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April 28, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

If you're a brand new subscriber, I need you to realize this issue of the newsletter is extraordinarily special.

I've NEVER produced an issue like you're about to read.

So hang in there and don't unsubscribe. You'll see a normal issue next week.

The Story of Stain Solver

First and foremost Stain Solver is a certified organic multi-purpose cleaner made here in the USA with USA ingredients. If you can wash the item with water, Stain Solver can be used to clean it.

A special promo code and sale has been set up just for you for this newsletter issue. You'll discover it below.

My wife Kathy and I own Stain Solver. Ellen and Roger are two long-time team members who have been with us through thick and thin. Oh, the stories Ellen and Roger can tell you about how we used to mix, package and carry Stain Solver up from our basement!

"Tim, what's in this for ME? Why should I care about your Stain Solver anyway?"

Oh, that's a great question and I'm about to answer it. Don't bail on this newsletter. I GUARANTEE you'll be able to get something of yours clean that no dry cleaner or other product has been able to do.

It's important to realize if you've never used Stain Solver before, you've never experienced a truly remarkable cleaner that exceeds all the claims we, and happy customers, make about it.

The Column

Stain Solver was born out of research I was doing for a deck cleaning column back in 1994 I believe. It was a long time ago.

I was interviewing an innovative small deck sealer company based in the Midwest. I asked the owner, "I imagine you recommend a 50/50 mix of chlorine bleach and water to clean the deck before using your product."

That was, and to this day, the common advice given to clean decks. Yes, TOXIC chlorine bleach is still promoted by many to clean wood decks! It's a very bad idea to use it.

Many deck-cleaning products sold today at the big box stores you shop at are just chlorine bleach. If it says sodium hypochlorite on the label, it's NASTY chlorine bleach!

The owner of the sealer company replied, "Oh no, never use chlorine bleach. It removes the natural color from wood, it KILLS all the vegetation around the deck, and it's very corrosive to all the metal fasteners that hold the deck together. Chlorine bleach also destroys the lignin that holds the wood together. You want to use OXYGEN BLEACH."

I had never heard of oxygen bleach! The deck sealer company owner said, "Here, call Jef Morgan, the chemist and head of marketing for the chemical company that distributes the BEST oxygen bleach in the USA. He'll tell you all about it."

I called Jef. We had dinner the next week and he told me all about oxygen bleach and how it worked on wood. As we were about to order dessert, I asked, "So Jef, does oxygen bleach work to clean ANYTHING ELSE?"

The floodgates opened. We spent another ninety minutes at Montgomery Inn as Jef went down the list of ALL THE THINGS you can clean with oxygen bleach.

The Sack

Jef wanted me to try it out. He sent me a 100-pound sack of the pure oxygen bleach. "Tim, go ahead and start experimenting with it. Share a bunch with your friends and neighbors. Give them this small booklet to help them understand how to use it. See what kind of feedback you get."

The booklet had a page devoted to each common thing you might try to clean. The instructions were pretty much always the same: Mix 4 tablespoons of the oxygen bleach powder with a quart of warm water and stir until dissolved.

You'd then apply this solution to a dirty object or soak a soiled garment in the solution. The point was to just get the item WET with the bubbling solution and let the oxygen bubbles start to clean.

After the solution would work on its own, you'd then scrub or agitate the item as you might in a washing machine and magic would happen after you rinse away all the grime, dirt and stains!

The Feedback

Kathy and I did what Jef recommended. We shared at least sixty pounds with my friends and neighbors.

Within a week, many were calling us back saying, "Holy crap! Where did you get this stuff? It's AMAZING!"

How amazing you ask? Here's my all-time FAVORITE before and after photo sent in by a customer. These have NOT been photoshopped:

CLICK or TAP HERE to read Georgia's unbelievable story about her son Curtis' baseball cap.

Our friends and neighbors would share a story of something that was ruined, or they thought was ruined, and how the magic powder had restored it.

A bank teller I saw each week while making deposits used it to clean up the rear seat in her brand new car. She had brought a tupperware container of beets to work and it leaked on the seat.

Beet stains are TOUGH to remove! They're like red wine. (Did I mention that Stain Solver gets out red wine stains?)

"Tim, I mixed up some like it said in the booklet and the beet juice stain DISAPPEARED in just a few minutes! Can you sell me some extra? I want to try it on a bunch of stained blouses of mine."

I just gave her some for free. She later told me Stain Solver restored ALL of her stained blouses that dry cleaners had been UNABLE to clean!

More and more stories came in from my friends and neighbors. I was STUNNED at all the things they were cleaning.

The Library

At that point, Kathy and I decided to start to sell this magic cleaner.

But we needed a name. This was 1995 and I knew it was a great stain remover so I went to the main public library in downtown Cincinnati with a friend, Nick Motz.

At that time, that library was a branch depository - or some other designation - of the US Patent and Trademark Office. They had these giant books of registered trademarks.

Kathy and I had come up with several names and I started to see which ones had already been trademarked.

Stain Solver withstood that challenge, we applied for the trademark and got it.

Shopping Carts

You may feel really comfortable buying things online now. But back in 1995, it was the Wild West. E-commerce was brand new. Shopping carts on websites were basic.

Many people were TERRIFIED to enter their credit card information on a website. Convincing them to buy online was not easy.

But we did it and still do it to this day. CLICK or TAP HERE to see our current shopping cart.

What Does Stain Solver Clean?

You already know it cleans wood decks - and all composite decking material too.

Stain Solver also cleans:

patios

vinyl or wood siding

driveways

deck furniture

boat hull scum and mildewed cushions

patio table umbrellas

hammocks

deck furniture cushions

kayaks

canoes

oil stains on concrete

the list is ENDLESS - if you can wash something with water, you can almost always clean it with Stain Solver

Here's a SHORT LIST of things Stain Solver can clean INSIDE your home:

pet stains and pet ODORS

ceramic tile floor and wall grout - Watch this video

carpet stains - look at these photos a professional sent to me

tough stains in clothes and furniture

baked-on grease on oven racks

heirloom quilts and fine fabrics - LOOK at these photos!

coffee and tea mug stains

I could go on and on and on and on.

There are HUNDREDS of things in your home you can clean with Stain Solver.

Once again, if you have a TOUGH STAIN on something and have tried other cleaners that delivered disappointing results, Stain Solver very likely will restore it.

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch my favorite cleaning videos.

CLICK or TAP HERE for the full Stain Solver Use Instructions.

Are You Still Skeptical?

Are you a subscriber who's been with me for years? You've seen all the past Stain Solver mentions and sales and ignored me, right?

You've never bought Stain Solver because you feel I'm making insane claims or it's too good to be true, right?

Tens of thousands of customers have trusted Kathy and I and are now REPEAT CUSTOMERS.

A very good customer in California buys Stain Solver in 50-pound buckets. Due to a serious and complex illness, she can't be around any toxic cleaners. Stain Solver is just about the ONLY THING she can use that doesn't bother her or make her sick. She is a big fan of Stain Solver and I'm a big fan of her!

Here's a proposition for you. Go ahead and buy some now. Use the following promo code below.

Ellen or I will personally answer any questions you have about how to use it. I will GLADLY call you on the phone and answer any questions you have if you are on the fence about buying.

If Stain Solver was a crap product, do you think in this day and age with social media we'd be able to survive? Bad products are beat to death with complaints and bad reviews.

This is why Stain Solver has SURVIVED. It's a fantastic product that really works so long as you follow our use instructions.

Schools, Motels & Office Buildings

Here's where Kathy and I need your help.

Do you work in a school, motel, an office building, an auto repair business, a daycare center, a restaurant, etc.?

We've sold Stain Solver to the above businesses for YEARS and want to grow the B2B business.

A school in California buys SEVEN 50-pound buckets at a time from us to clean their school floors. CLICK or TAP HERE to see the order form.

A giant company in Cincinnati uses it in their tall office towers to clean up coffee spills in cubicles each night. They also use it on their bathroom tile floors.

A motel in West Virginia uses it to clean oil-stained carpeting in rooms from contract workers who work in the field on oil rigs.

Restaurants buy Stain Solver to deep clean greasy kitchen floors and to deep clean all the cutlery overnight so it's like brand new for the customers the next day.

I could go on and on and on about all the businesses that buy Stain Solver.

Can you help get the word out? Can your business try it?

Do you have QUESTIONS about how to use it at your business?

The Promo Code

Okay, go ahead and try some Stain Solver now.

CLICK or TAP HERE to order Stain Solver.

Here's a promo code for 10% off and FREE SHIPPING to the lower 48 states here in the USA.

19SPRING

The promo code works on any purchase GREATER than $25.00.

This sale will last just ONE WEEK. Don't worry, I'll remind you in a few days.

If you've not used Stain Solver before, I GUARANTEE you'll be blown away. I WILL CALL YOU if need be to help you get the best results. Ellen or I will answer your questions.

Call this number M-F between 9 and 2 pm ET to get in touch with Ellen: 513-407-8727

That's quite enough for a Sunday morning.

Do you have questions about Stain Solver?

Reply to this email and I'll do my best to get back to you right away.

Tim Carter Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com Co-Founder - www.StainSolver.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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April 26, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Are you a new subscriber? Howdy! Strap yourself in.

Are you a subscriber of record in good standing? You should be quite happy with this issue.

What's in This Issue:

Free Color Scheme eBook

Flushable Wipes DANGER

High-Strength DIY Concrete

and Much More

New House Update

I'm up in my office here in New Hampshire as I compose this newsletter today. I got back on Monday night after spending about 34 straight days up in Bar Harbor, Maine.

I've been helping my daughter and son-in-law build their new home. My contributions center around general advice and installing all the plumbing, radiant heat, and electrical. NOTE: I'm not the builder - that's some other guy.

I worked 28.5 days out of the first 30 averaging about 9 hours a day. I did take off Easter weekend but found myself doing planning paperwork for the next phase of work.

My son-in-law and I got a tremendous amount of work done during those twenty-eight+ days enduring bitter cold and 8 inches of new snow about two weeks ago. The day-in day-out work beat us to death physically and mentally. I needed a mental-health respite as did he. That explains why I came back home. I'll be going back up on Sunday afternoon.

This past Monday morning I had a great meeting with Paul Tibbits at the new house. He's the New England factory rep for Noritz. I'm installing a fantastic Noritz modulating combi boiler in the house. Paul and I went over all the details to ensure the combi boiler performs with maximum efficiency.

A modulating boiler is one that has a burner that operates much like a burner on your stove. You can adjust the burner to simmer foods or you can turn the knob to get a full flame to boil water fast. Modulating combi boilers do the same. The burner puts out just enough flame to satisfy the demand. This technology saves energy and fuel.

A combi boiler is one that heats the entire house AND it also acts as the domestic water heater. In other words, it's an on-demand tankless water heater as well as a boiler.

My daughter, son-in-law, and new granddaughter will have endless hot water so long as they have propane in the outdoor tank.

I installed a combi boiler here at my own home back in the early winter. CLICK or TAP HERE to watch a quick video showing you what they look like.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get more information about this sensational boiler/hot water heater.

You may have been a subscriber here for ages and know that in past columns at my website I've cautioned against buying tankless water heaters. CLICK or TAP HERE to read why switching out your existing storage tank water heater might not be such a great idea if you're looking to SAVE MONEY right away.

But if you're building a NEW HOME, a tankless water heater may be a brilliant idea. It's all about recapturing your investment when you switch out an existing water heater.

Free Color Scheme eBook

Have you struggled with exterior colors on your brick or stone home? Suffer no more!

CLICK or TAP HERE to download a FREE Ebook from Davinci Roofscapes.

Flushable Wipes Sewer Clog DANGER

One of my subscribers - he's been getting this newsletter for almost twenty years! - emailed me about a problem at his house. He had asked me for some advice on wax gaskets for toilets. About a week after I had given his some help, I emailed him asking what happened. Here's his response:

"After doing a great job on the wax rings, the toilet was still clogged. No surprise since I'd never done anything to fix it. When I tried to plunge it water backed up into the nearby bath tub, so I assumed the clog was deeper than I could get with a short toilet snake. I had too much work to do so I called a plumber. He was able to snake the line through the tub. It took awhile because the clog was 25 FEET AWAY, which I estimate may be where the line makes it to the slab.

The culprit was "Flushable" wipes. They're apparently all the rage, even Howard Stern raves about them. Well, the plumber pulled out a large pile of them.

They are flushable only in the sense that they make it past your toilet, but the plumber says they do not decompose and tend to float so he's seen them make it partway through a house's system and then float back up toward the kitchen to cause a problem there!"

This is a great story because I feel the manufacturers of these products are only telling a half-truth.

Yes, you can flush the wipes. You can also flush small plastic army men, plastic dinosaurs, golf balls, sand, gravel, underwear, cell phones, etc. down a toilet.

Is it a GOOD IDEA to flush all those things? NO!!!!!!!

Have you ever noticed what happens if you take a piece of toilet paper, get it wet and try to rub a counter or anything else with it? It rapidly disintegrates. It's designed that way for a reason.

Do the same with a high-quality paper towel. The paper towel holds together. Flushable wipes are stronger than great paper towels.

Only flush toilet paper and body waste down toilets. PERIOD.

Great DIY High-Strength Concrete

CLICK or TAP HERE if you're about to do some concrete repair work at your home. I've got a ton of tips for you in many past columns. Scroll down PAST the ads you'll first see to get to all the wonderful money and time-saving tips.

When you get ready to mix up some new concrete, check out Quikrete's new/newer Q-Max Concrete in a bag.

Q-MAX Concrete has:

one-hour working time

three-hour walk-on time

fiber-reinforced

6,500 PSI strength

That LAST bullet point should get your attention. 6,500 PSI is very high strength and that amount of Portland cement in the mix allows the concrete to resist damage from ice, snow and deicing salts.

BE SURE to READ a few of my columns about the best way to finish the concrete so you maintain that high strength. CLICK or TAP HERE.

Massive Stain Solver Newsletter

This Sunday as I'm driving back up to Bar Harbor, you'll be receiving the next issue of this newsletter.

It's going to be devoted entirely to Stain Solver - a magic Certified Organic multi-purpose cleaner.

Kathy and I own Stain Solver. We've owned it for twenty-four years. We started the company.

You may be one of our tens of thousands of satisfied REPEAT customers.

If you've not yet tried Stain Solver, we're having our huge spring sale starting Sunday. You'll be stunned by all the things Stain Solver can clean.

Kathy and I also NEED YOUR HELP.

You'll discover why on Sunday.

I need to go get a haircut. More good stuff on Sunday.

Tim Carter Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com Certified Organic CLEAN MAN - www.StainSolver.com Happiness Comes in Waves - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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Flushable Wipes Clog Sewer

Flushable Wipes Clog Drain Lines and Sewers

DEAR TIM: I’m really upset. I’m retired and have limited resources. I just had to spend $3,300 on a new sewage pump that was ruined by flushable wipes. What can you tell me about these flushable wipes? The label says they’re “sewer and septic safe” whatever that means. Would you use them at your home? Other neighbors are complaining of more frequent clogs at their homes. What’s the best way to protect a home’s sewer pipes so there’s no damage or expensive surprises like I had happen to me? Ed P., Hendersonville, SC

DEAR ED: You have every right to be upset. Based on the emails I receive from the subscribers to my newsletter and other incoming requests at my website for help, you’re not alone. In fact, if you do a simple Internet search on the topic, you’ll discover that thousands of homeowners like you and sewage treatment plant managers are up in arms about these products.

Are Flushable Wipes Labeled Correctly?

The labeling on the product is accurate if you want to split hairs. You can flush these wretched wipes down a toilet. They make it through the curved colon in your toilet and enter the 3-inch drain pipe in your home. You can also flush plastic army men, plastic dinosaurs, golf balls, keys, sand, gravel, cell phones, underwear, cosmetic bottles, pill bottles, etc. down toilets too.

The question is: Are the wipes truly sewer and septic safe and is it a good idea to flush all those things above down a toilet? In my opinion, absolutely positively NO!

I’ve been a master plumber since age 29 and I can tell you the only thing that should go down a toilet is liquid and solid waste from your body and toilet paper. It’s important to realize the less toilet paper you use each trip to the bathroom, the happier your plumbing system will be.

Why is Toilet Paper Safe to Flush?

The flushable wipes controversy is really a common sense exercise. If you moisten a single sheet of toilet paper and rub it on your skin or a hard surface you’ll discover it rapidly falls apart. This is by design. You want toilet paper to disintegrate as fast as possible into the tiny cellulose fibers used to create it.

Try the same experiment with a decent quality paper towel. You’ll notice that the paper towel tends to hold up and not fall apart. Once again, this is by design. The paper towel manufacturer wants you to be able to use them to clean up spills and do light-duty cleaning. Never flush paper towels down a toilet.

Finally, do the same test with a flushable wipe. You’ll quickly discover they often hold together better than paper towels. Can you imagine what happens if there’s not enough water to transport these through your in-house building drain and outside buried sewer line out to your city sewer? At some point, you’ll get a clog. In your case, they didn’t disintegrate and they burned up your sewage pump!

Do Flushable Wipes End Up in Sewer Plants?

These wipes survive the long and tortuous journey from homes through miles of sewer pipes ending up at municipal sewage treatment plants. They clog up giant pumps at the plants. The Internet is littered with stories about massive clogs in sewers and treatment plants caused by these wipes. Flushable wipes are the scourge of sewers and septic systems.

I’d never use them at my house. If you must use them in your home, I suggest you dispose of them in a sanitary way in a special garbage can much like you’d store a soiled baby’s diaper until trash day.

Do 1.6-Gallon Toilets Cause Clogs?

Clogs in residential plumbing systems can also be traced to the low-flow requirements forced upon us by government officials. Years ago the standard toilet used 3.5 gallons of water per flush. Toilets now use 1.6 gallons of water per flush.

This shows you the intrusive reach of the government in your life. Do you realize that for every gallon of water that comes out of your faucet a gallon of water flows back into the ground or the closest river near you? The only people that have a water issue are those that live in the desert. I don't see why I have to suffer because they choose to live in a dry climate. How do you feel about it? Comment below. Table and data courtesy of the Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition.

There are tens of millions of people like me that have private water wells that don’t have water shortage issues and shouldn’t be forced to use these fixtures. There are tens of millions of people that are connected to municipal water systems that pull water from large rivers that have no chance of running dry. They shouldn’t have to suffer either.

This small amount of water, in some plumbing systems, often doesn’t have the energy to transport the flushable wipes or ordinary wastes out to the city sewer. Remember your high school physics class when the simple formula Force = Mass x Acceleration was discussed? Three and one-half gallons of water has much more mass than 1.6 gallons of water.

How Do You Flush Out a Drain Line?

I routinely protect my home’s plumbing system by filling up two five-gallon buckets of water. This water is poured into a toilet on the second story of my home. My wife assists me as we flush the toilet. As soon as the water from the tank enters the bowl we both pour in our buckets of water at the same time.

We pour as fast as possible making sure the water doesn’t overflow in the bowl. This massive slug of water entering the pipes from up high acts like a giant internal pressure washer to keep my main building drain clear.

Does Grease Clog Drain Lines?

We also only allow body waste into our toilets. The other best practice is to keep as much grease as possible out of your plumbing. I save paper towels used to dry hands and these are used to sop up liquid grease from pans and pots. I throw these grease-soaked towels in the garbage. Solidified grease is a major cause of clogs in residential plumbing systems.

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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Behind the Build: Stately Shingle-Style Home in Salt Lake City, Utah

Builder and Fine Homebuilding ambassador John Hourihan tours an elegant country home with Tom Fox of Fox Group Construction in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is Tom’s family home, and […]

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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Talon Certified Floors

Durable finish made with FSC certified sustainable hardwoods. Go to TalonDirect.com to learn more.

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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Podcast Episode 177: Three Design Solutions for Remodeling a Cramped Bathroom

Follow the Fine Homebuilding Podcast on your favorite app. Subscribe now and don’t miss an episode: Patrick, Matt, and a newcomer to the podcast, Fine Homebuilding design editor Kiley Jacques, […]

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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Barn Reborn

“To be in keeping as much as possible with the original structure took a lot of custom details.”—Nea Moore Perched like a beacon on 33 acres of alfalfa fields just […]

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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Destination Patio

This 19th century Cape-Cod style house is set just off the road surrounded by flower gardens, patios, vegetable raised beds and an outdoor fire pit. What was once an old […]

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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Three and Four-Way Switches and Deck Cleaning

Three and Four-Way Switches

QUESTION #1: Tim, I need you to mediate a dispute between my husband and me. We’re building a new home and there are quite a few places where two, or more, switches can be used to control lights. I like the convenience but my husband has had nothing but problems trying to troubleshoot these three and four-way switches. He wants nothing to do with these ‘wretched switches’ as he refers to them. Your vote will decide the issue. I have to add that pecan pie and moist pumpkin bread are two of the favorite things I like to bake. Veronica B., Lakeland, FL

There’s no need for Veronica to bribe me with two of my favorite desserts as I’m a huge fan of three and four-way switches. I wish I could meet the engineer who many years ago figured out how to make these magnificent switches that allow you to control a light, or group of lights, from multiple locations.

The most common uses for these switches are at the top and bottom of staircases or at the ends of a long hallway. When you use one in a finished home, you might think it’s magic that’s making it all work. In reality, you just need special switches that are readily available. You also need to have a special cable with one extra wire that runs between the two switches.

The simplest setup is to have just two three-way switches control one light. A three-way switch has three screws on it plus the green grounding screw. A standard single-pole switch only has two screws on it plus the green grounding screw.

That extra screw on a three-way switch confounds almost all homeowners and apprentice electricians as I get their emails each and every week asking for help. There are a few ways to connect two three-way switches together, but I prefer the method where you use a cable that has an extra red wire in it. It’s called three wire with a ground.

The real fun and magic of these switches is when you have a situation where you want to control some lights or an appliance from three, or more, points. My daughter is building a new home right now and she’s got at least five sets of lights in here home that are controlled by four different switches.

To achieve this higher level of electrical wizardry, you install four-way switches in between the two three-way switches in the circuit. A four-way switch has four screws on it plus the green grounding screw.

To make the wiring work flawlessly so your husband becomes a lover of these switches you install the same special three-wire cable in between all the three and four-way switches in the circuit. That lovely red wire along with the black wire in the cable will do all the heavy lifting and your husband will think that all the switches in your new home were sprinkled with pixie dust.

I have three helpful videos at my AsktheBuilder.com website showing you how fast and easy it is to wire up and troubleshoot three and four-way switches. Just type 3 way switch or 4-way switch into the search engine at my website to find them. Collectively these videos have been watched by over 2,400,000 people saving them hundreds of thousands of dollars on electrician and divorce attorney fees!

Deck Cleaning

QUESTION #2: Timmy, can you share what you feel is the best deck cleaner for both wood and composite decks and why you feel it’s best? There’s lots of conflicting information out there on the Internet. Many many people say to mix chlorine bleach with water in a 50/50 solution. Others say to blast away using a pressure washer. I’m very interested in your opinion and any stories you can share. Lori S., Portland, OR

You may be in the same situation as Lori. You read blog posts, watch videos and become catatonic as you stare at cable TV home improvement shows. I’ve tried all the methods Lori described and finally discovered, quite by accident, the best way to clean a wood deck.

I’ve always known that chlorine bleach is the worst thing to use outdoors to clean decks, patios, and sidewalks. My neighbor who lived next to me in Cincinnati killed a magnificent maple tree that provided luxurious shade on her rear patio using chlorine bleach. Each spring she’d dump three gallons of pure bleach on the patio and scrub away to rid it of algae. I told her it was a mistake and she ignored me. The tree got sicker and sicker and eventually, it was cut down.

Other friends of mine and many contractors feel pressure washers are the answer. Yes, they are magnificent tools and blast away mildew, dirt and sun-damaged sealers. But the high-pressure stream also erodes the soft light-colored spring wood in between the darker bands of summer wood in the decking. Soon your deck looks and feels like a 50-year-old fishing pier.

Twenty-five years ago, I was doing research for how to seal a wood deck. I interviewed a manufacturer and casually asked about using chlorine bleach as a cleaner. He responded, “Oh, that’s the worst thing to use. You want to use oxygen bleach. Call this chemist and he’ll tell you all about it.” I made the call and it changed my entire opinion about how to clean anything that’s water washable, including wood and composite decking.

Stain Solver is MADE in the USA with USA ingredients that are food-grade quality. CLICK THE IMAGE to order some NOW.

Oxygen bleach is readily available. There are quite a few brands. I’d recommend one that’s certified organic. Oxygen bleach is not toxic to vegetation. It doesn’t bleach out the color of wood as chlorine does. There’s no foul odor when you use oxygen bleach.

Oxygen bleach comes as a powder you mix with water. Use warm or hot water and stir until all the powder dissolves. Work in the shade and apply the solution to dry decking so it soaks into the wood to deep clean it. Apply the solution liberally and allow the oxygen bubbles to work for at least 15 minutes before lightly scrubbing the decking with a medium scrub brush. Rinse well with clear water, let dry and you’ll be amazed at how clean your wood is!

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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Podcast Episode 176: When Are Compromises on Quality Materials Worth the Savings?

Follow the Fine Homebuilding Podcast on your favorite app. Subscribe now and don’t miss an episode: In this week’s podcast, one listener asks if he should break the budget if […]

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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The 2019 Festool Roadshow

For over 35 years, Fine Homebuilding has uniquely sourced its content from the job sites and design offices of the most qualified and talented builders and designers in the industry […]

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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Video: Introducing the 2019 HOUSES Awards Winners

For 32 years our Annual HOUSES Issue has honored homes of distinction. The award-winning projects are chosen because they demonstrate key design/build lessons. HOUSES has evolved over the past three […]

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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How to Use a Drywall Router

When hanging drywall, you could measure, mark, and cut holes for all of your electrical boxes before you install each sheet, but it’s more efficient to cut them out with a drywall […]

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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PEX Water Lines vs Copper and Water Heater Venting

The red and blue pipes will supply hot and cold water to each plumbing fixture in this new home as soon as they’re connected to a distribution manifold inside this closet. (C) Copyright 2019 Tim Carter

PEX Water Lines vs Copper

QUESTION #1: Can you help me make a decision, Tim? I’m building a new home and have the option of using PEX piping for my hot and cold water in the house as opposed to traditional copper. Do you have an opinion about both materials? Have you used both? What do you have in your own home? Linda P., Rocky Point, NC

You may be building a new home or planning a large room addition that will have a new bathroom, kitchen, or some other plumbing fixtures that require hot and cold water. Your builder or plumber may lay at your feet the same decision Linda has to make. I can help you as I’ve been a master plumber since age 29.

The PEX plastic water piping for drinking water has been around for almost three decades now. Plastic PEX piping was first introduced in the late 1960s and its use as radiant floor heating exploded in Europe in the 1970s.

During the early part of my plumbing career, I only installed traditional copper water lines. It was a mainstay in the Midwest. However, the plumbing codes started to permit the use of PEX and once plumbers became comfortable using it, its use started to grow like dandelions in the spring.

I have PEX piping in my own home for both the radiant heating system and all of the hot and cold water that’s supplied to each faucet. It’s important to realize there are different brands of PEX. While the piping chemistry may be the same or very similar, the method you connect the pipe to fittings is different. The one that I’ve come to trust and use is AquaPEX that employs an ingenious expanding compression collar at each end of the tubing to create a leak-proof connection.

Installing traditional copper can be a complex and time-consuming process if you solder the tubing to the fittings. In the past decade, there’s been a shift to connecting copper tubing and fittings with a pressing tool that crimps the fittings onto the end of the tubing without using molten solder. An inner rubber o-ring in a raised collar on each fitting along with the crimping creates a leak-proof joint. I have these press fittings in my own home where the copper water lines connect my modulating boiler to the heating distribution manifolds.

The copper press fitting system saves enormous amounts of time. It only takes seconds to create a leak-proof connection. However, you may have to install quite a few of these press fittings to supply water to just one fixture. PEX piping eliminates all these fittings.

PEX water piping is much like electrical wiring. It’s flexible and you can run long lengths of it from a central distribution manifold all the way to the plumbing fixture without any joints. These long runs of tubing from a fixture to a manifold are called home runs. You can install one PEX pipe in just minutes if your home is framed using open floor trusses. The home run system allows you to turn off the hot or cold water to just one fixture and still have water working at all other fixtures.

The fastest way to install hot and cold water lines in a home or room addition hands down is the PEX piping employing an uninterrupted single pipe between each fixture and the central manifold. To put this in perspective, my son-in-law and I installed all of the hot and cold water lines to his new four bathroom home in less than three hours. You could never accomplish this feat using copper, even with the wonderful press fittings.

I have a video at my AsktheBuilder.com website showing you how fast and easy it is to create one of these PEX connections using the simple expansion compression collars. I suggest you go there and type Connect Pex Pipe into my search engine and watch it. You’ll be astonished at how simple it is to work with PEX water lines.

Water Heater Venting

QUESTION #2: Hey Tim, I need your help connecting my new gas water heater to my chimney. Here’s my deal: My chimney has an 8x8 clay flue liner that’s just under 20 feet from the inlet in the basement to the top of the chimney out on my roof. The water heater vent pipe is 3-inch PVC. The water heater has a 50-gallon capacity with a 40,000 Btu burner. Should I install a 4-inch pipe from the new water heater to the flue liner? Ron D., Boise, ID

Each week I receive lots of email from homeowners like Ron asking detailed questions about exactly how to install any number of building products. I understand I think, why they come to me. It’s easy to ask me, a sales clerk at a store, or even some online home improvement chat group.

However, in most cases, I’m the wrong person to ask and you should be extremely cautious following the advice from others who you’ve not vetted determining the depth of their experience solving the exact problem you face.

When it comes to the nuances of installing products and mechanical equipment like Ron’s new water heater, there’s only one accurate source for your answer: the manufacturer of the product or fixture. The first place to start is by reading the product label or the instruction manual.

In Ron’s case, he needs to understand that the water heater venting system is most likely controlled by a very tiny, yet powerful, computer that’s connected to sensors within the water heater. The vent may have to be PVC from the heater all the way up through the roof or out a side wall. There are maximum lengths the pipe can be as well as the number and types of fittings that can be installed between the water heater and the end of the pipe outdoors.

In other words, stop hoping that something is going to work when it’s installed. Stop hoping if you or your family is going to die from carbon monoxide poisoning. Take the time to read what the manufacturer wants you to do. In many cases, they may have their own installation videos showing you what to do. Remember, if you want to be SAFE and you want the warranty with a product, only do what the manufacturer says to do. Period.

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emoryjrice71 · 6 years ago

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April 14, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Welcome if you're a new subscriber. I'm glad you're here. If you're a subscriber in good standing for years or a month, it's great you're still here.

Running AquaPEX and Wire

My son-in-law Brent and I have been working our butts off at the new house he and my daughter are building on Mt. Desert Island in Maine. Last weekend in just four hours we installed, are you sitting down?, nearly 1,800 feet of red and blue AquaPEX made by Uponor.

You use AquaPEX for the hot and cold water lines to plumbing fixtures and faucets.

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover more about exactly why I chose to use AquaPEX made by Uponor.

If you had tried to install traditional copper lines using solder, perhaps you could have installed pipe to one or more fixtures in that four hours by cleaning, fluxing and soldering the pipe and fittings. Yes, you can use the modern press fittings for copper, but most people can't afford the $1,500 press tool required to crimp the fittings to the copper tubing.

By the way, I'll be demonstrating how to use one of these magical press tools that squeeze a copper fitting that has a rubber o-ring in it to create a leak-proof joint. I'm using this technology to install the copper around the modulating Noritz combi boiler going into my daughter and son-in-law's new home. You'll see that video in two months or less.

Wait until you see how amazing this press tool is and how soldering copper will eventually be kicked to the curb in most instances.

The primary advantage to using AquaPEX, or other PEX, is that you don't have fittings hidden behind walls and ceilings. You just have a connection point at the water distribution manifold and then you have a connection at the shutoff valve at the fixture.

The PEX installs like electric wiring. You just pull it through the open bays of the floor trusses or holes you might drill in solid floor joists or engineered-wood I joists.

I'm sure once again you can see why I specified to use open-web floor trusses on this job by looking at the above photo!

Can you imagine drilling HUNDREDS of holes in floor joists to run PEX, heating PEX or the electric cables???

12-Gauge Wire

A few day ago, we started to install the electrical wiring in the new house. I discovered long ago the advantages of 20-amp circuits as opposed to 15-amp circuits which most houses have. A 20-amp circuit can handle 2400 watts vs the 1800 you get with a 15-amp circuit.

Do you remember your high school physics class? Watts = Amps X Volts

One hundred and twenty volts is the standard here in the USA.

Yes, 12-gauge wire is slightly tougher to bend when you install an outlet or a switch, but it's worth it to have all that extra power for just $25 more for each 250 feet of cable you buy!

Yes, at the time I purchased the spools of cable, it was just ten cents more per foot for 12 gauge wire vs 14-gauge you use for 15-amp circuits.

What are all the red wires for? You're looking at a massive bank of switches just as you walk in from the garage of their new home. These switches operate any number of lights using both 3 and 4-way switches. I prefer to use 12/3 wg cable to wire 3 and 4-way switches. Watch the two following videos to see why it's a huge advantage to use three-wire when wiring these special switches!

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch my 3-Way Switch video.

CLICK or TAP HERE to watch my 4-Way Switch video.

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover a bunch of other electrical wiring tips I've accumulated over the years.

DEEP Searching at AsktheBuilder.com

Last week I created a few new messages that new newsletter subscribers receive after signing up.

You've been receiving these same messages.

I got a HUGE GRIN on my face about three days ago when a subscriber responded to the message about doing Deep Searches on my AsktheBuilder website.

My suggestion is when you have a problem, just type the simple phrase into my search engine.

In his case, he had a hardwood floor scratch. He wanted to know the best way to repair it. This kind gentleman was actually responding to my message about Deep Searching instead of trying to find the answer himself.

I got the biggest kick out of that. If he had just typed:

hardwood floor scratch

he would have found right away this very useful column:

Hardwood Floor Repair

I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts you didn't know about the alcohol lamp guy, did you? Go ahead, click or tap here and tell me the truth. I know, I can't handle the truth!

Downloadable AsktheBuilder Podcasts

A few days ago, Rachel reached out to me and suggested I make my podcasts downloadable. I pretty much assumed anyone who has in interest in podcasts would have an app allowing them to do this.

As usual, I was wrong!

It turns out there's a button I can click when uploading a podcast that allows you to download it easily without an app. This button defaults to NO downloading, so that's why I missed it.

I went back and turned ON all the buttons so you can now download my podcasts to listen to on your terms.

CLICK or TAP HERE to see the full list of podcasts.

That's quite enough for a Sunday! Happy Get-Your-Taxes-Done Day!

Tim Carter Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com Certified Organic Clean Man - www.StainSolver.com Cast RF Man - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

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