:54 | CALLER: I did see they started having better, I don’t know, the edge trim. And then they tried to make a 45 degree miters go away better. I got like 50 square foot of this stuff. And I was thinking, if I buy granite, I got to stare at granite the rest of my life because it costs so much. But if I buy laminate and I get a couple of years down the road, I can rip it out. But, you know, without too much. |
| 0:17:13 | TOM: Work, all those people that get granite, they love it when they first get it, and then they slowly but surely begin to hate it because it’s hard to take care of because it’s stone. |
| 0:17:21 | LESLIE: And I mean, I hate. |
| 0:17:22 | TOM: Soaks up and soaks up everything. |
| 0:17:24 | LESLIE: I don’t hate it for the maintenance reasons. I just don’t like the look of it anymore. |
| 0:17:27 | CALLER: Yeah. When they doing open houses around here, I kind of run through some of them and, and I see that they basically put the granite countertops and they get the cheapest cabinets you could possibly buy, right? Yeah. So they’re making up for it somewhere. But I’m like. |
| 0:17:42 | TOM: I guess. |
| 0:17:42 | CALLER: Not a peg to me, so I’m not playing that game. |
| 0:17:45 | TOM: All right. Well, thanks for calling, Jerry. We hope that helps you out. |
| 0:17:47 | CALLER: Yep. Thanks. Bye. |
| 0:17:49 | LESLIE: If you’ve got a project that needs caulk, choosing the right caulk to get that job done is the difference between a successful job that’s going to last years and years and one that’s just not gonna. Well, Dapp is making it easier to both choose the right product for the project and making sure it sticks around literally for a long time to come. |
| 0:18:07 | TOM: And to do that, to leverage the power of multiple technologies to create the AMP advanced modified polymer sealants, which is really reflects the best qualities we look for in a good court. With us to talk about that is Megan Youngs. She is Dapps director of product management. Welcome, Megan. |
| 0:18:25 | CALLER: Thanks for having me. SIMON And. |
| 0:18:26 | TOM: You know, for the most part, when we look for a really strong sealant, we usually turn to silicone. But that’s very hard to work with. And the new AMP hybrids really have many of the same qualities, making it no longer as necessary. Right? |
| 0:18:40 | CALLER: Yeah. And actually it outperforms silicone and some key performance attributes such as wet surface application paint ability, crystal clear clarity, which we know are important when shopping for a sealant and may even be better than silicone. |
| 0:18:55 | LESLIE: So now it’s always challenging, I think, to find the right caulk for the right job for the right area. How is everyone adapt making it so that we know which one to pick for the right spot? |
| 0:19:05 | CALLER: Yeah. So we actually have a great line up within our AMP sealants and we have products that are tailored specifically for kitchen and bath applications as well as exterior applications with our all-weather sealant. We also have some really great products for specialty, such as our self-leveling concrete and for gutter and flash applications. |
| 0:19:24 | TOM: You know, when folks are shopping for a sealant, as Leslie said, it can be overwhelming. You know, I watch them just sort of as an observer of the marketing of home improvement products. Folks walk up and down and up and down the caulk aisles of home centers and hardware stores, you know, straining to figure out, you know, what is the right product for this job. So having these key categories makes this a lot easier. And some of the capabilities here are impressive. For example, the idea that you can use a sealant on a wet surface kind of goes against logic when you think about it. But it actually is a big timesaver because now, you know, if you got a rain or a light rain and things are damp, you don’t have to wait for the whole house to dry out to seal in a window or set a sink because there’s a little bit of water spilled around it because it works through all of that, which is pretty cool. |
| 0:20:14 | CALLER: Yes, absolutely it does. And we find that specifically within like showers, you don’t have to wait 24 hours to be able to use your shower again if you want to replace your sealant, you have 30 minute water, rain and paint ready times and our entire lineup. |
| 0:20:30 | TOM: Yeah, that’s great, too. You don’t have to take that out of commission for 24 hours. It makes a difference. You don’t have a line to the bathroom waiting to that jump back in when Dad or Mom says it’s time. Right. |
| 0:20:39 | CALLER: Exactly. |
