Gasoline Fire and Explosion Hazard

Posted on by Tim Carter

gasoline explosion

Gasoline Fire and Explosion Hazard - Very Dangerous

Gasoline is a very dangerous liquid. Using it to start a fire or get rid of ants in your yard is a bad idea.

Gasoline fumes are heavier than air and travel across the ground like invisible flowing water. Years ago, I made a mistake starting a scrap lumber pile on fire using gasoline and a tongue of fire shot down a hill 30 feet towards me.

You'll see the SAME THING happen in a few of these videos!

Watch these videos to see how dangerous gasoline is.

October 20. 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

Did you just subscribe in the last week? Here's a tip: Be sure each week you CLICK at least one link in each issue so this newsletter continues to make it into your inbox.

Are you a long-time subscriber? I did some housekeeping two days ago and the same advice applies. If you want a constant flow of my tips and building secrets coming to you, CLICK or TAP HERE now. Now, tell me after looking at that page if you could do what Margo is about to do.

Puerto Rico Adventure

I just got back home last night just after 10 pm from the tropical island USA territory - Puerto Rico. I was there for four days visiting my youngest daughter who went down there after Hurricane Maria to help breathe life into the ravaged economy.

smallest house old san juan

The photo above was taken just around the corner from the Monastery Art Suites Hotel I called home for the past five days. If you're going to Old San Juan, I can't say enough great things about this boutique hotel. If you book it, be SURE to tell them you heard about it via me - Ask the Builder. I get NOTHING if you book there.

That yellow house you see above, yes that narrow building is a house, is on Calle de Tetaun. Many of the houses and businesses in Old San Juan are painted vibrant colors. It's gorgeous to see them all.

My guess is several might property owners in Puerto Rico have READ THIS COLUMN of mine as to what house paint will hold up in this harsh marine environment. If you want your house paint to last, you need to use one that has the BEST and strongest glue (resin) in it. CLICK or TAP HERE to see what paint is on my own home.

Puerto Rican Masons KNOW the Best Mortar & Stucco

Whenever I travel, I'm always looking at how things are constructed and maintained. After all, many of the buildings there in Old San Juan are hundreds of years old and many are still in remarkable condition.

It's important to realize that it doesn't get cold in Puerto Rico. Water that turns to ice is quite destructive to certain masonry materials.

Look at the following photo of the top of one of the massive fort walls that surround Old San Juan and tell me if you can determine what's going on.

 

lime brick mortar

CLICK or TAP HERE to see if your guess is correct. Be sure to SCROLL DOWN to the middle or bottom of the column to get to the correct information.

Salt Water and Salt Spray & Mist

Salt water and salt spray and mist are very destructive to steel and iron. Two years ago I went on my first cruise to Bermuda on the Norwegian Dawn ocean liner. I attended a talk given by the captain and his top two officers. He said in a thick Eastern European accent, "The sea eats men and iron."

Look at the following photo and tell me if you can guess what I'm pointing to and how old it might be.

rusted rebar

You're looking at what's left of a 1/2-inch steel rebar that's no more than two years old. It was embedded in concrete in a new home being built right next to the ocean.

When the steel rusts, it expands and it blew off the corner of the poured concrete corner post.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see how this might have been prevented using a high-quality paint that really stands up to harsh outdoor environments. Be SURE TO WATCH the VIDEO I made at the top of the page.

There are special steels used for rebar that help to resist corrosion by ocean salt as well as road salt used in cold climates. If you can't find or afford this rebar, priming and painting the steel with two coats of the special paint will really help slow down corrosion.

Liquid Courage

A major part of the culture of Puerto Rico is drinking. I'm not talking about drinking to get drunk.

Imagine you having a drink with your 8-year-old son or daughter on a balmy Thursday night at a sidewalk cafe and giving him/her a high five about something. Your son, or daughter, might be having a soda at that age, but you get the point.

I saw this exact thing happen in San Juan as my daughter and I were viewing the magnificent large art murals on the sides of many buildings in downtown San Juan.

My daughter works at the oldest bar in Old San Juan - El Batey. Countless celebrities and other famous people have been in this very unique bar.

el batey

See that light fixture out of focus on the left? My business card is now there at the top. You should read all of the cards and notes on the dollar bills stapled to the two lights. What a unique decoration!

That's enough for a Sunday.

Remember, WHEN YOU TRAVEL, pay attention to what you see. This applies even to travel within the USA.

Things may be built differently and the methods may be FAR BETTER than those used by the contractors you might hire at home.

Keep in mind what's common about the Seven Wonders of the World. Think about that.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Clean ALL of Your Stuff - www.StainSolver.com
/KP4 on 5 watts! - www.W3ATB.com

Do it Right, Not Over!

DIY Electrical Wiring

Posted on by Tim Carter
DIY electrical wiring

DIY Electrical Wiring | If you’re going to attempt DIY electric wiring, you better be prepared to understand how to connect all these wires correctly. It’s not for the faint of heart. (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: It’s a very long story and don’t think I’m crazy. I’m building a new home and wondering if I can install all the electrical wiring myself. It’s not a big home, but it’s got all the things going on you’d normally have in a home including quite a few 3 and 4-way switches. I’ve watched a bunch of online videos, I’ve read a few authoritative books and I’m feeling pretty confident. What am I missing? What would you do if you were me? Margo F., Albany, GA

Margo’s in an interesting predicament. My guess is this is a financial issue where she’s trying to trim her overall budget. I can understand that. I can also understand developing a sense of bravado after watching online videos that most likely only tell you part of the story.

I’ve wired lots of homes including my daughter’s new home in Downeast Maine just in the past few months. It’s important to realize that the actual aspect of nailing up boxes and installing the cables is not overly physically taxing. The challenge is to do the work so it meets or exceeds the complex National Electrical Code (NEC) authored by the National Fire Protection Association. This book is a collection of hard-earned safety standards that many have given their lives so that you and I can reap the benefits of electric power.

nec nfpa 70

The NEC code book is revised every three years. The next edition should appear in 2020. CLICK on the IMAGE to order your copy now.

I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a news story where a person has drowned in their home because of a pipe leak, but dig deep into the national news each week and you’ll find stories of children, people, and pets that have died from fires traced to electrical issues. You need to understand that if you decide to install electrical wire you’re indeed playing with fire.

That said, I don’t want to dissuade you from trying. Another key point is that each master electrician out there started day one on the job not knowing which colored wire nut to use when. Margo, as well as you, can successfully and safely install electric wiring in a residential project with some sound advice, an assist from an electrician, and a heavy dose of common sense.

What size wire and conductors are required?

I could write for hours and hours about all of the small nuances that are involved with residential wiring. First and foremost, let’s talk about the size of the conductors, or wires, in the cables. A spool of cable is what you see at the home center and here in the USA it normally will contain two insulated wires and an uninsulated bare copper ground wire.

The NEC requires certain circuits in the house be fed with wires that can handle a maximum amperage. For example, kitchen countertop circuits need to handle 20 amps. An electric clothes dryer almost always calls for a cable that can handle 30 amps. Your electric stove/oven may need 40 or 50 amps. The NEC allows many normal outlet circuits in a house to be 15 amps.

You can’t mix and match wire sizes on circuits. All the wires/cables on a specific circuit protected by a circuit breaker must match the rating of the breaker. Are you confused yet? I think you can see where this is going.

DIY electrical wiring

This is the same box as you see above, but before it was covered with drywall. Note the yellow cables. These are all rated for 20 amps as they contain 12-gauge wires. Note all the red conductors for the 3-way switches. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Things you might not even consider come into play. The location of the drilled holes in wall studs and floor joists is critical. The NEC discusses this and you don’t want drywall screws or finish trim nails puncturing your cables. The number of cables that can be stacked on top of one another when nailed to a wood stud is important too!

You need to understand how many conductors, or individual wires, are allowed to be inside certain boxes. The NEC discusses the cubic-inch volume of boxes and relates it to the number, and size, of the conductors. Some modern boxes have the maximum count printed on them. Is your head spinning yet? We’ve still got so much more to discuss!

Wiring for 3-way and 4-way switches is not hard, but you need to understand how it all works. A few years ago I recorded two separate videos showing how to wire up each switch and these are on my Ask the Builder website. It fact, here they are!


I prefer using a special cable, called a 3 wire, between these switches. This cable contains an extra wire in it that normally has red insulation on it. After watching my videos, you’ll understand why this special cable with the extra conductor is so very helpful.

You’ll need to fully understand the different circuit breakers that are now required by the NEC. I clearly remember years ago when the ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breaker was first introduced into the code. Not only are you required to use those in certain wet locations, but the NEC also now requires an additional arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breaker on many other circuits.

Here’s my advice. I’d give serious consideration to hiring an electrician that will allow you to do lots of the mundane work like nailing up the boxes, running the cables between them, and even allowing you to connect up many of the switches and outlets after the drywall is up. But allow the electrician to do all of the truly complex aspects that only come with years of experience.

Don’t forget, there’s a very special way that the wires are stripped and looped onto the screws on outlets and switches. Mess this up and you very likely will become a grim statistic.

This column was shared with the 31,000 subscribers who read my November 3, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

Column 1326

October 13, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

You very likely could be a new subscriber. I'm so glad you're here. Let's see if I can WOW you with the first issue!

You might be a subscriber that's seen it all and you're yawning right now saying, "Okay Tim, just get on with the tips and cool photos. Do you have a video this week?"

Traveling Man

I was absent from your inbox last weekend because I was on a work/pleasure trip to Bar Harbor, Maine with my youngest daughter. We went up so she could see her new niece for the first time. After eating a picnic lunch last Saturday, I moved the blankets a little bit and here's the view I had doing some outdoor amateur radio.

Outdoor Lake View - Maine

This photo was taken just east of the boat launch ramp at the north end of Long Pond on Mt. Desert Island.

As you can tell, it was a bluebird day. The next day we went for a marvelous hike up to the top of Beech Mountain. The next photo is looking at the north half of Long Pond. Even though you can't see the entire pond, you can see how it got its name!
Long Pond
The fall color was at just about peak up there. Can you believe that just 15,000 years ago that where I was standing taking this photo I would have been underneath about 2,000 feet of ice that stretched up to the North Pole and all across Canada. GULP!

Think about that. How in the world did all that ice get created? If you're a new subscriber you'll soon discover geology was my college major.

Salvaging a Stone Foundation

What might be happening in this photo? Is this a botch job?

stone foundation repair rebuild

CLICK or TAP HERE now to get an idea of what's going on. PAY CLOSE attention to the other photo in the column! A special concrete block was used on this job as the last course. Do you know why?

Art With a Pressure Washer

Have you ever thought that a pressure washer wand could be used to create art?

You bet it can if you've got concrete in the Southeast that turns black from mold and mildew. Just look what Dianna Wood did after her husband was kind enough to buy a pressure washer for her as a gift. If I tried that with Kathy I'd be in the doghouse for about three years.
Owl in concrete patio

Or how about this:

Flowers on concrete - pressure washer
Dianna is an artist, but never before had she attempted what you see here.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see the rest of the driveway. These photos got national attention. It's time for you to up your game if you clean things. Send me YOUR art creations! I'm more than happy to publish them for you.

Foldaway Work Station - Heavy Duty!

Fold away workstation

CLICK or TAP HERE to see what I hung on the wall for Kathy two days ago. It's a most interesting product.

PEX or Copper? Which One? Accckkk!

PEX cold water lines

What do you think of PEX? Do you think it's crap?

How about copper for your water lines?

Do you know anything about aggressive water? CLICK or TAP HERE to discover what that's all about. A friend of mine in Southern California had to spend just under $30,000 two years ago to repair copper water lines ruined by aggressive water.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see a comparison of the PEX vs copper for water lines in your home.

Where Do You Work?

I need a little assistance from you if you work in the following places. There's a very good chance you've seen a trade magazine about what you do. There are HUNDREDS of trade publications targeted to very specific work fields.

Here's an example of one for the food industry. CLICK HERE.

I'm trying to expand our Stain Solver business and we already have quite a few businesses that buy it regularly to do all sorts of cleaning.

If you work in the following fields and have seen the trade magazine about what you do lying around the office or you get an issue can you PLEASE reply to this and give me the title of the publication you read, or better yet, a link to the online edition? THANKS in advance. Here are the categories:

  • Facility Manager (head custodian for giant office buildings,schools, universities, etc.)
  • Restaurant Owner
  • Hotel/Motel Manager
  • Day Care Center
  • Schools of Any Type
  • Property Management

Or, you may be in some other business and have an idea how Stain Solver can help you keep your business clean. Let me know what trade magazine you get and I'll reach out to the new-product editor!

Puerto Rico Meet Up!

I'll be traveling again this week to Puerto Rico to visit my youngest daughter. If you live in Old San Juan and want to do a meet up this week, now's your chance. I may never get back to PR. Email me and let's see if we can't pull it off.

That's quite enough for a Sunday.

Have a great week. I'll be sweating in the Caribbean for sure! I'm not used to humidity any more being in New Hampshire!

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Expand Certified Organic CLEAN - www.StainSolver.com
/KP4 Man This Week - www.W3ATB

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Think about how your company might use Stain Solver. I'm really trying to get it into businesses. Have questions? Ping me.

Gladiator Foldaway Work Station

Posted on by Tim Carter
gladiator foldaway work station

Gladiator Foldaway Work Station | There are countless things you can store on these heavy-duty metal shelves not the least of which are indoor orchid gardening supplies! The workstation is 42 inches wide, 30.5 inches tall, and the shelves are 10 inches deep. Look far below for photos of what happens when you mix all of the above ingredients with loving care.

Gladiator Foldaway Work Station - Beefy & Easy to Assemble

My wife Kathy needed some heavy-duty shelving to help her store supplies for her orchid-growing hobby.

I felt the Gladiator Foldaway Work Station would be just the thing and both of us are now happy.

While you may not grow orchids, you surely will find this work station beneficial for storing all sorts of tools and supplies.

How Long Did it Take to Assemble?

It only took less than an hour to assemble the work station. All of the bolts and nuts, as well as a handy Allen wrench were included. It was easy to follow the instructions and all in all it was not hard to do.

Did You Have Any Difficulty?

Yes, there were four bolts on the middle shelf that were next to impossible to install using the included Allen wrench. A total of eight bolts hold up the shelf and the first four were easy to install. Gladiator should include a cheap screwdriver tool that has the same Allen-wrench shaft to allow you to install the four bolts. It's impossible to get the Allen wrench into the tight spot to tighten the four bolts.

How Long Did It Take To Hang on the Wall?

It took me less than 30 minutes to hang the work station on the wall. You'll need a helper to lift it up with you to connect it to the Geartrack®. 

The drop-down shelf that acts as a door is quite handy for small projects requiring a solid flat surface.

gladiator foldaway work station

This is what the work station looks like before you load it up. It's designed to hold lots of weight. You can put 50 pounds on each of the three shelves and 50 pounds on the drop-down door you see with the handle.

gladiator foldaway work station

This is the beefy stainless-steel door that transforms into a sturdy work platform. You can place up to 50 pounds on this shelf!

gladiator foldaway work station

This is a scrap piece of the Gladiator Geartrack® Channel used to hang the work station. It's made from vinyl and is easy to cut and attach to the wall. Unfortunately, these are NOT INCLUDED with the work station. I feel that's a mistake. You have to order a pack of two of these channels separately and then you have to cut them. I feel Gladiator should make it easy and precut them to the required 42 inches and put two of them in the box for goodness sakes. I guarantee you there are going to be people complaining about this in online reviews. Be sure the screws you use penetrate no less than 1.5 inches into a solid wood stud. If mounting to concrete, use stud anchors no less than 2 inches long.

gladiator foldaway work station

This is how the work station attached to the Geartrack® channels.

gladiator foldaway work station

You get this handsome logo at the top right corner to remind you who made this strong workstation that will last for generations.

red orchid

Kathy has no less than 100 orchids in the house and she gets them to bloom and bloom and bloom with what appears to be minimal effort.

yellow orchid

There are orchids of all sizes and shapes and colors in the house. They sure are eye candy to me!

purple orchid

This is a very common orchid you might see in stores. The trick is getting them to bloom and bloom and bloom. Much of the magic is all about temperature variation every 12 hours and a breezy environment believe it or not.

 

Natural Discoloration Stains in Granite Countertops & Drywall Joint Banding

Posted on by Tim Carter
stain in a granite countertop

Natural Discoloration Stains in Granite Countertops | You’re looking at an iron-oxide (rust) stain in a granite countertop that could be millions of years old. In my opinion, it’s not a defect. (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Natural Discoloration Stains in Granite Countertops

QUESTION #1: Tim, we just moved into an existing home that’s got granite countertops. When we looked at the house there were cleverly placed trivets in certain places. I’ve come to discover they were hiding what appears to be rust stains deep in the granite but I really can’t say for certain. Is this natural? Can anything be done to remove or lessen their appearance? Would you accept granite that looks like this? Constance P., Fresno, CA

While I’m not a full-time hard-rock geologist, my house happens to rest upon the Meredith Porphyritic Granite, thought by many to be the most gorgeous rock in all of New England. I did major in geology in college and am attracted to granite for a host of reasons. It’s not only a gorgeous rock, but it’s also one of the most durable natural stones you can buy.

Random discoloration in some granite is normal. There are many reasons why it happens. Many people think the discoloration adds character and makes their countertops one-of-a-kind.

It’s important to realize that giant formations of granite can have cracks throughout the rock. If the granite is working it’s way to the surface over a million years or so, hot mineral-rich groundwater can be forced at high pressure into the tiniest cracks in the rock. This may explain how the discoloration occurred.

Another key point is the rust stains may be just a surface imperfection created by a happy accident attributed to the previous homeowner. Something made from iron may have gotten wet and the legs or bottom of the object as it sat on the granite left behind the rust.

You can do a small test to see if you can remove the rust stain. I’d start with oxalic acid. This product comes in crystals and is readily available online. Mix it according to the package instructions and pay close attention to all the warnings on the label. Apply just one drop with a cotton swab to the stain. Allow the acid to work for ten or fifteen minutes. If the droplet soaks in, add another drop on top until you have a tiny standing pool of solution on the granite no bigger than the eraser on a pencil.

At the end of the waiting period, take a clean cotton swab and try to suck up the droplet of acid you put on the counter. If the tip of the new cotton swab goes from white to brown then you know you’re removing the rust and it might have been a surface deposit.

Rinse the spot with clear water at least two times. Use a clean rag and dry the granite. It’s now time to check for surface damage.

granite countertop with stain

You want to use a flashlight or smartphone light and check to see if the acid harmed the gloss finish of the granite. The odds are there will be no damage, but check to make certain. I’d then wait for a week to see if there’s any change in color to the spot where you placed the drop of acid.

If there’s no change in color, then you can begin to do the same process to try to remove the surface rust stain. Take your time and don’t go crazy with the acid solution. Use no less than one gallon of common sense when working with it.

Drywall Joint Banding

QUESTION #2: Hey Tim, I’m having a robust debate with my painter. I have a room with all new drywall and it’s not been skimmed coated so the white joint compound stands out next to the paper face of the drywall. In my old house, you could see at night time where each taped seam was as well as the joint compound covering the fasteners. What’s odd is the wall was perfectly smooth. My painter says this is not going to happen this time. Should I trust him? Brian M., Richmond, VA

Ah, the mystery of drywall joint banding! Look closely at the paper facing of drywall and the sanded joint compound and you should be able to understand exactly why your wall in the old house was not one texture when the low-angle light hits it from indoor light fixtures.

drywall finishing

This small section of wall has just about every drywall finish challenge in it: flat and tapered seams, inside and outside corners and an archway! Photo credit: Tim Carter

Your painter may be trustworthy if he intends to apply a primer and/or paint-primer mixture that has two mission-critical ingredients. The paint or primer must have a sealer that takes care of the porosity issue between the joint compound and the drywall paper. Another key point is the primer or paint/primer must have some heavy-body pigments to even out the texture between the smooth joint compound and the coarser paper facing.

There are special drywall primers made that have these ingredients. I’ve also seen at the Altar of Saving Time a finish paint product that claims it can do everything you want to be done with just one coat not requiring a primer. I’ve not yet tested this product on new drywall, but it’s entirely possible a paint manufacturer has developed a product that eliminates the need for the special drywall primer. You can get one quart of this and paint one wall as a test.

Column 1325

September 29, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

You may be a new subscriber this week. I was on vacation and hope you settled in okay. This is NOT a normal newsletter. You'll see why in a moment. Hang in there until next week for a home-improvement injection.

If you're a hardened subscriber who's a road warrior like me, then you know what it's like to travel and try to avoid barker spiders!

Little-Man Self-Discovery Trip

Kathy, my wife, is not a big fan of traveling. I'm the opposite. I could be ready to leave in about 45 minutes if an opportunity arises.

We have a great relationship and she encourages me to travel because then she gets a vacation from me! It's important for you to realize I've worked out of the house for the past twenty-five years.

Need I say more?

About 15 years ago, I started traveling to very neat places here in the USA and Canada. Many trips were wrapped around going to secret Internet mastermind conferences.

I majored in geology in college, so I'm attracted to the Southwest where bedrock and structural geology is delicious eye candy.

I'm sitting here right now creating this newsletter for you at Gate C 31 in the Denver airport on my way back to New Hampshire. I've got about an hour to get this into your inbox.

I spent the past week in northern New Mexico. What a delight!

Here are some photos that tell just a part of story of the trip:
Boston Logan
I shot the above photo at Boston Logan airport last Monday morning. I had to wake up at 1:30 AM to catch a 3:15 AM bus to the airport. UGH!

But I was rewarded with this sunrise just before boarding the direct flight to Denver, CO.
giant pot at the shuttle bus stop
After a grueling 21-hour travel day on Monday, I woke up in Taos, NM. My buddy Dan and I went to Bandelier National Monument.

Here I'm standing in front of a giant pot at the shuttle bus stop. I wear the spandex hoo rag as a sunscreen and it makes me look mysterious as well.

Bandelier has some remarkable cave dwellings that were carved out of volcanic tuff deposits up to 1,000 feet thick. Massive super volcanoes in this part of NM blew their stacks over a period of 1,000,000 years plus creating all the rock.

I highly recommend you going to Bandelier.
Cave Swelling - Bandelier
These are just a few of the cave dwellings at Bandelier. The loop trail is easy to do and there are not too many elevation changes. You can do this trail.
Santa Fe, NM Sanitary Sewer Lid
My buddy Dan thinks I take the strangest photos. Here's a great sewer lid in Santa Fe. Personalized sewer lids are the sign of pride and creativity.

Think about it. The foundry just charges a one-time fee to make the mold and BOOM you have super-unique sewer lids that tourists photograph!
Fresco in Taos, NM
The above fresco was in a very old town meeting building in Taos, NM. The artist back nearly 100 years ago understood how too many laws are not a great thing. Too many regulations and laws crush us and hold back our ability to create things.

Think about it for a moment. When was the last time you saw a news story of any type where your local town or state government repealed laws? I know I can't remember. Each law that's passed takes away some of your, and mine, freedom and liberty. It's really something to ponder in my opinion.
watermelon juice
I love love love watermelon. Kathy thinks the aroma of it is disgusting, much less the actual melon. I've often thought, "Why don't they sell watermelon juice at the grocery?"

BOOM! I was walking through the plaza in Santa Fe this past Thursday mid morning and look at what I saw!
Blamb watermelon juice vendor
Blamb was the food vendor selling the juice along with his multitude of fresh and wholesome burritos. I ordered a lamb one with tasty fried onions sans wretched green peppers and cilantro.

I'm one of the ten percent that thinks cilantro tastes like soap. I promised Blamb that he'd be featured in my newsletter. The burrito and juice was simply fantastic.
William The Poet, Santa Fe, NM
Here's William the poet. He sets up at one corner of the Santa Fe plaza. This was our first night here. I had him compose a special poem for Kathy. He's holding it in his hand. He uses a real typewriter with a black and red ribbon to type your poem on card stock. It's very unique.

He asked me a few questions about what I wanted, I gave him some ideas about what message I wanted to convey and William said, "Come back in 10 minutes and I'll have it ready."

I came back and it was unbelievable. You can hire William long distance to send a special poem to that special person in your life.

What's cool is YOU decide what to pay. Very clever, William!

CLICK or TAP HERE to order your personalized poem from William.

I get NOTHING from William and am just happy to tell you about this very one-of-a-kind service. Let him know you heard about him from me.
Slot Canyon
Thursday afternoon found us at a non-planned stop. It turns out this may have been the most scenic of all the places we saw!

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

WOW!

That's a slot canyon cut into more volcanic tuff. I can't say enough great things about this amazing national treasure. It's not too far off the beaten path and if you can get here, DO IT!

Sandia Peak above Albuquerque, NM
This was me yesterday on top of Sandia Peak above Albuquerque, NM. I was doing a Summits on the Air amateur radio activation. We rode the ginormous Sandia Tram up the mountain. It whisks you up 3,600+ feet of elevation in just 15 minutes.

Moments before this photo was taken, I threw a water bottle up into a pine tree about 55 feet.

Everyone that walked by me while I was contacting other radio operators marveled at just one thing:

"How in the heck did you get that string up so far in the tree?!"

I'm glad you asked. I had Dan record a video showing exactly how I do it when we were at the Randall Davey Audubon Center in Santa Fe on Wednesday.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see exactly how you can get a string 50+ feet up into a tree by just using a water bottle.

I took hundreds of other photos, but didn't want to overload you.

I'll have a regular newsletter for you next week, so hang in there!

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Certified Organic CLEAN MAN - www.StainSolver.com
Outdoor Radio Mountain Man - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Late September is absolutely a magical time to be in northern New Mexico. The daytime average high temp is in the upper 70s F or so. I hope you get to travel here.

Stone Foundation Repair Rebuild

Posted on by Tim Carter
stone foundation repair rebuild

Stone Foundation Repair Rebuild | This stone foundation very likely was built in the 1840s in central New Hampshire. It will support a new apartment building with the help of the concrete block for at least another 200 years! (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Stone Foundation Repair

DEAR TIM: I’m thinking of buying a dilapidated old frame house out in the country. It’s got a stone foundation that seems to me to be too close to the ground. Are stone foundations adequate and strong? Is it possible to add more stone or concrete to get the foundation higher? How would you recommend connecting the new concrete to the old stone? If you have a solution, I’m going to make an offer tomorrow! Shannon P., Cavendish, VT

I was born and raised in the Midwest, Cincinnati, Ohio to be exact. I was blessed to be surrounded by tens of thousands of homes built with stone foundations. The greater Cincinnati area is blessed to rest upon the world type section of the upper Ordovician Period rock strata. This means it’s got countless tons of thick limestone rocks that can be used to make magnificent foundations and retaining walls.

Did You Own a Stone Foundation?

I owned a house built in the late 1800s in Cincinnati that had a stone foundation. The stone foundation was in perfect condition when I purchased the house in 1976. It still is today as I know the current owners. Most stone or rock is naturally durable and if you install it correctly in a foundation it can be as strong or stronger than a new cast concrete foundation! I know that’s hard to believe, but it’s true.

Can You Add More on Top of a Foundation?

Yes, you can add more material on top of an existing foundation. I’ve got great news for Shannon or you if you’re thinking of purchasing a house with a stone foundation that’s in good shape and not tumbling into the basement or crawlspace. You can add more stone, concrete block, or poured concrete to the top of it to give you a perfectly flat and square new foundation.

What is a Good Stone Foundation Repair Method?

There are a number of ways to repair a stone foundation or add to it, but I prefer to use concrete blocks for the task. Concrete blocks typically have two hollow cores that can really come in handy when you need to connect the new block to the old stone.

bond beam block

Can you Cut Concrete Block?

The concrete block can be chiseled and cut with ease if a stone or two is a little too high. There are gas-powered saws you can use or you can do it the old fashioned way with a hammer and cold chisel.

How Do You Connect the Concrete Block to the Stone?

Once the first course of concrete block is laid upon the stone, you can use a hammer drill to create 1/2-inch holes into the stones. Place a 16-inch-long drill bit into the drill and put the bit into the center of one of the hollow cores of the concrete block and drill down into the stone about 4 or 5 inches.

How Long Should the Rebar Pins Be?

If you’re just adding one row of concrete block to the stone foundation, cut pieces of 1/2-inch steel rebar about 11 inches long. Use a four-pound hammer to tap the rods into the drilled hole. They typically go in with moderate effort. You want the top of the rod just below the top of the concrete block.

How Far Apart Should the Rebar Pins Be?

I’d space the rods every 24 inches on center if possible. This puts a steel rod in every other concrete block. Once all the rods are in place, you then mix up concrete to fill the cores of the concrete block. I prefer to use pea gravel as the aggregate when filling the concrete block. The smaller stones in the mix work very well if, by chance, your concrete block are multiple courses high.

Should the Last Row of Block Be Special?

In the event that you’re adding multiple courses of concrete block on top of the stone, I’d give serious consideration to using a special bond-beam concrete block as the top course. These blocks are very unusual because they have a hollow center that looks like the letter U when you look down the end of the block.

What is Put Inside the Bond Beam Block?

If you can visualize a long row of these placed end-to-end, I believe you can see how you can fill that long U-shaped void with concrete along with long 3/8-inch steel rods. Doing this is the closest thing you can get to a poured concrete foundation that has steel rods near the top to help hold the foundation together.

Who Should Install the Rebar?

An expert mason will be very familiar with these bond beam block and will most likely recommend them too. They’re not too difficult to install for a pro. The concrete and steel rods really will make for a superior foundation for the structure you intend to place on top of the lower stone foundation.

stone foundation

Why are Concrete Blocks Better?

One of the advantages of using concrete blocks on the stone foundation is you can do the job faster than trying to monkey around with traditional forms used for cast or poured concrete. Cast concrete foundation forms prefer to rest on top of a new level footing. Stone foundations are rarely that smooth.

How High Should the Concrete Blocks Be?

Another key point is you generally only need to add 8 or 16 inches to the top of the stone foundation to get it to the preferred height above grade. A great block mason can have this done before the poured concrete contractor can set his forms and bring in the ready-mix trucks.

If your foundation is in really bad shape, you can replace a foundation. House-moving companies can lift your house up in the air so the old foundation can be removed and a new one installed. Be SURE the foundation height is correct!

This column was featured in Tim's October 13, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

Column 1324

September 22, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

You could be a new subscriber. If so, greetings and solutions as my late father-in-law would say. He was a great man. I learned so much from him!

Should you be a subscriber in good standing for the past twenty-four years, oh the tales you could tell!

What I Did Last Saturday

Remember those "What I Did on my Summer Vacation" assignments from grade school?

w3atb telegrapherNo, Halloween didn't come early to New Hampshire! But that was a good guess!

CLICK or TAP HERE to see what I was up to a week ago.

If you leave a comment on the page, realize I have to approve them before they appear. I do this to prevent SPAM comments from littering my blog. Don't freak out if you don't see what you typed as soon as you click SUBMIT. I'll approve your comment, you just have to be patient. The same is true for comments on my AsktheBuilder.com website, BTW.

Cleaning Sink Stains

Frank sent me the following photo. He wanted to know if my Stain Solver, the magical certified organic oxygen bleach, would restore this kitchen sink in his daughter's home.

If not, Emily was facing a replacement bill of no less than $1,000.00.

stained double sink

What do you think the sink looked like after Emily followed my directions?

Before you answer, you need to know there was NO SCRUBBING involved. That's not a typo. I just told her to fill the sink with HOT water, pour in some Stain Solver, and go to bed.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see the results. There was NO photoshopping or other tricks done to the photos. They are exactly as were sent to me by Frank.

Are you still a non-believer in Stain Solver? You could be one who's resisted my Jedi mind tricks to get you to try Stain Solver. Your inner strength is remarkable. But you may also suffer from chrometophobia. Seriously, you can't see parting with $11.95 to see if you're wrong? Give me a break.

But you have to admit, after seeing all three photos, that Stain Solver is indeed a magical cleaner. Go ahead, order some now.

If you have ANY PROBLEMS at all using it, I'll call you on the phone. Seriously, I'll call you. CLICK or TAP HERE now to order even just one of the small sample sizes.

Remember, Stain Solver works on ANYTHING water washable. Stains in your clothes, carpets, upholstery, car mats, blah blah blah.

An Outdoor Sink Restoration

Check out this photo:

restore outside sink

What's going on in this photo? What was the sink used for?

CLICK or TAP HERE to see what JoAnne had going on.

Deck Pier Foundations

Look at Jeff's concrete deck pier. Do you see anything wrong?

concrete deck foundation

Do you think this pier was installed correctly?

CLICK or TAP HERE to see if you're hunch is right. Be SURE to leave a comment at the bottom of the page about anything you'd do differently. I'm intensely interested in how you do your deck piers and foundation details.

Meghan & Brent's Attic Trusses

Do you want to see what the attic of Meghan and Brent's house looks like?

Can you imagine how you might get a huge room in your house for next to nothing? It's easier than you thought.

attic trusses meghan and brett

CLICK or TAP HERE now to watch a very short video. I guarantee you'll discover something you didn't know.

Remember, ASK ANY QUESTION(S) you have about attic trusses in the comments BELOW the video. That way everyone can see the answer and become better informed. Sending me a private email with a question is not the way to go.

That's plenty for a Sunday.

I leave tomorrow for a little-man self-discovery trip to an undisclosed region of the Southwest USA tomorrow. I'll be with my buddy Dan again. We invited Chuck, Steve, and Russ, but they were unable to make it.

Stay out of trouble while I'm gone. I'll be in your Inbox for sure next Sunday with some photos of the adventure.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Order Certified Organic Stain Solver NOW - www.StainSolver.com
Mr. Green Visor Man - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Did you see my review of a super handy personal work light? WOW! CLICK or TAP HERE. I pretty much guarantee you'll LOVE this light.

 

Attic Trusses Design

Posted on by Tim Carter

Attic Trusses Design

This video shows you just about all you need to know about attic trusses.

In case you do have questions, PLEASE click the two links just below and read my past columns about attic trusses. That saves me from typing the answer twice.

Attic Trusses Column #1

Attic Trusses Column #2

The #2 column has a photo of my man cave where I work and ponder the state of humanity.

More of the backstory on this attic construction appeared in the February 24, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

This video was featured in the January 5, 2020 AsktheBuilder Newsletter. Click to read Mike's story.