Protected: Annual Fun & Games Issue
Protected: Johnson Hardware 2021 Mystery Game Teaser
January 31, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter
Charlie Murdock, former manager of WLW-TV, told me you’d show up here one day. He was right! I had the good fortune to have Charlie mentor me about how to do a live radio call-in show as well as home improvement TV segments. I’m glad you subscribed. Enjoy your first issue; it’s a pretty good one if I do say so myself.
You, though, might have been here for so long that you remember me mentioning Charlie in the past. He was so smart and I thank my lucky stars I was able to absorb much of what he shared. He and I used this column about sizing decks as the basis for the first work I ever did on TV. Let me know if you’ve had to deal with this common deck problem at your home.
Salute to Bob Herring!
Do you know what country’s flag this is?
Imagine a photo of the Isle of Man.
I didn’t know myself until about a week ago. But had my kids attended Nativity School in Cincinnati when Bob Herring was principal, I’m quite sure I would have recognized it. Bob’s passion was international geography and his students knew countries and their flags by gosh!
I’m a ham radio operator and last weekend I made my first contact with another operator, Bob Barden, who lives where this flag flies on the Isle of Man. It’s a tiny sovereign entity! Look up its location.
Yes, I could tell you where it is, but just as Miss Krause said in 5th grade, “You’ll remember what the word means if you look it up.”
Sherman’s Generosity
Last week, Sherman was reading my Roofing Ripoff eBook and got to chapter ten. He discovered something invaluable in my book that inspired him to return the favor by dropping the largest tip ever in my Tim’s Tip Jar.
I was astonished and reached out to thank him because I had no idea what his motivation was to give me the generous tip. Here’s what he sent back
Hi Tim,
It was my pleasure, and thank you for your reply. It's nice to know I'm speaking to a real person, and not an Internet bot. 🙂
Your advice on roof warranties (Chapter Ten of your book) literally helped keep a roof over my family's head.
-Sherman
Sherman is right about one thing. The information in my Roofing Ripoff eBook will allow you to put on a regular asphalt shingle roof that can last 40 or 50 years. Think how much you'll SAVE over time. I’d say that’s pretty remarkable. Wouldn’t you agree?
Cold Air and Your Birthday Suit
Do you have cold air leaking down on top of you from your bathroom exhaust fan?
Consider how I’d solve that problem if I was working at your home while you’re busy in the kitchen. Imagine delicious pizzelles are coming out of your waffle iron as fast as pieces of candy coming down the conveyor belt in that hilarious I Love Lucy episode.
BTW, several of my customers used to offer food and drink to my crew and me on a regular basis. After a few days on the job, many treated me like an old friend. Some of those customers are friends to this day.
Ginny Motz would always ask if I was hungry. Others would offer hot coffee if it was cold out, or refreshing tasty lemonade if it was blistering hot.
I did have one customer who told me she loved to make pizzelles. I demolished her old kitchen and created a new one. I was never at her home when she could easily make them. She created a temporary cramped kitchen in her dining room using a hotplate, microwave oven, and a crockpot. The remodel was completed years ago and I never did get to try a pizzelle. I’m sure they were tasty!
CLICK or TAP HERE and stop that drafty cold air on your skin after getting out of the shower for goodness sake.
Grab the Ceiling!
Mike August shared this with me:
"My deck does it starting at 20 degrees Fahrenheit and as the temp goes down it gets louder and louder. At about 16 degrees, it starts scaring the Holy shnickies out of us. The best way to describe the sound, imagine someone flying overhead in a silent, no engine glider about 2,000 ft above my deck and dropping 16-lb bowling balls on my deck about every 30 minutes. One at a time. Distanced apart just long enough for us to get into a good horror or suspense movie and forget about the sound that makes us jump out of our skin and grab the ceiling."
What is the it Mike is talking about? I know because it used to happen to ME EACH FRIGID NIGHT!
Batts or Blown-In Fiberglass - Which One?
You need to add attic insulation. Decisions to make! I can help you with this conundrum.
A-Frames - What are the Hidden Problems?
Would you like to live in this house?
Before you buy or build an A-frame home, I BEG YOU to scan my A-Frame House column and follow the advice you'll find there.
Water Heater Venting
Do you own a water heater that uses natural gas or propane to heat the water? Do you have an older home? PLEASE read my water heater venting column before you become overcome by carbon monoxide.
Smoking Fireplaces
Tim is building a new home in Broken Arrow, OK. Unfortunately, his builder and mason are clueless about how to build fireplaces. Look at this:
It’s really hard to tell in the photo but this firebox design consists of two short walls that end at the andirons, and then they take off at a 45-degree angle to meet at a hard corner in the center rear of the firebox.
Never in my life have I seen a firebox built this way and there’s a reason for that. Tim’s fireplace smokes like a chugging steam locomotive going up a 2 percent grade. Not good!
It’s easy to build a fireplace that doesn’t smoke. The BIA has fantastic fireplace design dimensions and I’ve included them right here for you.
The Rona Blues!
I know, you've had it with the lockdowns, not seeing your friends, not going out to a nice sit-down dinner with your heartthrob, and most of all - just living normally!
You're grumpy as a mean old bear. You're kicking the cat and snapping at She Who Must Be Obeyed. All of these are signs that you need some FUN!
I've got just what you need in the next issue. I'm spending the week developing a fun activity and distraction that just may put a big wide GRIN on your face. I'm pretty certain I can pull this off.
You may even end up doing a little jig in your house as I entertain you! Only time will tell, but it ain't talkin'!
CLICK or TAP HERE and listen CLOSELY to what Kenny says.
That’s quite enough for a Sunday.
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
BEST Cleaner - www.StainSolver.com
Brrrr Winter Field Day - www.W3ATB.com
Do It Right, Not Over!
P.S. How do you think I keep my man cave warm? I thought you’d never ask!!! You’re going to love these short radiant heat floor mat videos!
Plumbing Code Consult
Plumbing Code Consult | This is a riser diagram or plumbing isometric that meets or exceeds code. You won't find many that recommend a full-sized vent! I can draw your riser diagram in just a few hours if need be.
Plumbing Code Consult - You Better Talk With a Pro
A plumbing code consult can be one of two things:
- a phone call with a master plumber to answer questions
- a request to draw a plumbing isometric drawing or riser diagram so it meets code
You may also have plumbing questions about:
- what type of drain line is best
- what size should I use
- can I install a loop vent
- does a loop vent need a pressure-relief vent
- how many vent pipes must go through the roof
The list of things you don't know about plumbing can be endless. This is why you should hire me to do your plumbing code consult.
Should I Use PVC or Cast Iron?
You should use both. Use cast iron for the vertical stacks that go down walls and for the 3-inch drain pipe across a ceiling for a toilet. You can use PVC pipes for all the other drains and vent pipes.
Are Cable TV Shows Harmful?
Cable TV shows about how to install plumbing can be harmful because they instill in you a false sense of confidence. Many of the plumbing episodes I've watched don't really tell you the entire truth. I've done expert witness work for years and there's an old saying in our business: A half-truth is a whole lie. Don't allow the TV shows to lie to you.
Should I Solder or Use Press Fittings?
You can do both, but the press fittings are infinitely faster. You can rent the press tool.
Watch these two videos and see for yourself which method is faster:
Do you need DIY coaching? Are you stuck with a building or remodeling issue? Check out Tim's DIY Coaching.
Only Time Will Tell
Only Time Will Tell - Kenny Chesney
This is a fantastic song. Listen closely to the lyrics.
I Love Lucy Candy Factory
I Love Lucy Candy Factory - Classic Humor
This has to be one of the funniest scenes in the delightful I Love Lucy TV series from the 1950s.
Floor Trusses vs Floor Joists
Floor Trusses vs Floor Joists | These are fantastic floor trusses in my daughter’s home. There are multiple reasons I specified them. One is floor truss framing. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter
Floor Trusses vs Floor Joists - Trusses Will WOW You
Last week, I was downloading some photos from my fancy digital camera and I stumbled across hundreds of forgotten photos I shot while my daughter’s new home was being built on Mt. Desert Island in Downeast Maine.
I was there every day for the first few months capturing the framing of the home as well as installing all the plumbing, radiant floor heating, and electric in the home. I did my best to capture each aspect of the construction. It was snowy, cold, and windy but that just reminded me of all the cold days I had worked on my jobs. We didn’t have heated jackets back then and kept warm by constantly moving.
CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from carpenters who will install floor trusses.
Does Ceramic Tile Work Better on Floor Trusses?
One of my favorite aspects of the construction of the home was the use of floor trusses vs floor joists. I specified floor trusses for quite a few reasons not the least of which they produce amazing flat floors with no bounce. My daughter wanted tile floors throughout the home because of a dust allergy and flat floors with no bounce are a must for large-format tile.
Where Do You Get Floor Trusses?
Floor trusses are ordered at a traditional lumberyard. The companies that make roof trusses are the same ones that make floor trusses.
You may not even realize you can get floor trusses. I’m certain you’ve seen common roof trusses so you’re familiar with how smaller dimensional lumber like 2x4s can be cobbled together in such a way to be as strong or stronger than common dimensional larger lumber.
Are Floor Trusses Like Road Bridges?
