Am I glad you are here today! Guess what I discovered? I found a septic system that is being installed and it hasn’t been covered over with dirt. The inspector is coming tomorrow, so it is a great opportunity for me to show you the basic components of a septic system. The septic system consists of the septic tank, the distribution box and the leach field.
This is the actual septic tank. It is a precast, concrete structure that a crank lowers into place. This particular one is about 750 to 1,000 gallon capacity. The waste water from the house comes directly into this tank. The tank has lids that allow you to inspect the inside of the tank. They also serve a very important service. Every three to four years, you need to have a company come in and pump out all of the solids, that have collected inside the septic tank.
The distribution box takes the waste water from the septic tank and directs it out to the leach field through four different pipes.
The leach field in this system looks a little weird because of all the concrete covering. This leach field will actually be underneath the road leading to the house. The waste water enters the leach field from the distribution box. The leach field consists of a foot thick layer of sand. The waste water filters down through the sand, where it gets cleansed of all the bacteria and pathogens. And then it flows back into the water table.
That is how simple septic systems work.
Author's Note: We've received other questions with similar problems or questions. Here's one from Howard Stein of Oklahoma City, OK, regarding his home septic system.
"We have ten inches of snow and the temperature is near zero Fahrenheit. It will stay like this for several days. Â Is it safe to use our washing machine (doing regular laundry) in this frigid weather since we have a septic tank and fear that the "arms" cannot properly dispose of large volumes of water into the ground? Â Many thanks for your help."
Howard, typically in most septic systems, the tank and drainage fields are located well below the frost line.
DEAR TIM: My New Year's resolution is to start to repair things around my home. I desperately need a workbench in my garage, but have little money and skills. Can you help me build a workbench that will really serve me over the years and not break the bank? What kind of materials should I use? What tools do I need? Is it really possible for a lass like me to build a workbench just after the New Year in a couple of hours? Molly O'Sullivan, Tewksbury, MA
DEAR MOLLY: Not only is it possible to build a sturdy workbench, but you can also do it in about 30 minutes once you gather the few materials. The best part is the workbench is going to last for years and years.
This simple, yet sturdy workbench was cut and assembled in less than 30 minutes! Photo Credit: Tim Carter
I've constructed many workbenches over the years. Some I've done for customers, but I've also built several for myself. As you might expect, there's a wide variance of opinion as to the best attributes for a workbench.
Some will say the overall size is the most important. Others will say the workbench has to be super strong. At the end of the day, it all depends on what you plan to do at the workbench. Answering that question will act as your North Star as you think about how you need to build your workbench.
My guess is that you're not going to be rebuilding large diesel engines on the workbench, so it doesn't have to be able to support thousands of pounds. If you copy the design I just concocted, I think you'll be fine.
Not too long ago, I built a cozy workbench for my own garage using just one sheet of plywood and four 2x4x8s. I also needed about forty 3-inch-long drywall screws and twelve 1and 5/8-inch drywall screws.
I decided to go back in time and just use simple power tools to construct this rough bench. My guess is you have these same tools I used: a circular saw, a drill, a framing square, a phillips screw bit to insert in your drill, a 1/8-inch drill bit for wood, a measuring tape and a straightedge or chalkline.
The depth of the workbench top is very critical if you plan to butt it against a wall that will have tools hanging on pegboard. You do not want to make the workbench any deeper than 24 inches. If you exceed that depth, you'll quickly discover it's very hard to reach things on the wall. You may want to reduce this depth to 22 inches if you're small and have short arms.
The bench I made for my garage was only 5-feet long. While that seems small, it's really plenty big for most projects. If you have the space, feel free to make yours longer.
The height of the workbench is the hardest thing to calculate. You need to determine if you plan to work at the bench sitting or standing. It makes a huge difference. I prefer to stand. Since I'm only 5 feet 8 inches tall, I've determined that workbenches that are 32 inches high are perfect for me.
Don't be fooled by the height of kitchen countertops. They're usually 36-inches high. But you rarely are working on an object 5 or 6 inches high in your kitchen. You'll discover as you work on objects on your workbench that if the workbench is too high, your shoulder will raise up to an uncomfortable height, and you'll lose leverage.
To build the base for my workbench, I simply made two boxes that measured 16 inches by 48 inches by 3.5-inches tall. These boxes work to stabilize the legs and they support the workbench top and the bottom shelf. The 2x4s used were stood up on their edges to make the boxes.
I then cut four legs at 31 and 1/4-inches long. The legs go at each corner of the boxes with the top flush with the one box and the bottom of the leg 4 inches from the bottom of the lower box. The legs are screwed to the outside of the boxes on the 4-foot face. Be sure you use the framing square to ensure the legs are square with the boxes. Install three long screws where the legs contact each box.
I prefer to use 3/4-inch fir plywood for my workbench tops. It's a little more expensive, but it's very durable. You can use oriented strand board if that's all you can afford.
If you want a really durable workbench top, you can add a layer of oak flooring to the top of the workbench. This will add more cost to the project and considerable work. I feel you'll be very happy with just the fir plywood. So far it's working out great for me.
DEAR TIM: I'm lucky and have lots of medium to larger rock on my lot that can be easily harvested. I want to build a stackable rock retaining wall that will be about 3-feet tall and hold back that amount of dirt. Is there magic involved in this process, or do you just stack the rock and hope for the best? What would cause the wall to fail? I don't want to have to redo the job in a few years. I've seen photos of stone walls in New England farm fields and woods that seem to have withstood centuries of Mother Nature's weather and abuse. McKayla S., Pittsburgh, PA
DEAR MCKAYLA: Believe it or not, there's not too much magic involved in building a stacked rock retaining wall that will last generations. It does help if you paid attention in your high school physics class, but if not, I'll provide the crash course below.
First, let's make sure we're talking about the same type of wall. You mentioned the photos of the rock walls you've seen. I live here in New Hampshire and am surrounded by these walls. In fact, I own a piece of property that has stone walls on it that are probably 170 years old. Many of these walls are in excellent shape.
Most of this rock wall was built in less than five hours by one person. Some of the larger rocks had to be put in place with a machine. Photo Credit: Tim Carter
However, the stacked rock walls on my land are not retaining walls. They were primarily built as pasture borders when New Hampshire had millions and millions of grazing sheep. The wool from these domesticated animals satisfied the enormous raw-material appetite of the woolen mills both before and after the War of Northern Aggression, most commonly known as the Civil War.
These rock walls are not retaining walls. They're just free-standing walls that used to be in the middle of fields that acted as crude, but effective, fences. They had no dirt pushing against one side of the wall. The rock walls you see in the photos still look good because gravity is just pulling them straight down. Retaining walls have an added sideways thrust component in addition to the downward pull of gravity. In cold climates, this thrust is multiplied as the soil freezes behind the wall and expands sideways as well as up.
In other words, when you decide to use rock or stone as a retaining wall, and you plan to just stack them instead of interlocking them with mortar or concrete, you need to make sure the weight of the stones and the friction between them are greater than the sideways thrusting force that's constantly trying to tear down the wall. That's pretty much all the magic you need to know, unless you have great skills and can levitate the heavy stones into position!
The first thing, in my opinion, that you need to know is that weight is everything. Heavier stones, ones that weigh in excess of 150 pounds or more, are highly recommended. Just as it takes great effort for you to move these small boulders, it will take more effort for Mother Nature to do it too.
You say the wall will only be 3-feet tall, but is this wall cut into a hillside where the ground slopes up and away from the wall? If so, there's a tremendous amount of weight and soil upslope that's working to push over your wall.
A 3-foot-high retaining wall that has just level land at the top doesn't push that hard against the retaining wall. However, if the small retaining wall is immediately adjacent to a parking area where heavy trucks can load the soil just behind the wall, this added weight can cause a poorly designed wall to collapse, even a short wall just 3-feet tall.
I recommend that you dig a 6-inch deep trench that the first row or rocks rests in. This small keyway helps hold them in place. Deeper is better, but you don't gain much if you bury more than one third of the height of the first row of rock.
If possible you want to have a slight backwards lean to the wall. You want the face of the wall to be out of plumb with a slight tilt back towards the dirt that's being retained. Four inches of backwards tilt in three feet of height is plenty.
Do your best to tightly interlock the rock. Jagged or misshapen rocks work much better than rounded river rock that are nothing more than giant balls. The more surface area of each rock that touches adjacent rock the better. This friction allows the stones to work together instead of each rock just counting on its own weight to hold back the soil.
