The Existing Home Inspection

Posted on by Tim Carter
Home inspection

I don't know about you, but I can clearly see a patched crack in this brickwork. Structural defects are very hard to disguise, but rest assured people try to do it all of the time.

Existing Home Inspection TIPS

DEAR TIM: My husband and I are getting ready to purchase an existing home. We don't want to buy one with lots of defects. Can we inspect the house ourselves or is it necessary to have the house inspected by a professional?

If so, how do you locate a good house inspector? What types of things should we be looking for as we walk through the house? Sally M., Bedford, IN

DEAR SALLY: Many years ago I used to do home inspections for buyers before there were inspectors. The buyers I worked with felt that a seasoned builder knew what to look for in a house, and how to spot small problems before they become big problems.

Ever since the early 1980s, the home inspection industry has become a big business. Just about every home buyer in my town requests an inspection from a full-time home inspector. Not only is it a good idea for existing homes, but home inspections are also a swell idea for new homes too.

Trained Eyes

I doubt that you can do a thorough home inspection. A knowledgeable home inspector takes years to train. The best inspectors have lots of field experience, have passed written examinations, are fully insured and take ongoing continuing education.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local home inspectors.

Bogus Inspectors

There are several national associations out there that home inspectors belong to. Some are legitimate and others just sell worthless certificates.

You want to deal with a home inspector that's been trained and is knowledgeable about both patent and latent house defects.

When you've forged the initial contract with a seller, be sure to use the absolute best inspector you can find. Ask the inspector to provide you with a certificate of insurance that indicates he/she has professional liability or errors and omissions coverage. Be sure that the policy is current and that there is enough coverage to pay for a mistake(s).

Inspections Save $$$

An expert home inspection can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. A competent inspector will spot problems that may cause you to rethink your purchasing decision.

Walk, No Run, Away

Sometimes it is better to walk away from a problem house rather than try to spend years of hard earned dollars fixing problems. Buyers are often blinded by dreams that obscure blatant defects and flaws.

Professional inspectors have no emotional ties to the transaction and are there to find flaws. Don't ever purchase a home that's got a visible structural defect. It's almost impossible to hide them and a future buyer will penalize you and try to get you to lower your price.

DIY Initial Inspection

Hiring a professional inspector costs hundreds of dollars. Back in 2008 when I purchased an existing home in New Hampshire I paid an ASHI inspector, they're the best around, $495 to look over the house to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Imagine if the inspection showed up a defect and I backed out of the deal? Yes, I would have saved money, but it cost me $495 to find that out. In today's market that inspection fee has to be much more.

I knew what to look for. Do you? My guess is you'd overlook about ten, or more, things that would be giant flashing red lights.

I developed a very cool checklist. You use it to spot obvious bad flaws in a home BEFORE you call in the expensive inspector. Why spend more than $500 when you can identify flaws for $17?

My checklist helps you locate obvious defects as you walk through a house for the first time. If you discover enough problems, you may choose not to make an initial offer on a particular piece of property.

CLICK HERE NOW to get my DIY Home Inspection checklist. It will allow you to SPOT a lemon before you make an offer!

Structural Problems

I suggest you begin by looking for obvious structural problems. These can be cracked foundations, slanted floors, bowed or bent beams, doors and windows that don't fit uniformly within a frame, cracks in brickwork and stucco, severely cracked concrete floors and slabs, etc.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local home inspectors.

Expensive Repairs

Structural problems tend to be the most expensive problems to repair. Houses with structural problems can also be harder to sell in the future. The repairs often leave scars. (See photo at top of this column.) A future buyer will see a repair attempt and possibly wonder if the problem has really been rectified. You may suffer financially if this happens.

Water Nightmares

Moisture problems are sometimes easy to spot. Look for stained ceilings, walls, interior foundations, basement floors, exterior siding, damp crawlspaces and moisture around plumbing water and drain lines.

Hunt for efflorescence salts.

These fluffy gray-white powdery deposits can be found along cracks in basement floors and walls and in masonry work. They are usually a sure sign of water infiltration or slow seepage.

Flooded Basements & Firemen

Consider a visit to the closest firehouse. If the fire department has made visits to pump water out of the house for any reason, it should show in the public record of their run activity.

Great Drainage

Inspect the exterior for drainage problems. I prefer to see a minimum of four to six inches of foundation projecting above the soil around the entire house.

Soil should slope at least 6 inches within the first ten feet of run away from the foundation. Look for raised planting beds that can trap water against a house.

Beware Realtor Trick

I was a licensed real estate broker in Ohio for nearly twenty years. Believe me when I say there were unethical salespeople and brokers in the marketplace.

The unethical professionals would steer you to a substandard inspector so the deal doesn't go south. Be VERY CAREFUL about using the inspector the realtor recommends. See below.

Best Home Inspectors

When you finally decide to hire an inspector, beware of slick sales pitches and testimonials. Some associations require that an inspector simply send in an application and a small fee to become certified. You want an inspector that belongs to an association that requires experience, written examinations and continuing education. Don't settle for less!

IMPORTANT INSPECTION TIP:

At the time this column was written, the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) had the toughest set of requirements for membership of all of the inspection associations. Many professional engineers who do home inspections are ASHI members.

EXTRA NEWS from Tim Carter:
Purchase my Easy-to-Use Home Inspection Checklist Now. This Simple-To-Use Tool allows you to spot many defects before you have to hire a real inspector. You can then eliminate a house and move on to one with fewer defects.

You have nothing to lose. If my checklist doesn't work for you, I'll give you your money back. Oh, one more thing, it's an Instant Download! You can have the checklist in your hands just minutes from now!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local home inspectors.

Related Articles:  Home Inspectors & Buying New Homes,  Home Inspection Checklist,  Home Inspector Certification Associations

Column 248

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Posted on by Tim Carter
Toilet Bowl Cleaner

The normal toilet bowl cleaners you get at the grocery often don’t have the power to really clean a toilet. You may need to use muriatic acid. ©2017 Tim Carter

Toilet Bowl Cleaner TIPS

DEAR TIM: I’m at my wits end with toilet bowl cleaners. My toilet has light and dark stains in the bottom of the bowl as well as up under the rim.

I’ve tried all of the national-brand the store-bought toilet bowl cleaners and even the automatic toilet bowl cleaners that fit on the rim of the bowl and stick to the bowl.

None of them do anything to cut the stains. What’s causing the stains and what, if anything, can I do to get my toilet looking respectable. It’s embarrassing and I’m about ready to rip it out and purchase a new toilet. Help me please. Amy H., Lexington, KY

This popular column was shared with all my readers in the April 3, 2015 AsktheBuilder Weekend Warrior.

DEAR AMY: Oh, I’ve been where you’re at. I remember years ago suffering trying to get a cleaner toilet bowl using all the different products at the grocery store as well as every type of brush and scrubbing pad known to man and woman.

I have clear memories of wearing rubber gloves and goggles trying to restore a deeply stained toilet in the basement of a past house I owned. Believe me, it didn't take long to get frustrated like you.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local cleaning companies that will follow the advice below to get your toilet CLEAN.

Tear-Pants Limestone

I got my toilets sparkling clean, but only after I stepped back and thought about some of the things I had discovered in my college chemistry and geology-lab classes.

Decades ago I was a geology student attending a six-week field course camp in the Tobacco Root Mountains of Montana. CLICK HERE to get a fantastic map of this gorgeous mountain region.

tobacco root trail guide

If you want to go hiking instead of cleaning your toilet, I don't blame you. Use this great book to wander across trails I walked while mapping rocks. CLICK THE IMAGE TO ORDER THIS RARE BOOK.

