What is Radiant Heat?

Posted on by Tim Carter

Baseboard Heater
DEAR TIM: I’m going to buy a house and know little about them. The online description of one of the houses says it has radiant heat. What in the world is that? The house I grew up in had hot air that blasted out of ducts. Is radiant heat good? What are the pros and cons of radiant heating? Is it expensive to operate? Would you own a home with radiant heat? Is this a new form of heating that’s not been vetted? Lucy B., Goochville, VA

DEAR LUCY: Radiant heat is by no means new. It’s as old as our solar system. When you go outdoors on a sunny late-winter morning like today and feel the warmth of the sun when it’s invisible infrared rays hit you, that’s the oldest and most basic form of radiant heating. It’s time tested, and in my opinion, the best form of heating you can have.

Radiant heat uses invisible electromagnetic infrared waves to heat you. It doesn’t heat the air like happened in the house you grew up in. The objects that are in the direct pathway of the infrared rays absorb the energy immediately. Once they heat up, they radiate heat to other objects in the room. It’s a fascinating way to transfer heat very efficiently.

Radiant heat sources in a home can take many forms. A simple fire in a fireplace produces radiant heat as does a fireplace insert, a wood stove, portable electric heaters, electric quartz heaters, radiators connected to a central boiler, etc.

My own home has radiant heat and it’s luxurious. The finished basement of my home has radiant tubing that snakes through the concrete slab. The entire basement floor becomes a giant radiant panel that heats everyone and everything in the space. Walking in bare feet or laying on the floor is pure ecstasy. I have baseboard radiators in all the other rooms of the house.

There are many pros and few cons, in my opinion, when it comes to radiant heating. As for the pros, here are a few. It’s nearly silent, it’s clean, it’s comfortable, there are no ducts to clean, it’s efficient and requires minimal maintenance.

A major benefit in my opinion is the ability to zone your house. With a small amount of effort and some additional expense, you can have groups of rooms on their own zone. This allows you to have different zones different temperatures at different times. If you only use a few rooms in your home, you just can heat those rooms in that zone.

The only cons I can think of are it might be a little more expensive to install and some people find the baseboard radiators unsightly.

You don’t have to install wall or baseboard radiators. People choose them as that’s almost always the cheaper alternative. It’s possible to have a radiant heating system totally invisible with all the piping hidden in floors or ceilings.

The cost to operate a radiant heating system that uses a central boiler and one or more recirculating pumps can be minimal. Even with this in mind it’s a very hard question to answer because there are many types of radiant heating systems and each one might have a different fuel source.

One type of fuel may cost much more per BTU of heat produced than another. For example, you may live in an area where electricity is insanely cheap and the cost of propane is outrageous. But I may live in an area where fuel oil is the best buy per BTU. Always compare fuel prices based on BTU of heat output. This means calculate the dollar amount per fuel type per number of BTU's. For example, determine for each fuel type available to you what it costs for 10,000 BTU's of each type.

Keep in mind that your house may be much different than other houses in your neighborhood.  The BTU heat loss of your house is a function of its size, insulation, window and door openings, compass direction it faces, etc. Each house has a distinct BTU heat loss per hour. To keep a house comfortable, you must replace the lost BTU's with new ones each hour.

If you want low heating costs, you need to make sure your BTU heat loss is low and the efficiency of the heating device is very high. High efficiency means that almost all of the heat produced when burning the fuel remains in your home instead of going up a chimney. Modern boilers are in the 90+ percent efficiency range.

Radiant heat can be installed in an existing home, but it can be very expensive. It’s probably best to use wall radiators that deliver exceptional results.

In new construction, a heating contractor can install the plastic piping that delivers hot water to each of the rooms in little time. The wise homeowner plans ahead so that the rooms that are not used that often are put on the same zone. Rooms that are frequently used at the same time are put on just one zone so that fuel usage is minimal.

You can watch a very fascinating radiant heat video that shows new radiant heat transfer plates. Just follow this link radiant heat transfer plate video.

Column 926

Mr. Hero Heater Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Hi, I'm Tim Carter and it's a nice winter morning here in New Hampshire. It's not too cold today, but I wanted to show you a really nice tool. It is a portable propane heater. It is nice and compact.

It is electric powered with its own battery built-in and the battery is rechargeable, using the furnished power cord. Once the battery is fully charged, it will run for eight hours. That's a nice long time. And with standard size propane tank, the fuel will last 12-hours. Combined you can produce a lot of heat.

How much heat does it produce? 35,000 BTUs. What will that heat? An insulated, enclosed room about 800 square feet.

Before you operate this heater, be sure to read and understand all the safety instructions and warnings that come with the heater. It is very important. Why? First when the heater is on, inside the chamber is a considerable flame. So don't place the heater close to something that could catch on fire. For example, a cloth tarp or sheet of plastic or any other flammable object. Think about gas cans or any flumes.

Secondly, inside the propane tank is a hydrocarbon. If the heater is operating correctly, it should produce very little or no carbon monoxide. But is something does go wrong, the heater will start producing carbon monoxide. So you don't want to use this in an enclosed space. Proper ventilation is required.

To fire this heater up, connect the fuel line with regulator (provided) to the heater and the propane tank. The brass fitting has reverse threads. So use a smooth-jawed wrench and turn it counterclockwise to tighten. Next, turn on the fan. Once it is running, just press the starter button.

Two things - be sure the valve on the propane tank is on. Second, you may have to hold the button down for a few seconds while the fuel is ignited. There you have it, a nice little portable heater. All you need to carry is the propane tank and the heater and you can have heat anyway. No power cord is needed.

Impact Driver Facts and Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter
impact driver

This motorized impact driver is a unique tool that allows you to drive hundreds of screws with little effort. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I'm crazy about power tools and in the past few years I've really been enamored with the impact drivers. I don't own one, but really want one. Have you used these tools? Are they really that much different than a power drill? What can you use them for? They look like a drill and seem to have the same controls, so I wonder if it's really worth buying one. I've got a birthday around the corner and my wife is looking for ideas. What should I tell her? Andy S., Palo Alto, CA

DEAR ANDY: Tell your wife to get out the credit card or grab some sweet moola from under the mattress and get one! Oh boy are you going to be happy on your birthday. I can clearly remember the first time I used a cordless impact driver tool to drive some 3-inch screws into wood without a pilot hole. WOW! I'm serious, I was absolutely blown away with the performance of the tool.

