March 9, 2010 Newsletter and Tips
Copyright 2010 - Tim Carter
Remember, Do it Right, Not Over!
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If you have a question for me, don't hit the Reply button just yet.
Go immediately to my web site and type in the keywords about your
problem into my Search engine. The search box is at the top of
every page of my web site. You could have your answer in seconds if
you do this! Please pay attention to all links you see at my web site. The exact products and services you often need are right in front of you, and you might be ignoring them.
Latest News
I've been chugging away at getting the Cincinnati house ready for
the big Open House in less than three weeks. This past week I made
tons of progress. My productivity was high because I knew where
each tool was that I needed.
I can't say enough about storing tools. If you leave your tools
scattered all over the place, you waste tons of time looking for
what you need. This is one reason I'm a big fan of Rick Grove's
Wall Control system that allows me to store tools on metal pegboard
so that I can see what I have.
I'm also a fan of those open storage pails, boxes, buckets, etc.
that have countless pockets and slots for hand tools, pencils,
razor knives, rasps, screwdrivers, etc. There are many available,
and you can't go wrong with just about any brand.
Garden Tool Storage Outdoors
If you store garden tools outdoors in a garage or shed, and you
live where it gets cold in the winter, you'll have to deal with
rust. Steel and iron tools will start to rust because of
condensation that forms on the tools with changes in humidity and
temperature.
There are any number of ways to deal with this, but a very light
coat o oil will go a long way to prevent rust. As you get out your
tools this spring, you'll probably note a fine film of rust on
shovels, rakes, spades, etc. That could have been prevented had you
cleaned the tools in the fall, allowed them to dry and then wipe
down the metal parts with an oily rag. Be sure to burn the rag once
your done. Spontaneous combustion is a reality.
Tile Backsplashes and Electrical Outlets
Lamar Hutchinson of Loreauville, LA wrote to me:
I am installing some 1x1 glass tiles on mesh backing as a kitchen
backsplash. There are several outlets in the area of installation,
ranging from electrical to phone. My questions is: do I leave
enough space to have the outlets removed and after the glass tile
is installled, so I need to put outlet spacers in so I can bring
those outlets flush with the tile?
Lamar, I believe I understand your dilemma. I tackle this issue by
backing out the screws that hold the electrical outlet to the box
inside the wall. Be sure to turn of the circuit breaker that
controls any of these devices you're working with. You need to get
the outlet so that it sits on top of the tile. This means you cut
the tile pieces so they are right at the edges of the electrical
box in the wall.
Once the glue sets, you then tighten the outlet so the little round
or square tabs contact the tile. Your method, if I understand it,
will achieve the same result, but with a little more work. You'll
have to have an assortment of spacers to get the outlet exactly
where it needs to be. My method eliminates this guesswork.
Pocket Door Tip
Last year I remodeled our master bathroom. Kathy's closet has a
pocket door that was just the thing to save very valuable space in
the bathroom. The pocket door allowed us to place the opening to
the closet immediately adjacent to the bathroom door.
Had we used a traditional swinging door, the two doors would
undoubtedly bang into one another.
One of the things I do when installing a pocket door is use
decorative brass screws on the top and side door jambs. These
screws allow me to remove the jambs in seconds should I have to
adjust or remove the door.
To make this process painless, I also prepaint the jambs before
installing them. If you install raw wood and allow the painter to
paint them in place, the paint can cause the jambs to stick to the
door casing.
If you have a remodeling project coming up or even a new house,
take a hard look at pocket doors. They are great if you use the
pocket-door mounting hardware and track I use!
Appearance This Weekend
If you live near or in Cincinnati, OH, I'll be speaking on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday at the Cincinnati Home and Garden Show. The
times are:
Stop by and say "Hello!"
Ice Dam Damage, Contractors and Limited Money
Janet Murray emailed me over the weekend lamenting about water
damage caused by the heavy snow that hit the East Coast last month.
Her ceilings and walls and her mother's were damaged by dripping
water.
She wanted to know who to call in to fix the work and how to make
sure that she doesn't get ripped off. You may face the same anxiety
when you go to hire a contractor.
I told Janet that the first step is to consider modifying the roof
IF she intends to live in the house for a period of time. You can
retrofit a roof with the ice-dam membranes by removing the lower
courses of shingles on a roof. It's not easy, but it's possible.
You want to do this so that you'll never have the leak again. Why
patch the ceilings and walls to only have to do it again in the
future?
I then told her that she could possibly find a handyman who could
do the repairs and needed painting.
Just after sending the reply, I got a similar email from a woman
who was wringing her hands about not being able to make a mistake
when hiring a contractor. Funds were limited and she had to get the
work done right the first time.
That's when the lightbulb went off. For over fifteen years I've
been selling these checklists for all sorts of indoor and outdoor
projects that help you discover the REAL pro in your area. In fact,
I taped a series of videos just for these checklists that show you
the secret way I would go find a pro carpenter, plumber, painter,
electrician, roofer, etc. no matter WHAT city or town I was in. You
give me two hours in any city and I'll find the pro you need. But
the great news is, my checklists show you how to do it!
After reading those two emails, I got the feeling that you and many
others in these horrible economic times could be in the same boat.
You can't make a mistake. So to help you, I decided to do something
I've never done before.
I told Roger, my virtual assistant, to slash the price of all my
checklists - except for the New House and WalkThrough ones. My
helpful checklists usually sell for $17 each, but for the next week
you can get any one you need for just $2. That's not a typo. Yes,
just $2 for any of the checklists.
These are Instant Download .pdf files you get immediately. You can
get as many as you want for the $2 price. It's a steal when you see
all the special questions I have you ask each of the contractors.
At this price, you should consider buying any checklists you may
need for future projects.
If you want to see how good they are, just buy one. Open it up,
look at all the questions and background material, and see for
yourself. If you feel they are worth it, then go back and get
whatever else you need.
This crazy promotion ends on Tuesday morning March 16th at 8 a.m.
ET. You need to react now to literally save hundreds of dollars.
Actually, thousands of dollars as you'll be sure to get the pro
who'll do your job right, not over!
Stain Solver Help
I'm in the midst of redesigning containers and fancy new labels for
my Stain Solver. But I need your help.
Often I get people who want to get a sample or smaller test size
before purchasing my small 4-pound size. Can you tell me if you
would buy a 1-pound size container or would that be a waste of
time? One pound of Stain Solver would fit in a one-pint container.
I'm also looking into small sample packets that could be mailed in
an envelope. To get one of those - when available - you'd only have
to pay $2 to cover the cost of postage, handling, etc.
Do either of these ideas appeal to you, or is it an exercise in
futility?
By the way, the annual Spring Stain Solver Sale is just a month
away. If you have a deck to clean or any other project, wait till
you see the sale news!
Liquid Wrench Six Pack
After driving back in the snow and salt from New Hampshire to
Cincinnati, OH, I tried to get the key in the padlocks on my
trailer. Forget about it. The key slot was filled with salt
deposits. With great effort, I was able to dissolve the salt and
finally get the key to work.
Yesterday I got a sample pack of six new cans of Liquid Wrench
products that may have prevented the agony. Imagine if I needed to
open the trailer while I was on the road!
In this sample pack are six different cans of lubricating spray.
There's penetrating oil, lube spray, regular oil, dry lubricant,
chain lube, silicon spray, and even a white lithium grease spray.
Wow!
I'm about to try these products on several things around here, not
the least of which are the rollers and hinges on my garage doors.
Let me tell you, you want those working well all the time as the
garage door is usually the largest and heaviest mechanical device
in most homes.
I'll let you know how it works on the padlocks.
the big Open House in less than three weeks. This past week I made
tons of progress. My productivity was high because I knew where
each tool was that I needed.
