Frost on Nails in Attic

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Tim Carter

This is frost on a piece of high quality insulated glass in my man cave. The outdoor temperature was minus 6 F and there's NO humidifier in this building! The same frost on nails could be happening in my attic! Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Frost on nails in attic spaces may frighten you. It should to a degree. It's important to realize frost is in your attic for a few reasons.

Frost on Nails is Frozen Condensation

Remember the last hot and humid day you were sitting outside drinking a cold beer, iced tea, soda or glass of ice water? The outside of the can or glass had drops of water on it that rolled down and got the table wet.

Another key point is the water moments before was invisible. The water was a gas in the air surrounding you and the can or glass. The water is the same thing that creates the uncomfortable humidity most people loathe.

This exact same process is happening in your attic during extreme cold weather. The nails that you see in your attic get as cold as the outdoor temperature. The air in the attic has water in it and it condenses on the cold metal.

A point often overlooked is that since it's winter, the water freezes on the cold nails. This is why you see the frost.

A tool like this shoots nails through shingles. The tips of the nails are supposed to penetrate through the wood on your roof. The nails are 0 F too as long as the roof is shaded. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Related Links

Turbine Whirlybirds Can STOP FROST

Frost in Attics - Mystery Revealed! and How to Eliminate It

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local roofers that can increase the amount of ventilation to STOP FROST.

How to STOP the Frost on Nails

At the present time, here's how to stop the frost you're seeing in your attic:

lower the humidity in the house
increase air flow through attic

It's not easy to lower the humidity in your home. Many sources advise you to ADD humidity to your indoor air to feel warmer in the winter.

It's easier to increase the air moving through your attic using roof turbine vents and other traditional roof vents.

It must be remembered you must have great soffit ventilation so the air travels through your attic as a constant breeze.

Without delay this air movement brings in drier outdoor air into the attic. The dry air evaporates the frost!

Old Houses Didn't Have Frost

A point often overlooked is old houses didn't have this frost on nails problem.

The houses were drafty and the humidity couldn't build up to cause a problem. Your modern house is much tighter and the humidity can soar.

January 3, 2018 AsktheBuilder Second Newsletter

Posted on January 4, 2018 by Tim Carter

As often happens with a special announcement, I LEAVE OUT important information in the rush to get news to you.

Within minutes of sending out the last message, James wrote:

"Can you also do a newsletter to cover frozen pipes? I'm have to deal with it this morning in one of the upstairs bathrooms. Fortunately, it has not burst and there's a slow drip. I'm heating the pipes with hair dryers and those thermal tapes. But I'm looking for a more permanent preventative measure (aside from having to leave the cabinet doors open and running a slow drip at night) ... also I want to avoid having to tear everything up as well."

What do you know?

I created a NEW COLUMN about Preventing Frozen Pipes last night before supper!

CLICK HERE to read it.

It contains UNCONVENTIONAL information you'll not usually find in columns written by people telling you to run water, open cabinet doors, install UNSAFE heat tape, blah blah blah blah.

Those are temporary fixes that sometimes work. If you want to STOP frozen pipes forever, then CLICK HERE.

Once again, PLEASE FORWARD this message to anyone you know who has frozen pipes.

Sadly for James, I've got bad news if he wants a permanent fix.

He's going to tear a few things up, but he'll NEVER EVER AGAIN have frozen pipes.

GREAT VIDEO About Staying Warm

The column I wrote two hours ago has a GREAT VIDEO in it about why your house is COLD.

CLICK HERE and SCROLL DOWN to see it.

I Didn't BUILD the House I Live In

Each time I gritch about my house I get replies like this,

"Tim, how could you install a boiler that's too small? How come you don't have more PEX tubing in the floors so you get more Btus per hour? How could you, the EXPERT, make such a mistake?"

"Tim, why don't you have a great wood stove in the house to add extra heat to stay warm? Do you want me to send you some cheese to have with your WHINE? :-)"

Guess what?

I didn't build the house I'm living in.

I've spent the last eight years correcting many mistakes, but trying to correct this heating deficiency is just way too much work. I'd be ripping out all the finished ceilings in the basement.

No way I'm doing that.

As for the wood stove on the first floor, guess what?

The DUMB A * * architect and homeowner made two fatal flaws in the living room here:

it's too small
there's no raised hearth

If the living room were five feet longer, you could put an add-on, drop-dead-gorgeous wood stove in the living room.

If there was a raised hearth, you could pipe the stove pipe into the existing metal chimney of the inefficient wood-burning fireplace we have now.

Believe me, when I do build my dream house - I'm trying to make it happen soon - it will be warm as toast if the outdoor temperature drops to -30 F or below.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

Pass the Cheese, Tastes Good With My Whine!

January 3, 2018 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on January 3, 2018 by Tim Carter

Why You're Cold

Happy New Year!!!!

2018 is off to a bitter start for much of the USA.

Jim Cluett is my very good friend and amateur radio mentor here in NH. I was talking with him yesterday and we were both gritching about the cold weather.

He's lived here in central New Hampshire for most of his life. There was an eight-year period where he was on Prince Edward Island in Canada working as a TV news reporter / producer. He knows all about cold and drifting snow from up there.

"This is the longest and coldest period of weather I ever remember. Sure, we'd get damn cold for a day or two or three, but below zero temperatures night after night for ten days?"

Then yesterday just about 15 miles west of me at another amateur radio friend's house, it was minus 22 F just before dawn.

Are you COLD in your house? I am even though this bad boy below is running constantly.

house cold heat on
That's my boiler. It's running all the time. Each of the eight radiant heating zones in my house is calling for heat. I'm burning about 20 gallons of propane now per day.

Are You or Friends / Family COLD?

An hour ago, I just finished a new SPECIAL COLUMN about what's going on since tens of millions are suffering.

Are you one? Are you cold and you can't figure out WHY because your furnace, boiler or heater is running and you're still cold?

CLICK HERE NOW and read this short column.

Would you do me a favor? A big one?

Would you FORWARD this email / newsletter to any friend, family member, co-worker or ???? who is cold and upset thinking something is wrong with their heater?

I'm afraid they may WASTE MONEY calling in a furnace repair person. If the heater or furnace is running, NOTHING IS WRONG.

A service call is unnecessary.

That's enough for today.

I'll have more new columns for you this weekend.

Stay warm!!!

Yeah, Steve I know you'll not suffer today in Altadena, CA!

Alexa just told me it's going to be 74 F there today.

Happy Birthday Steve!

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

Size It Right And Not Suffer!

Why Is House Cold With Heating On

Posted on January 3, 2018 by Tim Carter

This is my own boiler. If the outdoor temperature drops below 5 F, the house loses more heat each hour than the boiler is able to produce in an hour. The colder it gets outdoors the colder it starts to get indoors. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

You wake up on a frigid morning or come home from work and your house is cold, yet the heater or furnace is on.

You might mumble out loud as you shiver, "Why is house cold with heating on?"

This is the column Tim asked in his January 3, 2018 AsktheBuilder Newsletter if you would share with your friends, family, etc.

Why Is House Cold? Furnaces Can Only Do So Much

Here's why your house is cold when your heating is running non stop:

Furnaces, boilers and electric heaters can only generate X amount of heat per hour
Think how shoes, clothes and hats come in different sizes - so to heaters
Your builder / HVAC man installed a heater sized for an average low temperature in your city/town

Electric Floor Heat - Very Cozy But Can Be Expensive

Candle in a Warehouse Example

I can explain why you're shivering with this example. Imagine if you had a standard candle and you were in the middle of a large warehouse.

The first thing to remember is there's no way the candle can produce enough heat in one hour to heat up the warehouse to a comfortable temperature.

But put that candle inside a small picnic cooler container and the temperature will get nice and warm in a short amount of time.

Free and Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FRE & FAST BIDS from local heating companies that can install a LARGER heater.

Heat Loss Calculations - This Is The Secret

Another key point is heat loss. Your home has a distinct heat loss each hour. Imagine if your house was 70 F inside and it was 0 F outside.

If your power went out and your heater stopped working, the temperature inside starts to drop. Each hour it gets colder and colder because of this heat loss.

Your home may lose heat faster than a neighbor's home because your home has:

poor insulation
many air leaks
ill-fitting weatherstripping around doors and windows
lots of windows and doors

It must be remembered that each house has it's own heat loss per hour. A point often overlooked is that your heater, furnace or boiler also can only produce a given amount of heat per hour like the candle above!

