May 31, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter
If you’ve just become a subscriber in the past few days, this spot is yours! Newcomers to my newsletter family deserve a friendly welcome, right? I’m so glad you’re here!
You, on the other hand, might be a very seasoned subscriber who I’m always happy to see. I may have dusted you with so much chili pepper that you remember when I shared the news about how my composite decking was growing mushrooms! CLICK or TAP HERE to see some unbelievable fungi photos.
I love to listen to music while writing this newsletter. I think you’ll really like this week’s song. It’s a wistful tune that was part of a touring show about 20+ years ago. This particular song and performance introduced the third person in a sultry love triangle within the show. Take a few minutes to enjoy this amazing song and video. Then we’ll get back to work.
CLICK or TAP HERE and turn up the volume on your dream machine.
Two Sets of Young DIYrs
I’ve had the good fortune to help two young couples in the past few days. One couple lives in Connecticut, and the other in Indiana. I admire their energy and desire to tackle home improvement projects. It reminds me of my own early building and remodeling adventures.
These two projects are as different as night and day. The CT couple plans to install all new plumbing in an older home. They were really stumped on how to install vent pipes.
CLICK or TAP HERE to see how complex plumbing vent pipes can be. I recorded this video in a brand new home here in NH.
I did an hour-long live video call with them explaining how I’d do the piping if I was there. This is a big project that might call for a professional, but this feisty young woman is bound and determined to try it herself.
She did, however, remind me at least twice that it’s just a four-hour drive from my house to hers - hint, hint! I had mentioned that just last year I’d installed all the plumbing in my daughter’s new home. “You can adopt me! I’m your long-lost UK daughter,” she chortled with a thick London accent.
I have a strong connection with the other young couple. The wife was just a little girl when I remodeled her mom’s kitchen. During the remodel, the young lass got sick at school which was two blocks away and I ended up carrying her home in my arms. I sometimes wonder if it’s a tale oft-told at their holiday table. I’d not seen nor talked with her for over thirty-three years.
It turns out she and her husband live in a wonderful Craftsman house in an Indianapolis suburb. The covered concrete front porch is showing some wear. But this is no ordinary concrete porch.
They’ve gotten bids from some trusted concrete contractors who’ve indicated that they could replace the porch and do a great job.
There are two issues, in my opinion, worthy of serious consideration:
- the one-of-a-kind stone piers and support walls adjacent to the porch could easily be damaged by removing the existing slab
- there’s no real structural issue I can identify
It turns out this young couple can save thousands of dollars by just applying a cement stucco coating over the porch. This is a project they can do themselves. But it’s critical they use a time-tested bonding agent so the new stucco adheres permanently to the existing concrete.
What’s this magic material? I thought you’d never ask. CLICK or TAP HERE and behold a secret shared with me by an old concrete mason when I was but twenty-three years old!
Fun Quiz!
Are you interested in holistic Italian wrinkle-removing face cream? Do you know anything at all about plasma ejection? Do you have any insight into diseases that afflicted European Neanderthals?
If so, then you’ll LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this week’s FUN one-question quiz.
CLICK or TAP HERE to enhance your little gray cells!
Father’s Day Chainsaw
I had the good fortune to test a new Echo chainsaw a few days ago. This model is brand new. It’s a sweetheart saw for any homeowner.
CLICK or TAP HERE to discover why this particular saw would make a great Father’s Day present.
Heck, you don’t have to be a father to get one as a surprise prize gift! Ladies, you REALLY WANT TO see how little this dandy saw weighs!
Front Loader Washing Machine MOLD
Do you ever have mold on the gasket of your front loader washing machine? Does your top-loading machine SMELL MUSTY?
Do you want to know the BEST way to clean it?
Better yet, would you like to know how to ensure the mold and mildew NEVER COMES BACK once you clean the gasket?
I thought so! Do I have a prize for you!
CLICK or TAP HERE and listen to something I’ll bet you didn’t know.
DANGER! Electrical Panel Water
Did you know water can leak into your electrical panel where all the circuit breakers are?
It’s actually somewhat common.
CLICK or TAP HERE and listen to what might be happening and how you can stop it. This is a DIY fix that can save you BIG $$$.
Blistering HOT Garages
Is your garage HOT?
Mine can get stifling hot. CLICK or TAP HERE to see how you can keep it as cool as possible.
That’s enough for a Sunday, don’t you think?
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Clean ANYTHING - www.StainSolver.com
Morse Code LIVES! - www.W3ATB.com
Do It Right, Not Over!
P.S. Is the water pressure in your shower low? Do you know how to save well over $100 and fix it yourself?
CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you were right.
