Did you just subscribe to this newsletter in the last few days? Welcome aboard! This top paragraph is where I extend my gratitude for your trust. Trust is an interesting concept. I recently saw a TV commercial that got me thinking about how important it is. But more on that later in the newsletter.

You, though, might have been part of my crew for so many years you might recall when my Roofing Ripoff book debuted. It reads like a murder mystery that you can get through in less than one hour.

CLICK HERE to read the first three chapters for FREE!

Remember when I was hot and bothered about my 30-year asphalt shingles that were beginning to fall apart in just nine years? Well, the cosmic tumblers aligned perfectly enabling me to interview a top official in the asphalt shingle industry.

I had to promise his identity would never be revealed. For this guarantee, he spilled the beans about why my, and your, shingles were falling apart.

But that’s not the best part. As you help me get to the bottom of the debacle, you’ll discover I was the first person in the world to discover that a wide copper strip on the top of your roof will dramatically extend the life of your shingles, assuming they’re new or in great shape.

Look at the photo below to see proof. Look really closely and tell me if you can figure out the prevailing weather direction.

Imagine having your new asphalt shingle roof last for 40, 50 or more years. HOLY COW!

It’s all in my Roofing Ripoff book. If you’re going to be putting a new roof on soon, you really need to peruse it. Trust me, I guarantee you’ll be aghast at how you and millions of others were played.

But what do I know? I ate lunch sitting on overturned empty drywall mud buckets for 21+ years…

White Residue on Wood

Have you seen this residue on outdoor wood you’ve just cleaned?

Do you know what it is, what causes it to appear, and how to get rid of it?

But most importantly, do you know how to make sure it NEVER COMES BACK AGAIN?

I know the answers to all those questions and more. Days ago, I decided to create a wonderful 2-page PDF file that will allow you to save all sorts of time and headaches in the future.

CLICK or TAP HERE to gain access to it.

FREE BIDS - Local Contractors

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS for any job inside or outside your home. You’ll get calls within an hour.

Easy Wood Fascia

Wall-mount doors are gaining in popularity. But some don’t want their home to look like a barn. Now realize, I’m not saying barns are bad!

What if you could find magic simple easy-to-install hardware like this to solve the conundrum? Look:

CLICK or TAP HERE and then tell me what you think of this absolutely amazing invention.

While watching my latest video, you may note there appears to be a defect in the lens. For some reason, it’s not registering hair pixels on top of my head and in one scene it created some strange distortion of my upper torso. I’ve since sent the camera in for testing.

Common Sense Might Be Uncommon

About a week ago, I was watching TV and started to howl with laughter. It was a hokey huckster commercial selling this miracle product you can spray on the outside of your home to make algae and mildew disappear. I felt like I had stepped into a time machine and was standing next to a traveling snake-oil salesman’s wagon in a tiny dusty out-West town 150 years ago.

The name of the product is not important as you’ll immediately identify this commercial. If your vision is poor, you may not be able to discern that much of what you saw in the commercial was CGI - computer generated imagery. That’s what you see in many of the big-screen action movies.

In other words, what you’re seeing is FAKE. There’s lots of fake stuff out there inundating you and me each day. It’s your job to separate the wheat from the chaff. But I can help.

While trying to control my laughter, I was immediately reminded of a product that’s quite similar and has been on the market for years - Wet & Forget. Several months ago, I got an email from another home improvement website pounding their chest about how good the product is. I saved it for this newsletter.

This past week, I decided to dedicate my syndicated newspaper column, yes, it still runs in over 60+ papers in the USA, to the topic of how to best clean algae off siding.

I BEG YOU TO READ the column to understand why these miracle easy-to-use products don’t live up to their expectations. Peer at the product labels and my guess is you’ll discover both of these products probably contain a VERY TOXIC chemical you’d never ever ever want to spray on the outside of your home. I talk about this chemical in my latest column. CLICK or TAP HERE to read it.

I’ll leave you with this. When you see a website say that something is the BEST and then you discover it’s not, does that shake you to your core? It should. I recall the one script line in the first Spiderman movie:

With great power comes great responsibility.

Stop being played.

Stop consuming fake commercials, fake reviews, fake anything. Instead, start using your tiny gray cells and put all you are seeing and hearing to the smell test.

Who You Gonna Call?

Bob Abel lives in hot and humid Florida. He reached out to me a few days ago with a question I get all the time. He was asking about a tankless water heater, but it could have been any product. You’ll immediately see how you could ask this question about hundreds of things:

“My wife and I will be building a home in Port St Lucie, FL. We are looking at installing a tankless water heater. The builder only installs these units on the outside of the home. I've heard that this might not be a good option because there is a history of these units "frying" in a hot-weather climate. Your thoughts?”

How might you answer this question?

Imagine you’re on a huge TV game show and you’re on stage in the game where you might win $1,000,000 if you can answer the following question:

Who do you think has the most authoritative answer to Bob’s question?

Tick tick tick tick tick - you only have 15 seconds to answer. Who is it?

Well, we know you’re not going to reach out to Bill Murray or Dan Aykroyd, right?

CLUE: Think product warranty!

The correct answer is the product manufacturer. You read the written installation instructions for each product you’re going to use to ensure it’s being installed correctly so as to not void the warranty.

There’s another nugget of information in Bob’s question. Did you pick up on it?

He said, “I’ve heard that….”

Heard it from whom? Are they an expert? Was it on some forum where clueless people babble on or speculate? Was it from some young contractor with a whopping six months total lifetime experience working with tankless water heaters?

Bottom Line: STOP being so trusting.

STOP TRUSTING everything you hear or see. Question everything for goodness sake.

Each week, I do countless autopsies on horrible homeowner problems where the ROOT CAUSE of the problem is the homeowner TRUSTED the contractor or the person wearing an apron at a big box store.

Please, STOP DOING THIS.

Use your tiny gray cells and shift them into critical-thinking gear.

Invest the time and read the written instructions from the manufacturer. If they’re not clear, then I can help you for goodness sake. I’m happy to call you on the phone.

That’s quite enough for a HOT Sunday in June.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Certified Organic Cleaner - www.StainSolver.com
DX Fun - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. What’s the best exterior house paint? What's the resin or GLUE component of the paint that’s the best? Do you know? Should you know? CLICK or TAP HERE to discover if you were right.

Greetings! I’m sure glad you’re here! You just might be my newest subscriber. This is where I lay out the Welcome Mat for you and everyone else who became part of my virtual family in the past week.

You, though, might have been around here for so long you remember those amazing interior retractable window SCREENS I installed in my last house.

Who wants to futz around with those awkward giant screens that tumble out of the frames, etc. and BLOCK your view if you don’t take them out in the winter?

Come spring you have to put them back in the frames possibly tearing the screening and raising the stress level in your home.

CLICK or TAP HERE and behold an excellent solution to window screen issues!

Father’s Day Loot

Father’s Day is in two weeks. Do you need an idea for a gift that will be truly appreciated? Look no further than the following pages on my website:

Mechanix Durahide and Material 4X Gloves - WOWZA!

Coast PX20 Dual-COLOR Flashlight

Cool WATERPROOF Electric ARC Lighter - Life-Saving Gift!

Travel Chess Set for Dad on a Park Bench

Klein Thermal Imager!!!! STOP Energy Waste

FREE BIDS - Local Contractors

CLICK or TAP HERE or Mr. Shovel Boy above to get FREE BIDS for any job inside or outside your home. You’ll get calls within an hour. Have you noticed how Shovel Boy never tires? That was me when I was 23. Not so much now!

Lazy Days of Summer

Now that summer has unofficially arrived as of last Monday, I normally back way off on the content in these newsletters.

Why?

I want to be outdoors enjoying the wonderful summer weather here in the northern Hemisphere. I’m lucky enough to live in central New Hampshire where people from all over the world come to vacation. Look for yourself at what they get to see.

The first photo is looking south from Cannon Mountain. The second photo is a typical lake scene here in central New Hampshire.

My guess is you want to spend more time recreating outdoors instead of stuffing home improvement tips into your tiny gray cells!

Look below to see one of my favorite outdoor summer and fall activities.

I’ve become very active again in outdoor radio now that the snow and black flies are gone. I go to different state parks and state forests here in New Hampshire. Once there, I set up my small radio that allows me to communicate with other radio operators using Morse code.

This radio transmits using the same amount of energy the night light in your bathroom consumes. Can you believe a radio signal only needs that tiny amount of energy to travel thousands of miles?

I’ve participated in The Parks on the Air activity since it started in 2017. In the past two years, it’s surpassed critical mass. There are thousands of operators active in the program and when I go out to operate, I can almost be assured of making 20 or 30 contacts in just 30 minutes.

It’s scads of fun and more so if you have friends tag along or conscript someone who's willing to log for you. Afterwards, we almost always hunt for a purveyor of flavored frozen milk and cream.

CLICK or TAP HERE to read about my latest adventure earlier this past week. You’ll get to see a short video of a radio pileup.

What’s that? Think of a grade school classroom where half the room is trying to show the teacher how smart they are. Look in the right column, once you're at my radio blog for a list of other recent adventures.

Plumbing Plans & Plumbing Phone Coaching

Lately, I’ve been getting an increasing number of orders from folks who are in need of a plumbing permit. I’ve been a master plumber since 1981.

I’m one of the few people, maybe the only one online, who will draw the much-needed isometric drawing you need to get your permit. CLICK or TAP HERE to see what services I offer. You’ll see I do gas-line drawings as well as those to properly size water lines.

Yesterday, I helped Guy in TN size his water line that extends from a 3/4-inch meter 1000 feet to feed two houses. What size do you think that pipe needs to be? I can help you with that answer and it’s bigger than you think. The issue is two different situations might require two different pipe sizes. It’s all about elevation.

Moments ago while creating this newsletter, I called Joseph out in San Diego, CA. He’s an architect who’s installing a very trendy small bathroom in part of an unused garage.

Joe's dealing with a difficult situation with a drain pipe that's only 12 inches under the slab twenty feet away. I told him over the phone how he can legally flat-vent the drain pipes so he doesn’t have to raise the floor. Joseph was quite happy to hear this news!

Bottom Line: I do a BOATLOAD of phone consults about plumbing and any other issue with your home.

That’s enough for a Sunday. Have a great week working on your tan.

Thanks to all who responded to last week’s Memorial Day newsletter by sharing your stories of valor and your own hopes to preserve the Republic. We surely don’t want to waste those hundreds of thousands of gallons of blood that have been shed to defend the US Constitution.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Get CLEAN - www.StainSolver.com
Cookie Crumble Contest Today: www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Do you know the right way to install new blacktop? I’m talking about making sure the edges don’t crack off. CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you know what to do.

Welcome! If this is your first issue of my newsletter, you may not be aware that the opening paragraph is reserved seating for you and every other new subscriber who has joined my extended virtual family since last Sunday at 5:01 AM Eastern Time.

On the other hand, you could be one of my seasoned subscribers. If you’ve been on the list for over a year, then you know this is a very special annual edition where I sew my heart to my sleeve.

The photo below is the American WW II cemetery in Normandy, France. It’s hallowed ground to be sure. It's the final resting place of over 9,000 U.S. heroes who died for you if you're a US citizen. The same is true if you're a citizen of one of our WW II allies.

American D-Day Cemetery - France

Each Memorial Day weekend, I reflect on my God-given rights. Memorial Day is the day set aside to honor all who gave their lives while in active military service to protect the US Constitution.

I find it difficult not to think about the hundreds of thousands of teenagers who lie at rest in the cool ground of one of the many cemeteries where war heroes are buried. Young men who had their lives ahead of them but they sacrificed for you and me.

It's almost hard to get your head around that level of sacrifice.

Not a day goes by that I don't think about the First and Second Amendment rights they preserved for you and me.

Having been a professional writer for over twenty-seven years, I'm grateful for the oft-overlooked freedom to write and publish a newsletter like the one you’re reading right now, with no fear of reprisal. Try to do this in many other countries on the Earth Ball and you'll be sent to prison or possibly shot.

The ability to express oneself has disappeared for some on many of the popular social media platforms. That should send a chill down your spine because as an individual, these platforms have been designed to be a place you can publish what you feel about a topic and all your followers will see it. At what point will your voice and opinions be stifled? In other words, platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. are practicing facism. Look up the definition of the word to make sure you understand what it means.

This newsletter is dedicated to my dad and to every man and woman who has made the ultimate sacrifice wearing a military uniform. They offered up their lives to ensure that our God-given rights and the freedoms outlined in the U.S. Constitution are not infringed upon by any foreign or domestic enemy.

While my dad didn’t die on the battlefield nor in a field hospital, his early death can be traced to his experience in the great World War II and the seven harrowing months he endured as a POW.

I thought I’d share a favorite photo of Dad taken just weeks after his release from the German POW camp in Poland. He’s with his sweetheart, my mom, just weeks before they were married. He was 28-years-old in this photo and my mom was just two months shy of her 23rd birthday.

I helped send my dad back to Heaven when I was 24 years old. I was just a tad bit older than my mom was when they married. Oh how I wish I could have spent more time with Dad!

There’s a video I want you to watch that touches on how I squandered the time I did have with him. One line in the song is especially poignant.

“When the hourglass runs out of sand, you can’t flip it over and start again…”

You’ll find the link to this special video at the end of this newsletter.

But first, keep reading.

CLICK or TAP HERE to read all about my dad’s WW ll experience. Dad was a hero.

Think about whether you have what it takes to earn the Bronze Star. Could you put aside your fear to brave the challenge in front of you?

Fear is a powerful foe and it forces many people to make poor decisions that they might later regret.

Fear could be dominating your life over the past sixteen months. Sometimes fear can lead you to make judgements that simply don’t make sense.

I’m sure my dad was fearful in the basement of that farmhouse but he no doubt squelched it as the Germans tramped down the steps.

Some of his fellow soldiers ran for their lives that afternoon as they were overrun by the Germans. Not dad. He didn’t abandon the wounded soldiers he was trained to care for.

He was prepared to meet his Maker.

Here’s Dad’s Bronze Star:

Before I move on to home improvement topics, stop and think about the words in the oath of office taken by many in our country. That simple phrase was above and it may have shagged past you.

I swore that oath several times as an appointed and elected official in a small Ohio village.

Many don’t give it much thought, but think about this sentence in the oath:

“...I swear to protect and defend the US Constitution and the Constitution of the state of (insert your state name) against all foreign and domestic enemies.”

You know what a foreign enemy is and what their INTENTIONS are when they invade. After they conquer, rape, and pillage, they impose their form of government on those that can still fog a mirror. It’s all there in the Game of Thrones book and TV series.

But what’s a domestic enemy?

It's a person who lives here in the USA, and actually might be a US citizen, who’s actively trying to take away your rights and shred the U.S. Constitution.

All those who gave their lives to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution are SCREAMING at you from their graves to wake up.

It’s time for all of us to stop taking our freedom and rights for granted and to crush any who seek to endanger them.

Seriously, if by any chance you're asleep, it’s time for you to wake up.

On to home improvements now.

FREE BIDS - Local Contractors

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS for any job inside or outside your home. You’ll get calls within an hour.

Attic Access - You HATE Pull-Down Stairs, Right?

Do you dread using those flimsy, narrow, and steep pull-down attic stairs? You probably think you’re on a ship each time you take your life in your hands going up and down!

I’m talking about stairs that go up into a future attic like this:

Did you know you can have great attic access using normal stairs? Surprise! CLICK or TAP HERE to discover more.

