Here are some of the highlights from the March 12, 2016, Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford radio show.

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Michael in PA
My wife and I recently bought a home in Ft. Myers, FL. We hope to retire there within 6 months but the home was built in 1957 and needs an overhaul. The past owners converted the carport into a bedroom with a small bathroom. The room is an eye sore and it was obvious that an amateur did the work. The biggest question I have is the flooring. The room can be entered by the kitchen or garage but there is a step down, which tells me they never raised the floor. My question, if we try to redo this room (which will be quite the project) what would you recommend we do with the floor?

Gloria in TX
I have a toilet that is leaking. I’ve changed the flapper valve twice already, but it still leaks. Do I need to buy a new toilet?

Vicky in MO
We have a store-bought glider and a swing made by our neighbor. Both stay outside in the summer in partial shade. The swing is made of oak and walnut, but I don’t know what kind of wood the glider is made of. Last year we refinished both by cleaning, sanding and applying spar varnish. By the fall, the finish on both was flaking and in some places all gone. What can we use that would not have to be redone every year? Would paint be better? Should we be using some kind of pre-finish?

Elizabeth in PA
I have a deck but the ground on the side of it is sloped. Can I still use pavers. The deck was just put in last fall. I will need a level spot to hold the grill. Any ideas?

Veronica in GA

What is the best and less expensive way to add a pergola to an existing 12×16 deck and what would be the best materials to use? Love your show keep up the good work.

Lynn in MS
If we are considering updating and enclosing deck/porch area and wanting covered cooking area? How and where do we start? What are the steps? You make it looks so easy!

Elesha in AL
I’ve noticed that my hot water is not as hot as I like it so how do I turn it up a notch or do I need to contact a special person for that? Question number 2, I noticed a strange burning smell coming from my vent while the heating unit was on about two weeks ago, and now it no longer comes on not even the air (and it’s been pretty chilly out, and with the summer coming, I would like to know if you think something burnt out in the unit?

Loren in WA
I have an exposed orange pipe that has come to the surface of my backyard after living here for 20 years. I know the home was built in 1974. Do you know what that pipe is and what should I do about it. The utility co. says they don’t have orange pipes.

Pam in MI
Do you have to re-seal the grout in a bathroom/shower? Or is it a one-time thing? I have noticed cracks in my shower grout. Help, please! Thank you so much and I love your show, down to earth and I feel like I can do it all now!
France in FL
I would like to know if there is a way to buy some kind of spray to get the effect of frosted flakes on shower glass doors?

Richard in Zambia
Can you add dye or color to window putty so that it does not have to be painted afterwards?

Patti in FL
Our coffee maker leaked at the bottom and coffee sat on our granite countertops all night. How can I remove coffee stains from Granite countertop?

Sherry in AR
Our son put a privacy fence in the back yard of this house we bought. And he had dogs that would dig. So he put the fence right on the ground with cement under it. When it rains especially heavily it just stands next to the fence with water standing 3 to 4 inches deep? How can I fix that problem? Thank-You so much!

Diane in FL
About 3/4 of the way down the driveway it is starting to crack on both sides. Not much but I really don’t want it to get much wider. I paid a lot of money for this and cannot afford to redo it. What can you suggest? It’s concrete.

Flo in CA
We are remodeling a bathroom. Should the walls be textured prior to putting in the tile? The tile is not going on the textured walls.

Gary in CA
I am remodeling my kitchen and would like to move the existing phone jack to a new location about eight feet away on the same wall. I could connect to the existing jack and run a new wire over, but I would really like the original jack to be gone and dry walled over. I know I could splice the wires, or maybe even better, use an inline coupler, but I know you should always make electrical connections accessible in case of a problem. I know phone lines are low voltage and not sure if the sale rules apply. Is that inline connector going to be trouble free for 100 years, or would splicing and/or using a coupler be punishable by death? I don’t like doing anything Mickey Mouse, and using a coupler behind a wall sounds like it might be close. I was thinking a couple enclosed in heat shrink tubing??? To run a new line from the outside phone box is out of the question due to the extreme distance. Speak to me oh spirit of A.G. Bell, guide me on my adventure. Thank you for any information you provide.

Shelly in AL
Our home doesn’t have a back door just a side door. I would love a back door so we could have a deck and use our backyard more. My question how hard is it to put a back door in?

Shellie in TN
I’m covering a counter top in mosaic tile on a mesh backing that’s in our boathouse. It’s under a roof, but rain sometimes blows onto it. Can I use SimpleMat or must I use thinset mortar? It’s about 9 square feet surrounding a stainless sink.

Margaret in TN
My 16-yr-old home has lots of faded green shutters. I had planned to paint them but, when taken down, they are clearly marked “DO NOT PAINT”. I know that technology re: paints has improved tremendously; however, I cannot afford to ruin them as I have searched extensively online and have been unable to find any the same size as are some of mine. HELP! Can they now be successfully painted?

Jeff in NC
I’m getting ready to purchase some Luxury Vinyl Tile by Armstrong and I’m asking your opinion on which type would be the best to get. I’m going to install it over roll vinyl in my kitchen and laundry room. The Armstrong Luxe plank is what I’m looking at. The Lynx or the Fastak product: which one will be the better of the two?

James in IN
I am trying to remember the product Danny mentioned regarding the sealing of the concrete basement flooring holes and moisture. It is a paintable product than turns a different color from what was applied.

Editorial Contributors
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Danny Lipford

Founder

Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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