Q&A / 

Best Bar Harbor Builder - I Might Be Able to Help My daughter and son-in-law built a new home in Bar Harbor beginning in late 2018. I was not the builder, but I did act as their primary advisor. I also installed all the plumbing, radiant heat, and electric. I live hundreds of miles away […]

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Flushable Wipes Clog Drain Lines and Sewers This subject was still getting attraction months after Tim published this column. Check out the May 19, 2019 and the August 4, 2019 Newsletter! DEAR TIM: I’m really upset. I’m retired and have limited resources. I just had to spend $3,300 on a new sewage pump that was […]

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Floor Truss Framing Tim Carter demonstrates in a run-and-gun on-a-whim video how floor trusses save time and MONEY when installing pipes in a new home. More pictures and the story behind this video appeared in his March 31, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

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"A drill-powered pump is an excellent tool to use to AVOID sucking on a hose to start a gravity-powered siphon setup. Why get all that algae-filled water in your mouth?" Drill Powered Pump - It Will Save You Time and Your Back You may not have been aware of a drill powered pump. They are […]

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"Detached garage ideas are like grains of sand on a beach. The most important one is to make your garage wide and deep." Tim Carter | Founder - AsktheBuilder.com Detached Garage Ideas - Bigger is Better Always DEAR TIM: I bought a house with a dilapidated detached garage on it. It needs to be torn […]

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Attic Truss Design - Real Rooms in a Real Attic! "You may not realize you can have rooms up in the wasted space of normal truss roofs. Attic trusses allow you to recapture all that dead space." Tim Carter | Founder - AsktheBuilder.com Attic trusses are marvelous trusses that create rooms for a small amount […]

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  Blasting Ledge - Not DIY - No Way - No How Blasting ledge was done years ago with hand-held star-bit drills and sledgehammers. Two men would drill down about 18 inches, pack the hole with black powder, light a fuse, and run for their lives. Black powder was very dangerous to use and many […]

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"... you may be a homeowner that’s been violated by a bad builder and your first instinct is to extract justice using the legal system." Sue My Builder Checklist Ask your attorney the right questions in one hour or less Most builders have no money to get Determine what it costs to prosecute a lawsuit […]

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 Foundation Height Above Grade - Shoot for 18 Inches This is the 4th podcast in a large series that follows the construction of Tim Carter’s daughter’s new home in Downeast Maine. In this podcast, Tim talks about how important it is to make sure the top of the foundation is above the surrounding soil. There are […]

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Frost Line - Be Sure Foundation is Lower! This is the 3rd podcast in a large series that follows the construction of Tim Carter’s daughter’s new home in Downeast Maine. In this podcast, Tim talks about how you need to know the depth to which frost penetrates the soil where you build. CLICK HERE to view […]

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