July 7, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

You could be a new subscriber. Be sure to let me know if I'm able to save you some time and money with this issue.

You may be a subscriber that's been here for quite some time. If so, ring the bell or sound off if I've helped you too.

The summer heat is building here above the Equator and I thought I'd devote this issue to help you keep your cool and SAVE YOU sweet moola.

Concrete Crack Repair - Not Too Hard

concrete slab crack

That's a nasty crack in a concrete slab. There are a few ways you can repair it.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see what I feel is the best product for this job. GREAT VIDEO at this page.

Is Your House HOT?

Are you suffering in your house even though you have central AC?

ac units
CLICK or TAP HERE to understand why you may not be as comfortable as you could be.

Poor-performing AC can be caused by many things. Here's a partial list:

Your AC compressor could also be low on refrigerant, the outside coil could be dirty, the flow of air around the outside unit could be blocked by leaves or other debris, etc.

The bottom line is there are MANY THINGS that need to be right for you to be cool as a cucumber.

Tim, What About Those Solar-Powered Attic Fans?

You mean these?

Solar Powered Attic Fan

Before you go any further, I want you to think about teriyaki chicken wings, or a bucket of crispy fried chicken. Yummy!

Think how that was made possible in the dead of summer for a second. Do you know what farmers have to do to get tasty chickens to your table? I didn't think so.

Okay, now you can CLICK or TAP HERE to see why solar-powered attic fans are, for the most part, hype and a classic case of an emotional fuzzy-feel home improvement purchase in all too many cases.

Hey Timbo! What About Whole House Fans?

You mean these?

whole house fan

Whole house fans work really well in certain situations. Is your home a candidate?

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover if you can employ one of these bad boys to keep you cool on a HOT day!!

That's enough for a HOT Sunday. It was blistering hot here in central NH yesterday with oppressive humidity. The dew point around 2 pm was 78 F.

Yes, I know where you are it could have been much worse.

I'm wearing a brilliant blue shirt and my patriotic bow tie to church today at the request of some who attend my church. They wondered last week if I'd wear the tie today or last Sunday as the 4th of July was almost perfectly in the middle of the week. I wore a red, white, and blue shirt last week with the patriotic bow tie.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Certified Organic Super Cleaner Man - www.StainSolver.com
When All Else #FAILS - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

Window Flashing Tape Leaking

Posted on by Tim Carter
window flashing tape

Window Flashing Tape Leaking | The red arrow points to white flashing tape that failed to adhere and water leaked into this new home. This construction method flies in the face of decades of hard-earned knowledge that produces leak-free construction. (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

"That remarkable simple and effective building detail is being sacrificed at the altar of Build-it-Faster."

Window Flashing Tape Leaking

I’ve been wanting to write this column for years. The topic has been a burr under my saddle, but I needed to base the column on proof, not speculation. That proof arrived last week in a desperate phone call from my son-in-law. He and my daughter are building a new home in Downeast Maine and water was leaking into their home across the top of windows just days before the drywall was to be installed. I predicted this might happen, and sure enough, it did. It’s important to realize I’m not the builder of this home but am their principal advisor.

A second event happened last week that’s directly connected to this column, but you might not immediately see the significance. An intense rainstorm caused the Pemigewasset River here near my house to flash flood. The raging water uncovered a hidden cofferdam at an abandoned mill next to the river. No one had any knowledge of this dam that was buried under 10, or more, feet of sand for possibly 200-plus years!

Livermore Falls Cofferdam

This cofferdam was uncovered in a flash flood on the Pemigewasset River in the late spring of 2019. It lay buried under as much as 15 feet of sand for possibly 200 years or more. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

I’ve been aghast in the past few decades at a growing trend in the residential construction industry that is burying hard-earned tried and true construction methods that were developed and used by builders for centuries. I’m talking about the explosion of flashing tape that’s being installed around countless windows and doors in homes and room additions all across the USA, and possibly the world for that matter.

This disturbing trend reminds me of the powerful writing of J.R.R. Tolkien in his masterpiece The Fellowship of the Ring. Tolkien wrote, “And some things that should have not been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge.”

I referred to this same quote in chapter one of my Roofing Ripoff expose’ book I wrote about why your asphalt shingle roof is falling apart before your eyes. Each day old craftsmen and craftswomen die and unfortunately take their knowledge to the grave. New young builders are left to try to come up with solutions to problems on their own. Engineers at companies are tasked with the same conundrum if they fail to pay attention to older engineers.

water leak new door

This is a water leak around a door in a brand new home that's still being built. The door was not flashed properly and water is leaking around and under the threshold. It's a ticking time bomb that could cost thousands of dollars to repair down the road. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

The water leaking into my daughter and son-in-law’s new home is happening because the construction detail intended to prevent a leak depends on an adhesive on a piece of tape. Should the adhesive fail, water is sure to enter the home. It also depended upon expert installation methods from the person installing said tape. Another disturbing trend I’ve been observing is the disappearance of skilled laborers, but I digress. That’s a column for another day.

Mother Nature knows all about how to shed water to keep things dry. Apply your critical thinking skills to how feathers are layered on birds. Think about how fur is layered and coated on any number of animals that need to survive outdoors in bone-chilling cold and rainy days.

zip system flashing tape

The corner of the tape in the center of the photo is already peeling. The causes are many. How long might it be before the other tape starts to peel away from the plastic-coated sheathing? Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

This same simple technology was used for centuries by builders to create dry and rot-free wood structures for years. Roof shingles and flashings are layered on roofs like feathers. Each shingle higher on a sloped roof overlaps the one below it. Gravity pulls the water down the roof to the ground.

Builders of old used the same method to keep walls dry. They overlapped pieces of asphalt-saturated paper in the same manner. When the paper passed over a door or window, the builders carefully installed a simple metal flashing that extended up the wood wall, was bent to pass over the top of the window or door trim, and then was bent a final time so about 1/4-inch of the metal lapped over the front of the window or door trim.

The best craftsmen made sure the metal was angled out slightly from the window or door trim to prevent capillary attraction from pulling the water up under the metal flashing.

Water dripping down behind the siding, or brick, or stone, or stucco would flow across the asphalt felt paper which overlapped the metal flashing on the wall. The water would then roll across the metal flashing and then flow out over the front of the window or door.

zip system flashing tape leak

Look at the upward-angled pucker in the black tape at the center of the photo. The pucker is OPEN at the top and water can flow down into the tape and pass horizontally through the other horizontal pucker. The edges of the sheathing could start to rot and water can easily enter the wall cavity. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

That remarkable simple and effective building detail is being sacrificed at the altar of Build-it-Faster. Just about every modern window or door has a built-in weatherproof nailing flange that can take the place of the older metal flashing. All that needs to happen is the top nailing flange needs to be carefully slid up behind the ​overlapping layers of ​weatherproof barrier above it.​ ​This weatherproof barrier is required to protect the wood framing of the house from water that gets behind siding, brick, stone, stucco, etc.

Many, not all, builders and laborers are using wide flashing tapes that overlap, not underlap, the materials above them. They hope that the adhesive doesn’t fail. If it does, water gets behind the tape and it’s game over.

I’ve maintained for years that it’s quite possible the adhesive on these tapes may not stand the test of time. Can the adhesive survive thousands of expansion and contraction cycles when the sun beats on a wall and transfers that heat to the tape?

My biggest beef is the tape that’s applied to the popular plastic-coated wall and roof sheathing. Your hopes for a dry structure are based entirely on whether or not the tape adhesive was installed perfectly and holds forever to that plastic coating.

I’m not a big fan of hope. You should only hope for things you can’t control. You can control how to make sure your new home or room addition never leaks. Just follow the footsteps of the master craftsmen/women of old.

Related Column: Window Flashing Tape

Column 1308

June 30, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

You could be a brand new subscriber. (light celebratory fireworks fuse!) Welcome! (bright lights in sky and BOOM BOOM BOOM noises)

You might be a subscriber that's been here long enough to have thought once or twice that it might be a good idea for me to tone it down. (Boo and Hiss sounds from my strongest supporters - splat sounds of rotten fruit hitting things and ground) 😉

I'm Like You

You may think everything at my home is unicorns, rainbows, and unending servings of mocha chip ice cream. Everything is perfect, nothing breaks and all is good.

BAH!

<RANT>

A month ago, out of nowhere, the electric line feeding my outdoor post lamp at the street, a security spotlight, and a branch to my outdoor shed started to throw a DEAD SHORT.

This means that as soon as you try to turn on a circuit breaker, it POPS with a nasty spark. Dead shorts are DANGEROUS.

The IDIOT builder who built my house - I didn't build it - allowed the electrician to put in buried electric lines outdoors that are NOT in CONDUIT.

This is but another example, in my opinion, of how many codes, including the National Electric Code (NEC) are a set of MINIMUM standards.

Building or installing something to code doesn't prohibit you from investing a small amount of time and money to do a BETTER JOB. Often installing something to code is like getting a 70 percent on a test. You just pass by the skin of your teeth.

Using my self-taught electrical skills, I was able to trace down the part of the line where the short is in just minutes. The short is located in the line that runs from the house up to a junction box attached to an oak tree on the other side of the driveway. The line branches here to go to the shed, post light, and to the security light.

I'm sharing this story to BEG YOU to ALWAYS INSIST that all buried electric lines around your home be placed in slightly oversized approved conduit. The conduit protects the line from frost heaves, heavy delivery trucks that drive on soggy soil, errant gardening shovels and spades, etc.

When the conduit is installed at your home, make a simple drawing of your house footprint, driveway, sidewalks, etc. and show the conduit(s) in a different COLOR in relationship to things you can see after the house is built.

Put this drawing in a zip-lock bag clearly marked that it's a plan of buried conduit. Staple it next to the electrical panel. A future homeowner/electrician will thank you.

UPDATE: Tim's RANT continues in the July 27, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter. Click to read more.

</RANT>

P.S. I'm also dealing with a cranky sliding screen door that's jumping off the track every third day. She Who Must Be Obeyed is none too happy as she uses the door multiple times a day to feed the birds and water plants.

Last Call - $300 Gift Card

Tomorrow morning you may be the owner of a $300 Amazon gift card.

To qualify you must:

  • own and use a portable dehumidifier
  • fill out this survey by MIDNIGHT tonight June 30, 2019 ET

Good luck.

Remove Oil from Concrete

I recorded a new Stain Solver video this week. I tackled one of the TOUGHEST jobs you might ever take on:

Removing oil or grease from concrete

remove oil from concrete

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch TWO videos.

The top video is the new one. It shows what you need to do to remove older oil stains in concrete. These are the TOUGHEST stains you can tackle, believe me.

The second video, farther down the page, shows how to EASILY remove FRESH oil spots.

A delivery truck, friend's car, or alien spacecraft might drop oil on your drive. It could even be fresh grease from a grill.

FRESH stains are EASY to remove if you ACT FAST.

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch that fresh oil-stain removal video.

Evelyn's VIP Fast Answer

Do you know what this is and WHY it's important?

collar tie

CLICK or TAP HERE to see if your answer is correct.

Yesterday, Evelyn needed a fast answer about a few of these in her garage she was about to REMOVE. Fortunately, she had the smarts to reach out to me before she got out the reciprocating saw.

Evelyn got me to answer her desperate question in a hurry.

I created a new product about three months ago that's gaining in popularity.

It's called my VIP Fast Answer. As you might imagine, I get lots of email.

I can only answer so many each day then I must switch gears.

If I spend too much time dealing with all the incoming requests, I'd never be able to invest time in pursuits that pay bills and paychecks for the Ask the Builder team.

I decided to create a simple product where I answer ONE question for you and do it fast - usually within hours.

Keep this in mind if you're ever in a bind and want to know if a certain product is great, if a contractor is about to do something wrong, etc.

It's important to realize that I answer your question and we part ways. There are no follow-up questions. That's why the VIP Fast Answer is so affordable.

If you want to have a discussion about something so you don't lose hundreds or thousands of dollars, I have a separate service for that situation.

That's enough for a Sunday morning.

I've got my red, white, and blue shirt on for church and am wearing a bow tie that resembles the American Flag in that it's got stars and stripes on it.

