February 20, 2018 AsktheBuilder Newsletter
Do you remember that scene from the Field of Dreams movie where Ray went back in time and was sitting in Dr. Archibald Graham's office?
Ray asked Doc what he'd wish for if he had one wish. Doc Graham described how he'd like to have one at-bat against a major-league pitcher and stare at a sky "so blue it hurts your eyes to look at it."
I know what that's like, the sky part. I saw it again on Sunday morning here in central New Hampshire where I live. Overnight we received a fresh 6 inches of snow and this is what it looked like a few moments after sunrise.
The sky is especially blue in the winter after a storm because the air is so dry. I know it's hard to believe, but this is what it looks like to me.
The brilliant blue sky is what colors the clear water in our lakes and the ocean far away from silt-laden rivers. You've heard the saying, "deep blue sea", right? Well, it's true when you're out away from land and the water is clear.
CLICK HERE to see my blue lake on a sunny summer day.
BEWARE Miracle Transformation Products
Over forty years ago, I used to walk with my father-in-law across some forested land he owned. I can't remember what we were talking about but one day he said, "Often the secondary effects of a decision are far worse than the primary ones."
Being a young man with minimal life experience, I couldn't wrap my head around that statement. But as I grew older I sure did.
Here are some examples and the latest one is just below:
Asphalt shingle manufacturers years ago decided to add more powdered limestone to shingles to make more profit (primary effect). The unintended consequence (secondary effect) is black algae streaks on your roof.
CLICK HERE to discover two great products to CLEAN & STOP the BLACK ALGAE from ever coming back.
Thirty years ago, the companies that made synthetic acrylic stucco - EIFS - thought it would be a great idea to expand into the residential marketplace (primary effect - more profit). Prior to this the product was installed on institutional and commercial buildings built primarily of steel. Homes are built from wood.
Years later, thousands of houses and other wood-framed light commercial buildings were suffering from major wood rot because the synthetic stucco trapped water against the wood. (Secondary effect). CLICK HERE to read more about the wretched EIFS nightmare.
Now look at this photo I saw online last week, and tell me if you can conjure up the SECONDARY EFFECT:
Primary effect: You transform a plain garage door into one that looks amazing from a distance.
Secondary effect you'd probably NEVER think of: The garage door opener burns up from lifting the extra weight of the metal skins you applied. You never thought to pay a professional to come out and readjust the tension springs.
DON'T EVEN THINK of adjusting garage-door springs on your own. It's VERY DANGEROUS. CLICK HERE to get a FREE BID from a professional garage-door installer to adjust your spring or do a garage-door checkup.
CLICK HERE to see why door springs are ticking time bombs and why you shouldn't touch them.
Deep Clean Slate, Tile and Floor Grout
Yesterday, I couldn't stand it any longer. Kathy and I have a fourth child you may not know about - Lady the Dog.
She's a gorgeous German Shepherd and will celebrate her tenth birthday this July. But she's a messy eater. If you want to see an animal inhale and splatter food, then stop by my house about 2:30 PM each day.
I've been putting off cleaning the floor by Lady's food dish because I wanted to capture a great before photo of the disgusting mess on our natural slate floor and the sanded grout between the pieces of slate. I think you'll agree I probably didn't need to wait this long.
Lady splatters the canned dog food she gets for lunch and then steps in it is my best guess. You can see how she's messed up the small throw rug. That's a story for another day.
I grabbed some of the Stain Solver that Kathy and I make. It's a certified organic oxygen bleach if you're a new subscriber. When you mix the powder with warm water and stir it for a minute, you end up with a magic cleaning solution that works on anything water washable.
Here's why Stain Solver is magic. I may have never shared this with you. The first thing to remember is once you mix the powder with water, you create trillions of oxygen bubbles that start to clean on their own!
The next photo shows what the floor looked like after I poured on a thin layer of the solution onto the slate and grout. The white blotches you see are the countless oxygen bubbles scrubbing the slate and grout. You can actually look close and see the bubbles moving around.
Here's another thing I don't believe I've ever shared. I allowed the solution to work on the grout for about twenty-five minutes.
When you allow Stain Solver solution to stay in contact with whatever you're cleaning for twenty, or more, minutes you achieve a 99 percent bacteria kill!
Because I allowed the solution to soak for nearly 30 minutes, the floor under Lady's dish was not only clean, but it was also safe for her so she'd not get sick. That's important to Kathy and me.
I got out my standard scrub brush and lightly scrubbed the slate and grout lines. Then I used my large sponge to rinse the floor with clear water making sure all dirt and grime was off the floor.
Here's what the floor looked like after it dried in a few minutes:
Do you want to deep clean your tile, slate, or natural stone floors? If your flooring can stand water getting on it, then it's safe to do what I did above. It works great on poured concrete floors in garages or basements too. It's safe for epoxy-coated floors in garages or commercial buildings.
Don't believe me? You're a Doubting Thomas?
Go ahead, gamble ten bucks. Purchase just one of the small sample bottles and give it a try. There's no photoshopping in those photos. Stain Solver is the real deal.
You can have clean and bacteria-free floors for yourself and your pets!!!
CLICK HERE to order a small sample bottle of magic Stain Solver.
Oh WAIT!!!! I almost forgot to ask you!!!! Do you work in a school or know someone who does?
Last week, a middle school in California placed a REFILL order for 350 POUNDS of Stain Solver! They use it all over the school to keep their kids clean and safe.
Kathy and I would appreciate it if you'd help us get Stain Solver into as many schools as possible. It's certified organic and it's made in the USA with USA ingredients.
Please EMAIL me and put me in contact with the facility manager at your local school.
Thanks so much!
Cracked Concrete Carport & Sticking Bathroom Door
I get the most interesting questions. Last week James from Evanston, IL and Dan from Boulder, CO reached out to me for some advice.
I think you're going to discover something very helpful when you CLICK HERE and read what I suggested they do at their homes.
I Can Answer Your Questions
Do you have a question? Can you take a few photos of the problem using your phone or other digital camera?
If you send me great photos, I can almost always solve your problem in a jiffy. Heck, I may even call you on the phone!!!
CLICK HERE to tell me your problem.
That's quite enough for today.
I'm in the middle of migrating AsktheBuilder.com to a new super-fast server. It's going to really work well on your phone if that's what you use to read my past columns and watch my videos.
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Captain Magic Slate Cleaner
Do It Right, Not Over!