Episode #2021: Home Inspections for Sellers | Refinishing Wood Floors | Improvements Earn Insurance Discounts | Finding Antique Hardware
If you’re hoping to sell your dwelling, one of the most nerve-racking parts of that process for dealers is the home inspection. Tom& Leslie share tips to set you up for success in that part of the transaction.
Hardwood floors are one of the most desirable floors around for both durability and the value they add to a residence. But the finishes do wear and hardwood storeys then need to be sanded and refinished. We’ll have tips on how to get that project done.And we’re all about helping you find ways to save money, and that includes your homeowner’s insurance. Well, it is about to change some small improvements are contributing to cut insurance costs down to size. We’ll share those tips-off really ahead.Step-by-step gratuities for refinishing bedroom use lacquer for a high gloss style.Tips on how to find replacement parts for old-time doorknobs and fastenings.
Plus, provide answers to your residence better a matter of, repairing leaky roofs, tying drywall pas, investing porch carpet, restoring dips in a driveway, basement seeps.
Do you have a home improvement or decor question? Call the show 24/7 at 888 -MONEY-PIT ( 888 -6 66 -3 974) or post your question now.
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TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
TOM: On a very, very warm summer day. Well, I predict we should expect it; these are the dog days of summertime. If you’re warm and you’re spending time inside your home ogling about, reflecting, “I’ve got some stuff to change here, ” or you’re outside concluding, “I could use some more canopy. How can I determine that happen? ”- whatever is on your to-do list for projections now or in the future, we would love to help you get those done. The first thing you need to do, though, the first item on your to-do list is to call us, 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888 -6 66 -3 974.
We’ll do our best to coach you through it, to give you some gratuities, some advice, some meanings, maybe intimate some concoctions that you didn’t think about or some ways to approach your projection that might be a bit easier than what you thought it was going to be. Whatever is on that to-do list, slither it over to ours by reaching out at 888 -MONEY-PIT.
And coming up on today’s show, if you’re hoping to sell your home this summer or come, one of the most nerve-racking parts of the process is the home inspection. And I know this because, as a longtime home inspector, I was one of the people causing all of that stress. But it also intends I know how to set you up for success in that part of the transaction, so we’re going to talk about that merely ahead.
LESLIE: And hardwood floorings are one of the most desirable storeys around for both durability and the price that they do add to your residence. But the finishes wear and then the floors required to be sanded and refinished. And I can tell you, as much of a DIY-er that I am, this is really one job that it indeed is best left to a pro. So we’re going to have some tips on how you can get that project done.
TOM: And “were all” about helping you find ways to save money and that includes on your homeowners assurance. And it turns out some reasonably small-time residence betters are contributing to trimmed those insurance costs down to size. We’ll share those gratuities, as well.
LESLIE: But first, give us a announce. We’d love to hear what you are working on. We’re running out of time for the summer season, so you’ve got to get those outdoor seats in tip-top shape. And we’re getting ready to be holed up inside again come the drop, so make us help you get your projects done.
TOM: The multitude here is 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888 -6 66 -3 974.
Let’s get to it.
LESLIE: Alright. Pat in Michigan, tell us what’s going on with the leak.
PAT: Yes. We had some shingles that blew up and the sea get underneath and it revealed and then onto my ceiling. And “were having” high winds with- like we announce “side, ” you know.
And so I’ve had the ceiling restored but I still have some spill- spray discolorations on my ceiling. And I’m trying to figure out how to cover them up without having to paint all of the ceiling. And my ceilings has all along been covered; it’s just raw drywall but it’s been textured.
TOM: Now, since this was storm damage, did you think to call your homeowners insurance company?
PAT: No. Because it’s- there’s only three little- like one is a dime size, one is a quarter size and the other one’s a dollar-bill size.
TOM: Well, just for future note, whenever you have shingles that blow off and spills exist, that is why you pay for homeowners coverage. So, big or big, that’s the kind of thing that’s covered.
If it was a worn-out roof, that’s one thing. But if you have storm damage where shingles blow off and ocean does in, then you could have had that entire ceiling repainted at the expense of your insurance company.
But OK, we’re past that now. So the question is: how do you deal with those stains? Whenever you have a water stain on a ceiling, you have to prime that place. Since they’re tiny smudges like that, you can spot-prime it, which basically intends precisely to primary over those little discerns themselves. And then you’ll paint over that.
