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Protect Your Home with Storm Shutters | Front Doors for Lasting First Impressions | Awesome Advantages of Awnings | Ep #2337

Storm Shutters: Besides adding style, find out how real storm shutters protect your home from the elements. Front Door: Attractive front doors make lasting first impressions that add curb appeal and value to your home. Awnings: Learn how…

Leslie Segrete & Tom Kraeutler, Hosts of The Money Pit by Leave a Comment
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Do you have a home improvement or decor question? Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here.

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0:00:32 TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles. This is the Money Pit Home Improvement show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
0:00:38 LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
0:00:39 TOM: And we are here to help you get projects done around your house. What kinds of projects? Well, home improvement projects, of course, DIY or not, whether you’re doing it yourself or you’re hiring a pro and it needs some guidance to get going. Or maybe you’re stuck in the middle and you need some help to get out of where you are. We are here to do just that. First step, though, is to help yourself by reaching out to us with your questions. You can do that by going to moneypit.com/ask and clicking the blue microphone button. You can tell us your question and we will get back to you as quickly as possible. Or you can call us at 1-888-Money-Pit. Coming up on today’s show, we’re going to talk about window shutters. Now they are an attractive addition to your home’s exterior, but they actually don’t do a darn thing to actually protect your windows. For that job, you need something called a storm shutters. So we’re going to share the options just ahead.
0:01:29 LESLIE: And a front door is more than just an entry. It’s a focal point for the first impression a visitor gets. And if it’s done well, it can significantly add to the perceived value of your home. So we’re going to have some tips on sprucing up or adding new front doors that deliver more than just protection from the elements.
0:01:45 TOM: And when it comes to outdoor living, what’s old is new again. But this time there’s an energy saving benefit. We’re talking about awnings today. They are as beautiful as ever. They’re easy to operate and they can reduce cooling bills by as much as 15%.
0:01:58 LESLIE: But first, the Money Pit is about helping you create your best home ever. So whether you live in a house or an apartment dealing with a repair or dreaming about a renovation, we’re going to help you tackle your to do’s with confidence and have a little fun along the way.
0:02:11 TOM: So reach out to us with your questions right now at 1-888-Money-Pit. If you do or toss your name in the Money Pit hard hat because we’re giving away the Wagner tighten control Max 1700. It’s a fantastic paint sprayer that’s worth 379 bucks. It’s going out to one listener drawing at random. Make that you call us with your question to qualify. The number is 88 Money pit or post your questions to MoneyPit.com/ask.
0:02:35 LESLIE: Cathy from Ohio is on the line with a weird problem.
0:02:38 CALLER: The toilet in our upstairs bathroom makes a squealing noise when we run our washer on the utility. For now, it hasn’t always done that. It started doing it recently and we had a plumber here who told us that something wasn’t properly vented. But I don’t understand why it would suddenly happen. I don’t think has changed, but I’m not even sure how plumbing is. So we are looking to solve that issue. If you can help us quickly, be grateful.
0:03:09 TOM: Well, to your last question, Cathy Plumbing has vented because basically when you flush water down your pipes, you have to have some air that falls behind it so that it doesn’t back up. It doesn’t sort of drag. And that’s what the venting does. It lets the air in and also lets the sewage gases get out. Now, in terms of why this is happening, I’m a little bit confused by this, Leslie, because typically when you get a squeal that’s on the supply side, it’s on the water supply side. And when it comes from a toilet, it’s almost always caused by the fill valves. Now, if the plumber is attributing this to having something to do with the venting, he may be seeing in the toilet that sometimes you get gurgling in a toilet when it’s not vented. Well, and if the water hit with the water inside, the tank goes down, maybe it’s got a bad fill valve. It tries to fill itself back up and it squeals. And that would account for the fact it’s happening now and it hasn’t happened, you know, in the past. There’s just sort of a develop mental thing. But I would be curious to know what the plumber thought the solution was, because you can’t just say, well, it’s got the problem, but I can’t fix it if that’s what you’re there to do. And there’s lots of ways to address venting If it hasn’t happened before and it is a mental issue, it also could be a blockage somewhere down the line. So there’s lots of there’s more unanswered questions here than questions. But I will tell you that normally those squeals have to do with valves, usually have to do with toilet valves, because when they don’t fully open, they’re going to squeal a little bit as the water goes through. And copper plumbing is telegraph that sound all over the house. So it can sound you can hear it in every single room, even though chopping up there in the bathroom.
0:04:39 LESLIE: I’ve got Robert in Delaware, who’s got some problems with the sidewalk. What is happening?
0:04:44 CALLER: I have a small issue with my walkway coming into my house and that is the divider between the concrete pads, the walkway. They’re all in good shape except for one. It seems to have deteriorated and washed away. So I’m trying to think of a way to fill that in. I didn’t know if I should put sand in and then we’re in a compartment or it’s actually about a half inch gap there. If you have any ideas that could help me out to be very appreciative.
0:05:13 TOM: You know, Robert, that problem you describe is very common because those the fillers between the concrete slabs that you mentioned, those are really called spacers. And they’re actually there to give the concrete a place to expand and contract so it doesn’t push against each other and crack. But they’re not nearly as permanent as the concrete, obviously, and they’re just going to dry out and fall out over time. And then you end up getting, you know, dirt and you get seeds and you get weeds that fall into there. So what you want to do is this you want to scrape out anything that’s in that space between the two concrete slabs. Then you want to pick up something we call a backer Rod, which is like a foam noodle, comes in different diameters. It sounds like you’re going to need one that’s like one inch in diameter. You cut a piece to fit the width of the sidewalk and then you press it into that gap. You can use a screwdriver or a stick or something. So it sits down below the surface. Probably at least maybe I’d say a half inch or so. And then on top of that, back a rod, you basically install a flow able urethane type of caulk sealant, and when that dries it’ll expand and contract because you have the backer out there, it’s not all going to fall down to the bottom of the slab and there’ll be no end to how much of that stuff you need. So the backer Rod keeps it in place. You put the ceiling in there, it dries, it touches itself. Well, both sides of the slab and you’re gonna have to do this probably again and again in the future. But that’s the best way to handle that, putting sand. And there’s not going to solve that at all. It’s just going to grow weeds. So put the back around it and you’ll be good to go.
0:06:43 LESLIE: Do you love learning about home improvement on our podcast? Well, we love bringing you all the latest tips and tricks.
0:06:48 TOM: And if you want to make us smile, leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts, just go to Money Pit dot com slash review. Well, if you guys have big painting plans this summer, we have got a serious paint sprayer to give away that will help with those projects. It’s from Wagner. It’s the Titan Control Mac 1700 paint sprayer and it’s great for handy persons, general contractors, experienced homeowners, inexperienced homeowners, you name it. But if you got to tackle a large painting project, this is a tool that does just that. It’s worth 379 bucks. But that Titan Control Max 1700 paint sprayer is going out to one listener drawing at random for free. Make that you call us now with your question the number is 1-888-Money-Pit or go to money twitter.com slash ask.
0:07:30 LESLIE: Well this is the time of year to be outside enjoying your property. But Grace is on the line with some issues with the patio that needs restoration. What’s going on?
0:07:38 CALLER: We have a patio that’s 40 years old. It’s concrete. It has soldier edge working all the way around it. But some of the portions have raised and are actually a little dangerous. And some of the portions also have just turned color. In short, it’s an ugly patio. What are our options at home? Do we call?
0:08:02 TOM: Well, Grace, I mean, I think the good news is that the fact that you’ve got a patio with a soldier’s edge around it is nice. Now, for those are wondering what that is. That’s when you take brick and you stack it vertically and use it as a border for, in this case, the patio. And apparently they’re broken off and they’re falling apart and they’re somewhat dangerous. But the fact that it’s there is kind of cool. I would investigate the possibility of actually doing a restoration job on that where you basically remove all the loose brick and mortar in place. You may need to have Mason do that. But in terms of the concrete that’s left, Leslie, there’s so many nice finishes to that today. And we have the terrazzo coatings, for example, that are absolutely beautiful and other options. I think that between restoring the shoulder, of course, and then refinishing that patio surface, I think they could look pretty nice.
