September 2, 2016 AsktheBuilder Newsletter
I did two exciting things in the last few days.
First, I did some Fall cleaning of the subscribers to this AsktheBuilder.com newsletter. If you're reading this and seeing it, that means you didn't get put into the rubbish bin (RB).
To ensure you get the newsletter when it comes out, it's important for me to remove inactive subscribers. The postmaster that delivers your email to you wants to make sure my newsletter is not SPAM.
This is why I asked you a few days ago to:
- Open the newsletter in your software
- Click one link in the newsletter
When you do both of those things, this shows your incoming email provider that you *want* my newsletter.
Clicking any link in any issue of my newsletter tells my newsletter software that you're engaged still and that you want to continue to get it.
Bottom Line: Open each issue and always click at least one link in each issue. Do that and you'll make everybody happy!
The second fun thing I did was play Bingo with several of my very good friends from the scenic railroad. Here we are before the first ping pong ball appeared on the TV screen.
From left to right in the above photo: Theresa Drury, yours truly, Cleora Ohar, Janey Miller, and James Nigzus.
You can see me holding my blue daubber that I had to buy. It matches my eyes.
I quickly discovered that Bingo requires quite a bit of skill. You need to be sure to get just the right amount of daubber ink on each number and it needs to be centered within the lines.
You need to know that fifteen years ago, I was a Bingo caller at my kids church / school. But I hadn't played the game in perhaps fifty years!
Bottom Line: It's not all about home improvement - it's about having fun with friends to help balance yourself.
Tipping Dishwasher
Jackie has a problem with her dishwasher. It's actually quite common.
CLICK HERE do discover what is going on and how to FIX it without damaging the dishwasher or any surrounding cabinets or countertops!!
Marty and His Nail Gun
Overnight I received an email from Marty Hess who lives in Florence, OR. Here's what he sent:
"I'm going to fasten a 2x6 to a cement foundation. I'm on the coast. I would like to know if stainless nails can be used in a .22-caliber nail gun."
I get questions like this all the time from people asking if you can do this or that with a product or tool.
For example, I got one the other day asking if vinegar should be used to clean a concrete floor prior to putting down an epoxy coating.
I answer all these questions the same exact way. Here's what I sent back to Marty an hour ago:
"When you contacted the nail-gun manufacturer, what did they tell you?"
I feel this is a VERY VALUABLE teaching moment.
Marty (and you) should not trust my answer or that from any other website, a store clerk, a contractor, etc.
He should trust ONLY the manufacturer because putting in the wrong nail could cause the gun to malfunction or VOID THE WARRANTY.
In the case of the vinegar, there could be an adverse chemical reaction that causes the epoxy to not bond well to the concrete.
I believe you get the point.
Speech at University of Cincinnati
I've been asked to give a speech at my Alma Mater - UC on Friday, September 30th.
It's at 3:30 pm in room 201 of Braunstein Hall. This building is just south of the Geology - Physics building which happens to be at the northern border of the UC campus.
You're invited to attend and there's a reception following the speech.
In other words, if you live in or near Cincinnati, OH here's a chance at a meet up!
The topic of the speech is how I used my geology degree, as well as other knowledge I gained while at UC, to help people like you with my building skills, syndicated newspaper column, AsktheBuilder.com and my videos.
The speech is going to be laced with many different stories, some that will make you laugh quite loud I believe.
Wait until you hear what Dr. Caster used to say to us before each test!!!! If you're a teacher, you'd NEVER get away with this today.
If you're thinking of attending, I NEED TO KNOW so they have plenty of food and drink at the reception.
REPLY to me now and I'll start to create a list of who's coming.
I'll also be able to provide a great map and directions for you. We may go out for ice cream afterwards or a cheese coney if not satisfied with what's at the reception.
New Videos
I'm going to be taping two very interesting videos in the next two days.
One is about a fantastic new glue that's just about as stong as epoxy, but requires NO MIXING!
The second video is about the importance of a great dehumidifier - they're not all the same! - when coupled with encapsulation of damp crawlspaces.
I'll share the videos with you just as soon as I have them on the website.
If you have a YouTube account, you might want to consider subscribing to my AsktheBuilder YouTube channel! CLICK HERE to do that.
I'm pretty amazed that my videos have been watched nearly 45,000,000 times. That's hard to believe.
New Columns for You
Here are two new columns I've added to the website:
Matching Mortar
I've added a few very high-resolution photos to an older column. If you're thinking of tuck-pointing mortar or need to MATCH MORTAR in brick or stonework, you MUST READ THIS COLUMN:
That's enough for a Friday.
Have a fantastic weekend.
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Do It Right, Not Over!