You’ll have to- if you don’t have some of the original dye, you’re going to have to pick up something that matches.
PAT: There is no paint. This is just drywall- textured drywall- and they did not paint the drywall.
TOM: They never painted the drywall?
PAT: No. Ceilings here are not drawn unless you ask for it.
TOM: OK. Well, all I can tell you is if you want to get rid of the grime, you have to prime it. You is therefore necessary to prime on top of it. If you don’t prime on top of it, anything that you put over that is going to leak right through. So it might be time to think about painting the ceiling, Pat.
PAT: Oh, son. OK. Well, thank you very much. I certainly do appreciate your time.
TOM: Good luck with that programme. Thanks so much for announcing us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Hugo from Missouri, you’ve went The Money Pit. How can we help you today?
HUGO: I’ve got a leaky basement. Is there anything that can be done besides tearing up the whole outside and remaking it?
TOM: Yeah, that’s precisely not what you want to do.
So, the reason basements leak is because of drainage surroundings that pattern at the foundation perimeter. So we’re talking about things like channels that are overflowing or downspouts that are too close to the foundation perimeter or soil that’s sloping. Do you know- that’s sloping into the house or soil that’s flat.
Do you notice if this leakage gets worse after heavy rainfalls?
HUGO: Yes, that’s the only time it does spill is after a real heavy rainfall.
TOM: So that’s really good news because that symbolizes this has nothing to do with a rising water table. This has everything to do with the irrigate that’s basically just forming around the foundation perimeter. And that’s something that’s somewhat easy to deal with.
So, I demand you to do a couple of things. Look carefully at the gutter system. You want to make sure that troughs exist, that the troughs have downspouts that remove at least 4 to 6 paws from the foundation perimeter. And then you want to take a look and make sure that you have 1 downspout for every 600 to 800 square feet of roof face. So simply kind of stand back and try to estimate that in your brain so we know you have enough downspouts.
HUGO: OK.
TOM: Now, typically, when they put downspouts in, they turn them out a hoof or so and dump them into a sprinkle block. And you’ll notice that that sea will exactly sit right there and accumulate at the foundation perimeter. So you want to make sure they go out at least, like I said, 4 to 6 feet.
Now, the second thing is you also want to make sure that the clay at the foundation perimeter ascents away. If you have to add soil to do that, include clean pack grease, tamp it down really super-well and make sure it plunges about 6 inches over 4 feet. Those two things will stop your basement from leaking.
HUGO: OK. Thank you. I appreciate it.
TOM: You’re very welcome. Thanks so much for announcing us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Amy from Iowa is on the line with a roofing projection drive awry. What’s going on?
AMY: We do. We do have a troublesome roof. About five years ago, we got a new ceiling invested on our room. We were having a leaking problem, some ice dikes in the winter. And we got the whole roof superseded and since then, we continue to have a leak. The trouble never went solved and we are stuck with this issue once again. So, we’re kind of remain, at this stage, wondering if we go back to the original contractor and try to get him to replace or fix the problem or if we go elsewhere and have someone entirely replace and redo the entire roof.
TOM: Well, first and foremost, when it comes to the contractor, has the contractor come back since the roof installation to address this yet?
AMY: Yes. In the past couple of years, we are genuinely have contacted him and told him about the issue and that it never was cooked. He did send out his roofing guy- a subcontractor- and good-for-nothing ever get solved. They said, “Oh, it – fine. We don’t think it’s really going to be an issue.” And then we have water pouring in our front room and barrels on the carpet, so …
TOM: So they never did anything?
AMY: Yeah.
TOM: Alright. Now, “ve been told” about the roof configuration over the area where the leak is showing.
AMY: Right. We have been told, after having all of these other professionals come out, that we have a very tricky roof. The pattern of the house, I suspect, is not the greatest. Basically, a lot of dead valleys is what they told us. So we have dead valleys that- bracing the irrigate and creating these problems where the liquid is sitting and coming in, which is causing our opening inside of the house.
TOM: So you say dead valleys. It entails the spray is being captured in the valley?
AMY: Yes. So, basically, the roofline began to a target where it runs right into the siding.
TOM: Oh, OK. So, basically, the roof drains towards the siding?
AMY: Yes, that’s correct.
TOM: Yeah. That’s a really tough spot. Hmm. OK.
So, if that’s the client and it’s time not fixed, it’s exactly not working, I visualize most probably you have to not only make the roof off but probably some of the siding. Because what you have to have there is a special type of flexible twinkle that they are able to basically seal the siding to the roof.
