Newsletter Music Into the West

Into The West was featured in the May 3, 2020 AsktheBuilder.com newsletter. This is sung by Annie Lennox.

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

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April 30, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Hello there! Say, you don’t look familiar. Oh, no wonder, you’re a new subscriber! Welcome! I love listening to music when I compose this newsletter. When I was young I broke all the rules and played all the fools. Do you know what song is playing here in my cave? CLICK or TAP HERE if you want to know what the song is and to get your blood pumping. BTW, I don’t really think you’re a fool! Quite the contrary!

You, on the other hand, may have been a subscriber since way back when I shared the one blockbuster column that really upset the water heater manufacturers. Do you remember that one? WOWZA, they were none too happy! CLICK or TAP HERE to see what put a bee in their bonnet. BE SURE TO READ the comments sent in by homeowners!!! HOLY TOMATO!

Sharon and Mr. Sharon

A few weeks ago, I called Sharon. Here’s the problem she faced:

fix old doorknob

This call was so much fun! I don’t want to ruin the surprise. You MUST LISTEN for yourself. It’s HILARIOUS.

CLICK or TAP HERE sit back for a few minutes and enjoy. It’s a short phone call.

Cleaning and SANITIZING Facts

Still in a tizzy about the health hysteria swirling all around the world? It reminds me of a whirlpool in a fast-draining sink. Wondering what you can do to have some control? Maybe I can help!

Do you know the BEST way to sanitize a surface if you’re trying to stay as healthy as possible and not get sick?

It’s not as easy as you might think. First and foremost, to truly sanitize a surface, you must CLEAN it first.

Sanitizing doesn’t automagically CLEAN a surface.

Many sanitizers are NOT CLEANERS. Don’t confuse the two.

Here’s an example. Many years ago, washing dishes at Skyline Chili in Cincinnati, OH, was my first real job. The washing cycle of the machine lasted one minute.

For the first 48 seconds, the high-powered machine washed the dishes. It CLEANED them removing all food particles.

The last 12 seconds of the cycle were for SANITIZING. The rinse water was boosted to 180 F or higher. You could see the thermometer on the machine cover spike.

During rush periods, when the restaurant was busy, you had to get the scalding hot dishes out of the rack immediately. Believe me, they were as HOT as Hades!

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Here’s another BIG plus! When mixed with water, Stain Solver offers many of the same functional benefits as the liquid hydrogen peroxide you buy in those brown bottles at the grocery store. CLICK or TAP HERE to order some Stain Solver before you try to sanitize anything.

FUN Quiz!

Did you take the last fun quiz? WOW! You almost tilted Google Forms with your record number of responses. If you didn’t take the quiz, don’t miss out this week!

CLICK or TAP HERE to see all the past FUN QUIZZES.

Today’s quiz is quite interesting. Imagine this scenario:

Your neighbor needs to borrow something you own. I know, I know, Neither a borrower nor lender be is the old saying. But you relent and help him out. Think about this photo:
salt map of texas

CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you lend him the right thing!

Gary’s New Roof

Gary emailed me about a week ago:

“Just had a new roof installed. As I was getting my quotes, I had asked about adding copper to the roof. They said that the new shingles have an ingredient in them that is resistant to mold and discoloring. I am thinking I should add the copper. I do not want to void my warranty or harm my roof by doing it. What are your thoughts?"

This is a very interesting email when you parse it.

First, I don’t think the roofers understood Gary’s question about WHY he wanted to add the copper.

Second, WHAT type of copper needs to be added?

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch a video of me explaining what copper can do. You’ll also hear my advice and see a photograph of how I’d install the copper on Gary’s roof.

Sap Stain Removal

Imagine you discovered tree sap stains on your hearth or another stone area in your home. How would you go about removing it?

Theresa asked me about this and I called her up with good news! Look at the stain:

sap stain removal

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover how I’d clean that stain in no time.

HELP from Potters

Feeling creative? Do you make your own pottery? If so, do you use a wood-fired kiln to change the clay mineralogy? My youngest daughter and I are building a very small prototype wood-fired kiln based on a video we saw on YouTube. We poured the foundation for it yesterday.
wood-fired kiln foundation

I’d love to get some advice about firing pottery in a wood-fired kiln. If you can help would you reply to this email and let me know if I can give you a call. Thanks!

That’s quite enough for a Thursday.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
CLEAN before SANITIZING - www.StainSolver.com
Cool Waves - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. How would you create a tunnel under a sidewalk or driveway if you needed to get a cable under it?

I discovered an injeanyus trick years ago from a fellow plumber. CLICK or TAP HERE to watch a short video. You’ll say, “WTH? Why didn’t I think of that????”

Faux Stone on a House or Wall

Faux Stone on a House or Wall

Faux Stone on Wood Walls | This happens to be real stone washed by a setting sun. You can achieve a similar look using faux stone or other non-stone products. Copyright 2020 Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I’m building a very small house and love the look of natural stone. I also intend to build some low garden walls that I want to look like stone too. I’ve seen the artificial stone at building centers and home and garden shows. What’s your opinion of this fake stone? Will it last? Is it hard to install? Can it be done by someone like me with a great attitude and moderate skills? The physical labor is not an issue. I just want you to tell me the truth and not sugarcoat it. Melissa P., Tuscon, AZ

I’ve been answering questions like Melissa’s for over twenty-five years. You may be like Melissa and have a great attitude about trying to do a job yourself. That inner drive is how I accumulated all of my building knowledge. I made mistakes along the way but learned from each one making me a better builder. You can do exactly the same. Embrace small failures and use them to move forward.

