"You can make an opening higher in a load-bearing wall much easier than creating a wider opening." Enlarge Opening in Load Bearing Wall Checklist Build temporary walls to support the load Bearing points of columns must be stacked and extend down through the house to a footing Hire a structural engineer to size the beam Be sure […]
If your new home is built during a wet season, you will experience lumber shrinkage. This can cause ceramic tile, backsplashes, drywall and flooring cracks, among other problems. If possible, allow your house to dry out before installing all the materials inside.
Old vs New Construction TIPS Complex question - not easy to answer in limited space Many old materials superior to modern substitutes Workers today not as dedicated to quality Regulations, laws, wage packages put downward pressure on quality CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter! Less than two hours ago, I was having […]
DIY Wood Rot Treatment TIPS Old wood-hulled sailing ships needed treatment to sail fast Copper plating was used on ships Use liquid copper for DIY treatment - SEE PRODUCT BELOW Cut off end of lumber and stand it up in bucket of liquid like Christmas tree CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter! […]
Rain on Framing Lumber TIPS Water for a short time is no issue Rot takes months to destroy wood Keep job site clean - sweep water away Spray borate to prevent rot - See Below! CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter! DEAR TIM: I'm having a new house built and it's been […]
Many homeowners experience mold and mildew on their lumber as houses are built or room additions are constructed. The good news is the lumber is going to be fine and there's rarely any damage to the wood. If it's just surface mold or mildew, it will clean off.
Wet or rain-soaked framing lumber will not rot in a matter of days. Homeowners often worry that the wood is ruined if a house gets wet during construction. Water can cause problems if the lumber is allowed to stay wet for weeks and weeks, so do whatever is possible to get a roof on the house.
Quick Summary: Compare slab to crawl space wood floor cost Pros and Cons of slab Pros and Cons of crawl space wood floor Karen lives in Saint Cloud, Florida. She emailed me the following: "I would like to build a home that is about 600 sq ft with 1000 sq ft roof to cover the front […]
Tommy Cummings is perplexed in Fife Lake, MI. Here's one of the shortest questions I've ever received. "I'm using 2x6 studs. How is the correct way to build my window headers?" Well here's my answer: Two Or More Methods Tommy, there's two parts to this answer, the method and the engineering solution. Different carpenters will do this […]
Dick Anderson is a motivator who lives in Darlington, WI. He took issue with a past column of mine that discussed the challenges a DIY person faces when building their first log cabin. STOP now and read my past column titled Dream Log Cabin Challenges before you read Dick's comments below. After reading Dick's comments, please […]
