Wood Deck Check-up, Ventilating an Attic, Window Replacement Tips and more

(NOTE: Timestamps below correspond to the running time of the downloadable audio file of this show. Text represents a professional transcriptionist’s understanding of what was said. No guarantee of accuracy is expressed or implied. ‘Ph’ in parentheses indicates the phonetic or best guess of the actual spoken word.)

BEGIN HOUR 1 TEXT:

(promo/theme song)

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: And it’s time to get to work. No, you don’t have to get the hammer and saw out right now but you do have to pick up the phone and call us with your questions for your home improvement projects at 1-888-MONEY-PIT because it is the summer home improvement season. It’s a great time to get outside – you know, before it gets a little too warm – and pick up those tools and tackle those projects around your house that you know are on your to-do list. Or you can do what Leslie and I do; go inside, crank the AC (Leslie chuckles) and just hang out and do your jobs there until it cools off just a bit.

We’ve got some great ideas, no matter what is on your to-do list, to help you get those projects done; starting with this: coming up this hour, we’re going to talk about wood decks. They can increase your living space and they can allow you to create an outdoor room. It gives you a place to hang out when the weather is as pleasant as it is right now. But to do so, you need to know how to keep up that deck. We’re going to have some tips to help take a tired, worn-looking deck and get it in tiptop shape and it’s not as hard as you might think.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And you know what? We’re always telling you to make sure that your house is sealed up tight because we want you to not spend so many dollars on your energy costs. And if you’ve got a leaky, drafty house, those dollars are just pouring right out of your home. But there is one area in your money pit that’s supposed to be drafty and we’re going to tell you why and how it can actually save you big cooling and heating dollars, coming up.

TOM: Also ahead, tax credits that are available now for replacing the older windows in your house are spurring homeowners into action. You’ve only got between now and the end of the year to make that improvement and take advantage of the tax credits that are available for replacement windows. They’re a great thing to do because they definitely save you money in the summer; they save you money in the winter; and there are lots of options out there, though, to pick from. We’re going to help you sort that all out in just a bit.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And you know what? Today we’re giving away a great prize. We’ve got a dethatcher from Agri-Fab and it’s worth 220 bucks and it’s really great. If you haven’t had a chance to take your lawnmower out and get it serviced and really do some proper work around the yard, this’ll give you a head start because it’s officially 4^th of July weekend and we want to have a great kickoff and keep your yard looking in wonderful shape all summer.

TOM: And if you haven’t taken your lawnmower out yet at all, you need a dethatcher because the grass is probably up to your waist by now.

LESLIE: Right.

TOM: One caller we talk to on the program today is going to be entered into a random drawing to win this prize. Again, it’s worth 220 bucks; going to go to one caller who reaches us on today’s show at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. The number 1-888-666-3974. Let’s get to it.

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

GAIL: Oh, hello. Thank you. I’m calling because I like to feed the birds and I have two birdfeeders hanging on a planter pole; on each side of a planter pole. It’s about four feet above the ground. And I have all kinds of birds; cranes sometimes come and eat. And the seeds end up on the ground and they’re growing, of course. And my husband put down plastic and rocks on top and that’s not working because it’s making such a mess with the seeds growing and I was wondering if you had an idea for me of what I could do for a platform there.

TOM: So what’s the surface that you have right now?

GAIL: It’s grass but he put down plastic and then he put large rocks, pretty rocks on – you know, make it pretty there.

TOM: Right.

GAIL: And the birds eat between the rocks most of the time but the thing is, the seeds grow when it rains. (chuckles) And …

TOM: What if you created a little paver patio there? Is that a possibility?

GAIL: A paver patio?

TOM: Yeah.

GAIL: Well, I was thinking of concrete. But see, the pavers would have in-between places.

LESLIE: Well …

TOM: Yeah, but if you do the base properly, I don’t think that’s going to be a problem, Leslie.

LESLIE: Yeah.

GAIL: What would you suggest?

LESLIE: Well, here’s something else in addition to pavers. There’s something that you can find – I don’t know if you can get it at regular pet stores or bird stores; if you have to look at it at a home center – but there’s something called a seed catcher.

GAIL: Seed catcher.

LESLIE: And it looks like – it almost looks like a colander; you know, it’s like mesh screen material but it’s on a rigid, circular round and some of them are made to slide up posts and some are made to hang from the same hook that you would hang one from a tree and they sort of sit below.