I can't say enough about storing tools. If you leave your tools
scattered all over the place, you waste tons of time looking for
what you need. This is one reason I'm a big fan of Rick Grove's
Wall Control system that allows me to store tools on metal pegboard
so that I can see what I have.
I'm also a fan of those open storage pails, boxes, buckets, etc.
that have countless pockets and slots for hand tools, pencils,
razor knives, rasps, screwdrivers, etc. There are many available,
and you can't go wrong with just about any brand.
Garden Tool Storage Outdoors
If you store garden tools outdoors in a garage or shed, and you
live where it gets cold in the winter, you'll have to deal with
rust. Steel and iron tools will start to rust because of
condensation that forms on the tools with changes in humidity and
temperature.
There are any number of ways to deal with this, but a very light
coat o oil will go a long way to prevent rust. As you get out your
tools this spring, you'll probably note a fine film of rust on
shovels, rakes, spades, etc. That could have been prevented had you
cleaned the tools in the fall, allowed them to dry and then wipe
down the metal parts with an oily rag. Be sure to burn the rag once
your done. Spontaneous combustion is a reality.
Tile Backsplashes and Electrical Outlets
Lamar Hutchinson of Loreauville, LA wrote to me:
I am installing some 1x1 glass tiles on mesh backing as a kitchen
backsplash. There are several outlets in the area of installation,
ranging from electrical to phone. My questions is: do I leave
enough space to have the outlets removed and after the glass tile
is installled, so I need to put outlet spacers in so I can bring
those outlets flush with the tile?
Lamar, I believe I understand your dilemma. I tackle this issue by
backing out the screws that hold the electrical outlet to the box
inside the wall. Be sure to turn of the circuit breaker that
controls any of these devices you're working with. You need to get
the outlet so that it sits on top of the tile. This means you cut
the tile pieces so they are right at the edges of the electrical
box in the wall.
Once the glue sets, you then tighten the outlet so the little round
or square tabs contact the tile. Your method, if I understand it,
will achieve the same result, but with a little more work. You'll
have to have an assortment of spacers to get the outlet exactly
where it needs to be. My method eliminates this guesswork.
Pocket Door Tip
Last year I remodeled our master bathroom. Kathy's closet has a
pocket door that was just the thing to save very valuable space in
the bathroom. The pocket door allowed us to place the opening to
the closet immediately adjacent to the bathroom door.
Had we used a traditional swinging door, the two doors would
undoubtedly bang into one another.
One of the things I do when installing a pocket door is use
decorative brass screws on the top and side door jambs. These
screws allow me to remove the jambs in seconds should I have to
adjust or remove the door.
To make this process painless, I also prepaint the jambs before
installing them. If you install raw wood and allow the painter to
paint them in place, the paint can cause the jambs to stick to the
door casing.
If you have a remodeling project coming up or even a new house,
take a hard look at pocket doors. They are great if you use the
pocket-door mounting hardware and track I use!
Appearance This Weekend
If you live near or in Cincinnati, OH, I'll be speaking on Friday,
Saturday and Sunday at the Cincinnati Home and Garden Show. The
times are:
- Friday - 5 p.m.
- Saturday - 2 and 6 p.m.
- Sunday - 2 p.m.
Stop by and say "Hello!"
Ice Dam Damage, Contractors and Limited Money
Janet Murray emailed me over the weekend lamenting about water
damage caused by the heavy snow that hit the East Coast last month.
Her ceilings and walls and her mother's were damaged by dripping
water.
She wanted to know who to call in to fix the work and how to make
sure that she doesn't get ripped off. You may face the same anxiety
when you go to hire a contractor.
I told Janet that the first step is to consider modifying the roof
IF she intends to live in the house for a period of time. You can
retrofit a roof with the ice-dam membranes by removing the lower
courses of shingles on a roof. It's not easy, but it's possible.
You want to do this so that you'll never have the leak again. Why
patch the ceilings and walls to only have to do it again in the
future?
I then told her that she could possibly find a handyman who could
do the repairs and needed painting.
