How to Prevent Contractor Mistakes - Phone Call Help and Due Diligence I feel it’s my job to save you as much money and time as possible on every project you plan to do at your home. While it’s a noble quest, I’m thwarted each day by two or three things. First and foremost, if […]
Painting Rusty Metal and Steel - Prevent Explosions! Did you see in the recent news the catastrophic gas explosion that killed nine people on the island of Jersey in the English Channel? It’s early in the investigation and the experts may not ever be able to pinpoint the cause, but I have my own idea […]
How to Build a Masonry Fireplace - It's Very Complex The two main reasons for smoke in his home were the lack of a combustion air intake and his chimney was not the correct height. A few of his photos also showed a very dangerous situation where his flue liners were not surrounded by solid […]
Cold Weather Myths and Your Home - Easy Ways to Save $$$ When I woke up just before writing this column, it was a balmy -15F here at my house in central New Hampshire. A gale was blowing and the wind chill was -41F. You may be reading this column in sunny Florida or southern […]
SR71 LA Speed Story Major Brian Shul served our great nation well! And he's a fantastic storyteller. Tim CarterTim built custom homes and did ultra-custom remodeling for 20+ years before launching his Ask the Builder media presence. He was selected as one of the Big 50 by Remodeling magazine in 1993. This award gave birth […]
Loan Prepayment Benefits - You Can Save Thousands of Dollars My youngest daughter moved out West thousands of miles away from me in 2022. Once in her new city, she had to purchase her first car. She bought a used car from Carvana. At the time of the purchase, she had a job prospect but […]
How to Use an Old Drywall Lath Hatchet - Keep it Razor Sharp This video was probably recorded in the 1950s. The installer is putting up 3/8-inch-thick drywall lath panels. These lath panels were often 16 inches wide and normally 4 feet long. They were introduced in the early 1900s. Some call it rock lath. […]
Spray Foam Pros and Cons - You Better Do the Math! A new home is being built on my street. I have to drive past it anytime I leave the community. I’ve visited the job site countless times to check on the progress and to weigh in on the quality of the workmanship. So far […]
Dark Side of EV Batteries - Child Labor in the Congo Tim CarterTim built custom homes and did ultra-custom remodeling for 20+ years before launching his Ask the Builder media presence. He was selected as one of the Big 50 by Remodeling magazine in 1993. This award gave birth to Ask the Builder in October […]
Build a Magic Playhouse or Clubhouse - Create Memories Many decades ago I was a small lad. You may have had a childhood similar to mine. I was right in the middle of the baby boom created by lonely soldiers and sailors who came back from the great World War II to make up for […]
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