As soon as the heat loss per hour is GREATER THAN the heat per hour the heater can produce, your house starts to get uncomfortable. As the outdoor temperature drops lower and lower, it gets colder in your home.

Your Heater Is Sized for AVERAGE Low Temperature

Your heater or furnace is sized according to an average LOW temperature in your city or town.

In other words, it would be wasteful to install a heater in your home that would produce enough heat each hour to heat the giant warehouse we discussed. That would be overkill and waste lots of your money.

Most of the time your heater keeps you comfortable because the outdoor temperature is at or ABOVE the average low outdoor temperature.

Sooner or later bitter cold weather happens and your furnace or heater just can't keep up.

How to Stay Warm in a Cold House!

It's easy to stay warm when your house is cold. Just do the following:

wear long underwear inside
put on a knit hat
wear wool socks
put on layers inside - even a fleece jacket
add a SAFE amount of humidity to the air inside your home

CLICK HERE to read all of my past columns dealing with humidifiers, how to set them, alternative ways to add humidity, etc.

These things retain more of your body heat and believe me you'll stay warm!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local heating companies that can install a LARGER heater.

Preventing Frozen Pipes

Posted on January 2, 2018 by Tim Carter

Water Pipes Need Not Freeze

This is the column Tim added in his January 3, 2018 AsktheBuilder Second Newsletter.

Water supply lines in your home freeze because they get cold. Your plumber or builder should be smart enough to know to keep water lines on the warm sides of floors and walls.

If you want the best advice on how to prevent burst water lines, absolutely click or tap here.

Preventing Frozen Pipes Checklist:

Water lines should be installed on the warm side of walls and floors
Design house or room addition so plumbing fixtures are not on exterior walls if possible
Exterior walls and floors that must have water lines must be oversized and thicker
Water lines in exterior walls and cold floors must touch up against warm wall surface
Create one-inch air space between water lines and tight-fitting closed cell foam insulation in wall / floor cavity

Installation Requires Attention To Detail

Extra attention is required for preventing frozen pipes. Do all these things:

Use PEX piping in walls subject to freezing. PEX can handle repeated freeze/thaw events without bursting
Install separate easy-to-access shutoff valves for water lines that could freeze in case lines burst
Turn off water shutoff valves in bitter weather and open faucet valves to release pressure

PEX No-Burst Water Pipe is Easy to Install

Watch me demonstrate how to connect PEX piping to a fitting in about 15 seconds. PEX is something to use when thinking about how you'll take care of preventing frozen pipes. This plastic piping is true DIY plumbing piping material.

You don't need a fancy power tool like you see me use in the video. Simple hand-powered expansion tools can be purchased very affordably.

It's important to realize you can convert to PEX piping from copper, CPVC or any other water supply line. Just use PEX in those walls / floors that are in danger of freezing.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local plumbers that can install pipes that won't freeze.

Laundry Room Ideas

Posted on January 2, 2018 by Tim Carter

Laundry Room Ideas - Beware Of Function Flaws!

Laundry rooms are one of the hardest-working rooms in a house outside of the kitchen. I don't know about you, but I don't go into my laundry room to relax, read, watch TV or jump on my amateur radio.

I go in there to get clothes clean, use the utility sink, iron clothes, feed the dog, etc.

I'll bet you do the same, right?

It's important to realize you must avoid the mistake of making your laundry room beautiful before making it fully functional.

For one thing you need great laundry room ideas that will allow you to work with minimal frustration.

Keep reading as I've got lots of the ideas you need!

Related Links

Laundry Room Plans - Avoid These Mistakes at All Costs!

Laundry Room Cabinets - Lots & Lots of Choices

Dryer Venting - IMPORTANT TIPS HERE!

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local remodelers who can create a dream laundry room.

Top Five Functional Laundry Room Ideas

Before creating this page I went online and looked at many laundry room photos. Almost all of them could have been in a magazine they were so beautiful.

Beauty is one thing, but function is another. You can have both, but always think of function first.

Here's my top five laundry room function ideas:

laundry basket height
double-bowl utility sink
floor drain
waterproof flooring
easy access for washer / dryer maintenance

None of the above ideas are sexy, but each one will make your life so much easier.

Laundry Basket Height - It's Most Important

How do you deal with your dirty laundry now? Do you put your basket up on a 36-inch tall countertop? The top of the basket is now almost 54 inches off the floor! That's hard on your shoulders.

Do you put it on the floor? Is the floor always clean and free of dirt and lint? How's your back feel bending over so much to lift the clothes into your washer?

Consider a rolling platform that puts the top of the laundry basket about 32 inches off the floor. Try this idea out now using a simple cardboard box in your current laundry room. Experiment until you discover the perfect height for you.

Double-Bowl Laundry Utility Sink

I grew up with a double-bowl cast concrete laundry sink in my basement. Now I have a single-bowl thermoplastic one made by Mustee.

Mustee makes a fantastic double-bowl thermoplastic wall-mounted sink. CLICK HERE to order one.

You'll never regret having two bowls in your laundry room. One bowl can be dedicated to YUCK projects while the other bowl can be relegated to CLOTHES ONLY so it's always free of paint, oil, grease, etc.

Here's my single-bowl laundry sink. I wish the builder had made the room longer to accommodate a double-bowl version. All that was needed was 20 more inches! CLICK THE PHOTO to order an affordable Mustee double-bowl wall-mounted thermoplastic sink. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Floor Drains Are A Must in Laundry Rooms

I had to install a new drain pump in my washing machine the day before New Years Eve. The job would have gone so much faster had there been a floor drain in my laundry room.

Washing machines can develop leaks. A floor drain can prevent thousands of dollars of damage and you'll have NO MOLD outbreak!

Waterproof Flooring Prevents Mold & Rot

Another key point is waterproof flooring. Don't even consider laminate flooring as it has a wood-dust core.

You want ceramic tile, natural stone or some other material that can be installed over the cement base that will be installed over the waterproof membrane that connects to the floor drain.

Easy Access for Maintenance & Repair

The water shut off valves for the washer need to be above the top of the machine and in clear sight. You should turn off the water each time after the washing is complete. Modern braided supply hoses can fail and a flood will be the result.

The metal vent pipe for the dryer needs to extend up from the base of the machine and go outside through the wall just above the top of the dryer. You should be able to unscrew two or three screws on the 90-degree bend allowing you to slide the dryer out away from the wall to clean out the pipe.

You'll need at least 4 feet of space between the front of the dryer and any cabinets across from it to be able to slide it out the entire way so you can get access.

December 28, 2017 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Tim Carter

-1 F temp
BRRRRRR!!! It's frigid here this week in central New Hampshire.

When I woke up this morning, it was -6 F. The high temperature is supposed claw it's way to 1 F. The wind is howling, it's just before noon and the thermometer says it's -1 F.

In other words, it's damned dangerous to be outside.

Great Teaching Moment - Heat Loss

Are you suffering from the cold too? Is your house cold even though the furnace is running non stop?

There's nothing wrong. This is normal when it gets bitter cold.

Furnaces, boilers, heaters, etc. are sized for an average low temperature. Professional installers look at the weather records and then select a temperature like 5, 10, 15 or even 30 F depending on where you live.

It's silly and wasteful to install a furnace in your home that's so large it can heat the entire Empire State Building! You want your furnace to be just large enough to heat your home and that's it.

Here's a coarse analogy. Imagine trying to heat a giant warehouse with a candle. The poor candle can't put out enough heat each hour to compensate for the HEAT LOSS through the floor, walls and ceiling.

Your furnace, boiler or heat pump is like that candle. When it's operating at full tilt, it can only generate a GIVEN AMOUNT of Btus per hour.

As it gets colder outside, the heat loss, measured in Btus, INCREASES per hour. At some point that Btu heat loss is greater than what your heater can produce.

When this happens, it's impossible to maintain your normal indoor temperature and you get cold.

The solution is to put on more clothes, long underwear and wear a hat. That's what I'm doing right now as I type this. Look at the photo just below.

Go Patriots!!! Want the NEW Patriots knit hat like I'm wearing in the photo above?

