As we speak’s House owner Radio Present Podcast | January 14, 2023
8 min read
Hour 1
Hear how a lot cash it can save you by putting in luxurious vinyl tile your self, what to do about thermal enlargement gaps in crown molding and extra.
Save Huge by Putting in LVT Your self
Luxurious vinyl tile is a good choice for owners in search of a sturdy, waterproof, and easy-to-clean flooring choice.
Additionally, it’s one of the reasonably priced flooring choices, making it an excellent alternative for budget-conscious owners. Joe researched the prices and right here’s what he discovered:
Most individuals pay on common $1,400 to have 200 sq. toes of vinyl plank flooring put in. Nonetheless, you should buy luxurious vinyl for $2.50-$4 per sq. foot at The Residence Depot.
So, should you set up it your self, it might solely price you between $500-800. That’s a saving, on common, of $600-900 over a professionally put in job!
You don’t want any particular instruments to put in luxurious vinyl tile. A field cutter is all it takes to chop the tiles.
The primary mistake individuals make when putting in is slicing it tight towards a wall. All floating flooring require an enlargement area — you’ll want anyplace from 1 / 4 inch to half an inch.
Run the luxurious vinyl tile as much as the baseboard and canopy the hole with shoe molding. Simply make sure you safe the shoe molding to the baseboard.
Comply with the instructions precisely concerning any underlayment. Relying on the sort you purchase, the underlayment might already be connected.
Watch: The right way to Simply Set up Luxurious Vinyl Tile
What to Do About Gaps in Crown Molding
That is the primary winter that Chris has spent in his new Alabama dwelling, and he’s seeing the results of thermal enlargement.
Over the previous months, he says vital gaps have proven up within the crown molding all through the home.
“Ought to I ask my builder to right the difficulty? If the gaps are crammed, will it trigger the molding to buckle when it will get hotter?” he asks.
It’s superb how a lot supplies in a house increase and contract, and doubtless nowhere is it extra evident than if you’re taking a look at crown molding.
The excellent news is these gaps will often shut on their very own as soon as hotter climate comes again round.
Nonetheless, you probably have some gaps which might be very pronounced, right here’s what you are able to do:
- Nail it in place: Use a nail gun to safe the crown molding to the wall.
- Fill it with caulk: As an alternative of utilizing conventional caulk, rigorously apply an acrylic latex caulk. The trick is to barely feed it into the cracked space, in order that when it does shut again, it stays versatile. The hole will nonetheless seem but it surely gained’t be as deep or as noticeable.
Hour 2
Hearken to study the simple approach to take away acorns out of your yard, why a glass cooktop can shatter, what that you must do to cowl terracotta tile and extra.
Eliminating an Acorn Overload
That is nuts! A home-owner says he has greater than 250,000 acorns in his entrance yard.
“Moreover raking, which I hate, how can I choose up the acorns? My self-propelled lawnmower doesn’t have the facility to select them up. Is there a chunk of kit appropriate for the job?” he asks.
Right here’s what you need to use to take away acorns from a yard:
- Leaf blower: A leaf blower can blow the acorns right into a pile, making them simpler to gather. Bonus tip: Use a tarp to comprise the acorns whereas blowing them, making cleanup even simpler!
- Garden vacuum: A garden vacuum can suck up acorns and take away them from the yard. These could be dear, so see should you can lease one, or rent a landscaper who owns one to make use of in your yard.
To eradicate this downside sooner or later, forestall the acorns from falling within the first place. If potential, take away the tree or prune it in order that it doesn’t produce as many acorns.
Some chemical remedies can forestall acorn manufacturing, however solely knowledgeable arborist ought to apply them.
Take into accout — eradicating acorns could be time-consuming and also you would possibly have to repeat it as new acorns fall.
At all times put on security gear to guard your self from falling acorns and pay attention to bugs or critters within the acorns or hiding within the tree.
‘Why Did My Glass Cooktop Shatter?’
A home-owner says the tempered glass on his gasoline cooktop all of a sudden shattered the opposite day, although the equipment wasn’t on and he didn’t drop something onto it.
“What would trigger that to occur?” he asks.
Tempered glass is designed to be sturdy and sturdy, however it might shatter unexpectedly for a number of causes.
