January 28, 2014 AsktheBuilder Newsletter & Tips
IMPORTANT: This is a BIG newsletter with LOTS of info.
Be SURE you read the information below about the Treasure Hunt.
I had a short but successful business trip to Las Vegas last week. Fortunately, I didn't end up in jail!
"What?", you ask. Well, CLICK HERE to discover why my friend, Jim Cluett, thought he'd have to bail me out of the Las Vegas Detention Center!
Bosch Power Tools hosted my trip to Sin City. It was amazing. The highlight of the trip was listening to stories told at dinner on Tuesday night by Fred Noe, the great grandson of the founder of Jim Beam - the finest Kentucky bourbon known to man or woman.
It's BITTER COLD in many parts of the USA right now and much of this newsletter is dedicated to helping you understand why certain rooms in your home are cold. This pertains to you if you live in a HOT climate too, so pay attention to the links below.
Finally, the AsktheBuilder.com Treasure Hunt draws closer. It begins in just THREE WEEKS! I've got more BIG news below. I need judges!
Reminder: When you click the links in this newsletter taking you back to my AsktheBuilder.com website, I can pretty much GUARANTEE you'll save money, time and have a better life. I'm serious. Try it and see.
Flo
I'm not talking about Stephanie Courtney, the comedian who plays Flo in the Progressive Insurance commercials.
I'm talking about Flo-Coat, a very cool product I saw in Las Vegas. The only people in the USA that can use this right now are those in south Florida and parts of the southwest USA.
If you live anywhere else, you just need to wait until the temperatures warm up. After you watch the video below, I'm pretty sure you WILL WANT TO USE IT.
Watch this video and imagine what you could do to your driveway, patio or sidewalk.
Grouting Tile Floors
Did you know I have a series of videos demonstrating the SECRET tricks to create ceramic tile grout that will NOT crumble or crack? They also show how to get professional grout joints that look PERFECT.
You can watch the first two videos for free. The other two you need to buy access to, just like on Netflix, Amazon or iTunes. I guarantee you it'll be the best $6 you've ever spent.
Amy's COLD House
Amy Myer from Waterville, OH emailed me a few days ago. HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS have the same problem Amy has. How about you? Here's what Amy wrote:
"We have a cape cod house with flex duct work. Our upstairs is freezing in the winter and hot in the summer. We do not have the money to change the duct work. Would getting the ducts cleaned help? What about using an air duct booster fan?"
Amy, welcome to the world of poor heating and air conditioning installation. You, and hundreds of thousands, have uncomfortable homes for any number of reasons.
1. Cleaning your air ducts will not keep you warmer or cooler. A booster fan may help a little bit, but don't count on it.
2. The most likely issue is improper supply and duct design. Simply put, each room of your home requires a PRECISE about of heating BTUs and cooling BTUs to keep you comfortable. Many HVAC installers don't take the time to do the needed calculations to figure out the correct size and NUMBER of SUPPLY registers and the necessary RETURN ductwork for each room.
The best analogy I can give - and it's extreme - is this. Imagine trying to have a NASCAR race car powered by the engine from your lawn mower. The car would move with the proper gearing, but not nearly as fast as it needs to go around the track to win the race.
To keep those rooms comfortable, you MUST have enough hot air coming into the room on cold days and enough cool air coming in on hot days.
Scan the columns below to really get your head around this issue. So you know, HVAC is by far the MOST COMPLEX part of building a home, yet it's the place where most builders cut corners to save money. What a shame.
Importance of Return Air Ducts
What is Static Pressure? Why is it IMPORTANT?
SECRET Ninja Air Conditioning Sizing Tips - DON'T SHARE THIS LINK!!!!
Getting the MOST Out of your Air Ducts
Mary's Tub
Do you have a tub with the anti-slip surface built into the tub finish? Kohler has done this for years with their cast-iron tubs. Others have it on acrylic tubs.
I talked to Mary last week and she told me she had tried about ten different cleaners to get the dirt out of the rough surface. NOTHING WORKED.
She decided to use my Stain Solver. She filled the tub with about an inch of hot water, dumped in one-quarter cup of Stain Solver and WALKED AWAY.
When she came back a few hours later and lightly scrubbed the bottom of the tub, it looked like NEW. She was so happy, she emailed me.
Do it. Stop putting it off.
There are HUNDREDS OF THINGS around your home Stain Solver will clean.
Be Happy - like Mary!
Ice Dams
Every winter thousands suffer leaks into their homes because of ice dams. Has it happened to you? Yes, I know you live where it doesn't snow, but others reading this newsletter can and do get snow on their roofs.
Watch this video to discover how easy it is to PREVENT leaks from ice dams.
Treasure Hunt NEWS!!!
The second annual AsktheBuilder.com Treasure Hunt is only three weeks away!!!
Can you do me a HUGE FAVOR? Read the following and then answer the two questions below.
Here are the quick facts about the Treasure Hunt:
- Playing the Treasure Hunt is FREE!
- It's FUN!
- It's CHALLENGING!
- I'm going to be coming to SOMEONE'S house in the lower 48 states - It could be YOU! Yes, I could be coming to your home.
- MANY are going to win prizes - Last year, only one person won prizes.
- The Treasure Hunt will take you to MANY websites over a period of three weeks.
- The MORE DAYS you play - remember, it's FREE - the MORE chances you have at winning.
- I need judges - read below
- I'm signing up new sponsors each day. Your company should be one!
Over a period of three weeks on RANDOM days, I'll be sending you an email. You'll be asked to visit a page on my website that contains a few CLUES - small snippets of large photos.
Your job is to visit the links I provide, FIND the photo the snippet was taken from and then ANSWER EASY questions about that photo.
When you SUBMIT your answers, you're entered to win prizes. The MORE TIMES you play and ANSWER, the greater your chances of winning prizes.
The Grand Prize winner will have me show up on their doorstep - probably in April.
I'll be coming to your home for a day to answer any questions you have about repairs you need done or things you want to do to your home. You have to live in the lower 48 states for this to happen.
We'll go out to dinner after we look at everything. You and I may even repair one or two things together!
If you want to win the Grand Prize, you need to do just one additional thing, but it will really help your chances if you do three things. In a moment it will make sense why you should do all three things:
1. You MUST submit a short 150-word essay titled: Why Tim Needs to Come to MY Home! In this short essay, you'll describe what's wrong with your home and why you need my advice on how to fix all that's wrong. If you have a few small jobs that would only take 30 minutes each, you and I MIGHT do the jobs when I'm there - SERIOUSLY!
It's mandatory you write this essay to be entered to win the GRAND PRIZE. Also, you must agree to allow me to videotape while I visit you and your home. I really want you to be in a few videos, so don't be shy!
2. Your chances of winning the Grand Prize are enhanced if you submit no more than three great photos of the things at your home you need help with. This is NOT required, but you'll see why you should do this in a moment.
3. Your chances of winning the Grand Prize are GREATLY enhanced if you shoot a short video of yourself and show the things at your home that need my advice. This is also NOT required, but you'll see why you should do this in a moment.
A panel of five judges is going to select three finalists from all the Grand Prize entries. The three finalists will then be loaded to a page at my website, and you and anyone in the WORLD can vote for a week for the winner.
I'm selecting the five judges this way:
- Two will come from this newsletter list - that's YOU.
- One each will come from my YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook subscribers/followers.
If you want to be a judge, READ the following and then reply back to this email. Change the Subject Line to: JUDGE
Realize it may take some time on your part. I have no idea how many entries you'll have to review. One thing's for certain: It will be a HOOT to be a judge because you'll be reading some really interesting entries.
Being a judge will get you some notoriety. I'm going to give you an additional 15 Minutes of Fame! You'll be on a page at my website during the Treasure Hunt.
I need you to agree to let me use a photo of you and just enter your FIRST name and where you live. We should be transparent about who the judges are.
How will I select the judges? Sell yourself to me. Tell me WHY you'll be a great judge.
So what do you think?
Here are the TWO QUESTIONS I need answers to:
1. Do you think the Treasure Hunt will be FUN? (Remember last year?)
2. What do you think of the way the Grand Prize winner will be selected - by you and everyone voting for who most deserves a visit by me?
That's enough for this week.
I'm here to tell you that you'll have a BOATLOAD of fun on this year's Treasure Hunt. Oh my, wait till you see what I have in store for you!
More tips next week.