This Old House On The Money Pit

SHOW NOTES: Welcome back to The Money Pit! It's mid-September, and with so much happening, it's easy to get sidetracked from your home projects. But don't worry, we're here to help you keep things working and organized. We've got a great show lined up for you today, with topics that include: - Extending Outdoor Fun with Patio Heaters: Just because it's fall doesn't mean your outdoor enjoyment has to stop! We'll explore how patio heaters can keep you entertaining, dining, and relaxing outside even as temperatures drop. - Decoding Spooky Home Sounds: With Halloween just around the corner, you might be hearing some mysterious bangs, pops, scratches, or whistles around the house. We'll decode these top mystery noises of the season, explain what they really mean, and show you how to fix them before they give you the creeps! - Saving Money on Your Water Heater: Your water heater might be silently draining your wallet. We'll share smart ways to cut energy costs, reduce water waste, and keep your hot water flowin

SHOW NOTES: Welcome back to The Money Pit, where this week’s topics include the housing market forecast for buyers and sellers, bright ideas for outdoor lighting upgrades, and the revival of wallpaper to style your home. Plus, we’ve got expert answers for all your home improvement questions. - 2026 Housing Market Forecast: We'll break down the latest projections on easing mortgage rates, slowing home price growth, and what this means for home buyers, sellers, and those planning to stay put. - Weekend Outdoor Lighting Upgrades: Discover smart, stylish, and affordable lighting solutions, from solar path lights to dramatic uplighting, that you can tackle in a single weekend to boost curb appeal and home safety after dark. - Wallpaper's Grand Comeback: Think again if you believe wallpaper is old-school! We're exploring fall's biggest interior design trends, including bold colors, cozy patterns, and easy peel-and-stick styles, to help you fall in love with wallpaper all over again.   Q & A: - Ryan from Cali

SHOW NOTES: Welcome to The Money Pit and another episode of home improvement tips, with everything from wood care to landscape borders to fall planting in your garden. Plus, we’ve got expert advice for DIYers who reach out with their calls and emails. - Seasonal Wood Care: We'll walk you through simple steps to inspect, clean, and seal your deck, outdoor stairs, and wood trim, preparing them for the harsh fall and winter weather to ensure their longevity. - DIY Concrete Landscape Borders: Discover how to create stylish and functional decorative borders for your flower beds, driveways, and walkways using Quikrete products, adding instant curb appeal to your yard. - Fall Planting for a Spring Garden: Learn the secrets to a vibrant spring garden by planting now, including choosing bulbs like tulips and daffodils, and how to best prepare your garden beds for success.   Q & A: - Russ from West Virginia called about flickering dining room lights when his electric water heater activates. We explained that th

SHOW NOTES: Welcome to another great show here on The Money Pit, where we’re always here to remind you that you can do it yourself, but you don't have to do it alone! If you’re a DIYer, join us for this week’s top home improvement tips, including: - Home Improvement ROI: We unveil the top five home improvement projects that deliver the best return on your investment, perfect for boosting equity and impressing buyers. Learn why fall is a great time to start these projects due to cooler weather and more flexible contractor schedules. - DIY Pavestone Fire Pit: Get a step-by-step guide to building a modern square fire pit using Ladera Wall Block from Pavestone. This DIY-friendly project requires no cutting or special caps, making it a perfect weekend upgrade to transform your outdoor space with a rock-solid, heat-safe feature. - Color Trends for 2026: We explore the latest trends in color strategy for 2026, focusing on warm, earthy color palettes like terracotta, ochre, and olive, as well as soft textural neu

SHOW NOTES: Welcome back to The Money Pit, your go-to for home improvement how-tos, hacks, tips, tricks, and advice! We've covered a ton of ground this hour, making good homes better with cleaning, decluttering, and restoration advice. On today’s show, you’ll hear: - Kitchen Cabinet Intervention: We share smart tips to declutter, deep clean, and reorganize your kitchen storage, turning that "black hole of mismatched Tupperware" into an efficient and enjoyable space. - Roof Restoration with Roof Maxx: That gritty, sand-like debris in your gutters is a distress signal from your roof, indicating aging asphalt shingles shedding granules. A Roof Maxx treatment can restore flexibility, protect against leaks, and add up to 15 years of life to your existing roof! - Entryway Command Center: Combat back-to-school chaos with clever ideas for creating a smart and stylish command center right by your door, perfect for organizing gear, taming paper piles, and setting your family up for a stress-free fall. - Screen Mai

