Q&A / 

Automist Fire Protection - Your Personal Robot Firefighter Traditional fire sprinklers in residential houses require LOTS of water. They're expensive to install. The Automist fire protection system is a game changer for sure. Imagine having six firefighters living inside the walls of your home ready to spring into action! I know a thing or two […]

READ THE ANSWER »

Match Brick Mortar Color - It Starts With the Sand You may not know this, but I received a bachelor of science degree in geology many moons ago. I was fascinated by the topic, and it helped me build houses and buildings that would not fail. Hydrogeology, the study of groundwater, and continental glaciation were […]

READ THE ANSWER »

Best Picture Windows Bring the Outside Inside I’m quite sure there’s a great chance you’ve been inside a house that is surrounded by spectacular scenery. You may have stayed at a resort like the one in Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park. Perhaps you’ve stayed in the Mt. Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, NH. […]

READ THE ANSWER »

Efflorescence or White Mold? 99% Of The Time It's Silly Salt The seasonal tumblers are all clicking into place here at my home. The same thing might be happening where you live. My central New Hampshire town, much to my dismay, uses rock salt to fight ice and snow on the roads. Yes, it works, […]

READ THE ANSWER »

Infrared Photos of Electricity - They Could Save Your Life I grew up reading Superman comic books. One of his superpowers was x-ray vision. He could see through opaque objects to detect danger. I was mesmerized by this power as were many children and no doubt adults. What would you say if I told you […]

READ THE ANSWER »

Filter Fabric for French Drain - Don't Waste Your Money! Filter fabric for french drains is not required. It's a myth. Websites and YouTube channels promote it with reckless abandon. Here's why it's a waste of money. Water drainage is misunderstood by many a homeowner, builder, YouTube personality, and building inspector if my incoming email […]

READ THE ANSWER »

Virtual General Contractor - Will Work for Food & Money Were you 100 percent satisfied with all of the work done on your last large project? I’m talking about near perfection. If you did an autopsy on all the problems, errors, delays, etc. on the big job, what do you think would be the top […]

READ THE ANSWER »

Iron Pipe Handrail Disaster - DIY Inexperience Creates Danger Several weeks ago I shared a story about a young woman with you. She attends our church, and my wife and I are friends with her. A week ago she reached out to me with a new problem. She was attempting to install a new iron […]

READ THE ANSWER »

Rusted Joist Hangers are Dangerous One of my newsletter subscribers, Robert, does handyman work on the weekends for friends and other homeowners. Eleven years ago, he wanted to learn how to frame a large shed including common roof framing. He volunteered to help me build my 16x24-foot two-story shed. We’ve been fast friends ever since […]

READ THE ANSWER »

SPONSORS /