There I was introduced to the infamous tear-pants limestone. We always used a drop or two of acid I carried with me in a tiny bottle to test to see if the rock was, indeed, the sinister limestone.

If the acid reacted with the rock, it would fizz when the acid was dropped on it. When you saw this bubbling and fizzing, you knew the rock contained calcium and magnesium. There was no need to sit on the rock and tear your pants, you knew it was the evil limestone.

Tiny Rocks In Your Toilet

You’re a victim of hard water and lime buildup. It’s very common in many areas of the USA, especially those that have a high concentration of certain dissolved minerals in the water supply.

You have microscopic limestone rocks growing in your toilet and it's all your fault.

A Layer Each Flush

If you have calcium, magnesium and a few other elements in your water, these can create multilayer deposits inside a toilet. Not only can these deposits be unsightly, but they also can significantly impact the performance of the toilet.

If your toilet is like several I’ve had, my guess is that you’ve also noticed that the flushing has become sluggish or not as powerful as it once was.

Trapped Dirt and Stains

The ugly deposits happen when dirt gets trapped in between layers of hard water deposits in the toilet. This is most common under the rim of the toilet bowl and along the sides of the toilet bowl above the water line.

Each time you flush the toilet these areas of the toilet get wet. Once you leave the bathroom, the water evaporates leaving behind an ultra-thin film of minerals. Dirt can easily attach itself to this coarse layer that resembles sandpaper.

Hundreds / Thousands Of Layers

The next flush introduces another sheet of water containing the minerals. The water evaporates and now the fresh mineral buildup locks in the stain. Imagine this happening thousands of times over several years worth of flushes.

Blocked Syphon Jet

You can also get a lime layer buildup in the bottom of the toilet bowl that starts to block the syphon-jet hole. It’s very important that this hole is wide open so that the maximum amount of water can enter the toilet bowl as fast as possible to initiate the flush. Water entering through the rim of the bowl can also be slowed by mineral deposits in the small holes under the rim.

Muriatic Acid

The best toilet bowl cleaner I’ve come across in these situations is muriatic acid. CLICK HERE to have it delivered to your home.

muriatic acid

Muriatic acid is powerful and needs to be treated with lots of respect. CLICK THE IMAGE TO ORDER SOME NOW.

IMPORTANT SAFETY TIP: Muriatic acid is a very powerful chemical that should be used with great care and respect. The fumes are very nasty and the acid can easily cause skin burns and ruin fabrics that it soaks into. Before using it, read the warnings on the label.

Alakazam Acid!

When this acid contacts lime and other hard-water deposits, it rapidly dissolves them. Once the deposits have been removed, the toilet looks brand new.

Muriatic acid will clean the stains from the bowl, the deposits in the syphon-jet hole and the rinse and vortex holes under the rim of the bowl.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local cleaning companies that will use muriatic acid. Just ask them.

Sanitize Bowl

I always start the cleaning project by using the standard toilet bowl cleaners to sanitize the bowl. Just clean the toilet as you normally would with regular cleaners.

Once this is complete, I dump five gallons of water into the bowl as fast as I can.

This rapid influx of water simulates a flush and since no water is coming from the tank it leaves a small amount of water in the bottom of the bowl.

Add the Acid

Then I slowly pour into the bowl about 12 ounces of muriatic acid. You can add more, but it's not necessary.

Safety Gear

Be sure you have the bathroom well ventilated, preferably with a window open to exhaust the acid fumes. Wear tight-fitting goggles, rubber gloves, old clothes with long sleeves, etc. so that you have virtually no skin exposed. Anything that the acid touches, including good towels, great carpeting, a throw rug, the side of the vanity cabinet, etc. will be RUINED by the solution.

Swish The Solution

Carefully use a toilet brush to spread and swish the acid solution under the rim of the bowl and on the sides of the bowl. Do this multiple times over a period of 30 minutes. Continue to apply the solution to the underside of the bowl rim every 15 minutes for up to two hours.

Children and Animals

If you have small curious children and animals, do NOT do this job alone. You need an adult helper to keep kids and animals away from you and the toilet at all times.

If you have to leave the room, always put the toilet lid down to prevent animals from accessing the acid solution. If children are in the house, never leave the toilet alone. Work until the job is finished.

Long Soak - Minimal Scrubbing

The muriatic acid will absolutely remove the hard water deposits that are trapping the stains. The longer it soaks the less you have to scrub. Never use a metal scrapper, screwdriver, etc. to dislodge any deposits. The acid will do the work for you, it just may take awhile.

No Abrasive Cleaners

Avoid using any abrasive toilet bowl cleaners. These can scratch the smooth glazed surface of the china. Take your time and slosh the acid around the bowl and twist the brush in all visible areas. Believe me, the stains and deposits will disappear in time. Depending on the thickness of the deposits, it can take hours for the acid to break them down.

Neutralize The Acid

It's best to completely neutralize the muriatic acid before you get rid of it. Some states may not permit you to flush this chemical into a public sewer system. It's also not a great idea to send acid into a septic system.

IMPORTANT TIP: This is why I instructed you to pour the bucket of water into the toilet bowl to start this process. This allows an ample amount of storage space in the toilet bowl so the acid doesn't enter the drain pipe beneath the toilet.

If you had added the muriatic acid to the normal amount of water that's always in a toiled bowl, for every ounce of liquid you put in the bowl an ounce goes down the drain pipe under the toilet. Since the acid begins to mix immediately with the water in the bowls some acid would go down the drain.

Baking Soda

To neutralize muriatic acid, you just add common baking soda. You'll need just over one-half pound of baking soda since you added just 12 ounces of muriatic acid to your toilet.

baking soda box

This is standard baking soda. Pour it in the bowl SLOWLY so the acid solution doesn't splash out! CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO ORDER THIS BAKING SODA.

The formula is 5.5 pounds of baking soda for each concentrated gallon of muriatic acid. Keep in mind your solution is diluted because there was water already in the bottom of the toiled bowl before you added the acid.

Allow the baking soda work to neutralize the acid for about thirty minutes. Flush the toilet several times when you think your finished. Repeat the process if there are stubborn stains that didn’t come clean the first time using the industrial-strength toilet bowl cleaner.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local cleaning companies that will use muriatic acid. Just ask them.

Column 843

Foundation Drain Tile Installation

Posted on by Tim Carter
Drain Tile

The builder is doing just about everything right installing this drain tile. The drain tile is the white pipe next to the footer. He should have 2 or 3 inches of gravel under the pipe. If the pipe has two rows of holes, they should point down in the 4 and 8-o'clock position. Finally, he should cover the drain tile with about 2 or 3 feet of gravel, not 3 inches like you see. He did put the pipe alongside the footer instead of on top and he's covered the gravel with tar paper, so it doesn't get clogged with silt from the backfill soil. Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

"The basement, before the house is built on top of it, looks just like the typical in-ground swimming pool. Once the house is built, this swimming pool gets covered."

Foundation Drain Tile Installation TIPS

Foundation drain tile systems are one of the most important aspects of residential construction if your home has a full basement or crawlspace.

Drain tile systems are also one of the most misunderstood parts of the average home - both by most uninformed builders and homeowners.

Related Links

Foundation Waterproofing Systems and Tips

Water Sitting Around Shallow Foundations

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local contractors who can install drainage tile.

Where Is Drain Tile Placed?

Drain tile is placed deep in the ground alongside the foundation footing.

Because these systems are usually deeply buried and cannot be easily modified or corrected, it's vitally important that they are installed correctly. Foundation drainage systems which are installed properly can serve a dual role.

Drain Tile Pipe Video

Watch this video to see the correct white PVC pipe to use and the orientation of the drain holes.

He doesn't show this pipe along a foundation but what you see are the first three steps of doing the job right.

Foundations Are Covered Swimming Pools

Many homes around the nation have full or partial basements. These basements are really reverse swimming pools.

The basement, before the house is built on top of it, looks just like the typical in-ground swimming pool. Once the house is built, this swimming pool gets covered.

But most people don't want water in their basements. Foundation drain tile systems are the means by which groundwater can be transported away from your basement. If you want a dry basement, you must have fantastic drain tile and waterproofing on the outside of the foundation.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local foundation drainage experts.

Is There Water in Soil?

There is water in the soil. Thousands of gallons of water can be in the soil on your lot.

The water content in the soil surrounding your house can fluctuate seasonally. There's always a point at which you can dig and hit water. Geologists often refer to this as the water table.

This water table rises and falls in response to the amount of precipitation in any given time period. The water table in many parts of the country can rise to within a few feet of the surface during wet spells.

How Does Water Move Through Soil?

The water in the soil is moving all the time. In almost all cases, it moves down a few inches then it begins to move sideways. Gravity is pulling it to the oceans around the world.

drain tile

Here's a side view of a typical house. The black clouds release rain. It falls into the soil and starts to go down, but then sideways. The bedrock under the soil generally, but not always, follows the shape of the soil above it. Soil depths can vary from several feet to tens-of-feet thick. ©2017 Tim Carter

Most people think that the water in soil moves straight down but in reality, it moves sideways through the topsoil and upper layers of the B horizon of soil.

Almost all homes are built on some sort of slope, so if you have acres of land above your home, the water in the soil is all marching and flowing towards your house.

Does Water Take The Path Of Least Resistance?

Water will take the path of least resistance. It can choose to go sideways through a crack in your foundation, or it can go down alongside your foundation through clean, washed gravel into a pipe.

I'm sure that you will agree that it is a better idea for the water to go down the pipe.

How Many Parts are There to Drain Tile?

A foundation drain tile system has four main components:

  • Drain tile pipe
  • Gravel
  • Gravel Protection
  • Water outlet

All of these elements must be installed for the system to function properly.

drain tile

Here are three of the four parts of the system. The missing part is what happens with the round drain pipe. It will either extend sideways to daylight if the slope is steep around the house, or it will go under the footing to a sump pit in the basement or crawlspace. (c) 2017 Tim Carter

How Big is Drain Tile Pipe?

The drain tile or pipe is usually 4" in diameter and is perforated or has pre-drilled holes along its length. Depending upon the type, it can be purchased in rolls up to 250' or in 10-foot sections. Fittings are available to allow you to go around corners or interconnect the pipe.

I've never been a fan of the rolls of black corrugated drain tile with the slits in the cracks. I prefer the more rigid white plastic pipe with two rows of drainage holes drilled into the pipe.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local foundation drainage experts.

How Much Gravel is Needed?

Install at least at least 2 or 3-foot thick layer of gravel over the drain tile. More is better.

The filter media or gravel is used to cover the drain tile. Water can flow readily through this gravel and find its way to the pipe.

One customer wanted me to ensure his room addition basement never had water in it. He was willing to pay to have the high-side foundation wall that pointed upslope filled completely with the nice rounded gravel.

There was no way water was going to ever try to force its way into his basement when it had the chance to go straight down to the drain-tile pipe.

Remember, water takes the path of least resistance. Some soils, heavy clays, resist water movement.

What Type and Size Gravel?

The gravel that is used most often is large 1 - 1 1/2" diameter washed rounded gravel. This gravel is about the size of a walnut or large grapes.

Some parts of the USA have crushed gravel this size. It's not rounded, but that really doesn't matter. All that matters is that you just put in this rock and no sandy gravel. Sand slows down the movement of the moving water.

If your soil is like this, the water would rather go sideways into your basement than down through the clay soil to the drain tile.

How Do You Protect the Gravel?

You must protect the gravel with a barrier. It prevents silt and mud from the soil from clogging the gravel or the drain tile pipe.

During excavation, dirt removed from the hole is fluffed. This means that it is disturbed and broken up.

It's volume usually increases about ten percent. It's loosened and disturbed more during backfilling procedures.

Does Gravity Compact the Backfill Dirt?

As the soil gets disturbed, small dirt particles, or silt, are created and separated. These are carried through the gravel by the rainwater or snowmelt which enters this soil.

Very few builders take the time to compact the soil around the outside of a house so Mother Nature does it using water and gravity.

Without a barrier of some type covering the clean gravel, these silt particles immediately clog the gravel and drain tile and render it useless.

IMPORTANT TIP: Most builders often do not install this barrier. It's a HUGE MISTAKE to eliminate it. Do NOT ALLOW them to tell you it's not needed. They're either ill-informed or lying to you.

What Material Covers the Gravel?

The materials commonly used to stop the silt from getting to the gravel are straw or tar paper.

If you use straw, just scatter a 16-inch layer on top of the gravel before you put in any soil on top of the gravel.

Tar paper is easy as you just cut the correct width and lay it on top of the gravel.

Where Does the Drain Tile Pipe End?

The water outlet is simply the place where the collected water flows to. It can be one of two places:

  • Daylight - downslope from your home
  • Sump Pit - inside a basement or crawlspace

If you build on a hillside, your drain tile will simply 'daylight' or come to the surface. This happens naturally because the drain tile pipe is installed nearly level and as the ground falls away from the house at some point the pipe will be visible.

This is the best situation because your system depends entirely on gravity to work.

Are Sump Pumps a Good Idea?

No, sump pumps are a bad idea.

If you build on level ground, you have to install a sump pit. A sump pit is usually installed inside the basement of your home.

The pit is nothing more than a buried plastic container that resembles a garbage can. It's large enough for a sump pump to rest at the bottom.

The drain tile pipe runs beneath the footer to this sump. The collected water is then mechanically pumped from the sump.

Do Sump Pumps Fail?

Yes, sump pumps stop working and the basement or crawlspace floods. They typically fail in big storms when there are extended power outages.

Sump pumps also fail because the float mechanism gets jammed or the pump burns up.

Dry Wells Don't Stay Dry

Some people say to extend the drain tile pipe to an underground dry well. A dry well is a large subterranean pit filled with gravel.

The drain tile pipe runs to this pit and the water fills this pit.

These pits work well only in places that have very open gravel soils. Not many places have this soil. In most places, the soil is dense clay and the dry well fills with water and the water then backs up against your foundation.

Should Drain Tile Be Next To the Footing?

Drain tile pipes work best when placed alongside a foundation footing, instead of on top of the footing.

By placing the pipe alongside the footing, you lower the water table below your basement floor another 6-8 inches.

When Should Drain Tile Be Installed?

In new construction, install the drain tile immediately after the footing forms are removed. Cover the pipe with gravel to a level flush with the top of the footer.

If you choose to wait until the foundation is poured, there will be less room to work in, the side walls of the excavation could cave in, or extra concrete from the foundation pour could fall into the hole and have to be removed. Believe me, it's faster and easier to install the drain tile pipe and the first layer of gravel without the foundation walls in the way.

Install Piping After Waterproofing

After the foundation walls have been waterproofed you begin step two. Backfill over the pipe with at least a three-foot-thick layer of gravel.

If you can afford it, backfill with gravel to within 18" of the finish grade. You must think long term. Remember, it will be virtually impossible to dig up and add gravel in the future when your basement is leaking. The extra money spent now is well worth it.

Once the gravel is in place, cover it with a 16-inch thick layer of straw or a single layer of 15# roofing felt paper. This barrier will prevent the silt from the backfill dirt from clogging the gravel and drain tile.

Extra Protection

To really ensure your basement or crawlspace stays dry, install a Linear French Drain around your home once it's built. I created a fantastic step-by-step Streaming Video showing you how to do this.

Linear French Drain Streaming Video

Do your own DIY install of a Linear French Drain with Tim Carter's time-tested methods and materials! CLICK IMAGE TO ORDER NOW!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local foundation drainage experts.

Column B14

Attic Insulation Batts or Blown In

Posted on by Tim Carter
attic insulation Insulation Map USA

Attic Insulation Batts or Blown In | This is a very good map showing the different insulation zones in the USA. CLICK THE IMAGE to get MORE INFORMATION.

Attic Insulation Batts or Blown In - Both Work Well

DEAR TIM: I'd like to add additional fiberglass attic insulation in my attic. I can install batt insulation myself. Blown-in fiberglass appears to require professional equipment.

Which type offers better performance? Are there advantages in using one type versus another? Are there any installation tips you can suggest? T.H.

DEAR T. H.: Both systems will deliver excellent results. However, if you intend to do the job with batts, you had better be a detail-oriented, patient individual. The thermal performance of fiberglass insulation is directly related to its ability to trap and maintain very small pockets of air.

Attic insulation batts must be cut tightly and you can't have gaps. Sloppy people aren't suited for this job.

Blown-in fiberglass creates a seamless blanket in your attic. You might spend many hours kneeling in your attic to achieve this same result with fiberglass batts.

CLICK HERE NOW to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local insulation contractors.

Is Basement Foam Board Installation Hard to Do?

No, basement foam board installation is not hard to do. You might consider it instead of batts in your basement.

How Much Insulation Do I Need?

The US Department of Energy has published guidelines for years about how much insulation you should have for where you live. It makes a big difference.

Insulation Map USA

This is a very good map showing the different insulation zones in the USA. CLICK THE IMAGE to get MORE INFORMATION.

Insulation Table

This table explains what you need to do depending upon which zone you live in. Look up at the map. (C) Copyright 2021 Me and every other US Taxpayer

Remember, these are minimum guidelines. You can add more, you just have to do the math to see if you'll get a return on investment for as long as you own the home.

The trouble is, it's not easy to do this analysis. But if you've decided to hire a professional company, they can blow an additional 6 or 8 inches in your attic for just a little bit more money.

Is Insulation Cheap to Install?

Insulation might not be cheap to install if you hire a pro. There are lots of costs the pro has to cover to get the truck, materials, and workers to your home.

The primary cost of the job when a pro comes to your home is:

  • Administrative office staff
  • Salesman commission
  • Drive time to & from your house
  • Truck wear & tear
  • Workmen labor

If it takes the crew just 30 minutes more to add 8 more inches, then the cost is going to be not that much more.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local contractors who will install blown or batt fiberglass.

Are Fiberglass Batts Better Than Blown?

The thermal performance or resistance to heat flow (R-factor) is not the same when comparing fiberglass batts to blown-in fiberglass. Batts offer a slight advantage. You can usually obtain an R-factor of 3.1 to 4.2 or slightly higher per inch of material with batts. The R-factor of blown-in fiberglass is usually 2.3 to 2.8 per inch of material.

Once installed and expanded to the uniform, manufactured thickness, batts offer a known R-factor. Blown-in insulation thickness can vary in an attic space. This will lead to non-uniform R-values.

fiberglass attic insulation roll

This is name brand unfaced attic fiberglass insulation. It's great stuff. Wear a mask or you'll be coughing for days. CLICK HERE TO ORDER AND HAVE DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME.

Compressed blown-in fiberglass offers a lower R-factor. It needs to be fluffed up but not so much that it doesn't trap air. It's not an easy thing to describe unfortunately!

Should I Do a Simple Cost Analysis?

Before you make your final decision, do a cost analysis. You may be pleasantly surprised.

I recently priced the cost to upgrade a 1,500 square foot attic from R-19 to the new thermal standard of R-49 in my climate zone. The total cost to have the fiberglass blown-in by professionals was $0.60 per square foot or $900. (2017 prices)

I then called the local retail outlet to price batt insulation. The cost of just the material was $0.62 per square foot! (2017 pricing) Clearly it made better sense for me to have the job done by professionals.

CLICK HERE NOW to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local insulation contractors.

If you can find fiberglass batts deeply discounted, you possibly can tackle the job and save some money. Wear a respirator to minimize throat irritation from airborne glass particles. Gloves, long-sleeved shirts, and goggles are also highly recommended.

Be sure to take your time while installing the batts around roof framing members. Carefully cut the batts so they fit tightly around each piece of wood. Oh yes, don't fall through the ceiling to the rooms below.

Fiberglass Insulation Video

Watch this video to give you an idea of what it's like to work with this itchy material!

Should the Batts Be Installed in 90-Degree Layers?

Install your new batts at a 90-degree angle on top of the existing insulation batts. This will help cover any gaps in the original installation.

Do Dark Spots Indicate Air Leaks?

Dark spots in insulation batts and blown-in fiberglass are indicators of air leaks. The fiberglass fibers capture the dirt particles in the air and create the dark spots.

Check your existing insulation for dark spots. These dirty spots may be locations of large air leaks from your finished living space. The existing fiberglass traps dirt from this air as it passes up into the attic. Locate and close these holes before proceeding.

Should Soffit Ventilation Slots Be Blocked?

Do not block soffit ventilation slots. These are the air passageways between your exterior soffits (eaves) and/or vents and the attic with your new insulation. Flow-through attic ventilation is very important.

You can purchase foam or cardboard baffles that fit in between the roof rafters as they pass over exterior walls. These baffles create an unobstructed pathway for air to enter your attic.

Can you Cover Recessed Lights With Insulation?

Never cover any recessed lights with insulation. Some say they're rated for it, but it can be dangerous if someone puts in an oversized light bulb and the heat sensor in the fixture malfunctions.

Don't cover any recessed light fixtures with fiberglass unless you are absolutely positive it is permitted by your local electrical inspectors.

Modern LED recessed lights that use less energy and burn cooler can be retrofitted into older recessed light fixtures. If you do this, you can then cover the recessed light housing and not create a fire hazard.

recessed light transformer kit

Use this kit to transform your energy-wasting recessed lights. It takes minutes working from inside the room. No repainting, no hassle! CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO BUY THIS GREAT LIGHT. MULTI-PAKS are available.

Should Insulation Depth Gauges Be Put in the Attic?

Insulation depth gauges should be installed in an attic before blown-in insulation is installed. These work just like flood gauges on a river. You can see easily if the insulation is the correct depth across the entire attic.

If you decide to use blown-in insulation, install scrap lumber depth gauges in the attic. These pieces of wood can be pre-marked with a crayon or spray paint to the desired finished thickness of insulation. Tack them to the ceiling joists in various locations. After the job is completed, you can pop your head up into the attic to see if the pros hit the marks!

CLICK HERE NOW to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local insulation contractors.

Column 165

LE Johnson Soft Close Q1 2017 Fun Quiz

Posted on by Tim Carter

Your job is to CLICK  the five links just below. Once at each page, study the photos you'll see. These links were shown in my February 5, 2017 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

You can click each of the photos to see a BIGGER one.

This will help you later when you take the funny quiz below.

Some of the questions in the quiz below require you to look at fine details in the photos. It's FUN!

