November 28, 2011 AsktheBuilder Newsletter And Tips

What's in This Newsletter?

Latest News
Hand-Powered Sanding Trick
Wet-Dry Vac Follow Up Tips
Flash Checklist Sale!
Dangerous Backdrafting Issues
Help Stop a Monopoly
Facebook News

Yes, I know I just emailed you yesterday. But today is the infamous Cyber Monday!I don't want to be outdone by all those other websites, especially since you and I are friends.

I want you to be able to save some sweet moola with me that you can then use it to buy some other gifts!

Before we get to the unbelievable offer, here are a few tips:

Hand-Powered Sanding Trick

Keith Elder emailed me after the last newsletter was sent. He said:

"Just thought I would share a little discovery with you. When you have those tiny areas which need sanding, instead of folding sandpaper, go to the dollar store and buy a batch of emery boards. You find them in the nail polish section. They are basically sandpaper on a stick and work really well."

Great tip Keith! I'll add that to get in tight spots take a scissors and trim the emery board to an arrow point.

Wet-Dry Vac Follow Up Tips

Beverly Saltonstall wrote to me after seeing Bob's use of his wet-dry vac to clear his tub drain clog in the last issue:

"I liked your wet-dry vac trick. Every now and again, I plug up my garbage disposal and it throws up!!!! I get the handy shop vac out, suck everything out and it is working good as new again. I have an old Craftsman 16 gal vac that has to be near 25 years old. I empty my pond with it and use it for all kinds of stuff, and it is still chugging along. Great stuff those old Craftsman products!"

I want to also add that be sure to stuff a wet rag tightly over the tub overflow as you put the hose of the vacuum on top of the drain to get maximum drain-clearing power.

FLASH Checklist Sale!

opens in a new windowFor years, I've sold these opens in a new windowgreat checklists that help you know the most important parts of a job. They really help you find a pro to do a job, or if you're a DIYr, going through the checklists HELPS YOU know where to really pay attention.

I've got about 31 of these bad boys from Interior Painting, to Bath Remodeling, Kitchen Remodeling, Room Additions, and even New Home Construction.

If you went and bought each one separately, you'd spend over $500. No lie. Do the math.

Just ONE checklist can save you hundreds of dollars in mistakes and immeasurable frustration and stress.

I do now sell them in bundles. For example, the Indoor Projects Bundle costs $61. The Outdoor Bundle costs over $80. Those two contain just a handful of ALL of the checklists.

Since it's Crazy Cyber Monday, you can have ALL of the checklists, even my WalkThrough Inspection Checklist for opens in a new windowonly $79.

That's insanity - on my part.

This deal expires when one of these two things happens:

Kathy finds out what I've done - she'll kill me. Fortunately she doesn't read my newsletter.

I'm still alive on Sunday December 4th at midnight Eastern Time and stop the sale.

If you're an old-time subscriber, you KNOW this is a opens in a new windowcrazy insane sale price.

You'll regret not taking advantage of it. I know that for a fact.

DANGEROUS Backdrafting Issues!

This is the time of year people die from carbon monoxide. If you did a kitchen remodel job recently and installed a powerful vent fan, be aware they can be deadly.

These fans can exhaust tremendous amount of air and they will get the replacement air from the source of least resistance.

That source could be the flue of your furnace, water heater, or other fuel-burning appliance. It could suck in exhaust gas into your house when those fuel-burning heaters are working!

Then there's the triple whammy. Imagine someone having the exhaust fan on high, another person is using the central vacuum and someone else is taking a shower using that exhaust fan. See the problem?

Read this past column of mine to see how to solve the problem. The link to the video about the same vent is right there in the column. Watch it!

If you want one of the cool vents I talk about in the column and video, I'll arrange with Jimmy to get you one. Who's Jimmy? He's the inventor! REPLY to this newsletter email and put "Jimmy" in the subject line. I'll hook you up.

Help STOP a Monopoly - READ THIS!

If you're a seasoned subscriber, you know where I stand with increased government in my life and yours. Grrrrrrr.

Here's a very important factoid: Since the 4th quarter of 2007, there has been only ONE reported incident of a table saw blade contact with the already existing improved saw blade guards. One incident!

It's a long story, but a clever man has pretty much cornered the market on table saw safety. He's lobbying HARD with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to have a new regulation passed that will drastically increase the cost of any table saw.

I'm VERY MUCH against this regulation for many reasons. The bottom line is the tool industry can, and has done, an excellent job of increasing tool safety.

Go to the opens in a new windowPower Tool Institute website and read much of the information on the home page. I HOPE it motivates you to Send a Comment to the CPSC while you're there. You'll see the handy buttons to send a comment.

Facebook News!

Do you use Facebook? I've got a opens in a new windowFacebook Fan Page that really sees some action during the week.

We have lots of fun there each week. Go look for yourself..

Please go there now and LIKE me so you can start to get FREE tips from me when you login to your Facebook page.

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