Immediately’s Home-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 growth gaps in crown molding and extra.
Save Huge by Putting in LVT Your self
Luxurious vinyl tile is a good possibility for householders searching for a sturdy, waterproof, and easy-to-clean flooring possibility.
Additionally, it’s one of the inexpensive flooring choices, making it an incredible selection for budget-conscious householders. Joe researched the prices and right here’s what he discovered:
Most individuals pay on common $1,400 to have 200 sq. ft of vinyl plank flooring put in. Nonetheless, you should buy luxurious vinyl for $2.50-$4 per sq. foot at The House Depot.
So, in the event you 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 folks make when putting in is chopping it tight in opposition to a wall. All floating flooring require an growth 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 you should definitely safe the shoe molding to the baseboard.
Comply with the instructions precisely relating to any underlayment. Relying on the kind you purchase, the underlayment may already be hooked up.
Watch: Simply Set up Luxurious Vinyl Tile
What to Do About Gaps in Crown Molding
That is the primary winter that Chris in Alabama has spent in his new house, and he’s seeing the consequences of thermal growth. Over the previous months, he says important gaps have proven up within the crown molding all through the home.
“Ought to I ask my builder to right the problem? 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 broaden and contract, and doubtless nowhere is it extra evident than once you’re crown molding.
These gaps will normally shut on their very own as soon as hotter climate comes again round. You probably have some gaps which are 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
Take heed to be taught the straightforward solution to take away acorns out of your yard, why a glass cooktop can shatter, what you must 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.
“Apart from raking, which I hate, how can I decide up the acorns? My self-propelled lawnmower doesn’t have the ability to select them up. Is there a chunk of apparatus appropriate for the job?” he asks.
Right here’s what you should utilize to take away 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 in the event you can hire one, or rent a landscaper who owns one to make use of in your yard.
To eradicate this drawback sooner or later, stop 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 therapies can stop acorn manufacturing, however solely an expert arborist ought to apply them.
Bear in mind — eradicating acorns could be time-consuming and also you may 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 house owner says the tempered glass on his fuel cooktop abruptly shattered the opposite day, although it 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 may well shatter unexpectedly for a number of causes. Among the most typical causes of tempered glass shattering embrace:
- Improper set up: If the cooktop shouldn’t be put in appropriately, it may well 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 speedy adjustments in temperature, akin to from a sizzling pot being positioned on a chilly cooktop or vice versa, it may well 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 possibly can name an expert to interchange the glass cooktop, but it surely could be costly. Think about changing it with a range that doesn’t have a glass cooktop.
To stop a glass cooktop from shattering, observe the following tips:
- Don’t place a sizzling pot on a chilly cooktop or flip the cooktop on excessive and instantly place a chilly pot on it. This will 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 may well scratch or chip the glass.
- Do =n’t place heavy objects, akin to forged iron pans or strain cookers, on the cooktop as they will trigger impression harm.
- Clear the cooktop repeatedly with a light detergent and a non-abrasive sponge or fabric to take away any filth, 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 may well trigger the glass to overheat and shatter.
- At all times observe the producer’s directions for the care and use of your cooktop.
Overlaying Terracotta Tile
A house owner has terracotta tiles all through her second-floor California rental.
“The floor is simply too laborious, very uncomfortable!” she says. “Can we now have extra snug flooring put in on high? It looks as if elimination might 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 may run into the issue of elevating the ground peak an excessive amount of to the place it may well block home equipment from opening or make them not stage along with your cupboards and counters. Test the peak of the brand new flooring to ensure 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 prevailing tiles and is sturdy and straightforward to scrub.
- Engineered hardwood flooring: Engineered hardwood flooring could be put in over the prevailing tiles and supply a heat and pure look.
- Laminate flooring: Laminate flooring may also be put in over the prevailing tiles and is on the market in lots of kinds and colours.
- Floating ground: A floating ground is a sort of flooring that’s not hooked up to the subfloor, any such 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 an expert flooring specialist to find out the best choice on your particular state of affairs.
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Easy Options
Pool-Toy Plumbing Instrument — Earlier than repairing most plumbing clogs, it’s essential 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 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’ll be able to squirt it right into a bucket, bathroom or tub. That is nice for sink clogs, bathroom clogs, or when you’ve got a malfunctioning washer that has water standing within the tub.
Watch: Take away Standing Water From a Clogged Sink
Paint Display screen Saver — When utilizing paint from a beforehand opened can, it’s greatest to go the paint by a filter to display screen 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. Minimize the display screen about 12 or 14in. sq., safe it to a brand new, clear paint can with three small spring clamps, after which pour the outdated paint by the display screen. When executed, rinse out the display screen with a backyard hose and reserve it for the following paint job.
Watch: Filter Paint Utilizing a Window Display screen
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