Will Faux Stone Work on a Garden Wall?

Melissa is lucky in that she wants to use the stone in two ways, on her petite house and the garden walls. You need to know that the first piece of advice I always give someone when trying a project for the first time is to practice. Melissa can practice on a garden wall before she attempts to work on the house. This way she can refine her skills on a part of the wall that’s least visible. If you don’t plan to have garden walls, you can build a simple fake wall from wood to practice laying the artificial stone.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local stone masons who can install faux stone.

How Durable is Faux Stone?

Let’s talk about the durability of the fake stone. Almost all artificial stones are made from poured concrete in ideal factory conditions. Concrete is the original artificial stone! You make concrete from small stones, sand (which is almost always very tiny pieces of stone), Portland cement, and water. It’s important to realize that Portland cement is made from stone - limestone and shale.

Artificial Stone House

Artificial or faux stone like this on the outside of a home is not waterproof. Artificial stone is not waterproof. (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Why is Concrete Durable?

Concrete is very durable because all its ingredients are stone! The manufacturers of the product have become quite adept at creating the look of real stone using very detailed forms and colorization processes. I have artificial stone fireplaces and an exterior chimney here at my own home in central New Hampshire. The chimney has survived brutal summer heat and bitter icy weather for over twenty years and looks perfect.

Is it Hard to Install Faux Stone?

Installing the stone is not too hard at all. There are quite a few videos on YouTube made by the manufacturers and mortar suppliers. When you watch a few of these videos, you’ll gain confidence in no time.

What's the Most Important Step?

It’s really key to understand how to mix the mortar that holds the fake stone to the vertical surfaces. I’d absolutely make sure to add some hydrated lime to the mortar mix as it increases the bonding power. I have a past column on my AsktheBuilder.com website that goes into great detail about hydrated lime, why it’s so good, and how much to use.

How Can You Avoid Trouble Installing Faux Stone?

In my opinion, the biggest way to get into trouble is to try to mix too much of the bonding mortar at once. It’s best if you have a helper and if the helper can mix small batches that you use up completely every 30 minutes or less. The fresher the mortar, assuming it’s the perfect consistency you’ll see in the videos, the better chance the stone will never fall off the wall.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local stone masons who can install faux stone.

Should I Practice Cutting the Stone?

You’ll have to practice cutting the artificial stone to fit in certain situations. It’s not hard and once again, there are plenty of videos to watch to guide you. Melissa’s biggest challenge will come as she graduates to her small home. You need scaffolding to work your way up the walls. This can be rented, but the price might start to get as high as the stone on the wall if you don’t work fast.

What Other Materials Are Used to Make Faux Stone?

Some faux stone are made using high-density polyurethane. These are lightweight and you can cover a wall surface so much faster than you can using artificial stone made from concrete.

Should I Consider Faux Stone?

I’d give these alternative faux stone products a serious look because they can produce the look you want and are no doubt so much easier to work with. You may discover you can save more money and do all the work with no help whatsoever.

Your biggest concern should always be time. You don’t want the project to stretch out too long and you are not a professional. There will be a learning curve because you’re doing something for the first time.

You’ll get better as you go, but you could lose valuable time early in the process. That said, tackling a big project is just like eating an elephant. You eat an elephant one bite at a time. Bon appétit’!

Column 1351

What is a Bumbershoot?

What is a Bumbershoot? - Remember, Just Guess

Don't ask Alexa or Siri for help. Trust the Force within you!

IMPORTANT NOTE: After clicking SUBMIT, scroll back at the top and click the VIEW SCORE button to see how you did!

If you think you're SO SMART, then see if you can get the sunrise quiz right.

bumbershoot

 

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Oxygen Bleach

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

Newsletter Music Son of a Sailor

Son of a Son of a Sailor by Jimmy Buffet was featured in the April 23, 2020 AsktheBuilder.com newsletter.

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

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.

Oxygen Bleach

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

Newsletter Music You and Tequila

You and Tequila by Kenny Chesney was featured in the April 19, 2020 AsktheBuilder.com newsletter.

CLICK or TAP HERE to listen to all the music featured in past AsktheBuilder.com newsletters. Listen to Kenny answer the question about when will something happen.

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.

Oxygen Bleach

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

Newsletter Music Everybody Wants Some

Everybody Wants Some by Van Halen was featured in the April 12, 2020 AsktheBuilder.com newsletter.

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

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.

Oxygen Bleach

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

Newsletter Music Master List

Do you want to know the songs I listen to while I create the AsktheBuilder.com newsletter?

Good. Turn up your volume and CLICK or TAP EACH link below:

Lyin' Eyes - The Eagles

In Spite of Ourselves - John Prine

Everybody Wants Some - Van Halen

You and Tequila - Kenny Chesney

Son of a Son of a Sailor - Jimmy Buffet

Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars

Thunderstruck - AC/DC

Naked If I Want To - Moby Grape

All I Want to Do Is Have Some Fun - Sheryl Crow

Happy Together - Turtles

Time After Time - Cindi Lauper

Gillian Norris - The Temptress

Midnight Flyer - The Eagles

Leather and Lace - Stevie Nicks & Don Henley

Guardians of the Galaxy Mix

Rudy Soundtrack

Hotel California - Eagles

Smooth Jazz

Titanic Soundtrack

Saxaphone Pipeline Echo

Newsletter Music Lyin’ Eyes

Lyin' Eyes by the Eagles was featured in the April 5, 2020 AsktheBuilder.com newsletter.

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

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.

Oxygen Bleach

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