Marble Floor

Posted on by Tim Carter

HI TIM: So glad I found you.We bought a new home 4 years ago in Vegas. I wanted marble. We have 1200 sq. ft. of marble downstairs. We recently noticed tons and tons of cracking on the marble. The marble cracks are all over, different directions, all rooms. Some are very long. A builder is coming out in 2 weeks to check them out. I spoke with the contracting company who layed the marble and was told they used thin set. Could it be the foundation? This job cost us over $25,000. Who should be responsible to take care of this? We see new cracks starting as well. The existing cracks are not small either. Can you give me some advise on this? Also is there a marble cleaner that would help clean my marble flooring and grout? Thanks so much. - Linda, Las Vegas, NV

DEAR LINDA: If I could come to your home, I'll bet I'd discover that the cracks in the marble are directly over cracks in the concrete slab.

In Las Vegas, your builders pour concrete on the dry soil that's really gravel. If they didn't put in reinforcing steel or use fibers in the concrete, the concrete can develop significant cracks that pull apart. Had they used steel or fibers, the cracks would be hairline in nature.

I'm sure your slab has shrinkage cracks. Concrete shrinks as it cures. It can lose 1/16th of an inch in length for every 10 linear feet.

The marble then cracked because it was locked to the slab with the thinset.

The marble setter should have put a crack isolation membrane down on top of the slab. That way the slab could crack and the marble would have floated over the slab. What a shame!

I recommend that you now just grout the cracks with a grout that matches the color of the marble or is actually a color of the veining in the marble. This way the cracks will appear as if they are part of the marble. It may take repeated grouting to ensure the cracks all get filled. Done correctly, a visitor to your home will never know that the marble's cracked.

You can fix the unsightly cracks in the marble by just regrouting. It's not as hard as you think and I have a four-part set of videos that shows you how you might do this yourself. Here are the links, in order, to the four videos:

As far as marble floor cleaners, oxygen bleach does a great job of cleaning marble flooring. Oxygen bleach is a grout cleaner also.

December 17, 2010 AsktheBuilder Tips And Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

What's in This Newsletter?

Latest News
LE Johnson on Twitter
Builders Show in Orlando
Dishwasher Gasket Tip
Snow and Snowblowers
Meet Up in DC
The Grinches of Christmas

Remember, Do it Right, Not Over!

I do product reviews frequently. Please read my Disclosure Policy to understand the relationship between me and the companies that make the products or offer the services I review.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Friendly Question Reminder!

If you have a question for me, don't hit the Reply button just yet. Go immediately to my web site and type in the keywords about your problem into my Search engine. The search box is at the top of every page of my web site. You could have your answer in seconds if you do this! Please pay attention to all links you see at my web site. The exact products and services you often need are right in front of you, and you might be ignoring them.

Latest News

Christmas is now just 8 days away. Kathy (my wife if you're a new subscriber) is not too happy. This is her first Christmas in New Hampshire and there's not a flake of snow on the ground around our house. She was counting on a Norman Rockwell White Christmas.

I'm pleading with Mother Nature to cooperate. Snow is in the forecast for Monday. Let's hope it happens and stays cold to preserve it. When it does snow up here, it's gorgeous. Here's a video of last year's first significant snow.

Speaking of hope, I'm wishing for you to have a Merry Christmas. My Christmas will be very special, as it's the first one where my family will be all together here in New Hampshire. Kathy and I have been looking forward to this for 36 years. There's nothing like setting a goal and then accomplishing it.

Next year will be very exciting for AsktheBuilder.com. I've many new things planned. The biggest initiative is a series of step-by-step photo guides that will help you make repairs around your home in this these tough economic times. I'll be surveying you just after the New Year to see what you want and how I can best provide it to you. If you're an expert photographer AND DIY guru, I'm looking to hire you as I need help with this project.

Oh, and there is huge, and I mean HUGE, Stain Solver news in January. I've been waiting for this for *years*.  What's the news? You'll have to wait. Are you a new subscriber? Visit Stain Solver.

LE Johnson on Twitter

LE Johnson, a manufacturer of superb pocket-door frames and hardware, is now on Twitter @JohnsonHrdware. You can see them at:

If you're not familiar with Twitter, it's a social network that allows you to follow what certain people are doing, working on, or thinking. The best part is that the messages are limited to 140 characters. That means it's tiny blasts of information.

You can see at the TOP of this newsletter that I'm on Twitter. Follow me if you desire.

If you use Twitter and want to stay abreast of trends, tips and all things pocket doors, I suggest you follow LE Johnson!

Builders Show in Orlando and Meet Up!

I'll be attending the Builders Show in Orlando, FL, the second week of January. The plan is to come back with lots of information about new products.

I'm doing a meet up there the morning of January 14th. We're going to have breakfast near the Orlando Convention Center. Email me if you want to come and visit.

Dishwasher Gasket Tip

I've got a Kitchenaid dishwasher here in my house in New Hampshire. I'm not happy with it, as it does a really poor job of cleaning. I've checked everything to make sure the water squirts out of the spinning wands, cleaned all filters, etc. I'm convinced that it's just a ho-hum dishwasher. Kitchenaid used to be a powerhouse brand about 35 years ago, but in my opinion, it's far down the food chain now.

Lately, the gasket around the door that prevents leaks was pulling out of its channel. This was bothersome. After looking at it and the door, I detected the issue. There was a buildup of gradoo on the surface of the gasket and the stainless-steel door where it touches the gasket. After cleaning off the grunge (food particles and who-knows-what), the gasket is no longer coming out when I open the door.

Speaking of Snow and Snowblowers

I just installed a pair of cool roller skids on my one snow blower. These machines tend to have hard plastic adjustable guides on the sides of the hopper that gobbles the snow. Adjusting these up and down allows you to navigate over gravel and other bumpy surfaces.

The old type just scrape along and wear out over time. But these new ones have a wheel in them so the snow blower easily skims across your drive or sidewalk. I'm anxious to try them out! They appear well made and were easy to install.

If you want to buy a pair, just email Bill Raftery at: [email protected]

Bill will be especially delighted to hear if you were ever a Girl or Boy Scout. He's got great memories of Scouting as do I.

Meet Up in Washington DC!

I'll be in Washington DC on January 5, 2011, to attend a reception for New Hampshire's newest US Senator, Ms. Kelly Ayotte. I've got about 4 hours to kill between 3 and 7 pm before I take my US Airways flight back to New Hampshire. If you want to grab an early dinner or liquid refreshment, email me. I'd love to meet you. If we're lucky, we'll have a decent sized turnout. We can talk about anything that's on your mind.

I'll be leaving the Russell Senate Office Building at 3 pm, and will not have any wheels. I have no idea where to go, so I'd love your suggestions. I want to stay close to the Mall so I can get to DCA with no issues. Email me and tell me if you're interested in getting together.

The Grinches of Christmas - Computer Viruses and Malcontents

Bob Dawber emailed me after the last newsletter with a virus ALERT. If you do online shopping, you're a target because you MIGHT be expecting an email from UPS or FedEx. Here's what Bob sent me:

The newest virus circulating is the UPS Delivery Failure (or USPS or FedEx). You will receive an e-mail from UPS Service along with a packet number. It will say that they were unable to deliver a package sent to you on such-and-such a date. It then asks you to print out the invoice copy attached. DON'T TRY TO PRINT THIS. IT LAUNCHES THE VIRUS! Pass this warning on to all your PC operators at work and home. This virus has caused Millions of dollars in damage in the past few days.

Snopes confirms that it is real.

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/ups.asp

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and your family from the Carter's !!

AsktheBuilder.com
100 Swain Rd.
Meredith, NH 03253, USA

December 8, 2010 AsktheBuilder Tips And Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

What's in This Issue?

Winter
Kitchen Video Responses
Chat Survey
An Example of a Helpful DIY Guide
One Last Thing about Energy Savings
Bob Kennedy
Latest Videos
New Columns

I do product reviews frequently. Please read my Disclosure Policy to understand the relationship between me and the companies that make the products or offer the services I review.

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Friendly Question Reminder!

If you have a question for me, don't hit the Reply button just yet. Go immediately to my web site and type in the keywords about your problem into my Search engine. The search box is at the top of every page of my web site. You could have your answer in seconds if you do this! Please pay attention to all links you see at my web site. The exact products and services you often need are right in front of you, and you might be ignoring them.

Winter has come to New Hampshire. The ground is frozen and the frost gets deeper by the day in the soil. Today is a gorgeous bluebird day with abundant sunshine, but temps in the 20's F. Soon I'll be skiing on my new K2s that I bought at the end of last season. Yippee!

Here's the Executive Summary: A NEW DIY Guide is on sale in this issue! Tons of new video and column links. Have fun!

Kitchen Video Responses

Wow! I want to thank you for your input about what you'd like to see in the upcoming kitchen videos. I can't satisfy all of your requests, because some of the things you want to see I'm not doing in my kitchen.

However, I was stunned by the number of requests for a video about a country kitchen sink! Guess what? That's what where installing here. In fact, Kathy's selected a country sink from Herbeau.

Take a look at this double-bowl sink and tell me what you think. In the videos I create, I'll be showing each step of how you cut the cabinet to accept it, how you create the inner support - the sink I'm using weighs 91 pounds!, and how to make all the connections. You'll be very interested to know how I detail the granite countertop for this sink. Many make a mistake when they install the countertops on these country sinks. Be patient, you'll see this in a video.

Your suggestions for kitchen videos were amazing. All I can say is that you're going to see many videos that show you, hopefully, the entire process. I'm even thinking of taping some videos that I'll package into a cool product for you.

The remodel job starts just after Christmas. The materials are all ordered and on their way here.

Chat Survey

You may have answered Yes on the live chat survey. If you were, you were in the vast majority. Thanks for participating.

The comments from those who answered "No" were eye opening. Thanks for taking the time to communicate your concerns to me. I learned very much that's going to be quite helpful.

You may be one who feels nothing is for free. Well, believe it or not, I do that now everyday. At AsktheBuilder.com you get to see all my past and new columns and videos for free. This newsletter is free.

What's more, at the AsktheBuilder.com website I have an Ask Tim feature where you can ask questions. You get free answers. I pay an employee to do this all day every day. It costs me a significant amount of money each year. The sad thing is that rarely we receive a Thank You back from anyone. Less than 5 percent of the people we answer ever thank us. Heavy sigh ......

You might have wondered who Tommy was. Tommy was an imaginary Certified AsktheBuilder team member who's qualified to answer questions, as I can't possibly deal with tens of thousands of requests per day. That was enlightening to say the least.

You may have been one who was suspicious. Would you be obligated to buy anything? Absolutely No!

Imagine this. You decide to use the chat and start it up yourself. After one of my certified experts helps you solve your problem, what happens if we have an inexpensive DIY Guide or a product to help you find the pro? Would you want to know about that? I would surely hope so, after all you don't want to make a mistake on your project, do you?

Would you be interested in saving hundreds/thousands of dollars and lots of time? After all, isn't that why you came to the website? You've got a problem and you need a solution. If I happen to have a great solution for you, don't you want to hear about it? If I'm off base here, PLEASE let me know.

The bottom line is live chat is coming to AsktheBuilder.com. It will be free. It WILL help those who use it. Those who use my Live Chat WILL get special deals on products. In fact, it's there right now at the website. I'm testing it in a few very specific columns. You'll have to initiate the chat. I've decided NOT to have it automatically turn on for you. Where is it? Right here.

If I'm not online, you'll see what happens.

An Example of a Helpful DIY Guide

While doing research the past few days with the live chat software, I discovered that hundreds of people a DAY have all sorts of questions about Deicing Salts. This morning, with the help of my crack team, we put together what I believe might be the most authoritative set of questions and answers about deicing salts.

What happens if you take a chance and put deicing salt on new concrete? Let's say it's a $6,000 driveway. Would you want to be told about a fantastic 24-page electronic guide that you could have in seconds that tells you just about everything you ever wanted to know about deicing salts?

I've got that guide now. Go look at it and see what you think. You can have it moments from now for just $4. It's going to regularly sell for $7, a price I feel a person would readily pay to get answers to many questions.

This special price of $4 is only good until Sunday (December 12, 2010) at midnight. I'll be sending you a reminder, but I suggest you just go get it now so you discover a ton of things you didn't know about deicing salt and your concrete drive, sidewalk or patio. Oh, you have blacktop? I cover that as well!

For example, did you know you can get severely hurt by deicing salt? It's absolutely true, I know as it happened to me.

Anyway, you're soon going to see many of these new products that can help you in a pinch. And one of my team members may tell you about them should you decide to use the chat feature to discover all we know that you don't. That was a friendly jab - in case you can't tell. :->>>

One LAST Thing about Energy Savings

The saga continues. My oh my! I keep getting email from subscribers about the prospect of spending money to get energy savings.

First, you may have been one who felt I was rude to Carl saying his email was just "magic dust". That was never meant to insult Carl. The point was a clever salesperson in your home might use Carl's CORRECT mathematics to convince you that spending the money is a great investment. I called it "magic dust" because it was putting a spin on the facts. You may buy windows based on a salesman's spin.

You may have emailed me telling me about solving drafts, replacing windows that are broken, ones that were made in 1912, ones that look horrible, ones that have broken seals, etc. That was never the point of the newsletter item. If you need to replace windows because you HAVE to, that's fine. I get that. I have to replace things in my home too.

But if you're replacing windows JUST to save energy, well, don't expect to get paid back anytime soon in energy savings for all the money you spent. End of story.

Bob Kennedy

I'm blessed beyond belief to have you as a subscriber. Why? From time to time you may be one who hits the Reply button and shares something about yourself with me.

Several days ago, Bob emailed me. He reminded me of something I knew, but had allowed to get covered up with clutter in my brain.

Bob reminded me about determination. If you want something bad enough, you'll do it even if there are no lights on. Go to Bob's website and be absolutely certain you click the link way at the bottom of his page that says:

Some pictures of past products

Latest Videos

Some New Columns

AsktheBuilder.com
100 Swain Rd.
Meredith, NH 03253, USA

Ice And Water Shield Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Ice And Water Shield

Hello, I'm Tim Carter from AsktheBuilder.com. I am up here on the roof and I want to show you something that is really awesome. Many people don't get to see this up close. I am talking about an ice and water shield that roofing contractors put on the wood sheathing, underneath the shingles. Look at this.

You can see the OSB board which forms the roof of the home. There is a roofers' stand, they use when working on steep roofs. Here is a fascinating material. This is a membrane that covers the whole roof. This particular shield is a Grace Ice & Water Shield. The membrane is sticky on the under side. It is not sticky in the video because it is so cold during the particular installation. This is a rubberized asphalt product.

When the nails from the shingles are driven through this product, it will seal around the nail shaft. In traditional roofing felt as the rain came down under the shingles, it would seep down around the nail hole and cause a leak. In areas where there is lots of wind or ice dams, this ice and water shield will stop the water from leaking into the house. This a great product to use in areas with blowing snow storms and lots of rain.

Control Joint Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Hello, I'm Tim Carter from AsktheBuilder.com. It's a cold winter day and I want you show you something that is pretty neat. If you recall a few weeks ago, we poured this concrete slab. Now look at this.

There are cut lines in the slab that were added later. These are concrete control joints. The contractor came back and used a gas-powered saw with a dry diamond blade to cut these lines in the concrete slab. They were put here for a reason. We are looking at an inside corner of the foundation. That is a point where the slab would want to crack. It would want to crack right at the corner, if the control joints weren't cut into the slab.

Understand this about concrete. When you pour concrete, as it cures and hardens, it shrinks. Some of the water leaves the concrete because it is used in the chemical reaction of the curing. It will shrink one-sixteenth of an inch for every 10 linear feet that is poured. That shrinkage creates tension that will literally rip the concrete apart. So if you saw cut in these control joints into slabs (some times they are cut into sideways with a special tool as the concrete is still in its plastic state), it will help relief some of the tension.

The depth of the control joint needs to be a minimum of 1/4 the thickness of the slab. So if the slab is 4" thick, the saw cut has to be 1" deep. Many times, the contractor doesn't cut the control joint that deep.

Control joints control where the slab should crack. They don't always work that way, but they should.

Granite Countertops Tile

Posted on by Tim Carter
granite countertop tile

This single piece of granite tile will join others one day to make a complete countertop, but not without lots of work. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Granite Tile Countertops

DEAR TIM: Granite countertops are still very popular, and I love the look of natural stone. But I can’t afford the giant thick slabs of granite. I’ve seen the thinner affordable granite tile and wonder how well these work for a kitchen countertop. What can you tell me about granite countertop tiles? Are they hard to work with? What are the challenges I’ll face if I try to do this job myself? Kim S., Chicago, IL

DEAR KIM: I’m also smitten with granite. No doubt it’s related to my college degree in geology, and the fact that many granites are drop-dead gorgeous. The mineral crystals, when highly polished, absolutely can grab and hold the attention of anyone who looks at them. When you then add in the range of color and the randomness of the crystal matrix found in most granites, you have the perfect storm for a material that’s a show stopper.

I’ve used both the traditional large slabs of granite for countertops and the granite tiles you’re looking at as a substitute material. The actual granite in the two products, assuming they come from the same quarry, are identical in durability, look and performance.

The difference is finished appearance. When you use the granite countertop tiles, you’ll have to deal with grout lines in most instances. Grout is used to fill the gaps between the tiles.

However, with practice and great skill you can substitute colored epoxy for grout. Professionals use colored epoxies to hide the seams of the large slabs used for most granite countertops. A real pro can tint the epoxy different colors along the seam to match the colors of the mineral crystals in the granite matrix. This secret trick cleverly disguises the seam. Imagine doing this between each piece of granite tile.

When you use granite tiles, you have to construct a hidden countertop that supports the tiles. This step is not necessary with the thick giant slabs. The thick one-piece granite slabs have the strength to span the open void spaces of the base cabinets.

granite countertop no support

This granite top is doomed for failure the moment someone decides to sit on it unless a support is put underneath it. © 2016 Linda Hewing Perpetual license to publish it granted to Tim Carter - AsktheBuilder.com by Linda

This hidden countertop can be fashioned with high-quality plywood that is not warped. Look for plywood that’s 3/4-inch thick and has at least six or more plys of veneer wood that are cross layered to make the plywood. More plys usually mean a plywood that is often perfectly flat.

Once the plywood countertop is fashioned and secured to the base cabinets, you’ll need to apply a second substrate that’s water resistant. Before you do this, coat the plywood with at least three coats of water-based urethane. Each coat will dry in less than an hour, and this coating will prevent the wood from rotting or warping in the event water reaches the wood.

The second substrate can be a 1/4-inch layer of cement board or a waterproof gypsum board that has a waterproof fiberglass coating. The granite tiles will be adhered to this thin substrate.

You’ll quickly discover at this point that you have an issue with the exposed edge of the plywood and thin substrate. You need to cover this unsightly edge with thin cut pieces of granite tile. If you’re lucky you may be able to discover granite countertop edging that matches your granite tile and has the shaped profile you want. But my guess is that you’ve got a better chance of winning the lottery.

You’ll need a diamond saw to cut the granite tile. You can’t use the inexpensive ceramic tile snapper tools on granite tiles. A wet saw cuts without creating any dust.

If you decide to just fashion a square edge at the countertop overhang, note that most granite tiles do not have a polished edge. You’ll have to figure out how to polish this. It’s not hard, but you do need special tools to do it.

It won’t take long for you to discover that applying the small pieces of granite to hide the plywood is problematic. The heavy granite, under the perpetual influence of gravity, will want to fall to the ground. You’ll have to devise a temporary support system until such time as the adhesive is fully cured.

You’ll also have to get special diamond drill bits to cut the circles for your sink faucet. Wait till you see what those bad boys cost. Ouch!

Once your new granite countertop is installed, you’ll discover it’s pretty easy to care for. The lighter granites need to be sealed well. These clear liquid granite sealers are easy to apply. Darker granites often are more dense, and while they need to be sealed they’re not as susceptible to staining.

I’ve discovered a great granite countertop cleaner in oxygen bleach. Oxygen bleach is a powder you mix with warm water to make a powerful cleaning solution. You just apply the liquid solution and billions of oxygen bubbles attack food stains as well as oils. Fruit juice stains and wine are also rapidly removed by oxygen bleach.

Referenced in the January 18, 2011 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

Column 860

December 5, 2010 AsktheBuilder Tips And Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

What's in This Newsletter?

Latest News
Follow Up on the Save-Energy Article
Kitchen Remodeling
Builders Show
Your Garage Door
15-second Survey
Update on my Heel Pain
Deicing Salt and Concrete
New Videos

I do product reviews frequently. Please read my Disclosure Policy to understand the relationship between me and the companies that make the products or offer the services I review.

 

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

Friendly Question Reminder!

If you have a question for me, don't hit the Reply button just yet. Go immediately to my web site and type in the keywords about your problem into my Search engine. The search box is at the top of every page of my web site. You could have your answer in seconds if you do this! Please pay attention to all links you see at my web site. The exact products and services you often need are right in front of you, and you might be ignoring them.

Latest News

I survived the planes, no trains and automobiles trip from New Hampshire to Chicago to Cincinnati, OH and then back to New Hampshire in a space of 57 hours this past week. I was joined on the journey with Brent, my new CEO of Stain Solver.

As happens this time of year because of weather issues, we just made our return flight connection in Cleveland with only minutes to spare. I so wanted a piece of pizza that another traveler was holding as we rushed from gate to gate in CLE, but there was no time to stop for food. Good thing I had my stash of cashews in my backpack.

I want to thank you for your kind words about my Roofing Checklist foopah. Some brought tears to my eyes. Look for plentiful future specials, as I got many, many emails asking if some other checklist would be on sale soon.

Follow Up on the Save-Energy Article

Carl M. contacted me after last week's newsletter where I talked about spending money to save money on heating bills. Carl said:

Your window math may be a little pessimistic. If you indeed save $1000 per year on a $15,000 investment, that is about a 6.5% return on investment! That is pretty good these days!

While it is true that the straight line payback is 15 years, few people buy windows that way.

If you borrowed the 15k from the bank at, say, 4% interest, you would have a positive cash flow your very first year, since the interest on the loan would be $600! If your point was to do the work that has the highest potential return for the least first cost, you are, of course, prudent and on target.

Best regards,
Carl

I'm spending the time on this to once again drive home a point. A slick window salesperson sitting on your sofa or at your dining room table could easily shake some of Carl's magic dust on you causing you to sign a contract that could never have a payback while you own the home.

Carl's numbers and logic are correct - assuming you're looking at it from the *investment* angle. But it misses the point in my opinion. To get that return on investment that he's talking about, you must SPEND or BORROW money. His last paragraph clears it all up.

Bottom Line: You never ever SAVE money on any energy upgrade until such time as the energy savings pay you back, with interest, the complete amount of money you SPENT. After that, you do begin to reap savings.

Kitchen Remodeling

Just after Christmas, I'll be starting a major kitchen remodeling job here. I'll be taping many videos. What exact things or steps would you like to see? Do me a HUGE favor and respond to this email but do two things:

  1. Change the Subject Line to: Kitchen Videos
  2. Erase the content of the newsletter and just tell me briefly what steps you'd like to see.

Builders Show

I'll be attending the Builders Show the second week of January. It's in Orlando, FL. I may have time to arrange a meet up if you live in or near Orlando. I'm also considering a two-day stay at the end of that week just south of St. Petersburg. I may be able to grab a drink with you there. I'll have more about this just after Christmas. If you're interested, reply to this email and let me know. If you're a golfer, I can bring my sticks and we can play.

Your Garage Door

When was the last time you checked the hardware on your garage door? Look for loose bolts on all hinges and hardware. Have you lubricated the wheels and bearings with some of the aerosol lubricants? Do NOT try to adjust the spring yourself or work on the bottom brackets where the cables attach that lift the doors. Leave that to a garage-door professional.

PLEASE HELP ME With This 15-Second Survey

I've had a major epiphany over the past week. But I really need your help. Would you please answer just one question? Well, it may be two questions depending on how you answer the first one.

Allow me to set the stage.

Let's assume you've got a problem with your home. You come to my AsktheBuilder.com website. There's a possibility you're experiencing a high degree of anxiety, because your problem could be serious.

Maybe a pipe is leaking. Maybe there is a horrible odor at your home. Maybe you've ruined 3 pieces of expensive crown molding making the wrong miter cuts - Yes, I've sold a fantastic Crown Molding eBook for about 10 years!

But I digress.

After searching at my website for 30 or 40 seconds for your answer, something happens. What is that something? Click this link to discover WHAT might happen, and then please answer the question(s).

 

Update on my Heel Pain

Two weeks ago, I told you about my plantar fasciitis problem. I want to thank you for your great advice! I told you about a shoe that I saw that may help. Several days ago I got this email:

Dear Tim,

As a regular follower of your Newsletter, I read your November 16th Newsletter with great interest regarding the MBT shoes you mentioned. Like you described, I too have suffered from this heel pain for years and despite great care in the selection of my shoes and use of orthopedic inserts, I still experience problems. So I was very eager to try these shoes.

I located a local retailer here in Montreal that sells them and went to try them on. I have to say that they are so comfortable that I did not want to take them off in the store. After the long walk from the mall parking lot to the shoe store, my heels were sore. When I tried on these shoes, I felt instant relief. After two weeks, the difference is amazing. I don't want to wear any other shoes! I also found there is another brand with the same sole design. These are called the Sano line made by Mephisto shoes. I now own three pairs of these unique shoes in different styles.

They are wonderful. Thank you.

