DEAR TIM: Yesterday I stopped by my new house that’s under construction. I go there at the end of each day to take photos. I saw a strange board nailed across the wall studs that surely is a mistake. It ran at a diagonal from the bottom wall plate up the wall to one corner Read More »
"You can build a concrete block foundation that’s stronger and more durable than a poured wall so long as the block foundation has lots of vertical and horizontal steel in it and the void spaces in the concrete block wall are filled with pea-gravel concrete." Poured or Block Foundation Checklist Both foundations need lots of Read More »
DEAR TIM: I need to build some simple outdoor steps to replace ones that fell apart and rotted, even though they were made with treated lumber. I’m fairly handy and have a decent grasp of the math but would love some tips to get professional results. I’d also like to prevent the new steps from Read More »
Tim Carter shows a nifty trick when framing walls for a house. Don't allow an interior wall to touch an exterior wall. Leave a 3/4-inch gap so you can slide drywall in one giant piece instead of having to cut it at the corners. This wall framing trick also helps prevent air infiltration because the Read More »
DEAR TIM: I’m in the planning stages for building a new home and I don’t want bounce in my floors. My last home felt like a trampoline yet it was built to code. My new home is going to have a massive kitchen with a giant island that will have a 10-foot by 5-foot solid Read More »
DEAR TIM: My relatives want to repair failing decorative iron columns and short stubby brick pillars that are part of a front porch on a home that's about 100 years old. A giant section of the house overhangs the front porch and I'm certain the decorative ironwork is helping to hold up the second story. Read More »
Gordon Doughman is a subscriber to my FREE newsletter. He was kind enough to share a fascinating discovery he made. Allow him to share the story: "Tim, I know in several of your recent newsletters you discussed galvanized nails and the performance difference between hot dipped versus electroplated nails. I recently rebuilt my deck (capped Read More »
DEAR TIM: I would like to remove the two corner walls in my kitchen that are common with my living and dining room. This will allow me to install more cabinets and a countertop with a bar to eat at. The entire house will seem more open. Can the walls be removed? What's involved? Who Read More »
Tommy Cummings is perplexed in Fife Lake, MI. Here's one of the shortest questions I've ever received. "I'm using 2x6 studs. How is the correct way to build my window headers?" Well here's my answer: Two Or More Methods Tommy, there's two parts to this answer, the method and the engineering solution. Different carpenters will do this Read More »
Helen Jennings wants to create a new door in the exterior wall of an ancient stone home in Holmbridge, West Yorkshire England! Here's what she sent me: "Do you think it would be possible to knock a doorway through this side external wall on the same level as the front door? I'd also want to add a Read More »
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