Attic Condensation Podcast: Attic Condensation - Tim Carter, the founder of AsktheBuilder.com, talks with Marvin who lives in Lexington, KY about his pesky attic condensation. Marvin notices it forming on the tips of the nails protruding through his roof sheathing. Marvin's story was featured in Tim's November 7, 2018 Newsletter Home Improvement and Home […]
New Build Home Timeline Series - Part 2 This is part two of a new build home timeline series following my own daughter and son-in-law. They are building a new home on Mt. Desert Island in Downeast Maine. At the bottom of the page, you'll discover a link to the next part of the series. […]
New Build Home Timeline Series This is a giant new build home timeline series following my own daughter and son-in-law. They are building a new home on Mt. Desert Island (MDI) in Downeast Maine. This page is part one of the series. At the bottom of each page, you'll discover a link to the next […]
Concrete Block QUESTION #1: I’ve been researching foundation types for both new homes and room additions. I’ve narrowed it down to either poured concrete or concrete block. Many websites thump their chests saying poured concrete is better than concrete block. What’s your opinion, Tim? Have you worked with both materials? Carol Ann S., Richmond, VA […]
Concrete Foundation Forms Checklist Modular design allows forms to be set in hours Produce perfectly straight and square foundations Allow for the easy installation of reinforcing steel Simple design requires few skills to set up Related Links Foundation Footer - Must Be Level and Square - SECRET TIPS HERE - Do NOT Share Poured Concrete […]
"The size of the septic tank is determined by the number of bedrooms in almost all cases." Septic Tank Design Checklist You need a professional design drawn by a pro Each house is different because of load, soil, and topography A leach field can be under a road Use gravity - avoid pumping septic tank […]
"You can make an opening higher in a load-bearing wall much easier than creating a wider opening." Enlarge Opening in Load Bearing Wall Checklist Build temporary walls to support the load Bearing points of columns must be stacked and extend down through the house to a footing Hire a structural engineer to size the beam Be sure […]
Smoking Fireplaces QUESTION #1: Oh Tim, I need your help. I’ve got a masonry fireplace that puffs smoke into the room when a fire is burning. It gets worse as the fire dies down. I’ve spoken with three different bricklayers who build fireplaces and have received three different answers. Confusion reigns at my home and […]
Tim Carter attends a factory tour where the new Lenox wood jigsaw blade is shown.
25th AsktheBuilder Anniversary October 2, 2018 is the 25th anniversary of my Ask the Builder syndicated newspaper column. I’m very proud of surviving this long as a writer and publisher and thought I’d share some of the good and the bad I’ve seen since that morning I waited outside in the dark for the newspaper […]
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