Impact drivers have been around for years, and if you look at the name of the tool, it should solicit some interest. I say this because of the word "impact". Hand-powered impact drivers are still available today and work by combining the downward force provided by a hammer blow with the simultaneous twisting motion of the tool.

These combined forces can really tighten a screw or bolt or loosen stubborn ones. Although the powered impact driver I own is called an impact driver, the only downward force it gets is from me if I push down on the tool as it's being used. That force is nowhere near as powerful as that given by a hammer strike.

But all that aside, the powered cordless impact drivers are time and money savers. They also save your wrist, hand and fingers from repetitive motions that can lead to physical injury or fatigue that can contribute to injury.

The powered impact drivers differ greatly from the standard power drill that you have in your workshop. If you've ever driven a four-wheel drive vehicle that has three different transfer case settings, or even a regular standard transmission that has a very low first gear, you can start to appreciate how an impact driver differs from a regular drill.

An powered impact driver has different internal gears that deliver much greater torque or power to the tip of the tool as it turns than you get from a standard power drill. Imagine putting a four-wheel drive vehicle in 4W-drive low and giving the vehicle gas. This gearing allows the power from the engine to be concentrated to move a heavy load slowly or go up a steep hill with virtually no effort.

A powered impact driver employs this same mechanical advantage when it works. It needs to concentrate the power of the motor on the head of the fastener and deliver power not speed. A drill is geared just the opposite. Drills tend to spin much faster meaning they don't have great power at low revolutions per minute.

I've used my powered impact driver in so many ways. It will drive hundreds and hundreds of decking screws and not complain. You can use it very effectively when screwing cabinets to a wall. It works to remove uncompromising and uncooperative screws and bolts.

I love to use my cordless impact driver in tight spots. The design of the tool I have is compact and lightweight. It comes with a great LED light that illuminates the place where the tool tip contacts the fastener. This is just perfect for working inside a dark cabinet or up in a joist cavity where you'd struggle to aim a flashlight.

After you get your new cordless impact driver, it's going to become one of your favorite power tools very quickly. Your screwdriver and nutdriver hand tools will soon start to gather dust as you discover how the impact driver does such a magnificent job of installing and removing screws and other fasteners.

I've had a screwgun for years that I favored to drive screws. It's a tool that was primarily designed for the drywall industry as just about any sheetrock hanger has one. They are like a sports car as they drive screws so fast you just can't believe it. Fortunately, the screwgun is equipped with an adjustable clutch so you don't drive a screw too deeply.

But my impact driver tool has caused me to pretty much ignore my screwgun. The impact driver is more like a heavy-duty pickup truck as it can do a great job doing many things. But like new trucks, it's got a soft side to it so it doesn't act like a bully.

You can watch assorted drill videos demonstrating drills and other power tools. Just click here ->"drill video"

Related Column: Impact Driver Uses

Column 925

Wood I-Beam Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I’m getting ready to build a large room addition that needs a beam to support the floor joists. I’ve been told that a wood beam will work, but I’ve always seen steel I-beams in other houses. Is it possible for wood to do the job? What are some of the pros and cons of wood I beams vs. steel? If you were building, would you use wood or steel? I don’t want to make a mistake on such a critical structural element. Peter L., White Plains, NY

DEAR PETER: Oh gosh, there’s no easy answer for you. The long and short of it is both wood and steel can make fabulous load carrying beams. I’ve used both materials for decades in all sorts of situations. In fact, you may not realize this, but you can mix the two making a hybrid beam of wood and steel.

You can see two different types of wood I beams in this photo. The large beam at the top is supporting smaller wood I joists or beams. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

You can see two different types of wood I beams in this photo. The large beam at the top is supporting smaller wood I joists or beams. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

First let me tell you that I’m not a structural engineer, but I’ve worked with many and installed the beams they’ve designed. The good news is both wood and steel can be used to carry tremendous concentrated loads.

In the last house I built, I had two wood beams in one wall that supported tons and tons of weight. In the basement of the same house, I had large steel I-beams that spanned nearly 16 feet supporting enormous loads as well. The use of steel allowed me to create wide-open spaces with minimal support columns.

That’s one advantage of steel over wood when you’re working with materials that are roughly the same size. Steel is so much stronger than wood pound for pound.

What’s fascinating is to see the evolution of engineered wood beams over the past forty years. Laminated beams, microlams, etc. are very common now, but I clearly remember when they were brand new to the block. It’s not uncommon to find laminated beams on an ordinary residential home in today’s marketplace.

Go back in time and look at old barn’s and other buildings built using the post and beam method and you’ll see wood beams made from one solid piece of timber. Perhaps the strongest wood beams made this way are Douglas Fir. There may be a stronger wood, but I’m not aware of it.

Today, lumber mills make beams like they make plywood. They basically use layers of solid wood that are glued together to make incredibly strong structural engineered timbers.

Keep in mind there are few cons to either of the materials. I say this because you can usually have an engineer come up with a wood beam that can replace a steel one. It’s all a matter of cost and the finished dimensions of the material.

If you want to think of worst-case scenarios, think about the things that attack and weaken the beams. Water can rust steel and rot wood. You can paint the steel beams with a metal primer and finish coat of paint to build water resistance. You can also have steel beams galvanized. Wood beams can be treated with borate chemicals to minimize wood rot and prevent infestation by wood-destroying insects that can’t harm steel.

If you want to fasten something to a steel beam, it’s a little bit of a challenge. You can easily nail into a wood beam or drill through it properly to install a bolt.

Fire is a danger to both materials. You can wrap a wood beam with fire-resistant drywall to protect it and commercial fire protectants can be sprayed on steel I-beams. You can also wrap a steel beam with the special drywall to buy time in a fire. Heat from a fire can weaken a steel beam turning it into soft taffy.

Keep in mind you can create a hybrid beam using a steel flitch plate that’s sandwiched between two regular pieces of wood framing material. The flat steel plate usually has staggered holes punched in it and you bolt the wood and steel together to create a super-strong beam that might carry a load 4 or 5 times greater than what the wood have done in the same space.

Homeowners or DIY'rs that are not familiar with working with beams often underestimate the weight of the beam and the importance of the support columns. Lifting a beam is often the work of two or three people and the combined weight of the workers and the beam can collapse ordinary step ladders resulting in serious injuries. The columns that support the beams must be rated to hold the weight and they must be connected properly to the beams.

What’s more, you need solid bearing from the bottom of the column to the earth. This pathway can be two or more stories in a house and over a hundred stories in a commercial building. At some point, the weight of the beams and the weight on the beam must be transferred to solid ground.

You can watch a wood beam video and read past columns about different structural issues. Just type “wood beam video” into the AsktheBuilder.com search engine.

Column 924

How to Glue Wood to Wood

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I need to glue pieces of wood together and have never done it. It’s in my best interest to get this right the first time, so can you share some tips with me? I have both interior projects to do and some where the wood will be outdoors. I realize there are different glues to use, but am more concerned with technique. Surely you’ve glued lots of things together besides wood and had great success. Help me please. Sheri P., Arlington, VA

DEAR SHERI: You came to the right place. I’ve glued many things together over the years using all sorts of products. What I’ve discovered is that most of them deliver fantastic results if you just use them according to the directions and add some common sense along the way.

Both wood surfaces need to be clean and at room temperature for great results. Clamping is a must. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

Both wood surfaces need to be clean and at room temperature for great results. Clamping is a must. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

You absolutely need to match the glue to the project as some glues are not formulated to withstand exposure to water once they’ve dried and cured. Other glue products are absolutely waterproof. This claim can almost always be found on the label of the product. If you don’t see any wording on a glue label stating that it’s waterproof, assume that it’s not.

If you want great results when gluing two pieces of wood, or anything for that matter, together, it helps to think on a micro scale. Imagine what’s happening where the glue is interacting with the wood, glass, plastic or metal.

Without getting into complicated chemistry or physics, realize the glue is trying to act like a burr or briar that might attach to your clothes as you walk through the woods. Dried glue has a structure that has miniature hooks, barbs, etc. that try to latch on to the surface upon which it’s spread.

This means the surface should be free of all dust, dirt, oil, etc. and it helps if the surface is somewhat rough. The roughness creates more surface area for the glue to grab onto and it creates more places for the tiny hooks and barbs to attach themselves.

Temperature is also a consideration. Most glues you’ll find at stores have a water base and should be used at temperatures that range from 50 - 90 F. Just read the label once again to see if there’s a preferred temperature range.

The common yellow glues that are water-based work as the water evaporates or soaks into the wood. As the water leaves, what’s left behind is the actual glue that does the work. Think of the water as a delivery vehicle.

Some other glues have a totally different chemistry and require the surface to be wet or there be significant humidity in the air for the glue to react and bond. Once again, read the label and do what the manufacturer says with respect to wetting the surfaces slightly.

Perhaps the most common mistake made when using wood glues is the failure to clamp or apply pressure to the objects being glued. There are numerous ways to achieve this goal.

You can use hand clamps, pipe clamps, weight, screws, nails, etc. The object is to do whatever is necessary to squeeze the pieces of wood together for as long as the instructions say to apply the pressure. Clamping time can be as short as 30 minutes or an hour.

I can tell you from past experience the longer you clamp things, the better the job will turn out. I don’t mean clamp things for days, but extending the clamping time by 50 to 100 percent of the time mentioned on the label is not a bad idea. Remember, the clamping time was probably set assuming the objects being glued are just around 70 F in temperature and that’s what the air temperature is where the clamping is happening.

If it’s colder than that, you absolutely need to extend the clamping and curing time to get maximum holding power.

Think about what’s being glued. The end grain of wood pieces will readily soak up glue. If you’re gluing end grain, spread some glue onto the end of the piece and move it around with your finger or a stick. Wait about two minutes to see if the glue soaks in.

If it does, add some additional glue before you clamp the pieces together to ensure there will be enough left at the joint to do the job. I’ve seen my own work fail because all the glue soaked into the end grain not leaving enough behind for a proper bond.

You can watch a wood glue video and read past columns about different wood. Just type “wood glue video” into the AsktheBuilder.com search engine.

Column 923

March 6, 2012 AsktheBuilder Newsletter & Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter

What's In This Issue

Latest News
Knitted Hats
Deck Cleaning & Sealing
Cleaning Decks		 Deck Sealers
Caring for Composite Decking
Scale (Off Topic)

I'm back in New Hampshire after a two week solo road trip down and back to Savannah, GA. It was primarily a business trip, but I did make numerous stops to visit old friends who live in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern states.

There sure is some great food in Savannah, GA! I had some delicious shrimp and grits and two different pecan pies that were to die for. Oh how I love pecan pie. And then there was the sweet potato ginger soup. Wow!

Knitted Hats

Here's an update on my hat situation. Three resourceful women, Linda, Maggie, and Greta, have made hats for me. There were some sizing issues, but we just about have that worked out.

Linda & TimI got to meet Linda Hayes in person while in Savannah. She lives in Georgia, and was in town with her husband Tom, visiting their son I believe. Linda made three hats for me, and one of my buddies from the conference captured a quick video of the two of us just after she presented them to me.

On my return trip from Savannah to New Hampshire, I gave away one of the three hats to my buddy, Mike Wilson, who's battling cancer. A side effect of chemotherapy is being cold. He's not got a lot of hair on his head to begin with so Linda's hat made him warm and put a big grin on his face as you can see in this photo.Tim & Mike

Maggie's HatHere's a photo of the hat Maggie made for me. Perfect setting with the snow covering the lake behind me! Greta, we've got to figure out how to make your hat fit on my big head!

 

 

Deck Cleaning and Sealing

I promised you that this issue would be completely devoted to deck cleaning and sealing. One wouldn't think this is important right now, especially if you live up here in New Hampshire or any other state where there is still snow on the ground. Spending time on decks seems like its months away.

But my trip to Savannah, where last Wednesday I was in shorts and a tee shirt enjoying 79F weather, reminded me that millions of people are getting ready down South to clean and seal their decks.

Cleaning Decks

The mainstream media, home improvement TV shows, magazines, etc. for years have broadcast information about cleaning decks that I feel is just plain harmful and wrong.

The two primary things that are mentioned are using chlorine bleach and pressure washers to ready your deck for a sealer. For well over seventeen years, I've written about how both can do serious harm to wood surfaces and vegetation and trees near your deck.

I've received hundreds of emails from deck cleaning companies that rail on me about how I trash pressure washers. The pressure washer manufacturers are not too happy with me as well.

But I've been on hundreds of decks that have been ruined by pressure washers - some of which were cleaned by *pros*. The high-powered stream of water rapidly erodes the lighter bands of spring wood from between the darker bands of summer wood.

Realize that when a tree grows during a single year it adds two bands of wood. The light colored band is the wood added in the spring when the tree grows rapidly. It's not as dense as the dark band that represents growth through the summer months and early fall.

Understand that a high-pressure stream of water, over time, will erode the spring wood. That's a fact. Get too aggressive with both pressure, small degree tool tip and distance of wand to wood, and you can have a one-year-old deck looking like a 50-year-old fishing pier.

Chlorine bleach is highly damaging to natural wood. It removes the color of the wood turning the wood white, it's corrosive to all nails and metal framing connectors, and it's highly toxic to all plants and trees around the deck.

My neighbor in Cincinnati killed a gorgeous tree of hers next to her patio because each spring she poured 5 gallons of pure chlorine bleach on her patio to clean off the algae. I told her she was poisoning the tree, but she blew me off as if I was an idiot. The tree is gone and she paid a tree service thousands of dollars to remove it.

The best method, in my opinion, to clean a deck is to use oxygen bleach and a scrub brush. That's what my Stain Solver is oxygen bleach. Oxygen bleach does not remove the color from wood, it doesn't harm any metal and it's beneficial to all the plants and trees around your deck. It's easy to use and my Stain Solver is just days away from being certified organic.

Here's a video that shows you how I use Stain Solver to clean a deck. It's a little corny, but that's because the TV station that commissioned the video wanted me to try to add a little humor to my videos. You can see I'll never make it as an actor.

Could you do me a huge favor? If you LIKE that video, can you click the Thumbs Up button in the lower left corner of the video player? Thanks. The pressure washer people are the ones clicking the Thumbs Down. It could also be from any professional actors and actresses watching it now that I think of it.

The annual spring Stain Solver Deck Cleaning Sale is just weeks away. Be SURE to open all upcoming newsletters to watch for the flash sale that will only last one week.

Deck Sealers

I've written countless columns at my website about Deck Sealers. There are many different kinds. Some are film formers and others are penetrating sealers. They both come clear or pigmented.

Last year I intended to start a very thorough testing of deck sealers. But I got very sick in the spring and it took months to recover. By the time I felt better, too much of the summer had passed to get good first-year test results.

I'm starting the sealer test no later than May 1st of this year. I'll have the deck sealer results available starting in the spring of 2013.

But here's what I can already tell you. I've not yet discovered a clear sealer of any type that doesn't fail the first year. They all allow the wood to turn gray within months. If you know of one that does NOT turn gray, I'd love to know about it.

In fact, I'd LOVE to hear from you about any deck sealer that you've tried that has worked really well or has failed miserably. I'll be sure to include them in my upcoming test.

The pigmented sealers do a great job of preventing deck wood from turning gray. The question is how good they are at repelling water over long periods of time. I'll be testing that as well.

Caring for Composite Decking

I get many emails about composite deck care. These decks have been sold for years as being maintenance-free. The truth is you need to care for them, even if that means annual or twice-a-year cleaning.

Once again, the best cleaner is oxygen bleach. Certain composite deck materials that have a cap stock or are solid plastic or vinyl can be cleaned with a pressure washer with little chance of damage. But always test first to make sure.

The best way to test for damage is to clean side-by-side areas of the composite deck with a pressure washer and the other section by hand with a scrub brush and some soap. You can attach the scrub brush to a pole so you're not on your hands and knees.

Rinse the deck well and allow it to dry. Look closely at the section cleaned with the pressure washer to check for surface damage or color differences.

Off Topic - Scale

I sometimes talk about scale. A few weeks ago, I brought this up about cupolas that sit on roofs. Scale is important with wood trim in a home too. Talk to any architect and they'll tell you they get extensive schooling on scale.

But what about scale in everyday life? Go to this website and you'll quickly discover how big or small something is.

Be SURE to click on the descriptions of the items for a laugh.

February 28, 2012 AsktheBuilder Newsletter & Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter

What's in This Newsletter?

Latest News
Siding Survey
Tip of the Week
New Work Pants
Google Search History News		 Wireless Router Privacy
New England Old House And Barn Tour
Video of the Week
Q&A of the Week

I'm writing this from rainy Okatie, SC, just west of Hilton Head Island. If you live near here, you're happy about the rain. My hosts tell me that it's been very dry here.

I'll be in Savannah until early Friday morning of this week, and then I start my journey back to NH. I'll have been gone 14 days when I get back.

I'm only home for two days and then I fly to San Francisco for a quick two-day conference. I'll be so glad to get back to NH so I can be with the family and hunker down to work for you.

I want to tell you that huge changes are coming to Ask the Builder. They'll all be good and you'll benefit enormously. Please be sure to open all future newsletters because breaking news will be right here.

 

Siding Survey

I'm very interested in what you want to know about any type of siding material that could be put on a home. It could be vinyl siding, brick, stucco, wood, stone, etc.

Can you please take this very simple survey so I can flood you with all you want to know?

 

Thanks!

Tip of the Week - Cutting the Rug

Last week on Ash Wednesday, I was invited to a first-ever-for-me visit to a United Methodist church service. I was in Richmond, VA, staying with great friends. When I arranged the visit, we both forgot that it was Ash Wednesday. They politely asked me if I would go to church with them after supper. Without flinching, I said yes.

We went to the St. Matthews Church that was close to the home of my friends. The pastor, Rev. Gordon Pruitt, gave an amusing homily where he talked about capturing monkeys with a box and how he replaced the worn-out carpet in the parsonage with a new carpet.

He talked about how he had rolled up the heavy carpet and lugged it to the garage where it sat in the way as it was such a hassle to get it to the dump. The homily was about changing bad habits and his way to ignore the carpet.

It was all I could to contain myself - not knowing the protocol about raising one's hand at a Methodist service. Of course, I would never think of doing such a thing at a Catholic mass.

I wanted to tell Rev. Pruitt that all he had to do when he removed the carpet was to cut it up in place in the living room. He just had to flip over one edge of the carpet about 40 inches onto itself and the backing of the carpet would be right there.

The backing would be elevated off the floor and using a sharp razor knife he could easily have cut the carpet into manageable 3-foot strips that could be rolled up, secured with twine or duct tape and easily put in the trunk of a car to take to the dump or recycling facility.

Don't let this happen to you. Don't break your back trying to carry the entire carpet out of the house. Only take it out in one piece if you know the old rug can be cleaned and reused by someone else.

 

New Work Pants

Last fall I told you about some pants I had to buy out in Montana because I had forgotten to pack them for the big trip up into Northwest Canada.

Well, last week I started testing a new set of work pants from Duluth Trading Company, and they are much better than the ones I got from Columbia.

These new Duluth Fire Hose work pants fit superbly, they have a multitude of pockets - even a hidden one on the inside of the pants, and much more.

I love the little loop that hangs down from a front belt loop that's perfect for a small carabineer you might use on your key chain or a small camera case.

I just checked the Duluth Trading website and they're on sale right now.

I do NOT get a commission for any sales. I'm just sharing this with you because they are very nice pants. There's no doubt I'll be getting another pair.

 

IMPORTANT Google Search History News

This is not really home improvement news, but it absolutely could affect you.

There's been a major tectonic shift in Google's privacy policy. Tens of thousands of words have been written about it.

But for years, if you've used Google search, you may have unknowingly ALLOWED Google to save and record every single search you've done on THEIR servers.

Last week, I goofed up BIG TIME.

This is important for one reason.

I never turned on this feature years ago, but you may have and forgotten about it.

You have just two more days to erase all of that history. The trouble is I don't believe that they will erase the data from their servers.

My gut tells me that everything we do online is really tracked and stored. Just be as aware as possible and know that what you do can be tracked.

For more information, click here.

 

Wireless Router Privacy

While on the topic of computer stuff, did you know that you may be able to add a layer of protection to your wireless router? You may have one of these in your home so you can surf the web without a cord.

Once again, I'm NOT an expert but I'm staying at a private residence here in South Carolina where the homeowner has a secondary layer of protection in his standard router.

Each computer, smartphone that has wireless, a Kindle, basically any wireless device, has a unique identifier number or code. Think of it as a social security number.

To gain access to my friend's wireless network HE HAD to enter into the router the unique address of my laptop and my new Kindle Fire. Dig into the settings or preferences of any wireless device and you'll discover this identity code.

You can learn much more about this at the websites of two friends: Ask Leo or AskBobRankin

 

New England Old House and Barn Tour

Do you want to see hundreds of gorgeous old Victorian houses, old post and beam barns and just travel some great back roads this summer? You can see tons of stuff and get immersed in old home improvement right here in central New Hampshire.

Want to see a fantastic old granite home built from special stone shaped in hexagons? Then you need to tour Castle in the Clouds. I could go on and on.

But if you want to stay in some quaint cottages along the placid Pemigewasset River, then you better make reservations NOW.

Last month, I met the owners of the Gilcrest Cottages here in New Hampshire at my meet up. Gary and Julie have done a fantastic job at this retro vacation haven. Want to step back in time, but have all the modern conveniences? Then stay at Gilcrest Cottages as you do day trips around New Hampshire's White Mountains. WOW is all I can say.

 

Video of the Week - How to Install a Kitchen Faucet

You better watch this video now. It's a long story that I'll soon be sharing here in the newsletter.

 

Q & A of the Week - Terrific Workbenches

DEAR TIM: I'm sure you know about workbenches. My New Year's resolution was to build a home workbench. I've seen workbenches for sale, but they seem too small for me. I'm up for the task of building a custom workbench, but am worried about the best way to do it. The surface needs to be durable, but affordable. Do you have any secrets you'd like to share about building a workshop workbench? Andy M., Enola, PA

DEAR ANDY: I have many secrets to share, and will try to give you as many as I can in this limited space. Tool workbenches are my favorite, and over the years I've built...

To discover ninja secrets about workbenches, Click Here.

 

February 21, 2012 AsktheBuilder Newsletter & Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter

What's in This Newsletter?

Latest News
My Custom Console
High Water Bills
Tip of the Week		 Lead Paint Follow Up
RoomtoYou.com
Deck Cleaning Myths Dispelled
Q&A of the Week

 

As you read this, I'll be on the road driving from New Hampshire to Savannah, GA. The drive will take four days because I'm visiting friends along the way and I'll try to conduct a little business.

One of my stops is in Raleigh, NC, where I'll visit a very dear friend Mike Wilson. Mike and I grew up on the same street in Cincinnati, OH, and we have stayed in touch through the years. Both of us were part of a group of WW II baby boomers living in a traditional middle-class neighborhood doing all the things you'd expect from young boys.

I thought you'd enjoy this photo of Mike and I taken in 1972 at a construction site just across the street from where we lived. Look at our hair and, yes, there were six packs under those tee shirts.

You might also enjoy this true story I wrote about one of our famous sleepovers.

I tried to pull together some meet ups along the way, but I just couldn't make your location mesh with my tight driving
schedule and timeline. I apologize for that. If you live in Hilton Head, or in Savannah, GA, and can get to either of those places between February 25th and March 1st, perhaps we can arrange a lunch. If you can do that, reply to this email changing the Subject Line to - Savannah Lunch.

 

My Custom Console

My truck ConsoleLast week, I mentioned I was building a special console for my truck. It was made to hold my ham radio control head, the high-output ham radio speaker, my cell phone which does double duty as a talking GPS navigation device, and all sorts of other things like my Plantronics bluetooth headset, sunglasses, etc.

I made this from some scrap wood I had and painted it to match the seats in the truck. Believe me; I'm not going into the business to mass produce them. The console is rock solid, and I'm sure will perform well.

 

High Water Bills

Don Grode, a subscriber to this newsletter, sent me a video that if someone told you what happened, you probably would not believe them. If you happen to have high water bills, have pets, and you're not home during the day, well ......

 

Tip of the Week - Fascinating Folding Door Hardware

Many homes have gorgeous wide openings between rooms. Kathy and I had that at our Queen Anne Victorian home in Cincinnati, OH, where our living room connected to our entrance hall. If you want privacy in one of the rooms, you have all sorts of options. Keep in mind that regular swing doors take up lots of room.

Folding Doors - OpenTo not waste floor space, you can utilize great hardware from LE Johnson to quickly install folding doors that give you the needed privacy, but not eat up floor space. This is a great alternative if you're on a limited budget and can't afford all the work needed to install pocket doors to achieve the goal. What's more, you may not be able to install a pocket door in that location, much less dual pocket doors that meet in the center of the opening.

This folding door solution will work in any home no matter what the architectural style. You don't have to use flat slab doors as you see in this photo. You can use panel doors, doors with some glass, whatever suites your taste! Click here to discover more about the LE Johnson Folding Door hardware.

I've used LE Johnson door hardware in my homes for years, and when I build my next house for Kathy and me, you'll find it there because it works!

Here are two links to larger photos of the opening above showing the door open and closed.

 

Lead Paint Follow Up

In last week's newsletter I had a rant about costly lead-paint regulations that recently went into effect. Believe me, I know when I publish that type of stuff, I make many, many, new friends and a small handful of foes. I get that.

But here's an email I got from Don Colon, who used to own a business in Baldwinsville, NY. I simply groaned when I read it:

"I had a small garage door business. Our industry magazine came out with an article on this over a year ago. One part of the story was about a dealer being fined $10,000 because he did not have copies of the paperwork on lead for jobs he did. You have to keep this stuff for five years and it's open to government inspection. If they don't like the way it is filled out, they levy fines. (I always felt they were under orders to collect more fines than their salaries.) My solution was to close my business, disconnect the phone, and prepare to surrender my NYS tax license."

RoomtoYou.com

Last week I told you about a brand-new online design and decorating service being offered by my daughter Meghan. She's the one who authored the book, The Meghan Method.

RoomToYou LogoIf you struggle trying to make a room or rooms look fantastic, Meghan can help you! You can hire her for one-on-one consulting.

Meghan has a SPECIAL limited offering to just a handful of people. I'm serious. This is not some marketing trick. She can only work with so many people a month. If you want Meghan's expert help in designing or decorating the room of your dreams, now is the time. Watch one of the two videos below NOW.

Watch this video of Meghan and me having some fun about RoomToYou if you want.

If you just want to see Meghan, and not have me asking crazy questions, click here.

 

Deck Cleaning Myths Dispelled

Deck cleaning season is just about to start down in the southern tier of states along the Gulf Coast. I BEG you to hold off on this task for a couple of weeks.

Why? Because I'm going to devote the March 6th newsletter to this VERY IMPORTANT topic. Each spring I get lots of
email from distressed homeowners who have ruined their decks while cleaning them.

Please, do NOT clean your deck until you read my March 6th newsletter.

 

Q & A of the Week - Sink P-Trap Substitutes

DEAR TIM: I saw a new device on a website that says it can replace the traditional p-trap under a plumbing fixture. It has a flexible tube-like membrane that is supposed to stay closed when no water is flowing down the pipe. I'm skeptical this thing would work over the long haul. I also wonder how things like this get approved by code officials. It seems the traditional P-trap under all my plumbing fixtures works well. What do you think about these mechanical plumbing products that attach to the waste and vent lines? Julie P., Rockford, IL

DEAR JULIE: Boy, oh boy, you sure know how to stir the pot! You also did a great job of touching a nerve I happen to have about plumbing devices and code officials. Let's open the discussion with ....

CLICK HERE to read all about why you MUST think long and hard about not using a P-trap.

 

February 14, 2012 AsktheBuilder Newsletter & Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter

What's in This Newsletter?

Latest News
My Checklists
Tip of the Week
Personalized Design		 Powermatic Sweepstakes
US Government and Your Home
Video of the Week
Q&A of the Week

A week from today I'll be leaving New Hampshire and driving south to Savannah, GA, for a secret Internet entrepreneur conference. It should be a great time.

I like to drive and am getting my truck ready with a custom-made wood console that will hold my ham radio controls, my cell phone that navigates for me, and some other electronic devices. When I get it done I'll take a photo of it in use. You may like to see it.

Are you an ice skater or hockey player? If so, you should be here at my house. The lake is one giant ice skating rink. If you were here now you could easily skate miles and miles on smooth glassy ice.

This is the view looking southeast from where my dock would be in the water. It was just over my head, raised like a drawbridge, when I took the photo. You need to take docks out of the water up here or else the ice will trash them. The other option is to install a bubbler that agitates the water, preventing it from freezing. Those consume energy all winter, so I'd just rather crank mine up in the air.

You're looking over at Gunstock Mountain in the distance. If you had one of those ice-sailing boats up here today, you'd be flying down and across the lake. I know my good friend Roger wishes he were up here with one of those ice boats. A nice stiff wind was blowing when I took this photo. I'd estimate the ice to be at least a foot thick right now.

 

My Checklists

I know you've probably purchased one of my project checklists. Why? Because when we had the sale of the huge combo pack in the fall, thousands were sold.

I've now renamed them to what I should have been calling them all along.

If you've purchased one of them, would you be kind enough to write back ASAP telling me how it:

  • helped relieve anxiety
  • allowed you to discover the pro contractor quickly
  • helped save you from getting ripped off
  • helped save you time and money

Just tell me in your own words so I can share your feelings with others who need help hiring contractors. When you reply, please change the subject line to: Checklist Testimonial

Thanks!

 

Tip of the Week

Do you have a hardwood floor or a laminate floor? I've got both in my home.

Have you seen those advertisements lately on TV about the wonderful sweepers that also steam your floor at the same time?

Well guess what? Steam and wood go together like oil and water or a square peg in a round hole.

The last thing you want to do is inject water vapor - that condenses into liquid water - into a wood floor or the wood-fiber core of a laminate floor.

 

Personalized Design for the Cost of a Couch

Pricey high-end custom room designs have always been out of reach for all us normal folk. But not anymore. You can still hire an expensive designer if you want, or you can give Meghan, my daughter, a shot at creating the room or design that best suits your taste and lifestyle.

Nine months ago she published her first book, The Meghan Method, that talks all about how to extract the design you love out of your brain.

If you want Meghan's help doing just that, she's launching a new e-decorating service where she'll custom design the room, rooms, or entire house of your dreams for you.

It's affordable and available to you no matter where you live. Next week she'll be announcing a special offer on this new service right here in my newsletter. Are you interested in this? Then you better open up next week's newsletter!

 

Powermatic Sweepstakes

How would you like to win a deluxe Powermatic Band Saw or Drill Press? I know I would! These are amazing machines that should be a part of any garage workshop, or a larger workshop that might be in a shed or basement.

These two tools are top-of-the-line. The total retail value of them is over $2,800. If you want to see these tools, just click here. You don't have to be registered on Facebook to SEE the tools.

But to enter the contest, you need to be on Facebook. This is one good reason to consider getting on Facebook.

 

The US Government and Your Home

WARNING: The following sentence/article could very well offend you. Do NOT read this if you love government regulations and how they protect and coddle you while you eat your fruit roll up and drink from your juice box.

I'm serious. Pass over this now so we remain friends. Proceed to the Video of the Week below.

Do you have a home that was built prior to 1978? If so, there's a good chance it could have lead paint on the inside or outside.

Guess what? Your government has put into play some costly lead abatement regulations that directly impact you, your wallet, and the value of your home.

Contractors that come to work on your home have to do all sorts of costly work if they want to comply with the law. You know who pays for that don't you? Why of course, you.

These new regulations are sinister because they're causing MANY residential contractors to opt out of the market with respect to working on older homes.

That has a secondary effect on the economic law of supply and demand. If there are fewer contractors who WILL work on these homes and lots of work is out there, then the price will rise.

Ouch, you get hurt again with higher-than-normal prices. Thanks EPA, thanks so much for your help. We just couldn't do it without you.

You don't believe me that contractors are opting out of working on older homes? Here's what Todd Fratzel, a NH contractor said, "We DO NOT bid jobs on houses older than 1978 anymore. Our insurance carrier and legal counsel talked us out of it."

There's an additional unintended consequence to these regulations. If you own a pre-1978 home buyers MAY avoid it because they become aware of these vicious regulations. The smaller the pool of buyers for a home means you get less money when you go to sell it.

I bring this up because I've seen an increase in regulations of all sorts that are nickel and diming you and me to death. Some are subtle and others are rancorous like this lead regulation.

If you're bothered by regulations like this, you can get them withdrawn. All you have to do is contact your US House Representatives and your US Senators. Tell them you're sick of the government telling you how to run your life.

Here's how this lead issue could have been solved. A vast majority of homes have loans that get sold in the secondary market that gets backing by Freddie and Fannie Mac. If you have a loan that meets those regs, then at the closing the loan officer has to read a 200-word statement out loud and hand you a pamphlet about lead. The pamphlet tells you that you SHOULD do X, Y and Z when disturbing lead paint.

You then sign a paper stating you understand lead dangers, got the pamphlet, and the lead issue is now your problem. You man up and take personal responsibility for the lead and its dangers. You then decide if you want to deal with the lead responsibly or roll the dice inside the walls of your home. You shouldn't be forced to do it.

What's next? Will the government tell you how hot your water can be so you don't scald yourself? Oh yes, we've had those controls on valves for years now.

Or perhaps the government will tell you how much water you can use. Ooooops, darn it. We've had those low-flow toilets that you often have to flush TWICE (earlier models still in use) and all those low-flow shower heads in our homes for years.

Maybe it will be the size of windows - after all, you don't want too much light to come into your house with all that harmful UV radiation in it.

Rant over.

 

Video of the Week - DeWALT Diamond Wet Saw

Have you ever wondered how one cuts ceramic tile, granite, marble, slate, or porcelain tile? Now I'm not talking about using one of those snap cutters. I'm talking about a saw. You'll love this video.

 

Q & A of the Week - Framing Nail Gun

DEAR TIM: I've always wanted a powered nail gun to do rough carpentry. I realize they're expensive, but I want to treat myself and I really feel I'll get value out of it for all the projects I've got in my future. What are the pros and cons of the different tools? There are air and gas-powered tools available. It can be pretty confusing. Do you use these tools? If so, do you have any tips to share? Brian S., Buffalo, NY

DEAR BRIAN: Oh, if I had a penny for every nail I've shot with my different framing nail guns I just might give Sir Richard Branson an offer to buy his Necker Island paradise! I can tell you...

Want to continue discovering all sorts of cool stuff about framing nail guns and how one kicked my butt off a ladder? CLICK HERE.

 

Don't forget - Do it Right, not Over,
Tim Carter
Founder - AsktheBuilder.com

Sink P-Trap Substitutes

Posted on by Tim Carter
sink p trap

I've got a new mechanical P-trap in my hand next to a traditional one that's worked flawlessly for well over 130 years. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

Sink P-Trap Substitutes

DEAR TIM: I saw a new device on a website that says it can replace the traditional p-trap under a plumbing fixture. It has a flexible tube-like membrane that is supposed to stay closed when no water is flowing down the pipe. I'm skeptical this thing would work over the long haul.

I also wonder how things like this get approved by code officials? It seems the traditional p-trap under all my plumbing fixtures work well. What do you think about these mechanical plumbing products that attach to the waste and vent lines? Julie P., Rockford, IL

DEAR JULIE: Boy, oh boy, you sure know how to stir the pot! You also did a great job of touching a nerve I happen to have about plumbing devices and code officials. Let's open the discussion with the fact that I've been a master plumber for over 30 years.

I'm pretty certain I've seen the exact plumbing waste valve you're talking about. When I first got it, I immediately recoiled at the design. My years and years of dealing with sludge-encrusted drain lines screamed at me this was a possible disaster waiting to happen.

Let's go quickly back in time to just after the American Civil War. If memory serves me right between then and the 1880's, the medical community came to a consensus about the connection between bacteria and diseases. Plumbing standards rapidly advanced and believe it or not, plumbers back then were often more highly regarded than physicians when it came to protecting the health of the general public. Plumbers were seen as knights in shining white armor.

That said, you absolutely never want to underestimate what can happen to you or your family if a plumbing drain system malfunctions or you have a polluted water supply system. Entire books have been devoted to the subjects.

Well over 100 years ago, it was quickly discovered you could completely stop vermin and bacteria from spreading into your home with a simple water seal under each plumbing fixture. They used to come in two styles: the S-trap and P-trap. They got the names because the shape of the drain pipes look like those letters in the English alphabet.

I have huge issues with mechanical plumbing drain and vent products that try to supplant the time-tested p-traps and traditional open vent lines that lead from fixtures up to the roof of your home. A mechanical device is one that has moving parts. We all know that every mechanical device known to man has failed at one time or another. If you know of one that's not, it will eventually fail.

You don't want a mechanical trap under a fixture that will not close off properly. When the trap remains open sewer gas or vermin can enter your home. What can cause a trap to stay open? If you've taken apart used p-traps and drain lines like I have, you'll quickly see biofilm, sludge, grease deposits, food chunks, gravel, etc. These can all interfere with a mechanical membrane that's supposed to close tightly.

Then there's the occasional vermin in the drain line. You do realize that rats routinely patrol municipal sewers and think nothing of making a foray up your house building drain and then into a branch drain line. How long do you think it would take a rat to chew through a thin flexible membrane only to stare you down at the sink stopper or basket strainer?

It gets worse in my opinion. I've never sat in on meetings where building code officials debate and discuss changes to the code. But suffice it to say that I've seen parts of the building code that make me shake my head. Some of the building code is not backed up with hard science, and/or the code officials have not seen as many old buildings I have that prove certain minimum standards must be always be adhered to.

You can't hope things are going to work. Hope is the emotion of last resort. You hope for something when you can't control the outcome. I can control the desired outcome in my plumbing system by using traditional p-traps and a real interconnected vent system that always supply air to the pipes as water rushes down them.

Realize the building code in your town is very possibly a hybrid of a national model code. The building and plumbing code can be different from state to state and city to city because local code officials can modify the model codes. I've also been told that some codes have provisions where a local inspector can approve an alternative material on his own. That's a very scary situation indeed.

Talk to any seasoned plumber and he'll tell you he's able to make a living because mechanical plumbing devices fail. Backflow preventer valves, regular valves of all types, pressure regulators, anything that has a moving part fails on a routine basis. Ask that same plumber about how well-designed and installed vent line systems work. I've never in my career had one fail. Never.

You can watch a pluming vent video and read past columns about p-traps showing how they work. Just type "vent pipe video" into the AsktheBuilder.com search engine.

Author's Note:

I received this very descriptive email from Ed Atterberry about an encounter he and his wife had with an accomplished swimming mammal. You'll see why P-traps are so important.

"Regarding the importance of traps on your plumbing, I offer the following true story. The date is sometime in the winter/spring of 1974. The location is Naha, Okinawa, where I was a teacher and my new bride was depressed about not getting hired and living in a foreign country where we didn't speak the language, etc.

Okinawa has a rainy season and a long period of dry weather. During the dry season, at least back then, the reservoirs would empty, and we would have to go on water rationing. The water would be shut off for certain periods of time. At this point, it was off at 10:00pm and came on at 6:00 am. It got much worse later on.

My wife woke up at around 5:30 am and had to use the bathroom. Since there was only one flush left in the tank, it was always a challenge to wait until you really, and I mean REALLY, had to go. (There was a workaround, but that involved filling the bathtub and then flushing with buckets of water, but that defeated the purpose of rationing water.) Anyway, she came back into the bedroom and asked if I had used the toilet and not flushed. Nope. But there was something dark in the bowl, and she didn't have her contacts in yet in order to see. So I haul myself out of bed and look in the toilet. Oops! A huge rat had invaded our toilet. Well, what to do? I brought the dog in hoping that she would scare the rat away. Not a chance. By the way, the rat did a passable breast stroke.

So I got a broom and hoped to bop it over the head with the broom handle. I didn't have a baseball bat handy. To be honest, I didn't have one in the house at all. I couldn't figure out how to get rid of the beast so my wife could use the toilet. Well, wonder of wonders, I soon heard the clattering of air rushing through the pipes, which was the forerunner of water that had been turned on. Within a few minutes, and about 20 minutes early, I could flush the toilet and say bye-bye to the vermin. He was nasty looking, believe me.

That's why it is so important to have traps that have water to seal off the pipes and keep the nasty critters out of your house. I'm still wondering how we would handle going to the base dispensary with a rat bite on her derriere.

And a corollary to that story. Years later, I was principal of a school in Chinhae, Korea. It was a small school with only two teachers and me. Of course, we were close friends with the entire staff. All two of them. One of them told a story that she had heard while working in Germany about a woman in Okinawa who went to the toilet and found a rat swimming around. Small world!"

Ed (KF6UQ)

Column 922

Watch this video to see how Tim SOLVED a problem in minutes!