If the soil at the top of the wall is level, you can gradually decrease the size of the stones or rocks as you get to the top of the wall. Try not to use rock that weigh less than 25 pounds each unless they're used to fill voids in the back of the wall.
Stand back and view the wall as you build it. Look to make sure you like the look of it and look down the wall to make sure it's running in a somewhat straight line. You can use a string to help you keep it straight, but often stacked walls look best if they have a little wiggle or two in them. It creates the illusion that the wall has been there waging a battle against Mother Nature for some time and it's a tie!
DEAR TIM: We just moved and our new home has a two-story open entrance hall that needs to be repainted. I've never tackled a project like this and need all sorts of help. I'm wondering about the step-by-step process. The job is complex because the ceiling color and woodwork colors will remain the same. Both are white and in very good condition. Just the walls need to be repainted. How do I achieve the professional results that I can't afford to pay for at this time? Sylvia S., Erie, CO
DEAR SYLVIA: You must have been talking with my daughter. She mentioned to me several months ago that I should create a step-by-step video series on how to paint. My response was that it would be pretty involved. I'll try to do it with words for you.
What many people think is easy - you just grab a brush or paint roller and get to work - is, in reality, quite involved. I say that assuming you do want professional results. Believe me, I've seen my share of rookie paint jobs that include painted electrical switch and outlet cover plates!
This entrance hall was recently repainted. It was very complex because of the steep vaulted ceilings and two-tone paint job. Photo Credit: Tim Carter
A professional paint job almost always starts with great tools. This means you need to use high-quality brushes, rollers and drop cloths, but you need safe ladders and staging to reach comfortably all the high places you need to carefully cut in and roll. When I see poor-quality paint jobs and talk with the homeowners, they often show me cheap brushes and flimsy ladders and buckets that were used to do the work.
I always tell my friends to stop and read the label on the paint can. The first step rookies skip is the one about applying the paint to a "clean, dry surface". Clean means you need to wash the walls with mild soap and water. Don't forget to wipe off the top of all woodwork above doors and windows. Do the same where the walls meet the baseboard. You don't want the dust and dirt found in these areas fouling the wall paint as you brush near these objects.
Once the walls are clean, I then go around and patch any small holes or dings in the walls with quick-drying spackling compound. You can purchase some that is pink but turns white to tell you it's dry. This magical dry indicator will tell you when it's safe to lightly sand the compound.
As this compound dries, go around the room with white water-washable caulking and caulk all cracks between the woodwork and the walls. This is a step that ninety-nine percent of rookies and homeowners skip, but pros never do. Black cracks between walls and woodwork after a paint job is complete stand out like a giant blinking neon sign in the desert at night.
After all these steps you're getting close to the glory work. Sadly, most people want to paint first - and it's actually the last step in the process. You'll have to carefully apply the wall paint next to the woodwork and the ceiling since they're different colors. This process is called cutting in. I prefer to use a 2-inch tapered brush for this. The more expensive brushes give you enormous control so you don't get colored wall paint on the adjacent surfaces.
Before you dip the brush in the water-based paint can the first time, get the bristles slightly wet. Shake the brush to remove excess water. Wetting the brush helps make it easier to clean the outermost bristles.
Dip the brush in the paint and wipe off excess paint from both sides of the brush before you try to cut in. If you have excess paint on the side of the brush closest to the ceiling or woodwork, it will ooze out and create a horrible mess.
Some people prefer to spend the time and money to use masking tape and other gadgets to cut in. You can purchase tape that's made to block paint from seeping under it. I've tried all these methods and I can cut in with a brush faster than I can tape or use a gadget. The gadgets that cut in work great if you have perfectly straight woodwork and wall lines, but most houses don't have this.
If you have to use an extension ladder to reach a high area, be sure to place a triple-folded old towel over the top of the ladder where it touches the wall. Failure to do this will probably cause your ladder to leave depressions or marks on the wall. Use special A-frame ladders that have adjustable legs or sides to help you paint safely in stairwells.
Don't ever take chances trying to erect some crazy setup of boards and wobbly stepladders to create staging in stairwells. Many people have been seriously injured falling from unsafe staging while painting stairwells. Don't become a statistic.
Rolling paint on walls is the final step. Use a very high-quality roller to achieve professional results. Modern roller covers made from foam-like materials produce hardly any roller spray. Older roller covers created clouds of fine spray that coated your arms, face and anything unprotected where the floor meets the wall. Be sure to look for these sprayless roller covers.
If you have a septic system, remember that you should NEVER clean your tools up inside allowing the paint from the brushes and other tools to enter your septic tank. Paint of any type is very harmful to the septic system, especially the leach field.
Home window repair is not as hard as it may seem. Granted, there are hundreds of different window types, styles, and hardware all cutting across at least one hundred years, but you'€™ll discover that many home windows repair techniques are the same. I can clearly remember working on a sticky crank mechanism in the original steel casement windows in my childhood home. What'€™s more, I can remember the first time I took apart a traditional up / down wood sash window to replace a broken rope that connected to the cast-iron weight that counter balanced the sash.
Modern windows have become slightly more complex with the spring-loaded jambs that have taken the place of the clumsy, yet effective, cast-iron window weights. If you have to repair a modern spring balance, you often have to replace the side jamb. These jambs are typically held in place with hidden clips.
If you can't figure out how to get the jamb out, always visit a local distributor who sells that window. Their service manager can take you to the showroom and demonstrate how to take apart the moving parts of the window.
Home window glass repair is a very common task. Rocks, balls, furniture, etc. can break glass with ease. With old windows, it'€™s usually just an exercise in removing the old putty on the outside of the window. You'€™ll then see tiny metal clips or spring-loaded clips that press the glass tightly against the mortised frame. These clips need to be removed to get all the glass out and the new glass panel in place. It'€™s not hard to get these clips out, but it'€™s very important to use them when you install new glass. Without the clips, the glass panel can easily be pushed from the inside, and it will pop out of the frame falling to the ground below.
Some window glass can't be repaired this way. For many years if you broke the glass in an Andersen casement vinyl-clad window, you had to buy the entire sash with the new glass. It'€™s extremely easy to remove the sash from the hinges, but the price tag of a new sash may take your breath away.
Home window repair parts can be tough to find the older the windows are. You can discover a treasure trove of them if you establish a relationship with the sales manager of a local window-replacement company. Think for a moment. Imagine how many houses a company like that works in each month. The salesmen/women for a window company get inside many houses and may see what you need.
There's a great chance houses near you have the same windows. If you tell the window-replacement company that you need certain parts, they may allow you to salvage them from windows they take out of a house. You just have to take photos of your windows and any logo information you may see on the window jambs, frames or hinges and take these with you when you visit the window-replacement company.
When it'€™s time to do a broken home-window repair, don'€™t panic. Try to be prepared in case you have a catastrophic accident and the window is open to the elements. Have plywood handy so you can cut a panel to protect your home. If repairs are not so imminent, just try to see what the problem is and contact the local distributor who handles that brand of window. Sometimes the name of the window manufacturer is imprinted in the lower corner of the glass, on the crank hardware, on the locking hardware or the hinges.
One thing you need to monitor is the condition of window sills and the lower parts of wood window jambs. Back in the 1980's, a defective clear wood preservative was used on many window and door products. It was determined this chemical was defective causing the windows to rot. It happened at my own home.
Each spring, test your window sills and jambs with a screwdriver to see if the wood is soft. If you discover soft wood, there are additives that you can impregnate the wood with to strengthen it. If the rot is fairly bad, you can use epoxies to rebuild the wood profile. In any event, you need to make sure the window parts are painted well to ensure water can’t get into the seams where the jamb meets the window sill.
DEAR TIM: Spring has finally arrived in the high country here. It's time to cut the grass, but the small gasoline engine on my lawn mower refuses to start. I use the same gasoline that goes in my truck, and my truck always starts. My guess is that you work with small engines all the time and know what the problem might be and how to prevent it. What's the best way to store a small engine for months so when it's time to use it you can depend on it starting? Don G., Baker, NV
DEAR DON: I used to have hard-start issues with small engines. I've also had small engines that refused to start no matter how much starting fluid you squirt in the air filter. However, years ago I discovered a trick that ensures my small engines start within a few pulls each time I take them out of winter or summer storage.
Your truck starts all the time because you drive it frequently and the gasoline in the tank and fuel system are almost always fresh. If you add gasoline to your truck every 30 days, you'll rarely have problems. People that don't drive their cars much should absolutely continue reading because they need to do what I do with my small engines.
Gum and varnish build-up inside a small engine carburetor will eventually lead to problems. Photo Credit: Briggs & Stratton.
I decided that I'd blend my years of personal experience with the vast knowledge base of Briggs & Stratton's Wayne Rassel to shed some light on how to store small engines. I have small engines in snow blowers, a lawn mower, a hydraulic log splitter and a standby generator. All the engines sit idle for months at a time, so it's important that they respond when I need them.
I discovered a simple trick years ago that allows my engines to start each time I pull the starting cord. But information I got from Wayne has caused me to modify my approach to storing small gasoline engines.
The gasoline you and I purchase contains 10-percent ethanol. Using gasoline that contains more than 10-percent ethanol can cause significant damage to small engines, so avoid it at all costs.
Gasoline begins do degrade about 30 days after it's pumped. If you've not used all the gasoline in your gas cans within that time frame, pour it into your truck's fuel tank and drive to the gas station to get fresh fuel for your small engines. That's what I do. I never put gasoline in my small engines that's older than 30 days.
Understand that ethanol-based fuels tend to attract water. Water is heavier than gasoline. If you don't operate your engines on a frequent basis, a layer of ethanol-enriched water can settle to the bottom of the tank and be drawn up into the carburetor and engine. This water-ethanol blend is highly corrosive to small engine parts.
Gum and varnish, chemical compounds in the gasoline, form as the fuel degrades. This gum and varnish can lead to stuck intake valves, clogged fuel lines and jets in the carburetor. This could be why your engine is refusing to start. It could be clogged with this gunk.
I keep my small engines in great shape by only filling them with enough gasoline to do what I want them to do each time. That keeps fresh gasoline in the tank, fuel lines and carburetor.
At the end of each season, I discovered that if I ran the engine completely out of gas right before storing it for months, I'd be able to restart the engine with no issues. However, after talking with Wayne, I've decided that state-of-the-art fuel treatments and stabilizers are probably the best way to protect my small engines throughout the entire year.
Some modern fuel additives have a triple anti-oxidant formulation that slows down the fuel degradation issue. The chemicals in the additives react with the gasoline preventing outside water vapor from causing the gasoline to deteriorate.
The additives protect the entire fuel system and all engine parts exposed to the gasoline. Metal parts receive a protective coating that prevent rust and corrosion. Metal deactivators in the additives stop aggressive chemical reactions caused by dissolved metal ions in the fuel. Detergents in the additives help prevent the formation of the gum and varnishes that cause hard or no-starting issues.
You can get long-lasting results if you decide to use the advanced formula fuel stabilizers. If you want two years of protection, just add one-half ounce to each 2.5 gallons of gasoline. Double the amount of stabilizer and you can protect gasoline up to three years.
Since I take a conservative approach to small engine care and maintenance, I'm going to start to add the fuel stabilizer to all my gasoline. I want to protect the metal parts in my engine. The fuel stabilizers are not expensive, and one 8-ounce bottle treats up to 40 gallons of gasoline. Believe me, I can blow lots of snow and cut lots of grass with 40 gallons of gasoline!
DEAR TIM: I have an older driveway that was installed forty-two years ago. It's still in pretty good shape other than some cracks. These have been patched and are unsightly. I was wondering if I could get an even appearance to the entire surface by applying a thin layer of colored thinset grout over the driveway. Do you think this would hold up to vehicular traffic? If so, how would you apply it to get a nice appearance? If not what other ideas do you have? Julie C., San Jose, CA DEAR JULIE: I've got great news for you. Soon your driveway is going to look simply stunning. You can transform it's look using colored thinset if you choose, but I'd recommend a slightly different material that will give you the durability you're looking for.
Perhaps the best news of all is that this is a DIY project if you can muster up the help of three friends for just about half a day. Are you sitting down? The total cost of the project should be less than $500.00, and that includes the pizza and beverages you'll serve your work crew!
This cracked concrete driveway can be made to look like new with not too much effort. Photo Credit: Julie C., San Jose, CA
Your photo showing the existing cracks and discoloration was very helpful. For your new driveway to look superb for many years, you're going to have to do some extra work repairing the cracks. I suggest that you grind them out, use a pressure washer to remove as much debris as possible trying to open up the cracks the full depth of the slab.
Once you have achieved this, you need to use any number of concrete epoxy crack repair products to bond the broken slabs together. If you choose to skip this step, the cracks will telegraph through the new overlay you're going to apply.
It may take you one or two days to repair the cracks using epoxy, but it's worth it. The epoxy you choose to use will tell you how wide, how clean, and how deep the epoxy must penetrate to get a lasting repair.
When you're ready to resurface the driveway, I would highly recommend you apply a layer of cement stucco to the driveway. You can get by with a layer as thin as one-quarter inch in your case. This stucco is very similar to the thinset grout you were thinking of using, but it differs in that the sand particles are much larger.
Thinset usually contains a fine silica sand. To withstand vehicular traffic, you need larger sand particles found in coarse or medium sand. Traditional sand usually contains small rock particles that are different colors, and this will actually work to your benefit since you want a colored surface.
You'll use just sand and pure Portland cement to make the stucco, I'd recommend you blend one part Portland cement to three parts sand. To achieve the color you want, you just add dry shake pigments that are made for brick mortar or stamped concrete applications. You can purchase all these ingredients at a traditional building supply store that sells materials to bricklayers and stone masons.
I highly recommend that you make up a test batch of this stucco and pour it on a plastic sheet in your garage. You want to see what color it is after it cures in 30 to 45 days. The last thing you want to do is go to all this work and not be happy with the color.
To get the new stucco to bond permanently to the existing concrete you need to do what some old master masons taught me decades ago. They would apply a thin coat of cement paint to the existing driveway just before pouring the stucco. You make cement paint by mixing pure Portland cement with water to the consistency of regular paint.
Just before applying the cement paint, you need to spritz the existing driveway with water. Don't get the driveway too wet, just damp. Roll on the cement paint on the existing driveway just before you pour on the stucco mix. Don't allow the cement paint to dry. It's best to work on overcast cooler days. Sunny, windy days are the absolute worst conditions to do this job.
Use a magnesium float to finish the stucco. You can also apply a broom finish if you want a linear pattern. To achieve a great broom finish, you'll have to practice to discover the magic time when the stucco is ready to be stroked. Do it too early and you end up with a mess. Wait too long and the stucco gets too hard. If this happens, the broom bristles won't make a great impression.
I suggest you partake in some on-the-job training to hone your skills. In your photo, I see a small sidewalk between your drive and front door. Apply this same stucco first to this sidewalk, one small section at a time until you have a great feel for how long it takes for the stucco to hard enough to apply a finish.
The key to getting even color in the batches you mix is very controlled measuring of all ingredients. It's also very important that you add the same amount of water each time as you make each batch. Too much or too little water will affect the finished color of the batches.
Oxygen bleach solves many problems. It cleans and renews safely most anything from decks to grout, to whitewalls and old, yellowed, but favorite sweaters, to laundry and pet disasters.. and more! Stain Solver is a non-toxic wonder cleaner!
Do you need the wonder product - Stain Solver? Go here: Stain Solver
Do you wonder how well STAIN SOLVER works? Read what Judy wrote to me:
"I cut an article out of my newspaper months ago saying the best way to clean floor tile grout is with oxygen bleach. I had no idea what that was and my grout was getting darker and darker.
I got on Google last Saturday and typed in "oxygen bleach" and ended up on your website and read a customer's review about how great your Stain Solver works so I ordered a bottle. I received it yesterday and cleaned a small area of my floor tile grout.
It works better than the customer's review I read on your website!!! My grout is almost as clean as the day it was installed. I'm still very sorry I let the salesman talk me into such light grout, I told her I wanted dark grout..... But your Stain Solver made it look like new again. I can't wait to finish the rest of the floor!!!!! You can be sure when I run out I WILL be ordering more!!!!
