Construction Loans

Posted on August 12, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: My husband and I plan to build a custom home. Since we already own an existing home and need to stay here while the new home is built, how do we pay for the new home? What type of financing do you get that allows you to make payments on your existing home and the new home at the same time? What can we do to minimize the financial pain of owning two homes at one time? Gina M., Park City, UT

DEAR GINA: You need a construction loan to build your new home. This is a common product sold by banks, credit unions and traditional building and loan companies. Bankers and lenders know that building new homes is great for their businesses, so they have developed loan products that takes most of the sting out of borrowing money for a new home.

One of the first things I think you need to get your arms around is the concept that banks, credit unions and other lending institutions sell money just as a grocer sells food. The money you and I borrow when we go to banks is a commodity item your lender gets from other banks, their customers and the Federal Reserve. Just as grocery stores get stocked with fresh food from farmers and other food producers, your lender may need new money each week.

You often need a special construction loan to build a new home. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This system allows you and I a slight competitive edge since lending institutions are always trying to sell their supply of money each week or each month. This supply/demand situation forces many lenders to offer competitive rates, terms and loan packages. For this reason, it can really be to your advantage to shop different lenders to see what rates and terms they are offering for new home construction loans.

Traditional construction loans work in this fashion. You borrow a fixed sum of money that you combine with any personal savings and/or equity in your own existing home. The total of all of these monies should be equal to or slightly greater than the total cost of your new home. I suggest a loan package total that is at least five percent greater than the total projected cost of your new home, as there always seem to be cost overruns or surprises that can ding your pocketbook.

As your home is built, the builder will make draws against the loan money. To draw down the loan money, he will have to supply to your lender legal affidavits for all subcontractors and material suppliers that have performed work on your home and/or supplied material up to the time of the draw. The bank then issues checks to these individuals that match the amounts stated on the affidavits.

As soon as this happens, the interest meter starts running on the construction loan. The following month you will have to make an interest payment on the amount of money drawn from your loan account. You continue to make these monthly payments as time progresses. But as the house is built and more money is drawn down, your interest payments grow larger and larger each month.

Once the home is finished and it is time to move in, your construction loan must be converted to a permanent mortgage where you make both interest and principal payments. If you bargained well before you purchased the loan, you will have a competitive interest rate for the life of the loan.

You can minimize your financial risk and pain by selling your existing home before you build the new home. This allows you to cash out of your existing home and have all of the equity at hand. You will have to make rent payments for your temporary living quarters, but see if you can't survive in a smaller apartment for the time it takes to build your home. Find an apartment, if possible, that allows you to rent month-to-month. If you sign a fixed lease and your house is not completed by the time you need to move out of the apartment, you may be in a world of hurt as you have to find very short-term living quarters.

One of the biggest advantages to selling your existing home early in the process is that you can use your equity to fund the initial stages of construction. This will minimize the time you actually use the bank's construction loan money. Furthermore, you may be able to get a better interest rate since you present a lower credit risk to the lender. You also have enormous peace of mind knowing that you don't have to make two mortgage payments after you move into your new home while your existing home sits vacant.

It is vitally important that you talk with your lender about all conditions regarding your construction loan. For example, the lender will want to be assured of a clear title with your land, and furthermore, he will want to be in the first position with regards to lien rights. Since many states have strong protective lien laws that are in place to protect the rights of workers and suppliers, the lender will often insist that no one is allowed to do anything on the land until you have closed on the loan. This means you can't even have the lot staked out by a surveyor for the builder before the loan closing!

Try to shop for a combination loan that only requires one closing. This is a construction loan that is bundled with a permanent financing mortgage. Getting a loan such as this minimizes closing costs, and could save you thousands of dollars in loan fees.

If you want to discover more information about constructions loans and many other types of loans, I suggest you check out a cool website I recently uncovered. Don't let the name of this website fool you. It has scads of information about all types of loans:

www.StudentHomeMortgageLoans.com

Column 635

How to Build a Deck

Posted on August 12, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I need to know how to build a deck. What are the most important steps to take?

I live in an area where it snows, and a neighbor told me I have to worry about the frost line. What is that?

As you can tell, I am a rookie and need lots of direction. I am determined to do this job, and just need to be pointed in the right direction. Mary Jo G., Vancouver, WA

DEAR MARY JO: Holy Moly! There is so much to know about how to build a deck, I don't know where to begin. One thing is for sure, I can only scratch the surface in the limited space I have.

Perhaps the most important things to consider are: zoning and deck structure. If you drop the ball in these areas, I feel you will have a disaster on your hands. Finally, do not underestimate the amount of physical labor this project will consume. The framing materials used for decks can be very heavy and cumbersome. If the deck surface is over four feet in the air, then an extra degree of difficulty is added to the job.

Many homes are built in areas that have zoning laws. Since most decks are attached to homes, zoning laws can dramatically affect the overall size and shape of the deck. An interesting loophole might exist in some zoning codes if you design the deck so it does not attach to the house. Be sure to read the code carefully, and ask if you have more or less latitude if the deck is a free-standing structure that is only one inch from your back door.

The building codes that are in force in many parts of the nation look very closely at outdoor decks. Each year decks collapse and injure or kill people. In fact, a serious deck collapse happened in my own city years ago, while a large group of people were having a party to view a fireworks display. The building codes require decks to support loads much greater than standard floors inside residential homes.

This deck was built by a novice with a little coaching from a pro. The homeowner planned it well as the deck is large enough for two separate seating areas. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

One thing that causes me great concern is the amount of bad advice I see on other websites. For example, one website says to lag bolt a ledger board to the side of the house. This is exactly why the deck collapsed in my town during the fireworks display! Lag bolts do not have the holding power of through bolts. Lag bolts can pull out of the structure and/or have reduced holding power if they are overtightened.

A through bolt is one that penetrates completely through the exterior wall. You then install a washer and a nut on the inside of the house. This method is the strongest possible connection. Also, you must provide spacers between the ledger and the house so water does not get trapped between the ledger board and the house wall. Provide these spacers in addition to flashing that laps over the top of the ledger board.

The deck building codes are stringent because code officials know that large parties with many people are common on decks. Furthermore, the group of people might start dancing which can create a motion that can cause decks to sway. For these reasons and others, you must ensure your deck is designed to code-minimum standards. Diagonal bracing applied to the underside of the floor joists helps minimize sway, as do braces and special metal framing connectors that can be used where deck beams attach to deck support posts. If you are in doubt about any of this, hire a registered architect or structural engineer to provide you with a detailed framing plan.

The frost line is a distinct depth in your local soil to which frost can be expected to penetrate during the coldest part of any given year. This line is generated from years of historical data, and it can vary widely depending upon weather conditions. For example, the frost depth in my city is 30 inches below the top of the surface. But in the recent decade, there have been winters when the frost maybe penetrated only three inches into the soil. But I remember the horrible years of the late 1970's, when the frost penetrated to over six feet in certain areas of my city.

The importance of the frost line is significant. When water freezes it expands in volume about nine percent. Since most soils retain water, they freeze, expand and almost always lift upwards. Soils against exposed retaining walls also freeze and expand sideways. This expanding soil can tip over retaining walls and lift up structures. The lifting force is extremely powerful. If the lifting force is not equal and consistent at all points, then stress can build up within the deck causing it to twist. This helical motion can cause severe structural damage.

By placing the bottom of deck foundation supports below the frost level, you can rest assured the deck will not move as the ground freezes. Always be sure that vertical concrete piers or columns are dug so the bottom of the hole is wider than the top. This upside-down cone shape helps lock the foundation into the freezing soil just as a dovetail joint works in carpentry.

One of the biggest challenges rookies face in building decks is how to accurately locate any and all foundation piers. The margin for error is very small, and it is important that deck support posts are plumb.

One trick I learned years ago is to simply build just the outer frame of the deck. As it is being built, support the frame up in the air with temporary posts placed at least two to three feet away from the planned vertical support posts. Add extra temporary posts so the deck frame will not collapse as you work beneath it.

Using a level, tape measure and grade-school geometry, you can make this shape level and square. Brace this frame so it doesn't move, and then use a plumb bob to transfer the outer corners of the deck down to the ground. This fool-proof method allows you to precisely locate all foundation piers with a minimum of effort.

Related Column: Deck Material List

Column 634

Door Hinges

Posted on August 11, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: The door hinges in my existing home are starting to rust. The hinges in the house I grew up in never rusted and seemed better than my current door hinges. Can I switch out door hinges? The current hinges on my doors have large rounded corners, but the hinges I want have square corners. How do I successfully install the new hinges? Do I need expensive tools? Regina M., Johnstown, PA

DEAR REGINA: Your current door hinges are probably inexpensive steel hinges that have a thin brass coating. I have seen this type of hinge rust as well as the screws used to attach the hinges to the door and door jamb. These steel door hinges are very common ones used by production-door builders. If they can save a dollar or less per pair of hinges over high-quality ones, and they are using hundreds of pairs of hinges a day, one can see why they might want to substitute a low-cost product. The savings adds up to a big number over a period of weeks or months.

This door hinge is solid brass and is a traditional square-butt hinge. They are readily available, affordable and add a touch of class to any home. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

The hinges in your old home were probably solid brass. What's more they were probably thicker metal and had decorative tips on the hinge pins. You can still buy high-quality solid brass hinges, and some of the hinges have decorative hinge-pin kits that are still available. I am very partial to the Victorian style solid brass finials that adorn the top and bottom of my door hinge pins. The traditional ball tips are also still widely available if you prefer that style.

You can switch out your door hinges with relative ease. For the job to be as easy as possible, you need to find new hinges that are the same overall size as your existing ones. My guess is you will discover your existing hinges are 3.5 inches high. The thickness of the door hinge metal is also important, so try to take one of your existing hinges off the door and jamb so you can hold them up to the new hinges you are thinking about buying.

Assuming that you find new 3.5 inch square-butt hinges that are the same thickness or just slightly thicker, the only challenge will be to remove the wood on the door and the door jamb to create the 90-degree corner where the rounded corners are currently located. The only tools you will need to accomplish this are a simple razor knife with a new blade and a one-half-inch-wide wood chisel. These are fairly inexpensive tools and they will come in handy for other projects if you do not currently own them. You will also need a screwdriver or two.

The most accurate way to create the straight lines that will square up the existing hinge mortises is to temporarily screw one of the new hinges right on top of the existing mortised area for your current door hinges. The new hinge will lay up on top of the wood at each of the rounded-corner locations, but that is not a problem.

You will do just one hinge at a time, and there is no reason to remove the door from the door jamb. The entire process can be done with the door in the full open position.

Start the job by opening the door a minimum of 90 degrees. If you can open it even further, the job will go faster. Take some wood shims or a small block of wood and shove it under the lower corner that is below the door handle. This will prevent the door from dropping when you work on the top hinge. If you do not block the door and support the it's weight, it can create enormous stress on the other hinges once the top hinge is removed.

Remove the top hinge from the door and the door jamb. Temporarily install the new hinge in its place. Use the razor knife to slowly and carefully cut the lines where the wood must be removed at each rounded-corner location. Glide the edge of the razor along the metal side of the hinge to create the perfect lines at the corner. Push hard enough so the tip of the razor cuts into the wood the thickness of the hinge metal.

Once the lines have been created, remove the hinge and use the wood chisel to carefully carve away the wood. It will take minimal effort, if the wood chisel is sharp and held at a low angle. Once the wood has been removed, install the hinge and tighten all screws. Do the same process for each hinge.

Use extreme caution when working with the razor knife and wood chisel. Both tools are very sharp, and can cause serious injuries if you use too much uncontrolled force. Always use multiple gentle cutting strokes. Do not try to cut full depth with one stroke of the razor knife. Cutting across the grain of wood is always harder than cutting parallel to the grain.

If the old screw holes are too large to securely hold the new hinge, fill them with small pieces of wood and yellow carpenter's glue. Wooden matchsticks are great to use. Coat each matchstick with some glue, and force several at once into the screw hole. Let the glue set up for at least an hour before installing the new screw. If you need to work faster, purchase rapid-set carpenter's glue.

Column 633

Small House Plans

Posted on July 30, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Small house plans are the topic of discussion between my husband and I. As we approach retirement, we are going to move from a larger home into a new smaller house for a number of lifestyle and financial reasons. What advice can you offer so we do not make a mistake building a house that is too small? Are there distinct do's and don'ts when it comes to scaling down from a large home to a small one? What can we do to make our small home feel like a large one? Meredith M., Bryan, TX

DEAR MEREDITH: I can certainly see the attraction of moving from a large home to a smaller one. There is less space to clean, heat, cool and redecorate. All of these things can save money when you think about living in a home for a period of years. As I grow older, I do not want my own home to become a black hole that consumes my time and money. Golf courses, ski slopes and other activities will do a fantastic job of consuming both, and yield pleasure in return.

The small house plans you and your husband will settle on are the most important documents in the entire construction process. They will communicate your dreams and desires to the builder, and to all of his subcontractors and suppliers. The plans must be complete and well thought out in every respect. To proceed with half-baked ideas and concepts you hope will work is foolhardy.

Some of the biggest planning mistakes I have seen happened when homeowners looked at blueprints and three-dimensional renderings of a new home that dazzled them. The contracts were then signed and work begun before the people even realized how the new home would relate to their living and entertaining habits.

This house is perhaps too small. The narrow rooms might not handle furniture very well. There is no room for mistakes when working with small spaces. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

The best analogy I can give you is building a deck. People think that a 10-foot by 14-foot deck is large when it is first built and the carpenter is loading up his tools. But the deck shrinks dramatically in size when you try to fit a standard table and chair set as well as a few other items on the deck platform.

As for your list of do's, I would make a list of all furniture you intend to move from your existing home into your new home. Be sure the rooms in the new home are large enough to handle the furniture. Make scale cutouts of the furniture and position them in the scale conceptual drawings you can get from the builder or architect. Don't forget about the space you need to navigate around furniture.

Think long and hard about your entertainment plans for the future. If you plan to have large parties, where will everyone sit? If you invite family over for holiday occasions, think about how the house will handle this brief influx of people. Will your new kitchen be large enough to handle guests chatting while you stir the simmering sauces at the stove?

Do not assume everything will work out. Do not overlook storage. If you are going to bring lots of things with you from the old house, where will they fit in the new home? Storage solutions are many, but keep in mind that off-site storage costs can eat into your future retirement budget. Talk to your builder about using storage trusses over the garage and attic trusses over the main part of the house. These affordable structural elements create vast amounts of storage space for a small initial investment.

Don't forget about future mobility issues. As you and your husband age, stairs, bathtubs and even door knobs can become trouble spots. Plan now for a house that will be easy to use if you or your husband lose both dexterity and mobility. Consider a larger bathroom that allows you to enter a shower in a wheelchair. Hallways need to be a minimum of 42-inches wide and 48 inches is even better. Lever-type door handles are far easier to operate than a knob you must grab.

Column 632

Golf Training Aid

Posted on July 24, 2006 by Tim Carter

I happen to know a little bit about home improvement, and slightly less about golf. The reason for the disparity is I have thousands of hours more of hands-on experience in home improvement than I have swinging a golf club or gently sweeping a putter on a dew-covered green.

Over the past six years, I have become very interested in golf. I enjoy the solitude of golf courses, the challenge of hitting the golf ball with an assortment of clubs on different types of grass, and the comradery of playing with friends. You might think the same thoughts about home-improvement projects. For example, I'll bet you might be very excited about trying to install plumbing or tackling a roof, even though you have never tried doing either project.

At first I struggled with golf, because I did not understand the mechanics of the golf swing. I listened to some friends who tried to help me, but they were not expert golfers by any stroke of the imagination. Each one offered different advice, none of which improved my golf score.

Two years ago, I decided to take several golf lessons. I paid money to learn from a card-carrying Professional Golf Association member. The golf lessons were the best money I ever spent on a golf-training aid. The few simple adjustments the pro made to my swing and stance took 15 strokes off my game. Now that is improvement!

You can often do the same thing with home-improvement projects. You may be able to find a pro who will come and teach you certain specific tasks, or you might see one working at a jobsite who will be kind enough to answer a question or two.

Let's say you just want to learn how to properly hold a drywall knife. You might get a free lesson if you stop by a construction site and wander inside while the finisher is working. Ask if you can watch while the finisher works. Pay close attention to the hand movements, and the manner in which the job is performed. You might think about offering some money, since you are interrupting the person's work flow.

The message here is to think about contacting a professional before you waste lots of time and money. The money spent learning from a pro may save you lots of frustration over time.

If you are a weekend golfer like me, you might find a new website pretty cool. There are some great tips at www.GolfTrainingAidandTeachingTool.com that may help you improve your golf game.

I have found that some websites like this really help you learn about aspects of the game, and the mechanics of golf. A professional golfer may not be interested in a website like this, but are you a real golf professional who earns her/his living playing the game? If you are like me, you might only get out twice a month or so. I don't know about you, but I will take all of the good golf advice I can find.

Column EM0043

Ace Hardware

Posted on July 21, 2006 by Tim Carter

Ace Hardware is a name you might find very familiar, even if you are located in a large city that has numerous newer big-box home centers. The Ace Hardware store near you might be the friendly and convenient smaller hardware specialty store you have visited for years, or it might be a store you have passed by on your way to the larger plain-vanilla home improvement big-box stores.

There is a world of difference between an Ace Hardware store and a giant big-box home improvement center. I can think of all sorts of ways to compare the two different stores based upon my years of personal buying experiences at both businesses.

Convenience

An Ace Hardware store is ideal for a person with limited mobility or a walking disability. Ace Hardware stores are often much smaller than a giant big-box improvement store, so you can get to the products you need with fewer steps. Exercise is a good thing, but once you visit a smaller Ace Hardware store, you will appreciate the coziness of the shopping experience.

Variety

Ace Hardware stores often have every hardware item you could ever want. They frequently stock items not available in other stores. You usually do not have to buy a bag of screws if you just need one. Yes, if you need just one screw or one nail, you can often buy just that at an Ace Hardware store. Visit a smaller hardware store and you will be amazed at the variety and quality of the products.

Advice

The employees who work at many Ace Hardware stores often have real hands-on home-repair experience. Many have years of both repair and sales experience, and know the problem areas with each repair job. You can't always count on that from the employees at many of the big-box home improvement centers. Occasionally, you will run into an employee at a big-box store who knows what she or he is talking about, but your odds of getting good advice each shopping trip might be better at a smaller hardware store.

Pricing

Don't believe for a moment all of the hyped advertising you see from the big-box stores about how they are the low-cost leaders. Always remember, you get what you pay for. If a product is cheap, there may be a reason. Secondly, the large big-box stores operate like grocery stores have for years. They have loss-leader products. This means they sell one product at a low price, but make up the profit on a related product that is often needed to complete the job. Ace Hardware stores offer competitive pricing, and you can prove it with ease.

Speed of Transaction

After you have walked up and down the long aisles of the big-box stores, you often have to wait and wait at the checkout lines. Yes, some stores have self-service checkout registers, but I have found these to be clogged with people or worse yet, bogged down with a consumer who does not know how to work the machine.

Visit a smaller Ace Hardware, and there are rarely any traffic jams at the checkout. You pay for your items, and are out the door in moments. That has always been my experience. My time is valuable, and I am willing to pay a small amount more so I do not have to wait for five or 10 minutes while someone ahead of me fumbles for a checkbook or ID.

Ace Hardware stores are not the only small hardware stores. Another national chain called True Value Company has a network of over 6,000 independent small hardware stores across the world. I visit a local True Value hardware store just a few miles from my own home on a weekly basis. It is a delight to be able to find exactly what I want at a competitive price, and be back out to my car in just minutes. I have never had to wait in a long line to complete a purchase there.

Column EM0042

Replacement Windows

Posted on July 21, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Replacement windows are the next job I plan to tackle at my home. My list of questions is as long as a hot summer day. Can you buy new windows that match the architecture of an older home? What do I look for so I can buy high-quality windows? Is it hard to install replacement windows? Do you think I can handle installing my own replacement windows if I just do a few each weekend? Rebecca H., Meredith, NH

DEAR REBECCA: Your questions are all good, and I can think of many others that have yet to bubble to the surface of your brain. But that aside, you are on the right track. The replacement window game can be very complex and complicated. It is best to know what you are doing before you spend lots of money on windows that will not perform well over time.

Replacement windows come in every imaginable style, shape, size and configuration. Vinyl replacement windows are perhaps the most common, but you can find wood, fiberglass, aluminum and combinations of these different materials used to make a single replacement window. For example, you can buy replacement windows that are custom-painted aluminum on the exterior and wood-grained vinyl on the interior.

These windows may look original, but they are indeed replacement windows. Match the right windows with a great installer who is a craftsman, and you can fool anyone. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

You can buy new replacement windows made today that will match existing windows in almost all cases. The best part is the fact that the new windows will be very energy efficient, and probably made from materials that will be virtually maintenance-free.

For example, I have windows on my own home that are just six-years old, but the house was built 20 years ago. I needed replacement windows because of a factory recall. The slight age difference between my new and original windows may not impress you, but if I told you my house was a classic Queen Anne Victorian home you might change your mind. You can readily purchase replacement windows that can match houses 100 or more years old.

If I were you, I would want windows that have passed a battery of tests created by one or more independent certification organizations. The materials used to make the window must be of high quality, and the method in which the windows are assembled should also be superior. The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) has developed stringent standards that ensure certain windows last for generations instead of several seasons. Replacement window manufacturers that make windows that meet these standards get to apply very special labels to their windows.

Energy efficiency is also very important, and a second organization, the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), ensures that certain windows pass minimum energy standards. Look for windows that carry the Energy Star label issued to window companies that make windows to meet these important energy guidelines.

Some replacement windows are easy to install, and others can be a challenge even for a professional. I would say from experience that wood-frame houses are the ones that are best suited for a rookie like yourself. A solid-masonry home has unique challenges that you may not have the tools nor skills for this early in the game.

The best way to test yourself is to order one or two windows to start the job. Do smaller windows on the back or side of your home that are not in view from the street. The last thing you want is your neighbors to see you flailing about trying to install these windows. Read all of the written instructions before you start the job to ensure you know exactly what to do, and that you have all tools and materials onsite. You do not want to have to leave the job and run to the hardware store with a window partially in place.

