Gas Fireplaces

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: What can you tell me about gas fireplaces? Is it better to have a gas fireplace or a traditional wood-burning fireplace? Should I consider a ventless gas fireplace? If you say to burn gas, I am really interested in efficient gas fireplaces so I can turn my fuel dollars into heat in the house instead of going up the chimney. John McG., Buffalo, NY

DEAR JOHN: Gas fireplaces are very popular, and they keep getting better each year as manufacturers make improvements. Modern gas fireplaces are not only very efficient, but they are extremely realistic. Certain models are so well engineered, it takes a trained eye to realize gas is burning instead of wood.

Your final decision on which type of fireplace to buy or build needs to be well thought out. The first thing I would want to know is if the fireplace is purely decorative, or will it ever function as a heating source for your home. If the fireplace is decorative, then you have a much easier set of decisions to make.

But let me tell you a story that might influence your choice. Just after I moved into my current home, we had an unusual mid-fall snowstorm. The trees were still full of leaves, and the wet snow clung to the them like flies to flypaper. The weight of the snow cracked the branches and thousands of power lines around the city were pulled to the ground. The utility crews were overwhelmed with work.

This is a real wood-burning fireplace but the current fuel source is natural gas. It can be converted back to wood burning in less than five minutes. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This is a real wood-burning fireplace but the current fuel source is natural gas. It can be converted back to wood burning in less than five minutes. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

The power at my home was not restored for three and a half days. The first night my family thought it was a fun experience, but that laughter quickly went away as the power did not come back. The storm ushered in a wave of cold air that made the temperature drop inside my home. Fortunately, I had two fireplaces and plenty of wood to temper the inside air and keep the water pipes from freezing.

Yes, a portable generator would have allowed me to run my natural gas furnace. But I didn't have one, the stores quickly ran out and all of the tool rental shops had empty shelves. But because I had a fireplace that burned wood, I was able to survive. That storm taught me several valuable lessons.

Since that time, I remodeled one of the fireplaces. I kept it as a wood-burning fireplace, but I piped the firebox with natural gas. I currently have a gas fireplace with a set of realistic gas logs. With the flick of a switch, I have a warm, realistic instant fire.

But if for some reason I lose my natural gas supply, I can remove the log set, cap the natural gas line and be burning wood in a matter of minutes. This flexibility gives me enormous peace of mind. If you can find a gas fireplace that allows you to do a similar approved fuel-source switchover, give it serious consideration.

If you decide to purchase a ventless gas fireplace, be aware of a potentially harmful side effect. When you burn natural gas or liquified natural gas, water vapor is a byproduct. This is the vapor you often see streaming from chimneys on cold winter days. While seemingly harmless, this water vapor can and will condense on cool surfaces. If the vapor barriers in your walls are not good and/or your attic ventilation is poor, you can have serious condensation issues that can lead to mold or wood rot.

As for fuel efficiency, you should be able to obtain information from the gas fireplace manufacturers about rated fuel efficiencies. If you buy a quality gas fireplace that has the highest efficiency rating, you will be doing your pocketbook and the planet a big favor. Be sure you get the efficiency rating in writing. It is not a wise thing to trust verbal promises made by a salesperson.

Gas fireplaces can be installed very quickly. Traditional masonry fireplaces are almost always more expensive. But remember to weigh flexibility against cost. Direct-vent gas fireplaces offer fantastic placement opportunities as they can be placed in unusual places within a home. The exhaust gases from the direct-vent fireplaces can exit a wall instead of the roof of a home.

Be sure a qualified contractor installs your gas fireplace. Insist on a building permit, and try to be present when the building inspector looks at the work. Take as many photographs as possible during all phases of the installation. These photos may help you diagnose a problem at some later date.

Column 694

Light Bulbs

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Light bulbs in my home are burning out more quickly than ever. After a few days, a new bulb will not work. Are new light bulbs not high quality any longer? When I go to buy new bulbs it is very confusing. There are so many choices, I don't know what energy-saving light bulbs to buy. Is there a real difference between all of the light bulbs I see at the stores? Diane T., Bellevue, WA

DEAR DIANE: I am convinced hundreds of thousands of light bulbs are buried alive in landfills and/or broken at recycling facilities. There is not a doubt in my mind the bulbs you think are bad are still actually good. They have failed because someone screwed them in too tightly into the socket.

If you look at the base of a traditional light bulb, you will see a droplet of solder. This solder connects to one end of the filament inside the bulb. The other end of the filament connects to the aluminum threads at the base of the bulb.

You can see why it might be easy to get confused when buying light bulbs. There are many different sizes, shapes and types of light bulbs. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

You can see why it might be easy to get confused when buying light bulbs. There are many different sizes, shapes and types of light bulbs. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Inside the socket of the light fixture, you will see a brass tab. When the light fixture is new, this tab is bent upwards at about a 20-degree angle. You may have noticed in the past that as you screw in a new light bulb and the light is turned on, the light bulb comes on before the bulb is tight in the socket. This happens because the brass tab makes contact with the droplet of solder.

But some people twist light bulbs into sockets far too tightly. After doing this several times, the brass tab flattens at the bottom of the socket. The droplet of solder is not always consistent from the factory, and if there is the slightest air gap between the solder and the brass tab, electrical arcing occurs between the base of the bulb and the brass tab when the light switch is turned on.

As long as this tiny arc is present the light bulb will work. But the arcing can and does erode the solder. Once the gap between the solder and the brass tab gets too big, the electrical arc can't make the jump. As soon as this happens, the bulb acts as if it has burned out, when in fact, it is still good. If you were to remove the bulb, turn off the light and power to the circuit and use a needle-nose pliers to slowly pull the brass tab up at the 20-degree angle, you would discover the bulb would once again work as soon as you turned the power and switch back on, and reinserted the bulb into the socket.

I understand your confusion about purchasing light bulbs. There are so many choices. But the good news is that newer light bulbs have different technology that not only uses far less electricity, some light bulbs make you and all of the things in your house look fantastic.

One of the most interesting products are halogen light bulbs. These bulbs produce a vibrant white light that is created when the filament burns in the presence of halogen gas that is inside the bulb. These bulbs make colors look crisper, and the bulbs stay at nearly full brightness for their entire life.

If you want energy-saving light bulbs, then pay close attention to the fluorescent light bulbs at the retail store. You can buy small compact fluorescent bulbs that will use 75 percent less energy of a traditional light bulb. For example, if you now use a 100-watt regular light bulb, purchase a fluorescent light bulb that is rated right around 25 watts. Believe it or not, it will produce the same amount of light as the old-style light bulb.

You can also buy full-spectrum light bulbs that filter out the yellow light produced when the filament burns. This happens as the light passes through the glass of the light bulb. The rare-earth element neodymium is fused into the glass and acts as a highly effective yellow-light blocker. Because no yellow light escapes from the light bulb, colors of all the things in your home are crisper and vibrant. Reds will be redder, and skin tones will be more alive. My wife and I use all three of these new light bulbs in our home, and love how they make things look different, especially our lower electric bill!

Many people do not realize that the color of clothes, carpets, painted walls, paintings, any fabric, cabinets, countertops, etc. is directly affected by the lighting source. Professionals know this as color temperature and something called color rendition. Different light bulbs create light that is more heavily weighted towards a part of the color spectrum.

Some traditional light bulbs make things look more yellow, while others might produce a more bluish cast. You must be very careful when selecting products at stores. It is not uncommon for people to be disappointed once something is seen under different light at a house instead of inside a store. Always try to select colors under the exact same light you use at home.

Author's Comment:

I was fortunate enough to get feedback about this column from people who have additional knowledge about the topic. Read these comments:

    "Read your article concerning light bulbs burning out prior to the expected life of bulb. As a former electric utility worker, I have experienced many customer complaints concerning this issue, usually in concert with TV picture malfunction (video tube type). These symptoms can be indicative of abnormally high service voltages. (Higher than the nominal 120-140v service.)

