The Money Pit Calls & Answers

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Find out what the team thinks about putting new grout on top of old grout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how using a lead pencil will help to know where the striker plate should be adjusted to so that a sticking door will close properly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to make a laminate floor shine. Find out what product to use to bring out the shine in a laminate floor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to get rid of crawlspace mold and keep it from coming back. Learn why you should first take steps to improve drainage conditions around your home's foundation. Get tips on having a pest management professional apply Tim-Bor to the wood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to deal with mold and water damage after a hurricane. Get tips on tearing out damaged drywall and replacing it with a mold-resistant drywall like Dens Armor Plus. Learn why you should install an ice and water shield and Tri-Flex 30 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why digging out the foundation and putting drains in is the wrong approach to solving a leaky basement. Instead, get tips on keeping your gutters clean, extending your downspouts far away from the house, and making sure the soil slopes away Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why a sewage gas smell from the laundry room drain indicates a venting problem. Get tips on calling a plumber to sort out the issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what the difference is between laminate flooring and engineered hardwood flooring. If you are installing a new floor in your kitchen, learn why you might want to consider a commercial rather than residential grade material, and get tips on Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to install a coal boiler. Get tips on consulting the venting tables to find out how far you can run the vent, and learn why you should not locate the vent near a door or window. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to deal with a ladybug infestation. Get tips on using an over-the-counter pesticide called Demon WP. Also learn how to stick a pantyhose in the extension hose of your vacuum so the beetles don't damage your vacuum when you suck them Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a squeaky carpeted floor. Get the trick of the trade for driving finish nails through the carpet into the subfloor and floor joist below. Learn how to pull the carpet nap over the nail head so it disappears. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to find an energy efficient wood burning stove. Get tips on looking for the EPA label and find out the difference between catalytic and non-catalytic combustor stoves. Also learn how the kind of wood you burn affects efficiency. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why raising the floor in a sunken shower stall is a complicated task that involves breaking the concrete slab to get access to the plumbing pipes. Instead, the solution to a slippery shower is to have the shower pan replaced with Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a low water pressure problem. Get tips on steps you can take to solve the issue, such as removing the water-saving restrictor from your showerhead, checking the aerator on your kitchen sink, and shutting the valves off and Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how the thermostat and circulator work together to regulate the temperature of radiant floor heat. Get tips on making sure the hydronic system is designed and installed properly, because it's almost impossible to repair a pipe embedded in Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what type of toilet you should buy. Learn about the Champion toilet from American Standard, which doesn't get stuck but doesn't use a lot of water, either. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to locate a roof leak. Learn the usual causes of a leaky roof and get tips on running a hose down the roof to see if you can identify the leak that way. Learn why you should call a professional home inspector instead of a roofer, because Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why it is not a problem for water to be beading up on your porch--it just means the oil finish is doing its job. Get tips on using calcium chloride salt instead of sodium chloride salt in the winter because sodium chloride will corrode your Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to seal a concrete garage floor. Get tips on using EPOXYShield from Rust-Oleum, an all-in-one kit that comes with a cleaning solution, hardener and flakes you can put in to give it some pattern. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn why basement fuel tanks rarely leak, and why you should be wary if your fuel supplier claims that yours needs an x-ray.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what is causing your water heater's reset button to pop. The problem is most likely a bad element that’s drawing too much electricity because it’s building up too much resistance and therefore tripping its internal circuit breaker. Get step Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix peeling wall paint. Learn why you need to sand the wall down to the plaster before priming and repainting. Besides multiple layers of poorly adhered paint, the other major cause of peeling is moisture, so you should look to see if Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what type of soapstone to use in your home and what tools to use on it. Learn why you should go for architectural-grade soapstone with a lower talc content, which makes it more durable and less prone to staining. Get tips on using a masonry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why a leak in your roof is probably not the cause of an exterior stain on the roof. Get tips on inspecting your roof to see whether your fiberglass shingles are cracked. If that's not the problem, the leak might be caused by flashing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices