Simple Solutions

Lawnmower Tool Caddy – When mowing the lawn, you often need small hand tools to tackle simple chores, such as trimming a branch or digging up a weed. Here’s how to keep the tools close at hand as you’re mowing. Take an empty half-gallon plastic milk bottle and use a utility knife to cut away a portion of the top, but leave the handle intact. Then, simply secure the bottle to the mower’s handle with a zip tie. Now you’ve got a convenient place to store small hands tools, such as pruning shears, weeder, or putty knife. It can also be used to gather any litter you may come across.

Makeshift Mop Bucket – Next time you need a large bucket for mopping the floors, convert your wet/dry vacuum. Simply lift off the motor housing from the top of the vacuum and then disconnect the vacuum hose. Now, fill the base of the vacuum with water and you’ve got a large, rolling mop bucket.

Hour 1

Mike in IN
I need to replace deck boards that are held down by deck screws. When attempting to remove the screws the heads of the screws break off. Is there a better way to remove these boards without the screws breaking off?

Sherry in SC
Can we use the cement board siding on the inside Sheet rock walls of our home to reduce noise from outside our home? Will the cement siding reduce sound in any way on the inside or outside of a residential home?

Eileen in NJ
My water heater is 10 years old this year and I’ve been noticing some red in my bathtub. It leaves a red ring and someone told me it might have been the ionizer bar in my water heater. Is there any way that I can find out if this is what’s happening? Do I need a new water heater?

Ray in IL
I have a grey sandstone fireplace that has become discolored. I’m wondering how to clean that.

Alberta in FL
We’re remodeling our bathroom and want to save money by doing the demolition work ourselves. Can you please tell us how to remove a cast iron tub without destroying the walls?

Juliet in Calgary, Alberta
I have a WeatherDek membrane on the floor of our rooftop deck. Can I apply paint as extra protection? If so, what kind of paint? I can’t seem to find the answer anywhere.

Hour 2

Karen in IN
We are remodeling our kitchen/family room combination and are wondering what type of flooring would work best. We have dogs, so it would need to be scratch resistant and waterproof.

Jerry in TX
We have a mildew smell coming from the bottom of our house. It’s about 2 foot off the ground and we’ve had leaks that we’ve fixed. We’ve scraped away all the mildew we could find and we tried putting lime on it but we’re still having a smell coming from underneath the house. Wondering if you can give me some kind of help…

Marianne in FL
I recently stripped the paint from our Fiberglass Front & Garage Door. I chose Minwax GEL stain to refinish them. Yes, I read the instructions and watched the video. After applying as directed I found it was not forgiving to work with -uneven and gave a BLOTCHY finish everywhere after drying. I don’t believe giving it another coat will help! What can I do? Looking forward to your expert opinion.

Abraham in MI
I live in Michigan where sinkholes are not common. This past Friday a large (2×3) section in my driveway fell in. There appears to be a void almost two feet deep that stretches several feet in different directions. The area beneath the void was soft enough so, that a four foot metal pole could easily probe the ground (which was moist) at the bottom of the void with ease for the full length of the pole (ran out of pole after that). A plumber took a look and was “stumped” – he could not locate any pipes or water source in the area of the void. I have someone willing to repave the area but I am worried that there is an underlying issue which is not resolved. Should I contact someone and if so who?

Hank in MD
We have an elevated wood deck and I’d like to create a dry storage area underneath it. Any suggestions on how to do this?

Vona in NE
We’re considering painting our aluminum siding, but first need to wash it thoroughly. Can you recommend a cleanser that I can run through my pressure washer? Also, rather than painting, could we simply restore the paint’s finish with a product like, Everbrite? Our siding was installed in the 1970’s and it looks a bit dull.

Editorial Contributors
avatar for Danny Lipford

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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