Home Inspection

Posted on by Tim Carter

Home inspection is a relatively new industry. I can clearly remember back in the late 1970's when I was one of the few construction experts in Cincinnati, OH that performed home inspections. If you opened the Yellow Pages phone book that listed all businesses at that time, there was not even a heading for Home Inspections or Home Inspectors. Builders and some engineers were the ones who offered home-inspection services to consumers who were trying to determine if a house was in good condition.

It didn't take too long for me to see that there was a business opportunity doing these inspections. To look professional and to be able to offer a formal report to the consumers who hired me, I determined that it would be very beneficial to have a nice home-inspection checklist with me as I looked for defects. The other benefit of the checklist was that it forced me to look at all the components of each house no matter its size or style. This methodical approach helped ensure the person received a thorough inspection.

The home-inspection industry really started to take hold in the early 1980's as consumers saw the benefits of an inspection. Aside from making sure a buyer didn't purchase a home that had all sorts of defects, buyers soon discovered the home-inspection report was a tool to renegotiate the asking price of the home. Sellers were put into a pickle because any defects that the report uncovered now became public knowledge.

Add to this the expansion of property-disclosure laws in many states and you can see how a home-inspection report forced the hand of the seller. Even today, many sellers don't realize that if a home inspector uncovers real defects, those defects must be disclosed to any subsequent buyer that walks through the door. All in all, a home inspection is a bargain for the buyer of a home as it helps her/him make an informed decision and it allows them to bargain for a better deal if significant defects are uncovered.

Many people who are building new homes often overlook a new-home inspection. The homeowners often confuse the government building inspector with the independent home inspector. Often people feel that if the house gets its Certificate of Occupancy, stating that the house meets the building code, then all is well. Nothing could be further from the truth. The building code is a set of minimum standards, and the government inspectors might not be able to invest the hours of time an independent home inspector might spend doing a new-home inspection.

The home-inspection report that's generated during the inspection is often a detailed document. The most recent one I had performed on a house I purchased included many color photos of the problem areas as well as lab tests of the well water. The report was very easy to read and comprehend. Make sure your home inspection includes a written home-inspection report.

Whatever you do, don't substitute a free home inspection when you're about to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on a home. A free inspection may just cover a few minor things in the house. It may also be a trick to get you to sign up for a more-expensive inspection once the free inspector is at the house and has you as a captive audience and in dire need of an inspection.

Column QA

House Plan

Posted on by Tim Carter

A house plan is the foundation of a home-building project. Over the years, I've looked at thousands of house plans, so I have a good feel for what makes a good one and what plans doom a project to failure. Never forget the purpose of the house plan: it's a communication tool that tells the builder, sub-contractors and material suppliers exactly what you want. If your plan is incomplete, it creates confusion, frustration and possibly arguments. I've yet to meet a builder or a sub-contractor that has extrasensory perception!

The biggest problem with house floor plans is that you may start your project with a set that has a tremendous amount of missing information. Great house plans are often 15 or 20 pages long and are accompanied by a set of written specifications that could be 50 typewritten pages! My guess is the average house plan you've seen before consists of maybe 8 to 10 pages and that's it.

Imagine yourself, for a moment, as one of the subcontractors. Let's say you're building your dream home and you know exactly where you want the towel bars in your master bathroom, and more importantly, you know how high you want them. Three subcontractors might want to know this: the plumber, the heating and cooling contractor, and for sure the finish carpenter.

A great set of plans will have interior elevations drawn of each room that has cabinetry or fixtures on the wall. In this case, an interior elevation of your master bathroom would show a two-dimensional drawing of each wall showing what that room will look like the day you move in. It would show cabinets, plumbing fixtures, the actual towel bars, the tile base, any in-the-wall heat registers and any wall outlets or switches.

House plans that have these handy interior elevations allow each subcontractor to make sure his items don't conflict with those of another. What's more, in the framing stages of the job, the rough carpenter would know where to put blocking for the towel bars. This blocking allows the bars to be attached to the wall solidly, not using anchors.

