Are you a brand-new subscriber? I don't know if you realize how lucky you are. Never before have I offered free Stain Solver to Ask the Builder subscribers like you much less other humans I've not met face-to-face!

You, on the other hand, may have been a subscriber for quite some time. You know the above to be true. Did that headline about FREE Stain Solver put your head on a swivel?

Floor Tile Grouting Secrets of Old

Each Sunday, I stand in the back of St. Joseph's Church in Laconia, NH to greet parishioners. The vestibule has a stunning multi-colored 6x6-inch tile floor with sanded-grout joints that are about 1/2-inch wide.

Both the tile and the grout are in extraordinary condition. However, the grout is dirty.

My Stain Solver (deep clean floor grout) would remedy that. Aside from the dirt, the grout looks like the day it was installed nearly 100 years ago.

The floor grout is not crumbling. It's not cracking. It wears like iron.

How did the tile setters do this when your floor grout may have already turned to powder after ten years or developed cracks worse than those that happened to Humpty Dumpty when he had a great fall?

Would you like your new floor grout to be as durable as what I stand on each Sunday morning?

"Why Tim, of course I want to know how to do this! How did those master tile setters of old create long-lasting floor grout?"

I thought you'd never ask. I happen to know exactly how the craftsmen mixed and placed floor tile grout that can last decades, even 100 years or more.

CLICK or TAP HERE now to discover the secrets of the old tile setters.

Watch my four-part step-by-step video series demonstrating how EASY it is for you, yes you, to create grout like the master tile setters of old.

Yes, I know I should have been using knee pads when recording the videos. I was just so excited to get working so I could share the time-tested secrets with you!

FREE Stain Solver - Are You CRAZY, Tim?

Please peer at this photo:

You're looking at a food-stained Corian sink.

It could have just as easily been a cast-iron sink, or even one made from stainless steel.

BWHAHAHAHAHA - we all know stainless steel STAINS. Who came up with the name stainless? Yes, I know why it's called that.

Now, I need you to CLICK or TAP HERE to see the after photos of that sink just above.

Can you take great before and after photos like this?

Why of course you can!

A few days ago, I came up with an idea for a Stain Solver Smackdown.

The Smackdown can only happen with your help. I'm looking for stunning before and after photos of lots of different things that Stain Solver can clean.

Stain Solver can clean just about anything that's water washable. That means THOUSANDS of things, many of which you own or use each day.

You may be a Stain Solver non believer. You've grown more tired of me talking about the great and powerful Stain Solver for years than if you had hiked twenty-three miles on the Tulip Tree Trace in east central Indiana on a hot and humid summer day.

Now's your chance to get a FREE sample and then allow me to transform you into a believer and customer for life!

Do you want a chance of getting some Stain Solver for FREE?

Here's what you need to do.

Take a photo, a really good one, of something at your house or where you work/play that's dirty or grungy.

It could be an article of clothing with a tough stain. Maybe it's carpet that has a pet stain. Perhaps it's camping equipment. Is your kayak covered with algae?

Do you have a grandchild that gets her/his clothes dirty playing or while eating? How about your tile floors? Is the grout dirty like that at St. Joseph's Church?

The list of dirty things is endless.

Once you take the photo, you need to send it to me using THIS FORM. You'll also need to fill out your contact information.

I'll look at your photo, or even multiple photos.

The best twenty photos I get in the first five days will then get a free sample bottle of Stain Solver. This will be enough to clean what I see in the photo or at least do a great test area.

NO LOSERS: You get a PRIZE even if you send a photo and it's not in the top twenty that I select. As soon as you submit the photo, I'll be sending you a SECRET one-time promo code via email you can use to purchase some to try out. You can use this promo code on ANY size you want from 2.2 pounds up to our massive 50-pound size.

If I do select your photo, you'll hear from me. I'll send you personal instructions on HOW I'd use the Stain Solver to get your item in the photo CLEAN.

All I ask of you is to follow my instructions when you clean the item, take an after photo, and email me the photo.

Are you game? Do you have the right stuff? CLICK or TAP HERE now and get in on the Stain Solver Smackdown!

What's My New Home Going to Cost, Tim?

Are you thinking of building a new home?

How would you like to get a pretty close idea of what it's going to cost with a minimal amount of work?

Did you know most new-home dreams get CRUSHED because the bids come in over budget?

Would you like to get a CLOSE ROUGH IDEA of the cost early in the process? This helps you manage your expectations.

I thought so!!!

I've put my New Home Cost Estimator magic spreadsheet on sale for you for ONE WEEK.

CLICK or TAP HERE to save 25% on this Instant Download product.

This discount ONLY LASTS one week. Get it NOW and you'll have it later if you need it.

Smelly Men's Room

Two days ago, I went to lunch with my good friend Jim. He's taught me so much about low-powered outdoor amateur radio.

We went to a national chain restaurant. After we were seated, he decided to take a nature break.

"Oh my, did the Men's Room smell!" He exclaimed after he sat back down.

"It was so bad I had to hold my breath."

Jim went on to say someone was using the stall so I thought that perhaps that person ate far too much of something that caused the stench.

When we went to leave, I decided to check out the room. My thought was that by now the ventilation system would have cleared up the odor.

I opened the door slowly and took a whiff.

OOOOOOoooooeeeee! It did smell!

Within seconds I figured out what the source of the problem was.

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover what it was.

I made it a point to talk with the manager before I left as I knew exactly WHY the problem happened. I mentioned to her how easy it was to remedy and how to prevent the odor from happening again.

That's enough for a Sunday, wouldn't you say?

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Smackdown Stain Man - www.StainSolver.com
Di Dah Man - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. What's the truth about chimney crowns? Do you know that 99.5% of them are built WRONG? Do you want to see if your chimney crown is right or wrong? I thought so. CLICK or TAP HERE.

Are you as new here as the New Year? Welcome! I see you're still wearing your party hat. Next issue I suggest you don your adventure hat. Why? CLICK or TAP HERE to discover why.

You might be a subscriber that's well aware of my impish behavior. If so, then let the 2020 AsktheBuilder Games begin!

New Year Prizes

Did you see the wrapped gift box in the headline of this newsletter? It's supposed to represent a prize.

🎁

My goal for the new year is to shower you with surprises, tips, and special offers throughout the upcoming year. Consider each one a special prize as if you won a competition.

For example, you're going to start seeing at least once a month, special offers on my Stain Solver. Stain Solver is a certified organic oxygen bleach that cleans anything water washable.

I'm guilty of being lax at showering you with all the ways you can save your things using magic Stain Solver.

CLICK or TAP HERE now to watch a few videos that will inspire you on how to save lots of money and be organic at the same time.

If you like what you see in those videos and want to try out my Stain Solver, use this promo code now to get 10% off and FREE SHIPPING to the four commonwealths and forty-four states in the USA that are all glued together.

2020

The promo code only works on the 2.2-pound size for now and it EXPIRES TONIGHT.

Mike's Open Cell Insulation

Yesterday afternoon, I did a short consult phone call with Mike. He lives in Indiana. Mike had invested in another call back in the spring and needed more advice. I can record these calls and send you a link to the recording so you don't have to take notes, but I digress.

Mike decided to convert a bonus room on the top level of his house made with attic trusses (click that link - WATCH the video!) as you see in this photo:

This is an attic space in a new home. Most builders would have used standard trusses and wasted all this space. (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Insulating these spaces is critical. Do it wrong and you can have serious wood-rot problems.

Mike told me how he had used the best insulation team in the area for the job. When I heard this I chortled and said, "Mike, you need to listen to this true story."

I then shared the encounter I had with an experienced insulation contractor last spring in Bar Harbor, Maine. CLICK or TAP HERE to read the story and be prepared to be DEPRESSED.

It's important to realize Mike made a grievous error. He had me call him AFTER the insulation job was complete.

You see, Mike's top-rated insulation crew sprayed open-cell foam DIRECTLY to the underside of the roof sheathing. They also sprayed it so it completely clogged the gap at the peak of the roof where the ridge vent is.

They said, "The air will go through the foam and get to the exterior. It's open cell."

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHA

Mike should stop trusting contractors. Many are ill-informed.

Mike should have taken the time to READ these columns on my website BEFORE he even talked to a contractor:

Attic Ventilation Facts - Great Infrared PHOTO Here

Truth About Ridge Vents - The Incense TEST

PAVs - What Are They, Tim? Well, They're Just About...

Mike should have had me CALL HIM BEFORE he hired the contractors.

It's possible Mike could be replacing his entire roof structure at some point in the future. Isn't that crazy?

Don't be Mike.

WARNING!

Insurance Product and Scarcity

Last week I saw a commercial on TV. It featured Mike Rowe, the guy from Dirty Jobs, popping up out of a trench in a front yard.

He was talking about an insurance product for your home's plumbing lines sold by HomeServe dot com. The person who wrote Mike's script for the commercial was using the most powerful psychological button of all: scarcity.

I've been a master plumber since age 29 and this commercial put my head on a swivel. I sent myself a quick email from the couch to remind me to check into it the next day.

I went to the company's website and it has a soft and fuzzy feel. Being the inquisitive guy I am, I started to peel back the layers of the onion to discover exactly what this company is selling, or better yet, what they're NOT SELLING.

After peeling back multiple layers, I discovered this language:

"Not Covered: Appliances; repair or replacement of fittings or fixtures, e.g., water tanks, water heaters, radiators, bathroom fittings, faucets, toilets, baths, shower pans, shower/bath diverters and sinks, pressure reducing valves and backflow prevention devices, pumps or grinders; any non-conforming drain line, such as a basement or storm drain; thawing of frozen pipes; and damage from accidents, negligence or otherwise caused by you, others or unusual circumstances."

Being a professional writer that deals in words, lots of them each week, as well as an expert witness in building construction lawsuits for decades, the last part of that text really got my antenna up.

If you have a failure in your "basement building drain" - that's the primary drain pipe all others flow into - who pays to fix it? Seems to me they don't cover that.

And WTH is a "non-conforming drain line"? You better get them to define that before you invest in their policy!

What about "damage from ... negligence or otherwise caused by you..."

If you have a grease clog in your drain lines that YOU caused because you put grease down your drains do they pay or do you pay?

Well, if you get into a dispute, you have to go to binding arbitration. You know what arbitration is about don't you? It's about splitting the loaf.

Here's what you need to do before you EVER look at supplemental insurance.

STOP and call your regular house insurance agent and ask if you already have some sort of plumbing failure coverage. There's a possibility you MAY have some relief from your current policy about plumbing issues. You can also take the time to read your policy.

Second, stop and really read the fine print you see in the policies offered by companies like HomeServe. Be sure you understand the language.

Third, consult with a plumber and ask what are the odds of certain failures. In other words, what are the chances that a pipe behind your wall suddenly fails? Is it 2 percent, 0.05 percent, or 50%?

Finally, understand that in the case of HomeServe if you find you have a problem and try to buy the coverage to take advantage of it, good luck with that! There's a 30-day wait period after you buy before the coverage kicks in!

Can you imagine buying house or car insurance where the agent says, "I'm sorry but your car and house have NO COVERAGE for the first month. I hope nothing happens!"

That's laughable. Think about that. Why would HomeServe not want to cover you immediately like most other policies?

Why is Your House Cold as a Cucumber?

Dave reached out to me two nights ago because he was quite observant and saw the P.S. I put at the bottom of each issue of this newsletter. Last issue I shared a link to a topical column this time of year.

You simply can't believe how many houses are uncomfortable and HOW EASY it is to ensure it doesn't happen.

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover how you can be warmer in your home.

This is an absolute MUST READ if you're thinking of building a new home or a room addition.

WATCH THE VIDEO in the column for sure.

That's quite enough for a Sunday morning.

Remember, the Stain Solver 2.2 offer expires in HOURS. CLICK or TAP HERE to get some.

I'm permitting you to purchase multiple bottles, but not too many. SAVE some for the other customers for goodness sake.

Promo code: 2020

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Clean Everything - Including Dentures! - www.StainSolver.com
Send KELP! www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. What about circuit breakers? What about a house sentry that tells you if DANGEROUS arcing is happening while you snuggle under the covers or are away? CLICK or TAP HERE for secret info.

Are you a new subscriber in the past several days? This is NOT a normal newsletter. I rarely publish a newsletter the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. Hang in there for a regular issue.

Have you been around the block with me a time or two or two hundred? You know that I'm about to save you some sweet moola AND get your stuff squeaky clean!

Happy New Year!

The new year has already rung in for my friends Down Under like Phil and Russell. It's so much fun to have electron pals and I'm grateful to you if you communicate with me on a somewhat regular basis.

Are you old enough to remember having a real pen pal? You know, one where you write a real letter with a pen using cursive script? I've just started to revive this practice with my kids and it's fun! I sent each one a special Christmas letter last week.

I'd to give you an idea of how much pleasure I get creating this newsletter for you. I often share one tiny morsel of my past with no expectation of what might happen when you read it.

Sometimes it creates a tsunami of replies that I savor much like getting a SKOR candy bar from a friend! Yes, I'm a sucker for SKOR bars.

It happened last week.

You may want to re-read my Christmas newsletter issue.

The story about the Christmas tree my Dad loved allowed you to relive a childhood moment! Can you believe I had a tree like that?

I'm serious when I say that your responses are each a special prize. It's very fulfilling knowing I rekindled a fond memory that brightened your day.

Tony, who lives just 40 miles south of me in Manchester NH, sent me a link to a fascinating history story of these iconic aluminum Christmas trees. Thanks, Tony!

FLASH Stain Solver SALE

I'm sure you've seen advertisements saying:

Inventory Reduction SALE

That headline is accurate. The business owner is desperately trying to reduce the amount of her/his inventory of a product(s)!

I'm trying to do the same in the next five days as we have WAY TOO MANY two-pound containers of Stain Solver at the fulfillment center.

First, what is Stain Solver?

Stain Solver is a certified organic powdered oxygen bleach. You mix it with warm or hot water and it cleans THOUSANDS of things that are water washable. My wife and I own the company.

This is a great product, seriously.

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch a bunch of videos of me showing you how to use it.

It's fabric and color-safe so I use it to get out tough stains in clothes. CLICK or TAP HERE for the most unbelievable photos ever sent in by a customer.

It cleans mold and mildew. CLICK or TAP HERE to see how my sister used it.

It restores cast iron or Corian Sinks. CLICK or TAP HERE for unbelievable before/after photos.

I could give you countless examples of what it cleans.

Start off the New Year with CLEAN STUFF!

Go buy, one, two or even THREE of our handy 2-pound size of Stain Solver now.

Use this promo code: 2020

You'll get 10% off PLUS FREE SHIPPING to anyplace in the contiguous 48 US states and commonwealths. Is there more than one commonwealth - Virginia?

This FLASH SALE ends in just a few days. I'll send a reminder, but I URGE you to BUY NOW before we run out of this size.

CLICK or TAP HERE to order the 2-pound size now.

This FLASH SALE is only on the 2-pound size.

That's enough for New Year's Eve. I need to go out and tackle cleaning up the remnants of the 36-hour sleet storm that buried me under 6 inches of sleet and then 2.5 inches of snow.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
GET STAIN SOLVER - www.StainSolver.com
Morse Straight-Key Man - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Do you know how to pick the correct extension cord so you don't BURN DOWN your home?

Merry Christmas to you! This is my annual Christmas newsletter and if you're a new subscriber in the past ten days or so, trust me this is not a normal AsktheBuilder.com newsletter.

Give me a few weeks to show you how I can save you time and money with your home improvement projects.

A Special Time - Christmas

You may celebrate Christmas as we do here at my home. If not, I wish you happiness however you choose to observe the days around the winter solstice.

Over the past few months, I started a project where I'm doing a brain dump of my memories of growing up. At this point, I'm just writing stories.

I plan to record some videos as some of the tales are far more suited to that medium.

Christmas at my house growing up was celebrated on Christmas Eve. I'm not sure why it was that way as I never bothered to ask my Mom and Dad. I just knew I got my presents earlier than most of my friends on my street, so I wasn't about to complain!

Some of our gifts were put around the tree days before Christmas. We were told to leave them alone and not touch them. Hah! That's like saying to a cat, "Leave that mouse alone. Don't chase it."

I have clear visions of shaking wrapped boxes, even trying to peek under the seams of the wrapping paper. The desire to discover what was under the colored paper was stronger than the craving for ice-cold water on a blistering August day.

When I was small, our Christmas tree was decorated with the coolest ornaments that glowed and bubbled. They must have been filled with colored alcohol and the heat from an interior light bulb caused the alcohol, or some other liquid, to boil and bubble.

Then for a few years, we had this antiseptic bright silver aluminum tree - I kid you not - that was illuminated by a slowly revolving four-color disc illuminated by a flood light. The colors, I think, were green, red, yellow and blue. It was hideous thinking back on it, but my Dad sure liked it!

When I was about 19 or maybe 20, the CB radio craze was in full swing. I really wanted one of those radios! I remember a long tall thin box that had my name on it leaning against the wall. Surely it was an antenna for the radio that must have been in another box! Yay, I was going to be on the air, breaker breaker!

I couldn't wait to rip off the paper from that tall thin box! When I did, I was so disappointed. It was a 4-foot level. What? Are you kidding me, a silly level? You can't get on the air with a level!

Christmas is a time of traditions for many families. One of mine, and my son does enjoy it too, is boiled shrimp. I really look forward to eating chilled shrimp cocktail with sauce so hot that it rivals lava flowing from a volcano.

I thank my Aunt Margaret for introducing me to this succulent food. CLICK or TAP HERE to read about my first time eating the white crustaceans!

Water Christmas Tree While Away

Two days ago, I recorded a fast video for you. We had to travel for three days and there was no one to water our fresh-cut tree. I knew it would run out of water in a day, so something had to be done.

A month ago, my son helped set up some smart plugs here at the house to control grow lights down in our basement.

He said to Kathy the day before we left, "Have Dad hook up some sort of irrigation system to one of the extra smart plugs."

Bango! That's all the inspiration I needed.

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch how I kept our fresh-cut tree watered while we were 250 miles away!

Taking a Break

I started another tradition about ten years ago where I spend the week between Christmas and New Years planning what's going to happen in the next 51 weeks.

That means you get a break from me for about 12 days or so.

I'll be back in your Inbox after the New Year.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful Happy New Year.

Based on how my 2019 ended, I'm pretty sure 2020 is going to be one of my best years ever. I hope that's how it turns out for you too!

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Get Super Clean - www.StainSolver.com
Old Morse Man - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Is your house COLD? Brrrrrrr. Do you know why? CLICK or TAP HERE and allow me to help you get WARM!