Please click all the links below. Study the photos.
This is from the February 17, 2019 Newsletter.
Then answer the question in the following quiz:
Sunflower Seeds & Giant Disappearing Doors
Open Wide - Behold a Secret Hidden Space!
Magic Stained Glass Shutters - Seriously?
The Dream Laundry Room - WARNING, You'll Fall in Love
The High School Geometry Door & Toys
I'll make this fast. For many of you, today is Valentine's Day.
For my buddies Phil and Russell who live down under, it's just about over as I type this.
PLEASE go to the following page at my website and WATCH the two videos so you don't make a mistake! There's STILL TIME for you to prevent a NIGHTMARE!
CLICK EITHER IMAGE BELOW to get to the page or CLICK HERE:
If I saved your bacon, you can thank me buy treating me to a bag of Peanut M&Ms. CLICK HERE to do that.
😉
Remember, Sunday you're going to be treated to some SWEET EYE CANDY. Ladies, you don't want to miss my LE Johnson extravaganza!
I'll be back in your Inbox on Sunday morning. Let me know how you like the FUN GAME you'll be playing! WOOT!
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Buyer of gorgeous orchid this morning.
Do It Right, Not Over!
Stay OUT of the Dog House!
Are you new to the party? Welcome. This is a very special issue, so you subscribed at the right time.
Distinguished subscriber of record? You're about to paste a big smile on your face.
Ladies, how would you like to be a model for Duluth Trading? If not you, maybe your daughter, grandchild, or a friend? They make fantastic clothing for both men and women.
I have some of their clothes on right now including their amazing Buck Naked underwear. Sorry for that not-so-pleasant graphic image, but let's move on.
Don't sell yourself short! I'd absolutely apply as you have NOTHING to lose. I don't think DT is looking for the next Christy Brinkley as they want to appeal to all women.
CLICK HERE and apply. Let me know if you make it. I'll be SO PROUD of you!
I'm a Grandpa! Yep, the first time.
Kathy and I are so happy and proud. Our little bundle of joy arrived a week ago today.
Our daughter Meghan had a tough time and required a 3-day stay in the hospital. The baby is fine and healthy and Meghan is making progress each day.
You may have been wondering why there was such a sense of urgency to get their new home started so late last year. This is but one reason.
I didn't want to share any news about the birth until I was confident of a positive outcome. Kathy and I raced up to help out our son-in-law who had not slept in 48 hours. We stayed around for two days to help cook and get the new family settled once Meghan was discharged from the hospital.
If you send good wishes our way, please accept this thanks in advance as I'm sure I'll be unable to answer each incoming reply. I hope you understand.
Our new granddaughter is one beautiful young lady, I can tell you that. I forgot how tiny newborns are. Wow, it was crazy to hold that little gal!
I got a short break on Saturday afternoon while up helping with the newborn. I think Kathy wanted me out of her hair too. I raced over to the new house and recorded three new videos for you.
MANY MORE are in the works. I'm starting to make a list now and I could use your help.
CLICK HERE and tell me what you'd like to see me explain in the new house.
NOW is the time to capture this video as the house has just been framed.
I'm talking about SHORT videos explaining one small aspect. Think of things I might be able to explain as you see me do BELOW in the three new videos.
Please don't make a request like: Show step-by-step how to install shingles. Show step-by-step how to install plumbing
Those are two-hour full-blown shows, not three-minute micro-slice videos.
Here are the three new videos. Click the image or the title above the video:
Three days ago, Ryan hired me to draw plumbing plans for a new basement bathroom he's installing at his home.
He rented an electric jack hammer on Sunday and started to break through the concrete floor. I've done that countless times. He quickly ran into water.
Lots of water. So much water he may have to wait until July to resume the project. Another option is to invest in a high-capacity water pump to lower the water as he installs the new plumbing.
I don't know if his house was built on a slight slope, but IF IT WAS and part of his land was LOWER than the bottom of the foundation footing, he's not have a drop of water under the slab.
You stop water from collecting under a basement slab by installing a sleeve or two or three through the footing. Look at a few of the sleeves I had installed at my daughter and son-in-law's new house so they'd NEVER HAVE standing water under their crawlspace slab.
