Hold Down Anchors and Through Bolts - Strong Connections I live in rural New Hampshire. When I drive to town, I pass by a house that has a very tall outdoor shed. Every now and then impressive Nor’easters lash us with high winds and rain. We also get our fair share of powerful gales. After […]
How to Stop Water Flooding Into Your Home - Set Your Foundation High Water is both your friend and your foe. You need it to live, your plants and landscaping need a sip, and if your pets are like my stunning American Dirus dog that looks like a dire wolf, they need lots of water. […]
How to Unclog Drains in Minutes - Save Hundreds of Dollars I’ve been a master plumber for over four decades in addition to building and remodeling homes. I was attracted to plumbing because it’s a fascinating three-dimensional puzzle of interconnected drain, waste, and vent pipes. Most are invisible behind the walls and ceilings in your […]
All Wars are Bankers Wars Publisher Note: All that follows was copied and pasted from a PDF file I received from Ric, one of my newsletter subscribers. I do NOT own the copyright and hope the original author is pleased that I'm sharing far and wide what he wrote. The above is an old video […]
Outdoor Firepit Planning Tips - Don't Get Too Close! Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the eye candy Mother Nature hands out here in the great Northeast USA. Add the fragrant aroma of a crackling outdoor fire feeding on seasoned oak and you have, in my opinion, the perfect outdoor setting. Breathing […]
How to Lose Money With a Builder - It's so Easy! What you’re about to read might be life-changing for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re building a new home, adding a room addition, remodeling a kitchen or bath, or even building a deck. I shared the following with my 25,000 free newsletters subscribers a […]
Plumbing Drains and Vents Tutorial Yesterday we had a plumbing emergency in my own home. The main drain pipe under the basement floor got clogged with toilet paper. The culprit is a newer low-flush toilet in a basement bathroom. I’ve been a master plumber since 1981 and I used my flexible drain-cleaning snake to clear […]
How to Avoid Construction Delays and Arguments - It's So Easy Just before writing this column, I did a phone coaching call with a man who lives in northwest Ohio. He wanted me to tell him if it was possible to build a room addition to his son’s home. The dealbreaker was the addition had […]
Homeowner Insurance Nightmare Catch 22 Do you have homeowners insurance? How much do you know about your policy, or should I say contract? When was the last time you read your policy cover-to-cover? If you’re like me, you purchased a policy sight unseen assuming that you and your possessions are protected in case of a […]
Stop Giving Contractors Money Upfront I’ve set an ambitious goal for this column. It’s my hope it will save collectively at least 100 million dollars. If you and every other reader follow the advice I’m about to share, we can make sure your money will not disappear through the hands of a dishonest contractor like […]
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