November 24, 2018 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on November 24, 2018 by Tim Carter

You may be perplexed as to how in the world a puff of wind might open a home improvement expert's front door.

Allow me to shed more light on my true story from yesterday.

1. The front door has a deadbolt. It was not engaged.

2. The door's primary latch operated by the lever handle, was not in the keeper. The keeper was installed in such a way that you need to press the door against the weatherstripping with moderate force for the latch to extend into the jamb. This provides for a great seal with minimal air infiltration in howling Nor'easters here in New Hampshire.

3. The door can appear that it's both closed and latched when in fact it's not latched.

4. The last person to bed is responsible for ensuring the security of the castle. I'm always the first person to bed.

5. My house is at the base of a small mountain that has a sheer cliff face caused by the last Continental Glacier back 15,000 years ago. The tall hills and small mountains all around me create downbursts of wind. I can often see it happening on the surface of the lake water.

6. The motion sensor that's part of the Ring doorbell button below solved the mystery.

If you didn't read the Ring review yesterday, you might do it today. CLICK HERE to see the amazing doorbell.

I'll be back next week with more excitement.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Certified Organic Clean Man - www.StainSolver.com
Morse Code & More Man - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

November 23, 2018 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on November 23, 2018 by Tim Carter

Did you just subscribe? Welcome and let me tell you now this is a pretty strange issue of my newsletter. Hang in there.

Old friend or newer subscriber? You're going to LOVE this issue. If not, reply and tell me why. March through the entire thing as there's great stuff here the day after Thanksgiving.

I'm a little groggy writing this as I didn't get a good night's sleep last night. It's now just after sunrise here on a bitter cold New Hampshire morning. Brilliant sunshine is pouring into my man cave, but it's only 9 F.

Last night just after 2 am, I hear a knuckle rapping on my bedroom door.

"Dad! Dad! Get up!"

My son was talking in a hushed voice and I got up from a deep sleep and was groggy.

Opening the door, "What's going on?"

"Dad, are both cats in the bedroom?"

We have two indoor cats, both of them are pretty special as they're a mix of domestic and wild cats. With a fog swirling inside my head, I couldn't quite figure out why at 2 am in the morning it was important to know that.

Quickly I open the door enough to let light in and I see both cats in the bedroom. I then went out into the hallway as I could see my son was pretty upset. He had an unusual wild-eyed look.

"What's going on?"

"Dad, the front door was wide open!"

Sure enough, the hallway was cold. The floor was damn cold. The choke in my brain had just been pushed in and I was starting to think more clearly.

The previous 24 hours had been windy as an arctic cold front was our Thanksgiving gift. Temperatures were in the single digits overnight and the wind chill was below zero.

But going to bed, I remember the wind had pretty much died down.

Was there a burglar inside? Had my son scared him as he came up the steps?

We decided to go room by room and clear the house. I should have grabbed my Sig 9mm from the bedroom, but didn't. We live in a rural part of New Hampshire and there's a raging opioid epidemic that's causing personal devastation and increased crime. Burglaries and break-ins are now as common as loons on the lakes.

We went into every room, opened every closet, looked behind all the shower curtains. We looked everyplace we could think of where someone might be hiding. Nothing.

I decided to go out the front door to see if there were any footprints in the dusty snow on the driveway. Once again, nothing. I needed to get back in as I had gone out barefoot.

"Dad, could the wind have opened the door? It just doesn't seem possible. Look how tight the weatherstripping is."

I tested the door and it did take moderate effort to get it open once the latch was out of the keeper.

"Anything's possible."

We said goodnight and I went back into the bedroom. But I was wired and awake. Kathy wanted to know what was going on and I told her.

My mind was whirling as I lay in bed.

It's damn possible a burglar did try to get in but got scared off.

Maybe I should go look next door as my neighbors, their house is the first down the driveway, are gone for Thanksgiving and maybe the burglar went first to their house and left footprints in the light snow on their drive.

