July 2, 2008 AsktheBuilder News
What's in This Issue
WHITE VINEGARANGIE'S LIST
THUMB INJURY
MY CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY
CERAMIC TILE TIPS
LATEST COLUMNS AND VIDEOS
NEWSLETTER SPONSORSHIP
ADDITIONAL CONGRESSIONAL VIDEOS
White Vinegar
If you have had the opportunity to read many of my past
columns, you know by now that I often try to weave into my stories the
physics and chemistry of home improvement, remodeling and building. A
simple example of this might be the destructive nature of chlorine
bleach. In a nutshell, the active chemical in this bleach is the
chlorine ion. Think of it as a high-powered laser-guided 1,000 pound
bomb that blasts apart fabric and dye pigment molecules. This is why
things cleaned with chlorine bleach fall apart and the color goes away.
But I digress......
Last night I had to clean a fiberglass utility tub that is adjacent
to my laundry room. This sink really gets abused with cleaning all the
things you would never place in a kitchen sink. As I was scrubbing it,
the dirt would not come off, and the surface felt gritty.
I thought to myself, "No way this could be hard water deposits."
But the dirt was not coming off and my instinct told me it had to be
hard water. Hard water deposits can be hundreds of layers thick, and
each layer can have dirt in it that is then covered with the next layer
of calcium carbonate. That is the primary
hard-water deposit most of
us have. These form each time the water dries on a surface. You see
these water spots on the hood of your car, a pot or a glass that air
dries.
Each time I used the sink the water dried on the sides leaving a
new layer of rock. Rock you say? Limestone is calcium carbonate.
So if you are busy, distracted, lazy and fail to clean a sink (for
years) that is used several times a week, you can have hundreds of
ultra-thin layers of deposits each one with some dirt bound into it.
I had a one-gallon bottle of white vinegar next to me and decided
to install the drain plug and pour some into the sink as the bottom of
the sink had the worst build up. I knew that if the deposits were hard
water, the vinegar would help soften them.
White vinegar is simply a weak acid. The hard water deposits are
alkaline. Acids react with alkaline compounds and dissolve them into
solution.
I came back 30 minutes later and the sink bottom looked like new
after a quick scrubbing. To clean the vertical sides of the sink, I
simply got some paper towels wet with the vinegar and applied them like
wallpaper to the sides of the sink. Suffice it to say the sink looks
like the day I installed it. White vinegar does a great job of
dissolving hard-water deposits. You just have to be patient with it and
let the objects soak for hours if possible.
Angie's List
There is a very cool cooperative service called Angie's List.
It is where people like you share stories and recommendations about
good contractors. Do you use this service, and what can you tell me
about your experiences?
Thumb Injury
Two years ago I was holding a 2x4 that I was hand nailing.
Somehow the dang hammer didn't hit the head of the nail square and
jumped off striking the base of my thumb where it connects to my wrist.
I almost passed out from the pain. I didn't break the bone, but I did
damage a tendon that connects out to the end of my thumb.
I had a doctor look at it, and followed his advice to make it heal.
The trouble is, it seems to have never completely healed. When I start
to use my thumb and stress it, the injury flares up again.
Two days ago it got so painful, I went back to the hospital. There
I discovered that this specific injury can became very debilitating if
ignored.
I share this story with you in an effort to get you to have chronic
pain looked at. Don't try to suck it up and be the tough person. That
is usually what I do trying to be stoic. Well, had I done that with
this injury, I may never again have golfed, kayaked, or done much of
anything that requires you to grip something with your hand. Please
visit your doctor when pain does not go away.
My Congressional Testimony
In the last newsletter, I shared that I had been invited to testify in front of a Subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Small Business Committee. My Congressional representative- Steve Chabot - is the Ranking member of this Committee.
In the invitation I was told that I could submit written testimony that would be entered into the permanent record. The purpose of this is to give the witness an opportunity to share all the points he wants to make. You can't assume you will have the time in the hearing to make all of your points. You can read my written testimony if you desire.
The invitation also was very clear saying that I would be
expected
to deliver an oral summary of my points that was to be no longer than
five minutes. You can see that presentation in video format. But before
I share that link, I want to set up the scene.
