"Detached garage ideas are like grains of sand on a beach. The most important one is to make your garage wide and deep." Tim Carter | Founder - AsktheBuilder.com Detached Garage Ideas - Bigger is Better Always DEAR TIM: I bought a house with a dilapidated detached garage on it. It needs to be torn Read More »
Attic Truss Design - Real Rooms in a Real Attic! "You may not realize you can have rooms up in the wasted space of normal truss roofs. Attic trusses allow you to recapture all that dead space." Tim Carter | Founder - AsktheBuilder.com Attic trusses are marvelous trusses that create rooms for a small amount Read More »
Attics are Easy in New Homes/Remodels QUESTION #1: Tim, I grew up in an older home with an attic. I love storing things up there. When I watch new homes being built, all I see are trusses with all sorts of cross supports that make it impossible to have an attic. Can you have an Read More »
Roof Cracking Sounds Winter | Snow Loads, Ice Weight & Wind "Roof cracking sounds in the winter are common. Some sounds are caused by heavy snow and ice, some are caused by high winds, and the sun might cause cracking sounds on bluebird days." Tim Carter - Founder | AsktheBuilder.com Roof cracking sounds are somewhat Read More »
"A footing is just like the foot on your leg. It spreads out the weight of the building onto the soil. Bigger is better!" Tim Carter - Founder | AsktheBuilder.com Footing Width and Depth - Do Both Right to Avoid #FAILURE Footing width and depth are very important. A footing spreads out the weight of Read More »
"The footing depth below grade is determined by two things: when you encounter strong soil and making sure you're below the local frost depth in your area." Tim Carter - Founder | AsktheBuilder.com Footing Depth Below Grade - Two Factors Control the Depth The footing depth of your garage, house, or building depends on where Read More »
Footing Detail - Concrete + Steel + Great Soil A footing is quite possibly the most important detail in construction. A footing is what contacts the earth or soil and it distributes the total load, or weight of the building, so it doesn't sink into the ground. What are the Details of a Footing? A Read More »
Drill a Well QUESTION #1: Tim the Builder, I’ve got a question for you. I live in a big city and am tired of the chlorinated and polluted water that flows through the city water mains. Is it possible to have my own well water as people out in the country have? How does water Read More »
Floor Trusses - No Interior Bearing Walls QUESTION #1: Tim, is it possible to build a multi-story home with no, or few, interior bearing walls or beams? I’ve looked at lumber span tables and regular lumber doesn’t seem to be able to do what I want to be done. What are my options and have Read More »
Are you a brand new subscriber? Welcome and thanks for your trust. Honorable subscriber of record? Thanks for remaining on the list. You're a blessing! This is going to be a pictorial newsletter as I'm up in Bar Harbor right now getting ready for my third day of taping hours of video footage of the framing Read More »