Don't forget, the USA celebrates its birthday this week!

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Order Certified Organic Cleaner - www.StainSolver.com
Dihs and Dahs - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

June 26, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

Are you a new subscriber? Gosh am I glad you've joined the party! Have you been receiving this newsletter for months or years? What tip of mine in a past issue saved you the most time and money? BTW, if you want to see ALL past Ask the Builder newsletters CLICK or TAP HERE.

My Unvarnished Journey With Pocket Doors

Do you have a pocket door in your home? Here's what one looks like before it's covered with plaster, paneling or drywall.

pocket door plywood
I can hear you now if you've seen an undressed pocket door frame, "Whoa Tim! Hold ON just a minute! What's that plywood doing between the thin studs?"

And that's where my story begins. In just a moment, you'll discover exactly what that plywood is doing between the thin steel-wrapped studs.

I can clearly remember the first custom home I built. The owner was Mark Ossege. He and I became great friends - and that happened with quite a few of my customers I might add! (RIP Matt and Ginny Motz!)

Mark's architect specified several pocket doors in his new contemporary home. I had never installed one, but had seen quite a few in the older homes I had worked on in the stately neighborhoods of Clifton and Hyde Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The lumber company delivered the pocket door frames one day and I immediately saw a potential problem. The door frames were made from pine 1x4s and some were bowed INWARD into the pocket.

This meant the door would end up rubbing on the pocket door frame. I requested new frames be sent out that were not warped. They arrived and I installed them HOPING the wood would stay straight over time.

Fast Forward

A few years later, I became aware of LE Johnson pocket doors. I immediately was attracted to them like a bear to a honey pot filled with the golden nectar.

The LE Johnson pocket door frames had steel-wrapped thin wall studs that created the pocket. These were straight as an arrow and WOULD STAY THAT WAY FOREVER.

The LE Johnson pocket door trolleys were ingenious. The had three wheels and it was IMPOSSIBLE for them to jump off the track. Pocket doors jumping off the track is a common problem for POC pocket doors. You do know what the acronym POC stands for, right?

I started using nothing but LE Johnson pocket doors and never ever had one problem or call back. That's nirvana for a contractor by the way!

CLICK or TAP HERE to see how eye-popping BEAUTIFUL pocket doors can be in your home. I'm serious - you'll be blown away with the possibilities.

Pocket Doors and Pictures - Big Ones

While LE Johnson pocket doors solve lots of problems, including recapturing lots of usable floor space taken up by swinging doors, there was one that escaped the attention of many who worked and made these wonderful door products.

If you wanted to hang a heavy picture or mirror right where the pocket was, it was tough.

Drywall on its own doesn't support lots of weight. It can't be trusted over time.

Yes, you can install all sorts of fancy anchors through the drywall, but the anchor or bolt might extend into the pocket. You can't allow this to happen as it will almost always SCRATCH the door as it travels in and out of the pocket.

Problem SOLVED

The crafty engineers at LE Johnson recently solved the problem of hanging HEAVY objects at the pocket.

The engineers came up with these thin u-shaped metal clips that allow one to insert 3/4-inch plywood between the metal-wrapped pocket studs.

You can now install a screw(s) ANYWHERE on either side of the pocket that will support hundreds of pounds. WOOT!

These clips - you have to see them! - are one of those inventions that you BANG YOUR HEAD against the closest wall saying, "Idiot! Why didn't I think of that? I could be soaking it up on the deck of my yacht with my soulmate had I invented these things. Oh well, I'll just go rent one of the little paddle boats and hope that works some magic."

CLICK or TAP HERE to see what could have made your wildest dreams come true. Oh well, don't give up! CLICKING or TAPPING HERE may provide you with some inspiration or your next invention. Try it!

How would you like to watch a video of me installing the plywood in between the LE Johnson pocket door studs?

pocket door plywood install
Yeah, I knew you'd like that. Wait until you see HOW FAST I work. You're not going to believe an old goat can move that fast. Hah! Many a day I feel like I'm 18!

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch the video of the LE Johnson Plywood Clip set.

That's quite enough for a Wednesday wouldn't you say?

