July 13, 2017 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Tim Carter

I think it's been three weeks since we last communicated, unless of course you're a new subscriber and this is your first issue! Welcome!

The last week of June, I was on the Norwegian cruise liner Dawn and had a marvelous time. It was my first cruise and WOW was I impressed. The Dawn left Boston at 4:00 p.m. on June 23rd and arrived in Bermuda the morning of June 25th.

I had the unique opportunity to interact with many of the crew, including Alain Magnier, the Hotel Director. The hotel director is just below the captain on the ship's organizational chart. Alain is completely in charge of the passenger and crew experience on the ship. It's a huge responsibility.

I'm in the process of writing a big story about the Dawn and how it compares in a way to your home. I know that seems crazy but wait until you read my story, see my photos and videos.

I had the pleasure of conducting a one-hour interview with Alain and then we ate a delicious lunch in Cagney's Steakhouse on board the ship as it made its way back to Boston from Bermuda.

In addition to speaking with Alain, I also had the great good fortune to meet and talk with:

CLICK each of their names above and read the stories about each of these super professional crew members. If you go on cruises and don't reach out and talk to the crew, I feel you're missing something. Most are very congenial and will engage you in conversation.

Here's a photo of Linda and I taken the night before we got back to Boston:

Electronic Stove Igniters

Yesterday I solved a pesky problem with Kathy's stove. The gas burners ignite using a spark igniter. The igniter is supposed to stop clicking and sparking once the flame starts.

Well, ours kept sparking. I was able to solve the problem in minutes using some rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs.

All you do is soak the tip of a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and rub the grease and dirt off the tip of the entire igniter and the burner area where the spark jumps to from the ignitor.

It only took me about five minutes to clean all eight ignitors.

Try this is you're having issue with your stove.

Car Rental Experts - Please Help Me!

My next adventure is in one month. I'll be doing a factory tour where the magnificent KEEN shoes and boots are made.

CLICK HERE to understand why I'm investing the time to travel 3,000 miles to this factory.

The KEEN headquarters are in downtown Portland, Oregon. WOOT! The list of US states I haven't visited will now be down to three after this trip! I've never been to Oregon. After that I need to get to North Dakota, Alaska and Hawaii. But I digress.

About ten days after the KEEN tour ends, I need to be in San Francisco for a meeting. It seemed nuts to fly all the way back to New Hampshire and then a week later fly back out, so I'm staying out west.

This is where I need you if you're a SUPER EXPERT about renting cars. I'm looking for the absolute best deal on a one-way car rental from Portland, OR down to San Francisco. I already know you can usually get better deals not picking the car up from the airports.

But what are the other secrets?

If you're a car rental expert, please consider reaching out and help me get a super deal. I'd pick up the car mid morning of August 4th in Portland and I'd return it to the SFO airport early on the morning of August 16th.

It can be a tiny car. I'm not particular.

Oregon / N. California Meet Ups???

This trip will produce opportunities for a few meet ups if you live in Portland, OR or San Fransisco, CA or in between these two cities. Reach out to me if you want to do a meet up and let me know where you are so I can see if we can make it work.

Dishwasher Money-Saving Tips

About two months ago, I noticed that the glasses coming out of my dishwasher were not really clean. They had a film on them.

I do have a water softener and it was operating just fine. The rinsing agent reservoir in the dishwasher was also filled with the magic blue liquid.

I traced the issue to a DISGUSTING grease-clogged filter in the bottom of the dishwasher under the rotating arm that squirts water.

GROSS!!!! I was able to get the filter looking like new soaking it overnight in my Stain Solver oxygen bleach.

Stain Solver really does a great job of attacking grease. Once the filter was clean, the glasses looked great again.

While we're at it on dishwashers, here's another tip.

You know the little dispenser you fill with detergent that gets the dishes clean? Do you fill those all the way each load?

STOP doing that. Start TESTING NOW.

I've discovered that I only need to fill the main reservoir only about 1/3 of the way with a name-brand liquid cleaner to get perfectly clean dishes.

I also fill the pre-wash reservoir only 1/2 way.

You'll end up buying far less detergent if you find the sweet spot for your machine.

My guess is the dishwasher manufacturers oversize the reservoirs in case you buy a crap detergent that doesn't work so well so you need to put more in.

New Columns For You

Here are a few new columns for you to help increase your knowledge:

Tub Tile Grout Repair

Treated Wood Rot

Blacktop Driveway Types

New Videos Coming

I'm about to tape a series of videos showing how to cut and thread black iron pipe. I think you're really going to be amazed at how SIMPLE it is.

That's enough for today. Help me out on the car rental please if you like challenges.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

Emelinda Nonato Norwegian Dawn Assistant Maitre D

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Tim Carter

Norwegian Dawn Assistant Maitre D

The last week of June 2017 found me at sea on the Norwegian cruise liner Dawn as its pointed bow plowed through the deep blue sea heading to Bermuda from Boston, Massachusetts.

It was my first cruise and I was like a kid in a candy store.

Weeks prior to departure I had reached out to the public relations team at Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) asking them a few questions about my ham radio.

I informed them the adventure was a mix of work and pleasure as I wanted to write a story about how a cruise liner compares to the homes you and I live in.

That's how I came to meet Emelinda Nonato a few days into the cruise.

Emelinda is a pro. It was very nice of her to allow me to have this photo taken of her and I together inside the Bamboo restaurant.

Emelinda has been working on cruise ships for thirteen years I believe and she's climbed high on the ladder to become an Assistant Maitre D in a few of the fine restaurants on the Dawn.

The NCL public relations team goes out of its way to extend courtesies to members of the media like me. One of them was a very nice invitation to eat breakfast and lunch at a few of the exclusive restaurants on board the ship.

I decided to try breakfast at Moderno Churrascaria. It's an enclosed restaurant in the middle portion of the ship on Deck 13. It's got large windows that overlook the outdoor pool area.

This restaurant is very formal and I'm quite sure the Dawn's Hotel Director, Alain Magnier, puts his A team members in these high-profile assets. The passengers that visit these upscale restaurants on the ship pay to dine here and expect the best service and dining experience.

Yes, that's French press coffee made fresh just for you. Look at the presentation of the fruit for breakfast. It's well worth it to splurge and visit these top-tier restaurants on the Dawn. It's a dining experience you'll never forget. If you're lucky, Linda Giga may come and take your photo while dining! Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

I can tell you I was not disappointed and neither would my close friend Dan Murray who appreciates white tablecloths over plastic forks and foam bowls when dining.

Emelinda was the Maitre D on duty the first morning I dined for breakfast in Moderno Churrascaria. She was professional and made sure my meal was perfect.

Here's the menu I looked at while dining that morning at Moderno Churrascaria. I guarantee you'll get something you like. Want something different? My guess is your waiter and the chef can make it happen! Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

As I was leaving the restaurant that morning I mentioned that I'd be having lunch with the Hotel Director and asked her how to spell his name.

"Oh, you're going to have a great time with Alain," said Emelinda. She kindly corrected my spelling as she saw me write down his name forgetting to add the letter "i".

Little did I know that she'd be on duty that afternoon at Cagney's Steakhouse where I was to have lunch with Alain after my interview with him.

While I can't speak for the official duties of the other assistant maitre d's, Emelinda worked at no less than three of the fine restaurants on board the Dawn. She was kind enough to pose for our photo together while on duty at Bamboo.

I hope when you cruise on the Dawn you'll remember Emelinda and take a few moments to engage her in conversation. Ask her if she remembers the silly old goat with the white hair who asked too many questions!

Rene Boy Rapal Norwegian Dawn Junior Stateroom Steward

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Tim Carter

Norwegian Dawn Junior Stateroom Steward

The last week of June 2017 I had the most pleasant hotel experience of my life.

I was in a moving hotel, the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship, as she carved her way through the deep blue sea from Boston to Bermuda and then back again.

My stateroom was 9611 and Rene Boy Rapal was my steward.

Here's Rene with his great uniform. I don't think he likes to have his photo taken. No, Rene didn't steal my razor. I hadn't shaved for a few days. You can forget to do that on cruises. Copyright 2017 Dan Murray

This young man was polite, efficient and congenial.

I talked to him early in the cruise and we became instant friends. How did he know that I LOVED to have ice in my room?

Yes, he would automagically fill my stainless steel ice container twice a day.

Because he's a pro, he would memorize the schedule of the passengers in the fourteen staterooms he was in charge of. When I left my cabin early in the morning to walk around or get coffee, he'd make sure he'd clean up, make the bed and have the room perfect by the time I got back. It was magic.

I thoroughly enjoyed the turn-down service Rene performed each night when I was at dinner. When I'd come back to the room some amusing creature made from tightly wound towels would be in my room. I'd never seen anything like it before!

Rene was a real pro and I only hope you're lucky enough to meet him if you travel on the Dawn.

Building & Remodeling Magazines & Associations

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Tim Carter

Here are just a few of the covers of Fine Homebuilding. They put out two special issues each year, one about amazing houses and the other about dream kitchens and bathrooms. CLICK THE PHOTO to subscribe.

Construction Magazines & Articles

For topics concerning construction, there are many good magazines to read. One is called The Journal of Light Construction. This magazine is an excellent monthly publication directed towards smaller building and remodeling contractors.

However, any homeowner could easily follow each article. The articles are written using non-technical information. They attempt to show different installation techniques and/or how certain products (paints, caulks, shingles, etc.) should be installed.

A similar magazine, Fine Homebuilding, has an almost identical format. Many years ago when I first started to subscribe, issue 28, it focused on unique home building projects and large-scale remodeling projects. The articles are expertly written and edited. The photographs are spectacular.

Fine Homebuilding has gravitated more towards what the Journal of Light Construction has done for years. Now Fine Homebuilding focuses primarily on everyday topics and challenges that the average builder faces.

I've always loved the full-color 3D cutaway illustrations in Fine Homebuilding. A subscription to this magazine is money well spent.

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local remodeling contractors. Ask them if they subscribe to Fine Homebuilding and Journal of Light Construction.

Certain areas of construction have hundreds of books and articles. Concrete is one of these areas. The Portland Cement Association has a catalog of their publications. There are hundreds of books, pamphlets and videos available. While some are technical, quite a few are written specifically for homeowners.

The associations listed below have excellent literature. Your library has a wealth of books. Your newsstand has or can get numerous magazines.

Building & Remodeling Magazines

Remodeling
www.remodeling.hw.net
An excellent trade publication. Free subscriptions are available to those in and around the remodeling field. Homeowners can purchase subscriptions as well. An excellent source of new product information and design ideas. Also, inside information on the business aspects of remodeling contracting.
Journal of Light Construction
www.jlconline.com
An excellent publication if you are an ardent do-it-yourselfer, or want to learn how things are done so that you can make sure you hire the right person.
Fine Homebuilding
www.finehomebuilding.com
This magazine is considered by many custom builders and remodelers as the ultimate publication. The articles are written by experts in their fields. Often the projects featured can offer you dramatic design ideas. You can always find this publication on my coffee table!
Kitchen & Bath Business
www.kbbonline.com
Everything you wanted to know about new kitchen and bath products and designs. It is primarily a trade publication available for free. If you wish to subscribe, you can as well. Great magazine if you want to be the first on your block with the "in" cabinets and tops.
Qualified Remodeler
www.qualifiedremodeler.com
A trade publication like Remodeling. Can be had for free if you are in the remodeling business. If not, you will have to pay!

Manufacturing & Trade Associations

Following is a partial list of manufacturing and trade associations. Virtually every one listed has an abundance of literature that speaks about their group. For example, the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association has an incredible booklet that shows you just how your roofer should be installing your shingles. The same is true for just about every association listed. I highly recommend that you contact the associations that interest you and request literature. You will not be disappointed.

Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
National Association of Home Builders
National Kitchen & Bath Association
Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association
Gypsum Association
Portland Cement Association
Window and Door Manufacturers Association
Vinyl Siding Institute
APA - The Engineered Wood Association
Tile Council of America
Carpet and Rug Institute
National Wood Flooring Association
Resilient Floor Covering Institute
Home Ventilating Institute
North American Insulation Manufacturers Association
American Lighting Association
Brick Industry Association
National Paint & Coatings Association
Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local remodeling contractors. Ask them if they subscribe to Fine Homebuilding and Journal of Light Construction.

Linda Giga Norwegian Dawn Photographer

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Tim Carter

Norwegian Dawn Photographer

The last week of June, 2017 I was fortunate enough to be on the Norwegian Dawn. I was invited to go on the cruise by a close friend as a last-minute cancellation had created an empty cabin.

I decided to turn it into a work / pleasure experience and write a story about how cruise ships compare to the average home you and I live in.

It was my first cruise. The ship left Boston harbor at 4 pm on June 23rd and headed to Bermuda.

Everything about the adventure was new to me. I spent my first day exploring the ship and trying to talk to as many crew members as possible.

The first night at dinner is when I first saw Linda Giga. She's a young Dawn crew member hailing from Latvia and was employed on the ship as a professional photographer.

The ship has about five white-tablecloth restaurants and Linda was going table to table taking photographs of the passengers. Norwegian then sells the photographs to the passengers in packages. When you sign up for a cruise, you can pick a photo package as one of your amenities in certain instances.

This is an example of a photo Linda would take at the bottom of the stairs in the Grand Atrium. I'm not an expert, but many families travel together on cruises and they love professional photos of themselves in the moment. Linda would have taken a much better photo making sure everyone was looking at the camera! Copyright 2017 Tim Carter - rookie photographer

Early in the cruise, I think it was Sunday night, I was wandering around the ship after dinner and found Linda in the Grand Atrium.

She was on duty near the grand staircase and in great discomfort. Linda was crouched down, and appeared to be staring at the floor although her eyes were closed.

She was rubbing her temples. You didn't have to be a first-year med student to realize she had a monster headache.

Having gone through my wretched kidney stone attack three years prior that required emergency surgery, I knew she was at level 7 on the pain scale. She was avoiding and limiting her required physical activity.

This is a pretty good depiction of the stages of pain. I can tell you that Linda was very close to 7 on the chart. Chart courtesy of Shadowtwin.com or whatever website they stole it from.

I watched Linda for a few moments and couldn't take it any longer. I wanted to do something to help ease her pain. I approached her, she immediately stood up with a smile and I said, "I can see you're suffering. Would you like me to go get you some medicine?"

Linda immediately refused and thanked me for my offer. I believe it took every ounce of energy for her to put on that smile and give the appearance that nothing was wrong.

The next morning, I saw her taking photos at the end of the gangway as passengers got off the ship to enjoy the day on shore in Bermuda.

"Linda, how are you feeling today?"

"Oh, much better. Thanks so much for asking! You're the only passenger that's said anything last night."

"Well, I knew you were hurting and I just wanted to help in any way I could."

She thanked me again and I went to operate my ham radio at a nearby miniature golf course.

The last night of the cruise I saw Linda working in the gallery where passengers could view photos and purchase albums. Her energy and smile were infectious and it was great to see her one last time.

She was kind enough to allow a friend of mine, Alycia Murray, to take the above photo. Linda's great attitude and laugh were one of the highlights of the crew members that I had the pleasure of speaking with while on the ship. Norwegian Cruise Lines is lucky to have her on the Dawn.

Here's one of the decorative mood lights up on deck 13 above the pool. I shot this in Bermuda, but no doubt Linda could do a much much better job. Perhaps one day she'll send me a photo or two of the ship she took. Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

Linda, I hope that you have no more headaches in the future and that all your future cruises are pleasant and filled with good times and great memories!

Tub Tile Grout Repair

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Tim Carter

Tub Tile Grout Repair TIPS

Try to repair grout in valuable one-of-a-kind fixtures
Deep clean grout first to get perfect color match
WATCH step-by-step grouting videos below
Use a vibrating multi-tool to remove old grout
CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: I’ve got a unique partially sunken tub and shower that’s got a mixture of different tiles. The tub is cast-in-place concrete and was hot-mopped with asphalt to prevent water leaks.

The grout between the mosaic tiles is eroding slowly but the wall tile grout is in very good condition. Is mold causing the tile grout to erode? Will the eroding grout cause leaks? Should I just demolish the tub and shower and start over or is it possible to repair the grout?

How do I stop the mold from growing in this gorgeous tub and shower area? Marie J., Santa Barbara, CA

DEAR MARIE: Oh my goodness! Thanks for the photos you sent in.

Sunken Tub Artwork

Your tub and shower is a work of art! By all means let’s do everything possible to restore it. I cringe at the thought of someone hitting that masterpiece with a sledge hammer to take it out!

Sunken tubs like yours are a dying craft. There are still master tile setters that can form one and then cover it with expert tile work, but each year there are fewer of these talented individuals. There’s a very good chance that your tub and shower could be a major reason someone buys your home in the future.

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local ceramic tile contractors that can re-grout tub and shower tile.

Consult Realtor Before Demolition

In certain areas of the nation, there are communities with period homes that are highly sought after. You can make this determination by talking with three of the top-performing realtors in your neighborhood. They’ll tell you what buyers are looking for. Always do this before you consider removing a specialty fixture from your home.

New Grout Is Tedious But Possible

If you’re not experiencing any leaks at this time, then the job is just going to be tedious. The good news is you can re-grout the mosaic tile and make it look brand new. Fortunately there are modern tools you can use that will allow you to get the job done much faster than what it took in the past.

Mold Is Not The Problem

Let’s talk about the grout deterioration first. Mold and mildew are not the cause of the erosion of the grout. The black organic growth is more a nuisance and a cosmetic blemish than anything else. It’s hard to say what’s causing the loss of grout as I don’t know when it started and how fast the deterioration progressed.

Sanded Grout Is Durable

The sanded grout that’s between your mosaic tub tiles is just a mixture of extremely hard fine silica sand and Portland cement. When mixed and finished properly this grout can last for many many decades with no deterioration. It’s possible the grout was defective from day one because a little too much water was used to mix it or the sponge used to smooth the grout joints was too wet.

The grout may have held up for many years but was ever so slowly eroding. When far too much water is used to mix the grout and finish it, the deterioration can happen in months, not years.

Your job is to install new grout in the areas where you see moderate to severe deterioration. The first step in the process is to deep clean the tile grout so you get as close a color match to the grout as possible. I say this assuming you’re not going to re-grout all the tile.

Deep Clean Grout Before Repair

Cleaning tile grout can be a multiple-step project because hard water deposits might be trapping dirt on both the tile and the grout. You remove hard water deposits using regular white vinegar. I prefer to lay paper towels on the lime deposits and saturate them with the white vinegar.

White vinegar is a mild acid and it chemically breaks down the alkaline hard water deposits. Allow the vinegar to work for hours before trying to scrub. It may take multiple applications of the vinegar to remove all the lime and dirt deposits.

Stain Solver is MADE in the USA with USA ingredients that are food-grade quality. CLICK THE IMAGE to order some NOW.

Once this is done, deep clean the grout with Stain Solver. Stain Solver is a certified organic oxygen bleach that penetrates into sanded grout to remove body oils, dirt, mold, mildew, etc.

Stain Solver is a powder you mix with warm water. You saturate the grout with the solution once all the powder is dissolved in the water.

Millions of oxygen bubbles attack dirt, grime, oils, etc. There's no odor and your grout will look like new.

After the grout is clean and dry you can try to obtain a color match. The color of the new grout powder is what it will dry to when just using water to mix it. Don’t add andy milky additives as that can cause blotchy color issues in the new grout.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local ceramic tile contractors that can re-grout tub and shower tile.

Use Vibrating Multi-tool To Remove Grout

You need to remove existing grout before you begin to re-grout. Remove a minimum of 1/8-inch of the grout in all areas where you plan to put in new grout. The best tool to use is a modern vibrating multitool that works much like a barber’s clippers.

Multitools are the only thing to use to remove grout. Just take your time. CLICK THE PHOTO to have this tool delivered to your home in days

There are different carbide-tipped blades you can put on the multitool that allow you to carefully remove the grout without damaging the tile.

Work slowly and vacuum up the old grout on a regular basis. Wear a high-performance dust mask to prevent inhaling any silica dust.

Install New Sanded Grout Videos

Watch these four videos to see how to achieve professional results when working with sanded floor or tub grout.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local ceramic tile contractors that can re-grout tub and shower tile.

How to Floor Grout Video 4 of 4

Posted on July 6, 2017 by Tim Carter

How to Floor Grout Video

Treated Wood Rot

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Tim Carter

Treated Wood Rot

DEAR TIM: I’m starting to have some rot issues with my ten-year-old deck. Not only are some of the treated wood decking boards having rot issues, but I’m also noticing that the tops of some of the joists are showing severe rot where the decking screws pass into the tops of the joists. The rot is 2 inches deep in a few of the joists! Is the lumber defective? Are the chemicals in the wood so strong as to cause the rot? What’s going on and is there anything that can be done to prevent it? Lawrence B., Concord, NC

DEAR LAWRENCE: I’ve experienced similar rot with treated lumber I’ve owned. Years ago, I built a treated wood play set for my kids. After fifteen years I got rid of it to build a garden shed for my wife.

I was shocked when I pulled the buried posts from the ground. Even though the lumber was rated for burial and direct contact with the soil, termites had consumed quite a bit of several posts.

Last year, I visited the home of a childhood friend and her treated lumber deck posts had severe rot where the end grain at the top of the posts was exposed to the weather and rain. A month after seeing this rot, I encountered some rot on my own treated lumber deck that I was rebuilding.

About twenty years ago, I was in the center of the vortex of a massive lawsuit between two giant corporations. I had Marvin Windows in my home that were treated with a defective clear wood preservative. While the windows were not made with the same species of wood as your deck, I have first-hand experience in knowing that treatment chemicals can be defective. Suffice it to say, treated wood does rot.

There are many reasons why it can happen. A defective pressure gauge at a treatment plant might be the culprit. The manufacturer of the chemical brew might have made a mistake in its testing procedures and the chemical may not perform as expected. Scientists in labs can and do make mistakes even though they try everything to prevent them. The list of possibilities is endless.

There’s a secondary issue that could be in play. When your deck was built, the carpenter could have unintentionally helped accelerate the rot. Base on the photo you sent to me, it’s quite obvious the top of the joist has a crack in it that extends back to the corroding screw.

This crack no doubt originated when the carpenter drove the screw through the decking into the top of the joist. Without drilling a pilot hole, the twisting screw produces enormous amounts of tension in the lumber as the mass of the screw pushes aside wood fibers.

I’ve never taken the time myself to drill pilot holes and I’ve never heard of a carpenter doing it as it’s so time intensive. I don’t want you to think it was his fault.

The crack may have been very small at the time the deck was built but over time the crack enlarged. This happens when water enters the crack and causes the wood to expand. When the wood dries out, the wood contracts. This back and forth movement can cause the crack to widen. As the crack gets bigger, the water drives deeper into the wood causing even more stress.

If the preservative chemicals didn’t penetrate deeply into the wood, then it stands to reason that the water entering around the screw in your photo can cause the wood to begin to rot.

Treated wood rot has spawned a new category of products to help protect your investment in the treated lumber and all the work to build a deck frame. You need three things to have wood rot: wood, water and fungi that eats the wood. If you take any of the three things away, you stop the rot.

Water is much easier to stop that trying to keep fungi away. Any number of products are available to stop water from entering the treated wood. Last year as part of my deck reconstruction project I applied a special tape on top of my wood joists before I installed the decking. This tape had a butyl rubber adhesive and is designed to seal around the shaft of the screws I used to attach the hidden fasteners for my decking.

You can also purchase rolls of ultra-thin stainless steel that also has the sticky butyl adhesive. Stainless steel is an excellent product to use to cover the tops and end grain of wood joists so that water can’t enter. It’s easy to cut the stainless steel with regular scissors and applying it is no different than using any other tape.

My advice to you is to replace any rotted pieces of treated lumber and then protect the top edge and any hidden end grain of the joists where they may get covered by a band board or butt up against a beam. Do this and you might end up with a deck frame that can last for many decades.

Column 1203

Blacktop Driveway Types

Posted on June 26, 2017 by Tim Carter

Types of Blacktop Driveways

DEAR TIM: We need to have a new blacktop driveway installed and I thought it was going to be a simple process of comparing quotes. It turns out it’s somewhat confusing. I didn’t know there were different types of blacktop. What’s more, the contractors don’t seem to agree on the best way to prevent cracks along the edge of the driveway. Can you explain why there are different types of blacktop and what might be the best for my situation? Do you have a blacktop drive and what’s it like? Maddie H., Baltimore, MD

DEAR MADDIE: I do have a blacktop driveway at my current home. Prior to that I had a very unique driveway that was the first cousin to blacktop. It was a driveway made with just the liquid asphalt cement and small stone chips. Some call it seal chip and others call it tar and chip. Blacktop is almost always an asphaltic concrete made from liquid asphalt cement, sand and gravel.

If you know much about sand and gravel, then you can start to get your head around how there can be different types of blacktop. The reason there are different blacktop types is because there’s an infinite amount of possible combinations when you consider the different sizes and shapes and colors of sand and gravel.

Highway engineers have a much better handle on this than folks like you and me because they have to construct roadways from asphalt that support heavy trucks. The blacktop mixtures used on an Interstate highway may be just fine for some residential driveways but you’d have to take a number of things into consideration.

For example, let’s talk about my driveway. I live in central New Hampshire and we get lots of snow and ice in the winter. Many driveways here where are not flat. You need excellent traction in both wet and snowy weather.

Fortunately the contractor who installed my driveway before I bought this home used a special mix that has smaller and larger pieces of crushed granite in the mix. The majority of the largest pieces of stone in my driveway are about the size of a large grape. There is an occasional piece of stone that’s about the size of my big toe!

These stones in the mix are by no means smooth. The roughest edges are knocked down, but the stones have a marvelous gripping texture. Over time the smaller pieces of sand and asphalt have eroded between the stones a slight amount. This produces a rougher surface that provides exceptional traction in wet or snowy weather.

But you may want a satin smooth blacktop drive for your mild climate. Many homeowners love smooth-as-silk blacktop. If you’re installing a new driveway and you intend to be at the house for many years, you may want to consider talking to your contractor about installing two separate layers of blacktop to create a driveway that could last decades and decades.

Keep in mind that the gravel base under the blacktop is where the drive gets almost all its strength. You want at least 8 inches of crushed compacted gravel under the blacktop.

You have the option to install one 2-inch layer of blacktop like I have on top of the gravel base. He then would order a different batch of blacktop that only had small stones in it no larger than 3/8 inch in size. He’d put a 1-inch layer of this on top of the first 2 inches. When these smaller stones are combined with medium and some coarse sand in the mix, the final surface after it’s rolled is just about as smooth as you could imagine.

It’s very important for you to see the different types of blacktop that your contractors are proposing. Have them give you addresses of jobs you can go visit. Walk around and look at the finish and the size of the stones you can see in the mix. Decide which one you like best and be sure to have the contractor match it.

To prevent cracking of the blacktop on the edges of the drive, you need to do something most residential contractors never do. The crushed gravel rock base under the driveway needs to be at least 1 foot wider than the actual finished driveway if you want to eliminate cracks.

Most driveway contractors install the gravel base, compact it and then put the blacktop all the way to the edges the gravel. The soil on the sides of the driveway that’s added after the job is done offers no structural strength to a sideways movement. When a heavy vehicle tire is right at the edge of the driveway, the force not only goes down but some of the force also goes sideways.

When the soil can’t oppose this force, the blacktop cracks away. A wider compacted gravel base will provide all the needed support. Roads out in the country have this extended base. You’ll often see wide gravel shoulders on country roads. These are there to keep the pavement in great shape.

To have the best protection against edge cracks the gravel base or shoulder should extend to the same height as the asphalt. Most homeowners would never put up with this look as they want the grass to touch the blacktop. You can put in an attractive edging stone as a compromise. Talk to your contractor and see what thoughts he has.

June 20, 2017 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

In just a few days, I leave on the Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) Dawn ship for a one-week cruise to Bermuda.

WOOT! I've never been on a cruise before. I've been in contact with the NCL public relations department and they're working with me trying to get me into non-public areas of the ship so I can write a very interesting story for you.

I'm hoping it all works out and I'm allowed to take some fantastic photos. As Kenny Chesney said in his hit song, "Only time will tell, but it ain't talkin'."

Montana Deck Collapse

Each week I'm convinced there are decks that collapse in the USA. Most don't make the national news. If you want to get the statistics, the best place would be insurance companies.

Most homeowners would file a claim with their insurance company in the event of a deck collapse.

Last week there was a fairly large deck collapse in Montana and some of the people on the deck were first responders!

CLICK HERE to read the story about what's known so far.

CLICK HERE to watch several deck collapse videos. Scroll down to see them.

What's this have to do with you? More than you can ever imagine. I can tell you after reading the following you're going to think about your safety when you stand or sit on a deck that's not yours.

Here's the short list of what you probably don't know about decks and treated lumber:

treated lumber ROTS - CLICK HERE to see it
treated lumber can corrode nails and bolts
inferior framing methods create DOOM - CLICK HERE

I could go on and on. I'm not trying to freak you out about getting on a deck, but you need to realize they can collapse.

SAFETY TIP: If you have an older deck, you may want to have it inspected.

I'd only trust a structural engineer that's got experience with outdoor decks. Calling in a regular contractor that builds decks is not the best idea.

This poor devil contractor may have been building decks wrong his entire career, so you don't want to get advice or an opinion from him.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local structural engineers in your city or town who can inspect your deck.

Bermuda Next Week

I'll be on a cruise next week to Bermuda. There won't be a newsletter. I'm going to meet up with one of my subscribers who's there! I'll post a photo if she lets me.

Stain Solver 9-Pound Sale

It's time to make a new huge batch of Stain Solver.

The issue we have is we have to forecast the amount of each size that MIGHT sell moving into the future. It's hard to do it and we've never gotten it right.

To balance out existing inventory, we need to SELL more of the 9-pound size.

Here's a promo code for 10% off that will only work if you purchase a 9-pound or larger size:

Summer1710

This promo code is only good for the next TEN DAYS. It WILL EXPIRE.

In addition to the discount, you also get FREE SHIPPING to any location in the lower 48 contiguous states.

CLICK HERE to place your order. Remember, the promo code only works on the 9-pound size or larger.

New Revised Columns For You

Here are some excellent columns you should look at. Several have GREAT VIDEOS in them.

Change the Color of Your Concrete - Seriously!

Treated Lumber Rotting

Traditional Wood Porch Decking

Concrete Steps Leaking? No Way!!!!

Tool Of The Week

Here's the tool of the week I feel you should know about. I've been using this Bosch drill now for over a month and LOVE IT.

It's cordless and the 18-volt 6.3 amp/hour battery provides what seems like ENDLESS power!

CLICK HERE to discover more about this drill and to get a great price on a full kit.

This is a BEEFY drill and remember it will drill into CONCRETE, GRANITE, wood, and STEEL!

That's enough for today. I've got tons to do before I leave for the cruise on Friday.

I'll be back with more news in early July!

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Author - www.RoofingRipoff.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

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Deep Clean Grout Before Repair

Use Vibrating Multi-tool To Remove Grout

How to Floor Grout Video

Treated Wood Rot

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Expert Advice For Your Home