GAIL: Oh.

LESLIE: That might be an easy fix. It might not look attractive with your birdfeeder so that maybe a paver area beneath it is the better solution there. But it’s worth a search just to see what you can find in your area.

Now with pavers, you want to make sure that you prep the area below it; which means you kind of have to dig down. Maybe if you’re making a little square around your post, you want to remove the soil and the grass and go down a couple of inches and then you want to put some aggregate which is basically just a loose stone of assorted sizes and then sand and then your paver on top. And there’s a great product by QUIKRETE called JOINT-LOCK which is a locking sand that you sort of brush over the pavers and then wet with a hose and it sort of locks all the pavers together so whatever seeds do land on there, you can just sweep right up rather than sort of getting …

GAIL: That sounds good. Oh, well those are all good. I appreciate it very much.

TOM: You’re welcome, Gail. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Alright, now we’ve got Joe who’s calling in with a flat roofing question. What can we do for you today?

JOE: Is there a product that somebody produces or manufactures that can be put on a flat roof and below the roof there is no attic or crawlspace? And I’m wondering if this product can be used to keep the rooms below the roof cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

TOM: OK, so you have a flat roof with no attic and you’re looking for a roofing product that’s going to give you some thermal qualities.

JOE: Yes.

TOM: Well, in terms of the summer, that’s an easy one. Any type of membrane roof – especially a ballasted roof where you have a membrane and then it’s covered with either a fibrous aluminum type of paint which reflects the heat of the sun or a membrane roof that’s covered with a stone which is very, very common; usually uses a lightweight, white-colored stone – those both are designed to keep the roof cooler and, hence, the building cooler underneath.

In terms of retaining the heat, that’s another matter in its entirety.

JOE: Wait, you said stone – s-t-o-n-e?

TOM: Yes, correct.

JOE: Oh, OK. Alright. I wanted to be sure that I understood what you said.

TOM: Yes. Yeah, it’s called a ballasted roof because the stone actually is sort of a ballaster; a weight that keeps the roofing product in place. But there are roofing products that are designed specifically to reflect the heat of the sun. I don’t think you’re going to find one that holds the heat in but you will find one that reflects the heat.

JOE: I see, I see. I thank you very, very much.

TOM: You’re welcome, Joe. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

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

Well, just because it is the biggest weekend of the summer, 4^th of July weekend, we’re not giving you a pass. You can still do home improvement projects. Heck, maybe you just need to know what to do with that grill: how to turn it on; how to clean it up to get the best barbecue happening for this weekend. So give us a call; we are here to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

TOM: 888-666-3974.

Up next, taking care of your deck means you’ll have a valuable addition to your home that you can enjoy all season long. We’re going to have some tips on how to give your deck a checkup, after this.

(theme song)

ANNOUNCER: The Money Pit is brought to you by Therma-Tru Doors, the nation’s leading manufacturer of fiberglass entry and patio door systems. Therma-Tru Doors are Energy Star-qualified and provide up to five times the insulation of a wood door. To learn more, visit Therma-Tru.com. Now, here are Tom and Leslie.

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: Give us a call right now at 888-MONEY-PIT. One caller we talk to on the air this hour is going to have a chance to win the dethatcher from Agri-Fab. This is a no-gas, no-oil, dethatching solution perfect for small and mid-sized lawns. All you do is plug it into an extension cord and push it and you’re good to go. There are 40 stainless steel tines that can take those matted layers of thatch right down to the surface. It’s worth 220 bucks, so give us a call with your home improvement question at 1-888-MONEY-PIT for your chance to win.

LESLIE: Well, owning a home today is all about maintaining value and if you have a deck, you’re already way ahead of the game because a deck is the single-most cost-effective way to increase livable space without a massive renovation.

TOM: Absolutely.

LESLIE: Yeah, you know that’s why it makes sense to take good care of it. You want to spend some time checking it for loose or corroded fasteners. You also want to make sure that your railings are secure. And finally, every couple of years, give your deck a good scrub-down and then stain it.

TOM: And if you’re ready to stain your deck, we recommend a product line from Behr called the Behr Premium Exterior Weatherproofing Wood Stains and Finishes. This line has a new, 100-percent advanced acrylic formula that protects decks as well as wood siding and fences from the elements. It also allows the stains and finishes to penetrate deep into the wood, which delivers great-looking service protection that will last for years.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And you know what? They also have a ton of colors to choose from. Now, the Behr Premium solid-color, weatherproofing stain comes in more than 1,600 colors and the Behr semi-transparent weatherproofing stain comes in 83 custom colors. And the entire line is currently available exclusively at Home Depot.

TOM: And if you go to Home Depot, Behr even has these really cool WoodSmart kiosks where you can get step-by-step project tips and even pick up some of their 8-ounce samples which, by the way, I think is a great way to check out colors or even take on smaller projects. For more tips, you can head on over to Behr.com. That’s B-e-h-r.com.

888-666-3974. Call us right now. If an outdoor room is on your to-do list, we’re here to help.

Leslie, who’s next?

LESLIE: Lorraine in Georgia is calling in with a flooring question. What can we do for you?

LORRAINE: We are in the process of remodeling a 108-year-old farmhouse and we want to do it right. It was my grandfather’s. We’re going to be renting it, so we’re trying to watch our expenses.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm.

LORRAINE: In the kitchen, we had to go down to the floor joist and we are going to put back on top of it a subfloor called AdvanTech.

TOM: OK.

LORRAINE: And what we were initially talking about doing was putting cement board on top of that and then doing a 20×20 porcelain tile.

TOM: OK.

LORRAINE: But I’ve heard about a product called Schluter-DITRA and they’re saying that tiles won’t ever break if you use that. And I’m trying to watch what we’re putting into this house because it is going to be rental. But we’re trying to figure what would be better; to put cement board and then the porcelain tiles or the large tile; or do the Schluter-DITRA.

TOM: Lorraine, it’s a good question. The Schluter-DITRA that you’re referring to is essentially a membrane that goes under the tile but it’s pretty complicated to install. Because on top of the plywood subfloor, you would have to put mortar; then you’d have to put the membrane, then more mortar, then the tile.

Another thing to consider is that if you are going to use 20-inch tile, that floor has to be absolutely rock solid because the bigger the tile, the easier they break. And so if you have any flex whatsoever, you’re going to have broken tiles. And especially since you mentioned that this is going to be a rental situation, you don’t want to have that kind of maintenance.

So what I would suggest, especially since you’re starting from scratch, is why not just do a standard, old-fashioned but always reliable mud floor where you put in a mud underlayment; it’s reinforced with mesh; and then once it dries it’s rock solid – there’s no bend, there’s no flex and you can put your tiles down right on top of that.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm. And I imagine the cost is going to be far less than going for something as high-tech as that substrate you’re talking about.

LORRAINE: OK, so that might be the better way to go.

TOM: Alright, Lorraine. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

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

ED: I have an insulated concrete form home …

TOM: Great.

ED: … and have a dimple fabric – think of an egg carton made into a plastic roll.

TOM: Right.

ED: It’s called Platon. And it’s attached with their clip system to the outside of the foundation walls for waterproofing. That was followed on by a trowel-on coating to transition to the vinyl siding before backfilling. So that sounds all fine and great.

But as the backfilled earth settled, it pulled on this Platon material, breaking the nice, flat-top-edge seal against the ICF block and tearing that trowel-on coating. Now I no longer have an aesthetically-pleasing transition and mice are actually using the torn spots of this trowel-on coating to gain access to the inside of the house, crumbling up the outside of the home until they get access to the attic, if you can believe that, in a two-story.

TOM: (overlapping voices) Wow. Wow.

ED: So what can I do about this?

TOM: You can use an epoxy patching compound and put it back together again. That’s what I would use. Obviously you can’t use more concrete but you could use an epoxy product.

LESLIE: And that’s the only thing that’ll cause everything to stick back together.

TOM: Yeah, there’s a website called Abatron – A-b-a-t-r-o-n. It has a lot of industrial-strength products like that and you can find one that will work in this particular application.

But how do you like the ICF home? I mean we covered those years and years ago. Insulated concrete form homes, for those of you that are not aware, I always describe them as sort of LEGO blocks for adults. You stack these hollow blocks up and then they’re filled with concrete and they become the walls and you can get a house that’s pretty well insulated. Are you finding that you get good energy savings in this home?

