Restoring Hardwood Floors With No Dust

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Tim Carter

Restoring Hardwood Floors TIPS

Two methods - traditional screening or multi-step DIY liquids
Refinish before you wear through clear finishes to bare wood
Deep gouges need a professional sander
Change color of floor adding pigments to finish
CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: I have a significant amount of gorgeous hardwood flooring in a home I just purchased. Some of it is in perfect condition and other places that receive heavy foot traffic have some minor scratches and the finish is dull.

How can I make the floors look like new? Do they have to be sanded and refinished? Is there an easier way? I dread the thought of clouds of dust rolling through my home. Cathy F., Fort Worth, TX

DEAR CATHY: I absolutely understand why you want to restore the hardwood flooring.

Wood Is The Best

Wood flooring is one of my personal favorites. It is warm, durable, appealing to the eye and it adds value to your home. What's more, it is a very environmentally friendly building material. The hardwood tree forests are abundant and growing, and we actually have more trees today in North America than we did just 25 years ago!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor refinishing companies.

Not Walking On Wood

When a hardwood floor is sanded and coated with layers of protective urethane or varnish, it can withstand a considerable amount of abuse. You actually walk on the clear finish, not the wood.

Dust & Grit = Bad

Dust and small dirt and grit particles are a floor finishes' worst enemy. As you walk across a hardwood floor that is slightly dirty your feet act as sanding pads. If the grit particles are large enough, you will actually scratch the finish.

Over time, normal foot traffic can and will erode the layers of clear finish exposing bare wood. This is to be avoided at all costs if possible.

DIY Restoration Possible

The good news is that you can restore the hardwood floor. The even better news is that dust can be kept to a minimum and possibly eliminated completely.

Because the clear finish on your floors has yet to wear through to the wood, you have two choices. The traditional method used for many years by professional hardwood floor refinishers is screening. You can also choose a no-sand method using simple DIY liquids.

This is the wonderful DIY floor refinishing system. It's not hard to do. Just be sure the floor is CLEAN first. Use Stain Solver to clean the floor. CLICK THE IMAGE TO BUY this refinish system.

Low-Speed Buffer

A low speed buffing machine, equipped with a special pad, lightly scuffs the clear coat. The scuffing removes minor imperfections and prepares the floor so the new coat of urethane will adhere.

Once the floor is scuffed, the small amount of dust is vacuumed and any remaining dust is removed with a rag soaked in mineral spirits. The professional then applies a new coat of urethane with a lamb's wool pad or squeegee and you can walk on the floor the next day. After three to seven days, the new finish will have cured so that it can accept heavy traffic.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor refinishing companies.

Special DIY Products Fast

The floor restoration industry has introduced some wonderful new products that allow a professional or a do-it-yourselfer to renew a hardwood floor finish without creating any dust. A three-part system allows you to use a liquid to chemically sand the existing finish. Once this step is complete you then apply a bonding formulation followed by an environmentally friendly water-based clear coat that can be walked on in just eight hours. An average size room that contains a little over 200 square feet of floor area can be completely restored using this dust-free method in less than three hours.

Here's the liquid system I'm talking about just below.

This is the wonderful DIY floor refinishing system. It's not hard to do. Just be sure the floor is CLEAN first. Use Stain Solver to clean the floor. CLICK THE IMAGE TO BUY this refinish system.

Restoration too tough? Install a new hardwood floor using my Hardwood Flooring Installation / Refinishing Checklist and avoid costly mistakes. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Hire A Pro

If you have a professional come into your home to do a traditional screening or use the no-dust chemical method, expect to pay hundreds of dollars for an average-sized room. The cost can be higher or lower depending upon the size of the room or rooms to be restored.

DIY Possible With Practice

If you are inclined to try the job yourself, you can find the chemical system at some home centers or hardwood floor stores. With practice a semi-skilled homeowner can achieve nearly professional results. The biggest challenge is learning how to apply the final clear coat. Often the rookie will apply this too thinly.

Magic Color Trick

If you want to change the color tone of your floors it is sometimes possible without refinishing the floor. A light floor can be made slightly darker by adding color pigments to the clear urethane. Oil based urethane accepts nearly all pigments.

If you use water-based urethane, be sure that the pigments are compatible. If you decide to colorize the urethane keep in mind that a second coat with no pigment needs to be applied over the color coat. This extra step gives added protection to the wood and it is well worth it if you want to change the look of your gorgeous wood floors.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local hardwood floor re-finishing companies.

An important reminder was given in the September 16, 2009 newsletter. Be sure to check it out.

Column 334

Cork Flooring Video

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Tim Carter

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local contractors who can install cork flooring in your home.

Glue-Down Cork

When installing a glue-down cork floor, you must first seal the surface. The liquid sealer is good on either concrete or wood.

Paint it on with a paint brush or a roller. In about 45 minutes, it will be ready to use.

Apply the glue next. Some are light blue in color, but dry clear. Once the glue has dried, it is time to lay the cork flooring squares.

The glue works just like contact cement.

Different Patterns And Thicknesses

The cork flooring comes in a variety of patterns and sizes. It is easy to cut using a standard razor knife. Once the flooring is down, you can coat it with a urethane wood finish.

Three Coats Of Urethane

A clear, water based urethane will dry in as little as an hour. So you can apply multiple coats in a single day.

Cork flooring is durable, easy to maintain and if the urethane coating wears, just put another coat on. This flooring is easy to clean and hides dirt well.

Best Urethane

Use water-based urethane like this one so the color doesn't yellow.

SECRET TIP is to coat the drywall BEFORE finishing with this amazing urethane product. It WILL STOP water from penetrating into the paper of the drywall. CLICK IMAGE TO ORDER IT NOW.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local contractors who can install cork flooring in your home.

Porch Steps Rise Run

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Tim Carter

Porch Steps Rise Run TIPS

Risers and treads have distinct relationships
Safe stairs can be steep or shallow
7.5-inch riser and 10-inch tread is BEST COMBINATION
Install anchor cleat at base of steps!
CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: I asked a contractor to build a set of porch steps using name-brand materials. He made a mess of it and when you step off the last step you trip on a sloped piece of concrete he added.

I know you can’t tell me how to build steps in a short column, but what can you tell me about the rise and run of porch steps? I know you’re a master carpenter and how do you create steps so they are easy to go up and down with no tripping hazard?

What other tricks can you share to make safe steps? Wanda SG., Bremerton, WA

DEAR WANDA: Oh my, your photograph makes me cringe!

Bad Carpenter Ruins Expensive Material

I’ve seen quite a few botched jobs in my time, but yours may be in the top ten. I can see at least six mistakes the carpenter made. I hope you didn’t pay him for this work. The sad thing is how he butchered the high-priced materials not to mention the unacceptable serious trip hazard.

Step-By-Step = Book

You’re correct in recognizing that I can’t give you a step-by-step set of how-to instructions about how to build steps like this. To do a great job of that, it would turn into a small book.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local contractors who specialize in building stairs and railings.

Rise & Run Relationship

Let’s talk about the rise and run for steps. Steps are very interesting things. As crazy as this sounds, you can build safe steps that don’t come close to satisfying the requirements set forth in modern building codes for residential stairs.

I was lucky enough to be a guest for two days aboard the USS George Washington CVN-73 as she carved a crescent-shaped course off the North Carolina coast a few years ago. New fighter pilots were in the process of getting qualified landing on her deck. CLICK HERE to read my aircraft carrier story.

While touring this grand ship, I went up and down countless sets of steep steps the thousands of sailors use twenty-four hours a day. Believe me, these help keep the crew in great physical shape. The reason these steps are safe to use is a combination of the proper dual handrails and the critical relationship of the narrow treads to the taller risers.

Long Tread = Stubby Riser

You can find the exact opposite of this if you visit the Hearst Castle on the central California coast. While there last December with my daughter, it was fascinating to see how Julia Morgan knew about the special relationship of rise and run with outdoor terrace steps.

To make those safe, all one does is make the treads very wide and the risers not so tall. It’s all about creating a safe gait while lifting your foot to get to each tread.

Old Code Had Better Standard

When it comes to steps you and I use each day, architects and builders discovered long ago a magical relationship between the rise and run of steps. This used to be in the building code years ago, but for some odd reason it was removed from the modern building code builders now use.

Years ago, the building code allowed a stair builder to build any set of steps he wanted. The only requirement was the sum of two risers and one tread had to be no less than 24 inches and no greater than 26 inches. Any total in between those two numbers was also acceptable.

7.5-Inch Riser & 10-Inch Tread = Magic

If you’re curious you might wonder how these two numbers were selected. If you could ask long-dead architects and builders about the safest steps they ever built, I feel a majority would say the risers should be 7 and one-half inches and the treads 10 inches.

Do the math and you’ll discover this combination adds up to 25 inches, exactly halfway in between the allowed range as prescribed by the past code. Whenever I had a chance to control what the rise and run would be for a set of steps, they would always be 7.5-inch risers and 10-inch treads.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local contractors who specialize in building stairs and railings.

7.5-Inch Multiples Is The Answer

In your case, all your builder had to do was make sure the vertical distance between the top of your porch and the landing under the last step was some multiple of 7.5 inches. If this means he has to modify your landing at the bottom, so be it. In your case he tried to make the modification in a short distance creating a small ramp that’s extremely dangerous.

Anchored Cleat

One of the biggest mistakes an inexperienced carpenter can make is not securing the set of steps to prevent them from sliding away from the porch. The combined weight of a set of wood steps is substantial. Often they can weigh many hundreds of pounds. Gravity is tugging at them and they want to slide out across the bottom landing. If this happens and you’re going up or down the steps, injury or death is a given.

The treated lumber 2x4 bolted to the massive concrete landing pad prevents the stairs from sliding forward once you notch the base of the stringer like I did. Copyright 2017 Tim Carter ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

When I build a new set of steps, I make sure a flat piece of treated lumber is bolted to the masonry landing. I then notch the wood stair stringers so they lock into this flat horizontal piece of lumber. When the steps are complete, you can’t see this flat piece of lumber as it sits under the first tread above the masonry landing.

For the stairs to slide, they’d have to rip the anchor bolts out of the masonry landing and shear off the piece of lumber. The odds of that happening are about the same as me winning the Powerball lottery.

Through Bolts For Railings

It’s very important to through bolt railing posts to the stair stringers. Never use lag bolts as these can be overtightened stripping the wood resulting in a weak connection. The height of the railing above the tips of the stair treads is very important.

Here's the cleat before a stringer is notched. The metal Simpson Strong-Tie post bases are also bolted to the thick concrete landing. The bottom railing posts will the through-bolted through the two holes in the post base. Copyright 2017 Tim Carter ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Refer to the current building code to see what the height should be. You can get this information in minutes by calling your local building department on the phone.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local contractors who specialize in building stairs and railings.

Column 1189

March 26, 2017 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on March 26, 2017 by Tim Carter

It's a gorgeous sunny Sunday morning here in central New Hampshire. It's also very frosty.

I've still got piles of snow around my driveway that are 8 feet tall. The average height down around the parking apron is about 4 feet.

But warmer WX is on the way.

Snow-Be-Gone Contest

I've decided to have another fun contest where you guess when the snow will be gone from my land.

My Davinci Roofscapes synthetic slate roof has a number of positive qualities. One of them is it requires NO roof raking. The snow slides right off.

CLICK HERE to see a video of this amazing roof.

On my side yard lots of it funnels to one spot and a month ago it was 8 feet tall and climbing. Had it snowed a lot during January I know it would have been 13 feet tall.

This side of my house faces north and the pile of snow in the photo you're about to see is always in the shade. Here's a shot from a spy satellite showing you where the pile is. The red arrow is pointing at the exact spot.

See how all the snow from the three roofs is concentrated to this spot?

Your job is to look at the weather almanac and historical data and try to guess when all the snow at that spot will be gone.

I live in Meredith, New Hampshire, if you're going to study the past WX data.

If it all melts and then it snows AGAIN, the date it all melted is what counts. Remember, we can still get snow through April here.

The WINNER of the contest gets a 4.5-pound container of Stain Solver which happens to be ON SALE right now - more on that below.

If more than one person selects the right day, I'll use a random number generator to determine the winner.

CLICK HERE to see a photo of the pile of snow and to GUESS WHEN the snow will be gone. It's just over 5 feet tall at this point.

I'll provide weekly update photos for you.

Good luck and there's a funny TRICK question that's part of the game. You don't have to answer the trick question.

Brad's CLOGGED Kitchen Sink

I just got a text as I was typing all the stuff about the snow contest.

It was from a neighbor named Brad. He was frantic.

He sold his house and tomorrow morning is the house inspection! The issue is his kitchen sink decided yesterday was the day to get clogged. He's been snaking it for hours with no luck.

I've been a master plumber since before I was 30 years old, and knew exactly what was causing the clog:

Grease

Kitchen sink drain lines are notorious for getting slowly choked off with grease.

Have you ever noticed how your kitchen sink starts to drain slower and slower? Sometimes it happens so slow you don't realize it's draining slow.

When drain lines are wide open and you fill your sink to the top with water to TEST IT (hint: you do this once every three months, don't you?????), water leaving a sink usually goes very fast and finishes with a slurp sound.

If you haven't heard the slurp in months, your drain line is coated with grease.

Once clogged, chlorine bleach - or my Stain Solver - will almost always do a fantastic job of breaking open the clog. But it can take hours.

I told Brad to put the trap back on and then pour as much bleach as he could into the sink until the bleach reached the bottom of the sink basket strainer. You don't ever want chlorine bleach to sit on stainless steel. I assumed he had a stainless-steel sink.

This amount of liquid creates a hydrostatic head of bleach in the clogged drain line. The weight of the liquid helps force it down any small passageways in the grease eating it up as it goes.

Brad didn't have any Stain Solver - SHAME ON HIM - and so he had to use chlorine bleach.

If he had Stain Solver, I would have told him to pour a half-cup of the powder down into the drain. Then I would have had him mix up one gallon of BOILING HOT water with a cup of Stain Solver.

You mix the powder with the boiling water to get it to dissolve. Then you carefully pour this into the sink. The hot water helps dissolve the other powder you poured in first and we all know that hot water helps melt grease.

In most cases, the drain will open up in a few hours. It's NOT A GUARANTEE, but this is a cheaper thing to TRY rather than calling in a drain-cleaning plumber at the tune of $200 or more.

Stain Solver Sale UPDATE

I told you on Friday about the Stain Solver Sale.

Are you a new subscriber? Kathy and I started Stain Solver back in 1996.

CLICK HERE to see what Stain Solver will clean.

It's a certified organic Oxygen Bleach. It's NON TOXIC, color and fabric-safe and simply full of goodness.

Remember the LIMITED QUANTITIES of the product I mentioned on Friday?

We've sold so much in the past 48 hours that two sizes are getting DANGEROUSLY LOW.

If you want to get the size you prefer, or a BIGGER SIZE so you won't run out, NOW IS THE TIME TO ORDER.

I mean NOW.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER.

You get a 10% discount and FREE SHIPPING to any place in the lower 48 states.

Use this promo code:

Spring1710

The sale will end in a few days so GO BUY NOW.

You enter the promo code on the LAST SCREEN of the checkout process, so don't freak out if you don't see the box right away.

After ordering the Stain Solver, go back up and play the Snow-Be-Gone Contest.

That's enough for a Sunday morning. If your kitchen drain is SLOW, take action now to keep it open. Pour 5 gallons of boiling water down the drain.

Manana.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

Room Addition

Posted on March 25, 2017 by Tim Carter

Room Addition TIPS

Usually cheaper to add on than buy a new home
Get prequalified by bank
Check zoning laws
Create great plans and get FREE & FAST BIDS - see below
CLICK HERE to Get Tim's Free & Funny Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: I'm pregnant with my third child. My husband and I know we need more room. We're thinking about adding two rooms to our 1,100 square foot home but don't have a clue where to start the process.

We're afraid of getting ripped-off by contractors and have no clue how much this might cost. What should we do? Judith S., Boise, ID

DEAR JUDITH: Congratulations on your expanding family!

Make More Space

Doing the math, I agree that you are a prime candidate for a room addition project. I can sympathize with you as the house I grew up in was small. It had a total of 980 square feet that four of us shared. But I survived and must say that as a child I didn't feel cramped for space. If you have to put the project off for any reason, I don't think your kids will mind one bit.

Small But Complex
Although a room addition project may seem somewhat insignificant than building a new home, they are nearly identical in complexity. In many respects, building a room addition requires far greater skill.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local room addition contractors.

Not only do you have to make sure the room addition matches the existing home that may be out of square and not level, but the workers must work around you and your family. This takes extra time and all sorts of extra work needs to happen to control dust and other disruptions

Bathrobes and Bad Hair

When building a new home, the workers don't have to deal with you wandering around in your bathrobe, fuzzy slippers and your bad hair each morning. It's hard for both you and the workers who are invading your space and privacy.

Creating A Budget

You must determine what you can afford. When interest rates are low you can borrow more money for a given monthly payment. It may make sense to refinance your entire home at this time and get a lower overall rate for both your current mortgage and the money you'll need for the room addition.

Visit with your banker, savings and loan or credit union and get prequalified. The banker will look at your existing finances and tell you how much you can borrow. This is a very important step.

I can't tell you how many past customers of mine went to all the trouble to get bids for their projects only to discover later they couldn't borrow the money.

Zoning Issues?

After you leave the bank, visit your local zoning office. Take with you several photos of your house taken from all angles. In addition, make a quick sketch showing your lot and where your house sits on your lot.

Use a tape measure to determine how far away the front, side and rear walls of your home are away from the respective property lines. With your photos and sketch, the local zoning officials should be able to tell you the maximum-sized room addition you can build within the current zoning laws.

Variances - Prove Hardship

If you need to build a larger addition, you can sometimes file an appeal with the zoning board. If you can prove practical difficulty or a significant hardship, you may be granted a variance.

I was a volunteer planning board and zoning commissioner in my own town for eight years. The law required us to only grant variances to homeowners after they proved a hardship. You need to craft your application in such a way as to show exactly what the hardship is.

An example of a hardship is having to move a garden shed closer to a property line so you don't have to cut down a giant tree that provides shade and value to the property. I had to get a variance myself for just this reason and it was a valid hardship.

This is my Queen Anne Victorian garden storage shed. You can see the giant tree I had to build it next to. If I had not received a variance, it would have meant no shed or cut down the huge tree! ©2017 Tim Carter

Talk With Top Realtors

A visit with several top real estate agents may be in order. Ask them if houses with room additions in your neighborhood are attractive to buyers. Ask what amenities within the room additions seem to appeal to the current buyers.

The real estate agent may be able to point you to homes in your area that have room additions. Driving by these places may stimulate ideas in your own mind. Most importantly, ask what things turn buyers off. The advice you receive may be very helpful years from now.

Create Basic Plan

Try to envision what space you really need. Draw a basic floor plan with actual dimensions. Use your existing room sizes to guide you. Soon you will know if you need 250 or 600 extra square feet.

Get FREE & FAST BIDS!

Once you have a simple plan, call several remodeling contractors. Many good ones have a feel for pricing.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local room addition contractors.

In other words, they know that certain room additions cost so many dollars per square foot. It is not uncommon for a room addition to cost more per square foot than building a new home.

Cost Multiplier

The cost multiplier can be as much as 1.4 to 1.8 times the cost of building new. Get a minimum of three bids and compare prices. They'll be higher than you might be expecting in most cases. If the room addition has a new kitchen or bathroom, add even more money.

Complete Plans & Specifications

To get accurate bids from qualified contractors, be sure they fill out a detailed checklist. These forms ask pointed questions and force the bidding contractors to fill out a detailed cost breakdown. This cost breakdown allows you to see if each contractor has included all cost items.

CLICK HERE TO BUY MY CHECKLIST.

The Checklist also puts each contractor on a level playing field. Believe me, non-professional contractors run from these forms like vampires from sunlight. Be sure to use a Checklist!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local room addition contractors.

Column 436

A DIY Room Addition in 7+ Weeks?

Posted on March 25, 2017 by Tim Carter

DIY Room Addition

DIY Room Addition TIPS

Room additions equal hundreds of hours of labor
Helpers you hire will not have valuable experience
Lots of special tools required
Watch special videos below
CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: I want to build a modest 25 x 20 foot single story room addition. It will contain a new family room with a half bath. After watching countless home improvement TV shows and reading many books, I am convinced I can tackle this project.

I have accumulated 7 weeks of vacation time. My wife thinks I am insane. Is it possible for me to get a good head start on this job and then finish it up over several weekends?

Is there something I missed while watching the shows and reading the books? Greg W., Hagerstown, MD

DEAR GREG: If you aren't already insane, you very likely will be at the end of your seven-week vacation period.

Cable TV Shows Are Fantasy

Based upon the TV home improvement shows I've watched, I feel many of the problems, difficulties, nightmares, and hard work of projects end up on the floor in the editing room. I can't tell you how many times at lunch my subcontractors and I would howl with laughter as we discussed what we saw on different shows.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local room-addition contractors.

Books can also be deceiving. Just because you read the best medical text books, do you think you can operate successfully on yourself?

Many Small Tasks Add Up

The average room addition project can be broken down to no less than forty major tasks beginning with the initial foundation stakeout and ending with lawn restoration and landscaping. Some of these tasks can be completed in a day or two while others can last for several days or a week.

Pros Have The Tools

Residential contractors and sub contractors have a distinct advantage that you possibly do not possess. If I were to show up to help you, on any given day my truck would be stocked with nearly $15,000 worth of transits, levels, saws, masonry tools, drills, ladders, scaffolding, etc.

Many of these tools - such as my pneumatic nail guns and the compressor that powers them - are huge labor-saving devices. Renting tools like this can be expensive. Trips to and from the tool rental shop will eat into your valuable time.

Room Addition Framing Tips Videos

Watch a few of these videos. You need lots of this knowledge to have success.

More Than Two Hands

Extra helpers and laborers are a must. How many concrete foundation block do you think you will lay in a day if you have to constantly stop and mix mortar and restock the block?

Who will help you hold the addition walls plumb while you brace them? Setting roof trusses can be done by one person but three people make the job go five times faster.

Experienced Helpers

I used to tackle projects like yours with two experienced laborers. At the conclusion of the first week, we'd be right on schedule if the foundation was complete and backfilled.

Weather conditions must be perfect, concrete trucks and building inspectors must show up on time, and productivity must be high to achieve this goal. Depending upon the degree of difficulty in connecting the roof of the addition to the roof of the house, the three of us would complete the rough framing and roofing by the end of week two.

Marching Along Week After Week

Weeks three and four find multiple contractors and inspectors on site. Plumbers, HVAC mechanics, electricians, insulators are all working like well-oiled machines if the scheduling is perfect. If you do this work yourself and fail your inspections, you'll spend extra time and money redoing work already in place.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local room-addition contractors.

Drywall Is Tough

Week five is generally reserved by the drywall contractor. Even a job as small as yours will consume five days to hang, tape, finish, and sand the drywall. You can possibly shave two days off this if you use rapid-setting-type joint compounds. Beware! - setting type joint compounds are not rookie friendly.

Weeks six and seven on my job would find myself and my crew, the tile setter, flooring people, and the painter all trying to work in unison to bring the job to a close. Invariably work would stretch into the eighth week.

Add Up The Days

Do the math. You'll quickly see that a typical room addition project can consume well over 1,000 hours of work when you add up all the workers' time cards. Even if you work at peak productivity for 60 hours a week, you'll fall short by nearly 800 hours! Go give your wife a hug and get that wild look out of your eyes!

Work Alone?

Okay, okay. I know, some of you still want to try to do the room addition yourself. Here is a great book that may help you! Working Alone is a unique book packed with more than 50 innovative tips and techniques.

In this book, you'll learn how to handle nearly every aspect of home construction alone, from foundation layout to raising walls to building decks. You won't have to wait for a helper or pass up a job that seems too difficult to do alone. ORDER this book NOW, it is a must have!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local room-addition contractors.

This was the Mystery Link in the November 24, 2015 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

Column 220

Spring Exterior Home Maintenance

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

Spring Exterior Home Maintenance TIPS

Some checklists miss important items
Concentrate on water and UV light damage
WATCH plumbing vent video below
Use special epoxy for concrete and blacktop repairs
CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: I’ve live in a quaint Cape Cod-style home and try to keep it in great shape. I’ve seen lots of checklists for spring exterior home maintenance and most just have the same old advice.

I thought you might have some extra things to look at that others overlook. Imagine I were to hire you to do an exhaustive walk-around of my house after Old Man Winter had gone back north.

What are the small things you’d be looking for that could cause massive headaches down the road? John J., Decatur, GA

DEAR JOHN: I’ve seen those standardized spring checklists over the years and sort of chuckle at many of them.

Great Intentions

I realize the authors have good intentions, but I often wonder if they’ve ever done any hands-on repair work for paying customers. If they had, then they’d probably add a few other items to their lists.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local roofers who can look at your chimney and roof safely.

Ho-Hum Normal Items

Here’s the normal things I see on the checklists. Often they lack detail as to what to really look for. For that reason, I feel the lists are of not much value. You’ll see things like: check the roof for shingle damage, caulk cracks around windows and doors, repair chipped paint, check windows and doors, check chimneys, etc.

Water and UV Biggest Dangers

Water and ultraviolet (UV) light are the two big things that cause problems to homes, so I suggest we focus on these.

I suggest we start at the top and work our way to the bottom.

Chimney Inspection

Chimneys are very important. If you can’t safely get on your roof to inspect it, hire a chimney sweep. The most important thing to look at is the chimney crown or cap. It’s the roof of your chimney.

Most of the ones I’ve seen have been installed incorrectly and they crack. You don’t want water getting into a crack in the crown. There are special mastics made that can coat the crown and they perform quite well.

Check for missing mortar and replace as necessary using hydrated lime and volcanic ash with sand for the strongest and longest-lasting mortar.

Inspect Roof Flashings

Look at your roofing materials and pay close attention to the flashings. The most common flashings are step flashings and plumbing vent-pipe flashings. The step flashings are interlaced into the shingles and are up against chimneys and where roofs but up against taller walls of the house.

Look at this photo of a BAD SET of step flashings on a chimney I saw in NH. They just barely work, but far too much of the flashing is exposed than needs be. Each successive row of shingles is supposed to sit on top of the step flashing that in on top of the shingle below it.

Here it's quite possible the idiot roofer just butt the shingles into the chimney and then put in the step flashings on top of them. It's hard to know without getting up on the roof and peeking up under the step flashing to see what he did.

Normally you'd never see the flashings. That's why I took this photo because you can see them here!

The step flashing overlap one another and are to be laced into the shingles. The idiot roofer here didn't install them at the right angle. Rain, especially wind-driven rain, can blow under the upper left corner of each piece you see. Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

Look for excessive shingle granule loss in small patches, cracks in shingles and any slight curling at the shingle tips. Replace these damaged shingles as necessary.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local roofers who can look at your chimney and roof safely.

Plumbing Vent Pipe

One common trouble spot are the cheap aluminum and rubber flashings around plumbing vent pipes. The black rubber boot tends to crack over time where it touches the vent pipe allowing water to leak into your home. The best plumbing vent flashings I’ve seen are the ones that have a special siliconized-rubber compound that stands up against the harsh UV light from the sun.

Best Plumbing Vent Pipe Flashing Video

Watch this video to see the only flashing I'd use on my plumbing vent pipes. CLICK HERE to order this flashing now. You'll need to know the diameter of your vent pipe. Normally it's 3 inches, but it could be 4.

Downspouts and Gutters

If your home has gutters and downspouts, be sure they’re clean. Spring is the worst time of year for gutters as the flowers from deciduous trees and the winter buildup of bark, twigs and other debris can choke gutters with an organic smorgasbord. After the gutters are clean, do a water test with a garden hose.

Test to see if there are any leaks in the system. There are special caulks meant to seal the seams in aluminum gutters and they’re available online.

Pipe Roof Water AWAY From House

Be sure the water from downspouts is piped to the lowest part of your yard or connected to approved storm drains in urban areas. Water dumping out on the ground next to your foundation on splash blocks is a very bad thing as the water just enters the soil next to your home.

If you have a basement or crawlspace, this water will almost always cause nightmares.

Don't Caulk Vinyl Siding!

Don’t just go around caulking cracks around windows and doors willy nilly. Your home may have vinyl siding and the j-channel around doors and windows shouldn’t be caulked. It needs to expand and contract.

Inspect Decks Closely

Decks are big problem spots. Many people ignore their decks. You need to inspect the railings closely to ensure they’re sturdy and will not fail if lots of outward pressure is applied.

Get under the deck and look at all the galvanized metal connectors. Look for corrosion. If the corrosion is severe with lots of rust, you may have to replace a connector.

Copper and Zinc Don't Play Well

Look at the fasteners used to install the metal connectors. Are they corroded or have they pulled out? Each time water enters a crack in treated wood, it has the tendency to make the crack bigger because the water gets deeper into the wood causing it to swell.

Important structural nails can pull out. Consider replacing all nails with special exterior screws meant for the newer treated lumber that contains lots of copper.

Proper Soil Slope

I’d take a good look at the soil around your home. Be sure you have excellent positive drainage. You want the soil to slope away from your foundation.

It’s best to have at least 6 inches of foundation exposed above the soil line. Don’t add mulch to garden beds creating a moat around your foundation. Don’t allow water to be trapped between the foundation and the mulch.

I made this drawing. You can see the foundation wall with a typical sill plate and floor joist. The red line is the lot before the excavator shows up. The top of the foundation should end up 18 inches ABOVE the red line. Use the dirt from the hole to create the slope away from the foundation. (C) Copyright 2017 Tim Carter ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Concrete and Blacktop Repairs

Look for damage to any concrete or blacktop pavement, sidewalks and patios. Cracks in concrete can be repaired with special epoxies that are applied with a common caulk gun you probably own. You can use this same epoxy to repair cracks in blacktop disguising the compound with small rocks and sand you press into the fresh epoxy.

CLICK HERE to watch a video and SEE THE EXACT Epoxy I'm talking about.

If the surface of concrete has flaked off, you can make up a stucco mix with Portland cement and sand to repair it. To get a fantastic bond, be sure to paint the old concrete with cement paint before applying the stucco. Cement paint is made by mixing Portland cement with fresh water. It’s a secret trick taught to me years ago by an old mason.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local roofers who can look at your chimney and roof safely.

Column 1188

March 19, 2017 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Tim Carter

If you're a new subscriber in the past week or so, this is a slightly different newsletter, so hang in there. This issue is dedicated to two things that are near and dear to many seasoned subscribers, so that's why it's slightly quirky.

Welcome by the way!

Providence RI Meet Up?

In just five days, I'm making a one-day trip from central New Hampshire down to Providence, Rhode Island. I'll be there just about 12 hours this coming Friday, March 24, 2017.

I'm attending the JLC Live trade show. I'm going there to scout new building products and tools to share with you.

CLICK HERE to see a list of all the exhibitors.

When I travel, I try to carve out some time to get to meet you. We can have a meet up at the convention center lobby in downtown where the show is or have it within a block or two at some quieter place such as a sit-down coffee shop.

I'm thinking we could hang out after 5 p.m. because it doesn't make sense for me to try to battle rush-hour traffic going back up to New Hampshire.

I might as well sit with you than sit alone in the dark in my Volvo V 70-XC in the 1-95 parking lot south of Waltham, MA or in between Lowell, MA and Nashua, NH.

If you're interested in hanging out to chit chat, REPLY to this message and change the subject line to: Providence Meet Up.

I'll then get in touch with you about the exact time and place.

Spring Stain Solver Sale

The first day of spring is officially tomorrow, March 20, 2017. It starts at 12:30 a.m.

If you're a new subscriber this means that it's time for the Stain Solver Spring Sale!

What is Stain Solver?

It's a magical certified organic oxygen bleach my wife, Kathy, and I have been making and selling since 1996.

On Monday, the factory begins packaging a FRESH NEW batch for you. Twenty-thousand pounds of the powder has already been blended.

Tomorrow, they start to put it in the different sized containers.

I don't want to have the sale start until they make all the new sizes so you won't get the secret discount PROMO CODE for a few more days.

If you've never tried Stain Solver, this is your time. I wanted to share some of my FAVORITE Before and After photos sent in by customers just like you.

I don't need to try to sell you. Your fellow customers will do it for me with their photos.

Stain Solver cleans just about ANYTHING.

If it's water washable, then Stain Solver will clean it. The only things you shouldn't use it on are new redwood, and natural wool or silk that's never been dyed.

But everything else is fair game!

Click the following links to see how well Stain Solver performed:

Muddy White T-Shirt Restored to NEW!

Dark Cedar Siding Now RESTORED!

Stunning Before / After Wood Deck Cleaning

Blackberry Stained T-Shirt - Unbelievable

SCORCHED Coffee Roaster Bin - CLICK HERE FOR SURE

Outdoor Textured Ceramic Tile STUNNING CHANGE

RED WINE on WHITE PANTS - No Problem!

Remove Roof, Deck, Patio, Siding Algae

My ALL TIME FAVORITE BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTO

Drum Roll Please.........

Baseball Hat Transformation - You'll NOT BELIEVE THIS

Here's my recommendation:

If you've NOT YET TRIED Stain Solver, perhaps start with one of our small sample sizes.

I can SHIP THE SAMPLE SIZE IMMEDIATELY - like tomorrow morning.

It comes in an 8-ounce jar and has enough powder to mix 2 gallons of solution for indoor jobs and 1 gallon for an outdoor test.

The price of this sample size, including FREE SHIPPING to any US town or territory - yes, it ships to Guam or the Virgin Islands!!!! - is just $9.97.

CLICK HERE now to order this small sample size TODAY. It's the top radio button in the upper right corner. CLICK that button.

Roofing Ripoff Book COMPLETE!

I've been working for over a year on a special expose' book that discloses why your asphalt shingles are falling apart.

Years ago, asphalt shingles would last 25 or 30 years before they started to look shabby. Now many people are seeing degradation after just 5 or 7 years.

It happened to me!!!! I had an asphalt shingle roof with a 30-year warranty and after 15 years it looked like it was 50 years old.

I finished the book yesterday. Currently, it's been looked at by a professional proofreader for grammar and typos.

I expect you'll be able to get an electronic PDF version by the end of this coming week. I'll possibly have the Kindle version available a few days after that.

The final formatting for the paperback version is going to take just a little longer, so if you want a paperback copy, you'll get it last.

I'll be releasing FREE sample chapters for you within days. I can't do that until I'm sure the book has no tiny flaws in it.

Here's the great news.

In the book, I share the product I discovered that will allow you to get your asphalt shingle roof to last 30, 40 or who-knows-how long!!!!

That's what caused the delay in the book. I was trying to get this discovery of mine patented. You'll read all about it in the book.

I'm going to tape a video for you about the book tomorrow or Tuesday. When you see the video, I think you'll go nuts.

The book is not terribly long, perhaps it will take you just an hour to read.

It's loaded with some great photographs and I believe when you see them and read what's going on, you're going to be none too happy.

If you happen to work for a US Congressman or Senator, you may even be contacting me. This is serious business and millions of USA, and Canadian, homeowners are suffering financial hardship because shingles are falling apart TOO FAST.

I've appeared and testified in front of Congress three times over the past eleven years and am prepared to do it now on your behalf.

Do you remember how Ralph Nader took on the US auto industry back in 1965? Who knows, maybe I'll get into the spotlight like he did.

Watch this video ..... CLICK HERE.

If you work for any news outlet (local/national TV and radio, newspapers, magazines, etc.) that covers consumer news, you may want to start to get in touch with me.

I can tell you the US Asphalt Roofing industry thinks I'm public enemy Numero Uno right now. You'll see why within 30 minutes of reading the book.

LATEST REVISED COLUMNS

If you're a new subscriber, you're unaware of a huge project I've started.

I'm revising just about every page of content at AsktheBuilder.com. It's going to take many months.

Here's the EASY way to see all the revised columns.

Just go to the Q & A section of my website and start moving down the list. As each column gets revised, it gets put at the TOP of that list.

CLICK HERE to get to the Q & A category.

You can always identify a revised column because it will have a bullet-point list at the top of the TOP POINTS in the column.

CLICK HERE to see an example of a revised column with the bullet-point list.

Okay, that's enough for today.

You'll be hearing from me this week about the book and the Stain Solver promo code.

You'll have to act FAST on the Stain Solver because there's only a LIMITED AMOUNT that's being made.

You may feel 20,000 pounds is a lot, well not when just 2,000 orders come in.

We could sell out of smaller sizes in just a few days.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

Roof Popping Noise

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Tim Carter

Roof Popping Noise TIPS

Roof popping in the wind is flexing the rafters or trusses
Popping in the morning and evening is thermal expansion
Diagonal braces almost always stop the noise
Residential structural engineer is the pro to get for a consult
CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!

DEAR TIM: I need your opinion about my roof. I’m afraid it’s going to collapse because when the wind blows it makes a scary popping noise.

When the wind gusts, it actually sounds like the roof could rip off the house. I’ve also noticed similar noises on calm days in the morning and later in the day after the sun goes down.

Should I be concerned? Is there someone I can call to get a professional opinion so I can sleep on windy nights? Billie A. Lawton, OK

DEAR BILLIE: I believe that I can give you some comfort right away.

Roof Framing Needs To Be Substantial

Based on the photos you sent, it appears your roof framing is quite substantial. The only way for me to have full confidence would be for me to be in your attic and inspect all the locations where one piece of lumber is connected to another.

Fortunately, it appears it’s pretty easy to get around up in your attic because it’s a steeper roof and it was common framed instead of using prefabricated trusses.

Common Complaint

Your complaint is fairly common and it reminds me of a house I looked at here in New Hampshire not too long ago. The wife complained about the same issues you’re having but the popping noises happened each sunny day in the morning. All would then be quiet until after the sun went down.

Wind Pressure Enormous

The wind pressure against a roof, or entire home, can be enormous. You can demonstrate this to yourself quite easily by trying to carry something large and flat on a windy day. Years ago as a young builder, I almost got blown off a roof while trying to carry a sheet of 4 x 8 plywood. A sudden wind gust knocked me down and the plywood sheet went sailing out of my hands off the roof. Luckily no one was hurt except for the plywood.

Gable Roof Ends = Giant Sails

I can see from your photo (above) that you’ve got a standard gable roof where at least one end of your home has a flat gable wall that takes the full brunt force of the wind. Imagine the pounds of pressure against the entire side wall when a strong wind hits it. The entire roof system, if not solidly braced, can and will flex to absorb this force. This flexing is what’s causing the popping noise.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local rough carpenters who can install the bracing in your roof.

Solar Expansion & Contraction

As for the popping noise in the morning and evening, that’s a different mechanism. It’s thermal expansion and contraction. The sun hits your roof and heats it up. As the lumber expands, it moves and it will rub against other pieces of wood that aren’t moving at the same rate. This movement creates the popping noise. When the wood cools down after sunset the same thing happens in reverse.

Diagonal Bracing

I’ve stopped these noises from happening in homes by adding diagonal bracing to the roof rafters or trusses. It’s best if you can incorporate 2 x 6 material and use large timber screws instead of nails. You want to place at least two 4-inch-long timber screws through the 2 x 6 where it passes over the underside of the roof rafter or truss.

This is a Simpson Strong-Tie Timber screw. I've used them on my own home. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO ORDER THEM.

The diagonal bracing transfers the concentrated wind load to other parts of the structure all at once and this helps dampen the movement.

It’s best to place the diagonal braces so they run different directions creating the letter V or W on the underside of the rafters. You want to start as low as possible near where the rafters cross over the bearing exterior walls and run the wood up as high as possible to the roof ridge.

You can see the two diagonal braces on the underside of the deck floor joists. Both extend to the outer beam on the left and the ledger board hidden by the white rain gutter. The brownish-orange troughs are Trex Rain-Escape keeping the lower deck dry each time it rains. (C) Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

Rigid Box

The diagonal bracing creates an extremely rigid box so the roof framing lumber moves as one giant unit instead of each piece of lumber moving on its own. You may have great success just installing one set of diagonal bracing on each side of the roof. I’d do that before I’d put it across all the rafters.

Call In A Pro

If you want to get a professional opinion before you start any of this work, you need to call in a residential structural engineer. These skilled pros are well versed in wind loads and how to resist them. It’s a core part of their training.

CLICK HERE NOW to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local structural engineers.

I prefer to work with engineers that specialize in residential work because they‘re in touch with the best practices and the nuances of wood framing. Many other structural engineers work primarily with structural steel and concrete and may not give you the absolute best advice to get excellent results for the lowest investment of time and money.

Be sure you have the engineer look at the connection of the roof rafters where they sit upon the exterior load-bearing walls. If your roof ever wants to detach from the house, this is where it’s going to happen.

The engineer may recommend you install simple metal connectors. Be sure to use the approved structural screws that are made especially for these connectors. Screws may cost a little more, but they hold so much better than a nail.

If you use a cordless impact driver, you’ll have no issues installing the screws. I had to do this same thing to stabilize my outdoor deck. The person who built my deck before i moved into my home did a horrible job and there were no structural connectors at all. The impact driver did a superb job and saved me lots of time, money and my wrist!

CLICK HERE NOW to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local structural engineers.

Column 1187

March 12, 2017 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Tim Carter

If you're a new, or newer, subscriber I want to welcome you!

This is going to be a slightly unusual newsletter because I've been absent for about two weeks.

Here's why.

Trip to Cincinnati, OH

Two weeks ago, I was packing and making last-minute preparations to drive to Cincinnati, OH, tugging my enclosed trailer behind my Ford F-250 Super Duty truck.

The trip was multi-purpose with the primary focus helping liquidate my in-laws estate. My truck and trailer was packed to the gills on the return trip bringing back some furniture and other heirloom items that used to belong to my mother and father-in-law.

I was also there on business that's directly related to you.

The Tornado

The first night I arrived, there was a huge cold-weather front passing through the Midwest. It spawned a small tornado as dawn was breaking. The twister churned and skipped across the ground just one-half mile from where I was asleep.

It passed just 500 feet from the brother of the person I was staying with. Many were fortunate and no one was injured.

The weather in Cincinnati went from balmy to bitter. I thought I was in New Hampshire as it was cold, rainy and windy for quite a few days.

The Old Building

I spent quite a bit of time with a close friend Nick Motz and his darling wife Mary Beth Wilker. Kathy and I attended their wedding years ago as I've known Nick since he was in high school.

Nick's an accomplished real estate broker and contractor. He's a key player in the revitalization of the East End along Riverside Drive.

Two days after arriving, he and I went on an adventure to the booming Over the Rhine district north of the core of downtown Cincinnati.

As we were driving around looking at all the progress, I spotted a building.

It wasn't just any old building.

"Nick, turn around. I need to get a photo of that building."

Within minutes, he went around the block and parked. I got out and started shooting with my Canon EOS 50D.

You can see where the building next door had caught on fire and scorched the side of this relic.

But I didn't care so much about that. I was keenly interested on the outer covering of this row house.

It was covered with Inselbric and it was in fantastic condition.

When I say fantastic condition, I mean as if it was just installed last month.

But it wasn't installed last month.

There's a very good chance it was installed eight years before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

Look at the original trademark filing information below. Yes, that's October 15, 1931.

The above photo is a close up of the material.

What does it resemble to you? Can you see the different colored granules?

Did you guess asphalt shingles? Good for you.

Inselbric was made using the same materials as what's probably up on your own roof.

My Roofing Ripoff Book

I've been on a quest for the past year to get my hands on some of this material because it plays a key part in my Roofing Ripoff book that's now just days away from being ready for you.

Twenty-one months ago, my own asphalt shingle roof was falling apart in front of my eyes.

My fifteen-year-old shingles that had a thirty-year warranty looked like they were fifty years old. They were delaminating and bare wood was exposed to the weather.

For the record, I didn't build or install the first roof on the house I live in here in central New Hampshire.

You may be wondering, "Tim, what in the world does Inselbric have to do with your old roof?"

Everything.

How is it that the Inselbric siding can look so good after being exposed to the elements for over eighty years and my asphalt shingles couldn't last ten years before they started to curl and loose granules faster than gravel tumbling from a dump truck?

Cracked the Code

I decided to find out why my asphalt shingles, and those of just about everyone else in the USA, were falling apart at such an alarming rate.

Not only did I expose what's going on in my upcoming book, I did one better.

I was the first person in the world to discover something very very simple you can do to make your asphalt roof last for decades and decades.

It's Just About Ready

Here's the cover for the book. If all goes well, you'll be reading an electronic version in just fourteen days or less.

Have you noticed that your own asphalt shingles are loosing granules?

Are your shingles starting to curl just a few years after they've been installed?

Then you'll want to read this book for sure.

Watch upcoming issues of this newsletter for the announcement when you can purchase a PDF version or one you can read on your Kindle.

I guarantee you'll be shocked at what I discovered.

New Revised Columns For You

While I was in Cincinnati, I was able to revise some of my old columns. I don't think any of the following are repeats that I've shared two weeks ago.

Remember, the columns contain: