#2572 – Stain-Busting Tricks | Home Insulation | Saving Energy in Winter | Better Indoor Air Quality

SHOW NOTES:

Welcome back to The Money Pit! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we’re here to help you rush through your home improvement to-dos and provide fast, stress-free ways to get your house in tip-top shape before the holiday hits. We’ve got tips on everything from lightning protection to tackling holiday spills and getting your home ready for winter.

- Stain Removal: We offer tried-and-true stain-busting tricks using pantry staples to manage inevitable holiday spills like red wine, greasy gravy, and cranberry sauce.

- Proper Home Insulation: We detail how to check if your home has enough insulation. Options for insulation include affordable fiberglass batts, blown-in cellulose or fiberglass, or professional spray foam.

- Saving Energy in Winter: Energy-saving winter tips include checking weather stripping and installing a door sweep to block cold air, using a smart thermostat to automate heating schedules, and wrapping older water heaters with an insulation blanket.

- Improving Indoor Air Quality: We offer tips for maintaining healthier indoor air quality, such as using an air purifier, keeping the humidity between 35-40%, and ensuring proper air circulation by leaving doors open and using exhaust fans in bathrooms.

 

Q & A:

- Jason in Arkansas was concerned about lightning control after installing a metal roof, especially since lightning recently destroyed his heat and air unit. We advise him to look into installing a proper lightning rod system, which typically involves a heavy copper cable running down the exterior wall to a 4- to 6-foot grounding rod.

- Nancy in Georgia was dealing with a squeaky top-floor doorway after removing carpet. The solution is to locate the floor joists by finding the nailing pattern and then using long drywall screws to tightly screw down the subfloor across the entire area.

- Dan in Georgia asked for advice on painting his vinyl siding because his wife disliked the current color. We strongly advise against painting the vinyl siding because paint layers will peel and require re-painting every five to six years.

- Dave in Ontario, Canada, discovered that the wooden header was dry-rotted above his detached cement block garage door. We explain that he needs to build a temporary support wall inside the garage to hold the roof rafters while he disassembles and replaces the deteriorated header.

- Emily (via email) wrote in about a fuzzy white growth on her basement walls that she feared was mold. We identify the growth as likely efflorescence, a mineral deposit left after moisture evaporates, and recommend that she manage exterior moisture by cleaning gutters and sloping the soil away from the foundation.

 

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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