SHOW NOTES:

On today’s show, get festive with front door decorating tips that make a great first impression, learn how to properly clean and disinfect your home to keep germs at bay, and discover an innovative way to stop a running toilet from wasting water. Don’t miss these and other quick and impactful home improvement ideas as we answer questions from DIY callers!

- Holiday Décor: Welcome guests to your home with door décor to sleigh the holiday season.

- Cleaning: Wipe out germs with these cleaning tips for sanitary surfaces.

- Running Toilet: This innovative toilet flapper flushes away water waste from a leaky toilet.

Q & A:

- Wallpaper Removal: Thomas needs advice for removing wallpaper. It’s a lot of work, but we’ve got tips for using a paper tiger tool, wallpaper paste remover, or a wallpaper steamer.

- Caulk: Can caulk be applied in colder temperatures? Silicone caulk could work with no expansion issues, but it may not flow as freely and will be harder to level out.

- Painting Paneling: Dena wants to cover dark wood paneling in every room. We recommend cleaning, lightly sanding, and priming the surface before painting over it.

- Faucets: Is it a good idea to open faucet valves all the way before reducing the flow? Rich learns it’s not necessary with new ceramic faucet valves that won’t wear out.

- Insulation: It’s always colder or hotter upstairs in Linda’s home. We suggest adding blown-in insulation, ensuring baffles are in place, and covering the whole house fan in winter to prevent heat loss.

- Shower Odor: A sour smell is coming from the shower drain. Heidi should scrub it with Borox or oxygenated bleach and install a timer or humidistat on the bathroom vent fan.

- Old Windows: Don gets advice for using a heat gun or steamer to carefully warm and remove old putty from a historic poured glass window that needs to be reglazed.

- Wood Siding: Can Sherry install redwood siding over the flat plywood siding? It’s easy to do by applying tar paper first and attaching the new siding right over it.

- Concrete Countertop: Lane is thinking of creating an affordable concrete countertop. It’s a lot of work, but good prep and a strong building form are key.

- Bathroom Floor: Mark wants to run heated bathroom flooring off a gas water heater, but it’s not cost-effective due to the piping needed and the boiler not heating well enough.

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.

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