Best regards,
George

As for my situation, while on my trip this past week my dear friend Rosie, who's an RN, told me about Powerstep orthotic shoe inserts. Rosie and I went to a shoe store a mile from where we had lunch and I was fitted by Priscilla the pro. The molded shoe inserts gave me the same instant relief that George did! The inserts are pushing up on my arch which is helping to stretch the fascia. If you have the heel pain I had, you may get relief like I did. Here's what's in my shoes now. I don't get a penny from these folks.

 

Deicing Salt and Concrete

I've written extensively about deicing salts and concrete at my website. Here's the scoop. If your concrete was mixed, installed, cured and finished correctly, salt will NOT harm it. I can show you concrete sidewalks that have had salt on them each winter for decades and the surface is not pitted, scaled or spalling.

How do you know if your concrete is installed correctly? After the fact, it's pretty tough without expensive destructive testing. But if you're getting ready to have new exterior concrete installed, you need my Concrete Checklist. It'll tell you how to install it correctly and/or find the pro who can do it for you.

To protect existing concrete that you're not sure about, try this Salt Shield Sealer.

 

New Videos!

I'll have a list of new videos for you next week. Did you watch all those I sent you last week?

AsktheBuilder.com
100 Swain Rd.
Meredith, NH 03253, USA

Wood Beam

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Can you tell me a few things about the wood beam I uncovered while doing a plumbing repair? How is it possible for this beam to carry the load of everything above it? I’m worried it might not be large enough. How do I know if the beam is sized correctly? Do carpenters just guess at wood beam spans? What’s involved in wood beam calculations? It seems very complex to me. - Randy C. Montrose, CO

DEAR RANDY: Without seeing the plans for your home, and being present to do a physical look-see inspection of my own, there’s not too much I can tell you about that wood beam.

This wood beam in the center of the photo is in the same plane as the floor joists allowing it to be hidden up in the ceiling. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This wood beam in the center of the photo is in the same plane as the floor joists allowing it to be hidden up in the ceiling. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

I can tell you that if your home has been lived in for some time and if you’ve gone through several winters with heavy snow on your roof, you’re probably fine and there’s no imminent danger of collapse.

Wood beams are indeed complex. Actually, any beam is fairly complex whether it’s made from wood, steel, concrete or some combination. Structural engineers specialize in beams like this. It takes years of schooling and additional years of practical day-to-day experience with beams to understand their limits and what goes into the calculations to properly size them.

Engineers, architects, builders, etc. do wood beam calculations aided with wood beam span charts. These are not to be used by do-it-yourselfers as there are many things that can go wrong if you don’t put in the correct data when sizing a beam.

The beam in your house is successfully carrying the load because it was sized correctly and it was made from material that can handle the loads above. You’d be shocked at how strong certain species of wood are. For example, Douglas Fir, that’s the highest grade, is incredibly strong. If you take two, three or even four 2x12s and bolt them together making a beam, you’d be stunned at the amount of weight you can place on the beam before it fails.

Keep in mind that as the span increases, the amount of weight the beam can carry is reduced. Span is defined as the farthest distance between the two points along the beam where it doesn’t contact a support point. Typically a beam rests on a column or a wall. These would be the contact support points.

There are computer programs that contain wood beam span tables that can give you some idea of the load capacity of different wood beams. Some lumber mills publish these in booklet form.

You can also get modern wood beams made from engineered lumber. Beams are made from lumber strands that are glued together. I used this type of beam material in the last home I built. They performed well.

Beams can be made by gluing together flat pieces of traditional framing lumber. You can make a beam by gluing together 2x4s and 2x6s. I wouldn’t recommend doing this yourself, but I would tell you to purchase a beam made like this from a lumber company. They build the beams using the correct glue, lumber and they make sure the beam is clamped the correct time to get the maximum adhesive bond.

If you need beams sized for your home, don’t allow anyone to guess. Hire a structural engineer to do the calculations. They are pros at it.

Many people love the look of a faux wood beam. It was a popular style in the 1970’s. You often see it in homes that are trying to mimic the English Tudor style and a few others that have exposed wood in the homes.

You can make these fake beams from foam that’s made to look like rough-hewn timbers. You can also make faux wood beams with regular lumber. I’ve done it on many of my past jobs.

Wood beam design, both structural and fake, is a job for a pro unless you want to experiment. If you do decide to be a lab rat, start with fake wood beams first. Make a few mockups and hold them up to the ceiling and have someone look at them to make sure they are the right scale.

That’s where most rookies make a mistake. A faux wood beam on two saw horses may look splendid, but when lifted up and secured to a ceiling it can look like a puny racing stripe on a vaulted ceiling.

Architects and designers know all about scale. Trust a professional when it comes to wood beams of all types.

Column 859

November 28, 2010 AsktheBuilder Tips And Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

What's in This Newsletter?

Holiday News
New Videos
Save on Heating Bills
Roofing Checklist Survey and Sale
Storing Important Home/House Information
New Video Listing

I do product reviews frequently. Please read my Disclosure Policy to understand the relationship between me and the companies that make the products or offer the services I review.

 

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

 

Friendly Question Reminder!

If you have a question for me, don't hit the Reply button just yet. Go immediately to my web site and type in the keywords about your problem into my Search engine. The search box is at the top of every page of my web site. You could have your answer in seconds if you do this! Please pay attention to all links you see at my web site. The exact products and services you often need are right in front of you, and you might be ignoring them.

