A damp crawl space gets a clear, practical treatment.
Talk of crawl spaces can drift into the abstract, but this piece keeps the problem grounded in airflow, a higher water table, and clay soil that holds moisture.

Home repair advice without the mystery.
Fix It 101 treats home repair like a neighborly workshop, with callers, guests, and studio chatter turning household problems into usable advice. Crawl spaces, septic systems, smart locks, dishwashers, mobile homes, and utility digging all get handled in plain English.
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Fix It 101 is a practical home-maintenance program built around real houses, real callers, and the kind of problems that get worse when ignored. The show has a call-in, public-radio feel, but the advice is grounded in field experience. It talks about crawl spaces as wet, awkward places where air, water, ductwork, and clay soil all matter. It treats septic systems as equipment that needs maintenance, not a mystery buried in the yard. It makes dishwasher filters, garbage disposals, washing machines, and sewer lines feel connected instead of separate chores. The pace is brisk. A question may start with deep blue paint or cabinet hardware, then turn into a warning about heavy mirrors or what can clog an older house. Guests bring in specific field knowledge, from damage prevention to septic pumping, mobile-home setup, smart locks, and construction careers. The show is strongest when it slows a technical idea down just enough for a homeowner to act on it. Calling before digging becomes less like a rule and more like a way to avoid cutting water, gas, or utility lines for the whole street. Smart-home talk stays practical too: good internet, access codes, garage retrofits, and locks that can help with kids, cleaners, sitters, or small businesses. The advice is not framed as do-it-yourself bravado. It is more careful than that. Some jobs are reasonable for a handy person; others need professional help because water, gas, electricity, weight, or hidden damage can raise the stakes fast. The conversations are relaxed, sometimes repetitive, and often funny in a dry household way. That repetition is part of the service. Important points get said again, in plainer language, until the repair lesson sticks. The show suits homeowners who want to be less intimidated by the systems around them. It also suits renters, landlords, mobile-home buyers, and anyone trying to understand what maintenance really prevents. Fix It 101 feels like a standing appointment with people who know the work, like talking it through, and would rather help someone avoid the expensive mistake than sound polished.
Made for: Fix It 101 is for homeowners, renters, landlords, and curious do-it-yourselfers who want practical guidance before they grab tools or call a professional. It especially suits people who like call-in radio, plain explanations, and maintenance advice tied to everyday household problems.
What sets it apart: The show stands out by mixing field judgment with a neighborly public-radio format. Instead of polished renovation inspiration, it gives listeners real maintenance talk about crawl spaces, plumbing, septic systems, smart-home gear, mobile homes, and safety decisions.
Do you have a leaky faucet? Would you like to put a ceiling fan in your bedroom? Or maybe you want to mount a flat screen TV to the wall? Welcome to Fix It 101! Whether it’s a plumbing problem or an electrical question, call in and find out if you can do that home repair yourself or if you need to call a professional. You may be handier than you think you are! Have a question or comment? Email the show: [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Fix It 101 makes household repairs legible by connecting practical fixes to the moisture, drainage, utility and material problems behind them.
Fix It 101 turns home maintenance into a call-in lesson, with Pam Pibus moving between listener problems, specialist guests and her own experience as a licensed contractor and home inspector.
A five-year roof boot can outlast your patience; Fix It 101 helps you spot the smarter upgrade.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A damp crawl space gets a clear, practical treatment.
Talk of crawl spaces can drift into the abstract, but this piece keeps the problem grounded in airflow, a higher water table, and clay soil that holds moisture.
A plainspoken 811 reminder that treats underground utility damage as an immediate safety issue.
Fix It 101 takes up a practical public-safety topic, with Pam Pibus speaking with John Stallings, the Damage Prevention Coordinator for Central Region Mississippi 811.
Deep blue paint talk turns into plainspoken warnings about dishwashers, disposals, and a heavy bathroom mirror.
Fix It 101 starts in a deep-blue study with brush gold hardware, then settles into home advice that stays relaxed and practical. Pam Pivas and Pam Rogers move from paint and picture lights to dishwasher filters, garbage disposals, and bathroom mirror safety, and the opening…
A grounded look at smart locks, internet dependence, and the setup choices that make convenience work.
Smart home convenience starts at the front door, where a Yale smart lock can lock as the owner leaves with a phone, unlock on return, and give controlled access to a dog sitter, house sitter, family member, or employee.
A clear, grounded look at how training, wages, and access shape women's routes into construction.
Fix It 101 frames Women in Construction through a practical education lens, presenting construction as a path toward better-paying work. The conversation places roughly $24,000 a year beside a $45,000 starting wage, then lets Ruth with Women in Construction explain why awareness…
Fix It 101 weighs vent-pipe boot upgrades, flashing gaps, and the case for durability over a cheap sleeve.
Fix It 101 turns a routine roof-maintenance issue into a clear homeowner guide, centering on vent-pipe boots and the choice between a cheap neoprene sleeve and a more durable bullet boot.
Practical spring-project advice, clear tool talk, and plainspoken fixes for drainage and appliance problems.
Fix It 101 settles into a practical spring-project rhythm, moving from a quick outside-the-house check to the basics of choosing the right drill for the right job.



Practical answers for everyday homeowners.
Straight answers for Texas home repairs.

Real answers for stubborn house problems.

Plain talk for real remodeling decisions.
Pam Pibus hosts roofing contractor Kurt Welch on Fix It 101 to discuss roof maintenance, inspections, and common issues.
Host Lacey Alexander and home inspector Pam Pibus discuss spring home improvement projects on Fix It 101.
["Fix It 101 spends most of the hour on crawl spaces, and Todd Sandring keeps comparing Mississippi humidity with Arizona construction habits.", "Pam Pibus, who says she is a licensed contractor and home inspector at Inspect It Like a Girl, and Marissa Vaughn frame the conversation around West Jackson, Northeast Jackson, Oxford, and Fondren jobs.", "Todd describes a West Jackson apartment complex with subgrade crawl spaces, standing water about a foot deep, and mold that would not clear until the team dried, encapsulated, and dehumidified the space.", "The episode also covers a dry 70-year-old poured-concrete crawl space, a rusting 16-inch I-beam in a pier-and-beam foundation, and warning signs like a spongy bathroom floor and rotten joists."]
John Stallings, Damage Prevention Coordinator for Mississippi 811, discusses the importance of safe digging to avoid hitting underground utilities during National Safe Digging Month.
Fix It 101 centers on Pam Pibus and Pam Rogers talking through whole-house water shutoffs, wall framing, and interior design choices for Mississippi homes.
A radio show segment discussing the process of setting up a mobile home, including dirt work, delivery, assembly, and skirting.
Pam Pipus and Marissa Vaughn discuss spring cleaning your cleaners, focusing on washing machines and dishwashers, and the connection to garbage disposals.
Jake Manning says smart cameras can recognize "Jake left" and not just "person seen."
Fix It 101 focuses on Women in Construction Week with Ruth Mazzara of Moore Community House in Biloxi, whose program grew from Katrina recovery work in 2008.
A radio show episode discussing the differences between sewer and septic systems, featuring experts Patton Ford and Trey Anderson.
Dr.
Contractor Todd Sandridge joins the hosts to share memories of Hurricane Katrina 20 years later.
Pam Pibus interviews roofing contractor Kurt Welch about his background and roofing expertise on Fix It 101.
Pam Pibus and Crockett Ford discuss water heaters and plumbing on the home maintenance show Fix It 101.