Full Show 2/28/2026: All About Moisture Managing

·1 hr 5 min·2 clips

Polyurethane and iron oxide finishes act as water vapor barriers, so the wood saturates and cups in August and September.

1. The Home Improvement Show's 2/28/2026 episode, "All About Moisture Managing," mixes caller and text questions on moisture, HVAC, roofing, windows and plumbing in the Gulf South. 2. Host Paul takes calls from Ms. Cleon in Pearl River County, Mississippi, Bob in Metairie and Linda in Marlborough, plus texts, and says he does expert witness work "just about weekly." 3. Paul opens by urging listeners to book work now on ductwork, insulation, air barriers and dehumidifiers, because summer demand will lengthen waits and make attics too hot to work in. 4. For Ms. Cleon's toilet with no water flow, after she pulled a "snarl of threads" from behind the shutoff valve, Paul recommends a repair plumber remove the stop valve and check for more blockage behind it. 5. For Bob's fortified roof, Paul asks him to check manufacturers' websites on whether plywood needs primer before peel-and-stick membrane, and he praises Malarkey shingles installed after Hurricane Ida. He says medium-to-thick gauge metal lasts almost twice as long as asphalt and names Roofing by Richland and Richie's Sheet Metal. 6. On a text about cupping floors, Paul says energy moves from more to less, and that polyurethane and iron oxide finishes block vapor so the wood saturates and cups, while oil rub and beeswax finishes let vapor through at the cost of durability and luster. 7. He lists negative pressure sources such as duct leaks, closed bedroom doors, large kitchen exhaust hoods and multiple dryers, and says power fans on a crawl space "does not work" and can add moisture. 8. He tells Linda that fogged double-pane glass cannot be cleared, suggests replacing glass inserts on all 15 rear windows so low-E glass looks uniform, and refers her to Isaac Wexel of Top Notched Glass. 9. He says R22 systems generally remove more latent heat than R410A systems, and explains that a bedroom with 150 CFM of supply needs matching return air, since door undercuts are "99% of the time" not enough and a Tamarack passive grill is an alternative. 10. Homeowners in humid climates with HVAC, crawl space or flooring moisture questions would get the most from this episode.

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