It's got a fantastic felt-like material liner and is SUPER WARM. My youngest daughter gave it to me for Christmas. I love love love it...

CLICK HERE to have it delivered to you home.

There might be a special deal at Amazon where it comes with a free air-pressure gauge you can give to any NFL official you might know. 😉

New Products at AsktheBuilder.com

I introduced two new products at AsktheBuilder.com in the past two days!

Did you know I've been a master plumber since age 29? Yes, it's a fact. I enjoy installing plumbing pipes. To me, it's like a jigsaw puzzle but in 3D.

The new products came about because of increased demand for a service I've provided for years but did a HORRIBLE JOB of marketing.

The first product is a service where I'll draw plumbing plans for your drain and vent lines in your new home or remodel job.

Draw Plumbing Plans

In the photo below, that's a washing machine drain line and it's associated vent line. You also see a vent line to the right coming up from a lower floor.

Do you think you could size all the pipes right and know how they connect in your home? I didn't think so.

Allow me to draw it all up for you.

Most DIYrs have no idea about the correct pipe sizes and the best way to connect all the pipes in a full layout.

That's what I do. As crazy as it sounds, I love making these drawings.

Here's an example of just PART of a drawing:

The second product is a short instant download of Best Practices for Installing PVC Drain and Vent Lines.

In this simple document I condense decades of hard-earned knowledge so you don't make the mistakes I did many years ago.

You can get professional plumbing results by following all of what's in this short document.

CLICK HERE to see what it covers.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

I'm about to start PRICE TESTING THIS NEW PRODUCT. The knowledge in this simple document is well worth hundreds of dollars. I know no one would pay that price.

But they might pay $19.95 or $24.95 to get just ONE of the tips. The way you determine this is to change the pricing and see what price sells best. Lowest price does not always win!

Right now it's priced at $14.95.

If you want it for $14.95, then PURCHASE IT NOW.

If you feel you may need this advice in the future - even if another plumber is putting in your system - you should get it right now.

You can include MUCH of what's in the document in your plumbing specifications so you get a fantastic system.

New & Revised Columns For You

I'd look at these columns if for nothing else but the photos and videos that are in them:

undermount kitchen sink

Bulletproof Undermount Kitchen Sinks

Secret Tip to Unclog Toilets FAST!

Load Bearing Wall Identification SECRETS

Granite Sealers - Bet You Didn't Know This

I'll be very busy the next three months revising hundreds and hundreds of older columns for you.

You'll benefit by CLICKING the links to them.

Orlando FL Meet Up

I'll be in Orlando, FL from January 8th-11th for the Builders Show.

I can do a meet up on the night of January 8th if you want. At this point I don't have anything scheduled. But after that, it gets pretty insane.

REPLY to this email if you want to get together. CHANGE the Subject Line to: Orlando Meet Up

That's enough for today.

Happy New Year!

Tim Carter
Founder - AsktheBuilder.com
Drawer of Plumbing Isometric Plans

Do It Right, Not Over!

Draw Plumbing Plans

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Tim Carter

I'm a master plumber and I can draw plumbing plans like this one in 20 minutes. It shows the fixtures in a bathroom that's being added to an existing home. The solid lines carry water and waste. The dashed lines only carry air and some condensation water. CLICK HERE if you want me to draw your plumbing plans. (C) Copyright 2017 Tim Carter - Master Plumber

Draw Plumbing Plans Using Years of Experience

You have to draw plumbing plans if you want your plumbing system to go in with no surprises. I've been a master plumber for almost forty years now and know how invaluable a great set of plans is to have on the job site.

I can draw plumbing plans for your new home or remodel. I love making drawings like you see above for an entire house! Watch this video that shows all you get with my Draw Plumbing Plans package:

Washing Machine Vent Line Tips

CLICK HERE to have Tim Carter draw your drain and vent line plans for your home or remodel job.

Pipe Sizes for Plumbing Plans

It's important to realize pipe sizes must be correct to avoid clogs. Certain fixtures require minimum pipe sizes.

As an illustration, showers need to have a 2-inch drain pipe.

Residential toilets require a minimum 3-inch drain pipe.

Fixture Units Add Up

Another key point is that plumbing drain pipes can only handle so much water flow.

Engineering studies determined many years ago the average amount of water discharged in X seconds by common plumbing fixtures.

These common fixtures in a house are:

toilets
kitchen sinks
vanity sinks
tubs
shower stalls
washing machines
floor drains

The first thing to remember as you draw plumbing plans is to keep track of the fixture units so you know when to upsize to the next larger drain line.

Lots Of Hidden Vent Lines

Watch the following video I shot in the winter of 2015 in central New Hampshire. Pay close attention to the pipe sizes and the direction of some of the fittings.

CLICK HERE to have Tim Carter draw your drain and vent line plans for your home or remodel job.

Advice For Architects-To-Be And You Too

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Tim Carter

Can you see the mistake made by the architect in this photo? Look at the short stub foundation wall on the right then the height of the doorway from the garage to the house. (C) Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

Advice For Architects-To-Be And You Too!

Not only do I answer questions each day at my own AsktheBuilder.com website, but I also do the same at another major question site. Two days before Christmas, I answered a most unusual question.

The gentleman wanted to know the best books I’d recommend about building and construction for young architecture students. You might think my first reaction would be to provide a few links from Amazon.com to one or two top books.

I didn’t do that. Instead I uploaded a photo (see above) I had taken the day before of a house being built near me and a short story. I drive by this house each time I go into town. About a week before Christmas, the builder had completed pouring the foundation for a two-car attached garage. There are two separate garage doors in this structure.

As often happens, I did it at the last home I built for my family, the garage foundation is poured at a later date than the house foundation. Doing this allows better access to the house foundation forms for ready-mix concrete trucks. If you decided to pour both foundations at once, you might have to incur the cost of an expensive concrete pump truck.

I decided to take a few photos of the garage and once I pulled into the driveway I shook my head in disbelief. The two-car garage had a fatal flaw.

You need to know that the first floor level of the house is going to be about 2 feet higher than the garage floor. This means there has to be a minimum 3-foot by 3-foot platform that projects into the garage immediately adjacent to the door leading from the garage into the house. Two steps will get you from the platform down to the garage floor.

The edge of the garage door that’s closest to the house is about 28 inches from the sidewall of the house. The platform is going to occupy space that was supposed to be for the car. Now it’s only good for a touring Harley Davidson motorcycle or a golf cart.

My answer to the man asking about the books was that instead of reading about how to build, the young architects-to-be should just go work full-time on construction sites for a minimum of a year. Two years would be a much better investment of time. This hand-on construction experience would pay off in spades later in their career allowing them to better serve their clients.

I went on to mention how the young women and men should work for both remodeling and new construction builders. They’ll quickly discover the challenges faced by builders when trying to work from plans that contain flaws or oversights.

I had a similar mistake happen to me late in my building career. I was on the most challenging job I had ever bid on. The architect was seasoned and we were good friends. He had developed a niche of doing very interesting giant room additions and complex remodel jobs.

This job had me adding a small house onto a house for all intents and purposes. The existing attached garage on the home was to become the new giant kitchen. A new garage with two separate garage doors was going to be in the new structure.

The new structure was brick veneer and the plans called for gorgeous arched openings over the doors. I built the forms for the bricklayer and placed them exactly where the architect said to put them. I trusted the architect had done everything right.

The architect made a mistake and had the arches too low. When you tried to pull in the homeowner’s minivan into the garage, the roof of the van would hit the brick. Had a young architect-to-be been working with me the day we tore out the brick to redo it, I guarantee you she/he would never ever make that mistake in their career.

The young people would also see how frustrating it is to work from plans lacking great details of complex connections, blueprints missing interior elevations, and AWOL room finish schedules along with minimal written specifications.

All of these things lead to misunderstandings, drama, blown budgets and in the worst cases expensive lawsuits where only the attorneys win. If you know a person that expresses an interest in being an architect, please convince them to go get muddy, sweaty and dusty for two years. They’ll forever thank you!

Column 1229

Ring Floodlight Cam Review

Posted on December 22, 2017 by Tim Carter

Ring® Floodlight Cam Review - A Dream Security Spotlight

My wife doesn't like our new Ring® Floodlight Cam.

"You're a creeper," she says to me. That's because our Ring® keeps a vigilant eye on who comes down our driveway. She doesn't like to be watched so she's not happy with me. I tell her, "Just don't go up the drive."

