Here are some of the highlights from the September 5, 2015, Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford radio show.

Sunny – AL
Hi Kids! It’s me, the Block House. The distance berween the wall board and the block is very short. The plastic “picture anchors” just don’t work. What type and how long of a of bolt, nail, screw do I use to secure heavy mirror or pictures to the wall. I hope you all are well, had back surgery since I last bugged ya’ll. Take care.

Pat – MD
A company wants to charge me several hundred dollars to remove mold from my home with u/v light and I think it’s a scam. Can you tell me if u/v light really kills mold?

Tony – OR
I need help with my flooring project. I am installing a floating floor by Allure from Home Depot. It is a lock- in style. Referring to the attached pictures, I am removing tile from the entryway exposing what looks like a concrete type backer board subfloor. I am laying the Allure product where the tile is and carrying it all the way through, into the kitchen over vinyl. Questions:

1. Do I need to lay anything down on top of the backer board before I lay the floating floor down?

2. There is a 3/16″ elevation difference between where the laminate is in the kitchen and the backer board sub floor. How do I deal with that so I can have 1 continuous flow over that transition?

Shannon – OH
We have an ongoing problem that we don’t seem to be able to find a solution for. Our dog routinely scratches at the back door (the side where the door meets the frame) when he wants to be let in. Over the years, he has torn up umpteen door insulation strips and scratched deep grooves into the door frame. While we could put a storm door on the entryway, I’m not convinced that he won’t just scratch that up as well. So it’s a multi-prong problem:

1. How do we repair the door frame where the deep grooves are?

2. Is there insulation stripping that is stronger than others that could withstand the scratching?

and if not,

3. Any ideas on an alternative solution? He’s an older dog so I don’t foresee being able to train him not to scratch. Do we just put in a dog door? Help!

Beth – MI
We have had trouble with excess moisture in our basement, used Concrobium to take care of some mold issues (works great), and finally noticed a “dip” in the dirt around the foundation and filled it in. So my question is, knowing that water has been coming in through the block walls, will there be standing water inside the cement blocks? Will that standing water have/cause mold growth inside the blocks? If so, how can I fix this issue and of course dry out the wall? If not, how can I make sure that the problem has been corrected by replacing the soil.

Mary – AR
I live in Arkansas and am leaving for Florida soon for the winter. I keep hearing that this winter is going to be really bad. Can I still leave my thermostat at 50 or do I need to do anything special to winterize while I’m gone?

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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