The red arrows point to 4-inch plastic pipe sleeves. They do not hurt the integrity of the footing.
Did I share something here in the newsletter that helped you save time and money? If so, maybe you want to treat me to a pecande or two or three. CLICK HERE for some fun!
In just five days, I'll be in touch again. You're going to see some outstanding eye candy full of design ideas for your home.
If you're thinking of doing some painting or moderate interior remodeling this spring, then you'll absolutely want to CLICK EACH AND EVERY LINK in Sunday's newsletter.
I've got to go call my daughter Meghan now to see how the little one's doing!
Tim "Gramps, Grumpa, Grandpa" Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Certified Organic Baby Cleanup Stuff - www.StainSolver.com
Morse for Infants - www.W3ATB.com
Do It Right, Not Over!
Cast Iron Drain Pipe | Here are the four common sizes of cast iron drain pipe you'll use in your home. Left to right: 4, 3, 2, and 1 1/2 inch. You may not know WHY and WHERE you should use cast iron drain pipe. That's why you should do a fast plumbing code consult. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter
"At the very least, use cast iron drain pipe for your toilet pipes across ceilings and down walls. This will stop embarrassing noise and add value to your home."
Tim Carter | Founder - AsktheBuilder.com
Modern cast iron drain pipe is nothing like the cast iron pipe poured into molds years ago. The wall thickness is consistent and the cast iron can last hundreds of years.
It's important to realize that you don't have to use it for all the pipes in your home. Toilet stacks that make noise are the first place to use cast iron.
All vent pipes in your home can be normal cellular PVC pipe to save money. Vent pipes just have air move through them.
You can also use PVC for the horizontal branch arms that extend left or right of a vertical stack for any common sink. Look at this photo of branch arm and WATCH the video below to see a video of several branch arms serving sinks:
This is a great example of how to mix PVC and cast iron to save money. You can see the cast iron vertical stack coming up through the floor. It's for a master bathroom vanity. It switches over to PVC and goes up another 14 inches to the branch arm that will connect to the sink p-trap in the vanity. All the other PVC pipes in the photo are vent pipes that only have air in them and some tiny amount of liquid condensate. Even the large 3-inch PVC pipe is a vent pipe that will extend up and through the roof.
Related Links
PVC vs Cast Iron - And the Winner Is!
Replace Cast Iron with PVC? - Not So Fast!
Cast Iron is Quiet and a Breeze
You use no-hub stainless-steel couplings that contain a rubber seal and a massive stainless-steel outer band. Two ring clamps squeeze the rubber against the cast iron to create a leak-proof connection. The couplings allow you to make adjustments for perfect alignment.
Here are some of these couplings in this photo. I installed all this cast iron in my daughter's new home in the winter of 2019.
This is modern cast iron drainpipe for a residential house. It will last for centuries and is QUIET. the stainless-steel couplings have a rubber boot that each end of the pipe fits into. You tighten the two clamps and a leakproof seal is created.
Free & Fast Bids
CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local plumbers who can install cast iron.
Yes, the cast iron pipe is code compliant. It's used exclusively in large high-rise and institutional buildings because it's durable and fireproof.
No. Cast iron pipe will not burn. Burning PVC plastic pipe creates toxic smoke and gas that can kill you in seconds should you breathe in the fumes.
Cast iron pipe is much denser than PVC. The water crashing down a vertical stack doesn't have enough energy to make cast iron vibrate. However, PVC will vibrate readily like a bass drum in your walls and ceilings.
Attic Truss Design | This is an attic space in my daughter's new home. Most builders would have used standard trusses and wasted all this space. (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter
"You may not realize you can have rooms up in the wasted space of normal truss roofs. Attic trusses allow you to recapture all that dead space."
Tim Carter | Founder - AsktheBuilder.com
Attic trusses are marvelous trusses that create rooms for a small amount of extra money.
My daughter's new home has a giant space 18 feet wide by 43 feet long created by attic trusses.
Related Links
Attic Trusses 101 - CLICK HERE for the Basics
Roof Framing Tips - SECRET INFO - Please Do NOT Share
Can I CUT Trusses Safely? READ THIS ONE!
The rooms in the attic trusses depend on the length of the truss and the pitch, or steepness, of the roof. The longer the truss and the steeper the roof pitch the larger the room.
Yes, you'll need a crane because a typical attic truss weighs well over 100 pounds. It's safer to use a crane for all involved.
Yes, at attic truss costs more than a normal truss. However, the added cost is well worth it as it increases the value of your home by thousands of dollars.
The answer is maybe. If the truss is long enough you might gain enough height to have a room. Most low-slope roofs can create a smaller rectangle in the truss that's used for storage. The space is not high enough to stand in but you can crawl around on your hands and knees to retrieve your stored items.
This is what the current building code mandates for winder stairs. Look below for the explanation of the measurements. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter
"Winder stairs were very common in houses built in the early 1900s. It's a shame they're not used in more homes today."
Tim Carter - Founder www.AsktheBuilder.com
Winder stairs allow you to turn a corner and change the direction of a staircase.
The most common turn is 90 degrees. Circular stairs are a continuous flight of winder stairs as the treads create a corkscrew sometimes turning a full 360 degrees or more.
Winder stairs are permitted in the building code as of 2019. The code says the minimum tread width on the inside radius needs to be 6 inches. It also says that the tread depth at walk line of the stairs measured 12 inches in from the inside tread edge must be no less than 10 inches.
I'm not the builder of the house and steps you see in the above video. The builder and his carpenters built the steps. Local building inspectors have the right to wave code requirements. They can also make parts of the code more stringent.
At the time this video was recorded, the builder had not yet met with the local inspector. If he's required to rebuild the stairs, you'll see new photographs and a new video.
This is what the current building code mandates for winder stairs. Look below for the explanation of the measurements. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter
Related Links
Building codes mandate stairs should be at least 36 inches wide. This width is great for three winders to make a turn of 90 degrees.
This means each winder stair creates a 30-degree angle. The center of the winder tread is always going to be greater than 10 inches if the stairs are 36 inches wide. This is plenty safe.
It's easy to make winder stairs. The simplest way to do it is to make two or three platforms.
Note the drawings of mine below. Read the captions for a full understanding of how to build the winder stairs.
The bottom platform is a square usually 36 inches. The second platform might be an odd polygon and the third winder would be a simple triangle. It's best to just make a full-size template using cardboard if you're not a seasoned carpenter.
This is what the current building code - 2019 - mandates for winder stairs. Look below for the explanation of the measurements. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter
This is step one of the winder stairs built the way before the RECENT CODE REQUIREMENTS. You build a platform that the other two winders will sit upon. The tread above the winders on one of the flights of steps in the illustration would be 22.5 inches HIGHER than the platform level. I always try to build steps with a 7.5-inch riser and a 10-inch tread. This combination of tread depth to riser height creates ideal, comfortable, and safe steps. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter
This is the second step. The second platform is an odd shape and the angle of the orange line is 30 degrees from the black platform line beneath it. If you recreate the dashed walk line on this set of steps at 12 inches from the inside of the 90-degree angle, you'll discover the tread depth at the walk line is just over 7 inches. While this is not to code, it's not exceedingly dangerous. If it were, you would have seen this exact design outlawed decades ago. This platform would be 7.5 inches higher than the one square one beneath it if I was building it. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter
The third and last winder is the triangle platform that is marked #3. Its riser is also at a 30-degree angle to the stair riser to the RIGHT of the #3. If you need help with winder stairs I can CALL YOU ON THE PHONE. Click here to set up the phone call. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter
This tool cabinet should have been bought 30 years ago! (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter
QUESTION #1: Tim, I lost it this past weekend. After I cooled down, I realized I had no one to blame but myself. I spent two hours looking for a hand tool I know that was somewhere in my garage, basement or shed. I finally found it in my truck. Anyway, I’ve got a mound of tools that are covering my workbench. Everything is scattered. If you’ve ever struggled with hand tool organization, how in the world did you solve the problem? How do you store your hand tools? Andy P., Scranton, PA
I’ve got no problem baring my soul. I used to have the same problem as Andy just had. Perhaps your tools are in a giant heap on your workbench or plopped into a bucket or two. Allow me to share with you how I finally stopped going on adventures trying to find my own hand tools.
While I was still a full-time builder, I had the most wonderful truck. It had a pickup-truck cab but a utility body sat on the chassis. Truck utility bodies have large rectangular cabinets on each side of the body that make use of the void space otherwise wasted by the normal pickup truck bed body.
Plumbers, heavy construction crews, and electric utility companies are but a few who love utility bodies. The cabinets contain shelves and I had all my hand tools organized so I could find them blindfolded. But I realize you’ll probably never have a truck with this handy setup.
About twenty years ago, I was at the National Hardware Show and I saw the most innovative pegboard. It was made from metal and it had unique clips of every size, shape, and design to hold any imaginable hand tool. The metal panels and clips could be had in different colors and everything was powder coated for durability.
This is a great starter set of the metal pegboard, hooks and accessories. This is the brand I have in my home.
I got some of this and covered one wall in my garage with it. Within a few hours, I had my most-needed hand tools up in plain sight. Fortunately, I was already in the habit of returning the tool to its holder after using it. If you don’t do this religiously, you’ll still have blood pressure and anger-management problems.
The metal pegboard couldn’t hold all my tools and I still had some confusion. Believe it or not, it took many more years until I finally solved all my hand tool woes. Just last year, I took possession of a rolling double-decker tool cabinet that has twenty-one storage drawers and storage compartments.
Auto mechanics have used these cabinets for years and now I know why. They are so very handy and well designed. The height and width of the drawers match exactly the size of the most common hand tools. If you put the right tools in the right drawers, there’s virtually no wasted space.
I took the time to set up my cabinet so the most-used hand tools are in the drawers that are the easiest to access. I urge you to shop around and give the metal pegboard and rolling tool cabinets a serious look. You’ll never ever regret having both.
QUESTION #2: Timbo, I need your sage advice. I’ve decided to install some interlocking laminate floor in a small getaway room for myself. I’ve never attempted a project like this but I’m quite good at following instructions. Have you installed laminate flooring and what can you share so I’m sitting sipping tea in my new room as soon as possible? Evelyn W., Mt. Desert, Maine
I’m honored when anyone asks for help so they can do a job they’ve never tried before. There’s something magical about standing back looking at a completed job and reflecting how you did it with your hands and intellect! I still do that to this day and my wife just shakes her head watching me stare at my work.
It’s important to realize that reading and following instructions are the most important things to do when installing a laminate floor. A friend of mine and her boyfriend installed some in a small house one weekend in a rush.
They thought they knew how to do it. A month later, she called me begging for help. She wanted to know how to get rid of the clicking sound the floor made as they walked across it. They had installed the laminate on an uneven floor. I lightly scolded her, told her how to fix it and she’s never called me again.
Laminate floors need to be installed on flat surfaces with no humps or dips. Flat doesn’t mean level, although a flat level floor would be best! Maintain the spacing the instructions call out when you put the new floor next to the current baseboard. Laminate needs room to expand. Don’t skip the foam underlayment many laminates require. This simple product is there for a reason.
Remember that when you cut a piece to end a row, there’s a good chance the cutoff piece can be used to start the next row. This means there’s very little waste. I can’t wait for you to send me a photo of you relaxing in a chair sitting on your new floor! I love the oak laminate floor in my man cave!
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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
QUESTION #1: Tim, I grew up in an older home with an attic. I love storing things up there. When I watch new homes being built, all I see are trusses with all sorts of cross supports that make it impossible to have an attic. Can you have an attic in a modern truss? Is it hard to do? What about traditional stairs up into an attic? Can you have those instead of the flimsy pull-down stairs? Betty B., Valdosta, GA
Betty’s question reminds me of an embarrassing and enlightening moment I had as a very young builder. I was building a home for a friend and he had purchased the plans from a company that had hundreds of plans in a book. The house called for normal trusses and that’s what I ordered. The roof was moderately steep and the overall height of the trusses was about 13 feet.
