Ronald A. Carleton has trouble with paint peeling on his patio in Port Clinton,Ohio. Perhaps paint is not practical. How's that for alliteration? Here's what Ron wrote to me: "What's the best product to apply to pre-painted cement on a outdoor patio? The pre-painted area in the sun area flakes off while the shaded area stays […]
DEAR TIM: I plan to build a privacy wood fence as soon as the weather breaks and want to do all my planning now while the ground is frozen. I've got many questions, not the least of which is how to secure horizontal wood framing members to the vertical fence posts so the weight of […]
Mystery Sewer Gas Smell Lynne K. has a colonial home in North Easton, MA. She's at her wits end about a sewer gas smell in the home. Let her give you a full report: "I bought my home, a colonial, in Dec. 2008. It was built in 2003. Before I moved in, I smelled a rotten […]
First and foremost - Merry Christmas! If you celebrate this time of year and use a different name for it, then I wish you blessings and peace as well. I want to thank you for a great 2014 and I look forward to a grand 2015. The next week will find me close to my […]
Dale Hanson is thinking of purchasing a condo in Champaign, IL. His inspector may have given him bad advice: "I am purchasing a condo and the inspector said he could not find a return air duct in the basement. Is it necessary to have an air duct in the basement?" Dale, I assume you mean is it […]
When you think of a man up in the mountains digging with a mattock and shovel, you probably conjure up a vision of a prospector looking for gold, silver or other valuable mineral. I doubt you'd imagine a man creating caves full of sculptured art. When you watch this video, I hope you take away […]
Bob Monninger had a shed built at his Antioch, Illinois home. Let him finish the tale. "I had a shed built this summer by a company called Tuff Shed. It's a very good one, 10 X 14, all wood. It sits on a concrete slab. I have installed insulation on all four walls, the ceiling, and the […]
We're just eight days away from Christmas now. I hope you're getting ready at your home. Yesterday, we finally put up our tree. We cut it down from a local grower on Sunday afternoon. Kathy and I love supporting local businesses when we can. I've got a link to a short video below that might […]
Debbie Foley has a question about her cedar potting table that's stored outdoors all winter in Pickerington, OH. "I have a cedar potting table that must remain outside over the winter. What should be done to care for it over the winter? Should it be covered and if so what should we use to cover it? […]
Cliff C McDonald Sr., who lives in Jacksonville, Alabama, had a great question. It's right to the point: "Can you catch a disease from raw sewage running on top of the ground?" Cliff, you bet you can. If you follow the international news after any huge natural disaster like a typhoon, hurricane, earthquake, etc. you'll […]
Subscribe to the FREE Ask the Builder newsletter to receive professional advice for your home. Complete the form below and each week you'll get:
Unsubscribe at any time. We respect your email privacy.