September 12, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter
Whatcha doing standing with Emma, Janna, John, Monica, Fausto, and JM? Why of course, this is your first issue and you're all chattering about what to expect! Well, it's a pretty good issue if I don't say so myself!
But what about you? Have you been around here umpteen years like Patrick? Do you remember that column I wrote about building the Dream Garage? Do you have issues getting in and out of your car when it's in the garage? It's impossible for my wife to exit our car in our garage. I didn't build the house we currently live in. CLICK or TAP HERE and immerse yourself in all the things your garage should have.
I Need a Black Paisley Vest - HELP!
For five weekends this fall, I'm helping out the Ashland NH Railroad Historical Society. I dress up as an old RR telegrapher and send Morse code while train passengers visit the restored RR station.
I need a black paisley vest, but have been unsuccessful locating one my size. I'm talking about a standard vest that you'd wear as part of a 3-piece suit. All I see are ones for men who are 5' 11" and taller. All of the vests I see are much too long and would hang down way too low on me. UGH.
If you locate one that will work to these sizes, I'd be MOST GRATEFUL:
Front Length - 21 inches
Back Length - 19 inches
Chest - 44 inches
Waist - 43 inches (odd since I wear size 38 pants)
Rear Shoulder to Shoulder - 16 inches
Let me know if you can uncover where this vest is sold. Thanks! Remember, black paisley.
Howard's Old Faucet
Look at this photo:
The faucet is dripping and Howard wants to replace the inner workings but has no clue who made the faucet. I don't recognize it at all. There appears to be a logo under the concave part of the chrome trim. Let me know if you know who made it.
This is also a teaching moment. Years ago, I reminded you in a column that when you buy a new faucet or have one installed you should take the installation manual and parts list and put them in a ziplock storage bag. You then tape this to the inside of the vanity in the bathroom or your kitchen sink base cabinet. Do this with ALL fixtures and faucets in your entire home.
Better yet, about five or ten years down the road, purchase replacement cartridges for the faucets while the parts are still available. Put those in a separate bag and tape it to the inside of the vanity or sink base cabinet.
You'll never regret doing this.
FREE BIDS for ANY JOB
CLICK or TAP HERE or Mr. Shovel Man below to get FREE BIDS for any job around your home.
Roofing 101 - Don't SKIP THIS!!
Are you getting ready to have a new roof installed? Look at this photo, please. What do you think this is:
Do you know where most roof leaks happen?
Do you know what's the BEST plumbing vent flashing?
Do you know the best skylight flashings?
Do you want a SIMPLE form you hand to each roofer that he fills out so you can see who's the real PRO?
CLICK or TAP HERE to get all the above and MORE.
Brittle CPVC - Ticking Time Bombs
A really good friend of mine, we go back almost thirty years, reached out to me a few days ago. He is also a plumber and was a warehouse manager for a Cincinnati-based plumbing wholesale business.
He's doing some remodeling on a flipper house he bought out in the country. The previous plumber used CPVC piping for the water-supply lines.
Here's what my friend sent,
"I capped some 1/2" CPVC pipe with Sharkbite caps so I could keep a primitive bathroom going for myself. That stuff shattered like glass as I tried to use my battery Dewalt recip saw on it.
I ended up using a hacksaw with a 24-point blade and going very gently to get it to cut without splitting. This house was built in 1988.
The CPVC has had crawl space exposure its entire life, but still I remember 1988 as not being that long ago regarding a site built home. I could snap a piece only 4 or 5 inches long like a pencil."
What's your takeaway here? If you're at all familiar with CPVC, when it's new, it's NOT brittle. You can bend it and it will not snap.
If your home has CPVC water-supply lines, then be sure they're not under any stress and you'll have a flood.
Talk to Me Before not After
Richard lives in Columbus, OH. This is another teaching moment you should never forget.
He emailed me about four days ago and said,
"As part of a recent roofing job, I also had ridge vents installed. I'm now considering whether I have adequate venting in the eaves of the house.
I've found plenty of info about matching the vent capacity of the eaves vs. the ridge vent, but nothing addresses anything like the built-in roof vent. Any suggestions?"
I grinned at my computer monitor and said out loud, "Richard you should have researched this BEFORE you even called roofers to get quotes. You should have read all my roof ventilation columns. You maybe should have done one of my 15-Minute phone calls."
I responded and told Richard to go read all my past work about turbine vents.
Now he has to bring back the roofer to add them. Such an extra unnecessary expense!
That's enough for this Sunday. My health is continuing to improve. My wife Kathy and I beat Covid and have the best natural immunity you can get. WOOT!
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
BEST DARN CLEANER - www.StainSolver.com
Train Telegrapher - www.W3ATB.com
Do It Right, Not Over!
P.S. Are you getting ready to have a new roof installed? Asphalt shingles? You'd do well to READ my short expose' Roofing Ripoff book. CLICK or TAP HERE to read the first few chapters for FREE.