After the trusses were set and the roof sheathing was on he visited the site on a weekend as he was a traveling salesman. He looked up into the maze of lumber above his head while we stood in the entrance hall and said, “Wow, what a massive waste of space. Why didn’t you create an attic up there?”
My reply was that I ordered the trusses the way they were shown on the plan and that was that. It’s important to realize this was before the Internet existed and I had only seen normal trusses early in my career.
On my next visit to the lumber company I asked a salesman, “Can a truss be made that has an attic in it?” The salesmen pulled out a book and showed me numerous truss designs that allowed a large square or rectangle to be made in each truss! Oh my, imagine the possibilities!
The good news for you should you be building a new home, adding a large room addition, or even building another structure with a pitched roof is that you can have a bonus room built within the roof trusses for a very reasonable upcharge.
The steeper the pitch of the roof over the structure, the larger the room can be in the attic. I’m typing this column right now in my small man cave that’s above my garage. Fortunately, the builder of this home used attic trusses over the large garage to create a vast storage area. I installed windows on each end wall of this space and built a wall at one end to create a small cozy ham radio shack/office for myself. It’s a perfect hideaway and allows me to work and talk with people I can’t see undisturbed.
Houses with low-sloped roofs can have special trusses that resemble attic trusses. These are called storage trusses and they resemble a crawlspace under a home. You can crouch down and move around in the storage trusses to retrieve stored items.
Betty’s old house was framed most likely with traditional rafters that allowed an opening to be created in the floor for a traditional staircase. You’re never supposed to cut any member of a prefabricated roof truss, so how can you make a wide staircase opening that’s perpendicular to the run of the trusses?
It’s easy. A truss designer uses software that creates two giant girder trusses that allow for a full-sized staircase up into the new attic space. All you have to do is draw the staircase on the floor plan where you want it to go up into the attic and the truss manufacturer will make the magic happen for you. The carpenters on the job, with the help of a small crane, can put all the trusses and other pieces together in less than a day!
QUESTION #2: Can you help me, Tim? I’m on a very tight budget and desperately need an extra flat work surface that can be a desk for my son to do his homework as well as a hobby area. Another key point is I have virtually no tools and my building skills are poor. What can I do to solve this problem in less than a day? Brandi S., Rio Rancho, NM
I think all of us have been faced with this dilemma at one point. I know I have and fortunately, there’s a solution that requires no tools whatsoever! You may find a perfect used desk at a yard or garage sale or online websites that have local yard sale groups.
The fastest way to create a flat desk surface is to use a simple hollow-core door that just about any home center or traditional lumber yard stocks. Doors are usually 24, 30 or 32 inches wide and 6 or 6-foot 8-inches tall. A 24-inch by 72-inch door makes for a marvelous desk surface. The doors are normally 1 and 3/8-inches thick and quite strong.
Visit a large retailer that sells storage products and you’re going to discover stackable plastic drawers or drawer carts on wheels. I went online and found a set of two carts that would support the door and put the working surface of the door just about at the right height.
The drawer carts have three drawers in each one and measure 14.5 inches wide by 12.5 inches deep and 26 inches high. You place one at each end of the door and the void space between them provides plenty of room for your legs. If you need the top of the desk to be higher, just stack a few spare books on top of the drawers to get the top of the desk about 29 inches off the floor. Enjoy your new and easy desk!
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Welcome if you're a new subscriber. I hope to exceed your expectations. All others, you know what's in store. Let's get started.
This past week I was energized. I created lots of new pages at both AsktheBuilder.com and StainSolver.com. I'll be sharing a few with you down below.
Two weeks from today is the annual LE Johnson game. Who is LE Johnson?
LE Johnson is the biggest sponsor of the AsktheBuilder.com newsletter.
You might want to CLICK HERE and thank them for supporting the newsletter so you get countless free tips week in and week out. Seriously, CLICK HERE and send them a short thank you note. I would sincerely appreciate it if you'd do this.
In two weeks, you're going to see some unbelievable photos of how homeowners like you transformed their rooms using LE Johnson products and technology.
I GUARANTEE you'll be blown away. You'll also witness what happens when I drink three cups of coffee in a very short amount of time. I think you'll get a very big kick out of that! Stay tuned!
