New Website Survey Form

Posted on by Tim Carter

Thanks a ton for coming to this page to help me create a fun new website. If I get enough positive and helpful feedback, this website could be launched very soon.

Please take your time and answer the questions honestly. It's very important, because your responses could become a major part of the overall theme and design of the new website. After all, I'm building it for you, not me. After the past two bumps in the road, I want this one to be perfect or nearly so.

All of the questions require answers except for the very last one. So please answer all of the questions.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to do this. Remember, my regular website - this one you are now on - will NOT change. You'll always have access to it.

Tim



Name:
Email Address:
Would you like multiple discussion groups and forums where you can talk in real time to other members? No

Yes

Would you like product-review videos? No

Yes

Would you like videos of me responding to questions you ask? No

Yes

Would you like a periodic free telephone call-in seminar where you as well as other club members can ask me live questions? No

Yes

Would you like periodic get-togethers across the USA where I come to a major city for a meet and greet to answer questions in person? No

Yes

This is a required question. You have to enter something: Tell me the top two things you would want in special website like I am proposing. What would you absolutely love to have that you can’t seem to find elsewhere?
This new site can’t be open to the pubic and free because of the problems I already outlined. Charging a small price each month helps keep the riffraff out. What do you think would be a fair price to charge per month to get access to all of the above and any other things that might be included?
Tell me any other ideas you might have that could make this new website a huge success for all of us.

Ceramic Tile Shower

Posted on by Tim Carter

This ceramic-tile shower is on life support. It needs a complete overhaul to prevent long-term structural damage to the house. PHOTO CREDIT: Diana Cordero

DEAR TIM: My ceramic-tile shower has severe water damage. I was cleaning the ceramic tile in the shower and it caved in creating a hole in the wall. How can I install ceramic tile in the shower so this will never happen again?

Do you think ceramic tile shower installation is a job I can really do by myself? What are some of the most important steps I must do to get long-lasting results? Diana C., Norcross, GA

DEAR DIANA: Wow, your situation reminds me of a nightmare I had many years ago. Water-resistant drywall was just coming into the marketplace, and it was being touted as the miracle product.

You could easily install it, and apply ceramic tile right over it. The core of the drywall was treated with silicone, so it wouldn't fall apart.

Six years later while cleaning my own shower, I pushed my ceramic tile into the wall cavity. Other tiles near the hole fell off the wall like paint chips on an old house. It was a mess.

If you were to visit an old home in your area that was built prior to the 1940's, my guess is you would discover the ceramic-tile showers would be in really good shape.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local ceramic tile contractors.

The primary reason is the ceramic tile was installed directly on top of concrete. The master craftsman tile setters used to apply cement plaster on wire mesh that was nailed to the wall studs.

They would then install the ceramic tile the next day using a pure Portland cement paste. This putty bonded to the uncured concrete mixture on the wall making a permanent bond.

Water can and does soak into concrete, but not as rapidly as it might into paper, wood, drywall or many other building materials. Your ceramic-tile shower failed because the gypsum board turned to mush after years of water seeping through the grout joints.

Tens of thousands of homeowners have suffered the same fate. I feel you can tackle this job if you feel you can follow directions.

If you want to repair your shower just one time, you need to strip all the ceramic tile down as well as the rotten drywall. If there is any wood rot, you may have to install new wood wall studs.

Take the time to install the wall studs perfectly plumb. This will make the ceramic tile installation go that much quicker. This is also a great time to make sure the tub or shower base is level front to back and side to side.

Use galvanized metal shims cut from metal ductwork for this task. Wood shims can rot over time or compress from the weight of the tub.

I prefer to install a one-piece vapor barrier on the wall studs before installing the ceramic tile backer board. It is important for this plastic to lap over the tub or shower-base flange.

This membrane protects the wood wall studs from getting wet in the event of a catastrophic leak. Be sure you tuck the vapor barrier membrane into the corners tightly as you install it.

The wall studs are then covered with a cementitious or totally waterproof gypsum-based backerboard. These products are often the exact same thickness as regular drywall.

They are often easy to handle and cut. Simply follow the written instructions that come with them as to the proper fasteners to use. Some allow you to use hot-dipped galvanized nails and others require screws.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local ceramic tile contractors.

I prefer to hold these backerboards up from the tub or shower deck about three-sixteenths of an inch. I do the same at corners and horizontal seams. After the backerboard is installed, I then vacuum up any dust and caulk the gaps with pure silicone caulk.

Some written instructions will also tell you to tape the joints with a special tape and thinset mortar. If you do this, you need to be really careful about not creating a hump at any of the corners or horizontal seams. If there is a hump in the wall, you will discover the ceramic tile will rock back and forth at these high spots on the wall.

The first row of tile must be perfectly level. I achieve this by installing the second row of tile first. I nail a straight board to the wall that acts as a ledge for the tile to rest on as subsequent rows of tile are added. Once the mastic or thinset is firm, I remove the boards and install the missing row of tile just above the tub or shower.

Tile Tools

The tools required to install a ceramic tile shower are minimal. You can purchase a tile cutter, a rod saw, mastic or thinset trowel and grout float for very little money. The key is to take your time making sure the wall studs are plumb and in the same plane. With the walls straight and plumb, the ceramic tile installs very easily with minimal effort.

What tools do you need to complete a simple tile job? Here's a list:

  • tape measure
  • pencil
  • tile cutter
  • nippers
  • a 1/4 by 1/4 inch v-notched trowel
  • a hammer
  • some 6d finish nails
  • 8 lineal feet of straight 1/4 inch wood lattice strip
  • putty knife
  • 3-inch wide-bladed scraper
  • grout sponge
  • rubber grout float
  • several buckets
  • accurate 4 foot level

Click the image below to BUY all, or some, of the tools in the above list.

ceramic tile tools list

CLICK THIS IMAGE NOW TO ORDER ALL THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO DO CERAMIC TILE.

The joint between the first row of tile and the tub or shower should not be grouted. That joint should be filled with a high-quality caulk. As you grout, you will get grout into this joint.

Don't fret as you can scrape this grout out of the joint with a toothpick as you go or with a putty knife as soon as you sponge the grout lines. Wait a day for the grout to cure before you caulk the joint.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local ceramic tile contractors.

Column 746

Roof Vent

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I need to know which roof vent to install on my home as it is time for a new roof. I am considering a continuous ridge vent, but once hot air reaches the peak of the roof it has to go down several inches to escape the attic. This defies physics and doesn't seem logical. What are the roof-venting options I should be considering as many online resources seem to want to sell something? I would also like a green or responsible choice. Leo K., Concord Township, OH

DEAR LEO: You are not the first person to contact me about the mystery of a typical ridge roof vent. Roof-vent installation was a standard practice for all the years I built, and I routinely installed continuous ridge vent on my jobs. Never did I stop to test the manufacturers' claims, thinking they were accurate.

Several years ago, a friend of mine made the same observation you did. He couldn't understand how hot air could go down through a ridge vent to exit a roof. It seems these vents would work well as the carpenters cut away the top roof sheathing leaving a 3 or 4-inch opening at the highest point in a roof. But then the roofers install the continuous ridge vent and the cover that with shingles. The shingles lap down onto the roof to provide the water seal from falling rain.

oof vent ridge

The continuous ridge vent can be seen on the lower roof. It is under the shingles at the peak that sit above the roof. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This means hot air needs to go up to the vent and then someway go down past the shingles before it can escape the attic. Anyone who paid attention in their high-school physics class knows that hot air rises and absolutely doesn't want to go down. Look in the sky on a cool evening and you can see hot air balloons drift as the contained bubble of hot air transports the gondola and passengers up. The balloon comes down when the air cools or the pilot releases hot air from a vent at the top of the balloon.

The same principal, I believe, works with helium balloons. Let one go in a room with a cathedral ceiling, and it will quickly get trapped at the peak of the roof. It takes effort to pull the balloon away from the ceiling.

This got me to thinking, so I tested the principal at my own home with a stick of incense. On a blistering hot day with no wind outdoors I went into my attic and lit the stick of incense carefully not to set my house on fire. With a flashlight illuminating the wafting smoke, I set the incense stick a few inches below the peak of the roof where the continuous ridge vent was. Instead of seeing the smoke get pulled out of the open pathway, it just collected at the peak of the roof. Barely any of the smoke was pulled outdoors.

This experiment of mine was not completely scientific, but it proved to me the roof vent was not working as I thought it would. I am sure some hot air escapes the vent, but my feeling was that there would be a reverse waterfall of hot air readily and continuously moving through the vent. Such was not the case.

You have numerous roof-venting options. There are traditional mushroom or pot vents, powered roof vent fans, a solar-powered roof vent, a turbine vent, etc. There are all sorts of possibilities as well as mixing and matching different types.

On my own home, I have several types. The static pot vent just covers a 12-inch-diameter hole in the roof. Hot air just floats out of these vents. I also have two solar-powered roof vents. When the sun shines on the solar collectors, a low-voltage fan spins pulling out hot air. I then have a sleek turbine vent that has excellent ball bearings. The slightest breeze sets the turbine in motion sucking hot air from the attic.

turbine roof vent

CLICK this IMAGE to get the turbine vents that I put on all my jobs. Great great quality and Made in the USA! Image credit: Lomanco

Keep in mind that a roof vent is just as important in the winter. In fact, roof ventilation is critical all year. You need a continuous, or nearly continuous flow of air moving through your attic space. This air movement can help to keep your attic cooler if tremendous amounts of air are moving, and the air movement will exhaust humid air that otherwise might condense on cool or cold surfaces in your attic.

I prefer the turbine roof vent because it can work day or night with just the slightest amount of wind. You can't say that about a solar-powered roof vent. Plus, a turbine vent uses no electricity. It's a really green and environmental choice.

The common mistake many people make is to put in too little roof ventilation. It is impossible to have too much ventilation in your attic. The companies that sell roof turbines have sizing guidelines, but for every 1,000 square feet of attic space I would install two 14-inch-diameter turbine vents.

When you shop for turbine vents, let price be your barometer for quality. The more expensive turbines generally are better made and have better parts. You want the ball bearings to be sealed if possible, and you want the vent to be sturdy.

If you live in an area that may be struck by a hurricane, you will probably have to remove the turbine vent if a monster storm is forecast. Sustained winds can rip a turbine vent from a roof leaving a gapping hole in your roof. Talk with professional roofers who have weathered a hurricane or two. They possibly can tell you the best way to install a temporary patch in the roof that will not be blown off during the storm.

Column 745

Heating Cost

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Winter is almost upon us, and what can I do to lower the heating cost at my home? The cost of heating is going up faster that I can pay the bills. There has to be a simple way I can lower my overall heating costs. What are you going to do this winter in your home? How do you plan to lower your heating cost? Carole P., Meredith, NH

DEAR CAROLE: You are not alone in your surprise, shock and concern about the rising prices of all fuels that many use to heat our homes. Last year we saw mind-numbing double-digit increases in the prices of fuels. The Energy Information Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Energy, predicts more price increases, albeit not as high as happened a year ago.

Economic pressures on many of us have made it so there is very little extra money in the average budget. If this is where you find yourself, then you should think long and hard about spending large sums of money on a product or project that will save you money over time. Remember, when you spend money to save money you only start to see the real savings once you have completely paid for the service or product with the energy savings. In some cases this can take as long as ten or fifteen years.

This boiler is fueled with propane, and has quite an appetite on cold windy days. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This boiler is fueled with propane, and has quite an appetite on cold windy days. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

I have a personal interest in this topic because I purchased a second home to live in while my new house is being constructed. My family is split between two homes, and I will be paying to heat two houses. You can bet that I'm taking as many steps as possible to lower the heating cost at the two houses.

There are all the obvious things you should do that require some time and small amounts of money. Among these are minimizing or eliminating as many air-infiltration leaks as possible. Caulk gaps around windows and doors both inside and outside. Look for gaps where the trim molding around both the inside and outside of the windows and doors contacts the frames and the wall surfaces. Air can sneak into these gaps and the cumulative total of all the gaps can create a significant loss of energy.

If you look at your energy bills, pay attention to your electric bill. You should note how the amount you pay in the winter can be substantial. The shorter days cause us to have lights on for longer periods of time. You can bet that lights at my houses will only be on in rooms where there are people. Consider switching to compact florescent bulbs one by one as you have to buy replacement bulbs. These devices really can help you save money over time.

But to really save big money on your heating costs all you have to do is use less fuel. This is something you can control with a flick of your wrist. Simply turn your thermostat down - way down. A programmable thermostat that can help you turn down the heat while you are away or asleep can pay for itself in weeks if you get really aggressive with the settings.

I feel that many of us have become spoiled with the comfort level in our homes. Our ancestors lived in drafty houses. Our forefathers lived in houses and cabins that had little or no insulation, weatherstripping or central heat. They obviously lived long enough to help sire our generation, so we know they were survivors of many a cold day and night.

Why not do what I plan to do? Consider turning down your thermostat to the lower 60's when you are in the house and into the mid 50's when you are asleep or away. When you are home, wear more clothes - hooded sweatshirts, long underwear and slippers with lambs-wool linings. Sleep with flannel pajamas and extra covers. These are all things you probably already own, so you do not have to spend money to make it through the upcoming winter. I have done these things for several years and am snug as a bug in a rug both day and night.

My kids run around my house in shorts, tee shirts and no socks in the winter and complain about being cold. I tell them to put on more clothes, and that there is no substitute for brains. No wonder they are cold, as they are half naked. If you dress lightly like this, you will be shocked at how warm you get by covering up your skin even while inside.

