Hurricane Katrina

Posted on January 7, 2007 by Tim Carter

Hurricane Katrina Ground Zero Waveland, MS

Author's Note: More photos of Katrina-damaged houses in New Orleans here.

On New Year's Day 2007, my youngest daughter Kelly and I packed ourselves and some luggage into our car and headed off to New Orleans, LA . We had tickets to attend the Sugar Bowl game. We left a day early so we could tour New Orleans and the surrounding countryside to see Hurricane Katrina damage. It never crossed my mind that my 14-year-old daughter would utter one simple sentence in a moment of frustration that would forever change how I look at my own home and all the people, pets, and things that are inside it.

Sixteen months had passed since the monster storm had plundered New Orleans and points east, so surely cleanup and rebuilding efforts had healed the scars from Hurricane Katrina. Well, you know what happens when you assume something. On the second day of our drive, we followed Interstate Routes 59 and 10 from the north towards the Big Easy. Just after crossing the border between Mississippi and Louisiana, signs of Katrina were everywhere.

This is one of thousands of vacant homes in the city of New Orleans. Rebuilding is happening in some neighborhoods, but houses like these far outnumber those being rebuilt. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Still many miles from the French Quarter, twisted and snapped trees, empty storefronts, piles of debris and drapes fluttering out of open windows was the "Welcome to New Orleans" sign that whispered to Kelly and I we had arrived on a desecrated part of the Gulf Coast. How, after these many months, could all of this damage still be visible? Why wasn't it being cleaned up? Where were all of the workers trying to breathe life back into the outer edges of this historic city? The answers would come the next day.

Deserted Lakeview

"You want to see a hard-hit area, go to Lakeview. It's off Interstate 10 just before the airport. Drive down any street," said Bill Kingman, a friend of mine who acted as our guide on the first day of our arrival. Bill, a resident of New Orleans for the past 22 years, was in Iraq when Katrina hit, and his home missed being flooded by just inches. But he had many friends and neighbors who had lost everything. Bill told us all sorts of tales about the storm as we walked through the seemingly untouched French Quarter.

Dawn broke with a steely gray on our second day in New Orleans. Since the Sugar Bowl game kickoff was not until 7:30 p.m., Kelly and I had the better part of a day to tour the city, and do some shopping. "Let's go take some Hurricane Katrina pictures, " I said after eating breakfast. Kelly sighed, shrugged her shoulders and murmured, "Okay." No doubt I am pretty out of touch with the top ten things a 14-year-old girl wants to do while visiting New Orleans.

The suburb of Lakeview was less than a ten-minute drive from our hotel on the edge of the French Quarter. Getting off the expressway ramp, I immediately sensed something was wrong. There was some traffic on the Clearview Parkway, but the streets that branched off this main thoroughfare were deserted.

For Sale signs stood guard over house after house that had windows missing, doors open and the spray-painted tattoos left by the search teams looking for survivors or those less fortunate. Each damaged house also bore the indelible black ring marking the high-water line as well as secondary rings recording the slow recession of the murky brew as it was pumped back to the sea.

Going to Ground Zero

After taking several Hurricane Katrina photos of this aftermath, I was pulled by the invisible force of curiosity to where the wicked beast had made landfall. I needed to see exactly where the center of the vortex smashed into the coast. Kelly and I pointed the car to the east and set our sights on Waveland, MS.

An hour or so later we entered the town limits of Waveland, MS, a small hamlet on US Route 90. There was a small sign that pointed to the Waveland Beach. Perfect. That's exactly where I wanted to go. Kelly and I turned down the small road and couldn't see the beach at all. No wonder, we were well over a mile or more away.

But as Kelly and I crept south towards the water's edge, we did see concrete slabs at the end of deserted driveways on either side of this small road. Fifty and sixty-foot-tall pine trees with trunks as large as 55-gallon drums were snapped in two like dried twigs. The remaining trunks were poking up out of the sand about 15 or 20 feet. Katrina's fierce storm surge had reached that high, and the howling wind and crashing waves must have snapped off the tops of the trees above the water line.

The damage and destruction kept getting worse as we got closer to the beach. Mother Nature had decided to wipe away all traces of habitation of the land. She decided she wanted the Waveland area to be like it was 400 years ago. She almost achieved perfection.

This is the deserted beach at Waveland, MS.

When we arrived at the end of the road at the beach, there was a large sign warning people to not go into the water. The sign mentioned sharp metal fragments, broken glass, etc. that would slice your feet and legs like a brand-new razor. Trust me, I had no inclination to wade in the Gulf of Mexico.

There was an eerie silence wrapped around us. All you could hear was the gentle lapping of the salt water as it tried to cleanse the beach area of all the debris. That, no doubt, would take many decades without help from us.

Gardfield Ladner Memorial Pier Waveland MS

This is all that's left of the Gardfield Ladner Memorial Pier in Waveland, MS.

I stood in awe of the enormous power of Katrina.

Kelly finally spoke up, "Dad, I don't get it. There's nothing here. Why in the world did you want to drive an hour to see nothing?"

The first thought that crossed my mind was, "That's exactly why I wanted to come here. To see how a hurricane takes something and churns it into NOTHING.

I said that to Kelly and took a few more photos.

We got back in the car and drove in silence all the way back to New Orleans.

If you live in the path of a hurricane that's going to produce a record storm surge like Katrina, you need to evacuate. Hurricanes are just like the Game of Thrones.

When you play the Game of Hurricane, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.

Waveland MS Beach Destroyed Building from Hurricane Katrina

Under Cabinet Lighting

Posted on December 28, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Do you think under cabinet lighting is a smart thing to do in a kitchen? Is it hard to incorporate cabinet lighting into cabinets? Is installing under cabinet lighting something a homeowner can do safely? I'm afraid that modern under cabinet lighting will make my kitchen not match the rest of my home. What would you do? Linda H., Belleville, Ontario CA

DEAR LINDA: Not only is it a good idea to install under cabinet lighting in a kitchen, it makes sense in a wet bar area, a bathroom, a study or any other location where wall cabinets overhang a counter surface. Wall cabinets create a dark shadow area in kitchens and other places where ceiling lights are placed close to the face of the wall cabinets. Under cabinet lights eliminate these shadows, and create abundant light to help you see what you are working on in the kitchen.

This under cabinet light was installed in less than an hour. It really does a fantastic job of highlighting the granite backsplash and countertop. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

The way a majority of kitchen cabinets are made makes it very easy to install under cabinet lights. If you poke your head under your wall cabinets, you should see a recessed area that is about 7/8 of an inch in depth. This is the depth of most under cabinet lights, so they do not project beyond the bottom plane of the cabinets. Even if they do, the underside of standard 30-inch-high wall cabinets is well below the line of sight as people stand in your kitchen. This means you will not see the actual light fixtures, but will most certainly see the illumination from the light bulbs.

I prefer to use the low-voltage under cabinet lighting fixtures. They are very simple to install, and can become almost invisible if you are able to pre-wire for the lights during new construction or a remodeling job. A skilled electrician can easily hide the wire and needed transformers in a finished kitchen, so I would not hesitate to add under cabinet lights in a brand new totally finished kitchen.

Low-voltage under cabinet lights often operate on 12 volts of electricity, the same voltage as many older doorbells. You need to install small transformers to convert regular 120-volt household alternating current to 12-volts of direct current. These modern transformers are compact, and can be placed inside of cabinets or in the open in an unfinished basement. They can also be placed in a pantry inside the kitchen. The transformers can be equipped with regular plugs that connect to a regular electrical wall outlet.

You can install these under cabinet lights if you can read directions and follow them. The hardest part is trying to incorporate the way they will be switched on and off. I prefer to make the under cabinet lights come on at the same time as certain other overhead lights turn on in my kitchen. To do this, you have to run a regular 120-volt cable from one of the light fixtures to the transformer or to an outlet that the transformer plugs into. This type of electrical wiring may be beyond the capabilities of most homeowners.

If you have natural stone countertops or plan to have them, under cabinet lighting is a must. Granite and other stone products, as well as copycat composite stone materials, look their best when they are highlighted with direct beams of light. The mineral crystals within the granite sparkle just like a diamond ring does in brilliant sunlight.

While some of the under cabinet lights look modern and some look institutional, I would go for the smaller-diameter round lights that resemble hockey pucks. If you are installing new cabinets that offer accessory trim packages, you can all but hide the lights by adding a thin skin of finished plywood under the cabinet bottoms. Holes can be cut into the plywood and the small lights fit into the wood just like their big brother recessed lights fit into ceilings.

Be sure to use the correct-sized wire for the lights. Many low-voltage light manufacturers sell the correct wire to match the voltage and load of the fixtures.

Be sure to place one under cabinet light for every 30 inches of counter space. You don't want any dead spots or dark shadows along the expanse of countertops in your kitchen.

The size of transformers is very important. Be sure to match the number of under cabinet lights to the transformer. If you have only two low voltage lights to connect, you will be able to use a very small transformer. But as you add more lights to the circuit, the size of the transformer will grow.

Be sure to follow the instructions about air space around the transformers. As a transformer converts regular alternating current to direct low-voltage current, it produces heat. It is very important that this heat is allowed to dissipate from the transformer. If a transformer overheats, there is a real fire danger.

Never hide a transformer in a wall or ceiling space that will get covered with paneling or drywall. The transformers must be in open view so they can be serviced or replaced. Keeping them in the open helps provide the needed ventilation. You can place them above dropped ceilings so long as the ceiling tiles can be removed and the transformer is in plain sight.

Author's Notes:

I received these helpful tips from Gean Tremaine of Q-Tran, Inc. He wrote:

"The wiring is not like doorbell wiring. Low Voltage lighting that operates at 12V or 24V has a lot of current - 10 times that of 120V lighting, current causes wire to burn. So the installer needs to keep that in mind and gauge the wire properly.

The transformer convert the electricity from 120V-12V but it is AC-AC power, the transformer does NOT convert the electricity to DC (direct current).

Certain transformers are UL listed to be recessed into the wall, they need to have an IC rating, but they can achieve this if desired.

Noise is going to be an issue if you dim the lighting, so use a transformer that has been designed for dimming."

Column 654

Connecting Wood Beams Video

Posted on December 28, 2006 by Tim Carter

Wood beams can be found in many homes. Remodeling may require you to install a new beam next to an existing beam that may be too short or too weak. Wood ceiling beams need to be through bolted when they are connected.

If your remodeling project requires a new beam to be installed or moved or extended, you have to bolt the new one to the existing beam properly. Structural engineers have determined that the use of through bolts is the best method. A through bolt has washers on each end and hex nuts on each other or a rivet type head on the bolt itself. The use of 1/2" diameter bolts is recommended.

You might have to use threaded rod and cut it to length with a reciprocating saw if the beams are too wide for a standard threaded bolt. Do not use lag bolts.

Final tip - use the correct size drill bit. The diameter of the drill bit has to be the same as the diameter of the threaded rod or bolt. That will prevent slop in the connection and keeps the beams from slipping. The bolt will have to be hammered through the hole. That is good; that means you have a good fit.

Light Switch Wiring Video

Posted on December 23, 2006 by Tim Carter

Light Switch Wiring

First step in any wiring project is to turn off the circuit breaker for that circuit. The wiring for a normal light switch consists of three wires. Two black wires and a grounding wire. The grounding screw on the light switch will be green.

The black wires can connect to either of the two screws on the side of the switch. Loop the wire onto the switch screw correctly so as the screw is tightened, the loop in the wire will close tighter.

Connect the bare copper grounding wire to the green grounding screw on the side of the light switch.

Once you have checked your connections, turn the circuit breaker on and flip the switch.

Read why light switches might catch fire in my March 11, 2014 AsktheBuilder Newsletter. This popular column was featured also in the December 10, 2013 Newsletter.

Kitchen Remodeling

Posted on December 14, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: A major kitchen remodeling job is about to start at my house. The needle on my anxiety meter is pegged causing me to lose sleep. Is a kitchen remodel supposed to be this stressful? How am I going to survive for five weeks without a kitchen? Is there a way to minimize the pain and suffering I am about to endure? What did you used to do to keep your customers happy each day? Nancy A., Seal Beach, CA

DEAR NANCY: My internal radar is picking up all sorts of serious negativity from you. We need to turn your bad feelings into excitement, joy and bliss about this amazing transformation that is about to happen. If you don't, you will undoubtedly come totally unglued before you are halfway through this traumatic event. Worse yet, if your anxiety transfers to the workers, all sorts of bad jujumagumbo will happen.

I have lost count of the kitchen remodel jobs I have done over the years, but the visions of what happens are crystal clear right now as four days ago a crew started to completely gut my own kitchen. If you go upstairs right now, my kitchen looks like a bomb exploded. Don't ever underestimate the convenience of going to a kitchen sink to get a simple glass of water.

Dennis Eads and Bob Schmidt carry out a worn ceramic tile countertop as my old kitchen is demolished. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

I think your dreadful feelings can be traced to poor communications between you and the remodeling company. Anxiety is often created when a person is unable to predict the outcome of an event or series of events. If you had a series of questions about the entire process, including what you are going to do about cooking, refrigeration and dishwashing during your project and the answers you got still have you worried, something is seriously wrong.

You minimize, and possibly eliminate, all pain and suffering related to a kitchen remodeling project with excellent planning, scheduling and timing. A little pinch of luck is also a great ingredient if you can conjure it up.

I was by no means the perfect remodeler, but I knew that kitchen remodeling jobs had to run like the passenger trains of old. My jobs were almost always on time, I constantly strived for first class service and I knew the job had to keep moving forward everyday. Even when unforeseen problems popped up, most customers saw that we were working as hard as possible to solve the issue and complete the job.

Your remodeling contractor should have produced a schedule that shows what will happen each day. On that schedule, you should be able to see when all of the materials, appliances, cabinets, countertops, etc. must be onsite so there is progress each day.

You don't want surprises as the cabinets are being installed. If utilities are in the wrong place or not sized correctly, delays are inevitable. Kitchen appliances can be very persnickety as to where electrical and plumbing connections are located. It is vitally important that you or your remodeling contractor ensure that all utilities are sized correctly and they are in the right location before the plaster or drywall is installed.

I am astonished that your remodeling contractor has left you in the dark with respect to a temporary kitchen. On each of my jobs I was able to setup a temporary kitchen, albeit small and cramped. If need be, we took out some of the existing cabinets and used them to make a temporary kitchen in a basement or a garage if the weather was nice. To expect a family to eat out for the entire duration of a kitchen remodeling project is completely unreasonable.

All sorts of modern appliances allow you to create a miniature kitchen that allows you to do 90 percent of what you are now doing in your existing kitchen. My wife just bought an amazing electric appliance that allows us to fry eggs, bacon, cook meat, brown sandwiches, etc. This briefcase-sized appliance coupled with our microwave and two smaller refrigerators placed around our basement wet bar will allow us to survive our kitchen remodeling job. I am sure you can have a workable temporary kitchen fabricated in some part of your home.

Be sure to take many photographs or a video with an audio description of the entire process. Each night after the workers leave, document every surface that was worked on. The photos or videos could come in handy in the future if you need to see what is behind a finished surface.

Make sure your remodeling contractor does not fidget with any utilities on a Friday. You do not want to have a plumbing or gas leak pop up after the workers leave for the weekend. Be sure you know how to shut off all utilities in your home in the event a leak develops or you sense something is wrong with the electricity. Mimic an experienced boy scout - be prepared.

