What's in This Newsletter?

We've had a string of bluebird days here in New Hampshire. It's absolutely glorious winter weather. I know, I can hear all you warm-weather fans chuckling now. But seriously, it's great. I really enjoyed my 3.3-mile walk around the block yesterday.

The lake's been frozen solid now for about three weeks. It's now starting to talk. That's what I call it. It makes these very low warbling noises that sound like reverb on a guitar amplifier. That's the best way I can describe it. I'm quite certain it's the wind flexing the ice and creating a harmonic with the water. Kathy says it's the aliens under the ice wanting to get out.

Last night I attended the best ham radio meeting of my life. Dale Clement, AF1T, did a talk on antennae that blew my mind. He used simple light bulbs to show that there are invisible radio waves in the air. Yes, that's a dill pickle antenna. I'm not kidding, two dill pickles make a perfect 432 MHz dipole antenna! The green LED is showing you it's picking up the signal from the antenna on the pole.

Stain Solver SHIPPING News

We got hammered with orders in the Stain Solver sale two weeks ago. We are scheduled to manufacture NEXT week. All back orders should ship by February 16th. THANKS for your patience. I'm going to have to start calling you Job.

Looking for a Knitter

I got a comment on my AsktheBuilder Facebook fan page from Rob who saw me wearing my red, white and blue knit hat. He said: "You need to get an ATB hat!"

You can see me wearing it in this video.

He's right! I'm looking for a fan who's looking for some publicity or ??? Here's the issue. My hat size is a 7 and 7/8 inches. Every knit hat, including the one in the video seems small to me and really has to stretch to fit my noggin.

I'd love a hat that doesn't fit too tightly, was colorful and had my new AsktheBuilder logo on it. Are you up for the task? Let's make a deal. Respond to this email changing the Subject Line to: Tim's New Hat. Who knows, it could get popular and we'll mass produce them!

Tip of the Week

I shared this one on Facebook on Super Bowl Sunday:

"Don't take the easy way out of building steps by making those sawtooth notch cuts. Create rabbets in the sides of the stringers so you maximize the strength of the set of steps."

You've seen steps cut the wrong way. Those are the ones that look like a saw blade. Remember, stair stringers are the beams that support your weight, that of the refrigerator, and the other person helping you. When you cut the sawtooth configuration, you turn a 2x12 into a 2x6!

Want to see how to layout, cut and make rabbets in stair stringers the way I do? Do you want to discover the most comfortable riser/tread combination for a new set of steps? You know, the perfect set of steps that are safe and easy to go up and down?

All of that and more are in this Building Deck Stairs eBook of mine.

Free Online Access to the ICC Residential Building Code

Do you often have questions about the Building Code? Do you wonder if your builder or remodeler is doing the right thing? You can check online now! Click here for Code Access.

However, understand that your city or town has the right to modify, add to or delete sections of this model code. Use it as a guide and always check with your local building inspector to ensure what you're looking at online is what's in play in your area.

Video of the Week

What do you do if you need temporary heat? Yes, you can rent those large torpedo heaters, and other devices.

But what if you want to thaw the ground? Yes, it's possible! Watch this video showing a ground heater

Paving Contractors - Help!

Do you install gravel, blacktop, tar and chip, concrete, concrete pavers, poured concrete, stamped concrete driveways? If so I need you to reply to me changing the Subject Line to: Drive Prices. I'd love to know in your market WHAT it costs per square foot to install the average driveway that you do. Tell me the type of paving you do and the cost. Don't forget to tell me where you work - city and state.

If there's a price range, that's fine too. But please reach out. I want to see what it costs in your area.

Road Trip! Let's Meet Up!

On February 20th or the 21st, I'm going to leave New Hampshire on my way to Savannah, GA in my red Ford Super Duty. I'll be making a few stops on the way. I'll also be driving back to New Hampshire.

On my way down, I'll be driving straight through to the Washington, D.C. area. I'll be beat, but dinner that night is possible. Or a brunch could happen the next morning.

I'll be passing through Richmond, VA, Raleigh/Durham, NC, Greenville, SC, and then end up in Hilton Head, SC before getting to Savannah.

Reach out and tell me if you want to meet up. Let's see what's possible. I'll try to accommodate as many meetings as possible. Change the Subject Line to: ROAD TRIP

How to Grout Ceramic Tile Floor Kindle Book

Do you have a Kindle? That's the cool Amazon tablet eBook reader. Amazon's latest is the Kindle Fire which allows you to see in color and is really a full-blown tablet.

Even if you don't own a Kindle, you can read Amazon Kindle books. You can download FREE Kindle readers for your iPad or your computer. This allows you to enjoy all the content at the Amazon Kindle store without using a Kindle.

Well, yesterday I just published my first Kindle eBook! If you want to discover the way I grout ceramic floor tile so it looks great and never crumbles, this is the guide for you. Many more Kindle books from me are about to be published.

This first one contains a tool guide, full instructions, color step-by-step photos and a link to four secret videos that show you from start to finish how to get professional results the first time.

All this for less than $4. Can you believe that?

Q & A of the Week - Repair a Concrete Foundation

DEAR TIM: I'm thinking of buying a home that has significant cracks in the concrete foundation. Family members are urging me to run away from this house. I'm thinking it's a deal and the cracks can be repaired. How would you assess the situation and what are some of my repair options? Are there any unintended consequences that will come up later should I decide to purchase this home? I need some clarity to help me make the right choice. Peggy P., Rochester, NY

DEAR PEGGY: Cracks in a concrete foundation can be signs of serious structural issues. It's paramount that you . . .

Want to read the rest of the column so you know your options? Click HERE.

Don't forget - Do it Right, not Over,

Tim Carter

Founder - AsktheBuilder.com

What's in This Newsletter?

Latest News
Update on Veronica Hill
Tip of the Week
Video of the Week - Radiant Floor Heating Transfer Plates
Bath Remodeling Coaching Course Update
Basic How-To Courses
New eBook - The New Home Dream or Nightmare
Q&A of the Week - Cupola Tips and Secrets

Last week my youngest daughter transferred to the University of New Hampshire. We moved her in with no issues, and I must say it's a stunning campus.Kathy, my wife, was really impressed with what little she saw as we were pretty busy getting a parking pass, Kelly's ID, submitting health forms, going to the bookstore, and actually moving in.

We can't wait to stroll around the campus on a nice spring day.

Two weeks from today, I hope to be outdoors for three days in a row, helping to provide ham radio communications for the 83rd Laconia World Championship Sled Dog Derby, here in New Hampshire.

Any number of ham radio operators like me are put out all over the course to be able to radio for help, assistance, or to supply other logistic information about what's happening far away from the start/finish line. We need Mother Nature to cooperate and give us some more snow!

Update on Veronica Hill

You may have voted for Veronica Hill a little over two weeks ago in the YouTube "On the Rise" competition. I wanted to tell you that her CaliforniaTravelTips channel was awarded the WIN and she was featured on the home page of YouTube yesterday. Congratulations Veronica!

The YogaToday channel was disqualified for vote fraud in case you followed the results closely during the competition. At the end of the voting, they clearly had more votes, but many were cast by the same people.

Thanks for supporting Veronica. She clearly deserved the win.

Watch this special video she taped for the home page of YouTube.

Be sure to stay with it to the end to hear Veronica's magical laugh.

Tip of the Week

After reading last week's tip, I got this sobering email from David Wick who's recovering from injuries in Molalla, OR:

"I was on an old aluminum 6-foot ladder on a flat sidewalk by our front door. The task was to clean out the gutter screen we have. I climbed up and was at the top (usable) step and the ladder buckled. The next thing I know I was on top of the crumpled metal, with one broken rib and a slight puncture of my lung.

I ended up being flown by helicopter to the ER. I am home recovering now, but I would like you to stress to your other newsletter subscribers to really consider throwing out the old ladders and getting a new one.

I should have tossed that one a year or two ago. I also now want a spotter when I use one because my wife was home, but upstairs, and I had to pick myself up and get inside which was hard to do after a fall. When on the ladder, I didn't reach out and change the center of gravity of the ladder. It just buckled. It's amazing how hard you hit when you only fall 5 feet."

David, that's a great tip and by all means get better soon! Thanks for sharing. On a personal note, I inherited a similar 8-foot aluminum ladder from my father-in-law years ago.

The spreader arms had a horrible habit of bending. I never fell, but it was a very dangerous ladder. I ended up taking it to the recycle center cut in pieces so no one else could be hurt by it.

Video of the Week - Radiant Floor Heating Transfer Plates

If you've never experienced the soothing heat produced by radiant infloor heating, all I can say is, it's glorious. As I type this newsletter, I'm enjoying it in my own home.

Radiant heating in concrete slabs works great, but there were problems in the past when it was used on wood subfloors. Stapling the tubing on the underside of the subfloor created hot and cold spots and droops in the tubing caused additional inefficiencies.

Watch this video to see the latest radiant floor-heating technology that eliminates these issues.

Once again I can really use your help. Please add your comments under the video describing how the video helped you. Thanks for doing that!

Bath Remodeling Coaching Course Update

Oh my goodness! Last week's announcement about my new Online Bath Remodeling Coaching Course struck a nerve, but not in a bad way.

I can have it ready to go in the next two weeks, but only with YOUR help. I need you to Help Me design the course. Yes, you.

There are two things you have to do. Take a quick survey and re-sign up to get the course announcement. Here's why you need to re-sign up.

Last week I goofed up BIG TIME and created the WRONG Sign Up form. So we're going to have a Do Over.

This is important for one reason. I'm going to offer registration for the course to this Exclusive List of interested people. So if you want to be one of the FIRST 25 students to take the class, SIGN UP NOW.

By the time I announce it to everyone here on the main newsletter list, I'm quite sure there will already be a waiting list for the Coaching Course. SIGN UP NOW if you want to have a chance at being in the first class.

To sign up, you have to first take the survey to help design the Perfect Course you want. It should take you less than 90 seconds to take the survey.

When you complete the survey, you'll be taken to the page to sign up so you're FIRST to get registration details.

Basic How-To Courses

I truly opened up a can of worms two weeks ago when I talked about the New Home Construction Coaching Course. But it's all good.

You may have sent to me one of the hundreds of emails that have poured in about much more focused learning. You're telling me you want live streaming TV courses put on by me about plumbing, carpentry, roofing, etc.

I hear you, and I need you to HELP design the courses. Please take this simple two-question survey and I'll get to work immediately on developing the courses. You're going to love them for sure.

New eBook - The New Home Dream or Nightmare - You Decide

Are you thinking of building a new home soon? If so, take a few hours and read a very funny and sad book. Yes, both emotions are possible when reading about the new home construction process.

If I'd Known That Was Going to Happen book was written by Andy Bozeman, and I feel it's a very accurate description of the process.

Many of the things Andy recounts in his book I've written about for years and are at my AsktheBuilder.com website. The difference is Andy tells it from his perspective of him building his own home.

It's a good winter read - actually it's a good read any season. It's a must read if you have the itch to build a home or do a large room addition.

NOTE: This is an Instant Download book from my shopping cart. I don't mail you a copy. You just read it on your computer, or transfer the PDF file to any electronic reader that accepts these common files.

Q & A of the Week - Cupola Tips and Secrets

DEAR TIM: I'm going to build a cupola on top of my garage. The roof is not too steep, so I think I can manage to do this safely. I've got all sorts of questions about cupola designs and general questions. What is the best cupola roof to have? I've seen hip roofs as well as fancy sloped hip designs. Can you do just a standard gable roof on a cupola? What other tips can you share about installing a cupola? Bradley G, Lexington, KY

DEAR BRADLEY: Congratulations on this exciting upcoming project. Cupolas add a touch of class to a structure. Drive around New England where I live and you'll see quite a few on barns, stables, garages and even houses. You have perhaps two of the most viewed cupolas in the world just west of you in Louisville, KY at the .....

To continue reading great things about cupolas, CLICK HERE.

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

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