January 22, 2013 AsktheBuilder Newsletter & Tips
So much is happening, I don't know where to start!
We're days away from introducing a new smaller size of Stain Solver. This little guy will weigh in at just 0.4 pounds.
It's PERFECT if you're a person that's wanted to try Stain Solver Oxygen Bleach, but needed a price point below $10. Well, we did it! We can ship this nice little guy to you for $9.97 anywhere in the USA. Watch for more details next week. We're NOT ready to ship just yet.
Speaking of next week, that's when I put in the door for the latest Kickstarter project that was successfully funded this past Sunday night. Thank you if you were one of the backers.
By the end of February, I'll have ready for you an authoritative step-by-step video guide that will show you how you can install a new front door saving up to $1,000 in labor costs. That money can be used to buy the door. Wow!!!
Finally, I'm getting ready to head to the West Coast. Two weeks from today, I'll be in the Las Vegas convention center for 1.5 days. Then I head to Los Angeles to tape the videos for my NEXT Kickstarter project. You absolutely want to back that project. What is it? Wood rot repair the Easy Way! Watch for that Kickstarter launch next week if all goes well.
TIP OF THE WEEK - DRYER VENT FIRE ALERT!
You may be a person that still hangs your clothes on a line to dry. My mom did that in our basement for years.
But then again, you may be like John, a fellow subscriber, who uses a clothes dryer. Read what he sent me over the weekend:
"We had an incident at our home two weeks ago involving a near dryer vent fire. Our problem is that our vent ductwork runs about 15 feet to our outer wall, so there's plenty of room for build-up, and boy, did we have build-up. Thirteen years of it.
Long story short, the Bayport, MN, fire chief came over last Saturday and personally helped me clean it all out. His strong advice: Clean out the vent pipe -- not just the flexible hose connected to the back of the dryer -- at least once a year (he cleans out his twice a year), and replace the flexible hose at the same time (it cost me about $12 at our local Ace Hardware). Money and time very well spent."
John and his family were lucky. Many are not and become statistics for the NFPA. There are dryer vent fires all the time.
This is a serious topic because of the nature of the fire and the action of the dryer. If the lint in the vent pipe catches on fire while the dryer is on, it's like a massive blowtorch. The intensity of the fire is extreme, and it can quickly spread to things around the vent pipe.
The blast of air from the dryer supercharges the fire causing it to grow faster and burn hotter than a normal fire.
If you have metal vent pipe in your crawlspace or basement, go take it apart NOW and inspect it. It's very easy to take it apart and put it back together.
Last fall I had to help a NH woman do this. Julie's dryer vent pipe was clogged SOLID. She dodged the bullet just like John and his family.
BETHEPRO.COM
Are you a pro builder or remodeler? Back when I was still building all day long with sticks and bricks instead of electrons like I do now, I used to love meeting some of my friendly competitors for breakfast at the local White Castle.
We'd all tell tall tales about how many yards of concrete we poured, pieces of drywall we carried or other super-human feats each day at the jobsite as we munched on cheeseburgers at 6:30 am.
Well, how would you like to hang out with some pros online? You can share your tips and help other builders and remodelers with what you know. The best part is you may discover lots of tips that will help you save time and money. That translates to happier customers and more profit. Both of those should be at the top of your list.
If you're a professional, get over to BeThePro.com right now. Be sure to jump into the Pro Forum because that's where the action is. Become a Member and earn points for great tools and gear!
NEW HEAT-REFLECTING PIGMENT - THIS COULD BE HUGE!
The most recent issue of National Geographic had a small article about a discovery made by Oregon State University researchers. They discovered the first new inorganic blue pigment in the past 200 years. That's hard to believe, but I won't argue it since I'm not a pigment expert.
One of the great things about this pigment is its ability to reflect heat. That's pretty unusual for a darker color.
You may soon start to see exterior building products that are colored blue and say they will save you energy dollars. Be on the lookout.
POSSIBLE COLUMBUS HOME AND GARDEN SHOW APPEARANCE
Do you live in or near Columbus, OH? If so, I may be coming to town to do a talk or two at your Home and Garden show the last Saturday in February.
I got an overnight invitation and we're working on the details now. The Columbus Dispatch, the main daily in Columbus, is the show owner I believe. My weekly Ask the Builder column runs in the Dispatch each Sunday.
Do you want me to come to your city or town? If your local paper helps to put on an annual Home and Garden show, contact your paper and ask them to bring me to your town. I've done home and garden appearances for years and would LOVE to come and see you.
All you have to do is ASK them. If enough readers/residents request it, they'll bring me in. We have loads of fun at the shows!
LE JOHNSON POCKET DOOR CONTEST RESULTS
I don't know about you, but I had a blast with last week's contest. I hope to have more challenging treasure hunts like that as the year progresses. You simply wouldn't believe the number of comments, you might have been one, that said how much they enjoyed the contest. It was tough, but not too tough.
Did you participate? Did you like the Treasure Hunt format of contest? Would you like to see more challenging contests?
Reply back to me with your comments. I'd love to hear what you have to say. Remember, change the Subject Line to:
LE Johnson!
That way I can filter them from all the other email I receive.
The best part were the comments about how gorgeous the pocket doors were and the many uses. Yes, I've enjoyed pocket doors for years. You should really consider them.
Here are the CORRECT answers to the contest in case you're wondering. The door was #26.
It was a wood door with a large center panel of glass. I also accepted acrylic or plastic since none of us knew really what it was. But my money is on tempered glass.
The handle, I thought, was black. I accepted dark brown, bronze, oiled bronze, etc. Because monitor colors are off, I accepted any dark color.
There were nearly 700 correct entries. WOW!
I'm doing the drawing of the Grand Prize Winner on Saturday (01/26/2013) at Noon Eastern Time LIVE on my AsktheBuilder YouTube channel.
I'd LOVE it if you would be kind enough to tune in and watch. Let's see how that technology works. You can email me during the broadcast. I did a test of it yesterday that you can see now on my channel.
When you do go to my YouTube channel on Saturday, the TOP position SHOULD be the item you need to click to see the LIVE broadcast. I'll tune in about three minutes early to make sure it's working. You can email me questions about pocket doors and we can discuss them during the broadcast if you want.
Look at the image above of my channel at YouTube. See the red arrow? That's where you should see the link to the LIVE broadcast. I saw it clearly yesterday when I did the test.