Toilet Parts

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Can you educate me on all the different toilet parts and how they work? My mom or dad never took the time to educate me, or if they did, I didn’t listen well. Now that I have my first home, I need to purchase toilet replacement parts and am clueless. My toilet appears to be fairly standard looking with a rectangular tank that rises up from the bowl. Do you think I’ll be able to replace parts easily, or will I have to call a plumber? Money is very tight now, so I’d love to be able to tackle this myself. Steve R., White Plains, NY

DEAR STEVE: I’ve never thought of myself as a Toilet Professor, but being a master plumber as well as a builder, you can bet I’ve put in my fair share of toilets. Most toilets have similar parts, as the function of activating the flush is pretty standard. The parts may look different, but they do the same thing.

This toilet looks pretty benign, but it has quite a few parts that make it work reliably. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This toilet looks pretty benign, but it has quite a few parts that make it work reliably. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

For sake of discussion and based upon your description, I’ll be describing a toilet that has a tank that stores water in it for the flush. Commercial toilets don’t typically have tanks. Those toilets use the incoming line pressure of the water supply line to do a direct flush.

Let’s start with the china parts of a toilet. Usually when you purchase a new toilet you get three parts: the bowl, tank and tank lid. The most common ones are made from clay that’s fired in a kiln. The visible parts are coated with a clear glaze that’s very close to the hardness of glass. This glazing is what allows the toilets to be cleaned fairly easily. You should never clean a toilet with an abrasive cleaner as they will scratch the glaze creating a dull appearance.

The toilet bowl has two important aspects that you need to know about. The water enters the bowl through a large hole at the top rear of the bowl. The moving water has two choices of where to go: the small holes in the underside of the bowl rim and the siphon-jet hole at the bottom of the bowl. You’ll have to peer inside the bowl to see these. Use a mirror to see the rim holes in an existing toilet.

A forceful flush happens when the water from the tank rushes quickly into the bowl. Water passing through the syphon-jet hole pushes water out of the bowl into the drain line in the floor. Water that passes through the rim holes is supposed to wash the sides of the bowl.

Water enters your toilet through a shut-off valve that’s connected to a water line that either comes out of a wall or up through a floor. These valves sometimes will not shut off the water to the toilet as sediment builds up inside them. A flexible line pipes water between the valve and the bottom of the toilet tank. I love the new braided lines that you can practically tie in a knot.

Inside the tank you’ll see a menagerie of confusing parts. The two parts that cause the most frustration for homeowners are the fill valve and the flapper valve. The base of the fill valve connects to the flexible water supply line. The flapper valve connects to the giant hole that’s in the bottom of the tank.

In the past 30 years, there’s been an engineering revolution with both valves. Old toilets had a float ball that connected via an arm to the fill valve. You may still have this type. Newer fill valves have the float ride up the center core of the fill valve. These newer valves almost always provide a full-flow fill until the moment the water shuts off. Older valves were plagued with whistling noise as they aged.

The flapper valve is typically a round disk that’s connected to a chain attached at the other end to the flush handle trip lever. When you push down on the handle on the outside of the tank, it lifts up the flapper valve allowing the stored water in the tank to rush into the bowl. It’s that simple!

Believe it or not, you can almost always install a new fill valve without the aid of a plumber. Of course, you’ll have to check your local codes as some cities, for some reason, feel that you’re not able to do it and require a plumber to do it for you. But remember that young plumber once had to replace one of those valves on his own the first time. He was just as nervous and inexperienced as you are.

The flapper valves can be restored with little effort. You can purchase kits that allow you to install a new flapper valve in minutes. Your biggest challenge is turning off the water to the toilet. You may have to shut off the water to the entire house in case the shut-off valve at the toilet won’t behave.

My best advice is to have a plumber waiting in the wings in case you have a problem. Don’t try the repair on Christmas Eve or if it’s the only toilet in the house. If this is your first time, have a garbage can of clean water in waiting. You can always use this water to flush the toilet as you wait for the plumber to come. You just pour the water from a bucket into the bowl quickly to flush the toilet after use.

Column 804

Tub Faucets

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I’m pulling my hair out looking at tub faucets. What’s complicating things is that I’m not yet settled on the exact tub to use. One Roman tub faucet I’ve seen was so elegant, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. The clawfoot tub faucets are also beautiful, and that’s what’s got me on the fence. Can you help me decide what to do, and provide any tips when shopping for these distinctive faucets? Are there special installation requirements for these faucets? Rebekah K., Middleton, MA

DEAR REBEKAH: It can be mesmerizing gazing at tub faucets, especially in a showroom where the faucets are installed as they would be in your own home. It’s one thing to see a great photo of a faucet, but quite another thing to see that same faucet next to a tub. I’m sure you were projecting that faucet into your own finished bathroom with you relaxing in the tub.

This Roman tub faucet has got plenty of class to compliment this comfortable soaking tub. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This Roman tub faucet has got plenty of class to compliment this comfortable soaking tub. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

As you might imagine, I’ve installed many tub shower faucets as well as just tub faucets. Many of my past customers suffered from the same paralysis that’s plaguing you. Surely you’re vexed wondering if you’ll make a mistake. It’s one thing to make an error when applying wall paint, but quite another when it comes to an expensive tub and faucet combination. A paint mistake might cost you several hours and $30 for a new can of paint. Make a mistake with a tub and faucet and you’re looking at thousands of wasted dollars.

Based upon what you’ve shared, I think you maybe are going about this selection backwards. You seem to be focused on the look of the tub faucet, when in my opinion, you should be considering the actual tub and its comfort. Maybe it’s a man thing, but in this case I absolutely want the tub to be super comfortable as the only thing the faucet does for me is fill the tub with water. But maybe you’re more interested in the overall look of your bathroom than its functionality.

Once you select the actual tub you want, that helps you whittle down the possible bathtub faucets you can use that fit and compliment that particular tub. If you’re sure you’re going to use a Roman tub or a clawfoot tub, you’re well over halfway home in your decision. You can’t install a platform tub faucet on either of these two tubs, and the traditional wall-mounted faucet just won’t work.

In my opinion, there are several very important things you have to keep in mind when you get ready to purchase one of these faucets. The first is overall quality of the faucet. Avoid the temptation to buy a discount faucet that’s just a knockoff of a high-quality name brand. Be absolutely sure the faucet will work with the tub you’ve chosen. You need to confirm the faucet spout can actually get the water into the tub. Some Roman tubs have wide ledges that the spout must pass over to get water safely into the tub basin.

The faucets for these tubs generally have exposed water supply lines and the faucets themselves are completely exposed. Traditional tub faucets are braced by the tub platform or are secured inside a wall. You must be sure you or the plumber can brace the faucet using decorative brackets to solid blocking in a nearby wall or to the tub if that’s what’s specified.

Failure to brace the faucet properly can result in a future catastrophic flood. If the faucet is not secure, over time it might disconnect from the water supply lines creating a small or massive water leak. The water supply lines and the faucet need to be rock solid.

The size of the hidden water supply lines feeding the decorative lines that rise above the floor must be large enough to satisfy the appetite of the faucet. The tubs you’re interested in usually require lots of water to fill them, and you want that water flowing into the tub quickly. Usually you’ll need 3/4-inch supply lines, both hot and cold, feeding the tub faucet. Check the written installation instructions that come with the faucet to verify all mission-critical installation guidelines.

As you search for faucets, you may discover they are called different things by different suppliers. For example, one company may call a claw foot tub faucet a leg tub faucet as these tubs sit up off the floor on tiny legs or feet. If you do gravitate towards a clawfoot tub, then be aware you may discover the faucets are called antique tub faucets as this tub style was popular well over 100 years ago.

If you plan to live in the house for some time, it might pay to purchase extra faucet cartridges when you buy the faucet. Sometimes these parts can be tough to find years later when you need them.

Be sure to follow the installation instructions with respect to flushing out the water lines before you do the final faucet connection. Debris in the water lines can clog faucet parts in seconds as you turn on the water for the first time.

Column 803

Soapstone Countertops

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Soapstone countertops were suggested to me by a kitchen designer for my new kitchen. Do you have any experience with soapstone counters or even a soapstone sink? I’ve never heard of this material and wonder about it. Can you tell me more about the product and it’s characteristics? Would you use it in your home? If no, why not? Tara M., Montrose, CA

DEAR TARA: Soapstone is a natural stone product. It’s quarried just like marble or granite. It’s a metamorphic rock that contains a relatively high amount of talc, which is why it’s called soapstone. If you’ve ever had a chunk of talc in your handy, your first impression is that it feels soapy. Surely you’ve had talcum powder on you and know that feeling.

Knowing this, you should extrapolate that soapstone is somewhat soft. My college major was geology. I clearly remember a lab class when we were testing the hardness of minerals. Talc was one of the softest minerals we had in the lab. It scratched very easily.

These soapstone countertops are blotchy and soft. They scratch easily. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

These soapstone countertops are blotchy and soft. They scratch easily. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

As you might expect, Mother Nature can produce the soapstone in various grades or levels of hardness. The least hard variety is highly prized by sculpting or carving. The harder soapstone can be used for all sorts of things around the home, businesses or even labs. Harder soapstone has a higher amount of quartz in it.

If you took high school or college chemistry and worked in the labs, your lab table was very likely made from soapstone. It’s crystalline texture and makeup make it nearly impervious to chemicals or most liquids. That’s a great quality for a countertop.

Soapstone seems to have a regional mystique in New England. It’s quarried in Vermont as the Green Mountains there are loaded with tons of metamorphic rocks including, marble, schists and granite. Many people seem to love a soapstone counter and love the characteristic patina it develops with use.

You can absolutely get soapstone sinks. But my advice is for you to be sure to go see ones that have been in use for a good three to five years. See how they fare in real everyday use. My guess is that you’ll be surprised by what you see, especially if pots and pans have been bouncing around in the sink while they were being cleaned.

My current home here in New Hampshire has soapstone counters in the kitchen, and I’m not a huge fan of them. The counters scratch easily, and to make them look good all the time you have to regularly coat them with greasy mineral oil. Even the fabricators of the stone talk about regular oiling of the stone to make them look good.

I don’t know about you, but I try to avoid products that require regular maintenance like that. I’ve never had to oil my granite tops to make them look good. They shine each day with no care. Every five to ten years, I do have to apply a coat of clear sealer to the granite, but it’s not greasy and it doesn’t get on my clothes.

The best advice I can give you before making a decision as large and final as this is to do a test. The test may cost you less than $100.00. Go to a soapstone fabricator and purchase a trivet. But get a big one, say 16-inches square. Place it in a high-use area of your existing countertop. Do things to it that you’ll be doing to your new countertops.

Test it to death. Slide cans over it. Drop silverware on it. Use it as a cutting board if you’ve cut things in the past on your counters. Spill things on it like red wine, grease, etc. and let them sit for hours. See if the liquids soak in and stain the stone. Treat it just like you do your existing counters.

See if the local soapstone fabricator can tell you three places where soapstone counters have been in use for ten years or more. Try to visit those places to see how they look. Remember, many people love the look of soapstone that works hard each day. I’m just not one of them.

Soapstone changes color as it ages. That’s part of the patina. Because it’s a natural metamorphic stone, it almost always comes with random veining. The veins of color add a distinctive look. When first quarried, the stone is gray, but it gets darker with age as it begins to oxidize. My soapstone countertops, when wet or oiled, look a dark green.

Be very careful when buying soapstone. Only work with a supplier or fabricator you know uses that stone. Low quality marbles that look like soapstone may be substituted on your job. Touch is a great way to do the test. Remember, soapstone feels soapy, and marble doesn’t. Be sure you are getting what you want.

Column 802

Fireplace Accessories

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I moved into my starter home and fireplace accessories are top on my list of things to buy as winter is fast approaching. Gas fireplace accessories and wood fireplace accessories are needed as I have one of each in this most-interesting house! Money is tight, so my wish list is far bigger than my will-get list. What tools or items would you put on your must-have list if you were first starting out like me? What mistakes should I avoid? Patty M., Scranton, PA

DEAR PATTY: How excited you must be! I remember when my wife Kathy and I moved into our first starter home. Never in my life did I live in a home that had a wood-burning fireplace. Our modest three-bedroom home had a fireplace in the living room, and I was bound and determined to make it burn wood. I even installed a damper in it. However, once I looked further I discovered the chimney had no liner. The fireplace was only meant to burn gas logs. I didn’t buy any fireplace accessory tools as at that time they were just for show for a gas fireplace.

You can really jazz up your fireplace with functional and good-looking accessories. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

You can really jazz up your fireplace with functional and good-looking accessories. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

If you visit a fireplace accessories store, you’ll quickly discover you’ll feel like a kid in a candy store. There are so many distinctive tools, gadgets and decorations that you could spend a king’s ransom in 30 minutes or less. My biggest advice, at this point, is to try to avoid the temptation to purchase discount fireplace accessories. In the long run, you want quality, and quality always comes with a price tag.

Since you have a limited budget, I would say you should focus on equipping the fireplace you intend to use the most. You want function first, so focus on fireplace accessory tools. For sake of discussion, let’s say you’re going to start with your wood-burning fireplace.

I would begin with the common tool set that includes a poker, tongs, shovel and brush. These are all very handy tools that you’ll need when working with burning logs or the leftover ashes and coals. Be aware that these tools come in a variety of finishes and styles. Look at a wide assortment before you make your final decision. I happen to be very partial to brass fireplace accessories, however copper fireplace accessories can also be very attractive.

Last year, I started to collect some iron fireplace accessories. As crazy as this sounds, I got a few from a local blacksmith. He was able to make a custom poker for me that went really well with the set of outdoor fireplace accessories I have next to my fire pit by the lake. If you have a blacksmith near you, or see one at a craft festival, ask about these hardy iron tools.

Last Christmas, my daughter gave me a gorgeous wood bellows for our living room fireplace. The tool really creates a blast of air to get a fire going. However, I discovered that it really blows ashes around at the same time. Be careful using a bellows. Start with small puffs of air instead of a giant high-powered push of the tool.

I also have a very handy and handsome canvas bag that allows me to tote inside about 40 pounds of split and dried wood. This wood is stored in a basket near the fireplace. There are many different wood storage accessories, some made from metal or wood. You’ll know what you like when you see it. Just be aware that on a cold night you can burn through quite a bit of wood in a traditional fireplace. Some of the storage devices, in my opinion, are just for show as they can’t hold enough wood to satisfy my fireplace’s appetite.

You can make big mistakes in dealing with the fireplace the morning after you’ve had a fire. If you feel compelled to clean out the ashes, you’ll need a handy ash can. This is a simple metal can, like a miniature metal garbage can, that has a tight-fitting lid. The lid is very important. You want to shovel the ashes and any hot coals into the can and put on the lid to starve them from oxygen. Store this can well away from anything that can burn.

Never ever use a vacuum cleaner to clean ashes, embers or coals. The debris you think is harmless can still have enough energy to start a fire in the belly of the vacuum or a remote canister in a central vacuum system. This fire may start hours later after you’ve left the house or are distracted doing something else.

Column 801

Joel Cornelius Roofing

Posted on by Tim Carter

During the first couple of weeks of September 2009, I had a new roof installed on my home in Cincinnati, OH, by Joel Cornelius Roofing Company. I met Joel approximately 14 years earlier just after I started my Ask the Builder column and AsktheBuilder.com. If my memory serves me right, I interviewed Joel about a column. While doing that, I toured his business and left extremely impressed with his integrity, professionalism and fiscal strength.

A few years later, he introduced me to his nephew Keith Cornelius. Keith now heads up the residential roofing division of the company.

Just as you might get different quotes for a job, I did the same. The price I got from Joel Cornelius was very competitive. They had all the required insurance certification, and I knew they would do a fantastic job on my house.

The first day of the job, the crew showed up with Vern, the field coordinator, and immediately wasted no time getting started. Vern was a seasoned roofer who now spent each day checking on different crews spread out at several jobs around town. The roofing crew assigned to my home consisted of five friendly men (see photo at end of column):

  • Roger Beard
  • Jimmy Flannery
  • Jayson Hundley
  • Dave Merritt
  • Albert "Joe" Tewes

The job stretched out over a couple of weeks because Mother Nature decided that she wanted it to rain for nearly six days straight. Roger and the crew persevered and made sure they never took a chance of my house interior getting wet when there was a significant chance of rain. You don't want the skies to open up just after you've stripped off a section of shingles. Believe me, I've received plenty of emails from people who've had water streaming indoors because a roofing crew got too aggressive.

I can't say enough good things about Vern, Roger, Jimmy, Jayson, Dave and "Joe". They worked hard, never complained and really respected my property. Each day when they left, they cleaned up well and made sure the house was watertight. I decided to strip off the old shingles, even though there was only one layer, because it makes the new roof look better and it allows you to inspect the roof deck.

The photo below shows the crew on the new roof over the front porch. The shingles are GAF Slateline, special shingles that mimic the look of slate. When viewed from the street, the black strip of granules creates a shadow line that tricks you into thinking the shingles are thick pieces of slate. You can see to the right of the crew, the old three-tab shingles that have yet to be removed.

Would I use Joel Cornelius Roofing again? You bet I would. I just need to figure out how to get Roger, the lead roofer, and his crew up to New Hampshire to install the roof on my new home!

Thanks guys, you did a magnificent job!

Tim Carter
Founder - AsktheBuilder.com

October 14, 2009 AsktheBuilder News And Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter

What’s in This Issue?

Light-Bulb Warning Follow-up
Ice and Water Membranes
Happy Birthday, Larry
Wet / Dry Vac
Help Wanted
Google Maps Problem Reporting
Cold Climate

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

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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.

Follow-up on Light-Bulb Warning

You may have been a subscriber that commented on the warning last week about installing the correct-sized incandescent light bulb in ceiling fixtures. That was great advice to consider using a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). The globe that covers the bulb was not allowing me to use a CFL as it was rubbing against the bulb. It's crazy it fit that tight. It must have been an older CFL bulb I had here at the house, as I'm certain that the newer CFLs are the same overall size of incandescent bulbs. I'll be getting one or two new CFLs and will compare sizes. However, have you had the same luck I have with those CFLs? I mean bad luck. They don't seem to last anywhere near the advertised bulb life.

Richard Olson got back with a great point about a part I glossed over. I mentioned that using a larger-watt bulb could cause a fire, but didn't really explain why. Richard reminded me about a change to the National Electric Code (NEC) back in the mid-1980's. The NEC officials were having issues with electrical fires caused by insulation on wires in ceiling boxes. The high heat generated by high-wattage light bulbs was causing the plastic insulation to degrade, and I believe in some cases, melt. With no or cracked insulation in place, arcing happens and then fire.

The plastic outer sheathing on Romex cable prior to the mid-1980s was rated at 60 degrees C. That got raised to 90 degrees C with the code revision in the mid-1980's. The cable that has the higher temperature rating is embossed with the letters NM-B. The older cable is embossed with just NM.

This means if you can see the embossing on the cable in your attic and you see just NM, then you must be extremely vigilant. The safest thing you can probably do is switch out all the bulbs in ceiling fixtures to the CFLs as they burn so much cooler.

Another update on this story is covered in the November 11, 2009 Newsletter.

Ice and Water Membranes

Hours ago, I got this email from Stephen Coughlin who lives in Seattle, Washington - the land of much rain as he clearly stated in his subject line. Stephen asked:

"Recently a contractor installed an ice and water underlayment material on my roof prior to installing new composite shingles. Unfortunately, he made an error installing the shingles and had to remove them and install new shingles. But he did not remove the original underlayment material - instead he installed the new shingles right over the underlayment from where the incorrectly installed shingles were removed. I believe the integrity of the underlayment has been compromised by the original (now open) nail holes. Is this not correct? If not, do you have supporting literature to the contrary?"

Stephen, the bottom line is the roofer goofed up. There is no way the nails on the new shingles aligned properly with the old nails. Just as you suspect you have punctures in the membrane.

The way those membranes are designed is the membrane sticks well to the sides of the nail shaft producing the water-tight seal. Remove the nail and the hole may heal slightly, but not enough to block a hydrostatic head of water.

The best way to settle this is for you to contact the membrane manufacturer, talk to either the marketing manager or one of the scientists on staff and get it in writing that the membrane has been compromised. Show this letter or email to the roofer and see what happens. My guess is the roofer will run away from you.

Happy Birthday Larry!

On Sunday October 11th, I was in Burlington, VT to visit my son Tristan, who attends Champlain College. The visit coincided with an invitation to a very special birthday party. We drove south from Burlington into the countryside to Larry Eisinger's daughter's house to partake in the celebration of Larry's 90th birthday party. The name Larry Eisinger may not mean anything to you, but it means the world to me. Larry designed the banner that was stretched out on the wall of the front porch. He also made the pattern for the special cake. The baker made the cake look like Staten Island, New York.

If there was an actual Hall of Fame for Home-Improvement stars, Larry would be in it for sure. After returning from World War II where he served in the Air Corps, Larry got swept up into the publishing business. He was also an avid do-it-yourselfer building his own home with his wife Fran and his cousin Lance on Staten Island, NY. Larry was wise enough to chronicle this entire process with great photos and instructions turning it into a book that sold countless of copies. This was the beginning of a stellar writing, publishing and editing career.

I had the great fortune of meeting Larry perhaps 13 years ago at a Sears Editors Conference. This happened at an early stage of my writing career, and Larry began to mentor me. His advice was bulletproof, and saved me lots of time. Larry also became a father figure to me as I had to send my Dad back to Heaven at the young age of 24. Happy Birthday Larry! I can't wait until you turn 100!

Wet / Dry Vac

I just tested a wet-dry vacuum made by Vacmaster. It's their model VBV1210. This machine comes with a boatload of accessories and has a quick-release head that acts as a blower. This time of year it's perfect for blowing leaves. It can generate a 210 mph continuous blast of air which moves lots of leaves. The 12-gallon rugged plastic canister will handle lots of construction debris. I was really happy with its performance. Two hammers up from me.

Help Wanted

I just read a story at USAToday.com about the horrible suffering that's happening with respect to the millions of lost jobs. It's no secret that many companies are downsizing and laying off people. I'm in the opposite mode. AsktheBuilder.com is growing. I'm trying to find one or two excellent writers, who I'm convinced are out there. You may be the person or know someone that matches my needs.

The person I'm looking for MUST:

  • be a very gifted writer able to mimic voice
  • be a talented photographer
  • have a minimum of 15 years day-to-day hands-on residential remodeling or new-construction experience
  • be able to verify the construction/remodeling experience
  • follow directions to the letter

Do you meet these requirements? Do you know someone who does? Email me your resume, two close-up photos you've taken of home-improvement products/projects and home-improvement writing samples no longer than 500 words each. Be sure you have the subject line read: Writer for Tim. If I feel you qualify, we'll go to the next level of the interview process. Be patient, as I'll be traveling the next three weeks.

Crazy Tip - Reporting Problems with Google Maps

I don't know about you, but I use Google Maps almost daily. Since I'm a subscriber on YouTube to the Google's channel, I get alerts when they post a new video. A few days ago, they posted one showing how you or I can report a problem with their map database. Here in New Hampshire, right by my own home there are at least three major errors. They actually show my driveway as a roadway that connects a tiny gravel road and the cul-de-sac that is at the top of my driveway. There are other nearby errors involving paper streets. These are streets that exist on government plat maps, but have never been built. If you know of errors, please take the time to report them. Watch this video to see how easy it is. There is now a tiny text link in the lower right corner of every Google Map.

Cold Climate People Listen Up

Do you live in a place where it gets cold? I mean below-freezing-pipes-burst cold. If so, get up and go outside and disconnect any hoses from your hose bibs. If you have a frost-proof hose bib, it can and will freeze up if a hose is attached. The bibs only work when the water in the spout can drain after it's turned off. You can't be sure the water has drained if you still have a hose attached to the faucet. What's more, even after you disconnect the hose, you can still have a problem from an air lock. Disconnect the hose, turn the faucet on, and then off. Watch to see that last 4 to 8 ounces of water dribble out of the end of the faucet.

AsktheBuilder.com

Solid Stain

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I visited a national-brand paint store and talked with an employee about solid stain. I told him I wanted a solid color on my home, but that I didn’t want to paint my home because it would peel eventually. The salesman said I should use solid color stain on my home. I bought ten gallons of a custom color on his recommendation and took it home. When I opened up the first can, I was shocked to see how thick the product was. It was full bodied, just like paint. The label says it’s non-returnable because it’s a custom color. Will it be a mistake to apply this to my home? What can/should I do? Bobbie B., Edison, NJ

DEAR BOBBIE: The first thing I would do would be go back to that paint store and discuss the situation with the store manager. I feel you got very bad advice. With all due respect, the employee who serviced you is perhaps one of the lowest-paid employees in the entire company. I doubt he has a chemistry background. Furthermore, my guess is that this employee hasn’t had extensive training as to the difference between film-forming coatings and penetrating wood stains. You wanted to buy a product that would not peel. What you were sold was a paint that’s marketed as a stain. Ask for a full refund.

This association clubhouse has low-quality paint on it. It was sold as a solid stain. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This association clubhouse has low-quality paint on it. It was sold as a solid stain. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Let me share a story that just happened to me. I’m convinced that it will help you solve your problem. This past weekend I attended an association meeting in the community where I live in New Hampshire. It’s called Waldron Bay, and has a stunning clubhouse covered with lap cedar siding on the shore of Lake Winnisquam. Years ago, the wood siding on the clubhouse was treated with, what I believe to be, an acrylic solid stain. It’s peeling in places, and needs to be recoated.

You can clearly see the low-quality paint - sold as stain - peeling. It never penetrated into the pores of the wood siding. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

You can clearly see the low-quality paint - sold as stain - peeling. It never penetrated into the pores of the wood siding. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

I was asked a year ago to write a specification for painters to follow so they could give us a bid. The association board wanted the clubhouse to be a solid color just like your home. I discovered years ago that some paint companies play a little shell game with their products as a marketing gimmick so that you buy a product thinking you have something else entirely. It even happened to me 25 years ago on my own home.

Yes, I went into a national paint store 25 years ago asking for the same product you wanted. I didn’t want paint that would peel, so the employee told me to use a solid color stain that would never peel. Guess what? I can show you many places on that house where the “stain” is peeling. In your head and mine, you equate the word stain with a colored liquid that soaks into the pores of wood and doesn’t lay on the surface of the wood. Thus, it can’t peel. Imagine if you label a thin or even thick-bodied film-forming liquid as a stain and sell that? Yes, you’ll confuse and trick many people.

PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

These powerful mind tricks happened to our association board this weekend and even many of the homeowners who attended the meeting. The president of the association visited a local paint store and got the same advice you did. The association members voted to coat the exterior of the clubhouse with a solid color stain that in reality is a lower-quality paint. In a spirited debate, I was defending my specification to use the best paint available that’s made in the USA.

When the votes were counted, there was one person in the audience who voted against the motion to use solid color stain - it was me. The sad thing is that for the amount needed to paint our clubhouse, there was only a difference in price of less that $180 between the solid color stain and the best paint on the market. Oh well, you can aim a hose into a person’s mouth, but you can’t make them swallow.

If you open can after can of solid stains and they have the consistency of paint, that’s what they are - paint. Paint is a film-forming coating. It’s supposed to lay on the surface of what’s being painted and bond to it mechanically and sometimes chemically. Paint doesn’t soak completely into wood pores taking the tiny color pigments with it. Thin-bodied stains that have the consistency of water are formulated to do just that.

Since you want your house to be a solid color, you’re forced to use a paint. There’s nothing wrong with that. But to minimize future peeling, you want to purchase the absolute best paint on the market. The chemistry of paint is nearly identical to many adhesives. Think about it - glues or adhesives are formulated to stick to things or bond two things together. Paint is simply glue with color in it. Great paints stick very well to skin, wood, metal, clothes, rugs, etc. I’m sure you know all about that if you’ve spilled any!

You want to bond the paint film to the wood, so you want to buy the best glue (paint) made and follow the directions on the label to the letter to ensure it will stick for a very long time to the wood. The best thing you can do is wash the outside of your home with soap and water by hand to remove any and all dirt that will interfere with the ability of the glue to stick to your home.

The Federal Trade Commission is tasked with eliminating deceptive trade or advertising practices. It’s my honest opinion that this is one area where strict definitions of words cause a problem. Think about it for a moment.

If you want a piece of wood to have no color change, you coat it with a clear urethane or varnish. If you want to change the color of the wood, you apply a stain. I can live with that. So the paint companies can say with all validity in a hearing that when you use a solid stain, you’re indeed changing the color of the wood. Once again, that’s the truth.

But the disconnect happens because transparent penetrating wood stains have been sold for years as a non-peeling product because, in fact, they don’t peel. Thus consumers equate stain with no peeling. It’s a very gray area. Don’t be fooled.

This column was SO GOOD that I shared with the 31,000 subscribers who read my August 2, 2020 newsletter.

Column 800

October 7, 2009 AsktheBuilder News And Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter

What’s in This Issue?

Disclosure Policy
Simple Light Bulb Reminder
A Wood Stain Tip
Latest Columns and Videos
Cracks in New Stucco

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

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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.

Does the week zip by for you like it does for me? I'm busy up here in New Hampshire working on several projects, among them creating a video studio out in the garage. It will be sporting some fantastic metal pegboard from WallControl.com and a radiant heater that will keep us comfortable as we tape. I'll be on the road for three weeks - Gulp! - beginning October 19th. I'll be in Santa Fe, NM, Phoenix, AZ, southern CA and then the San Francisco area in that order. It's a combination business/pleasure trip. The newsletters over that period may be skin and bones, but I'll do my best to share all new things I discover.

New Disclosure Guidelines

I'm not a fan of big government - you can see that below in The Fire Pit if you're a new subscriber. But in certain instances, the Federal government does do something that's very good. On October 5th, 2009, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released guidelines for web sites to follow with regards to product reviews. I'm square in the middle of that, as I regularly test new products and tell you about them. These guidelines go into effect on December 1, 2009.

The guidelines require the reviewer, as well as the manufacturer, to disclose any financial relationships. This is a very good thing, because over the past few years, some companies and bloggers have been very unethical. Fake blogs have been created by companies and certain bloggers have been paid money to say good things or things that might not be true. More and more, you and I are starting to trust online reviews, so guidelines had to be set up.  On the day the FTC went public with this announcement, I published my own Disclosure Policy. It will become a permanent item at the top of each newsletter from now on.

I urge you to be very careful of web sites that don't have a published Disclosure Policy. Use the Contact Form on any web site you find a review but no Disclosure Policy. Try to find out the relationship between the reviewer and the manufacturer or service provider. Remember, you can always visit the manufacturer's website to see what their policy is. That's a good way to double check.

Simple Light Bulb Reminder

I just had to change two burned-out light bulbs in typical ceiling-mount fixtures. These fixtures are less than 10-years old, so they had labels in them as to the maximum bulb wattage. In my case, it was 75 watts. It's really important that you pay attention to these labels. The bulbs produce lots of heat that can cause fires.

Always look to make sure the reflective insulation between the bulb and the wiring in the electrical box behind the fixture is in good shape and that the wires leading from the back of the socket look good with no cracks or degradation. Electrical fires kill people every day here in the USA. It's the silent killer. Never underestimate the power of electricity to hurt or kill you.

Editor's Note: There is an important follow-up to this story in my October 14, 2009 AsktheBuilder News And Tips. Be sure to click here to read it.

A Wood Stain Tip

Years ago, I had a problem with a painter that was trying to match stain on woodwork in a large remodeling job. He stained the poplar wood that was specified for the job, but it wasn't red enough. I was able to easily solve the problem without stripping the woodwork and starting over. I went to the paint store and had them add some red pigment to the clear urethane we used as a finish. I lucked out the first time and put just enough red in the can. Once applied, the woodwork looked perfect. After that coat dried, we put on two coats of clear urethane with no pigment in it to ensure none of the pigment would rub off when it was cleaned.

Latest Columns and Videos

Want to install my latest version of storage shelving in your garage or basement?

Do you have worn wood stair treads in your home? Want to make sure you don't have to refinish them?

Are you attracted to the frameless shower doors? My wife and I were. We just installed one!

Roofing contractors are a dime a dozen. You surely want the best one to do your work, right?

Will you have plenty of electricity when the next storm hits? You will if you have a standby generator!

Cracks in New Stucco

Dean Primrose from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada wrote to me:

"G'day, we just had our home re-stucco'd and after 2 weeks, we have been seeing cracks develop. Is this common? The contractor tells us so. It was done in late July."

Dean, since you say you had an existing home re-stuccoed, I'm assuming that the house is several or many years old. If this is so, then the cracks are probably related to rapid drying of the stucco. This causes plastic shrinkage cracks. The same thing happens in concrete slabs, as just yesterday I was sent a photo of classic shrinkage cracks in a new stamped-concrete slab. You prevent these cracks by immediately spraying new stucco with a high-quality curing compound or covering it with plastic. You do the same with concrete.

In new stucco homes, cracks can be attributed to stresses caused by significant lumber shrinkage. If I was building a new stucco home, I would have it framed, roofed and the exterior covered with a water barrier. Then I would wait 3 months or more before I would apply the stucco. This would allow time for the lumber to dry and shrink. Part of the drying process assumes that you can ventilate the house well making sure no rain water enters the house through window or door openings.
AsktheBuilder.com

Disclosure Policy

Posted on by Tim Carter

Disclosure Policy for Product Reviews

The Federal Trade Commission requires that I disclose any relationship I have between a product manufacturer or service provider when I write about a product or service.

Here are the guidelines I operate under at AsktheBuilder.com:

  1. I rarely am paid to do a review. In almost all cases, I never accept money to review a product or service. I invest my own time to review and test products. I absorb the entire cost to tape and post-produce all videos I tape about products. If I am ever paid to do a review, it will be clearly annotated at the end of the review.
  2. I don't pay for the products I test. They are sent to me by the manufacturer. Rarely, do I request a product. In almost all cases, the manufacturer approaches me first via a press release or a phone call. If I feel it's a product you might get benefit from, then I request they send me the product.
  3. I don't return the products after I test them. In certain cases, the product is used up or destroyed. In other cases, the product may get damaged during the testing. I don't have the staff or the resources to process the return of the products.
  4. If I create a link to a product in a review, sometimes I may get paid a commission if you purchase the product or service. I'll disclose that in the review. If you don't see that disclosure, that means I'm not getting paid any commission.
  5. If you click a link from one of my columns or newsletters and it delivers you to a website selling that product (e.g. Amazon.com, etc.), I get a small commission from that website should you buy.

These are good rules and practices in today's digital world. It's important for you as a consumer to understand the relationship between a person reviewing the product and the manufacturer or service provider. If you don't see a disclosure policy as part of a review of a product, that reviewer may be violating the law or at the very least the Code of Ethics.

Why is this important? Read about Regulating Influencers in Tim's  January 22, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

Tim Carter

Founder - AsktheBuilder.com

Do it Right, Not Over

Storage Shelving

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I’m in desperate need of storage shelving. Valuable tools and supplies are scattered on the floor of my garage. How hard is it to build storage shelves? What tools and supplies do you need? My shelving and storage needs are not that great, but I do have room for shelves that would be about 8-feet long. How have you solved this problem I’m sure many homeowners have? Gretchen S., Avalon, CA

DEAR GRETCHEN: I’ve built and assembled home storage shelving in each house I’ve lived in. Over time, I feel I’ve perfected a system that I feel is easy to construct and requires minimal carpentry skills. The most recent home storage shelves I built in the garage of my New Hampshire home really got the attention of my neighbor. He was impressed with how strong my garage storage shelves were, and how efficiently the space was used.

I happen to be fond of wood storage shelves because they are easy to construct, and the material is readily available from a local lumber yard. I’ve discovered that all my heavy tools, tool boxes and supplies do very well on shelving made from one-half-inch-thick plywood. The depth of the shelves can be any dimension, but if you make them 15 and 7/8-inch deep, you can get three shelves from a standard sheet of plywood.

These heavy-duty storage shelves were made in several hours with a few sheets of plywood and some 2x4s. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

These heavy-duty storage shelves were made in several hours with a few sheets of plywood and some 2x4s. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

The tools you need to build my favorite shelves are probably on your garage floor. You’ll need either a circular saw or preferably a miter saw. A screw gun or drill equipped with a screw bit is also helpful. You’ll need a level, measuring tape, and possibly a hammer.

For every three shelves that are just under 16-inches deep and 8 feet long, you’ll need one 4x8 sheet of one-half-inch plywood, three 2x3x8, three 2x2x8 and two 2x4x8. You’ll also need a one-pound box of 2.5-inch drywall screws, and a one-pound box of 1.25-inch drywall screws.

Before you get started on constructing the storage shelving units, you need to do a little planning. Move the cars out of your garage, clean it and assemble the tools and supplies you intend to put on the shelves. Try to group things that you use most often and things that are somewhat heavy and cumbersome.

The things that are used most often need to be on the shelves that are easiest to reach. Heavy things need to be on lower shelves so that you don’t attempt to lift them over your head.

Once you’ve sorted all the things, you need to take a tape measure to see how tall the tallest item will be on any given shelf. I’ve discovered through trial and error that my garage storage shelving is most efficient when the first shelf is 36 inches off the garage floor and there is 17 inches of clear space between the top of a shelf and the bottom of the horizontal 2x3 that forms the support beam for the next shelf above.

If you want to build my system, you simply screw the 2x2s to the wall making sure they are level and the ends are plumb. To create the 17-inch free space between shelves, just install the 2x2s so that the top of each one is 20 inches from the top of the one below it.

I rip the full sheet of plywood into three shelves that are 15 and 7/8-inch wide by 8 feet long. I then lay the sheet onto a 2x3 that’s standing on end on the garage floor. Use the smaller 1.25-inch drywall screws to attach the plywood to the 2x3. The 2x3 acts as a small support beam on the front edge of each shelf. Once all the shelves are assembled, you then screw them into the 2x2s on the wall using the same small screws. Have a helper hold the shelves while you do this. Once three screws are in place, the shelf will droop a little but will be stable. Install at least six screws evenly spaced through the shelf into the 2x2.

The last step is to place the 2x4’s vertically at the front corners of the shelves. The 2x4s are placed flat against the ends of the 2x3s. Using a small level, you level the shelf front to back and then screw through the 2x4 into the end of the 2x3. Use the longer drywall screws for this. I always drill pilot holes through the 2x4s, and I like to install at least two screws at each end for added strength. Do this with each shelf and at both ends. Once you’re finished admiring your work, start moving all your tools and supplies onto your new shelves.

Metal storage shelves and steel storage shelves can be found in some of the houses I used to live in. While they look sturdy, I’ve had failures. Several of the shelves have bent under moderate loads. You also have to securely fasten the entire shelving unit to the wall so it doesn’t tip over.

Industrial storage shelving can sometimes be overkill. Be sure you look at all your options before purchasing this system. Perhaps my favorite accessory is storage bin shelving. I have these small plastic storage bins for all my nails, screws, bolts, nuts and misc. hardware. These storage bins fit perfectly stacked on top of one another on my wood shelves. They even have a handy slot on the front to mark what’s in each bin.

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