You probably likewise would want to cover that entire area of the roof with ice-and-water shield, which is sort of a bit tacky and will give you that waterproof capability and too stop ice barriers from coming up under the shingles. But Grace utters both ice-and-water-shield and some very flexible flashings. Grace is a terrific building-products manufacturer, so you have been able look up some of those.
But I do think you’re probably going to have to redo that, extremely if you have an area where water is running into it. That’s a really common place for a opening and frankly, this roofer that came out and appeared it and said everything’s fine, he doesn’t know because he didn’t take anything apart. And if you’ve gotten leaks underneath that, it’s not so penalize. So you certainly could take another run at the contractor but I suppose it’s going to have to be taken apart and rebuilt properly. That didn’t happen the first time.
AMY: Right. So do you advocate going back to the original contractor?
TOM: At least once.
AMY: Yeah. If he’s willing to do any fixings, I imply honestly, I am hesitant to have any of his gang come out. He did tell us that the people that worked on our ceiling no longer work for him. But I still am very hesitant to have the same contractor come out and try to utter mends when we’ve had other reputable roofing companies come out and say it’s the worst installation job they’ve ever seen. So that induces me really nervous as a homeowner.
TOM: Well, maybe in that situation, if you’re precisely not- if you’ve simply completely lost confidence in the contractor, then maybe you should just accept the inevitable and have a more professional roofer come out and fix it right.
AMY: OK. OK. Yeah, it’s- that’s a hard one.
TOM: The problem is when you have that kind of a conceal opening like that, it’s really hard to do any kind of repair from the surface area of the ceiling. It really is a matter where you have to make things apart and reassemble them, because determining that roof raincoat starts underneath the shingles.
AMY: Sure, sure. OK. Well, that fixes impression. Yeah, it precisely wasn’t done right the first time. So, we’re stuck in the same spot, unfortunately.
TOM: Alright, Amy. Good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.
There’s a wide range of sciences that roofers have, and the majority of the roofs that are replaced today don’t need a really, really skilled roofer to do. It’s kind of hard to screw it up, you are well aware, your standard sort of two-story Colonial or a Cape. And those are pretty easy ceilings to install.
When you get an older house that’s got a lot of slants to a ceiling, that requires somebody who is a real good technician, a real master roofer that can configure the twinkle underneath the ceiling shingles and use the latest produces to keep that leak-free. And when you get your average-quality roofer that looks at a locate like that, they think they can do it and clearly they cannot do it. That’s like trying to install a flat roof. You’ve got to make sure it can hold water against gravity.
LESLIE: Well, if you’re a residence marketer, the buyer’s home inspection can feel like a scene from a really bad reality show. But if you subsist its own experience without blowing a fuse, a big payoff awaits. Now, the home inspection is critical to the sale of your home. It’s included in every home purchase contract and it happens right after the contract is signed.
Now, with the purchasers in trawl, the home inspector is going to perform a 2- to 3-hour review of your home’s structural and mechanical plight. They’re going to look in every nook and cranny while evaluating everything, from the roof to the basement. Now, the inspector might also test for radon gas or check for wood-destroying bugs. And when it’s all over, the inspector is going to issue a very detailed report to that home buyer.
Now, unexpected results can lead to more dialogue, which is why more smart home dealers are getting their own home inspection done well before a buyer is involved. It really is a good investment that you might want to consider making because it genuinely gives you an advantage.
TOM: Yeah, you do not want to be in the position of get that information that your furnace has cracked and needs to be replaced when you’re in the middle of a transaction, because you’ve already negotiated down as far as you want to go. The purchaser has offered as much as they want to pay and it’s precisely a very stressful time of the transaction.
Now, speaking of stress, here is a tip from my 20 years of experience doing home inspections for customers. Don’t be home when the inspection is going on. Yes, I am talking to you, Mr. and Mrs. Seller. I know it’s nerve-racking but cartel me when I say nothing good is going to come out of you being there. If you stalk labour inspectors, it manufactures it really difficult for him or her to freely discuss his findings, what he’s hearing, to ask and answer buyer questions. Plus, the buyers see you as having something to hide. It may be the outermost thing from your attention but they see you kind of fastening close to the inspection, they think you’re disguising something. And I have frequently discovered dwelling sellers justify abiding around because they thought we might have questions. We don’t and you’ll be only in the way.
So, you’re paying your realtor a lot of money to represent you. Let them represent you at the home inspection. And it’s better to find something else to do for a few hours.
LESLIE: Bob in South Dakota is dealing with a drywall issue. What’s going on at your house?
BOB: We have a 1990 s residence and we had sheetrock nails that were put in that began popping, mainly toward the ceiling area and corners- inside corners- specially. And we had a contractor do- remake some. We redid some ourselves. One of the things they did and we did is we just drove the tacks in and considered them and kept a screwing maybe 2 to 3 inches from it. But the nails reappeared after we did it. What’s the answer?
TOM: Well, it would if you really drove it back in and didn’t introduced a second nail that overlaps it.
LESLIE: And then it’s in the same hole, so it’s given the same campaign area.
Now, what Tom mentioned with the second nail is you’re right putting a jailer in; a fuck is an excellent way to do that. But if you’re putting a jailer in, I would have taken out the tack instead of giving it the infinite to come back out.
But what you can do, if you consider the hammer to start backing its way out, you can take a second nail and overlap it so that the two heads would overlap. So when you drive in the second nail, it propagandizes that first nail back down with it and will keep it in its place. Because the new hammer is in fresh lumber, so it’ll stay there. And then you go ahead and make over it and sand it and spackle it, everything. Make it neat and smooth to prime and paint.
But a pin really is the best way, because those won’t back themselves out.
BOB: What do you think, in your professional mind- I’ve listened to your reveal a lot and just as a plug for you guys, thanks a good deal for all of the helpful reminders. But what do you think has caused those shafts to sounds like that- or tacks, I should say?
TOM: Normal expansion and reduction. You know, the nails that are used to attach drywall have a glue veneer on them. They’re like a rosin coating. And when you drive the claw in, it’s supposed to kind of stick in the wall but it doesn’t. And as the walls expand and contract, they very often will back out. It’s really conventional. It would be peculiar for it, frankly, to not happen.
But the key is that when it does happen, if you just drive it back in it’s going to happen all over again. But if you were to overlap the old-time nailhead with a brand-new nailhead so that you’re now causing kind of a second nail and a second nail excavation that’s propping it in place, that’s effective. Or you pull out the drywall tack absolutely and supplant it with a drywall bolt and it will never pull out.
The fact that you introduced the screw 2 or 3 inches from the old-time one will help keep that card tight but it’s not going to stop the drywall nail from expanding and contracting and pushing itself back away, as you’ve learned. You just – you really need to sort of reinforce it by overlapping the heads with a brand-new nail.
BOB: OK. Yeah, that sounds good. And I contemplate, from what I’ve appreciate, if we pluck the old-time claw and articulated a jailer in a ways apart, I think that’s the best solution. Because then we don’t have any possibility of anything happening there again and doing away with the situation completely.
TOM: Trial and error is the best, right?
BOB: Absolutely. Thank you guys so much. Thank you for the great show.
TOM: Alright. Thanks so much for calling us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Alright. Now we’re going to Mel in Arkansas who’s got a question about a shower. What can we do for you today?
MEL: Well, we need to change a tub into a shower. And it is for a handicapped person that uses a shower chair. And everything that we are finding so far is a fiberglass-type stuff that is not rated for the person’s weight that’s going to have to be using it. And “theyre using” a shower chair. Any suggestions on how to stabilize it so that it’s not going to break through when the shower chair goes in it?
TOM: You’re looking at zero-threshold showers that mostly are flush with the flooring?
MEL: Not necessarily. It doesn’t have to be the zero-threshold but it needs to be a shower , not a tub.
TOM: Right. OK. So, when you throw in a fiberglass shower wash, you’re right: sometimes there’s flex underneath of it. But there’s an easy manoeuvre of the commerce to cope with that. And that is that you can mix up a concrete assortment or a plaster desegregate or mortar combination and mostly, you situated it underneath the wash while it’s wet and then you pulps the pan down into it. And what that does is that makes out all of the gap between the pan itself and the floor. It equips a rock-solid base to that fiberglass shower stall. Does that make sense?
MEL: OK.
TOM: Alright, Mel? Good luck with that programme. Thanks so much for calling us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Well, hardwood storeys are a real benefit to any residence. They add appeal, durability and value when it comes time to sell. But they do need to be refinished from time to time and that’s a project that you might want to consider hiring a pro to achieve. We’ve got some gratuities on how to best get that job done, in today’s Pro Project presented by HomeAdvisor.com.
TOM: Now, first up, how do you know if your floorings certainly need permutation or refinishing? There existed a simple test that you can do. What you want to do is go to a high-traffic area where the finish makes the most abuse and pour a tablespoon or two of spray onto the floor and watch it. If the water words beadings, the flooring still has plenty of close to it. But if the irrigate takes a few minutes to seep in and simply shades the flooring slightly, that finish is partially worn and should be redone soon. And if the liquid soaks in straight off, leaves a twilight smudge, it’s clearly time to refinish. So, just do the water evaluation a little bit and then watch what happens.
LESLIE: Alright. Now, if you do have to refinish that storey, it’s a pretty big job. And while you might be able to do it yourself, it’s probably not one that you’re going to want to.
Now, the process starts with removing all of that aged finish. And that’s one field that we find well-meaning DIY-ers get themselves into a real jam. I want the tools that do this are kind of heavy-duty and if you’re not comfortable with how they work, you can cause some problems. It genuinely does. The pros are so skilled with it and if you mess up, you could be staring at a deep, ugly gouge for pretty much the rest of the working day that you are in that house.
TOM: Yeah. Next, let’s talk about refinishing the floor after it’s sanded. That is a big job in and of itself. It’s got to be done right. If you’re restaining the floor, the color you are presented in the accumulate is rarely the shade that you will see when you apply it to your floor.
Now, persons under the age of the storey has to be considered because when you combine that with an age-old finish, you get different absorption proportions. And that’s what’s going to cause the stain to sink in differently and the finish to sink in differently. And to try to keep it looking nice, it even takes some skill. Plus, the finishes the pros apply, they’re often tougher than what you can actually find in a residence hub or a dye storage. And they bake quicker and they get you back to a newly finished area as fast as possible.
And that’s today’s Pro Project presented by HomeAdvisor. They really do have the best neighbourhood pros for any residence service.
LESLIE: That’s right. Doesn’t matter what the project is, they make it fast and easy to find top neighbourhood pros for your projects.
TOM: Plus , now they volunteer clear, up-front pricing on over 100 daily assignments. To get started, time download the HomeAdvisor app today.
LESLIE: Taylor in North Dakota, you’ve came The Money Pit. How can we help you today?
TAYLOR: I have a two-story house. I live in North Dakota. And I have a two-story house that has a forced-air system. And it’s precisely not get the cool up to the second floor and the heating up to the second floor like I feel it should. I had a contractor come in and they recommended a concoction to me that I was wondering if you guys had any knowledge on it. It’s a commodity announced Aeroseal, where they actually seal the ductwork from within. And they claim that it’ll seal up the ductwork and get me more airflow.
TOM: Is this person an Aeroseal dealer?
TAYLOR: Correct.
TOM: OK. So my exclusively concern here is the reason that you’re not having adequate heating and cooling on the second floor is due to a core fault in the sizing of the system. And while passage systems can certainly be leaky, I disbelieve that that’s your part question, Taylor. I think that there’s an issue with the design here that’s at the core of this. And while that’s kind of a neat thing to do and yeah, it’d probably cure a little, I don’t certainly think that’s the first thing I would do at all.
I think you ought to talk to some other HVAC contractors and really, what they need to do is look at a heat-loss calculation here and figure out how much breath you’re moving up there, compiling sure you have enough supply air going up there, obligating sure you have adequate return ducts, that nothing is blocked or disconnected.
TAYLOR: This is the second company that “re coming”. The first company actually recommended for me to talk to this company because he felt the same way, actually.
TOM: Well, why did they considered that your duct plan is so leaky that it’s causing this difficulty? I represent certainly, revealing passages can help to it but I don’t fantasize- I certainly, really don’t think it’s the main cause now. I can’t imagine it’s so inefficient, that your pipes are so poorly put together that simply sealing them is going to solve this problem. You have a very significant issue with imperfect heating and cooling getting to the second floor of the house. So, I think this is an issue of airflow, it’s an issue of design and I would explore ways that that can be improved.
And if you can’t readily improve it, then what you might want to think about is adding supplemental heating and cooling to the second floor vis-a-vis, for example, a split-ductless system, which would- could supply both warm aura and cool aura, depending on the design of the prototype that you get. But I don’t think this is all about duct shortcomings in terms of leaky canals. I think this is a design defect that you are required to- only haven’t hammered it yet. OK, Taylor? Does that make sense?
TAYLOR: Alright. Bang good.
TOM: Alright. Good luck with that activity. Thanks so much for calling us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Bonnie in Pennsylvania is on the line with a dippy driveway. Tell us what’s going on.
BONNIE: Well, our driveway was asphalt initially and it’s probably 30, 40 years ago. And there really isn’t much left to it now. But it- most of it is fine. It remains solid. But there’s one part- two parts, actually, have enormous, large-hearted immerses in their own homes so you kind of go down in. And the liquid accumulates in there. So I was wondering what we could fill that in with. It’s not left the driveway. It’s kind of non-existent now but it’s not a …
TOM: Well, at least you have a accelerated bulge be integrated into your driveway, you know?
BONNIE: Yes.
TOM: Probably safer that way.
BONNIE: Yes.
TOM: If you’ve got a 30 – or 40 -year-old driveway, that driveway doesn’t genuinely owe you any coin. You can patch it. You can have it professionally patched with more asphalt information. But my concern is that whatever’s induce that immerse is an underlying trouble and it’s just going to reform over and over again. Once you start to get a dip, of course, the irrigate get in there and it sort of intensifies it.
But I think your options are to topcoat that driveway, which you have been able do with more asphalt information. It’s a professional project; it’s not one you can do yourself. Or if you want to go ahead and invest the time and the money right now, you could just tear it out and construct it again. When it gets to be that age, it actually does have to be replaced. If you think about it, roads have to be replaced far more frequently than that. But if you’ve got a 30 – or 40 -year-old driveway, it’s probably reached the end of a normal life cycle and it’s time for it to be torn out and perfectly changed , not topcoated. But you could buy yourself some time by doing the topcoat application.
BONNIE: Could you just crowd it in with stone or something for now or no?
TOM: No, because it’s just going to fall out. It’s not really a do-it-yourself project. You have to positioned more asphalt desegregated with stone, under pressure, reeled over it. But my expressed concerns about recoating a driveway that’s that old-time is it’s only not going to last-place that long.
BONNIE: Yeah. There’s nothing much left to recoat it.
TOM: Right. Yeah. So it’s not worth it, OK, Bonnie?
BONNIE: OK, thank you.
TOM: Good luck. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Well, if you’re looking to take the edge off your monthly bills, you might be able to squeeze some extra savings from a surprising locate: your homeowners assurance legislation. Now, it does require some up-front spending. But if you invest it in the right place, you could be looking at savings for years to come.
TOM: Yeah. And here’s why. Insurance fellowships end up paying out a lot for spray shatter, so they’re going to reward you at relatively low frequencies for preparing sure it doesn’t happen in the first place. So, for example, if you were to replace rubber hoses on your moisten machine with the nature the hell is called “no-burst”- they’re braided stainless-steel hoses – you can save up to 10 percent.
LESLIE: Now, if you live in an area that’s prone to high winds, a tougher garage opening going to be able to slash your monthly payments. And if you are installing a hurricane-resistant door or buy a retrofit solution that strengthens your existing body, you’ll read savings, as well.
TOM: And if you’d like a complete list of projects that can lower your home insurance costs, we’ve got it. Just go to MoneyPit.com.
LESLIE: Kendall in Arkansas is on the line with a few questions about carpeting. What can we do for you today?
KENDALL: Taking a foyer and screening it in. And I’ve got 2x6s laid down as a flooring over about a 3-foot-high crawlspace under my house.
TOM: OK.
KENDALL: And I’m going to put indoor/ outdoor carpet down. And I only crave- maybe concerned whether it is possible I it is necessary settled something underneath that, some sort of underlayment for maybe sweat barrier or even critter barrier.
TOM: So what are you erecting this storey of?
KENDALL: It’s a porch. It’s a treated province of my deck.
TOM: Oh, it’s a flooded foyer. OK. Yeah.
KENDALL: It’s a handled floor and I’m just taking in the included expanse and impelling it a screened porch.
TOM: I discover. OK.
KENDALL: But I don’t want water interference , nor do I want to lay down carpet that’s going to end up becoming rotten or something underneath it.
TOM: Yeah. Indoor/ outdoor carpeting does tend to hold a lot of irrigate and moisture and dampness against the lumber. It certainly can contribute towards decay.
Is this hall going to be fully plastered?
KENDALL: Yes. It is completely embraced. In reality, I’m going to- I’ve set in Plexiglas on the bottom 3-feet of the high levels of walls for the sake of any potential rain to come in through the sides. I consider I’m OK there. My concern, I suspect, is just if it’s going to develop a moisture topic or something beneath the carpet that I’m set down.
TOM: Look, it’s ever possible. I’ll give you one suggestion that is a little unorthodox but I think it would work. As long as you treat – you’re covering this with the indoor/ outdoor carpet, why not lay down ice-and-water shield across the porch floor? It’s typically used on a roof and it affords complete humidity hurdle between- right underneath the roofing shingles. But if you threw that down and then dealt it with the carpet, that would give you an additional protection for such structures. And you have been able always scrape it back up if you had to.
KENDALL: Thank you so much.
TOM: You’re welcome. Good luck with that activity. Thanks so much for calling us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.
LESLIE: Alright. We’ve got a post here from Chris who writes: “We’re in the process of remodeling our 1940 s residence. All of the already existing doors have mortise-style fastenings, antique knobs and backplates that are original to the house. However, all of the keys are missing.”
TOM: Of course.
LESLIE: “I want to keep the locking mechanism and the relic plates because they look great. Is there a path to keep using these and add brand-new fastens? ”
TOM: A lot of companies and websites, like House of Antique Hardware, have been created to kind of fill that vacant for situations just like this. Most were going to use replications of antiques rather than the original, due to the changes, but you may be better off simply superseding the lock by purchasing one that’s an antique intend. Because I’ve got to tell you, even if you find those new components, it’s going to take a lot to get it working well and it’s going to be expensive.
LESLIE: But you know what? You’re going to love the way they seem, Chris. And they’ll seem certainly genuine and historically accurate.
TOM: You’ll especially adoration them because they expense a lot.
LESLIE: It induces you adoration it more.
TOM: Well, if you’d like to update the watch of dull bedroom furniture, a lacquered dresser or a chest of drawers can do simply that. And the sheen does not have to stop there. Leslie has gone tips on contributing high-pitched gloss for high style, in today’s edition of Leslie’s Last Word.
Leslie?
LESLIE: That’s right. You know, the wax review is sounding up again. But wood that’s finished with lacquer does need proper prep and that includes sanding and sealing.
Now, before you apply the lacquer, you’ve got to clean exhaustively that grove with a way cloth. You want to use simply aerosol-spray lacquer and really be sure to protect that work area with drop cloth, newspapers, whatever it is to just sort of protect the smothering off-spray zone. And make sure that you’re working in a very well-ventilated space.
Now, when it comes to the application, you want to apply the glaze gradually and evenly and hold that spray can about 18 inches from the surface of the project. Any further than that, you’re going to get that sort of orange-peel look where that lacquer kind of gets a dimpled finish. And if you’re closer, you’re going to notice that the glaze is going to build up in certain recognises or you’ll get ranges or slumps. So, maybe pattern on something and sort of find that sweet spot where you feel pleasant spraying and delivering the right amount of application, because it’s about blankets here, chaps. So get cozy and start in.
Now, as “youre working”, you want to overlap the lacquer-spray patterns somewhat. Several thin coats. That is what’s going to deliver you the highest-gloss ogle, as opposed to a couple of actually heavy ones. You also need to follow instructions and give them dry- these strata- altogether before you threw the next hair on.
Now, lastly, while that lacquer can be used on most lumbers, you cannot use it on mahogany or rosewood because there’s petroleums in these groves that are going to bleed through the finish. And it also can’t be used over a certain existing finish, perhaps if there’s an oil-based stain or if you’ve got a lot of grove filler. Either way, if you’ve got the right material for a glaze job, it is amazing and it’s gorgeous and it truly does make a statement.
I have always done a lacquered handrail on the banister in a great, deep shade like oxblood or pitch-black. I mean you can do something so cool with lacquer. So, experimentation with it, have some fun and get in on this trend.
TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. Coming up next time on the programme, if you’re looking for more storage space, computing an attic storey might be the perfect projection. But if you don’t get it right, you could ruin your separation or even impair the home’s structure. We’ll walk you through the options, on the very next edition of The Money Pit.
I’m Tom Kraeutler.
LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.
TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …
LESLIE: But you don’t is therefore necessary to do it alone.
( Copyright 2020 Squeaky Door Production, Inc. No parcel of this record or audio register may be reproduced in any format without the express written authorization of Squeaky Door Yield, Inc .)
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