Burying Electrical Wire - It's Allowed, But Use Conduit QUESTION #1: Tim, can you settle a debate between me and my wife? We have to have electric cables buried in the ground for all sorts of things around our home. She insists on putting the cables in conduit and I say, after doing online research, […]
Underground Wire Short - Conduit and Sand Are the Answers I didn't build the house I'm living in. Each month I discover something new where the builder and his subcontractors took a shortcut. A few months ago I had an underground wire short. This wire extends from the corner of my house up to the […]
Prefabricated Wall Panels Tim Carter talks about the wonder of prefabricated wall panels. These panels are built in a factory and are assembled FAST on the job site. Floor trusses vs floor joists should be on your mind too.
How to Cool My Home - Use Time-Tested Methods You may be one of the tens of millions of people that have been suffering in the blistering heatwave that had a vicious grip on the Eastern USA during July. I happen to live in central New Hampshire and it was a withering 91 F with […]
"When you opened up and read the owner's manual about covering your AC unit in winter, what was the manufacturer's recommendation?” Cover AC Unit in Winter - Simple Question - Not-so-Simple Answer QUESTION: "Tim, I want your opinion. Is it a good idea to cover my AC unit in winter?" Joseph D., Pingree Grove, IL […]
"That remarkable simple and effective building detail is being sacrificed at the altar of Build-it-Faster." Window Flashing Tape Leaking I’ve been wanting to write this column for years. The topic has been a burr under my saddle, but I needed to base the column on proof, not speculation. That proof arrived last week in a […]
Best Bar Harbor Builder - I Might Be Able to Help My daughter and son-in-law built a new home in Bar Harbor beginning in late 2018. I was not the builder, but I did act as their primary advisor. I also installed all the plumbing, radiant heat, and electric. I live hundreds of miles away […]
"The same exact thing can happen inside a wall cavity in a home in a frigid climate if you don't block and stop the water vapor from getting into the wall cavity." Insulation Installation - Simple If You Read Instructions The inspiration for this column happened just two days ago while I was working on […]
Use Clinkers to Make Interesting Things QUESTION #1: Timmy, I was on a tour of the Gamble house in Pasadena, CA and saw the most unusual deformed brick in a garden wall. The brick was twisted and looked more like random rocks than brick. I want some for my own house! How are clinker brick […]
Wood Floor Trusses - So Many Advantages
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