SHOW NOTES:
On today’s show, get festive with front door decorating tips that make a great first impression, learn how to properly clean and disinfect your home to keep germs at bay, and discover an innovative way to stop a running toilet from wasting water. Don’t miss these and other quick and impactful home improvement ideas as we answer questions from DIY callers!
- Holiday Décor: Welcome guests to your home with door décor to sleigh the holiday season.
- Cleaning: Wipe out germs with these cleaning tips for sanitary surfaces.
- Running Toilet: This innovative toilet flapper flushes away water waste from a leaky toilet.
Q & A:
- Wallpaper Removal: Thomas needs advice for removing wallpaper. It’s a lot of work, but we’ve got tips for using a paper tiger tool, wallpaper paste remover, or a wallpaper steamer.
- Caulk: Can caulk be applied in colder temperatures? Silicone caulk could work with no expansion issues, but it may not flow as freely and will be harder to level out.
- Painting Paneling: Dena wants to cover dark wood paneling in every room. We recommend cleaning, lightly sanding, and priming the surface before painting over it.
- Faucets: Is it a good idea to open faucet valves all the way before reducing the flow? Rich learns it’s not necessary with new ceramic faucet valves that won’t wear out.
- Insulation: It’s always colder or hotter upstairs in Linda’s home. We suggest adding blown-in insulation, ensuring baffles are in place, and covering the whole house fan in winter to prevent heat loss.
- Shower Odor: A sour smell is coming from the shower drain. Heidi should scrub it with Borox or oxygenated bleach and install a timer or humidistat on the bathroom vent fan.
- Old Windows: Don gets advice for using a heat gun or steamer to carefully warm and remove old putty from a historic poured glass window that needs to be reglazed.
- Wood Siding: Can Sherry install redwood siding over the flat plywood siding? It’s easy to do by applying tar paper first and attaching the new siding right over it.
- Concrete Countertop: Lane is thinking of creating an affordable concrete countertop. It’s a lot of work, but good prep and a strong building form are key.
- Bathroom Floor: Mark wants to run heated bathroom flooring off a gas water heater, but it’s not cost-effective due to the piping needed and the boiler not heating well enough.
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.
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#2476 - Door Décor to Sleigh the Season | Cleaning Germs from Surfaces | Flush Toilet Problems Away | The Money Pit Home Improvement Podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast
