Hosts: Tom Kraeutler & Leslie Segrete
(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:
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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: The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974. This show is to, for and about you and your home – your house, your castle, whatever you want to do to kind of make it a better money pit (laughing) for yourself.
LESLIE: Heck, even if it’s a rental we’ve got great ideas to let you expand your horizons in your rental and walk away leaving things that no one would even know you’ve done a thing to. So don’t be afraid if you’re a renter. Call us up.
TOM: 1-888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974. There could be home improvement projects that you could tackle, even if you own an apartment or a condo, that maybe doesn’t contribute to the value of the building and something that you could easily leave behind but could make the time that you’re spending in that house a lot more pleasant.
So Leslie, news flash.
LESLIE: Okay, let me hear it; ding ding dinga ding ding.
TOM: A survey of home builders at the International Builders’ Show finds that nine out of ten builders are incorporating energy-saving products in the new homes. How about that?
LESLIE: Well, that’s great.
TOM: Finally. Finally the builders are actually incorporating energy-saving features into their structures. And you know why? Because the consumers are finally demanding it. That’s the way it works.
LESLIE: (overlapping) Well, the consumers are wising up to it all so they’re more aware of what’s out there to actually improve their living spaces. So they’re asking for it and I think the builders know that if they deliver a good quality product, someone’s going to recommend them.
TOM: Plus, all the tax credits that are available now for energy-efficient upgrades is driving the needs as well. So maybe you’re thinking about making your own energy-efficient upgrade; be it windows, insulation, weather-stripping, caulking. Call us right now; 1-888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974.
LESLIE: And also coming up this hour, how to keep your home healthy. We’re going to talk to a mold expert who was among the first health officials on scene in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans. He’s seen the worst and has advice on what you can do to reduce the chances of mold infiltrating your home.
And we’re going to be giving away a great prize, this hour, and it will actually keep burglars from infiltrating your home. It’s called the Knock N’Lock System and it’s a way to secure your home from the inside with no lock to break into on the outside. All you need to get in is a special key. So it’s pretty cool.
TOM: Yeah.
LESLIE: So if you call us now and we answer your – I can’t talk today – and if we answer your question on air – I’m like, ‘Ahn-swer’ … that’s me; the foreign girl today – you’ll be lucky enough to be entered into the Money Pit hardhat to be our winner. So do so.
TOM: Pretty cool. 1-888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974. Yeah, imagine the crook comes up to your door to break in …
LESLIE: And there’s no lock.
TOM: … there’s no lock. (chuckling) It’s like, ‘Um, how do I, exactly, get in this place,’ you know? That’d send him packing.
LESLIE: He’d ‘Open sesame.’
TOM: Pretty cool. 1-888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974. Call us right now. Leslie, who’s first?
LESLIE: Carol in Nebraska finds The Money Pit at KFOR and you’ve tiled the countertop yourself. Well done!
CAROL: Thank you. Actually, I can’t compare it (ph) with my husband but …
TOM: (chuckling) Okay.
CAROL: … it’s a beautiful, beautiful job and I couldn’t be more pleased. It was just easier than we thought and cheaper than we thought and just the greatest. And we couldn’t have done it without your help.
TOM: That’s great to hear because we’re always advocating people do these jobs themselves. And I think tile is something that people are afraid of tackling but it’s really not that hard to do. I always say if you can put a puzzle together, you can do tile.
LESLIE: Yeah, and with innovations on like wet (ph) tile cutter’s blades, where you can accidentally run your finger across certain ones and they won’t cut you. I think people are feeling more capable. So good for you.
CAROL: It’s … and we did it over a laminate, which people said – some people said you could, some people said you couldn’t. We went ahead and did it and it worked great.
TOM: Great.
CAROL: So you don’t even have to pull that out. It just was fabulous. Our only problem is – because, of course, there would be one little problem (laughing) …
LESLIE: Of course.
CAROL: The bull nose that we ran along the edge – right above the dishwasher – there’s a very fine line crack in the grout. And we were wondering if it’s somehow heat related from the heat escaping from the dishwasher and … or is it when we reset the new sink in, did we maybe put so much pressure on that it created that crack? And, mainly, what should we do?
TOM: Well, it is a good point that there’s heat above the dishwasher. You get steam that comes out there and you could have, potentially, a little more expansion and contraction going on there as well that the grout’s not very elastic.
CAROL: Yeah.
TOM: If it’s just a fine line I wouldn’t worry about it. By the way, did you seal that grout after you put it down?
CAROL: We didn’t because we were told we didn’t have to.
LESLIE: Yeah, but if you seal it, it won’t stain as easily and it will last longer.
CAROL: Okay. So … and it’s not … we just finished it, maybe, a month ago; so it’s not too late to seal it?
TOM: No, no. Do it now before you … before you get it pretty dirty.
CAROL: Okay.
TOM: Yeah, if you …
LESLIE: And get the applicator; it’s like a little squeezie bottle that has almost like … either a roller tip or like a nail polish brush on it …
CAROL: Okay.
LESLIE: … because it really allows you to get in there really neatly and put it exactly where it needs to go; which is on the grout, not the tile.
CAROL: Okay. And that … and so that’s just … you look for grout sealer?
LESLIE: It’s right in the tiling section; you cannot miss it.
CAROL: Okay. And then would that probably help the next time? Because we’ll probably end up … we seem to be increasing a little bit (audio gap) crack. So we may end up pulling this up and redoing that section.
TOM: Well, what you want to do is get a grout saw – which is like a little tool that is designed to scrape grout out – and scrape the grout out. And it’s good that it’s still pretty new because you don’t have to worry about a color issue. And you could mix up a little bit of grout and then regrout that and then seal it all together at the same time. And hopefully, that will stand up the next time and it won’t shrink again.
CAROL: Okay.
TOM: Okay?
CAROL: So the grout saw …?
TOM: A great saw, right.
CAROL: … and the sealer with the little nail polish thing?
TOM: Yep.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm.
CAROL: Alright.
TOM: There you go. On your way.
CAROL: (overlapping) Thank you so much.
TOM: Okay, you’re welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. It’s so rewarding to hear that people are tackling the home improvement projects that we recommend and they’re coming out great.
LESLIE: Yeah, and tiling a countertop … it’s just … it’s so surprisingly simple – just like Carol said – and you really can have just a beautiful and original countertop that’s all your own. So don’t be afraid of it.
TOM: Tackle it. 1-888-MONEY-PIT. Let us show you how. Call us now.
LESLIE: Lou in Maryland listens to The Money Pit on WJFK and you’ve got a question about a bathroom vent. What can we do for you?
LOU: Well, what I’m looking to do … I’ve got a … in our master bathroom – so it’s upstairs second floor – there’s no fan; there’s no (audio gap).
TOM: Yeah, isn’t that crazy? You know, the builders are not required to put a fan in a bathroom …
LESLIE: Is there a window in the room?
TOM: … if there’s a window.
LOU: Yeah, there’s a window; absolutely. But …
TOM: So why don’t you just pop that open in January, why don’t you? (laughing)
LOU: Well, that tends to happen; but the wife doesn’t like that so much because then it cools down the …
LESLIE: Because we’re always cold in the shower. (laughing) I can’t tell you how many times I’m in the shower and my husband leaves the door open. And I’m like, ‘It’s freezing in here,’ and he’s like, ‘It’s hot.’
LOU: Yeah, you can’t see the mirror soon as you get out, you know? Because everything gets all fogged up.
TOM: So what do you want to do? Put a vent fan in there?
LOU: I would like to put a vent fan in there but my question is do I need to vent it outside or can I just vent it into the attic?
TOM: Oh, no.
LESLIE: Vent it outside.
TOM: Right. You can’t vent it in the attic; that’s a big mistake. You know why? Because all of that moisture will condense in your attic and it’ll get into your insulation. It could rot out your sheathing and if it gets the insulation damp, it makes it completely ineffective. Insulation, to insulate, has got to be dry. If you get it humid, it doesn’t work.
LOU: Okay.
LESLIE: So get that elbow bend.
TOM: Yeah, Lou, you can go up to the attic and then like across the insulation then, maybe, down into the soffit area. Or you can go up toward a vent or you could put another vent through the roof. So you can go through the attic space; but just don’t leave it right in the attic.
LOU: That’s a good … I didn’t think about that. Because I think there’s a ridge vent up in the attic. Could I like vent it up into that?
TOM: Well, if it’s a big enough ridge vent. Ridge vents tend to need a lot of length to do a good job venting. I’d rather see you bring it down to the soffit vent and open up a space in the soffit and have it vent down.
