July 18, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Tim Carter

Wait a minute! You're a new subscriber. No wonder you're sitting at the table with Christy, Ed, Caitlin, Juan, Janice, and a boatload of others who've become part of my AsktheBuilder family since last Sunday. Welcome!

But you may have been here a while. Tell me, do you remember the video I recorded showing you why newspapers, vinegar and water, and bottles of blue liquid are the WORST things to use to clean windows and glass?

Think about it. Have you EVER seen a professional window washer use a bottle of blue liquid and newspapers? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Of course not! They know the BEST WAY to clean glass and I share their secrets in my video!

CLICK or TAP HERE to see how the pros clean glass. It's SO EASY and all along you've thought it was hard to do!

Keep in mind I interviewed the presidents of the TOP TWO window-cleaning companies in the USA. These are the companies that clean the glass on some of the largest skyscrapers in the USA.

While you're at it, be SURE to CLICK or TAP HERE to see how to get that nasty FOG FILM off the inside of your car or truck windshield.

That film on the windshield is DANGEROUS. Don't you notice at night when oncoming car headlights hit your windshield it turns FOGGY and you can't see anything? CLEAN IT OFF NOW!

Custom Hat and Socks

I promised you in last week's newsletter that I'd share photos of a cool hat I created with the help of my son. Also, my daughter got me a year-long socks membership for Father's Day. Look below at the first two pairs. Fun!

The hat says: Airwaves Boss. I'm the Chief of Communications for the New England Forest Rally that runs in less than two weeks.

We ordered the hat from Vistaprint. You may think they just print business cards. You'd be wrong. Vistaprint has countless products you can customize. The quality of the hat and embroidery is exceptional. You can bet I'll be getting more custom hats from Vistaprint.

To create a hat like you see, you just come up with an idea and they have a magic tool that shows you on your computer what it will look like embroidered! It's insane! If you're graphically challenged, they can HELP YOU with your design.

The hat has FlexFit spandex incorporated into the band. No more adjusting the hat with velcro or the silly plastic straps with holes in them. The elastic makes for a very comfortable fit.

The socks are simply fun! The first one had colorful bow ties on them! Look at the colorful heels and toes! I wear a bow tie to church each Sunday, and now I've got socks to match!

The second pair had husked corn or maize on them. When I sit in a chair with my shoes off and feet on an ottoman, you can see my official title.

CLICK or TAP HERE to enroll your loved one in the Fancy Socks Club!

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from LOCAL contractors for any job around your house. You'll be amazed how fast they call!.

The Original Joist Hanger

What do you think the original joist hanger looked like? CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you're right.

It really pays to have worked in old buildings. I was lucky enough to do that years ago. Five years ago, I was in Cincinnati, Ohio when a friend of mine was renovating one he owned.

He salvaged what I feel are examples of original joist hangers. European carpenters may agree. Let's see if they chime in.

Best Stainless Tumbler

Are you fond of a particular glass, mug, water bottle, etc.? It's easy to get cozy with one that works well, looks good, and feels right.

Here's mine:
klein stainless steel tumbler
CLICK or TAP HERE to discover WHY I love this tumbler so much.

Sheree's STAIN SOLVER Success

Sheree's an active retired person. She got a stain on the bill of her favorite biking cap. Spray-n-Wash FAILED to remove the stain. Look:

CLICK or TAP HERE to see how Sheree used my STAIN SOLVER to remove the stain.

STAIN SOLVER DIDN'T HARM the hat nor remove its color.

Is there a reason why you've not tried my STAIN SOLVER? The most frequent reason I get is, "It sounds too good to be true."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!

You sound like me when I watch certain commercials on TV. I talk back at the flat screen often saying, "LIAR!"

Don't believe me? Ask my wife, Kathy!

The difference between my STAIN SOLVER stories and those TV commercials is the FINE PRINT. Often you see on TV, "Actor Portrayal".

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Hey TV commercial producers, do you think we're STUPID? You PAID the ACTOR to say those things!

Customers like you PAY ME to BUY STAIN SOLVER then tell me their stories! That's a BIG DIFFERENCE.

CLICK or TAP HERE to read countless TRUE stories and stunning Before/After photos.

Visit the Stain Solver Oxygen Bleach website - Click here

You're making a huge mistake not using STAIN SOLVER to clean EVERYTHING around your home. It's certified organic.

That's enough for a Sunday as far as I'm concerned.

Tim Carter
Founder- www.AsktheBuilder.com
SS50 Blowout SALE - www.StainSolver.com
Airwaves Boss - www.W3ATB.com

P.S. You need to get a plumbing permit or you know someone who does. How do you Draw Plumbing Plans? With great difficulty! CLICK or TAP HERE to see what's involved.

Room Addition Plans

Posted on July 19, 2021 by Tim Carter

Room Addition Plans - They Must Be Great

This past week, I did quite a few telephone consult calls. One in particular stands out, and I feel it should be of particular interest to you if you’re planning on building a new home, a large room addition, remodeling a kitchen, or even building a humble outdoor shed. This call was featured in the July 25, 2021 Newsletter.

The young homeowner I spoke with had contracted to build a two-story room addition on the back of his home. The contract cost was just under one-half million dollars. It’s being built in one of the most expensive suburbs in the USA. I can tell you that price tag put my head on a swivel.

While the homeowner had quite a few detailed questions about the soil and foundation aspects of the project, I was thinking more in my head about how much thought had been given to the actual plans for the job. I didn’t bother to bring this up because it was water over the dam. The project was underway and it was too late to make drastic changes to the plans.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local room addition contractors.

Why are Plans Important?

Plans are important because they're the foundation of your agreement between you and your builder. The plans are your proxy and tell the builder exactly what you want to be done from day one until the day he packs up and finishes the job.

CLICK or TAP HERE to DOWNLOAD a set of FANTASTIC PLANS so you see all the detail that should be on your plans.

SERIOUSLY, GO HERE to see exactly all the information that should be on your plans. It doesn't matter if it's a new home, a room addition or a kitchen/bath remodel. This is the BEST MONEY you'll invest in your project.

Why are the plans you hand to a contractor so important? I can think of quite a few, but I feel this true story will drive home the point. In the twilight of my building career, before I switched to being a syndicated columnist and home improvement video producer, I won a contract on a very interesting job. It was a freestanding two-car garage that had a giant man cave on the second floor and a small pool house kitchen and bathroom on the other side of the wall from the parked cars.

The plans were drawn by an Hans, a respected Cincinnati, Ohio architect who the upper class used for their projects. Hans and I had met ten years earlier when I had built a custom home he designed. His plans were always pretty good, but they lacked lots of fine points I’d normally have to pry from the homeowners. This can be a painstaking process for both the homeowner and the builder.

The homeowner called me telling me I had won the contract and asked if I’d come to his house for a pre-construction meeting. Of course I agreed. When I arrived at his home, he invited me into his dining room. On the table were two identical three-ring binders.

“Tim, congratulations on winning the job. I’m very busy during the week and my work has me traveling internationally. It will be impossible for me to answer questions that might pop up. I took the liberty of creating these binders trying to anticipate your questions. Take a look for yourself.”

I opened my binder and was stunned. Not only had he made all the product and finish selections, including all the paint colors, hardware, tile, and flooring, but he also had samples of most of these things attached to the pages of the binder. I had never seen anything like it. I was in a daze.

“Tim, what do you think?” he asked. I paused for a moment, collected my thoughts, and replied, “I think this is going to be the smoothest and most profitable job of my career.” It turns out I was right. It’s important to realize I never had to ask him a question.

Hans had created a well-thought-out plan where the room sizes were correct and the flow was perfect. But the binder was the icing on the cake.

Do Great Plans Relieve Stress?

Building is inherently stressful. Decisions made under stress are not always the best. You eventually will have to make all the same decisions as my customer did, so why not make them early in the job, even before the bidding process? The more details and written specifications you provide in the plans, the clearer your image of the finished project is to the builder. It’s really that simple.

Should a Building Be Designed From the Inside Out?

Great plans have one thing in common. The person creating the plan has started from the inside and worked to the outside. In other words, the room sizes are perfect. The exact furniture you want will fit in each room and things won’t be cramped. The inner pathways in each room will not be blocked by furniture.

Once you have a fantastic layout, you can always surround it with exterior walls to keep the weather outdoors. All too often people decide on the size of something and then try to force the inner workings to fit.

How Can I Determine How Big a Room Addition Should Be?

Use your current house or rooms as the basis for what you plan. You already know what design flaws are in your home. Don’t repeat them in your new home, room addition, or kitchen. Use graph paper if need be and create scale paper cutouts of the furniture and make sure it all fits. None of this is hard, it just takes some time.

Watch this video to see how easy it is to determine how BIG a room, or rooms, should be. This video shows how to make a perfect shed, but it's the same exact process for a room addition or an entire house:

The same is true for simple outdoor sheds. I created a fun video on my lawn one day to show how to build or buy the perfect shed. You can watch this video on my How To Plan A Shed page. I got all the things I was going to put in the shed and arranged them on the lawn like I wanted to see them in the shed. I then surrounded the things with some yellow caution tape on the grass to create the outside walls. Guess what? My shed size is perfect! Is yours?

Column 1414

Original Joist Hanger

Posted on July 16, 2021 by Tim Carter

This is a joist hung from another. The joist hanger was created in the 1880s. Watch the video to fully understand what's going on.

Original Joist Hanger - No Steel Involved

What do you think was the original joist hanger?

You might be surprised to know that the master carpenters of old figured out how to hang joist using no metal whatsoever.

Watch and see:

Klein Tools Stainless Steel 20oz Tumbler

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Tim Carter

Klein Stainless Steel Tumbler | It's the BEST ONE I've ever owned. Order TWO of them! CLICK or TAP HERE to order.

Klein Tool Stainless Steel 20oz Tumbler - My Favorite!

I have tested so many stainless-steel tumblers that come to me as swag that I've lost count.

I almost declined the request to test the Klein Tumbler because I couldn't believe you could improve on what I had seen.

I was WRONG!

What Do You Like about the Klein Tumbler?

I love two things about it in particular:

the diamond pattern silicone-rubber outer skin
the hidden silicon-rubber pad on the bottom

The diameter and the shape of the tumbler is perfect for my hand. The silicone-rubber outer skin allows you to hold on to it tightly even if the outer skin is wet. This is why car and truck tires are made from rubber, silly! Rubber is what you want if you don't want to slip!

This tumbler is the BEST ONE you'll ever own. If not, I'll buy you an Aglamesis pecande when we meet there at the store. CLICK or TAP HERE to order two of these bad boys.

Would You Buy Two?

Yes, I'm about to order a second one in case I lose this one. I use mine every day. In the winter it's filled with hot coffee in the morning. In the summer, it's iced coffee or chocolate milk. I love putting the tumbler in the freezer the night before. This way the cold liquids stay cold for hours and hours.

What About the Orange Lid?

The orange lid is fantastic. It's leakproof. I've tested it turning it upside down. It's easy to open the flapper to get access to the liquid.

How to Draw Plumbing Plans

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Tim Carter

How to Draw Plumbing Plans | This is just a small part of a large set of plumbing plans that goes on 11 x 17 paper! It's also a riser diagram or plumbing isometric that meets or exceeds code. You won't find many that recommend a full-sized vent!

How to Draw Plumbing Plans - It's Not Easy to Get Them Right

You may want to know how to draw plumbing plans because:

you need a plumbing permit
you plan to install the pipes yourself
your plumber needs the drawing and can't do it

There are other reasons to draw plumbing plans, but those are the most common.

Plumbing plans are much more than just a bunch of lines. You need to have an intimate knowledge of both the plumbing code as well as lots of practical hands-on accumulated plumbing knowledge to ensure the drawings are correct.

What do the Plumbing Plans Show?

Plumbing plans typically show the drain, waste, and vent (DWV) lines. Diseases can be spread in your home if plumbing systems are not installed right. The plumbing inspector reviews your plumbing plans to make sure you know what pipe sizes to use where.

Can I Draw Plumbing Plans Myself?

You can try to draw them yourself, but the odds are you'll make all sorts of mistakes. You need to know all about proper venting requirements as well as the correct pipe sizes for both drain and vent lines. It's imperative you understand loop vents as well as flat venting.

What Happens if the Plumbing Plans are Wrong?

First, you'll not be able to get a permit. You'll waste time.

The more serious issue is this: If your plans are wrong and you install the pipes that way, you can have serious drainage issues, your system will not work right, and you could have chronic sewer-gas issues inside your home. The best thing is to just hire a master plumber like me who can draw your plans in a few days or hours if you want.

Can You Draw My Plumbing Plans?

Yes, I've been a master plumber since 1981 and I draw plumbing plans each week. I'd love to draw yours! I even offer an expedited fast turnaround in case you've waited until the last minute. CLICK or TAP HERE and place your order.

Can I Get Phone Support or Plumbing Coaching?

Yes, you can get phone support to help you with your plumbing project. You can also order my Best Plumbing Practices PDF document that contains years of tips and secret tricks. It gives you all you need to know to install drain and vent pipes.

CLICK or TAP HERE to set up a plumbing plans phone coaching call.

July 11, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on July 12, 2021 by Tim Carter

Weight of Rain | Bat Story Follow-up | Clean Wooden Spoons

You're a new subscriber, aren't you? That explains why you're sitting next to Daphne, Dolly, Doug, Jenny, Marney, Betty, Ken, Shatasha, and a boatload of others that entered the room since last Sunday. Welcome! I think you're going to like the newsletter.

But you, yes you. How long have you subscribed? A week, a year, or maybe 20+ years. Thanks for continuing to stay on my list and open each issue!

Do you perchance remember the column I did about a pavement method that's unfortunately transforming from legend to myth? It's something you should know about. It may still be available in your city or town.

What would you say if I told you I had a stunning brown driveway at my last home? I'm talking about the same driveway Martha Stewart has at her home on Mt. Desert Island in Maine.

The decorating diva owns four or five homes I'm told, but her MDI driveway is the talk of the neighborhood. She and I chose to use a time-tested method. It's one of the ways tens of thousands of miles of public roads were paved between 1900-1930 or so.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see stunning photos of this attractive driveway and how it's installed.

Be SURE to watch the short video on that page.

Cleaning Wooden Spoons, Bowls and Cutting Boards

Are your wooden cooking spoons, bowls, etc. stained by different foods? Here's mine after it got into a cage fight with some blueberries.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see how easy it is to remove the stains with no work. You can also use the magic cleaner to restore ANYTHING in your home that's water washable.

Wait until you see the AFTER photos! You'll think I went out and bought a new spoon.

Bats in Your House Update

Last week, I shared how to keep bats out of your attic or other dark spaces.

Maggie, a virtual friend of mine, is a subscriber like you. A few years ago, I helped her and her daughter whitewash their living room fireplace. CLICK or TAP HERE to see Maggie's before, during, and after photos. They used my recipe for REAL whitewash, not FAKE loser thinned milk paint that's an imposter!

Back to bats.

Moments after reading my column, Maggie emailed me with her true MUST-READ bat story!

With her permission, I copied the story and put it at the bottom of last week's bat column.

CLICK or TAP HERE and scroll to the bottom to read it. I'm SERIOUS - you MUST READ her story.

But don't bother reading it if you're good with wasting thousands of dollars and have no fear of dying.

Fun Summer Project - Build a Cardboard Boat!

Do you have kids or grandkids? Would you love to howl with laughter while creating lifetime memories?

I thought so! Good for you!

CLICK or TAP HERE to read about you can do this fun summer activity. You'll also discover how I helped set a new record in the state of Florida.

Soon you'll be the captain of your own cardboard boat!

Surfside City Condo COLLAPSE and Your House

Surely you know about the tragic condo collapse down in southern Florida, right? One-hundred+ people were suddenly sent back up to Heaven.

You're thinking, "Well, I don't live in a condo by the ocean so I've got little to worry about."

Well, you may have LOTS to worry about!

CLICK or TAP HERE to read what I think was the cause of the condo collapse and HOW A COLLAPSE MIGHT HAPPEN AT YOUR HOME!

STAIN SOLVER PRE-SALE Soon

Kathy and I own STAIN SOLVER. It's an amazing certified organic oxygen bleach made in the USA with USA ingredients. It can clean hundreds of things inside and outside your home.

If you've never tried it, I'm here to tell you you're missing out. Just yesterday, Shirley, a petite retired RN, called me to tell me how fantastic it is to get stains out of her colored blouses and knit tops.

STAIN SOLVER is both color and fabric-safe. CLICK or TAP HERE to get a small sample size to test for yourself.

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch a few SHORT videos of me using STAIN SOLVER. It's very easy to use and we've been told it's the best cleaner known to woman or man.