In my opinion, a house plan has to have these things on it to meet my minimum requirements:

  • Site plan
  • Foundation plan
  • Floor plan of each level, including an unfinished basement
  • Exterior elevations of each face of the house
  • Interior elevations of each room that has cabinets, fixtures or anything other than a plain wall
  • Structural sections showing cutaways of the primary structural components
  • Typical wall detail
  • Numerous detail drawings in large scale showing how things are to be constructed
  • Separate electrical plan for each level NOT drawn on regular floor plan
  • HVAC plan showing all ducts, radiant tubing runs, all equipment, etc.
  • Plumbing plan showing all drain lines and water supply lines as well as sizes
  • All schedules in table form: Room Finish, Electrical Fixtures, Plumbing Fixtures, Cabinet Finish
  • Written specifications

You can see how all of the things in the above list would allow you to have a complete house plan that would minimize confusion and questions. Your house plans need to speak clearly in your absence or that of the on-site builder.

Here's are a few examples that illustrate how a great house plan can save time and money. Imagine the plumber is on the job and no one is around. If your plan shows a great interior elevation as well as a Plumbing-Fixture schedule, he'll know to rough in the drain line at the correct height for the pedestal sink in your powder room. Those sinks tend to rough in a little higher so the p-trap is tucked up under the sink.

Let's imagine that you know exactly where you want electrical outlets in a home office so they are very convenient and not down behind a desk. You actually planned for some outlets to be high on the wall so they are directly adjacent to printers or fax machines that may be up on shelves. I have this setup in my own office. Interior elevations of your home office showing the exact height of the outlets allow the electrician to do this without you being there to tell him. There is no confusion.

To create a fantastic house plan, you can see it takes lots of thought and preplanning. This effort pays off in the long run if you decide to do it. Building your new home is supposed to be full of happiness, not stress, arguments and countless change orders correcting things that have to be moved later as mistakes are uncovered.

Column QA

Gutter Ice

Posted on by Tim Carter

Gutter ice is really common in areas that get a significant amount of snow. There are several factors that contribute to gutters and ice that accumulates in and above the metal channels.

Ice in gutters forms rapidly as the temperature hits 32 F and lower as metal conducts cold very well. Any water that is in the gutter is often at the same temperature as the air temperature, unless it's being heated via direct sunlight and is flowing across shingles warmed by the sun. The cold water in contact with the cold gutter metal flash freezes. Any water that then runs across this ice is chilled as well very rapidly.

Icicles forming on gutters. PHOTO CREDIT: Brent Walter

Icicles forming on gutters. PHOTO CREDIT: Brent Walter

A gutter ice dam will start to form if the gutter is in the shade or its temperature is at or below 32 F as stated above. If additional super-chilled water flowing down the roof hits the ice forming in the gutter, it starts to build a layer of ice within the gutter. This can happen very rapidly, and the buildup of ice can grow an inch or more per hour just like ice cubes grow in an ice machine.

Gutter ice dams present a clear and present danger to houses. If the water continues to flow down the roof, the ice grows higher and higher above the gutter making a true dam structure. The water flowing down the roof can then back up and flow under the shingles into the house or through a soffit overhang. Low-pitch or slope roofs are more prone to interior damage than roofs that are steep. It takes a higher ice dam to get water to back up into a house that has a steep roof.

When gutter ice melt water contacts cold downspouts, it can freeze and clog these tubes. Once the downspout clogs with ice, the water from the roof has nowhere to go but over the top of the gutter. This often creates massive icicles that can rip the gutters from the house as the weight of the ice in the gutter as well as the icicles overwhelms the fasteners used to attach the gutter to the house.

You can prevent leaks from gutter ice melt by installing an ice-dam membrane under the shingles at the lower edge of the roof. These membranes will not allow the melt water to flow into the house. It's best to install these when a new roof is being installed. They can be installed on an existing house, but the first 4 feet of roofing material has to be stripped off the roof. The ice-dam membranes get attached directly to the wood sheathing that's nailed to the roof rafters or trusses.

Stop - Check this out! Hi, it's me Tim Carter.
Do you want a bid on the same gutter guards I used on my home?
Click Here

If you do fill out the form at the MasterShield page, they pay me a very small commission.

Column QA

January 8, 2009 AsktheBuilder News and Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter

What’s in This Issue!

BEATLES CALENDAR
TWITTER
ICE CLEAT UPDATE
BOSTON HOME SHOW

BEATLES CALENDAR AVAILABLE!

UPDATE: All the calendars have been sold.

If you're a brand-new subscriber, this newsletter will seem odd. It's a short one, because I just sent one out a few days ago. Please understand I don't often write about famous musical groups!

There will be a huge demand for the 2009 spiral-bound Beatles calendar. This calendar is indeed a one-of-a-kind. It contains photos taken by a professional photographer who was working for the afternoon newspaper in Cincinnati the days of the concert. I say *days* because the concert itself was rare. The Beatles were supposed to play the night of August 20, 1966 on a stage constructed on the infield of Crosley Field. That was the historic ball field of the Cincinnati Reds.

But Mother Nature intervened with a massive rainstorm that drenched the screaming crowd. The rain made it unsafe for the John, Paul and George to play the electric guitars. The promoters scrambled and announced that the concert would be held the next day at Noon. But the Beatles had to scurry out of the stadium after the last song to catch a plane. They had to play that night, August 21st, in St. Louis! You can see there is a bit of history attached to the rare photos in this calendar.

This item will only be for sale through me for the next TEN days. You better order now if you or a friend wants one. If you think other friends or relatives want one, you better contact them immediately. I'm doing this as a favor to the photographer, and I don't have time to administer this for any longer than the next two weeks. It's a slow time for Ellen, so I can have her fill these orders for the photographer.

I've held the calendar in my hands and seen the photos. The quality is amazing. You can clearly see the untrimmed strings on John and Paul's guitars. They all wore the same suits, a very wide pin stripe. The Beatles look like babies in these photos they were so young! I was 14 at the time and clearly remember them coming to town. I didn't attend the concert, but know people who did. I believe the person responsible for getting them to come was a local disc jockey who worked at the top rock radio station of the time, WSAI. His name was Dusty Rhodes. He is now the Hamilton County auditor.

Anyway, enough Beatles stuff. I beg you to order now. I can already tell you that I'll get requests for these in two weeks, and I will have to deliver bad news that they are all gone. The calendar is $20 with a $5.95 shipping and handling fee. They will ship out the week of January 19th. So be patient!!!

TWITTER

Months ago, I had a little mention in the newsletter asking if you had a Twitter account. Very few people responded. As best as I can describe it, Twitter is micro-blogging. It's a text-message platform that allows you to tell people what you're doing *and* to be alerted to what certain people are doing or thinking at a specific point in time. In other words, you can be connected to people you want to learn more about. Think of it as a data feed like a news wire or the stock-market ticker tape. You ONLY follow those you're interested in. The messages you receive are short, very short. Twitter limits them to no more than 140 characters, and a space between words is a character!

I've been on Twitter for nearly nine months. On a typical day, I may send out several messages like this:

Some houses are built on bad soil. Check this out: http://tinyurl.com/9rg8h3

This message points you to a recent column I had written about a house that was built on really bad soil. In the column I told the woman how to test for bad soil.

Twitter is going mainstream. It's going to be huge. Many famous celebrities are now using it so their fans can see what their doing and thinking each day. Is this a good thing? Who knows. Can Twitter be a time sink? You bet. But you can also get quick tips from people like me that may save you huge amounts of time and money.

I bring this up ONLY because getting your Twitter name is like getting a website address. If you want to lock up your name or a funny name you currently use in email, you better act quickly.

If you sign up, you can then *follow* me to see what Twitter is like. You can Unfollow anyone at any time. I do share things about what's going on in Twitter that I don't put in this newsletter.

This may be of no interest to you, but I'm predicting that Twitter *may* become as important in your life as email. You have nothing to lose getting an account. It's totally free.

ICE CLEAT UPDATE

Last issue, I talked about how I needed ice cleats up in New Hampshire. I reached out to you in case you had more experience. As usual, I got enormous amounts of feedback both from subscribers who had great recommendations and many from those who wanted to know what those recommendations were! It appears many are unhappy with the brand I had bought.

I got this great email from Cathy:

"I'm a USPS letter carrier from Northeast Pennsylvania. Due to the number of slips, trips, and falls in the past, the Postal Service decided to provide us with ice cleats. Our office and all the others in our district were given different pairs to try and evaluate. The winner is called Get a Grip. They have been providing them to us for quite a few years and the number of injuries has declined significantly. I won't leave the office without them even if there is only hard crusty snow to deal with. The only drawback to these is becoming too sure of yourself, if there is ice and it is melting you can step on it and still fall when it gives way from steps, sidewalks, etc. I'm sure you won't be affected by the fatigue they can cause to your feet since you won't be walking 10 miles a day in them."

I also got many great recommendations about Stabilicers. I've decided to test both of them.

BOSTON HOME SHOW ! ! !

Do you live in or near Boston? If you want to hang out with me for an afternoon, I'll be at the Boston Home Show on January 24th from 2 until 4 p.m. I'll be at the Kraft Power booth. While there, I'll be sharing stories about the horrific ice storm of last month and how my Kohler standby generator saved the day!

We can talk about anything you want, including any issue with your home. I'm also open to having lunch before the show or having an early dinner with you before I drive back up I-93 to my place in New Hampshire.

Email me soon so we can coordinate where to meet. I'd love to see you, sit back and relax over a soda or a beer. Remember, we don't have to talk about generators! If you want to talk Internet stuff, how I got started, new construction, etc., this is a rare chance to pin me down.

Discover more about the Home Show, so you know where it is and what it costs to get in.

Click here to read past copies of my newsletters.

Tim Carter
Founder - AsktheBuilder.com

Do it Right, not Over

Home Security System

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I'm in the market for a home-security system. What can you tell me about home-security systems in general, as there seem to be so many aspects that it's rapidly getting confusing. Should I be looking at a wireless home-security system? If the price is too high for what I want, should I consider a do-it-yourself home-security system? Marty V., Hartford, CT

DEAR MARTY: I have a home-security system in each of the two houses I own. Over the years as both a builder and remodeler, I oversaw the installation of home-security systems in many of the house I built and remodeled. These electronic monitoring systems can bring you tremendous peace of mind plus the added benefit of alerting you to other dangers beyond burglars, thieves and bad people.

My first experience with a professionally installed home-security system was over 25 years ago. It was placed in a custom home I was building. The owner and his wife were very paranoid about the woods behind their home. Even back then, the quality of the internal motion detectors as well as the sound-attenuation devices was impressive.

This is core of my home-security system. It has a computer in it as well as a modem to dial out . PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This is core of my home-security system. It has a computer in it as well as a modem to dial out . PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

A sound-attenuation monitor is a sensor that can detect specific sounds while ignoring others. A popular sensor is one that can recognize the sound of breaking glass. This is helpful when you want the alarm to go off the instant an intruder shatters glass to gain entry. This is not uncommon as the bad guys know that a typical home-security system will have the doors and windows monitored for movement. If you have a large window or patio door that is switched to make the alarm go off when it's opened, this will not do much good if the burglar just walks through the broken-glass opening!

It's also very common for home-security systems to have motion detectors. These clever devices are almost impossible to fool. I've tried in my own home by attempting to slowly sneak past them. I've yet to succeed. Motion detectors allow you to provide great protection at a lower cost as you don't have to worry about monitoring each door and window. If a bad person is indoors and moving about, motion detectors placed in the right places will trigger the alarm.

Suffice it to say that modern home-security systems will almost always go off when you have someone enter your home that's not supposed to be there. There are many different types of sensors that can be installed, even those fancy ones you see in spy and thriller movies.

But be aware that a home-security system needs to alert you or the authorities of other dangers. Fire, carbon monoxide, excessive heat, loss of heat, flooding, etc. are all threats to you and your property. There are many different sensors that can be installed that will automatically alert you or someone else that there's a problem at your home.

The vast majority of home-security systems use a telephone line to communicate with a monitoring service. These companies then make the call to the police, fire or other other agencies. But there is a time delay with this method. Some communities offer radio communication from your home directly into the police or fire department. If you have interest in this nearly instantaneous-response system, you need to check with your local government to see if they offer this service. It's available at one of my homes.

The home-security systems can be enhanced greatly with security cameras. There are both wired and wireless cameras that allow you to see what's going on whether you are there or away. The cameras record the images to a computer where they are stored in case you need them. Many of the cameras even record in the dark as they emit infrared light that illuminates anything that comes within range of the cameras.

I've seen do-it-yourself home-security systems, but feel they are just part of the package. One of the critical aspects of a system that you may want is for it to communicate with a monitoring service in your absence. You need to make sure the monitoring service will accept your installation, equipment and take responsibility for your work. My guess is that you'll discover few services will do that. If they are going to assume security liability, they most certainly will want to use their equipment and have it installed by their employees.

I'm really intrigued with a wireless home-security system. The systems in both my home are hard wired. Tiny cables had to be extended to all the doors, windows, sensors and then back to the central control panel. This takes lots of effort and time, but there are distinct advantages to a hard-wired system.

