Coast PX20 Review

Posted on by Tim Carter
Coast PX20

Coast PX20 | This is a must-have flashlight if you're outdoors at night hiking, stargazing, hosting a beach party, or invading Cuba, etc. It has a bright deep-red light so you can see things in the dark, yet preserve your night vision.

Coast PX20 - Preserve Your Night Vision

The Coast PX20 is a dandy small, but powerful, flashlight. As with all Coast products, it's top-of-the-line quality. I have several Coast flashlights and they are my go-to ones. They're simply the best flashlights I've ever owned or had in my hand.

Coast PX20

My attic was dark and you can see how it easily illuminated all the things around me. The red light is very effective. CLICK or TAP HERE to order the PX20 and all other Coast flashlights.

What are the PX20 Specs?

  • 315 lumens
  • Dual color / white and red
  • 465-foot range
  • IPX4 weatherproof
  • Bulls-eye spot beam

What Batteries are Needed?

The Coast PX20 uses three AAA batteries. Remember to remove them if you put the flashlight in storage.

How Bright is the Normal Coast PX20 Flashlight?

The white beam is extremely bright. You'll have no issues seeing objects more than a football field away!

Coast PX20

The white light seems as bright as the sun! You can't get much brighter.

How Long Will the Batteries Last?

Coast says you can get 1 hour and 15 minutes of continuous use from a fresh set of batteries. I suggest you invest in high-quality rechargeable batteries for the best long-term performance.

Can You Get a Free Coast Gift?

Yes, you can get a free gift from Coast for a LIMITED TIME. As of May 2021, this offer was still available. I'm sure it will eventually end so BUY NOW. Look at what I saw on my package:

Coast PX20

Be SURE your packaging says this and then flip up the tab held by my thumb to see how to claim your free gift. In my case, it was a handsome Coast knife. They makes superb ones, in fact, that's how the Coast business started! You do have to pay shipping, but that's pretty affordable.

DIY Tile Backsplash Installation

Posted on by Tim Carter
DIY Tile Backsplash Installation

DIY Tile Backsplash Installation | This tile backsplash mimics mosaic tile but it’s caveman simple to do. If you can fog a mirror, you can pretty much do this job! Copyright 2021 Tim Carter

DIY Tile Backsplash Installation - Simple With Right Tile

QUESTION: Tim, in your last column you really got me excited about creating something very unique with ceramic tile. The issue is I’m like you and have stick-people skills when it comes to artistic talent. Doing mosaic tile would be impossible for me.

who invented plywood sketch

Example of Tim Carter stick-people drawing. Dreadful - Shield your eyes!

Is there some other way I can create a simple, but one-of-a-kind tile look that you might only find in my house? How is it done and where would I locate these special tiles? Have you ever done something similar? What tips do you have for a beginner like me? Xenia F., Port Arthur, TX

Did you exhale a heavy sigh last week like Xenia when reading my column? You’re not alone! I love to admire mosaic tile installations of all sizes, but it does require a second skill set to be sure.

huge mosaic tile floor

Where Do You Get the Best Backsplash Tile?

The good news is you can create a unique one-of-a-kind tile backsplash for your bathroom or kitchen using store-bought tiles. The trick is to go to the right store. In my opinion, you’ll have your best success visiting a store that only sells tile and stone. In almost all cases, they’ll have a wide variety of specialty tiles that can be combined to create a look similar to mosaic tile.

An example of one of these stores is The Tile Source in Beverly, MA or Mees Distributors in Cincinnati, OH. When I was building custom homes in Cincinnati, OH, I purchased thousands of tiles from Mees Distributors.

Can You DIY Paint Backsplash Tile

Many years ago, my wife and I did something very similar when all these magic tiles you can use didn’t really exist, or if they did, they hadn’t yet made it to Cincinnati, Ohio. We used standard 4x4 plain tile for a backsplash but hand-painted some simple flowers on the different blank tiles. We used oil-based paint because it was far more durable than the latex paint of the time. The paint needed to be able to withstand cleaning and not peel or flake off.

It was surprisingly easy to create these painted tiles by just copying some simple flower photos from books. Remember, the Internet didn’t exist back then! Now you can pull up photos of just about anything in seconds. Using fine artist brushes even the beginner can do a respectable job of re-creating simple images.

Man Shoveling

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local backsplash tile installers.

Can You Buy Special Theme Backsplash Tile?

The easier way is to start to look at special tiles that have scenes already replicated and baked into the tile. You can get just about any themed tile you want. Do you like sailboats? Easy.

sailboat and nautical ceramic tile

How about a special tile that shows different flowers? Just go to an online search engine and type whatever thing you like in front of the word “tiles”. Prepare to be blown away by unlimited possibilities.

Is it Best to Mix Decorative Tile With Field Tile?

Once you locate the decorative tile that you’ll use, you need to mate it with the field tile that will produce the subtle background. Believe me when I say that you should talk with the manager or a seasoned salesperson at the tile store for inspiration and help. It’s possible they’ll not only have backsplashes on display, but they may have a gallery of photos provided by customers. Almost all these stores can get any specialty tile you need.

How Do You Select the Correct Sized Tile?

Be sure to talk with the salesperson about scale. Small tile installations, say something 12 or 14 inches tall by only 30 inches long scream for smaller tile. Architects are taught all about scale in school. You should take heed and look at displays in the tile store that mimic the area you plan to cover with tile.

Should Walls be Flat?

Keep in mind that ceramic tile begs to be installed on a surface that’s in the same plane. This means the surface is flat with no humps, dips, or depressions. Check your wall surface using a straightedge to make sure the surface is flat. Fill in any depressions with joint compound. Prime and paint it before you’d install any tile.

What is the Easiest Backsplash to Install?

Assuming you’re a beginner, it’s best for you to use tile that requires no cutting. Take photos of your situation with you to the tile store. Make a drawing with exact measurements of where the tile will go. The tile store employees will help you select something that hopefully will require no cutting.

Should I Use Tile Mastic or Thinset?

You’ll probably be able to use tile-setting mastic to put the tile on the wall for your backsplash. The tile store folks will tell you what to use. It’s possible you may have to use thinset, but let them guide you. Thinset is a dry powder mix of fine silica sand and Portland cement. You just mix it with water to the consistency of applesauce.

Does Thinset Come in Colors?

Be aware that thinset can be bought in either gray or white. If you plan to use a transparent glass tile, ask the tile store experts what is the best adhesive to use. Don’t forget to get the correct trowel to apply the adhesive. The tile size determines the size of the trowel in almost all cases.

Is it Hard to Grout Tile?

Grouting tile is not hard, but it requires some practice. You really should watch my grouting tile videos below. You’d be very wise to create a sandbox test panel with some inexpensive tile and grout it first before you chance ruining your one-of-a-kind installation.

Column 1406

May 16, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

Welcome! You might very well have subscribed just 30 minutes ago. It’s my pleasure to meet you! I reserve this top spot in the newsletter for new subscribers like you. This past week no less than one hundred folks joined the ranks of the Ask the Builder digital family. You’re in good company.

But how about you? You and I have known each other for what, six or has it been twenty-six years? Holy tomato! Do you remember that blockbuster article I penned about concrete basics? Do you recall when I mentioned the part about the dastardly mistake you can make with water?

I didn’t think so.

new concrete slab

You’d do really well to CLICK or TAP HERE and refresh those tiny gray cells, especially if you’re about to pour some concrete!

If you make that ONE MISTAKE, you’ll RUIN YOUR CONCRETE!

Real Spy Phones!

I need you to be honest with me. Seriously.

Do you happen to sing out loud while alone in your car? Come on, you can tell me! How about talking out loud to yourself while driving?

Well, I do both. Several days ago, early in the morning, I was on my way to the buggy racetrack known by many as Market Basket. I was in an extraordinarily good mood and started to chatter in the truck about hatching plans to invade Cuba.

morse code meme
All of a sudden I remembered my smartphone was in my pocket and I screamed out, “Hey Google, STOP SPYING ON ME!”

A moment later that vixen voice, (who is that woman?), said, “You don’t have your mobile data on.” Yes, I had said the magic words “Hey, Google” but it doesn’t matter as she’s listening all the time if my phone is on.

Are you aware that Alexa, Siri, your Google devices, etc. are listening to you all the time unless you’ve disabled them? Why of course they are! They’re waiting for you to give them a command.

So if you want to do some nefarious planning, you’re plotting a covert operation, or worse yet you’re mumbling about something Agatha Christie would drool over, I suggest you turn off all your devices.

Otherwise your voice may be playing in a courtroom months from now. Don’t believe me?

CLICK or TAP HERE to see how Alexa, Siri, or Google will rat you out to the heat. I’m talking about how ALL YOU SAY in the privacy of your car, house, or cardboard shelter may be used against you one day.

Baseball Cap HELP!

Do you sell or know lots about high-quality baseball caps? I’m talking about caps you can outfit with custom embroidery. Do you happen to be an expert on the different types and quality of baseball hats? If so, I NEED YOUR HELP.

isptopes baseball cap
I don’t know about you, but I have the hardest time finding a baseball cap that fits well. Most are too tight and my head feels like it’s stuck in a sausage casing.

I have one hat that fits perfectly and I need another one that can be embroidered with my own design for the upcoming New England Forest Rally where I’m the Airwaves Boss.

This is where you come in. CLICK or TAP HERE to see multiple photos of my wonderful hat and tell me if you know a company that sells this high-quality a cap/hat AND will embroider it with a complex design very similar to what you see in the photos.

FREE BIDS - Local Contractors

Man Shoveling
CLICK or TAP HERE or poke Mr. Shovel Man above to get FREE BIDS for any job inside or outside your home. You’ll usually get calls within an hour. Don’t you wish you had unending energy like Mr. Shovel Man? He NEVER STOPS shoveling!

Fading Concrete Paving Brick

Does your sidewalk, patio, or driveway look like this? Do you know why the bricks no longer match?

mismatched brick pavers

I’m sorry to say you chose poorly when you decided to use concrete paving brick. It’s a common mistake.

What can you do now to make them look better? CLICK or TAP HERE to discover your limited options.

That’s enough for a Sunday.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Clean Godzilla Stains - www.StainSolver.com
Airwaves Boss - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Are you getting ready to clean and seal your wood deck? You’d do well to watch this video to see what sealer I think is the best one you can get. CLICK or TAP HERE. Pay close attention to the can in the video.

Isotopes Baseball Hat

Posted on by Tim Carter

isotopes baseball hat

Isotopes Baseball Hat - Best One I've Ever Had

This hat was purchased in Albuquerque, NM in the summer of 2009. It's the most comfortable hat I've ever owned.

I need another one now, but I have my own custom design I want to have embroidered on the front. Help me find a supplier of this exact hat, style, etc. I'm not looking for the piece-of-crap hats that are cheap swag giveaways.

Pay CLOSE attention to the slope of the front of the hat to the bill. It's not a 90-degree angle like many trucker hats.

isotopes baseball hat isotopes baseball hat isotopes baseball hat

 

This hat and Tim's call for help was featured in the May 16, 2021 Newsletter.

How to Install Mosaic Tile

Posted on by Tim Carter
huge mosaic tile floor

How to Install Mosaic Tile | This is a small section of a huge mosaic tile floor in an airport. The tip of my shoe provides scale. There were tens of thousands, maybe more, of small pieces of tile that made up a gorgeous scene. You can do the same! Copyright 2021 Tim Carter

How To Install Mosaic Tile - Start With a Small Project

QUESTION: Tim, I need your guidance. I’m want to know how to install mosaic tile. It's a floor in my new room addition. I have no clue where to start. I’ve never done tile work before.

Do you think I’m crazy for attempting this? If not, what can you share to ensure success? I don’t want to goof up and have to rip it up. There will be some heavy furniture on the floor. Is that an issue? Rebecca T., Tuscon, NM

Do you have dreams like Rebecca of an eye-popping drop-dead gorgeous mosaic tile floor? A DIY mosaic tile floor is absolutely possible for a beginner, but as with many things you and Rebecca need to take baby steps before pressing your feet against the starting blocks 100-meter world-class runners use to blast off from the starting line.

What is Mosaic Tile?

Mosaic tile is a blend of both artistic skills as well as tile craft. You can put mosaic tile on floors, walls, or even a tabletop. Look at this small plant stand tabletop and the simplistic design:

mosaic tile tabletop

I’ve seen mosaic tile installations that make my eyes hurt they were so poorly thought out or the installer/artist rushed the job. I suggest we unpack the project splitting it into two parts.

Let’s discuss the artistic aspect first. I’m not an artist but I know enough to realize that a mosaic tile scene can either be abstract or create a representation of something you or another person would recognize. For example, Rebecca might be trying to create a mosaic of the mountain scene at sunrise she sees from a window looking out of her room addition. It could be a mosaic of a flower or a pet. There are countless things you might try to recreate using small colored pieces of tile.

What Size Should My Test Mosaic Tile Be?

Having never done this before, you and Rebecca should start small. I’d try to create some small tile mosaic that measured maybe 2 feet by 4 feet. I feel that gives you enough real estate to create something that you might recognize. If you just want it to be a random abstract mosaic, then this size is a good sandbox to play in.

Should I Create A Drawing First?

My guess is an artist might start with an actual scale drawing of what the mosaic is with all the correct colors and shading. Choose something simple. Don’t be trying to recreate the Last Supper scene for goodness sake. This would be the deal-breaker for me because I’m only halfway decent at drawing stick people. You, though, may have an artistic bent and you should follow it!

Using your color drawing as your north star, gather pieces of tile that are all the same thickness and begin to cut and snip them to the correct small sizes that you’ll need. If you’re a digital person, try to image that each small tile would be a pixel that is on a smartphone or tablet screen image. You can also visit websites that have countless photos of finished mosaic tile pieces to grasp what you need to do.

How Big Are the Grout Joints for Mosaic Tile?

You’d do well to lay the cut pieces of tile next to one another on the floor making sure you allow for a grout line that might be as narrow as 1/8-inch around each piece of tile. Sanded grout is more durable than unsanded grout because it contains fine silica sand. Unsanded grout should never be used for joint larger than 1/8-inch. Avoid sanded grout joints larger than 1/2-inch.

How Do You Cut and Shape Mosaic Tile?

You can use tile nippers to shape thin tile. Beware of using porcelain tile as your starter project as it’s extremely hard and very hard to snip and shape. Use a softer tile with a traditional clay core. These snap with ease.

tile nippers

CLICK or TAP HERE to have these nippers nipping things in your hands in just days.

Once you have your mosaic created and you’re happy with the look standing back staring at it from five or ten feet away, most of the hard work is done. All that’s left is to install the tile and grout it. The issue is installing individual pieces of mosaic tile is the hardest tile to install in my opinion! Ugh! Don’t worry, you’re going to do it and it will come out fine.

What Adhesive is Used to Install Mosaic Tile?

Floor tile must be installed in thinset. Thinset is simply fine silica sand mixed with Portland cement. It’s what mice would use to install tiny brick if they built brick homes. Thinset allows the mosaic tile to bond well to solid subfloors and once the thinset is cured, it’s almost as hard as a rock and it doesn’t move. Organic tile mastic that’s like thick cake icing is never to be used to set floor tile. It can move and the tile will crack.

How Big Should the Thinset Trowel Notches Be?

The secret to installing the mosaic tile is to match the size of the tile to the trowel that will be used to put down the thinset. If your mosaic tile is about the size of a postage stamp, let’s say 1 inch by 1 inch, then you need to use the smallest notched trowel you can find. Most certainly a 1/8 x 1/8-inch square-notched trowel would be in order.

1/8 inch notched thinset trowel

CLICK or TAP HERE to have this 1/8 x 1/8-inch trowel delivered to you by a special courier.

How Do You Hold the Trowel?

Hold the trowel at about a 30 to 45-degree angle as you spread the thinset on a piece of cement board you’re using for your experiment. Get the cement board damp with water before spreading the thinset.

Only put down as much thinset as you can cover with tile in five minutes or less. Rebecca has to work fast because she lives in a dry climate where the thinset can skin over rapidly. If this happens, the bond is poor between the thinset and the pieces of tile.

Avoid allowing any thinset to ooze up between the pieces of tile. Remove any ooze immediately making sure you don’t smear it on the face of the tile. The top of each tile must be in the same plane so place a small piece of smooth perfectly flat plywood on the tile and lightly tap it so the tops of the tile are all in the same plane.

Use sanded grout to finish the job. Watch my four How to Grout Floor Tile videos to see how this is done. If you use too much water, you can ruin all your hard work!

Tim, This is Too Hard - How Can I Do an Easy Tile Job?

CLICK or TAP HERE to do a sandbox tile job where you don't have to cut one tile!

Column 1405

May 9, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

You might be one of the 100+ new subscribers that have joined the Ask the Builder party! Fun times! This top spot in the newsletter is my digital welcome mat.

You, however, might have been here at the party so long you clearly remember me gritching about the wretched black flies here in New Hampshire each spring. Believe me, they matter!

Some people really suffer from their nasty bites. This is why a screened-in porch is mandatory if you want to enjoy the early spring outdoors. These outdoor rooms also help when the NH state bird arrives - the mosquito.

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover some important secrets about these retreats. You'll also see a dreamy screened-in porch I built for a most wonderful older woman in the Cincinnati suburb of Mariemont.
screened in porch design

Email Pro Tip

Not a week goes by that I don't get a complaint about my newsletter not showing up. I use AWeber to create, manage, and deliver this newsletter. They have an untarnished delivery reputation among all the incoming email postmasters at all the giant companies. Why? Because they use double opt-in confirmation.

Here's a tip. Do you happen to use Gmail or another large web-based email platform? Gmail has a little-used feature that most don't know about. I'll bet it's in other email software too.

In Gmail it's called All Mail.

Gmail All Mail
You may THINK your Inbox shows ALL of your incoming mail.

Not so in Gmail!! Don't believe me, click that simple indiscreet All Mail text link in the left column and behold what you see!

Lookie, lookie at all the mail you may be missing.

Yes, some is going to your Promotions and Social tabs. CLICK or TAP HERE to discover how to TRAIN Gmail to put things where you can easily see them, including this newsletter.

Pro Tip: You should create a FILTER for me. Have some fun with the name of the filter. Wait until you discover how to create filters! I have a boatload of those helpful critters with humorous names.

Just call it Tim's Tips or maybe Tim's Secret Sauce or maybe ATB Wisdom Pearls. You'll see some real pearls down below.

By the way, see all those bold AWeber Notification subject lines in the above screenshot? Those are just a FEW of the incoming emails showing me the latest subscriber to this newsletter. Pretty cool!

Recent California Earthquake

Did you see in the news the other day the earthquakes on the CA/NV border near Lake Tahoe? No big deal. It's just new oceanfront property being created by Mother Nature.

BUY NOW while the land is CHEAP!!!

My college degree is in geology. The Great Basin of the USA is destined to become a sea. The border between California and Nevada is just slowly stretching and pulling apart.

The recent earthquakes are part of the process. Some geologists feel there's a smaller tectonic plate moving west and northwest that's in between the giant plate under the USA and the one to the west in the Pacific Ocean.

You can read all about it in Rough Hewn Land.

CLICK or TAP HERE and scroll down to see this magical book written for the laywoman and man.

Hi-Tech Bandaids

I'm fortunate to have public-relations pros reach out to me each week. Laura has been ever-so-patient as she's been nudging me to share with you DrySee bandaids. This may be important to you should you injure yourself doing a project at home.

drysee bandaid
Waterproof bandaids are not new. You can easily find them in all shapes and sizes and for less money. But CLICK or TAP HERE to see why DrySee might be of interest to you.

Home Improvement Supplies in 60 Minutes

How long do you think it's going to be before you can order something from your local big box store or larger hardware chain and have it delivered to you within an hour?

You may have this luxury right now! This concept was first tested by Amazon in Portland, OR back four years ago. Certain products on Amazon that were stocked in their Portland distribution center were delivered by Uber drivers. Of course, you paid a small delivery fee but to some it's well worth it.

CLICK or TAP HERE and read the news story and then engage your tiny gray cells to imagine where this is going. No doubt your thoughts will conjure up a future story about Amazon being sued because one of their drones dropped a box on a tiny tot's head.

I'd say that's quite enough for Mother's Day.

Here's a photo of my Mom when she was a young woman. She was just a month shy of her 23rd birthday. My Dad has his arm around her. A month before he was liberated from a German POW camp. Too bad he didn't have on his Bronze Star medal! My guess is he had yet to receive the award with all the mayhem of the great WW II ending in Europe but still raging in the Pacific theater.

CLICK or TAP HERE to read more about my Dad and see a few of his medals, including his Bronze Star. You'll discover WHY he got it.

This photo was shot at Coney Island amusement park in Cincinnati, OH in June of 1945.

Look at Mom's luscious lips!!! Imagine how BRIGHT RED her lipstick must have been!

I love you Mom! You were, and still are, a goddess!

Tim's Dad and Mom

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

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Do you have micro-cracks forming in your treated lumber deck or other outdoor wood? CLICK or TAP HERE RIGHT NOW!

WATCH ALL THE VIDEOS on that page for goodness sake!

 

Brick Pavers Fading

Posted on by Tim Carter
Brick Pavers Fading

Brick Pavers Fading | This is my own front sidewalk. The brick pavers are fading. The brick I’m pointing to is sitting on top of the others. It’s original and has never exposed to the weather. Look at what happens after twenty years! Copyright 2021 Tim Carter

Brick Pavers Fading - You Can't Stop It

QUESTION: Tim, I have a big decision to make and need your help. I love the look of colored brick for paving including my driveway, sidewalks, and patio. The issue is I’ve started to pay attention to older installations of colored concrete paving brick and many look faded.

Why is that happening? Some look horrible, especially at a restaurant I patronize. I don’t want my investment to look faded in a few years. Do I have alternatives and is there a way to restore the color of faded concrete brick pavers? Mary Chris F., Tampa, FL

Do you have the same concerns about concrete paving brick as does Mary Chris? They’re valid because brick pavers fading is a massive problem all across the USA. It’s so big, there’s a service industry that’s sprouted up to do color restoration in communities that have acres of concrete paving brick at both homes and businesses.

Man Shoveling

CLICK or TAP HERE or Mr. Shovel Man to get FREE BIDS from local paving brick contractors.

Do All Concrete Paving Bricks Fade?

I clearly remember when these magic colored concrete paving brick took the home-building and remodeling industry by storm. It was the early 1980s. The first custom home I built had them specified for the driveway and front sidewalk.

I recall having a conversation with the homeowner about them and I went on record saying there would be no less than two problems. I did predict the color-fade issue and the second one was an ongoing battle he’d have with moles that decided to tunnel in the sand under the brick pavers. Both nightmares came true. The homeowner grew increasingly frustrated with the concrete brick pavers.

Do You Have Faded Concrete Paving Brick?

The current home I live in has these colored concrete pavers. They comprise my front and rear sidewalks. I didn’t build the house I currently live in and if I were intending to stay here, I can tell you I’d rip them out and replace them with clay paving brick faster than ants show up for a summer picnic.

Why Do Concrete Paving Brick Fade?

The reason concrete brick pavers fade is simple. The manufacturers add dry-shake pigments to the sand, small gravel, Portland cement, and water used to create the brick. This pigment has the consistency of flour and just like the Portland cement, it coats the surfaces of the sand and gravel. This is why new concrete paving brick has a deep color to it as if each brick were coated with an ultra-thin layer of colored icing.

matching mortar brick close up

You can clearly see the colored sand grains in this high-resolution photo. Note how the mortar in this photo is a much darker gray than the white brick photo above. Photo credit: Tim Carter 2021

Why Does New Brick Mortar Look One Color?

This same phenomenon is why homeowners complain after brick is tuckpointed with new mortar. The new mortar rarely matches the old mortar just inches away. All of the sand in the new mortar is coated with the cement paste which produces a solid monotone color. Look closely at old mortar and you’ll observe the color you see is made up of the different colored grains of sand and the fine mortar paste between the sand!

When Does Concrete Paving Brick Start to Fade?

The trouble with colored concrete paving brick starts early on as both foot and vehicle traffic start to erode the colored cement paste that’s thinner than a sheet of paper. When this happens, you start to see the color of the different grains of sand in the brick. This is very subtle, it happens slowly, and you rarely recognize it at first.

Next up, the fine sand at the surface of the brick starts to erode from more traffic. This wear is accelerated if you make the mistake and clean the concrete brick with a pressure washer. This is undoubtedly happening at the restaurant Mary Chris eats at. They probably clean that outdoor brick each week after hours to clean off food spills and to simply keep it clean.

mortar on brick

See how the fresh mortar is solid gray? That's because the fine cement paste has coated the sand. Mortar is smeared on the brick. It is not that hard to remove if it is thin. ©2021 Tim Carter

Do Pressure Washers Ruin Paving Brick?

This high-pressure blast of water soon exposes larger pieces of stone and aggregate in the concrete brick. These stones can be quite different in color than the actual dry pigments used to color the brick. In my case, the stones used in my brick are very light and almost white when the original brick color was a medium brown.

Can You Stain Concrete Paving Brick?

There are different oil and water-based stains you can periodically apply to make the concrete paving brick look better. Clear wet-look sealers are also available. The clear sealers don’t do anything to mask the color of the exposed stone chips, but they do enrich the dry pigments in the cement paste between the sand and stone at the surface. Keep in mind you have to apply these products on a routine basis if you want the brick to look their best.

Does Clay Paving Brick Fade?

The better alternative, in my opinion, is to use traditional clay paving brick. These brick don’t change color as the color is solid all the way through the brick. I’ve installed thousands of these brick at my past homes and they look as good 40 years later as the day I installed them.

patio brick pavers mortar

This patio was built with traditional clay brick pavers. They could have been set in sand, but laying them in mortar creates a traditional look and feel. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter 2021

Are Clay Paving Brick Durable?

Clay paving brick are also very durable. You can visit towns and cities all across the USA where clay paving brick have been used for city streets. Athens, Ohio comes to mind as they have sections of brick street surfaces well over 100 years old that are in amazing condition.

How Do You Install Clay Paving Brick?

You can install clay paving brick the same way you install concrete paving brick by setting them on a compacted gravel base that has a sand setting bed under the brick. I prefer to mortar the clay paving brick to a steel-reinforced concrete slab so the brick never move and I don’t track sand into my house. Read my column about installing clay paving brick for details.

Column 1404

DIY Plumbing Advice

Posted on by Tim Carter
Bathroom Sink Stopped

DIY Plumbing Advice | I know this looks complicated, but it’s not. This is the mechanism that makes your bath sink stopper go up and down. It’s easy to remove. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter

DIY Plumbing Advice - You Can Do It!

QUESTION: Tim, what do you know about plumbing? I’ve got several repairs to make and I just don’t have the money to hire a plumber.

The water in my bathroom vanity sink drains slower than molasses. Just a year ago, it drained really fast. Sometimes my toilet gets clogged and I think it’s disgusting to use a plunger.

Is there another way to unclog a toilet? Lastly, my shower head used to have a nice spray pattern but now water doesn’t come out evenly and the pressure is reduced. Is there an easy repair for this? I wish you lived closer and could come to help me with these pesky repairs!

Carol F., Spokane, WA

Carol might be surprised to discover I’ve been a master plumber since age 29. Plumbing has always fascinated me because it’s a great exercise in three-dimensional puzzle-solving. It’s also got lots of physics going on too. Two years ago, I had a blast setting up a giant test structure in my driveway to record a video about what happens to flushable wipes when you send them on the journey to your sewer connection or septic tank.

This video is equipped with closed captions. If you don't see the closed captions here, watch this video on YouTube.

Unfortunately, I’m almost 3,000 miles from Carol as I live in central New Hampshire, so I can’t just drive on over to do a service call. The good news is with modern technology I can do house calls and do them often. But you and Carol don’t even need this to solve all the problems Carol’s having. Let’s start to unpack Carol’s woes and fix them.

Tim, I'm Afraid to Do Plumbing Repairs. Who Should I Call?

UGH, some of the things below are so easy. Don't be afraid. If you must call in a plumber, use the link below or CLICK the working stick man just below. You'll get FREE and FAST BIDS from local plumbers.

Man Shoveling

CLICK or TAP HERE for FREE Plumbing Bids from LOCAL plumbers.

What Causes Bath Sinks to Drain Slowly?

If you have a slow vanity drain the odds are hair and other gunk are creating a blockage at the bottom of the drain stopper. It’s a very common problem and all sorts of tools exist to try to get you to solve the problem without taking the drain apart. These tools do a so-so job, but I feel it’s better to just remove the drain stopper and get the drain perfectly clean.

How Do You Remove the Drain Clog?

If you look under the sink and behind it, you’ll discover a weird mechanism that operates the stopper. A horizontal rod is connected to the decorative rod up behind the faucet that allows you to lift and drop the stopper. You need to remove the horizontal rod where it goes into the drainpipe. A simple channel-lock pliers is all you need to rotate the round nut counterclockwise.

Once the nut is loose, the horizontal rod can be pulled out of the pipe and from the hole in the bottom of the drain stopper. Remove the stopper and all sorts of hair and gunk will come up with it.

Should I Clean the Inside of the Pipe?

The other benefit of removing the stopper is you can clean the sidewalls of the drainpipe tailpiece that extends from the sink down to the p-trap under the sink. The sidewalls of this narrow pipe get coated with a foul biofilm that can create a horrible smell each time you run water in the sink. I use a bottle brush and some liquid dish soap to clean the pipe as water is running in the sink. Just make sure the bottle brush is long enough to extend down to the p-trap. Put a piece of duct tape over the hole where the horizontal rod came out of the pipe so you don’t get water under the vanity as you clean the pipe.

Can You Unclog A Toilet Without a Plunger?

Did you know you often don’t need a plunger to unclog a toilet? You just need about four gallons of water in a big bucket. Remember that physics class in high school where the teacher taught you this formula? Force equals mass times acceleration.

Water has lots of mass and weight. If you pour water into a toilet bowl FAST you’re accelerating it. This will force the toilet paper and body waste through the colon of the toilet in almost all cases. Just pour the water into the bowl as fast as possible making sure it doesn’t overflow onto the floor. I have a video showing exactly how to do this. Thousands of people have commented and thanked me because they also hate using a plunger.

Why is My Shower Water No Longer Powerful?

That pesky shower head that has gotten lazy is easy to fix. Hard-water deposits are almost always to blame for reduced flow and pressure. Each time you take a shower the water drops evaporate on the end of the showerhead leaving behind a tiny amount of salt. After many showers, these deposits build up and start to restrict the flow through the holes at the end of the showerhead.

How Can I Dissolve Hard Water Deposits?

If you don’t want to remove the showerhead from the goose-neck pipe that goes into the wall, fill a plastic sandwich bag with enough white vinegar so the end of the showerhead is soaking in the vinegar. Point the showerhead down before you use rubber bands to hold the plastic bag in place.

Remember your high school chemistry class? Acids are good at dissolving salts. White vinegar is a weak acid and does a marvelous job of removing hard-water deposits and stains on countertops and faucets. Allow the white vinegar in the bag to work its magic for as many hours as possible. After soaking you may want to poke a toothpick into the holes in the showerhead. I guarantee you the water flow will return to normal.

Keep in mind if you have tougher plumbing problems, you and I can talk on the phone. I do offer that service no matter where you live. Just a month ago, I helped Nick with a problem in his Monaco condominium!

Column 1403

April 25, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

Kon'nichiwa! This is how my friend Hiro would greet you assuming this is your first issue of my newsletter. He’s a Japanese amateur radio operator like me, who does Morse code. No matter what the language, welcome!

I might also say, GM or GA YL if you’re a woman. Can you figure that out? Morse operators were using acronyms over 150 years ago, long before all those shortcuts you type when texting. It was vital back then to keep code pithy. BTW, wives of OM radio operators are XYLs.

You, though, might be one of my seasoned subscribers. By any chance, do you remember the column and video I did about quiet bathroom fans? I put these in my daughter’s new home and she absolutely LOVES them.

Does Treated Wood Rot?

What say you?

rotted treated lumber post

 

CLICK or TAP HERE and discover why it happens and what you can do to STOP or SLOW the rot down.

Click Click Click

Lately I’ve been getting lots of email from folks who are hearing an annoying click, click, click in their walls and ceilings.

Pun intended, CLICK HERE to see what gremlins are causing the issue!

FREE BIDS - Local Contractors
Man ShovelingCLICK or TAP HERE or click Shovel Boy above to get FREE BIDS for any job inside or outside your home. You’ll get calls within an hour.

Sewer Gas Smell

I routinely do short consult phone calls with homeowners like you who are suffering from sewer gas smell. I just did one a few days ago with Regina. I also talk to folks about a myriad of other home improvement issues.

After talking for a few minutes, I texted Regina an illustration I’d drawn a few years back. It shows where the top of the toilet flange should be when installing a toilet. Based on some clues I gathered from Regina during the call, I was convinced the trouble was coming from the toilet in her master bathroom.

I urge you to watch the video on this page! If you want to know the BEST WAY to install a toilet you should absolutely look at this page.

Chortle Moment

A few days ago, I received a directive from Robert. He lives in the Midwest. Here’s what he requested of me:

“I’m planning to lay brick at the bottom of and outside my deck staircase. I need to know the steps you would use to do that; from leveling and prep, to aggregate used to make sure the bricks stay in line and drain well.”

This is probably what Robert wanted to accomplish:

clay brick patio with flowers

I had a big grin on my face as I thought, “Jeeesh, Robert, I could type for a couple of hours and still might not tell you all you need to know.”

It turns out I’ve got a boatload of past columns about brick paver installation that Robert can comb through. Everything he needs to know to make his project a success can be found within them.

For the record, I sent Robert an email about my past work and offered him the option of a phone call to make sure he knows what to do. He decided to fly solo and not invest the small amount of money in a phone call.

If, like Robert, you like to be a bold pilot, do yourself a favor and spend a few hours researching all my past columns and videos about the topic you’re tackling.

You can START HERE. Try not to cringe while watching the video on this page. I’m sure Clint Eastwood would be grimacing.

In Robert’s case, had he typed “brick” into my search engine, he would have come across all my past columns with details on my brick walkway and brick patio experiments!

Here’s one that brings back very fond memories! CLICK or TAP HERE to see a great photo of the first home my wife and I bought months before our first anniversary. I also share a story about making a very big mistake with my first brick paver sidewalk.

Cool New Sun Stamps

Did you know the sun shoots out photons non-stop? Many of these make it to our Earth Ball. They’re what cause your house paint to fade, deck sealers to flake and fail, flag fabric to weaken and shred, interior carpets, paintings, and upholstery to fade, asphalt shingles to curl and crack, and create all sorts of other mayhem to the things you own.

Anything that gets hit by these tiny photon torpedoes can suffer. They’re so powerful they can actually break metallic bonds! Yes, if you leave a piece of copper in the sun, the photons will shatter it. You may notice some copper has washed off with the next rainfall. Look at the photo below of it happening. You can read all about how the sun removes the safeties on these wretched torpedoes in my Roofing Ripoff book.

roofing ripoff cover

In the short easy-to-read book, I discuss exactly what’s happening in the photo below AND I share with you the BEST ASPHALT SHINGLES TO BUY!

Look at how some shingles are in great shape while others look pathetic.

bad roof shingles

But, the sun is also what makes my amateur radio hobby fun! It tickles the particles in the atmosphere allowing radio waves to bounce around like that silver ball inside a pinball machine.

Different phases of the sun

Speaking of the sun, the Postal Service is coming out with a set of new stamps showcasing stunning images collected by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Solar scientists like Dr. Tamitha Skov are going to be doing backflips over these gorgeous stamps. My youngest daughter and I got to eat lunch with Dr. Skov about six years ago. What a wealth of information she had to share! Dr. Skov is a big celebrity. Watch one of her videos and you'll see why.

Anyway, the stamps above are not yet available. If you see them on the USPS website before I do, let me know. TNX as we say in Morse.

Paralyzed by Fear

Fear is crippling. It can destroy the quality of your life.

Fear takes no prisoners. You can't think clearly when you're consumed with fear. You often make poor decisions when you're afraid.

