Q&A / 

How to Prevent Brick Foundation Problems - Go to the BIA A few weeks ago, a visitor to my AsktheBuilder.com website wanted to know about brick foundations. Karen had this ambitious desire to build a small 900-square-foot house by herself. She was well aware of her physical limitations and asked me if it was possible […]

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I was born at night, but not last night for goodness sake. I see why you're huddled with Mac, Christine, Noah, Bristol, Eric, Sonia, and Cathy. You're a brand-new subscriber in the past week! You get top billing each week in the newsletter. Thanks for subscribing and I appreciate your trust. That said, you might […]

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Installing Plumbing Drain Pipes - It's Somewhat Easy I’ve been a master plumber since 1981. I’ve always loved doing plumbing because it’s a very interesting three-dimensional challenge when it comes to installing drain, waste, and vent (DWV) piping in a new home or a large remodeling job. Because I was also the lead carpenter and […]

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Meredith Porphyritic Granite - Most Beautiful Rock in New England The Meredith Porphyritic Granite can be found in and around Meredith, New Hampshire. I happen to live directly on top of this massive pluton and my college degree is in geology. Some references to this geologic rock formation in the older literature refer to it […]

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September 19, 2021 Ask the Builder Newsletter Ah, I get it. You're standing over there against the wall with Missy, Fran, Sean, Noble, George, and Meg because you just subscribed in the past week. Welcome! I devote this top paragraph to you each week. Thanks for becoming part of my virtual family. You, though could […]

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Buy a Hard Cover Dictionary It's really easy to change the definition of a word in an online dictionary. It takes seconds. And I know it's happening online. We can't have invisible people changing the definition of words for goodness sake! But no one can easily change the definition of a word in a dictionary […]

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Drain Flies How to Get Rid Of - Easy! My friend Jim from Cincinnati, texted me the other day: "How do I get rid of drain flies?" I replied, "Simple..." I then outlined the steps in the text message. Here they are for you. Step 1: Remove the drain cover and use a toilet brush, […]

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I shared a story in my August 8, 2021 newsletter how I stopped at lemonade stand that had a T-Rex handing out the nectar. Erik Thorson is one of my newsletter subscribers and he reached out to me telling me about a song he wrote about lemonade. It's pretty good, just like the liquid refreshment. […]

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Whatcha doing standing with Emma, Janna, John, Monica, Fausto, and JM? Why of course, this is your first issue and you're all chattering about what to expect! Well, it's a pretty good issue if I don't say so myself! But what about you? Have you been around here umpteen years like Patrick? Do you remember […]

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Roofing 101 - What you Need to Know I have no clue how many new roofs are installed in the USA each year, but it’s got to be in the hundreds of thousands. Perhaps a new roof is in your future or in the next few years. If so, you’d be wise to retrieve it […]

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