LOU: Okay. So just the fact that it will, then, go up and then down …
TOM: Well, I just don’t think that the ridge vent’s going to be big enough, by itself, for it to vent all of the air that’s going to come through that fan. I think if you take the exhaust duct, run it across the top of the insulation, drop it into the soffit and then cut a whole in the soffit and terminate the vent there, then you’ll have no restriction whatsoever and you’ll get all of that warm, moist air out very quickly without causing any damage to the attic structure itself.
LOU: Plus, there’s not a … plus, I don’t have to worry about rain getting in there or anything like that, as far as having a vent (inaudible).
TOM: Exactly. Gravity’s working for you in that case.
LOU: Gotcha. Okay.
TOM: Okay, Lou?
LOU: Will do. Thank you very much.
TOM: You’re welcome. Thanks for calling us at The Money Pit.
LESLIE: Hey, have you ever said to yourself, ‘They don’t build them like they used to’? Well, you’re right if you do and, sometimes, that can actually be a good thing. A bad construction idea could actually lead to a dangerous situation. To help you avoid trouble, we created Home Improvement by the Numbers and it’s a column that you’ll find on moneypit.com; it’s underneath Tips and Ideas and it’s listed the most common unsafe, inefficient and otherwise unwanted construction practices, by the year, so you’ll know what to look out for in your own home by the year it was built. So no matter if your home was built in 1896 – like Tom’s – or the year 2000, go to moneypit.com today and learn how to keep your home safe.
TOM: 1-888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974. So if that garbage piling up in your cans is causing a big stink, you’re not alone; it stinks in my house. Do you know how many pounds of garbage a small family generates each week? You’ll be surprised at the answer. We’ll tell you how to keep your cans clean and fresh, no matter how much trash you collect, next.
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ANNOUNCER: This portion of The Money Pit is being sponsored by Peerless. If you’re putting in a new bathroom or kitchen faucet, Peerless can help you with every step including the hardest one – getting that old faucet out. For a complete undo-it-yourself guide, visit the Peerless faucet coach at faucetcoach.com.
TOM: Welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
TOM: How’s that garbage in your house?
LESLIE: Yeah, Tom, I was doing that just before we sat down.
TOM: Did you? Check this stat out. The average family of three generates 40 pounds of garbage a week. You think that’s true?
LESLIE: I …
TOM: Forty pounds.
LESLIE: Really?
TOM: I’m thinking …
LESLIE: But just household garbage …
TOM: I guess.
LESLIE: … or like if I’m cleaning out the garage?
TOM: No, I think just regular garbage. You know, cans and bottles and stuff like …
LESLIE: (overlapping) Paper towels and rubbish.
TOM: (overlapping) Well, bottles are probably …
LESLIE: Well, those should be recycling, my friends.
TOM: Yeah, well, if your town recycles, that is.
LESLIE: I can’t believe some towns still out there don’t recycle. Get with the program.
TOM: (overlapping) Yeah, some do, some don’t. But anyway, yeah, that’s what the stat is. The average family of three generates 40 pounds of garbage a week. To keep your garbage cans looking and smelling clean, what you need to do is to rinse them weekly with a solution of borax and warm water. Borax works awesome for this. It will keep the germs at bay and it will keep them clean and it will keep them smelling very fresh and not offensive to the rest of the neighborhood.
LESLIE: Well, it’s funny because I usually … if it starts to get a little shady in there, I’ll take it outside and hose it down and clean it out. Other than that, I’ve been sort of just spraying them with a disinfectant every time I pull out the can. But that’s good to know. So, you know. Especially because when you pull that bag out, you set it down on the kitchen floor. And then you’re bringing the germs inside your house so that is gross.
Well, if you want more quick and easy cleaning tips, make sure you tune in and get the Money Pit e-newsletter. Hey, it’s free. You can get it free in your email inbox every week but you’ve got to sign up for it at newmoneypit.wpengine.com. So make sure you do that now and we’ll have one out to you right away.
TOM: 1-888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974. Give us a call about your home improvement question, your do-it-yourself dilemma. Got a great prize we’re giving away, this hour, worth $290. It’s called the Knock N’Lock from E-lock. It’s mounted on the inside of your door with no through holes for mechanical keys or wires. There’s no access to the lock so it can really fool the burglars. You access your house with a special key. Got that system to give away to one caller drawn at random from today’s calls to 1-888-MONEY-PIT. Leslie, who’s next?
LESLIE: Next up is Kelly in Oklahoma who’s got some unwanted visitors at home. You’ve got mice, huh?
