The Money Pit Home Improvement Podcast

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**The Money Pit Home Improvement Podcast**

Does your home ever feel like “a Money Pit?” It doesn’t have to be that way! As host of The Money Pit Podcast, a money pit is not a disaster – it’s a home you love! Whether you’re dealing with a repair or dreaming about a reno, consider me your coach, helper or home improvement therapist for all things remodeling, decor or fix up! From bathrooms to basements, demolition to décor and gardening to garages, I’ll share non-biased expertise to help you tackle your to-do’s with confidence. Taking care of a home can be a combination of love, pride and heart-stopping fear – but I promise to help you plan, save you money and spare you from snafus. Join me for new episodes every Monday and Thursday, just in time to plan your next home improvement adventure!

Latest Episodes:

College Rental Red Flags | Hardest to Kill Houseplants | DIY Drywall Repair| EP #2133 Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

SHOW NOTES:

College parents beware, we are about to enter “silly season” when real estate agents press young, inexperienced students to sign leases that are chock full of ridiculous requirements, and stiff fines and fees that anyone renting outside of a college town would find ludicrous. We’ll tell you what to look for to prepare your young renters from these predatory practices.
As the end of summer approaches, it'll soon be time to bring the green inside with houseplants. But if you feel like you never had a green thumb, fear not! We can help get you on the path to redemption and forgiveness with our list of the top 5 healthiest and hardest to kill houseplants.
Are cracks, holes, and nail pops taking away from your otherwise well-maintained walls? We share DIY Tips to fix them yourself for good.

Plus, answers to your home improvement questions including:

Caitlin moved into a fabulous old house and would love to resurface a beautiful clawfoot tub. We share her options.
Fred in Iowa wants to know how to stop mold odors that are building up in his daughter’s bathroom.
Betty wants to know how to stop mold from growing in her closet. We walk her though how to know if she’s really seeing mold or something else.
Diane wants to turn her backyard deck into a walk-in closet. We explain why that is a really bad idea!
Caulking a bathtub is a job that has to be repeated often – unless you know our tricks of the trade to make it last. We walk Vern though that project.
Mary wants to paint her fireplace and needs to know how to get it done right so that the paint doesn’t peel off.
Steve wants to know how to fill gaps in his driveway that were cause by expansion joints that have worn away.
Mario needs guidance on replacing an old metal window with a glass block replacement style window.

Plus, answers to your home improvement questions.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are Replacement Windows Worth it | Pro Painting Tips | At-Home Office Organization | EP #2132 Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

SHOW NOTES:

With fall approaching, and you might be wondering if replacing old or drafty windows is a wise move. We walk you through 7 key questions to ask yourself to determine if this project is right for you.
Painting seems like a simple DIY project but that’s exactly why it is even more frustrating than ever when your painting project comes out badly. We’ll share pro painting tips to help.
As we head into pandemic season two, many Americans will continue to work from home fueling the need for more home office space. If you are ready to set up a new more organized space for your work life, we’ll share tips on furniture and organizers you can build yourself.

Plus, answers to your home improvement questions:

Beverly wants to add vinyl siding to a shed and needs to know the best way to attach it. Tom shares a key trick of the trade to make sure the vinyl is secure but won’t expand and cause the vinyl siding to warp when the sun hits it.
Abe needs help solving a plumbing mystery that causes the water in one toilet to gurgle and drain when another toilet is flushed!
Anna took down a tree that was full of carpenter ants and wants to know if needs to be worried about the carpenter ants destroying her home!
Stuart needs to know how to select the right LED bulb to match the wattage of an old incandescent bulb he’s replacing.
Nancy needs to know the easiest way to remove a popcorn celling.
Bob is dealing with the aftermath of a really bad laminate floor installation.
Brian is building a new house and wants to know if using spray foam insulation will cause his roof shingles to buckle.
Laura is remodeling her kitchen in an old house wants to know how to reinforce the floor to support heavy new appliances.
Eric’s home is smoke damaged and he needs help getting rid of the smoke odor.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pet Friendly Floors | DIY Exterior Painting Tips | Easiest Way to Budget for Home Maintenance | Ep # 2131 Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

