What is the postman’s creed? Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night…..well, we certainly had some activity going on during this week’s show that, hopefully, won’t bleed through!

Rain? It was a gully washer! Some rather ominous thunder boomed through the radio booth at one time, but I’m betting our fearless producer Dennis Gould was able to filter that out.

Rain

In addition, we’re having some major renovations going on at the worldwide Lipford studios that will give us an additional edit suite, much needed for the production company that produces our Emmy-nominated television show, plus produces some out-of-this-world videos for many of our wonderful clients. Here’s our electrician, Wayne, wiring up one of the new suites.

electrician

You know a show is going to be fun when you have a question about snakes and whether or not they are just passing through.

snake

Our pro during the first hour was our buddy Joe Truini. Joe is the segment host for Simple Solutions on the television show and he talked us through the importance of keeping your A/C condensation line free. Be sure to check out a plethora of Joe’s Simple Solutions here.

Danny & I shared a few of our favorite methods for killing a lawn in order to plant a completely different variety of grass. One of my favorite methods is a bit dangerous and needs to be carefully orchestrated and permitted by the local fire department, but it sure works when you can completely eradicate the existing grass with a controlled burn.

burning lawn

Hour two saw us move from snakes to honey bees. Our pro, Hilary Kearny, had some great advice about how to encourage honey bees to not make a return visit and set up shop inside the walls or attic or your home. Although, free honey sure sounds good to me! Check out Hilary’s website, girlnextdoorhoney.com.

beehive

And, here’s a full list of the questions we tackled on this week’s show:

Hour 1

Kim in TX
I have removed popcorn from 4 bedrooms and a hallway so far. They turned out great once patched and painted. I am now working on the family room which has paneling. Most of the popcorn came off as it should have except for about 4-6 inches around the perimeter of the room where the paneling is. All I have been able to do, after wetting down 3 times, is to knock the dimples off. I cannot get the texture off at all, evening using a metal blade. I fear I will end up having to sand it off with the room measuring about 20×25. It’s almost like glue got on the ceiling when the paneling was installed. Any suggestions?

Jo Ann in MS
In my 1960’s ranch home there are ceramic utility pieces; soap dish, toothbrush holder, and towel bar holders, I would like to remove and replace with standard tile. When I took a hammer to the soap dish, it came off in pieces and left the troweled tile cement. What is the best method for removing the cement so that I can put a regular tile in its place?

Keith in CO
I have a client and the color is coming off the composite deck and tracking in the house. Is there a sealer or stain for composite decking?

Joeda in OK
I was wondering if there is a waterproof paint that could be applied to the subfloor before installing parquet flooring to make the flooring more moisture resistant. I have pets that sometimes have accidents on the wood flooring.

Dan in GA
If I see a snake around my cabin, is it going to remain there or is it just passing through?

Sid in TX
I read an article by Joe Truini about a special pump designed to clean out an AC condensation line and was hoping you could help me with an especially stubborn clogged line of mine. I have applied pressure up to 80 psi on the inlet end of the line, but almost nothing comes out the other end and the line holds the pressure until I release it where I am applying it.
Kenneth in AL
How do I install paneling over a block wall in a basement?

Adam in SC
What is the best way to kill your existing lawn and replant with a different type grass?

Hour 2

Jim in MO
On one side of our house are 3 columns. They are just resting on a shelf of concrete each and this concrete is slightly larger than the column themselves and 2 of the columns swing back and forth freely as the concrete is sinking from rains, etc. We want to replace these columns with pressure treated posts but don’t know if they are holding up the porch roof.

Wanda in AL
I have 400 sq. ft. of tiled kitchen area that needs sealing. I know I need to use a sealant for masonry but I have no idea what brand/name or where to purchase such. This is a DIY project. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Miguel in TX
I’m replacing a 16 year old asphalt shingle roof on older home which also has a rolled roof on patio. Contractor has stated roll roof is to expensive now & should go with regular shingle on the really low slope patio. Could there be a reason that they used rolled roofing on patio 16 years ago?

Terry in MS
I am getting conflicting information on radiant barrier installation. Some sources say that in the deep south you can apply the material directly to a wall with no air gap in situations where there are no air flow considerations. Like a gable end. Or where fire blocking would stop any air flow from reaching my silver metal roofs’ ridge vent. One web site insists that the concept of radiant barrier does not work without an air gap even if the air has nowhere to go. They insist you must have half an inch to 3/4 of an inch air space, still air or flowing, makes no difference. What is the truth?

William in PA
Can stair treads be laid upside down? I was told that if a tread is going get wet and cup, you want to install them so the water won’t lay on it. You want to lay it so the water will run off. Any truth to that?

Mark in MO
I have several 4X4 fence posts that have aged and are beginning to warp our fence. Without removing all the fencing around it what’s the best way to fix the post?

Joan in MS
Bees have made a home inside eve of our house. We have stream of fresh honey dripping down our brick. This is not their first visit. Approximately 5 years back we contracted a bee keeper to remove the bee family. We were bee free for about 3 years, but our area experienced a level 4 tornado couple springs ago and after losing a many trees and homes all around the bees have moved back. We spent about two thousand dollars on removal and repair with their first visit. Any suggestions how we might send them on their way?

Jewel in IL
How do I remove the cloudy film from a front door that gets sun in the winter time? It was polyurethaned and looked great until the sun turned it cloudy. Is there something else I should use?

Willis in TN
We have a very dark den and wanting to paint the stain trim white and panel walls a light color. One painter has suggested spraying vs using the brush and roller. What do you recommend?

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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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