Whether you're trying to figure out how to plug in those holiday lights without blowing a fuse or need to keep cold air from seeping in through baseboards, Lou Manfredini is here to help. The TODAY contributor and host of "House Smarts" stopped by Studio 1A to answer viewer-submitted questions.
When putting up holiday lights, how do I make sure I don’t over-do the electrical plugins and extension cords?
There are indoor extension cords and there are outdoor extension cords. It’s important to not use the indoor cords outside because they’re not heavy duty enough. And you want to make sure that you’re plugging in the lights periodically. If you plug in more than four regular incandescent cords, you’ll blow a fuse. Consider LED lights. You can plug several of those in and you’ll be fine.
A great product to consider is Smart Cord, which has a sensor in it that will sound an alarm if you’re putting too many plugins into the cord.
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I have cold air coming in from my baseboards. What should I do?
Gaps occur over time, and that’s when the cold air comes. The greatest thing anybody can do is get a tube of clear caulking and apply a strip to every joint of the baseboard (where the trim meets the wall and where the wall meets the floor). The caulking will appear white as you apply it, but it will become clear as it dries. The product will seal up any gaps and keep cold air from seeping in.
What product works best to remove grout from showers?
I really like Dremel’s Rotary Tool with a grout-bit attachment. It’s a bit that spins and you take it along the joint of the tile (where the tile and grout meet). Be careful, as it’s easy for it to go off the grout and into the tile.
You could also consider Dremel’s Multi-Max Grout Removal Blade attached to its Multi-Max tool. It vibrates at 10,000 RPM and is incredibly safe to use. Just take the tool along the joint for quick and easy grout removal.