This dangerous condition may be caused by a loose connection(s) with the neutral conductor(s). Some years ago, use of aluminum conductors, without proper connections (usually aluminum to aluminum, or aluminum to copper), caused voltage problems both inside structures and with outside service connections. This situation can be a highly hazardous condition where substantial heat is eventually produced by poor and deteriorating electrical connection(s).

Where the above symptoms are present, a simple voltage test at appropriate points in the service panel, meter connections and or main service connection location can determine or eliminate these concerns. A phone call to the local electricity distribution company can usually bring satisfactory answers."

Jim Dushaw
Ashburn, VA

"Dear Tim,

Regarding your article that appeared in the October 7, 2007 issue of the Toledo Blade. You gave some very helpful advice to your readers regarding the longevity of incandescent lamps (and how to actually use them). Good for you.

At the end of the article, however, you suggested that readers use compact fluorescent lamps in lieu of incandescent.
 
The first concern I have is that your audience will go out and buy the screw-in type fluorescents that are readily available at Home Depot and Lowe's. Typically, these lamps are fitted with "mechanical" ballasts, usually the least expensive and lowest quality devices the manufacturer can purchase. Unfortunately, these ballasts also maximize Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). In our environment, this RFI may create problems with computers, radios, televisions, cellular telephones and the other electronic gadgetry that is so common in our households.

The alternative is to use fluorescent lamps with "electronic" ballasts. There is a cost involved here, too. In general, these lamps will not fit into screw-in luminaries: they have pin-type connections.

So the consumer is left with the choice of electronic noise or added expense.
 
While I am certainly no fan of incandescent lamps (typically 750 hours of life expectancy versus 15,000 or more from a fluorescent, and energy consumption increases of 66% or more for the same visual light output), I believe the consumer should understand the choices he/she is making.

And, at last, a simple quibble. Your article says the fluorescent lamps put out more light energy than the incandescent. That is not true: what is true is that the fluorescent light is in the visible range, so is much more useful to us. The great majority (80% or more) of the radiation of an incandescent lamp is in the infrared range, which we perceive as heat -- they worked great in our children's Easy Bake Oven.

Thanks for your columns."

David S. Kelly
Retired Chief of Lighting Systems Design
National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
San Diego, CA

      "Yesterday's article in the

Washington Post

      was very good, but would have been better if you had revealed the Dirty Secret in Federally-Mandated, Incandescent-Lamp-Life tests. This has been confirmed in a conversation with an ex-executive of G.E.

Federal "1,000 Hour Incandescent" tests are achieved by testing the lamps on a very heavy, marble bench so that all building vibrations are damped out. The test is also continuous -- no "Off - On" cycles which stress the filament due to changed-heat expansion & contraction.

In the home, significant vibration is everywhere: Cleaners hitting tables and bases, and most importantly, fumbling with the switch at the base of the lamp.

Long ago, manufacturers figured out how to sabotage in-home life. Simply remove three of the five traditional, filament supports. Since tungsten grows brittle with heat, the filament sways and breaks -- often in a few hundred hours.

The source mentioned above now markets all types of bulbs to building contractors and a few of us civilians. He thinks the only honestly constructed bulbs may be those Sylvania bulbs that are manufactured in Germany.

Sincerely,"

David L. Lee
Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, the Ohio State University
60 years Experience in Telecommunications Engineering & Marketing

Column 693

Kitchen Design

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I need some help with the kitchen design for my home. I am pretty sure I know what I want, but kitchen designs are as varied as faces in a crowd. How will I know what is the best design for this kitchen remodel job? What is the best way to approach a fresh kitchen design project? Sheila B., Hardeeville, SC

DEAR SHEILA: Kitchen design is very important, but it is sometimes confused with kitchen planning. Both planning and design are critical, and ignoring one while concentrating on the other can lead to a disaster and heartbreak. Let's make sure we are on the same page with respect to what you need.

Kitchen design, in my opinion, speaks to the overall look of the kitchen once it is completed. A designer can use different materials, cabinets, finishes, lighting, etc. to achieve a sleek, modern look and feel or a kitchen that was transported in a time machine from a quaint Irish cottage. There are an infinite amount of kitchen designs you can have.

This kitchen design was a collaborative effort. My wife had significant input from beginning to end throughout the entire design process. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This kitchen design was a collaborative effort. My wife had significant input from beginning to end throughout the entire design process. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Kitchen planning, in my opinion, tends to pay more attention to the functionality of the space. When you plan a kitchen, you are thinking about the placement of the sink, appliances, types of cabinets and the layout of the cabinets and countertops. The best analogy I can think of is kitchen planning is like the structural steel of a skyscraper and kitchen design is the outside appearance of that same skyscraper.

There is no simple answer to your main question. I feel you can ask 100 top kitchen designers what they would do with your new kitchen, and you will likely end up with 100 different designs some of them being similar, but no way identical. My suggestion is for you to start to immerse yourself in research where you look at hundreds of different designs and see which few really put your head on a swivel.

Your research will undoubtedly take you across the vast tundra of the Internet, into numerous kitchen cabinet showrooms and possibly design centers built by large remodeling contractors who specialize in kitchen remodeling. I also suggest you start looking at any number of excellent kitchen design books and magazines that have hundreds of gorgeous color photos of kitchens large and small, expensive and affordable. If you really want to be on the cutting edge, look at kitchen designs done in European countries. European kitchen designers often produce stunning results in small spaces.

Be sure to look beyond just cabinets and countertops. Every surface in the kitchen is a design element. The backsplash space between the countertops and underside of the wall cabinets, floor, ceiling, doors, wall spaces above and around cabinets, etc. all should contribute to the overall design theme.

For example, if you are on a tight budget, you may decide to paint your existing floor and incorporate a design of some type into the paint. Painted floors hold up very well when they are coated with high-quality clear urethane. Don't forget lighting as it is a very important design element. Unfortunately, lighting is often overlooked in many kitchen designs that I see.

I urge you to consider interviewing several professional kitchen designers. They may be able to offer you great advice about how to maximize your design dollars. The fee you spend for a kitchen designer may be paid for from dollars you might otherwise waste on rookie design mistakes.

Not all professional kitchen designers are made equal. Some have years of professional and industry training mixed with years of field experience. Others may have little or no training in the field. Before you sign any contract for design fees, make sure you investigate the qualifications of the person you are going to hire.

At a bare minimum ask to see the last 20 kitchen design projects they have worked on. Try to determine if the designer has experience working with the look and feel you have decided you like. Ask the designer what kind of training and classes they have taken. Probe to see if they have any type of certification from industry associations. Some certifications require many hours of training.

Column 691

Toilet Flapper Valve Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Toilet Flapper Valve

While filming a video on roof flashing, Tim receives a cell phone call from Paul. Since the video shooting is already interrupted, Tim assists Paul with his plumbing problem.

Paul's toilet is leaking or running all the time. Until recently, Paul's toilet would fill the tank and everything was fine. Now after filling, the water is running all the time. To examine the problem, Tim asks Paul to take the lid off the toilet tank. Be sure to place the toilet tank lid flat on the floor, do not lean it against the wall. A little nudge and it will slide down, hit the floor and crack in half.

Looking down into the tank on the left side, there should be an arm with a chain attached to it. In the center of the tank, there is a metal tube that comes up above the water line. Off to the left, there is either a mechanism with a ball float or a cylinder type shut-off valve.

Tim wants Paul to reach down into the water to the end of the chain. However, Paul has some concerns about putting his hand in the water tank. Tim assures him that the water in the toilet bowl tank is clean water. There is no problem placing your hand in this water. As a matter of fact, this water can be used for brushing your teeth, washing your face and shaving on those days with the water is turned off in the house. This is the same water that comes out of your faucets.