KELLY: Yes, I do. (chuckling)
LESLIE: Like a lot of them?
KELLY: Not a lot, I don’t think; but we can hear them chewing in the wall.
TOM: (laughing) That’s not good.
LESLIE: Do you see evidence of them in the house? Like droppings? Or are they pretty much staying in the walls?
KELLY: No, they’re … we actually have a mobile home – a double-wide mobile home.
TOM: Okay.
KELLY: And it’s bricked in underneath. And we totally sealed up everything inside the house and we can’t … they can’t possibly get in the house. But they’re …
LESLIE: And now they can’t get out.
KELLY: No, they’re not inside the … in the house. But they’re like under the house.
TOM: Okay. Well, what you need to do first is to make your house as unattractive to mice as possible. You’d be surprised how many different sources of food there is in a house; I mean everything from pet food, any kind of goods that they can chew through. They’re pretty industrious. So make sure you’re not making it incredibly welcome. Even though you don’t see them inside …
LESLIE: And they can fit through just about any space.
TOM: Oh, yeah. They need like the space like the size of your finger to squeeze through. So just make sure you’re not doing that. Secondly – I think, probably, the easiest and most effective way for you to get rid of these guys is to get under the house – you don’t physically have to get in there; you just have to open enough of that space to be able to get in some bait. And bait works very well. If they hit the bait one time, they will die. So you don’t have to get them over and over and over again; the bait’s very effective. And I think …
KELLY: And we’re kind of worried about if we give them poison under there that they’ll die under there and we’ll keep smelling them.
TOM: Well, the chances are they’re going to go outside and look for water or go out to their nest somewhere. I mean that’s a possibility but I wouldn’t not do it because of that. You know, you really can’t use traps in this situation because you can’t access the space. But if you get a big enough hole to throw some bait packets down there, throw four or five of them in the crawl space area around and the mice will do the rest. (inaudible) …
LESLIE: Yeah, and at night, if you have pet food in the house, don’t leave their dish out full of the food. Pick it up off the floor and throw it away or add it back to their dish. And, really, think about sealing up any of your leftovers; any loose chips. Make sure you just close up everything and any sort of plastic storage. Because they can get into just about anything.
TOM: And anything that’s stored around the house – even garbage cans that are closed or firewood or any kind of storage that creates a mess.
LESLIE: Oh, yeah. Are you storing your firewood close to the house walls? Do you have … do you have firewood?
KELLY: No, we don’t have firewood.
LESLIE: Okay, because if you keep firewood close to the walls of your house, they can get right in through there as well.
TOM: Really, any kind of storage whatsoever. You basically need to keep it clean and spacious so that they don’t have a place to nest. But I would open up the crawl space, get some bait packets in there, and I think they’re going to go away. Okay, Kelly?
KELLY: Okay, thank you.
TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Ooh, Ronny in Illinois is thinking about adding a bathtub in the basement. Ronny, tell us what’s going on.
RONNY: My question is … I’m a first time homebuyer and we’re … I want to put in a tub in the basement …
TOM: Okay.
RONNY: And set it over the (audio gap) square foot drain site (audio gap) one foot square drain channel (inaudible) call it. And I don’t know if I need to cap that off and put a hole in it or put in a wooden floor over and set the tub on top of it.
TOM: Let’s drop up for a second. You say that you have a drain already installed in that basement floor?
RONNY: Yes, there’s a shower there right now.
TOM: Okay, great. So what you need to do, of course, is to connect the bathtub drain to that same drain. And what’s the access point for that? Would you have to dig out the floor, do you think?
RONNY: I don’t know because I wasn’t … I … the drain sits … goes in pretty deep. The shower sits over it and the washer water goes into the same drain.
TOM: So is it like an open hole?
RONNY: Well, yeah. You know, like you have a drain plug in your basement?
TOM: Right. You mean like it’s just draining through the floor?
RONNY: Well. Well …
TOM: It’s not a plumbing pipe?
RONNY: It’s drains … there’s a … there’s a drain pipe there, yes, but it does not go above the beveled edge.
TOM: It sounds to me like what you have is a floor drain, not a plumbing drain. Is that correct?
RONNY: That could be, yes.
TOM: Alright. Well, let’s get this straightened out because that’s not the proper way to drain plumbing fixtures. What you really need is something called a lift pump. And, basically, it’s a … sort of a fancy sump pump but it’s not open; it’s sealed and it’s vented. And it sits in the floor. And as the waste water gets into that and fills the pump up, a pump kicks on. It’s float-actuated and it picks the water up high enough so that it can gravity drain into the main waste pipe for your house; the drain waste vent pipe for your house. That would be the right way to do it. Otherwise, it’s just an open drain.
And sooner or later, you’re going to want to sell that house and that’s going to really be frowned on by any inspector or potential buyer that takes a look at it. It’s just really not the right way to do it.
RONNY: Oh, okay.
TOM: So you want a lift pump. That’s what you need.
RONNY: A lift pump. Okay.
TOM: Lift pump.
RONNY: Okay. Well, that answered my question big time.
TOM: Terrific. Ronny, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit. 1-888-666-3974.
LESLIE: Coming up, we’re going to talk about a dirty four-letter word.
TOM: Uh-oh.
LESLIE: (laughing) It’s not what you think it is. (laughing) It can cause major health problems and you probably have it in your home right now. We’re talking about mold, folks.
TOM: Joining us next is an expert who was among the first to enter hurricane-ravaged homes in New Orleans. He’s back and has some advise on how to handle mold problems in your own home. And that’s coming up, next.
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ANNOUNCER: This portion of The Money Pit is being brought to you by Aprilaire, makers of professionally-installed smart humidifiers. Aprilaire’s computer-equipped, completely automated, no-touch humidifiers never need manual adjustments. Advanced computer technology measures the outdoor temperature and indoor humidity over 86,000 times a day and continually adjusts your home’s indoor humidity for maximum comfort. For more information, go to Aprilaire.com.
TOM: Welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
TOM: The number is 1-888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974. We talk a lot, on this show, about home improvement, home safety, home maintenance. And along the topic of both home safety and home improvement, we’ve been thinking a lot, of course, about the folks down in the storm-struck Gulf Coast that are dealing with the sort of home improvements that we hope to never have to do ourselves; those that involve cleanup of terribly damaged walls, when it’s even possible, that are totally infested with mold.
Our next guest actually was one of the first on the scene after the waters receded and one of the first experts to try to assess the level of damage from mold. His name is Russ Nassoff. He is a mold expert and author of a new homeowner’s book called ‘Mold -Uncovering the Truth: What Every Homeowner Needs to Know.’
Russ, when you got on the ground down there, was that absolutely the worst infestations that you as an expert have ever seen?
RUSS: Oh, by far. We’ve never seen anything that even came close to the conditions we saw in New Orleans.
TOM: Now, is there hope of recovery for some of those homes that have been completely infested? Or is it a matter where you really have to tear the house down and start again?
RUSS: It’s probably 50-50. Some of the homes that were flooded for a long period of time will probably need to be torn down. Those that had just a few feet of flood water can be remediated and reoccupied.
LESLIE: Well, Russ, in seeing some of the situations, I noticed where only the lower half of the walls seemed to be infected with mold. Would it be possible just to remove that lower half that had seen that infestation and repatch it with new drywall? Or do you recommend sort of starting from scratch?
RUSS: No, that’s exactly what you would need to do; is remove that lower portion of the wall and any of the building materials – the insulation – that were impacted and replace it with new.
TOM: Russ, let’s talk about how this may impact folks that … how mold may impact folks that were not part of a flood. I think, because of the floods, mold has been in the news more and more. But the truth is that mold can really exist in a desert climate as well as a moist climate. So give us some clues as to what the average homeowner should be looking for if they think that their home is suffering a mold infestation.
RUSS: Sure. The one thing that drives mold is going to be moisture. Even in a desert environment – say Phoenix, Arizona – if you have a pipe leak or a roof leak, something that allows moisture into the home; if that is allowed to continue, you will have mold growth. And that’s what the homeowner needs to look for. They need to look for sources of moisture around their home.
TOM: Now, if you are having respiratory issues and the respiratory issues, you happen to notice, go away when you’re out of the house – is that something that would signal to you, as in indoor air quality expert, the need for perhaps a more thorough investigation of what’s going on in that space that’s causing that problem?
RUSS: Yes, yes. There are many different environmental factors inside of a home that can cause that; mold is one of them. And if you’re in that environment and you tend to have symptoms or some type of respiratory problem, you would definitely want to have a professional come in and do an investigation for you.
LESLIE: And people are always so concerned about the health risks from the mold. How do you know if the type of mold that you might have in your house might be the toxic kind that people are so fearful of?
