DIY Day, Fun Projects & More #0327171

TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Standing by to take your calls, your questions about your home improvement project. So help yourself first: pick up the phone and give us a call at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
And hey, today is a very special show for you DIYers. If you love to pick up the tools and get to work on your very own home improvement projects, well, today’s show is really all about you, because it’s National DIY Day. It’s true. We did not just make that up.

Right, Leslie?

LESLIE: It actually is a real thing. And we’re going to highlight some favorite DIY projects perfect for this time of year. And since it’s spring, we’ve got a project that can help make sure your yard gets watered without ever turning on the hose. We’re going to have the step-by-step on building a rainwater-collection system.

TOM: And if building a patio is on your to-do list for spring, we’ll have some DIY tricks of the trade for that project, presented by Greenworks Tools.

LESLIE: And if you give us a call with your home improvement question at 888-MONEY-PIT, we’re going to help you breathe easier in your home, because we’re giving away a one-year subscription to FilterEasy.com. Going out to one lucky caller drawn at random.

TOM: And now is a great time to think about changing filters, because guess what? Allergy season is just ahead. The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974. DIYers, we want to hear from you. Give us a call right now.

[radio_anchor listorder=”1″]LESLIE: Sandra, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

SANDRA: Oh, hello. My question concerns – would you recommend a radon test for a house? Our home is a two-story house on a hill and the lower level, which is completely finished, is two sides underground and it has two sides ground-level. And if we have a radon problem, can something be done to correct that? We’re in the Pacific Northwest, about 60 miles south of Seattle.

TOM: And do you hear about high radon levels in that area coming up occasionally?

SANDRA: I don’t but I’ve never talked about it with anybody, so – and I saw something in the paper recently that suggested people have this test.

TOM: Well, it’s certainly a good idea. So, order a radon-test kit. You can probably find one online. The type you want is called “charcoal adsorption” – a-d-s-o-r-p – ad, not ab – adsorption. And it’s a type of test that you’ll put in the home for anywhere from about three to seven days. You open up this charcoal canister or this charcoal packet, depending on the type of test, you leave it in the lowest living space. So whatever the lowest area of finished living space is, you leave it there for that period of time. You seal it back up, you send it off to a lab. They’re going to give you a result. If it comes in at 4 picocuries per liter of air or higher, then that’s the action guideline after which point you would want to consider some sort of remediation.

Now, you asked the question: “Well, how do I do that, exactly?” And the answer is it’s harder when the whole space is finished but it’s not impossible. Generally, the way radon is mitigated is by a system called a “sub-slab ventilation system,” where they basically run pipes below the surface of the lowest slab and pull the gas out of the soil and then discharge it outside. So it’s a matter of figuring out where to get that pipe into the slab and where to discharge it out, you know, with the least amount of disturbance. But a good radon mitigator can do this, even in a finished house.

SANDRA: Oh, my gosh. It sounds quite complex.

TOM: Well, it’s pretty straightforward but you’ve got to start with the test, so I would do that first and take it from there.

LESLIE: Right. And that’s only if they find something.

TOM: Yeah, exactly.

SANDRA: Uh-huh. OK. Are there areas in the country where you’re more likely to have radon?

TOM: Yep. There’s a – if you go to the EPA website – EPA.gov/Radon – there’s information about radon zones across the entire country, including contact information for your local state area.

SANDRA: Oh, alright.

TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Mike in South Dakota needs some help searching for a tankless water heater. What can we do for you?

MIKE: I love your show.

LESLIE: Thanks.

MIKE: Was just thinking about a tankless water heater as an option for our home. We’ve got a small utility room and one, it might offer us a bit more storage space in the utility room. But family of five, all-electric house, a lot of water usage, you can imagine, with an eighth grader, a third grader and a college student that comes home from time to time. And was just curious your thoughts on if there’s a good product to really take a look at and with return on investment, things like that.

TOM: So, do you have any gas power whatsoever? Do you have a gas grill or a propane supply for heating?

MIKE: We sure do. I do have a propane tank out back, about 250 gallons. I do use it primarily for gas grilling.

TOM: OK. Perfect. What I would recommend is that you look at a tankless water heater. Tankless water heaters are awesome right now because they save you a lot of energy and they literally never, ever run out of hot water. And with those kids, you’re going to need an endless supply of hot water. Trust me, as a father of three, they use a lot of hot water.

Now, one of the complaints, typically, about water heaters is that it takes a long time for the water to get to the faucet, especially first thing in the morning. Rinnai, though, is now out with a new technology that incorporates a thermal-bypass technology, which enables you to have relatively instant hot water, regardless of how far that fixture is from the house. So I would take a look at the tankless water heaters made by Rinnai and I would look, especially, at the models that feature thermal-bypass technology. Because that’s really state-of-the-art.

MIKE: Excellent. I will do that. I live in an area where there’s quite a few plumbers, so we’ll see what options are out here. Thank you.

TOM: Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

MIKE: Awesome.

LESLIE: You are tuned to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com.

Hey, you guys, we are officially into spring. You’ve got a whole week of spring behind you. What have you been working on? Are you finding that your house is falling apart or are you finding that you’re looking for projects? Well, whatever it is that’s going on at your money pit this spring season, we are here to help you get ready, so you can really enjoy those outdoor spaces and those indoor spaces, too. Give us a call, 888-MONEY-PIT.

TOM: 888-666-3974.

Hey, it’s National DIY Day. Really, I promise, we did not just make that up.

LESLIE: Where’s my card, Tom?

TOM: I don’t know that it’s a Hallmark holiday but it really is a national holiday. And so if you need help getting a project started or you’re stuck in the middle, we’re going to tell you about a brand-new service that will set you up, one on one, with a pro advisor to help walk you through to get the answers you need. And the best part: it is free, right now, for a limited time. We’ll have that and more, after this.

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TOM: Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Give us a call with your how-to question on National DIY Day. The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888-666-3974. We’ll set you up with your next DIY project. It could be to change out the filters in your home, because we’re giving away a one-year subscription to FilterEasy.

It’s a great service. Basically, you sign up, they send you filters when it’s time to change them. You just pop the old one out, pop the new one in and you are good to go. It’s going to improve the indoor-air quality in your house and extend the life of your heating-and-cooling system.

That subscription is worth 240 bucks, so give us a call, right now, because it could be you that gets to win that, 888-MONEY-PIT.

[radio_anchor listorder=”3″]LESLIE: Joyce in Massachusetts, you’ve got The Money Pit. What can we do for you today?

JOYCE: I have nine windows and we had someone caulk the windows where the window sills – because we live in Boston and the cold air has been blowing in. I want to know how I can seal them up, because it didn’t do one iota thing for the gentlemen caulking the nine windows.

TOM: Didn’t do any good, huh? And did he caulk them from the outside or from the inside?

JOYCE: From the inside, because this is an apartment building. And what – we’re on the seventh floor and we have windows going on different angles. And so I’m trying to find out what is the easiest way to prevent the cold from blowing in, because it’s unbearable.

TOM: OK. Since you’re on the seventh floor, I presume that you don’t use your windows – you would never use your windows for emergency egress. Do any of them go to a fire escape or anything like that?

JOYCE: No, no.

TOM: OK. So, there’s two things that you can do here, one of which is you can use a shrink film. It’s a clear, plastic wrap that you cut to fit the size of the window. You attach it with a double-face – clear double-face tape that comes with it. And then you use your hair dryer to heat it and it becomes very taut and clear so it doesn’t obstruct the view.

JOYCE: What about weather-stripping, like weather felt?

TOM: Well, that’s all possible but there’s another option. And the reason I asked you if you needed to use your windows for egress is because I was going to recommend temporary weather-stripping.

Now, there’s a caulk that’s like a weather-stripping sealant but it’s a temporary sealant, OK? So the way this works is you essentially caulk your windows shut. You caulk all the seams in the window, where they slide up and down, with this clear, temporary caulk. And then what happens is in the spring, you can actually grab the edge of this caulk and peel it right off. It comes off like a clear, rubbery strip. And it enables you to essentially seal your windows shut in the winter and then restore them in the spring.

