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Garage Plans 2 Car - BEWARE Common Mistakes! The 2-car garage in the above photo was built about five miles from my home. It's going to be a disaster. Can you see why? Be sure to look down at the simple floor plan I drew up to show you the biggest mistake! It's important to […]

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Heated Driveway Cost - Wait For The Surprise! You may wonder what a heated driveway cost to install. The first thing to remember is it's very expensive. Not only are the actual systems expensive, but the labor to install them is also very pricey. The surprise comes after the workers have gone to the next […]

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I completed a somewhat complex Trex Transcend railing installation the summer of 2016. This railing system is well engineered and a pleasure to work with. This column was SO GOOD that I shared with the 31,000 subscribers who read my June 21, 2020 newsletter. Trex Transcend Railing Installation - #WOOT! It's important to note the […]

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Fraudulent Consumers Are In Every City and Town Fraudulent consumers and homeowners take advantage of businesses each and every day. They target builders and remodelers because the average building or remodeling job can run in the thousands and tens of thousands of dollars. The swindling homeowners can keep tons of money in their accounts and […]

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Install Anchor in Concrete With Epoxy and Magic When you install anchor (s) in concrete or concrete block, you want it to stay put. The best method in my opinion is to create a wedge-shaped hole in the concrete using a hammer drill. The hole will be wider deep in the concrete than the smaller […]

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Builder Abandons Job TIPS Talk with general manager of local lumberyard Request detailed cost breakdown in bidding process Only pay for satisfactory work and materials stored on job site Plans and specifications must be excellent CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter! This column will help prevent the agony caused when a builder […]

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"I believe the reason they're so strong is that the manufacturers decided to make the concrete mix quite rich adding a small amount of extra Portland cement." Concrete Laundry Tub Checklist Concrete laundry tub is fantastic. Do not get rid of yours! Valuable!! Contain high amounts of Portland cement and wire mesh reinforcing WATCH concrete […]

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Pergola Ideas for Small Patios TIPS Scale is very important - think Big for small patios Wind load is real and pergolas can blow over or away Use DIY copper rot treatment for buried posts Mix lumber species and stains for multi-colored WOW factor CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter! DEAR TIM: […]

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 Avoid Change Orders Tim Carter, founder of AsktheBuilder.com, shares tips about change orders in this last video of a four-part series. Change orders are Death on a Stick. Change orders delay jobs. Change orders mean your plans were HORRIBLE. Change orders lead to big arguments. Tim shares how to AVOID change orders in this […]

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 Paying Contractors Tim Carter, founder of AsktheBuilder.com, discusses MONEY in video number three of a four-part series about finding the best contractor. Money is the only leverage you have in a job. You only want to pay for completed work that's done right. If you pay too much money up front, you can get […]

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