Author Archives: Tim Carter

Concrete Sealants

Posted on by Tim Carter

Concrete sealants are products designed to inhibit and/or prohibit liquids from being absorbed by concrete. Concrete, contrary to popular belief, is actually a porous material. It can and does absorb water and other liquids. Some of these liquids can have dissolved materials (salts, acids, etc.) which can severely harm the concrete. Water can enter concrete and freeze. Water which freezes expands by approximately nine percent. This expansion can literally tear concrete apart. It is a good idea to apply a concrete sealant to avoid such problems.

Disappearing Contractors

Posted on by Tim Carter

Contractors have been known to disappear and never return to finish a job. Why? Payment has usually been given in full by the homeowner before the job was done. Reputable contractors will work out a mutually fair and timely payment schedule. Do not pay up front until you read this advisory and check out the fair payment schedule provided.

Finding Qualified Contractors

Posted on by Tim Carter

Finding qualified contractors for your building or remodeling projects requires some self education. A contractor may be far less qualified than you might expect, even with references, BBB checks and visits to his/her completed jobs. A building contractor or remodeling contractor can start a business with no formal technical education, but simply a self proclaimed title of expert. Know the right questions to ask about your own project to find the right, trustworthy, contractor to do your job.

Hot Water Heater Venting

Posted on by Tim Carter

Problem solving is the nature of our world. Researchers and scientists create things, methods or new products only to find that a secondary problem develops as a result of the initial solution! This happened with the newer high efficiency furnaces. These furnaces deliver 90 percent or more combustion heat to your home, compared to old coal furnaces which only delivered about 50 percent. Here are some things to keep in mind for hot water heater venting into old chimneys.

Hot Water Heater Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter

The hot water heater is one of the friendliest and most dependable home appliances. They are very simple mechanical devices when you think about it. My guess is that the average heater has less than five moving water heater parts. Fewer moving parts often translates into minimal breakdowns. In any event, most of us take these "comfort generators" for granted.

Chimney Liners & Stainless Steel Alloys

Posted on by Tim Carter

Many old homes in the United States have aged masonry chimneys with gas furnaces that use the chimney as a vent. Replacing such appliances will leave you with an oversized chimney and draft problems. With stainless steel alloy chimney liners, you can solve this problem. The following tips when talking to companies will count if you're making this adjustment.

Chimney Construction Resources

Posted on by Tim Carter

The following resources are for chimney construction, design and maintenance. If you need to fill a large space around a chimney crown, try the following list of manufacturers who make cement stable silicone caulks. Also, ChimneySaver's CrownSeal, while not a project you can do at home, can help you with your chimney repair without having to start from scratch.

Chimney Cap & Crown

Posted on by Tim Carter

Chimneys. Every time my kids watch Mary Poppins, I think of chimneys. Imagine how many millions of chimneys there are in the USA: millions and millions. Heck, I've got two on my own house and I've seen houses with as many as four and five. Each chimney must be properly crowned with a gap between the flue liner and caulked with a cement stable sealant. You can also protect your chimney by installing a chimney cap to reduce weather damage.