After some convincing, Paul reaches down into the tank and pulls up on the end of the chain. This raises the toilet flapper valve and allows the water to flow out of the tank. If the chain is released, the flapper valve will fall back down and stop the water flow.

The flapper valve can be getting hung up on something so it does not fall back into place or it is worn out. In either case, the water will continue to flow out of the toilet. If the flapper does fall back into place, then it is probably worn out. Head off to the store and purchase a replacement flapper valve. Be sure to get a replacement that has the flapper valve and the seat. The package will also include a putty ring so you can seal the seat. Many of these replacements have a timer cup on the flapper valve. This holds the flap open long enough to get a good flush.

To install the replacement valve, shut off the water source to the toilet. Usually located just underneath the toilet. Then flush the toilet to remove the water from the tank. Sponge out the remaining water from the tank. Install the replacement flapper valve by following the directions on the package. In most cases, this will stop the running toilet problem.

This is an easy, do-it-yourself repair. No plumber needed this time.

Utility Truck Beds Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Many years ago, Tim decided to use a special truck bed for his work truck. Regular pick up trucks just did not do the job. Utility truck beds allow you to carry lots of tools to your project site. There are secure, waterproof storage compartments on the outside of the truck body.

The inside of the utility truck body will accommodate 4 ft. x 8 ft. sheets of plywood, drywall or OSB. And still has storage areas on the sides.

Utility truck beds come with or without roofs. Roofs allow materials and large tools to remain dry and secure. Traditional pick up truck beds are open to the elements and to those who would steal your tools and/or materials. With a traditional truck bed, you have to remove all your tools when you go to pick up materials. If you do not remove them, the tools will get crushed by the sheets of plywood or drywall.

Utility truck beds have secure tool compartments with adjustable shelves. These can be set up to accommodate your particular needs. Storage boxes that fit across the bed of your pick up are good, but they do not offer the flexibility and access that utility bodies do. Check them out the next time you are in the market for a new work truck.

Gravity Furnaces

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: We are looking to buy an older house that has a very unusual furnace. The home inspector calls it a gravity furnace, but I think it looks more like an octopus with these large pipes that protrude out like tentacles from the top of the large, round furnace. There is also some white coarse paper wrapped around the pipes, and a 1-inch thick piece of white cardboard on top of the gravity furnace. Is this a good furnace, or should we negotiate for a new one? Stephanie T., Pittsburgh, PA

DEAR STEPHANIE: Gravity furnaces are a nearly extinct species. They date back to the late 1800's and early 1900's. The large, round furnaces were almost always designed to burn coal, however many came from the factory equipped to burn wood, oil or natural gas. In fact, it was very common to see these furnaces converted from one fuel source to another. The first house my wife and I owned had a coal gravity furnace that had been switched over to natural gas at some point. As best as I could figure, this furnace was originally installed in the early 1920's. It was still working perfectly in 1975 when I turned it on.

This ancient gravity furnace is still in perfect working order. It wastes enormous amounts of energy, but it still heats the home! The large cast-iron door is where coal would be fed into the furnace. PHOTO CREDIT: Tony White

This ancient gravity furnace is still in perfect working order. It wastes enormous amounts of energy, but it still heats the home! The large cast-iron door is where coal would be fed into the furnace. PHOTO CREDIT: Tony White

The furnaces worked by gravity. The most basic ones only had a few moving parts, and those were usually the doors you opened to insert fuel or remove ashes or cinders. As the furnaces got hot, they heated the air around the core of the furnace's combustion chamber. This air floated up through the large pipes into the house. Gravity pulled down the heavier cold air into the base of the furnace. A slow-motion conveyor belt of air constantly flowed through the furnace as long as fuel was burning inside and residual heat remained in the metal parts after the fuel was exhausted.

