Have a question for The Handyguys?

Click the Phone image to the right. We call you so it doesnt cost a dime. If you don't get one of us just leave a message with your question. Please tell us your email address on the voicemail and we will email you back.

Episode #98 – squirrels and carpet

by The Handyguys on February 4, 2010

The Handyguys take two fan questions on very different topics. Destructive squirrels and carpeting options for a basement.

Squirrels can DestroySquirrels

The Handyguys received the following question from Larry, a listener of the show:

Hi, I have squirrels eating away at the lead pipe flashing (roof jack). that surround the PVC vent pipes that extend out of the roof and along some fascia boards. In searching for a solution, one person said they may be missing a mineral in their diet. Another said they chew to keep their teeth from growing to long.

  1. Any truth to these?
  2. Any idea why they eat lead pipe flashing (roof jack)?
  3. How can I stop them permanently from eating the lead pipe flashing (roof jack) and fascia boards?
  4. How can I repair the lead pipe flashing (roof jack) with buying entirely new pipe flashing and lifting shingles?

Havahart trapLarry – We aren’t completely sure why the squirrels are trying to get into your house. Brian’s guess is they want to come in out of the cold.  Regardless you don’t want the squirrels destroying your house. We suggest you begin an agressive relocation program. You can get a trap and easily relocate the squirrels. Check out this one from Havahart.

As for repair – You should just replace the boot on the pipe vent through your roof. You can use Bondo for the Fascia. We discuss some other options in the podcast. Make sure you give it a listen.

Carpet for your basement

The Handyguys then take a question from Eric about carpet for his basement:

First, off just wanted to say great site and great information.

Here is my situation. Carpet and the basement. My wife and I are nearly done with our basement and ready to pick out and put in some nice carpet. But we have no idea how to buy carpet or what sort of padding is best to put under the carpet. Our basement is a solid poured concrete floor and walls. We have no water or any moisture to really mention a small dehumidifier runs occasionally and the basement seems dry.

We have 3 young kids and one big dog and would like a carpet and padding that would be able to hold up.

Thanks

Eric

The Handyguys discuss some different carpet options. Both Brian & Paul are in agreement that a decent pad that is not absorbent is a must. Also, you may want to consider commercial carpet as well.

Berber commercial carpet
Loop Berber Commercial
SmartStrand Swatches from Mohawk Carpet padding
Twist pile

Mohawk SmartStrand

Padding

What are you doing lately?

We wrap up the show with a discussion about some cabinets that are pulling off the wall because they are overloaded. These are a decent brand of cabinets. Brian was able to add some screws into the soffit to hold them until the cabinets are repaired.

Click these icons to share, thanks:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Facebook
  • del.icio.us
  • Reddit
  • Mixx

{ 0 comments }

The Handyguys received a distraught email from one of our listeners regarding a DIY disaster. It seems that Leroy has the challenge of fixing a hack job from the previous homeowner.

Hi guys, I recently purchased a house. The home was built in 1990. In the master bedroom there is an 8 inch paper boarder up high on the walls. Instead of taking the boarder off, the person who lived here prior apparently used some sort of mud to (poorly) blend the lower portion of the boarder to the rest of the sheet rock then used what looks like spray texture to try and match the knockdown texture currently on the wall and then painted the entire room. At a distance you can kinda see the patchwork but up close it is very unattractive. My question is how would you go about removing the boarder and making the wall look uniform being that there is knockdown texture on the wall. Thank you so much. Love the podcast and fyi I wrote a review on Itunes.

The Handyguys make an effort to rescue Leroy from this potential mess. In summary, there are three choices that the handyguy can make to fix the funny looking walls:

  1. Just tear down that drywall and install new! Obviously this is a drastic solution but it would work.
  2. Try to create a texture over the wallpaper boarder that matches the rest of the wall. The Handyguys discuss the texture options.
  3. Camouflage the problem. Either use another wallpaper border that is thicker then the one used previously or repaint the room with a faux paint process that hides the problem.

Water Pressure in the Home

Busted PipeIs your home water pressure to high? Many newer homes have pressure regulators which reduce the water pressure coming into the home. However, if these regulators are not set correctly or are faulty, you could have high water pressure which may cause a plumbing disaster. A typical home water pressure is measured at 70psi or below.

You can use this affordable pressure gauge available in our store. The Handyguys discuss how to use it in the podcast.

You can use this affordable pressure gauge available in our store. The Handyguys discuss how to use it in the podcast.

However, Handyguy Paul has heard from Neighbors with readings above 100psi. This high pressure can raise the chance of having a plumbing failure, particularly with one of the many fittings to toilets and sinks. If you think you may have high water pressure, get it checked.

If you want to check your water pressure yourself you may want to consider picking up a water pressure gauge. They are not too expensive and could save you some trouble by identifying if your pressure is too high before it causes a problem.

Channel Lock

CHANNELLOCK V-Jaw PlierChannellock sent us their newly released tool: the 6.5″ V-Jaw tongue and groove pliers to check out. They look useful and more versatile than regular pliers. The Handyguys discuss some possible uses, keep them handy and report back when we use them on a future project. We love that they are made in the USA! Thanks Channellock. You can get Channellock Products at Amazon by clicking this link

Click these icons to share, thanks:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Facebook
  • del.icio.us
  • Reddit
  • Mixx

{ 4 comments }

Episode #96 – Garage Heaters and CarMD Follow-up

January 22, 2010
Kerosene Heater

In this episode of The Handyguys Podcast we take a question on garage heaters and have some follow-up thoughts on the CarMD product we discussed in episode 91.
Garage Heaters
We received a great question from Captain Kent about heating his garage so he can work on his honey do list. Its excerpted here:
Hi guys! I have [...]

Click these icons to share, thanks:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Facebook
  • del.icio.us
  • Reddit
  • Mixx
Read the full article & listen to the podcast →

Episode #95 – Nailguns for Every Purpose

January 15, 2010
Porter Cable Combo Kit

The Handyguys discuss what nailer you use when. A pneumatic nailer takes much of the work or of driving nails and saves you time. With one pull of the trigger the nail is set flush or below the surface of the work. Nailers allow for one handed operation which frees up your other hand for [...]

Click these icons to share, thanks:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Facebook
  • del.icio.us
  • Reddit
  • Mixx
Read the full article & listen to the podcast →

Episode #94 – Caulking Windows

January 7, 2010
With these types of windows there isn

The Handyguys discuss the the energy saving task of caulking windows.
Announcements
Before we discuss caulking windows we would like to remind our listeners and viewers of our recent video production on replacing a flush valve.  In addition, we will be re-doing our “Fixing a Dishwasher” video in High Definition for additional clarity on the repair process. [...]

Click these icons to share, thanks:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Facebook
  • del.icio.us
  • Reddit
  • Mixx
Read the full article & listen to the podcast →

Video – Toilet Repair – Fill Valve Replacement

December 31, 2009
Bad Fill Valve

The Handyguys have a new video! Toilet fill valves are the second most common toilet repair after flapper replacements. We put this short video together to take some of the mystery out of the process. We hope you find it useful. As always, comments are welcome.

We will be back after the first of the year [...]

Click these icons to share, thanks:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Facebook
  • del.icio.us
  • Reddit
  • Mixx
Read the full article & listen to the podcast →

Merry Christmas

December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas from The Handyguys

As a little Christmas gift we thought we would share this video.
In this video a guy apparently cuts through a 2×4 by throwing a saw-blade at it. Oh, and it looks like he cuts it on the line too. Really? A hoax? It doesn’t seem possible. What do you all think? I have watched this [...]

Click these icons to share, thanks:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Facebook
  • del.icio.us
  • Reddit
  • Mixx
Read the full article & listen to the podcast →

Episode #93 – Tile Backsplash for your kitchen

December 17, 2009
Tile for Handyguy Paul

The Handyguys discuss doing a tile back-splash.
Preparations
You need to make sure your wall is smooth and clean. Measure and decide what areas of your back-splash you want to cover. When buying tile make sure you account for waste and bad cuts.
Layout
Decide on your layout. If you go horizontal you will have significantly fewer cuts. If [...]

Click these icons to share, thanks:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Facebook
  • del.icio.us
  • Reddit
  • Mixx
Read the full article & listen to the podcast →

Episode #92 – Painting like a pro

December 11, 2009
Brian

In this episode The Handyguys discuss painting. Planning your painting project, materials and tools are discussed in this podcast.
Planning
Handyguy Brian originally intended to paint the entryway and foyer of his house. The foyer has 17 foot ceilings, a hall leading to the family room downstairs and a hallway upstairs connecting the bedrooms and hall bath. [...]

Click these icons to share, thanks:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Facebook
  • del.icio.us
  • Reddit
  • Mixx
Read the full article & listen to the podcast →

Episode #91 – Winner, Magnogrip, CarMD and PermaFLOW

December 3, 2009
Stocking Girl with Hammer

In this Episode of The Handyguys Podcast we announce the winner of our toolkit contest and discuss some innovative products from Magnogrip, CarMD and PermaFLOW.
Winner
Congrats Andrew. Your toolkit is in the mail. We had a lot of awesome entries so it was difficult to pick our winner. You can read Andrews winning entry here. This [...]

Click these icons to share, thanks:
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Technorati
  • Facebook
  • del.icio.us
  • Reddit
  • Mixx
Read the full article & listen to the podcast →