Remember that there are natural convection currents along exterior walls and near large expanses of glass. You may think air is leaking indoors when in fact it is air that is being cooled by the colder surfaces. This cold air literally drops to the floor creating a breeze. Reorganize your furniture so that you are sitting as far away from exterior walls as possible. You will realize immediate comfort.

If you don't like hooded sweatshirts, then wear a knit hat and sweaters indoors. Dress in layers, and watch how quickly you warm up. I purchased some flannel-lined blue jeans last winter and they quickly became my favorite pants to wear. They are so soft and warm I practically bake in them.

Column 744

AsktheBuilder Privacy Pledge

Posted on by Tim Carter

Privacy is important to us at Ask the Builder. The following is the Privacy Pledge for this site, which demonstrates our commitment to privacy and security. It is written in simple language, and we ask you to read it through.

Visitors -
We do not collect information on visitors to this site beyond what is ordinarily captured in a web server log. The log information consists of an IP address (which may be used to look up the domain name of the visitor, but no other information about the visitor), and the time of the visit to each page. This information is only used for reporting statistics to the webmaster about traffic to the site, so the performance and effectiveness of the site can be assessed.

Persons who purchase products -
Information submitted by persons who make purchases on this catalog site is used only to fulfill the order. The information given is not shared with third parties except as needed to effect financial transactions, unless such disclosure is required by law or other special cases described below. Ask the Builder may also generate non-identifying and aggregate profiles from information provided (such as the total number of sales, or sale dollar values, but not the names). As explained in more detail below, we may use this aggregated and non-identifying information for advertising purposes. Persons making purchases on the Ask the Builder catalog site also have the opportunity to receive email announcements from us. Email addresses are used only for that purpose, and are not given to anyone else.

Customers with accounts -
Customers who establish accounts on the Ask the Builder site have the same expectation of privacy as described above for purchasers who do not establish an account. That information is not shared with third parties except as needed to effect financial transactions, unless such disclosure is required by law or other special cases described below. Please note that if you set up an account, your credit card information is not retained in that record. You will need to re-enter each time you make a purchase.

Customer Surveys -
We may in the future conduct both business and individual customer surveys. We encourage our customers to participate in these surveys because they provide us with important information that helps us to improve the types of services we offer and how we provide them to you. Your personal information and responses will remain strictly confidential, even if the survey is conducted by a third party. Participation in our customer surveys is voluntary. In the event we do such a survey, we will take the information we receive from individuals responding to our Customer Surveys and combine (or aggregate) it with the responses of other Ask the Builder customers to create broader, generic responses to the survey questions (such as gender, age, residence, hobbies, education, employment, industry sector, or other demographic information). We then use the aggregated information to improve the quality of our services to you, and to develop new services and products. This aggregated, non-personally identifying information may be shared with third parties.

Special Cases -
It is Ask the Builder policy not to use or share the personal information about visitors of vendors in ways unrelated to the ones described above without also providing you an opportunity to opt out or otherwise prohibit such unrelated uses. However, Ask the Builder may disclose personal information about visitors or vendors, or information regarding their use of the service provided by Ask the Builder, if we believe we have a very good reason to do so, including: to satisfy laws, such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, regulations, or governmental or legal requests for such information; to disclose information that is necessary to identify, contact, or bring legal action against someone who may be violating our Access Terms; to operate the Services properly; or to protect the Ask the Builder partners and customers.

Cookies -
A "cookie" is a small data file that is placed on your hard drive when you visit certain Web sites. The Ask the Builder site uses cookies to keep track of your shopping cart purchases and return visits to the main Ask the Builder web site. as you go from page to page on the site. The cookie contains only a short random string such as "x8uy9r3". If you are not accepting cookies, the site attempts to track your purchases in another way, but it is not reliable. This cookie ceases to exist when you quit your browser. This site also can set a more permanent cookie (approximately two years) on your browser if you make that choice when submitting your account information. (Actually, there are two cookies, and one contains your userid and the other your password.) That way, you will be automatically logged in when you return.

Advertising Cookies -
You’re able to access all of the pages at AsktheBuilder.com for free because this web site is supported by advertising revenue. Data that we’ve collected over the years via emails we get from site visitors has clearly demonstrated to us that ads on AsktheBuilder.com actually help visitors solve their problems and dilemmas. Ads, in general, are problem solvers. After all, that’s the only reason you’re on the Internet - you’re here to either solve a problem or you’re looking for pleasure. Those are the only reasons people get online.

We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address, or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you - goods and services that can solve your problems.

Google is one of these third-party vendors, and uses cookies to serve ads on AsktheBuilder.com. Google uses a special DART cookie that enables it to serve ads to you based upon your visit to this site and others that you visit. Since you’re on the Internet to solve problems in your everyday life, this cookie helps by showing you things that are of interest to you.

If you don’t want to have this DART cookie on your computer, you can opt out . We feel you’ll be making a mistake doing that, as you’ll then see random ads that won’t be of much use to you. But life’s full of decisions. It’s time for you to make one. So tell me punk, do you or don’t you want the DART cookie?

Google Analytics -
The Ask the Builder site use Google Analytics, a web analytics tool that helps website owners understand how visitors engage with their website. Google Analytics customers can view a variety of reports about how visitors interact with their website so they can improve it. Google Analytics collects information anonymously. It reports website trends without identifying individual visitors.

Children's Privacy -
Protecting children's privacy is especially important to us. It is our policy to comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 and all other applicable laws. We do not collect information on children and do not have Web pages designed for children. We encourage parents to take an active role in supervising children's use of the Internet.

Ask the Builder Commitment to Data Security -
The Ask the Builder On-Line Catalog has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under our control. The Ask the Builder catalog runs on a server that uses secure mode (SSL) during login and checkout. Thus, passwords and payment information are communicated in encrypted form. Credit card information is always stored in encrypted form.

While we make every effort to ensure the integrity and security of our network and systems, we cannot absolutely guarantee that our security measures will prevent third-party "hackers" from illegally obtaining this information.

Questions About Ask the Builder Practices or This Pledge -

If you have any questions about this Privacy Pledge or the practices described herein, you may contact:

AsktheBuilder.com
100 Swain Road
Meredith, NH 03253

Revisions to This Pledge

Ask the Builder reserves the right to revise, amend, or modify this policy, or our other policies at any time. However, we do not intend to lessen control of your information or compromise your privacy.

AsktheBuilder Legal Terms

Posted on by Tim Carter

OVERVIEW: This section of AsktheBuilder.com deals with legal jujumagumbo. I can't think of anything more distressing and distracting.

Disclosure Policy:

The Federal Trade Commission requires that I publish the guidelines concerning any product reviews you see on this website. Please read my Disclosure Policy.

Libel in Comments:

This website is open to comments. You will find user-generated comments under many articles and other pages. If you are making a comment, then do not commit libel. Libel is a written statement about someone that is not based in fact. State all the facts you want and allow other visitors to decide who is right.

As a website owner and publisher, Federal Law has been passed that offers immunity to me in case you do cross the line and commit libel. So to save all of us lots of time, don't do it. Just state all the facts of what happened and keep out all adjectives describing the person and his/her workmanship.

Your Use of AsktheBuilder.com:

I grew up in the age before personal computers. We had search engines when I was younger, but we called them the Yellow Pages. Do you still have one in your home? Go get it and look to see the fattest category - the one with the most businesses in it. Is it Attorneys or Lawyers? You bet it is.

Before we go any further, you need to know that many of my friends are attorneys. Seriously, and they have read this page with a grin on their faces.

These people need work and many create billable hours filing lawsuits, writing interrogatories, doing discovery, taking depositions, etc. All these things create billable hours.

You and I pay for this stuff in higher prices of many consumer goods. Think of ladders. Have you noticed how expensive they are? It's because a large part of the purchase price goes to a legal defense fund and insurance premiums for when some idiot sets the ladder wrong or overreaches while on the ladder and falls. The ladder company gets sued and decides to settle instead of fight. Remember, you *paid* for the ladder. That is an important point.

Well guess what? You're not being charged for the information you get from me. You get the tips and secrets from me for free. So for you to even think of suing me is unacceptable.

I'll go one step further. For you to admonish, chastise, criticize or complain about anything here is also unacceptable. If you feel differently, please close your browser now, go away and kindly never come back to AsktheBuilder.com. If you want to add a add to the discussion in the comments below any page here, you can do so but there's no need to be nasty or bellicose. If you're that kind of person no one here wants to hear what you have to say.

If you decide to stay, and I hope you do :-> , then you need to realize the following:

  • If you submit a question, story, recipe, image, drawing or photograph(s) to me via AsktheBuilder.com, you agree that I can publish, copy, reprint, etc. it on my website or in any other future publication in any format now known to man and woman and those yet to be discovered.
  • You agree that I'm allowed to record both your voice and video image in phone/video calls for future use and to protect  myself against damage claims.
  • When you submit any content, including recorded phone calls I use on my podcast or website to me via my Ask Tim page or any other submission page, or send it via email, you're automagically transferring your copyright to me into perpetuity. It's no different than if you had signed a work-for-hire agreement with me.
  • You agree I don't have to pay you now or ever for the content, including your voice recording, that you submit to me. Any and all advice or knowledge you take away from visiting my website, from a reply I send to you, from watching any of my free videos, or me talking to you over the phone or a video call is payment in full for life for anything you submit to me. If you don't like these terms, DO NOT UPLOAD anything to this website.
  • You agree to use any and all advice found at AsktheBuilder.com at your own risk. Here is but one example of thousands of things that might go wrong after you follow some of my advice:
    • Let's say you try to solder a copper pipe the way I describe (which, by the way, will produce a leak-free joint).
    • One month later, the joint fails because you made a mistake or the materials you used were defective.
    • The running water floods your house, all of your things get ruined, your pets and children float away and can't be found, toxic mold blooms and coats all surfaces in the house, and then your house collapses from wood rot.

In the event something like the above happens, don't have your lawyer/attorney contact me, have them contact your insurance company instead.

Why call them? Because YOU probably did something wrong, not me. It's time for people to take responsibility for their own actions and to stop blaming others for their incompetence or lack of due diligence.

That's it. See how simple lawyers make it to do business with AsktheBuilder.com?

Are you in a grumpy mood now? Well don't blame me, refocus that negative energy towards those who file lawsuits each day to keep our litigious society and economy on a roll.

Tim's Signature 150 pixels

 

Founder - AsktheBuilder.com

Gutter Guard Test Results Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Hi, I am Tim Carter from AsktheBuilder.com. I am up here on my garage roof at the end of summer. About six months ago, I started a test of some gutter guards. I want to show you how they performed in the spring and summer.

Back in the early spring before the trees started dropping all their debris, a professional came out and installed a gutter guard. It is a micro-mesh gutter guard. The gutter guard has an ultra-fine micro-mesh design. Now at the end of summer, the guard is almost like the day it was installed. No debris on it. This has performed the best of any gutter guard I tested.

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE for FREE & FAST BIDS from local companies that can install micromesh gutter guards.

Consider purchasing a micromesh product from Amazon.com and having your local handyman install them for you. CLICK the photo below for just one of the micromesh products I discovered on Amazon:

micromesh gutter guard

There are many micromesh gutter guard products. You can save LOTS of money putting them on yourself. CLICK ON THE IMAGE to see how low-cost they can be.

Back at the end of spring, there was debris that built-up on this gutter guard. The debris was from the oak tree and consisted of the fine seed blossoms. But you know what? The wind and rain washed the debris off the gutter guard!

Another micro-mesh gutter guard that was tested, did not fare as well. This gutter guard was installed about 18-months ago. This particular guard has debris, leaves and branches stuck to it.

This debris accumulated in the past six-months but has not come off. What happens year after year, if this is not cleared off by Mother Nature? That will be a problem. This gutter guard was installed at a different angle than the first gutter guard I showed you. The first guard, that performed the best, was installed at the same angle, or slope, as the roof.

gutter guard drawing

Here's a quick cross section showing how the gutter guard - in green - is in the same plane as the roofing material. The drawing is not to scale. I used to make drawings like this sitting at customers' kitchen tables. Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

Next, I will show you a gutter guard that failed miserably. This gutter cover looks like a giant pipe cleaner. The directions say just get up on the roof and shake it out if it needs cleaning. This gutter guard trapped all kinds of leaves, twigs and other debris. The manufacturer said just pull it out and shake it clean. That defeats the purpose if you have to get up on the roof to clean it. The gutter guard should keep you from getting up on the roof forever, if possible.

I am installing the first gutter guard on my entire house. To find the winner, visit https://www.askthebuilder.com/gutter-guard-test-results/.

September 10, 2008 AsktheBuilder News

Posted on by Tim Carter

What's in This Issue

OFFICIAL NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENT
NO BARS IN MORE PLACES
GUTTER GUARD WINNER!
FATHER OF DIY
LOW-PRICE IN AD LANGUAGE
TWITTER
LATEST COLUMN AND VIDEO

OFFICIAL NEW HAMPSHIRE RESIDENT

The day after the last newsletter, I made my big move to New Hampshire. I arrived at the lake house at 11:20 p.m. on Monday August 25th. It was a punishing 15-hour drive. A month prior to that, I was in New Hampshire to close on the house and move my furniture, as well as Meghan, my oldest daughter, in. Four days later, I flew back to Cincinnati to take care of all sorts of things.

The move up East was pretty traumatic for Kathy because not only was I going to be gone, but my son Tristan was also leaving home for his first year of college. He and I jumped in the V-70 XC wagon two and one-half weeks ago and took off. He is attending Champlain College in Burlington, VT.

Kathy and my youngest daughter, Kelly, are staying back in Cincinnati so Kelly can finish high school at the same place where Kathy and Meghan graduated. Suffice it to say that the next two years are going to be tough with me commuting back to Cincinnati to visit and help out. What a major change in the Carter family!

Last week, I filled out the form to register in my town as an official resident. Since this has been a 34-year dream come true, I plan to frame the letter they gave me confirming my residency. Live free or die and Go Sox! are my new mottoes.

NO BARS IN MORE PLACES

Do you work for AT&T Mobile or the Apple iPhone division? Boy am I unhappy. Two months ago, I got the new iPhone and absolutely love the device. But the cell-phone service with AT&T is horrible.

As I was driving to New Hampshire, I passed countless billboards that were advertising AT&T Mobile in New England. Each billboard said, "More Bars in More Places in New England."  That billboard sell line needs to be changed to No Bars in More Places, or they need to place an asterisk next to the existing words and then list ALL of the zip codes in New England where the service is deplorable.

I can stand in my kitchen at my house and have three bars and seconds later get the dreaded "No Service" message in the upper left corner on the screen. GRRRRRRRRR.

I believe the issue is a combination of software in the phone and dismal AT& T cell-phone coverage in New Hampshire. If you are an employee of either of the two companies and have any good news for all of us iPhoners in New Hampshire, please speak up and tell us salvation is around the corner. If you want to know the zip code I am in, it is 03253.

Oh, and I am typing this at 33,000 feet flying back from Chicago. I was in the core of downtown for a conference at Google's offices and the same thing happened on Monday and Tuesday to me. I had dismal one-bar signal strength at the corner of N. State Street and W. Kinzie Ave. That is one block west of N. Michigan Avenue, and simply unacceptable. One bar strength at ground zero in downtown Chicago? Give me a break.

GUTTER GUARD WINNER!

The latest gutter-guard video is complete and ready for you to watch. If you didn't see the first one, well I have both on a new page at the website. You absolutely must watch them. My personal wait for a fantastic gutter guard is over. Never again will I get up on my roof to clean out a gutter. Why? Because three weeks ago, I had the gutter guard that performed the best on my garage roof installed on all of my gutters.

My testing of these products has spanned nearly ten years. The tests were the subject of numerous columns over the years. Then about 21 months ago I saw a product that had promise. I then discovered that there were several gutter guards that had similar technology. The bottom line is that I believe I have discovered the Holy Grail of gutter guards. Watch the videos!

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

FATHER OF DIY

About ten years ago, I met the most interesting man. His name is Larry Eisinger. Larry was an older gentleman that was attending a Sears Editors Conference that I had been invited to. I was new to the media industry, and had no idea who he was nor his importance.

The other attendees at the conference lavished Larry with tons of respect, and I was introduced to him at the opening reception. Larry was very kind to me, and was fascinated in my column and website. Little did I know that I was talking to one of the most important figures in the DIY movement.

Larry served as a pilot in WW II, and came back home with the hundreds of thousands of other heroes who had lots of energy and determination. These young men and women, along with all of those who helped with the war effort stateside, were the seeds of the DIY movement. Larry got into the publishing business in New York City, and became one of the most successful writers and editors of DIY books and magazines. He also had a syndicated newspaper column that ran in newspapers for decades.

Over the years, Larry has become a father figure to me because I had to send my Dad back to Heaven 32 years ago. My Dad also served in WW II and was a POW in Germany for 13 months. Larry was kind enough to take me under his wing and tell me how the newspaper syndication business really worked as well as the traditional book publishing business.

You can read tons of Larry's past columns at his website. It is still a work in progress, and I am helping him with ideas all of the time. Many of the illustrations you will see there were drawn by him. Larry is so talented, you simply can't believe it.

Here is a link to his About Me page that will give you a glimpse of the enormous amount of content he created and edited. If you are familiar with Larry's work because it appeared in your newspaper for years and you want to send him any kind words, contact me and I will put the two of you together. We need more Larry's in this world.

LOW-PRICE IN AD LANGUAGE

Last week, I received in the mail a postcard from one of the giant home center retailers. One of the things that jumped out at me was this amazing Low Price Guarantee - one that said you would get an additional 10 percent off an item if you brought in written proof of the lower price at a different vendor.

Well, I feel you need to be very careful here. It is my feeling this retailer is making this pledge to try to convince you that they have low prices on all of their items. That simply is not true, as I have verified this.

The twist in this game is that many of these retailers make special deals with the manufacturers on many of the products in the store. The retailers either get exclusivity on a specific line of products, and/or the product is made under a different brand or model number thus making it impossible for you to find the exact item at another store.