RUSS: Well, the only way to know for sure is to have an actual laboratory test conducted; or samples taken, sent to a laboratory and the laboratory tells you what type of mold you have. But, for the most part, any type of mold has the potential of causing an individual health problems, based on their sensitivity.
TOM: Now, Russ, sometimes we get folks that call and say they smell mold. Does mold really have an odor? Or is what they’re smelling actually just the humidity or the dampness in the air?
RUSS: No, mold actually has an odor. As the mold grows, it produces volatile chemicals that produce that musty odor that people smell.
LESLIE: And …
TOM: Oh, interesting.
LESLIE: And does that mean that the mold is actually airborne? Or does that mean that the mold is just somewhere on something in the house?
RUSS: Well, the odor means that there’s just an odor being released; doesn’t necessarily mean that the mold’s being airborne. But the odor can be a clue for a homeowner to actually conduct a little investigation to see if they can find a moist spot in their home.
TOM: Now, about the investigation. If you do suspect – or perhaps you even find mold and maybe you have some other symptoms of respiratory illness – and you’re thinking about taking the next step, you mention that the only way to confirm mold is to have a laboratory test done. Are there professionals out there that can help do that sort of thing? Because my concern is that there are a lot of charlatans out there.
I have seen, for example, those that are involved in the so-called waterproofing business – which, in my view, often do work to homes that’s really not necessary; put in expensive pumps and things like that when wet basements can be solved in a lot easier ways with grading and drainage improvements outside. Now these guys are touting themselves as mold remediation experts without having any scientific background whatsoever. So how do you really find a mold remediation pro?
RUSS: Right. It’s just like anything else; you’ve got to do your homework. You need to ask the questions. What are their credentials? What type of training do they have? There are different organizations that will – or that do – offer remediation training courses and certification for mold remediation companies. So most of your professional companies will have these training courses and these certifications that allow them to do a more professional job of mold abatement.
LESLIE: Now, if you do come across some mold in the house, is there a safe way that you – as a homeowner – can tend to it yourself? Or should you always leave it to the pros?
RUSS: You know, it’s going to depend on the type of problem that you have. If you have a plumbing leak or a roof leak – something that’s going to reoccur – as a homeowner, you can take … you can take some immediate action and wipe it down with bleach so that you’re not allowing it to grow and to release the spores into the air. But the problem is the moisture keeps getting in the house, so the mold will continue to come back. So you’re going to have to have some professional help, down the road, to completely get rid of that problem.
TOM: Now, if you’re going to sell your house, do you have an obligation to disclose these issues?
LESLIE: Or even if you’re buying a new house and you have a question about mold there.
RUSS: Right, right. Disclosure – and particularly for mold – has been a big issue, now, in current litigation. And the laws differ from state to state but most of them require that you disclose as much information as possible about the history of your home; which includes mold reports and any remediation that you had completed in your home.
TOM: So it really becomes an issue of home maintenance that can impact house value as well. All good reasons to want to get that mold out of your house.
Russ Nassoff, mold expert and author of a homeowner’s book called ‘Mold – Uncovering the Truth: What Every Homeowner Needs to Know.’ Thanks so much for taking the time to fill us in on how to get rid of mold in our house. If you want information, you can go to their website. Russ’s website is centerlinemedia.com. Or they can be reached at 215-646-4591.
Russ, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit. 1-888-666-3974. Give us a call, right now, with your home improvement questions.
Say, do you love your newly installed windows or appliances but you hate the stickers on the front of them? Don’t worry; you are in luck. Stay tuned for an easy, natural sticker remover; next.
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ANNOUNCER: This portion of The Money Pit is being sponsored by Peerless. If you’re putting in a new bathroom or kitchen faucet, Peerless can help you with every step including the hardest one – getting that old faucet out. For a complete undo-it-yourself guide, visit the Peerless faucet coach at faucetcoach.com.
TOM: Welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. 1-888-MONEY-PIT. The website is moneypit.com; home of The Money Pit free e-newsletter. Chock-a-block full with tips and advice every single week. So Leslie, I love getting new stuff – just like everybody does – but …
LESLIE: Who doesn’t?
TOM: – you know, you get shiny appliances and things like that. But those stickers; they drive you crazy. The stickers and the decals that are on the front that scream ‘new’; they’re just a little bit much. And they’re very, very difficult to get rid of.
LESLIE: Yeah, and if you don’t peel them off exactly right the first time, you’re like, ‘I’m never going to get that off!’
