Heating Tips to Try Before Installing Brick Wall Insulation | Ep. 158

Brick wall insulation can be costly to install. If your brick home feels drafty, there are some ways to remedy the cold before jumping into installing extra insulation. Mary from Colorado Springs says her brick home doesn't heat evenly and questions if insulation was even installed in the 1957 home. We doubt insulation was not put in place when the home was first built, but as always in home improvement, you never know what kinds of “improving” the person before you did. Listen to The Today's Homeowner Podcast for a simple way to check for insulation behind brick walls, along with tips to install brick wall insulation and how to check your home's envelope for air leaks.  Simple Solutions Finding a Stud Without a Stud Finder — When hanging or mounting objects to a wall, it’s best to drive the nail or screw into a wall stud. But how do you know exactly where the studs are? You could purchase an electronic stud finder, but they’re not very reliable. Here’s a simple way to locate studs, using items you probably already have on hand. First, get a small magnet and tape it to a length of string. Then, hold the end of the string and slide the magnet along the wall about four feet above the floor. When the magnet passes over a nail or screw, it’ll stick in place, indicating the location of a stud.  Paint Color Reminder — Here’s a clever way to remember wall paint colors: Write the paint’s brand and color on a piece of paper and then stick it to the back of the light-switch cover plate in the room. Then, when it’s time to repaint, just remove the cover plate to discover which paint to buy. You can also ask the associate at the paint department to print out an extra sticker with all the paint’s information. Question of the Week Q: I have a paver driveway that’s made up of six-by-nine-inch concrete pavers. I want to reseal and re-sand it, but the gaps between the pavers are very small, only about 1/16- to 1/8-inch wide. I’d like to use polymeric sand but heard that it’s only good for joints measuring a quarter inch or larger. We get pretty heavy rain here in north Florida, and I’d like to prevent the sand from being washed out. Listen for our answer! Other Products and Links Mentioned Daich Coatings Quikrete PowerLoc Jointing Sand Fluidmaster Toilet Repair Kits