August 9, 2020 AsktheBuilder Last Call Newsletter

The STAIN SOLVER Sale ends in 6 hours. (It ended at midnight on Sunday, August 9, 2020.)

FACT: The first thing I'm doing in the morning, and it will be very early, is to raise the prices of STAIN SOLVER.

Yes, I'm sorry, but I'm taking away from you the sale price. Everything has to end, right?

I have NO IDEA when we'll have another sale.

This is your LAST CHANCE to save money in the immediate future.

CLICK or TAP HERE NOW to purchase STAIN SOLVER at it's lowest price.

Thanks.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

August 9, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Greetings! This top spot in the newsletter is reserved seating for new subscribers. That could be you! Get ready to discover a few things you probably never knew about your house, condo, apartment, or yurt! You’ll also find one or two other prizes in this issue.

You, however, might have received so many issues you’ve lost count. By any chance do you remember that column I wrote about sizing extension cords? You know, the one where I SAVED YOUR HOUSE FROM BURNING DOWN? CLICK or TAP HERE for a refresher course on making sure you have the RIGHT extension cord!

The Big Blow

Last week, I warned you about Hurricane Isaias that was set to pummel the USA East Coast. Guess who got pummeled?

Yep, me. We lost power for just under twelve hours. Fortunately, my Kohler standby generator kicked in and saved the day. CLICK or TAP HERE to watch a video about these amazing machines.

I learned something the next day - something very important.

When the power goes out at your home, CALL the utility company, or use a smartphone app to report the outage. I’ve never done this in the past, THINKING, “Well, surely some neighbor will call.”

Guess what? No one called. We all thought the other person was going to call. The downed line was arcing on the blacktop pavement for hours before a utility company truck happened upon it by accident on their way to another problem! Look at this photo to see what high-voltage electricity can do to blacktop pavement. That’s a 9-inch-deep hole you’re looking at!
Hole in road from power line down

After the line snapped, it took five hours before the power was shut off. All this time, the electricity was arc-welding the pavement heating it up as well as the stone base below. Once the power was safely off at 1:30 am, the fire department was able to put 2,000 gallons of water on the road to cool it down.

When I got to the site of the power outage just before 6:00 am, the roadway was still very hot to the touch. That’s my foot in the photo for scale.

Had someone called the power company just after the power went out we might have had power back in just a few hours instead of twelve.

Stain Solver ODD Sale Ends in Hours

The back-in-stock STAIN SOLVER sale ends at midnight, August 9, 2020. It’s called the ODD Sale because you’ll save either 5, 7, or 9 percent depending on what size you purchase.

I own the STAIN SOLVER company with my wife. I promote it because it simply is the most powerful multi-purpose cleaner I've ever used in my life.

Stain Solver Oxygen Bleach

Stain Solver is MADE in the USA with USA ingredients that are food-grade quality. CLICK THE IMAGE to order some NOW.

Last week I shared that most of you have still not tried STAIN SOLVER thinking it’s too good to be true. Check out these glowing testimonials that came in from other newsletter subscribers who happen to be huge fans:

Julia shared, “I’m a big fan of STAIN SOLVER… Let the product do the work! It’s great stuff that works as advertised and following the instructions has yielded fantastic results.

Carol deep cleans her Contigo Thermal Mugs. Here’s what she sent to me, “Every week I throw all of my Contigo lids in a bucket of hot water with a tablespoon of StainSolver and let them soak. I also fill each cup with a teaspoon of StainSolver and hot water. In just a few hours, STAIN SOLVER had worked its magic. It's amazing and disgusting what surfaces in the bucket! I never skip a week! Thanks, Tim.

Bev wrote, “I was dog sitting for my son, and the dog was sprayed by a skunk that got into their fenced in yard (this was the 2nd time in 2 weeks). We were able to get almost everything cleaned with vinegar, peroxide, and baking soda, but the rubber otter box on my cell phone held the odor and would not be cleaned. I took it off the phone and soaked it in a solution of STAIN SOLVER for a couple of days and the smell was gone! The case was also cleaner than it had been at any time since it was new. Saved me the cost of having to buy a new one! I also used STAIN SOLVER to clean the white plastic/fiberglass sink in our RV. It had been stained by red dirt from the bottom of our gallon water bottles. I mixed up a batch of STAIN SOLVER and let it sit for about a half-hour. The stains, which had been there for several years, were totally gone. I used it to clean mildew in the freezer of the RV too.

Bev could have also used STAIN SOLVER to get the skunk smell off the dog. I used it several times to immediately get rid of skunk smell when my German Shepherd, Lady the Dog, thought she could win the battle with the much-smaller mammals. She always lost. Just make sure you don’t get the STAIN SOLVER solution in an animal’s eyes or other mucus membranes.

Remember, not only is STAIN SOLVER a great cleaner, it’s also an amazing deodorizer. Even pungent male cat spray doesn’t stand a chance!

CLICK or TAP HERE to place your order now. I guarantee you’ll be stunned by what STAIN SOLVER can clean.

Remember my friend Phil from Australia? Well, after last week’s newsletter he got back to me with an incredible free eBook idea. Rest assured you’ll hear about it the moment it’s finished.

I told you Phil was full of great ideas! The eBook will be dedicated to him!

Flushable Wipes REMINDER

I’m so very fortunate to get many wonderful comments on my YouTube videos from folks just like you.

Lately, my Flushable Wipes video has been leading the pack. For some reason, many people are watching that video and it’s saving the day for them.

Flushable Wiper Video Thumbnail with soldiers

I suggest you watch the video once more yourself so you can save HUNDREDS of dollars by avoiding a drain-cleaning bill. You’ll also NOT be cleaning up RAW SEWAGE in your home.

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch the video.

The Fun Quiz

I’ll end this issue with the Fun Quiz. The last FUN QUIZ was painful, wasn’t it? Holy moly - only 16 of you got it right! Look at the results:
What Is Chrometophobia Quiz Results

I PROMISE this one will be easier and it WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH. You deserve a break!

Do you think you'll select the right answer? Here they are:

  • leather soles
  • microfiber rags
  • bright flags
  • plastic case
  • antique lantern

CLICK or TAP HERE to strengthen your little gray cells AND to discover a FUN NEW FACT!

That’s enough for a Sunday morning.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
BEST CLEANER in the World - www.StainSolver.com
Morse Man - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Would you like your lawnmower or other small engines to start FIRST PULL each time? Of course, you would, silly! CLICK or TAP HERE to see how easy it is to make happen.

August 8, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

If you're a NEW subscriber, this is NOT a normal newsletter. You'll get one tomorrow morning.

When a sale is about to expire, I send out these last-minute communique's.

Why? A vast majority of people are procrastinators, then they simply forget about my sale. Most are very grateful for the reminder.

This is your friendly Ask the Builder nudge to SAVE SWEET MOOLA on the BEST certified organic multi-purpose cleaner in the world:

STAIN SOLVER

CLICK or TAP HERE to see how it works.

CLICK or TAP HERE now to save the BIG GREEN on your favorite size of my Stain Solver.

The sale ends tomorrow at midnight. Period. (Sunday, August 9, 2020 @ midnight)

I've got lots of good information for you tomorrow, plus a new quiz to keep your tiny gray cells in great shape.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Co-Founder - www.StainSolver.com

Oxygen Bleach

Stain Solver is MADE in the USA with USA ingredients that are food-grade quality. CLICK THE IMAGE to order some NOW.

Sizing Gas Lines

Tim Carter can size and draw the gas lines for your house project.

Are you thinking of using CSST or flexible gas lines? CLICK or TAP HERE before you decide.

He's been a master plumber since age 29. CLICK or TAP HERE to order the service.

Once you've ordered, you need to answer all the questions in the following form:

August 2, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Welcome! Maybe you just subscribed in the past few days. This top spot in the newsletter is reserved seating for all new subscribers!

But if your first AsktheBuilder newsletter might have been issue #68, I’m so glad you keep coming back for more! BTW, that’s one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made over the years, not having an issue #. I actually have no idea how many newsletters I’ve sent, but it’s more than the pieces of Good & Plenty that you'd find in a giant bag. Arrrggghhh.

Anyway, you may remember when I exposed how the major paint companies employ, in my opinion, unethical practices to hawk products hoping you buy them. Do you recall that? CLICK or TAP HERE and leave a comment at the bottom of the page sharing how you might have gotten bamboozled like tens of thousands of others.

This Issue’s Music

I love music, all sorts of music. I listen to a wide variety as I compose this newsletter for you. I GUARANTEE YOU that you’ve never heard this song played outdoors. If you’ve got any troubles that you need to dump in a basket on your desk, listening to this will pipe them away in a hurry. CLICK or TAP HERE and be amazed. If you like what you hear, leave a comment at the bottom of the page for goodness sake!

Hurricane Isaias

Late summer and early fall, I do my best to save you from grief and frustration. Monster storms can create flooding, wind damage, etc. anywhere across the central and eastern USA. Hurricane Isaias is growing into a menacing storm as I write this.
Hurricane Isaias

Please understand that fire and police departments classify your home as the LEAST VALUABLE asset in your community. Your fire department and police department will probably NEVER SHOW UP TO HELP YOU should you get into trouble in a natural disaster.

They have limited resources and during and after a major catastrophe these are focused on valuable assets many rely on in your community. Examples might be:

  • Hospitals
  • Grocery stores
  • Fuel depots
  • Building supplies

Your house is far down the list way at the bottom. No one cares about you and your house except you. This means YOU need to do what’s necessary RIGHT NOW to protect yourself and your possessions. CLICK or TAP HERE for a list of things I have in my home so I’m prepared for anything.

BTW, this advice applies to you no matter where you live. You might be susceptible to wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis, cats and dogs living together, etc. Be prepared!

Phil in Australia

I’ve been blessed over the years to become really good friends with lots of people all because of this newsletter. The list is quite long.

Phil deserves the award for long-distance coupled with offering great suggestions about how to improve Ask the Builder. We started to communicate via email years ago and continue to this day. I’d so love to go Down Under and meet Phil, as well as Russell, Patricia, and quite a few Australians who regularly correspond with me.

When I blurted out the Stain-Solver-Back-in-Stock blast a few days ago, Phil responded:

“Tim, I long for the day that I can have Stain Solver in my cupboard in Melbourne. You should let the USA folks reading your newsletter know how lucky they are to be able to order it.

All the best,

Phil”

Well, thanks, Phil (I’m trying not to blush). Phil might be shocked by the following estimate. I’d guess less than 3 percent of my newsletter subscribers have ever purchased Stain Solver.

Perhaps you can help! If you’re a satisfied Stain Solver customer, reply back to me with one or two of your best success stories. What did Stain Solver save that you thought was ruined forever? It’s time for show and tell.

Your story might convert a subscriber and we’ll start saving their stuff too!

I’ve done surveys before and believe it or not the most common reason I hear is, “Your Stain Solver sounds TOO GOOD to be true. There's NO WAY a cleaner can do what you say!

Well, photos don’t lie. Look at how it cleaned this stained Corian sink with NO SCRUBBING!
Corian Sink dirty
Corian Sink Clean

I don’t quite know how to respond to folks that are non-believers other than to show some of the dramatic before/after photos as you see above.

Even then, I imagine folks might think they’ve been photoshopped. Those sink photos were not altered. CLICK or TAP HERE to read the story sent in by John about the Corian sink. His daughter Emily was the one who transformed the sink.

With all that said, now is a GREAT time to try out Stain Solver.

Why?

It’s now back in stock after being SOLD OUT for nearly ten weeks.

I also have the ODD SALE going on now to celebrate we have product to sell. You can get either 5, 7, or 9 percent off depending on which size you buy. The more you purchase, the more you save.

CLICK or TAP HERE to place your order.

The ODD SALE WILL ONLY LAST A WEEK.

New RAPID-ALERT Notification Feature

I activated a new feature on the website that you may find quite interesting.

Rather than wait for me to share in a newsletter what’s new on the website, you can get a cute little announcement on your computer, tablet, or phone. You just click it and BOOM you’re taken right to the new column, video, or product review.

I signed up myself so I could see what it all looks like. When you visit the website now, you should see this:
ATB Website Notifications

If you click YES, then you might see:

ATB Website Notifications Allow

You need to click ALLOW.

Then once I load a new column within SECONDS you might see:

ATB New Column Notification

It’s really wonderful technology and you’ll now see EVERY NEW thing I create seconds after I upload it.

Try it yourself and let me know what you think. I know it works on Chrome and Safari browsers and my guess is on others. I hope you don’t run into issues. You may not see the signup box if you have ad-blocking software running.

You need to know there are hundreds of past columns, videos, product reviews, etc. that I’ve never shared here in the newsletter for a host of reasons. Yes, there’s lots of content BURIED at the website just waiting for you to discover it.

You won’t need to search if you activate this new feature.

Speaking of tool reviews, check out this one about the Klein 1/2-inch Compact Impact Driver.

Old vs New - Which is Better?

Please peer at this photo:

Old Lumber vs New Lumber End View

What do you know about tree growth rings? What do you know about modern electric cable? Do you really think you know everything about concrete?

CLICK or TAP HERE and get ready to be wowed. Did you take a debate class in high school? This column will bring back memories for sure.

That’s quite enough for a Sunday.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
We’re BACK IN BIZ - www.StainSolver.com
DX at 5 watts - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. CLICK or TAP HERE if you want to see a cool wainscotting kit.

Newsletter Music Saxaphone Pipeline Echo

Newsletter Music Saxophone Pipeline Echo

The saxophone pipeline echo soundtrack was featured in the August 2, 2020, AsktheBuilder.com newsletter. CLICK or TAP HERE to read all past AsktheBuilder.com newsletters.

CLICK or TAP HERE to listen to all the music featured in past AsktheBuilder.com newsletters.

You can listen to a saxophone player create an echo in a pipeline below.

Stain Solver, the best and most powerful certified organic cleaner on Earth, is the sponsor of the Newsletter Music.

Show your support. Purchase a small sample size and behold its magic powers.

Stain Solver Oxygen Bleach SS02 Bottle

Stain Solver is MADE in the USA with USA ingredients that are food-grade quality. CLICK THE IMAGE to order some NOW.

Is Older Better?

Old Lumber vs New Lumber End View

Is Older Better? | You’re looking at an old piece of lumber from the late 1800s versus a modern timber. Look at the difference in the size of the growth rings. Which one is more rot resistant and which one is stronger? Copyright 2020 Tim Carter

Old Building vs New Building - Interesting Debate!

You’ve undoubtedly heard the saying, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to.” Often it’s said in frustration when a newer product fails long before you might think it should. If I could wave a magic wand and be a teacher in a vocational school dedicated to building things, I can assure you that I’d break my senior class up into old vs. new teams and this topic be the subject of a large debate assignment.

While I do possess certain mystic building and plumbing powers, I’m not able to pull this off in a classroom, so you and I will have the discussion right here and now. I wonder which team you’d like to be on? You might discover something about old and new building products and methods that just might put your head on a swivel.

I had the good fortune to cut my teeth as a young builder working in and on old homes in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati experienced explosive suburban growth in the late 1800s. People started to see the benefits of living up on the hilltops that overlooked the smokey and grimy Mill Creek Valley. New single-family and multi-family homes were being built in a decades-long building boom.

Old Lumber is Far Better Than New

Rough framing lumber back then was indeed rough. It was bigger than today’s wall studs and floor joists. The wood was cut from old-growth timber and the growth rings were thin. There was often an equal amount of strong and dense summerwood, the darker growth ring, versus the weaker and softer springwood, the lighter growth ring you see on lumber.

Today’s timber has been hybridized to grow faster and you see far more spring wood than summerwood. Modern lumber is more susceptible to rot and movement because of this high spring wood content.

Old Solid Masonry is Better Than Modern Brick Veneer

Old brick homes didn’t have the water-leakage issues and mold problems of today’s brick-veneer homes. The masons of old knew that wind-driven rainwater would penetrate brick walls so they used a softer inner brick to absorb the water before it got indoors. After the storm, the water would be pulled out of the brick by the sun and wind. The masons also knew that hydrated lime and sand made for a much better mortar than today’s modern products.

Old Concrete Had More Portland Cement

Walk down older sidewalks in some cities or look at the concrete supporting railroad bridges and you might be able to make the case that today’s concrete is not as good as that made 80 or 100 years ago. This is a complex topic but one thing the older concrete masons knew is that if you just added some additional Portland cement to the mix, the concrete would absolutely be stronger and last longer. There have been amazing advancements in modern concrete that when coupled with expert installation create an artificial rock that will last hundreds of years.

PEX Water Lines Don't Burst When Frozen

Debates ebb and flow and the team that puts forth modern products are better than older ones will most likely win the day when it comes to both the plumbing and electric inside your home. It’s hard to disagree with the benefits of modern PEX water supply lines over the older galvanized iron water lines I used to remove because they were clogged solid with calcium deposits. PEX water lines don’t burst when they freeze causing mayhem and untold headaches.

Cast Iron Drain Lines are Quiet

Old cast iron and galvanized drain lines would rot out or become clogged whereas modern PVC can perform for decades with no issues if you watch what you put down your sinks and toilets. Granted modern spun-cast iron pipes are far superior to older cast iron and it doesn’t transmit sound like modern PVC pipes that sound like Niagara Falls when you flush a second-floor toilet.

Modern Electric Cables and Wires are Better

Modern electric cable and advanced circuit breakers are, in my opinion, far superior to the old knob-and-tube wiring and screw-in fuses. Modern electric wiring in homes installed to code creates a much safer environment than what you might find in a home wired in 1913.

Ceramic Tile Set in Concrete Mortar is Best

The back-and-forth discussion about ceramic tile would be fascinating to listen to. You might not know about ceramic tile set in concrete on both walls and floors. I can’t begin to tell you how durable older ceramic wall tile is that was installed over screeded concrete mortar embedded in wire lath. Today’s tile installed over a waterproof gypsum board or 1/2-inch-thick cement board is simply no comparison.

Old Craftsmen Treated Work as a Vocation

If you decided to be on the debate team that said older was better, you’d have a field day with workmanship issues. In my opinion, I think the workmanship in older homes is far superior to what you generally see in today’s homes. Yes, there are still a few craftsmen today that treat what they do as a vocation rather than a job. But go back in time and just about every worker took enormous pride in what they produced each day.

Bring Back Shop Class to High Schools

This is why I’m a huge proponent of re-introducing building technology into all high schools across the USA. I want to expose young girls and boys to the trades and open their eyes to how fulfilling it is to work with your hands and create things that help others. There’s a vast shortage of young people entering all of the building trades and there’s never been a better time to get a job that will pay well.

Houses need constant care and upkeep so you’ll discover there’s a never-ending stream of work for you, especially if you develop a reputation that’s the motto at the bottom of each of my AsktheBuilder.com newsletters: Do It Right, Not Over!

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