Cleaning Dirty Ducts + Sheng Wang’s Bayou Childhood + Forced Air vs. Baseboard Heat
From This Old House Radio Hour by American Public Media
May 26, 2026 · 50 min
About this episode
The episode explores duct cleaning, childhood memories of comedian Sheng Wang, and a discussion on heating systems.
A five-foot snake inside the ductwork?! This week on Radio Hour, we uncover the strange, dusty, and sometimes creepy world hiding inside your vents — and what actually happens during a duct cleaning. Comedian Sheng Wang takes us back to his packed suburban Houston childhood home, where 12 relatives shared one house and the neighborhood bayou became an endless adventure. Plus, House Therapy tackles a family battle over baseboard heat versus forced hot air, and we answer your questions about damaged cork floors, mysteriously heated tiles, rocky hillsides, and cracking plaster ceilings. In This Episode You’ll Learn: * How to repair shiny tape damage on cork flooring without refinishing the entire floor * Whether warm floor tiles could mean leaking HVAC ducts beneath a slab foundation * What plants can actually survive on a steep shale hillside with almost no soil * What causes “alligator” cracking on old plaster ceilings and how to fix it All of this, plus we’re answering your home improvement questions at 877-This Old House Radio Hour! — That’s (877) 864-7460.
People in this episode
Guest: Sheng Wang
Topics covered
- duct cleaning
- home improvement
- heating systems
- childhood memories
- plumbing issues
Keywords
- duct cleaning
- Sheng Wang
- baseboard heat
- forced air
- home improvement
- plumbing
- heating systems
- cork floors
- plaster ceilings
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: This Old House Radio Hour
Places: Houston, bayou, suburban Houston
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