That goes over like a lead balloon. 😉

But I LOVE LOVE LOVE my new Ring® Floodlight Cam because I can see who's coming, I can talk to them and the floodlights make it look like daytime when they come on. It's a marvelous piece of technology.

Nutone Knock Review - #FAIL Try Again Nutone

Are All Parts and Tools Included?

When you unpack the Ring® Floodlight Cam, you'll soon discover you have everything you need. All parts and tools are included. Check out all that came with mine:

Here's what you get with the Ring Floodlight Cam. You even get EXTRA parts in case you're a klutz and drop something. The orange screwdriver works to tighten the white finish nuts that secure the floodlight to the galvanized steel baseplate in the photo. Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

Does the Ring Floodlight Cam Have Lights, Sound, Siren and Motion Detection?

The Ring® Floodlight Cam comes with LED spotlights - this means no bulb changing. WOOT!

It's got complete audio so you can listen to what's going on outside. You can talk through the speaker too.

If you want to scare away any people of interest that cause the lights to come on, you can touch your smartphone screen and activate a siren.

Oh, and you can record all of this and Ring stores everything!

Is it Easy To Install the Ring® Floodlight Cam?

Yes, it's very easy to install the Ring Floodlight cam.

I've installed plenty of outdoor light fixtures in my career. Ring decided they wanted no hassles so the developed their own base or backplate for the floodlight. The rubber seal ensures everything to be watertight as long as you read the red sticker and put that at the 6-o'clock position!

Is The Ring® Floodlight Cam App Easy To Use?

Yes, the app is very easy and very intuitive.

The first thing to remember after you install the floodlight on the wall is to turn on the power to the fixture.

You'll see a light start to blink inside the motion detector under the black camera box. The fixture even talks to you!

The instructions tell you to then install the Ring® app on your smartphone and follow the easy steps to activate the floodlight.

It took less than two minutes for this all to happen on my phone.

Here are some screenshots of what I saw on the app. It was SO VERY INTUITIVE!

Here's a fascinating screen on the app. This is where you create the part of the camera view where you want motion REPORTED to you and where the lights turn on and the video starts to record. You can drag and drop blue dots to create the polygon area you want. I wanted to know if someone is trying to get into my shed up on the hill. VERY COOL! Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

Summary

The Ring® Floodlight Cam is very very nice. It was easy to install, it works and the floodlights are BRIGHT!

My wife will still call me a creeper, but I don't care.

I love my Ring® Floodlight Cam, but not as much as I love She Who Must Be Obeyed!

Frost on Nails is Frozen Condensation

How to STOP the Frost on Nails

Old Houses Didn't Have Frost

Why You're Cold

Are You or Friends / Family COLD?

Would you do me a favor? A big one?

Why Is House Cold? Furnaces Can Only Do So Much

Candle in a Warehouse Example

Heat Loss Calculations - This Is The Secret

Your Heater Is Sized for AVERAGE Low Temperature

How to Stay Warm in a Cold House!

Water Pipes Need Not Freeze

Preventing Frozen Pipes Checklist:

Installation Requires Attention To Detail

PEX No-Burst Water Pipe is Easy to Install

Laundry Room Ideas - Beware Of Function Flaws!

Top Five Functional Laundry Room Ideas

Laundry Basket Height - It's Most Important

Double-Bowl Laundry Utility Sink

Floor Drains Are A Must in Laundry Rooms

Waterproof Flooring Prevents Mold & Rot

Easy Access for Maintenance & Repair

Great Teaching Moment - Heat Loss

New Products at AsktheBuilder.com

Draw Plumbing Plans Using Years of Experience

Pipe Sizes for Plumbing Plans

Fixture Units Add Up

Lots Of Hidden Vent Lines

Advice For Architects-To-Be And You Too!

Ring® Floodlight Cam Review - A Dream Security Spotlight

Are All Parts and Tools Included?

Does the Ring Floodlight Cam Have Lights, Sound, Siren and Motion Detection?

Is it Easy To Install the Ring® Floodlight Cam?

Is The Ring® Floodlight Cam App Easy To Use?

Summary

Expert Advice For Your Home