Brick House
A brick house can resist damage from wind storms. Brick is simply much more durable than wood, vinyl or other sidings. Cement stucco, concrete block and stone houses also perform well in wind storms.
Author Archives: Tim Carter
Roof Framing Basics
Roof framing is not a job for a rookie carpenter. Hip roof framing and roof rafter framing are very challenging. To succeed, you must know how to use a framing square. Accurate cuts are vital and the walls upon which the rafters rest must be square and level. If not, the rafter cuts will give you migrane headaches.
Wall Framing Basics
Wall framing requires moderate carpentry skills. Exterior framing is often more difficult than framing interior walls. Framing 2x4 interior walls that are non-load bearing are the easiest walls to construct. Accurate measurements are a must as well as walls that are perfectly square.
Vapor Barriers in Wine Rooms
Wine room humidity and temperatures must be maintained for wine to age correctly. It is important to have a vapor barrier to trap the water vapor in the wine room so it does not migrate to other parts of the house. This is especially true if one or more walls of the storage room are exterior walls of the house.
Water Heater Anode Rod
Adding a second water heater anode rod will often double the life of a common water heater. The additional anode rod takes the place of the plastic dip tube that is found inside the cold water inlet of the heater.
AsktheBuilder mp3 Radio Show Nov 12 2005
Tim goes political and talks about his election to the Amberley Village Council this past week. He also outlines a project for building wood shelves in his garden shed. As a licensed master plumber, Tim raves about a no-solder epoxy for copper plumbing pipes. Tim takes callers' questions on painting a wood shed and a home condensation problem. Tim interviews Kim Wagner, a reality TV star from The Mansion reality show and also one of the authors of Building Your Own Home for Dummies.
AsktheBuilder mp3 Radio Show Nov 5 2005
Tim talks about Google Video news and answers a variety of callers' questions. Topics include basement waterproofing, making two ceilings the same height, blisters in painted cedar shakes, hair in a bath drain, curved gutters, asbestos in Zonolite Insulation and recessed lighting.
AsktheBuilder mp3 Radio Show Oct 29 2005
Tim tells about attending the Google Zeitgeist conference and answers a number of callers' questions. Problems solved this week include how many turbine vents to put in a house, concrete overlay on a garage roof, mechanical plumbing vents, fixing a water leak in a plumbing vent pipe, installing a used gas water heater, french drain fill, metal pegboard and worn shingles.
Screw Extractors
Screw extractors allow you to back out screws whose heads are stripped. These simple and effective devices can be found at large national retail stores that have a hardware department. The extractors have special hardened steel heads with reverse cutting bits. Once inserted into a regular drill they cut into and grab the head of the screw as you rotate the drill in reverse.
Bouncy and Springy Floors
Floors that bounce up and down when you walk across them are annoying. The floor may be structurally sound and built within code limits. In almost all cases, the floor can be fixed so that it is solid and does not bounce.