Q&A / 

Water Christmas Tree Away | It's so Very Easy! You can use a smartphone, a smart plug, a submersible fountain pump, and a little common sense to water your Christmas tree while you're away from your home. You can use this same method to water plants in window flower boxes if you can't be at […]

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DEAR TIM: Several weeks ago, I read your column in our paper and you talked about installing electrical wiring. I found that very interesting, but now I’m very curious about circuit breakers. What’s the primary purpose of circuit breakers? Are there different types of breakers? What do the numbers on the breakers mean? I’m deeply […]

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DEAR TIM: I’m about to build a new home with both an attached garage and a separate free-standing three-bay garage. The house I grew up in had floor drains in the garage and they were wonderful. My builder has never heard of garage floor drains and insists on sloping the concrete floor so all liquids […]

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Installation Noritz Boiler - NRCB Combi Boiler I had the great pleasure to install a Noritz NRCB Combi Boiler in my daughter's new home in November of 2019. Read the backstory in my November 24, 2019 Newsletter. Modulating Magic One of the main reasons I love this Noritz Combi boiler is that it's a modulating […]

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Brick Mortar DEAR TIM: I’m about to undertake a complex project. I’ve got an older brick home that’s over one hundred years old. There are places where the mortar needs attention. The bigger issue is a room addition we’ve got planned. Believe it or not, we located a brick that’s, for all intents and purposes, […]

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DEAR TIM: It’s a very long story and don’t think I’m crazy. I’m building a new home and wondering if I can install all the electrical wiring myself. It’s not a big home, but it’s got all the things going on you’d normally have in a home including quite a few 3 and 4-way switches. […]

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Stone Foundation Repair DEAR TIM: I’m thinking of buying a dilapidated old frame house out in the country. It’s got a stone foundation that seems to me to be too close to the ground. Are stone foundations adequate and strong? Is it possible to add more stone or concrete to get the foundation higher? How […]

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Attic Trusses Design This video shows you just about all you need to know about attic trusses. In case you do have questions, PLEASE click the two links just below and read my past columns about attic trusses. That saves me from typing the answer twice. Attic Trusses Column #1 Attic Trusses Column #2 The […]

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Foam Insulation Above Windows QUESTION #1: Tim, I need your expert opinion. I’m building a new home with 2x6 exterior walls. Beams have to be installed over the top of all windows and doors. What’s a great way to insulate these as the solid wood creating the beam doesn’t have a very high R-value. What […]

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