How to Draw Plumbing Plans - It's Not Easy to Get Them Right You may want to know how to draw plumbing plans because: you need a plumbing permit you plan to install the pipes yourself your plumber needs the drawing and can't do it There are other reasons to draw plumbing plans, but those […]
Weight of Rain | Bat Story Follow-up | Clean Wooden Spoons You're a new subscriber, aren't you? That explains why you're sitting next to Daphne, Dolly, Doug, Jenny, Marney, Betty, Ken, Shatasha, and a boatload of others that entered the room since last Sunday. Welcome! I think you're going to like the newsletter. But you, […]
How Much Does Rain Weigh? - For 2 Inches Per Square Mile I like to do arithmetic problems the way I was taught in grade school. I still use a pencil and paper. The goal is to keep my brain sharp. It's one of the reasons I like doing Morse code too. My favorite pencils […]
Tim Carter DIY Coaching - Phone or Video Call Do you need DIY coaching? Are you stuck with a: carpentry problem plumbing issue roof leak ceramic tile install or grout question repair conundrum bid comparison scenario ANY problem around your home or small business Ask the Builder founder Tim Carter will call you on the […]
Are you going to be pouring a concrete sidewalk, driveway, patio or apron slab soon? Do you know you get ONE CHANCE to get it right? Is your contractor going to botch the job and your new concrete spall or develop ugly random cracks? How do you know it's going to be done right? Are […]
Surfside City Condo Collapse - My Early Guess: Rusty Rebar Fractures and Weakened Concrete Columns This past weekend, my wife asked me all sorts of questions about the tragic sudden collapse of the 40-year-old condominium building near Miami, Florida. We’ve dated since high school and she knows I’ve got a geology degree instead of one […]
If you're a new subscriber and you speak Greek, I'd say "Teekanis" to you right now. You'd probably reply, "Cala!" Yes, yes, I know I butchered both words, but it's what my Greek bosses would say to me when I came to work each day at Skyline Chili in Cincinnati. Bottom Line: Hello! Bring more […]
Build a Cardboard Boat - Sears Editors Conference 1999 I was lucky to be part of the team that was destined to build a cardboard boat that set a Florida state record. The year, I believe, was 1999. Mike Mangan, the public relations manager for Sears, invited me to my first ever Sears Editors Conference […]
How to Prevent Bats in Attic - Very Easy IMPORTANT Author Note: After this column was featured in the July 4, 2021 newsletter, a subscriber was kind enough to share her frightening and expensive story about a bat encounter. It's at the bottom of this column. I URGE you to read it. Bats frighten many […]
3D Printed House Cost - It's Not All Unicorns and Rainbows You may wonder if the new belle of the ball, 3D printed house, is really going to cost you less money to build than a normal house. Some publications fawn about new techniques like these and only share the glitter and gleam of the […]
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