Today’s Homeowner Radio
Dirt floors, while common in crawlspaces, can be dangerous to your home. The inexpensive item you can get to keep water from the floor from coming in contact with your home. And, there’s a new option to popcorn ceilings that will transform it from a dated textured look to a clean wood finish. Also, attaching crown molding can be intimidating and there are different materials to choose from. Listen to hear about a durable and least expensive molding choice. Plus, Joe has a simple way cyclist can get extra space inside the garage by creating a bike rack.
Listener Questions
How to Clear Water out of a Crawlspace
Peggy from West Virginia – “We have water that stands under our house. We have tried a sump pump, but it never keeps up. We have drained away from the house. The crawl space is about 4 ft. No plumbing leaks. My husband swears there is water coming up from the ground somewhere. What should we do? We are elderly and are wanting to sell and move south.”
Keeping a Tongue and Groove Ceiling from Drying Out
Shirley from Iowa – “We had a tongue and groove ceiling installed about 25 years ago. Mini Wax stained poly was applied at that time. We are retired and would like to add a coat of something to the ceiling as it seems to be drying out. Don’t know if we need to sand it a bit first or if we can just clean it and apply a clear coat to it? Should it be oil or water-based?”
Prep Work Before Installing Stick-On Floor Tiles
Rick from Illinois – “In my basement bathroom, the concrete floor is painted. Do I need to strip the paint off before I install stick on floor tiles? Should I do any other prep work to the floor?”
Is Adding Crown Molding DIY Friendly?
Don from Oregon – “I want to add crown molding throughout my manufactured home, can you advise? Should I use Styrofoam, MDF or solid wood products?”
Help! My Bathroom Smells Like a Sewer
Ron from Mississippi – “We have an odor that sometimes fills the bathroom and master bedroom. We have had the toilet wax rings replaced and the toilet solidified, but the smell sometimes wafts in at various times. It smells like a sewer. My wife is ready to dynamite it. HELP!”
Modifying Cabinets
Paul from Alabama – “A couple of questions. I saw you’re remodeling of a condo at the beach in which you put new doors on cabinets. Can you go from 3/8 overlay to full overlay on a 2″ face frame? Also, we are painting red oak cabinets and would like to change doors to Shaker style. Do we have to stay with oak for stiles and rails if we are painting? Did you change to European hinges?”
Simple Solutions
Self-Watering Pet Bowl
Self-Watering Pet Bowl — Keep your pet hydrated while you’re away with a self-watering bowl made from an empty 2-liter soda bottle.
Easy Bike Rack
If you store bikes in the garage, here’s a quick tip for storing them so they’re out of the way and not falling against the car.
Best New Products
PowerJet F700 Amp Electric Handheld Leaf Blower
When it comes to blowers the biggest concern is power… power to move all the leaves and debris you want to move. Sometimes there’s confusion about how to measure that power. Most blowers brag about the speed of the wind they produce. But, the Volume of air they move is really a better indicator of power, and that’s measured in CFMs or Cubic Feet per Minute. The Toro PowerJet F700 Electric Leaf Blower has the highest CFM rating of any corded blower.