ED: Oh, yeah. Absolutely. I mean it’s 5,200 square feet and my utilities average 130 bucks a month.

TOM: That’s unbelievable.

LESLIE: Wow, that’s great.

TOM: Yeah. Yeah. When I saw that technology, I thought to myself, “If I was building another house today, that’s definitely the way I would go.” Insulated concrete form homes are just fantastic. They’re also storm-proof and very, very weather-resistant as well.

So it sounds like one minor maintenance hassle, Ed, that you’ve got to deal with here but I think an epoxy patching compound is your solution.

ED: So when I apply that, am I trying to repair this trowel-on material with that which actually pulled away from the house? What am I doing? Or am I peeling off that stuff first?

TOM: Yeah, I think you can repair the material. I think you can also seal in the gaps that have now formed between the trowel-on material and the exterior wall. Because epoxy is a product that has very, very excellent adhesion, so you’ll have a lot of flexibility as to where you can use it.

ED: OK. I’ll absolutely give that a whirl because prior to calling you guys, I was planning on excavating and reapplying another layer of Platon. This sounds way easier than that.

TOM: Yeah, and let’s try this first because even if you reapply, remember, you’re going to still have the same adhesion issues. And I think you’ll find that the epoxy products are the way to rock on this one.

ED: Guys, thank you so much.

TOM: You’re welcome, Ed. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Kathleen in Arizona wants to change a wood fireplace to a gas fireplace. Welcome aboard. What can we do for you?

KATHLEEN: Thank you, yes. So I’m here in Phoenix and we have fires because they look good; not so much for the heat, of course.

LESLIE: (chuckling) OK.

TOM: (chuckling) OK.

KATHLEEN: I have gas that comes in at one end of my house and about 50 feet away is my fireplace. So I’ve had estimates for running gas line but the length of it and the bends involved is really costly, it seems; so I’m thinking that I could use one of those barbecue gas cylinders maybe as a gas source. My fireplace is on an outside wall.

TOM: On an outside wall? Hmm.

KATHLEEN: Yes.

TOM: Maybe, maybe, maybe. Not sure about that. I will tell you that if you think the expense of running the gas line is costly, wait until you see how much it costs to run that fireplace. Usually, when you add a gas burner to an existing fireplace, they use a huge amount of BTUs so they’re very expensive to run.

If you can start from scratch and install what’s called a condensing gas fireplace, they have very high-efficiency fireplaces that are …

LESLIE: But isn’t that essentially – couldn’t you do that as an insert to the existing fireplace, Tom?

TOM: I don’t know about that. I’ve never seen one that – no, I’ve never seen one that’s that efficient to be used as an insert. So this is a pretty expensive improvement that you’re thinking about doing, Kathleen. If you’re not going to use it all the time, why don’t you just go back – go with a standard Duraflame log and save yourself a lot of headache.

KATHLEEN: Oh, OK. Alrighty.

TOM: (overlapping voices) Pretty costly.

KATHLEEN: And when you were mentioning inserts, are you talking about the ones that re-burn their own smoke because we have no-burn days here in Phoenix?

TOM: Yeah, they have inserts that burn wood, sure. And they’re more efficient than regular masonry fireplaces. But I will tell you that adding a gas burner to a masonry fireplace is just a very inefficient thing to do.

KATHLEEN: OK. Thank you.

TOM: You’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

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

Well, we always say that a well-sealed home is key to saving energy, but a drafty attic is actually a good thing. We’ll explain why, next.

(theme song)

ANNOUNCER: This portion of The Money Pit is brought to you by Behr Premium Exterior weatherproofing wood stains and finishes with an advanced, 100-percent acrylic resin to protect decks, siding and fences from sun, rain, snow and ice. The line offers longlasting beauty and excellent durability. For more information, visit Behr.com. That’s B-e-h-r.com. Behr products are available exclusively at The Home Depot.

TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Give us a call right now with your home improvement question, your do-it-yourself dilemma. The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

Let’s get back to the phones, Leslie. Who’s next?

LESLIE: Ron in North Carolina is calling in with a water-heating question. What can we do for you?

RON: Hi. Quick question for you about hot water heaters. I’m considering replacing my traditional hot water heater and I had anticipated and kind of built up for the years the excitement of going to this instant hot water. I know I had it in a home when I was in Europe. You simply turn the tap; you’ve got hot water for as long as you want and you can kind of do away with the traditional hot water heater.