Then complete the FUNNY & EASY quiz below.

Good Luck - you'll need it.

IMPORTANT TIP: After you click SUBMIT, slide back up the page and CLICK THE LINK that allows you to see your answers and CORRECT answers with explanations and other secret links.

Easy Tile Grout Cleaning

Posted on by Tim Carter
Grout Cleaning

The grout to the left and lower left of the bottle of Stain Solver oxygen bleach used to be dark gray and filthy as you see on the right side of the photo. It just took a few minutes of soaking and a little scrubbing to get these dramatic results. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO ORDER STAIN SOLVER. (C) Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

Tile Grout Cleaning TIPS

DEAR TIM: I’ve tried tile grout cleaning on the floors of my home with little success. The grout just doesn’t come clean. The tiles themselves don’t look like they used to even though I’m using those newer pad-cleaner contraptions.

Is there a miracle method that you know of for cleaning ceramic tile grout? Have you had this problem in your own home? Judith P., Forest Park, IL

DEAR JUDITH: Tile and grout cleaning was the bane of my existence for years at the last house I built for my family. When I built that home, my lovely wife selected a pure-white tile for our kitchen with a light gray grout.

WARNING: Kitchens and Light Grout

I warned her the grout would turn black, but my pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. To this day, she says it was my idea.

As it turns out, the grout did turn nearly black, especially around the refrigerator and sink, no matter how hard I tried to clean it.

Dirt Soaks Into Grout

It became crystal clear what the issue was one day when I decided to really scrub the grout. Small particles of dirt on the floor were getting dissolved in water that was spilled on the tile.

This dirty water then soaked into the grout just out of reach of the bristles of the scrub brush. This was compounded by spills of liquids like red wine, cranberry juice, iced tea, deep-purple grape juice, etc.

Colored Liquids Stain Too

Any colored liquid that came into contact with the grout soaked into the sanded grout just like it would a sponge.

Pads are Useless

Regular soaps seemed powerless as well as tile and grout cleaning equipment that I rented. I can see why you’re having trouble with the pad cleaning tools as I’m convinced that these get up some of the dirt, but they leave dirt behind if the pads are not changed with great regularity.

The smooth pads are powerless to remove dirt from the grout because in most cases they never even touch the grout. Look closely at a tile floor and you’ll quickly see the grout is almost always recessed lower than the surface of the tile.

The pads just float over the grout never touching it.

Magic Stain Solver

Oxygen Bleach

Stain Solver is MADE in the USA with USA ingredients that are food-grade quality. CLICK THE IMAGE to order some NOW.

My tile & grout cleaning problems disappeared about years ago while I was researching how to properly seal and clean a deck. I interviewed a chemist who exposed me to a product I had never heard of - oxygen bleach.

This product is a powder mixed with warm tap water. The instant this happens, billions of oxygen ions are released into the solution.

These oxygen ions attack dirt and stain molecules blasting them apart. When this happens, they lose their ability to absorb light and the stains disappear.

Not only do they do this on wood decks, but this magic cleaning action happens on anything that’s water washable.

I discovered it works to remove algae, tough laundry stains, oil stains from car carpets, normal indoor carpet stains, and it de-odorizes too. It was indeed magic!

Sell It

Once I saw what it could do, I decided to start selling it myself. Kathy and I came up with the name Stain Solver because it solved every type of stain.

Mix, Stir & Pour

I tried some of this product and couldn’t believe what I saw. Following the instructions given to me by the chemist, I mixed the powder with hot water and stirred it until it dissolved.

I then poured this solution on the tile floor in my kitchen making sure the grout was completely saturated and covered with the clear solution. Then I walked away for 15 minutes allowing the oxygen ions to work on their own.

Grout & Tile Cleaning Video

Watch this video to see how powerful Stain Solver is. This is the exact process I did all those years ago to clean my kitchen floor.

I guarantee you'll get your floor tile grout as clean as mine. The trick is to mix it right and allow the solution to soak for 15, or more, minutes before you scrub. The longer you let it soak and work the LESS you have to scrub.

Let It Soak Then Scrub

After the wait period, I had to add some additional solution where it had soaked into the tile grout. I then used a stiff scrub brush and ran the brush along the grout lines between the tiles.

With almost no effort, the tile grout looked like new. When the chemist told me this would happen on the phone, I didn’t believe him. It sure pays to have an open mind!

Chlorine = TOXIC

You can get nearly the same results using chlorine bleach, but there are some disadvantages using this harsh toxic chemical. First and foremost, the fumes are powerful and make many feel uneasy.

The chlorine bleach is so strong that it can ruin the pigments in some colored floor grouts. If you splash the chlorine bleach on adjacent surfaces like cabinets or carpeting, it can take the color out of them. It’s a tough cleaner to work with.

Never Scrub Again!

Once my tile and grout were clean, I discovered a way to keep them looking that way. I hated getting on my knees to scrub and didn’t want to do that ever again.

One day, I decided to use the oxygen bleach powder in the mop water. I mopped the floor like normal, but instead of rinsing the floor right away, I let the cleaning solution soak on the floor for about 15 minutes.

I discovered if the grout is just lightly soiled, the dirt has not yet soaked into the grout. It didn't take long for the mop-water solution to attack the dirt on the surface and that which had penetrated into the grout.

My kitchen floor looked like new every week. The best part is the squabbles with my wife stopped and both of us had smiles on our faces. The old saying "happy wife / happy life" is true especially when the kitchen floor sparkles.

Different Oxygen Bleaches

You can buy Stain Solver oxygen bleach online.

Stain Solver is:

  • Certified organic
  • Non-toxic - no foul odor
  • Made in the USA with USA ingredients
  • Has much more active ingredient than other brands
  • Family-owned small business

Some other oxygen bleaches are available at retail stores for less money.

IMPORTANT BUYING TIP: The quality of the different oxygen bleaches varies to a great degree. Some big-name national-brands contain ingredients from offshore. They're not certified organic. They may trick you with language that makes you think they were Made in the USA, when in fact, they were packaged in the USA with offshore ingredients.

Not all of the products have the same amount of active ingredient. You’ll discover products that may have more filler in them than oxygen bleach. It pays to do research to get a product you can trust and really works well.

Stain Solver is that product. CLICK HERE NOW to order Stain Solver.

Column 817

How to Insulate an Older Brick Home

Posted on by Tim Carter
home insulation

Drill a two-inch hole in a closet wall to see how much space you have for insulation. © 2017 Tim Carter

How to Insulate an Old Brick House TIPS

DEAR TIM: My story-and-a-half brick home was built in the 1960's. It has no insulation in the walls as far as I can tell. Each contractor I have talked with wants to drill holes in my interior plaster walls and add insulation from the inside.

I prefer to have it done from the outside by drilling holes in the mortar joints between the brick. I don't want all of the dust and repainting mess inside my home. How would you approach this job? What are my alternatives? Bill B., Versailles, KY

DEAR BILL: The house you describe sounds exactly like that of my in-laws. My wife grew up in a brick home built in the 1950's just before your home was constructed.

The exterior of the home is used brick and the second-story dormers that project through the roof out the back of the house are wood frame. The exterior walls of the first story are solid masonry, not brick veneer which is the way most brick homes are now constructed.

Brick Veneer

Today's modern brick homes have a single-thickness of brick that is placed over a wood-framed structure. The wood walls can be covered with insulated sheathing and the wood-wall cavities can be filled with insulation.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local insulation contractors.

Solid Masonry & Foam

Solid-masonry walls can be insulated with modern foam panels that separate the outer layer of masonry from the inner layer, but this method of construction was not in widespread use when your home was built.

Cheap Fuel

The majority of solid masonry brick homes that were built in the 1950's and 1960's were constructed at a time when energy costs were very low. Builders didn't worry about insulation and furnaces were lucky to be 60-percent efficient.

But the Mideast oil embargo of the 1970's changed all that and energy costs soared like a hawk in the sky.

Basement Wall Foam Insulation Video

Watch this video to see how you can use foam on the inside of basements to slow energy loss.

Brick & Block

The masons who built the structures used a finish brick for the outside facing that was usually about four inches in depth. The inner layer of the masonry wall was often concrete block or cinder block that was also a little under four inches in depth.

These block were laid immediately behind the exterior brick. If you can determine that your masonry walls are about eight-inches thick, you know there is no foam insulation between the brick and the hidden block.

The typical total wall thickness for a home built this way is:

  • 8 +/- inches for the brick and block
  • 3/4-inch for the furring strip nailed to the block
  • 1/2-3/4 inch for the interior drywall

Measure Your Wall

This adds up to about 9 and 1/2 inches. You can measure this fairly accurately at a window using a 4-foot straightedge or level that you place flat on the wall.

Slide it along the wall until the tip extends over a pane of glass. Measure between the tip of the level or straightedge to the glass. 

Do the same on the other side of the wall. Add the two dimensions together plus the thickness of the glass.

After the masonry work was completed, carpenters would follow behind and nail 3/4-inch thick by perhaps two-inches wide furring strips to the masonry walls. These wood strips were usually placed 16-inches on center and fastened to the masonry walls with hardened, cut nails. Large sheets of gypsum-based plaster lath were then nailed to the furring strips and the final plaster was applied over the lath boards.

Narrow Place

If your home is constructed in this manner, you can see the problem you have. The only void space that is available for insulating is the narrow 3/4-inch space between the furring strips.

You can confirm this narrow void space exists by creating a two-inch diameter hole in several of your exterior walls. Do it behind a piece of furniture or inside a closet that is on an exterior wall.

Long ROI

If you discover you only have a 3/4-inch space between the back of the plaster or drywall and the beginning of the block facing, you might never get a payback, or return on investment (ROI), in energy savings in your lifetime for the amount the total job would cost including all cleanup, re-plastering and repainting.

I say this even if you could insulate this space with the best foam insulation currently available. 

Energy Audit

You may want to invest in an energy audit and have an energy audit expert come to tell you where you're losing the most energy in your home. It may not be the walls.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local energy-audit contractors.

Wood Floor Foam Insulation

Watch this video to see how to use foam insulation in a wood-floor system.

Outside is Hard

The contractors you spoke to are correct. Attempting to do the job from the exterior presents a host of problems. For one, the mortar joints are often no wider than one-half inch.

A tiny insulation tool would have to be inserted in eight inches and then somehow have to turn a sharp 90-degree angle to squirt insulation up, down and sideways. A specialized nozzle may indeed exist, but then you have to wonder if the entire cavity is being filled with insulation.

Hitting a Strip

What's more, the furring strips present a challenge. They can't be seen from the outside of your home and a hole drilled into the brick at a furring strip location would be useless. Drilling larger holes inside the home allows the contractors to see if they missed a furring strip and it allows them to more easily install the insulation.

Forget About It

But if it were me, I would not even try to insulate the walls. I feel you can save more energy concentrating your efforts on stopping air infiltration leaks, installing the best energy-efficient windows and exterior doors and improving insulation in your attic space.

Heat Loss Calculation

Calculating energy savings for insulating the narrow 3/4-inch wall space is fairly easy. Heating and cooling contractors have done this for years. They have to perform heat loss and heat gain calculations that allow them to properly size furnaces, boilers and air conditioners.

Businesses that sell this equipment to contractors often have sophisticated computer programs that can quickly tell you how many Btus (British thermal units) of extra energy are required to heat or cool a home that does not have insulation in that narrow void space. I have seen the calculation differences and they are indeed very small.

Windows & Air Leaks

But when you start improving the performance of windows by installing ones that have high-performance Low-E coatings, an overall R-value perhaps 500 percent higher than original windows and a shockingly low air infiltration rate, you start to make serious energy-savings headway. Adding reflective-foil-radiant barriers in attics, in addition to upgraded insulation, can also help save energy dollars.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local insulation contractors.

Column 610

How to Drill Ceramic Tile

Posted on by Tim Carter
Drilling Ceramic Tile

Drilling ceramic tile requires a sharp carbide or diamond drill bit.  Drilling into tile requires a slow drill speed and a steady hand. © 2018 Tim Carter

"Real porcelain tile is very hard. Porcelain tile almost always has a high silica content and the tile is dense."

How to Drill Ceramic Tile TIPS

DEAR TIM: Drilling ceramic tile just became a priority. My wife wants me to install several new towel bars and other accessories in an older bathroom.

I also need to install anchors for a new shower door. I tried drilling into the tile but got nowhere fast.

The drill bit smoked and turned cherry red. I need to get this job done before my wife comes back from her business trip. Help me, Tim, you're my only hope. Jonathon O., Los Angeles, CA

Related Links

Cutting Ceramic Tile - Pro Tips

Ceramic Tile Snapping Cutter - Big Tile


DEAR JONATHON: Buddy, you are going to owe me big time. I am going to make you look like a home-improvement super hero. But to do so, you might have to buy a new drill and a few special drill bits.

Why is Ceramic Tile Hard?

Ceramic tile is hard because it's artificial or man-made rock. Any geologist will tell you that some rocks are far harder than others. The same is true for ceramic tile.

Free & Fast Bids

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors who can drill your tile for you.

What Tile is the Hardest to Drill?

Porcelain tile is the hardest tile to drill.

Real porcelain tile is very hard. Porcelain tile almost always has a high silica content and the tile is dense. If the manufacturer fires it at a hotter temperature for longer in the kiln, the silica-rich clay gets almost as hard as granite.

You might have tried to drill a hole in porcelain with the wrong drill bit and you were drilling far too fast.

What Makes Porcelain Tile So Hard to Drill?

The heating process inside a kiln makes the porcelain tile hard to drill. The high temperature in the kiln modifies the chemistry and crystallography of the silica-rich raw material.

Just like an oven changes liquid batter into cake, the higher kiln temperature transforms the putty-like clay into artificial stone. In the early stages of tile manufacturing, the clay that's used to make the tile is a putty.

Some you can form with your hands but other clay can only be molded by a machine it's so stiff. But when it get's heated, the crystal structure changes and it transforms much like plastic concrete in a read-mix truck turns hard hours after it's poured or cast.

Why Is Porcelain Tile Hard to Snap?

The high silica content of porcelain tile also makes it nearly impossible to cut with a snapper-type tile cutter. The tile often shatters with conchoidal fractures like glass.

Why Does the Tile Glaze Make Drilling Into Tile Difficult?

The shiny glaze on the tile is glass and glass is slippery. The tile drill bits slide around on the tile making it hard to keep the drill bit in place.

Many common ceramic tiles are made primarily with clay, but then coated with a thin glaze that is primarily silica. In the kiln, this silica coating turns into a hard, thin glass coating and the clay transform into a low-grade slate-like rock.

Once a drill bit penetrates the thin glass coating, it usually drills rapidly through the inner core of regular ceramic tile. The inner core of these tiles is fairly soft.

What Tile Drill Bit is Used?

The key to drilling regular ceramic tile is to use a brand-new carbide-tipped masonry drill bit and a drill that has a variable-speed trigger. You never want to drill ceramic tile with the drill at high speed.