SHOW NOTES:

Your house is your biggest investment – but how much, exactly, should you set aside for the cost of home maintenance? We share a simple formula to help you determine what that is.
Floors need to handle wear and tear and be easy to clean. But when you have pets, that durability raises to a whole new level! We’ll share what you need to know to choose pet friendly floors that can handle that kind of traffic.
Painting the exterior of your home is one of the most important types of home maintenance. And while many homeowners choose to hire a painting contractor, new technology in paint sprayers makes this one project you may be able to tackle yourself.

Plus, answers to your home improvement questions.

Joe from Iowa isn’t happy with his deck and asks if it should be repaired or replaced with composite decking? We walk him through the pros and cons.
Linda from Florida needs a really tough paint for the floor of an airport hangar! We share options for concrete finish that can take the punishment.
Don in Illinois needs help fixing a sinking foundation in his very old farmhouse.
Bonnie in Pennsylvania has a sagging driveway to repair and wants to know how to fill in the low spots or if she needs to tear it out and start again.
Darren from Virginia want to save water by routing rainwater from a barrel to help fill his toilet.
Kay in Arkansas wants to know how to make a plain masonry wall look more appealing.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stopping Shower Shock: How to End Cold Water Blasts! | Garage Dangers You Didn’t See Coming | DIY Driveway Resurfacing Tips | Episode #2130 Aug 26, 2021

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SHOW NOTES:

(Episode Summary, and Links)

Have you ever taken a shower and received a blast of water that was freezing cold or scalding hot? That’s what we call shower shock! Tom explains exactly why this happens and how to stop the shower-shock for good.
By now, garages are usually a mess of toys, tools and toxins like lawn chemicals and paints – all of which are too close to each other for comfort. We share garage organization solutions that can help.
If you’ve ever tried to repair old, worn-out concrete by covering it with new concrete only to find it didn’t last, we’ll share a solution that will, and delivers a beautiful new finish in just a few hours.

Plus, answers to your home improvement questions:

John in Maryland wants to reno a small bathroom that contains the home’s water heater. He’s looking for a recommendation on the smallest possible water heater that will do the job.
Phyllis from New Jersey is buying a home built in the 1960’s and want to know what repairs to expect in an older home. Tom taps his 20-year’s worth of experience as a home inspector to share useful tips about homes built in that era.
Charlie in Tennessee wants to expand his kitchen and wants to know how to tell if his wall is a load bearing wall before he rips it out!
Michelle in Iowa wants to build a firepit out of brick and needs a recommendation for the best type of mortar to use for her project.
Charlene from Louisiana has a low slope roof in bad shape and wants to know if she can replace it with a metal roof.
Randy from Maryland wants to stain a brand-new deck build from pressure-treated lumber and wants to know if he should do this right away or wait a year.
Margaret wants to know how to get rid of popcorn ceilings.
Eve in Delaware wants to get rid of a smoke smell from her studio apartment.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Instagram Worthy Kitchen Cabinet Painting | Glamping Getaways | Avoiding Laundry Room Disaster | Episode #2129 Aug 23, 2021

Show notes

SHOW NOTES:

Painting your kitchen cabinets is one of the most popular ways to update a kitchen. But can this DIY project deliver the same level of beauty and durability of a factory applied finish? It can - if we get the painting steps right! Tom & Leslie walk you through what you need to know to get Instagram worthy results!
If a vacation home is out of reach… you might want to consider GLAMPING instead! Glamping is short for “glamor camping” and we’ll share tips on how to do just that by converting a camper or trailer into a comfortable getaway that comes home with you after every vacation.
The laundry room might seem safe enough, but anywhere there’s extreme heat and lots of water, there’s potential for trouble. We’ll walk you through the most common laundry room hazards and tell you how to prevent leaks, fires and breakdowns.