But recently, when I was in one of the home improvement stores, they had a new type where they’re using Freon for the hot – the high-pressure and the low-pressure side of the Freon – as a way to keep the water warm; not to get it up to the heat that you need it but to keep it and sustain the warmth of it. And I didn’t know if you had had any experience with those types.

TOM: Are you talking about a heat pump water heater.

RON: That’s exactly what it is. Yes.

TOM: Yeah.

RON: The heat pump hot water heater is what they called it. It was rather new to the industry.

TOM: (overlapping voices) Right. OK. Yeah. I never heard it quite explained that way, Ron. (chuckles) But I knew what you meant.

Yeah, a heat pump water heater, it uses the same technology that a heat pump air conditioner uses. And it works in conjunction with an electric resistance water heater. It’s sort of like two systems in one. And so if the water is stone cold, your electric resistance heater comes on and brings it up but once it gets warm, the heat pump water heater takes over and maintains its temperature within a range. And bottom line is this is far, far, far more efficient than the electric water heater would be by itself.

So if you have only – if you have to use an electric water heater, I think it’s a good option. I also think it qualifies for tax credits.

If you have access to gas, to natural gas, then I would certainly go with that type of unit.

ED: OK, so that is much more efficient still?

TOM: I certainly would use natural gas. If I had natural gas, I would use a tankless, natural gas water heater.

LESLIE: Well, a well-sealed home can actually help you keep energy costs and your energy bills down as well as your energy usage. But there is one space in your house that should be drafty and leaky.

TOM: That’s correct and it’s your attic. Joining us now to tell us why is This Old House host Kevin O’Connor and the show’s general contractor, Tom Silva.

And guys, to most homeowners, this is exactly the opposite of what they think they should be doing to the spaces in their house.

KEVIN: Attic ventilation is a topic that confuses a lot of people. Usually we’re trying to seal up a house to improve its energy efficiency. But when it comes to attics, that’s just the opposite case.

TOM SILVA: Well, you’re right. If your attic is unconditioned space, it must be vented. A properly-vented attic will prevent ice dams in cold climates; it’ll reduce your air conditioning cost in warm climates; and it’ll extend the life of your roof no matter where you live. But the type of ventilation that you have is important. A soffit and a ridge vent work together, so it’s very important that the soffit vent is not blocked by insulation. You want that cool air from under the soffit to enter the attic, cooling it; drawing the warmer air out through the ridge vent.

KEVIN: And then what about gable end vents?

TOM SILVA: Well, gable end vents work good with a soffit vent but they don’t work well with a ridge vent. The ridge vent will actually pull the air in through the gable vent, not through the soffit vent. So air will take the path of least resistance.

KEVIN: Alright, some good tips and we’ve got more information on attic ventilation on ThisOldHouse.com.

TOM: So a drafty attic, a good thing; drafty house, not so much. (chuckles)

KEVIN: (chuckles) Exactly.

TOM: Tom Silva, Kevin O’Connor, thanks for stopping by The Money Pit.

TOM SILVA: My pleasure.

KEVIN: Good to be here.

LESLIE: And remember guys, there’s one time that you don’t want a drafty attic and that’s if you’ve got a finished attic (Tom chuckles) and you guys are living up there, it’s a playroom. Whatever it is, if you’re using that attic space as living space, it should be properly insulated and not drafty; unless you’re opening those windows. (chuckles)

TOM: Good point. And for more tips on how to take care of your house, we encourage you to watch Tom and Kevin on This Old House Television. This Old House is brought to you by GMC. GMC – we are professional grade.

Still ahead, federal tax credits are allowing more and more homeowners to make energy-efficient home improvements and, boy, are you guys doing just that.

LESLIE: Yeah, that’s right. You know, window replacement, it’s one of the top projects that you guys are tackling right now. So, we are going to talk about what windows might be right for your home, next.

(theme song)

ANNOUNCER: The Money Pit is brought to you by Generac and the Generac automatic standby generator. Be protected and never worry about power outages again. Visit your favorite home improvement center or call 888-GENERAC or visit Generac.com. Your home will stay on the next time the power goes out. Now, here are Tom and Leslie.

TOM: Making good homes better, welcome back to the Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show on air and online at MoneyPit.com. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete. And you should give us a call at 1-888-MONEY-PIT because we will answer your home improvement dilemma, whatever it is that you are tackling this holiday weekend that you need a hand with. Or, in general, we can help you get those design ideas and plans in place so you can have that money pit of your dreams.

But we will also get a great prize to one lucky caller who gets on the air this hour. And you know, we are giving away a dethatcher from Agri-Fab. Now this is a no-gas, no-oil dethatching solution which is perfect for small or even mid-size lawns. All you have to do is plug it in and get right to work. And it’s got 40 stainless steel tines which will actually help lift up those matted layers of thatch – you know, all that dead grass – right to the surface and then you can go ahead and make a thatched roof with it if you like. (Tom and Leslie chuckle)

It’s worth 220 bucks, so call us right now at 1-888-MONEY-PIT for your answer to your home improvement question and your chance to win.

TOM: Did you ever think you’d use the words “fab” and “thatcher” in the same sentence?

LESLIE: I tell you, that was a hard one; “dethatcher,” “Agri-Fab.” But it really is a great product and I have to say, I have seen too many lawns at this point of the season – you know, we’re getting into summer …

TOM: Yeah.

LESLIE: … and if you’ve ignored your lawn, it really can be a disaster to make it look beautiful at this point. So it’s a very helpful tool.

TOM: And one other project that is very, very helpful to think about right now, even in the heat of the summer – because it’s going to last you and deliver some value all year long – is replacement windows because you want to take advantage of that current federal tax energy credit that’s available between now and the end of the year. So make sure you start first by educating yourself on the energy-efficiency features of the windows that you’re considering, along with the manufacturer’s warranty and the glass options that you have for your windows.

There’s an awful lot to think about when replacing your windows, so we actually have answered many of these questions in a free window replacement guide available for you at MoneyPit.com. It’s available on the home page. It’s a free download. It’s actually a bonus chapter from our book, My Home, My Money Pit: Your Guide to Every Home Improvement Adventure, and it’s called “Your Complete Replacement Window Guide.”

LESLIE: You know, you’re right, Tom. I think you mentioned it; that there are so many choices out there. I know when it comes to window shopping, it really just gets very confusing. That’s why we’ve touched on things like easy-to-operate, crank-out casement windows or large, no-opening picture windows; do you need double- or triple-pane glass – which I think a lot of people get confused about because we get calls from the middle of the country where people are thinking, “Oh, do I need a triple-pane glass?” where that’s really more necessary if you live in a super-cold climate.

TOM: That’s right.

LESLIE: So there’s a lot of different things that can be very overwhelming and confusing, so we help you to answer all of those questions in that free guide to replacement windows. You can go right now to MoneyPit.com and you can download the guide for free.

TOM: 888-666-3974. Give us a call right now with your home improvement question, your do-it-yourself dilemma. We are here to help.

LESLIE: Linda in New York is dealing with a situation in her basement that she’s hoping is not mold. Tell us about it. We’ll help you out.

LINDA: Oh, thank you. I have a colonial home from about the 1920s and we’ve lived here a long, long time. But we’re noticing, in the back part of the basement where the Bilco doors are, on the one side of the wall all this paint is all peeling off in big chunks; big pieces of white paint.

TOM: Right.

LINDA: And underneath, it appeared to be something like black – might have been moldy. And I did spray it with a chlorine bleach type of solution, a Tilex, and it seems like it got lighter gray. But I’m just wondering what I can do to forego any further damage.

TOM: Well, what I suspect you have here is mineral salt deposits. Because the peeling paint is a sign that you have leakage and moisture. So you’re getting moisture into that foundation wall. I would look at the area outside the Bilco doors. I would add some soil and have it slope away from the wall there. I’d check the gutters to make sure they’re not overflowing. Try to manage the moisture in that particular area because that is the heart of the problem. Once you get rid of that moisture, you’re going to be a whole lot better off.

In terms of what you’re seeing come through, I don’t think it’s mold. It’s most likely mineral salt deposit, which is what’s left over when the water evaporates, Linda. And so what you’re doing is the right thing; by spraying it down with – actually, a bleach solution, probably not necessary. I would spray it down with a vinegar solution.

LINDA: Vinegar? OK.

LESLIE: Yeah, white vinegar.

