Air Conditioning

Posted on by Tim Carter

ac units HVAC York A/C Tim's

Air Conditioning Units

I find it interesting how some of the coldest parts of our nation get hot - and I mean steamy hot - in the summer months. Ask any elderly person who still has a fairly crisp mind and he will tell you what it used to be like without air conditioning (AC) in the summer months. Yes, AC is a relatively newer innovation for the residential home. Tens of thousands of older homes that still stand in the U.S. were built without it. But I am convinced that your next new home will come with AC as standard equipment, not an option.

But don't think for a moment that the AC in your new home is going to work perfectly and keep all of the rooms in your home pleasant and comfortable. To achieve that goal your builder and heating and AC contractor (HVAC) have to engineer a system that is tailored and fit to your home like a custom suit or dress. Unfortunately, poor builders and HVAC contractors often install AC systems like clothes bought from the rack at a discount store.

How do you determine the proper size air conditioner?

The first step in the process is studying your actual building plans. Most of the local distributors who actually sell the AC equipment have special computer software that can analyze your plans. The software studies the compass orientation of the house, the sizes and types of windows and doors, thickness of wall and ceiling insulation, number of occupants, special appliances or lighting that generates extra heat, etc. to determine what the heat gain of your new home will be. With this number, they can specify the correct equipment that can adequately cool your home.

Does orientation of your house affect the size of the air conditioner?

Strangely enough, two identical homes on the same street can end up with slightly different equipment. The primary reason being compass orientation. The house that has more window and door glass surface area facing due west will almost always more cooling capacity. The equipment size is measured in tons with 12,000 Btus of cooling capacity equaling one ton. It was determined long ago that it takes 12,000 Btus of energy to melt a ton of ice. Equating this to your new home, if the calculations show your house has a total heat gain of 59,750 Btus, then you need to make sure you have a 5 ton AC unit. It is that simple.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE quotes from local HVAC companies that can size and install your air conditioner.

But the proper sized unit doesn't mean you will be comfortable. The amazing software that computes the overall heat gain does so by looking at the individual heat gain of each room. This data is extremely important as it tell the HVAC contractor how many supply ducts need to be placed in each room and most importantly the size of the pipes feeding those outlets. Think of fighting a large house fire with a garden hose. It doesn't work because you aren't putting enough water on the fire. You need to pump in enough cold air into each room to offset the fire or heat gain that is occurring within the room.

Why do the ducts get smaller further away from the HVAC units?

Getting the cold air to each room is not as easy as it sounds. The large fan within the air handler in your basement or attic creates pressure much like wind blowing against a sail on a boat. This static pressure needs to be maintained within the entire supply duct system. To do this the HVAC contractor must reduce the size of the main supply duct after every two or three branch runs run towards the individual rooms. If the main duct remains the same size, there is simply not enough energy left in the remaining air to push the cold air to the rooms farthest from the air handler.

Where should the return air ducts be located?

I have news for you, we still are not finished. What happens to the hot air that is in each room? It needs to be sent back to the air handler where the heat is extracted. To do this, your builder and HVAC contractor need to make sure a return air duct is located in each room, preferably seven feet high off the floor. Ideally this return air duct should be on the opposite side of the room from the supply ducts. As the air handler is operating, it is both pulling air into the return ducts and pushing out an equal amount of air through the supply ducts. By placing these different ducts far apart, anyone standing in between the ducts feels the cool air floating over their body.

Beware of builders who do not understand these concepts. The HVAC component of your home is very important. It is what creates and maintains the artificial climate within the four walls of your new home. The HVAC part of your home is perhaps that last place to trim costs if the budget is running a little high. Be sure to specify top drawer HVAC equipment. If at all possible, try to tour a home that is under construction. Look at the overall HVAC equipment and ductwork. Pay attention to see if the main supply duct decreases in size. That is a good indicator the HVAC contractor is likely on top of his game.

Column NH006

Concrete

Posted on by Tim Carter
concrete finish slab rough plumbing troweling machine

Concrete Tips | Here's a large concrete slab being finished. It's hard enough to stand on. The column below is so helpful I shared it in my free December 9, 2020 newsletter. 31,000 subscribers plus you will now know how to install concrete the right way.

Concrete Tips for Driveways, Sidewalks, and Slabs

Every week, I receive several emails from homeowners who complain about their new concrete driveways, sidewalks, and exterior patios. The surfaces of these improvements peel shortly after the first winter, random jagged cracks scar the surface, and puddles of water often form in the middle of a slab.

You may become a statistic as well as your new home is being built, unless of course you make sure your builder and concrete mason have a complete grasp and understanding of how to professionally install exterior concrete.

It's important for you to know as many concrete tips as possible so your concrete lasts for 50, or more, years.

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

Where are the Best Concrete Tips?

The best concrete tips can be found at the professional associations devoted to concrete.

Attempting to cover this subject in this small column does it a great injustice as many books and professional papers have been written about concrete. You can obtain vast amounts of superb concrete installation facts from:

  • Portland Cement Association
  • American Concrete Institute
  • National Ready Mixed Concrete Association

There are a number of other state and local associations that also can provide you with reams of reading material.

Do Deicing Salts Harm Concrete?

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover the truth about deicing salts and concrete damage.

What is Concrete?

Concrete is an artificial man-made rock comprised in its most basic form of Portland cement, gravel, sand and water. It's not uncommon for concrete to also contain smaller amounts of fly ash, silica fume and even ground slag. The Portland cement powder ingredient is the basic glue that holds the sand, gravel and other components together.

What Makes Concrete Strong?

The stones, or rock, and Portland cement make concrete strong. You can test this with ease by comparing a mix of just sand and Portland cement and the regular mix of stones, sand, and Portland cement.

If you want strong concrete that will stand the test of time, you first need to make sure you have sufficient cement in the mix. The industry uses both strength measurements in pounds per square inch (psi) and volumetric measurements to communicate strength. For example, it is recommended that the minimum strength for exterior slabs be 4,000 psi or a six bag mix. Keep in mind that I said minimum. If you want to pour a 4,500 psi driveway, then do so.

Want perfect concrete work? Find a pro by using my Concrete Work (Sidewalks, Driveways, Patios & Steps) Checklist. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Can Water Hurt Concrete?

Water is needed to activate the cement powder, but water is also concrete's worst enemy during the delivery phase and finishing phase of concrete installation. If you add water to concrete once it arrives at the jobsite, you can significantly alter the ratio of ingredients that make up the batch. Added water can dilute the amount of cement powder in the overall batch. This means the bond between ingredients is weaker. This same thing happens if the concrete finishers sprinkle lots of water on the surface of the concrete as they trowel it.

What Causes Concrete Spalling?

Concrete spalling is caused by a weak top layer on the concrete. When the top finished surface of concrete peels off, or spalls, revealing the coarse aggregate matrix below, it is typically a sign that a workmanship error occurred with respect to added water.

The mistake can even be traced to natural bleed water that appears on the surface during normal installation. As you can see, it is very important that all of the workers have proper training to understand what water can do to concrete.

WATCH these three videos to understand the dangers of concrete bleed water:

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE quotes from local companies who can pour your concrete driveway.

Proper curing of the finished concrete is also important. If the best concrete masons install concrete but fail to allow it to cure, the concrete can fail long before its time. The water used to mix the concrete must not be allowed to evaporate from the drying slab. Concrete finishers can cure concrete by keeping it wet for several days, spraying a liquid curing compound that seals the water into the slab or tightly covering the slab with high-quality plastic for several days. All of these things allow the water within the concrete to stay there to help fuel the chemical reaction that allows microscopic crystals to grow and bind all of the ingredients together. This hydration reaction goes on for weeks and even months.

Why Causes Concrete Cracks?

Concrete cracks are caused by shrinkage. Concrete shrinks as it cures and dries. This shrinkage creates tension within the slab that cause the concrete to tear itself apart.

Are Concrete Cracks Normal?

Cracks are normal. But with proper planning and tools, a concrete mason can control where the cracks will be.

Can You Control Where Concrete Cracks?

Yes, you can control and predict where concrete will crack.

This is often done by placing lines or control joints within the slab as it is being finished or immediately after the concrete is placed and can be walked on. The depth of these joints is critical. Be sure your concrete installer makes the depth of each control joint or saw cut line one fourth the total thickness of the slab. For example, a four inch thick concrete sidewalk should have one inch deep control joints.

What is the Best Weather to Pour Concrete?

Try to schedule concrete placement when the weather is cloudy and overcast. Concrete placement in weather extremes is very hard on the material. Concrete loves to be placed when the air temperature is in the mid 50sF. Placing it in blazing sunshine or snowy days is simply not a good idea.

Column NH005

Interior Door Tips – Super Secret Ones

Posted on by Tim Carter
kitchen pantry door close up

Interior Door Tips: This fancy Victorian lockset is on a solid poplar door. You'll not scuff your knuckles here because it's set back 2 and 3/4 inches from the jamb.

Interior Door Tips - It's All Little Things

What are the Top Door Tips?

These are the top interior door tips of all time:

  • use 2 and 3/4-inch backset
  • solid doors are affordable
  • drive a long screw through the top hinge into the rough stud wall
  • paint the top and bottom of the door two coats

CLICK or TAP HERE  for FREE BIDS from local finish carpenters.

What's involved in building a new home?

The process of building a new home involves hundreds of decisions. If you really peek under the covers, you might be expected to provide answers to thousands of questions. Architects and builders can often overwhelm a homeowner with questions if they are not careful. In many instances, the builder or the architect decides not to ask but simply act. Believe it or not, one of the trouble areas can be the seemingly innocent category of interior doors.

What is the Biggest Interior Door Mistake?

The biggest interior door mistake is a 2 and3/8-inch backset. This is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the large hole drilled for a tubular lockset.

Have you ever noticed how your knuckles sometimes rub against the door jamb when rotating a doorknob? But strangely enough, this does not happen on other doors at a neighbor's house or your office building. The trouble can be traced to the backset distance of the hols that were drilled to make room for the doorknob assembly. Backset is the distance of the centerline of the doorknob from the edge of the door.

What is a Lockset Backset?

A lockset backset is the distance from the edge of a door to the center of the large hole drilled for a common tubular lockset.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get discover how to replace hollow doors with SOLID ones.

What are Common Backset Distances?

There are two common backset distances: 2 and 3/8 inches and 2 and 3/4 inches. The difference between the two measurements is less than half an inch, but it makes a big difference to your hands.

The larger backset distance, 2 and 3/4 inches, is commonly used on exterior doors.

But for some reason, the smaller backset distance was chosen as the default distance for interior doors. The good news is you can specify the larger two and three quarter inch backset for both interior and exterior doors. All you have to do is coordinate your interior lockset hardware so that it is ordered with the longer latch to accommodate the longer backset distance. Many lockset manufacturers make a door latch part that is universal so it will fit doors that are drilled with the either the short or longer backset.

What is the best soundproof door?

The best soundproof door is a solid one. Solid doors are harder to vibrate. Hollow doors act like a drum a rock band drummer beats. The sound waves on one side of the door cause the thin veneer door skins to vibrate. This movement reproduces the noise on the other side of the door.

You can get fantastic solid interior and exterior doors from Brycon Wood Products. I bought all my interior doors from them.

Noise can be a problem to solve after you move into a new home. Hollow core interior doors tend to transmit noise very easily. Consider solid-core interior doors or doors that are advertised to reduce sound transmission.

How Can You Soundproof a Door?

You can soundproof a door by using a solid door and then installing weatherstripping around the door. Sound travels through air and it's easy for sound to travel around a typical interior door.

You can also install a superb metal prehung exterior door as an interior door. These doors come with perfect weatherstripping.

What is the ideal clearance between the door bottom and the finished floor?

The ideal clearance, or height, of a door above finished flooring is 3/8 inch and certainly no more than 1/2 inch.

The height of interior doors above finished floors can also be an issue. Some builders and finish carpenters may not communicate well. The net result is doors that have large gaps between them and the finish flooring materials or not enough gap. In my opinion, the ideal clearance between the bottom of a door and the finished floor is between three-eighths or one-half inch.

Carpenters who set doors before the finish flooring is installed often do not cut off the ends of the door jambs to adjust for the proper height. They may also set the uncut door jambs on shims so they don't have to come back and cut off the bottoms of the doors. Hoping the clearance distance is correct is a gamble. Open lines of communication between the carpenters, builders and flooring contractors can solve this problem in a hurry.

Do the doors need to be painted?

The tops and bottoms of doors need to be painted to minimize or eliminate warping.

The painters also have to be part of the interior door team. If interior doors are wood, it is absolutely necessary that the tops and bottoms of the doors be painted. Some wood doors come from the factory with a primer, but this is not enough protection in my opinion. Instruct your painters to make sure two coats of paint or urethane are applied to the tops and bottoms of all interior wood doors. If this wood is left exposed, humid air can enter the wood core of the doors and cause them to warp and twist over time.

Match the door style with the overall style of the house

The aesthetic appearance of interior doors is hard to change once they have been installed. Try to match the interior style of the doors with the overall style of the home. For example, if you happen to be building a Victorian-style home, you can readily purchase doors that match that time period. Two common door styles were the horizontal five raised-panel door or the vertical four raised-panel door. I happen to have the vertical four-panel door in my Queen Anne Victorian style home. Installing a flat slab door or the traditional colonial style six-panel door in my home would cause any experienced architect or interior designer to shudder.

Should Exterior Doors Be Set Up High?

Yes, exterior doors should be set so the bottom of the door threshold is flush with the top of the finished flooring. This allows plenty of height for a throw rug indoors that will not move when the door is opened and closed.

While on the subject of doors with your builder, be sure he doesn't make a mistake with your exterior doors. Frequently rough carpenters set these doors three-quarters of an inch too low. Exterior doors must be able to pass over interior throw rugs. If you visit your home as it is being built and discover the threshold of the exterior doors is sitting directly on the subfloor of the home, you will have problems.

By the time the finish floor is installed up against the threshold of the door, there is usually very little space for a throw rug. A scrap piece of lumber placed on the subfloor often allows the top of finished flooring to fit snugly under the threshold of the door. This allows sufficient room for throw rugs in almost all cases.

Column NH004

Bath Vent Fan – Not Too Hard But Important Steps

Posted on by Tim Carter
duct roof cap

Bath Vent Fan | Here is a special roof termination cap for the fan exhaust. There's a flapper damper just inside the outlet that stops insects and cold backdrafts from entering your bathroom. A new and improved one that I'd use had it been available is RIGHT HERE. CLICK or TAP HERE to see it.  PHOTO BY: Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I'm remodeling a second-floor master bathroom and will be installing a new bath vent fan. The fan itself will only be three feet from an exterior wall so I could easily extend an exhaust pipe through the attic and have it terminate at the soffit overhang. Do you see any problems with this method? I can extend the exhaust pipe towards a roof ventilation hole but I'm worried that water might condense and run backward towards the fan. What would you do? Larry L., Bloomfield Hills, MI

DEAR LARRY: I can only think of one other method that might cause more damage and destruction than the two methods you have proposed. Some builders, subcontractors and unknowing do-it-yourselfers simply let a bath vent fan blow air directly into the attic space. Talk with any seasoned certified home inspector and she/he may tell you tales of horrible attic mold and wood rot in the roof framing and roof sheathing.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local Bath Fan Ventilation contractors.

Should I Vent My Bath Fan Under the Soffit Overhang?

You are definitely thinking about doing the right thing by getting the exhaust air to the exterior, but dumping it under the soffit might create massive problems for you. The moist humid air that is exhausted when someone is showering will create a vapor plume at the exhaust fan vent. Some of this cloud will waft over the soffit and dissipate into the outdoor air, but some of the sinister water vapor will sneak its way into the attic space through soffit ventilation intake vents, cracks and gaps in the actual soffit materials and seams between the gutter board and soffit.

What Happens When Moist Air Gets Into My Attic?

When this moist air gets into the attic, it will readily condense into liquid water on the cool or cold attic framing surfaces. This liquid water is the needed spark to ignite active mold growth and fungi growth that causes wood rot. The actual buildup of water on these surfaces can turn to a thick layer of frost in very cold weather. I have seen it and it is a very eerie feeling.

Where's the Best Place to Vent a Bath Fan?

I've found that it is often best to vent fans and dryers through the roof. The only folks that can't do this are those that live where snow can accumulate on a roof. Snow can block the vent.

How Do You Install the Roof Vent With No Leaks?

You install the bath fan vent flashing just like any other shingle or a plumbing vent-pipe flashing. Watch this video.

Will a Bath Fan Cause Roof Rot?

Yes, a bath fan will cause roof rot if you just vent the moist air into your attic.

This same problem can happen if you extend a bathroom exhaust fan and terminate it at or near a rooftop ventilation hole. Some of the air may make it outdoors, but some will undoubtedly find its way to other places in the attic. The best way is to simply extend the pipe through the roof and end it with a special bathroom exhaust fan termination cap that includes a damper.

What is a Great Bath Fan Ventilation Pipe?

I prefer to use a smooth galvanized steel pipe to duct the air from the fan to the outdoors. Your concern about condensation forming inside the pipe is valid. An uninsulated steel pipe in a cold attic will produce lots of condensation that can leak back into the bathroom fan and drip or ruin a ceiling if the water leaks from a joint between two sections of steel pipe.

Can You Insulate Bathroom Vent Pipe?

Yes, you can insulate the bath vent fan pipe. There are several ways to do it.

One way is to use spray foam that comes in an aerosol can. Clean the exterior of the pipe with a rag soaked in mineral spirits to remove the residual oil film from the manufacturing process. The pipe should be covered with at least 1.5 inches of dried cured foam, and you must cover all of the exposed metal pipe from the fan all the way to the exhaust termination cap at the underside of the roof.

spray foam bathroom vent

The spray foam is partially applied in this photo. I wanted you to see some of the smooth steel pipe. Note how the spray foam extends all of the way up to the wood roof sheathing. You want to coat any and all exposed metal with the spray foam. PHOTO BY: Tim Carter

Be sure the foam insulation is approved by your local building and fire inspector for use in your attic space. Some local codes do not allow flammable insulation in accessible locations.

Is it a Bad Idea to Use Fiberglass Insulation?

Don't try to wrap the pipe with standard fiberglass insulation attached with duct tape. High attic temperatures can cause many traditional duct tapes to deteriorate in attics. If you want to wrap the pipe, use special duct insulation and tape that can be purchased at heating and cooling supply businesses.

Who Should Install the Roof Vent?

If you do not feel confident installing the exhaust fan termination cap in the roof, hire a roofer to do this. It is really not that hard, but it is a job that must be done correctly to ensure you have no leaks from rain or snow-melt.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local roofers to install your bath vent flashing.

Never underestimate the amount of damage simple water vapor can do. This danger is real for all homeowners, even those who live in very dry climates. Those who live in warm humid climates are at grave risk for rapid mold growth and wood rot. Don't think for a moment that you are immune from damage because of where you live.

How Long Can a Bath Fan Vent Pipe Be?

The length of the bath fan vent pipe is determined by the fan manufacturer.

It is also very important to install the exhaust piping as directed by the fan manufacturer. Short runs are better and you can only insert in the line a given amount of bends in the piping. The pipe and bends create friction to the moving air. If you install too much pipe or too many bends, the fan motor simply will not be able to push the air to the exterior of your home.

Column 546

November 6, 2004 Show Open

Posted on by Tim Carter

Tim:  Good morning! Welcome to the Ask The Builder Show here on WGRR. It's great to be here. It's great to have you with me as well. We've got a full team today.

Annetta:  Yep.

Tim:  (laugh) We've got Annetta.

Annetta:  Good morning.

Tim:  We've got Travis.

Annetta:  Uh-huh.

Tim:  We've got Carey.

Annetta:  Yeah.

Tim:   And we've got me.

Annetta:  Yep!

Tim:  So that's like four, four people.

Annetta:  Me, my four and no more.

Tim:  (laughing) Tell us about Cebella. Was she bad again this week?

Annetta:  She was, but it caused her to get hurt.

Tim:  Oh!

Annetta:  Yeah. Cebella's our dog, in case you don't know by now.

Tim:  Is she all right?

Annetta:  She's okay. She's getting there.

Tim:  Okay now.

Annetta:  She's okay now. Yeah, she got out from us and got a little hurt. She came back and I don't think she's going to run.

Tim:  She's not going to run free anymore, huh?

Annetta:  It's going to be a while.

Tim:  Yeah.

Annetta:  She's kind of scared to even go out to use it (laugh).

Tim:  Yeah. I had a problem with my crazy Cinder dog.

Annetta:  Uh-huh.

Tim:  He's going to be two years old in January, so he's still a puppy.

Annetta:  Right, right.

Tim:   He's still got some of that puppy in him.

Annetta:  Oh, yeah.

Tim:  He's gotten a lot better.

Annetta:  Uh-huh.

Tim:  I told you before how he used to (laugh)... A year ago when we first got him, he was like 6 or 8 months old, he would carry (laugh) entire garbage cans outside the house, you know. He would throw garbage cans up into the air (laughing), and anything that was not bolted down in the garage was outside.

Annetta:  He would carry it. Okay.

Tim:  Because it was his (laugh). I mean he felt like, "Well, you know, this tool's mine. This bag's mine." So anyway, he's kind of gotten over that, but he still wants to get out.

Annetta:  Uh-huh.

Tim:  And, of course, we've got one of the invisible fence things on.

Annetta:  Oh, Uh-huh.

Tim:  And I'm telling you what, those things work so long as the little battery (laughing) inside that collar thing works. Well, we we're having some trouble recently where it's just like he was kind of getting out. And I put a new battery in; the battery's fine.

Annetta:  Uh-huh.

Tim:  Well, lo and behold, I take it down to the invisible fence place and I talk to Carey McMannis. Remember, he was on.

Annetta:  Yeah, right. I remember him.
Tim:  This just goes to show you the problem with modern electronics. That little receiver in the collar...

Annetta:  That's on his neck. Yeah.

Tim:  ... that's on the dog's neck, that particular one had a very small short circuit in it.

Annetta:  Oh-h-h!

Tim:  And it was causing the battery to drain down much faster than it should. So, no wonder 'ole Cinder boy was getting out!

Annetta:  Was getting out! The battery wasn't working. He knew!

Tim:  Yeah, because he figured he's walking up close to the wire and...

Annetta:  He's not getting zapped as hard (laughing).

Tim:  No, no, no! Don't say zapped. The actual term is called "correction" (laugh).

Annetta:  Ah-h-h, yeah (laughing).

Tim:  And let me tell ya. I had that thing in my hand one day (laughing) and forgot, walked up to that wire.

Annetta:  Did you feel it (laughing)?      

Tim:  Oh, my goodness! Oh!

Annetta:  Was your hair standing up (laughing)?

Tim:  Oh! It hurts to even think about it! So anyway, so those things really work.

Annetta:  Well, she still is just a puppy, so. I mean, she's not even a year old yet.

Tim:  I'm sure there are tons of people who are listening who know much more about dogs than you and I.

Annetta:  Yeah.

Tim:  But I just know that you gotta get past that puppy thing.

Annetta:  Yeah, that's what I'm figuring. You know, once we get past the puppy stage... I'm trying to tell my husband, "Just give her one year, just one year."

Tim:  Yeah.

Annetta:  Just one year, you know?

Tim:  Well, you should be all right, so just be patient. Be patient.

Annetta:  Okay. Okay.

Tim:  Now, if you want to talk to me about, not so much dogs, because I mean, I like Cinder and I was the last one in my family that wanted the dog, because I know how much work they are, but Cinder and I are good buddies now and we play a lot, but...

Annetta:  Same here.

Tim:  ... but if you want to talk about home improvement, maybe you've got a question. Of course, now we're into the heating season and you could have furnace questions, air filter questions. I can think of tons of questions you could have. You could have a question about, like today, the weather's kind of up there. It might get to the 50s like it was yesterday, 55; it was a gorgeous day. Is that a good time to paint outside? Because you procrastinated and it's like "Well gosh, I've got to get some stuff done." Well, is this really the right time? So, whatever your question might be, call me at 749-1035 (repeat).

I want to tell you something new at the website, and this may interest you. I have started a new program at AsktheBuilder.com where at least five times a week, I'm adding a new column. I know that sounds crazy, but I'm doing it. You've got a couple of choices. You can stop back to the website and just try to find it yourself. It'll be right on the home page.

I've talked about this in the past. I don't push it much, but I'm going to just talk about it a little bit because this is really important. In years past I could easily sign you up to my quick newsletter and send you an announcement via email. Because of all the spam and all these other things, email is just not the best tool anymore to get a message from one person to another. There is technology that's been out on the Internet for years and it's called push technology. It kind of had a bad rap about five or six years ago for a good reason, but they got all those bugs out and now it's called RSS. It's stands for Really Simple Syndication, and it really works a lot like the way you get your newspaper delivered. In fact, we're going to be talking about Barb in a little bit here, who's delivering the paper right now, a question of hers I'm going to answer on the air.

RSS works just like the Inquirer or the Post coming to your house. Now how's that? Well, here's the trouble with email in a way. Email is delivered into your mailbox, but for you to get your email, you have to go to the email box to get it. It requires a trip. It requires you pressing a couple of buttons, doing this, doing that. RSS is different. In other words, imagine if the Inquirer said, "You know what? If you subscribe to our paper, but each day you have to come down to the Inquirer to get it," well, people wouldn't do that. They wouldn't drive all the way down there, so they wouldn't get the paper! Well, RSS is simple. It simply is technology where there is intelligence in these other computers, and every time I add a new column at my website, this other computer (like a speed burner) knows it. It comes back, it catalogues that new item, and when you turn your computer on and just open up this software (I mean, you can have it automatically open up), it automatically tells you, "Oh, look! Tim published something new yesterday," or "The New York Times published something new." There are thousands of websites that have RSS feeds.

So, it's really cool technology. Don't mean to overwhelm you this early in the morning about it. But I'm telling you, you should start to look into RSS and sites that have RSS feeds (and I have one), and you'll automatically be notified every time anything is new on that website. So it's pretty cool stuff.

Okay. If you want to call me, once again it's 749-1035 and we're going to go to the phones now and we're going to talk to James. 
 

Ask the Builder Radio Shows

Posted on by Tim Carter

This is a brand-new section of AsktheBuilder.com. It will soon be populated with nearly ten years of past radio show transcripts. Oh, you want to listen to the shows while you jog, work around the house, exercise or drive in your car? Soon you will be able to download mp3 files of each radio show of mine or just individual segments of a particular show. The technology to do this has finally arrived and it is both convenient and powerful.

Stay tuned!

 

AsktheBuilder.com Media Information Center

Posted on by Tim Carter

Welcome to the AsktheBuilder.com Media Center. If you are a member of the press, a public relations person, an advertising representative or you work for a building material manufacturer, this may be a good place for you to start.

Advertising Your Products at AsktheBuilder.com


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Interviews
I routinely grant interviews. The fastest and best way to get in touch with me is via e-mail. If an e-mail is sent during normal business hours Eastern Standard Time, I usually will respond within hours. You and I can advance immediately to the interview, if you would be kind enough to describe in great detail what the subject matter of the interview will be.

Press Releases
If you want to submit a press release to me about a product and you want me to give it serious consideration, I strongly urge you to take the time to submit it in the AsktheBuilder.com user-friendly format.

AsktheBuilder in Your Newspaper or Magazine
Contact Ms. Sheila Donohue, at Tribune Media Services, if you would like my AsktheBuilder weekly column in your newspaper or print vehicle. Sheila is a superb individual and can be reached by phone at 1-800-245-6536 or e-mail at [email protected]

Press-Release and Product-Review Guidelines

Posted on by Tim Carter

Do you have any idea how many press releases I get each week? Patti, my mail carrier, has let me know a time or two that I better be reading all of the stuff that's giving her a bad case of shoulder arthritis. Handling paper is a hassle, but reading an email and clicking a link to a .PDF and .jpg file is faster.

Which electronic press releases do I look at first? Which ones get my attention? It's easy. If you want me to give your press release serious consideration, then you'll convert your press release into a .PDF file. Don't send me a MS Word file. I'm on a Mac, and they often lose formatting when Gmail opens them as a Google Document.

Press releases that get read by me follow these guidelines to the letter:

  • A 100-word maximum summary of the press release located at the top of the document. This summary is MISSION CRITICAL. Get my attention here - forget about all of the clever prose. Cut to the chase. Many of us in the press are just as busy as you are. In other words, be sure the summary is above the top fold of my monitor screen. If the summary contains key points that catch my interest, you can bet I'll read the full body of the release.
  • Color images included in the .PDF file with active links where I can see larger images or high-resolution images. This is not hard to do, and many members of the press would appreciate this time-saving measure.
  • Send images as attachments if you desire, but watch your file sizes. You can also provide a link where I can download the image(s).
  • Product samples sent to me for review are never returned. I NEVER write about a product nor feature it in a video unless I test it. If you want me to consider your product, you must send it to me. Use the Ask Tim link above to get my address.
  • Products sent to be reviewed are tested on a first-come first-served basis. Some product testing can take months to conclude, especially if a job needs to happen where the product can be used and tested. Please understand that there could be as many as fifty or more products ahead of you in the product-testing queue at any given time. I can't guarantee when a product will be tested or reviewed.
  • Products that pass my testing are almost ALWAYS mentioned in my weekly newsletter. My newsletter is sent to over 100,000 raving subscribers. I provide to the PR firm a report showing the thousands of clicks I send to the product's website within 96 hours of the mention in the newsletter. My subscribers LOVE product reviews in my newsletters.

Ready to submit your press release and products? Proceed to the Press Release Submission page to submit your press release or to the New Tool/Product Submission Form if you have a new tool or product you would like to submit.

Tim Carter’s Multimedia Outlets

Posted on by Tim Carter

If you think I just write my syndicated newspaper column each week and then kick off my shoes and relax (gosh, wouldn't that be the life!), you are dreaming. I do all sorts of other things:

I am now taping five to ten short videos each week. They are loaded to a library at YouTube.  Go there and type AsktheBuilder in the search box to see all the videos I have loaded. Be sure to subscribe to my video channel.

If you want me to send you an email each time I load a new video, then go here to sign up for that cool feature! 

Each winter I head to the huge International Builders Show to keep up with all of the latest building products and technology. If you want to meet with me at this show, I can often be found at the Press Room early in the day.

It is not uncommon for me to attend at least three or four separate editors conferences sponsored by building products manufacturers during the year. These are great opportunities to get in-depth information about new products long before you see them on store shelves.

I also do public speaking for businesses, associations or any group. My speeches can cover a wide variety of topics. Frequently I am asked to speak about the Internet, consumer marketing, consumer feedback, eCommerce and a host of other topics that I deal with on a day-to-day basis. Contact me if you want me to speak at your next meeting.

Last but not least, I try to write in my Ask Tim Carter blog as often as possible. This blog, just like my AsktheBuilder.com website, has its own RSS feed. The RSS Feed allows me to automatically notify you when I rant or rave about something. What you are clueless about RSS? You better get up to speed and add my feeds to your news aggregator software.

 

 

Wall Size and Energy Savings

Posted on by Tim Carter

Wall Size and Energy Savings

When you live in a city such as Chicago, Minneapolis or even Moosehead, Maine, it can get very cold in the winter. More importantly, it can stay cold. If energy prices are low and you have an efficient furnace in your new home, you might not care if it is 20 below zero. But energy prices can be unpredictable. They may jump 20 or even 30 percent in a short amount of time.

What size - 2x4 or 2x6 walls?

What's worse, it is very difficult to upgrade insulation to the exterior walls of your home once it is built. As you plan a new home, you will come to a fork in the road. Your builder may ask you whether you want 2x4 or 2x6 exterior walls. The first thing you should think about is return on investment since it will cost extra money for the thicker 2 x 6 walls.

There are many ways to make a new home more energy efficient. Hundreds, if not thousands, of books have been written about the topic. But all too often the issue of return on investment is overlooked or glossed over. Many people operate on a tight budget when building a new home. There can be lots of hand wringing over decisions where you can't see an aesthetic result or an immediate economic result. Thicker walls that contain more insulation is absolutely a mundane topic that would fit nicely in this category. But fortunately there is a way to measure a distinct return on your investment for an upgrade to 2 x 6 exterior walls vs. 2x4 exterior walls.

Are 2x6 walls more expensive?

The upgrade to 2x6 exterior walls is easy to understand. These wall require more expensive lumber, added finish lumber for the extension jambs for all windows and doors and the added cost of the thicker wall insulation. It is very easy for this upgrade to exceed $1,000.00 if not more for an average size home. Fortunately, it is a one-time expense that can produce large savings in certain situations.

Several years ago, scientists at the Building Research Council at the University of Illinois put some thought into this subject. The results of their research were very interesting as they established a benchmark that allows a person to quickly determine if upgrading to a thicker exterior wall system is a good idea. Using historical weather data, heating energy costs and the cost of the upgrade, they discovered that if you live in an area that experiences 5,750 or more heating degree days per year, it is a good idea to upgrade to the thicker walls.

What are heating degree days?

Heating degree days are calculated for you by the National Weather Service each day for each city. Annual totals are also readily available for hundreds of cities and towns across the USA. But if you want to do the calculations yourself, it is easy. Simply determine the average temperature for each day. Do this by adding the low and high temperature together and then divide that sum by 2. The result is the average temperature for that day. Subtract that number from 65. The result is the number of heating degree days for that day.

If you do this each day, you will discover that Chicago has approximately 6,500 heating degree days per season, Minneapolis has nearly 8,000 and those in Moosehead, Maine will top 8,500 in an average winter. Obviously it makes sense to build with thicker 2 x 6 exterior walls in these locations.

What are other benefits to thicker walls?

There are some added benefits as well to thicker walls. The greater mass can help deaden sounds. This may be a reason to do it if your home is in an area where the heating degree day total falls below 5,750 or is borderline. If you are trying to re-create the look of an older home, the extension jambs at the windows will help to support the illusion of a Victorian or Colonial home. In my own home, this added space within the extension jambs created a perfect spot to hide my retractable window screens.

You can also work to save energy in your attic no matter which size exterior walls you use. After the insulation is in place, consider installing radiant barrier chips. These highly reflective pieces of material bounce heat back to its source. In the winter months they will send the invisible infrared rays that have leaked into your insulation back down into your living space. In the summer, these magical chips bounce the hot attic infrared energy back outdoors. But never forget that wall thickness is nearly impossible to change once your home is built. Choose wisely and you will never regret it. Choose poorly and you may suffer for a very long time.

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