Old Growth Lumber Grew Slower - Much Slower Quick Column Summary: Hard to find straight lumber Trees are a crop New fast-growth trees being cut Old-growth lumber rots slower DEAR TIM: I was at the home center yesterday trying to get some rough lumber for a project. I spent a long time trying to get […]
Quick Column Summary: Best way to install stone veneer WHAT does the manufacturer say The warranty is most important Cement paint will help get a great bond Dan Ritchey, from Malta, Montana, asked: "Do you have to use metal lathe and thinset on stone veneer or can you apply a scratch coat on cement board […]
Quick Column Summary: Musty room is an embarrassment Vapor barrier will help Control the water to dry out the space Run a dehumidifier Missy Merritt, who lives in Ocean View, NJ, has a problem in her pool house. " I have a pool house that was build without a foundation. You have to step down to […]
Good Morning! This is going to be an abbreviated newsletter because I'm nutso busy. Yesterday, I worked the scenic train finishing up my training as a conductor and got to do something very, very cool, but with huge responsibility. We did a push back. The rail line is like a road, but in your car, […]
Quick Column Summary: Can asphalt drive be covered with crushed rock Make sure there are 4-6 inches of angular stone A thin layer of stone will eventually expose asphalt The new stone will not interlock with the asphalt Karen Cesar, who lives in sunny and warm Tuscon, AZ, is getting ready to tackle a paving […]
Simple Common Roof Rafters Quick Column Summary: How do you create a roof rafter You need 4 simple tools and geometry How to determine your roof slope DEAR TIM: I'm now retired and starting to attack a huge list of projects. One of them is building a simple shed and I have no clue how […]
I had to go with my daughter on Friday to buy two fitness bicycles - one for her and one for me. Then I had to go work on the train. I ran out of time to get you the Weekend Warrior Tip on Friday. Yesterday, I was up at 4:15 a.m. and out the […]
Quick Column Summary: Rotten egg smell in plumbing Is it in all the faucets Is it the municipal water supply An anonymous person named Free who lives in Lancaster, CA moved into a new mobile home park. He or she's got a problem with water odor: "My toilet smells like rotten eggs. The shower water […]
Quick Column Summary: Brick steps falling apart Can bricks be reused Why all brick are not the same Reuse the brick with special mortar Raimond Cheung was working on his brick steps at his house in Rego Park, NY and got stumped. Here's his question: "My old brick step is falling apart. I took a few […]
Glue Rocks Together - Use Magic Epoxy Below Quick Column Summary: Stacked rock sculpture What is the bonding material Use a rock/masonry epoxy Maurizio Magnani was perplexed after visiting a public park in Duarte, CA. Here's what he wrote to me: "I would like to build a river rocks assembly I saw at a nearby […]
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