The Money Pit Calls & Answers

Find out how to stop a gas water heater from cycling on and off all day. A gas water heater works like this: you set the temperature on the the thermostat; the gas comes on and heats the water to that temperature. Then the gas goes off until the water Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on using Behr concrete floor paint and EPOXYShield from Rust-Oleum to paint your patio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you should make plywood hurricane shutters well before you will need them. Use hanger bolts so that you have bolts on the windows that are ready to receive the shutters mounted into the window trim. Make the shutters to fit the windows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to get your asbestos roof replaced. A worker wearing a respirator should take the shingles off by starting at the top and taking them apart. Disposal sometimes is an issue and that varies from state to state. Once the asbestos shingles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to level a concrete garage floor. Get tips on using a floor-leveling compound. You control the consistency of it so that it trowels properly and you can actually get a perfectly level floor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to remove nicotine stains from wallpaper. Get tips on using trisodium phosphate, a powdered mix available at hardware stores and any home center. Mix up a fairly weak solution and put it on with a damp, not wet sponge. Work it in circular Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix the problem of water pooling in your yard. Get tips on installing a curtain drain to solve the issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you should invest in a good whole-house air cleaner instead of getting your heat ducts cleaned. A whole-house air cleaner works much better than the very thin, fiberglass filters that typically are installed in furnaces and air Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to locate the source of a leak in your shower. Get tips on determining if the shower pan is the problem by covering the drain and filling the pan with about four inches of water. Next, take your garden hose and drop it right in the middle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to clean and care for hardwood floors. Learn why having a throw carpet down may be slowing down the off-gassing process of polyurethane-coated hardwood flooring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to clean mold off a ceiling. Find out how mold grows and how to get rid of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to find the source of a leak in a chimney. Find out how silicone caulk can fix the leak. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn what needs to be done to create a basement from a dirt crawlspace. Learn how far to dig before you lose support for your foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on what to do with painted paneling. Learn whether you can strip paint off the paneling to make it presentable, remove wallpaper from paneling, or whether you should start with new wallboard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out in which order drywall should be installed; ceiling or wall first. Learn how the wallboard will help support the ceiling boards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to fix a hole in drywall. Learn how to use a bigger piece of drywall to repair the hole. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn the best technique to sand and stain a mahogany door. Find out which sandpaper and which stain should be used for an interior mahogany door. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to use a pressure washer to remove moss and mildew from your roof. Learn how changing your roof vents can also help keep the roof clean. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on how to safely install a motion detector into an existing outdoor light. Making sure the power is off before you work with wires can keep you safe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on adding blown-in insulation to an attic. Find out why it is important to keep the soffit vents clear in order to keep the insulation dry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on replacing a cedar shake roof. Find out about replacement roofing and how Owens Corning has a fiberglass roof that is made to look like cedar shake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Get tips on finding the source of a roof leak. Learn how to check flashing, and search for cracked shingles that may be the cause of water leaking into your home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to update your kitchen cabinets to give your kitchen a new look without having to remodel. Learn about several options, such as stripping and whitewashing the cabinets, restaining them to their existing finish, decoupaging flowers and Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why it is not correct to install hardwood flooring directly on top of concrete. The concrete will give off moisture, causing the wood to buckle. However, it is OK to install engineered hardwood over concrete because it is dimensionally Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to use a car jack to take the pressure off a damaged roof support. Also get tips on putting up temporary columns so you can remove a column and pour a proper concrete footing for it before replacing it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices