I'm alive. But I'm not completely well. I want to thank you if you were one of the countless friends I have here on the list who emailed me wondering if I was injured or worse. I sincerely appreciate that concern. It affected me deeply.

This morning, I opened my email and staring at me was a very important email from the Boston Athletic Association (BAA). Here was the Subject Line:

A Message From The B.A.A. About Post Traumatic Stress Management

The second sentence of the email said:

Events of mass violence can trigger overwhelming feelings of anxiety, anger or fear.

The email went on to say that the BAA would have a special team of mental health experts available for counseling.

I can tell you that I felt all of those emotions above in the past 72 hours once I floated back down to the ground after my adrenaline high of Monday afternoon and evening. No doubt I'll read the BAA email and reach out for some help.

If you're a new subscriber to this newsletter since last week, you probably think I'm really crazy, and what have you gotten yourself into.

What you'll discover, if you continue to subscribe, is this weekly newsletter is probably one of the most unique ones you'll ever get. Each week, I try to share with you something about my life that has little or nothing to do with home improvement.

I was one of the 150 or so volunteer ham radio operators at the Boston Marathon on Monday that provided life-saving communications for the runners - and spectators.

I was working at First Aid station 12 with two other ham radio operators. You can see me with Noah and Shirley below in the photo taken about three hours before the bomb blasts.

I wrote a fairly long story at my W3ATB ham radio blog about my experience that day. Feel free to read it and leave a comment if you have something to say.

Feel free to share the link to the story with anyone if you want to give them a different perspective of what happened behind the scenes at the Boston Marathon.

I've decided that this issue of the newsletter is going to be dedicated to disasters and what you can do to prepare and cope with one that could happen to you and your family.

DECK STAIN TEST AND GOOGLE

What an odd headline. How could my recent deck stain test results and Google be connected, and what in the world do they have to do with disaster? Believe it or not, you're about to discover something about yourself. Read on and stay with me.

The day before I left to work the Marathon, you received my latest announcement. In it was a link to my 2013 Deck Stain Test Results.

I got a mixture of email responses about that email blast on Sunday. You may be one of the countless subscribers that purchased the results and thanked me for the work and effort in conducting the test. I appreciate your business, and I truly appreciate your kind comments.

But there were a handful of subscribers like John from Cincinnati who felt differently. He wrote:

"Your last note about deck sealers was quite disappointing. It is starting to appear you are just interested in $$$. I doubt I will be following you much longer. Your letter has changed a lot since you left Cinci."

John, I'll be sorry to see you leave. I'm puzzled why you would unsubscribe from a free newsletter, especially one where I still dispense free tips each week. But what the heck, I'm no expert on human psyche.

Several other subscribers were not too happy about paying for the results of the deck stain test.

Susan was one. She wrote:

"I am floored that I need to pay $9.97 to get the results of your deck stain/sealer tests. You have advertised specific products in the past, and I have used Defy at your recommendation and also Stain Solver for years. You should make clear why you can't disclose the products you are testing for free -- I have enough Defy for now. Please explain. I do take your advice, but this is really a gouge."

Susan, you know what? That's a very good idea. I'll explain.

I suffered a major personal disaster a little over two years ago. Practically overnight my income was cut by 90 percent by Google. Tens of thousands of other website owners like me suffered the same fate.

Yes, I can already hear some of the emails streaming in. "Suck it up Tim. or: You think you have problems Tim, well let me tell you.... or: I don't care about your problems. I don't want to hear about your life. Stay on topic. Just give *me* home improvement tips."

I didn't make a big stink of it because for the most part many people don't care about the problems of others. Everyone has their own problems. They can be health related, financial, or relationship based. I get that.

My loss of income pales in comparison to what happens each day to many others. Two years ago, when I woke up on that late February morning and saw what happened my very close friend, Mike had no idea he had less than 594 days to live. Robin would be left without her soul mate. I'd lose a friend that was like the brother I never had.

My friends Keith and Cindi were also suffering with health challenges. Many, many others had far worse problems than me. Many of my friends don't have any jobs.

But John saw the transformation in this newsletter. Maybe you did too, but I never bothered to tell you what was going on in my little bubble. I figured it would be an exercise in futility.

What happened? What caused the change in this newsletter and what I do?

In a nutshell, Google changed the search algorithm so that thousands of my AsktheBuilder.com pages that used to appear at the top of page one of search results now showed up much farther back in the index. That's the Cliff Notes version.

If you want the War and Peace version, read all of the details about what happened at a blog post I wrote about a year ago. Believe me, it's affecting you on a personal level. Yes, you.

