Roy was kind enough to grant permission to me to share his life-saving synchronicity tale.
Here it is:
Several years ago, before cell phones, I drove to Kearney, NE one year to help with a high school academic competition. Well, this particular year, I was driving down I-80 at about 4 a.m.
As you can imagine, there was hardly any traffic at that hour. I passed a car, which appeared to be abandoned, on the side of the road. When you're driving 55-65 mph, a car parked on the side of the road goes by pretty past.
However, I felt like I had seen something or someone IN the car, even though it was pitch black/dark out. I had to decide whether to keep going or to turn around at the next exit, which was several miles down the road.
I believe the Lord was telling me that I needed to go back. So, I drove a few more miles to the next exit, turned around, went to the next exit past where that car was, turned around again, and headed to their car.
When I pulled up behind the car, I very slowly walked up to the car, since I had no idea what/who I would find. I had NEVER stopped for this kind of situation before.
I came up to the car and knocked on the window. This was winter and it was probably 10-20 degrees outside.
The person in the driver’s seat very slowly cracked the window. What I saw amazed me! There were four adults, a baby, and a dog in that car!
I had a Chevy Cavalier (4-door) at that time. I asked if I could give them a ride. They were very hesitant, but I told them I could not leave them in the cold!!
Due to allergies, I told them I couldn’t take the dog, but we squeezed the five of them into my car and headed down the road.
They asked me to leave them at the next exit at a gas station. As you probably remember, gas stations were not open 24 hours a day a lot back then. This was the early 1990s. I told them we probably wouldn’t find one that was open.
So, I asked them where they were headed. They lived in Kearney, NE! I couldn’t believe it. When I told them I was GOING to Kearney, THEY couldn’t believe it.
They accepted my offer to take them all the way home to Kearney. Then, they told me they had been stuck there for 4 hours. A tow truck had come but didn’t have the necessary equipment to tow the vehicle AND take the passengers, so they were waiting for another tow truck and someone to pick them up.
One hour after waiting, they no longer had heat in the car. So, they had been in the 10-20 degree temps for over three hours when I pulled up.
So, we had a nice long, warm, chat for the three-hour drive to Kearney and left them at their house. They were so grateful. I was so happy to be of assistance.
It was one of a few miraculous pick-someone-up stories that I have had the blessing to be a part of.
I always think, what if I had not listened to the Holy Spirit guiding me to go back and check the car?
I tell people, sometimes you have to listen and act on that still, small voice…
Your story inspired me to tell you mine!
God bless,
Roy
NOTE from Tim Carter: My good friend Tim Lewis, DVM, is quite sure the dog survived. Tim grew up on a farm and told me, "Cats, dogs, etc. are tough. They can survive brutal cold if you just get them out of the wind and they have water every few days." Roy told me the next day the car was gone on the side of the road so the dog was only in the car maybe six or eight hours alone before the tow truck arrived.
Fix Smoking Fireplace - This may look to you like a well-built fireplace. You’d be wrong. It was built by a buffoon. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter
Fix Smoking Fireplace - Bad News, Start Over
QUESTION:Tim I really need your help. I just moved into my new home and have a smoking full masonry fireplace. It’s 55 inches wide and has an arched opening that’s 33.5 inches at the peak of the arch.
It looks like regular brick mortar was used with the firebrick. For whatever reason, it has two flues and a damper on each one. It smokes like an old steam locomotive sending clouds of choking smoke into the house!
Cracking a window helps but doesn’t solve the problem. Should there only be one flue? Should I only open one damper? What’s wrong? Tim Y., Broken Arrow, OK
When I opened Tim’s email and saw his fireplace photo, I exhaled a heavy sigh. I was flooded with a range of emotions. Frustration, sorrow, mild anger, and sympathy were at the top of the list. It breaks my heart to get bad news like Tim’s knowing that it’s so easy to build things, even fireplaces, that work perfectly. The science of how fireplaces and chimneys work has been known for hundreds of years.
CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local fireplace experts to see if they MIGHT be able to fix your smoking fireplace.
Time to Bring Back Vocational Training?
I want to take this opportunity to once again plead the case for you to lobby your local school board to bring back vocational training in both grade and high school. In my opinion, it should be mandatory and all boys and girls should be exposed to the same learning material each year as they move through the 12 grades. We need to expose students about how houses work and the right way to do things because they're all going to need a roof over their heads as they grow older.
The vocational training not only will help give young people confidence about how to do minor repairs and talk intelligently with contractors, but it may also prove to be a springboard for those that might want to work with their hands in a rewarding life-long vocation. We must have new young people entering the trades each year. This is just common sense. Let’s expose the trades to children and allow them to see how rewarding it is to absorb this valuable knowledge.
Let’s roll up our sleeves and deal with what should have happened at Tim’s house as his fireplace was built. I’m sorry to say that Tim’s fireplace is the absolute worst job I’ve ever seen in my career. It was destined to fail from the get-go.
Who Has Clear Fireplace Building Tips?
The Brick Industry Association (BIA) has published clear and concise pamphlets for decades that show exactly how to build a residential wood-burning fireplace that will never smoke. Not only do these pamphlets cover the sizing requirements, but they also go into great detail how to properly size the flue and match it to the height of the chimney.
Are Fireplace Dimensions Critical?
It’s important to realize the size and shape of the firebox are directly related to the width and height of the opening to the fireplace. You can’t just guess as did Tim’s mason. As crazy as this sounds, Tim’s mason created a firebox that had two short stub walls that projected back into the firebox, then the two walls went off at 45-degree angles to meet at a hard 90-degree corner in the rear of the firebox. It’s no wonder smoke billowed into Tim’s house.
The shape and size of the firebox critical, but what you don’t see above the firebox is even more important. The shape and size of the throat of the fireplace as well as the design of the smoke shelf is of the utmost importance to ensure all the smoke and hot gases go up the chimney rather than roll into the room.
Can a Determined Non-Pro Build a Good Fireplace?
What’s sad about all this is that you with just moderate hand-eye skills can build a non-smoking fireplace using the easy-to-understand information available for free from the BIA. It’s maddening that anyone would have a smoking fireplace when you think about how the technical drawings, specs, etc. are all readily available.
Should I Use Brick Mortar in a Fireplace?
No. Regular brick mortar should never be used to install the special firebrick in fireplaces.
Let’s talk about the use of ordinary brick mortar inside fireplace fireboxes. It’s a mistake, plain and simple. The firebrick used in a firebox is special refractory brick meant for high temperatures. It’s quite possible the temperature in a roaring fire could exceed 1,000 degrees in certain situations. Normal brick mortar is not made to withstand this temperature swing from room temperature to 4-digit temperatures.
Is Fireclay the Best Fireplace Mortar?
Fireclay is the best thing to use to create thin joints between the firebrick. Fireclay is a special fine clay you mix with water to the consistency of a thick gravy. Skilled masons carefully dip the edge of a firebrick in this to apply the perfect amount of fireclay to each brick. The joint between the firebrick usually ends up no wider than 1/16th of an inch.
CLICK or TAP HERE to have this fantastic fireclay delivered to your home.
How Do you Use Fireclay?
With the wet fireclay on the edge of a firebrick, the mason then presses it against another one and the fireclay creates a fireproof bond. This fireclay is not much different than the clay my daughter uses to make pottery. she fires this clay in a kiln that reaches temperatures in excess of 2,100 F. It will easily withstand thousands of fires over decades of use without crumbling as ordinary brick mortar will.
I’ve created a special page on my AsktheBuilder website sharing all the BIA information with you. CLICK or TAP HERE so you can have a non-smoking fireplace:
Tented tile | This is a classic example of tented tile. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter
"It's important to realize not all tile tents. Your tile tented because the wrong clay was used to make your tented tile."
Tenting Tile Cause and Repair - Simple Physics
Tenting tile is a very common problem. It happened to Kevin, one of the subscribers of my FREE newsletter. Here's what he sent to me, including his photo above:
"Hi Tim, my name is Kevin and I am a long-term subscriber of your newsletter. I live in the Florida Panhandle and Friday evening while watching television I heard a loud pop/ping type of noise that sounded like a neighborhood kid had thrown a rock and hit my window.
About 30 minutes later I heard it again and did not immediately see any issues as I have a large area rug on top of my tile. Later after getting up and stepping on the rug I heard an odd grinding type noise and upon further investigation I pulled the rug back and noticed the tenting of the tiles running towards the exterior window.
My house is on a concrete slab and the tiles were in place when I purchased a home in 2002. A freeze here is rare but we did have two nights of temperatures in the upper 20s about a week prior. I was just wondering what your take on the situation."
The ceramic tile detaches from a concrete slab and creates a pressure ridge on your tile floor. My college degree is in geology and I know a thing or two about expansive clay, the clay used to make the tenting tile.
It's important to realize not all tile tents. Your tile tented because the wrong clay was used to make your tented tile.
Why Does Tile Tent?
Tenting tile is caused by expanding tile. This expansion causes a compressive force within the actual tile and a tension force between the tile and the concrete slab. Since the tile can't go down because the concrete slab is in the way, it releases the compressive force by going up. It's much like you squeezing, or compressing, an open bottle of ketchup. Squeeze it hard enough and ketchup squirts out the top of the bottle.
Why Does Tile Expand?
Ceramic tile is made from clay. Clay mineralogy is extremely complex and some clays expand and contract dramatically depending upon their moisture content. All you have to do is research expansive clay soils and see how they can cause large concrete slabs to crack and crumble. Expansive clay soils are abundant in Texas and some other USA states.
Ceramic tile made from expansive clay will be the first to tent. The underside of almost all ceramic floor tiles is unglazed and water and water vapor can enter the tile with ease. The water causes the tile to begin to expand.
Can Tenting Tile Happen After Many Years?
Tenting tile can happen at any time. It just depends on how well it was adhered to the concrete slab and what caused water or water vapor to suddenly start to move up through the concrete slab into the tile.
A well-adhered tile subject to tenting may never tent because the thinset used to bond the tile to the concrete slab is so strong it can resist the upward motion. The expansion of the tile in these instances leads to chronic crumbling and cracking of the tile grout.
How Do You Repair Tile That's Tented?
You need to remove the tented tile. Salvage as much as you can. Grind off the old thinset and seal the bottom of the tile with an oil-based matte urethane. Allow the urethane to dry for 48 hours. Seal all new tile the same way that will be used in the repair.
Install the tile back on the slab using the method you see in this thinset installation video. Do NOT SKIP the step of wetting the concrete slab before applying the thinset.
How Can Tenting Tile Be Prevented?
There are a number of ways to prevent tenting tile:
I now do the hunting and gathering of materials at the local Market Basket store in Tilton, NH. I slid sideways into this new responsibility and as crazy as it sounds, I’m enjoying drifting around the ends of the aisles with the buggy filled with food.
I imagine I'm driving a rally car sliding sideways around turns on the dusty gravel roads in the deep forests of Maine during the New England Forest Rally (NEFR). I make sure I don’t run into another person's buggy and am slowly discovering the best times to shop when I can do the most drifting with the least likelihood of an accident.
You don't know what drifting is? Oh my gosh! Watch this short video to see what I witness each summer as Chief of Communications for the NEFR.
The Market Basket store is about a 25-minute drive from my home, but it's worth it. The first half of the drive is along the western shore of Lake Winnisquam, so you can't complain about the scenery. Go early enough one day when the store opens and you can be treated to a sunrise like this across the calm lake waters.
This is what Mother Nature can whip up for eye candy on many a morning in New Hampshire.
The store also is at least 50% larger than the also-ran store I used to shop at in downtown Meredith. Market Basket has a much larger variety of things and the produce section is stunning. They even stock the mouth-watering Oriental yams that are far superior to sweet potatoes!
This past week on the way to the store, I was driving down Lower Bay Road in Sanbornton, NH. This twisty two-lane road hugs the west shore of Lake Winnisquam. Rarely do you see a person walking on this road. And when you do, you’ll almost never see someone wearing a backpack.
There was nary a cloud in the sky at sunrise but by now, it had become overcast. It wasn't bitter cold as it was the day before with a windchill of -20F, but it was still biting cold.
A car was approaching in the distance and I spied a young man on the other side of the road walking facing this car as he's supposed to. He wisely climbed up on the crusty plowed snow next to the road to avoid being hit by the oncoming car. “That was smart. Good for him.” I thought as I drove past.
He was well dressed and walking with determination. I estimate he was in his late 20s.
Something in my head screamed, “STOP. Go back and offer this man a ride. He’s not just walking around the block.” If I were a betting man, I'd wager he was headed to Route 3, the main north/south road that cuts through New Hampshire. It used to be the fastest way to get from Massachusetts to Canada before the Interstate highway system was even a glint in the eye of President Eisenhower.
At the very least I was sure I could give him a lift to Mosquito Bridge where Route 3 crosses the pinched narrow neck of Lake Winnisquam. Once there, I knew he’d be turning left or right.
The red arrow points to Mosquito Bridge. The old wooden bridge that crossed over the lake had a more pronounced arch to it similar to the shape of a mosquito poised to suck your blood. Mosquitos have been nominated numerous times to be the New Hampshire state bird.
I stopped my truck about 150 feet past him and put it in reverse. I started backing up and who knows what he was thinking about this big 4x4 coming right back at him. I rolled down my window and said, "It looks like you could use a lift. Where are you headed?"
"Tilton," he said.
"Well, you're in luck. That's exactly where I'm going." He accepted the ride, jumped in the truck, and said, “Thanks. My name is Jason. What’s yours?”
“Well, I’m Tim Carter. Glad to meet you, Jason.”
This ride was going to save him four miles of walking on a cold morning.
Within two minutes it happened.
Synchronicity
Years ago I had the good fortune to interview an older police detective, Donald Clark, for a column about selecting the best contractor I was writing. He casually mentioned how easy it is to pry information from criminals. "People love to talk about themselves. You discover how to use this to your advantage in my business."
Soon Jason was talking all about himself sharing his dream to start a podcast featuring his favorite music. I listened to what he wanted to do and responded.
"You do a podcast? Are you serious? Sure, I'd love to know what you know." I think Jason felt like it was Christmas morning.
I started to spew out a ton of tips as we glided towards Tilton. When we got to where he had to be, I pulled over on the road shoulder and we talked another ten minutes.
His idea was to play his favorite songs on the podcast and I told him that he really couldn't do that without the permission of the songwriter. I offered up what I thought might be a better idea and he latched right onto it.
It was an amazing thing for me to watch as this young man's dream all of a sudden became the next closest thing to reality. You could hear the gears grinding and meshing in his head while he visualized himself doing his first podcast.
It was a magical moment for me too.
Jason then exclaimed, “This is synchronicity! Things happen for a reason. You stopping to offer a ride is living proof of the concept. Thank you so very much!”
Jason opened the door of the truck and moments later my turn signal was blinking and I pulled back onto Route 3 headed to the racecourse, er, I mean Market Basket.
Let’s hope Jason's podcast debuts soon and it brings him and his listeners copious amounts of pleasure.
At some point in the past, my guess is a friend or family member of yours said, “Well, look what the cat dragged in.” as you traipsed into a room. You know they were happy to see you, but they wanted to mix it up with some fun. I’m thinking you’re a new subscriber and this being your first issue, I don’t know you well enough to pull that off. But maaaaaaybe one day I’ll be able to!
You, however, could be an honored subscriber in good standing.You remember just last week when I shared the column about my modulating boiler. It’s quite possible you skipped over it for any number of reasons.
Look at how SMALL it is! It's about the size of a piece of checked luggage, yet it can heat a four-bedroom home AND provide unlimited hot water for showers, baths, dishwashing, etc.
It was Bad form for you to skip over it!
But you get another chance.
Why was that column important? Old boilers and furnaces work much like a bottle rocket you might light on the 4th of July. When the fuse ignites the fuel in the tiny object, it’s full ON and the rocket flies up into the air. Just before you lit the fuse, the rocket was in the full OFF position.
A modulating furnace or boiler works much like the burners on your electric or gas stove. You can ADJUST the temperature/flame of a burner depending on how much heat you need to cook.
With a modulating boiler or furnace, the computer within the appliance supplies only enough fuel to the burner to meet the demand for heat at that point in time.
When you click or tap my links your tiny gray cells will thank you and you’ll save money too!
My Latest Book
I’ve only a few more chapters to read in the first book in A Game of Thrones five-book series. It’s a fascinating saga and no doubt I’m going to read the rest of the series.
This book was a homework assignment given to me by my son for a secret project I’m about to start. You’ll hear more about me eating this hush-hush elephant one bite at a time in the future.
Holy tomato!I’m not going to share what happened two nights ago as I was reading the book before stepping up into the last train to Sleepland, but I was stunned the author would employ this drastic plot twist.
This stunning surprise in the book was foreshadowed earlier when Cersei came down to the garden to meet with Lord Ned Stark.
Listen closelyto what she says at the end of this video clip. I’d hate to be in the room when Cersei wakes up on the wrong side of the bed!
Preventable Texas Misery
Do you live in Texas or anyplace that was recently hammered by bitter cold temperatures? The weather two weeks ago caused mayhem and MILLIONS of dollars of PREVENTABLE damage. I mentioned this in last week’s newsletter.
After writing that piece, my brain wouldn’t let go. I was deeply troubled for days.
The pain was released when I decided to dedicate my national column last Monday to the debacle- or what I feel is one.
I BEG OF YOU to CLICK or TAP HERE and do whatever you can to PASS THE URL along to all your friends, neighbors, relatives, co-workers, etc. to help PREVENT misery and wasted money in the future.
What’s in it for you when you click the above link?
First, you’re going to discover HOW EASY IT IS to drain down your water lines so the water doesn’t FREEZE and BURST the pipes.
Then you’re going to see the EXACT WAY you should install a main water shutoff valve so that you can still have WATER when the temperature is falling FAST in your home!
It turns out Earl also got to meet the Lone Ranger. He was in the sixth grade in 1960 at Oxford Elementary School in Dearborn, Michigan.
“Tim, when I was in the 6th grade and a safety boy, the Lone Ranger visited our school with a pink Cadillac and his horse Silver in a trailer. My job was to hold the reins of Silver while he addressed the students who were sitting in the play area behind the school. I was very honored to do this. Sincerely, Earl”
How cool is that? To be the person who held Silver’s reins!!!!
Are you in need of free advice and BIDS for work from LOCAL contractors? CLICK OR TAP the following links and let me know how quickly you get contacted. I'll bet it's fast.
How many flat-screen TVs do you think are in the room? I’ll BET you’re WRONG!
Peach
Last week, I shared a brief story about a subscriber named Peach.
We all have talents, and I’ve decided to do my best to turn the spotlight on yours by showcasing subscriber’s websites. This week it’s Peaches’s turn. Just look at what she can do!
Oil painting - River Horses Boy on Raft - Peach McComb
CLICK or TAP HERE to see more of Peach’s work. In addition to doing her own art, she offers classes. I desperately need ten or twenty classes, especially in watercolor. A trip to the land of BBQ and country music could be in my future.
Do you have a hobby or small business website of your own? Do you want me to feature it in this newsletter ? CLICK or TAP HERE and fill out the short form for goodness sake. You could be next in the spotlight.
Last Call
Are you afraid of anything? I’m not a big fan of serpents and I’m slowly losing my nerve when it comes to high places. Other than that, I’d say I’m pretty brave.
I’d like you to watch a short video of a child facing fear - deep fear. WAIT for it at the end. You may have the same reaction when you KICK YOUR FEAR to the CURB.
Seriously, it's time for you to start dealing with your fear. It could be ruining your life.
Spring is Soon Going to be Sprung
Spring is coming to New Hampshire. Can you believe tomorrow is March 1st? Holy cow!
The town road agents are about to post the roads. That’s a sure sign we’re getting close. Heavy trucks are prohibited from many side roads. My town has a 6-ton weight limit.
Here's why. The roads become spongy as the deep frost begins to thaw. Trucks can pulverize the fragile asphalt paving because the soil between the asphalt and still-frozen ground below the thawed mush is like soft marshmallows.
P.S. Do you struggle with hard water stains? CLICK or TAP HERE to see how EASY it is to remove them. BE SURE TO LOOK at the Before/After photos sent in by Saskia at the bottom of the column!
Pocket Door Privacy - Create Two Separate Rooms in Hours
Pocket door privacy is more than just having a pocket door for a bathroom or bedroom. You may now be working from home or having kids stay home and everyone needs privacy.
Watch the video below for some grand privacy ideas.CLICK or TAP HEREto get the BEST pocket and wall-mount door hardware in my opinion. It's all made in the USA and this is what's in my home and what I used in all my jobs.
CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local carpenters who can install pocket doors.
The lust for power in some controls all they do. Even in my own HOA, Waldron Bay, in central New Hampshire. Pay close attention to the last words Cersei speaks in this very short video clip. It summarizes all that happens around you each day.
See what you think about Cersei. Just below the video is a link to the Game of Thrones book series. It's sure to captivate you. I urge you to purchase at least book #1.
This ball valve is identical to my main water shutoff valve. Do you know where yours is? Do you know if it WORKS? Do you know how to de-pressurize your water lines? Of course, you don’t. The yellow handle is parallel to the pipe which means the valve is WIDE OPEN and water can flow through the valve. If you rotate it from the 3 PM position down to the 6 PM position, the valve will be FULLY CLOSED. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter
Prevent Burst Water Pipes - It's Really Easy
Were you one of the millions of homeowners, renters, or business people who suffered from the recent spate of miserable polar weather in the core of the USA? The storm and low temperatures left millions without power, drinking water, food, etc. Frozen and burst water pipes in houses and businesses are now as plentiful as flies at a summer cookout.
Who Forgot to Teach You How to Prevent Burst Water Pipes?
The past few days, I’ve been trying to make sense of all the misery out there. A week ago, I was a guest on the live midday WGN-TV news show to try to help the folks in Chicagoland who were suffering from extreme cold, ice dams, and whatnot.
My takeaway from that brief appearance, as well as an avalanche of incoming help requests on my AsktheBuilder.com website, is that somehow you may have not been injected with the simple and easy things you can do to protect your home when these severe weather events happen.
Common Sense and Knowledge Not Being Transferred
I don’t know where the blame lies for this lack of transfer of basic home-maintenance and how-your-home-works information, and to be honest, I don’t care. All I care about now is getting you up to speed so you know what to do to prevent burst water lines in your home. It’s important to realize I’ve been a master plumber since age 29.
Shortage of Plumbers
Why is this important to know? It’s simple math. How many plumbers are there in Texas or the other areas impacted by burst water pipes? I don’t know, but I do know there are 100, 1000, or 10,000 times more people that NEED a plumber right now than there are plumbers. So you tell me how long it’s going to take to get your water lines fixed?
Water pipes burst because water expands in volume by 9 percent when it freezes. This usually isn’t a big deal if it freezes in an open bucket where the extra volume can go up into the air. Your water lines are different. They’re a closed system much like a can of fruit juice. Put one of those in your freezer and the next day it’s going to be split wide open just like your burst copper or galvanized iron water lines.
Will PEX Water Lines Burst?
There are water lines that can handle this expansion. I have them in my own home and I installed it in my daughter’s new home. PEX plastic water lines can freeze and not burst. If you’re going to build a new home or remodel consider PEX.
Those light-colored water lines going straight up in the upper right of the photo are PEX water lines in my house. These are the HOT water lines. Note the small shutoff valve at the bottom of each PEX line. I can shut off the hot water to just ONE fixture and still have HOT water going to all the other fixtures. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter
Is it Easy to Work With PEX?
Yes, it's so easy any homeowner can do it. Watch this video!
Easy Steps to Prevent Burst Water Lines
Here’s what to do if you don’t have PEX water lines:
Step 1
Step one is to clean your bathtub(s) and fill it to the brim with clean water. Do the same with as many buckets, bowls, pots, etc. that you own. You’ll use this for drinking, cooking, flushing toilets, etc. during the crisis.
Step 2
Step two is to locate your main water shutoff valve and turn it off. It’s almost always where the water line enters your home. It could be in your basement, crawlspace, or a closet.
You need to make sure the valve works and actually shuts off the water. This can be a touchy test because if you’ve not exercised the valve before, it may not work, you may break the handle, or it might not reopen. Don’t do this test hours before you’re expecting twenty guests for Thanksgiving dinner. Don’t do this test on a weekend when plumbers might be hard to come by.
Let’s assume the valve works. Your water is now off so if the water lines were to burst, you’d not have thousands of gallons of water flowing across your floors like the great Mississippi River flowing across the flatlands.
But you’ve now created a hidden time bomb. Shutting off the water is not enough. We need to get as much water out of the water lines as possible. Find the lowest sink in your house and turn on both the hot and cold valve as if you needed warm water.
Step 3
Now go through the entire house and flush every toilet, open up every valve, including tubs, showers, outside hose faucets, etc. You’ll see lots of water start flowing out of the first sink where you opened up the first valve. Gravity is pulling the water out of your water lines and replacing it with wonderful air. Do NOT close the valves on any faucet. Leave them open until such time as you can once again turn on the water.
Should I Shut Off the Water to My Water Heater?
Turning off the water supply line to your water heater will do nothing to prevent damage to the heater. You can turn off the gas valve or electricity to it if you want. The issue is if you leave the water in the heater with the supply valve shut off and it gets bitter cold in the house, the water in the tank can freeze and burst the actual water heater.
Bitter Cold? Drain Water Heater Too
If you feel it’s going to get bitter cold in your home, you’ll need to drain your water heater as well. That’s easy as it has a drain valve on the bottom of it. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have an electric water heater, you MUST SHUT OFF THE ELECTRICITY TO IT BEFORE YOU DRAIN IT. Failure to do this will cause the electric heating elements inside the heater to burn up. If you have a propane or natural-gas water heater, shut off the gas valve to it. You don't want to be heating an empty water tank.
RV Antifreeze in Toilets and Sink Drains
Let’s say the power doesn’t come on and the temperature in the house is getting close to 32 F. Now it’s time to protect your toilet tanks and bowls and all the sink, tub, and shower traps. You can pour some RV antifreeze in all these. Most septic tanks and sewer systems won’t suffer with RV antifreeze. Don’t use regular car antifreeze as it’s quite toxic.
If the water in the toilet bowl or traps freezes, you’ll have even more misery and expense. It’s so easy to prevent this damage, but then again it requires you to have three or four gallons of this antifreeze stored in your home and not sold out the day after the power goes out. Be prepared like a boy or girl scout.
This is a typical boiler drain. You turn the round red handle to open or close it. Note the standard garden hose threads. Do you see how this could be quite helpful to get water to some part of your home if you isolate one of these valves in between two standard ball valves on the main line? Look at the illustration below to see how you need to do this.
What is the Best Way to Install a Main Water Shutoff Valve?
The best way, in my opinion, to install a main water line shutoff valve is to install TWO of them, not just one.
When you install two shutoff valves within about one foot of each other, you can install a boiler drain between them. Look at the illustration and I'll explain why this setup is so beneficial.
COPYRIGHT 2021 Tim Carter ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
To shut off the water to a house and DRAIN the plumbing system, you CLOSE the #1 shutoff valve. You then attach a garden hose to the boiler drain and run the hose to a nearby floor drain or outdoors. Open the boiler drain and go through the house and start to turn on EVERY faucet, flush every toilet, open every outdoor hose bib. Water will gush out the end of the garden hose.
Once all the water has emptied out of the water lines, CLOSE the #2 shutoff valve. If you then OPEN the #1 shutoff valve you'll have water flow out of the garden hose at full force. This allows you to bring the hose back inside and use it in the house to flush toilets, wash dishes, etc.
When the heat comes back on and all is once again normal, you disconnect the garden hose, CLOSE the boiler drain and open BOTH the #1 and #2 shutoff valves. You'll need to go through the house and turn off all the faucets as well as the outside hose bibs.
Flat Screen TV Frame Ideas - No, you’re not looking out a window. That’s a modern flat-screen TV that’s surrounded by window trim. It’s a great illusion. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter
Flat Screen TV Frame Ideas - Trick People!
QUESTION:Tim, I’ve got a challenge for you. I live in a 100-year-old Craftsman house with gorgeous wood trim around the windows and doors. It’s wide and there’s a stunning headpiece across the top of all windows and doors.
I have a flat-screen TV in my den and it looks out of place. It’s so modern and I hate how it looks. There’s only one window in one of the four walls. What can I do to make the new TV look old and how can I brighten the room? If you can figure this out, you’ll be my hero forever even though I doubt you wear a cape each day. Piper W., Montrose, CA
I know Piper isn’t the only person that doesn’t like how modern flat-screen TVs clash with stunning woodwork found in Queen Anne Victorian homes as well as classic Craftsman-style homes. I’m not a fan of how stark the TVs are. My son loves the modern look and his flat-screen TV compliments the industrial look in his loft apartment.
CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local carpenters who can trim the TV.
My good friends Russ and Ann faced the exact same conundrum as Piper. They live in a classic Craftsman home that I’ve visited countless times. Russ grew up in the house and it’s become part of his soul. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen anyone love a house as much as Russ. It’s truly remarkable. Russ can keep you laughing or on the edge of your seat as you listen to story after story about him growing up in his home.
Ann happens to be the handy person in the duo. She’s a serious DIYr and can do any task she puts her mind to be it plumbing, plastering, painting, or carpentry. She solved Piper’s problem by imagining their first flat-screen TV was an actual window. They had the identical problem - a sitting room with four walls but only one window.
Can I Put a TV on Each Wall?
Ann cobbled together wood trim to surround the TV. The look was so fantastic Russ went out and bought two more TVs for the other two walls! Think about the possibilities when you do this. You can brighten up a dark room in a hurry.
The stunning woodwork in Piper’s house no doubt matches or is similar, to that in Russ and Ann’s home. I’m sure her windows have true wooden windowsills that are 4 or 5 inches deep and they project out beyond the vertical wood casing that is on either side of the window. A larger head casing spans over the window much like a flat beam.
Can I Trim it Like a Queen Anne Victorian Window?
In almost all cases, there’s a distinctive piece of half-round bead molding on the bottom of the head casing and a cap molding on top of the head casing that looks just like crown molding. I had this same look at my last Queen Anne Victorian home.
Ann simply surrounded the three flat-screen TVs in their den with the same exact woodwork that trims out the one window in their room. It’s easy to do with minimal tools. All one really needs is a decent sliding 10-inch miter saw and a finish nail gun. You’ll never regret using the nail gun, trust me.
Easy Steps
The first step is to open up the flat-screen TV installation manual and review what's said about ventilation. All flat-screen TVs require airflow through them to cool the electrical components. Be sure you understand how you'll incorporate hidden ventilation slots in the frame that you'll put around the TV. Maintain all required clearances so you don't void the warranty.
The second step is to use 1x4s to create an upside-down U that surrounds the two sides and top of the flat-screen TV. The window sill part of the treatment will form the bottom of this box that surrounds the flat screen. I’d leave a gap of about 1/2 inch between the TV and the wood. Ann decided to have the three U-shaped components project out about a 1/2 inch from the front of the flat-screen TV.
The window sill is fastened to the bottom of the two 1x4s that are on the sides of the TV. The top 1x4 can be cut so it overlaps the two side pieces and you fasten it to the two vertical 1x4s. All you need to do now is attach this to the wall. You can use metal L-brackets or small cleats that attach to the other side of the 1x4s.
All that’s left to do is then trim out this box as you’d put all the trim around a regular window. You just have to add an extra piece of wood to the vertical casings and the head casing so they return to the wall. It’s really easy to do when you look at the photo of what Ann did at her home.
Simple carpentry skills allow you to add the half-round bead molding to the bottom of the head casing and the cap on top of the head casing. You’re just making standard 45-degree cuts to create the outside corners of both moldings. It’s finish carpentry 101 for goodness sake. Look at your existing trim on your windows and imagine how the carpenter installed it all those years ago.
The interesting thing is you can mimic this same look no matter what type of casing you have around the doors and windows in your home. It’s just a matter of building the simple U-shaped box at first and then clone the actual trim.
I would have never thought about putting more than one flat-screen TV in a room, but Russ really pulled it off. He uses one to view the news and movies, but the other two tend to have subtle slide shows on them or fixed images so it actually looks like you’re looking out a window to the mountains, a stream, animals, a beach, a city at night, whatever scene you happen to enjoy or sets the mood! It’s magic I tell ya!
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