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Ask the Builder: Installing ceramic tile outdoors

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

A fellow amateur radio operator reached out to me several days ago. My vanity call sign was coined after my Ask the Builder business. It’s W3ATB. The W3 stands for www for my AsktheBuilder.com website. This operator knew I’d be able to answer his question.

He lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Thirty years ago, a tile contractor installed ...Read more

Ask the Builder: Don’t sign contracts for unneeded work

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

Two days before writing this column, I saved an Ohio homeowner $30,000. He had stumbled across my website, and he saw that I consult with readers on the phone. Water was ponding against his house foundation, and he was considering signing a contract with a waterproofing company for the above amount.

Once I studied the photographs he sent me, I ...Read more

Ask the Builder: Beware of how-not-to-do-it videos on YouTube

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

You may think that YouTube is an oasis of helpful home improvement videos. After all, anyone with a smartphone can upload a video in seconds. Each week I scour YouTube for videos I feel may help you save time and money. With each passing day, I’m convinced that YouTube is a cesspool of bad advice. For every decent video that contains good ...Read more

Ask the Builder: Beware egotistical and closed-minded contractors

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

A few weeks ago, I shared a true story with you about my failed asphalt shingle roof. If you remember, it had a 30-year warranty, and after just 12years it began to experience catastrophic failure. Looking back now, I shared the wrong photograph with you. I showed you a picture of my daughter’s new roof with copper strips on it. I should have ...Read more

Ask the Builder: Deluxe remodeled shower with abysmal water flow

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

Each week, I extract quite a few homeowners like you from wretched remodeling or home-building quagmires. I do it with a phone or video call. In almost all cases, the root causes of the dilemmas are poor plans, sketchy or nonexistent specifications, and misplaced trust.

A week ago, a middle-aged woman was lamenting her luxury master shower ...Read more

Ask the Builder: Luxury vinyl plank plus area rug equals a winning combination

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

Several months ago I shared a story about my first experience with luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring. I installed the LVP in a basement room that experienced water damage caused by a leaking water pipe. The product was affordable, it was easy to install, and after six months it looks as good as the day it was put down.

My son saw the floor and ...Read more

Ask the Builder: The fountain of youth for your asphalt shingles

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

I live in central New Hampshire, and my house was built in 2001. I didn’t build it. The plan was for me to live in this home for just two years while I built our dream home on a tract of land we own just six miles west of here. All of this was put into motion in May 2008 when the real estate bubble was as big as a bulbous hot-air balloon.

I ...Read more

Ask the Builder: Why tiny houses are big, bad ideas

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

I live in central New Hampshire on the west shore of Lake Winnisquam. This is the third-largest lake in the state. I kayak on the crystal-clear water as often as possible. The state owns the 7.2 square miles of water, but citizens own any islands that dot the lake.

Due east of my boat dock is a very small island that is less than 2,000 square ...Read more

Ask the Builder: Your chimney could be the source of your roof leak

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

Roof leaks plague countless homeowners each year. Talk to experienced roofers, and they’ll tell you the vast majority of leaks happen at flashings. A roof flashing is a transitional material. It connects your roof to something that’s not your roof.

Plumbing vent pipes, dormers, turbine vents, chimneys, pot vents, powered attic ventilation ...Read more

Ask the Builder: How to avoid geologic hazards when building

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

You probably don’t give much thought to the ground under or around your home. What follows are a few true stories that may change your perspective. If you’re in the market to buy land to build your dream home, or if you're looking to buy an existing home, what I’m about to share could prevent financial ruin.

My college degree is in ...Read more

Ask the Builder: How to spend the least money to stay warm

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

Like me, you may live where it gets cold in the winter. Even if you’re blessed to live in the South or Southwest, occasional cold waves force you to put on a sweater. With inflation raging out of control, it’s so very important to spend as little as possible to be comfortable. I can help you do just that.

I could write a book about this ...Read more

Ask the Builder: What do you know about cork flooring?

Home & Leisure / Ask The Builder /

What I’m about to share with you might amaze you. We've all heard it said before that "you don't know what you don’t know." And when something that has been hidden suddenly comes into your understanding, we call it a "revelation." That has happened to me numerous times during my life.

One odd example happened about 20 years ago. For decades...Read more

 

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