0:08:48 LESLIE: I mean, I think it could look really nice and especially if there’s something, you know, special about that brick, if it’s, you know, antique or dated back to a certain time period when the home was built, like that’s really special and deserves being preserved. It’s interesting, you know, you hardly ever hear that term soldiering or a soldier. And I think that applies to it pretty much any sort of tile. It’s like a pattern. So brick tile and it’s when everything stands on edge, like a like a tall stand, tall like a soldier. And then if you were to say, do a soldier pattern on a tile wall, they’re all stacked, you know, vertically and horizontally so that everything’s in line, like there’s nothing is offset.
0:09:26 TOM: You don’t overlap the joints.
0:09:28 LESLIE: Yeah. So it mean it’s really a lovely pattern. And the fact that it’s with this brick is really special and I think for the top you know you’re right, this coatings has so many different applications that you can use to give a nice, solid, durable surface. It can have, you know, a texture, a pattern. It can look like marble, it can look like terrazzo, it can look like so much, so that’s definitely an option. And I think with, you know, a little bit of work here, you can really have something super special.
0:09:53 TOM: Absolutely.
0:09:54 LESLIE: All right. I’ve got James in Massachusetts on the line who’s having an issue with an unruly couch. What’s going on, James?
0:10:01 CALLER: Two years ago, I bought a beautiful wooden couch, stained a nice dark walnut color. And where you sit on it was cushions that were covered in fabric.
0:10:13 LESLIE: Were they lose cushions or were they attached to the frame?
0:10:16 CALLER: They were not attached to the frame. They were loose. The frame is quite beautiful. You walk all the way around the couch. It’s probably best seen from behind where you can see the structure of the wood. It’s a very nice couch, but after about six years, the cushion fabric wore out. So I had this brilliant idea that I was going to cover the cushions in a faux leather. And now, four years on, I find that the cushions stick to the wood. Somehow the faux leather Norgaard, whatever it might be, is eating the stain right out of the wood. I It’s the rest of the wood where the cushions don’t touch it is still as beautiful as it ever was, but where the cushions touch it now it is all tacky. It does not transfer on to the cushions themselves. I can touch the cushions and they do not feel sticky. Is there a solution besides sticking this thing down to bare wood?
0:11:12 LESLIE: It’s possible. And that’s probably because of the same reason you’d see it in the kitchen, which is moisture. Not saying that the cushions are wet, but because the cushions have, you know, a texture to them that is also smooth, if that makes sense. You know, how leather or even, you know, artificial leather when you sit on it, like gets warmed up and then you kind of stick to it. Like, I feel like you’re probably getting the same thing just in the area where you’re getting the contact from the finish to the actual fabric itself. Now, what you could do if you are committing to a specific side of the cushion, that will always be the top. You could so something almost like a canvas or a moleskin or something on the bottom that gives it, you know, more movement but is also more of a breathable fabric. The only issue is it might come sliding off, but it won’t stick.
0:12:00 CALLER: Oh, that’s an excellent idea. So half the cushion would be fabric. And the part that’s touching the wood, right.
0:12:05 LESLIE: The bottom side would be a fabric that’s more of like a back or a base, like a canvas or a duck cloth.
0:12:11 CALLER: These are not only the bottom cushion, but also the back. That touch touches wood as well. So fabric all the way where it touches the wood, is there anything that can salvage the finish of the wood without just taking it down to bear Wood?
0:12:27 LESLIE: Do you find that when you have the cushions off for some time that it’s sort of re solidifies or a secure is or.
0:12:35 CALLER: No, No, it doesn’t. It remains tacky, although I have to admit I have not tested that out for a great length of time. I mean like a month or something.
0:12:42 LESLIE: I mean, it might be worth it just to use not to take it all the way down to bare wood, but to get something like a liquid sander. It comes in a bottle, you’ll find it in, you know, any home center in that paint and stain aisle and then just put that on you, sort of brush it on or wipe it on in the area and just let it have like a little bit of tack to it. Maybe just then hand sanded a little bit with the sanding sponge and then just apply your stain or your finish to that exact spot or do that whole railing. It sounds to me like you’ve like a slatted back and a slatted seat perhaps. So I would just do the boards, the boards that have the issues to it, you know, not the rest of the frame.
0:13:19 CALLER: Sounds like an excellent idea. So look, Sander and fabric on the back of the cushions toward the shop. Thank you very much. I appreciate your help.
0:13:25 LESLIE: Well, windows shutters look great, and they add curb appeal. But most of us have shutters that are purely esthetic. Now, real shutters are functional, and they really do help safeguard your windows in a storm. And they’re always going to help keep out harsh sun in the summer.
0:13:39 TOM: Yeah, but you have to remember that the shutters we see today are modeled very loosely, I might add, on the original wooden shutters that had a more practical than decorative purpose. In the old days. They actually attached on the inside of the window trim and the hinge closed. Protect the glass from flying debris or to provide some shade. When they’re open, the shutters are held in place by a pivoting metal hook, which, by the way, is actually called a shutter dog.
0:14:05 LESLIE: I mean, truly, I think the only commonality between today’s shutters and previous time shutters are the name Nick. That’s right. I always look at the shutters we have and I’m like, if these were to actually close, would they even cover my window?
0:14:21 CALLER: No.
0:14:23 LESLIE: But what if you want real shutters, Tom? I mean, do you have to get them custom made? Are they still even available?
0:14:28 TOM: Yeah, I mean, they can, because to me. But even stores like Home Depot sell them online along with all the hardware you need. But they are not inexpensive. I’ve seen them anywhere from a couple of hundred up to almost $1,000 a pair now, if you can’t do the whole house at once, you can obviously just start with the front for appearance. Or you could do the south and east sides, whichever get the most sun.
0:14:48 LESLIE: Yeah. And if you do go with real wood shutters, one more thing that you need to think about is painting. And you have to remember that you need to protect shutters against moisture infiltration. And with the shutter there’s actually six sides that need to be painted and you’re like, No, no, no, front and back. That’s two. Actually, it’s front and back and all of the edges, top bottom sides, you got to paint all of them. You’ve got to really seal them and protect them. Now, if you’re living in an area that’s at risk for hurricanes or tropical storms, there is another type of shutter that you can install and it’s called a hurricane shutter. And these also help you reduce insurance premiums and the costs that can be associated with hurricane damage.
0:15:28 TOM: Yeah, that’s right. These hurricane shutters or storm shutters, as they’re sometimes called, are not the wooden louvered panels. They’re motorized, they’re made of metal, they’re mounted at the top of a window. And if a storm is coming or even if you want extra security, you hit a button and they lower automatically down. They do a really good job of keeping any flying debris from breaking through your windows. Lots of shutter options out there. If you want those to be decorative, you can find them. If you want them to actually close, you can find those. And if you want them to protect you in the storm, well, you got that option as well.
0:16:01 LESLIE: All right. Now we’re going to talk to Cindy, who’s got a question about a mysterious toilet ring. What’s going.
0:16:05 CALLER: On? We’ve got a strange thing that I clean the bathrooms and clean the toilets. And within about three days of cleaning the toilets, both toilets in the house come up with a residue around the water ring and it looks like dirt. I’ve never had dirt come up to water ring in my toilets before. And I’m wondering if you might have an idea what the source is of this.
0:16:31 LESLIE: Hmm. Now, Cindy, I’ve never heard of dirt. I mean, I’ve heard of getting a ring because the water is sitting there. Perhaps it’s not a toilet that’s used very often, but if you do have a toilet that just needs constant cleaning. And I sort of went this route because I have boy children who are gross in the bathroom. I got a VorMax Plus. This is American Standard. VorMax Plus toilet. And it sort of has a built-in cartridge that you put in. And it’s kind of like a Lysol based cleaner. So it freshens the toilet, but also sends out this kind of oxygenated form every time you flush and it kind of scrubs the toilet on its own, that gives you a leg up on cleaning everything. And that may do the trick. I mean, otherwise, Tom, could it be something that’s decaying in the tank, maybe something with like the ball valve or something?
0:17:18 TOM: I mean, I guess it’s possible, but I think the VorMax is a good idea. It’s called a self-cleaning toilet. And I think in this case, that’ll make it go away. I don’t know if you’ve ever used another type of commercial bowl cleaner, but you could try that as well if you do want to change the toilet out. But I like the fact that with VorMax you basically it’s dump into the bowl every time you flush. Of course, the downside of that is you have to keep, you know, ordering them and replacing them. But I think that’s a great option.
0:17:43 LESLIE: I mean, I do get the packs of the insert cartridges like a six pack online. So it’s like I’ve always got them sticking around, heading out to Rhode Island. We’ve got Stuart on the line. What’s going on in your Money Pit?
0:17:55 CALLER: I’m going to put a 3,000 square foot home. And then I built a house that put a hot water heater in the basement. Just one hot water heater for the whole house. It’s more to one side of the house to the other. So obviously, I’m getting hot water pretty quickly. I went in the other and it takes forever. I’m wondering how I can split that up. Should I install another regular hot water heater on the other side of the house right now I have it one on a timer. Or should I put in a tranquil hot water heater or is there some other way to go to put in hot water on the other side of the house?
0:18:24 TOM: So yeah, the problem you’re describing is common and you have diagnosed it correctly. It’s a matter of the time or the speed or the distance that water has to travel. And if you have the water heater, you know, the middle of the house and you have this on the end of the house, you’ve got to wait for that hot water to make its way through the plumbing system before it starts to warm up. Now, the two options are, yes, you could put a second water heater near that half of the house, and that will shorten the distance. And tankless is a good option for that. The other option, though, is to use a hot water recirculating system. Check out those by what’s a test. The Watts hot water recirculating system consists of a pump that basically will take that hot water line and rotate or circulate the water through it between the water heater and the fixture. And it does so on a timer. So, for example, if you’re usually waiting for water for that first early morning shower, you can have the recirculate or come on, you know, a half hour before that and warm up the water so that when you turn the faucet on, it gets hot right away and then go off after that, because you don’t want to run all the time for two reasons not only the recirculating pump use, use electricity, but the water heater does as well. It’s electric. Or if it’s gas, it’s got to run more often to keep that water warm. So check out the hot water circulating systems by Watts. I think that’s a good solution to this particular situation. Well, getting a new front door is a great way to add value in style to your home without spending a lot of money. And if that’s a project you’d like to consider, we’ve got a few tips to help. First, think about the material. Lots of options here. They vary from simple solid steel to fiberglass to the very ornate wooden doors, and each can have transom and side lights and intricate glass work as well. Now, well, it’s easy to save money by opting for a lower cost model. There are definitely pros and cons associated with each type of door.
0:20:15 LESLIE: Yeah, there’s a fiberglass entry door and these are going to cost anywhere from $150 to $2000. Now, extremely ornate models with Sidelights and a Transom. You know, if you start to get fancy and add all those extra bells and whistles, you can run $3,000 or more. But fiberglass is a very popular option that gives you a wood like look and it gives you also increased durability and excellent insulation value. So fiberglass really is a fantastic choice.
0:20:41 TOM: You know, and I think when people hear about fiberglass, they think about like a fiberglass tub or something like that. It’s nothing like that. I mean, I have fiberglass doors in my house and you can almost not tell the difference between those doors and real wood doors. They’re just amazing. Now, inexpensive doors to consider would be steel front doors. They’re going to range from maybe 3 to $700. And although they can reach a lot more than that, when you start adding in all the extra steel is really the least expensive option, though it’s less popular because of the harsher metallic look. And even if you want a plain steel look, fiberglass still comes in those styles and delivers a lot more benefit in reduced maintenance and energy efficiency.
