August 4, 2011 AsktheBuilder Tips And Newsletter

What's in This Newsletter?

Latest News
Meghan in California
New Milwaukee Flush Cut Saw Blade
Painting Floors
Mixers for Sale

Summer is here in all its glory. I know certain parts of the nation are simmering. Two weeks ago, I was at the Milwaukee Tools Conference in Milwaukee and it was blistering hot.

I also had the opportunity to get a new homeowner's insurance policy over the past two weeks. It's very possible you've been overcharged for years like I was and deserve a refund check. Wait till you read that story.

I finally checked off one item on my bucket list. I visited the summit of Mt. Washington last Friday. Three weeks ago, I got really close, just 250 feet or so below the summit when I was working my ham radio helping in a bicycle race. But that day the conditions were so bad and there were so many people up there tending to the bicyclists, I decided to go back to the base instead of grope through the fog bumping into people.

Meghan in California

Do you live in or near these California cities? :

• La Mesa
• Bakersfield
• Redlands
• Chatsworth
• Huntington Beach

If so, starting today, you can go see my daughter Meghan as she talks about her new The Meghan Method book. She'll gladly sign your copy.

At each location, Meghan gives a presentation on the secrets of how you extract from yourself what your true style is. You don't have to hire an expensive interior decorator. Seriously, you can do it yourself and get perfect results.

Here are the times and locations for the events. If you go and have a question about your home, be sure to bring photos of the spots you're having trouble with. Please tell her I said Hello and hope all is going well.

New Milwaukee Flush Cut Saw Blade

While at the Milwaukee Tool Conference two weeks ago, they demonstrated a fancy new saw blade made for reciprocating saws. It's called the Flush Cut blade.

This blade is unique because it has a large truss design that helps keep the blade cutting in the same plane. That's handy when cutting out a bottom plate at a door opening.

It also has a new fang tip that allows for quicker plunge cutting.

Better yet, it has new blade geometry that prevents the cutting teeth of the blade from coming into contact with a floor surface as the blade finishes a cut.

You'll love this blade for sure.

The link above is an affiliate link to Amazon. If you purchase the saw blade from that link, I will receive a tiny commission.

Painting Floors

Becky from El Paso, TX wrote to me:

"We just bought our 1st house. It is a mess! The previous owners left us with cigarettes burns all over the master bath old ugly laminate floor. We also had to pull out all the carpeting in all the other rooms, so we are limited on funds. My question is: Can I paint laminate flooring?"

Becky, you can absolutely paint laminate floors, or many other floors for that matter. I've got a boatload of tips about the entire process at my website.

Some of my past advice talks about oil-based primers and paints. Laws regarding volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have made it pretty tough to find these paints. But if you still can locate them, they're the ones to use.

Here's a past column on Painting Floors.

Here's a column that's full of Secret Ninja Floor-Painting Tips.

Mixers FOR SALE

Do you live in greater Cincinnati or Chicago? I have two electric-powered drum-type concrete or mortar mixers for sale.

The one in Cincinnati is only three years old and NEVER been in the daylight. It's always been in a warehouse and only used once or twice a week to mix powder, not gross concrete or mortar. It looks brand new and has a 4 cubic-foot capacity.

The one in Chicago has NEVER been used. It's brand new and has a bigger capacity.

Contact me if you're interested in either machine.

Remember, if you're on Facebook, PLEASE leave a comment at the bottom of the column telling others what you discovered when reading my column. You'll see the Facebook comment widget at the bottom of the column. Thanks in advance!