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

New Home Construction Materials

Posted on by Tim Carter
exterior material test panel

New Home Construction Materials | This is an exterior material test panel for a large expensive new home being built across the lake from my home. These panels allow you to really see how your house will look once finished. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter

QUESTION: Help me, Tim! I’m getting ready to build a new home and am terrified about making a wrong decision about the materials on the outside of my home. I’m afraid they’ll not look good with one another.

What can be done to relieve my anxiety? I have the same issue with paint colors too and even flooring. It’s easy for me to become paralyzed with fear as I don’t want to have to do things over two or three times.

I don’t have an endless supply of money. Mary A., Ft. Wayne, IN

Do you suffer from decision paralysis like Mary? You’re in fine company as many people second-guess their decisions when it comes to all sorts of products and finishes in both small remodeling projects as well as the hundreds of decisions that must be made with a new home. Some are so terrified they refuse to build a new home.

Fortunately, there are several things you can do to help lessen your anxiety and ensure you get it right the first time. Let’s address Mary’s primary concern about how the exterior of her home is going to look.

What are Material Test Panels?

Architects have known how to solve this problem for many decades. I’ll never forget going to downtown Cincinnati for a meeting about twenty years ago. I was driving past the headquarters of the giant international company Procter and Gamble (P&G). There I saw standing out in the middle of this open area a full-scale section of what would become a massive pergola.

The architect had commissioned it to be built to show the decision-makers at P&G exactly what the giant outdoor structure would look like. I wish I would have taken a photograph of it because when you saw the finished project, you can see it on Google Earth in a street-view shot, the massive finished structure matched the sample prototype perfectly.

Any builder can do the same with a sheet of plywood and a few 2x4s. In fact, a new home is being built across the lake from mine right now and either the architect, the builder, or the homeowner requested an exterior test wall panel be built to show how the stone wainscoting will look with the lap siding and the actual roof shingles.

How Should You Orient the Test Panel?

It’s key to put these panels in the same orientation of the primary house wall, say the front of the house if that’s what you’re worried about when visitors come to your home. You want the sunlight to hit the test panel just as it will when your home is complete.

I’ve often suggested this exact same advice when it comes to doing both visual and durability tests for products. I’ve answered hundreds of requests on my Ask Tim page on my AsktheBuilder.com website about this vexing decision conundrum.

Can I Test Kitchen Flooring?

You may want to know how a certain flooring will hold up in your kitchen for example. I suggest you get a thin piece of plywood or cement board and actually create a small test section and lay it down over your current kitchen floor. Walk on it for three months. See how easy it is to maintain. See how you like the color and pattern.

Should You Test Whitewash?

Here’s another interesting example. Years ago, I had to apply traditional time-tested real whitewash to a giant room addition I had built for a very picky customer. The existing house was whitewashed and done in a way where it looked faded with some brick not even covered.

The homeowner wanted the room addition to look as if it had been built with the house. There was no chance for a mistake. We built a small test section of brick wall and tested methods of how to apply the lime whitewash and get the desired look. I wrote about this whitewash, as well as the secret recipe for it, and you can locate it on my website. Don’t think that thinned-down white paint is whitewash. That’s hogwash you’re seeing on those questionable cable-TV shows!

Whitewashing Brick

I took this photo over twenty years AFTER I put on the whitewash. It looks identical to when I applied it. You'd NEVER get paint to last that long. © 2017 Tim Carter

How Can You Test House Paint Colors?

Paint colors are somewhat easier to deal with. When it comes to exterior paint colors, all you need to do is drive around your neighborhood or town and find a house that’s painted in the colors you love. Take lots of great photos of the house from the street and then go to a paint store to get small cans of paint that match what you saw.

house paint color ideas - multiple color samples on siding

House Paint Color Ideas | One of these colors may end up over the entire house. Color selection confounds many. (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Paint a small section of your home, or create a test panel, and look at it. Don’t make the mistake of viewing it standing four feet back. You need to step back 50 or 70 feet to see it as you would driving by in a car. Be sure to look at the colors at different times of day as the colors can change a bit as the sun color temperature changes.

The small amount of time and money you’ll spend to create these test panels are well worth it. A smart contractor will do this if he suspects a customer may require him to do a job over. If the customer signs her/his name with a big Sharpie marker that the test panel is acceptable and the finished work matches the test panel, then the work stands.

The same is true for you as a homeowner. If you love the test panel and the quality you see, then have the contractor sign it. Don’t get rid of the test panel until the entire job matches it. This isn’t rocket science after all!

Column 1401

April 18, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

You might be my newest subscriber. Welcome! First impressions are often lasting and I’m going to do my best to make sure your first newsletter from me leaves a good one.

You, on the other hand, may have been getting my tips and missives for such a long time that you clearly remember the video I did about how to clean a deck.This chore could be on your to-do list as you read this.

I know what you’re thinking, yes, I still have my firefighter turnout pants and helmet! CLICK or TAP HERE to see them.

Different Decking

Speaking of wood decks, David’s a subscriber who lives in Aveyron, France. He sent me a fascinating article about upside down decking in England.

cupped wood illustration

A homeowner noticed that the carpenter made an error when installing the wood decking on her job. I’ve got a past column describing wood decking installation best practices and thought at first that’s what the story was about.

But no! It turns out in England, and possibly other countries, they have a different type of wood decking. Small grooves are milled into the underside of the decking to promote drainage and prevent rot.

I’ve never seen that type of decking here in the USA, but it may exist on a regional basis.

Your takeaway should be that the way you do things may not always be the best way! It's possible your beliefs about products and building methods are based on half-truths which are whole lies.

This is a great example of how travel can expand your knowledge base. Other people in other places might build things far better than we do.

Take advantage of the opportunity to see other parts of our country and the world if you can. You won’t be sorry.

FREE BIDS - Local Contractors

Man Shoveling

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS for any job inside or outside your home. You’ll almost always get calls within an hour. That's fast!

Waterproof Electric Arc Lighter

Look at this:
electric lighter open

I like to collect smallish survival tools, and I'm attracted to interesting and good-looking fire starters. Perhaps this is connected to the pyrotechnical experiments I used to conduct in the fire barrel in my backyard when I was a small lad!

I found a new lighter that fits both of the above criteria! This is a lighter that requires no liquid fuel! It’s a miniature electric arc welder!

You start things on fire using electricity. CLICK or TAP HERE and wait until you see the other photos!

This lighter is very affordable and it comes with OTHER STUFF!

I GUARANTEE you’ll be ordering one or two. They come in some very neat colors too.

There’s a cool VIDEO HERE showing how it works!

STOP Paying for Off-Site Storage!

Build a Custom Shed!

Do you have a storage locker away from your home? What are you spending PER YEAR for this? Too much, I bet. Do you find it’s a hassle to drive to/from your storage facility? What’s more, think of all the time you’re wasting.

Why not BUILD YOUR OWN CUSTOM SHED and store your stuff on your own lot where it’s there when you need it and just SECONDS away?
wood shed

I decided to put the most detailed shed plans in the world ON SALE for you. These plans were drawn by an architect and are MORE DETAILED than most house plans!!!

You’ll save 50% if you order today!!!! You’ll pay only $14.95!!!

There are 17 total pages in the plans!!!! That’s less than a buck per page!

You can MODIFY the plans to create your own size, your own shape, and your own roof pitch.

The sale ends in ONE WEEK. If you snooze you lose.

I promise you'll never see a better set of shed plans.

CLICK or TAP HERE and you can download the actual floor plan page for FREE.

Delicious New Hampshire Toffee

I’m a sucker for SKOR and Heath bars, and I know others who squirrel them away in a secret spot.

Several nights, ago my wife and I had dinner with a couple. It turns out the other wife, Pat, has her own small online business selling toffee she makes. She gave me a bag of this taste treat and OMG is it delicious.

Pat makes two different types, one with nuts, one without. She also makes a mouthwatering toffee popcorn.

new hampshire toffee candy

CLICK or TAP HERE to order some. Be sure to tell Pat that you heard about it from Ask the Builder.

QuickDrain

A few days ago, I was invited to an online media event where fancy shower drains are the center of attention. It happens next week. I’ll be sure to share with you anything that WOWS me.

That’s enough for a Sunday, right?

I have toffee to eat.

Don't look for treasure in the wrong place. Only life is priceless ... and making each day count.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
No New Pods - www.StainSolver.com
Opechee State Forest Boy - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. How hot do you think regular wood decking gets in direct sunlight? Imagine it's days from the summer solstice when the infrared rays are the most intense, it's close to solar noon, and there's not a cloud in the sky. This is not a trick question.

temperature of oak plank infrared

Seriously, do you think you can guess within ten degrees? CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you were right.

Waterproof Electric Arc Lighter

Posted on by Tim Carter
waterproof electric arc lighter

Waterproof Electric Arc Lighter | This thing is magic. It will create an arc 300 times on a full charge. It has a built-in battery! CLICK or TAP HERE to order one now. It was only $14.95 at the time of this review!

Waterproof Electric Arc Lighter - It Really Works!

I love small survival fire starters. You need no less than three different ones in case you get caught outdoors and must start a fire.

This electric arc lighter is not only waterproof, but it's good-looking, and above all else, it starts fires!

Watch this short video of it in action:

I tested it starting the following things:

  • paper towel
  • dryer lint
  • dry leaves

It ignited all of those things in less than a second.

Note, all those things above are tinder. You need dry tinder to start a fire in an emergency!

What's the BEST Tinder to Have to Start a Fire?

The best tinder is wax-coated wood fiber. You should always have a small bag of tinder with you to start a fire. You could be out in the woods where it is VERY wet and hard to find dry tinder.

Here are TWO things I'd always have with me to GUARANTEE I'd be able to start a fire. A small amount of Fiber Light takes up less space than the Pull Start Fire box. CLICK or TAP HERE to read my review about Pull Start Fire.

fiber light tinder

This is Fiber Light. It's wax-coated wood fiber. It starts with a SPARK, not a flame! CLICK on IMAGE to order a bag now.

pull start fire

This is Pull Start Fire. It starts a fire with NO matches or spark. You just pull a string! Don't eat it thinking it's an ice-cream sandwich. CLICK on the IMAGE to have three delivered to your home.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get all the specifications.

waterproof electric arc lighter

The waterproof cover has a safety latch that you must slide off first. Then you press a chrome OPEN button on the side to flip open the lighter. You can see the four electrodes that create the X arc. CLICK THE IMAGE to have this lighter in your hands in days. It's MAGIC!

waterproof electric arc lighter

You can see the purple arcing electricity! Simply put whatever you want to light in the X and you'll have a FIRE. CLICK the IMAGE to order two of these right now. They come in different colors!

waterproof electric arc lighter

This is the micro-USB charging slot. It takes just 90 minutes to fully charge the internal battery. You get 300 starts with a full charge. CLICK on the IMAGE to order several of these for friends and family. You should ALWAYS HAVE ONE in your car or truck glove box!

waterproof electric arc lighter

You get all these accessories too! A lanyard, the USB charging cable, and a manual fire starter you scrape against one another to start a fire in case you forget to keep the lighter CHARGED! CLICK or TAP HERE NOW to order five of these!