TOM: Yeah, you’ve got to try to peel them off without them separating.
LESLIE: It’s like back it (ph) on itself; it’s terrible. But I’ve got a tip to get rid of stickers from almost any new product. What you want to do is warm about three-quarters of a cup of white vinegar and then you want to soak a cloth – large enough to cover the entire sticker – and let it soak in that warm vinegar. And then, put it on the sticker and hold it there for a few minutes. Once that sticker is saturated, it should peel off really easily. And this tip will also work for old bumper stickers on your car. So if you put something on there and you weren’t supposed to, get it off easily.
TOM: Now, that’s the natural solution. You want the chemical solution?
LESLIE: Yeah, what is it?
TOM: WD-40.
LESLIE: I know; totally.
TOM: Totally rocks.
LESLIE: Yeah, it does work, too.
TOM: It does, it does. It works really good.
LESLIE: And I kind of like the way it smells. (laughing) I don’t know if I’m supposed to admit that but I do.
TOM: I don’t know but I’m sure that there’s a reason for that. (laughing) So if you’ve ever had a break-in – and, in fact, there is one in this country every 15 seconds – you know that many types of picking tools have been developed to defeat almost any lock produced. And that’s because most locks require a hole made through the door.
LESLIE: Ah, but not the Knock N’Lock System from E-lock. What happens is this is mounted on the inside of the door with no through holes for mechanical keys or wires. So there’s no access to the lock at all. To open the lock, you need to enter your code on their patented knock key and press it to the outside surface of the door. The code will transfer through the wood, metal or glass – pretty much any material – and your knock key can open an unlimited amount of locks with either the same or different codes. But you only have to carry one key. And all locks and keys are powered by super long-lasting lithium batteries, which are included with the installation materials.
So you’ve got to call in, ask your question on air to be eligible for this fantastic prize. And it’s worth about 290 bucks. So great prize and it’ll keep your family safe. So call in now.
TOM: 1-888-MONEY-PIT. Let’s get back to the phones.
LESLIE: Now we’re going to talk to Mike in New York who’s having an exhaust fan issue. What happened?
MIKE: Well, the … I thought it was just the filter and that the filter may be clogged. This is a house that …
LESLIE: Where is the fan?
MIKE: It’s the exhaust fan over the stove.
LESLIE: Okay.
MIKE: And when I took the filter out, discovered that the exhaust fan goes nowhere.
TOM: Ah, well it’s a recycling fan.
MIKE: (chuckling) Yes. So that’s why it wasn’t exhausting.
TOM: Yeah. See, that solves the problem. (laughing)
MIKE: If I’d laid the duct work in there, does it … can I put just a 90-degree turn after the fan or do I have to do this gradually with a curve or a couple of 45s?
TOM: Well, it’s a good question. Every 90-degree turn, in duct work, is … has the resistance equal to about 20 feet of straight duct. So, you …
LESLIE: Wow. Can you put a fan inside the duct work to sort of conduct it along?
TOM: (overlapping) No. No. I mean the fan might be strong enough. And if it’s a kitchen exhaust fan that’s designed to be ducted, the fan’s going to be a little stronger than the kind that are not designed to be ducted. I hope you’re not thinking about using the same one; because you probably can’t. You probably want to get a new one.
MIKE: Well, I wasn’t thinking of that but if that’s what I have to do, that’s what I have to do.
TOM: Yeah. I would. And you want to try to put in as few turns as you possibly can. So just good duct design would involve you putting in as few bends into that run as you can so you get the hot air out as quickly as possible.
MIKE: Okay. I was only anticipating one 90-degree turn. But am I better off with a … with a curved duct work or maybe a couple of 45 bends?
TOM: Well, if you’ve got the room, go with two 45s. Yeah, less resistance. You know, if you’ve only got to put one 90 in and that’s just going to get you right out, then go ahead and do it. But just in general, the less turns … the fewer the turns the better.
MIKE: Okay, great. That’s what I needed to know, then.
TOM: Alright, Mike. Good luck with that and thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Paper or plastic? Or how about plastic or copper?
TOM: They make copper shopping bags?
LESLIE: (laughing) I knew you were going to say that. (laughing) I’m right with you on that. No, we’re not talking shopping bags. We’re talking plumbing fixtures.
TOM: Ah-ha.
LESLIE: Plumbing pipes. And we’re going to have an email from Battina, in Virginia, who seems to be in a little bit of a situation with her plumbing. And we’ll get to that, next.
