If you're a new subscriber in the past two or three weeks, I need to WARN you. This is by no means a normal AsktheBuilder.com newsletter. If you're a seasoned subscriber, I believe you'll appreciate this issue. A Strange Three Weeks I can't quite put my finger on it, but several non-connected events have caused […]
"You can build a concrete block foundation that’s stronger and more durable than a poured wall so long as the block foundation has lots of vertical and horizontal steel in it and the void spaces in the concrete block wall are filled with pea-gravel concrete." Poured or Block Foundation Checklist Both foundations need lots of […]
Titanic Movie Alternative Ending Scene - Old Rose You may not have seen this romantic movie, but the beginning part of this scene didn't make the final cut. "You look for treasure in the wrong place, Mr. Lovett. Only life is priceless... and making each day count." Pay attention to what Rose says starting at 2:31 when […]
DEAR TIM: I work at a smaller municipal airport and need your help. The concrete inside some of the plane hangers is crumbling at the straight lines where one giant slab of concrete touches up against another slab. There’s a metal strip in between the slabs if that makes a difference. What’s the best way […]
Two days from now I'll be in the Big D. Dallas, Texas I'm there as a guest of Honeywell. They want me to look at some of their newest home comfort and technology products. I promise to take great photos and come back with a full report on what I saw. COME TO THE MEET […]
Here's a fun short quiz and I guarantee you'll discover something new about plumbing around your home. Be sure to SCROLL to the top of the page after you CLICK SUBMIT. When you do that, you'll see a link to View Your Score. You want to do this because the next screen will have HANDY LINKS […]
Ruth Ann, who lives in Lincoln, MA, wrote to me about grab bars. Here's what she had to say: "We are installing safety bars in our tiled bath, tile over rock lath plaster (1927). The installer plans to use wall anchors, not toggles or into studs. He insists this will hold, been doing it for […]
This is my favorite time of year. The eye candy around me is beyond belief. Autumn in the Northeast United States, I'm told, is like no other place on the planet. I believe I've heard there's a part of Japan that gets the same vibrant color. If so, those people are lucky, very lucky. This […]
"I knew the Deck Over product would FAIL at some point because it was a film-forming product meant to completely cover the wood much like a clown applies makeup to completely hide their face/skin." Beware Behr Deck Over - It Will Peel Dan lives in Norwalk, CT. He emailed me overnight and needed immediate help. […]
DEAR TIM: I recently saw a new paving system that I thought was ingenious. Instead of a solid driveway there were two strips of some precast concrete, each about 2-feet wide for the car tires. Grass was growing within the concrete strips and the area between the concrete was just lawn. Back by the person’s […]
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