Then in hit me like a bolt out of the blue.

My Ring app!

The motion sensors on my Ring floodlight cam and the Ring doorbell would have captured the movement of the wretched burglar!

Each time anything moves in front of either device it records video and creates an event on my app.

I sprung up out of bed like I was sitting on a spring and fired up my phone. Here's what I saw:

The timestamp in the red oval says it all. That's where the motion detector saw me go out the front door in my Monty Python PJs, t-shirt, and bad hair with bare feet. If I had clicked that gray arrowhead to the right I could have watched video of myself. I'll spare you that imagery.

The red arrow points to the last time anyone was on the front porch. That was me on Thanksgiving morning going outdoors with my STIHL electric leaf blower to blast off the dusting of snow on the front porch and sidewalk.

I decided to go share this intel with my son and it's a damn good thing I did.

I proceed to walk down the steps to his bedroom and there he was at the bottom of the steps with his loaded AR-15 in his hands. He was ready to take out the intruder.

Little did I know that he was very freaked out thinking that there was still a burglar in the house hiding.

"Guess what? Our RING doorbell camera and motion detector has the proof that no one was here. It was obviously a gust of wind that blew open the door."

He looked at the screenshot and gave out a sigh of relief.

"There was no way I was going to bed. I was going to wait until you got up at sunrise."

"Well, now you can put the safety back on and get some rest."

I'm so glad I have the RING doorbell and floodlight cam.

If you want PEACE OF MIND like I now have, I URGE you to CLICK HERE and skim over my review. Click any of the links in my review to purchase your own RING doorbell or floodlight.

If you're worried about one of your kids or your parents who might live alone, this is a fantastic gift that allows YOU to view what's going on outside their home should you want to make sure they're safe.

$9.99 Stocking Stuffer - Save Your Keister!

While on the topic of saving yourself and having some peace of mind, you're going to LOVE the Christmas stocking stuffer I have for you today.

Remember, I promised to find ones that were $15 or less.

Here's the list of the previous Christmas stocking stuffers in case you missed them. Great photos are at each page:

LED Headband Light - Super Popular

Tiny Screwdriver Set - I Use Mine Each Week

10X Magnifier - Fantastic Quality

Miniature Fire Starter Lighter - CAN SAVE YOU!!!

And now for this issue's idea. It's just $9.99!!

It's the TRUE cash capsule.

You can roll up a $20, $50, or $100 bill and have it on your keychain or in your pocket should you lose your wallet or purse.

CLICK HERE and read the story about the time I HAD TO HAVE CASH with me.

Trust me, one day you're going to need CASH and you'll thank your lucky stars you bought several of the cash capsules.

Shopping on Black Friday?

If you're shopping at Amazon today or this weekend, consider helping me if any advice of mine has helped you over the past year.

When you shop at Amazon.com using my link to get there, I get a tiny part of each purchase. It doesn't increase your price. All that happens is Jeff Bezos gives me part of the profit he was going to keep for himself.

CLICK HERE to get started shopping at Amazon.com. You need to click the link on the page you'll land so I keep Amazon.com happy. They don't like me sending you there directly from the newsletter.

Sue Your Builder or Contractor?

Have you ever filed a lawsuit against your builder or a contractor because he screwed you in any number of ways?

If so, would you be kind enough to HELP ME?

Remember, I only need help from you if you went through the motions of filing a LAWSUIT. I don't care if you settled or went to trial.

PLEASE complete this simple survey and feel free to VENT once more, unless it's too painful.

CLICK HERE to take the survey.

That's quite enough for the Friday after Thanksgiving.

I'll be taking a nap today for sure.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Certified Organic Cleaner - www.StainSolver.com
Morse Man - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. THANKS SO MUCH for being a subscriber. I thought about you yesterday. Creating this newsletter is one of the things I look forward to each week.

True Cash Capsule Review

Posted on November 22, 2018 by Tim Carter

This tiny cylinder can save your keister MULTIPLE TIMES. Right now it's only $9.99!!!! CLICK THE IMAGE now to have it delivered to your home in days.

True Cash Capsule - Save Your You-Know-What

I was given the True Cash Capsule as a gift from my daughter a few years ago.

It's very clever and it can save you believe me! Read my story just below. CLICK HERE now to order it thus avoiding my powerful Jedi mind trick in the story below.

Carry at least $50 with you in case you need gas or food. Even Queen Elizabeth approves. She requests your staunchness and has implored you to oblige her by CLICKING HER gorgeous curly locks in the photo above. Within days she will bestow good fortune upon you and several of the True Cash Capsules will be in your possession. God save the Queen!

True Story - The Day Cash was King or was it Queen?

Ten years ago I was driving back and forth from New Hampshire to Cincinnati, Ohio. I always started the journey both directions with a full tank of gas in my truck.

Erie, PA is where I'd stop to fill up whenever I was headed back to NH. I must have been fighting an east wind and I had gotten quite low on fuel. It was a bitterly cold day.

I think I had less than a gallon of gas left if that much. I should have stopped back twenty miles, but I wanted to get to a familiar exit where I could get a sandwich I preferred.

I pull into the gas station and the needle was over the red mark. I couldn't believe the engine was still running!

On the gas pump was a crude sign: "No Credit Card Sales"

What? Are you kidding me? It turns out the satellite setup at the gas station was down. This is how all credit cards were processed.

Fortunately, I always travel with about $300 in cash in case of an emergency. My cash saved me.

Younger people tend to not use cash, so I've always had my kids take cash with them because of what happened to me.

I would have been stranded out there in the cold unable to buy something as simple as gasoline!

This capsule is fantastic. Put some thread lock tight on the threads so it doesn't come unscrewed. CLICK THE KEYS NOW to have this in your hands in days. Better order several.

Sue My Builder

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Tim Carter

"... you may be a homeowner that’s been violated by a bad builder and your first instinct is to extract justice using the legal system."

Sue My Builder Checklist

Ask your attorney the right questions in one hour or less
Most builders have no money to get
Determine what it costs to prosecute a lawsuit
Expert witnesses carry the day - always

Sue My Builder - Take a Deep Breath First

Yesterday I did a 20-minute phone consult call with a gentleman who lives in New Jersey. It was a grim phone call because he was thinking about filing a lawsuit against his builder.

A year ago this man had me call him numerous times to go over details as he started to build his dream home. Unfortunately, he began our relationship a few months after he had signed a contract with a dishonest builder. At the time he signed the contract, the man didn't suspect the builder was unscrupulous.

Expert Witness Experience is Sobering

I’ve done expert testimony in building defect lawsuits for nearly twenty years. My most recent case had me crawling all over the roof of the Brazilian Ambassador’s home in Antigua.

My expert witness experience can help save you lots of money and anguish. I'm not trying to solicit business from you even though you may be a homeowner that’s been violated by a bad builder and your first instinct is to extract justice using the legal system.

I’ll share what’s involved based on years of winning cases for all my clients and then, more importantly, I’ll offer advice on how to avoid legal snafus that can suck the life force out of you as well as drain your savings account.

It’s important to realize that I’m not an attorney nor am I offering you legal advice. I’m simply sharing what happens should you decide to jump into the fray at your county courthouse.

What is the Legal Process Timeline?

Here’s a very condensed timeline of what usually happens. The process could vary in your state depending on your laws. The first step is for you to meet with an attorney to discuss what happened. She or he may then advise you to file a claim or suit against your builder.

The next phase of the process involves fact-finding. Sometimes it’s referred to as discovery. Both parties to the lawsuit might submit questions to the other side and ask for documents and other paperwork that relate to the facts.

Experts are then hired to produce a report about what they see and what might actually be wrong. The best experts look more for building code violations than subjective quality issues. It’s also a good idea to see if products were installed exactly as the manufacturer states in their written instructions.

Once the expert reports are submitted, then depositions might take place. The attorneys, in the presence of a court reporter or stenographer, ask questions of the parties, witnesses, experts, etc. under oath. This testimony can and will be used in a courtroom should you take the issue that far.

What are the Typical Hourly Rates?

All of the above requires countless hours, much of it billed at an hourly rate in excess of $175 or $200 per hour. Costs can shoot up faster than a Fourth of July bottle rocket.

Do Expert Witnesses Determine the Outcome?

Yes, your expert witness(s) often carries the day.

At this juncture, the attorneys, who typically are devoid of personal involvement in your case, start to reach out to one another to see if a settlement can be reached. The expert reports are often like a winning hand at the $500 blackjack casino table.

You have better odds of winning money at a 3:2 blackjack table than going after your builder. I say this assuming you know how to really play blackjack like my good friend Dan. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

If your expert has pages of proof that your builder really goofed up, then the builder usually folds.

Very few lawsuits actually go to trial.

What Happens After the Trial?

However, let’s assume you decide not to settle. You want your day in court. The costs continue to mount. Realize there’s no guarantee you’ll win. Even if you do win, in almost all states you don’t get any money that day. You’ll probably be granted a judgment against the builder. You then have to spend more money to try to get the money called for in the judgment. Realize the builder may not have any money to get.

My advice to you, should you be filled with reprisal, is to meet with your attorney and ask all the right questions in less than an hour. Forget about the builder and just ask all the questions about what it might cost to stroll down the legal pathway, how long it will take, what does the typical settlement look like, and what are the chances of getting any money from the builder. Gather the hard data and determine if you should just lick your wounds and spend the money you’d give to your attorney and experts on repairing the defects in your new home.

How Do You Avoid Legal Issues?

You can avoid misery like this with great plans and specifications. Listen to this very short podcast of mine about what makes for great house plans:

You also need itemized bids from your builder so you know how much everything costs. This allows you to only give as much money to the builder as he deserves as the project unfolds. Always have enough money to finish the project should things go south.

A professional builder that’s well capitalized will rarely object to getting paid within 30 days for work he’s completed. He knows he’s going to satisfy you. He’s got charge accounts and he doesn’t pay his workers or subs in advance.

Dishonest or under-capitalized builders tend to want money in advance and they can get ahead of you should you give them too much money as did the homeowner in New Jersey. He’s going to spend an additional $70,000 to fix all the mistakes and unfinished work. Don’t let this happen to you.

November 18, 2018 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on November 19, 2018 by Tim Carter

Is this your first newsletter? Cool beans. Thanks for subscribing.

Have I been landing in your Inbox for months or years? Thanks for sticking around!

I've got some great stuff in this issue.

Holy tomato! Super-short recordings about each step of Meghan and Brent's new home! See below.

Problems in Philly

My good friend John sent me a link to a monster expose' story that appeared recently in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Sadly it's nothing new to me, but it may be to you. I've known about the core issues in the story for well over 25 years.

But you should read it.

However, I want to WARN YOU - the story could depress you and fill you with angst.

Allow me to preface the story with a little history of my own.

I've been doing expert testimony in home-building defect lawsuits for twenty, or more, years. I've lost count of the times I've been deposed and on the witness stand in courtrooms.

My most recent case had me crawling around the roof of the Brazilian Ambassador's home in Antigua. Let me tell you that piracy and bad behavior is alive and well in the Caribbean. I'll never ever go back to that scary island.

About fifteen years ago, I was the lead forensic expert in the giant case that brought the huge Zaring Homes company in Cincinnati, OH to its knees. They went out of business a few months after I gave my deposition in a room filled with about 25 attorneys from all the companies and parties to the lawsuit(s).

Hundreds of the homes they built were rotting on the inside because of water leaking through the brick veneer.

The brick industry has known for DECADES that water leaks through brick and had created best practices to ensure it didn't cause problems in wood-framed homes. CLICK HERE to read about it.

But the Zaring Company didn't seem to care about best practices and left misery, bankruptcies, and probably divorces in its wake and quest for profits.

What causes the vast majority of issues in the lawsuits I've testified as an expert?

Water

The mismanagement of water.

Far too many builders and subcontractors have little understanding how to keep water on the outside of homes and how to prevent it from getting into wall cavities.

Are you ready? Remember, you might feel queasy after reading this very long story. CLICK HERE.

New House Podcast (Voice Recording) Series

The first four SHORT - less than seven minutes - voice recordings (podcasts) about Meghan and Brent's new home in Downeast Maine are ready for you.

If you plan to build a new home or a room addition soon, I BEG YOU to listen to these. They are SHORT. They take just a few minutes.

I have drawings, photos and some videos on the pages too! CLICK the headline below or the image to listen. If you like what you heard or have a question, ENTER it at the bottom of the page as a comment. Thanks for doing that.

CHECK THESE OUT:

House Plans and Specifications

Stake Out House Foundation

Frost Line

Foundation Height Above Grade

Stain Solver SALE Reminder

Do you need my certified organic Stain Solver to REMOVE stains from Thanksgiving accidents, pet accidents, filthy floor tile grout, etc.?

CLICK HERE and use the following promo code to get 10% off any purchase greater than $29.00.

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Are you a Doubting Thomas or Theresa? I GUARANTEE you'll be amazed at the results.

That's enough for a Sunday morning.

Thanks for listening to the voice recordings above. Did you like them?

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Green Clean Man - www.StainSolver.com
Radio Waves - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

Tim Carter Favorite Books

Posted on November 18, 2018 by Tim Carter

Tim Carter's Favorite Books - Some Great Ones Here

This is a partial list of my favorite books. It's not in any order at all.

CLICK or TAP each book cover to discover more.

I'd scroll through them to see what you might like. I do have a penchant for history books.

Here's my favorite love story. If you have grandkids, this is a must-read for boys and girls alike.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel - by Virginia Lee Burton -This is an epic story of great qualities to strive for: diligence, hard work, loyalty, and love. CLICK THE BOOK COVER to have it in your hands in days.

This is a marvelous book. Your kids or grands will remember you reading them this book for their entire lives. Each time they see a full moon in the winter, they'll THINK OF YOU! BUY IT NOW.

I'm in the process of writing a fantasy book series for young adults. My son suggested I read this book to help me grasp how tales might be intertwined and how to lay the groundwork for the series. As usual, he's right.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get everything you ever wanted about Game of Thrones.

This is the novel that inspired the classic Field of Dreams movie. I'm here to tell you that you'll have a HARD TIME putting this book down. CLICK or TAP HERE to order it.

The next one is an amazing tale about how the US transcontinental railroad came to be. Thirty-thousand men were working on it at one time. They were in a race to see who could lay the most track. It's very well written.

Nothing Like It In The World - by Stephen Ambrose It's a magnificent book about how the latest technology of the time radically changed the world. CLICK THE IMAGE to have this book in your hands in days.

If you love traveling out West in the USA and wonder about all the mountains, rivers and everything you see, this is the book for you. It's written for a layperson like you. The captions in some of the photos will crack you up.

Rough-Hewn Land by Keith Heyer Meldahl - I read this twice it was so good. CLICK THE BOOK COVER now to have this in your hands in days or minutes should you be a Kindle user.

Do you like mystery books? This book reads like one of the best detective reads you've ever experienced. Once again, it's written for the layman. CLICK THE COVER NOW to have this in your hands in days or minutes.

Foundation Height Above Grade Podcast

Posted on November 17, 2018 by Tim Carter

Foundation Height Above Grade - Shoot for 18 Inches

This is the 4th podcast in a large series that follows the construction of Tim Carter’s daughter’s new home in Downeast Maine. In this podcast, Tim talks about how important it is to make sure the top of the foundation is above the surrounding soil. There are building code issues and common sense involved.

CLICK HERE to view all the podcasts in the series.

It's important to realize that water can flow into your home if the foundation or slab is too close to the ground. The building code mandates that at least 6 inches of foundation rise up from the ground. That's a bare minimum and it should be much more.

This podcast is short, just under six minutes. Look at the drawings and video below to understand the importance of foundation height above grade.

I made this drawing. You can see the foundation wall with a typical sill plate and floor joist. The red line is the lot before the excavator shows up. The top of the foundation should end up 18 inches ABOVE the red line. Use the dirt from the hole to create the slope away from the foundation. (C) Copyright 2018 Tim Carter ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Frost Line Podcast

Posted on November 17, 2018 by Tim Carter

Frost Line - Be Sure Foundation is Lower!

This is the 3rd podcast in a large series that follows the construction of Tim Carter’s daughter’s new home in Downeast Maine. In this podcast, Tim talks about how you need to know the depth to which frost penetrates the soil where you build.

CLICK HERE to view all the podcasts in the series.

It's important to realize that frost can heave an entire house into the air causing serious structural damage. Your foundation needs to be below the frost level in your area.

This podcast is short, just under six minutes. Look at the drawings and video below to understand the importance of frost line depth.

Stake Out House Foundation Podcast

Posted on November 17, 2018 by Tim Carter

Stake Out House Foundation - It's Easy to Do

This is the second podcast in a large series that follows the construction of Tim Carter’s daughter’s new home in Downeast Maine. In this podcast, Tim talks about what is involved when you stake out a house foundation and what the benefits are. CLICK HERE to view all the podcasts in the series.

This podcast is short, just six minutes and thirty seconds. Look at the drawings and video below to see the simple steps required to stake out a house foundation.

It's best to create one of these simple drawings before you go out to stake out the house foundation. Double check the diagonal calculation. CLICK THE IMAGE to get the cool calculator I use to do this.

The first step is to create the front foundation wall. The distance between the red dots, or nails driven into your stakes, should be the exact distance of your front wall. In this example, it's 72 feet 0 inches. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

This is step two. You stretch two tape measures tightly with the ends of the tapes on the nails in step one. Where the two tapes cross with the house depth and diagonal measurement is where the third stake goes with the nail right at the exact cross point of the two tape measures. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

The last step is simple. Just switch the tape measure ends on the nails on the front foundation wall and repeat what you did in the step above. Where the two tapes cross with the measurements is the location of the last corner stake. See how easy this was! Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

House Plans Podcast

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Tim Carter

House Plans Podcast - Great Plans Save Money

This is the first podcast in new house podcast series that's following the construction of Tim Carter's daughter's home in Downeast Maine.

Great house plans and specifications will save you lots of money. Tim explains why in the short 5-minute podcast.

$9.99 Stocking Stuffer - Save Your Keister!

Shopping on Black Friday?

Sue Your Builder or Contractor?

True Cash Capsule - Save Your You-Know-What

True Story - The Day Cash was King or was it Queen?

Sue My Builder Checklist

Sue My Builder - Take a Deep Breath First

Expert Witness Experience is Sobering

What is the Legal Process Timeline?

What are the Typical Hourly Rates?

Do Expert Witnesses Determine the Outcome?

What Happens After the Trial?

How Do You Avoid Legal Issues?

Problems in Philly

Water

New House Podcast (Voice Recording) Series

Stain Solver SALE Reminder

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Tim Carter's Favorite Books - Some Great Ones Here

Foundation Height Above Grade - Shoot for 18 Inches

Frost Line - Be Sure Foundation is Lower!

Stake Out House Foundation - It's Easy to Do

House Plans Podcast - Great Plans Save Money

Expert Advice For Your Home