July 26, 2015 AsktheBuilder Newsletter
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CLUE: Can you install a new floor in half a day?
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Today is the flight of the bumblebees! The last Sunday in July is a fun ham radio contest where the point is to operate outdoors from a remote location.
I'm hoping the weather cooperates as I'll be going out between 1 and 5 p.m. here in New Hampshire.
I'll be hanging around 14.060 MHZ doing Morse code. My call sign is W3ATB. It's a vanity call sign based on my AsktheBuilder.com business.
Get it? www.AsktheBuilder.com
Read about my latest outdoor radio adventure from ten days ago.
Thank You Reminder
My new roof job has limited the amount of emails I've been answering myself each week.
Two new ones are below.
One thing, though, is staying the same as time marches on.
Less than 3 percent of the people I answer reply with a simple "Thank You".
I just want to remind you to please say "Thanks" whenever someone does you a favor or goes out of their way to help you.
It's so easy to do and takes so little time.
What's this say about our society that so few take the time to thank others for solving their problems?
(I'm shaking my head and I know you can't see it.)
Spacing Decking and Sheathing
A new house is being built just a mile from my home.
I'm stopping by often to take photos.
About five days ago, they started putting down the floor joists and the subfloor.
I was STUNNED to see no gap between the sheets of OSB board along the 4-foot edge.
It even had PRINTED on the board "Create 1/8-inch Gap on Edge".
Wood is a hygroscopic material and changes SIZE depending upon the moisture level of the wood.
When this subfloor gets WET as it is today because of the rain here, it will SWELL.
The gap prevents buckling.
Yesterday I was hosing off my first-generation Trex deck. I didn't build the house I'm living in.
The carpenters - and the BUILDER - goofed up.
They butted the Trex decking boards next to one another. The instructions say to provide a gap for expansion as the Trex has lots of plastic in it that really expands when the sun hits it.
The previous owner of my house tried to create gaps by taking a circular saw and cutting down the edges of the decking.
Idiot. All he had to do was what I'm going to do in September.
Take up the decking and create a 1/4-inch gap between the pieces of decking. It's not hard to do.
BOTTOM LINE: Please take the time to READ the installation instructions that come with the materials you're using.
Do this even if a contractor is doing the work for you. You want to make sure the job is being done right.
Don't HOPE it will happen. Hope is the emotion of last resort.
You HOPE for things you can't control.
Like today's weather!
Affordable Healthcare
Each week I get emails, one could be from you, that says, "Tim, I just want to have what you have because I TRUST you."
I have people ask me about stuff all the time that has nothing to do with building or remodeling.
Last October, I had a horrible kidney stone attack while traveling in California.
Fortunately, Kathy had found a fantastic alternative to traditional health insurance that saved our bacon.
Yes, we were one of the hundreds of thousands of people that had our healthcare plans CANCELLED back in October of 2013.
Do you need a great healthcare plan?
CLICK HERE to see what Kathy and I have.
New Q and A's for You!
Repair Leaking Skylights or Get BEST Ones?
Tile Over Acrylic Shower Base? Seriously?
That's all for today!
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Do It Right, Not Over!