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  • #2548 – Fall Cleanup Checklist | Build a DIY Fire Pit | Remove and Prevent Moldy Shower Caulk

    #2548 – Fall Cleanup Checklist | Build a DIY Fire Pit | Remove and Prevent Moldy Shower Caulk
    2025/08/28
    SHOW NOTES: Hello there, Money Pit fans, and welcome back to the show where we help you make your good homes even better! Whether it's inside or outside, from your floorboards to your shingles, we are on your side! So give us a call at 888-Money-Pit to be part of the show. This hour, we cover a wide array of topics to help you protect your home, boost curb appeal, and even save you money. - Fall Cleanup Checklist: Check off your “to-do” list with essential fall cleanup tasks to get your home ready before the cold weather sets in, from gutters and gardens to garages and gear. - DIY Fire Pit: Turn up the heat in your backyard by easily building a beautiful and durable fire pit in minutes using Pavestone products. - Shower Mold: If you’re dealing with a "fuzzy" shower, we’ll walk you through the steps to safely remove old moldy caulk, prep the area, and reapply a fresh bead that will resist mold and mildew for years. Q & A: - Michelle in Minnesota has moisture coming up through her laminate bathroom floor on a concrete slab. We advise checking exterior drainage and adding a bathroom vent fan or humidistat to address the issue. - Glenn in Florida asks about borax-treated cellulose attic insulation to control Formosan termites. While the idea isn't new, its overall effectiveness for whole-house Formosan termites is less common. - Grace has concerns about her 40-year-old concrete patio, which is discolored, raised, and dangerous. We suggest restoring the loose bricks and applying a finish, such as a stone veneer, thin pavers, or an acid stain, terrazzo, or slate treatment to the surface. - Wally is redoing his sunroom and is worried about the unevenness of the old, cracked concrete floor. We recommend using luxury vinyl plank or hybrid stone flooring, which can float over existing cracks, and sealing those cracks. - Pat in Arkansas discovered that her new heat pump was not effectively removing humidity from her home. We explain that a whole-house dehumidifier integrated into the HVAC system is the most effective solution for maintaining ideal home humidity levels. - Greg in Delaware needed help removing lime scale buildup on his shower door that resisted standard cleaners. We suggested a simple test with white vinegar to see if it's true lime scale or if the door's surface might be etched. - David has questions about his crawl space insulation that’s falling down, insulating the walls, and the use of old foundation vents. We recommend supporting the existing insulation with wires and keeping foundation vents open for about nine months of the year to allow moisture to vent. ASK A QUESTION: Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 分
  • #2547 – Bathroom Design Ideas | Patio Furniture Care | Concrete Post Footings | Kids’ Room Decor

    #2547 – Bathroom Design Ideas | Patio Furniture Care | Concrete Post Footings | Kids’ Room Decor
    2025/08/25
    SHOW NOTES: Welcome back to The Money Pit, your ultimate guide to making good homes better! We’re covering a lot of ground today, so here's a quick rundown of what we're talking about and the incredible callers we're helping with expert home improvement advice: - Bathroom Design Ideas: We offer a range of modern design ideas for bathrooms, from cozy powder rooms to luxurious spa spaces, drawing inspiration from Wallpaper Magazine to elevate your space and style. - Patio Furniture Care: Get valuable tips for cleaning and storing patio furniture made from various materials, including wicker, metal, wood, and cushions, to ensure they stay in great shape for seasons to come. - Concrete Post Footings: We discuss the value of Quikrete’s fast-setting concrete as an easy way to set posts for fences, mailboxes, or basketball hoops, producing strong, stable results in under an hour without mixing or mess! - Kids’ Room Décor: Learn about the art of redecorating kids' rooms, including the importance of budget planning, material selection, safety, and thinking about how the space will evolve with the child's age. Q & A: - Teresa called in about changing the finish of her wood deck, which is half new pre-treated lumber and half old painted lumber. The paint must be removed before staining because stain won't soak into paint, and the new pre-treated lumber will need to season until next spring before being stained. - Ted from Mississippi has a sewage odor in his bathroom. We suggest checking for a missing or non-functional plumbing trap or a bio-gas situation in the sink drain. - Janet from South Carolina inquires about options other than tile for her bathroom walls, due to staining issues. We recommend looking into pre-made tub surrounds as a durable and virtually leakproof alternative that can even mimic tile. - Jerry from West Virginia wants to soundproof a second-floor master bedroom he's converting into a movie room. We suggest applying a second layer of soundproofing drywall and using carpeting and upholstered furniture to absorb sound. - Kathy from Ohio reports a squealing noise from her upstairs toilet when the washer was running on the utility floor. Squeals are typically from the toilet's fill valve on the supply side, though a blockage or vent issue could also be a possibility. - Dan from Nebraska has a widespread mold situation in his three-year-old pole building, despite no previous issues. We identify the cause as high humidity due to a lack of conditioning in the space. Solutions include heating or cooling the space, using a dehumidifier, and potentially installing a fan with a humidistat. ASK A QUESTION: Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 分
  • #2546 – A New Leaf in Gutter Maintenance | Inspecting for Roof Problems | Decluttering and Cleaning

    #2546 – A New Leaf in Gutter Maintenance | Inspecting for Roof Problems | Decluttering and Cleaning
    2025/08/21
    SHOW NOTES: Alright, home improvement enthusiasts, welcome back to the Money Pit! We're here to lend a hand with all your indoor and outdoor projects, because remember: Inside, outside, we're on your side! Here are some of the key themes we'll be talking about today, plus solutions we offer for callers’ questions: - Cleaning Gutters: Before autumn leaves begin to fall, we're going to share simple steps and smart tools to help you clean and maintain your gutters the safe and easy way, because clogged gutters can lead to major water damage. - Roof Care: We'll tell you how you can catch roof problems early with a free professional inspection from Roof Maxx, the company that restores aging roofs and saves homeowners up to 80% over replacement. - Reducing Clutter: We'll also offer tips on getting organized at home for the fall season, helping you reclaim cluttered spaces like entryways and mudrooms before the school and holiday craziness takes over. - Deep Cleaning Tips: And finally, we’ll discuss fall deep cleaning strategies to refresh your home in areas often skipped during summer, like baseboards, ceiling fans, and inside appliances. Q & A: - Beverly in Ohio called about black marks on her white vinyl fence. We suggest trying a light abrasive like a green Scotch pad first, or for solvent-based marks like tar, a product like WD-40 to lift them off. - Andrew in Wisconsin is dealing with standing water in his backyard that's causing basement wall penetration. We advise implementing a total water management system, including building a French drain, ensuring gutters are properly sized, and downspouts to direct water 4 to 6 feet away from the house. - Anna in South Dakota recently had a hollow tree with a large carpenter ant nest removed and is concerned about infestation. We reassure her that carpenter ants prefer dead or decaying wood and are not typically motivated to infest sound houses, so she's not at an increased risk. - Louise called in about salt mineral deposits leaking through the outside of her brick mailbox. We suggest cleaning the deposits with a white vinegar and water solution, then applying a vapor-permeable silicone-based masonry sealer to prevent their return. - Debbie from Great Falls, Montana, asked about preparing and painting over metal siding. We advise a thorough cleaning with a pressure washer, ensuring the siding is completely dry, and then using an oil-based bonding primer with a scratch test before applying the topcoat, staying within the same brand family for best adhesion. ASK A QUESTION: Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 分
  • #2545 – Selling in a Shifting Real Estate Market | Metal Roofs and Solar Power | Garage Organization

    #2545 – Selling in a Shifting Real Estate Market | Metal Roofs and Solar Power | Garage Organization
    2025/08/18