JOYCE: Thank you very much. And I enjoy your program immensely.

TOM: Alright. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Well, if you’re a DIYer, Happy DIY Day. Yep, today is your day. And to help celebrate, we’ve teamed up with the folks at the DIYZ mobile app who are all about getting you the help you need for all your DIY projects.

TOM: Yep. DIYZ is a very handy app. It actually lets you video-chat with a professional advisor that has years of experience in their field. So, just imagine that. Where can you get that kind of information? You’re going to talk to a pro that is in the know and can answer questions about home repairs, remodeling projects, craft projects or even offer tips to help you plan your next big improvement. And the best part is that the service is totally free for a limited time. You’ve got to check these guys out. They really know what they’re doing and it’s super easy.

LESLIE: Plus, this weekend only, Tom and I are taking a shift as the pro advisors for DIYZ. This Sunday, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, you’re going to be able to connect with us personally. That’s right, one on one, for answers to all your home improvement, décor, your remodeling questions. Whatever it is, we’re going to be able to look at you and you’re going to be able to look at us.

So that means no jammies, Tom. No jammies for DIYZ Day. You know, it really is a super-special opportunity for our Money Pit listeners. And we really hope that you’re going to join us.

TOM: All you need to do is download the free DIYZ app. That’s D-I-Y-Z. You’ll find it in the Apple App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android. And get your project questions ready and then connect with us on the app. Remember, that’s Sunday – this Sunday – between 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. When you dial up DIYZ for a video chat, you might just be staring at Leslie or me. And we’re going to talk you through that question. We’ll take a look at some pictures, if you want to share them with us. You can show us around the house on your phone. We’ll look at it, we’ll give you some advice and get you going.

It’s going to be a lot of fun, because we don’t usually get to see your house. We’ve got to figure it out over the phone, right? But now we’re going to be able to see you and your house and your project. And we’ll give you the advice you need to get it done, Sunday, from 1:00 to 5:00 on the DIYZ app. Download it now.

LESLIE: Barry in Tennessee needs some help with his Jacuzzi. What can we do for you?

BARRY: Well, what happened was the drain got stopped up. So I took some Crystal Drano and poured it and it got on the tub itself. And it burnt all the way around the drain. I mean it’s burnt plastic. So I was wondering, is there a way to get that back to looking new or do I just have to replace the whole tub?

TOM: Well, unfortunately, you’ve chemically damaged the tub by using caustic drain cleaners. We really don’t like caustic drain cleaners for reasons just like this. They don’t really work very well to begin with. And what happens is you end up overusing them or spilling them and I’ve seen them melt tubs and melt plastic before. There’s a new drain-cleaning product on the market right now that I’ve just come across and it’s fantastic. It’s called DRAIN-FX. The website is DRAINFX.com.

And essentially what this is is for under $20, you’re purchasing what’s, in essence, a pressure washer for your clogged drain lines. You hook this up to the sink faucet. It has a long tube that you can run hot water down. You drop this into the trap and then you turn the water on and it blasts the clogs away.

It’s under 20 bucks. Check it out at DRAINFX.com. You should have one in your tool box because you never know when this is going to happen. And look, you could save yourself not only the hassle of a clogged pipe but in your case, the hassle of potentially replacing a tub or learning to live with the ugly stains that have resulted.

Do not use caustic drain cleaners on these surfaces. Take a look at DRAIN-FX. It’s a much better option.

Barry, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

BARRY: Thanks.

LESLIE: Sherry in Iowa, you’ve got The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

[radio_anchor listorder=”2″]SHERRY: Been living in my house for 20 years and the house is probably 50 years old. Is it worthwhile to have the air ducts or the furnace ducts cleaned?

TOM: Unless you’re having a problem. I mean what most people drop the ball is that they don’t replace their filters soon enough. And so, if you’ve not done that, if you’ve not replaced your filter recently, then that would be the first step. But I don’t think you necessarily have to get your ducts cleaned. There’s so – such a wide variety of quality when it comes to air filters for heating-and-cooling systems. And I would just tell you to invest in a very good-quality filter and make sure you change that on a regular basis.

SHERRY: The furnace guy comes in the spring and the fall and he changes it then.

TOM: Yeah. But that’s not enough. Depending on the type of filter you have, you probably are going to be changing that filter at least every couple of months. So probably at least, the minimum, four times a year and probably maybe even more frequently than that.

And the other part of this is making sure you use the exact right-size filter and that it’s situated properly in the ducts. Because if not, air and dust is going to go around it. But if you put the right kind of filter in your system, the air is going to be cleaner as a result.

SHERRY: OK. Thank you.

TOM: Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Cody in Texas is on the line with a garage-door question. How can we help you today?

CODY: I’m interested in insulating the garage door. The garage has insulated ceiling, the walls, everything, except for the door. It’s just that thin, metal panel and I wasn’t sure if it’s worth my money to go ahead and buy a door that’s insulated, like from Overhead Door Company, or if it would be just as good to buy the foam panels from Lowe’s or Home Depot and cut them out and try to fit them into each panel themselves.

TOM: Well, you’ve got nothing to lose by taking the inexpensive route first, because those foam panels are pretty cheap. And yes, if you can fit them securely inside those garage – those existing, metal, garage-door panels, you’re probably going to pick up as much insulation as you would if you replaced the whole thing.

An insulated garage door doesn’t, in and of itself – even if it’s brand new is not going to add that much insulation value to it. So, really, all you have is as much foam as you can squeeze in there.

But remember, just as important as the insulating – the door panels is to make sure that you have weather-stripping along the edge of the door and that it’s adjusted so that it sits well against the concrete floor and it sits well against the jambs – both the side jamb and the overhead jamb. Because I would think that wind is probably your biggest enemy in trying to keep that garage warm. And it’s good that you’ve got the rest of it insulated and certainly, insulating the panels will help. But garage doors aren’t really known for their comfort, so whatever you do is going to have a limited effect.

CODY: OK, OK. Good deal. So the bid I got was $880. I think I will go with the foam sheets first because that’s – I’ll probably have $80 total in that.

TOM: Yeah, exactly. And see how that goes.

CODY: OK. Well, I do appreciate it. I always listen to the show and appreciate the advice.

TOM: Well, thank you so much. Good luck with that project. Let us know how you make out.

CODY: Thank you very much.

LESLIE: Just ahead, Roger Cook is joining us with tips on a fun DIY project: building a DIY rainwater-collection system for your garden. It’s going to keep it green and lush through even the driest days of summer.

TOM: And today’s This Old House Tip on The Money Pit is brought to you by Proudly Propane. Clean American energy. That plus more of your calls to 1-888-MONEY-PIT, next.

RICHARD: This is Richard Trethewey from This Old House and Ask This Old House on PBS and from the longest-running home improvement show on TV. We want to send a big congrats to Tom and Leslie from The Money Pit for being the most-downloaded home improvement podcast on iTunes.

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TOM: Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

Hey, have you ever seen your lawn turn brown and your garden just wilt in the hottest days of summer? Well, if you have, you’re going to appreciate this project.

TOM: That’s right. Roger Cook will be stopping by shortly, from This Old House, with tips on a fun project. It’s building a rainwater-collection system and it’s presented by Lumber Liquidators, where you’ll find bamboo, laminate, wood-look tile, vinyl plank and hardwood floors for less.

But first, let’s get back to your calls at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

[radio_anchor listorder=”6″]LESLIE: Hi, Roger from Pennsylvania. You’ve got Tom and Leslie from The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

ROGER: I was wondering – I live in a house. It was built in 1958. It was a model home. I have a crack in the ceiling and it’s hard plaster. I was wondering if there’s an epoxy or something I could shoot up in under that and push it up in before it falls down.

TOM: So, is the plaster separating from the plaster lath, which is between that and the framing?

ROGER: Yeah, just a little, wee bit. You can see the crack and you can see where it’s coming down just a little bit.

TOM: Just a little bit? Because, typically, Roger, what I would tell you to do in a situation like that is to not reglue the plaster but simply pull it down all the way and then replaster it, then prime it and paint it.

You know, you could possibly squeeze something like LIQUID NAILS in there but then you’d have to support it while it was drying. But then it’s just going to break somewhere else. So if you’ve got an area of loose plaster like that, I would just tell you to just gently break it out of there and then simply respackle that, sand it nicely, then prime it and paint the whole surface. I think it’s a much more permanent and cleaner repair in the long run.

ROGER: That’s what I was wondering. I can do drywall but I never did hard plaster.

TOM: Yeah, it’s not that hard to do. If you can handle spackle, you can handle plaster. Remember, a little bit goes a long way. You’re better off putting it on in thin coats, then putting successive coats on top of that.

And by the way, a house built in 1958, that was a very good year for home construction. You’ve probably got excellent Douglas-pine framing in that home. You probably have hardwood floors, copper pipes. That was a great year for construction. If you’ve got plaster-lath walls and ceilings, you know – already know they’re very hard and very durable. Yeah, they crack once in a while but you can feel good about the structure of that home.

ROGER: Yeah. Yeah, we do have hardwood floors. We’re actually redoing them a little bit at a time and it is all copper.

TOM: Yeah, the nice thing about those houses that were built in the late 50s and early 60s is people put in these beautiful hardwood floors and they promptly covered them with wall-to-wall carpet. So for the next 20 or 30 years, they were protected from any wear and tear.

ROGER: Yeah, that’s what happened in here. We’re tearing up room by room.

TOM: Alright, Roger. Well, good luck with that project. It sounds like a great house.

ROGER: Thank you very much for your help.

LESLIE: Well, when it rains, it pours. And if you have a rainwater collection system at your house, you can actually use those downpours to help hydrate your yard during future dry spells.

TOM: Here to tell us how they work and how to find the best one for your yard is Roger Cook, the landscaping expert for TV’s This Old House.

Welcome, Roger.

ROGER: Good to be here. And sometimes, this is the only water your garden is going to see.

TOM: And that’s a great point. And it really is the utmost in recycling, to collect the rainwater and reuse it when you need it.

So, how exactly do you install a rain barrel?

ROGER: Well, the first thing you’ve got to do is find a downspout.

TOM: Get a barrel.

ROGER: No. Get the downspout first, because that’s going to fill your barrel.

TOM: OK.

ROGER: What we do is we locate a barrel right next to a downspout. Cut it into the barrel so that when it rains, it comes down into the gutter, down the downspout and fills your barrel.

TOM: So we drop the entire downspout right into the barrel.

ROGER: That’s right.

TOM: Alright. Now, what happens when the barrel fills up?

ROGER: It has an overflow on it.

TOM: OK.

ROGER: So you can either do two things: you can either let it run off from there or you could double it up with another rain barrel and fill two or even three if you had the room.

LESLIE: But that would probably require a lot of room, correct?

ROGER: No, these barrels don’t take up much space at all. But it all depends – I wouldn’t do that on the front of the house.

LESLIE: Right.

ROGER: Maybe in the back.

LESLIE: So you’ve got to think about where you put this, because I imagine it becomes not an eyesore but something to plan into what the structure of your home looks like.

ROGER: You want it near the area you’re going to use the most water in. For a lot of people, that’s a vegetable garden. If you can locate it uphill with a vegetable garden, you can simply attach a hose to the barrel and let gravity run the water down to the vegetable garden.

TOM: Alright. So now we’ve got the rain barrel installed; it’s full with water. How do we get it out?

ROGER: Well, there’s two ways. Usually, they have a spigot attached to the barrel. You could put a soaker hose on that and let it run right into the vegetable garden or we could perch it up on a couple of blocks of concrete and then you could take a watering can, slide it under there and fill the watering can and take that to your pot or whatever needed water.