Kathy, my wife, has two stunning cats - Finn and Nala. They're both Savannahs. What's a Savannah? You'll be able to see Finn just below. I think you're going to be amazed.
Finn, the oldest of our two, has a very bad habit of not using the litter box. He's a male and territorial. So he sprays and he's lazy.
Cat spray and urine are pungent. Yuck!
Guess what? Stain Solver removes all of the cat urine and spray odor and gets rid of stains too! Kathy and I own the Stain Solver company. It's a certified organic SAFE non-toxic oxygen bleach.
Stain Solver is MADE in the USA with USA ingredients that are food-grade quality. CLICK THE IMAGE to order some NOW.
CLICK HERE NOW to see a photo of the bad boy Finn.
There's a SECRET promo code just under his photo that you can use right now. It works on even our affordable sample size.
There are at least THREE REASONS why your roof might be making random CRACKING NOISES.
CLICK HERE to see if you know what they are and which ones are DANGEROUS!
That doesn't make sense unless you read what Russ and Ann did. You're going to be BLOWN AWAY by all the photos.
Great great eye candy! CLICK the photo just below or the link below the photo.
What would you say if I told you a person who NEVER plastered before produced results BETTER THAN the average plasterer?
What would you say if I told you that YOU can do it too?
CLICK HERE to see all the bathroom photos and to see what Ann did in a few HOURS!
What should you do with those small sheds you can buy at a home center or retailer? How about a hobby greenhouse? How should they be anchored to the ground?
This small fiberglass greenhouse really doesn’t require a foundation, but always read the installation instructions to make sure. (C) Copyright 2018 Tim Carter
CLICK HERE NOW to prevent your shed from blowing away like that small house did two weeks ago in Cripple Creek, CO. You didn't see that in the news? The lady is lucky to be alive.
Do you need extra desk space but can't afford a desk?
CLICK HERE to see how I created the above desk in less than an hour.
Did you find something helpful and useful in this issue?
Maybe a past newsletter has helped you. If you're inclined to reciprocate, you may find this page pretty funny. You'll also discover a few of my favorite foods and treats. Buy Tim a Cheese Coney!
Be SURE to look at the FAQs on the page.
That's enough for a Sunday.
Questions, comments, suggestions? Just REPLY to this newsletter and lay it on me.
P.S. I did one of my phone consults this week with a wonderful woman in London, England! Jennifer had a sewer odor in a new bathroom and I solved the issue from 3,000 miles away using Skype. Pretty cool!
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Mr. Clean Man - www.StainSolver.com
Morse is ALIVE! - www.W3ATB.com
Do It Right, Not Over!
Roof Cracking Sounds Winter | This roof can crack and creak in the winter with wind and snow loads on it. This column was SO GOOD that I shared with the 31,000 subscribers who read my February 2, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter. Copyright 2019 Tim Carter
"Roof cracking sounds in the winter are common. Some sounds are caused by heavy snow and ice, some are caused by high winds, and the sun might cause cracking sounds on bluebird days."
Tim Carter - Founder | AsktheBuilder.com
Roof cracking sounds are somewhat common in the winter. The most dangerous situations are when the roof is about to collapse because of too much snow and ice.
The timbers and framing lumber will crack before the collapse, but sometimes there's not a lot of warning.
Yes, strong winds can cause cracking sounds in your roof. The force of wind on a large flat surface like a roof can produce thousands of pounds of force.
The lumber can move in the roof and this creates the cracking or creaking sounds.
The best way to stop the cracking sound is to remove snow from the roof. You want to reduce the load on the roof as much as possible. Use a roof rake with a long aluminum handle to achieve this.
Related Links
How Much Does Snow and Ice Weigh?
What are Ice Dams and How Do You STOP Them?
The sun heating up an attic in moderate climates can create cracking sounds. An attic that is cold overnight can heat up fast on a sunny morning. This heating creates uneven expansion forces in the roof framing.
The result is cracking much like your tendons and bones crack as you stretch in the morning.
There's not much you can do to stop cracking sounds caused by thermal expansion. It's pretty normal.
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