| 0:20:40 | TOM: Now you have the amp self-leveling concrete sealant. And I think this time of year when we’re sort of, you know, looking at our outdoor spaces very carefully, we often find damage in those spaces from a rough window, depending on where you are in the country. Of course, we didn’t have winter work where I am here and here in New Jersey. You know, we kind of started spring last September and seemed to last awfully through still right about now where, you know, when we did it or anywhere. But I mean, a lot of times you see concrete damage because people are using rock salt, for example, or other corrosive products. And you get settling from all the rain, you get those cracks. So it’s a good opportunity for you to make those repairs. But I think repairing concrete is something that people think of as difficult because you need a lot of tools to do it and it doesn’t seem to stick around for very long. It seems to loosen up and fall out. Are those some of the issues that you addressed with that particular product? |
| 0:21:32 | CALLER: Yeah, absolutely. Repairing concrete is not difficult at all, especially with our self-leveling concrete. It’s perfect for repairing those horizontal cracks in your driveway or your sidewalk. And the great thing about an self-leveling concrete is that it’s really easy to use. You don’t need any other additional tools you just apply it and then you’re done. |
| 0:21:53 | LESLIE: You know, Megan, we get a ton of calls about people who are dealing with water in the basement. You know, they always think it’s something different. And it kind of just boils down to what’s going on with their gutters or even just the flashing. So tell us about what Dapp has in line to help with that, because I know it can be such a simple fix. |
| 0:22:09 | CALLER: Yes, it is a simple fix because a lot of times if you have a gap or a crack in your gutter or your flashing, that’s what’s going to cause that water damage in your basement. So by just sealing those gaps and cracks around your gutters and flashing with AMP, which is a great product solution, it can help with that water damage. It stays flexible. It’s crack roof. And all of our products are backed by a lifetime guarantee. |
| 0:22:35 | TOM: Talking to Megan Young, she’s the director of product management in Cox and Sealants for DAP. So, Megan, what’s next on the horizon? What else are we going to see from DAP? Anything else coming out this year that you can talk about? |
| 0:22:48 | CALLER: I don’t know if I can talk about any of the new innovations, but, you know, we’re always working on something and we have a couple lined up for next year, so we’ll be excited to get those out to everyone as soon as we possibly can. Terrific. |
| 0:23:00 | TOM: The new products are available right now. And where are they? At home centers and hardware stores. Megan Well, we see them across the country. |
| 0:23:07 | CALLER: You will see them across the country. And any home improvement outlet. |
| 0:23:10 | TOM: We’re talking about the new ultimate hybrid sealant AMP, Advanced Modified Polymer sealants. Megan Youngs from DAP, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit. |
| 0:23:19 | CALLER: Oh, thank you guys so much. |
| 0:23:21 | LESLIE: Lynn in Mississippi is on the line and is having an issue with a pear tree. What is going on that doesn’t involve a partridge? |
| 0:23:28 | CALLER: Hi. Yes, ma’am. I have a blessed pear tree, but I think I made a mistake. I’m not sure, but I’ll let it grow up right next to my house. Oak Foundation has concrete roots, and the tree is now gotten probably, I’m guesstimate, maybe 15 feet tall. And it’s got, like, three trunks is very, very pretty and it looks good. But now I’ve gotten concerned. My concrete foundation is pretty thick. But does Bradford Patriots have a tendency to try to grow up through concrete foundations? You know. |
| 0:24:01 | TOM: Pear trees don’t get that big to a point where they typically impact foundations. And if they did, you would probably see some evidence of that. So, you know, while it sounds big to you, you know, pear trees, standard palm trees get to be like, you know, 18 to 20 feet tall or so. And that’s just not big enough to really do much foundation damage. So I think you can live with that for a while. Just keep an eye on it. I wouldn’t hear that out. |
| 0:24:26 | CALLER: That is wonderful news. Okay. What should I look for? I mean, can I go on the outside where it’s rather close to the house? Is there something that I can look for that will kind of tell me it could be a problem before it actually starts in my concrete? |
| 0:24:39 | TOM: Actually, you would see it on the inside if you saw any cracks forming in the concrete where the pear tree is, that would be a good indicator of it. But boy, it takes an awful lot of force to do that. And trees are going the roots are going to try to find the path of least resistance. So I just don’t think it’s very likely that you’re going to see that. |
| 0:24:55 | TOM: But I’d see it on the inside, on the inside first. Okay. |
| 0:24:58 | CALLER: Thank you so very much. I’m a leave it alone. |
