The Money Pit Calls & Answers

Find out why you should set the thermostat to 84 or 86 instead of turning it down to 78 or turning it off completely when you're not home. You want to leave it on so it dehumidifies your home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why the best time to trim your trees is late winter or early spring. Get tips on visiting Gardenality.com for trimming diagrams for different kinds of trees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how radiant barriers actually shorten the life of your roof. If you want to lower your energy ills, the more cost-effective route is to make sure your home is properly insulated and that your attic has sufficient ventilation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out the most cost-effective heating system to install when building a new home. Learn why natural gas is preferable to electric, and find out the pros and cons of forced air vs hot water heat. If you go with hot water heat, get tips on using PEX Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why laminate flooring rather than carpet is a good choice for a high traffic area like a church floor. Get tips on buying commercial-grade laminate flooring, which will be more durable than residential grade.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out the safe way to remove asbestos shingles. Get tips on wearing respiratory protection and wetting the shingles to keep the dust down. Once you properly dispose of the shingles, you can nail your new vinyl siding onto the sheathing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why it is not a good idea to put granite over your formica countertop. Granite is not flexible, while laminate is, so a granite veneer would not stand up well. If you want to replace your countertops, get a new countertop rather than put a Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why you shouldn't paint your brick house. It's a big commitment and you will have to repaint every 7 years or so. Plus, a brick facade is an attractive feature for a buyer. Instead of painting, get tips on transforming your brick home by Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fill in a gap between your second-floor deck and the gutter attached to it. Get tips on sanding off the anti-slip surface of your deck, using an epoxy patching compound to perfect the slope and then coating the whole thing with Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out the right way to use a heat pump. You should set it at a comfortable temperature and leave it there instead of constantly moving it up and down. When you fiddle with it too much, your electric resistance heater comes on and that costs about Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to repair a cracked fiberglass bathtub. Get tips on using Bondo from an auto parts store or a fiberglass patch kit to repair it. The way to do it is to use resin, then fiberglass material and more resin on top of that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to dry out a wet basement so you can paint it. Get tips on keeping water away from the foundation walls by cleaning your gutters, extending your downspouts well away from the house, and sloping the soil around your home down and away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to kill mildew and keep it from coming back. Get tips on using a caulk with a mildicide in it, such as DAP, and controlling the humidity in the bathroom with a dehumidifier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to remove storage boxes from your attic through a louvered vent. Get tips on taking the opportunity to reinsulate the area after you remove everything. Learn why ridge vents should be paired with soffit vents, not power turbines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out what to do about floors damaged by ice cleats. There is no way to repair a linoleum floor with this type of damage; you will have to replace it. However, you might be able to sand and refinish a hardwood floor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to cover over a popcorn ceiling with drywall. Get tips on using 3/8-inch drywall and covering the ceiling one 4x8 section at a time. This method will give you a much smoother ceiling than if you tried to actually remove the popcorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to clean Plexiglas windows. Learn why cleaning them with Windex will cause an irreversible reaction that turns them cloudy. Instead, get tips on buying a special Plexiglas cleaner from your local home center. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to replace asphalt shingles with a tin roof. Learn why a metal roof is a long-lasting, energy-efficient roofing option. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why it's OK to get your septic tank pumped every four years instead of every two years like the septic tank guys say you should. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to stain a cedar deck to cover up black streaks from nail heads. Get tips on using a semi-transparent or solid-color exterior stain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to finish a concrete porch with exterior-rated epoxy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to fix a water heater leak. Learn why mineral-salt deposits react with copper to make a multi-colored stain. Get tips on solving the problem by resoldering a solder joint. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to get rid of artillery fungus on your siding. Get tips on cleaning it off using trisodium phosphate paste. Also learn why you should replace your shredded mulch with wood chips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out how to solve the problem of condensation in your dryer. Get tips on reducing the overall humidity in your basement by taking steps to redirect water away from the foundation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Find out why gutter guards are an important part of keeping your gutters clean and your basement dry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices