SHOW NOTES:Get tips on keeping your home colorful, bright, and warm in today's show as we discuss what to think about before painting, easy pick-me-ups to beat the winter blues, and doing a home energy assessment. Plus, hear helpful answers to lots more home improvement questions!- Winter Blues: Lift your spirits and beat the winter blues with DIY tips to brighten up your home.- Painting Tips: Consider these 6 tips before starting your next painting project.- Energy Audit: Learn how to make your home more energy-efficient with a DIY energy audit.Q & A:- Deck Stain: Jeanie needs advice for staining the new boards on her deck. We recommend using a solvent-based solid stain that will last longer.- Water Pressure: The water pressure is different in Brad’s bathrooms. He gets tips on how to figure out if it’s an obstruction or a problem with the valve or faucet.- Gutter Guards: Risa’s gutters are getting clogged with leaves from nearby trees. We advise her to find a reputable contractor to install mesh gutters that will work best.- Home Construction: Is prefabricated construction a good option? We agree there are lots of advantages to John building a prefab guest home.- Storm Door: Katie’s storm door is trapping so much heat, it’s melting her front door trim. She may not need the storm door at all, or else she can just use the screen panels.- Insulation: Brian is converting his ceiling can lights to LED, but he should check with the manufacturer about how to insulate around the lights in the attic.- Bathroom Wall Cracks: There are spider cracks in the acrylic wall around Stephanie’s shower. If they’re just on the surface, she can try buffing them with car wax.- Basement Flooring: Jay wants to warm up his cold concrete basement floor and gets info about subfloor panels he can place over the concrete before adding new flooring.- Preventing Mice: What is the best way to keep mice out of a seasonal home? Sarah gets tips for storing food, sealing gaps, eliminating nesting areas, and using rodenticide.- Cedar Siding: Is pine a good replacement for worn western red cedar siding? It’s not as durable, so he should stick with cedar siding or consider using HardiePlank instead.ASK A QUESTION:Need help with your own home improvement or décor question? We’d love to help! Call the show 24/7 at 888-MONEY-PIT (888-666-3974) or post your question here: https://www.moneypit.com/ask.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices