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Ask the Builder: DIY electrical work at your house
Are you aware how expensive it is to hire a professional to do simple jobs around your home? I know they’re worth the price in many cases because I used to do that work day-in day-out. You may be on a fixed income and simply can’t afford to hire a pro. Thank your lucky stars there are thousands of great videos to help you, and keep in mind I...Read more
Ask the Builder: Asphalt shingle alternatives
Are you about to install a new roof on your home or small business? The odds are you’ll be giving serious consideration to asphalt shingles. This building material has dominated the U.S. residential roofing market for just about 100 years. Go back farther in time and other, more durable materials were the standard. Tin, slate, fiber cement and...Read more
Ask the Builder: Ventilation and the fight against moisture in your home
You may have had the good fortune to live and work inside old homes. I’m talking about houses that were built over 100 years ago. The architects who designed them and the builders who built them were wise.
I started my building career in Cincinnati. My good friend John and I started a small handyman business in college. One day, while hanging...Read more
Ask the Builder: Water infiltration the No. 1 problem homeowners face
I’m helping my son on the weekends to finish the basement in his 3-year-old house. He’ll be adding 1,300 square feet of finished living space. A few days ago, we met with the local building inspector. Donna gave us the thumbs up on the framing, plumbing and all the electrical rough installations. She’s been doing inspections in Nashua, New...Read more
Ask the Builder: Use the best exterior nails and screws
I was blessed by God to learn my craft of building and remodeling in Cincinnati. The first few years of my career had me working on houses that were close to 100 years old. I have no recollection of seeing rusty roofing nails on any of the jobs where we had to strip off roofs. I had to spackle exposed nail heads on house siding and trim, but ...Read more
Ask the Builder: Misconceptions about house 'settlement'
Roy subscribes to my free newsletter. He reached out to me about a month ago for one of my phone consultations. He needed help engineering a drainage system around his house to stop water from infiltrating his basement. My college degree is in geology with a focus on hydrogeology and geomorphology. Hydrogeology is the study of groundwater ...Read more
Ask the Builder: Water loss causes shrinkage
Paula asked me a question about shrinkage cracks affecting her new deck. She sent me three photos showing all sorts of cracks in the handrails, railing posts, and the decking. The cracks were in brand new treated lumber installed in April of 2023. The wood has not been sealed since the day it was installed.
Paula asked, “I’m wondering ...Read more
Ask the Builder: Nail guns save time and money
Are you a serious DIYer? If so, you know that the quality and type of tools you use will not only determine when the project gets done, but also play a major part in the quality level of the job.
One of the biggest time savers, in my opinion, happens to be nail guns. These tools have a rich heritage dating back to the late 1700s. A nail gun ...Read more
Ask the Builder: How to avoid contractor arguments and frustration
How many times have you hired contractors in your life? My guess is quite a few. If you had to rate each experience much like you might a meal how many five-star ratings would you have doled out? While I’m not a betting man, I’d say fewer than 5%.
I’d wager most of your ratings would be in the two- to three-star range. Remember the ...Read more
Ask the Builder: Adding a bathroom in your home
I’ve been a master plumber for nearly four decades, and I used to do all the plumbing in all the houses I built and in the remodeling jobs that had a plumbing component. If you’re thinking of adding a bathroom to your existing home, I want to reassure you that it’s not as hard as you might think.
Plumbing is indeed a three-dimensional ...Read more
Ask the Builder: Bad deck flashing causes hidden rot
Ed, my golf league partner, asked me a few days ago if there was a product to fix some wood rot he had discovered at his home. You may be battling wood rot, too. In your case, it might be interior wall studs or floor joists that get wet from a plumbing leak. Or you may have some decorative exterior wood trim that’s falling apart. This happened...Read more
Ask the Builder: How to protect exterior wood
A week ago, my lovely wife and our 2-year-old American Dirus dog were on Mt. Desert Island in Downeast Maine. We rented a tiny cottage just 12 feet from the shoreline of Bass Harbor. If you’re unfamiliar with this part of the USA, I can assure you it’s a harsh marine environment. Anything made from wood or iron that’s not protected from ...Read more