Old House Design Features

Look at this photo and go back in time to when you were eight years old.

Now, think about that rainy day when you and your friends decided to play hide and seek. A window seat! What a great place to hide, right?

What do you think are my favorite old house design features that are rapidly becoming mythical? Well, a window seat is one of them.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you guessed at least three others.

That’s quite enough for Memorial Day weekend. I wish I was back in Cincinnati so I could visit Dad and Mom at the cemetery. It won’t be the same but I’ll use Google Maps satellite view to get just a little closer.

Thank you, Dad, for all you did for me and everyone else. I also thank all others who died for the liberty I enjoy.

Perhaps Revolutionary War General John Stark was right after all when he wrote. “They were men that had not learned the art of submission, nor had they been trained to the art of war. But our astonishing success taught the enemies of liberty that undisciplined freemen are superior to veteran slaves.”

As an afterword to the letter, Stark included a brief passage to be read as a toast to the veterans:

“Live free or die. Death is not the greatest of evils.”

This makes total sense if you can imagine living under a tyrant’s thumb. Not me. I’m not dying on my knees next to a freshly dug trench. Nor should you.

I’ll continue to reflect on my freedoms and God-given rights. You might do the same.

Oh, yes, you’ll want the link to the video that is so fitting on this Memorial Day weekend. CLICK or TAP HERE to watch it.

Be prepared to shed a few tears..

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Certified Organic Cleaner - www.StainSolver.com
Airwaves Boss - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Treated lumber is supposed to crack, right? Or maybe not. Perhaps you’d do well to watch this video and relive some of your fond high school physics class memories. Note, I didn’t say anything about Algebra or Latin classes.

You could be my newest subscriber if your name is Judy. As nutty as this sounds, you may have subscribed ten minutes ago! Welcome!

The other side of this coin may be you. You could be, and it would take a little digging to find out, my oldest subscriber! I'm not talking about your age, but the number of issues you've received. If you subscribed back in 1996 or so, you might qualify!

Do you remember my FIRST column? Here's a clue:

CLICK or TAP HERE to see if your hunch about the topic was correct.

Protect Night Vision

Do you know how to protect your night vision?

Better yet, do you know what I consider to be the BEST darn flashlights on the Earth Ball?

CLICK or TAP HERE to see what I think of the new PX20. It's a dandy.

FREE Interior or Exterior Bids

CLICK or TAP HERE or the perpetual Mr. Shovel Man above to get FREE BIDS from Local Contractors. You'll almost always get a phone call within an hour. That's really FAST!

The Inner Tile Artist in You

Look at this:

That's my shoe in the lower left corner of the photo. I did that for scale purposes. I discovered that trick in my Geology 101 class on my first field trip. Knowing scale is everything.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see how you can create a mosaic tile piece of art for your home! Stick people? No way!

The Wrong & Right Way

Peer at this photo please:

Your mission, should you wish to accept it, is to tell me if what you see is the RIGHT or WRONG way to do something.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you were right or wrong.

New Wheels!

I had the opportunity to test two new boots/shoes from Kodiak. They've been Canada's boot maker since 1910. That's 111 years if you remember your grade school math!

I get to test lots of shoes and these were quite possibly the MOST COMFORTABLE ONES I've ever worn out of the box. Zero stiffness.

CLICK or TAP HERE to read about the FIRST pair I tested. You'll see more information and all the features. I should have the second review for you next Sunday.

That's enough for a Sunday, right?

I've only got five more days of quiet here on the Loch.

The invaders/squatters come back on Friday. I'm talking about the RUDE boaters from states SOUTH OF ME who BLAST their stereo radios as they create shore-damaging WAVES from their wake-boarding watercraft.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Cleaner Than Anything - www.StainSolver.com
Airwaves Boss - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. You want some privacy on your patio or deck. What's one way to achieve this? Wait until you see the STUNNING PHOTOS of what you can do with two-toned lumber. CLICK or TAP HERE and behold some eye candy!