Judy Kurtz Maumee, OH
"WOW, that's all I can say! I purchased your product last week to clean the grout on my 800 sq. ft. of tile, and it looks as clean as the day we moved in eight years ago. I must admit, I was a little skeptical when I ordered the Stain Solver, but after having used it, I know I will always have some on hand and look forward to cleaning my wood deck this spring. This is by far one of the best products I have purchased in many, many years. Thanks Tim!" - Ed, Macomb, Michigan
"Tim,
Once again thank you for taking the time to address my concerns.
I followed your instruction on a small portion of the floor and left the solution sit for about an hour now - I can actually SEE it working. I'm running to the store in a few minutes and expect when I get back that the grout will be totally clean - the way it's worked so far I don't have much doubt that will happen. "Oh ye of little faith"!!
What a JOY it is dealing with a "vendor" who cares about his customers. I've had nothing but nightmares recently with Sears - therefore your response is even MORE meaningful!" - Barbara, Miami, FL
Message from Tim:
Years ago while researching a column about cleaning decks, I discovered the wonders of Oxygen Bleach. It is perhaps the 'greenest' cleaner I know of as it uses oxygen ions to break apart stains, dirt and odor molecules. There are no harsh chemicals, and it works on just about anything that is water washable.
I decided to create my own special blend using ingredients made in the USA. In fact, the raw materials in the active ingredient are food-grade quality registered with the FDA. I call my product Stain Solver. I urge you to use it to help with cleaning needs. You will be amazed at the results!
Here's an interesting question for you.
How are you challenging yourself this spring (fall if you live below the equator!) when it comes to home improvement projects? You do realize it pays to step outside your comfort zone every now and then. My father-in-law, who just celebrated his 96th birthday three days ago, had a saying: Nothing builds success like success.
When you do a job yourself, you can frequently save money and you build your confidence at the same time. That's how I advanced myself through the building vocation nearly 40 years ago.
Here's what I'm doing to challenge myself since I pretty much have the home improvement gig down pretty well. I'm learning Morse Code. I'm really trying to immerse myself in it, and I'm having fun.
Last week, I received my QSL cards from the printer, and mailed out my first two cards hours later! A QSL card is an old tradition among amateur radio operators. It's a written record, or receipt, of a conversation between two radio operators.
The design of some cards is very unique. Here's what the front of my card looks like. My daughter Meghan did the design with photos I supplied.
I'm lucky that I have three fellow hams who are mentoring me through this Morse Code chapter of my radio hobby: Jim Cluett, W1PID - Hanz Busch, W1JSB - and Dick Christopher, N1LT. I'd like to help mentor you in your upcoming projects. Much of it I can do for free. I've got thousands of free columns at my website, many of which give you helpful hints on how to do things. Just use my search engine to find what you need.
I've got hundreds of free videos at my website you can watch. Same thing, use my search engine and always add the word "video" in your search. For example: roof cleaning video
Finally, I've now got over 30 step-by-step DIY Video Series that really show you how to do things. I'm creating more video series each month. See below for the next three I'm getting ready to tape. TIP OF THE WEEK - LED FLASHLIGHTS
Have you been paying attention to the rapid advancements of flashlights over the past few years? Wow! I clearly remember the days of tapping a flashlight with my hand to try to get it to work. Most new flashlights are amazingly reliable, durable and BRIGHT!
LED technology has really moved the flashlight ball down the field.
I just tried out a small LED Hybrid Light by Snap-on. It's got a fancy red aluminum handle and top cap, 16 LEDs that are in the wand part of the light and one LED in the tip that works like a regular flashlight you point. The magnetic base makes this useful for working in mechanical rooms, or any place you're working that has metal you can attach the light to.
The trouble is, the people at Snap-on don't have this flashlight available for you at Amazon.com to buy! Isn't that crazy? Not to worry! I won't leave you in a pickle without a flashlight.
Here's a flashlight that everyone should have. It doesn't need batteries! I have one and I LOVE it. Oh my gosh is it ever a cool flashlight.
Not only can it get energy by just exposing it to sunlight (small solar collector cells on the body), but you just crank it and it stores the energy created by a miniature generator.
Talk about handy! When you need a flashlight, it always seems the batteries are dead or close to it. That's why you need several of these no-battery flashlights! One for your house, one for each car, one in your camping gear box, etc. The flashlight easily stores in a woman's medium-sized purse. Buy some of these little hand crank flashlights now. It's part of my Get Prepared course that's going to happen this summer. DAREDEVIL TOOL CONTEST - YOU MUST ENTER THIS ONE!
How hard do you work? Or, do you play harder than you work? Are you a Daredevil when you do?
Either way, if you send in a simple photo of you doing either you could win some sweet Daredevil swag.
Bosch is giving away cool stuff each week that could help you work or play even harder! Would you like a Daredevil circular saw blade? Or a Bosch Daredevil spade bit-set? Or how about a classy Bosch Daredevil t-shirt?
I can tell you that it pays to enter these contests. Just last year an AsktheBuilder.com subscriber won some sweet gear from Bosch!
If you don't win, you absolutely want to consider Bosch Daredevil bits and blades for your tools. Not only are they a great value, they'll make what you build better. Straighter cuts, smoother holes and all around better quality. Daredevil accessories allow you to work faster so you can play longer!
FAST AND EASY WINDOW WASHING
Spring usually means washing windows. I have to do it here at my house. Who wants to come help?
Unfortunately many people don't use the best method and tools to wash windows. As with many things, there's lots and lots of bogus information out on the Internet about cleaning windows and glass.
Think about it for a second. Who do you think knows the BEST way to wash windows? It's a person who has money on the line. Professional window washers. It's in their best interest to get glass perfectly clean and do it FAST.
Pros do NOT USE:
newspapers (soy ink smears on glass)
blue liquids in spray bottles (I'm convinced there's a chemical in the liquid that attracts dirt.)
paper towels
ammonia
The pros use a special cleaning wand that's frequently made with lambs wool. They then use any number of high-quality squeegees to dry the glass once it's clean.
The lamb's wool wand is dipped in a solution of water that has a small amount of liquid soap in it. This wand is what gets the glass CLEAN. The squeegee simply removes water from the glass to prevent spotting - it does NOT clean the glass. Click here for the squeegee I use at the Carter Casa.
You can also get the combination lambs-wool pad and squeegee as one combo tool. I have one of these as well, and it works really, really well.
SPEAKING OF BOGUS INFORMATION
I wanted to remind you that you have to be REALLY careful out there on the Internet when it comes to home improvement information.
Last week I touched on a tectonic shift in Google's search algorithm that caused low-quality content to be on page one of Google's search results. This is why I've switched to using Bing.com. Bing seems to be putting up much better home-improvement results. Don't believe me? Try it yourself at BingitOn.com.
Realize there are several content farm websites out there like ehow dot com that pay people $5 or $10 to write a column. If you want to know all the suspect content farm websites to AVOID, just go to Bing.com and type in: "top content farms".
Many of these writers have NO hands-on experience in the topic. They just go out and find other columns about the topic, including mine, and copy / paste parts of each one to make a regular column.
Guess what? These pirates - I say that because they are abusing the Fair Use Doctrine - don't know if the content they're cobbling together is accurate or not!
If you stumble across a fancy looking column at ehow dot com, you may get sucked into the Black Hole of Death and walk away with bad information.
Be CAREFUL out there...... And pass the word to all you know. UPCOMING VIDEO SERIES
I've got three new video series that should happen in the next five weeks. These will not be free videos. All three will be available for either online viewing or on a DVD. Tell me if you have these projects or problems?
Wet or Leaky Basement or Crawlspace
Need a Window in a Solid Wall
Need an Easy but Stylish Covered Firewood Storage System
Well, I'm going to show you how to:
Install one of my famous Linear French Drains to keep your basement DRY
Cut an opening in a wall and install a new window
Build an attractive firewood storage shelter with a sloped gable and hip roof
Be SURE TO OPEN all upcoming newsletters IMMEDIATELY. Why? I'm not going through Kickstarter to do these projects. I'll be running the promotions myself in my shopping cart. I'll have Early Bird Specials that WILL SELL OUT. The lowest prices on these products will be gone by the end of the day, so you need to act quickly.
I urge you to open next week's newsletter on TUESDAY so you can be one of the lucky folks to get a great deal on all of these products.
UPCOMING MEET UP IN MAINE
I'm going to be in far western Maine for three days in May: the 17th, 18th and 19th. I'll be doing one-hour seminars at the Fryeburg, Maine Home and Garden Show. Fryeburg is just across the border from New Hampshire up near Mt. Washington.