Google's algorithm change is HURTING YOU big time because Google is depriving you of very important information you need to make smart informed decisions before you buy something.

Surely you've noticed how the quality of search results has changed over the past two years. You have to work much harder to find great information.

Google did that to make their shareholders happier. Go back up and read my blog post if you don't believe me. I pretty much have the smoking gun.

I met personally, for about an hour last fall, with Jon Leibowitz, the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, about all this. He asked me to come to Washington DC to talk about all this as he was keenly interested in my take as an Internet publisher.

He pretty much agreed with my assessment of the whole situation. Google is not breaking the law, but their business practices are making life more difficult for you.

Before the algorithm change, I was able to give away for *FREE* lots of information because I was making a living from the advertising revenue each time people clicked an ad on one of my website pages.

Well, if your traffic is cut by 80 percent, that means your ad revenue goes down too.

I had to change my business model from free to paid - and in a hurry - if I wanted to survive.

That's why you've seen more ads in my newsletter, John. That's why you've seen the Kickstarter projects where you have to pay to get access to videos.

John, that's why you see me pushing my fantastic Stain Solver product each week - especially the new best seller Sample Size that costs just $9.97 delivered to anyplace in the USA, even Guam or the Virgin Islands! I've got bills to pay just like you do.

Susan, that's why you have to pay to get access to test results. I've got an employee payroll to meet each week. I've got to make a profit so I can create more helpful products for you.

Me selling my products is what's keeping this free newsletter going. Some don't buy products. Some people click the Donate button way at the bottom of this newsletter and use it to help keep this free newsletter going.

But I digress. Here's how I can help you.

The disaster I suffered that was triggered, not caused, by Google.

It taught me that I needed to diversify. I needed to switch to a business model where small silos of knowledge I've accumulated from years of hard work need to be converted into tiny ATM machines. I needed to radically diversify my income stream to prevent another disaster.

That's why the DIY Video Series category at my shopping cart now has 32 products and is growing. A year ago, it had two.

Google didn't cause my problems. I was primarily responsible because I became far too dependent upon them for my livelihood.

How does that relate to you?

Look around you. What/who are you too dependent upon? How could you survive if there was a radical change in your life tomorrow?

That may require some deep introspection on your part. STOP and do it.

Ponder your destiny like I've been contemplating mine for the past 26 months, and especially since Monday afternoon.

TEXAS WOMAN HOMELESS

I just watched this video.

One minute all is well, then a fire breaks out in a fertilizer plant. Minutes later, BOOM. She's lucky, she's alive. But she has no house - possibly no belongings.

This happens everyday in the USA and around the world. You could be next. It could be a tornado, it could be a fire, it could be a flood. It could be a hurricane.

I've got a virtual friend Liz who's house was flooded by Hurricane Sandy. I'll never forget her desperate posts last November on Facebook as the storm surge started to overtake her home.

Eighteen months ago, my friends Julie and Gary had their lives changed by Hurricane Irene here in NH. In less than two hours, high waters from the raging Pemigewasset River flooded their cottages, motel and their home. There was not enough time nor help to save everything.

What are you doing to prepare for the day you become homeless?

Last November, after Hurricane Sandy, I made a comment about doing a class about getting ready. I discovered much in the CERT training I took last fall.

Do you want me to do that class and create a DVD about it? I can do it. But you need to tell me you want it.

Will it be free?

No. I need to manage your expectations.

STIMULATING QUESTIONS

Let me help you get prepared for a disaster. Think about how you would answer these questions:

How quickly can you recreate all the contact information on your cell phone?

Do you have multiple bug-out bags in your house, car and at work?

What the heck is a bug-out bag, and what's in it?

Your phone rings and the police say you have 45 minutes to evacuate from your home. What do you take with you?

Can your entire basement fill with water in less than ten minutes? I'll help you. Yes.

Are you ready to transport your pets to a safe area in less than 30 minutes? Where and how?

Where are all your important papers?

What are important papers?

What will you do when cell phones don't work?

What will you do when you can't access the Internet for more than a week?

When ATM machines run out of cash, what will you do?

How much gasoline do you need, at a minimum, each week?

Do you have enough water to survive for a week? How much water do you and your family need each day?

Do you really have enough food to survive for a month? Where is it?

If you were only allowed to take ten things with you in an evacuation, what would they be?

How will you contact your friends and family that are spread out all over the USA and the world if there was a major catastrophe? Is it even possible?

I could go on and on and on with questions.

Here's a new Spring chore for you:

STOP and think about getting prepared.

I'll ask again. Do you want me to create a course based on what I've seen and what I've been taught? If so, reply to this newsletter and change the Subject Line to: Get Prepared

Till next week.

Be Safe. Get Prepared.

Tomorrow I'll be at the Boston Marathon working as a ham radio operator. Nearly 100 ham operators help provide critical communications all along the course. I'll be at First Aid Station 12 at Mile 18.3.

It will be a very long day with me leaving the house about 4:30 am. Fortunately the weather forecast is very nice.

58 F and sunny is what the weather folks say is going to happen. Last year it was the hottest Boston Marathon on record. I believe it topped out at about 93 F. It was brutal for all involved.

2013 DECK STAIN RESULTS

This is a Special Edition of the AsktheBuilder.com newsletter. It's devoted entirely to my 2013 Deck Stain Test Results

Does this describe you last year or possibly two or three years ago?

You walk out onto your dingy wood deck in the spring and decide to clean and seal it. You spend hours and hours cleaning it (hopefully you decided to use my Stain Solver since it's non-toxic, won't hurt your plants, won't discolor the wood and it's Certified Organic) and then, once dry, you get ready to stain/seal it.

But here's where you hit a snag. There are lots of sealers to choose from, and they're expensive.

Perhaps you listen to the advice of a salesman or store clerk, but they've got a dog in the fight.

Or maybe you subscribe to a magazine that does an annual deck stain test. But are their tests accurate? Are they testing all the right products?

Or maybe you read something on the Internet. Can you trust that? Was a real test conducted? What are the qualifications of the person at the website you visited?

Then you look at the prices of the sealers. Wow!

Some are less than $20 per gallon, but many are north of $35 per gallon. If your deck is average size and you have railings and steps, you could drop easily $100 and quite possibly $175 in product - maybe more for a really large deck.

Think about how much time it will take you to apply the sealer. Even with a helper, it could take an entire weekend to carefully brush on the sealer. Some products require two coats!

You can't afford to make a mistake. Not with this kind of money and time on the line. Plus, you have to spend the rest of the year looking at the results each day as you sit on the deck or look out the window at your deck.

You don't want a sealer that's going to turn BLACK in a few months or one that will peel and look miserable. Check out the photo below. It was the overall Loser.

GAMBLING

What happens if you make a mistake and pick the wrong product? One that fails in as little as three months! Yes it can happen, because several of the products I tested last year started to fail in just 60 days.

I don't know about you, but I'd be pretty upset to put in all that time and money and see the wood deck look bad. As we all know, the wood looks marvelous as soon as it's sealed, often like a piece of furniture, but things can go downhill in a hurry if you choose the wrong sealer.

If you're sealing your deck every year or two on a quest for the best sealer, it could take you over 15 years to find the right one. Who wants to wait that long and invest that kind of time and expense? Not me!

SIDE-BY-SIDE TESTS ARE HARD

For years, I've interviewed deck sealer manufacturers and visited their manufacturing plants. I've gone on other plant tours looking at other outdoor building products plants.

At many of these places, I've seen outdoor testing in progress. You'll see lots of wood, siding, decking products on display all exhibiting different levels of wear.

I always wanted to do that, but could never set aside the time. Believe me, it takes some time and money to set up the test.

After receiving many emails from subscribers, you may have been one, I decided last year it was time to invest in such a project.

There's a major consumer magazine that does testing and reports, but for years I felt its deck stain test was flawed. They never tested a few of the major brands made with synthetic resins. I even asked the editors of the magazine about this oversight, and they blew me off.

In preparation for the test, I contacted all of the major deck and wood stain manufacturers early last spring. I created a document for all the companies explaining exactly how I was going to do the test to show them it would be fair.

Nine companies had no issues participating. Many others declined to have their products tested. What does that tell you? It speaks volumes to me.

I would have loved to have done the test in south Florida, the desert Southwest or even up in the Rocky Mountains where conditions are very harsh.

But instead, I settled on quaint New Hampshire right here at my house. I live on a lake and my dock sticks out from the shore about 40 feet. The dock gets sun starting at sunrise and it bakes it until about 3 p.m. each day. When it's sunny, the test boards get absolutely no relief. There's absolutely no shade and no protection from water.

When you think about it, testing at my house is probably not a bad place. It gets the four seasons, plenty of sun and harsh winter weather that can really test a deck sealer.

THE RESULTS ARE IN

I was astonished at the final results.

The product I thought would win the test didn't.

The product I thought would lose the test WON the test!

As I said, some products failed in 90 days. One product looked nearly as good last week when I took the after photos as the day it was brushed on the wood. It was the clear winner. Another product came in a close second.

One thing you'll see in the photos is a shocking buildup of mold and mildew on many of the cedar boards. Some of this is from the actual sealer in my opinion. Many of the sealers were oil-based, and the oil is food for the mildew and algae.

But look CLOSELY at the photos. What do you see that's similar about every piece of treated lumber? The treated lumber samples are always the shorter pieces of wood and on the right in the photos.

Can you see any mildew and mold on those? They were coated with the same products! The boards were only inches from one another on the dock. Why is there no mold and mildew on the treated lumber? I believe I know the answer. Do you?

I've been talking about this test for a year now. I've invested a boatload of time and resources into it. I promised I'd share the photos and names of the products. You can see those in a simple document you can download at no cost.

CLICK HERE for the Free Preview Report that shows ALL of the Before and After photos and has the names of the products that were tested.

However, if you want to match up the names of the products with the Before and After photos, you'll have to make a small investment, just like I did to conduct the test. If you don't wish to do that, you can roll the dice and hope you pick the winner.

You'll see links in the FREE Preview Report for the Premium Report where I match up products with photos.

The cost of the report could save you big money, time and frustration. You'll be able to see what products did really well in the test. You'll be able to avoid the products that failed. What's that worth to you?

New Test for 2014 - Get a DISCOUNT NOW!!

I've decided to start a new test this year. It's going to include as many sealers as I can get my hands on.

The money raised from selling this year's report is going to fund this new test. Believe me, purchasing many cans of product and paying for the shipping can get very expensive very fast.

If you decide to invest in the AsktheBuilder.com 2013 Deck Stain Report, it includes a promo code for 40% off the 2014 AsktheBuilder.com Deck Sealer Report. That's a pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

Thanks for your trust and eternal patience with me.

Last week, two young California hikers made the national news. They were rescued after they got lost. It happens to thousands of hikers every year. The Grim Reaper was right behind them as they wandered through the canyons. He was a little too slow this time, as the hikers slipped through his bony fingers.

I'm a hiker, and now a member of my local CERT team. Dehydration leads to most hiking and outdoor mishaps, even if you don't get lost. You need to stay hydrated to have a clear head and make good judgements. When you're dehydrated, even stepping over rocks can be what does you in. You could misjudge your step, slip, fall, hit your head and it's literally lights out.

A little over a year ago, my son-in-law gave me a fantastic book that's full of information about this topic. You'll be stunned at all the helpful tips and discover exactly what you need to do if you want to survive outdoors. The book's title is: 98.6 Degrees - The Art of Keeping Your Ass Alive!

If you hike or know someone who does, I urge you to buy this book for them as a gift. Do it now.

If you're not a hiker or camper, you need to know what's in this book. It's possible for you to get into deep trouble as you drive cross country. You may get stranded out on the road one day.

Just a few years ago, two elderly women driving to a shopping mall took the wrong turn, went down a dirt road, got stuck in some mud and they died right there because they had no idea what to do. They were very close to civilization and could have easily survived.

Don't become a statistic, be a survivor.

 

TIP OF THE WEEK - SERIOUS DANGERS IN YOUR HOME AND NEIGHBORHOOD

Do you have small children or grandchildren? How about your neighbors?

Not only are kids naturally CURIOUS, they simply don't have enough life experience to readily recognize danger. I know - as I'm very lucky to be alive myself. More on that in a moment.

Over the weekend, I saw in the news a story about a small girl in Maryland who was crushed by her garage door.

Here's another very sad tragedy to report. This happened this past weekend.

I can totally relate to this happening. When I was a small lad, I was attracted to construction sites like moths to a porch light on a summer's night.

Let me tell you a true story about a very stupid thing I did one day with my friend Charlie Deters. We were young teenagers and both loved firecrackers and smoke bombs.

A new road was being constructed in the woods near my house. Storm sewers were installed in the base of the ravine and large concrete pipes were stacked to create the manholes. Thousands of tons of fill dirt were brought in to fill the ravine to construct the road.

Like a D * * * A * *, I went down into one of these wide open pipes. It was easy to do as they had the iron ladder rungs built in. Of course, I took matches and a few smoke bombs with me. There was no water running in the sewer, but there absolutely could have been invisible gas down there that could have knocked me out.

I'd say I was down a good 20 feet or so in this manhole. I lit two smoke bombs and delighted in the streams of smoke that lifted off the base of the sewer. I did this for about five seconds.

Then I looked up. I couldn't see anything but smoke. I panicked and started grasping for the iron rungs breathing in the acrid smoke as I raced up the ladder.

I barely made it to the top. As you might imagine, I was coughing and very scared. I could have passed out while climbing, fallen and broken my neck. What a totally stupid thing to do.

But that's what most kids are. They're oblivious to dangers. They don't think about the secondary effects of a decision. They just don't have enough life experience.

Please pass this newsletter along to anyone you know who has small kids or grandkids. Let's try to save a few lives.

 

SPRING CLEAN ROOFS, PATIOS, RETAINING WALLS, ETC.

Jerry McRorie wrote to me overnight wondering how to clean off algae from his roof. He discovered Stain Solver and wondered if it really worked to clean black and green algae from roofs. Of course it does Jerry!

I told him to watch this video showing how to use Stain Solver to clean a roof.

The most important tip I gave him was how to keep the algae off the roof once it's clean. I then asked him to watch this video explaining the mystery of no algae or moss on PART of a roof!

You can use Stain Solver outdoors to remove algae, mildew, mold, etc. from any surface. I don't care if it's your roof, wood or vinyl siding, tiger stripes on gutters, gross patios, retaining walls covered with slime, patio stones, etc.

Remember, the oxygen bleach in Stain Solver will NOT harm any of your plants or landscaping.

 

BE BOLD. BE EFFICIENT. BE A DAREDEVIL!

You may use great power tools, but they'll perform like an also-ran if you don't equip them with the right bits or blades. Believe me, the performance is noticeable.

I can clearly remember years ago using a flat spade bit my dad gave me. I had to lean into the drill to make the hole, but push too hard and the wood would start to smoke from all the friction.

Fast forward to today's technology: Bosch cutting accessories, specifically the Daredevil line, transform your power tools into the professional-grade workhorses they were meant to be. For example, the threaded screw tips on Daredevil spade bits and the helical paddle shape pull the bit through wood so you can drill more holes faster with less fatigue.

That's the story with every Bosch Daredevil product - best-in-class in speed, long life or ease of use. I guarantee that you'll see and feel the difference.

Learn more about Daredevil accessories and enter their contest! You could win one of the 20 sets of Daredevil products that Bosch is giving away. Go enter now. I so wish I was allowed to enter!

 

NEW ENGLAND SHORT HAULER

A good friend of mine, Lee Hillsgrove, Sr. has a fascinating hobby. He loves to drive. If you need some small or medium-sized objects moved between two points both within New England, Lee could be your man.

If what you want moved can fit in or on the back of a pickup truck, on a 6x12 flatbed trailer or inside an enclosed 6x10 trailer, you might consider Lee. He's a true professional and will not let you or your load down. Lee's moved boats, motorcycles, engines, small farm tractors, Jeep frames, etc. just about anything you can imagine.

If you want to contact Lee, just REPLY to this email and change the Subject Line to: Lee

 

DECK STAIN TEST RESULTS

I was all prepared yesterday to take the stunning photos of the deck boards that have been out in the weather for the past 11 months. However, there was a light rain overnight and the sample pieces were saturated with water. There are 16 products being tested!

I took the boards into my shed and started to take the photos, but stopped after I took the second one. The first photo is just below. The wider boards are cedar decking and the smaller ones are traditional treated pine.

All of the pieces of wood were stained at the same time. The wood was clean and dry before the stain was applied. One piece of each was allowed to dry and spent the last 11 months indoors in a cardboard box away from all sunlight and moisture. The other pieces were put down on my boat dock to bake in the harsh sun. All of the outdoor wood samples were put next to each other on my dock.

The overnight rain water was affecting the color of the wood samples. Since the other samples were bone dry from being indoors, I felt that all the samples should be dry for a true side-by-side comparison.

Look at the amazing FAILURE of this one deck stain! Can you believe how bad the cedar board on the left looks? Believe me, you'll see far worse when I take the other photos!

I now have the boards drying and will check them at lunch today to see if they're really dry. It's been pretty damp and overcast, so the boards may still have moisture in them.. I'll send out a SPECIAL email to you, probably on Thursday with all the finished photos.

Wait till you see how HORRIBLE some boards look. When you look at all the photos, you're going to see something unusual. I'm going to quiz you on this and see how many of you can speculate as to what's going on. I think I know the correct answer. Let's see if a number of us are in agreement.

Watch for the email with all the photos any day now. We just need some DRY weather here in New Hampshire!

 

UPCOMING POWER TOOL REVIEWS AND SURVEY RESULTS

When it rains it pours. It's the season to test new power tools. As you might imagine, the power tool companies are constantly bringing to market new tools with new technology.

About two years ago, I did a survey about tools in this newsletter. The results were shocking to some, but they didn't surprise me.

Eighty-one percent of the respondents said that the quality of tools they buy is very important. Sixty-one percent of homeowners said they wanted to purchase the same tools pros used. Ninety-one percent of the survey takers said they felt high-quality tools helped produce better results faster.

That's why I try to review great tools for you! Look at the tools that just arrived for me to test and review!

Dremel 4200 Rotary Tool

Senco DS212-18V and DS215-18V Auto-Feed Screwdriver

Milwaukee 1/4-Hex Impact Driver Kit

Milwaukee 1/2-Inch Drill / Driver Kit

Milwaukee 1/4-Hex Two-Speed Screwdriver Kit

Milwaukee 3/8-inch Impact Wrench Kit

Milwaukee 1/2-inch Hammer Drill Driver Kit

Rumor has it that I'll soon be reviewing some green power tools.

What power and hand tools do you want me to test for you? You need to speak up or just go to the tool manufacturer's website and fill out their Contact Us form.

Tell them, "Hey, I want the AsktheBuilder.com guy to do an independent review of your tool!" Believe me, it carries much more weight if YOU make the request!

Watch for the SPECIAL email that contains the link to all the deck stain photos!!! I should have it for you no later than Friday if Mother Nature cooperates.

Last Saturday I had to run to town to do a bunch of errands. One of my stops was the Post Office in downtown Meredith, NH.

It was a gorgeous, crisp early spring day. Sitting on a lawn chair all by herself was Luka. I could see she was trying to raise money for something, and decided to talk with her after I came out of the post office.

She greeted me pleasantly and told me she was selling flower bulbs to raise money for her ballet school. Being an entrepreneur for over 40 years, I'm a sucker for kids who have the diligence, determination and discipline to do what Luka was doing.

Sitting alone on a street full of strangers is vastly different than walking around ringing your neighbors' doorbells. Plus, I'm a sucker for brilliant red flowers.

I bought some bulbs from Luka, and urge you to do whatever you can to support young people like Luka when you see them trying to sell things like this on their own. You never know, but your sale could be the tipping point transaction that convinces that young person to become a superstar entrepreneur businessperson.

 

TIP OF THE WEEK - PATCHING PLASTER

Two nights ago, I was in Andover, NH participating in a debate. A woman in the audience recognized me as the AsktheBuilder.com guy and wondered if I could give her any tips on patching old plaster. We were killing time because the man I was debating was running about an hour late. He had a late-afternoon family health crisis that threw him off schedule.

"You bet I can!" I exclaimed. "If you have deep holes to patch, ones where the brown sandy base coat of the plaster is exposed, you never ever want to use the drywall joint compound in buckets that you see at the home center. You'll just waste time and money," I informed her.

Oh, you want to know exactly what to use and how to do it, don't you! Why you need to do what I told her to do. Always, always, always go to AsktheBuilder.com and type your keywords into my search engine. I suggested to her, "Type 'plaster repair' into my search engine. Wait till you see what I've written!"

You're lucky. You don't have to type because here's a link to a patching plaster column that explains much of what you need to know.

If you desire MORE information on how to produce expert plaster patches, just do what I said above. I have about five or six columns on patching plaster. The search box is right there in the upper right corner of the page.

 

ARE YOU AN IP ATTORNEY?

Are you an intellectual property attorney that would love to sink your teeth into a juicy trademark infringement case? One where a big company has made a big boo-boo? Reply to this email if you do these cases on a contingency basis.

 

HELP DAN!

My buddy Dan needs you to push him over the top in the NEXT 24 hours! This is a very worthy car gas-mileage project at Kickstarter. It could save you lots of money over time. Please consider pushing Dan up and over his goal. He's a great guy. His project funding date is over in just 24 hours. Please go help him now.

WANT TO BECOME A B&B OWNER?

Fred and Sandi, close friends of mine, are retiring and selling the famous Atwood Inn here in New Hampshire. This is the bed and breakfast I stayed in on my exploration trip when I came up to look for land to build on. It's a fantastic B&B. I know as I've stayed in many of them.

The Atwood Inn is centrally located to many of the attractions here in New Hampshire. If you've dreamed of wanting to be a B&B owner, this is a RARE find.

Here's the listing page, but I suggest you CALL Fred directly to get the real skinny. Be sure to mention my name so he's not taken off guard. 603-934-3666

I'm pretty sure Sandi's secret scone recipe will be passed to you at the closing table. Have you watched the video of me stuffing one in my piehole? It's right at the top of the Atwood Inn home page. http://go.askthebuilder.com/secretscone

START AND OPERATE YOUR OWN HANDYMAN BUSINESS!

I finally finished re-taping the three-hour series on how to start and operate your own Handyman business. You're purchasing a DVD that I ship to you. You watch the series OFFLINE.

I'm offering, for just the next week, a DISCOUNT if you purchase the entire series at once. On April 14th, the price for the entire series WILL GO UP significantly.

If you want to just buy each hour, you can do that. A link to each hour can be found at the above link.

More Tips and Tricks next week!

I've had a crazy past ten days or so. How about you? And now Easter is only days away! My youngest turns 21 on Easter, so that's a cool double holiday. I'm told she and I will be doing an Easter egg hunt ourselves.

Kathy will hide those foil wrapped chocolate eggs in the yard, and we have to go find them. I hid the chocolate eggs for years when all my kids were small. It's loads of fun.

A FUN STORY - SIT BACK AND RELAX FOR THIS ONE

I had a fascinating thing happen this morning. It all started two days ago.

I was on my way to Nashua, NH on Tuesday afternoon to be on a live TV show. I then sold some of my oxygen bleach to a nearby business.

TIP OF THE WEEK - WET BASEMENTS AND CRAWL SPACES

Spring is when tens of thousands of homeowners suffer. Snowmelt, heavy rains, etc. cause lots of water to leak into basements and crawlspaces.

You can often easily solve these water problems by ensuring that all roof water is captured and piped away from the house. You can do this with gutters, downspouts and solid piping.

To capture and divert underground water from getting into your basement, you need one of my linear french drains.

I'm going to do an amazing video series showing how to install one of these systems here at my house in about six weeks. Watch for that announcement!

BOSCH PB120 COMPACT RADIO

Yesterday I opened a new Bosch PB120 portable jobsite AM/FM radio. It also accepts an audio input from an iPhone, iPod or other MP3 player.

It runs on the triangular 12-volt battery you find in the Bosch cordless tool line, or you can plug in a 12-volt adapter that is connected to a regular transformer that you plug into a 120-volt wall outlet.

This radio has got great audio quality, it's light, it has a sound equalizer and I absolutely love the channel search feature on it. You just have to hold down a button for a second and it hunts for a radio signal in the area.

It has a mute button, you can adjust the treble and bass, and it comes with five preset buttons for your favorite stations.

This would be a perfect Mothers or Fathers Day gift. For that matter, it makes an excellent gift for anyone at anytime allowing you to say how much you appreciate them.

This radio gets two hammers up from me!

INTERNET CONFERENCE - CHECK THIS OUT!

Online Revealed is an online marketing conference geared towards teaching those in the travel and tourism trade the most up to date and effective ways to promote their websites, online presence and social media channels such as Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Pinterest, blogs and more.

While this conference has been a little known secret to travel industry professionals, it's a great place for anyone with a business wanting to learn some tricks of the trade when it comes to online promotion ... and who knows better how to do it than the travel industry. With access to people from Google, Facebook, Expedia, Tripadvisor, SEO experts and marketing department professionals, you'll walk away with a whole new game plan on promoting yourself through the web.

More tips and tricks next week.

Have a great Easter or whatever religious holiday you celebrate this time of year. It's tough to name them all, but realize that I do hope you have a great time with friends and family.

Tim Carter

Do It Right, Not Over!

Last week, I asked for your help to discover a small waterproof plastic box.

Logan Jones, who hails from Missoula, MT, discovered the exact clear plastic box I needed within five minutes of the newsletter being sent out. Way to go!

But Justin Haynes wins the award for super sleuth. Not only did he find the actual case, he found Hanz's website where Hanz shows how to build the radio! Justin added, "That was a very fun game. I found it! This was some serious sleuthing, and a great adventure!"

Justin, indeed you did find it! Hanz came over to my house this weekend, and we started to build my radio. You can see Hanz's radio on the left and the beginnings of my radio in the box to the right.

I was soldering tiny components on the circuit board that you see inside my clear plastic box. It's a boatload of fun building this portable radio that will contain it's own power supply!

Thanks to everyone that jumped in to help me. Guess what? The exact box was just six miles away from me in the camping department of my local Walmart store. Go figure!

I'm deeply grateful to have you as a subscriber. It's wonderful to know that you're willing and able to help me when I need an assist.

 

TIP OF THE WEEK - FURNACE GASPING SOUNDS, OH MY!

Jeannie Fuhrmann wrote to me with a great story that you need to read. It can save you lots of money, and your furnace will love you.

"Hi Tim!

My husband and I have been doing some updates on our 1958 house over the past year. We've been able to do this because of all the wonderful information on the Internet from people like you.

There's one tip I've never seen mentioned that I wanted to pass on to you. I'm new to your newsletter, so maybe you've covered something like this before. Our furnace has been making gasping sounds for the past two weeks.

I was afraid the blower was going out again. Then last night it occurred to me that we've been doing a lot of sanding lately and I should check the air filter. The filter looked horrible! We use three-month filters, but with all the work we've been doing, they probably need to be checked once a month.

Anyway, maybe you could pass that on to your readers (if you haven't already). Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Best wishes,"

Jeannie

Jeannie, I'm glad you figured out that the furnace was starved for air. You can burn up a blower motor if you operate a furnace with a clogged air filter.

You're correct about one thing. I've mentioned this before, actually on several occasions. But it's always great to remind folks to change furnace filters. Thanks for sharing!

 

WIN $5,000 TO SHAKE UP THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR HOUSE

Don't think I want an earthquake to happen to you.

DaVinci Roofscapes, the color leader in the polymer roofing vertical, has just launched a home exterior color contest.

All you have to do is take and submit a digital photo of the exterior of your home, write a compelling 250-word story as to why *your* house deserves the color shake up and then submit it to DaVinci Roofscapes via their Facebook page.

If your house is chosen as one of the five finalists, people will vote for the winner over a two-week period. The top vote getter get the $5,000 grand prize.

To begin the entry process, all you have to do is CLICK HERE. Once you do that, simply Like the DaVinci Roofscapes Facebook page. When you do that, you'll be able to enter this cool contest. I wish I could enter, but I'm not allowed.

Why should you enter? Last fall an AsktheBuilder.com newsletter subscriber WON the Bosch Take-Back-Your-Day contest.

While you're taking the photo of your house and writing your story, I'll be summoning all my fellow wizards here in New Hampshire. We'll cast a protective spell on you so that you have a great chance of winning. How's that for good jujumagumbo?

Do it now. CLICK HERE to visit the DaVinci Roofscapes page. You just might win $5,000.00.

 

CONCORD, NH HOME AND GARDEN SHOW

I'll be at the Concord, NH Home and Garden Show this weekend. I'm scheduled to do a one-hour talk on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. It's a typical Ask the Builder session where I answer *your* questions about your home. You get free advice from a person that doesn't have a dog in the fight!

Before and after the talks I'll be in booth #91 to answer your questions.

SAVE MONEY ON GASOLINE GOING TO HOME CENTERS

My very good friend Dan Gray needs your help. He's an expert on car gas mileage.

Just a few days ago, he launched a Kickstarter project. He's going to create a video series to show how to get better gas mileage from used or existing cars. Not everyone can go out and buy a new fuel-efficient car! I know I can't right now.

I highly recommend that you support Dan in this effort so that all of us can save money at the gas pump! That's a good thing!

CLICK the Ain't Fuelin' image at the top of Dan's Kickstarter page and watch his compelling video.

 

NEW FRONT DOOR VIDEO SERIES

Speaking of video series, how would you like to save a cool $1,000 or more? You can by installing your new exterior door yourself. It's not hard, and I show you how to do this in a series of videos! Get my Install a New Front Door videos NOW.

Guess what my next video series is? How would you like to discover how to install a new window in a wood-frame wall where there is currently NO WINDOW? Oh yeah baby, we're going to cut a hole in a wall! That's more fun than a barrel full of monkeys!

 

DECK SEALER TEST RESULTS AND SPRING STAIN SOLVER SALE

Next week I'll be publishing a small booklet showing the photos of the sixteen or so deck stain and sealer test panels. In the booklet, you'll see the Before and After photos and the names of all the sealers that agreed to participate in the test.

Here's a photo I took after six months of extreme weathering here in New Hampshire. You can see that some of the sealers and stains failed miserably.

If, after looking at the booklet, you then want to know which photos match up with which stain and sealer names, you'll be given a link so you can get access to that information.

Next week, at the same time, we'll be having our annual massive Stain Solver Sale. You absolutely want to OPEN that email as soon as it arrives in your Inbox to get the best deal possible on oxygen bleach.