How-to tips on pre-season heating checks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SHOW NOTES: Hey, everyone! With the seasonal craziness upon us, it feels like we're cramming more stuff into the same schedule. Join us this week as we share how to get your house in order, keep it in tip-top shape through the winter, and prepare for spring with these time-saving tips: - Caulking for Winter Protection: We share why checking and sealing your exterior caulking now is crucial to prevent energy leaks, energy loss, and sky-high heating bills this winter. - Transforming Your Garage into a Workshop: Learn how to convert that chilly, cluttered garage into a warm, usable workspace by winterizing appropriately and making specific upgrades. - Understanding the Housing Market Crunch: We dig into the current real estate affordability crisis and discuss the “golden handcuffs effect.” While high rates and surging prices make affordability a challenge, buyers are gaining slightly more negotiating power. - Preparing Your Appliances and Fireplace for the Holidays: Before Thanksgiving, we give tips on how to give your dishwasher a deep clean. For your fireplace, ensure your chimney has been professionally inspected and swept, and check for debris like nests before starting it up for the season.   Q & A: - Scott in Florida wants to swap the location of the shower and toilet in his first-floor master bathroom, but we advise against it since moving plumbing drains in a concrete slab requires massive construction. The better solution is to make the existing shower smaller and convert that wasted space into a storage closet. - Amy in South Dakota observed grayish discoloration on the wood parts of her windows and on the metal frames. We recommend sanding the oxidized gray wood and refinishing it with an exterior-grade, oil-based urethane. - George in Connecticut was planning to install natural wood flooring over the carpet in his family room, above a dry basement. He was advised to choose prefinished hardwood for its durability and easier installation. - Belinda is adding GFCI outlets to her older home and asked if they require their own circuit breaker. We confirm they do not, and an electrician can splice the GFCI into existing wiring to protect that outlet and others downstream if needed. - Dennis in Michigan was trying to remove powdered roofing cement that had gotten wet, cured, and hardened onto his stained concrete garage floor. He should first scrape off as much cured material as possible and then use a solvent like mineral spirits or acetone, working it in with a wire brush to break down the remaining material. - Dave in Houston, Texas, sought advice on whether to glue down or float the engineered wood flooring he is installing in his second-floor bedrooms. We prefer floating floors because they are easier to install, lock together, and allow for expansion and contraction.   ASK A QUESTION: Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How-to tips on picking trendy roof colors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SHOW NOTES: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit! As we enter this wonderful, thankful time of year, we are focused on making sure your home is prepped to look nice and stay safe before the holiday guests and cooking sprees begin. Listen in for this week’s home improvement topics and calls, including: - Refreshing Your Home's Exterior: Fall provides crisp, dry weather that is perfect for refreshing your exterior paint. We’ll give you some tips on how to boost curb appeal and better protect your home. - Preventing Holiday Plumbing Disasters: Before guests arrive, take steps to avoid kitchen clogs and toilet backups, such as avoiding putting grease, potato peels, or bones down the garbage disposal. - Essential Fire Safety for the Season: Holiday lights and decorations can increase fire risks, so use surge protectors and avoid daisy-chaining extension cords, which can overload wires. Also, always remember that unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires. - Quick Clean-Up Preparation: Since spills are inevitable during big meals, prep a quick grab-and-go stain-fighting kit with essentials like paper towels, a carpet-safe stain remover, white vinegar, and a scrub brush.   Q & A: - Cameron has a 100-year-old home with counterweighted windows, and he needs to restring the weights. To fix this, he needs to carefully remove the interior trim/casing to gain access to the cavity behind the sash, making sure to use a utility knife to cut the paint seam first to avoid damage while repairing the window. - Nicole is dealing with loud banging pipes in the basement every time water is run. The noise is either "water hammer" from loose pipes shaking against the wood framing, or the well pump turning on and off too frequently. - Linda wants to build a single concrete structure that can serve as a patio in the summer and a covered carport for her collectible car in the winter. To get a solid, permanent base, we recommend consulting with a professional. - Bill installed a new LED light fixture and noticed there is a 1.5 to 2-second delay before the light actually comes on when flipped. This behavior is actually normal due to the complex internal circuitry required to bring the light up and maintain the correct level. - Gail emailed to say she recently moved and asked how to stop the stains left by falling acorns on her concrete driveway. The recommended solution is to stay on top of maintenance by scrubbing the stains with a strong solution of oxygenated bleach.   ASK A QUESTION: Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn how to build the perfect fire with tips and advice on what kind of wood to burn and how to get the fire started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

SHOW NOTES: Welcome back to The Money Pit! As the days grow shorter and we settle into the realities of daylight savings time, it's the perfect time to tackle those crucial home improvement projects and winter preparations. We’re here every week with home improvement how-tos, hacks, tips, tricks, and advice to help you fix up your home sweet home! Today’s featured home improvement topics and calls include: - Home Improvement ROI: We break down the top five home improvement projects that will deliver the biggest bang for your buck. - Hiring Contractors: We share our insider checklist for hiring the right contractor, emphasizing the critical steps you need to avoid getting scammed this holiday season. - Outdoor Chore List: We detail the essential last outdoor chores you need to complete before winter settles in. - Refreshing a Backyard Garden Bed: For those with an unused space, we discuss how to rejuvenate a tired backyard garden bed in the fall.   Q & A: - Tracy in Florida was considering installing high-density styrofoam crown molding instead of traditional wood because she isn't handy. Foam trim is an excellent DIY choice, as it is easy to cut and install and once painted, it is indistinguishable from wood. - John in Arkansas has a height difference where a new addition meets his house's slab foundation, complicating the connection of LVP flooring, especially near an exterior door. We think John should install a transition strip (saddle) to safely navigate this height difference. - Dewey owns a three-unit building where a basement unit has a bad odor coming from the drywall due to a previous sewage flood. To address this, he needs to hire a remediation company to tear out the impacted drywall and wiring. - Gail in Virginia has an oil boiler that is delivering water that is too hot, and she cannot turn the boiler temperature down without impacting the heating performance. She needs to have a technician locate and correctly set the mixing valve built into her tankless coil system to automatically add the proper amount of cold water.   ASK A QUESTION: Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices