Q&A / 

Quick Column Summary: Walkout basement being built One wall will be framed and the others poured concrete The framed wall will be fine Better insulation and no structural issues Zhou (Joe) Yuan emailed me today with a fascinating question about his new home under construction that has a walkout basement: "I'm building a new house […]

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I received this as a gift at one of the last Sears Editors Conferences that were held. I should probably keep it, but you'll enjoy it  more than me. The sockets are 22-carat gold plated. They're 3/8-inch drive. Each socket has a different logo that matches what was used in that year or time period. […]

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Quick Column Summary: Add wall insulation to balloon framing Based on where you live...no You need that opening to allow water vapor an escape Ruth Hendrickson, who lives in Lincoln, MA wrote to me with a very fascinating question: "My wood frame house built in 1927 has wood shingles outside and plaster over rock lath […]

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How to Repair a Crumbling Foundation Part 3 Tim demonstrates in this video, the magical cement paint and how to mix up strong and sticky stucco repair mix. It's all magic. This is the last video in the series. [Lynn asks] "How do you get the new stucco to stick to the crumbling stuff?" Okay […]

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Tim Carter travels to Mt. Airy, MD to demonstrate to Lynn on a rainy day, how she'll repair her foundation. This is part two of a three-part video series. I'm back up on Lynn's front porch and it's raining. It's just crazy. Tomorrow is May 1st and I think I saw a glacier driving here. […]

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How to Repair a Crumbling Foundation Part 1 of 3 Watch this video to discover the process to fix your crumbling foundation or concrete steps or wall. This is Video One in a Three-Part series, as mentioned in the June 6, 2014 AsktheBuilder Weekend Warrior. I'm outside here at Lynn's and it's raining. I'm under […]

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Quick Column Summary: Concrete wall crumbling away from foundation Fix it for $15 or less Link to repair column Brandon Stone, who hails from Moncton in the great maritime province of New Brunswick, Canada, is desperate. Here's why: "I have a concrete wall on my 40-year-old foundation that is  crumbling. I was told it was built […]

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 Tim Carter reviews the Bosch GTA 3800 Miter Saw Stand with Folding Legs. This item was featured in his June 4, 2014 Newsletter. The above is an affiliate link to Amazon.com. If you order from this link, I will receive a tiny commission from Amazon.

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Quick Column Summary: Can you vault roof rafters Standard trusses won't modify easily Common framed house can create vaulted ceiling Work with structural engineer Roof rafters, unless the roof is flat, by their very nature are vaulted. Vaulted means installed at a slope. If your house is built with standard trusses, you can't modify the […]

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Quick Column Summary: Cut an arch in a doorway framed in brick Creating Arched Openings Make arched form to hold brick in place Steve Clake, who lives in England, emailed me on May 26, 2014 with this: "Tim, I would like to make an opening for a new door and round off the corners to […]

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