This Old House On The Money Pit

Thanks to the pandemic, getting fresh clean air inside your home is more important than ever. But you don’t have to throw open windows in frigid weather. We’ll share ways to makes sure the air INSIDE your home is as clean as possible in today’s Smart Spending Tip. With so many folks spending a lot of time at home these days, it’s a great time to think about how smart home products can make our homes more convenient and safer. We’ll share some new ways to do just that.  A leaking water heater can lead to pretty major flood damage. But now there’s a new water heater on the market that detects leaks and automatically shuts off the water supply stopping serious flooding before it even starts. We’ll share the update. Plus, answers to your home improvement questions about, venting a garage, radiator repairs, heating unused rooms 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.c

According to a new survey by Travelers, 75% of Americans have been taking on home improvement projects since the quarantine began – and I’d venture a guess that this is more activity than the home improvement industry has seen in decades. We’re going to take a look at the top 5 projects folks are taking on in just a bit. Are outside noises disturbing your sleep or work? You can minimize those sounds. Whether it’s traffic noise, the train, noisy neighbors or loud plumbing, we’ll have tips to help you get back your peace and quiet. The colder it gets the more expensive it is to pick up fresh herbs and veggies. But you can have fresh, healthy foods year-round by growing your own with veggie container gardens! We’ll tell you the plants that grow best in cold weather and more just ahead. Home fires peak in the winter. We’ll highlight a new type of “smart” fire and carbon monoxide detector that’s wireless and interconnected to keep your home safe, even when you are not home. Plus, answers to your home improveme

·        Now is the season for many things and unfortunately one of those is the fire season. There are more smoke and carbon monoxide incidents in these next couple months than any other time of the year. Tom & Leslie highlight new smart home technology that can help keep you safe. Getting ready to refresh your home with some new décor? Not sure if your budget is ready to handle the hit? We’ll share 5 ways to save lots of money decorating your home sweet home in today’s Smart Spending Tip just ahead. Did you know that according to the CDC, many of us are not cleaning and disinfecting our homes the right way? We’ll share a simple tip that can help make sure you’re getting rid of bacteria and viruses and other all the hard surfaces in your house. It’s pretty well-known that poinsettia flowers, while beautiful, can be dangerous if eaten. But it turns out that other holiday flowers are actually far more toxic. We share tips to keep you and your pets safe. Plus, answers to your home improvement questions abou

A warm fire from a wood stove or fireplace adds comfort and to a chilly winter day. But did you know that not all firewood delivers the same level of heat. We’ll share tips on how to select the best firewood for comfort and safety, coming up.  Whether your furnace is shot or you’re ready for a more efficient upgrade, a new furnace should never be an impulse buy. But too often, that’s exactly what does happen – especially if your furnace gives out in the middle of winter! We’ll explain how to shop furnaces the smart way. Tis’the season – the season for selecting a Christmas tree. But if you’re a family who always goes for the real tree, you might be surprised to learn how much a fake tree can also look like the real thing – we’ll share tips from our holiday tree buying guide, including some fun new lighting options. If you own an old house with chilly, drafty walls – adding insulation can seem like a difficult job. We share tricks of the trade to insulate finished walls without damaging walls in the process

Space is at a premium these days and one area not to overlook is UP, the attic! We highlight several ways to take advantage of the attic space overhead, including how to plan for ceiling height, stairs, heating, cooling and décor.   If you think back over the years, have you made energy saving or other improvements to your home that upped its “green” factor? Those green home improvements could just help you sell your home more quickly than the competition. Tom & Leslie tell you why, just ahead in today’s Smart Spending Tip. Icicles look very pretty hanging from the edge of your roof this time of year… but did you know they may signal a potential problem with your roof that can cause pretty major leaks? We’ll have tips on how to prevent ice dams (and the leaks they cause!) After spending so much time at home recently, you’d like to change up your décor but your budget is already strained! There are ways to stretch that budget, along with your creative “muscles”, to create a place you’ll be proud to call hom

If you’ve been thinking about investing in a home but don’t have the funds to go it alone, buying a home with a partner can be an option. Tom and Leslie walk you through the steps you should consider before making that big purchase. If you are tightening your belt, you may be thinking about slashing your home maintenance budget. That could be a BIG mistake, we’ll explain why. Do you ever feel like you’re always having trouble finding the tool you’re looking for? If your workshop or craft space is cluttered, disorganized, maybe even overflowing, a standard toolbox might not be cutting it for you. We’ll have helpful tips for tool organization coming up. Plus, answers to your home improvement questions about, options for insulating your attic, installing a marble countertop, how to add speckles to garage epoxy floor, repairing a flat roof, eliminating roaches. 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 you

Fall is the flooring season and with dozens of products and an infinite number of designs, we’re going to share some tips and new digital tools to help you find the perfect floor choice for your home. We’re all cleaning and disinfecting more than ever before now and with the holidays coming up, that’s only going to get more intense. Well share tips on a really handy Disinfectant that cleans, disinfects and deodorizes in one step and is also effective against the COVID 19 virus on hard non-porous surfaces. If you’re finding you need more storage room in your house, your attic may be an option – but only if it has a solid floor. We’ll share tips on the best way to add floor space without impacting your home structure, or insulation. If your home feels small and your planning to move -- staging the home before potential buyers show up can help to create a positive first impression. But this almost always involves getting rid of a lot of what made your home crowded in the first place. Staging is the key. We exp

If your walls are showing cracks, holes or nail pops – we’ve got tips to get them back in shape once and for all. Plus… If you’re tired of shoveling after every storm --  a snow blower can do it for you! But they’re not one-size-fits-all – we’ll tell you how to choose the best snow blower for the job Have you ever been surprised by a big electric bill? We’ll share the most common places energy is wasted – in today’s Smart Spending Tip Thinking about purchasing a home from another era? It’s actually possible to predict what might need work – based only on the age! We’ll share the common repairs by house age. Plus, answers to your home improvement questions about, eliminating hard water, squeaky hardwood floors, repairing trim that has been scraped by animals, venting your appliances. 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 you preparing to deck your halls this holiday season…and maybe even your windows, doors and trees? Make sure your holiday lights are working before you spend hours stringing and hanging them. We’ve got fast, free and easy holiday light fixes Home projects have never been more popular than they have over the last few months of the pandemic. But DIY doesn’t mean you need a full shop full of tools to tackle. We’ll share fun, smaller projects that you can get done with staplers, glue guns and simple materials around the home. Before you set out to travel this holiday season it’s important to make sure your home is safe and secure – ESPECIALLY your garage. We’ll share why the garage door can be a vulnerable point of entry for burglars… and what steps to take to secure it, coming up. Toy-making elves are popular during the holidays, so why not give your kids the tools – literally – to make some unique toys and projects of their own? How to keep young hands, brains and imaginations busy with a fun and practic

When it comes to maintaining your home, painting is a project that’s among the most basic of DIY projects, and one which most homeowners are happy to tackle themselves. But it’s also a project that can go terribly wrong if you don’t take just three steps before you start. One appliance that you may own and you’ll never want to be without again is your garbage disposer. But during the holidays, disposers get jammed more than any other time in the year. If that happens to you, there’s no need to pay a plumber double time and a half! We’ll tell you about a super easy way to get it back in action. With the holidays upon us, adding a festive touch to your windows is a great way to spread holiday cheer – but you need to make sure you know how to attach those decorations WITHOUT damaging window frames. We’ll share some non-destructive decorating secrets. Fall is the season when stink bugs start really showing up in your house. However, there’s one thing you should never do to get rid of them. We’ll share that tip

Do you love the look of a classic parkway floor with an intricate Chevron pattern. We’ll share a new way affordable to add that hand-crafted look to your home. For the last few months we’ve all been cleaning our homes a lot more than we had before the pandemic. But with all those cleaning products, did you ever wonder if you were exposing yourself to toxic chemicals in the process? We’ll share a better cleaning option If you are thinking of updating your bedroom with a new mattress or furniture, we’ll have tips to make sure your purchase results in a better night’s sleep. If you’d like to enjoy the warm glow of fireplace this winter, you’d better make sure the screens are clean to start. Leslie has the details. Plus, answers to your home improvement questions, installing a whole house fan, texturing a wall, poor drainage issues affecting foundation. 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 cho

Do you love the colorful trees of fall but dread dragging piles of leaves to the curb – maybe not so much? We’ve got a better idea – why not compost those leaves so they can benefit next year’s garden. Tom and Leslie share tips. Now that we are moving into the roughest weather season of the year, it’s a good time to plan for roof repairs or a replacement that might be needed to be done to keep your home nice and dry. But what’s the smartest way to go: repair or replace? We’re going to tell you what you need to know to make that determination. With all the holiday meals happening now, have you noticed that when you run your dishwasher, are dishes coming out dirtier than when they went in? Get tips for keeping your dishwasher working properly. Plus, answers to your home improvement questions about, choosing a countertop for an undermount sink, toilet blockages, vinyl siding repair process, installing a tankless hot water heater. Do you have a home improvement or decor question? Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONE

Did you ever notice that some leftovers seem to last a long time and other turns shades of green is an instant? Tom & Leslie explain why that happens and what you can do to make sure your leftovers last. Plus, answers to your home improvement questions. EPISODE SUMMARY: Did you ever notice that some leftovers seem to last a long time and other turns shades of green is an instant? Tom & Leslie explain why that happens and what you can do to make sure your leftovers last. Do you ever feel like you’re always having trouble finding the tool you’re looking for? If your workshop or craft space is cluttered, disorganized, maybe even overflowing, a standard toolbox might not be cutting it for you. Get helpful tips for tool organization. Hardwood floors are great to have but if yours are worn, how do you know if they can be refinished? Well share tips for a floor redo that doesn’t involve hiring pros with massive sanding machines that turn you home into a wooden “dust bowl.” Heating and cooling is one of the bigge

We’re all trying to avoid germs more than ever and motion-activated faucets are good for cutting down the spread of germs in public restrooms – but are they a healthy fit for your home? Tom and Leslie share the options With freezing weather ahead, now is a good time to make sure a frozen, broken water pipe DOES NOT turn the INSIDE of your home into a Winter Wonderland! One very special type of valve can stop this from happen to you. We’ll explain how. What’s the difference between a garage and a home workshop or gym that you can use year-round? Often as little as twenty or thirty degrees! We’ve got tips to help heat your garage so you can find more useable space. If you’d like to paint your kitchen cabinets, there’s one very special primer that can make the difference between paint that sticks and paint that flakes away! We’ll share the solution. Plus, answers to your home improvement questions about, natural way to clean windows, painting a refrigerator, eliminating geese, repairing a concrete driveway,

If your closet is looking a little messy -- closet organization may be in order, but that’s one project that ranks right up there with dental work as something to look forward to. We’ll have step-by-step, or shall we say “shelf-by shelf” tips to make this job easy to tackle. Have you ever considered adding gutter guards to end clogged gutters once in for all? Well don’t take another step until you hear about the results if a survey done by Ask the Builder which gathered actual costs from consumers across the nation. The numbers will FLOOR you! They range from a few dollars - all the way up to 90 dollars a foot! - in many cases for the exact same product! Tim Carter did the review and joins us with the results. If you’d like to have the best flower garden ever come Spring, Fall is the time to take an important first step – planting bulbs. Well help set you up for success when the weather turns warm again. Did you know that the sheets you sleep on can have a big impact on whether or not you get a full night’

Fall is the perfect time for outdoor painting but taking on an entire home is a big project that requires proper planning, preparation and tools. Tom and Leslie share pro tips to help you get the project home. Plus… As the days get shorter and the night gets longer, it’s a good time to think about adding security lighting to your home. And this is a job, surprisingly, that you may be able to do yourself.  You might not even realize it, but one of the most common home accidents is a fall. We’ll have tips to help you avoid the slips and falls! Have you ever spotted fuzzy white growth on a basement wall and wondered if it was mold? We share how to tell for sure. Plus, answers to your home improvement questions about, installing soffit vents, eliminated squirrels in the attic, repair shower pan and doors, removing adhesive from floors. 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 podcast

If you love the look of greenery around the outside your house but seem to have only a black thumb when it comes to getting greenery to flourish inside your home, we have a solution. And, it may not be a homeowner’s favorite thing to do, but if you have a septic tank -- taking care of it is crucial to avoid a very big mess. We’ll have tips on how to keep your septic system happy If you are lucky enough to have a sprinkler system for your lawn, now is the time when that system needs to be winterized. You don’t want to see what happens when it’s NOT -- trust me – it happened to me once and it’s a real mess! We’ll explain what needs to happen to avoid a frozen mess just ahead. Your entryway serves as a perfect place to show off your love of the season, even if you are not going to be hosting big gatherings this year. We’ve got a few ideas to hopefully inspire you. Plus, answers to your home improvement questions about, adjusting doors, heating a garage, blown in attic insulation, re roofing. Do you have a h

There’s a good chance there’s one room in your home that’s eating up your heat – and your heating budget, your garage. Stay tuned for tips on adding energy efficiency to this chilly space.  Whether you’re a young Mom with her hands full, or taking care of an aging parent, universally designed products make life so much easier and safer. We share why universal design works for all homes and all ages later on. Plus, have you checked your WINDOWS lately? Listen up for a checklist for you to make sure your windows are still as energy efficient as they were the day there were installed. Plus, answers to your home improvement questions about, installing a water softener, leveling a floor, eliminating fruit flies, insulating ducts, getting stains out of a cement 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

If you’ve ever stepped into the shower first thing in the morning and received a blast of icy cold water, you know it’s not best way to wake up! New technology in water heaters can prevent this by circulating hot water to bathrooms, BEFORE you need it! We’ll share how to stop this “shower shock” ounce and for all. Plus… If you’re tackling fall clean ups around the house -- getting rid of trash is easy, but getting rid of hazardous trash, not so much. We have tips on the easiest ways to purge your home and garage of things like old paint, pesticides and more just ahead. Fall is the perfect time to get your lawn ready for winter, and a bright green spring and summer next year. We’ll share a handy 4-step checklist to help you do just that. The most common laundry room disaster is a broken washer supply hose and it can cause thousands of gallons of water to flood your home! Learn one simple switch that can stop this from happening to you! Plus, answers to your home improvement questions about, repairing a lea

Are the leaves beginning to pile up around your home, do you dread all the raking and leaf cleanup? We’ve got tips to speed up your leaf removal so you can get back to enjoying the beautiful weather. It’s fireplace season, which means getting your chimney cleaned is a job that’s needed. But unfortunately, it can also lead to chimney contractors offering false advice in the hopes of getting even more money out of your wallet. We’ll sort out the facts from all that SMOKE. If you’ve got a plan for keeping your family safe during extreme weather -- great! But have you thought about how you’ll keep your most important records safe when you may need them most? We’ll share tips on the most disaster proof strong boxes and safes. Would like to step up your bath before the holidays? You can WIN fixtures, faucets and more from Riverbend Home.com in our new “Beautiful Bath Sweepstakes!” We are giving away $3,500 in bath products from brands like American Standard, Grohe and DXV all available RiberbendHome.com. Enter o