When I'm not doing the seminars, I'll be selling hundreds of the new small bottles of Stain Solver!
If you live in the general area and want to have a meet up, let me know. We can go to dinner on Friday or Saturday night if you want.
More tips next week!
If you live in the USA and were watching the news late yesterday, May 20, 2013, then you know all about the wicked tornado in Moore, Oklahoma that was nothing more than a monster blender. Sadly, even with plenty of warning, over twenty people perished - seven or more small children are among those whisked up to Heaven yesterday afternoon.
It appears it's one for the record books, not only because of the death toll, but also the extreme power of the storm and property damage it caused.
If you're a long-time subscriber to this newsletter, you know that I've talked about getting prepared for disasters like this. Last fall I, along with hundreds of others, put out the alert about Hurricane Sandi. Will the shocking images you see in photos and on TV today be your wake-up call?
If not, how many more will it take?
A good friend of mine, John Meredith, said to me one day after we played golf, "Elephants are best eaten one bite at a time." He uttered that after I complained about this big project I was undertaking.
Maybe that's why you're not doing what's necessary to get ready. You're overwhelmed with what needs to be done. Just take a bite out of it each week.
Make a simple list of things that need to be done, and then just start marching through the list. Set aside two hours each week, just as you would for a doctor's appointment. Religiously work those two hours. Here's a small list to get you going:
1. Take wide-angle and close up photos of every wall (including furnishings) of the inside of your home. Take photos of the inside of closets and open drawers. Take photos of all the walls in your basement and garage. Upload the photos to a file storage website. You'll need these photos to prove what you own when the insurance adjuster comes calling.
2. Scan or photograph important documents. Upload these PDF files or photos of documents to the file storage website. If the data is sensitive, burn a CD and store it in a safe deposit box.
3. Create a bug-out bag or two. A bug-out bag contains items you can't live without for two or three days.
That's enough for now. Pass the A-1 sauce. Burp....... DUTCH THE DAREDEVIL - HOW ABOUT YOU?
Years ago when I was still pounding nails each day, you might find me on any given day up in the air walking narrow 2x4 wall plates to set roof rafters, trusses or floor joists. Sometimes they were covered with frost or dew making them exceedingly treacherous.
Last summer while building my ginormous shed with the 12 / 12 pitch roof, my son thought I was crazy balancing on a 2x10 to install pieces of OSB roof sheathing he passed through the open rafters to me. Because I knew my limitations and that of the roof jacks, I had no fear.
The folks at BoschDaredevil.com have a unique "Daredevil Spotlight" where they highlight modern-day workers who find themselves in precarious situations. You could be one. As you might imagine, there are all sorts of construction jobs, as well as normal maintenance ones, that might take the breath away from a normal person. Dutch Parnell is one of these folks that's lucky enough to have a job that seems like his hobby to him.
Dutch has taken his professional ice-climbing experience and folded it into his current job as a rope-access painter.
I urge you to go read Dutch's story - click here to check out his story. When you're finished with that, be sure to click the link at the bottom of boschdaredevil.com article so you can enter the Bosch contest. Who knows, you may be featured in the "Daredevil Spotlight"! You could win circular saw blades, spade bits or a Daredevil t-shirt. Go Enter Now! SMALL STAIN SOLVER SALE
This past weekend, my son and I were selling the cute new Stain Solver bottles at the Fryeburg, Maine Home and Garden show. People loved them. We had an astounding 80-percent conversion rate. This means that 8 out of 10 people that stopped at the booth and watched us demonstrate how fast and easy it was to remove stains purchased a bottle or two.
In a couple of weeks, we're going to have a BIG Stain Solver sale.
But in anticipation of all your summer projects, and assuming you're one who's always WANTED to try Stain Solver, but haven't taken the plunge yet, I'm having a Private SMALL Sale this week for just you.
I've dropped the price, to just $8.97 for this gorgeous bottle of Stain Solver. That includes FREE SHIPPING to anywhere in the USA, Guam, US Virgin Islands, etc.
This sale will END as soon as I exhaust the small supply that I came back with from the Fryeburg, Maine show.
Believe me, it's not much, so if you want to TEST Stain Solver and you want a great introductory price, BUY IT NOW before it's gone.
Just CLICK HERE and select the top radio button in the product list to get this nice little Sample Size Stain Solver at a Sweet price. Here's what the order form page looks like:
Don't count on my Sunday Reminder email. By then it could all be gone and the price goes back up. BUY .... IT ..... NOW! TIP OF THE WEEK - LEAKING NIPPLES AT WATER HEATERS
I had the good fortune in college to meet Phil Clymer. Phil was a geology student like me. We really bonded and hung out together in between classes and on our many field trips. He's become a lifelong friend - a very good friend.
We've stayed in touch, and late last week Phil reached out to me to help him solve a vexing problem. He had a leak where the water lines connected to his new water heater.
After some back and forth emails - I should have just picked up the darn phone - I finally diagnosed the issue. He had used Teflon tape where the pipe nipples connect to the water heater.
You may not know this, especially if you're a new subscriber, but among other things I'm a master plumber. I was a card-carrying licensed master plumber for years, but I gave up my license when I no longer did the work each day.
I discovered decades ago that Teflon tape is an also-ran. It's just not that great. For Teflon tape to work, you have to have really tight tolerances between the threaded components, and you have to put on the tape correctly.
I told Phil it's highly likely the plumbing parts he purchased came from offshore where the pipe-threading dies might have been low quality or worn out.
I told him to get some great insulated nipples from a real plumbing-supply house, not a home center. While there, I also told him to get a can of Rectorseal. Rectorseal is the brand of pipe-threading compound I used for years to make sure my threaded joints didn't leak.
Insulated nipples are galvanized iron nipples that have a plastic coating inside the pipe. These help offset the electrolysis that happens when you connect dissimilar metals to one another in the presence of water.
It's not a good idea to directly connect copper tubing to a water heater with an iron tank. I told you you should have paid attention in that high school chemistry class! :->>>
If you want leak-free joints in threaded natural gas, water or air lines, use a pipe threading sealant compound like Rectorseal. I've used Rectorseal for years and only had a leak once. I discovered the leak was from a worn pipe threading die of mine that was cutting inferior threads.
Buy some Rectorseal NOW by clicking this link. You'll never regret having it. Phil reported back to me yesterday that he got the insulated nipples, a can of Rectorseal and there's no leak! MILWAUKEE 4 1/2-INCH GRINDER REVIEW
Last week I was able to test a nice grinder that's been begging me to use it. It's the Milwaukee 6121-30 Small Angle Grinder with the trigger grip.
In just 90 seconds I had it unpacked, the shield on and the included grinder wheel tightly secured.
Four pieces of angle iron needed to have the corners rounded off so you didn't get cut by them. I was using the angle iron to support a large hanging platform in my garage, and the one end of the angle iron was at head height.
Suffice it to say the grinder yawned at this job. It only took seconds to round off the sharp corners. There was minimal vibration and I loved how lightweight the tool was.
This is a tool, that if cared for, that will last for generations. I say this assuming you're not using it everyday. If you're going to use it everyday, there's no doubt it will perform well for years and years. I give it two hammers up! RECENT ASKTHEBUILDER COLUMNS
Do you need to Clean Your Exterior Siding? Vinyl, Fiber Cement or Wood?
Do you know the proper way to Connect Wood Post to Concrete Piers? Secret Link to watch FREE videos!!!!! INSTALL A NEW WINDOW VIDEO SERIES
It looks like next week I'll be taping the videos showing how to install a new Simonton window in a wood-frame wall where there is currently NO WINDOW.
This means I'm going to show you some really cool ninja building tips, including how to install a new header above a window.
Do you have the confidence to cut a hole in the wall of your home?
Would you like to gain that confidence for a ridiculously low price?
I'm PRE-SELLING online access to the video series and DVDs should you want to watch them offline. This SALE will only last until Sunday night, May 26, 2013 at midnight Hawaii / Alaska time.
You can have unlimited online access to the videos for just $10.
You can purchase a DVD of the videos for $19.
Both prices will go up DRAMATICALLY next Monday morning. I expect you'll have access to the videos no later than the middle of June, if not sooner.
Realize that you're placing a PRE-ORDER if you buy now. The videos have not yet been shot. Please don't email me after you buy them wondering when you're going to get them. I'll CONTACT YOU as soon as the videos are ready to view or when we ship the DVDs.
More tips and news next week!
DEAR TIM: My primary home and a camp I own in the woods both are covered with siding. One is wood, the other is vinyl siding, and both are dirty. In the past few years, I've been stunned to discover mildew and algae growing on the vinyl siding. I thought vinyl siding was supposed to be maintenance-free, that's why I purchased it. What's going on? Should I just drag out my pressure washer and get to work, or is there an alternative method to clean siding on houses? Patrick O., Fryeburg, ME DEAR PATRICK: Each week I receive emails from homeowners just like you. They share your astonishment about having to clean their vinyl siding. Many homeowners are not too happy as the salesmen's claims about no-maintenance seem to be as hollow as an old log.
I've seen hundreds of printed ads, heard countless radio commercials, etc. with these maintenance-free statements when it comes to exterior home improvement products. Decking, siding, railings, fencing, etc. are often touted as requiring no future care. As you now know, it's just not true. Certain products are absolutely reduced-maintenance, but not maintenance-free.
The mildew and algae on this vinyl siding can be removed quickly with a solution of oxygen bleach. Photo Credit: Tim Carter
You're probably wondering how mildew and algae can survive on plastic, or vinyl siding. The mildew and algae are feeding on sugars, dust, dirt, or other things that are attached to the siding. Many people are unaware that trees, both evergreen and deciduous, often broadcast ultra-fine aerosols of sugars at different times of years. Park your car under certain trees, and you'll discover thousands of tiny droplets of sap or sugar on the painted finish and glass. This is yummy food for mildew and algae!
When it comes to wood siding, the mildew and algae are possibly feasting on the actual stains and sealers you may have used to preserve the wood. Many clear and semi-transparent wood sealers and stains are made with alkyd or oil resins. These natural oils are also delicious food for mildew and algae. Some of the sealers and stains contain chemicals that are designed to prevent mildew and algae growth, but these chemicals can breakdown when exposed to sunlight and repeated exposure to rainwater.
I know that you may love your pressure washer because it's a cool tool, but it can wreak havoc with houses if used improperly. Pressure washers are like Spiderman - "With great power comes great responsibility."
The water that's ejected from the tip of the pressure washer wand can be driven into cracks and crevices where water is not supposed to go. The intense water stream can and will erode the lighter-colored spring wood in your wood siding causing it to look older than it actually is.
Water driven behind vinyl siding at lap joints and corners can cause wood rot if your house lacks a proper weather barrier under the vinyl siding. Believe it or not, this requirement was lacking from the building code for many years. There are tens of thousands of houses, maybe hundreds of thousands, that do not have a weather barrier under the siding. The siding is nailed directly to wood sheathing.
Perhaps the better way to clean the mildew and algae off your house is to use a hand-pump garden sprayer, some oxygen bleach and a brush on a pole. I just demonstrated this method last week to a homeowner, and he was amazed at how well it worked.
Don't confuse oxygen bleach with chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach can remove the color from wood siding, and it can kill expensive landscaping around your home. Oxygen bleach will not remove color from wood, and it's safe to use around plants and animals.
To clean your wood and vinyl siding, you just mix the powdered oxygen bleach with warm water, stir till dissolved and then apply it generously to the siding. It's best to work when the siding is in the shade. Allow the solution to fizz and bubble on the siding for about ten minutes. Scrub with the brush and rinse with clear water from a garden hose. The siding should look brand new once dry.
It's always best to apply the oxygen bleach solution to dry siding. This allows the solution to soak into the wood and deep clean it. Oxygen bleach can and will remove sun-damaged wood sealers and stains from the wood. It can absolutely remove sun-damaged and oxidized paint pigments from painted surfaces.
This makes it an excellent product to use if you're getting ready to restain or repaint your home. You want to remove these damaged finishes before you apply new.
For periodic cleaning to prevent mildew and algae buildup, just wash your home each year with a solution of liquid dish soap and water. Remove the sugars from the siding before the mildew and algae sit down at the table to feast!
Hi, I'm Tim Carter and I want to talk a little bit about a really neat off-road vehicle. This is the Kawasaki Mule 4010 Utility Vehicle. This is an awesome off-road vehicle that can help you if you are hunter, fisherman or even a contractor.
It has a fantastic two-cylinder, 617 cubic centimeter motor with fuel injection. The list of features for this vehicle is too long for me to cover in this video.
This model has 2-wheel and 4-wheel drive and even has a locking differential. Great for steep hills or traveling through mud. It includes power steering.
It has 4 seats, but the back seat folds away and the cargo area extends if needed. This provides great flexibility for either passengers or cargo. The cargo bay tilts up to provide complete access to the engine compartment.
That was a pretty neat ride. These are great vehicles with lots of features. Go check them out at your Kawasaki dealer. Kawasaki is not paying me to say this. If you do decide to get one of these machines, be sure to read and follow all the safety instructions. Be sure to wear the required safety clothing including safety goggles. These things don't have windshields.
This vehicle will help save you time and money and will be a lot a fun, if you follow the safety information.
This past weekend I did something I should have done perhaps fifteen years ago. I worked all day manning a booth at a home and garden show. Oh well, better late than never, right?
I was doing a test.
I was selling Stain Solver at a neglected small home and garden show just miles from my house. It was a perfect place to work out the bugs and see if it's worth going to other home and garden shows.
It was an enormous success. I nearly sold out of product. A vast majority of people who stopped and helped with the demonstration purchased multiple bottles.
I was selling our newest size, the cute little 0.4-pound bottle. It normally sells for $9.97 delivered to anywhere in the USA (and US Territories). At the show, I was running a special: one bottle for $6 and two for $10. As you might expect, most people purchased two bottles. They fit perfectly in purses and coat pockets.
I was demonstrating how Stain Solver got out DRIED red wine stains. You know if it can do that, it can get out just about any stain. Days before the show, I saturated a new white t-shirt with red wine. I then cut small scraps from the shirt right before their eyes. Once a person dropped the scrap into the Stain Solver solution, it turned pure white within five minutes.
The skeptics, and there were some, whipped out their wallets when they saw me pour the Stain Solver solution on my royal blue shirt proving that it was indeed colorsafe.
I'll be ramping up quickly, and soon you may see Stain Solver exhibited at your home and garden show! I'll be at the Fryeburg Fairgrounds Home Show in Maine in May, and I'm trying to book myself, and some helpers, into other New England shows in the month of April.
TIP OF THE WEEK - BE PREPARED LIKE A GIRL OR BOY SCOUT!
Last night at my ham radio steering committee meeting, a close friend asked me what was the best exterior siding. He and his wife are thinking of getting their house resided after 35 years.
He said, "I went online and filled out a form to get free estimates. I had three contractors rush out to the house, and I have appointments with two others tomorrow. What should I do? What siding should I install?"
"Well, if it were me, I'd get on the phone and CANCEL the two appointments for tomorrow," was my reply.
He looked puzzled.
"How can you get great estimates unless you have a simple set of specifications, with at least the product picked out," I asked him.
If you just call contractors without knowing what you want or how to do the basics of the job, you're going to get back bids that resemble an onion, an apple, a lemon, and a watermelon. In my friend's case, the three told him they'd install three completely different siding products. This made it impossible to compare the quotes.
My advice to you is to take the time to get educated about what you want before you ask one contractor to come out for a bid. You can visit showrooms in your area, look at displays at home and garden shows, do extensive research online - including searching for nightmare stories, and just general due diligence.
At the very least, use my AsktheBuilder.com search engine to see what I feel about a product. I almost always tell you the pros and cons of any given product.
Once you know what you want, then you can get bids and quotes that will make sense. If you want to be an Eagle Scout, then you'll also research, before the contractors arrive, how to install the product. You'll then ask probing questions of each contractor to see if they will be doing the job according to the manufacturer's written installation instructions.
For example, when I installed the Therma-Tru ClassicCraft door here at my house seven weeks ago, I read the written instructions. They clearly stated that you have to do the X-string test across the door opening to ensure the rough frame is not in a helix.
If you asked a contractor, "Are you going to do the X-string test on my door opening before you install the door?", and he looks at you like you're speaking Russian - would you hire that person? I think not.
I show you how to do the X-string test in my Install a New Front Door video series. It should be available for sale next week!
Are you a contractor that would be willing to do some testing that will help tens of thousands of workers in the future? This is a RARE opportunity to give back to the construction industry and add to your legacy. Help create SAFER working conditions and save some lives.
Fiber cement contains silica. When you cut this siding with an abrasive blade, it creates silica dust. Inhaling silica dust is not a good idea. You would be testing some revolutionary tools and methods that capture lots of this dust.
If you're a contractor, or KNOW OF ONE, that's getting ready to install some fiber cement siding, that's who I'm looking for. They need to meet these requirements:
Be a contractor that has at least three years field experience working with a circular saw.
Be a contractor that has installed fiber cement siding on at least three large residential jobs.
Have an upcoming job where fiber cement siding will be cut and installed for at least eight hours per day over a course of three days.
Job sites located in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana are preferred, but not necessary.
If you meet the above criteria and want to HELP future contractors stay healthy, please get in contact with me as soon as possible. Reply to this message and change the Subject Line to: Fiber Cement Dust.
HOW GOOD ARE YOU AT FINDING SOMETHING ONLINE?
I'm stumped. I desperately need a crystal clear waterproof plastic box to build a portable ham radio that I can take into the field. I wrote about this radio on my ham radio blog. I just spent 30 minutes and gave up. Perhaps you're better at searching than I am.
Here's a photo of the box.
The box has two clamps on it to keep its lid closed. It measures approximately 7 inches long, 5 inches deep, and probably 4.5 inches tall.
You can watch a video of a fellow ham radio operator, Jim Cluett, W1PID, using it to send Morse Code in my blog post. He doesn't own the radio that's in the box in his hands. It belongs to Johann Busch, W1JSB, sitting across the table translating the di's and dah's that Jim is sending.
Jim's holding it upside down because the touch-sensitive keys are oriented opposite the way he sends Morse Code with the touch paddle on his radio.
The FIRST person to find this box for me gets a FREE small bottle of Stain Solver sent to their house or business anywhere in the USA or US territories.
Every other person that finds it for me will be sent a special hidden page where they'll get a healthy discount on this new size of Stain Solver. It's the least I can do for you trying to help me. You need to live in the USA or US territories to get this small jar of Stain Solver. That's the only hitch.
Happy Hunting and Thank You in advance!
COLUMN OF THE WEEK - CHOOSING A CARPENTER'S LEVEL
I'll bet you'd like to know the latest about carpenter's levels.
I'm currently testing both the 2 and 4-foot bamboo levels I talk about in the column. WOW, are they nice levels. You'll discover a link to them in the column.
More tips next week!
DEAR TIM: I'm a remodeling novice, and am going to be doing some drywall work soon. I've never worked with the material and have no idea how to cut it. Not only do I have to cut new sheets to size, but I also have to make cutouts in existing drywall walls and ceilings. A friend suggested I use a circular saw. That makes sense to me. What tools and techniques do you use to cut drywall? I'm interested in both accuracy, speed and safety. Rachel C., Tacoma, WA DEAR RACHEL: I clearly remember one weekend driving to a potential customer's house to look at a job. His next door neighbor had a sheet of drywall laying flat on two sawhorses out on his driveway. He was attacking the drywall with a circular saw creating so much dust that I thought the EPA was going to issue a county-wide air quality alert. Suffice it to say I offered this man the some of the same advice I'll offer to you.
First, don't use a circular saw to cut drywall. It's like using a rock to hammer nails. Both are the wrong tools for the job. A circular saw creates giant clouds of unnecessary dust. This dust causes premature wear on the moving parts of the saw, as well as your lungs and those standing nearby.
Here are three nifty tools to help cut drywall. The smallest one is the most ingenious and it's new technology. Photo Credit: Tim Carter
Professional drywall hangers use a regular razor knife to make straight cuts on drywall. Standard drywall, or sheetrock, is simply a sandwich product. It's comprised of two outer layers of special paper that conceal a gypsum-based core. Each drywall manufacturer might have a special recipe of ingredients found in the core, including fly ash from power plants.
This fly ash can contain silica, and it's simply not a good idea to inhale silica dust. Doing this can contribute to, or cause, a serious lung disease, so it's best to minimize dust when working with drywall. Spinning saw blades work well with wood because they normally create a harmless dust for the most part.
To cut a straight line with drywall and create minimal airborne dust, you just score one side of the drywall with a sharp razor knife. Apply enough pressure to completely cut through the paper and into the gypsum core about one eighth inch. You need to cut this line all the way across the piece of drywall from edge to edge.
After making the cut, you go to the other side of the drywall and apply pressure directly behind the cut line. This pressure causes the drywall panel to snap along the cut line and bend over completely on itself. You finish the cut by simply cutting through the paper backing on the other side of the drywall panel.
Standard drywall is one-half-inch thick. You can use this method to cut off pieces as narrow as one and one-half inches wide. If you need to cut narrower pieces from a sheet of drywall, it requires you to make deeper cuts with the razor knife into the gypsum core. Do this carefully so the razor knife cuts only the drywall and not you.
To make cuts into existing drywall that's screwed or nailed to walls or ceilings, you can make repeated cuts with a very sharp razor knife, but it's very time consuming and hard to do. The gypsum core creates a large amount of friction making the cutting difficult.
You can use a hand-powered saw that's especially made to cut through drywall. The blades are tapered and have a sharp tip that allows you to push it through the drywall with relative ease. The biggest problem is these blades are normally about 5 or 6 inches long and they can easily reach wires, cables, pipes and other things hidden behind the drywall. A rookie like you can easily create big and expensive repair problems in a hurry using one of these tools.
A new short metal blade has been developed for electric-powered reciprocating saws that's designed specifically to cut holes into existing drywall. The blade has a blunt tip, and it's only about one and one-quarter inch long. It doesn't have sharp teeth, but rather square notched cut outs. It does a splendid job of cutting drywall, but won't cut deep enough to harm anything behind the drywall, especially if you hold the blade at a 45-degree angle as you glide it across the surface of the drywall.
Here's a new drywall cutting blade that fits in an electric reciprocating saw. It's perfect for cutting holes in drywall on walls and ceilings but not the things hidden behind the drywall! Photo Credit: Tim Carter
Be careful when cutting holes in drywall ceilings. Always wear safety goggles, not safety glasses. Drywall dust and small chunks of gypsum core in your eyes can cause you to make an expensive trip to an emergency room or eye doctor.
Professional drywall hangers use a small rotary cutting tool fitted with a bit that looks like a standard drill bit. This bit has special cutting edges on the spiral shaft that allow it to cut rapidly through drywall. These tools are used by every professional drywall hanger that I know. While they increase production by a factor of five or more, they also create small clouds of dust.
A few days ago, I was blowing and shoveling snow for three hours. On Monday, we received another 3 inches on top of the 18 inches Nemo dumped here in central New Hampshire this past weekend.
I have to rake off my roof to prevent ice dams from forming in the valleys that pass over the entrance hall. The idiot builder who built my house didn't properly protect the roof from ice dams. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
When you rake the snow from the one part of the roof, it comes crashing down on the front porch creating a pile about 3 feet high. This snow compacts as it smashes onto the decking and has to be removed one heavy shovelful after another.
The architect who designed this house should have his license revoked. Why one would create three roof slopes all converging above a front porch here in snow country is beyond mental comprehension.
What I need is a snowblower like my ham radio buddy Lee Hillsgrove Jr. owns. It attaches to the front of his garden tractor.
Watch this video of him blowing Nemo's snow from his driveway. You'll not believe how far it throws the snow. I have a standard walk behind model that shoots snow about one-third the distance you'll see in the video.
TIP OF THE WEEK - NO PLUMBING REPAIRS ON SUNDAY
This past Sunday, my very good friend Russ and I walked around his house just before he drove me to the Burbank, CA airport to fly back to New Hampshire.
He was asking for tips on how to fix things. One stop was a bathroom vanity sink where the faucet handle was hard to pull out and rotate.
It was a common single-handle faucet. I told him, "Oh, all it needs is a new cartridge. It's an easy fix."
What I forgot to add were two words: " ... for me."
Russ, and his DIY talented wife Ann, were getting ready to leave for a business trip to Arizona the next day, but for some reason he decided to jump into the project. Important Factoid: There are two other bathrooms in the house. This faucet did NOT have to be repaired at that time - not by a longshot.