The bottom line is be careful. Don't ever think that one place is always going to have the lowest price on all things. The Internet has really opened up competition, and that is a great thing for all of us consumers.

TWITTER

Do you use Twitter? Tell me what you think about it. I am on Twitter and you can follow me if you like. Go search for AsktheBuilder on Twitter.

Twitter is simply microblogging. Using 140 characters or less, you can tell those who follow you what is going on. It seems to be the rage in the tech community right now, so I was curious if you use it and if you think it is a fad or an up-and-coming powerful application many will adopt.

LATEST COLUMN AND VIDEO

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Index of past newsletters.

Deck Railing

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: The deck railing at my home needs to be replaced, because it rotted prematurely. How long should deck railings last? I love my wood-deck railing, but wonder if I should replace it with a vinyl-deck railing or even an aluminum deck railing. I have been on other decks that are old, and the deck railings are in excellent shape. What is the secret to long deck railing life? Kate M., Bean Station, TN

DEAR KATE: What a shame your deck railing gave up the ghost before its time. I have installed new deck railings on homes just like yours where excellent lumber failed. In almost all cases, the wood rot was caused by one or two problems. Poor deck railing design is one reason, and poor workmanship is the other. Combine them both on the same job, and you will have a mess in short order. A well-built wood deck railing can last decades.

Years ago, a neighbor of mine hired me to replace a porch deck railing that surrounded a flat roof that they could access. The railing had been painted numerous times, and was constructed with redwood. Redwood is a fantastic wood for outdoor projects as it contains natural preservatives. But even redwood can rot.

This deck railing failed long before its time because the wood was not painted before it was assembled. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This deck railing failed long before its time because the wood was not painted before it was assembled. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

As I demolished the old deck railing, I readily saw why the railing could never hold paint well, and why it rotted. The railing had been assembled by the carpenters years before, and then the painters came behind to apply the white paint. There were countless cut ends of the wood and hidden areas where one piece of wood touched up against another that were bare wood. It was impossible for the painters to coat these areas once the railing was assembled. My guess is that you suffered the same fate.

To prevent the same thing from happening again, I took the time to precut as many of the pieces of the new railing as possible. This was not as hard as you might think. The pieces that needed to be cut at the last moment were minimal. It was easy to predetermine the length of all of the posts, pickets and horizontal railing components.

I instructed my neighbors to have their painter come and pre-paint all of the deck lumber including the longer pieces that I still needed to cut. Each piece of redwood was primed and second coated with paint on all surfaces and cut edges. The end grain of each piece really soaked up the paint, and the painter coated many of these places three times. Once the deck railing was built, the painter had to come and do the final coat of paint.
EB015 Cleaning & Sealing Deck eBoo Cover

By applying the paint over every square inch of wood surface, it stopped water from soaking into the wood deck-railing parts. Water that enters wood through the end grain or is allowed to hide where pieces of wood overlap can start the rotting process quickly. This deck railing is now nearly twenty-years old and I can't see one place where the paint is peeling. Peeling paint on deck railings is usually a sign that water is entering the wood.

When I rebuilt the railing for my neighbor, any pre-painted pieces of wood we had to cut, we painted the cut edges twice before we assembled the wood. This took extra time, but it is one secret tip to long life for painted wood that is exposed to the elements.

There are many deck railing systems that are not made from wood, and require little, if any, ongoing maintenance other than cleaning. You may be surprised to discover that some of them are not more expensive than the cost to rebuild and repaint the wood deck railing you desire. Your dilemma will be if you can live with the look.

No matter what deck-railing system you choose to use, be aware that there are strict building code requirements as to the height of the rail, the strength of the system and the spacing of the components. Safety is very important as people die and are seriously injured each year when they fall from decks because of failed railings.

To really extend the life of your deck railing, pay attention to the fasteners and metal connectors. When possible, use stainless steel. This is vitally important if you construct a deck railing that is exposed to salt-water spray. Be sure to use approved fasteners. If you do decide to use redwood, be aware that the California Redwood Association has literature that tells you all of the approved nails, screws, bolts and connectors to use.

Think twice about using lag bolts to attach deck posts to the deck as you assemble your deck railing. I just purchased a home where the carpenters used lag bolts. The railing wobbles back and forth, and is a safety hazard.

The better fastener to use are through bolts that have a nut and large washer on the back side. These fasteners, when installed correctly, will not fail as easily as a lag bolt. One issue with lag bolts is over tightening. If you have a rookie carpenter, he may feel that tighter is better while installing the lag bolts. If you turn a lag bolt in wood too much, you can strip the wood resulting in greatly diminished holding power. I am convinced this is exactly what happened on the wood deck in my new residence.

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