The past two weeks have been a blur. Now we're in final approach for Christmas. Yesterday I hung some great LED Christmas lights on our deck railing. I love seeing them through the glass doors at night as I go to bed. The color in the energy-efficient LED lights is so intense.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I went shooting with my son. He recently purchased a WW II Russian Mosin Nagant carbine rifle and  wanted to do some target shooting. The muzzle flash from that carbine is amazing. I can see why soldiers who came back from the war had hearing problems. We were both wearing great hearing protection and it was still loud. 

It's great to have a hobby I can share with my son. He's so knowledgeable about guns as he's studying video game art and animation. Guns happen to be a big part of many of these games, and it pays to know about them as you create them in a game. 

New Videos

Over the past two weeks since I've been back from my road trip, I've been taping many videos. There's been a lot to tape at the new home site just south of my home. Steve the builder is doing a fabulous job. The links to all the new videos are at the end of this newsletter.

I hope to chronicle the entire process of this home. I also will have some great kitchen remodeling videos for you soon.

 

Save on Heating Bills

Every year I get the same press releases from all sorts of companies. They say to caulk gaps, check your furnace, install insulation, new windows and doors, etc. all in an effort to save money on your fuel bills. I'll beat the drum once more: You only start to Save Money on an improvement once you've recaptured in fuel SAVINGS the money you spent on the improvement.

Some things like a few tubes of caulk have a quick payback time. But things like new windows, that could easily cost in excess of $10,000, might not begin to generate real savings for you for well over ten years or more.

Here's an example at my own home. Last year I spent about $4,000 on propane. The majority went to heating costs, some went to cooking and some for hot water. Let's just say that $3,000 went to heating.

Imagine I get new windows put in that claim to save me 35% on my fuel bill. Let's say the total installed price is $15,000. I have to write a check for that as soon as the windows are finished. I'm out $15,000 in cash - money that could have been spent on propane.

Let's assume I do save 35% on fuel. In my case, that would be a little over $1,000 per heating season. Forget about interest on your money, the fact that propane may go up in price and that winter weather could change requiring more or less propane. It would take about 14 years for me just to break even. I have to recapture $15,000 in fuel savings to BREAK EVEN. Once I do that, then I start to SAVE money.

The bottom line is that you can save money NOW. Install a programmable thermostat. Train it to go no higher than you can tolerate. Try not to let the temperature get above 60 F. This means you wear more clothes, long underwear, sweaters, even a hooded sweatshirt while indoors. You may own these clothes. You only spend the money for the thermostat. 

Yes, it's chilly at 60 F, but you'd be surprised how warm you can get at that temperature if you're bundled up inside. If you want to flit around your house in shorts, a tee shirt and no socks, then be prepared to pay for that luxury. 

 

Roofing Checklist Survey and SALE

The last newsletter I asked for your help. As usual, you really came through for me. The survey responses were amazing.

I asked about your fears, frustrations, wants and desires when getting a new roof. 

You also told me you wanted the best roof for the best price. I can do that for you. I HAVE the product.

Here are some of the survey numbers:

  • 91% wanted an itemized cost breakdown the roofer has to complete
  • 88% of those responding wanted "Questions to ask the roofer to see if he's a pro"
  • 56% wanted photos of roofing materials 
  • 44% wanted short videos to watch to see how to "easily discover a pro roofer in your town"

It turns out that my existing Roofing Checklist contains ALL these things! It's easy to use and it shows you how to find the true professional roofer that WILL give you the leak-free roof you truly desire.

Just before the survey was published, I got this email from Jay Berkowitz. who lives in Florida:

" ... My roof is going to cost $25,000 (we bought your checklist recently). $17 or $37 for the expertise to not get ripped off is almost too good to be true. I would easily pay $97 if I knew I could save $3,000 with the information you'll give me."

Jay brings up two great points. First, my Roofing Checklist no doubt will save you money because you'll get a roof that will be done right the first time - no need to have someone come in to fix leaks. Second, my Checklist buys you peace of mind. You'll have the pro contractor at your home.

Jay may be right about the price. Perhaps my Roofing Checklist "Cheat Sheet" is priced too low. Maybe it's time to do some price testing to see if Jay's right. 

Here's what I'll do. I'll leave the checklist at it's current $17 for the next three days. After midnight on Tuesday (November 30, 2010), I'll start to test the price at the $37 price point. If you do the math, it means right now I'm offering it at a whopping 54% discount from what the price may be going forward.

You may want to buy one now to have it handy when your roof needs to be redone. Remember, it comes with my standard No-Hassle Money-Back Guarantee. It's an Instant Download PDF file in living color!

Remember, the $17 price may be a thing of the past in just 3 days. You've got nothing to lose. Buy it now. I guarantee you'll be blown away by it, just as Jay was.

Storing Important Home/House Information

I had a great conversation after Thanksgiving with a dear friend Patricia Allen. She's moving and has a mountain of paper organized neatly in file cabinets. Some of these papers are things that are very important to her and deal with her house. As you can imagine, those cabinets are heavy and they take up valuable floor space!

