June 3, 2008 AsktheBuilder News

What's in This Issue

WATER HEATER ADVICE
TRAGIC CARBON-MONOXIDE DEATHS
HOME DESIGN SOFTWARE
RECORD STAIN SOLVER SALES
NEWEST COLUMNS AND VIDEOS

Water Heater Advice

Water Heater Label

I received an email a few days ago Bob Wilks asking about an item in my Water-Heater checklist. Actually, Bob was commenting on something he felt was missing in the checklist.

He had seen a television segment that featured what can happen if the flames or pilot light from a natural gas or propane water heater ignite fumes from gasoline, paint thinner or any other flammable vapor.

The building code mandates that the burner of a gas water heater needs to be above the floor at least 18 inches if the heater is in a garage. Note the word garage. You do not need to install the heater on a platform if it is in a basement or inside a home as most people do not store flammable liquids inside a home or basement. Or DO YOU????????

The lesson here is to make sure all flammable liquids at your home are in the garage and in a safe cabinet where they can't spill. The fumes of most of these liquids are heavier than air and collect on a floor. If your water heater is in your garage, then I would seriously consider figuring a way to safely store all flammable liquids outdoors in a metal cabinet or outdoor storage shed. Keep these liquids out of your home and away from gas heaters. Read the safety label on your water heater.

Tragic Carbon-Monoxide Deaths

Just two days ago, two sisters, who were in their twenties, passed away from carbon-monoxide poisoning here in Cincinnati. One was a young mom. How did it happen? The newspaper story says that they had a gasoline-powered generator operating in the basement. The electricity was not on as they had just moved into the house.

The two women went into the basement to check on the generator. My best guess is that it stopped operating as it ran out of oxygen. The two women were immediately overcome with the toxic carbon-monoxide gas as they walked down the stairs into the basement.

I have always assumed people knew not to ever turn on a combustion engine inside a home, but you know what happens when you assume. You can even have issues if the generator is outdoors next to your house and the fumes get sucked indoors through an open window, a vent or any other opening. What a sad tragedy.

Home Design Software

If you subscribed to this newsletter of mine, you undoubtedly are using a computer. For well over ten years, there have been different types of software that allow you to draw your own house plans. The original versions were not as robust as one might like, and the learning curve was steep.

Times have changed! You can now purchase software that will allow you to quickly draw plans for the most complex home or a small project like a planter stand for your yard. Any project in between is also possible, such as a room addition, a bathroom or kitchen remodel or a redesign of an existing room. You can even make three-dimensional models of what you plan to build!

I am currently using Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer Suite version 8.0 software to design my new home in New Hampshire. So far I am really pleased with the outcome and how easy it is to use the software. When you see all of the features this software has, you may consider it as you start to plan your next project.

Record Stain Solver Sales

I don't want to bore you with all of the details, but hundreds and hundreds of people helped break a record here at AsktheBuilder last month. Woo Hoo!!!!!

We had record sales of the all-purpose and 100-percent green cleaner Stain Solver. The craziest thing is that for the first time ever, the 50-pound size was the sales leader. We ran out of the green five-gallon pails not once but twice. My salesman had to rush to our headquarters on two different days with buckets packed into the trunk of his car. His regular delivery trucks were not able to get to us fast enough.

I realize that you might be rolling your eyes about me bringing up Stain Solver, but please understand that each week there are over 1,500 new subscribers to this newsletter. These newsletter newbies don't realize that 13 years ago I discovered the power of oxygen bleach liking it so much I developed my own product to sell. It is my duty to share with them the magic you already know about! You do want to share don't you?

To celebrate the record sales, I am going to give you a 20-percent discount on any size of Stain Solver. Look at the value per pound of that 50-pound size. It's a huge bargain. No wonder it helped break the record last month.

You will need this Promo Code:

Record

Act Quickly! Why? I may run out of the five-gallon pails again, and this Sale ended Friday night (June 6, 2008).

P.S. As a little bonus, I will autograph the sides of the green five-gallon pails that are sold as part of this Sale. Who knows what that pail might be worth in the years to come!