LESLIE: But you can’t take a hose with a nozzle attachment and – there’s no pressure there to help you do that.

ROGER: There’s no pressure there unless you supplemented it with an electrical pump.

LESLIE: OK. Now, are these readily available? Can I just go to the home center and pick one up?

ROGER: In the last couple years, most home centers have them. You can just walk in and take them home.

TOM: And some of them are actually very attractive. I’ve seen some that look like sort of the old whiskey-barrel look.

ROGER: Yeah. We have some we used at – are actually wood and I believe they had scotch in them and it was great; great to empty out the barrel before we put the water in it.

TOM: Yeah. Yeah. Did the project get done that day, Roger?

ROGER: Very slowly. But not only are there barrels but now they make bladders. Barrels only average about 50 or 55 gallons apiece.

TOM: OK.

ROGER: But you can now get bladders, which you could hide underneath a deck or in a crawlspace, that will hold thousands of gallons of water.

TOM: Wow. Wow, so that’s basically a big, sort of inflatable balloon, so to speak.

ROGER: That’s right. And it just fills up with water. It has a pump attached to it, so this you could use with a nozzle or even with a sprinkler.

TOM: That makes a lot of sense.

LESLIE: Wow.

TOM: You could probably water a good part of your lawn with that.

ROGER: Yep. Much bigger. It’ll take care of a lawn area.

LESLIE: Do you find – I know this is a funny question but do you find that it’s mostly like the green, enviro-friendly folks that are asking for this or is every type of homeowner thinking this is a good idea?

ROGER: You know, with the water bans we’re having and the heat we had this summer, everyone’s looking for an option. Now, 50 gallons doesn’t seem like much but for a vegetable garden, it can get you through a really dry streak.

TOM: Good advice. Roger Cook from TV’s This Old House, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.

ROGER: My pleasure.

TOM: And This Old House is brought to you on PBS by State Farm. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

And just ahead, is building a patio on your to-do list this spring? We’re going to have the step-by-step in today’s Outdoor Living Tip, presented by Greenworks Tools, next.

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TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: And it’s the day we celebrate you, the DIYer. Because today is actually DIY Day. It’s true. It’s a national holiday. And we are so pleased to be here to help you with your home improvement projects, giving you the answers that you need.

You know what also is a great resource for DIYers? The DIYZ app. It’s a video-chat service. Connects you with a pro advisor. And Sunday, from 1:00 to 5:00, in celebration of National DIY Day, Leslie and I will be taking shifts as pro advisors on the DIYZ app. So download it now from the Apple Store or on Google Play. The D-I-Y-Z app. Fantastic service.

LESLIE: So, are you dreaming of creating a relaxing paver-brick patio space so that you can enjoy the summer sunshine as the warm weather approaches and sticks around? Well, if so, on this DIY Day weekend, we are here to tell you that this is a definite DIY-capable project. And we’ve got some tips to help, presented by Greenworks Tools.

TOM: Now, first, in the realm of the DIY-patio possibilities, brick, natural stone and cement pavers are really the main paving choices in materials. All three varieties are installed in sand with irregularly shaped natural stone being the biggest challenge to work with, because it’s pretty much like assembling a giant, outdoor jigsaw puzzle.

LESLIE: Yeah. Figuring out the layout, that’s the next step. You need to assess the space slated for placement and then plan whatever necessary drainage you’ve got to account for.

Now, a good trick of the trade is to use a rope to outline the shape that you want. Then you can even set up some furniture inside that roped-out area, to really get a feel of how that space is going to work for you and see if that’s how you’ll really enjoy the space once you’re done.

TOM: Now, the most common patio-paver mistake comes from not properly prepping the base. This is where it all goes wrong, so you need to take your time to excavate, go down a little bit and line that patio area properly for a long-lasting result. What you want to do is dig out the grass on top. Get it down maybe 3 or 4 inches; get it nice and flat. Put in some crushed gravel and then tamp that down really, really well. You want about a 6-inch gravel base. You’ll set your patio brick on top of that.