Just after sending the reply, I got a similar email from a woman
who was wringing her hands about not being able to make a mistake
when hiring a contractor. Funds were limited and she had to get the
work done right the first time.
That's when the lightbulb went off. For over fifteen years I've
been selling these checklists for all sorts of indoor and outdoor
projects that help you discover the REAL pro in your area. In fact,
I taped a series of videos just for these checklists that show you
the secret way I would go find a pro carpenter, plumber, painter,
electrician, roofer, etc. no matter WHAT city or town I was in. You
give me two hours in any city and I'll find the pro you need. But
the great news is, my checklists show you how to do it!
After reading those two emails, I got the feeling that you and many
others in these horrible economic times could be in the same boat.
You can't make a mistake. So to help you, I decided to do something
I've never done before.
I told Roger, my virtual assistant, to slash the price of all my
checklists - except for the New House and WalkThrough ones. My
helpful checklists usually sell for $17 each, but for the next week
you can get any one you need for just $2. That's not a typo. Yes,
just $2 for any of the checklists.
These are Instant Download .pdf files you get immediately. You can
get as many as you want for the $2 price. It's a steal when you see
all the special questions I have you ask each of the contractors.
At this price, you should consider buying any checklists you may
need for future projects.
If you want to see how good they are, just buy one. Open it up,
look at all the questions and background material, and see for
yourself. If you feel they are worth it, then go back and get
whatever else you need.
This crazy promotion ends on Tuesday morning March 16th at 8 a.m.
ET. You need to react now to literally save hundreds of dollars.
Actually, thousands of dollars as you'll be sure to get the pro
who'll do your job right, not over!
Stain Solver Help
I'm in the midst of redesigning containers and fancy new labels for
my Stain Solver. But I need your help.
Often I get people who want to get a sample or smaller test size
before purchasing my small 4-pound size. Can you tell me if you
would buy a 1-pound size container or would that be a waste of
time? One pound of Stain Solver would fit in a one-pint container.
I'm also looking into small sample packets that could be mailed in
an envelope. To get one of those - when available - you'd only have
to pay $2 to cover the cost of postage, handling, etc.
Do either of these ideas appeal to you, or is it an exercise in
futility?
By the way, the annual Spring Stain Solver Sale is just a month
away. If you have a deck to clean or any other project, wait till
you see the sale news!
Liquid Wrench Six Pack
After driving back in the snow and salt from New Hampshire to
Cincinnati, OH, I tried to get the key in the padlocks on my
trailer. Forget about it. The key slot was filled with salt
deposits. With great effort, I was able to dissolve the salt and
finally get the key to work.
Yesterday I got a sample pack of six new cans of Liquid Wrench
products that may have prevented the agony. Imagine if I needed to
open the trailer while I was on the road!
In this sample pack are six different cans of lubricating spray.
There's penetrating oil, lube spray, regular oil, dry lubricant,
chain lube, silicon spray, and even a white lithium grease spray.
Wow!
I'm about to try these products on several things around here, not
the least of which are the rollers and hinges on my garage doors.
Let me tell you, you want those working well all the time as the
garage door is usually the largest and heaviest mechanical device
in most homes.
I'll let you know how it works on the padlocks.
Tim Carter's Fire Pit
If you're a new subscriber, I have a secondary website that might
be of interest to you. It has nothing to do with home improvement,
and everything to do with improving our great nation.
The best part is that it doesn't make any difference how you feel,
as you can voice your opinion on any of the topics discussed there.
Just leave a comment.
I hope you stop by my Fire Pit and share your point of view.
If you're a new subscriber, I have a secondary website that might
be of interest to you. It has nothing to do with home improvement,
and everything to do with improving our great nation.
The best part is that it doesn't make any difference how you feel,
as you can voice your opinion on any of the topics discussed there.
Just leave a comment.
I hope you stop by my Fire Pit and share your point of view.
AsktheBuilder.com
P.O. Box 887
Meredith, NH 03253-0887, USA
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