A great show this week with approximately 3.7 tons of information. We talked a little bit about the convenience of renting a dump cart if you’ve got a big remodeling project on the horizon. You can save a fair amount of money by doing some of the work yourself instead of hiring everything out. One of the big ticket items is demolition. Let’s face it, tearing things up can actually be fun! By renting a dump cart, you’ve got a great tool for loading up all the debris and carting it off. Plus, you can haul in new materials with one, too. Danny & I support our friends at Compact Power Equipment Rental. You can find them in over 1000 Home Depot stores across the U.S. and Canada.

It was a great pleasure to welcome a new Pro to the show. Steve Goodale is a swimming pool expert and talked about the benefits as well as drawbacks of using a solar powered pool heater. Be sure and visit Steve’s site at swimmingpoolsteve.com to learn more.

And here are even more questions we tackled on this week’s show:

Romey in NC
I had a new heat pump installed about 4 years ago. There seems to be plenty of air flow at the air filter grate. And the unit seems to heat and cool ok. The problem is that the filter never seems to get really dirty no matter how long I wait between filter changes. Should I be concerned?

Jared in MO
My wife Stephanie and I just purchased and moved into a new home in Joplin, Missouri, and we are beginning to work through some of the standard “move-in cleanup” tasks.

We knew when we bought the home that the previous owners had previously had an above-ground pool in the backyard. Where the pool had been, there’s only spotty grass–and I really discovered why when I mowed the yard for the first time. Where the pool had been, there’s a giant (15′ x 15′) square of sand that used to be the foundation for the pool.

We would really prefer to clean that area up and grow a quality lawn. It’s a heavily shaded backyard. As a first step, what’s the most efficient way for us to remove all of that sand that’s covering the topsoil? I’m hoping you can offer a more clever solution than just using a shovel and wheelbarrow!

Chris in MO
The back wall of our house has bowed 3 inches. Can we stabilize it rather than pull it back into place? There is a floor that has buckled in the kitchen on first floor.

Doris in TX
How can we fix no water pressure in the master shower? The separate bathtub and sinks have pressure. The other bathroom has great pressure. We changed the shower head and there was no change. We have hard water here. But no problems anywhere else in the house. Our hot water heater was changed out 5 years ago, could that have anything to do with it. It has not always been like this.

Mike in OR
Hi Danny–I was sold lumber for an 800 sq ft deck and it immediately started warping and shrinking even though we stained it immediately after installation. We found out that the lumber was hemlock and was conveniently named choice decking. Deck is less then five years old and has been stained four times. What do you recommend?

Tina NC
I need how to prep the surface of my porch (wooden) steps, prior to painting them so that the paint will be long-lasting. Do you have a resource about this topic? My wooden stairs are treated wood, but have some mold on them.

Chris – AL
I’d like to extend pool season into the fall. Do the solar pool heaters that you mount on your roof really work? Are they the most cost-effective way to heat your pool?

Patrick in IA
I live in a berm home 2/3rd is underground it is mainly concrete block. Our patio Driveway are cracking and it appears you can see under the concrete. Do we have to be concerned this will happen to our home as well?

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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