SHOW NOTES: Welcome back to The Money Pit, your ultimate guide to turning your house into a home! We've been busy laboring away so you can have the home of your dreams, answering your how-to questions and diving into smart seasonal transitions to get yourself ready for fall. Here are some of the main points and caller questions covered this hour: - Furnaces and Fireplaces: It's crucial to prepare your home for cooler temperatures, which includes maintaining your furnace and fireplace by changing filters, scheduling professional tune-ups, and ensuring fireplace safety and carbon monoxide detectors are operational. - Floor Surface Protection: It’s important to deep clean and protect wood, tile, and stone floors before they face the wear and tear of muddy boots and wet paws. Get tips for sealing stone, silencing squeaks, and tackling loose tiles. - HVAC Filters: A small but impactful task is changing your HVAC air filter every 30 to 90 days (or more often with pets/allergies) to improve indoor air quality,

SHOW NOTES: Hello there, Money Pit fans, and welcome back to the show where we help you make your good homes even better! Whether it's inside or outside, from your floorboards to your shingles, we are on your side! So give us a call at 888-Money-Pit to be part of the show. This hour, we cover a wide array of topics to help you protect your home, boost curb appeal, and even save you money. - Fall Cleanup Checklist: Check off your “to-do” list with essential fall cleanup tasks to get your home ready before the cold weather sets in, from gutters and gardens to garages and gear. - DIY Fire Pit: Turn up the heat in your backyard by easily building a beautiful and durable fire pit in minutes using Pavestone products. - Shower Mold: If you’re dealing with a "fuzzy" shower, we’ll walk you through the steps to safely remove old moldy caulk, prep the area, and reapply a fresh bead that will resist mold and mildew for years.   Q & A: - Michelle in Minnesota has moisture coming up through her laminate bathroom

SHOW NOTES: Welcome back to The Money Pit, your ultimate guide to making good homes better! We’re covering a lot of ground today, so here's a quick rundown of what we're talking about and the incredible callers we're helping with expert home improvement advice:  - Bathroom Design Ideas: We offer a range of modern design ideas for bathrooms, from cozy powder rooms to luxurious spa spaces, drawing inspiration from Wallpaper Magazine to elevate your space and style. - Patio Furniture Care: Get valuable tips for cleaning and storing patio furniture made from various materials, including wicker, metal, wood, and cushions, to ensure they stay in great shape for seasons to come. - Concrete Post Footings: We discuss the value of Quikrete’s fast-setting concrete as an easy way to set posts for fences, mailboxes, or basketball hoops, producing strong, stable results in under an hour without mixing or mess! - Kids’ Room Décor: Learn about the art of redecorating kids' rooms, including the importance of budget plann

SHOW NOTES: Alright, home improvement enthusiasts, welcome back to the Money Pit! We're here to lend a hand with all your indoor and outdoor projects, because remember: Inside, outside, we're on your side! Here are some of the key themes we'll be talking about today, plus solutions we offer for callers’ questions: - Cleaning Gutters: Before autumn leaves begin to fall, we're going to share simple steps and smart tools to help you clean and maintain your gutters the safe and easy way, because clogged gutters can lead to major water damage. - Roof Care: We'll tell you how you can catch roof problems early with a free professional inspection from Roof Maxx, the company that restores aging roofs and saves homeowners up to 80% over replacement. - Reducing Clutter: We'll also offer tips on getting organized at home for the fall season, helping you reclaim cluttered spaces like entryways and mudrooms before the school and holiday craziness takes over. - Deep Cleaning Tips: And finally, we’ll discuss fall deep c

SHOW NOTES: In today’s Money Pit show, we discuss selling in a shifting real estate market, installing solar panels on metal roofs, and reorganizing your garage space. Plus, we’ll answer a range of home improvement questions from callers to help solve their DIY dilemmas! - Navigating the Shifting Real Estate Market: Home sales this spring hit their lowest pace since 2012! This means that for sellers, prepping, staging, and timing your home's sale are more critical than ever, as price alone isn't enough to close a deal. - The Power of Metal Roofs for Solar: If you're considering going solar, your roof is just as important as the panels. Metal roofs are the ultimate foundation for solar installations, offering long-term savings, energy efficiency, and unbeatable durability. - Garage Organization and Maintenance: As summer wraps up, it's the perfect time for a garage reset. We recommend clearing everything out, cleaning the space thoroughly, and then organizing by season, using labeled bins and storage syst

SHOW NOTES: In today’s Money Pit show, whether you’re winterizing plumbing, upgrading a patio, or stocking your first apartment toolbox, we’ve got the seasonal checklist and savvy tips to keep your home running smoothly from fall onward. Check out these topics, plus home improvement questions from our DIY callers: - Home Checklist for Fall: Prepare for cooler temperatures with our ultimate fall home prep checklist, covering essential tasks like sealing drafts, servicing your furnace, and prepping your lawn. - Setting Up Your First Home or Apartment: For students heading off to dorms or first apartments, we provide an essential tool checklist and pro tips for setting up and maintaining a new space. - Leak-Proof Plumbing for Cold Weather: Get crucial steps to leak-proof your home's plumbing before cold weather hits, including disconnecting and draining outdoor hose bibs, insulating exposed pipes in crawl spaces, and inspecting your water heater. - Outdoor Space Upgrades: We also discuss enhancing your outd

SHOW NOTES: Welcome back, home improvement enthusiasts, to The Money Pit! We’re here to guide you through another hour of tackling those household challenges and making your home sweet home even better. Here's what we'll be diving into this hour: - Top Late Summer Home Improvement Projects: Although summer is winding down, there's still time to tackle key projects, such as painting, sealing driveways, and late-season landscaping, to get your home ready to shine through the fall and beyond. - Revitalizing Your Lawn After Summer Stress: We'll be joined by Dr. Matthew Koch, R&D Research Fellow for Lawns at Scott's Miracle-Gro, who will share smart, easy-to-follow tips to help your lawn bounce back from the heat, heavy foot traffic, and backyard fun. - Restoring Your Roof with Roof Maxx: Learn how a simple treatment from Roof Maxx can restore your shingles, extend your roof's life by up to 15 years, and potentially save you up to 80% compared to a full roof replacement. - Smart Home Safety for Kids: We'll sh

SHOW NOTES: Welcome back, Money Pit listeners! This hour, we cover everything from porches and patios to landscaping, hardscaping, fences, and fire pits. And of course, we're taking your calls and tackling your home improvement dilemmas. Here's a look at some of the questions we'll be answering and the solutions we'll provide: - Getting Your Home Fall Ready: As fall approaches, it's the perfect time to give your home a thorough energy checkup. We'll share quick tips to seal drafts around windows and doors, properly service your HVAC system, and optimize your ceiling fans to help you save on energy bills year-round. - Protecting Your Concrete Surfaces: Before winter unleashes its worst, we'll guide you on how to safeguard your concrete driveways, sidewalks, and patios. Learn how Quikrete Cure and Seal Satin Finish can protect both new and existing concrete from cracks, salt damage, stains, and freeze-thaw deterioration. - Creating Productive Home Office & Study Spaces: With back-to-school season in full s

SHOW NOTES: Hello and welcome back to the Money Pit Home Improvement Show! I'm Leslie Segrete, joined by my amazing partner-in-crime, Jim Kenzie. We've got a fantastic hour packed with valuable insights and solutions for your home improvement woes, from floorboards to shingles, inside and out. It's been quite the summer here at the Segrete household, with unexpected repairs, so we know exactly what it’s like to navigate your own "money pit" moments. Here's a recap of the main themes and calls for this hour: - Optimizing Outdoor Living & Landscaping: We delve into smart maintenance tips for your in-ground sprinkler system to conserve water and keep your lawn healthy. We also introduce the innovative Ladera stackable stone system for easy outdoor upgrades like fire pits and garden beds, eliminating the need for traditional stonework. - Navigating Home Renovation Costs: We discuss how recent tariffs on lumber, appliances, and fixtures are impacting renovation budgets, sharing crucial tips for smart homeowners

SHOW NOTES: Hello and welcome back to the Money Pit Home Improvement Show! I'm Leslie Segrete, joined by my amazing partner-in-crime, Jim Kenzie. We've got a fantastic hour packed with valuable insights and solutions for your home improvement woes, from floorboards to shingles, inside and out. Here's a preview of what's coming up this hour: - Kitchen Cabinet Cleaning: We'll share crucial advice on tackling tough kitchen grease and residue on cabinets, making them look new again. - Roof Replacement: Considering a new roof? We'll explore the pros and cons of metal roofs versus asphalt shingles and discuss whether a roof replacement is a DIY project for you. - Cracked Foundation: Got a cracked foundation or a dipping floor? We'll explain the serious signs to look out for and who to call for proper diagnosis. - Exterior Painting: Discover the perfect timing and techniques for exterior house painting to ensure a long-lasting, pro-level finish. - Energy Efficiency: Plus, get smart tips on upgrading your home'