And when you’re finished, you’ll top it off with sand that’ll fill in the space between the cracks. And this way, you’ll have a patio that’s really solid. It’s not going to get all wavy and roly-poly over time. And most importantly, you won’t have any weeds grow through it, because that’s always a hassle to care for.

LESLIE: Yeah. And it really is such a great project that you will enjoy and feel so proud of, really, every single time you use it.

And that is today’s Outdoor Living Tip, presented by Greenworks Tools, makers of the Greenworks Pro 60-Volt Cordless String Trimmer, which provides the power you need without the use of gas. You’ll get up to 40 minutes of running time on a fully-charged battery. The high-efficiency, brushless motor is engineered to provide unsurpassed power, torque, quiet operation and a longer motor life. And convenient push-button start means no pull cords.

TOM: The Greenworks Pro 60-Volt Cordless String Trimmer is available at Lowe’s and Lowes.com and retails for $199. And it includes one lithium battery and a charger.

Learn more at GreenworksTools.com.

[radio_anchor listorder=”5″]LESLIE: Now we’ve got Robin in Oregon who’s dealing with some mold issues. Tell us what’s going on.

ROBIN: In our bathroom, there just seems to be a lot of moisture. I don’t know if the exhaust fan is working properly or not. On one of your shows, you’d mentioned Concrobium, so I sprayed that in the shower and that seems to help stave it off. But we use a fan, we use the exhaust fan and we use a dehumidifier.

And I noticed on the outside, I guess, outtake vents, there’s a whole bunch of black stuff. And then, also, in our sinks, underneath the faucet, there’s mold back in behind that hole. So I’m wondering, is this going to be a health concern or how do I stop some of this mold?

TOM: Well, the solution comes down to managing moisture and it sounds like you’re doing the right things. But one common mistake that people make with exhaust fans is that they don’t leave them on long enough after you take a bath or a shower. They really have to stay on, sometimes, 15 or 20 minutes to properly dry out the room.

ROBIN: Well, I know – well, I can’t speak for my husband but I know that I do, just because I’ve got a fan running, I’ve got a dehumidifier and I’ve – we’ve also got the exhaust fan and it is the biggest one that you can have. And I’m wondering if just because of our moist area we need to get two of them so it’s directly over the shower? I don’t know. But I’m worried that through the whole pipe that leads to the outside, is that all filled with mold in there if the outside vent shows mold?

TOM: Well, the vent that’s taking the air from the bathroom out, is that what you’re seeing on the outside wall?

ROBIN: I’m not seeing on the wall, just on the vent itself, where the – I guess where the air goes out to the outside? That whole vent is all moldy looking.

TOM: Well, a lot of people look at vents that are dirty and call it mold. I think it would be unusual for it to be moldy, because you would have to have a pretty strong food source there. And the only thing you’re going to have coming out that vent is a bit of dust, which could be a mold source but it’s very unusual for it to really develop. So I think you might just be seeing a dirty vent. It’s much more likely that what you’re seeing there is dirt and not mold.

But I would say this: if you want to eliminate the possibility of moisture inside the bathroom, what you want to do is you want to make sure that the exhaust fan – the bathroom fan – is wired to a humidistat.

And if you take a look at the fans that are made by Broan-NuTone, they actually have a new one coming out, I know, that has a humidistatic control. And I think they have some others, as well. But we just saw one last week, though, at a major trade show called the International Builders’ Show that they were releasing for the first time.

But if you get one of these fans that’s got a humidistatic control in it, then you don’t have to worry about whether or not somebody’s leaving it on or not. It just stays on until the moisture goes down and then automatically goes off. So, it kind of takes you out of the equation.

ROBIN: OK.

TOM: And your husband. Because he could be the problem.

ROBIN: I don’t have to be a grouch and say, “Turn that back on.” OK.

TOM: You do not. You do not.

ROBIN: Alright. Well, I will try those. And the Concrobium is working great in the shower, so that was an excellent tip from before.