If you have great success, and the new windows fit like a glove and operate smoothly, then go ahead with the rest of the order. Double and triple check your measurements, since you take responsibility for the custom-sized windows. Remember, custom-sized windows can't be used easily by other customers. Window dealers will almost never give you a new window for free if the window you order does not fit once you get it home.

The key to a successful installation is to make sure the windows are square within the window frame. High-quality windows will often square themselves if you close the window and lock the sash(es) within the frame. This procedure closes the window tightly making the window sash(es) parallel to the window frame. Always look at the gap between the window sash(es) and the window frame to ensure the gap is uniform.

When installing fasteners that hold the widow in place, try to not fully install them in case you discover the window is in a bind or does not operate smoothly. If the window works and seals well, drive or screw in the fasteners completely. Be sure the weatherstripping seals out wind and water.

It is very important to leave a gap between the window frame and the rough opening the window unit fits into. Windows are not structural building components, and the weight of the building should never press down on a window. Be sure to insulate any and all gaps before exterior and interior window trim is applied. Caulk all exterior trim to block water from leaking past the window into your home.

Column 631

Winterize a Home

Posted on July 20, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I own two homes, and live about six months per year in each one. One house is up north where the winter winds howl, and the other house is in the sunny south. What is the best way to close up these houses when I leave? With rising utility costs, is it possible to completely shut off all heat in my northern home? Can I close up my southern home and turn the air conditioning off? Dyke S., Peoria, IL

DEAR DYKE: Any number of people own two or more homes and do exactly what you do. Many more people like me don't own two houses, but may leave their own home for an extended amount of time. Leaving a home alone can become an expensive proposition if things go wrong in your absence. And more often than not, things do go wrong.

You can turn off your furnace and air conditioner to save money, but certain things need to be done to protect your home and the interior furnishings. Your home down south requires the least amount of attention.

Water, both in the liquid and vapor state, is your biggest enemy. The water in regular household plumbing supply lines is under significant pressure. If a pipe or washing machine supply hose bursts, thousands of gallons of water can begin to flood the home. Imagine the nightmare if you happen to live in a condominium and the water lines above your unit burst? It has happened, and the damage loss is unbelievable. You must turn off your main water shutoff valve whenever you leave either home.

The water that is in your northern home's water lines needs to be drained. Water that freezes in supply lines or traps in drainage lines can cause them to crack. Go to the lowest fixture in the house that has hot and cold water. Open those valves. Go to every plumbing fixture in the home and open all valves and flush all toilets. This will allow gravity to pull the water down through the system. Closed valves create vacuums that prevent water from draining.

Open all outdoor hose bibs as well. Lift up any flexible spray hoses in sinks and showers and allow the trapped water in these hoses to drain. Keep all valves at all fixtures partially open. Drain the hot water tank and water softener. Pour non-toxic antifreeze into all toilet bowls, sink, tub, shower, washing machine drain, and floor drains. This antifreeze can often be purchased at recreational vehicle or marine supply houses.

A plumber should be called in to shut off the water outside you home. It is entirely possible for the plumbing line on the street side of your main shut off to freeze and burst if it gets cold enough inside the home during your absence. The water does not need to be drained from anything in your southern home.

If your northern home is a modern one that is fairly air tight, the water vapor in the air inside your home may cause all sorts of problems. Once you leave, the temperature of interior surfaces begins to drop and the water vapor in the air can and will condense on many surfaces. Because millions of mold and mildew spores are on all of the surfaces and furniture, the condensed water provides them with the necessary water they need to begin to grow.

Open windows slightly to allow air to readily circulate through your home. Have a trusted friend or neighbor enter the house to check for signs of condensation. Within several weeks the indoor and outdoor humidity should have equalized. At that point, the windows can be closed and locked for the remainder of the winter.

It is a wise idea to turn off all non-essential electrical circuit breakers. Only leave on those circuits that control security lighting. Electrical fires can and do happen even though an appliance or fixture is in the off position. Empty all perishable food from your refrigerator. Turn off your natural gas or propane supply valve outside your home if at all possible. Contact your local utility company or fuel supplier for help with this job.

Notify your local police and fire department before you leave. There is a very good chance they will provide you with a list of helpful tips that will prevent your home from becoming a statistic in your absence. Be sure they know how to get in touch with you. Consider storing valuable or sentimental items in a separate secure storage facility or take them with you.

Column 386

Ceramic Tile Saw

Posted on July 11, 2006 by Tim Carter

"Virtually every cut on granite and marble must be made with a diamond wet saw. These saws cut tile, granite, and marble exactly like a table saw cuts wood."