A number of the most typical causes of tempered glass shattering embody:
- Improper set up: If the cooktop isn’t put in appropriately, it might put stress on the glass and trigger it to shatter. As an example, if the countertop is overlapping the cooktop, it might put some stress on the highest, finally inflicting it to shatter.
- Thermal stress: If the cooktop or the glass is uncovered to speedy adjustments in temperature, corresponding to from a scorching pot being positioned on a chilly cooktop or vice versa, it might trigger thermal stress and trigger the glass to shatter.
- Manufacturing defects: Generally, tempered glass can have manufacturing defects that make it extra liable to shattering. If that is so, report it to the producer.
You’ll be able to name knowledgeable to interchange the glass cooktop, but it surely could be costly. Think about changing the equipment with a range that doesn’t have a glass cooktop.
To stop a glass cooktop from shattering, observe the following pointers:
- Don’t place a scorching pot on a chilly cooktop or flip the cooktop on excessive and instantly place a chilly pot on it. This could trigger thermal stress and may trigger the glass to shatter.
- Use cookware with flat bottoms to distribute warmth evenly and forestall warping or bending.
- Don’t slide cookware throughout the cooktop, as it might scratch or chip the glass.
- Don’t place heavy objects, corresponding to forged iron pans or strain cookers, on the cooktop as they’ll trigger affect harm.
- Clear the cooktop repeatedly with a light detergent and a non-abrasive sponge or material to take away any grime, grime or stains.
- Use a stovetop cowl to guard the cooktop from scratches or stains when not in use.
- Don’t overheat the cooktop, as it might trigger the glass to overheat and shatter.
- At all times observe the producer’s directions for the care and use of your cooktop.
Protecting Terracotta Tile
A home-owner has terracotta tiles all through her second-floor California apartment.
“The floor is just too exhausting, very uncomfortable!” she says. “Can we’ve got extra comfy flooring put in on high? It looks like removing will probably be very costly, disruptive and noisy.”
As a result of conventional terracotta flooring has such an irregular floor, you’ll wish to apply a self-leveling underlayment to create a clean, even floor for putting in one other sort of flooring over it.
You would possibly run into the issue of elevating the ground top an excessive amount of to the place it might block home equipment from opening or make them not degree along with your cupboards and counters. Verify the peak of the brand new flooring to verify this gained’t occur after you’ve put in it.
There are a number of choices for overlaying terracotta tiles, together with:
- Vinyl flooring: Vinyl flooring could be put in over the present tiles and is sturdy and straightforward to wash.
- Engineered hardwood flooring: Engineered hardwood flooring could be put in over the present tiles and supply a heat and pure look.
- Laminate flooring: Laminate flooring may also be put in over the present tiles and is on the market in lots of types and colours.
- Floating ground: A floating ground is a sort of flooring that isn’t connected to the subfloor, this kind of flooring could be put in over the terracotta tiles and could be made of various supplies like laminate, engineered hardwood, or cork.
Seek the advice of with knowledgeable flooring specialist to find out the best choice to your particular scenario.
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Easy Options
Pool-Toy Plumbing Device — Earlier than repairing most plumbing clogs, you could first take away any standing water. Now, you could possibly use a sponge or moist/dry vac, however right here’s an alternative choice: take a child’s water-squirting toy, generally known as a water blaster, and use it like a siphon pump. Merely place the nozzle of the toy into the water and draw again on the deal with to suck up the water. Then you possibly can squirt it right into a bucket, bathroom or tub. That is nice for sink clogs, bathroom clogs, or you probably have a malfunctioning washer that has water standing within the tub.
Watch: The right way to Take away Standing Water From a Clogged Sink
Paint Display screen Saver — When utilizing paint from a beforehand opened can, it’s greatest to cross the paint by a filter to display out dried paint chips and different small bits of particles. You should buy disposable paint filters, however they’re flimsy, not reusable and the paint flows by a lot too slowly. As an alternative, use a chunk of vinyl insect screening. Lower the display about 12 or 14in. sq., safe it to a brand new, clear paint can with three small spring clamps, after which pour the previous paint by the display. When executed, rinse out the display with a backyard hose and reserve it for the following paint job.
Watch: The right way to Filter Paint Utilizing a Window Display screen
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