June 3, 2016 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

How are you? I'm doing great, thanks for wondering.

There's so much to share this issue. I've got news about Stain Solver, my upcoming deck project, replacing rotten house trim lumber and a few common sense tips.

I've also started to sell some RARE Google schwag that I've accumulated over the years. I listed a few days ago on eBay a TUMI laptop bag that I got at the 2005 Google Zeitgeist.

Maybe only 300 of these are in existence. They are SUPER RARE. Look below for more information about this.

But first I want to let you know that in about five weeks - yikes! - I'll be driving from New Hampshire to Cincinnati, Ohio.

I'll be attending my 50-year grade school reunion. Would you like to see some dorky photos of me in grade school, including my kindergarten graduation photo? I thought so. opens in a new windowCLICK HERE if you want to put a smile on your face.

Oh did we ever have fun in grade school. I was part of the magical baby boomer generation, and we grew up in the late 1950's and early 1960's. It was a magical time.

Think about this. There were no cell phones. It cost LOTS of money to make a long-distance phone call. There was no such thing as email and the Internet. Personal computers were not even a glint in Steve Jobs' or Bill Gates' eyes.

You rode bikes, played hide and seek, and went into the woods and read comic books for fun. You went on hunts to find empty glass soda bottles so you could get 2 cents for each one at the store. That money was then spent on penny candy.

Many stories like that are going to be exchanged at the reunion. I'm looking forward to it.

I'll be taking a circuitous route to and from the reunion so I can stop by as many National Parks and Historic sites on the way. I'm actively participating in this magical fun opens in a new windowyear-long radio event.

My Outdoor Deck Project

I didn't build the house I live in. I won't name the builder, but I can tell you that he had some BOZO subcontractors on the job. I'm constantly redoing and rebuilding things around here and ALMOST DONE.

Last year, I had to redo the entire roof. The house now has a roof that will not need to be replaced for at least 80, or more, years.

Here's the laundry list of how bad the builder messed up my deck. It started with the plan.

• It's 10 x 64 feet
• It's nailed to the house, not through bolted
• It's got INFERIOR flashing
• Composite decking was not spaced properly
• Railing 4x4 posts had TWO INCHES of material notched out

I could probably list a few other things, but I think you get the point. Here's a photo of my current narrow deck.

Let's start with the plan. If you want a deck that will have a table and chairs that sit more than two people around it, you MUST HAVE at least 12 feet of space.

Most tables for four people are 4 feet in diameter. You then need another 4 feet of space around the entire table to provide comfortable seating space and enough room so that people can WALK AROUND a seated person without forcing that person to get up or SCRUNCH in.

To solve this problem, I'm building a new deck that's going to be 3 feet lower than my existing deck and it will be 24 feet wide and extend out from my current deck 16 feet.

Kathy and I have decided to use the opens in a new windowTrex Transcend decking material and the stunning railing system they provide.

The Transcend product is their top-of-the-line decking. It's really an amazing product and if you're considering a new deck or want to abandon wood because it's so much hassle, then be sure to give Transcend a hard look.

opens in a new windowCLICK HERE to discover more about Trex Transcend. You'll be blown away by how realistic the deck planks are.

I'm going to tape a series of videos about the deck remodeling process so you'll get to see all that's going on.

I'm also using a few VERY FASCINATING structural connectors and screws to FIX the deck connection problem with my existing deck.

These are made by Simpson Strong-Tie. Hang tight for information on these as I'll have very good video for you showing exactly what they are and how they work.

My guess is you probably should use at least one of these connectors. MANY MANY decks built in the USA are not connected correctly to the house.

These can PULL AWAY and COLLAPSE with NO NOTICE. Watch for my upcoming videos.

Rotten Trim Lumber

Hundreds of thousands of homes around New England, and I feel the entire USA, have been trimmed out with JUNK trim lumber.

My house is one. It's a crappy hybridized lumber that is finger jointed. This means the lumber mills take small short pieces of scrap lumber and mill them so the ends interlock like you doing the same with the fingers on both of your hands.

I have this crap on my home. Much of it around the windows and doors around my deck is rotting out.

I'm about to TEST a new exciting product that should never rot and it's able to be painted a DARK color.

There are a few products out there made from cellular plastic that you can install that will not rot. The issue is you can't paint them dark colors because the expansion contraction coefficient of the plastic is too great and the paint will not adhere.

I'll have MORE about this new material in about a month, so stay tuned!

Stain Solver News

We had a Stain Solver sale a little over a month ago. It was SO SUCCESSFUL that in just ten days we sold about 50% of the ten tons we made.

Yes, TEN TONS.

Usually I send out a last-minute reminder that the sale is about to end.

I didn't send it out!

Why?

Because you would have bought up all the remaining inventory! When I send out the "Sale Ends in HOURS" reminders, you might be one that finally reacts. Those reminders create LOTS of sales.

We're about a week away from making another TEN TONS.

I'll be having another sale, so you'll want to be opening each newsletter for the announcement. But if you've NOT USED Stain Solver before, I have something to tell you.

You can use Stain Solver for all your outdoor cleaning projects:

• boats
• docks
• decks
• mildewed patios
• composite decking
• algae-covered siding
• pre-painting cleaner
• teak tables and chairs
• etc., etc., etc.

If you're a new subscriber, Kathy and I own Stain Solver. It's a Certified organic oxygen bleach that is NON TOXIC. It cleans anything water washable.

You should order NOW a small sample bottle to test it so you can then be READY to buy a LARGER size when the sale happens.

Seriously, order a SMALL SAMPLE SIZE now. It's less than $10 with FREE SHIPPING to any place in the USA including any US Territory!!! Yes, if you live in Guam, you can get one of these bad boys.

opens in a new windowCLICK HERE now and order the 0.4-pound size. It's the Perfect Sample Size.

Google Schwag Bag

Are you aware of the TUMI brand of satchels? These are some of the best in the world. I'm serious. Just go read online reviews about TUMI bags.

If you're looking for a SPECIAL GIFT for that someone who LOVES Google and TUMI gear, then you need to look it this.

I received this bag because I was one of about 300 people who were invited to the 2005 Google Zeitgeist.

Who were some invited to Zeitgeist?

Well, the Librarian of Congress sat next to me at lunch. There were a few royal family members from other lands there. Ray Kurzweil was there too. opens in a new windowWatch this video BEFORE it's taken DOWN from YouTube!

Barry Diller was there and many huge titans of business.

We all received one of these bags and some other loot.

These are truly RARE. You can get TUMI bags all day long, but not ones that have the Google ZeitGeist embroidery.

I have this bag up on eBay for auction now and the auction ENDS on Sunday night.

opens in a new windowCLICK HERE to see more photos and to BID on it.

I'm SERIOUS, this is a very rare bag.

You'll be sorry if you don't get this, especially if you love getting special Google schwag.

Little Cute Gus

About three weeks ago, I received a charming email from a mom. Her name is Terri.

It was about a funny video I taped about eight years ago. Evidently toddlers LOVE watching it because I was being corny and there's a surprising special effect at the open.

Terri's son Gus loved it so much he did an impersonation of me in the video and she shared the video.

She gave me permission to put it on my website and share it with you.

WATCH my video first, then watch Gus below my video. Then share in a comment on that page how well you thought Gus did!

opens in a new windowCLICK HERE to watch me and then Gus.

That's PLENTY for a Friday.

opens in a new windowGO BID on that TUMI bag now. You'll REGRET not getting it. I guarantee you it will go UP in value.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Do It Right, Not Over!