Do not make the final payment on the job until all work is complete and you are 100 percent satisfied. Never work from verbal promises. Your money is the only leverage you have and you must always have enough money in your possession to complete the job in the event your contractor disappears or you decide to kick him to the curb.

Column 652

Painting Kitchen Cabinets Video

Posted on December 6, 2006 by Tim Carter

To do the job right, you need the correct supplies and tools. Be sure to get a high quality paint brush. Cheap brushes just won't do the job.

Read the instructions on the paint can. It will surely say to apply the paint to a clean and dry surface. To get to all the surfaces that must be painted, remove the doors from the cabinets and then remove all hardware, hinges and handles. When removing the doors, take the bottom hinge off first. This will put less stress on the door.

Wash all the surfaces with a mild soap and water to remove all the dirt and grease. Rinse the cabinets with clean water and dry the surfaces. The gloss finish on the cabinets has to be roughed up so the new paint will stick. You can use a power sander, but they create a lot of dust. Use a dust free liquid deglosser to avoid the dust problem. Once applied, the cabinets will be ready for painting in about 10 minutes.

Apply the primer to all the surfaces to be painted. Primers may not cover the dark wood in one coat. To eliminate brush strokes, always make the last stroke towards the area already painted and slowly lift the brush off the painted surface. If the paint seems hard to work with, there is paint conditioner that will make the paint primer slippery and easier to apply.

When painting a cabinet door with raised panels, paint the panel first and work out towards the edges of the door. Paint the door edge last and check the back for large globs of primer. Smooth out any spots and let the primer dry.

As soon as the primer is dry to the touch, begin painting the cabinets. The finish paint will bond better if the primer is fresh. Try a gloss finish paint to make cleaning them easier. Several thin coats of paint is better than one thick, heavy coat.

One coat of primer and two coats of finish paint should give you the results you want.

If you REALLY want to discover how to paint kitchen cabinets, you need my Painting Cabinets EBook .

Painting Ceramic Tile

Posted on December 4, 2006 by Tim Carter

Many of the floor tiles in this photo don’t match the circled one. The homeowner thought they’d all match. Photo Credit: Sandy Mayor

"Painting a ceramic tile floor is fast and it can last. The key is to use the right paint and once cured, coat it with three layers of clear water-based urethane."

DEAR TIM: I am thinking about painting ceramic tile in my home. This tile is in several rooms both on the floor and walls.

Our budget does not allow replacement at this time. Is ceramic tile painting a reasonable project, or will it end in disaster?

What do I need to know about painting ceramic tiles that will make me look like a hero in front of my husband, the man who thinks this is a folly of an idea? Sharon D., Carrollton, TX

Painting Ceramic Tile Floor - One Color or Stencils

What Ceramic Tile Can be Painted?

You can paint any ceramic tile that will not be subject to lots of water on a routine basis. This means floor tile, wall tile, and countertop tile can all be painted. You can even do decorative painting on ceramic tile.

The only tile I would never paint is that ceramic tile within a shower or above a bathtub. The high levels of moisture in these areas cause most paints to peel from the ceramic tile in a short amount of time.

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local painters who can paint your tile next week.

Should I Deep Clean Tile Before Painting?

Yes, the ceramic tile needs to be deep cleaned before painting. Paint is just colored glue and it sticks best to clean surfaces.

The first step in the process is to deep clean the ceramic tile and grout. You must remove all dirt, oil, wax, grease, mold, etc.

What is the Best Ceramic Tile Cleaner?

Certified organic oxygen bleach is the best ceramic tile cleaner.

I would start the process using Stain Solver certified organic oxygen bleach.

This product will deep clean all grease and dirt from the tile and the grout. You must have clean tile for the paint to stick to the glossy tile.

The cleaner you get the tile, the better chance you have of overall success. Keep in mind that paints of any type are simply glues that have color in them.

Glues prefer to stick to surfaces that are squeaky clean. They stick even better if the surface is slightly rough.

You can rough up the tile after using Stain Solver by doing a follow-up cleaning with a mild abrasive cleaner like Soft Scrub.

Cleaning Ceramic Tile Video

Watch this video to see how easy it is to clean ceramic floor tile.

What Paints Stick Well to Ceramic Tile?

Oil-based paints stick very well to ceramic tile. They are harder and harder to find.

I've had fantastic results over the years painting ceramic tile with oil-based paint. It is getting harder to find this paint because of environmental issues, but rest assured, it really sticks to things once it is dried and has cured.

Water-based paints can peel readily from glazed ceramic tile surfaces. You may have great success with epoxy paints, but test these in a small area as they might be hard to use the first time.

Newer urethane-resin water-based paints are your best alternative if you can't locate oil-based paint. Urethane resin is often found in outdoor porch paint.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local painters who can paint your tile next week.

Here's a great urethane-fortified paint. That's why on the label it says it's for porches and floors! It's tough enough to walk on so you know it will perform really well on your vinyl siding where no one can walk except squirrels. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO have this paint delivered to your home.

What is the Best Paint Sheen to Use?

Use a semi-gloss or high gloss paint for the job. If the paint is thick or hard to brush or roll, use a little paint thinner to slightly dilute the paint. Always follow the directions on the paint-can label with respect to the maximum amount of thinner you can add.

Use masking tape to protect surfaces next to the ceramic tile. Use tapes that have less-aggressive acrylic adhesives so when they are removed, they do not damage the surface that was taped.

Can You Stencil Patterns on Ceramic Tile?

Yes, you can paint stencil patterns on ceramic tile.

Decorative painting on ceramic tile is easy. You have unlimited design options on any ceramic tile surface. Keep in mind that if you grow tired of the design, you can paint over it

Stenciling over the finish paint will allow you to create borders on walls, floors or countertops. You can have scads of fun with stencils or even two-tone paint designs.

Let your mind run wild, and experiment on a small section of ceramic tile. If you don't like what you see, start over.

How Do You Protect the Paint on the Tile?

Once the finish paint has dried for two or three days, coat it with two coats of clear water-based urethane. This urethane is very sticky and will adhere to the fresh oil paint.

Avoid using oil-based urethane as many of them have a tendency to develop a golden patina over time. You may find the amber color of this patina to be objectionable. The water-based urethanes stay clear forever.

The urethane is an integral part of the paint job. Most urethanes are very hard and resist water and foot traffic or abuse from plates, glasses, and cookware on countertops.

It's a known fact that urethanes do a fantastic job of protecting hardwood floor finishes for years. They do the same for painted surfaces. This is especially true for painted ceramic tile floors. The urethane finish will protect the colorful paint and provide you with years of beauty. There are thousands of basketball courts that are living proof that painted floors can handle abuse and still look good with minimal care.

Should I Repair Chips Before Painting Tile?

Be sure to repair any chips in the tile before you paint. Quick-drying epoxies are an excellent material to use for this purpose. Caulk all cracks as well. Be sure the caulk cures for several days before you paint it. Some water-based caulk will shrink if you squirt them into wide or deep cracks. Use caulking backer rod, if necessary, to fill deep cracks. Generally speaking, a bead of caulk should only be as deep as the caulk bead is wide.

Can I use Multiple Paint Colors or Tones?

Yes, consider using multiple colors when painting your ceramic tile. Creating geometric patterns by painting separate tiles different colors can yield stunning results.

You can also paint stripes or borders with ease. On large ceramic tile floors, a border can be designed that compliments the placement of a large area rug that is used in the center of a room or a runner carpet in a hallway.

Author's Note: We've received other questions with similar problems or questions. Here's one from E.J. Vincent of California regarding her ceramic tile painting project.