I am pretty embarrassed to say that I don't dress up much. The last
suit I bought is at least 15-years old and is a tad tight. My oldest
daughter Meghan took me to Romualdo, which is a custom men's shop in
Maderia, a suburb of Cincinnati. She selected a navy blazer and a white
shirt with French cuffs. For the occasion, my kid's - for the first
time in my life - got me some gorgeous ties for Father's Day. I can't
remember the last time I was so dressed up, and I must say I felt
really good in the new threads! But let me tell you it is really hard
to insert a right-side cuff link with a left bum thumb! I almost had to
have the front-desk clerk do it for me.
The hearing lasted two hours, but the event is cut up into 19
videos that are on YouTube.com. I am in several of the videos, but #3
in the series is the one where I give my oral opening statement. The
Subcommittee is chaired by Congressman Gonzalez, a Democrat from Texas.
The ranking member of the Subcommittee is Congressman Westmoreland, a
Republican from Georgia. They were the only two present as the hearing
started.
My Congressman, Steve Chabot, wanted to personally introduce me,
but was running late. Chairman Gonzalez was starting to introduce
another witness when Chabot walked into the room. You can hear part of
the exchange between the two Congressmen at the start of the video. It
is hilarious, especially when you realize Chabot is a Republican and
see how he forgets to give thanks to his ally Westmoreland:
Watch my oral statement in
part #3.
If you look to the lower right of the video as it plays on YouTube, you
will see a box that is titled "Related Videos". In that box you should
see the other 18 videos that make up the hearing. Videos #1
and 2 are
the opening statements of Gonzalez and Westmoreland. Videos #4, 5, 6
and 7 are the oral statements of the other witnesses. The question and
answer part of the hearing takes place in videos 8 through 18. I am in
video #8 and 18, as well as two or three others. Video 19 contains the
closing statements of Gonzalez and Westmoreland. You have to watch
video 19 to hear what Congressman Westmoreland says. I can see why the
people in the 3rd District of Georgia elected this man. He is indeed
honest.
I would appreciate it if you would rate my videos when you watch
them. It is my understanding you can only rate them if you have a
YouTube account. You can get a YouTube account for free and you do not
have to upload a video. It takes seconds to create a YouTube account.
The additional videos
are shown at the bottom of this newsletter.
Ceramic Tile Tips
I just finished installing new ceramic tile in a shower stall
in my
laundry room. It came out really swell. It was a very easy job as
ceramic-tile installations go.
One of the things that made 95 percent of the tile go in with ease
is I did not install the first row on top of the shower base *first*.
The first tiles were the second row. I discovered long ago that
bathtubs, shower bases, and just about any object that tile rests on is
never in the same plane much less level. Tubs frequently are twisted
like a helix.
I have a super high-quality level and used it to create a perfectly
level line around the three walls. This line was made so that a full
tile would fit under the second row and the highest point of the shower
base. My base was nearly perfect, and there was only a variance of
one-eighth inch.
I nailed strips of very straight lumber to the cement backerboard
carefully on this line. The tiles that were installed rested on this
lumber. The advantages of doing this ensured the tile would not slide
down the wall under gravity, and all of the horizontal grout lines from
the bottom to the top were guaranteed to line up perfectly.
Latest Columns and Videos
Here are two of my latest columns and videos loaded to the
website:
Columns:
Overhead Garage
Storage
How to Drywall
Videos:
Here is a video that has a mixture of fact and fiction. Enjoy!
Origin of the Cobb
Salad
How about a video of me driving at a tad over 139.79 mph?????
Tim Driving a Real
NASCAR Car - No Kidding
Index of past newsletters.
Newsletter Sponsorships
I am really proud to say that this newsletter has grown in both reputation and size to attract companies that make great products and offer superb services.
In the past I really fell down getting the newsletter out because it was lots of work with no pay. It was easy for me to neglect you as I turned to other tasks that put food on my table.
You will see an ad next week, and if you have a company that wants to advertise, contact me. The rates are very affordable.
Additional Congressional Videos
Below are the additional videos Tim appeared in during his Testimony before the House Subcommittee.
Part #8
Part #10
Part #12
Part #14
Part #18
Part #19
