November 13, 2012 AsktheBuilder Newsletter & Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter

Do you think things go perfectly on all my jobs? You may have that impression if you watch lots of home improvement TV shows. Rarely do the producers show the hosts making mistakes. They don't want you to think they're human for goodness sakes! And when the host does make a mistake and messes up his hairdo, the producers surely don't want you to see that!

I was working my you-know-what off all weekend editing more of my DIY Shed videos and came across this very realistic video of what usually happens on a job site. Not only did I goof up on the words I was saying, I also had another issue.

If you need a laugh or two, watch this video. Rest assured I'm human like you, and when you're at my job you'll not always see rainbows arching over them and unicorns grazing nearby.

And speaking of goof ups, wait until you see all the outtakes from the shed videos. I'm building a reel of them. Oh my, will you laugh!

 

DIY SHED VIDEO UPDATE

I'm nearly halfway through editing the shed videos. I'm starting to upload them now to servers in remote locations. If you've heard the term "the cloud", that's what they're talking about. Having the shed videos in the cloud is a great idea. It protects them so they never get lost, and it makes it easier for you to access them.

I hope to have the first group of fifty videos for you by next week. I'm really happy with the way they came out. I'm sure you'll be pleased too.

 

INSTALLING AN EXTERIOR DOOR

Are you tired of your front door? What would you say if I told you there's a very good chance you can do this job yourself with a little assist from me? I often tell you when a job is beyond your skill set, but this time, I'm confident you can install a new front door with me at your side - virtually.

Just after Christmas, I'll be installing a new front door here at my house. Yes, it can be done in the middle of winter - even in New Hampshire! That's one reason why I waited. I wanted to show you how you can replace an exterior door in any weather!

I'll be doing an intense series of videos showing all the ninja tricks I use when I install exterior doors. Watch this newsletter closely for an upcoming announcement about how you can get access to this new video series!

 

TIP OF THE WEEK - CLEANING GREASY SURFACES

With Thanksgiving bearing down on us, Kathy asked me to help start to get the kitchen ready for the big day. It was my job to clean the oven racks and the vent hood.

This past weekend I made a bonehead mistake. I often chide others who make the same blunder. I forgot to take before photos of the greasy stove vent hood filters I cleaned with Stain Solver! Dang it!

They were so brown and greasy. They even had droplets of brown grease on them. Because these filters are out of sight for the most part, it's easy to forget about them.

To clean them, I put the stopper in our kitchen sink, and then added hot water in the sink to submerge the filters. The next step was to add two ounces of Stain Solver powder and let the filters soak for about 15 minutes.

As the filters were soaking, I took a regular wash cloth and got it wet with the solution in the sink. I used that to clean the underside of the hood. Within seconds, and with very little rubbing, the grease coating the underside of the hood came right off.

I could have made the job easier if I would have just put some of the Stain Solver solution in an old spray bottle and spritzed the underside of the hood. Had I done that and allowed the solution to soak for just five minutes, the grease would have immediately come off with no rubbing.

To clean the oven racks, I just soak oven racks in a Stain Solver solution to loosen baked-on grease and food. Harsh caustic oven cleaners can foul the finish on the metal racks. After they soak for a couple of hours, the baked-on grease comes off pretty easily with a new Dobie scrub pad.

Do you want to clean your oven and vent hood like I did? I'm having a sale on the popular 4.5-pound size of Stain Solver! You'll see that below!

 

LATEST BOOK I READ

I just finished a book on my Kindle Fire tablet. Oh do I love my Kindle Fire tablet!

The book was written by J. D. Trafford and is titled No Time to Run. It's a legal thriller, and the main character, Michael Collins, is one cool cucumber. His pal Kermit will have you laughing for sure.

I'm tough to please as I never like to guess the ending 80 pages from the back cover. Well, J. D. didn't let me down. You'll love this book.

 

COAST RAPID RESPONSE 3.90 KNIFE REVIEW

Recently, the UPS driver brought a Coast pocket knife to my doorstep. It was in a handsome black box with red accenting. This immediately telegraphed to me the contents of the box might be something a military special ops team member might use. Inside the box was the sleek Coast Rapid Response 3.90 Tactical Knife.

I was right. I'm sure a Navy Seal or two has this knife. If not, they should.

Coast Rapid Response 3.90 Knife

This well-built knife sports a stainless-steel blade that's just under 4 inches long. When closed, the blade is hidden inside a gorgeous textured nylon-fiberglass handle.

WARNING: Do not allow the knife to leave your hands. Never permit your friends to touch the knife. This action may result in you having great difficulty getting the knife back into your pocket.

The Smooth Assist Technology TM roller-bearing design allows you to deploy the blade, once the safety is turned off, with a simple thumb movement. With a modest flick of your thumb, the blade snaps to attention ready to get to work.

You don't need two hands to open the knife. It's very slick.

The belt clip can be switched in less than a minute if you're a lefty. Because the knife only weighs in at 4.8 ounces, you'll not even feel it in your pocket. Traditional knives this size would make you feel like you had a rock in your pocket all day.

This knife, or really any one from Coast, would make an ideal stocking stuffer. Buy two of them today and treat yourself to one. I guarantee you that you'll love this knife!

 

ATTIC VENTILATION

Justin Case, from Queen Creek, Arizona wrote to me:

"About three or four years ago you did a piece on attic vents, powered I believe and you said you would need some huge amount of air turnovers to get the attic temp down enough to make any real difference on air conditioning bills. Do you recall that article? I think it was sent out in your newsletter. I would love to read that again."

Justin, you bet I remember it. I'm sorry that my search engine at the website let you down.

I went back to AsktheBuilder.com, and typed these keyword phrases into my search engine:

solar attic fan

"thousands of cubic feet"

I found several articles of mine that you read before:

Attic Fans

Solar-Powered Attic Fans

 

SPILLED RED WINE STAIN SOLVER SALE

Thanksgiving is bearing down on us! It's my favorite meal of the year!

Will you have guests at your home? Will someone accidentally spill red wine on your heirloom tablecloth? Will they spill gravy? Or will the stain come from cranberry juice or beets?

If you're a seasoned subscriber to this newsletter, you know that Stain Solver will easily remove these stains, and MANY more, from your napkins, tablecloths, carpet and clothes.

There's already enough stress around the holidays, so don't freak out if someone spills something. Just continue on with the meal and Stain Solver will come to the rescue after you've eaten the pumpkin and pecan pie. Yes, one slice of each please!

FLASH SALE! Only 200 Containers ON SALE.

Right now, I've got 200 containers of my 4.5 pound size on sale. You get FREE Shipping PLUS a 15% discount. Once the 200 containers are gone, the sale is over.

The normal price for the product is $39.97. You'll see the lower sale price at the shopping cart.

Hurry now and Be Prepared for the stains you know will happen on Thanksgiving. Order NOW so you have it by next week!

Coast Rapid Response 3.90 Knife Review

Posted on by Tim Carter

Recently the UPS driver brought a Coast pocket knife to my doorstep. It was in a handsome black box with red accenting. This immediately telegraphed to me the contents of the box might be something a military special ops team member might use. Inside the box was the sleek Coast Rapid Response 3.90.

I was right. I'm sure a Navy Seal or two has this knife. If not, they should.

This well-built knife sports a stainless-steel blade that’s just under 4 inches long. When closed, the blade is hidden inside a gorgeous textured nylon-fiberglass handle. 

WARNING: Do not allow the knife to leave your hands. Never permit your friends to touch the knife. This action may result in you having great difficulty getting the knife back into your pocket.

The Smooth Assist Technology roller-bearing design allows you to deploy the blade, once the safety is turned off, with a simple thumb movement. With a modest thumb movement, the blade snaps to attention ready to get to work.

You don’t need two hands to open the knife. It’s very slick.

The belt clip can be switched in less than a minute if you’re a lefty. Because the knife only weighs in at 4.8 ounces, you’ll not even feel it in your pocket. Traditional knives this size would make you feel like you had a rock in your pocket all day.

This knife, or really any one from Coast, would make an ideal stocking stuffer. Buy two of them today and treat yourself to one. I guarantee you that you'll love this knife!

How to Insulate a Crawl Space Floor

Posted on by Tim Carter
insulate crawl space

This builder thought ahead and installed the insulation in this crawl space before the floor sheating was applied. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

Floor Insulation

DEAR TIM: I want to make my house more comfortable, but I have a crawl space. The access under the floor is not bad and the soil seems damp.

What are my options when it comes to insulation that I can install myself since money is very tight right now? I've been told I can save money right away. Is that true?

What should I do about the dampness in the crawlspace? Debbie S., Manchester, TN

DEAR DEBBIE: Insulating the floor in your home will absolutely make you more comfortable. Once you repay yourself in energy savings for the cost of installing the insulation, you'll really start to save money on your fuel bills.

Before we discuss insulation products, let's talk about saving money. Many people are bamboozled by salesmen and companies all the time. I want to go on the record about true energy savings and payback.

Frequently, you'll see ads or hear sales pitches that might say, "Save 35 Percent on Your Energy Bills Now!" Guess what? You don't really start to save money on fuel or electric costs until such time as you have repaid yourself all of the money you spent to achieve the savings. You pay yourself back each month with the extra money you would have spent on fuel.

Here's an example. Let's say a salesman tells you that if you install his energy-savings product you'll save 35 percent on your heating bills. Let's assume he's telling the truth. The first thing to do is to determine what you spend to heat your home in a year. You can do that by studying your utility bills.

For sake of discussion, let's say you spend $1,200 a year on heating fuel. You'll save $420 per year if you cut your fuel bills by 35 percent. Let's say the product you're purchasing to achieve these savings costs $2,100.

Doing simple math, you'll NOT see any true savings for at least five years. It will take you five years (5 X $420 = $2,100) to recapture in fuel savings the $2,100 you spent on the product. If fuel prices go up in the five years, you'll start saving sooner. But if fuel prices drop, it will take even longer to see real savings.

You have a few options when it comes to DIY insulation products. You'll have to do the math to see which one is the best deal when it comes to R-factor. That's how the performance of insulation is measured. Create a small spreadsheet and find out how much it costs per square foot per R-value for each insulation type. Some insulation products cost much more than others per square foot when you compare them on the basis of R-factor. Be sure you do your math correctly.

Look at fiberglass, closed-cell rigid foam, rock wool, and cellulose insulation that comes in batt form. Be sure you take into consideration any building code requirements as some insulation types, like rigid foam, might have to be covered to meet the fire code. Many a house has burned down when a workman or homeowner started a fire in a crawlspace using a torch. The flame ignited the actual insulation or the insulation's paper facing.

I recently used closed-cell foam to insulate a crawl space. I actually installed the rigid boards before the floor sheathing was installed. This way I was never crawling around on my back in a tight, damp crawl space. One advantage of closed-cell rigid foam is it not only insulates, but it's also a highly effective vapor retarder. Moisture from the soil constantly wants to make its way up into your home, so it's important that you install a vapor barrier or retarder between the soil and the house.

My guess is you'll discover that working with fiberglass batts that have no facing on them will do a great job for you at an affordable price. Once again, check the pricing.

The biggest surprise may be that you can get the floor insulated by professionals for the same or slightly more than what you'd spend on the material at a home center. Professionals purchase the actual insulating materials at deep discounts and can be competitive when they have their employees install the material. Be sure to get three quotes.

If you decide to go with the fiberglass batts, rock wool or cellulose, you'll need to install a high-performance vapor barrier over the damp soil in your crawl space. These materials are different from the regular clear or black poly you often see at hardware stores or home centers.

The high-performance products are usually made by cross laminating two sheets of the plastic creating a sandwich of plastic. This method allows very little vapor to pass through the product and often makes them more resistant to punctures.

You can watch a video that shows closed cell foam being installed in a crawl space floor. Simply click on this link to watch the "foam insulation board video".

Column 961

Shed Goof – Slide Foam Insulation Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Hi, I'm Tim Carter and it's time to put some insulation in ... wait a minute. That's better. (after removing earplugs) Now it is time to put insulation in the floor. And the way we do it is solid core.. cut. Stop. Okay.

It's time .. no, it's fine. Time to put some insulation in the floor. As you remember, we put in some little blocks. All the little blocks are now in and now it is time to cut the insulation to fit tightly into all the openings between the floor joists.

I have already cut a piece and lets see how it fits. It slides in all the way across the shed. Make sure it is above the support blocks. ... Just stop filming! (fade to black)

Go HERE to purchase all the videos showing how to build the shed.

ActvArmr Light Duty Multipurpose Work Gloves

Posted on by Tim Carter

I did an extensive test this past weekend of some great work gloves. When I needed a break from editing videos, I went out and cleaned up the yard. The gloves are made by Ansell. The brand is ActivArmr. That's not a typo.

I was wearing the light duty multi-purpose gloves. They have breathable nylon for the back of your hand while the palm side has a foam nitrile coating. The best way to describe this coating is it's like a thin coating of shiny rubber. The coating extends up the sides of the fingers and completely coats the finger and thumb tips.

The nitrile compound is waterproof, but the nylon is not. If you're handling wet materials but it's not raining, your hands should stay warm and dry. Mine did when I tested them.

The gloves also come in medium and heavy-duty models. They were very comfortable, and I was able to accurately push the small buttons on my handheld ham radio. That's the ultimate test of dexterity for me. I'd rate these gloves five hammers out of five.

You can purchase them right now by clicking this link to Amazon.com.

Below is the video I shot about these gloves.

November 6, 2012 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

I hope you had a great weekend!

I had a really productive weekend. Most of my waking hours were spent editing the videos of my DIY Shed project.

When I taped the videos, there was no script. I just talked about what I was doing at that point of the job. As I was taping the videos, I felt that I was not giving out enough information. At least that's how it seemed to me.

Now that I'm editing the footage, oh my gosh! I'm happy to report the videos are loaded with tips. For example, I just finished editing the video where I demonstrate how to do the math to determine exactly how high to cut the first wood post that supports the wood floor.