Ceramic Tile Saw Checklist

Dry and wet saws
Dry saws create clouds of dust
Wet saws make precision cuts
Wet saws cut every tile and natural stone

Ceramic Tile Saw - The Best DIY Tool for Pro Results

DEAR TIM: I'm going to try to install ceramic tile in several bathrooms. I have to do wall tile and floor tile. Since I have never installed tile before, I was wondering how in the world to make the circular cuts for the pipes and toilet flange.

I'm confused about making cuts where the resulting tile will look like the letter L. I know how to score tile and snap it using a simple tile-cutter tool. Someone told me I need a ceramic-tile saw. How do these work, and is there an alternative method? What happens if I decide to use some marble and granite on my jobs? Cindy H., Key West, FL

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What Should be the First Job I Do with a Tile Saw?

DEAR CINDY: The first piece of advice I can offer is to start in the smallest and least-complicated bathroom first. You are a rookie tile setter, and in the trade, you might even be called a grasshopper. You need to get up to speed quickly because tile work requires significant skill and precision.

What are Tile-Cutting Tolerances?

Often you deal in tolerances as small as one-sixteenth inch. When it comes to professional tile setting, the margin for error decreases as the contrast between the color of the tile and the grout increases. Mistakes made in measuring and cutting tile stick out like a sore thumb if grout lines vary in size.

How Do You Make Curved Tile Cuts?

There are any number of ways to make circular cuts in ceramic tile. But the method of cutting is dependent upon the type of tile you are using. Not all ceramic tiles have the same hardness.

Common ceramic tile is made from a very pure clay, and it has a thin glaze that is transformed into glass when the tile is fired in the kiln. These are the easiest tiles to cut and shape, as the clay is fairly easy to chip, saw and grind.

Are All Tiles the Same Hardness?

No, tiles and natural stone come in varying hardness. But some ceramic tiles, like the popular glass tile and porcelain tile, are extremely hard.

The molecular structure of these tiles is very different from standard clay tile. You will need a ceramic-tile saw that has a wet blade to make all of your cuts. Granite and marble fall into this category as well. Virtually every cut on granite and marble must be made with a diamond wet saw.

How Does a Ceramic Tile Saw Work?

These saws cut tile, granite, and marble exactly like a table saw cuts wood. The difference is the ceramic-tile saw blade has diamonds in it, and water is used to cool the blade so the diamonds last longer.

I will assume for the moment that your job will require standard ceramic tile made from clay. You can make every cut, no matter what the shape, using hand tools. This will save you money, but you may invest lots of time and muscle power.

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Is Renting a Tile Saw the Way to Go?

I would consider renting a ceramic-tile saw at a tool-rental store if you have lots of cuts. Also, most snap-type tile cutters have a limit to the smallest piece they can cut without shattering the tile. I've found that the smallest piece I can cut with consistency is only five-eighths inch wide. Pieces that are narrower than this must be cut with a ceramic-tile saw.

What Hand Tools Cut Ceramic Tile?

The hand tools you need are:

1/4-inch carbide-tipped masonry drill bit
carbide-rod saw
carbide hacksaw blade
tile nippers

The rod-saw blade fits into a hacksaw frame and looks like a long pipe cleaner. This blade can follow any curved line you draw. The stiffer carbide hacksaw blade has carbide particles, instead of teeth, at the edge of the blade instead of teeth. Only one leg of the L must be cut with the carbide saw blade. You can use this blade to make only the long straight cut in an L-shaped piece of tile. After this, you can use your snap cutter to make the shorter straight cut.

Can a Ceramic Tile Wet Saw Make Circular Cuts?

A ceramic-tile saw with a diamond blade can also be used to make some circular cuts in tile, marble or granite. In certain situations, you may discover the resulting circle cuts across three or maybe four different tiles. This means that a piece of tile shaped like a slice of pizza must be removed from each separate tile.

How Do You Make the Curved Cuts?

In these instances, you make parallel cuts with the diamond wet saw into the tile. The blade should approach the curved line as close as possible at a 90-degree angle. Space the cut lines at three-eighths inch apart.

Once all cuts are made, you can use a ceramic-tile nipping tool to bite off these small slivers of tile that are to be removed. As you approach the final cut line, take smaller bites of tile with the nipping tool. You will discover the nipper does a great job of biting off small pieces of the tile.

Can You Use Diamond Hole Saws for Tile?

Smaller holes that are 2-inches or less in diameter can be cut with diamond hole saws. These are very expensive tools, and it might make more sense to have the holes cut by a local marble or granite company that fabricates granite and marble countertops each day. They have all of the necessary tools and experience to make perfect holes.

