Treated Lumber Cracking - STOP Cracks By Using Great Sealer Below Treated lumber cracking happens because water soaks into the wood. The wood swells creating stress within the wood's cellular structure. When the water evaporates, the wood shrinks. This movement causes tension forces that start to tear the lumber apart. The cracks you see […]
How to Flash Siding Block - You Need Thin Stainless Steel Watch this video to understand one correct way to flash a siding block for light fixtures, hose bibs, appliance vents, etc. It's much easier to install the special stainless steel flashing tape as you're installing the siding rather than to do a repair. CLICK […]
Restore Old Deck - Flip Over the Joists DEAR TIM: I’ve got a nine-year-old treated lumber deck on my home that’s showing worrying signs of decay. I removed some of the deck boards to discover some of the 2x12s are rotting at the top and there are huge cracks running along the top edge of […]
Garage Planning Ideas - Make it Bigger DEAR TIM: I can’t tell you how many thousands of dollars I’ve spent on remote storage facility fees. I want to put all my stuff on my own land in a dream garage. I realize a garage can be detached as well as attached to my home. Have […]
Metal Roof Color Temperature - Color Matters Big Time I used my FLIR infrared camera to determine the temperature of three pieces of metal I had painted three different colors. The experiment was done at the end of May 2020 in central New Hampshire. I took the photos just a few minutes after solar noon. […]
Hot Cold Hose Faucet - No Need to Dream, BUY ONE NOW I did a random three-question survey about hose faucets recently. When asked how hose faucets could be improved, many wanted two features: hot water at the faucet quick disconnect You can buy both of these outdoor hose faucets NOW. I installed a hot […]
Vinyl Siding Comparison - You Can Get the True Wood Look DEAR TIM: I’m going to be building a new home and I have to make a decision about the siding. I can afford wood shakes and love the look, but I am concerned about long-term maintenance. Vinyl siding seems to have so many advantages, […]
Free Standing Tree House IMPORTANT NOTE: Be sure to CLICK or TAP HERE to listen to my podcast about this topic where I answer Joe's questions. I also have very important drawings THERE you should see. DEAR TIM: I've built a free-standing treehouse for my 9-year-old son but I'm a novice in carpentry. I recorded […]
Patio Puddles DEAR TIM: I’ve got a problem I need you to solve. You see each time it rains I have a puddle develop on the outer edge of my circular patio. It’s older concrete and it appears the puddle is related to a crack that’s above a low retaining wall the patio rests on. […]
Ask The Builder · 69: Free Standing Tree House Animated GIF by Marty Hovey Copyright 1995 Marty Hovey Free Standing Tree House Podcast: Tim Carter received a free standing tree house email from Joe who lives in South Carolina. He sent an amazing video you MUST watch below. I pray that Joe leaves […]