TOM: White vinegar will take off the salts.

LINDA: Alright, well thank you very much. I’ll try that and hopefully that’ll work.

TOM: Alright, Linda, have faith.

This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Ron in Alabama needs some help with a noisy situation. What’s going on?

RON: Yeah, well, I’ve got a generator and I live on a lake and so the sound travels pretty well. But my neighbor – you know, when the generator activates, we don’t hear it inside our house; it’s well-insulated. But the deflection off of my house takes what sound there is over to my neighbor’s and I’m just wondering if there’s some – I’m being a courteous neighbor – is there some way I can deflect that sound either straight up or up the hill, away from his house?

TOM: Yeah, well, it’s always nice to be nice to the neighbors because you never know when you need to have that favor returned. (chuckles)

Ron, what I would do is I would install – I wouldn’t install – I would plant some bushes around that. It’s not going to affect the function of the generator but it might serve as a noise barrier. You know, the other thing that you could do is fence it in but I think probably bushes would be a good way to sort of break up the sound waves.

LESLIE: And the most attractive.

TOM: (overlapping voices) Yeah, exactly.

LESLIE: Otherwise, you’re looking at a wood box.

RON: Yeah, it’ll look good on that utility side of my house.

TOM: (overlapping voices) It’s a good buffer.

RON: That’s probably a good solution.

TOM: (overlapping voices) Alright, Ron.

LESLIE: (overlapping voices) Yeah, look at Leyland cypress. They’re gorgeous and they’re affordable.

RON: I’ll get a few of them.

LESLIE: (overlapping voices) Good, enjoy.

TOM: (overlapping voices) Alright, Ron. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

Now, we expect to hear from Ron’s neighbor with the same question.

LESLIE: You know, let me tell you (Tom chuckles) – when we first moved into our house, there was a chain-link fence between us and the neighbor and I was like, “You know, no offense. You’re lovely people but I don’t want to look at you.” So we put these three-foot Leyland cypress in and we’ve been in the house five years and the tallest one is the same height as my house.

TOM: And now it’s completely invisible, right?

LESLIE: It’s amazing and they were inexpensive and if you get them put in by a landscaping pro, they’ll guarantee them for the first year should they die, should there be a problem and then you’ll get a new one.

Sharon in North Carolina has some unwanted visitors in her house that truly freak me out – bats. (Tom chuckles) Sharon, what’s going on?

SHARON: Well, my husband and I – in our house, the bats have managed to take up residence in the roof ventilation area on the east side of our house.

TOM: OK.

SHARON: We were wondering how to get them out of there.

TOM: Well, first of all, you need to repair your vents so that there’s not an easy way in. And then, secondly, what I would do is install what’s called a bat door. You’re going to need to create some space somewhere in the siding so that the bats can get out and you cover that with like a netting; sort of like a bird netting that’s attached on the top and the sides but sort of open at the bottom. What’ll happen is the bats will go out that hole and they’ll go outside but they won’t be able to find their way back in again. And that’s the way you kind of welcome them back out of your attic space.

SHARON: OK. I appreciate your time in helping us with that.

TOM: Well, you’re very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Bats are just unsettling. (Tom chuckles) I read somewhere once that there’s something with their wings and if they encounter you, they can get stuck in your hair. And the whole idea of a bat getting stuck in my hair freaks me out.

TOM: (overlapping voices) I think a bat would probably be more afraid of you, Leslie, than you would be afraid of it.

LESLIE: I’m not so sure. (Tom chuckles)

TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show.

Up next, we’ve got answers to your most burning home improvement questions that we received by e-mail at MoneyPit.com, like this: is there any way to cut down on nasty paint odors when doing that project yourself. We’ve got an answer. We’ll tell you, next.

(theme song)

TOM: Where home solutions live, welcome back to the Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: And we’d love if you would stop by our Facebook page and click on the “Fan” button or the “Like” button, depending on what Facebook decides to do with their buttons.

LESLIE: On this day of the week. (chuckles)

TOM: There seems to be a lot of this up-in-air-right-now kind of thing. But we hope that you would be a fan or perhaps you would indicate your likeness of the money pit; whatever they want to call it. (Leslie chuckles) You can also join our Twitter page and follow our tweets. And if you do any of those things, we promise to give you up-to-the-minute great home improvement advice every, single day of the week; like this that we’re going to do for Ruth, who asks this question about paint odors.