0:21:21 LESLIE: All right. Now let’s talk about wood entry doors. If you love a traditional look and you don’t mind the maintenance because you are going to have to do some maintenance than a wood door could be for you. Engineered wood doors are going to cost around 200 to 500, while solid wood is the most expensive option at 500 to $5000 or more. I mean, what is the most traditional and customizable option? But it is one that requires active maintenance to prevent warping and rot and forget it. If your front door is in full sun all day, you’re going to have to do this work a lot more often.
0:21:53 TOM: But think about the fact that doors are really the first thing that people see when they look at your house and they can really make a good impression. And there’s actually been studies that have shown that if you just improve the front door, if you just replace your front door, it itself can add as much as $25,000. The perceived value of your home. And fortunately they cost a lot less than that to put in.
0:22:17 LESLIE: Had not to New Hampshire. We’ve got Debbie on the line who’s looking for some help in learning about a product called Roof Max for her roof. What’s going on?
0:22:24 CALLER: I’m trying to find out.
0:22:26 LESLIE: About a company.
0:22:28 CALLER: Called Roof. Max Ah 0faxx. They are saying they have a spray to help fill up your tiles, your roof. Five year warranty cheaper, of course, than putting on a new roof. Five years would at least help me raise the money for a new roof. So I’d like to see if they are legit and how that works.
0:22:51 TOM: Yeah, it definitely could save you money because the application of the roof Max is a lot less expensive than replacing your roof. But what that is, is basically it’s a rejuvenation treatment. They apply it to the roof and.
0:23:03 LESLIE: It’s like a mask.
0:23:04 TOM: Well, it’s an oil, right? It soaks in.
0:23:06 LESLIE: Yeah, it’s like a hair mask. You put the oil in your hair and it makes your hair all smooth and luxurious and healthy again.
0:23:12 TOM: I don’t use a hair mask, so I didn’t know about.
0:23:15 LESLIE: Yeah, I mean, that’s basically the premise of it. When your hair gets dried out, you put an oil base or some sort of mask on and it rejuvenates. And that’s kind of what roof Max does for your roofing shingles.
0:23:25 TOM: Yeah, these guys have been out a long time. They came from the roofing industry. They knew that there were millions and millions of tons of asphalt shingles being dropped in the landfills and that if the shingle itself could be rejuvenated, if it could be sort of moistened in a way that they could get some additional years out of it. So they developed a product that does just that. Now, full disclosure, Roof Max is a sponsor of the show and that is frankly the reason we know so much about it, because we’ve looked at the company, we’ve looked at the research, and they’ve got a good reputation now. It doesn’t work for all roofs. You have to have the roof max dealer come to your home and look at it and see if it’s within the range where a roof max treatment will work. But when it does work and if it is qualified, you know, you can get at least five years out of this. And in your case, as you said, they’ll give you some more time to save up for a roof replacing. Because, Leslie, I don’t think that that’s anything that people do. They kind of wait for the big event. Oh, for.
0:24:18 LESLIE: Sure.
0:24:19 TOM: And they obviously got to find the money.
0:24:20 LESLIE: Well, I also don’t think people realize that this roof rejuvenation from roof, Max, was even an option, You know, So it’s so great to learn that there is something that you can do if the shingles are in the right state that can be rejuvenated and you can extend the life of that roof, which is fantastic and a huge cash saver.
0:24:36 TOM: So we’re fans. Good luck with the project. Let us know how you make out.
0:24:39 LESLIE: Well, awnings have always been a functional addition to your home’s exterior, but today they’re gaining popularity as an improvement that can deliver not only energy savings but also increased home values.
0:24:50 TOM: And if you’re thinking that awnings are those dreary indeed, as structures made of aluminum canvas and rusty bolts, well, it turns out that is not totally true anymore. All right. Let’s start with the numbers. Awnings extending from windows, doors and patios can cut a household’s summer energy bills by as much as 15%. And because home cooling costs are so much higher than the cost of energy efficient lighting, those savings are not undone by the need to turn on an additional light or two to make up for any perceived loss of natural light.
0:25:18 LESLIE: And you know what? Today, even more fabric awnings can be beautiful and they’re high tech. I mean, the options that are available, you can get computerized awning systems that feature light sensors and devices that measure wind speed, that will allow your awnings to extend and retract according to the current weather conditions that you’re experiencing and awnings can also increase your living space. I mean, you can turn an outdoor area into a protected living space and add value to your home and resale appeal. I mean, they really are so lovely and so functional.
0:25:49 TOM: Yeah. So if you’re considering this investment for your home, you want to ask yourself a few questions upfront. First, what’s the goal? Is it esthetic or functional? If energy savings is what you’re after, consider a lighter color for your awning so that it optimally blocks and reflects sunlight in the morning going to be stationary or retractable? Now retractable awnings can be extended or retracted either manually or with a motor. When deciding between the two, though, consider the chance that sometimes you’re going to want the option of more sunlight or don’t want the hassle of taking awnings in and out, depending on the weather or the season. Bottom line, though, what’s the best material for your home? Well, you really got two choices. Cotton Canvas, which has the classic look, but certainly doesn’t hold up well, retain shape as well as synthetic products. Or you can go with an acrylic coated polyester, which is stretch resistant and totally waterproof. So lots of options to think about. But awnings definitely are a nice way to spruce up the outside of your home and enjoy the summer weather. All that much more.
0:26:47 LESLIE: Chatting with Ed who’s got an old house foundation issue. What’s going on Ed?.
0:26:51 CALLER: I’ve got a, it’s an 1880s home. It’s a colonial, or not colonial, I’m sorry, it’s a Victorian. I have a foundation that’s brick It was putting in brick and I just needed a tough point. But as I started looking at it, I realized that some of the bricks are actually starting to blow out. I probably need to fix it, but when I looked into and started looking into it, the bottom part of the foundation is only a single layer of bricks thick, like from, you know, the basement from the bottom, the cellar up about four feet. And then they don’t. Then they basically made a normal brick wall to break that to Brexit, you know, with an interlocking brick and everything. But the bottom part is only single brick. And because it’s starting to blow, I’m like, I really don’t want to. I can just talk pointy, but it’s going to hold the bowl in place. I’m not sure how I go about fixing that.
0:27:40 TOM: Do you think it’s possible that this was a Yankee basement? In other words, it used to be the double thickness of brick was maybe the original home. And then they dug out the basement and put the additional layer in. When they built that part of the foundation.
0:27:52 CALLER: I really don’t think so.
0:27:53 TOM: So what I think a couple of issues here for. First of all, just in terms of repointing, the loose mortar, that’s going to probably be necessary, necessary no matter what you do. And the most common mix for mortar is 4 to 1, which is basically four parts sand to one part cement. There are sometimes four variations. If you’re if that old brick, that’s really, really a soft brick. Sometimes you go 5 to 1 or 6 to 1, six parts sand and one part cement and one part line lime tends to make it a little more sticky. It might make it easier to handle. So that’s the kinds of mixes you would use for mortar. But I think I would go ahead and repair the loose mortar where it exists. But in terms of the reinforcement, I can only imagine how many different opinions you’re getting here. But the only opinion that I think really counts is going to be the one that comes from a structural engineer. Because and here’s really a really important point. No matter what you do to fix this, if you don’t have professional direction on this, it could potentially impact the value of your house. If you’ve got some serious cracks like that and you’re trying to address that, make sure it doesn’t happen again. A structural engineer is the one that should be designing that repair, because when you go when you go to sell the house, once the repair is done, you want to be able to prove that potential buyer that the repair was done under professional supervision and not just the combination of a bunch of contractors opinions of what they think ought to be done. It’s really a better way to go. It’s like having a pedigree on the repair. So I’d fix up the loose brick as best you can, but I really would get a structural engineer to specify exactly how to reinforce that part of the wall. It’s bowing.
