October 21, 2008 AsktheBuilder News
What's in This Issue
SMOKING GUN - DOWNSPOUT DRAIN PIPE
SATURDAY MEET AND GREET
BROKEN LINK IN LAST NEWSLETTER
SWINGING DOORS
NEW HAMPSHIRE PHOTO ALBUM
MEETING THE CANDIDATES
LATEST COLUMN AND VIDEO
SMOKING GUN - DOWNSPOUT DRAIN PIPE
This morning, I was on the phone with Greg. He had purchased one of my 15-Minute Phone Consults. Greg had a damp basement issue. When he first purchased the consult, I asked him about the problem and then requested he send me photos of the outside of his house as well as the inside basement walls.
Bingo! When I got to the seventh or eighth photo I saw one of the major issues. At least one of the roof downspouts was dumping water just feet from Greg's foundation. I wrote a column about this and actually did the calculations as to how much water comes off the average roof. Read the column and you'll be amazed!
The bottom line is that once Greg pipes all his roof water to the lowest spot of his property and he installs one of my super-duper Linear French Drains, his basement is going to be much drier.
SATURDAY MEET AND GREET
I had a great response to getting together with you at a local hardware store. I'm all set for this Saturday rain or shine. Let's you and I meet at the Aubuchon Hardware store in Concord, NH at 1:30 p.m. Here's where it's located:
Aubuchon Hardware Store #141
80 South Main Street
Concord, NH 03301
603-228-5500
Rod Hunt gets the honorary award for Person With the Most Desire to Attend. He lives in Australia and wrote to me that he would love to come, but it's a bit of a trip. I also heard from many others who had conflicts or it was too far to come. Thanks for contacting me telling me of your interest. I'm trying to figure out a way to do these on a regional basis. At the very least as I travel to conferences and other events, I'm going to plan these realizing that not everyone lives close to me.
One of the things I'll be talking about this Saturday, while in the store, are ideas I have that will allow you to drastically cut your heating bills this winter. I've been testing some things and the results are very promising. I'm also going to debunk some myths.
Remember, the cost to attend this event is nothing. You just have to get to the hardware store in Concord.
BROKEN LINK IN LAST NEWSLETTER
One of the links in the last newsletter was broken. I hate when that happens. It was a mistake on my part. The link will take you to an Eco Starter Kit that allows you to become part of the Green Movement and helping you to save the environment. You can purchase a kit that has things that can make you greener than a seasick person on a ferry boat crashing through 20-foot seas. Now don't take that to mean this product will make you sick. It was a pun!
SWINGING DOORS
Kathy from Milwaukee wrote to me today saying, "I would like to install a swinging door between my kitchen and dining room. I can not find these types of door anywhere. How do I install this type of door? Is it just a regular wooden door without the handle (with window) and special hardware?"
That's an easy one! Kathy, those doors are just solid doors that come with no hinge mortises nor any cuts. These pristine doors are commonly called slabs. It's best to get a solid-core door for this, but hollow-core can work. If you want glass in the door, you'll have to go to a real lumber yard and order the door from a catalog. There are websites that sell these special doors.
You then need special hardware that creates the top and bottom hinge points. This is available from real hardware stores that sell an assortment of door locks, hinges, cabinet knobs and all sorts of decorative hardware.
Finally, the door edge that is on the hinge side needs to be milled with rounded edges instead of square edges. This needs to be done to prevent the door from rubbing against the jamb. You can do this at your house with a router and a round-over bit.
NEW HAMPSHIRE PHOTO ALBUM
I created a public photo album on Google Picasa to share with you some of the things I've been seeing over the past month. Autumn is my favorite season, and here are some photos that should explain why I moved here. Pay attention to the captions as they help explain where the photo was taken. All the photos that don't have me in them were taken by yours truly. Brent Walter took the photos where you see me.
If you're driving around New Hampshire, start paying attention to license plates. You may get behind me, and if so, honk! People up here seem to have a love affair with vanity plates. The one I got serves double duty. See if you can figure both of the things it stands for. I'll tell you in the next issue.
Editor's Note: The link to Google Picasa no longer works. Google has dropped Picasa.
MEETING THE CANDIDATES
In today's mail, I got a postcard from a candidate running for state representative here in New Hampshire. Her name is Kate Miller. On the card was her phone number and email address. Kate said on the card, "Call her at XXX-XXXX to let her know what issues are important to you."
So by gosh I called. I got her answering machine, but several hours ago she called me back. We talked for about ten minutes and I asked if she was going to have any public appearances where I could see her face to face. Kate said, "Why don't we just meet at the Village Perk near the Town Hall for a cup of coffee?" Bingo! We're getting together on Monday.
I only bring this up to urge you to get involved. I realize you and I can't meet every candidate, but there are usually websites that list who the candidates are and where they stand on an issue. Many candidates have their own websites. Educate yourself before the election and please vote. Election day is right around the corner. You must make informed decisions that day or suffer the consequences.
LATEST COLUMN AND VIDEO
Do you have cracks in your blacktop drive? Would you like some secret tips to fill and hide them? I thought so!
If you have a lot of logs to split and not much time or muscle, you may want to watch my latest video on hydraulic log splitters.
Index of past newsletters.