"I want to paint my own design onto ceramic tile, like the ones you would buy at Home Depot. Is there a special ceramic tile paint and sealer I need to use? The ceramic tiles will be incorporated in with the same unpainted tiles on the kitchen cabinet top and backsplash."

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local painters who can paint your tile next week.

Column 651

Fireplace Mantels

Posted on December 4, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I need a fireplace mantel for a remodeling project at my home. As I look at different wood fireplace mantels, I get more confused. A trip to a local salvage company allowed me to see antique fireplace mantels, but some required too much work. My husband wants a stone fireplace mantel, but I don't think it will look right. Can you help clear up some of the confusion about different mantels for us? Jill P., Lampe, MO

DEAR JILL: It sure is easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to fireplace mantels. There are hundreds, if not thousands of different styles. When you then factor in the different types of materials used to make the mantels, the permutation possibilities go off the charts. I can see why you might be confused just thinking about wood mantels, especially when you have to consider the different common wood species like cherry, oak, walnut, pine, poplar and hickory.

This fireplace mantel is well over 100 years old. It was salvaged from a house that was about to be torn down. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

There are any number of things you should consider before you make your final fireplace mantel decision. I am quite sure a professional interior designer would consider the overall theme of the room. It would look more than a little odd, in my opinion, to have a rough-timber beam as a fireplace mantel in a room that oozes French Provincial architecture. Use a rough beam in a log home or rustic-decor room.

You also need to decide if the fireplace mantel will be just the horizontal shelf above the actual fireplace or will it be part of a fireplace surround. Many stunning fireplace mantel designs are actual surrounds where two legs made of any number of materials connect to the horizontal aspect of the fireplace mantel.

Restoring an antique fireplace mantel may be worth it. My wife and I have a gorgeous solid-walnut antique fireplace mantel in our family room. The salvage company we purchased it from had it stripped and refinished for us. The cost of the mantel was far below the cost of a new one that had one quarter of the character.

If you decide to use an antique fireplace mantel, be sure it will pass the modern building codes. The building code usually is concerned with the proximity of combustible material to the left, right and just above the firebox opening.

Depending upon your budget and how urgent the need is for the new mantel, you might explore an option many people fail to consider. If you have a woodcarvers guild in your area, you may be able to get a one-of-a-kind custom fireplace mantel built for you.

A past customer of mine did this on one of my jobs, and the look was stunning. The woodcarver came up with a grapevine design that represented the family trees of my customer and his wife. I have to admit this mantel was the most gorgeous one I have ever installed in all my years of building.

As for your husband's desire for a stone fireplace mantel, it comes back to whether that look will fit in the room or clash with the finished design. There are many different types of stone, and you may find one that has the color range and texture to compliment what you are doing in that room. It may help to have an artist do a watercolor rendering of that wall elevation to help you decide.

Be sure you pay lots of attention to the scale of the new fireplace mantel. They need to match both the fireplace opening and the overall size of the room, including ceiling height. Rooms with tall ceilings may be able to support an overmantel. These were very common in older homes that had ceilings of ten feet or more. An overmantel is basically a mantel set on top of the horizontal shelf of the bottom mantel. The upper mantel often has a mirror or painting in the center area.

As you shop for fireplace mantels, pay attention to the way they are mounted to the wall. You want to make sure you buy one that allows you to hide all fasteners so the finished product looks as if it was glued to the wall. There are any number of ways to secure a fireplace mantel to a wall, but know what you need to do before you buy one and lug it home.

Now is the time to think about electricity above or next to your mantel. Since you are doing a remodel job, you have an opportunity to extend electricity to the mantel area. Installing an electrical outlet that is discreetly hidden, but meets all aspects of the National Electric Code, allows you to have powered holiday decorations on your mantel without a dangerous and dangling extension cord.

If you have sentimental items that will be displayed on your mantel, be sure they will fit on the horizontal mantel shelf. Not all mantel shelves are the same depth. If you know of mantels in other homes that really appeal to you, take photographs of them or measurements so you can get one that matches closely.