0:29:23 LESLIE: Dave wrote in saying, We purchased a house about ten years ago and since have found several significant problems, including several rooms that don’t have returned air vent ducts to the HVAC system. Some also have registers that don’t seem to be connected to the system at all. I’ve heard there’s a way to run small hoses through the walls to correct this problem. Is that a solution?
0:29:43 TOM: Yeah. So first of all, not all homes, Dave, have returned air vents in every single room. In fact, most forced their heating and cooling systems are going to use one or two centrally located returned air vents, typically like in a hallway or another space that is central to the home. Now, you mentioned that some rooms have registers that don’t appear connected to the HVAC system. That’s another issue. These may or may not be returned air vents, and it’s kind of difficult to tell, but I’m going to give you an easy test. You can figure this out. Make sure the system is running full blast in the summer. You could simply turn the thermostat all the way down and in the winter you could just put it on fan only so you have air running through those ducts. Then take a tissue and hold it against each duck. If it’s a returner, it’s going to stick to the register and if it’s a supply duct, it’s going to blow out the tissue kind. It’s going to help you spot that airflow. Now, as for your question about the three inch ducts, you may be referring to a high velocity HVAC system. It’s used in retrofit situations where the homes are already built and used to be called under sold under a trade name called Space Pack. I think that’s changed now, but there’s only one system out there that really does this now. With this system, the ducts are very small, but they carry a lot of air and they can be run through walls, which makes it easy to add to them. So what I would do, though, here is try to figure out what you have. And now we’ve taught you how to tell the difference to his client return duct. And if it turns out that you don’t have return ducts or you don’t have any that are that are working right, then you need to call an HVAC contractor. One more tip. Make sure there is a one-inch air gap under the door to the room because if you close the door to room, you need to provide a way for the air to get back to that return duct. If the doors are sealed tightly around, that’s just not going to happen.
0:31:27 LESLIE: All right, good call. Dave hope that helps you out.
0:31:29 TOM: Well, if you’re constantly navigating a narrow staircase with a laundry basket in your arms, it’s time to bring the laundry room to you. Leslie has tips on how to do just that in today’s edition of Leslie’s Last Word. Leslie?
0:31:41 LESLIE: Yeah. You know, more new homes have washers and dryers and hallways and the kitchen and a bathroom. But if yours is stuck in the basement, or at least on a floor other than where the bedrooms are, don’t worry. It’s never been easier to move your laundry room upstairs. For example, a stack washer dryer. These are units that are small enough to fit in a closet. Another type of combo unit washers and dryers closed without any help from you. Now this unit looks like a normal washing machine, but you don’t have to move wet clothes from the washer to the dryer because the washer is the dryer and it’s going to save you a ton of space. Whatever is going to work for you. I mean, think about how much laundry you do as a family, where you do the laundry, how much you’re schlepping everything around. Think about bringing that laundry room to you instead of you having to go to the laundry room and cleaning all your clothes is suddenly going to become less of a chore. Dare I say you might even enjoy it. Tom’s like, no, not gonna.
0:32:35 TOM: I’ll tell you what, We stacked our washer and dryer when we moved our laundry room on the second floor. We could not be happier. They work perfectly. Plus there are like close the dryers a lot closer to the exterior wall so it dries everything that much quicker because it’s not like, you know, going ten feet through a duct, through the floor system or something like that to find a vent out. So it really is a nice project to take on. Well, coming up on the next edition of The Money Pit, now that we are in the so-called dog days of summer, have you noticed that your lawn is going a bit brown for the month? Well, we’re going to tell you what you need to do to make it past the brown and bring back that green on the next edition of the Money Pit. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
0:33:13 LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
0:33:14 TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself.
0:33:16 LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.
(Note: The above referenced transcript is AI-Generated, Unedited and Unproofed and as such may not accurately reflect the recorded audio. Copyright 2023 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.)

 

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