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This is a Fast Friday edition. I've got some quick tips for you

Kevin's Yellow Bricks

Kevin composed an email to me late yesterday. He's not in a good mood and this email is 100% responsible for this newsletter.

I felt you need to hear from someone else what I've preached in the past:

"Today I made a mistake by actually listening to a Lowe's store associate's advice and applied a product to my brick patio.

I had some mildew growing between my brick patio over the paver sand and the associate advised me to use product called Moss Out for Lawn by Lilly Miller. So I applied it over my patio and all the bricks are now yellow. I am so disappointed. Is there anything I can do to clean it up? Please help."

After reading his email, these thoughts flowed through my head:

Would you get in a commercial airliner to travel if you knew the captain with the four stripes on each shoulder of her/his shirt had NEVER FLOWN an airliner before?

Would you have surgery done on your body if you discovered the person in the green scrubs had never cut someone up much less sewed them back together again?

Should I give more examples?

WHY WOULD YOU EVER TRUST THE ADVICE GIVEN BY SOMEONE IF THEY'VE NEVER DONE THE JOB BEFORE OR USED THE PRODUCT?

After the Lowe's associate gave his advice, Kevin's polite questions to the Lowe's associate should have been:

"Have you ever used this product before on patio brick?"

"Before coming to work here at Lowe's, how many years did you work out in the field cleaning patio brick?"

It's YOUR MONEY. It's YOUR HOME. You have every right to ask questions before you invest in a product HOPING it will work.

All Kevin had to do was come to me FIRST and I would have told him to use my certified organic Stain Solver.

CLICK HERE and WATCH THE SIMPLE VIDEO to see how to clean mildew and algae from any outdoor surface.

Dan's Quick UnClog Tool

I'm so lucky to have great friends. One happens to be Dan. He lives in Colorado. He and I are going on a little-man self-discovery trip mid September to hike and do amateur radio out in Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks.

He emailed me after the last newsletter saying,

"Have you ever recommended this product? It rules! I've used it many, many times."

It's the Cobra Zip-It drain cleaning tool. It works best on bathroom sink and tub drains that are clogged with hair.

The barbs on the shaft grab onto hair that's tangled up in the drain stopper mechanisms. It is a great invention. CLICK HERE to get one.

Keep in mind, I'm a master plumber and have no fear of taking off the tiny nut on the back of the tailpiece of a bath sink drain to be able to make it like new.

My response to Dan was:

"I've not.

I know it works, but it doesn't get all the hair out.

I just take out the lift lever in the tailpiece and get the entire drain clean.

While doing that, I'm able to get a bottle brush down the tailpiece to get rid of all the FOUL biofilm on the sidewalls of the tailpiece.

That invention, while very handy, just does a small part of what needs to be done."

That inexpensive plastic tool will save you HUNDREDS of dollars by not having to have a plumber come out to do what I can do in three minutes.

If hair is clogging your drain, the Cobra Zip-It should work for you.

DECEPTIVE Product Description WARNING

On Mother's Day morning, my youngest daughter chatted me up from Puerto Rico. She's working at a deluxe boutique hotel in Old San Juan and loving it down there.

If you decide to go there, PLEASE let them know you heard about this magic place from Ask the Builder.

She needed to know how to safely strip old paint at one of the hotel properties. I sent her to a website that has a special paint stripper that can remove lots of paint at one time.

While there, I noticed they sold a deck cleaner. Since Kathy and I sell the best certified organic deck cleaner out there, Stain Solver, I just had to click the link.

Here's the FIRST THING I read. It was the TOP CONTENT on the page. I've substituted four X's for the product name to stay out of legal trouble:

"XXXX Deck Cleaner is a highly-effective, biodegradable, concentrated, and safe deck cleaning solution for exterior use on wood decking, siding, shakes, and outdoor furniture. XXXX Deck Cleaner, one of the best wood deck cleaners on the market, is also recommended for removing dirt, mildew stains, and algae from composite decking, concrete, stucco, vinyl siding, fiberglass, and most outdoor furniture. This eco-green product is perfect for any deck you wish to restore, large or small, because it is available in one- and five-gallon pails."

That got my interest so I looked on the page to find the MSDS sheet so I could see WHAT was in the deck cleaner.

It only took me about 20 seconds to discover the product was just CHLORINE BLEACH. The MSDS sheet showed the product contained sodium hypochlorite. That's the fancy chemical name for chlorine bleach.

Allow me ask you a question or two or three. When you see the word "biodegradable" what pops into your head?

Do you feel the product is safe?

Do you feel it's *green* or a warm and fuzzy product?

Does that word cast a spell on you making you like the product?

Did you know that chlorine bleach is TOXIC to all vegetation and many other living organisms?

Would you apply chlorine bleach to your outdoor furniture, you know the ones that have fabric cushions? After all, the label says it's SAFE to use on outdoor furniture!!

The actual definition of biodegradable is: "capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms."

I don't see how chlorine bleach fits that description because it KILLS bacteria and other living organisms!!!

But if you're a chemist, perhaps you can explain how some bacteria or organism will eat the chlorine bleach first!

BOTTOM LINE: STOP TRUSTING product descriptions. STOP trusting people who have NO EXPERIENCE.

Do some simple research. It only took me TWENTY SECONDS to see that deck cleaner was a TOXIC product.

Kevin could have PREVENTED his NIGHTMARE by READING THE LABEL on the Moss Out product .

My guess is it said: "Product contains muriatic ACID."

That's enough for today.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Supreme Stain Solver Commander - www.StainSolver.com
Electromagnetic Message Man - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

New subscriber? I'm glad you're here.

Seasoned subscriber? Thanks for sticking around!

One of my hobbies is taking sunrise photos. I'm blessed to have a superb location to see such majesty. Here's what I saw yesterday morning.

CLICK HERE to see a high-resolution version.

The lake was like glass. It was something to behold in person is all I can say.

I Discover New Things Too

Last week, I had the distinct honor to interview Mr. John Heath. I've done lots of interviews over the years with all sorts of people who make new products or offer fantastic services for homeowners.

This is an interview that could be of HUGE interest to you as it's not your everyday interview topic. My own eyes were wide open after the interview, I can tell you that!

Before the interview, I didn't think I'd discover anything I didn't already know. Well, I was WRONG.

John is a directing attorney for Lexington Law, a law firm based in Salt Lake City, UT. Lexington Law happens to specialize in credit repair.

CLICK HERE to listen to the short interview.

Here's the best part. I was able to get real homeowners involved in the interview who asked questions about credit repair and the best way to achieve a high credit score.

Here's one thing I discovered. If you have damaged credit, it could cost you over $100,000 on your next mortgage?

HOLY TOMATO!

I also found out that you can attempt DIY credit repair, but you'll probably not get the same results if you were to hire a company that has credit repair attorneys on staff.

I think you'll be BLOWN AWAY by the questions and John's answers!

Here are just a few of the highlights of the interview. You can help yourself, and me, if you please click each one of the following links. Thanks in advance for doing this for me:

Who is Lexington Law?

What Exactly Is A Credit Repair Service?

What Is the Credit Repair Process? What's Involved?

What Does it COST To Repair Credit?

HAPPY Credit Repair Stories - WOOT!

Construction DEFECT Quiz

It's time for another construction defect quiz. You're going to love this one. I saw a short video of a builder/carpenter demonstrating a screw gun tool on Twitter. I forgot to capture his Twitter handle to give him credit and now I can't find the video.

CLICK HERE to take the one-question quiz. I pretty much GUARANTEE you'll discover something new.

Getting Bids - Booming Economy Issues

I had a brief back-and-forth text message exchange with a great friend of mine, John, who lives in Philadelphia.

He needs to have some concrete work done at his home and is having trouble getting bids. It's a COMMON problem when the economy is booming as it is now.

But as you might expect, I've got a #Hack so you can get fast bids and FREE ones from local contractors.

Believe me, unless you live so far out in the country that the rural mail carrier has a sleeping bag in her/his car, you're going to hear from the contractors FAST.

CLICK HERE and give it a try. I don't care what type of work you need done.

If you don't get a rapid response, let me know.

Payback Time For New Insulation or Furnace

How long does it take to start SAVING money if you install more insulation or a high-efficiency furnace or AC unit?

CLICK HERE to discover how long it takes.

Best Way to Clean Roof Algae?

Does your roof look like the one in this column? CLICK HERE to see the photo.

While there, discover how to clean algae off your roof and once clean how to make sure it NEVER COMES BACK.

That's enough for today.

You can REALLY do yourself, and ME, a favor by going back up and clicking all those links in the Lexington Law story.

Thanks for doing that for me!!!!

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Captain Cleaning Crystals - www.StainSolver.com
Outdoor Adventure Humanoid - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

New subscriber? WOOT! Welcome!

Existing subscriber? Smooooch - you know I love, love, love you too!

You may or may not know that my college degree is in geology. It was a fascinating course of study. Geology made me a better builder because I understood how houses interacted with the soil. I also discovered how to keep basements and crawlspaces BONE DRY.

If I could go back in time the only thing I'd change would be to have taken all advanced business classes for any free electives.

The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii is generating lots of attention because it's doing what active volcanoes do. It's making the island bigger and taller.

To put this in perspective, realize ALL of the land in the state of Hawaii above the sea, and below down to the seafloor, was spewed out over time in the form of lava. In other words, the slow eruption of lava is perfectly normal and it's ongoing.

Just think of Kilauea as an upside down giant tube of caulk that every now and then gets squeezed. The lava flows up and out of various vents and fissures.

How would you like to have a better understanding of what's going on? Believe me when I say that it's NOT going to make your head explode.

Here are TWO AMAZING books written for homeowners like you that explain in language you can understand of what's really causing the lava to flow.

It's all plate tectonics and the slowly roiling molten rock in the upper mantle of the Earth.

Rough Hewn Land is SO GOOD I read it twice. Keith Heyer Meldahl, the author, explains exactly how the conveyor belt of plate tectonics works and WHY and HOW it creates volcanoes.

If you want to understand how the Rocky Mountains came to be and how there's going to be ocean-front property in Las Vegas one day, then read this book. I GUARANTEE you'll love it.

Earthquakes are caused by plate tectonics as well. If you want to know about a MASSIVE earthquake and tsunami that's GOING TO HAPPEN out in the Pacific Northwest, then you MUST READ Cascadia's Fault. If you love MYSTERY books then you're going to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book.

Jerry Thompson takes you down the timeline how a few geologists working together over a period of years solved a huge mystery. Who would think that a few Japanese scribes in small towns over 100 years ago would provide the most valuable clue?

DIY Paver Patio

Last year, I installed a new paver patio for Kathy. It took me just four days working by myself. The large format pavers about broke my back, but I'm glad I used them.

What if I told you that you don't need all that crazy expensive gravel under the pavers on your patio? That means you save money and have to do less digging.

Are you a contractor that's balking right now? Perhaps you need to go to Daytona Beach. Watch this video and think about the WEIGHT that's on each tire of the car or truck.

The sand at Daytona Beach, and many others, can easily support the concentrated loads from heavy cars and trucks.

Think about WHY.

You stepping on a patio stone that's resting on compacted sand is going to be LESS weight.

This is why you need to READ MY DIY Paver Patio column and peer at the crazy photos I have there.

I'd LOVE to see the photos of the patio you build or have done yourself. Send them to me!

Cement Backer Board Installation

Have you ever seen ceramic tile in an old home? Do you know why it's still on the wall and SOLID?

It was set in concrete. Yes, the master tile setter mixed up coarse sand and Portland cement and applied it to mesh that was nailed to the studs.

Concrete is waterproof. CLICK HERE to see the modern method of using this SAME MATERIAL.

On Demand Radio Shows

I uploaded my on-demand radio shows #10 and #11 over the past week.

If you're not listening to these shows you're MISSING OUT on some time and money-saving tips.

At the very least go look at the PHOTOS and VIDEOS on the pages so you get an idea of what was discussed as I talked on the phone to homeowners just like you.

Show #10

Show #11

Do you want me to solve your problem over the phone? You just need to take two or three GREAT photos of the problem and magic may happen.

Take the photos then CLICK HERE and fill out the form.

That's enough for a Sunday morning.

Tim Carter

Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Captain Magic Crystal Man - www.StainSolver.com
Purveyor of Adventures - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

I've got TWO cool things for you this morning and a Stain Solver tip too.

Around 7:30 am this morning, I ended one of my consult calls with Mary. She lives in steamy hot & humid Orlando, FL.

She's got a pesky problem with a flashing detail at the edge of her roof.

As I often do in these phone consults, I find it's easier to make a drawing with my colored markers than try to describe something over the phone.

I told Mary I'd make this drawing and send it to her. It only takes me a few minutes to make these crude drawings. I did the same thing years ago sitting at customers' dining room tables when making a presentation to get a job.

Mary needed a simple flashing - she's going to make it herself - and it needs an all-important hemmed edge to prevent wind-blown rain from getting into her home.

What's a hemmed edge? Look:

See that green weird line (sorry if you're color blind)? See how it's got a 180-degree bend at the top?

That's a hemmed edge. The red hashed lines indicate an all-important AIR GAP you must maintain.

Can you see how if rain is blown up under the shingles the hemmed edge acts like a dam and prevents the rain from getting past the flashing?

The black thing is a shingle nail that stops the flashing from going higher up under the shingles.

Hemmed edges are another example of BEST building practices that are transitioning from history to legend to myth.

Upcoming Vinyl Siding Call - Monday

Yesterday, Rick from Maryland purchased one of my consult calls. It's about some new vinyl siding about to be installed on his home. You may ponder:

"Tim, why do I need to care about Rick's silly siding?"

I'm glad you had that thought. I'll tell you why in just a moment.

Rick and I are going to talk on Monday afternoon. But BEFORE the call, I suggested he skim over this FREE vinyl siding installation manual:

Are you aware that MANY ASSOCIATIONS have fantastic FREE installation manuals showing the RIGHT WAY to install building products?

Here's why you should care about Rick's siding:

You should always download these FREE manuals and study them BEFORE you call contractors to do anything for you.

Why?

You can ask the bidding contractors specific questions about important installation details. See if THEY know WHY certain things are done.

If they answer three or four questions correctly, you may have a winner. If the person hems and haws and starts to spout some BS to you, then you might thank them for their time and give them the bum's rush.

For example: How TIGHT do you think the nails should be driven when you install vinyl siding?

Is there a reason for this? What's the reason?

What happens if you don't nail the siding correctly?

It's all in the above manual. And much much more.

You taking the time to skim, or read, the manual ensures you'll get a fantastic job with no issues down the road.

Well, so long as you pick the right contractor who will do the job right. Just put in the contract this wording:

"Contractor agrees to install the siding per the written instructions outlined in the latest edition of the Vinyl Siding Installation Manual published by the Vinyl Siding Institute."

CLICK HERE if you want to get FREE & FAST BIDS from vinyl siding contractors that will give you the correct answers.

Clean ANYTHING-OUTDOORS Video

What are you getting ready to clean outdoors?

Deck? Patio? Siding? Kayaks? Railing? Porch? Tent?

Please CLICK HERE and watch the bottom video on the page.

You'll see me showing how to clean ANYTHING outdoors using my certified organic Stain Solver oxygen bleach.

That's enough for a fast Thursday Tips e-blast.

Do you have ANY QUESTIONS???? Reply and ask them.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Captain Magic Cleaner - www.StainSolver.com
Purveyor of Invisible Audio - www.W3ATB.com
PODCAST MAN: www.askthebuilder.com/podcast/

Do It Right, Not Over!