P.S. I'm getting setup to record the Flushable Wipes TEST video. It's going to be very interesting to say the least. CLICK or TAP HERE to see WHY I'm going to spend at least two days doing this for ZERO MONEY. Yep, I'm doing it to help save you money and agony dealing with unnecessary plumbing clogs.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
GET Your Stuff Super Clean - www.StainSolver.com
Magic in the Air - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

Don’t Underestimate Concrete Installation and A Water Leak

Posted on by Tim Carter
concrete installation basement float machine

You’re looking at a professional finishing concrete. It’s not as easy as it looks. (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Don't Underestimate Concrete Installation

QUESTION #1: I plan to install a concrete patio during my vacation. It’s going to measure 14 feet by 30 feet. I’ve watched lots of online videos and paid attention to cable-TV shows and now feel emboldened. What can go wrong and how much help do you think I’ll need. I’ve never done a job like this and feel it’s doable. What advice can you add to the mix? Ronnie S., Tyler, TX

Ronnie’s concrete quest reminds me of the can’t-fail spirit I relied on early in my career when I tried to do something new. It’s important to realize back then there were no online videos or cable-TV shows to instill a dangerous sense of bravado.

The first time I tried to do a large concrete job on my own, I was but 23-years-old and had never done anything like it before. I was pouring a set of steps alone and a short section of sidewalk at an older home I was rehabbing. How hard could this be?

It’s so much harder than you can ever imagine. The first thing that went wrong is I never thought how the concrete wouldn’t flow horizontally across the truck chute to get to the uppermost steps. The top steps were just about a foot below the top of the truck chute. About a half a cubic yard of concrete had to be hand shoveled from the chute and the truck driver was kind enough to help.

Another key point is that concrete installation is true science. Scientists devote their entire careers to the study of this man-made material. Most of the online videos I’ve seen about the concrete installation process gloss over extremely important details.

The mix you order from the concrete plant needs to match the extreme weather conditions you’ll experience outside your home. You often will see that 4,000 pounds per square inch (PSI) concrete should be used in climates that experience freezing weather. Note this is a MINIMUM standard. You can order stronger concrete and it might be a good idea to do so.

Water is both the friend and foe of concrete. Add too much at any point in the mixing or installation process and you can ruin the concrete. Allow too much water to evaporate from the concrete after you’re washing off your tools, and you can weaken the concrete. New concrete needs to retain water, it’s called curing, so the microcrystals in the concrete can continue to grow for months after the ready-mix truck leaves your home.

Concrete is very strong when squeezed, but it only has one-tenth that strength when subjected to tension. Tension is when concrete gets bent by hollow voids under the new concrete or from frost heaving in cold climates. The addition of reinforcing steel is a must if you want to ensure your new patio doesn’t develop wide ugly offset cracks.

Your new patio is going to shrink. Concrete tends to shrink 1/16th inch for every ten horizontal feet. This shrinkage pulls the concrete apart and can cause ugly random cracking. It’s best to put in your own control joints in the wet concrete. These pre-weakened joints must be a minimum of 1/4th the thickness of the slab. All too often contractors make them too shallow.

Lastly, don’t underestimate the enormous amount of work to get the concrete from the truck into the forms. You’ll need at least six or eight helpers, especially since none of you have ever done this type of work before. Pour just before the sun rises so you don’t die of heat stroke! Good luck!

A Water Leak

QUESTION #2: Tim, I’m building a new home and visited it during a driving rainstorm. There was water coming into the house. The siding has yet to be installed outdoors but a self-adhered water barrier is in place. Everything looks fine and there were no loose pieces of water barrier flapping in the wind. There’s a direct-vent fireplace exhaust hood on the wall above the area that was leaking. What could be wrong? Beverly W., Arlington, VA

I rarely bet but in this case, I’d put all my pocket money on a faulty installation of the fireplace vent that passes through the wall. My guess is that after an autopsy is performed on the installation one will discover that the installer failed to integrate the metal vent flashing with the self-adhered exterior water barrier.

All too often contractors and subcontractors rely on caulk to seal penetrations like this. Caulk, no matter what the builder tells you, is not a substitute for the proper overlapping of waterproof materials on the outside of your new home.

