It's Easy & Fast to make a F250 Ride Smoother - Patio Stones! My Ford F-250 Super Duty 4x4 has a very stiff suspension. An F-250 is a 3/4-ton truck and everything about the chassis is bigger and tougher than its little brother the F-150. The robust front springs installed in 2009 as part of Read More »
Go Ahead, Build a New Interior Wall in an Hour or Less Do you want to build a new interior wall inside your home? Perhaps you’re trying to create a new small space for a home office, hobby room, or you have a bigger appetite and are transforming a dank basement into a cozy Read More »
Home Inspectors Near Me - Structural and ASHI A few years back, I used to do a two-hour home improvement radio call-in show in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was loads of fun to be on the spot on live radio answering your questions. I miss those mornings, but now I do the same thing via an Read More »
How to Prevent Brick Foundation Problems - Go to the BIA A few weeks ago, a visitor to my AsktheBuilder.com website wanted to know about brick foundations. Karen had this ambitious desire to build a small 900-square-foot house by herself. She was well aware of her physical limitations and asked me if it was possible Read More »
Drain Flies How to Get Rid Of - Easy! My friend Jim from Cincinnati, texted me the other day: "How do I get rid of drain flies?" I replied, "Simple..." I then outlined the steps in the text message. Here they are for you. Step 1: Remove the drain cover and use a toilet brush, Read More »
Babysitting Your Contractor - An Unexpected Surprise In the autumn of 1993, when I started Ask the Builder, I knew I’d become a clearinghouse of homeowner complaints, misery, and frustration. Homeowners from all across the fruited plains of the USA might understand I was an independent voice and someone that didn’t have a dog in Read More »
Building on Granite Bedrock - It's Hard and Expensive I live in central New Hampshire and its nickname is The Granite State. Trust me, they don't call it that for nothing! My own house sits directly on top of one of the enormous granite plutons that can be found beneath the forests and streams of Read More »
Room Addition Plans - They Must Be Great This past week, I did quite a few telephone consult calls. One in particular stands out, and I feel it should be of particular interest to you if you’re planning on building a new home, a large room addition, remodeling a kitchen, or even building a humble Read More »
Original Joist Hanger - No Steel Involved What do you think was the original joist hanger? You might be surprised to know that the master carpenters of old figured out how to hang joist using no metal whatsoever. Watch and see:
Surfside City Condo Collapse - My Early Guess: Rusty Rebar Fractures and Weakened Concrete Columns This past weekend, my wife asked me all sorts of questions about the tragic sudden collapse of the 40-year-old condominium building near Miami, Florida. We’ve dated since high school and she knows I’ve got a geology degree instead of one Read More »
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