Floor trusses borrow the same engineering principles bridge builders have employed for decades. There’s a very good chance you’ve driven across a Pratt truss bridge in your lifetime. This bridge is designed just like a floor truss or vice versa. It’s got a flat top and bottom chord with lots of triangles in between.
Just as a bridge can span a river resting on two piers, one on each bank, floor trusses can do the same in your new home or room addition. The ends of the floor trusses rest on the parallel exterior walls. There’s no need for interior bearing walls in the center of your home. Imagine the possibilities of an open floor plan when you get silly bearing walls out of the way!
Have You Installed Floor Joists?
Let’s talk about the humble traditional floor joist for a moment. I’ve installed thousands of them in my lifetime. I used them in the last home I built, a stunning Queen Anne Victorian home that had a maze of bearing walls throughout the house because of the traditional design.
Do Floor Joists Have Pesky Crowns?
Floor joists are sawn from logs. They often have inconsistent crowns to them. A crown is a hump in the floor joist. Humps and floor tile don’t play well together. You have to be careful with the size and placement of holes you might drill into a joist to run pipes and ducts. Even if you use the strongest and highest-grade lumber floor joist, you can’t come close to the distance you can span using a floor truss.
Do Firefighters Dislike Floor Trusses?
Floor joists are favored by firefighters. It takes a while for a fire to burn the lumber to a point it’s unsafe to be inside trying to knock down a fire. Floor trusses fail faster. If a fire is raging to this degree in a home, there’s a good chance burning plastics in the house that create poisonous toxic smoke have already caused fatalities of anyone not able to escape the inferno.
Fire departments can work with building departments and as the truck is on its way to a fire, the crew leader in the passenger seat can look up to see if the address has joists or trusses. He/she can then decide to not go inside to fight the fire. It just becomes a slightly larger insurance claim in the event firefighters do the right thing by extinguishing the fire by staying outdoors and staying safe.
Will Floor Trusses Save Money?
Another reason I favor floor trusses is how much money you will save when plumbers, electricians, and HVAC people discover how easy it’s going to be to install all the utilities in your new home. The open web design gives each trade copious amounts of room to run all the pipes, ducts, and cables with ease. Electricians will think they died and went to Heaven. They don’t have to drill any holes!
Is Drywall Easier to Hang on Floor Trusses?
Drywall hangers love floor trusses too. The drywall sheets meet on the bottom of a 2x4, not a narrow 1.5-inch-wide floor joist. There’s no need to install silly 1x3 furring strips as is common in some parts of the USA. Those things are a waste of money and time as far as I’m concerned.
How do you Minimize Floor Bounce?
Realize that you can work with the truss designer and make the floors as stiff as you want so there’s no bounce. To minimize bounce, the truss height is usually increased a few inches.
Should Floor Trusses be Used with Panelized Walls?
If you couple floor trusses with factory-built walls you can minimize construction time and get your house under roof faster. The precision of these factory-built components is remarkable. I can assure you the workmanship is far better than most you’ll get from carpenters stick-building your home.
Column 1390
January 24, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter
Kon'nichiwa! Welcome to your first full issue of my newsletter. I’ve never been to Japan, but my ham radio friend Hiro lives there. I reserve this place of honor at the top of each issue to greet you.
Hiro was kind enough to send me my unique digital seal made with Kanji. It's just above. Seals are often used instead of signatures in Japan. Pretty cool, right?
You, though, might have received five or five-hundred newsletters from me. Do you recall when I shared those stunning before and after photos Saskia sent me from her home in Palos Verdes Estates, California? They’re the ones of her fountain coated with thick hard-water stains.
Saskia used the advice in my Removing Hard Water Stains column and achieved professional results using a somewhat secret method that was taught to me by Dr. John Alexander.
You should really check out Saskia’s photos. BTW, are you interested in seeing a photo of me when I had shoulder-length hair and weighed 185 pounds? The things I have to offer up to get you to go to a page, jeeesh!
Bibelots
A few days ago, I was looking in awe at some of the detail on one of my bibelots. It was striking.
Wait just a minute. You don’t know what a bibelot is!
Which was it? Were you sick that day, gazing at your heartthrob up one seat and across the aisle from you, or maybe daydreaming in 8th-grade when that vocabulary word was discussed?
I know exactly what you muttered at your desk when bibelot bubbled out of your teacher’s lips, “When will I EVER need to know what that silly word means?”
Today - today is the day you need to know what it means! My wise father-in-law had a saying about situations like this:
“The mills of the gods grind slowly but thoroughly.”
Ouch - you just got squished by the millstone! 🙂
You can’t resist, can you? You want to see some of my prized bibelots, don’t you? Well, click or tap and take a look!
Free & FAST Bids - Local Contractors
Now that Christmas seems ages ago, it’s time to make your future home project dreams come true! CLICK or TAP the following links and take a few moments to fill out the form. You’ll get free & fast bids from local contractors in return.
It’s amazing how fast you’ll get calls in these crazy times:
Roof Replacement Free Bid
Heat Pump or Furnace Free Bid - Get WARMER now!
Window Replacement - STOP the cold drafts NOW!
Sssssssshhh!!
Do you have a sound problem in your home or condominium? It could be outdoor noise leaking in or it could be sound from above or below the room you’re relaxing/sleeping in.
Want to know how to make your house QUIET? I thought so. You simply need to check out my soundproofing column.
Deicing Salts and Concrete - Myth-Busting Time
Are you convinced deicing salt will ruin all concrete? You’re not alone. Many feel this way.
Do you live in a cold climate in an older city? Do you have railroad bridges that cross over the roads you travel? Have you looked at the base of the massive concrete abutments next to the roads? Do the abutments have construction dates cast into them? Maybe you've been too darned cold to figure this one out. I get it!
I suggest you come in from the cold and expand the knowledge stored inside your tiny gray cells. Check out my Deicing Salts & Concrete column.
STOP Wet Basements & Crawlspaces
The headline above should be enough to get you to see how I solve wet basement and crawlspace problems.
Hang Heavy Things on Walls - Special Walls
Drywall is only so strong. You don’t want to take chances hanging heavy things on some walls.
Discover how I make sure gravity doesn’t win the cage fight in my home.
So You Think A Dry Well is a Good Idea
Peer at this photo:
The photo shows a dry well being built. Is it going to work at your home? Keep an open mind as I help you answer that question.
There’s only one way to know. Scan my Dry Well Installation column and be the wiser.
You’ve Got
I just installed the Mail Chime at my house. Yippee Ki-Yay!
This is a fantastic product. You’d do well to look at the PHOTOS in my review of the Mail Chime. It’s not too often I come across a product that’s simple and EASY to install. And it works too!
That’s enough for a Sunday.
I’ll be back here next week sharing lots more home improvement tips. You’re going to discover how to stop that infernal cold air from leaking through your bath exhaust fan onto your soft wet skin as you exit the shower. I’m also going to share which is better: fiberglass batts or blown-in insulation.
Have a good week.
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Get CLEAN - www.StainSolver.com
Winter Field Day soon - www.W3ATB.com
Do It Right, Not Over!
P.S. What’s the real story about basement foam board insulation? I thought you’d never ask.
What is a Bibelot
What is a Bibelot | This is a good example of a bibelot. It's a tiny beer stein that would hang from a charm bracelet. CLICK or TAP HERE to see a wide variety of bibelots.
What is a Bibelot? - It's Something Small You Treasure
A bibelot is often referred to as a trinket or a tiny ornamental item, often jewelry but not always. A bibelot is not to be confused with a gewgaw. Gewgaws are often much bigger things.
In other words, if you have a small knickknack that holds sentimental value to you, it's probably a bibelot.
Some bibelots might become valuable years from now. For example, one of mine is the hat or vest pin I got from the first Boston Marathon I worked as a ham radio operator. It was the 116th Boston Marathon pin. For whatever reason, I didn't get one - or I lost it! - for the following year, the 117th running. That was the year of the wretched bombing incident. I was working at that event and wrote a detailed story about my experience. You can bet over time, that pin will become a collector's item.
Here's a small sampling of my collection of bibelots:
This might be my favorite bibelot. I believe it was a lapel pin worn by Delta Airlines flight attendants. I found it on the floor of the Silverton Post Office in Cincinnati, OH around 1998. The post office is adjacent to the HighBrewBloto micro-brewery that's in the old Silverton town offices.
This represents the start of Ask the Builder. It's a pin I got at the ceremony when I was selected as one of the top 50 remodelers in the USA in 1993. Five months later my first Ask the Builder column ran in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
My high school class ring.
This is a cuff link from my Mom. She was a pharmacist. Unfortunately, I don't know the story about the tie tack as well. I must have lost the other cuff link. UGH!
I was one of the first GRI realtors in Ohio back in 1976 when they introduced the program to honor those who completed lots of night school classes to increase their knowledge base about all things real estate.
This is a special pin given to a tiny group of altar boys. It shows I was one of the five altar boys that were on the solemn set. I was the #2 acolyte and we served the special solemn-high masses and all sorts of other special religious ceremonies throughout the year.
This is my University of Cincinnati class ring. I should have picked the red stone. Why I went with orange is beyond me. Orange is not one of my favorite colors!
This is a US Civil War bullet given to me by a friend. It was found on a battlefield in Virginia. You don't want to be on the receiving end of such a large-caliber projectile.
This story first appeared in Tim's January 24, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.