TOM: Our pleasure. Glad it worked out for you. Robin, thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Up next, does the hot water in your shower run out before you’re ready to get out? We’re going to have the solution when The Money Pit continues, after this.

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TOM: Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Hey, here’s a spring-cleaning tip that can actually help keep you clean. You know, if your shower is not delivering the oomph that it kind of usually does – that’s a technical term, by the way, oomph.

LESLIE: Oomph? Yeah.

TOM: And it’s very often caused by clogs that get in the showerhead. Because when that water dries out, sometimes you’ll get mineral-salt deposits that are left behind. That can clog up the tiny pores in the showerhead and it makes the water fall out in a very, very kind of lazy rate. So the solution, a very simple DIY project: take a plastic baggie full of white vinegar and sort of tie it up around that showerhead or drop your aerator right in it. The vinegar, actually, will melt all those mineral salts and that will free up the clog and you will have a beautiful, strong, healthy shower once again.

LESLIE: It really is amazing how quickly it does work. And it does do the trick.

Alright. Let’s jump into our posts and see what people are asking about this hour. Jeff writes: “I purchased a water heater from my brother-in-law’s plumbing-supply company.” Uh-oh. This is your first mistake. “I thought I needed a 40-gallon heater but realized afterward that I should have bought a 50-gallon tank, which they won’t let me return. I have a 2,700-square-foot, 2-story home with 3 full baths and 2 of us taking showers in the morning.”

You mixing business and family. Big problem. Big problems.

TOM: Yeah, exactly. And frankly, I don’t blame your brother-in-law for not letting you return the 40-gallon heater. I mean imagine, would you want to be the guy that walks in and buys the used – the slightly used – undersized water heater that some other guy that bought the wrong size of? You can’t resell that. But man, with three full bathrooms, a 40-gallon is not going to be big enough.

Now, maybe with your lifestyle the way it is right now, if there’s only a couple of you taking showers at the same time, you’ll be fine with a 40. But that house is big enough for a much bigger family. And if you were to sell it at some point and have a bigger family move in, they’re not going to be happy with the 40; they’re going to need to step that up.

So, I guess the silver lining here, Leslie, is that since he’s only got a 40, it’s not going to be that expensive for hot water. Because remember, you’re paying to heat that water, whether you use it or not, with a gas-fired water heater.

LESLIE: Right.

TOM: But if you do try to sell that house in the future, that could come up as an issue. So I would enjoy it now and who knows? Ten years or so down the line, if it’s time to change it again, you’ve learned your lesson. Never buy the water heater from a brother-in-law and when you do, buy the right size.

LESLIE: Yeah. First, start looking for another plumbing-supply company.

Alright. Next up, Dave in Massachusetts writes: “I’m thinking about building a deck and wondering if composite decking is worth the expense. The material is more than double the cost of wood. How well does it hold up over time?”

TOM: It holds up amazingly well because wood decks, pretty much, are – they’re in a constant state of degradation from the first day you build it until the day you tear it down, right? Composite, because it’s not organic, doesn’t really wear out. It just needs to be swept clean. Occasionally brush it down with some soap and water. But it really does hold up incredibly well.

And remember, you’re not replacing all the lumber with composite; you’re only replacing the decking surface and maybe the railing. So, my advice today would be to build the structure out of pressure-treated but definitely use composite for the surfaces and for the railings.

LESLIE: Yeah. Unless, Dave, you really enjoy refinishing your deck every couple of years. Because with the composites, you don’t have to. It looks gorgeous and I love that you just don’t get splinters.

TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online on today, your day for DIYers. It is National DIY Day. We hope we’ve inspired you with some tips and advice and suggestions on how you can get projects done around your house.

Remember, Sunday, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Leslie and I will be pro advisors on the DIYZ app. That is spelled D-I-Y-Z. Download it now from the Apple Store or on Google Play. You can connect with us via a video chat, in celebration of DIY Day. And we will give you answers to your home improvement projects. We’ll kind of see each other one on one. You can show us what’s going on in your house. We’ll give you the solutions. So download it, right now, the DIYZ app.

That’s all the time we have. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …

LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.

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