Think about how roof shingles and feathers on birds keep houses and birds dry. These materials overlap one another so the water flowing down is shed to the next layer. If you overlap things the wrong direction, water can get behind and cause nightmares.

In a perfect world, the fireplace installer would have been working hand-in-hand with the contractor at the same time the exterior water barrier was being installed. A second option would have the exterior vent at the job site early in the job. The water barrier installer could have attached it to the wall as he put up the barrier. The fireplace vent pipe could have been installed backward going towards the fireplace. You need to apply critical thinking skills to challenges like this.

Column 1307

June 23, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

Are you a new subscriber in the past week? Cowabunga am I glad you're here! Seasoned subscriber? I cherish your continued commitment to collect counsel that avoids costly outlays of cash.

Yesterday I had a fun amateur radio day. Tens of thousands of radio operators across the USA and Canada participated in a 24-hour emergency training exercise. It's called Field Day.

The intention is to encourage operators to set up stations out in the *field* in any weather conditions to hone skills in case an amateur radio operator is needed in a natural disaster. Some radio clubs transform it into a food event and dabble in radio part of the day.

I set up in a wooded location with my outdoor radio mentor and honed my skills battling mosquitoes and wood ticks as well as sending and receiving Morse code. I sent all of my transmissions using very low power - about the same as you need for a traditional night light - 4 watts!

You only need that kind of power to send a message thousands of miles if the atmosphere is tickled just right by energy from the sun.

Why You're HOT With Your AC On

return air duct

There are several reasons why your central AC is not able to keep you comfortable. The first thing I look at in a house is to see if each room has a return air duct to transport HOT air from a room back to the air handler.

That return grill and duct MUST BE in the proper location and sized correctly.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see how to MAXIMIZE comfort in your home with the AC on. BE SURE to pay attention to the Related Links!!!

Extension Cord Danger & Sizing

Are you flummoxed by extension cords? Are you aware of the DANGER lurking in each one?

extension cord sizing

Just last week, a visitor to the website asked me a question about cords. He mentioned how he just got a new electric lawn mower and the owner's manual specified the cord he should use.

He then said, "I went to the local big box store and the length I needed was not there. Is it okay to SUBSTITUTE ........"

If you were a betting person, what might you think my answer would be?

If you don't know the EXACT ANSWER, I BEG YOU to CLICK OR TAP HERE and read my column and the last comment way at the bottom.

You generally only get one chance with extension cords.

Make a mistake and you might qualify for the ubiquitous Darwin Award.

Perfect Concrete Installation

mix concrete

Concrete installation looks easy.

Concrete installed by pros can be very costly.

Concrete installation is far more complex than you'd ever imagine.

Do you want to only have it done once and have it LAST for DECADES?

I thought so.

That's why you need to CLICK or TAP HERE to have perfect concrete.

P.S. Once again be SURE to click or tap the Related Links to save thousands of dollars.

Do You Own a Portable Dehumidifier?

Please peer at the photo just below this line.

Amazon Gift Card

You're looking at a $300 Amazon gift card that might be in your hands in less than two weeks.

ONE PERSON who takes my Portable DeHumidifier survey is going to win this bad boy. The winner also gets a handsome 3x3-inch patch I designed PLUS a secret prize that's MILLIONS of YEARS old!

To QUALIFY, you must own a PORTABLE dehumidifier. Yes, you must OWN and have USED one of these machines.

If you already took the survey two weeks ago, please do NOT take it again. I'll remove your second entry to make it fair for all to win the sweet moola gift card and ancient secret prize.

CLICK or TAP HERE to take the short survey. If you live under a rock, it might be a little problematic getting the gift card to you. We'll work on that should you be the winner. Don't fret about that now.

That's enough for a Sunday morning.

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

Do It Right, Not Over!
dit dit

Best Bar Harbor Builder

Posted on by Tim Carter

Best Bar Harbor Builder - I Might Be Able to Help

My daughter and son-in-law built a new home in Bar Harbor beginning in late 2018. I was not the builder, but I did act as their primary advisor. I also installed all the plumbing, radiant heat, and electric.

I live hundreds of miles away in New Hampshire and no longer do the active day-to-day building of homes. They had to use a local builder who could run the project.

Best Bar Harbor Builder

I didn't build this house for my daughter, but I acted as her advisor since I live hundreds of miles away. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

If you're thinking of building a new home in Bar Harbor, Maine anywhere on Mt. Desert Island or in the nearby towns, you might want to have a quick 15-minute phone call with me.

Building a new home is stressful and if you pick the wrong builder, it could cause you all sorts of anguish. I know as I get emails from people every month all across the USA who didn't do their homework.

Did You Meet the Best Bar Harbor Builder?

Yes, I'm quite certain I met the best Bar Harbor builder. He took me on a tour of an exquisite home he built.

Did You Compare Notes With the Local Building Inspector?

Yes, I had a very interesting conversation with one of the building inspectors on Mt. Desert Island.

Pocket Door Plywood

Posted on by Tim Carter
pocket door plywood

Pocket Door Plywood | The plywood panels you see fit in between the steel-wrapped pocket door studs allowing you to hang heavy objects at the pocket. WATCH VIDEO BELOW (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Pocket Door Plywood - Use the Clip Set to Install

You can strengthen pocket door frames by installing 3/4-inch plywood in between the steel-wrapped studs. It takes just minutes to install the ingenious clips.

CLICK or TAP HERE for more information about these magic clips.

Watch me install the LE Johnson plywood clips:

This column was SO GOOD that I shared with the 31,000 subscribers who read my June 26, 2019 and my September 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

Pocket Door Plywood Clips – Hang Heavy Stuff

Posted on by Tim Carter
plywood panels steel-wrapped pocket doors

Pocket Door Plywood Clips - The plywood panels you see fit in between the steel-wrapped pocket door studs are held in place with special u-shaped clips. The plywood allows you to hang heavy objects at the pocket location where flimsy anchors would fail. Solving pocket door problems like this is easy with Ask the Builder! (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

Pocket Door Plywood Clips - Use For Heavy Things

QUESTION #1: Mr. Tim, can you solve a dilemma? I’m planning to install a few pocket doors in my new home. I already know at these locations I’ll have heavy mirrors and artwork on the walls where the door slides in and out of the pocket. I’m afraid the small anchors I will have to use will fail over time and the things will come crashing to the floor. What can I do to strengthen the wall to accept a traditional screw or two that won’t pull out? Connie B., Eugene, OR

Connie isn’t the first person to be faced with this situation with pocket doors. You may have scratched a door because you put in an anchor, a screw, or a nail too far that created a nasty blemish on the door as it slides into the pocket.

Can You Install Plywood Between Pocket Door Studs?

The great news is you can now easily install 5/8-inch-thick plywood panels in between the steel-wrapped wall studs that create the pocket for a pocket door. I wish this option would have been available years ago when several of my customers had the same issues with heavy objects!

pocket door plywood clips ad

These are the amazing pocket door plywood clips. CLICK on the photo to have them delivered to your home.

Johnson Hardware, a US company that makes superb pocket door hardware, developed pocket door plywood clips. The clips are U-shaped thin-metal hardware that slides onto the pocket-door studs and the plywood slides into the other side of the clips. These thin brackets slide onto the edge of pieces of 5/8-inch plywood that’s cut to fit the space between the thin studs that create the pockets.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local carpenters that can install pocket doors for you.

How Long Does it Take to Install the Clips?

It takes just seconds to attach the brackets to the edges of the plywood. You attach four of these brackets on each edge of the plywood. The brackets then slide onto the metal wrapped studs so the plywood stays in place.

Can Drywall Screws go into the Plywood?

The drywall contractor can attach his drywall to the wood-wrapped studs or put his screws into the plywood as well. The plywood is sufficiently strong that screws that just penetrate 5/8 inch will easily support mirrors or framed art that might weigh close to 100 pounds.

I can’t imagine anything weighing much more than that and even if it did, you’d just install a few more screws into the plywood to distribute the weight over several, not just one, screws.

Have You Installed the Pocket Door Plywood Clips?

I installed these simple brackets and plywood on two pocket doors at my daughter’s new home and had the job done in less than ten minutes. It’s important to realize you should select plywood that’s very flat.

What if the Plywood is Bowed or Curved?

If you have plywood that does have a bow to it, be sure to install the plywood so the bow faces out to the room. This ensures the door will not rub against the plywood as it slides in and out of the pocket.

Column 1306A

June 16, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on by Tim Carter

Are you a new subscriber in the last few days? I'm honored by your trust. If you're a seasoned subscriber still in good standing, that's an accomplishment you should be proud of!

Pop Tarts to the Rescue

I'm a ham radio operator and volunteer to do quite a few public service events every summer. I'm the chief of communications for the New England Forest Rally and I cut my teeth for that working on the fabled Rock Pile - the nickname of Mt. Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Yesterday, I was working the annual foot race just above the six-mile marker. Here was the view from my office all morning:
Rock Pile Foot Race
Yes, those are giant patches of snow you see. There was more snow hanging around that's not visible in this photo - much more than I've ever seen this late in the year.

Yesterday was windy and chilly. At my location, the runners/walkers were battling a fierce headwind I estimate to be about 25 mph. You can see the wind making parkas flap in a video I shot showing the majestic view I had looking to the north northeast. Note the lack of guardrails!

I captured another video of George Etzweiler, who at age 99, was trying once again to make it to the top. Sadly he didn't make it this year due to a sprained ankle and feeling a bit under the weather. CLICK or TAP HERE to read a story I wrote about George and his granddaughter from four years ago.

But let's get to the Pop Tarts.

Late in the event, two women approached me and told me about another woman who was having difficulty below me. She was sitting down about 150 feet away from me. I was about to walk to her, but she got up and started plodding towards me.

"How are you feeling?" I asked once she made it to my truck.

"I'm beat. I don't think I can make it." She replied with tears welling up in her eyes.

"What's your name?"

"Christy."

"Christy, do you think your blood sugar is low? Are you allowed to eat anything with sugar in it?"

"Oh, I'm SO HUNGRY! I would appreciate anything you might have."

I then said, "I've brought along some Pop Tarts for you to have and I want you to realize that after you eat these, it's ALL MENTAL. You've come over six miles and have just one more to go. I KNOW you can do it and your husband and daughter are going to be so proud of you."

The tears dried up as she munched on the snack. I stuffed another one in her parka pocket to get her through the last part of the race.

I always come to the race with Pop Tarts for this reason.

Are they the healthiest food? HECK NO. Do they give the runners/walkers a much needed nutritional and MENTAL boost to finish?

You bet they do. Yes, I know there's better stuff in squeeze packets for the runners, but I don't stock those. Pop Tarts are easier to get at the grocery.

I know Christy finished the race because we have to radio in all those that do drop out. Her bib number was never transmitted on the radio. Congratulations Christy!

Wireless Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

smoke and co detector

CLICK or TAP HERE to see lots more photos of this very nice alarm.

But MORE IMPORTANTLY, be sure to read the review to see what I DID NOT like about it.

Clean Upholstery Stains

I know, upholstery is not a hard-core building topic, but you might have some of this furniture.

How would you like to see a NEW VIDEO I recorded just a few days ago showing how to get a TOUGH cat vomit stain from a WHITE seat cushion?

Clean Upholstery Stains

Yeah, I thought that you'd want to see how to COMPLETELY REMOVE that stain using my certified organic Stain Solver!

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch the video. What do you think of my new blue shirt that I'm going to wear in all new Stain Solver videos?

Remove Patio Algae - Any Patio, Even Bluestone or Flagstone

I've decided to start taping two videos per week showing how to use the Stain Solver you hear me talk about all the time. Stain Solver is certified organic and it's a kick-butt cleaner for just about anything water washable.

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch a NEW video I recorded in the past 48 hours. What do you think of these new videos? What do you want me to show you how to clean?

Clean algae from patio

That's enough for a Sunday morning. Are you craving a Pot Tart now? Sorry about that.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
CLEAN YOUR STUFF - www.StainSolver.com
Pop Tart Savior - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!