Instead of trying to describe it with words, I made a drawing on cardboard and showed the three critical dimensions and how I got them.

Once you have the first post cut and verify it's correct, the top of that post becomes the benchmark for the other posts! If you then make the tops of all the posts match the height of the first post, then the floor is going to be perfectly level.

I show you the tools to use and how to get the exact height. I also show a super ninja carpenter trick in that video. It's the BEST way to attach a wood beam to a wood column.

Earlier in the day, I edited a video that shows you how to get any foundation or a wall square.

math drawing for shed dimensions

Watch this video. It demonstrates the teaching style you'll see in most of my DIY shed videos. If you take the time to watch this video, you'll understand the basics about how to layout your shed or whatever you're building.

The bottom line is it's really fun editing the DIY shed videos. If you've already purchased all the videos of the shed project, all I can tell you is that you better buy a big ol' bag of popcorn. You're going to need it. There's SO MUCH FOOTAGE.

If you want to purchase all the DIY Shed videos for a low price, you better act NOW. Soon the price for the entire set is going to surpass $100. Even at that price, it's a tremendous deal because there's so much content and there are so many videos.

How much footage you ask? If you remember, I promised you 100 videos of the entire process. I just edited the video showing how to calculate the height of the first wood post that supports the floor. That's video number twenty-six of the series! Can you imagine how many more videos there are? I've not even started to frame the walls yet!

If you've already purchased access to the videos through Kickstarter.com or directly from me, you don't have to do a thing.

I'll be releasing the first 30 or 50 videos very soon so you can start watching them. Please be just a little more patient.

 

TIP OF THE WEEK - FIXING A RUBBING DOOR

Do you have problems with one or more doors at your home where they rub slightly against the top of the door jamb as you open or close the door?

The problem might be very easy to solve. Often loose screws in the upper hinge cause the door to sag slightly. This is enough to cause the rubbing. Tighten all the screws on all the hinges and see if the rubbing stops.

If your door still rubs, the solution to the problem is slightly more complex. That just might be the subject of an upcoming LIVE online class I'll be teaching.

 

MAKING ASKTHEBUILDER.COM BETTER FOR YOU

I've got a huge favor to ask you. Take this one-question quiz.

Would you like more:

  • Tool Reviews
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If you answered "Yes", then keep reading!

I want to grow AsktheBuilder.com by hiring more people. These extra employees will assist me in getting more of the above high-quality information out to you faster. There's so much I want to share with you, but I just don't have the resources now to hire those with the skills I need.

You can assist right from your home or office. It's so easy, and it won't cost you a penny.

If you do regular online shopping at Amazon.com, would you simply start your shopping trip each time by clicking a link to Amazon.com from my newsletter? Even better, convince your friends, co-workers or relatives to do the same thing.

If you do that, I get a very small commission on anything you buy when you enter Amazon.com using my link. You could even bookmark the special link on your browser to make it easier.

Going to Amazon.com via my link does not increase the price of anything you buy.

Let's work together to take AsktheBuilder.com to the next level. You'll benefit as I get to give you more of what you want. The extra information I produce will save you time and money. That's a fact.

Here's a link right now to a constantly growing list of my favorite tools at Amazon.com. Click the link and then just go find what you were going to buy anyway.

Thank you very much for doing this.

 

AUSTIN, TX FAN MEET UP!!

I'm going to be in Austin, Texas for the first time of my life in a month. I'm there on business for just 48 hours.

I've arranged my return flight so I can do a fan meet up for breakfast on Tuesday, December 11, 2012. I'd love to meet you!

If you live in Austin, TX and can make a breakfast meeting, reply to this email with AUSTIN MEET UP in the Subject Line. Give me your contact information, and I'll be in touch.

I don't yet know where I'll be staying, so I can't tell you yet where we'll be having breakfast. My guess is I'll be in the core downtown area. I'm open to suggestions for a great place to eat breakfast in Austin.

 

GENERATOR RECALL SUCCESS!

Over the weekend, I let you know about a generator recall.

Robyn Eller wrote back with some great news. Here's what she said:

"THANKS BIG TIME FOR SENDING THIS OUT!! I forwarded this out to our "neighborhood watch" email list, and my neighbor two doors down emailed me back immediately to say he has this exact generator! There are only about 35 people on the list, so I thought what are the odds!"

This is why I send out these alerts. Hopefully it saved a life or serious injury.

 

COME SEE ME IN NEW JERSEY

I'll be in northern New Jersey just 33 miles west of New York City tomorrow and Thursday (November 7 & 8, 2012). If you, a relative or a friend needs HELP with questions about damage to their homes caused by Hurricane Sandy, come see me.

You can come see me even if your house was not damaged. I'll be available to answer your questions no matter what's wrong with your home.

I'll be at the Garden State Exhibition Center at 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873. I'll be inside the center on Wednesday, November 7, 2012 from 10 am until 3 pm and on Thursday, November 8th from 10 am until 2 pm. You can find me at Booth 732 in the second aisle near the concession stand. You'll see a Stain Solver banner at the booth.

You can get into the Exhibition Center for FREE if you fill out a simple online form. You MUST do TWO things when you fill out the form at this Attendee Registration page to get the FREE admission.

MABFM '12 Expo

You MUST click the radio button that says you were invited by an exhibitor. See the red arrow on the left in the above image?

You MUST fill in the words STAIN SOLVER in the box that opens up when you click the Yes radio button. See that large red arrow in the image?

When you show up at the Exhibition Center, they'll ask you if you did this and give you your ticket or badge to come see me. It's not hard to do.

Please go fill out the form now in case you decide to come. It costs nothing but a few minutes of your time to fill out the form NOW.

Great Gloves for Work Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Hi, I'm Tim Carter and I want to talk a little about work gloves. They are really important to protect your hands while you work. Check this out.

This is a pair of work gloves I have had for several years. They do a really good job. The back of the glove is a synthetic fiber. The finger tips are reinforced on both sides. On the palm of the glove, the material is leather with reinforcing patches in the wear zones. It has the hoop and loop, or velcro, closure on the wrist band so you can adjust the tightness around your wrist. These gloves are good around fire because the leather palm won't burn to easily. You just have to watch embers on the back side where the material is mesh.

The next pair of gloves is a light weight, nylon glove. This is a light duty glove with elastic bands around the wrists. The palm side is covered with a nitrile foam that has the appearance and feel of sticky rubber. This provides great gripping feel. This foam wraps all the way around the finger tips to keep your hands dry if you are handling wet materials. The upper section of the gloves will allow water in if it is raining.

The third pairs of work gloves is basically the same as the last pair except it has a few extra features. It is a medium duty glove but with an adjustable strap for the wrist closure. The foam coating on this pair is thicker then the last pair.

These are just a few examples of the variety of work gloves available. If you are purchasing work gloves, make sure they fit your hand. Not all gloves are sized the same. You will have to try them to make sure they fit. If you are ordering online, you might need to order several sizes to fit the proper fit for your hands. Then you can return the pair that doesn't fit.

Gloves are now available that are specialized for any particular task. It pays to get the right glove for your project. The right gloves will make your hands comfortable, safe and provide warmth for cold weather projects.

Want to purchase the great work gloves with the nitrile foam palms? Click on the image.

You can purchase the second two pair of gloves shown in this video by clicking this link ActivArmrGloves.

 

 

 

Great Gloves for Work

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I just graduated from college and am pretty wet behind the ears. I've never purchased work gloves before and am thoroughly confused by all the choices. What's your advice on getting gloves that will last and protect my hands. I just purchased a house that needs lots of work and can't afford to injure myself. Scott G., Somerset, NJ

DEAR SCOTT: I can clearly remember years ago when I was your age. If my memory serves me right, there were probably three to five types of work gloves made specifically for the residential construction worker. Now there are scores of highly specialized work gloves made for do-it-yourselfers and the residential construction trades.

Because construction and building is my vocation, when I see all the different work gloves I can purchase, I feel like a child in a huge candy store. The fabrics, design, features and quality of the work gloves today is simply astounding. There's a glove for just about every task, and that's a good thing.

This comfortable work glove has a very flexible and thin waterproof coating on the underside of the glove. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

What you'll quickly discover as you start to do different tasks is that no one glove offers all you need. That was the problem back when I was your age. I could get heavy gloves that protected my hands when I was doing heavy work, but grit got down into the gloves through the open cuffs. You couldn't easily find a work glove years ago that kept your hands dry.

When I needed dexterity to handle small tools or parts, the old gloves available to me offered little warmth or protection. There simply was no silver bullet when it came to work gloves.

But now we're blessed with gloves made from newer synthetic fabrics that are breathable, stretchable and most importantly comfortable. You want a work glove to have a fit and feel such that you don't realize you're wearing gloves. That's always been what I looked for when I was on my quest for the perfect pair of work gloves.

A few days ago, I wore a new pair of work gloves that really impressed me. These light-duty work gloves were made primarily from nylon. This fabric, as any woman will tell you, can be very durable, breathable and comfortable. As you might imagine, nylon fiber can be spun to different thicknesses and it can be woven in such a way as to create fabrics with different thicknesses and smoothness.

The palm side of the gloves I wore were coated with a special nitrile foam. The best way to describe this is a very thin rubberized coating. The coating wrapped up over the finger and thumb-tips as well as the sides of the fingers.

This coating is waterproof but offers incredible dexterity. The ultimate dexterity test for me is my handheld ham radio. If I'm able to push the small buttons on the radio without fat fingering them, then the gloves pass my dexterity test.

It's important to match the glove to the task. For example, if you feel that you'll be handling hot materials or even burning wood that could still be smoldering, I might suggest traditional leather gloves. The last thing you want to wear around a fire, in my opinion, are gloves made with synthetic fabrics that can easily melt and cause severe burns.

Leather is tough and can withstand embers you'll encounter around fires. Firefighters wear special gloves made for this purpose. Stop by a firehouse, ask the shift commander to show you the gloves he wears. You can bet that gloves worn by firefighters are tough, waterproof and offer superior protection.

If you're going to be working around sharp metal, look for gloves that offer superior protection from cuts. Newer fabrics exist that actually are very resistant to slices caused by sharp metal and knives. Years ago, I tested a glove at a convention that you could actually score with a new razor blade and the blade would not cut through to my hand. It freaked me out testing it.

Want to purchase the great work gloves with the nitrile foam palms? Click on the image.

I distinctly remember in the past taking a new pair of brown cotton work gloves and cutting off the fingertips so I could handle nails in the winter time. Some of these gloves were coated with rubber dots to increase gripping power.

You can now purchase construction work gloves that allow you to hold and position nails, but your fingertips are not exposed to the weather. You're so lucky to have gloves like this.

You can watch a video that shows new different work gloves. Simply click on this link "work gloves video".

Column 960

November 3, 2012 AsktheBuilder Newsletter Special Alert

Posted on by Tim Carter

If you're a new subscriber in the past three days, please understand this is not a normal newsletter. Hurricane Sandy that struck the East Coast of the USA has caused not only tremendous damage, death and hardship, but it's also caused me to publish extra alerts.

 

GENERATOR RECALL - VERY IMPORTANT!

My friend Steve emailed me overnight to tell me about an immediate recall concerning Champion portable generators. There have been reports of these machines catching on fire during use.

There are TWO models involved: 41332 and 41532

Champion portable generators

 

CLICK HERE to read all the facts about this recall.

PLEASE FORWARD this email to all your friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. We need to get the word out ASAP to those that own either of these two generators. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

 

TIM CARTER IN NEW JERSEY NEXT WEEK

I'm going to be in northern New Jersey in a few days just 30 miles west of some of the worst devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. I'll be there for about 30 hours.

I want to help you, any friends, relatives, etc. that live in New Jersey, New York City or surrounding areas. If you or they were harmed by Hurricane Sandy, come meet with me to see what advice I can offer to assist in the repair and rebuilding of your/their homes.

You or your relatives or friends can come visit me and ask ANY questions about how to mitigate damage to their homes or apartments. I'll answer questions about how to repair damage. I'll answer questions about how to get prepared for a disaster.

If your house was not damaged, I'll still answer your questions. Just come to visit.

I'll be at the Garden State Exhibition Center at 50 Atrium Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873. I'll be inside the center on Wednesday November 7, 2012 from 10 am until 3 pm. I'll be there on Thursday November 8th from 10 am until 2 pm. You can find me at booth 732 in the second aisle near the concession stand. You'll see a Stain Solver banner at the booth.

You can get into the Exhibition Center for FREE if you fill out a simple online form. You MUST do TWO things when you fill out the form at this Attendee Registration page to get the FREE admission.

Garden State Exhibition Center

You MUST click the radio button that says you were invited by an exhibitor. See the red arrow on the left in the above image?

You MUST fill in the words STAIN SOLVER in the box that opens up when you click the Yes radio button. See that large red arrow in the image?

When you show up at the Exhibition Center, they'll ask you if you did this and give you your ticket or badge to come see me. It's not hard to do.

Please go fill out the form now in case you decide to come. It costs nothing but a few minutes of your time to fill out the form NOW.

 

GET PREPARED CLASSES

After sending last week's newsletter, I was stunned. You may be one of the *thousands* that responded. I was deeply humbled by your kind words and sentiments. It was simply impossible for me to respond to every email.

Before I hit the SEND button that causes the newsletter to get to you, I actually thought, "This going to be a DUD newsletter. I'll get a boatload of complaints from subscribers that don't care about the hurricane, weren't affected, and just want home improvement information."

The exact opposite happened.

Hundreds and hundreds want me to do the Get Prepared classes. Many want me to do the classes about how to read topo maps.

Amid all the other work I've got going on, I'm preparing to do them. So WATCH for an announcement about all the classes. If you can't attend the LIVE online classes, I'll be taping them so you can get access when it's convenient for you.

Since the Hurricane, I've been hypersensitive to the news. I've been collecting headlines and links to articles and videos that backup exactly what I warned about last week when I sent my first alert about Hurricane Sandy.

Each day, I see horrific photos and videos about the damage.

Each day, even this morning four days later, I hear about people still being found dead from the storm. It doesn't surprise me after taking the CERT training. There are thousands and thousands of houses to search.

Watch this video I just found online this morning. It's raw footage, but often that's the BEST. You can see the mayhem, the frustration, the desperation and the anger. You'll also see a top government official giving citizens lip service.

Tell me if you might be the next Rose Sokolow. You'll see this woman first in the video. Listen closely to what she's saying as she's holding back her tears. Will that be you or someone you love next time?

Listen very closely to what Anthony Fratto says. Go back and listen to his comments twice. I'm serious. Listen to what he says.

Then you'll see a clip of a press conference held just east of where I'll be. Oh how I wish I could have been at that press conference as a member of the press.

You may not know this, but I am a member of the working press. My syndicated newspaper column, Ask the Builder, still runs in sixty newspapers nationwide.

Had I been at the press conference, I would have said the following and asked two questions:

"Ms. Napolitano, you and your team had five days advance notice that Hurricane Sandy was going to strike the East Coast above North Carolina. It's about a 4.5 hour drive from Washington DC to New York City.

It's been many, many hours since the storm made landfall. Moments ago you said, ' .... we want to make sure the right resources are brought here as quickly as possible.'

I have a two-part question for you Ms. Napolitano: Your job is to know ahead of time exactly what resources will be needed for each natural disaster scenario. You knew it would be a hurricane, and you should know ahead of time what's needed after those events. Why weren't those resources identified last week before the storm?

My second question is: Since you had over a week's notice that the storm was going to hit, why weren't the resources and assets mobilized before the storm, move to safe zones close to the predicted damage areas and then put in place at the damaged areas on Tuesday afternoon once the storm subsided and it was safe to travel on the roads?"

Assuming you're not a victim of Hurricane Sandy and assuming you don't live under a rock, you're seeing the same things I'm seeing from the safety and warmth of our homes. Next time it could be you, me, or my family out in the cold looking through plastic bags of donated clothes.

Actually, I'm getting prepared so I never ever have to do that. You can too. You can be prepared so you're not a Rose or Anthony. You can get prepared so you don't care what the folks from FEMA or Homeland Security are saying at press conferences. Why? You'll not need what they'll bring you at some point in time days or weeks after you need it.

The bottom line is that hundreds of thousands of people in the affected areas are having to survive on their own. The truth is the government is not equipped to handle situations like this. The evidence is blaring at all of us in the news right now.

If local, state and Federal government agencies COULD deal with all of this, there would be none of the video footage you just watched. All the victims would be already taken care of and housed in temporary shelters, tents, trailers, etc.

That was the spirit of my warning in my Special Alerts. The government will either be overwhelmed or too slow. You need to know how to fend for yourself.

Here's the good news.

The Get Prepared classes I'm going to teach are going to show you:

  • How to Prepare for Disasters to Minimize Damage to You and Your Possessions
  • What to Do During the Disaster
  • What to Do After the Disaster
  • How to Survive Without the Need of Local, State or Federal Government Workers

I'm working on these classes now in between all my other work.

Stay tuned and STAY SAFE.

I HOPE to see you next Wednesday or Thursday in New Jersey. Come see me if I can HELP you or a friend.

Remember, Do It Right, NOT Over.

October 31, 2012 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

Kathy and I made it back to New Hampshire safely on Monday. I want to thank you for your good wishes and your concern for our safety.

I'm really glad we made the decision to cut our visit short and drive home early. We walked over the threshold about an hour before the wind started to pick up here. The highest wind gust here at our house was 28 mph about 8 pm on Monday night.

Suffice it to say we were lucky here at our house. It could have been so much worse. Citizens and rescuers died along the East Coast. As the television and Internet reports are showing, many have suffered catastrophic damage to their houses and possessions.

Hurricane Sandy was everything, and more, the experts predicted it would be.

While the storm is still fresh in all our minds, I suggest we use this as a valuable teaching moment.

Taking Heat

None of what I'm about to say below is to be taken as "I told you so" or as being smug.

I already know that what I'm going to say will offend a few. How do I know that? I got two blistering emails from John and Mark in the past few days. They were highly upset about my remarks about how first responders would not be there to help you if you needed them.

Sadly, it happened. The first responders along the coast of New Jersey were totally overwhelmed. They couldn't deal with all the emergencies. Heck, in some cases the first responders couldn't even get equipment to where it was needed. Roads are gone, areas are flooded, etc. That's what I was referring to in my Special Alert emails over the weekend.

If you know someone who was affected directly by Hurricane Sandy and you were not, then this should be an invaluable newsletter for you. Why? Because next time it could be you or your loved ones. This time you and I dodged the bullet.

The rest of this newsletter is devoted to the take-aways from Hurricane Sandy. Sandy was a natural disaster. They come in many forms.