I have that same problem, but I'm rapidly moving away from paper. For the past year, all incoming paperwork has been scanned. All I need to do is scan some past documents that are very important and I'll have very little use for manila folders and file cabinets.

Pat and I talked about the amazing Fuji Snapscan Scanner that we use here at AsktheBuilder.com in an effort to go as paperless as possible. This unbelievable scanner can scan a two-sided document at one pass and is incredibly fast. I know many who have the scanner and they rave about it.

http://go.askthebuilder.com/fujiscanS1500M  

That's an affiliate link. If you end up buying the one I have, I get a small commission from Amazon. NOTE: The link takes you to the Mac version. If you have a PC, then you'll see the PC model at the BOTTOM of the page.

This Fuji scanner creates great PDF documents that are easily searchable on your PC. This allows you to find something quickly if you forget what folder you saved a document, bill or invoice. All you need to know is you know the keywords to look for. 

Here's how the search works. Let's say you know the company name of a set of invoices. Using the file search feature on your PC, enter in the company name like "Ace Plumbing" or "Stick-it-to-Me Propane Company". Boom, in an instant you have all the scanned documents with that name in front of you to open and review.

But keep in mind you have to make copies of these electronic files in case your computer crashes. Pat said she uses one of the companies you may see ads for on TV. Think carbon. I mentioned, "What happens if they go belly up? How do you get access to their servers where your files are if they go out of business?" 

After a pause, I then blurted, "Google Documents allows you to upload files to their servers for free. Do you think Google's going out of business anytime soon?" I know I don't. If you exceed the free upload space, you can rent more space easily from Google.

Consider one of your New Year's resolutions to go paperless. It's so easy to find things when you need them!

 

New Video Listing

This will keep you busy!

And finally, a silly video I shot while on my road trip a month ago. Sorry about the wind noise. My wife stopped watching the video halfway through when I made a fool of myself.

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/timcartertv#p/a/u/1/Os39bAvBjKM

AsktheBuilder.com
100 Swain Rd.
Meredith, NH 03253, USA

Engraved Brick

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I’ve seen engraved brick on different plazas in public places. An idea popped into my head that one could possibly engrave just about anything into a brick or series of brick. I was thinking of having a special poem placed on several brick for my patio. Is this possible? Are there different ways to engrave brick? Lisa M., Orlando FL

DEAR LISA: Engraved brick pavers are nothing new, that’s for sure. Visit any number of towns that still have exposed brick streets, and you’ll see that brick can be imprinted, engraved, sandblasted and even scored with high-precision lasers. I wish I had a photo of the brick that are used in the streets of Athens, Ohio. Some of these engraved brick are well over 100 years old and look as good as the day they came out of the kiln.

The nearly black letters on this brick are not paint. It's glass created from a laser that melted the silica-rich clay in the brick. This glass is permanently bonded to the brick and can last decades, if not well over 100 years. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

The nearly black letters on this brick are not paint. It's glass created from a laser that melted the silica-rich clay in the brick. This glass is permanently bonded to the brick and can last decades, if not well over 100 years. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

There are several reasons the Athens, Ohio brick look so good. One is that the brick were made from a very dense clay that was fired in a hot kiln for a long time. This vitrifies the brick and transforms the clay into a very hard rock. The heat of the kiln causes the mineralogy of the clay to change.

In addition, those brick were stamped before they were fired in the kiln. This important step allows the edges of the stamped letters to become very hard and resistant to wear.

Many modern engraved brick start with regular paving brick that may not be as hard as they can be and the letters and characters are sandblasted into the brick after the brick is fired in the kiln. If the brick is not that hard, the sandblasting reveals a softer layer under the skin of the brick that may not last for decades under harsh weather or wear conditions.

I’m a fan of laser engraved brick. The reason is pretty simple. The high-powered laser can create very crisp lines along the letters. The laser melts the clay in the brick turning it to glass. Yes, glass. Because the brick has a high silica content, this glass surface wears like iron. The glass surface of each letter is permanently bonded to the brick because the laser welds or simply melts the clay. It’s not a coating as you might find on some less expensive brick.

Just about anything can be engraved on a brick. Most fonts, drawings, symbols, logos, etc. can be easily engraved onto a brick. The brick are available in different colors, so there’s a great chance you can find one you like.

As crazy as this sounds, you can even have a child’s scribble drawing engraved permanently in a brick or series if brick if you want it full scale. If it can be scanned, it probably can be laser engraved.

The best part of the laser engraved brick is they require no maintenance. If they get dirty, just hose them off.

Remember that traditional sandblasted or deeply carved brick engraving is not necessarily the best thing. The deeper the grooves that create the letters, the more susceptible they are to permanent damage. Think of the capital letters A and R. The grooves create a small inside island of brick. If these break off, the letter becomes somewhat illegible.

Laser engraving doesn’t create these issues. The laser cuts a shallow area out of the brick, but because the resulting glass is dark, it’s very legible and will remain so for decades, if not centuries.

The bottom line is that you can have that poem engraved on brick. It’s going to look gorgeous. Take your time and be sure to order some sample brick to make sure you get the color you want.

It’s also very important to get the correct sized font. Remember, people will be standing up reading the poem, so the font has to be fairly large. The brick engraving company can send you one or more sample brick you can place at your feet to test. Make sure you can read them clearly.