What is the Best Tile Drill Bit Speed?

The lowest tile drill bit speed possible, say 100 or 200 revolutions per minute, is perfect to drill standard ceramic tile. Apply moderate even pressure to the drill so the bit grinds away at the glaze or the tile. If you drill fast, you'll overheat the drill bit and ruin it.

Should I use a Hammer Drill Drilling Into Tile?

Never use a hammer drill for ceramic tile. You'll shatter or crack a ceramic tile if you drill using the hammer function. Hammer drills are fine for brick or concrete, but not ceramic tile.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors who can drill your tile for you.

How Do You Prevent Scratching Tile?

You prevent scratches on tile by applying light pressure with the drill.

The biggest mistake you can make when first starting to drill into a tile is applying too much pressure. The drill bit can slip on the highly-polished glazed-tile surface, and the bit will slide possibly creating an ugly scratch.

I always placed a piece of duct tape over the spot where I want to drill. I then marked the hole center point on the tape, and begin to drill. The tape does a good job of controlling a wandering drill bit, and it offers scratch protection should the bit slide.

Why Does the Drill Bit Smoke and Get Hot?

Your drill smokes and gets hot because you were drilling too fast. This creates enormous friction which causes rapid heat build up. Slow drill speeds do not create as much heat.

IMPORTANT TIP: You can keep the drill bit cool by dipping it in a small container of fresh cutting oil every 15 - 30 seconds. After dipping the bit in the oil for a few seconds, wipe the bit off with an old rag to keep the tile and grout oil-free. You can buy this special oil at a plumbing supply house. Plumbers use it to keep pipe-threading dies cool.

Tap Magic Cutting Fluid

This is a fantastic cutting oil that can keep your drill bit cool. Drill for 20 seconds then dip it in a small tube filed with the oil. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO BUY THIS OIL.

Is a Diamond Tile Drill Bit a Good One to Use?

Yes, a diamond tile drill bit is a great one. Diamonds are extremely hard and cut through the glass tile glaze fast.

If you do have to drill porcelain tile, buy special drill bits that have diamond tips. These bits must also be kept cool with cutting oil, and you must drill slowly to minimize heat buildup. Once the drill bit starts to cut a cone-shaped hole into the tile, the drill will make good progress.

Diamond Drill Bits

Here's a set of diamond drill bits that can drill holes of different sizes. You can also get much larger hole saw bits too. CLICK HERE TO ORDER THEM OR SEE OTHERS.

How Do You Cut Holes in Tile?

Large holes in ceramic tile can be created any number of ways. You can purchase hole saws that have diamond-cutting surfaces.

To drill into existing tile, the hole saw must be equipped with a pilot bit that drills a smaller hole into the center of the larger hole. This pilot bit keeps the larger bit from wandering.


If you have to drill a tile that has not been installed and don't have the tools nor inclination to drill the large hole, take it to a shop that fabricates granite or marble countertops. They have all of the bits and equipment to drill any sized hole.

I used a service like this to drill holes into three pieces of granite tile for my daughter's bathroom. To ensure the holes were drilled in the right places, I covered the face of the granite tile completely with wide masking tape. I then drew the perfect circles in the right locations on each piece of granite. The fabricators did a fantastic job of drilling the holes and all worked perfectly when I installed the granite.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local tile contractors who can drill your tile for you.

Author's Note:

In a Reader's Comment, Mark asked about drilling a 1/2 hole in his kitchen sink for a water dispenser. His sink is porcelain with cast iron underneath.

Gregg W. of Stevens Point, WI, emailed a helpful answer to Mark's question.

"Just happened to see your answer regarding drilling through a porcelain/cast sink to provide a faucet hole.

I've had considerable experience with all types of cast iron in an industrial setting. It isn't hard to drill or tricky but bits do tend to wander in cast if not held rigidly.

My suggestion would be to start with a masonry bit as in drilling tile and then switch to a normal HSS bit after it is obvious you're through the surface. Use the tape trick. I drilled the hole for, and installed a filter tap hole, this way first time without any problems. I used a 3/4 HSS bit with a 3/8" shank. A hole saw might wander far and wide on this surface. Pilots for hole saws are usually HSS and not the best at that."

Related Column:

Holes in Ceramic Tile

Column 674

How to Clean Exterior Siding

Posted on by Tim Carter
Cleaning Exterior Siding

The mildew and algae on this vinyl siding can be removed quickly with a solution of oxygen bleach. (C) Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

How To Clean Exterior Siding TIPS

DEAR TIM: My primary home and a camp I own in the woods both are covered with siding. One is wood, the other is vinyl siding, and both are dirty.

In the past few years, I've been stunned to discover mildew and algae growing on the vinyl siding. I thought vinyl siding was supposed to be maintenance-free, that's why I purchased it.

What's going on? Should I just drag out my pressure washer and get to work, or is there an alternative method to clean siding on houses? Patrick O., Fryeburg, ME

DEAR PATRICK: Each week I receive emails from homeowners just like you. They share your astonishment about having to clean their vinyl siding. Many homeowners are not too happy as the salesmen's claims about no-maintenance seem to be as hollow as an old log.

IMPORTANT TIP: Maintenance-free is a myth. All exterior surfaces must be cleaned on a regular basis. They include:

  • siding
  • decks
  • windows
  • docks
  • roofs

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local handymen who can easily clean your siding.

I've seen hundreds of printed ads, heard countless radio commercials, etc. with these maintenance-free statements when it comes to exterior home improvement products.

Decking, siding, railings, fencing, etc. are often touted as requiring no future care. As you now know, it's just not true. Certain products are absolutely reduced-maintenance, but not maintenance-free.

Algae & Mildew Food

You're probably wondering how mildew and algae can survive on plastic, or vinyl siding. The mildew and algae are feeding on sugars, dust, dirt, or other things that are attached to the siding.

Many people are unaware that trees, both evergreen and deciduous, often broadcast ultra-fine aerosols of sugars at different times of years. Park your car under certain trees, and you'll discover thousands of tiny droplets of sap or sugar on the painted finish and glass.

This is yummy food for mildew and algae!

Wood Stain Food

When it comes to wood siding, the mildew and algae are possibly feasting on the actual stains and sealers you may have used to preserve the wood. Many clear and semi-transparent wood sealers and stains are made with alkyd or oil resins.

These natural oils are also delicious food for mildew and algae. Some of the sealers and stains contain chemicals that are designed to prevent mildew and algae growth, but these chemicals do breakdown when exposed to sunlight and repeated exposure to rainwater.

Spiderman® Power

I know that you may love your pressure washer because it's a cool tool, but it can wreak havoc with houses if used improperly. Pressure washers are like Spiderman® - "With great power comes great responsibility."

The water that's ejected from the tip of the pressure washer wand can be driven into cracks and crevices where water is not supposed to go. The intense water stream can and will erode the lighter-colored spring wood in your wood siding causing it to look older than it actually is.

Water Behind Siding

Water driven behind vinyl siding at lap joints and corners can cause wood rot if your house lacks a proper weather barrier under the vinyl siding. Believe it or not, this requirement was lacking from the building code for many years.

There are tens of thousands of houses, maybe hundreds of thousands, that do not have a weather barrier under the siding. The siding is nailed directly to wood sheathing.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local handymen who can easily clean your siding.

Stain Solver

Oxygen Bleach

Stain Solver is MADE in the USA with USA ingredients that are food-grade quality. CLICK THE IMAGE to order some NOW.

Perhaps the better way to clean the mildew and algae off your house is to use a hand-pump garden sprayer, some Stain Solver certified organic oxygen bleach and a brush on a pole. I just demonstrated this method last week to a homeowner, and he was amazed at how well it worked.

Don't confuse oxygen bleach with chlorine bleach. Chlorine bleach can remove the color from wood siding, and it can kill expensive landscaping around your home.

Stain Solver oxygen bleach will not remove color from wood, and it's safe to use around plants and animals.

Easy DIY Use

To clean your wood and vinyl siding, you just mix the powdered Stain Solver with warm water, stir till dissolved and then apply it generously to the siding.

It's best to work when the siding is in the shade. Allow the solution to fizz and bubble on the siding for about ten or fifteen minutes. Scrub with the brush and rinse with clear water from a garden hose. The siding should look brand new once dry.

RV Brush Best

Use the type of brush on a pole RV owners use to clean their expensive vehicles. An RV brush will not scratch automotive paint, so you know it's perfect for your vinyl siding.

rv brush

This is a perfect brush to clean vinyl siding. It's got an adjustable handle and the perfect bristles that remove dirt loosened by using Stain Solver oxygen bleach. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO HAVE THIS BRUSH DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME.

Apply Dry

It's always best to apply the oxygen bleach solution to dry siding. This allows the solution to soak into the wood and deep clean it. Oxygen bleach can and will remove sun-damaged wood sealers and stains from the wood. It can absolutely remove sun-damaged and oxidized paint pigments from painted surfaces.

This makes it an excellent product to use if you're getting ready to re-stain or repaint your home. You want to remove these damaged finishes before you apply new.

Clean Twice a Year

For periodic cleaning to prevent mildew and algae buildup, just wash your home twice each year with a solution of liquid dish soap, a small amount of Stain Solver and water. Remove the sugars from the siding before the mildew and algae sit down at the table to feast!

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local handymen who can easily clean your siding.

Column 987

Duct and PVC Pipe Noise

Posted on by Tim Carter
piping noise

This ductwork and plastic plumbing piping can be the cause of all sorts of noises. © 2017 Tim Carter

Duct Noise TIPS

DEAR TIM: Our new home is now three-years old. Ever since move-in day there have been annoying ticking noises in several interior walls of our home. Some of the noises start minutes after our furnace comes on.

The clicks then go away five minutes after the furnace shuts off. We also have cracking noises when someone takes a bath or shower in a second-floor bathroom. The builder says all of this is normal and nothing can be done.

We never had this problem before. What's going on and what can be done to stop these very annoying noises? Donna A. Columbus, OH

DEAR DONNA: You're a victim of simple expansion and contraction. The ticking, clicking and cracking noises are a by-product of metal ducting and pipes and plastic drain lines that are rubbing against the wood framing members of your home.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local HVAC contractors who know about duct noise.

Heat Growth

These pipes and ducts grow in size as they're heated by the warm air and hot, or warm, water that passes through them. The expansion is a perfectly normal thing to happen, but the associated noise is not supposed to happen.

At first blush it appears your builder might be guilty of a half-truth. He could be telling the whole truth based on his reality because all his career he could have been building using practices that promote this bad behavior in building materials.

Just keep in mind that a half-truth is a whole lie.

Seasoned Subs

The reason your previous homes were noise-free could be many. Perhaps the plumbing drain lines were cast iron and experienced very little movement when hot water passed through them.

The heating system may have been different as well. The other possibility is that the heating and plumbing pipes in your old homes were made from the same materials as your new home and the tradespeople who installed them were more experienced.

These craftsmen knew how to insure the metal ducts and PVC drain pipes didn't rub up against any of the wood framing.

No Contact

Craftsmen who know that metal ducts and PVC plumbing lines move can do various things to make sure that movement happens with little or no noise. The trick is to isolate as much as possible the pipes from actually touching any wood framing.

For example, the large trunk heating duct is often suspended from the bottom of the floor joists one inch to make sure it does not touch the wood framing.

Expansion Collars

Expansion joint collars often separate the large trunk heating duct from the furnace's extended plenum metal. These collars absorb an enormous amount of the expansion and contraction that happens just above the furnace heat exchanger.

Without these collars, the movement and vibration happening in the furnace, or air handler, can be transferred to all the metal duct that extends through your home.

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Larger Holes

The experienced heating and plumbing mechanics also know to create slightly enlarged holes for ducts and pipes to pass through. They also check to make sure a pipe can freely move as is passes through one or more studs or framing members.

If the pipe gets into a bind before it is heated and expands, it will most certainly snap, crackle and pop when it starts to grow from being heated.

PVC LOUD

PVC plumbing drain lines are notorious noise makers. Plastic has an enormous expansion contraction coefficient. The material grows in size dramatically and will crack and pop if it rubs against anything.

IMPORTANT TIP: If allowed to move freely, the PVC pipe will not make noise. This means plumbers must not allow the PVC pipe to touch any wood framing.

The PVC pipe noise is two-fold. Once the hot water stops flowing through the pipe, the PVC begins to cool and contract. It makes the same cracking noise as it shrinks back to its original size. Metal heating ducts suffer the same fate as they contract.

piping noise

A large enough hole has been cut in this joist to insure the plastic pipe does not rub against the wood. © 2017 Tim Carter

Fixing the Noise

Exorcizing these demons from your walls isn't going to be easy. You'll need to isolate and identify the exact trouble areas.

Doing this almost always involves removal of the drywall or plaster. You can then often clearly hear and see the location where a pipe or duct might be rubbing against a wood framing member. The contact zone will need to be enlarged if possible so that an air gap exists for the pipe or duct to freely move.

Holes in Wood

Don't start to cut away wood or enlarge holes in joists or studs. There are strict limits to the notches and holes that can be made in framing members. The building code covers this in great detail with respect to the maximum size, shape and location of holes in wall studs, beams and joists.

Crack or Collapse

You can compromise the structural integrity of your home if you enlarge a hole too much. Never notch the bottom or top of a joist.

If in doubt, contact your local building inspector. Many inspection agencies will gladly advise you on what you can and can't cut. They don't want you or a family member to become a statistic.

Lubricants Evaporate

Don't count on lubricants to always solve the problem. They may be a short-term fix but over time the lubricant may dissipate. Permanent noise solution comes when you isolate the pipes and ducts from the wood framing.

Lumber Shrinks

Great builders and craftsmen also account for lumber shrinkage. The lumber used to frame the house can actually shrink over time.

Openings that were fine during the construction phase may become tight only six months later. There's no substitute for experience and brains when it comes to small detail items such as this.

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Author's Note: I've received other questions about similar problems. Here's one from Greg in Toronto, Ontario.

"I just moved into a brand new 27-story condominium and when it gets cold outside I can hear loud bangs and cracking noises. Once when I heard the cracking sound, I also felt a vibration. Is this the concrete cracking."

Here's another one from Cheryll k. of Fenton, MO, regarding either the need for a water hammer arrestor or just noisy duct work.

"We heard an extremely loud "boom" last night at 4:00 a.m. I was already awake when it happened because my son had come in our room about 10 minutes prior to this because of a bad dream. He was still in our room and awake and heard the noise too. The noise woke my husband from a sound sleep.

Anyway, the noise sounded like dropping a dictionary from a second story down onto a hard floor. The weird part ... the sound appeared to come from right under our bed, right in our room. We got up, checked things and could not figure it out. We even checked our mattress and box springs. Is there any chance the noise could have been caused by something structural that happened between the second story floor and the ceiling below it? We don't see any outward signs of damage, but I am looking for an explanation for the noise. Thanks so much!"

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