Can a 4-Inch Grinder Make Hole Cuts?

Larger holes for single-lever faucets may have to be created with a 4-inch grinder outfitted with a special diamond blade. If the tool is set at an angle, it can sometimes be used to make a roughly circular cut. I highly recommend that you leave this task to a professional, as it is easy to ruin a piece of tile or granite while trying to control the aggressive grinder.

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Electrical Wiring

Posted on July 11, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: Electrical wiring is in my near future as part of a bathroom remodeling job. I have to relocate an existing box that has three switches in it. In addition, I want to install new recessed lighting in the ceiling. There is attic space above the ceiling, so that should be easy. I have replaced outlets and switches before, but I wonder if I am getting past my skill level with this job. What would you do if you were me? What are the dangerous aspects of this job? Bob R., Erie, PA

DEAR BOB: Every aspect of this electrical wiring job is highly dangerous. Don't confuse the danger of working with electrical cables, wires and boxes that have yet to be connected to the circuit panel board with the hidden dangers of energized electrical wiring that can arc and overheat, causing a fire.

People die everyday from house fires caused by defective or improperly installed electrical wiring. If you are not 100-percent confident in exactly what needs to be done and how to do it to satisfy all applicable parts of the National Electrical Code, then hire a professional to do the job.

If you now have a sufficient respect for electrical wiring, that is a great thing. But if you decide to forge ahead and tackle the job, then I beg you to become well-educated in all parts of the job, so the wiring and fixtures are installed to code. There are many written and visual teaching aids available that can help with this vital training. You might even find a local vocational school that offers evening classes in residential electrical wiring.

The different cables entering this electrical box can confuse a rookie electrician. There are strict guidelines that govern how electrical wiring must be installed. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

The list of things you need to know about this small job is almost endless. To give you a small taste of how intricate and complex the knowledge base is about residential wiring, let's go over a few things:

First, you can't just put in any type of light fixture for your recessed lights. The metal housings come in different models, depending upon heat conditions. There may be no insulation in the attic now, but what happens if someone blows in insulation at a later date and covers a recessed lighting fixture not rated for direct contact with insulation? I'll tell you what happens - a fire. Insulation can trap heat in a fixture, and cause the fixture to get so hot, it melts the plastic insulation on the electrical cable and individual conductors. You can buy recessed light housings that can be covered with insulation, so find those and install them.

The size and type of the cables and wires you install is extremely critical. You may be tempted to work with 14-gauge wiring material, because it is easier to handle. Maybe a store clerk said it meets code. But what happens if the circuit you are working on is controlled by a 20-ampere circuit breaker? I'll tell you what might happen - a fire.

Circuit breakers are meant to protect wires, not people. A 14-gauge wire can overheat and catch fire before a 20-ampere circuit breaker will trip, cutting off the power. All of the wiring in a particular circuit must be matched to the size of the circuit breaker controlling the circuit.

Something as harmless as a cable staple is important. Hammer one too hard, and it can pierce the insulation on the cable and the individual conductors within the cable. Arcing can happen at a later date, which then starts a fire.

Installing wire nuts and twisting conductors the right way may seem intuitive, but if done improperly, these critical connections can be the source of electrical fires months or years from now. Every single aspect of the job is important, and you must be focused the entire time you work with all of the electrical components.

If you want to gain a new perspective for the potential fire hazards of simple residential electrical wiring, I urge you to stop by a local firehouse. Talk with a seasoned roughneck firefighter, district commander or perhaps the assistant fire chief. These individuals have seen what a simple electrical wiring mistake can do. In the worst cases, they may have had to zip up one of those dreadful plastic body bags and carry it to a waiting county vehicle.

I have seen the aftermath of several electrical fires, and the damage to property, life and spirit is horrific. Be sure the work you do, or that is done by a professional, is inspected. Do not assume everything is fine, as tiny mistakes can cause large fires.

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Ceramic Tile Saw Checklist

Ceramic Tile Saw - The Best DIY Tool for Pro Results

What Should be the First Job I Do with a Tile Saw?

What are Tile-Cutting Tolerances?

How Do You Make Curved Tile Cuts?

Are All Tiles the Same Hardness?

How Does a Ceramic Tile Saw Work?

Is Renting a Tile Saw the Way to Go?

What Hand Tools Cut Ceramic Tile?

Can a Ceramic Tile Wet Saw Make Circular Cuts?

How Do You Make the Curved Cuts?

Can You Use Diamond Hole Saws for Tile?

Can a 4-Inch Grinder Make Hole Cuts?

Expert Advice For Your Home