As we speak’s Home-owner Radio Podcast | December 10, 2022

This week, hear methods to exchange two small home windows with a big one and be taught why chilly climate could make propane much less efficient. (PC Pictures, Getty Pictures/gmnicholas, Getty Pictures Signature)

Word: Audio from the newest episode of “The As we speak’s Home-owner Radio Present” is offered Sundays after 4 p.m. CST.


Hour 1 

Hear methods to set up laminate flooring round a door jamb, restore cracks in plaster and extra. 


Putting in Laminate Flooring Round Door Jambs

Reciprocating saw on top of laminate flooring with saw dust
To put in laminate flooring round door jambs, you’ll must trim the jamb with a noticed so the flooring can slip underneath it. (Ocskaymark, Getty Pictures)

A house owner asks: “How do you narrow laminate flooring to suit neatly round door jambs in a cased opening between two rooms?”

Right here’s the factor: More often than not, you’re not chopping the flooring; you’re truly chopping the underside of the jamb the place it hits the ground.

A software referred to as a jamb noticed is ideal for doing this. It’s like a round noticed, however the blade is turned 90 levels so you may simply slide it into the jamb. You may hire one in every of these from a house heart.

When you don’t wish to hire a jamb noticed, you may take a scrap piece of the flooring and put it on the subfloor towards the jamb to get its precise top. If there’s any kind of underlayment that goes underneath the laminate flooring, put that underneath it as properly. 

Then, use a reciprocating noticed or a hand noticed to chop a little bit bit off of the jamb so the flooring can slip underneath it. The thickness of the blade ought to go away sufficient room for the laminate flooring to increase and contract.

Watch: The right way to Set up Laminate Flooring


Fixing Cracks in a Plaster Wall

Crack in beige plaster wall
When you see a crack in your plaster, don’t panic! Small cracks could be repaired pretty simply. (Courtesy of Wes Burchell)

“What’s one of the simplest ways to restore this outdated plaster wall?

Working with plaster is a little bit like working with drywall, however the ultimate end could be difficult to match.

The very first thing it’s good to do is scrape out the crack utilizing the pointed tip of a can opener. What you’re doing is widening that crack right into a v-shaped opening to carry extra plaster compound. Make it a minimum of a quarter-inch vast. 

Then, vacuum the mud out of the crack and clear the floor round it with a humid towel to take away any mud.

Then, you employ joint compound or patching plaster to fill within the crack.

As soon as the crack is patched, prime and paint it to match the remainder of the wall. With any paint restore, don’t simply paint the restore space. Unfold the paint out a minimum of a few toes in every path. 

Watch: The right way to Restore Cracks in Plaster Partitions


Hour 2

Hear a caller’s Easy Resolution suggestion: methods to exchange two small home windows with a big one, and extra. 


Easy Resolution Suggestion 

Split image of effervescent tablets dissolving in water and tap water flowing down the drain
The bubbling motion of denture tablets loosens buildup in a drain and makes it simpler to flush away. (LdF, Getty Pictures Signature/laymul, Getty Pictures)

Diane McClaskey in Missouri has a Easy Resolution suggestion for cleansing a sink drain.

After eradicating the pop-up stopper, add six to eight denture cleansing tablets to the drain, and add just a bit water. Wait to let the cleansing start, and add a little bit water as wanted till clear. 

The bubbling motion will assist to interrupt up any filth or grime and go away your sink glowing clear!

So why would this work? The principle ingredient in denture cleansing tablets is sodium bicarbonate, generally often called baking soda.

This works equally to our Simple Solution to Clear and Deodorize Your Sink Easy Resolution.


Changing Two Small Home windows with a Massive One

Simple home office with large window
Changing two small home windows with a big one is an effective way to let in additional mild and enhance your house’s curb enchantment. (PC Pictures, Getty Pictures)

A house owner needs to exchange two small home windows with a bigger one in her lounge.

Nonetheless, there’s a 6-inch wall between the home windows, and he or she was advised she wanted to place in a header — now, she’s stumped.

“I don’t understand how to do that. Are you able to clarify, please?” she asks.

If you take a window out, it’s good to exchange it with one thing to fill that void. A header, mainly, is a 2-by-4 to a 2-by-12 that spans horizontally above the window to help its weight. This prevents the ceiling joists, roof rafters, and something above that could be bearing down on the window from sagging.

Nonetheless, it’s a tough challenge.

First, you must entry that space, and that’s carried out by chopping the drywall or plaster away from the within above the higher a part of the window opening so that you’ll have room to chop out no matter’s there and put within the new beam. 

Until you’re superb at carpentry work, I counsel calling an expert to do that. The very last thing you need is any sagging on the window down the highway. 

Knowledgeable can even guarantee the brand new window is sealed correctly to keep away from drafts and power loss.

Name your native house builder’s affiliation and ask for his or her suggestions. 


Can Low Temps Injury a Propane Tank?

Propane tank against wooded background
Low temperatures could make propane much less efficient. (gmnicholas, Getty Pictures Signature)

We obtain this query so much in the course of the fall and wintertime.

A house owner says: “I’ve a backup propane tank that I retailer in my storage. It’s been there for over a yr. Now, I can’t get my grill to begin with it. Does storing the tank for that lengthy in a chilly storage harm it?”

Right here’s what you must know: To maintain propane in a liquid state, it needs to be saved underneath strain. Low temperatures may cause liquid propane to condense, which may then lower the strain contained in the tank.

This will ultimately result in the strain within the propane tank reaching some extent the place it’s too low to successfully mild a grill or different home equipment.

Right here’s the answer: Convey the propane tank inside and let it heat up. Then, verify the extent of gasoline. When doubtful, refill the tank! 

Sooner or later, to maintain the strain greater, maintain the tank a minimum of 30 {1a69c2dbb0db8deebac23b693dece8e96f55e0ac6a56930da79c5e5b7efb9b6f} full always, and use a small insulated body shelter to guard the tank from decrease temperatures.


Finest New Merchandise

MSI’s new peel-and-stick backsplash offers you the look of actual tile with out all the trouble of a standard thin-set utility. Study extra >>

Easy Options

Drill holding a spool of mason line/nylon string by a screw inserted into the handle
Utilizing an influence drill to wrap nylon string round a spool will pace up the method and reduce the chance of tangles. (3 Echoes Content Studio)

Quick and Neat Solution to Wind String onto a Spool — A spool of nylon string can be utilized for a lot of issues — basic crafting, fishing and looking, and laying mason traces.

The string is straightforward to unwind off the spool, but it surely’s not as simple to get again on after you’ve used it. Winding it by hand again onto the spool can result in tangles and uneven distribution. And ultimately, you’ve obtained an unusable mess that you must reduce up. Right here’s a a lot better, and quicker, answer: 

  • Take a screw and drive it by means of the tip of the plastic housing that the spool is on. Then, chuck it right into a drill. 
  • Activate the drill to the bottom setting, and identical to that, now you can use the ability of the drill to place the road again on the spool. 

It solely takes a number of seconds to wind the nylon string again onto the spool! As you’re winding up the nylon string, slowly transfer it backwards and forwards alongside the spool. This fashion, you don’t overload one aspect or the opposite, and the string winds up neatly each time.

Watch: The Quick (and Neat!) Solution to Wrap String Round a Spool

Hand pouring Clorox toilet bowl cleaner gel into grout lines on a bathroom floor
A bathroom bowl cleaner’s spout makes it good for pouring into grout traces. (3 Echoes Content Studio)

Cheap Different to Industrial Grout Cleaners — In case you have tile in your house, chances are high you’ve spent a while cleansing grout. Whereas there are a number of grout cleansing merchandise in the marketplace, you might need one thing in your house proper now that works simply as properly — rest room bowl cleaner. 

Common outdated rest room bowl cleaner that is available in a squeeze bottle can clear grout! Rest room bowl cleaner accommodates bleach, so it won’t solely lighten grout stains, however it’s going to additionally kill any mould or mildew.

Plus, rest room bowl cleaner is cheaper than grout cleaner.

Watch: Rest room Bowl Cleaner: The Cheap Different for Cleansing Grout


Merchandise and Hyperlinks Talked about

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