SHOW NOTES:

Welcome back to The Money Pit! Today, we are tackling those big fall projects, including protecting your home from the tough winter ahead and figuring out how to reclaim those spaces that feel like a lost cause. Let’s take a look at the main topics we are tackling this hour, plus home improvement questions from callers:

- Weekend Concrete Repair: Winter is super tough on concrete, so with a few simple steps right now, you can save yourself from big repair bills
later. We will show you how to seal cracks and protect your concrete surfaces with help from Quikrete, making this an easy and inexpensive weekend project.

- Perfect Painting Tips: If you are ready to give your space a fresh look before the holidays, fall is actually the perfect time to pick up a paintbrush due to the cooler, drier weather. We will share seasonal tricks to help you choose the right color, prep your walls, and ensure your paint job is smooth and long-lasting.

- Reclaiming Unusable Space: We know more than half of Americans say
at least one room in their house is unsalvageable, but we are sharing simple, stress-free ways to declutter and reclaim that space.

- Home Lighting: As the days get shorter and darker earlier, lighting
becomes everything, so we are sharing simple ways to bring in light and give your home an autumnal glow.

Q & A:

- Ladonna in Alaska called us with a snow management question about her log cabin, wondering if placing tarps over her roof would prevent buildup. We advise her that tarps won't provide the relief she wants and suggest sticking with her snow rake,

- Bill in Maryland has small cracks in his chimney crown and was told by a chimney sweep to cover them with plastic roof cement. We confirm that removing the crown is unnecessary, but strongly advise against the plastic roof cement because it traps moisture; instead, Bill should use a good-quality silicone caulk to seal the cracks.

- Marilyn reached out because her daughter can hear her condo neighbors talking through thin walls. We suggest soundproofing solutions like adhering a second layer of drywall or implementing decorative solutions
like long drapes or acoustical wall panels.

- Shen in New Hampshire wants to tile a poured concrete wall in her garage staircase and asked about prepping the surface. We recommend first ensuring her gutters are directing water away from the wall to reduce moisture, then using an uncoupling membrane, such as Dietra, to prevent the tiles from cracking from differential movement.

- Keith in Georgia has a very low crawl space and needs suggestions to seal the dirt floor to prevent moisture evaporation. The simple solution we suggest is laying polyethylene sheeting across the entire crawl space floor and up the walls to keep the space drier and prevent mold and mildew.

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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