Column 650

3 Way Switch Video

Posted on December 3, 2006 by Tim Carter

Safety tip:

Turn off the power or circuit breaker feeding the wiring you are working on. Avoid electrocution.

Three-way switches allow you to control a light or lights from two different locations. The 3-way switch has three screws plus the ground screw. That is one more than the standard light switch. The black screw is an important one. If the wired are connected to the wrong screw, the 3-way circuit will not work.

In this example, the power comes into the first 3-way switch through a yellow wire. From that switch, there is an older white wire that happens to be 12-gauge wire, that is a little thicker than the other wires, that goes to the other switch. From the second switch, there is a yellow wire that goes to the light fixture. That is the basic wiring for this circuit.

Modern codes now require the outer covering on cables to be different colors so inspectors can see quickly what gauge wire is being used on a job. I happened to have an older partial roll of 12/3 wg cable in my basement that was made before the outer covering was required to be yellow.

Normal electrical wiring consists on of three wires - black, white and bare (ground). Wire for a 3-way circuit requires four wires - black, white, ground and red. The incoming power wire (yellow in this example) has the three wires. Between the switches, there is a white cable with the four colored wires. The white from the yellow and white cables get connected to each other with a wire nut. The sends the neutral directly to the light bulb. The black wires and the red wire connect to the switches.

The two ground wires are connected together and then connected to the grounding screw on the first switch.

The black wire from the circuit breaker panel gets attached to the black screw on the 3-way switch. The black and red wires from the white cable running between the switches get connected to either of the two brass screws on the switch.

On the other end, the two white wires are wire nutted together. One of the black wires gets attached to the brass screw. The red wire, running between the switches, gets connected to the other brass screw. The black screw has the black (common) wire that runs up to the light through the yellow cable. The two grounds are connected together and then to the green ground screw on the switch.

To summarize, the black screw gets either the wire from the electrical panel or the wire going to the light. The brass screws get the travelers hooked to them. Those were the black and red in this example. Be safe.

Roof Flashing for Bathroom Fans Video

Posted on December 2, 2006 by Tim Carter

Roof Flashing for Bathroom Fans

First, if you are not comfortable working on the roof, do not attempt this project. Falls resulting in injuries or death are possible.

From inside the attic, locate the hole where the vent will go through the roof. It must be located between two roof joists. Once located, drive a large nail up through the roof from the attic.

Once back on the roof, you can locate the center of the hole from the nail. There should not be any chimneys, other vents or other objects within two feet of the center of the hole.

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Mark the hole on the shingles with any marker you can see on the roof shingles. Make the hole slightly larger then the diameter of the vent tube.

Use a reciprocating saw to make the cut in the roof. You can cut right through the shingles at the same time you are cutting the roof sheathing.

Shingles are overlapped so the rain will run off the roof. The upper shingle is always on top of the lower one with part of the lower shingle underneath the one above it.

The flashing on the bathroom fan vent works like a shingle. If it just laid on the roof, the flashing with be above all the shingles and the roof will leak. The top edge of the flashing has to go under some shingles.

To do this, some nails have to be removed from the shingles. The nails should be located directly above the slit in the shingle. Lift the shingle and located the nail. Use the flashing to determine which shingles are affected.

Use a flat pry bar to remove the nail(s). If the part of the vent is not round, some of the shingles will have to be cut to match the vent. Put the flashing in the hole and outline the flashing edges.

Cut the shingles so they are about 1/2" inside the edge of the flashing markings. A razor knife can be used to cut the shingles.

Once cut, slide the upper part of the bathroom fan vent flashing under the shingles at the top. The vent flashing will sit on top of the shingles on the down roof side. Nail the roof flashing in position.

Apply caulk over any nail head that is not under a shingle. This will keep that nail hole from leaking.

Done properly, your roof vent will not leak.

Related Column: Ducted Bathroom Fan

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