Plus, answers to your home improvement questions.

James from Virginia wants to know how difficult it would be to install a ceiling fan in a house with no lighting fixtures.
Laura from Connecticut is wondering how to reinforce her sagging kitchen floor.
Steve from Pennsylvania wants to build new steps to his porch and needs to know how to figure out how deep to make the treads.
Tammy from Pennsylvania wants to know how to fix uneven hot and cold water in her bathroom shower.
Marvin from Rhode Island is asking is it cost effective to use blown-in insulation on for an older home?
Kathy from Arkansas has some concerns about how to test for radon in a slab home.
Ashwani from Illinois is wondering if there is something he can do to deal with tree roots starting to get exposed on his lawn.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DIY Adirondack Chairs | Picking the Right Primer | High Tech Paint Sprayers | Episode #2128 Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

SHOW NOTES:

Buying new lawn furniture this summer was a challenge due to the disruption of the pandemic. That's why now may be a good time to build your own. We’ll help by walking you through how to build one of the most iconic pieces of outdoor furniture, the Adirondack chair, including a source for detailed step-by-step plans to build your own Adirondack Chair.
If you’ve taken on paint projects, you may know that using a primer is the first step to making sure your paint project comes out exactly as planned. But you may not know that there are key differences between the type of primer you select from your project – especially if it includes painting the kitchen or bath. We’ll fill you in on the best primer for trim and cabinet painting to use and why, just ahead.
If you’re planning a painting project like painting a fence, deck, or the outside of your home, you won’t need to hire a pro. New technology in high efficiency airless paint sprayers makes this an easy DIY project. We explain how the sprayers work, and why using one is 3 times faster than using a paint roller.

Plus, answers to your home improvement questions.

Sean from Texas is having a problem with his central vacuum system leaking condensation.
Norma from Delaware wants to know, how to determine if she has enough water pressure for a multi-head shower in her bathroom.
Thomas in Tennessee is asking about how to reduce moisture in a basement.
Eva from North Carolina wants to know her options for replacing a water heater located on her third floor and is debating about a tankless one.
Vernon from Colorado asks how to re-caulk a bathtub?
Thurman from Arkansas wants to learn how to install a window in a load-bearing wall.
Lauren from Florida is concerned about lead paint in her house.
Doug in Rhode Island wants to know if he can consolidate his kitchen and bathroom exhaust ducts?

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Post Pandemic Home Buyer Demands | No Mess Tip for Tile Installation | Best Pet-Proof Flooring | Episode #2127 Aug 16, 2021

Show notes

SHOW NOTES:

Post pandemic, 65 percent of people house hunting demand one feature more than any other. The pandemic has changed a lot about how we buy things and that includes what we look for in a new home! We share the list of new home buyer demands.
If you’ve ever taken on a tiling project, you may know that some of the more inconvenient parts of the project are that it’s messy and takes DAYS because you have to wait for the adhesive to set, before you can grout. We’ll show you a trick of the trade to install tile that’s a lot less messy and far faster.
If you’re ready for a new floor and have pets, it’s smart to choose the best pet resistant flooring to stand up to the wear and tear our pets can dish out.

Plus, answers to your home improvement questions.

Bill in Florida is trying to get rid of a smoker’s stench throughout his house.
Pat in Michigan wants to know how to hide water stains on her ceiling without repainting the whole thing.
Lee wants to know how to install a koi pond.
Stewart wants to know when in your home’s lifetime should you replace insulation?
Michelle in Minnesota wants to know deal with moisture coming up from her laminate floor.
Carl in Maryland asks what’s causing his toilet to make a high pitch whistling noise?
Pat from Arkansas asks, why doesn’t my heat pump dehumidify?
Daniel needs to know why his water has a rotten egg smell.
Kathy calls asking how to clean grease off a garage floor.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Garage Doors that Pay for Themselves | DIY Fence Tips | Easy Fix for Leaking Ducts | Ep #2126 Aug 12, 2021

Show notes

SHOW NOTES:

Replacing your garage door can be a simple and affordable project that delivers a 94% return on investment when the house is sold. Get tips on the many styles, colors and designs for garage doors and how to choose from and how to a garage door that rights for you.
As the saying goes, good fences make great neighbors. But as simple as it seems, adding a fence is something many DIY’rs get wrong. We’ll walk you tips for picking out the best fence so you can get it right, the first time.
If you’ve been dealing with expensive cooling bills, stuffy room or a dusty house, the problem may be your duct system. Learn how to check your ducts for leaks and fix them fast.