If you can find a wireless home-security system that is foolproof and has great reviews, I'd give it serious consideration as it will be very easy to install. I just tested a wireless home-security camera that worked very well. It was able to transmit the things it saw to a website that allowed me to view what was happening at the house via the Internet, even though I was one-thousand miles away.

Column 760

January 4, 2009 AsktheBuilder News and Tips

Posted on by Tim Carter

What's in This Issue

HAPPY NEW YEAR
ICE CLEATS
TONS OF NEW COLUMNS
SUPER INSULATION
PAINTING CABINETS
ORLANDO VISIT
CINCINNATI ENQUIRER
BRICK WEEP HOLES
SPIRIT OF CHANGE
RECENT COLUMNS

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to you! I'm all set for a fantastic 2009, no matter what all the news says. I'm still cautious and watching my spending, but in October, I discovered that the Chinese word for crisis is made up of two other of their words: danger and opportunity.

I'm going to try to do my best to show you opportunity throughout the year with respect to how you can save money and time with projects at your home. You can help me by telling me the help you need.

ICE CLEATS

Since moving to New Hampshire, I've discovered that ice cleats are a must. These things slip onto regular boots and allow you to walk on ice as if it were dry pavement. I've tried YakTrax, but am not too satisfied. They break easily on slopes. My driveway is steep, so I need a pair of ice cleats that don't slip off your boots and don't break. What brand have you had the best luck with? My driveway creates lots of stress on the cleat as you walk up and sideways. What about the heavy-duty Stabilicers I see online? They seem to get great reviews.

Read my January 8, 2009 Newsletter for an update on the ice cleats.

 

TONS OF NEW COLUMNS AND SOON NEW VIDEOS

Stay with me through the entire newsletter. There are tons of new columns at the end. Now that the Christmas season is behind us, new AsktheBuilder.com videos are on the horizon. The end of January and beginning of February look to be busy times taping videos.

 

SUPER INSULATION

Months ago, I had a quick mention in a newsletter about using the heat-tile technology that's on the Space Shuttles to help us reduce our heating and cooling costs. It appears those crafty Germans have once again got a head start. Can you imagine a house with no furnace? Just before Christmas, I received an email from Kimberley, who lives in Florida. In it was a link to a story she saw in the New York Times. Kimberley was a little miffed, and here is part of what she had to say:

"....With increasing fuel and food prices - hopefully more people will be open to new ideas and demand things that make sense and help save money and the environment. I live in Florida and am amazed and appalled that the Sunshine State isn't leading the nation in solar-energy technology. When I was a very young girl in the seventies, my aunt in Miami had a solar water heater installed at her home, and I remember the scalding hot water flowing from the tap at her house. It worked, and her electric bill was low. Well, I think the nation is wising up now to what's available."

Kimberly, I agree 150%. We need to put all sorts of pressure on our elected officials to create long-lasting incentives that will allow technology to come to the market that will allow us to save money and the planet's resources and make us energy independent.

To view the article in the New York Times, you may have to create a free account. It's worth it. Wait until you read how these houses in Germany have NO furnaces or air conditioning.

 

PAINTING CABINETS

Carolyn Bohler of Hardin, Texas emailed me:

"I need to know if our old mobile-home laminate cabinets can take paint like you showed in the video.  They are hideous, and I want to change them. The cabinets are medium to dark brown, shiny and probably particle-board material. I thought of using compound on the front and adding a raised stencil and some shading and painting.  HELP ME."

Carolyn, the simple answer is Yes. If you're like many right now, there is no way you can afford to get new kitchen or bath cabinets. Paint can make them look marvelous. We just redid our kitchen two years ago, and our island cabinet is painted an ivory color with coffee-colored highlights. I didn't think it would look good, but I should have trusted Kathy. It's actually my favorite cabinet in our kitchen.

The house I'm at in New Hampshire has painted kitchen cabinets. They look great even though they are a solid color. Just be sure you follow all the advice in my Painting Kitchen Cabinets video!

Be aware that at my new website, that's soon to be launched, there will be all sorts of interesting solutions to everyday problems like this. What's more, I intend to do some neat videos that will only be on the new website. Be sure you open all newsletters in the future. Why? There's going to be a very special offer in an upcoming issue for you.

ORLANDO VISIT

I'm going to be in Orlando, FL on the evenings of January 14 and 15, 2009. Sears has invited me down there to attend a conference about all the great new lawn and garden tools that will be ready for you in a few months.

At this point, I'm open to grab a bite to eat or have a soda with you. I'll know more where I'll be in a few days. You'll need to come to me as I'll not have any wheels. Surely there will be a nicer restaurant near my hotel we can meet and greet. Or if the weather is great, we can relax out on the patio that surely must exist where I'm staying. We shall see! If you live in Orlando and want to get together, email me ASAP.

Larry and Bill joined Tim in Orlando.

 

CINCINNATI ENQUIRER

A week ago, The Cincinnati Enquirer had a special announcement. Being a syndicated columnist, the note from the publisher got my attention. It talked about changes that would start the next day. Well, after I saw the changes, I had to write about it. If you subscribe to a daily newspaper, I urge you to read my blog post. It has some interesting things in it about my early connections with the Enquirer as well as the Cincinnati Post and Times Star! In fact, I'm going to tape a video later today about the paper platters I talk about in the blog post. I'll have that video link for you in a few days.

BRICK WEEP HOLES

I owe some of my success to a few companies that were sponsors of mine way back in the Dark Ages of the Internet. I'm talking about 1995-97. AsktheBuilder.com launched in November of 1995, and Pella was my first sponsor. But I quickly added other companies, most of them smaller businesses that didn't have huge marketing departments. I discovered it was far easier to communicate with the president of a medium or small-sized company than the marketing manager for a Goliath in the industry. The sponsors I had back then got me through the transition phase from active builder to writer/publisher.

One of these companies was R.H. Tamlyn and Sons. I got to know Tom Tamlyn, the president, quite well about ten years ago. Several days ago, UPS delivered a box to me from Tamlyn. In the box were all sorts of samples of his products, a new catalog and business cards of key people on the Tamlyn team. Tom's card was in there as well.

One of the practical items he's selling now at his online store - he didn't sell online in 1997 - is a retrofit rodent and bug guard for brick homes that have the vertical weep slots. A weep slot is a missing vertical head mortar joint you might see in the first row of brick on top of the foundation. These slots are there to allow water to escape to the exterior of your home. They should always be open. Sometimes bees, bugs and other things see these as great entrances to the massive void space behind brick veneer. These rascals can then block the weep slots with all sorts of debris, so it's a good idea to block them. The guard stops things from getting in, but allows water to drain out.

I decided to link to this item in Tom's store to help return the favor of his support of me all those years ago. I feel he runs a great company that really tries to sell fantastic products. Tamlyn primarily sells to builders and remodelers, but you may discover something at his store you can use.

SPIRIT OF CHANGE

In the spirit of change for 2009, I did something I haven't done in over 30 years. My youngest daughter requested it. Moments ago, I shaved off my mustache. Kathy thinks I look odd. Kelly says I look younger. All I can say is my upper lip is cold at this point. Watch for a new video soon where you can see me sans mustache.

RECENT COLUMNS

Wainscoting used to be tough to install in a home. Not anymore. You can get kits made for your home.

When it gets really cold, is your furnace or boiler able to keep you warm? Do you want to know why it's struggling?

Do you have ice forming on the plumbing-vent pipes on your roof?

Have you seen frost form on walls? Not outside your home, I'm talking about the INSIDE walls of your house!

When you see cracks that form on your outside walls, is your foundation on bad soil? Discover one way to tell.

Click here to read past copies of my newsletters.

AsktheBuilder.com

Best Space Heater

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: What is the best space heater that will allow me to work in my carport which is partially enclosed? It's about 20-feet x 9-feet x 9-feet tall. I need a space heater so I can work outside. I've looked at a kerosene space heater as well as a propane space heater. These models are currently priced between $150 and $250. Would you be able recommend a portable space heater that you think would work best for me in this situation? Reinhard Forster, rural Oregon

DEAR REINHARD: Before you can consider any space heaters, I feel you need to make a decision as to what needs to stay warm. Are you just trying to keep yourself comfortable, or are you trying to heat the entire space? My guess is that since the carport is pretty much open to the weather, you aren't trying to heat the air in the space as well as the things inside the carport.

If you were doing woodworking or some other task in the space that required the air temperature as well as the objects in the space to be above a certain temperature, you may want to consider a space heater that works similar to forced-air heating systems. But something tells me that it's just you that needs to be warm.

