Old House, Real Problems: Pet Odors, Pest Damage, and Learning to Paint for the First Time
What's in this episode
Original Air Date: 08/08/26 Episode Number: 471 Episode Summary Dan's son Caleb stopped in to pick up primer and ended up on the radio. He bought his first house -- a 1901-era fixer-upper -- and has spent the past several months dealing with cat smells in a crawl space, a squirrel that chewed through wiring, a dead possum under the floorboards, and the humbling experience of learning to cut in a straight line for the first time. The back half of the conversation covers paint choices, color coverage, the trades versus college, and what it's actually like to be six years into a career as an electrician. Timestamps [00:00] -- Meet Caleb the Guest [01:33] -- First Walkthrough Shock [03:04] -- Cat Smells and the Crawl Space [04:21] -- Enzyme Cleaner Fiasco [07:02] -- Sealing Odor Hotspots [09:26] -- Squirrel in the Ceiling [12:54] -- Dead Possum Discovery [15:22] -- First Time Painting Lessons [19:27] -- Color Choices and Coverage [22:13] -- Choosing the Wall Color [23:06] -- One Coat vs. Two [23:47] -- Ceiling Paint Lessons [25:50] -- Vanity Makeover Plan [27:16] -- DIY Confidence Tips [30:27] -- Trades Talk Break [31:09] -- Back in Studio [31:36] -- Living With Messes [34:05] -- Skipp