    SHOW NOTES: In today’s Money Pit show, we discuss selling in a shifting real estate market, installing solar panels on metal roofs, and reorganizing your garage space. Plus, we’ll answer a range of home improvement questions from callers to help solve their DIY dilemmas! - Navigating the Shifting Real Estate Market: Home sales this spring hit their lowest pace since 2012! This means that for sellers, prepping, staging, and timing your home's sale are more critical than ever, as price alone isn't enough to close a deal. - The Power of Metal Roofs for Solar: If you're considering going solar, your roof is just as important as the panels. Metal roofs are the ultimate foundation for solar installations, offering long-term savings, energy efficiency, and unbeatable durability. - Garage Organization and Maintenance: As summer wraps up, it's the perfect time for a garage reset. We recommend clearing everything out, cleaning the space thoroughly, and then organizing by season, using labeled bins and storage systems like wall-mounted units or overhead racks to keep floors clear. Q & A: - Michelle from Michigan has moles tearing up her yard. We advised her that moles are after grubs, their food source, so the solution is to eliminate the grubs using a product like GrubEx, which will slowly cause the moles to move elsewhere. - Leroy from Texas was getting barely any air from a bedroom AC vent, despite its proximity to the unit. We suggested checking for a kink or blockage in the ductwork with a flashlight and mirror or identifying if a damper on the line is partially closed. - Margaret wants to know what to do about her dirty, 20-year-old popcorn ceilings that she no longer likes. For removal, she should spray and saturate the ceiling with water, then gently scrape it off. If she chooses to keep it, she could paint it over with a specialized roller designed for textured surfaces. - Larry has tree roots growing into his sewer lines. We suggest a pipe lining system, which involves inserting a flexible material into the old pipe that hardens to form a new, permanent interior structure, saving him from breaking up the floor. - Ken had a broken seam on his quartz countertop over the dishwasher. This is typically not a DIY project due to specialized materials and tools, so he’ll need a professional to reseal it and reinforce the underlying support to prevent future issues. We also recommended resealing the entire countertop surface. - Howard called about his leaning landscaping brick retaining walls. This is a common issue caused by soil expansion and freezing. The solution is to tear down and rebuild the wall or consider pre-cast concrete block walls that are designed to lean back as they stack. ASK A QUESTION: Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 分
  • #2544 – Home Checklist for Fall | Setting Up Your First Home or Apartment | Leak-Proof Plumbing

    #2544 – Home Checklist for Fall | Setting Up Your First Home or Apartment | Leak-Proof Plumbing
    2025/08/14
    SHOW NOTES: In today’s Money Pit show, whether you’re winterizing plumbing, upgrading a patio, or stocking your first apartment toolbox, we’ve got the seasonal checklist and savvy tips to keep your home running smoothly from fall onward. Check out these topics, plus home improvement questions from our DIY callers: - Home Checklist for Fall: Prepare for cooler temperatures with our ultimate fall home prep checklist, covering essential tasks like sealing drafts, servicing your furnace, and prepping your lawn. - Setting Up Your First Home or Apartment: For students heading off to dorms or first apartments, we provide an essential tool checklist and pro tips for setting up and maintaining a new space. - Leak-Proof Plumbing for Cold Weather: Get crucial steps to leak-proof your home's plumbing before cold weather hits, including disconnecting and draining outdoor hose bibs, insulating exposed pipes in crawl spaces, and inspecting your water heater. - Outdoor Space Upgrades: We also discuss enhancing your outdoor spaces, with everything from porches and patios to landscaping, hardscaping, fences, and fire pits. Q & A: - Sandy in Nebraska called about her porous ceramic tile floors that just won't come clean. The glaze might be worn off, and while re-glazing isn't really an option, she could consider laminate flooring for an inexpensive, moisture-resistant option that floats over the old floor. - Larry in Texas has a question about replacing his hail-damaged roof and an insurance estimate that missed a few items. We advise getting the insurance adjuster to revise the estimate in writing immediately to include all missed components, like skylights and roof jacks. - Eve in Delaware is battling a stubborn cigarette smoke smell in a newly purchased row home, even after removing tiles and painting. The key solution is to use a good-quality oil-based primer on all surfaces, including walls, ceilings, and even exposed plywood subfloors, to effectively seal in the odors. - Ron in Oregon is looking for the best way to clean his seven-year-old Brazilian cherry floor. We suggest starting with a thorough cleaning to remove existing residue, then renting a buffer to apply a floor wax for a beautiful, natural glow that can last for years. - Ivonne in Arizona had a stinky bathroom sink drain. The foul odor is likely being caused by bacterial decay forming bio-gas in the drain. The fix involves taking apart the U-shaped trap under the sink and scrubbing the inside with an oxygenated bleach solution and a stiff-bristle brush to eliminate the bacteria. ASK A QUESTION: Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 分
  • #2543 – Late Summer Home Projects | Revitalize Your Lawn | Roof Restoration | Home Safety for Kids

    #2543 – Late Summer Home Projects | Revitalize Your Lawn | Roof Restoration | Home Safety for Kids
    2025/08/11
    SHOW NOTES: Welcome back, home improvement enthusiasts, to The Money Pit! We’re here to guide you through another hour of tackling those household challenges and making your home sweet home even better. Here's what we'll be diving into this hour: - Top Late Summer Home Improvement Projects: Although summer is winding down, there's still time to tackle key projects, such as painting, sealing driveways, and late-season landscaping, to get your home ready to shine through the fall and beyond. - Revitalizing Your Lawn After Summer Stress: We'll be joined by Dr. Matthew Koch, R&D Research Fellow for Lawns at Scott's Miracle-Gro, who will share smart, easy-to-follow tips to help your lawn bounce back from the heat, heavy foot traffic, and backyard fun. - Restoring Your Roof with Roof Maxx: Learn how a simple treatment from Roof Maxx can restore your shingles, extend your roof's life by up to 15 years, and potentially save you up to 80% compared to a full roof replacement. - Smart Home Safety for Kids: We'll share three practical ways to make your home safer for little ones without turning it into a padded cell, focusing on window cords, furniture tipping, and stair safety. Q & A: - Larry from Arkansas called about his landlord running an extension cord from his home to an attached shed, raising concerns about electrical support. We advised him that an extension cord is not a permanent solution and recommended running a proper underground circuit. - Michelle in Minnesota shared her issue with moisture seeping up through her laminate bathroom floor. We suggested she check the grading and drainage around her house, ensuregutters and downspouts direct water away, and consider a bathroom fan with a built-in humidistat to keep the floor dry. - Eunice in Arkansas noticed her retaining wall was turning white and powdery-looking, a phenomenon known as efflorescence. She should contact the manufacturer's technical experts to inquire about the issue, especially the drying process before coating and the consistency of paint batches. - Lewis had no hot water pressure after a new water heater installation and suspects clogged galvanized pipes in his old home. We inform him that galvanized pipes cannot be unclogged and advise replacing them with PEX piping for better durability and ease of installation. - Sherry in Oregon was worried about a loud snapping noise coming from her cast iron tub as it cooled down. We reassure her that this is likely "oil canning," a normal sound of metal expanding and contracting with temperature changes, and not a cause for concern. - Jack in Arkansas is dealing with a leaky steel storm shelter that has leaked since installation. We advise against welding and suggest sealing seams with silicone or potentially re-roofing the shelter with EPDM, a rubberized oofing product, to maintain structural integrity. ASK A QUESTION: Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 分
  • #2542 – Pre-Fall Energy Tips | Protect Concrete Surfaces | Creating a Home Office & Study Space

    #2542 – Pre-Fall Energy Tips | Protect Concrete Surfaces | Creating a Home Office & Study Space
    2025/08/07
    SHOW NOTES: Welcome back, Money Pit listeners! This hour, we cover everything from porches and patios to landscaping, hardscaping, fences, and fire pits. And of course, we're taking your calls and tackling your home improvement dilemmas. Here's a look at some of the questions we'll be answering and the solutions we'll provide: - Getting Your Home Fall Ready: As fall approaches, it's the perfect time to give your home a thorough energy checkup. We'll share quick tips to seal drafts around windows and doors, properly service your HVAC system, and optimize your ceiling fans to help you save on energy bills year-round. - Protecting Your Concrete Surfaces: Before winter unleashes its worst, we'll guide you on how to safeguard your concrete driveways, sidewalks, and patios. Learn how Quikrete Cure and Seal Satin Finish can protect both new and existing concrete from cracks, salt damage, stains, and freeze-thaw deterioration. - Creating Productive Home Office & Study Spaces: With back-to-school season in full swing, we'll offer simple ways to design functional and comfortable home offices or study areas. Discover how to choose the right spot, ensure proper lighting, and implement effective organization strategies to boost productivity and maintain sanity. Q & A: - Janette from Colorado wants to know if she can DIY her radiant floor heating. We’ll discuss why electric radiant heat is generally expensive to run and why hiring a professional is recommended. - Steve from North Carolina is dealing with a leaking flat roof on his bathroom addition. Flat roofs aren’t our favorite for residences, and we advise him to file an insurance claim for storm damage while exploring better roofing materials. - Mary from North Dakota has crumbling basement concrete after water problems and wants to know about sealants before painting. She should address external drainage issues first before using Quikrete’s concrete patching compound to stabilize the surface. - Dan from Arizona has a home with cracked tile flooring and can't find replacement tiles. This is likely due to a missing uncoupling membrane during installation, and we suggest creative temporary fixes until a proper re-installation can be done. - Charlie is looking to switch from an oil-based to a solid latex stain on his cedar siding, which has darkened over time. We’ll emphasize the importance of proper surface preparation and why it’s often best to stain the entire house for a uniform look. - Michael from Florida is curious about the pros and cons of stick-built versus modular homes. We’ll share insights into the cost savings and timely construction advantages of modular homes while advising him to consult with local specialists to compare options. ASK A QUESTION: Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 分
  • #2541 – Optimizing Outdoor Living | Saving on Home Renovation Costs | Home Improvement ROI

    #2541 – Optimizing Outdoor Living | Saving on Home Renovation Costs | Home Improvement ROI
    2025/08/04
    SHOW NOTES: Hello and welcome back to the Money Pit Home Improvement Show! I'm Leslie Segrete, joined by my amazing partner-in-crime, Jim Kenzie. We've got a fantastic hour packed with valuable insights and solutions for your home improvement woes, from floorboards to shingles, inside and out. It's been quite the summer here at the Segrete household, with unexpected repairs, so we know exactly what it’s like to navigate your own "money pit" moments. Here's a recap of the main themes and calls for this hour: - Optimizing Outdoor Living & Landscaping: We delve into smart maintenance tips for your in-ground sprinkler system to conserve water and keep your lawn healthy. We also introduce the innovative Ladera stackable stone system for easy outdoor upgrades like fire pits and garden beds, eliminating the need for traditional stonework. - Navigating Home Renovation Costs: We discuss how recent tariffs on lumber, appliances, and fixtures are impacting renovation budgets, sharing crucial tips for smart homeowners to protect their bottom line. - Boosting Home Value & ROI: We reveal the top home improvement projects that offer the best return on investment, helping you prioritize where to spend your renovation dollars. Q & A: - Dave from Maryland discovered his new roof was installed directly over significantly rotted roof rafters, causing the section to sag and leak. We advise him to pay only a partial amount of the bill, formally disputing the quality of the incomplete work in writing. - Courtney in Texas is struggling with a persistent cigarette odor in her home despite extensive renovations. When carpet was replaced, the plywood subfloor should have been sealed with a primer/sealer, and we suggest upgrading her HVAC system to effectively scrub residual odors from the air. - Frankie called about her old, gray kitchen countertop that she wants to replace or paint. We recommend DIY countertop finishing kits from Daich Coatings for a durable and attractive restoration. - Rick from Illinois is seeking a reputable company to install solar panels on his large lot. We caution him to conduct thorough research on all available government incentives and to carefully vet any solar companies to avoid rushing into a significant long-term investment. - Tony emailed about an elaborate method he devised using a shop vac to remove calcium deposits from his water heater's bottom element. His method was unnecessary and could be risky. The water heater's internal drain valve is designed for this task, requiring only a garden hose to flush out the deposits. ASK A QUESTION: Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    40 分