Topics

Browse The Homeowners Show by Topic

12 topic pages, each one a written guide to what this show has actually said about a single part of owning a house.

Why these exist

A shortcut into several hundred episodes

Hundreds of episodes is a lot of archive to scroll. These pages are the shortcut. Each one collects every episode on a single subject and puts a written summary in front of it, so you can read what the show has actually said about roofs or insurance or hiring a contractor before you commit forty minutes to an episode.

They are written by hand, one at a time, from the episodes themselves. Real guests, real companies, real bill numbers. Nothing here is an automatically generated list of links dressed up as a page.

Two categories are missing on purpose. Guest and Off Topic are how we tag episodes internally, not questions anybody has about their house. Both still work as filters on the episodes page.

12 topics

Every topic page

60 episodesAppliancesLong-haul reviews of everything with a plug, from ranges and robot vacuums to smart locks and cameras.Read the guide 36 episodesBuyingMortgages, inspections, title, commissions, and the closing-table people explaining their own paperwork.Read the guide 75 episodesDIYTools, weekend projects, seasonal checklists, and an honest formula for when to stop and call a pro.Read the guide 25 episodesElectricalPanels, wiring and code violations, honest solar math, and generators wired before the grid goes down.Read the guide 59 episodesHiringComparing bids, construction liens, lead-gen traps, and trades explaining how their own work gets priced.Read the guide 12 episodesHVACThe machine, the attic above it, and the air it moves, which are usually the same problem.Read the guide 17 episodesInsuranceReplacement cost versus actual cash value, deductibles, flood coverage, and carriers leaving whole states.Read the guide 48 episodesMarketMortgage rates, property taxes, HOA fights, squatter stories, and city rankings read with a straight face.Read the guide 39 episodesOutdoorsLawns, irrigation, pools, griddles and outdoor kitchens, plus the December ladder problem, solved.Read the guide 12 episodesPestsTermites, rats and mosquitoes from a host who ran a pest control company and names the scams.Read the guide 13 episodesPlumbingWater heaters, slab leaks, sewer lines and burst pipes, explained by plumbers who work them.Read the guide 14 episodesRoofingHail claims, deductible law, ventilation, gutters, and hiring a roofer in a state that does not license them.Read the guide

14 guides

Guides to the questions homeowners ask

The topic pages above are organised the way we file episodes. These are organised the way people ask. Each one answers a single question in writing and then lists the episodes it came from.

When to Replace Your RoofWhat the show has said about roof age, hail damage, attic ventilation, and telling a real roof replacement from a good sales pitch.Read the guide Roof Insurance Claims and Your Deductible in TexasWhy a Texas roofer cannot waive your deductible, replacement cost against actual cash value, and what a hail claim really pays for.Read the guide Why Your AC Is Not CoolingFrozen coils, dirty filters, a blower motor that quit, and the attic problems that make a working air conditioner look broken in August.Read the guide Attic Insulation and R-Value in TexasHow deep attic insulation should be, what R-value really measures, where spray foam changes an attic, and the sales pitch to walk away from.Read the guide Termites in HoustonTermite biology, baiting systems, mud tubes and swarmers, and how to tell a real termite problem from a sales pitch on the Gulf Coast.Read the guide Rats in the AtticExclusion, where a trap actually goes, the bird seed feeding the problem, and how to read a rodent control invoice before you sign it.Read the guide Mold and Water Damage in Your HouseWhy bleach does not fix mold, what remediation really involves, and how humidity plus a slow leak turns into a much bigger bill.Read the guide Tankless or Tank: Choosing a Water HeaterHow long a water heater really lasts, where tankless makes sense, the attic question, and why a plumber may push a swap over a repair.Read the guide How to Find a Slab LeakReading your own water meter, running an evaporation test on a pool, and knowing when a leak specialist beats calling a plumber first.Read the guide Burst Pipes and Winterizing a Texas HouseWhat Winter Storm Uri taught, the faucet covers and sprinkler draining to do first, and which pipe material survives a hard freeze.Read the guide Do You Need a Generator in Houston?Interlock kits against transfer switches, running watts against peak watts, tri-fuel portables, and what a whole home unit really costs.Read the guide Is Solar Worth It in Texas?Honest solar math from a repeat guest: tax credits, batteries, net metering, grid tie limits, and the contracts worth walking away from.Read the guide HOA Rules and DisputesFines, liens and arbitrary rules, the fights that made the news, and what to read about an association before you buy into it.Read the guide Lawn Care in the Texas HeatWatering St. Augustine through a Houston summer, brown patch, soil testing, and the smart controllers that pay for themselves.Read the guide

Not sure which one you need?

The full archive is searchable, and every episode is tagged with the topics it covers. If the answer is not in there yet, ask Craig and Kevin directly and it may end up on the show.

Browse every episode Ask Craig & Kevin

Browse The Homeowners Show by Topic

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