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!
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.