In that case, I would suggest some type of radiant heater. An electric space heater that is basically a giant toaster qualifies. The electric coils glow like low-grade filaments in a light bulb, and this infrared heat passes directly through the air to your body. The air is not heated by the glowing coils.

Some gas space heaters are also radiant heaters. The burner where the gas is combusting radiates the heat outwards. I've seen many a propane space heater that will do a fantastic job for you.

If you are leaning towards gas space heaters, then be certain to see what they say about carbon monoxide. Be sure the space heater you purchase doesn't harm you. If you do decide on an electric space heater, you may have to run a separate electric circuit to the carport to satisfy its appetite for power. Some electric space heaters can easily consume over 2,000 watts.

Column QA

Toilet Gasket

Posted on by Tim Carter
wax gasket for toilet

Sewer gas smell can leak into your home if this wax gasket has detached from the underside of your toilet. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: My husband installed a new toilet gasket on the toilet in our master bathroom as part of adding a new ceramic-tile floor. He's pretty handy, but soon after I noticed a sewer gas odor in this room. He can't smell it, and I'm reluctant to have him do the job over.

The toilet doesn't move, the caulking is perfect so I can't imagine where the odor is coming from. For years, there was never an odor. What needs to be done to correct this? Vikki H., Henderson, KY

DEAR VIKKI: The toilet-bowl gasket was not installed correctly. The smoking gun is the fact no odors were ever present before your well-intentioned husband started the bathroom-remodeling job. I'm afraid that he needs to start over, but we need to discover what he did wrong so this second attempt yields a perfect result.

As for where the odor is coming from, many people forget that the holes where the toilet bolts pass through the ceramic toilet-bowl base are usually never sealed. The sewer gas that's wafting past the toilet wax gasket can easily seep past the bolts and the decorative caps. The caulking between the base of the toilet bowl and the floor will do nothing to stop the odor if these bolt slots are unsealed.

Thousands of homeowners who attempt to change toilet gaskets run into problems for any number of reasons. The seal between the toilet flange and the toilet bowl is mission critical. The toilet flange is the transition fitting that allows you to connect the toilet to the drain piping. Not only is there the issue of sewer odors, but vermin and water can also leak from this joint if the toilet gasket is not making positive contact.

toilet gasket

This is where the toilet gasket contacts the underside of a toilet. You can see the recessed area clearly. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

When you replace a toilet gasket, you need to pay close attention to many details. One thing homeowners, and some rookie plumbers, fail to look at is the recessed area under a toilet bowl. This part of the toilet is often about three-quarters-inch deep. This distance is measured between the bottom of the toilet bowl where it contacts the finished floor and the underside of the unglazed porcelain outlet where the wastewater exits the toilet.

The next thing you should pay attention to is the thickness of the toilet wax gasket. Most of them are no more than seven-eighths-inch high. I've measured many, and some are just three-quarters-inch high. You may be wondering why these dimensions are important.

For a toilet gasket to seal properly, the space between the underside of the unglazed fixture where the water exits the toilet and the top of the toilet flange should be no more than one-half inch. If you do a little math, you'll discover that this means the top surface of the toilet flange should be above the finished floor surface at least one-quarter inch. The top of the flange should be level, and the flange must be secured to the floor so it doesn't move.

It's possible that your husband wasn't aware of this important point. The top of the toilet flange may have been flush with the floor, or even sticking up too high. I've seen toilet flanges installed by inexperienced plumbers and homeowners that were an inch or more above the finished floor. When a toilet flange is too high, a poor seal can result because all of the wax gets squeezed out between the toilet and the flange as you secure the toilet to the flange.

In your case, I think a toilet-gasket autopsy will reveal that the toilet flange got buried by your new flooring. This is a very common mistake. A homeowner may install ceramic tile in place of a sheet-vinyl floor. By the time ceramic backer board is added and the new tile, the top of the toilet flange can be well below the finished surface of the floor. When this condition exists, it's entirely possible the toilet gasket never even touches either the flange or the underside of the toilet bowl.