| 0:25:01 | LESLIE: Well, now that it’s getting super hot outside, have you noticed that your electricity bills are going up and up? Well, if you’re thinking that it’s because you’re running your AC, you’d be right. But really only partly right. Because if you don’t have enough insulation, a good portion of the electricity is being used to cool the outside. So you’re doing that. Good for you. |
| 0:25:21 | TOM: Absolutely. And we don’t think about this because we don’t feel the drafts, you know, according to the Department of Energy. 90% of homes are under insulated, which basically means that you can just about always use more. And while it’s so easy to feel cold drafts in the winter, it’s almost impossible to feel hot air drafts in the summer. But that is exactly what happens when you don’t have enough insulation. |
| 0:25:44 | LESLIE: Well, Owens Corning has two great insulation options. There’s pink next gen fiberglass, which is a soft as cotton, and it’s easy to install. And the other option, the Tom, you actually did a project with this is the thermal fiber fire and sound guard Plus. Tell me about that. |
| 0:26:00 | TOM: Yeah, I did, because I have a very old house, so I want a product with certain qualities. Now, the thermal fiber sound guard plus is a mineral wool product, and it’s made from natural ingredients and it provides insulation, but it also has enhanced fire moisture and sound benefits all important to me and my old house. And it was also super easy to cut and handle, which really came in handy because old homes just always seem to have wires and pipes and framing and other strange stuff that you find that’s in the way of a space that you’re trying to work. |
| 0:26:31 | LESLIE: So and like a lot of it. |
| 0:26:33 | TOM: A lot of it, right? It’s like if I can put a full piece of insulation up without hitting an obstruction, like, that’s a good that’s a good time, you know, a good day. But it’s never the case. Like it’s only four feet long, one pieces. So why is it that I have to cut everyone to do something? |
| 0:26:49 | LESLIE: Because your house is 100 years old. Right. |
| 0:26:51 | TOM: There’s stuff in the way everywhere. If it was fiberglass, it would have been getting squished and pulled and twisted. But this just laid in perfectly. |
| 0:26:59 | LESLIE: Well, that’s awesome. Well, you know, guys, now is a great time to take on an installation project because you can qualify for up to 1200 dollars in tax credits for an insulation upgrade. Now you can find thermal fiber fire and sound guard Plus and any Owens Corning installation products at Lowe’s stores or on Lowe’s dot com. Don in Colorado is on the line with a window question. |
| 0:27:21 | LESLIE: What is going on at your money pit. |
| 0:27:22 | CALLER: My house has a window. It’s a vinyl double paid window that somehow. |
| 0:27:28 | TOM: Or another collects. |
| 0:27:29 | CALLER: Lots of condensation. And this happens typically in the winter. And what happens is this condensation is kind of created some mold and mildew and the channels of the window inside. And I wondered what’s the best way. |
| 0:27:45 | TOM: Or what’s. |
| 0:27:45 | CALLER: The best solution or a powder product that I could use in that thing to clean that mil mold and mildew up? |
| 0:27:54 | TOM: Well, first of all, the cause of this is that the insulated glass in your windows is not really doing a very good job. So when you have the temperature from the outside, basically showing that entire window, we’re making its way across that insulated space to the inside and then the warm, moist air inside your house strikes the glass and condenses. That’s what causes the steady stream of moisture. And one of the things that can happen when things get wet is it can grow mold. So basically what you have now is kind of a maintenance headache and it’s just going to be a matter of keeping that clean. You asked, what can you use to clean that, to treat that? You know, you can use something natural like vinegar or you can use something natural like borax, but it’s basically a maintenance job. You’re always going to have to be cleaning and drying those spaces out because unless you change your windows or reduce the amount of humidity inside the house, you’re always going to have this problem. Now, what you might want to think about doing if you decide to tackle Windows is just do the ones that are the worst first. Typically, they’re on the north and east sides of the house. That’s usually the coldest sides of the house and use replacement windows instead of new construction windows, which are going to fit into the old window openings. And there are a lot easier to install than new construction windows where you have to tear off siding and flash all around it. So that’s really your option here. That’s what’s causing it. And that’s kind of what you’re up, up against. It’s basically going to be a major issue until you replace those windows. |
| 0:29:27 | CALLER: Thank you very much for the for the suggestion. |
| 0:29:30 | TOM: You’re very welcome. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at eight at eight Money Pit. |
| 0:29:34 | CALLER: Thank you. Bye bye. |
| 0:29:36 | LESLIE: Caitlin from New York. Yes, I probably know her because that’s where I live on Long Island. Caitlin says my parent’s house was built in 1820. It’s had renovations over the years, but recently it’s become difficult for my parents to take care of and it’s falling into disrepair. I kind of want to step up and try to help out as best I can, starting in the bathroom that has some water damage. My question is, what should I be on the lookout for? In a house built in the 1800s? Everything. |
| 0:30:02 | TOM: Yeah. You’re on the right track when it comes to water damage, because if you have water that gets in, say, from a roof, it affects the entire structure. And if you have water that’s getting in through bathroom walls because they’re not corked or sealed properly, you’re going to find that that can cause deep rot and deep mold. So opening those walls up and replacing the insulation and rebuilding them is a smart thing. Of course, you also have to identify what the source of that leak is. But when it comes to a house of that age, there’s a whole bunch of stuff to be aware of. You’ve got older pipes, usually made of steel. You may have older wiring. I would concentrate on the core mechanical systems in the structure first before you do anything that’s the least bit cosmetic. |
| 0:30:42 | LESLIE: Yeah. And Caitlin, you may also not have enough power for more modern appliances, so there’s lots of stuff to keep an eye out. But definitely look at those core structures of the home and good luck with everything. |
| 0:30:51 | TOM: Well, after a month or two of heavy grilling, your gas grill may need an extreme makeover of its own. Leslie has tips for a simple grill cleaning to step up the sizzle. Today’s edition of Leslie, Last word. Leslie, you grill a lot, so I bet you’re doing this pretty frequently. |
| 0:31:07 | LESLIE: We do. You know, we really love cooking outside and we’ll cook outside all year round. And I’m the nutter who also likes to grill in the rain with an umbrella. So, you know, call me crazy, but once you use that grill for a month or so, it’s really time for a good cleaning. So that same char broiling grill action that flavors your ribs and your chicken and the steaks all season long can start to cause problems if you don’t do a thorough grill cleaning once in a while. Now it’s a pretty simple project. Here’s what you need to know. First of all, you need to soak the grids in hot, soapy water and clean them with a nylon scrubbing pad. If the grids are really encrusted, you want to use oven cleaner, but make sure you do that in a well-ventilated area and then rinse them really well. Then you want to remove the lava rock or those ceramic briquettes that you see and clean them with a wire brush. You never want the wire brush to come in contact with a food surface because we’re learning that those wire bristle brushes really come apart and that transfer through the food. That’s what we’re saying. Nylon scrubbing pad for the grids that you put the food on and you can use the metal for those lava rocks. Now, if any of them are deteriorated, go ahead, replace them, then remove the burner, brush it clean. You want to check carefully for cracks, split seams or holes. And if any are found, that burner should be immediately replaced. Next up, check all of those rubber gas hoses. You’re looking for cracks and replace any that show the slightest sign of wear. Now, once that grill cleaning is complete, you’re ready to kind of put everything back together and then go ahead and check all of those gas connections for leaks. So you want to do this in a safe way. You mix together a 5050 solution of liquid dishwashing soap and water and then brush that solution on all of the gas connections. And then you watch to see if anything bubbles up. If you do see any bubbles, that means that connection is leaking and you should fix it before you fire up that grill. And once this is done, you’re really set for the rest of the summer. You can make all those wonderful steaks and burgers and whatever else you like to cook on the grill and you know you’re doing it in a good, clean, safe manner. So enjoy grill up, guys. |
| 0:33:07 | TOM: This is the Money Pit Home Improvement show coming up next time on the program, have you ever found that your water starts to smell a little bit like right, eggs? Well, if that happens to you, there is one part in your water heater that needs to be replaced. It is actually a DIY job. We’ll tell you what that is on the very next edition of The Money. |
| 0:33:29 | TOM: I’m Tom Kraeutler. |
| 0:33:30 | LESLIE: And I’m Lesley Segrete. |
| 0:33:31 | TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself. |
| 0:33:33 | 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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