LESLIE: Ruth writes: “How can I get rid of the strong odor of varnished paint? In the bedroom, I varnished the closet doors and other wooded areas. That varnish smell is super-strong. Now I realize it would not have been a good idea to use so much varnish.” (Tom laughs) Boy, she must have gotten really heavy-handed there.

TOM: You think?

LESLIE: You know, typically, varnishes and glossy finishes like urethanes are very stinky, in that matter; just the nature of what chemicals go in there to sort of give you that finish that you’re looking for. You know, there’s a lot of green products. There’s a great website called GreenDepot.com and they have a lot of finishing products that are water-based, that are low-odor, that are low-VOC, no-VOC, no-odor. So you sort of have to be a little bit more aggressive when seeking out those products rather than the traditional ones that you’ll find in the big box stores.

TOM: Absolutely. And Ruth, when you – she came up with a new phrase: varnished paint.

LESLIE: Right.

TOM: I’m not quite sure what varnished paint is but I’m going to assume that you’re talking about a clear coat and …

LESLIE: Yeah, she might as well have said “shellac,” which … (chuckles)

TOM: She’s talking about doors and trim and things like that. You don’t even really need an oil base for that. You can use a latex base, which has no odor.

Now, I don’t recommend latex urethanes for floors or surfaces that take a lot of abrasion, but certainly for trim and doors and things like that it’s a great choice and it has no odor. So can’t help you that much with the project you have right now. You’re just going to have to let it offgas. Ventilate the space. Eventually it will settle down. But next time, look for green products and look for latex products because they have almost no odor.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm, and it really does; it makes a huge difference. And you’ll see, it’s better for your hands. You’ll notice in the whole process, you’ll feel a lot better when it’s said and done than going with the traditional ones.

Alright, now I’ve got one here from Doug who says: “How can I stop the condensation from my well tanks …” Wait, wait, wait. “How can I stop the condensation from well tanks from wetting down my slab during summer months?”

TOM: So this guy has got a well and he’s got a pressure tank and, basically, it condenses because the water coming up from the ground is super-cold.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm, and then you get the high heat from the summer months.

TOM: Right, high heat. Probably doesn’t have central AC – or at least not in this area – so he’s getting condensation. So what the solution is here, Doug, is to insulate the well tank because if you insulate it, you essentially put a layer of insulation between the cold, metal surface of the well tank and the warm, moist air. This also works well, by the way, for air conditioning ducts. Sometimes if you have air conditioning ducts that run through particularly humid places like basements, they will condense and they will drip and can be quite messy. It’s amazing how much water comes out of the air when you chill it.

LESLIE: I mean it’s true. Because it’s the humidity that makes you feel uncomfortable, so it’s always present.

TOM: Well, that’s right. So insulation is the solution here, Doug; pretty easy to do.

LESLIE: Alright, now we’ve got one from Carl who writes: “My dad had seamless gutters put up after this winter storm damage to the existing. There are no soffits, so gutters are hung with hidden hangers directly through the shingles. Now rain comes down between the roof and gutter on both sides. What’s the proper way to hang and should we still slope it on this type of roof?”

TOM: I think the key word here is “through the shingles.” Bad idea.

LESLIE: (overlapping voices) Yeah, that’s terrible.

TOM: Those brackets are not supposed to go on top of the shingles; they’re supposed to go under the shingles. You lift up the shingle edge, attach the brackets and then lay the shingles down into the gutter and, this way, you have water that comes off the roof into the gutter, goes away and everybody is happy.

LESLIE: Is there some sort of rubberized sealant he can use on the area where it did puncture the shingles?

TOM: I think that the issues here are not only the fact that it punctured the shingles but also that the roofing itself is not really dropping the water into the gutter, so it’s going sort of between the gutter. I think what I would do is just pull the gutter off and reinstall it and repair that front edge of the shingle; maybe replace that one rung of shingles.

LESLIE: Alright, Carl, I hope that helps and I hope it keeps your house nice and dry.

TOM: You are tuned to the Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. Thank you so much for spending this hour with us. We hope that you have a wonderful 4^th of July weekend. Have a hamburger or hot dog for us, will you?

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.

(theme song)

END HOUR 1 TEXT