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ANNOUNCER: This portion of The Money Pit is being brought to you by Ryobi, manufacturer of professional feature power tools and accessories with an affordable price for the do-it-yourselfer. Ryobi power tools. Pro features, affordable prices. Available exclusively at The Home Depot. Now, here are Tom and Leslie.
TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show. 1-888-MONEY-PIT. The website is moneypit.com. You got a home improvement question, you can shoot it to us by email to [email protected]. Leslie, let’s jump right into that email bag.
LESLIE: Alright. Battina, from Chantilly, Virginia writes: ‘I have polybutylene pipes which have leaked several times since I purchased my house six months ago. I’m ready to repipe the house. Should I use CPVC or copper? I have a quote for each. The cost is about the same. My water is not acidic, that I know of. How should I decide’?
TOM: Well, Battina, you’ve had a really bad experience with plastic pipe; and a lot of people have. And you know what? There’s only one reason to put plastic pipe in; it’s cheaper than copper.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm.
TOM: And since you have a quote for both, I think copper would be a perfect choice. It’s reliable, it’s dependable. Once you put it in, you’re done. The stuff doesn’t leak.
LESLIE: (overlapping) It’s shiny and pretty.
TOM: Of course, for Leslie, that would be important (laughing); it has to be shiny and pretty, as well. You know, polybutylene piping has a long history of problems. There’s a lot of lawsuits going on over the piping and the fact that it’s leaking like crazy. I’m a little surprised that you bought a house that had the stuff without finding out about it. If you ever see plastic piping in a house, you absolutely need to have it inspected by a home inspector; a professional that is skilled at detecting this stuff.
If you think that you have a polybutylene piping in your house, there’s a good website you can go to. It’s pbpipe.com. In fact, you could qualify for replacement of your plumbing system because of a class action settlement. So that’s one more thing for you to check, Battina; that’s that website – pbpipe.com.
LESLIE: Now, Tom, since it’s a plastic pipe and PVC is also a plastic pipe, how do you tell the difference?
TOM: It’s a different type of plastic. It’s a different … it’s a different color. And the PB pipe that there are a lot of problems with, one of the clues is it has, usually, a metal crimp connector where it’s joining to the elbows and the other junctions of the pipe. And that’s really where the problem was; those crimped connectors were leaking like crazy.
LESLIE: So she’s not totally out of luck. She’s in good shape to get her new plumbing done. We have time for another one?
TOM: Sure.
LESLIE: Alright. Steve from Houston, Texas writes: ‘The grout on the floor is coming loose. Every time I sweep, mop or clean, grout comes up out of the floor. Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this problem?’
TOM: Sounds like use tile, huh?
LESLIE: Well, it sounds like something. Maybe the subfloor is loose or maybe … does grout just wear out over time?
TOM: Well, not really. There has to be some movement. I mean I think that if he’s getting grout that’s that loose, that the chances are that the floor is soft and the tile is moving around.
LESLIE: And the tile is now rocking.
TOM: Because grout is not elastic in any way, shape or form.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm.
TOM: So the first thing, Steve, would be for you to examine that subfloor and try to figure out whether or not there’s movement in the floor. If there is, doesn’t matter how many times you grout or regrout …
LESLIE: It’s going to always come loose.
TOM: Yeah, exactly. It’s going to keep coming up. So your problem may be a little bit bigger in the sense that you’ve got to secure that floor. So take a look at that first.
LESLIE: Alright. You’re not terribly out of luck but you’ve got some work in front of you, Steve.
TOM: So Leslie, as the saying goes, no man is an island. But that doesn’t apply to your kitchen, does it?
LESLIE: (laughing) Well, some kitchens don’t have one. But if you’re one of those kitchens that don’t have an island, are you considering adding an island to your kitchen? Well, here’s a new angle on an old idea. Your kitchen island doesn’t have to be square or rectangular. It doesn’t! You can custom design one with angles and features that best fit your kitchen and your needs. And when planning, think about adding under-counter storage for cookbooks or even installing a cooktop right on the island; give you some extra space. So remember, creative kitchens inspire creative cooks. So get designing, folks.
TOM: And if you ever feel like you are stranded on a deserted island of home improvement woes, remember, you can call us (laughing) 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT. 888-666-3974. Our Money Pit team is always standing by to help you solve your home improvement questions. 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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END HOUR 1 TEXT
(Copyright 2006 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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