September 19, 2021 AsktheBuilder Newsletter
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 have subscribed in the past few weeks. Do you remember my August newsletter where I shared getting two glasses of T-Rex lemonade?
It turns out one of my subscribers, Erik Thorson, wrote a delightful song about lemonade! CLICK or TAP HERE to listen to it. It's guaranteed to make you smile.
AstroCrete BWAHAHAHAHA
I ran across an intriguing article in the news this past week. It was about building with concrete on Mars. Astronauts would use all their body fluids to make AstroCrete. Here's a pull quote from the article:
"A crew of six astronauts can produce an estimated 500kg of high-strength AstroCrete on a two-year mission on the surface of the moon, according to the findings."
(There was a typo in that pull quote because the entire article was about building on Mars, not the Moon.)
Since you probably don't know much about concrete, that 500kg number is meaningless to you. 500kg equals 1,100 pounds. One cubic yard of concrete here on our Earth Ball weighs about 4,000 pounds.
So two years for six astronauts to make 1/4 yard of concrete... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA
This is why you need to be careful about being WOWED by articles like this. For goodness sake, do the math!
It's going to take hundreds of years to build a concrete building up on Mars at that rate! "Tom, you need to DRINK MORE WATER!"
CLICK HERE to read my follow-up on AstroCrete in the September 26, 2021 Newsletter.
Old Blueprints Filled with Gold
Steve is one of my best friends. He lives in sunny southern CA. I go out to visit every few years and was last there three years ago, helping him with his Honey-Do list. We had a blast and recorded, with the help of his darling wife, this video about how to stain Mexican outdoor patio tiles. It's a funny and informative video. I will NEVER make it as a Hollywood actor. Not on my best day.
A few days ago, Steve sent me a link to a curated scanned copy of a nearly 100-year-old builders magazine. It's filled with amazing articles and photos. Here's one you should study:
These three images of a residential fireplace may not mean much to you, but they're filled with gold. The architect who drew these knew exactly how to build a fireplace, firebox, and chimney that will NOT SMOKE.
CLICK or TAP HERE and allow me to put flesh on the bones of the above blueprint. I share all the critical dimensions that you can plug into the blueprint. Trust me, you'll want to bookmark the page.
If I were a young architect, and even one that had a few years under my belt, I'd spend two hours a week going over old blueprints like these. Many have details you simply don't find in modern plans.
Get FREE BIDS NOW
CLICK or TAP HERE or Mr. Shovel Man above to get FREE and FAST Bids from local contractors for any inside or outside job at your home.
VIP Fast Answer and Consult Call
The past two weeks, I've done a boatload of VIP Fast Answers and my trademark 15-Minute Phone Consult.
In fact, as I'm writing this, I'm just 2.5 hours away from talking with Cosmo. He lives out in the Pacific Northwest and watched my video series about building my deluxe shed. He ordered a stunning pre-cut shed kit. Cosmo has a few questions about getting the concrete piers at the right height.
Why do I promote these services?
I get no less than TWENTY emails a week from homeowners like you that are in a MESS and need me to throw them a life preserver. They decided they KNEW BETTER and just jumped into a job or decided to TRUST what the contractor told them.
The average cost to FIX the mess they're in is about $2,000.00.
Why not invest $20 or $50 before you get in a mess? Having me advise you is the BEST MONEY you'll spend on your project. Period
Changing Word Meanings
I've been building my Ask the Builder and STAIN SOLVER websites for over twenty-five years. I also work on my ham radio blog and my personal blog.
Did you know that I can go back to one of my old columns and completely change a sentence, delete things I've said, or add content in just SECONDS and you'd be none the wiser?
If you don't have a copy of the original page, you have no idea the content has been changed. It's sort of spooky.
Well, I think this is starting to happen with the English language! If I can do the above with my website, don't you think those that own the online dictionaries can do the same?
If I'm right, then it makes sense for you to have one, or more, hardcover traditional dictionaries around your house. It's pretty darned hard to change the definition of a word in one of those!
CLICK or TAP HERE to see the dictionary I use multiple times each week.
Yicky Drain Flies!!!
My friend Jim reached out to me days ago asking about how to get rid of pesky drain flies.
CLICK or TAP HERE to see the easy easy steps on how to defeat forever drain flies.
That's quite enough for a Sunday.
Peace out.
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Organic Cleaner - www.StainSolver.com
RR Telegrapher - www.W3ATB.com
Do It Right, Not Over!
P.S. Did you know fresh concrete can BLEED? How's that possible? If you make a mistake, you can RUIN the concrete! CLICK or TAP HERE and stuff a bit more info into those tiny gray cells of yours.