Be sure your husband removes the toilet, and discards the toilet wax gasket he just installed. Clean the surface of the toilet flange as well as the underside of the toilet bowl. If the flange is not sticking up one-quarter inch above the surface of the ceramic tile, you can add an extender to the flange or use multiple toilet gaskets to achieve the seal. If you use an extender to create a new flange height, be absolutely certain the gap between the existing flange and the extender is sealed with a code-approved sealant. Failure to do this could create both water and sewer gas leaks once again.

toilet wax rings

Another common mistake homeowners and rookie plumbers make is trying to level the toilet bowl as they install it. The toilet bowl needs to be level side to side and front to back, but this adjustment should be completed by dry setting the bowl over the flange without the toilet gasket in place. Use shims to get the bowl level. Then carefully lift the toilet bowl off the flange keeping the shims in place.

I've had the best luck over the years installing the toilet-bowl gasket on top of the flange instead of the underside of the toilet bowl. I use the toilet wax gasket to help align the long toilet bolts. I then carefully start to slowly drop the toilet down onto the flange trying to keep the bowl level as it drops closer to the floor. The shims ensure the bowl will be level.

If you attempt to level the toilet after the toilet gasket has contacted the flange and the underside of the bowl, you may break the seal as you lift one side of the toilet up to make the level adjustment.

Read about Helen's problem with a toilet wax gasket in my February 22, 2011 Newsletter. Ed has a toilet flange problem. Read his email in the DIY Bathroom Plumbing column.

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CLICK here to contact Tim to help solve your problem.

OSB Plywood

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM:  My builder insists that 5/8" OSB plywood is fine for the roof. The OSB board got wet after one significant rainstorm before the shingles were able to be put on. Do you think that we will have any problems with our OSB sheathing roof? James K., Northwest PA

DEAR JAMES: The OSB board on your roof should be just fine. This engineered wood product is made to get wet. The lumber mills realize it's impossible for houses to be constructed in consistently dry weather.

OSB sheathing does much better getting wet than OSB subflooring. You can get swelling with OSB subflooring that puffs up the material. But roofs and sidewalls that have OSB board dry much faster than sheets that are laying horizontally on the floor.

If at all possible, allow the OSB plywood to dry thoroughly before the roofer applies the underlayment. It doesn't take long for the OSB roof sheathing to dry in most situations. A little breeze and some sun can dry the roof sheathing in hours.

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House Foundation Repair

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: We live in a ranch-style house on a crawl on a very sandy lot.  Some of our older neighbors have told us it used to be a garbage dumping ground, which is evident by the chunks of glass that get pushed up by moles and such.

When we bought the house about 12 years ago, the owner pointed out that the dining room in the middle of the house sloped slightly.  My husband put some jacks under the center foundation walls to attempt to stabilize it and avoid further sloping.

In the last year or so, the problem has gotten significantly worse.  The door frames are cracking, one corner of our brick front has a large crack, the floors are separating from the trim at the base of the walls, and there are several cracks in the corners of some of our ceilings.  From the road, it looks as if our house will split in two at some point.

When my husband went in the crawl to investigate his options, he discovered that the foundation walls he had previously jacked up, in the center of the house, were still holding, but that the foundation walls that go around the perimeter of the house and are dug down into the ground to basically hold the weight of the house are what seem to be sinking.

We still owe a lot on our 30-year mortgage, and live check-to-check on one income to allow me to be home with our young children. We are looking for the most effective, economical way to fix our problem.  Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Misty Mulligan, Shelbyville, IN

DEAR MISTY: I'm sorry to hear about this unfortunate situation concerning your house foundation. The foundation of a house needs to sit on strong soil. If your suspicions are confirmed, that the lot was a former dump, you may have some work ahead of you. I'm convinced you can stabilize the foundation, but until you determine what the subsoil conditions are, you're wasting time and resources.

I suggest that you talk to your local government officials to see if there are records of the lot being a dump. You can also get old topographic maps that may show your lot was a ravine that has been filled in. You can often get these topographic maps from local soil engineers or universities that have a geology department.

You need to discover what the subsoil conditions are. I would also dig a test pit outdoors about 10 feet away from the foundation. This can be done by hand, but if the pit gets deeper than 4 feet, make sure you install shoring in the pit so the weak soil doesn't cave in on whomever is digging. You can also rent a very small backhoe that can dig a 10-foot-deep trench in less than 20 minutes. Be sure you have all underground utilities marked if you dig. You don't want to sever electric, gas, water or sewer lines.

Once you determine where the good soil is, you can then plan to install piers that will support your house foundation. It's hard work installing piers, but it is sometimes a do-it-yourself job. But if you discover you have to go deep to get to good soil, you will need a professional to do this.

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