Look at you! What a smile you’ve got on your face. I know why! This is your first AsktheBuilder.com newsletter, right? Guess what? I love listening to music while creating each newsletter for you. It’s Saturday night and I’m in the spot - Don’t believe me, just watch. Who am I listening to? You’ll love this song. Grab your dance partner and get out to the kitchen! CLICK or TAP HERE to listen! Be sure to crank up the volume.

Oh, come on, did you think I didn’t recognize you? I know, you’ve been a subscriber for years for goodness sake. Don’t be upset at me, you need to blame Charlie Murdock. He was a giant in the media business in Cincinnati back in the 1970s and 80s on WLW-TV. He taught me how to unleash the power in one of the most unique three-letter words in the English language.

Can you guess what that word is? It’s YOU, silly!

Insulate Basement Ductwork - Yes or No?

Should you insulate basement ductwork to conserve energy? Note, that phrase. It’s a very interesting question.

Mike asked me about this earlier in the week. Look at this photo:

That’s insulated ductwork in an unfinished basement in New Hampshire. There’s a reason it’s insulated, but my gut tells me you might not know why.

CLICK or TAP HERE to listen to Mike’s question and my answer.

There’s something wrong with the ductwork, and I reveal that when you go to this page. Scroll down and look for the words:

static pressure

! Fun Quiz !

You spoke up and I heard you! The fun quiz is here to stay. WOW, what a response! Look at how many loved the first quiz:

Here’s what you need to know this week. If you’re an airline pilot you’re going to ace the one-question quiz.

Curious? I thought so. CLICK or TAP HERE to get to the quiz.

Be SURE after you click SUBMIT to record your answer, scroll back up, and click the VIEW ANSWER button! There’s a treat there for you.

This issue’s quiz will get you to say, “NO WAY! I’ll be darned!”

Future quizzes will be about all sorts of topics. So be patient as you're sure to see one about a topic that interests you.

CLICK or TAP HERE and let’s see how lucky you might be. Remember, don’t research the answer first, just GUESS if you don’t know. TRUST the Force!

Having fun so far? Do you have a quiz topic you want me to explore? TYPE your suggestion in the COMMENTS below the quiz once you finish.

Seal Blacktop or Hot Top

Russ reached out to me. He pointed out that I gave conflicting information in two of my columns about whether you should or shouldn’t seal blacktop or asphalt.

I recorded my answer so you could hear it. I set the record straight and you might be surprised at what I shared with Russ.

But first, look at this photo and tell me if you know what’s going on:

I shot that photo in Ohio about 13 years ago is my best guess. When you click or tap the following link, I explain what you see in the photo. I even have a VIDEO on the page that I shot at my own home that explains what you’re looking at. Look for the video with the small steam roller.

CLICK or TAP HERE if you own a blacktop, asphalt, or hot top driveway or parking lot. LISTEN to my answer at the top of the page!

Laminate Flooring - You CAN Do This!

I remember when Pergo was introduced all those years ago. It had all sorts of shortcomings.

But now, we’re into generation three of laminate floors. They’re SO EASY to install.

They’re durable and they’re amazing if you follow the instructions.

I sit on top of a stunning laminate floor each day. My office, or man cave, has GORGEOUS laminate flooring. I LOVE IT.

Would you like to see me install it? I thought so. I've got THREE SWEET videos at the following link. Wait until you see how easy it is to install.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see my floor and how easy it is to install.

That’s enough for a Sunday.

STAIN SOLVER SALE in a few days. GET READY!

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
BEST CLEANER on the Planet - www.stainsolver.com
Cool Waves Penetrate Your Body - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Would you like HOT WATER at all your faucets in just two seconds?

It’s possible! CLICK or TAP HERE to see how easy it is.

What the heck? Did I leave the door unlocked again?! You’re no doubt a new subscriber and I’m glad you feel comfortable enough to let yourself in! Do you like music? I do and listen to a wide variety of it while creating each newsletter for you. Today you need to know that “I’ve read dozens of books about heroes and crooks and learned much from each one”! Who’s hanging out with me here in my cave?

You! You’ve been here so long that you know how I feel about winter in New Hampshire. Winter here is like that relative or friend you have who has no concept what time it is and blabbers on in your house long after he/she should have said goodbye and gone home.

FUN Quiz

I decided to try something different this week. See if you like it! How about a one-question fun quiz each week where you might discover something new? Look at this photo and ponder it for a moment:

CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you know why a certain Midwest State Park is important.

Be sure to answer the second Yes/No question so I know what you think about the quiz.

Copper Strips, Mold, Algae, and How to Clean

Ron went to the Ask Tim page on my website and here is his question:

“Tim, you mentioned using copper strips to take care of the mold up on roofs. Where do you get these and how do you apply them? Also, are you familiar with the product "Wet and Forget" to clean mold? Is it a good way to get rid of dirt and mold on my roof or house?”

Let’s go in reverse order with Ron’s questions.

Imagine you work in your yard all day. You’re hot, sweaty, and filthy. It’s date night and you need to get gussied up for your sweetheart. It's time to get up out of the wheelbarrow you were napping in. What? You've never done that?

Here’s what you DON’T do. You don’t stand in your garage and have someone spray your naked body with some solution and then wait until you air dry before getting dressed in your clean clothes.

I’m quite certain you probably get in the shower, soap up, RUB your skin with your hands or a soft brush, and then RINSE off all the body oils, the dirt, etc. that were DISLODGED from your skin by the RUBBING action.

When you wash clothes, here’s what you DON’T do. You don’t throw your clothes in a giant clean tub, pour in soapy water, and let the water and clothes sit for hours or a couple of days. After the soaking period, you don’t drain the tub and throw the clothes in the dryer.

What you do is put them in a washing machine that has some sort of AGITATION ACTION and allow the machine to go through the wash cycle.

Get the point? If you want something truly clean, you must agitate the surface and rinse off the dirt. You can do just that using my Stain Solver, the MOST AMAZING cleaning product you can purchase in the USA. Plus, it’s certified organic.

Copper is a natural biocide. This is why it was put on the hulls of famous clipper ships like the Cutty Sark and the Thermopylae. Copper plating is also on Old Ironsides. The copper prevented the growth of barnacles. Barnacles create lots of drag and slow the movement of a sailing ship.

Copper will keep mold and algae off your roof. It will ALSO slow the aging process and allow asphalt shingles to last 30 or 40 years. You can read about how I was the first person in the world to discover this in my Roofing Ripoff book. It’s a very easy and fast read.

I told Ron that he could purchase the copper strips from ME.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see how I’d install copper on your roof and to purchase it for your roof.

Soil Strength - Fred’s Shed

Fred sent me a very detailed email about a 10x20 prefab shed he wants to have at his home.

He was concerned about the strength of the soil and if the piers he had in mind would work. He doesn't want the shed to shift and sink.

Look at this photo and tell me if you understand its significance and how it helps solve Fred’s conundrum:

Are you stumped? I thought so! CLICK or TAP HERE and I GUARANTEE you’ll come away much more informed as was Fred after he WATCHED a very important VIDEO about soil maps at the above page.

Donna’s HOT Kitchen Sink Water

Donna emailed me a few days ago. She had a perplexing problem with the hot water at her kitchen sink. It would run HOT for a bit then go lukewarm.

It was such a good question, I decided to talk about it! CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you came to the same conclusion that I did.

The answer will most likely surprise you!

Cleaning and Sealing My Cedar Boat Dock

In the last issue, I said I'd share the details about my wood dock sealing project. If you own a wood deck or wood boat dock, then you MUST LOOK AT THIS PAGE.

I’ve got a 40-foot boat dock at my house. The flooring is made from solid cedar and the sun punishes it each summer day here in New Hampshire.

That’s the first cedar dock panel cleaned and sealed.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see how I’m cleaning and sealing the cedar this season.

Long Overdue Shoutout

I started Ask the Builder in October of 1993. I’ll never forget standing at the end of my driveway WAITING for my Cincinnati Enquirer carrier to deliver the paper so I could see my first column in print.

In March of 1994, I started my call-in radio show on WMOH. Long about October of 1995, I launched AsktheBuilder.com. The bottom line is it's been quite the journey and I’ve had all sorts of help from quite a few who are behind the curtain of Ask the Builder.

I want to call out three today, Ellen, Marty, and Roger. Ellen is the first employee of Ask the Builder. She started by opening envelopes that people sent in to get one of my old print Builder Bulletins. My buddy Chuck in Michigan sent for one long before we became friends in a secret Internet mastermind group.

She then started to help with the Stain Solver business and in a fit of frustration threw an empty bottle at me late one afternoon as I took an over-the-phone order for our Stain Solver deck cleaner. I told the customer we’d put their box on today’s UPS truck that was to arrive in just minutes. It had been a very busy day and everyone was very tired. The last thing Ellen wanted to do was process yet another shipment of Stain Solver - the MAGIC deck cleaner!

Marty is a superbly talented graphic designer who’s helped me over the years. Just after the AsktheBuilder.com website launched, Marty created the animated GIF that we used on pages “Under Construction”. It was very common back in the late 90s to do this.

You can see this cute animated GIF file on this page at the top just under the BLACK iTunes logo. I’m starting to put this animated GIF on all my new podcast pages in honor of Marty.

Marty also created the stunning 3D image of my linear french drain design over twenty years ago. CLICK or TAP HERE to see it.

It’s such a great illustration, MANY other websites have STOLEN the image and put it on their websites! I don’t have the time to police this piracy. Over the years, Marty has helped me look good, but his skills stop short when it comes to making my bald spot disappear in videos!

Roger is my go-to guy for all the daily heavy lifting that gets done on both the AsktheBuilder.com and StainSolver.com websites.

Roger has the patience of Job. Believe me, you need that when you’re around me for any length of time.

I want to thank Ellen, Marty, and Roger publicly for all they’ve done in the past and continue to do to make sure you have a positive experience with Ask the Builder and Stain Solver.

If you call in an order to Stain Solver, ask Ellen about the day she threw that bottle. I’m pretty certain she’ll laugh about it now. It was plastic and wouldn’t have hurt had it hit me. Remember, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, right? 😉

That’s quite enough for a Thursday.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
BEST CLEANER on the Planet: www.StainSolver.com
Hear Cool Waves - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Max is remodeling his son’s home. He wanted to talk to me about the size of a return air duct in the house.

What do you know about return air? My guess is NOT ENOUGH. CLICK or TAP HERE now to be MUCH COOLER this summer and WARMER next winter.