Some come with no warning at all, earthquakes are an example. Others come with little warning, say a tornado, flash flood or a forest fire. But storms like Sandy bellow they'll be coming days in advance.

Listen and React

Go back to 1938 and try to imagine being on Long Island wondering why all of a sudden the wind was starting to pick up. Twelve hours later, a monster storm is upon you, and it's simply too late to get away.

Fast forward to today. We have satellite imagery, buoys in the ocean that transmit data, airplanes loaded with instruments that fly straight into the fierce storms and computer programs that accurately analyze all the data gathered above.

We have instant communications between ourselves. We knew days in advance that Sandy could, then WOULD, strike somewhere along the East Coast.

Yet thousands of people in harms way still did not heed the warnings.

Why? What is it about people that they feel immune from Mother Nature? Is that going to be you next time?

Are you a subscriber to this newsletter that got flooded? Did you not react? I'd love to know why and get a better understanding of this.

Countless Stories

I saw on Facebook yesterday a plea from a friend to help some friends of his who suffered from storm surge. They live in Broad Channel, NY. The oily, grimy water ruined all their possessions in their one-story house.

I had instant empathy for these people. But I said out loud sitting right here at my desk, "Why didn't they move their important possessions to higher ground? It would have taken one day and a few friends to move things to an offsite storage facility." Yes, it would be work, but they knew it was coming. The forecasters were warning people in New York City that things were going to get ugly.

The experts said there was going to be a storm surge. The early predictions were for 8 feet in their area. I know as I saw it on all the TV stations. The Weather Channel was pleading with people in this area to get prepared.

As the storm got closer to land, the storm surge prediction was revised to 11 feet.

Did these people not know the actual vertical distance between the ocean and their first floor? They had to. Just look at where they live.

map-storm-surge

 

Did you know this information is available for free online? Did you know you can get access to simple topographic maps that are easy to read? These maps show you what the elevation is of your house. They show the elevation of surrounding bodies of water, rivers, etc.

Did these people not know that the worst possible place to be in a hurricane is northeast of the eye of the storm? Did you know that?

Maybe I need to do a 30-minute class on PowHow about topographic maps, how to read them and how to interpret them so you know how to be safe at your home. Do you want me to teach that class? If so reply to this email and say so.

Do you want me to teach other classes about how to prepare? If so, speak up.

Getting Prepared

I'm hoping that when you see on television all the devastation and pain caused by Hurricane Sandy, you take a moment and imagine it's your house. It absolutely can happen. Just talk to my very good friend Bill who lives in New Orleans. Katrina paid him and millions a visit just seven years ago or so. It's still fresh in their minds, believe me.

I toured New Orleans eighteen months after Katrina roared through the region. I went to where the eye of Katrina made landfall. Eighteen months after the hurricane, there was still nothing there but bare foundation slabs and trees with trunks 30 inches in diameter snapped off 20 feet in the air like they were toothpicks.

Here are some photos I took. Remember, these were taken about eighteen months after that horrible hurricane.

If you're a new subscriber to this newsletter, five weeks ago, I announced I was taking CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) training. It's been eye opening. I thought I was prepared for minor events and major disasters. I'm here to tell you I'm NOT prepared, but each day I'm MORE prepared.

I URGE you to sign up and take the CERT classes. You'll not regret it. Go to the CERT website and find the closest CERT team near you. You don't have to become a CERT volunteer - just take the classes!

Having a Plan

Just before the storm hit, on Facebook one or two of my subscribers reached out to me. Their message was the same. They were FROZEN with fear. They didn't know what to do.

Fear overcame them because they didn't have a plan. The heat of the moment was upon them, and they were caught by surprise.

It's time for you to have a plan. Here's how you start.

These are just a few of the questions you need to answer to create a preplan that will guide you when disaster appears in your life:

  • Where will you go?
  • What will you take with you?
  • What time of year is it?
  • How long might you be gone?
  • What can be replaced with an insurance check?
  • What can be left behind?
  • What are the most important things in your life that can fit into your car or truck within an hour?
  • Do you keep cash around the house? In a disaster, ATM machines might not work or will be empty because you got there too late.
  • Do you have enough food and water to last you three days? A week?
  • What about your pets?
  • Do you keep your cars and trucks gassed up?
  • Could you get in your car and drive without stopping for four hours if you had to get away?

I could go on and on with questions, but you get the point.

I beg you to start making a plan.

Perhaps I'll create a planning checklist for you based on what I'm learning at my CERT classes. Yeah, I'll do that just after I get the DIY Shed Videos edited. I started on them yesterday. They're coming along great!

Do you want me to teach a class about Getting Prepared on PowHow? If so, speak up.

I'll have a regular newsletter for you next Tuesday. It'll have two reviews in it for tools I just got.