September 14, 2010 AsktheBuilder Tips And News

Posted on by Tim Carter

What's in This Issue?

Fall is Near
Wall Control Special Offer
Tomboy Tools Tool Belt
Rally Driving School
Last Week's Survey Results

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.

Fall is just around the corner here in New Hampshire. It's my favorite season by far. The swamp maples are the first trees to change color, and that's starting right now. I'll be doing my best to get some photos for you and will share them.

Unpacking is still happening as a result of the move. It's my hope to complete that this week. All I can say about that is Ugh. Some of the things I brought with me from the workshop in my Cincinnati house were the hardware hangers that were on my metal pegboard made by Wall Control.

The real estate contract treated the actual metal panels as fixtures as they were permanently attached to the wall in my workshop. But the hangers, shelves, tool holders, etc. are not permanent as you can easily move them from one position to another. Because I LOVE the Wall Control system so much, there was no way I was leaving that stuff behind.

I contacted Rich and Richard Grove, the owners of Wall Control, to see if they would create a special offer just for my AsktheBuilder.com readers. I wanted you to see for yourself why I love this garage, workshop, laundry room, etc. storage solution. The said Yes!

Richard came up with three complete kits for you. The trouble is they have limited inventory. That makes sense because of the economy, prudent business financial money management, and just-in-time product flow. Bottom line: If you want the wall storage solution I have at a great discounted price, then you need to act now. Here's the link to the three special offers.

Tomboy Tools Tool Belt

Whew, try to say that three times fast! This weekend I tried to tape a video of a very cool tool belt sent to me by Cindi Dugger. Cindi is a rep in the Midwest for TomBoy Tools.

For any number of reasons it didn't happen. We absolutely are going to tape the video on Wednesday morning if the weather cooperates. I've got a perfect outdoor location to show it off.

Wait till you see this video. I promise you'll love it as will Cindi and the management team at TomBoy Tools. Once the video is complete, the tool belt will be shipped to a young woman who's anxiously awaiting its arrival.

Rally Driving School

This is not home-improvement related, but it may be of great interest to you if you have a driver’s license. I've been invited to attend this Thursday the TeamO'Neil Driving School in Dalton, NH. This is a unique driving school that can teach you how to be a better driver. I'll be there at a Ford Motor Company event, and will share video with you as soon as possible.

This could be a great gift idea for you or a loved one in your life.

Last Week's Survey Results

In the last newsletter, I asked you to please partake in a survey to help guide what's going to happen at the LIVE AsktheBuilder.com event a month from now here in New Hampshire. We've picked the day, October 16th and it should start around 10ish in the morning. I'll be at Cabinetry Concepts located at 227 Mechanic Street, Lebanon, NH 03766. We are giving away some really great prizes, and everyone will walk away with fistfuls of coupons worth thousands of dollars. It really will be worth you driving hundreds of miles to get there.

Now, back to the survey. The results were astonishing.

It appears I'm going to talk about the top five questions and requests I get week in week out about building and remodeling. What's more, I'll also run the event like my radio show of 12 years. We'll spend at least one hour answering your question(s) about whatever problem or dilemma you have at your home. If you can bring photos or a drawing to help describe the situation, do so.

When you look at the survey results, the "Other" choice was enlightening to say the least. What I discovered is that my AsktheBuilder.com website needs a redesign. There were hundreds of questions in the survey responses that I've already answered at my website in great detail.

You seem to be having trouble finding these answers that are right there waiting for you. If you have a question or problem, use the Search Engine on every page of my website and work it to death. Type in a word or phrase describing what you need.

When reading through all of these "Other" responses, I shook my head as time after time I had a column, video, ebook, checklist, etc. already finished that answered the question. Here are some examples of the actual questions you might have asked. I had Roger, my assistant, go find answers that were already there for you. You'll see those links just below each question:

I Love Your Fire Pit and Would like to Know How to Build One, I Have a Lot of Space.
https://www.askthebuilder.com/fire-pit/

or, were you asking about my other Fire Pit????

How to Get an Honest Contractor, the Do's and Don'ts What to Look out For; Thanks
We Plan to Build a House Soon. Tips on Finding a Home Contractor.
Discuss How to Pick a Contractor
https://www.askthebuilder.com/how-to-find-a-professional-contractor/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/the-contractor-selection-interview/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/50-contractor-interview-questions/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/find-a-pro-by-asking-the-right-questions/

Note: Everyone of my Checklists has FOUR secret videos that show you exactly how to find the pro!!!

Ice Dam & Gutter Covers
https://www.askthebuilder.com/causes-of-ice-dams/
http:/www.askthebuilder.com/preventing-ice-dams/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/gutter-guards---do-they-really-work/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/gutter-guard/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/gutter-guard-video/

Installing Hardwood Floors
https://www.askthebuilder.com/hardwood-floor/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/hardwood-floor-installation/

Unfinished Basements--where to Start!
https://www.askthebuilder.com/basement-remodeling---what-happens-when-/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/basement-remodeling-video/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/basement-unfinished-space-finishing-construction-tips/

Chimney Crown Crack Repair
https://www.askthebuilder.com/cracks-in-a-new-chimney/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/chimney-crown-repairs/

New Green Energy Heating & Cooling Systems That Are Viable in this Economy, Thanks
https://www.askthebuilder.com/heating-cost/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/solar-energy/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/energy-savings-video/

Hardscapes. It's the Only Reason I Get this Newsletter.
https://www.askthebuilder.com/landscape-design/

Cleaning Grout Easily
Cleaning Floor Tile and Grout
https://www.askthebuilder.com/how-to-clean-grout/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/easy-tile-grout-cleaning/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/easy-tile-grout-cleaning/#Video

Drainage
https://www.askthebuilder.com/category/qa/outdoor/drainage/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/a-simple-trench-drain/

Stain Removal
https://www.askthebuilder.com/cleaning-concrete-oil-spots/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/removing-mildew-from-grout/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/mold-removaloxygen-bleach/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/rust-removal-from-concrete-pavers/

Stains? You got stains? That's what my Stain Solver is all about.

Grout Sealing Materials (Best)
https://www.askthebuilder.com/grout-sealer-video/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/tile-grout-sealing-caulking/

Pressure Washing
https://www.askthebuilder.com/pressure-washers-work/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/deck-pressure-washer-video/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/how-to-clean-a-deck/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/pressure-washer-basics-video/

How to Find Someone like You. I Live in Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
Tim Clones - Not available at the Big Box Stores!!

Hmmmmmm. This could be a major opportunity. Did you see the movie Multiplicity?

How to Plan a Multi-use Garage Building
https://www.askthebuilder.com/garage-plans-construction-costs/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/the-dream-garage---it-has-lots-of-room/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/ideal-garage-plans---tips/

Resurface Concrete
https://www.askthebuilder.com/resurfacing-concrete/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/concrete-resurfacing/
https://www.askthebuilder.com/concrete-overlay/

See what I mean? There are thousands and thousands of answers at the website. You just might be shocked at what you discover if you use that Search Engine of mine!

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

Tile Grout Sealing / Caulking

September 8, 2010 Newsletter Boo-Boo

Posted on by Tim Carter

Dumb Mistake!

In yesterday's newsletter, I asked you to partake in a survey. You'd be stunned to discover the results that are continuing to stream in.

I would've NEVER guessed in a million years what the most popular topic is at this point. I'll publish all the results next issue, but that's not why I'm reaching out to you. If you want to see the topics in the survey, a link is just below.

It turns out I made several mistakes when asking you to take the short one-question survey, that's right - ONE question. And with today's economy the way it is, it was a BIG boo boo.

Here's what I forgot to tell you:

1. The survey has ONE question, and will take you about 20 seconds to complete.

2. I failed to tell you what you'd get if you took the survey.

3. I goofed up and forgot to tell you the thing I was giving away had an expiration date.

As Napoleon Dynamite would say, "Idiot!"

It's this simple: Take the survey, and you get a 10-percent-off promo code to use at my shopping cart. This means you can save money now on all checklists, bundles of checklists, a 15-minute phone consult with me, all my eBooks, DVDs, and of course Stain Solver!

The worst part is that my assistant Roger set the promo code to expire tomorrow night (September 10, 2010) at midnight Pacific Time. (Yes, I told him to do that, but that's not the point.) Let's just focus on the fact that it expires, and SOON.

Please go take the one-question survey now and take advantage of the promo code that's about to disappear.  Here's the link to the survey:  Tim's One Question Survey

Thanks! More AsktheBuilder.com news next week.

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

September 8, 2010 AsktheBuilder Tips And News

Posted on by Tim Carter

What’s in This Issue?

Latest News
Roofing Checklist & Telephone Seminar
Shopping Cart Rewards Program
Trex Decking & Spots
AsktheBuilder October Event
Fall Tool Storage Tip
Latest Columns
Fire Pit

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 unpacking continues up here in New Hampshire. I have days/weeks of work ahead of me, but I'm making progress. Now that we're past Labor Day, the lake is tranquil. I know those who come up here for the summer are sad to go home, but there will be next season! Two months from now, we'll be cranking my dock out of the water. We wait for the last possible day to do it, because it's a sad day for us.

Before starting that process we have a humorous ceremony at the end of the dock. We ask Mother Nature to cast a protective spell on the lake and all creatures in and above it who enjoy its splendor. This all makes sense if you could come up here and see the lake, or loch as we call it here at the Looney Bin.

Roofing Checklist and Telephone Seminar

I promised you that I'd have the information about the exciting live seminar where I get to answer your questions about roofing. Well, I'm working out all the details in the next few days. Watch for the actual announcement next week. Oh, it's going to be tons of fun and you'll come away with a ton of information about your roof!

Shopping Cart Rewards Program

Roger, my right-hand virtual assistant, set up a few months back a great Rewards program at the shopping cart. Your loyalty and repeat purchases enable you to get automatic future discounts. We feel you should be rewarded for your allegiance to AsktheBuilder.com! You can get the complete rundown at the shopping cart.

Here's the Executive Summary: When you complete your fifth purchase, you get 10 percent off your next few purchases. If you continue to patronize the store, after you complete your ninth purchase, your discount jumps to 15 percent. Tell me that isn't a sweet deal. To qualify for these discounts, you must create an account at the store. Be sure to use a password you remember.

Speaking of the cart, this Sunday we have to work under the hood. Sometime between 4 am and Noon ET on Sunday the cart will not be available for about an hour.

Trex Decking and Spots

Two days ago, I wrote a column about a real issue on at least two decks I know of, mine and Trish's in Connecticut. If you have a composite deck, especially a Trex one, you should read this column. It may explain why your deck is not looking like you remember it on the day it was installed.

AsktheBuilder EVENT in October - Plan to Attend!

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Ro Wyman, Lauren Collins and Abbey Taylor of Cabinetry Concepts in Lebanon, NH. Kathy and I visited their wonderful showroom so we could start to finalize the details about redoing our kitchen here at our NH house. We've decided to use Plato cabinets, and they're a distributor for these amazing cabinets.

Last week, Ro asked me if I'd consider doing a live presentation at their showroom on an upcoming Saturday in October. I jumped at that chance as these events are a ton of fun. I get to meet you and you get to walk away with some free knowledge, possible prizes, and some very sweet deals. Even though you may not live in NH or VT, you may want to do a road trip to come to the event. There's great scenery and everyone is going to walk away with either prizes or unbelievable coupons. Keep reading.

But I'm need your help to determine what we're going to do that day. In other words, if you had a magic wand and waved it, what would you have me say or do? What would motivate you to come to Lebanon, NH that crisp Saturday in October?

If this event attracts the crowd I believe it will, it could turn into a road trip across the country. I did five city road show about ten years ago for the wood industry. It was a blast. Please complete this survey (survey now closed) to help guide what we're going to do together. You get a sweet treat from me after you finish the survey. Read the Boo-Boo Newsletter about this survey.

I'm arranging to have some great tools and other things to give away as door prizes. The fine folks at Plato have agreed to give away, to those who walk through the door, a special coupon good for a whopping 10 percent discount off their cabinets. That one coupon could be worth THOUSANDS of dollars alone should you have a new or remodeled kitchen happening soon at your home!

If you're a PR person and want me to give away one of your client's tools or products, email me immediately.

I'll have the exact date for you next week, but it's looking like October 9th. Remember, that's tentative. I'll lock in the date no later than next week. I'd love to see you at this event!

Remember, there's a SURPRISE for you after you take the survey.

Fall Tool Storage Tip

If you're getting ready to store yard tools like shovels, rakes, etc. after their final use, be sure to clean them and apply a light coat of oil to any steel surfaces. The oil helps prevent rust from condensation that will form on the tools before you next use them.

Don't forget about garden hoses! Remove them from your frost-proof hose bibs and TURN the water on briefly after disconnecting the hose. This allows the bib to drain so it won't freeze over the winter.

Latest Columns

Do you struggle with your Workshop Storage issues?
Trying to determine the true Building Cost of a project?
Do you want a Vintage Tub in your bathroom?
What about Fire Sprinkler Work? The building code has been revised.
What are your options when it comes to Porch Decking?

Tim Carter's Fire Pit

This past week we had two great fires at the fire pit next to the lake. Part of the chatter as the flames illuminated the darkness at water's edge drifted to what I routinely talk about at my other NON-home-improvement website. You may like what you see there.

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

Live Clinic Survey Thank You

Posted on by Tim Carter

Thank you for taking part in the AsktheBuilder Live Clinic Survey.

As a thank you for your time, we are offering you a 10% discount on any and all items in the AsktheBuilder Store. This discount is good on any purchase. But hurry, the discount code ends Friday, September 10, 2010 at midnight, Pacific Time.

To receive your discount, use the code Survey10 when checking out at the AsktheBuilder Store.

Trex Decking

Posted on by Tim Carter
dark spots on composite decking

These dark spots on the composite decking are a mixture of algae, mildew or some other mold growth. Oxygen bleach almost always will restore the original look. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: We have Trex decking that we put down in 2008. The Trex lumber has developed dark spots all over it. It started with a few and has multiplied over the two-year period. What, in your opinion, is causing the spotting? How can it be removed? Is there anything that can be done to prevent the ugly spots? We purchased this material thinking it would be maintenance-free and are very unhappy. Trish A., Bristol, CT

DEAR TRISH: You’re not the first consumer to reach out to me with this issue about Trex composite decking. You’ll not be the last. What’s more, I have personal experience with this decking material as it’s on two very large decks and my front porch at my New Hampshire home. I didn’t install it, the previous owner did when the house was built eight years ago.

 

My own Trex decking has spotting issues, algae growth, and uneven coloration issues. As you might imagine, I’ve got lots of experience with decks of all types being involved with them for over 36 years. Believe it or not, it’s highly unlikely that the decking material itself is causing the entire problem. The issues you’re having can happen on just about any decking material. However, your deck and mine might be more prone to issues for a number of reasons.

The dark spots on your deck, based on the photo you sent me, appear to be mold and mildew. This spotting can happen on any deck. Mold and mildew feed on natural materials such as wood fiber, natural sugars, dirt, dust, grease, oils, and food. If you have trees or other vegetation near your deck shading the decking, these might be manufacturing airborne sugars that coat the deck.

Some trees produce more of this than others. Perhaps you’ve seen this sap coat a freshly cleaned car that’s parked under a tree. The spots show up easily on the high-gloss surface of a car paint job, but are tough to detect on a flat finish such as your deck boards. The sugars can float through the air from trees near the deck.

The mold and mildew can also feed directly off of the wood fibers in your Trex decking. The FAQ page at the Trex web site clearly states that “ ... most of the materials used in making Trex are recycled ...” They go on to state that “ ... the materials are carefully processed to ensure the highest level of quality and performance.” However, it’s possible that mold and mildew spores could be already present in the raw recycled wood material that’s used to make the decking.

Add to this the possibility that the wood fibers in the decking may not have any preservative added to them at the factory. If this is the case, then the wood fibers, or concentrated areas of them in the decking could easily support the growth of mold and mildew. I see it happening on my own Trex deck.

A visit to the Trex decking web site reveals they have a comprehensive cleaning guide that may help you. They are quick to point out that a powerful pressure washer, one that delivers a pressure stream greater that 1,500 pounds per square inch (psi), is to be avoided. What’s more, never hold the pressure wand closer than 12 inches from the decking surface. A concentrated stream of high-pressure water can erode the wood fibers that’s in the decking.

EB015 Cleaning & Sealing Deck eBoo Cover

No deck is maintenance free, not even the expensive composite decks. All will have to be periodically cleaned from time to time.

I personally have had the best luck cleaning my Trex deck with oxygen bleach is that it removes the gray coloration from the small wood fibers in my Trex making it look like new. The sun’s UV rays cause the wood fibers in the decking to turn gray.

I apply the oxygen-bleach solution and allow it to sit for 15 minutes never allowing it to evaporate. It’s best to work early or late in the day when the decking is in the shade. After the wait period, use a stiff scrub brush to clean the decking. Rinse with clear water from a garden hose. You’ll be amazed at how clean and new the decking will look.

Some spotting you see may not be mold or mildew. I see that on my own Trex decking. I’ve studied this very closely with a magnifying glass and believe it to be a manufacturing characteristic. It appears that the dark spots are areas where there is a higher concentration of the recycled colored plastic.

Stain Solver Bottle with scoopIf this is the case, it make sense that over time you’ll see uneven coloration as the thin film of plastic wears off those areas nearby that have more wood fibers than plastic.

I’ve visited a manufacturing plant where composite decking is made and saw how the wood fibers and plastic are kept separate until just before they enter the extruding machine. Although the manufacture makes every effort to mix the ingredients evenly, I can see how it’s possible that this doesn’t always happen.

Referenced: September 8, 2010 Newsletter.

Column 847

August 31, 2010 AsktheBuilder Tips And News

Posted on by Tim Carter

What’s in This Issue?

Latest News
Grouting Ceramic Tile
Warranty Cards and Secret Paint Sale?
Moving Tip
Special Gray Primers
Roofing Masters Degree
My Fire Pit

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.

Since the last newsletter, I’ve moved my entire family to New Hampshire. This event, by far, is the most stressful thing I’ve ever done in my life. Well, maybe a few encounters with the one customer from Hell I had comes pretty close. Actually, you have that customer to thank for receiving this newsletter. She drove me out of the day-to-day construction business. AsktheBuilder.com was the offspring of my encounter with Peggy. Thank you Peggy!

The process of using a professional mover and interacting with them was so profound, that I’ve decided to build a website about moving. I want to share what happened to me and what I would do different. I’ll be working on that as soon as the leaves fall from the trees up here in New Hampshire. Fall is my favorite season, and Kathy and I plan to take as many day trips as possible to enjoy our first autumn together up here in God’s country.

As I write this, Hurricane Earl has his eye on the East Coast. Let’s hope he doesn’t cause too much havoc. I hope you aren’t affected adversely by this storm.

I’m slowly digging out from the move. It will take weeks. Did you see the first Indiana Jones movie - Raiders of the Lost Ark? Remember the final scene where the crated Ark of the Covenant was being stored in that unnamed government warehouse? That’s what my garage up here in NH looks like! I have a narrow channel I can walk down from end to end. Hundreds of boxes are stacked floor to ceiling. Accckkkk!

While I was back in Cincinnati closing on the house and doing the final packing with my very good friend Roger, I received a boatload of tools and things to test. That tool testing will be happening soon. One of the most interesting things that came is a very cool tool belt. If all goes well, I’ll be shooting a video of this toolbelt just after Labor Day. That video will be loaded immediately to the website and you’ll be the first to hear about it. Well, not really. If you want to be in the first group to know when my videos go live, you need to subscribe to my YouTube channel.  http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/askthebuilder

After I tape the tool belt video, a certain young lady and the woman who sent me the tool belt are going to be very happy people. You’ll not want to miss this video.

Grouting Ceramic Tile

About sixteen months ago, I taped a series of four videos about how to grout a ceramic tile floor using sanded grout. They were fun videos to tape, and I never suspected that they’d get such positive reviews. Each week I get a comment or two about them.

Here’s one that came in overnight from Ryan Merkley who lives in Toronto, Canada:

Hi Tim,

I don't have a question, just wanted to pass on a word of sincere thanks. Your four videos on how to grout were exactly what I needed to renovate our kitchen floor. The job looks great, and I couldn't have done it without your clear, concise guidance.

Thank you,

Ryan

The first video in the series is:

Mixing Grout Video

Video #2 is Grouting Video

Video #3 is Finish Floor Grout Video

Video #4 is How To Grout Video

If you’re getting ready to install floor grout yourself, or you plan to have it done by someone else, you may want to watch these videos. There are many places where you can make a mistake and the tile or the grout will become a huge mess. Water is both your ally and enemy when grouting. Think of it as a possible double agent.

Warranty Cards and Secret Paint Sale?

You may be one of my subscribers that’s become a friend. David from Florida is one. From time to time he sends me great news items and things he feels would help you. Overnight he sent me two items.

First, it appears that Sears may stop selling paint. He reported that he got tremendous buys on WeatherBeater ULTRA paint. That’s the top-line paint that I used on my own home. It’s made by Sherwin Williams and has urethane resins in it. Stop in your local Sears store to get a great deal.

Dave then told me about a new air conditioner he had installed. After reading the fine print on the warranty card, he discovered that if he delayed sending it in, the parts warranty dropped from 10 years to 5 years. Are you kidding me? That’s not right.

The bottom line is that you NEED to read your warranty information on new products and take action immediately to activate all warranties on all products.

Moving Tip

If you intend to purchase a flat-screen TV and are going to move, SAVE the box and all the Styrofoam inserts. Luckily I thought about that over the past few years and saved two boxes. Professional movers will not guarantee the integrity of the TV unless it’s packed in the original box or a carton made to accept these TVs. Throw that box up in your attic as I did and use it when you get ready to move.

Special Gray Primers

The giant family room in the house up here in New Hampshire was painted a garish color of red courtesy of the previous owners. I tolerated it the two years I lived here, but knew Kathy would hate it.

The morning after Kathy, Kelly, Tristan and I got up here, my oldest daughter Meghan and my videographer Brent pitched in to repaint the room a gorgeous vibrant green. The success of the project rested in covering the red with a few coats as possible. I instructed Meghan and Brent to use a special gray primer that was the same intensity of the color of green Kathy selected,

Read my past column on these little-known special gray primers. You’ll do one of those V-8 forehead slaps after you read this column:

Special Gray Primer

Suffice it to say the new color put Kathy in a great mood. The correct primer made it that we only needed one coat of finish paint.

Roofing Masters Degree

Just after Labor Day, I’m kicking off a massive project that will stretch through the winter months. I gathered research on this about a month ago. Perhaps you took the survey. I discovered what checklists you need the most, and I’m getting ready to do a one-hour telephone crash course on *each* of the topics. Yes, you and I can get on the phone together. It’s going to be just like the 12 years I did a two-hour radio show each week. I’m really looking forward to it.

You’ll have the opportunity to partake in a giant conference call where I answer question after question about a topic. The best part is that you get to submit the questions!

The first conference call is going to be about Roofing. If you have to replace your roof soon or are building a new home and want to make sure the roof is installed correctly, then you absolutely want to be part of this opportunity.

I’ll be announcing the first call in the series next issue for sure. I just need one more week to dig out from all the boxes. Oh, the best part is that if you can’t make the call, you’ll be able to download the entire recording and listen to it when it’s convenient for you! Isn’t that cool?

My Fire Pit

Fall is here and it’s time for many a night by my outdoor fire pit down by the lake. I constructed a separate website about what I think about while sitting around the real fires. You may want to visit my Fire Pit website if you want to discover what’s on my mind other than home-improvement topics. Be sure to sign up for that separate newsletter.

http://www.timcartersfirepit.com

Tim Carter
Founder
AsktheBuilder.com
100 Swain Rd.
Meredith, NH 03253, USA

Floor Radiant Heat

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: My husband and I were out for a walk and saw the strangest thing. A new house under construction had parallel loops of plastic piping in the basement. We asked a contractor who was there and he said it was floor radiant heating. I’ve never seen this before. How does it work? Is infloor radiant heat effective? Are there different floor radiant heat systems? Nicole C., Meredith, NH

DEAR NICOLE: You got a rare glimpse of the innards of a floor radiant heat installation. Had you come a day or so later, all you would have seen would have been a concrete slab that looked just like every other basement floor you’ve probably seen. The plastic tubing you saw gets embedded in the wet concrete. Once the house is completed, the tubing is connected to a hot-water boiler and one or more recirculating pumps that distribute very warm water through the durable pipes.

These bright orange plastic pipes will soon have warm water flowing through them producing luxurious comfort on snowy winter days. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

These bright orange plastic pipes will soon have warm water flowing through them producing luxurious comfort on snowy winter days. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

I have a concrete floor radiant heat system in my own home. It produces the most luxurious heat I’ve ever experienced. Typically floors, especially concrete, can be cold and uncomfortable in the winter months. With radiant heating, the entire floor, or different sections or zones of the concrete, become vast heating pads transmitting the heat from the boiler to you and everything in the room.

The heat is even and the concrete acts like a massive heat sink or storage vessel. The amount of heat is controlled by a standard thermostat as you’d discover in any home. Most homes that employ radiant heat have an added benefit. A room or group of rooms is put into a zone controlled by a separate thermostat. This allows you to use energy wisely as you can easily have different parts of your home different temperatures. I have eight separate heating zones in my own home.

When you’re not in a room or rooms in different parts of the day or night, you or automatic setback thermostats can lower the temperature to save money. The zoning feature allows you to send heat to the rooms only when you’re in them. It’s a very clever system and most radiant heating contractors are very good at setting up zones that make sense to your lifestyle.

You can have subfloor radiant heat in just about any home. If you’re building new with a standard wood-frame home, you absolutely can have a wood-floor radiant heat system. The plastic tubing is affixed to the underside of the wood floor or set very close to the underside of the wood sheathing that covers the floor joists.

Electric floor radiant heat systems have been around for many years, and they continue to be used. Recently, there’s been growth in smaller systems that work well in remodeling situations like bathrooms and kitchens with tile floors. The thin electric mats create tile-floor radiant heat that feels just the same as that created by a whole-house boiler. Be sure to do the math before you think about using electric radiant heat in your entire home. It may be more costly to operate over time.

It’s even possible to have a hardwood-floor radiant heat system. The hardwood-flooring manufacturers over the past few years have worked in conjunction with the radiant-heating industry to develop standards that allow gorgeous hardwood floors to be installed just above the subfloor radiant heat piping. When done correctly, the hardwood floor does not develop unsightly cracks between each piece of flooring from extreme expansion and contraction.

If you decide to use concrete floor radiant heat, it’s very important to insulate the floor so that the heat is blocked from soaking into the earth beneath your home. Rigid foam insulation is typically placed on top of compacted granular fill material. After the foam is in place, it’s covered with a high-performance vapor barrier that prevents soil moisture from invading your basement making it damp and moldy.

You’ll often see the contractors install welded-wire steel reinforcing mats as part of the install. These are a great idea. They not only strengthen the concrete ensuring that cracks don’t grow putting stress on the plastic heating tubes, but they also help hold the plastic tubing in place during the concrete pour. The plastic tubes are attached to the steel fabric often in parallel strips one-foot apart.

Warm-floor radiant heat is nothing new. Archaeological excavation years ago uncovered evidence that Romans used radiant floor heat to keep the stone floors toasty warm in the large Roman hot baths. They discovered that stone retains heat for a long time and that it distributes the heat uniformly. It only makes sense that we’d utilize this time-tested technology with our own artificial stone - concrete!

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Cable TV Options

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I want to rearrange our furniture in our family room. This requires us to relocate our television set that gets its signal from our cable TV provider. What are my cable TV options with respect to getting the television to work? My husband says it will be very difficult to extend a new cable line behind the walls. The cable company just wants to staple a new line to either the interior wall or our exterior wall. I don’t like that one bit. What’s the best cable TV solution you can come up with in my situation? Valerie H., Salem, MA

DEAR VALERIE: I can tell you that I surely feel your pain. Believe it or not I’m in the same position as you are. My wife just moved into our home in New Hampshire and she wants our family room television on the other side of the room from where the current cable TV outlet is. I’ll be completing my research this morning to see what my cable TV offers with respect to equipment and services to get my flat screen TV to power up.

This digital television will remain black until a new cable is run to it or it’s setup in minutes to receive a wireless digital cable tv signal. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This digital television will remain black until a new cable is run to it or it’s setup in minutes to receive a wireless digital cable tv signal. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

If you have digital cable service now that’s coming into your home, you want to maintain that so you can view high-definition programming. For years this meant that you had to use a traditional cable wire to feed that signal to your television set or multiple sets throughout your home.

Your husband is probably correct. If you have a finished basement or a home on a slab, it can be problematic to extend a cable wire to another part of a room much less some other part of the house. I’m with you in that I don’t want exposed cables defacing either an interior or exterior wall of my home. I love the sleek look of a standard wall outlet that has a cable TV coaxial termination point. Better yet, I’d like to get the cable TV signal wirelessly.

If your family room has wall-to-wall carpeting, you may be able to hide the cable under the carpet along the edges of the wall. A good carpet installer can pull the carpet back off the tackless strips, hide the cable safely near the walls and then re-stretch the carpet. The installer just needs to make sure his tools don’t hurt the cable wire. Just place a piece of furniture along the wall where the cable enters into the carpet and where it exits.

If you don’t have wall-to-wall carpeting, you can accomplish the same thing but with more work. It’s possible to hide a cable wire behind a wooden toe strip molding that’s typically nailed to the bottom of a baseboard. You’d need some fancy woodworking tools or a table saw to create the channel where the cable will nest.

You’ll also need to be very careful when you secure the toe strip to the baseboard so you don’t penetrate the cable with a nail. There are tiny pin nailers that shoot very small fasteners that will attach the toe strip to the baseboard above the cable line.

Fortunately you have at least one other option. You can go wireless. It’s possible to purchase a wireless setup that allows you to place your television anywhere you want in that room. In the future or even now, it may be possible to broadcast the wireless digital signal to other rooms of your home to different TV sets that are equipped to accept the signal.

Cable TV and Internet are starting to merge. It’s been happening for a few years, but now the movement is gaining traction. Just as you have easy wireless connection to the Internet in your home and public places, you’ll be able to enjoy wireless digital television signals with relative ease.

Remember, the television signal is being broadcast from its source wirelessly in a digital format. The cable TV companies get the wireless signal and then put it into the cables you see attached to the miles of utility poles near your home. It only makes sense that you can reconvert the digital signal to a wireless one within the walls of your home once you have the right equipment and setup.

If you’re doing remodeling work or building a new home, it takes very little extra work to extend traditional cables to the various walls in a home that might eventually have a TV on or near them. In my own family room, I know for a fact that there are just three or four locations where the TV can go. It would have taken an electrician just 30 minutes or less to run a separate cable to the extra spots in the room.

Be sure to include into your budget the money needed to extend these cables. If you can’t do that, at least try to install blank conduits to these locations so you can run the cable wire without ruining the finished wall. But before you do that, cost it out. You’ll probably discover you can run the actual cable wire for the same cost and time investment of you installing blank conduit!

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Pack Moving

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I’m moving from one house to another and am overwhelmed. There seems to be so much to pack and I’m not sure how to proceed. I’ve received several bids from moving companies, and the cost for them to pack my possessions took my breath away. I’ve studied the u-pack moving options, and wonder if I’m up to the challenge. What advice do you have for moving and packing services? Have you moved recently and what can you share from the experience? Mandy S., Lima, OH

DEAR MANDY: Oh boy do I feel your pain! Just after finishing this column I’ve got to get back at it and finished packing for my own imminent move. In just two days, the giant moving truck and crew will be here to start loading my 18,000 pounds of possessions. My wife and I have done most of the packing, so we absolutely belong to the growing number of families that belong to the you pack we move clan.

These are just a few of the supplies you’ll need when you start to pack for moving yourself locally or long distance. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

These are just a few of the supplies you’ll need when you start to pack for moving yourself locally or long distance. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

I did the same thing you did and got several quotes from cross-country moving companies. The sticker shock you experienced was the same emotion I felt. It’s expensive to move, and even more so if you decide to do little or no work. You can save thousands of dollars if you pack for your move.

The core cost of the move is for the most part a function of the total weight of your belongings. If you can reduce the overall weight of what you’re transporting from one house to the next, then do it. Sell or donate the things you simply can live without.

I discovered the power of the online classified websites a few months ago. The one I’ve had the best luck with is www.Craigslist.org. I’ve sold many crazy items that I had little or no use for using this method. The cash is going to help pay for the move. Believe it or not, it’s free to use this website.

I was even able to use this same website to advertise, at no cost, a garage sale. This sale was very successful and allowed me to sell off hundreds and thousands of pounds of items. Remember, weight is your enemy come moving day.

When you pack for moving, you have to be prepared. It takes many more hours and days than you might ever imagine. My wife and I have been packing for well over two weeks, even with the help of a friend, and we still have lots to do.

You’ll need abundant supplies to help protect your valuable possessions. Sturdy cardboard boxes, rolls and rolls of tape, rolls of sheets of plastic that have sealed bubbles of air, and some old newspaper or cheap kraft paper will come in very handy.

Many moving companies will supply you with an assortment of boxes to help you pack. The dishpack cartons are the strongest as they commonly are constructed with two layers of cardboard. These will really help protect your most fragile things.

I discovered a business very close to my home that sells shipping supplies to businesses. It just so happens these are the same things you can use to help you in your move. The cost of the supplies is far less than what you’d spend at a big box store. So far I’ve used over five 250-foot rolls of sheets of plastic that have sealed bubbles of air to pack things. These rolls are 4-feet in diameter!

It’s really important to pack things you value carefully. Inside the truck, the items will rub and bump against one another. This can damage the finish on the items, so you need to be sure you wrap valuable things with something that will protect them. It may be paper, sheets of cardboard, sheets of plastic that have sealed bubbles of air, old clothes, etc. Just realize that things will get jostled around, especially if you’re doing a long-distance move as am I.

If you have to pack large items, you may have to build your own boxes. Wooden crates can be used to protect expensive items, but these can be tough to build if you’re not a carpenter. I built a large crate for a chandelier using 1-inch-thick honeycombed cardboard panels. It only took 30 minutes to tape it together with the thick corner supports.

How to pack a moving truck is a true skill and art. Blanket wrapping each piece of furniture is mandatory to prevent damage. The rocking of the truck will cause items to shift and move around if the things inside are not packed correctly and placed tightly against one another.

If you want to discover how to pack a moving van the right way, I suggest you watch a professional. I intend to do just that in a few days. There’s no doubt that all the items being moved, especially those in boxes, are separated by shape and weight. I’m guessing the heavy items most definitely will be placed on the floor of the truck with lighter items stacked on top of them. That’s just common sense, or should I say rare sense!

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