Veterans Families Serve Their Country Too - And Pay a Substantial Price On November 11, 2020, I thanked all veterans who receive my FREE AsktheBuilder.com newsletter. CLICK or TAP HERE to read what I had to say. The next day, Gail from Indiana, wrote to me. I was completely unaware of veterans' families connected to […]
Travel Chess Set - Lots of Fun in a Small Package Here's my 50-year-old travel chess set. Most of the new ones you can buy today are magnetic and don't use the wood pegs and holes. I really treasure mine. It's made from real inlaid wood, not plastic! Mine is only 6 x 6 inches […]
Tommy Thompson - Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea Tommy Thompson screwed his investors out of the $12.7 million dollars they put up in the mid-1980s to fund his expedition to locate the S.S. Central America. Once he found the ship and salvaged the gold, his troubles started to mount from a slew […]
LJ Smith Stair Systems - Many Styles and Species I've used LJ Smith stair systems for decades. The one in the last home I built for my family was stunning. Here's a photo of the staircase in my last house going from the entrance hall to the second floor. Tim mentioned using LJ Smith Stair […]
Richard P. Anderson - April 16, 1946 | October 25, 2020 Richard P. Anderson was my best friend in Cincinnati, OH. I can't begin to share with you the depth of his wisdom, generosity, integrity, diligence, determination, and discipline. He was an inspiration to me in so many ways and as often happens, I failed […]
QUESTION: Tim, I need you to weigh in on a remodeling conundrum. Two plumbers and one handyman say that two plumbing vent pipes can’t be relocated to an exterior wall. I took the drywall off the back of a linen closet to open up the space for my soaking tub. I want to have extra […]
QUESTION: Tim, I was spending a lazy weekend afternoon gazing at countless photos of actual treehouses that one could live in. I was intrigued and am seriously thinking of building one. Mind you, I’m not talking about some little box kids might play in and use a clubhouse. I’m talking a real two-bedroom home with […]
Pumpkin Carving Saw - Use a Flippin' Sawzall! Thanks to my youngest daughter for this idea. Why didn't I think of this years ago? DUH!!!!
QUESTION: Tim, I need your help and advice. I bought a foreclosed house for a really great price. The entrance hall is two stories high and features a large front door with a semi-circular window above it. But for some reason, the architect off-centered the door and window in the porch alcove. My contractor says […]
"Scarcity is like crack cocaine to your tiny defenseless gray cells." High-Pressure Sales Tactics - BEWARE Jedi Mind Tricks This column is long overdue. It’s a fantastic example of you can’t see the forest for the trees. I’ve made the awful assumption all these years that you know as much about the topic as I […]
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