It can even stop you from realizing your dream home.

Many homeowners become paralyzed by fear when they have to make tough decisions like selecting materials they’ll have to live with for years.

I know how to kick fear to the curb.

new home test panel

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover how to eliminate the fear of selecting materials, colors, textures for your projects!

This is absolutely enough for a Sunday.

I’m sure you agree, right? If not, let me know!

Enjoy the upcoming week!

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

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Did you see the video I made last year about what I think might be the BEST wood deck sealer? In a few days, I’m going to record a follow-up video so you can see what happened over the winter! Stay tuned.

Does Treated Wood Rot

Posted on by Tim Carter
Treated Wood Rotten

Does Treated Wood Rot? | You bet it does! This is a treated lumber fence post. Yes, you’re looking at serious wood rot and you thought treated lumber didn’t rot, didn’t you? Copyright 2021 Tim Carter

Does Treated Wood Rot? - You Bet it Does

QUESTION: Tim, my next-door neighbor discovered that many of his outdoor deck floor joists are rotting. The rot is along the top where the decking attaches to them.

It’s treated lumber rated for outdoor exposure. How can this be possible? I thought treated lumber was rot-proof and would last for a lifetime.

What’s going on and are there ways to prevent treated lumber from rotting in the event something’s wrong? Andy D., Lexington, KY

Andy’s questions are spot on. They take me back to 1974 when I first saw an advertising placard on the sales desk of an old lumber company I patronized in Cincinnati, Ohio. Yes, that was a long time ago!

Does Treated Lumber Have a Lifetime Guarantee?

The full-color sign with a photo of this new treated lumber said, “Lifetime Guarantee!” I believed them being a young lad thinking no one would lie about that, right? Well, guess what? It didn’t say who’s lifetime on the placard!

The truth is treated lumber can and does rot. I’ve witnessed it at numerous locations and I’ve had countless people like you send me photos using the Ask Tim page on my AsktheBuilder website. The stories with the photos are often heart-wrenching.

rotted deck post

This is a treated lumber post that's been well cared for. I know the homeowner. It's been regularly sealed yet it still rotted out! Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

Not only can treated lumber rot, but wood-destroying insects can also eat it. I had this happen to me at my own home. I built a play-set for my kids made from treated lumber. I used lumber approved for ground burial.

backyard wooden swing set play set

I had to remove the playset after the kids grew up to make room for a deluxe Queen Anne Victorian shed. Lo and behold, two of the buried 4x4s were eaten by termites! The manufacturer said the wood would be immune from termite destruction.

Can Things Go Wrong at the Treated Wood Plant?

I’ve often thought about the process of treating lumber. I have a hard time believing that manufacturers would purposely produce an inferior product. Even with quality controls in place, things can go wrong. The liquid that’s injected into the lumber might not be the correct formulation. This happened to a major window manufacturer back in the 1980s. What they thought was a fantastic wood preservative turned out to be defective but the issue didn’t show up for about eight years.

termite damaged fence post

Lookie lookie, Can you see the extensive termite damage on the right side of the post? Imagine my reaction when I pulled this post out of the ground. ©2017 Tim Carter

The gauges on the pressurized vessel where the lumber is treated could be out of calibration. The computer program that runs the operation could have a bug. The things that can go wrong in the treating process are many.

Do Decking Nails and Screws Cause Wood Rot?

Let’s talk now about the rotting deck floor joists. When you drive nails or screws through the decking into the joists, you can cause cracks to develop on top of the joists. These cracks allow water to enter the joist with ease.

rotten bottom of treated lumber post

If the treatment process was inferior for whatever reason, then the water enters the wood and fuels the growth of wood-destroying fungi. This is most likely what’s happening to Andy’s neighbor’s joists.

Should I Use Deck Joist Tape?

This rot can be prevented by applying strips of deck joist tape that are put on top of the joists before you apply the decking. This should be done for all decks, but it’s mission-critical for any deck that will sport composite decking. You don’t want the undercarriage of the deck to rot out when you have expensive decking on top.

The ends of any treated lumber are the most susceptible to wood rot. Water readily enters the end grain of posts, joists, and decking. The end grain is what you look at when you cut down a tree and can see the concentric growth rings.rotten treated lumber post

Are Trees Like a Bundle of Drinking Straws?

You need to understand that a tree is not much different than having millions of tiny straws next to one another. The sap travels up and down through these straws when the tree is alive. Once cut, the tiny tubes become an excellent pathway for water to get deep into the wood.

Use this knowledge to your advantage and routinely apply copper naphthenate solution to any end grain you see.

copper naphthenate

This is copper naphthenate. It's a magic DIY wood preservative. CLICK on THE PHOTO now to have it delivered to your home.

This magic liquid is easy to obtain and readily soaks into both the end grain of treated lumber as well as the sides and edges of the lumber. Be sure to read the use instructions and follow them to the letter.

If you have deck railing posts with cut ends facing the sky, think about covering them with decorative caps that act like roofs. These caps come in both wood and metal and stop water from entering the end grain of the posts.

Keep in mind that water is your enemy. Water is what fuels the growth of fungi. You can’t stop fungi spores from falling on your deck. The wood itself is the food for the fungi. All it needs to start growing and rotting the wood is water. Stop water and you stop the rot. Period!

Column 1402