SHOW NOTES: It’s been a hot one out there, and some of us have been battling our own home issues, like Leslie’s air conditioning woes. But we’re here to lend a hand, no matter what you're tackling this summer! We’ve got a fantastic show lined up for you today, packed with expert advice and practical solutions for your biggest home challenges. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming up on The Money Pit: - Landscape Heatwave Survival: We’ll dive into smart ways to help your lawn and garden survive scorching temperatures with essential watering tips, clever mowing tricks, and how to protect your sensitive potted plants from baking in the sun. - Roof Maxx Roof Rejuvenation: We’re joined by Mike Feazel, CEO and co-founder of Roof Maxx, who will share how this innovative treatment can protect your roof from blistering heat, pounding storms, sun damage, thermal shock, and hail, extending roof life and helping you avoid costly replacements. - Concrete Resurfacing Solutions: Discover how to give your cracked, pitted

SHOW NOTES: Coming up this hour, we've got a show packed with tips to make your home look and feel better and safer. We'll also be tackling home improvement questions from across the country, including calls from DIYers just like you! Here's what's ahead on The Money Pit: - Late Summer Clean and Refresh: We'll bring you smart tips to tidy up your spaces, freshen the air, and reset your home before the autumn back-to-school buzz and pumpkin spice takeover. - Protecting Your Home from Water Damage: With flash floods and heavy rain making headlines, we'll share smart, simple steps to protect your house from water damage and ensure you stay informed with weather alerts. - Fast, Smart Fire Safety Checks: We'll walk you through essential fire safety checks, from your backyard grills to your garden gear, so you can relax and safely enjoy the season. - SpreadStone Decorative Concrete Resurfacing Kit Giveaway: One lucky caller will win this DIY dream, valued at $150, which transforms plain concrete into a stunnin

SHOW NOTES: Welcome back to The Money Pit, your ultimate guide to making good homes better! We're here every week, ready to take your calls and tackle your home improvement dilemmas, whether you have questions about painting, plumbing, home safety, security, your roof and gutters, electrical work, energy efficiency, or even curb appeal ideas. Coming up, we'll cover some essential topics to keep your home in top shape, including: - Smart Summer Lawn Care Tips: Learn how to water wisely, mow like a pro, and keep your yard green without wasting time or money, making it easier than you think to win the battle against the summer heat. - Metal Roofs: If you’re thinking about replacing your roof, find out why metal roofs aren't just for barns anymore. We’ll discuss their styles, incredible storm protection, and the surprising ways they can save you money, energy, and maintenance for decades. - Storm-Proofing Your Home: Get simple steps to prepare your home and yard for storms, plus how to build an emergency kit

SHOW NOTES: Hello, home improvement enthusiasts! We're so glad you're with us, especially as July is almost over and the year is just flying by. Life changes, but The Money Pit is here to be your constant guide through all your home improvement adventures. Coming up, we've got tips to keep your home thriving all summer long! - Staycation Tips: We share easy, affordable ways to turn your home into an ultimate staycation spot, from creating spa vibes in your bathroom to resort-worthy backyard spaces. - Saving Water: Water usage often spikes in the summer, so we’ll dive into irrigation checks, sump pump tests, searching out those slow leaks, and even some water-saving tips to keep everything in tip-top shape and save you some money. - Summer Home Maintenance: Now that we're halfway through summer, we've got your midsummer home maintenance checklist. These quick, proactive projects will help you avoid breakdowns, catch hidden issues, and keep your home running smoothly all season long without the panic of a

SHOW NOTES: This hour, we'll tackle a variety of common homeowner issues and share valuable advice to keep your home comfortable, safe, and looking its best. Here are some of the main topics we covered, along with the specific home projects our callers are working on: - Cool Tips for Heat Wave Home Comfort: We share several strategies to help your home stay cool during a heat wave without escalating energy bills. - Backyard Pool Considerations: We weigh the pros and cons of installing a pool, noting that while pools offer entertainment and can add value in hot climates, they come with significant initial costs and ongoing maintenance expenses. - Home Safety While Traveling: We offer essential tips to keep your home safe while on vacation, emphasizing making it appear occupied. - Smart Roofing Upgrades for Cooling: We discuss how your roof impacts your home's temperature and energy bills, highlighting cool roof designs that reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat. - Grill Cleaning & Maintenance: W