Plus, answers to your home improvement questions.

Tracy in Texas wants to know how to get started with a universally designed bathroom.
Tyler asks how to deal with moles that are tearing up his lawn
Janet in Georgia is wondering when the best time to stain a wood deck would be.
Ian from Vancouver wants to know if there is a tip to nailing hardwood floor when you get close to the wall.
Carol in Texas is wondering how to restore her sloped driveway without digging it out completely.
Robert in Michigan asks if there is any composite material that can keep from fading.
Judy in Florida wants to know how to refurbish her laminate countertop.
Ed in Tennessee is trying to refurbish a crawlspace for his pets and wants to know what concerns he should have.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Consumer Reports Top Toilets for ’21 | Best Options to Buy for New Homes | Restoring Worn Bathtub Finishes | Ep #2125 Aug 09, 2021

Show notes

SHOW NOTES:

Consumer Reports is out with the Top Toilets for 2021! We will flush out the details – including the very unusual way they test toilets using plastic balls, screws and sponges to simulate the real thing!

If you’re buying a new home, you’ll have lots of options to choose from. But many of these don’t really have to be done when the house is being built. We’ll tell you which upgrades make sense to buy from the builder, and which you can get done on your own – and often save a lot of expense in the process.

Bathtubs can last a lifetime, but their finishes won’t! The good news is you don’t have to get rid of the whole tub just because of a worn finish. We’ll layout DIY and pro-options to restore the finish and brighten up your bathroom space.

Plus, answers to your home improvement questions.

Amanda is asking how to stop floor squeaks in her 100-year-old home.
James wants to know how to set an above ground pool into his deck?
Terri from Pennsylvania is asking why are her gutters always overflow, even though they are clean?
Case from Oklahoma wants to know how to prioritize projects in new home as well as why there is a surge in lumber prices?
Rosie wants to know her options for a fogged replacement window with a bad seal.
Terry from Tennessee wants to know the best preservative to put on raw wood for a porch?
Carol from California asks how to insulate the house from underneath her floor.
Dale from Wisconsin needs help figuring out what is causing his metal roof to leak and how to fix it.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finding Hidden Storage Space | Clear Dirty House Air | Avoiding Deck Disasters | Ep #2124 Aug 05, 2021

Show notes

SHOW NOTES:

Do you need more storage space? Who doesn’t! We’ll explain the many nooks and crannies where storage space hides that you may never have thought of!

Breathing fresh clean air inside your home is more important today than ever. But during these hot “dog days” of summer, you don’t have to throw open windows and let in hot humid air to get it! We’ll share easy ways to make sure the air INSIDE your home is as clean as possible.

Adding a backyard deck is one sure-fire way to increase your home's living space. But if you’re not careful, there’s easy ways to make costly mistakes. We’ll show you what you’ll need to avoid.

Plus, answers to your home improvement questions including:

Mike is working on an interesting historic restoration and wants to know how to seal shower walls to prevent rusting.
Cindy from Ohio wants tips for restoring the color of original cedar siding.
Mike in Pennsylvania to figure out how to replace big, decorative columns on his porch with something more modern and appealing.
Patrilla from Louisiana wants to know if she can put flooring over linoleum flooring instead of pulling out the old one.
John is asking when is the best time to paint in extreme temperatures?
Suzanne from Ohio is wondering the best way to deal with a shower curtain rod that keeps coming out of her drywall.
Matt from Ohio wants help solving a mold problem in his bathroom.

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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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