Here are some of the highlights from the October 24, 2015, Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford radio show.
Guests on This Week’s Show
Danny welcomes Today’s Homeowner Radio producer Amy K back to the broadcast booth to fill in for co-host Allen Lyle, who is out of town this week.
Weekly Topic
We shared tips on how to make your home safe for Halloween:
- Repair any loose or rickety railings.
- Remove tripping hazards from walkways and lawn.
- Clean front porch steps to avoid slipping.
- Turn sprinkler system off to allow the lawn to dry.
- Keep your pets locked up.
- Make sure scary tricks are safe.
- Use battery powered lights rather than candles in pumpkins.
- Turn on your security system when you’re away from home.
Check out Halloween Home Decorating Tips to find out more!
Great Giveaways of the Week
- GutterBrush gutter guard
- Duck Brand home weatherization products
- Broan Sensonic™ vent fan with built-in wireless speakers
Go to our Giveaways page to find out how to enter these giveaways and our other contests and giveaways.
Questions Answered on This Week’s Show
Hour 1
Bev in Connecticut – Sloped Gate
We have installed a chain link fence and the 6-foot gate is on a slope. What can I do to close that gap on the low side so my little dogs don’t get out but we can still drive the 4-wheeler and lawn mower out?
Karen in Tennessee – Recurring Wall Crack
The crack in the wall of a doorway won’t stay fixed, so I’m wondering why, and could the house be settling or is the way it has been fixed not correct? If it is the house settling, what do I do about that? Thank you for any help.
Marie in Florida – Leak in Wall
The shower is leaking through the wall, mold is growing on the base trim near the vanity. The plumber said it’s a contractor issue, the contractor said it’s a plumber issue. I am wondering if the leak is coming from the gutter, because there are water stains on the wall near the gutter and the column is rotting. Five years ago a contractor told us that there was a construction flaw with the house and the builder needed to fix it. However they gave us the runaround, and I don’t know what to do?
Gun in Alabama – Mold Problem
My girlfriend’s house has quite a bit of mold. How do I find out what’s causing it, and what’s the best way to get rid of it?
Bev in Massachusetts – Shower Leak Damage
In the spring I will be putting my house on the market. Years back we had a serious water leak with a shower on the first floor. The damage from this is showing in the basement on the subflooring. How can this be fixed or covered up? It really looks pretty bad.
Tammy in Arkansas – Brick Crack
I have a crack running through my mortar and brick. The crack runs from above our basement door to a window above, and it’s bigger closer to the window. Can we fix this with concrete or caulking?
Hour 2
Bob in Massachusetts – Shower Niche
Have a question regarding cutting in a small niche against an exterior wall as part of a bathroom remodel. I’d like to put the niche in a newly remodeled shower area, but the only practical location is on the back wall which is the exterior wall. I know that this is not optimal but I am trying to see if it is truly show stopper or not. My understanding is the niche is about a 3½” depth inside a 5″ wall. Its size would be about 14″ x 24″. I’m worried about cold coming in during the winter by cutting into the wall. What is the best insulation to increase the R-factor to compensate for thinning out the distance between the inside tile in the shower and the outside wall, which will only be a few inches. Or am I just asking for trouble?
Gary in Missouri – Garage Door Crack
I have a garage floor that has sunk over the years, and the garage door will not close down all the way. Do they make a metal channel that goes on the bottom of the door to extend it down to match the concrete slab slope?
Ruby Nebraska – Garage Heater
We have an oblong heater in our two car garage. It’s close to the eave and taking off the paint. What’s the solution?
Jo in Maryland – Load-Bearing Wall
How do I determine if a wall is load-bearing? I have a wall that divides the kitchen from the living room. I want to remove it and open up the area.
Linda in Connecticut – Driveway Repair
What is the best way to repair a driveway without the expense of actually putting in a new one? I have a large pavement driveway, it’s very old and in not good condition. I can’t afford to have it replaced, which it really needs, so I was wondering how I can repair it without the high cost of replacement? it has a lot of cracks, large and small, and dips; and, well, it’s a bit of a mess. I also have a larger area that I used pavement patch on a few years ago, and it lasted awhile but is in need of a redo. Any suggestions?
Rob in Illinois – Hot Tub Humidity
I have a 12 x 12 room with a hot tub. Is venting the room sufficient to avoid mold/mildew? Should I also run a de-humidifier?
Sandy in Pennsylvania – Insulating Gambrel Roof
Our house is a new construction with a gambrel roof with metal roofing. It doesn’t have any insulation yet. We’ve been advised to do 2” blown-in closed cell insulation with R-13 laid on top. Is this a good idea? What’s the best way to insulate a gambrel roof? I was also reading about mineral wool insulation. Would that be a good choice?