The heating ducts where the warm air floated up into the rooms were often installed in the wrong locations. My guess is you might find register covers on inside rooms near the central core of the house. Modern forced-air heating/cooling technology has supply ducts and registers located on exterior walls of homes. This placement allows the conditioned air to wash across the wall surface that is either cold in the winter or hot in the summer.

Modern return air ducts should be located in each room on the wall opposite the exterior wall. This allows the conditioned air to be pulled across the room providing even heating or cooling.

The cold air usually entered the furnace through a giant duct often found in the floor or at the bas of a flight of steps that led to the second floor. The gravity furnaces themselves were often located in the basement of a home which helped supply them with cooler air. The basement location also aided the loading of wood or coal through chutes that were at grade level outdoors. Gravity would make it easier to get the fuel down into the storage area near the furnace.

These gravity furnaces were horribly inefficient. I do not have access to actual numbers, but my guess would be that 50 percent or more of the heat generated by the burning fuel went up the chimney. Compare that to today's super-efficient furnaces that often extract 95 percent of the heat from fuel, and you can see why it might be a great idea for you to replace the large gravity beast, even if it still works.

The white wrapping around the pipes is almost certainly asbestos. It was commonly used as an insulator and fireproofing material on gravity furnaces. It is a very dangerous and toxic material. The fibers in the asbestos are known carcinogens. The thick, white cardboard product is probably pure asbestos. It is acting as a shield that keeps the intense heat of the burning fuel inside the furnace. Do not touch or disturb this cardboard or the wrapping around the pipes.

If you decide to purchase this home, I would recommend that you negotiate the removal of the furnace, the proper installation of new ductwork and expert removal of the asbestos by a certified asbestos remediation company. Do not underestimate the seriousness of the asbestos issue. Be sure your realtor includes language in your written offer that ensures a certified asbestos removal company will get rid of the toxic material.

That off-white wrap on the top of the furnace and the pipes is asbestos! It used to be applied damp much like the old plaster-of-Paris casts on broken arms and legs. If you see white wrapping like this on your ducts do NOT disturb it. PHOTO CREDIT: Tony White

That off-white wrap on the top of the furnace and the pipes is asbestos! It used to be applied damp much like the old plaster-of-Paris casts on broken arms and legs. If you see white wrapping like this on your ducts do NOT disturb it. PHOTO CREDIT: Tony White

 Keep in mind that just removing the old gravity furnace is not enough. The ductwork within the walls is almost certainly oversized for each room, and it is in the wrong location. If you want your home to be comfortable, you will need to have new ductwork extended to each room and similar return-air ducts installed to get air from each room back to the furnace. The giant return air duct on the first floor needs to be abandoned, and the floor patched if that is where it is located.

Asbestos facts and removal information can be found at the Environmental Protection Agency's Web site: http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/ . I urge you to read all of the information there and become highly educated about this topic.

There are ways to encapsulate the asbestos, and some companies may advise you about this. However since the furnace is so inefficient, the asbestos has to go out with the furnace. You need to make sure little or no asbestos is released into the air or on other surfaces in your home.

Talk to your realtor about making an offer to buy contingent upon getting several estimates for a new furnace, ductwork and the removal of the asbestos. Be sure the language indicates the purchase price will be reduced by an amount that allows you to hire professionals to do all of the work.

I want to give a huge thanks to Tony White for taking these photos. Tony is an appraiser in Cincinnati, OH and owns White Appraisal, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Notes:

John Podolinsky, who works for the State of Montana in their DEQ/WUTMB/Asbestos Control Program, was kind enough to contact me after this column ran in the Great Falls Tribune:

"I enjoyed your article in the Great Falls Tribune newspaper on Saturday, September 15, 2007, on gravity furnaces and asbestos!!

It was a pleasure to read such an informative article on both subjects. Fortunately, I do not heat my house with a gravity furnace, but I do deal with asbestos on a daily basis.

In my line of business (asbestos regulatory), I witness much asbestos non-compliance based on ignorance. Your article will hopefully educate!

