text: TOM: Well, I guess she would know herself if it was glued in place. I don’t necessarily have a good solution for you here. Generally, if I find something that’s adhered and needs to be loosened up, I’ll use a product like WD-40. But I’m afraid to tell you to use that in the bathtub because I don’t want them to slip. But that tends to break any adhesive bond that is resulting. But it’s also a lubricant.
  So you could try very, very carefully under one corner of it, see if it loosens up. But you’ve got to rinse it thoroughly and scrub it thoroughly because otherwise, you’ll leave a very slick surface there.
  I guess the other thing that you could try would be an adhesive – a citrus-based adhesive remover. There are orange-based products – citrus-based products that can – are used to remove adhesive.
  But I have a hard time believing that this wasn’t adhesive that actually glued itself to it. And I don’t think it melted. I think there was some sort of maybe chemical reaction between the rubber mat and the bathtub that caused them to bond. Now, I will warn you that even if you get this up, it’s very possible that the surface of the tub could be damaged. And you may be having something else that you don’t like to look at there, as a result.
  KIMBERLY: And that’s what I’m afraid of. Because I’m her house cleaner and I don’t want to get blamed for the tub being messed up, either, so …
  TOM: Yeah. Then I don’t think you should take that – I don’t think it’s your responsibility. I would say you tried but it’s stuck in place and leave it at that.
  TOM: I agree with you. You don’t want to make the situation worse and get them upset and then – and be potentially responsible for finding a solution to an impossible problem.
  TOM: Yeah, you’re welcome, Kimberly. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT and have a great day.
  Now, air cleaners and filters, they’re supposed to remove those allergens so you can breathe better. But with all the competing claims, it’s really hard to sort out what’s what.
  TOM: Absolutely. So, to start, filters are key and they’re an important part of your HVAC system. They’re going to protect you and the HVAC equipment, both heating and cooling. And there are four basic types.
  Let’s talk about the kind that don’t require professional installation and that would be first a spun filter, the least expensive. I kind of jokingly call them “rock stoppers,” because they don’t really catch a lot. They’re really super cheap but heck, they’re better than nothing.
  If you want to step it up a little bit, you want to go for a pleated filter. The pleated filter is sort of folded like an accordion surface. And by doing so, it increases the amount of surface area, which makes it a much more efficient way to stop dust and allergens than a spun filter.
  And then there’s a step up from that called a “pleated electrostatic filter,” which combines the pleated media with a static charge. And what that does is help the dust particles stick to the filter, just kind of like magnets.
  But with all of these, the way you know if you’re getting what you think you are is by checking the MERV rating – M-E-R-V. It stands for minimum efficiency reporting values. And you’re looking for a MERV that’s between 11 and 13 for allergen protection.
  LESLIE: Now, let’s talk more about electronic air cleaners. These seem to have come a really long way in the recent years. They’re becoming able to catch more and more even microscopic-sized particles. But are they worth the investment?
  TOM: You know, I think so. Again, it’s kind of that argument that if you’re going to be in your house for the duration – and by that I mean more than a couple of years – it’s worth investing in a piece of equipment like that. It’ll probably run you, I’d say, probably at least $1,000 if not a little more installed.
  But basically, it’s an electronic filter that’s installed into the return-duct side of the HVAC system. Not a DIY product. And what it does is it electronically sort of pulls out the tiniest particles, like viruses and even bacteria, and draws them to a collector plate. So it’s a very, very efficient way of keeping your air as clean as possible.
  LESLIE: Now, since we’re talking about filters, I’ve got to ask you about this: duct cleaning. I feel like a lot of people ask us questions about whether duct cleaning is really worth it. Is it going to make a difference? I think occasionally you should do it, right? But what do you think?
  TOM: I’m not really a fan. And (inaudible) come out over and over again that said duct cleaning really shows no proof of being able to make your air in the house any healthier. So I think it’s just kind of like the thought of having dust in your ducts, you figure, “Well, it must be there. I have to clean it out.” Not really.
  TOM: Maybe. I think the bigger issue is just have a filter and make sure the filter fits. I can’t tell you how many times I, as a professional home inspector, would open up the blower compartment of a furnace and then see a filter shoved in there the wrong size, held in with hangers or rubber bands and just not done well. It’s kind of pointless, right? You’ve got to choose the right filter. It’s got to be installed properly. And that’s going to keep your air as clean as it possibly can be.
  888-666-3974. If you’re thinking about taking on a home project, a décor project, an improvement, planning for the future, give us a call because we would love to help.
  DON: It’s got a beveled top on it like that’s what they put on most of them. It’s treated lumber and there is a crack that goes from, I’m going to say, a quarter, maybe three-eighths. And I don’t know how deep it is but it’s very deep. And I want to seal the top of it or seal it so that water doesn’t get in there for use and expand the crack.
  TOM: Now, Don, let me ask you a question. Do you want to paint this porch railing? Or is it painted now or not?
  TOM: The reason I’m asking you these questions is because I’m going to tell you what to fill that crack with. But the problem is some of the materials that you use to fill the crack are not going to be the color of treated lumber; they’re going to stand out and maybe look worse than the crack looks right now. So I’m trying to figure out what – how you’d like this to look when you’re all done.
  TOM: Alright. So if you’re not so concerned about the look, then what I would do is I would use an epoxy patching compound. You want to use a wood epoxy patching compound. And the reason I say that is because that has the ability to really stand up to the weather and bind to that wood material. You’re going to apply it with a putty knife and you’re going to press it into that crack and then let it dry and sand over the surface to try to get the excess off. That’s the best material to use for that particular situation.
  Well, we’ve all seen the news stories about entire communities that had to go without power for days at a time. And if a powerful storm leaves you without that all-important juice, what should you do?
  LESLIE: Well, first, here’s something that you should not do: don’t use candles. Invest in some good flashlights with bright LED bulbs. Keep them handy. Always keep them in the same spot and remember to check those batteries often.
  TOM: Now, if your power goes out, you want to make sure you power-down appliances and computers. And don’t restart them until the electricity has been turned back on for at least a half-hour. Here’s why, especially when it comes to something like your air conditioner, because when all those AC units come on, they have a big power draw right in the beginning. And when that happens across the entire grid, it kind of helps to destabilize it. So you want to give the utility company plenty of time to get that grid up and running and stable so you don’t have multiple blackouts.
  LESLIE: Yeah. And here’s a tip, you guys, when it comes to the fridge. Some of you like to open that door and stare at what’s going on in there. “Maybe something changed since the last time I looked.” It hasn’t. All the same stuff is in there, so keep that fridge door closed because it will keep everything nice and cold. And really think about what you want from that fridge or freezer, open it quick, grab it, close it up.
  TOM: Also, we hear about this tragedy in virtually every storm: somebody leaves a generator running in an enclosed space and you get carbon-monoxide poisoning. So don’t do that. Never run a gas-powered generator indoors. Don’t even run it in an open garage. And avoid cooking with charcoal or propane in any enclosed area, even an area that’s outside with a roof over it. Don’t do it, because that carbon monoxide has a way to get everywhere.
  Hey, so I was talking to a contractor – a mason – the other day, Leslie, and he told me about a project that he was called to bid on where another contractor had dug out the floor around the interior perimeter of a basement, in a house that was really, really old. Had a brick foundation. If you know about brick foundations, the brick foundation and the brick wall for the basement, it’s the same thing. It doesn’t flare out at the bottom. They just start the bricks right on the ground.
  The guy dug it all out and then what happened is there was a major rainstorm. So I bet you could figure out what happened next. All of that dirt ran out from underneath and the wall collapsed.