Q&A / 

Quick Column Summary: BBQ brick type Will pavers work Inferior brick will crack Links to columns on fire brick and brick bbq David from Longford, Ireland, wrote me with a fascinating question about building an outdoor barbeque. He's wondering about the correct brick to use. "I'm building a DIY bbq and need around 40-50 bricks. I was […]

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Quick Column Summary: Roof turbines keep blowing off  Should I just remove them Great roof turbines can take high winds Link to great turbine manufacturer Bill Curtis, who lives in Concho, AZ, emailed me with a fascinating situation: "We have a barn that we installed 8 roof turbines.  Four blew off, mangled.  Company sent 4 […]

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Quick Column Summary: Wood privacy fence cracking and leaning Wood fence post orientation Set fence posts in crushed stone, not concrete Use the right wood and the right size posts DEAR TIM: I've got a 5 foot 6-inch tall wood privacy fence with very little gap between the vertical wood pieces. When I built the […]

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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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Quick Column Summary: Rain run off floods yard and shed Determine lowest point in your yard Install a Linear French Drain Pipe water away from this area Joe Rossetti, from Columbus, OH, emailed me with a a dreadful water issue at his home. "We recently moved into a home that has a stucco shed in […]

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In May of 2012, I started an extensive outdoor test in real conditions of quite a few name brand deck sealers.  The test was conducted here in central New Hampshire. The sealers were tested on treated lumber and cedar decking. Both are very popular wood species used for outdoor wood decks and structures. Here's the […]

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Quick Column Summary: How to replace missing shingles Explore why they came off Remove old nails, don't shingle over them Follow manufacturer instructions on installation DEAR TIM: A powerful rain and wind storm damaged the asphalt shingles on my home. My neighbors are telling me I need a new roof. I think it can be […]

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