If you plan to provide additional asbestos information to your audience, especially those who live in Montana, feel free to refer to our website below or me.

Thanks again and keep up the great work,"

John Podolinsky
State of Montana
DEQ/WUTMB/Asbestos Control Program
1520 East 6th Avenue
P.O. Box 200901
Helena, MT 59620-0901
www.deq.mt.gov/Asbestos/index.asp

Column 689

Paint Cedar Shakes

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: My husband and I have a home covered with cedar shakes. We are going to be building a smaller room addition soon, and will match the outside cedar shakes. To save money, I will paint the new cedar shakes. I am dreading this job as I have already painted the existing house, and know what a nightmare it can be to get the paint in between the shakes. How would you tackle this painting job? There have to be some tricks pros use in this situation. Anne R., Long Beach, CA

DEAR ANNE: Oh, I know exactly how you feel. Many years ago, I started a small business with a friend of mine. We painted houses in the summer to pay our way through college. One of the houses we bid on had cedar shakes. It took us forever to paint the house. We ruined lots of brushes trying to dab the paint into all those gaps between the shakes. Drips were a constant headache as excess paint in the gaps would regularly run down the face of the cedar shakes.

A scrap piece of plywood makes an excellent rack to hold painted cedar shakes. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

A scrap piece of plywood makes an excellent rack to hold painted cedar shakes. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

There are any number of ways to make this job really easy. I can think of two right off the top of my head. You are extremely lucky to have thought about this problem before the shakes are installed. Painting bare cedar shakes that are already installed is very hard, and can lead to other pesky problems down the road.

One of the issues of painting cedar shakes after they are installed is that you don't get paint on critical parts of the shakes that can get wet. The gap between the shakes acts like a miniature funnel in a driving rainstorm. Water can only go down or sideways and often does penetrate under the cedar shakes. When this happens parts of the shakes that are covered with other shakes get wet, really wet.

When the water soaks into the bare cedar wood, it dissolves chemicals in the cedar. This colored water often runs down out of the shakes after the storm is over causing pesky extractive-chemical stains on your beautiful shakes. This moisture can also cause the paint to bubble and flake off at a later date.

Your best bet, at this time, is to paint the cedar shakes before they are installed. There are any number of ways to do this, but you may find that spraying or dipping the shakes is the most productive method.

There are some very good airless paint sprayers that will do this job very quickly. The challenge is creating a spray-paint booth to minimize paint over spray. This can be done inside a garage with a few large-appliance cardboard boxes or draping sheets of plastic to create a small room.

The other method is to take a five-gallon bucket and pour four gallons of the paint you will use into the clean bucket. You then take each shake, holding it at the thin top edge, and dip it completely into the paint to within two inches of the top of the shake. Using a paint brush, you then remove the excess paint from the shake as you are holding it above the bucket.

It is vitally important that the front, back and all edges of each shake get painted no matter if you use the dipping or the spray method. This complete coverage solves the issue of trying to paint the edges once the shakes are installed, and it completely seals each shake against the water penetration.

The biggest challenge in painting the shakes in this fashion is how to get the paint to dry without the shakes touching one another or something else. I have solved this problem with a scrap piece of plywood. Using a circular saw or a table saw, I cut grooves in the plywood that are one-quarter-inch wide by six-feet long. The grooves are separated by one and one-half inches each. I set the plywood up off the ground about three inches on each end.

After a shake is painted, you insert the thin end into the groove. The shake sticks up in the air and can dry rapidly. You can place many shakes in a single piece of plywood. By the time you fill up one piece of plywood, the shakes that were first painted are usually dry to the touch and can be moved to another location where they can be tilted up against a wall.

Never stack the shakes against one another for at least two or three days as the paint needs to totally cure. If you stack them too early, they will stick together.

Often the shakes need two coats of paint. Try to apply both coats of paint within 24 hours for the best results. This ensures the first coat is still clean and tacky. The final coat of paint will bond much better if the first coat is still slightly sticky. Follow the instructions on the paint can, and always paint as soon as you are allowed.

Column 687

Ad Speech

Posted on by Tim Carter

Howdy! Thanks for responding to the email blast from your local AMA organization Board of Directors.  I want to deliver the best talk possible on October 4, 2007. To do that, I need to get to know more about your understanding of Internet video and advertising. Filling out this survey will achieve that goal. Please be painfully honest with your answers.

I also urge you top get a good night's sleep just before the talk. It is my intention to rock your world the morning we will spend together. Come with an open mind and a smile on your face!

Thanks again for filling out the survey. ALL information is private, including your email address. I will not save it, nor will I give it to anyone who might SPAM you.

Tim Carter



Name:
Email Address:
Have you or your company purchased ads that appeared on the Internet? Yes

No

Do you know what Google AdWords are? Yes

No

Do you or your company purchase video advertising for cable or broadcast television? Yes

No

Do you know what contextual advertising is? Yes

No

Tell me the top two things you would love to know about Internet videos, ads placed in or adjacent to Internet videos and Google/YouTube. Be as clear as possible. Type as many words as you like in the box below. You must answer this question.

Pot Filler Faucet Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

Pot Filler Faucet Video

A pot filler faucet is a really cool idea. This faucet is installed over your cook top. The pot filler faucets allow you to fill the pot with water while the pot is on the cook top. You save your back because you do not have to lug a pot full of water across the kitchen.

There are several manufacturers of pot filler faucets. So be sure to read and understand their installation directions. The model being discussed in this video attaches to the water supply line using a threaded brass nipple. A special brass fitting needs to be soldered to the copper supply line in the wall. This fitting provides the threads needed for the nipple.

A retention ring is required for the mounting of the pot filler faucet. This ring screws to the wall. When marking the location of the screw holes, be sure that one of the holes will not be on top of the water pipe. Before installing the retention ring, apply pipe thread sealant on the threads of the pipe nipple. Teflon pipe thread sealant is a good choice.

Install any manufacturer supplied rubber washers behind the retention ring. Once the ring is in place, you can install the faucet. Do not forget to place any decorative escutcheon plates onto the faucet before threading the faucet onto the nipple.

Use a rubber strap wrench to tighten the faucet. Do not use regular pipe wrenches or channel lock pliers as they will mark or scratch the faucet. Use a small level to make sure the pot filler faucet arms are level. There will be a small set screw to tighten the escutcheon plate.

Before using the pot filler faucet for the first time, remove the faucet aerator tip and allow the water to run. This will remove any of the flux or copper shavings that got into the line during installation. Once you have flushed the line, replace the aerator tip and fill that pot. Most pot fillers have two valves.

 

This video was featured in the April 23, 2014 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

How To Cut Ceramic Tile Video

Posted on by Tim Carter

If you are installing ceramic tile, there is a good chance you will have to cut a hole or notch in the middle of one or more of the tiles. Here is one way to doing it.

Hold the tile in place and mark the area that has to be removed. You can mark the hole a little larger then needed if you have a large decorative plate that will cover the hole. Once the mark has been made on the tile, transfer it to the back side of the ceramic tile. Because the cut-out area has curved lines, a wet-diamond saw will not make the proper cuts.

The proper tool to make the cuts - a hack saw. But the blade is a rod saw blade. The rod saw blade is made from small pieces of carbide glued to a steel rod.

When cutting the tile, be sure the good side is facing down. Place a paper towel or soft rag under the tile to protect the finish. If the hole is in the middle of the piece of tile, you will have to take the hack saw blade off the frame and insert it through the opening, if it already exists, in the tile. Then remount the saw blade while it is through the tile. Check to be sure that the handle of the hack saw is towards the back side of the tile.

Then saw along your mark and cut the notch you have marked. Disassemble the hack saw and remove it from the ceramic tile. Check your cut by putting it in place. It should work just fine.