I wanted to give you a heads up about an upcoming sale. But there's a tiny problem.

First, all of our prices for every aspect of making STAIN SOLVER have gone up. Shipping costs go up quarterly and we offer FREE SHIPPING

Trust me, inflation is real. The causes are intertwined and complex.

It's impossible for us to absorb any more of these costs so we had to do a slight price increase. It's been a few years since we've raised prices, thus to able to continue to make STAIN SOLVER for you we had to adjust prices.

We manufacture 20,000 pounds at a time. This time we're making 279 of our SS50 size. This is a five-gallon pail of STAIN SOLVER.

Our SS50 is the BEST PRICE per pound - by far.

You should consider this size if you want to DEFEAT the price increase!!!! Buy one and share it with a friend, neighbor, relative, co-worker, etc.

Did you know if you freeze or keep STAIN SOLVER cold it can last indefinitely. Heat degrades STAIN SOLVER.

As soon as the product is made, hopefully by next Friday, we'll announce a PRE-SALE.

But, I fully expect we might SELL OUT of the 279 pails in days. The demand for that size is soaring.

You MUST REACT IMMEDIATELY to the PRE-SALE if you want one of the SS50 pails.

That's enough for a Sunday.

Next week is an apparel issue. I'll be sharing a tale about a very cool one-of-a-kind baseball cap my son helped design. Wait until you see the photo of it. I'm also going to share the website where we ordered the cap. You can do what we did and order your own custom full-color embroidered hat! I'll be sure to tell you about the FlexFit feature of my new cap.

I'm also going to feature some of my socks. My youngest daughter enrolled me in a socks club for Father's Day. Each month, some really FUN sock prizes arrive in the mail. Wait until you see the first two pairs. I was so excited and it will make sense when you see them!

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

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. I like to do old-fashioned division and multiplication problems using a pencil and paper to ward off brain deterioration. Tropical Storm Elsa just blew over my house and dumped 2 inches of rain. How many pounds of water do you think fell from the sky onto the square mile that surrounds my house? Don't ask Alexa or Siri!

CLICK or TAP HERE and be amazed. I swear you'll think I made a mistake. Trust me, I double-checked my figures.

How Much Does Rain Weigh

Posted on July 9, 2021 by Tim Carter

Rain on OSB - messy construction site - not cleaned up

How Much Does Rain Weigh? - For 2 Inches Per Square Mile

I like to do arithmetic problems the way I was taught in grade school. I still use a pencil and paper.

The goal is to keep my brain sharp. It's one of the reasons I like doing Morse code too.

My favorite pencils to use are Blackwing Naturals. CLICK or TAP HERE to order them. They're unbelievable.

Step One: You need to find out how many square feet are in a square mile.

Step Two: You need to calculate the decimal equivalent of 2 inches as it relates to a foot.

Step Three: You need to calculate how many cubic feet of water fall when 2 inches of rain falls on a square mile.

Step Four: You then multiply the cubic feet of water by 62.4. That's how many pounds a cubic foot of water weighs.

$math calculations multiplcation$

$math multiplication$

Two Hundred and Eighty-Eight + MILLION pounds of water.

HOLY TOMATO! Amazing all that weight is up in the atmosphere and there's are TRILLIONS of pounds of rain in a giant storm system!

This brain teaser was featured in the July 11, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

Tim Carter DIY Coaching

Posted on July 8, 2021 by Tim Carter

Tim Carter DIY Coaching - Phone or Video Call

Do you need DIY coaching? Are you stuck with a:

carpentry problem
plumbing issue
roof leak
ceramic tile install or grout question
repair conundrum
bid comparison scenario
ANY problem around your home or small business

Ask the Builder founder Tim Carter will call you on the phone or do a video call and become your DIY coach.

CLICK or TAP HERE to set up the call with Tim.

Read these testimonials:

"The 15-minute consult we had regarding my chimney crown replacement was a small price and worth every penny considering that estimates for the crown and chimney work were between $3000 and $4000. Your review of the estimates was insightful as you noted ambiguous statements and issues that would have left me exposed to additional "unknown" costs. Finally, your assistance with specifications for how the crown should be built was also helpful." - Chris W., Cincinnati, OH

# # #

"Tim, did I get my money's worth in consulting with you? You bet I did!

Here's a list of what I discovered from you in just 15 minutes:

1. How to cut pipe square

2. How to properly measure pipe length

3. The importance of seating joints all the way

4. The proper sequence for installing pipe and fittings

5. The importance of sighting and dry fitting pipe and joints

6. To be humble and ask for help when I don't know what I'm doing

7. To have a beer when the job is successfully completed (that was your BEST advice!)." - Bill Stannis

# # #

"Hello, Tim --

It was wonderful to talk to you and I am so grateful for your expert advice. We both know you have saved me thousands of dollars.

You didn't overload me. I took notes on everything you said, and you explained things very well and logically. Now I can sleep at night and not worry about this.

I am so grateful to you. And I'll be consulting you for every house project we do.

Thank you so very much." Lynn Cavalletto

CLICK or TAP HERE to set up a call with Tim.

July 7, 2021 Product Highlight

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Tim Carter

Are you going to be pouring a concrete sidewalk, driveway, patio or apron slab soon?

Do you know you get ONE CHANCE to get it right?

Is your contractor going to botch the job and your new concrete spall or develop ugly random cracks?

How do you know it's going to be done right? Are you a concrete expert?

I didn't think so. That's where I step in to help you save THOUSANDS of dollars!

Why not invest just $10 up front and KNOW that your concrete work will last decades longer than it would have otherwise?

CLICK or TAP HERE now and download my Concrete Sidewalk/Slab specifications now. It's an INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF document.

You get to see one of my original watercolor drawings! Peach might even be impressed!

As with all my AsktheBuilder.com products, your satisfaction is GUARANTEED. If you don't think the specifications will help you or you don't discover something you didn't know, just ask for a FULL REFUND.

Thanks,

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Surfside City Condo Collapse, Rusty Rebar, and Your Home

Posted on July 6, 2021 by Tim Carter

Surfside City Condo Collapse | This is a piece of rusty rebar inside concrete. As the rebar rusts, it expands and fractures the concrete exposing the rebar to even more moisture. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter

Surfside City Condo Collapse - My Early Guess: Rusty Rebar Fractures and Weakened Concrete Columns

This past weekend, my wife asked me all sorts of questions about the tragic sudden collapse of the 40-year-old condominium building near Miami, Florida. We’ve dated since high school and she knows I’ve got a geology degree instead of one in structural, chemical, or metallurgical engineering. All four of these sciences, and maybe a few more, are in play as more facts become available about the deadly condo calamity.

Why is this important to you? After all, you may not live in a condominium or a high-rise building. The early reports coming out indicate the issue might be weakened concrete as well as unstable soil under the structure. Once again, it’s going to take many months to do a forensic autopsy on this catastrophe. Keep in mind that much of what you see now in the news is speculation and past reports from consultants need to be combed through to pick out what signs there were that pointed to an impending disaster.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from LOCAL Structural Engineers if you're worried about things at your home.

My nearly fifty years of building experience coupled with an eye-opening editors conference twenty-plus years ago put on by the Portland Cement Association provide me with an insight that should put your head on a swivel. It’s rare to have a house collapse, but hundreds of thousands of homeowners just like you experience costly damage to your homes because of what might have caused the collapse of the condos.

What is Concrete?

Let’s first talk about concrete. The condo building was built using concrete and reinforcing steel within the concrete. Concrete is man-made rock. When mixed, placed, and cured properly, it can have tremendous compressive strength. This means it requires thousands of pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure to fracture it. It’s not uncommon for this PSI strength to be in excess of 4,000 pounds.

This is a cast concrete guardrail in Cincinnati, OH that’s just under 100 years old. It’s in excellent shape other than the cement paste has worn off revealing the small aggregate stone chips. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter

What is the Tensile Strength of Concrete?

However, this same exact concrete only has on average one-tenth the amount of strength in tension than it has in compression. Tension happens when you stretch something. A concrete slab suspended in between two beams will experience tension on the underside of the slab when you put weight on top of the slab. This same issue holds for ceramic tile, stone countertops, etc. Tile will crack if you step on it and there’s a hollow spot under it.

What is the Tensile Strength of Reinforcing Steel?

Steel, though, is a magical building material. It has tremendous tensile strength. The average rebar you might buy at a building supply house or home center is normally rated at 40,000 PSI. You can order it with a 60,000 PSI, or higher, rating!

This is why reinforcing steel is used in concrete construction. It brings to the party the tensile strength missing within the concrete itself.

What is Steel's Achilles' Heel?

But normal reinforcing steel has an Achilles’ heel. It can and does rust. When steel rusts, it expands. The expansion force is slow and considerable and it creates tension within the concrete surrounding the rebar.

Rusty angle irons holding up brick above windows can expand so much they push the brick out away from the wall. Rusty rebar in concrete can expand so much it causes chunks of concrete to fall out of an overhead slab or to fall off an important support column.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from LOCAL Structural Engineers if you're worried about rusted metal at your home!

Does Salt or Seawater Cause Problems With Steel?

But wait, it gets worse. Salt accelerates the rust or corrosion of unprotected steel. This is why you often see concrete bridge decks and supports under highway bridges in such bad shape in cold climates. The rock salt used for snow and ice control seeps into the concrete as the salty meltwater soaks into the concrete. This brine attacks the steel if it’s not protected.

Look at how saltwater can rust steel. This was painted steel and the ASTM 8117 scratch test! The piece on the left was painted with Rustoleum. The piece on the right was with XO Rust paint. CLICK or TAP HERE to buy XO Rust paint.

The Miami condo was just a couple hundred feet the ocean for goodness sake. Talk to any builder or remodeler who works near the ocean or a salt-water sea and they’ll have all sorts of tales about how fast poorly protected steel lasts in those conditions. This is not new. Mariners have long known that the sea eats men and iron!

Can I Buy Coated Rebar?

Yes, you can purchase coated rebar, but you need to buy a large quantity. You may have seen epoxy-coated rebar being used on road and bridge construction projects. The coating is usually a light lime green. The rebar is almost always precut, prebent, etc. So the entire surface of the steel is coated. This is not practical for jobs in a typical residential application. Coated rebar could have prevented the collapse if it's determined that rusting rebar caused the catastrophic failure.

Why Didn't the Building Code Require Coated Rebar?

Building codes are a set of minimum standards. When you build something that just meets code, it's like getting a 70 percent on a test. You can always build better than the code. Keep in mind that local cities and towns can modify the model building codes. Local code officials can lower or raise standards of different aspects of the code.

Another chronic problem is inspections. The structural aspects of that condo may have not been inspected as thoroughly as one might like. Old newspaper stories across the USA are littered with accounts of corruption in building departments where inspectors are paid to look the other way.

Can I Buy Special Rebar That Doesn't Corrode?

Yes, you can buy special rebar that's an alloy of different elements. You may have seen highway bridges that are made from something similar. The giant steel beams are rusted and the corrosion stops at that point. A new bridge near my home here in central New Hampshire had this special steel rebar in the concrete.

Once again, it's usually not practical to use this special rebar in a typical residential application. Just take an hour or two and paint it. Keep reading.

How Can I Prevent Rebar Rust?

This is why you or your builder should paint rebar before it’s installed in concrete. Yes, this is an extra step, but it’s not that hard to paint it. The paint can be rolled on, sprayed, or even brushed. It’s best to use a special metal primer, then a finish coat of paint.

Here's a great newer paint that's got the primer built in. This saves you TIME AND MONEY. CLICK HERE TO ORDER THIS PAINT. It comes in many colors. While you're buying this paint at Amazon, be SURE TO GET all the other tools you need in the following list.

What About Rust on Deck Steel?

All of the above also applies to simple decks as well. The internet is littered with stories and videos of tragic deck collapses. The nails, bolts, structural hangers, etc. in your deck are subject to rust. The treated lumber contains lots of copper that leach out with each rainfall. This chemical brew is similar to the salt water that probably is the root cause of the condo collapse. The copper-laced water accelerates the corrosion of all steel that’s part of your deck.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from LOCAL Structural Engineers if you're worried about your deck collapsing.

How do you prevent collapse or rust damage at your home? Use the best metal parts for outdoor decks that have a thick galvanized coating. Use hot-dipped galvanized nails or screws, stainless-steel nails or screws, paint all reinforcing steel and do whatever else is required so the iron or steel inside and outside your home doesn’t rust. It’s really that simple.

Column 1412