Immediately’s Home-owner Radio Present Podcast | January 14, 2023

Hour 1

Hear how a lot cash it can save you by putting in luxurious vinyl tile your self, what to do about thermal growth gaps in crown molding and extra.

Save Huge by Putting in LVT Your self

Luxurious vinyl tile is a good possibility for owners in search of a sturdy, waterproof, and easy-to-clean flooring possibility.

Additionally, it’s one of the vital reasonably priced flooring choices, making it a fantastic selection 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 House Depot.

So, for those who set up it your self, it may 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 in opposition to a wall. All floating flooring require an growth area — you’ll want wherever 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. 

Observe the instructions precisely relating to any underlayment. Relying on the sort you purchase, the underlayment may already be hooked up. 

Watch: How one can 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 house, and he’s seeing the consequences of thermal growth.

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 appropriate the problem? If the gaps are stuffed, 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 possibly nowhere is it extra evident than if you’re 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 a substitute of utilizing conventional caulk, fastidiously 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 nevertheless it gained’t be as deep or as noticeable. 

Hour 2

Hearken to be taught the simple method to take away acorns out of your yard, why a glass cooktop can shatter, what you want to do to cowl terracotta tile and extra.

Eliminating an Acorn Overload

That is nuts! A house owner says he has greater than 250,000 acorns in his entrance yard.

“In addition to raking, which I hate, how can I choose up the acorns? My self-propelled lawnmower doesn’t have the facility to choose them up. Is there a chunk of apparatus appropriate for the job?” he asks.

Right here’s what you need to use to take away acorns from a yard:

1. 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!

2. Garden vacuum: A garden vacuum can suck up acorns and take away them from the yard. These may be expensive, so see for those who can lease one, or rent a landscaper who owns one to make use of in your yard. 

To get rid of this drawback sooner or later, forestall the acorns from falling within the first place. If doable, 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 note — eradicating acorns may be time-consuming and also you may must repeat it as new acorns fall.

All the time put on security gear to guard your self from falling acorns and concentrate on bugs or critters within the acorns or hiding within the tree.

‘Why Did My Glass Cooktop Shatter?’

A house 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 could shatter unexpectedly for a number of causes.

A few of the commonest causes of tempered glass shattering embrace:

• Improper set up: If the cooktop shouldn’t be put in accurately, it could put stress on the glass and trigger it to shatter. As an example, if the countertop is overlapping the cooktop, it may put some stress on the highest, ultimately inflicting it to shatter. 
• Thermal stress: If the cooktop or the glass is uncovered to fast adjustments in temperature, similar to from a scorching pot being positioned on a chilly cooktop or vice versa, it could trigger thermal stress and trigger the glass to shatter.
• Manufacturing defects: Generally, tempered glass can have manufacturing defects that make it extra vulnerable to shattering. If so, report it to the producer.

You may name knowledgeable to switch the glass cooktop, nevertheless it is likely to 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 might trigger the glass to shatter.
• Use cookware with flat bottoms to distribute warmth evenly and stop warping or bending.
• Don’t slide cookware throughout the cooktop, as it could scratch or chip the glass.
• Don’t place heavy objects, similar to forged iron pans or strain cookers, on the cooktop as they will trigger influence injury.
• Clear the cooktop repeatedly with a gentle detergent and a non-abrasive sponge or fabric to take away any dust, 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 could trigger the glass to overheat and shatter.
• All the time observe the producer’s directions for the care and use of your cooktop.

Masking Terracotta Tile

A house owner has terracotta tiles all through her second-floor California rental.

“The floor is simply too onerous, very uncomfortable!” she says. “Can we’ve got extra snug flooring put in on prime? It looks as if removing can 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 easy, even floor for putting in one other kind of flooring over it.

You may run into the issue of elevating the ground peak an excessive amount of to the place it could block home equipment from opening or make them not stage together 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 masking terracotta tiles, together with:

1. Vinyl flooring: Vinyl flooring may be put in over the present tiles and is sturdy and straightforward to scrub.
2. Engineered hardwood flooring: Engineered hardwood flooring may be put in over the present tiles and supply a heat and pure look.
3. Laminate flooring: Laminate flooring may also be put in over the present tiles and is offered in lots of types and colours.
4. Floating ground: A floating ground is a sort of flooring that isn’t hooked up to the subfloor, any such flooring may be put in over the terracotta tiles and may be made of various supplies like laminate, engineered hardwood, or cork.

Seek the advice of with knowledgeable flooring specialist to find out the most suitable choice on your particular state of affairs.

Finest New Merchandise

Milwaukee’s new battery pack retains instruments powered for longer, so there’s much less downtime throughout your initiatives. Be taught extra >>

Easy Options

Pool-Toy Plumbing Software — Earlier than repairing most plumbing clogs, you have to first take away any standing water. Now, you may use a sponge or moist/dry vac, however right here’s another choice: take a child’s water-squirting toy, generally referred to 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, rest room or tub. That is nice for sink clogs, rest room clogs, or you probably have a malfunctioning washer that has water standing within the tub. 

Watch: How one can Take away Standing Water From a Clogged Sink

Paint Display Saver — When utilizing paint from a beforehand opened can, it’s finest 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 a substitute, use a chunk of vinyl insect screening. Reduce 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 completed, rinse out the display with a backyard hose and put it aside for the following paint job.

Watch: How one can Filter Paint Utilizing a Window Display

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