Russ soon discovered that the shutoff valves under the sink didn't shut off the water. In fact, one sprung a leak while he was trying to rotate it. Then he discovered he couldn't remove the faucet cartridge. All of a sudden he was in over his head.
After multiple trips to the hardware store, Russ was able to supply his wife Ann with all the parts she needed to install an entirely new faucet.
I called him in the few minutes I had as I raced around the Chicago Midway airport to make my connecting flight to discover the can of worms he had opened up. Bottom Line: Don't jump into a plumbing project on a Sunday before you're going out of town. Don't start a plumbing project unless you have ALL the parts and tools on hand. Don't start a plumbing project unless you have the number of a plumber that will drag you out of the Plumbing Hole of Death you'll probably slip into - assuming that you don't have a talented wife like Ann!
Russ knows I'm a master plumber, but he's not. His wife Ann is a pretty accomplished plumber, so it's a good thing she was around to save the day! I can hear him now calling, "(Ann's maiden name), come quick! A pipe is leaking!"
NEW STAIN SOLVER SIZE!
Kathy and I, and the rest of the Stain Solver team, are happy to announce a new arrival! Not a living breathing baby, but a new small Stain Solver size!
This little guy weighs in at 0.4 pounds, and is perfect to sample Stain Solver. It's in a nice clear bottle perfect to fit in a purse, an office drawer, a suitcase, etc.
In the past, the 2-pound size has been our smallest size and it can be a leap of faith for some to buy that size.
But this NEW size costs just $9.97 with FREE SHIPPING to anywhere in the lower 48 states. I'm working feverishly to get it to ship easily to Alaska, Hawaii and Canada. Please be patient.
You've heard me talk about Stain Solver and all the great things it can do. Now we've made it affordable for you to purchase some.
Once you discover how well it does, you want to buy Stain Solver in a bigger size to save lots of money.
We're also offering this new size in a case of 12 in case you want to sell it at your store or give to friends or neighbors as a gift.
WOOD ROT REPAIRS
I was in Los Angeles last week taping the Wood Rot Repair video series. The weather just barely cooperated. About an hour after mixing and applying the amazing special epoxy, it started to rain and hail. It was a cold, rainy Friday in LA!
If you want to see exactly how to repair wood rot without having to be a master carpenter, you should invest in this video series. The project closes out in just five days and then the price for all the videos I taped showing you secret ninja tricks will go up.
Wait until you see the fantastic products in this video series. They were a dream to work with.
Do it now, just go back my Wood Rot Kickstarter project. I'll be editing the videos soon!
HELP GROW ASKTHEBUILDER
You could really help make this newsletter better by using my affiliate link when shopping at Amazon. When you do this, it does NOT affect the price you pay for an item.
Amazon simply pays me a small commission on what you buy. I have no idea who is buying what, so it doesn't invade your privacy.
Just CLICK the banner just below and shop away!
BLACK AND DECKER SCREWDRIVER - ANOTHER POSSIBLE USE
I have really come to like using my powered screwdrivers and impact drivers around the house. There are countless uses for them.
But something tells me you never thought that you could use a battery-powered screwdriver to ...... You'll have to watch the video.
BOOKS I'M READING
A little over a year ago, I purchased my Kindle Fire tablet. It's fantastic. Granted, it's not large like an iPad, but it's a delightful reader. You can surf the web and do lots on it like you'd do with any tablet.
Last week I finished reading Murder on the Mind by L.L. Bartlett. It kept my attention all the way to the end. That's a good thing.
I'm now reading Back on Murder by J. Mark Bertrand. It's got more twists and turns than Lombard Street it San Francisco! I'm anxious to see how this book ends.
Currently, as you can see, I'm in a rut about murders. What are you reading?
CAPITAL HOME AND GARDEN SHOW APPEARANCE
Do you live in the Washington DC metro area? Would you like to hang out for a couple of hours with me? Do you have some problems at your house you want me to consult on?
I suggest you come and see me at the Capital Home and Garden Show on Sunday, February 24, 2013. If you go to their website and purchase advance tickets, you can get a substantial discount using this promo code: BUILDER
I'll be on stage at 2 and 4 p.m.. I plan to host two meetups before each appearance on the show floor.
Be sure to bring any photos of the problems at your home.
If you want to meet up with me at the show, you MUST respond to this email. Change the Subject Line to: Home Show Meet Up
LIVE ASKTHEBUILDER.COM TV SHOW!
Guess what? I'm starting a LIVE TV show on YouTube!
Are you up off the floor yet? Are you filled with questions about what the show's going to be like?
Well, you're going to help me design the show.
Please take this SHORT three-question survey to HELP me create the best home improvement show in history!
I'll share more about the show and what I have in store next week. But for now, PLEASE help me. Take the survey!!
DEAR TIM: I am in desperate need of shed plans, because the clutter in my garage has become unbearable. What should I be looking for when I consider storage-shed plans? Is it really necessary to have detailed shed building plans if I am going to do the work myself? How would you construct the shed to be both easy to build and long-lasting? Johanna C., Woodbury, NJ DEAR JOHANNA: Three years ago, I took back ownership of my garage for my vehicles. When I first moved into my home, we could easily park my truck and our car in the spacious garage. But over time, we accumulated too much stuff which forced the cars outside. When I showed my wife a set of shed plans that matched our Queen Anne Victorian home in every detail, her only question was, "How soon can you have it completed?"
The first thing you should consider when looking for wood-shed plans, garden-shed plans or any storage outbuilding plans is function, not form or looks. In other words, you need to make sure that the building is going to be big enough for the things you need to store. You can make the outside of any storage shed look like any style you desire. It is easy to make a storage shed match the style and character of your existing home.
This L-shaped storage shed was constructed using plans created with computer software. IMAGE CREDIT: Tim Carter
The most basic component of your shed plans is the two-dimensional floor plan. This tells you how long and wide your shed will be. All too often people think a storage shed will be large enough on paper or when they see a pre-built one in a home-center parking lot. But reality soon sets in when they start to cram all of the things in the new building. The way to ensure your new shed will be large enough is to take the things you want to put in the shed outside on your drive or lawn.
Once all of the things are outside, arrange them in a way you would like to see them in the shed. Be sure there is enough room around the items so you can get to each thing without having to crawl over other something. If you make a mistake and make your shed too small, you will be grouchy each time you have to pull out three or four things to get to something way back in the shed.
The needed detail on the plans is a function of what may be required by your local zoning and building department. Some communities have strict rules as to how a shed must look, the size of the building with respect to the size of your home, and even which direction doors must face. You should absolutely visit your local government offices to discover what guidelines you must follow before you purchase shed plans or even draw your own.
I feel it is a good idea to have detailed storage-shed plans even if you plan to build it yourself. The plans will help you produce an accurate material list so you only buy as much material as you need. Another benefit of well-thought-out shed plans is minimal waste. By taking the time to think through modular design and economical building, it is possible to build a shed with virtually no waste. This is a green-building practice all should do no matter what the project might be.
For ease of construction, you should probably lean towards using wood. Masonry storage sheds require a unique skill set as does working with metal. Many people have the simple tools to cut and assemble wood.
The floor of the shed can be made just like a wood deck that hugs the ground. Use treated-lumber for the support posts, floor joists and the actual floor. You can buy treated-lumber plywood. This is what I have in my own shed, and I never have to worry about driving my wet or snow-encrusted tractor into the shed.
Water is the biggest enemy of a wood storage shed. There should be at least 6 inches of space between the soil and any wood that is not treated for rot. Water that splashes on the sides of the shed can cause rot over time. The best way to minimize this is to create generous 16-inch overhangs on the roof and use gutters and downspouts to collect and redirect roof water.
Instead of using cumbersome swinging doors for access, consider purchasing a 6-foot-wide overhead garage door. These are economical, practical, attractive and easy to assemble. Traditional swinging doors can be problematic on windy days, and they can be difficult to build from scratch if you are a rookie do-it-yourselfer.
It is a good idea to install several skylights that allow abundant natural light to stream into your shed. If possible, try to incorporate a steep roof. This will allow you to create some bonus storage space above the floor of the shed. You can't have too much storage space in a storage shed!
As you might imagine, there are all sorts of construction jobs, as well as normal maintenance ones, that might take the breath away from a normal person. Dutch Parnell is one of these folks that's lucky enough to have a job that seems like his hobby to him.
