Ask the Builder: The truth about radiant heat
Here are some facts that will help you understand why it’s so very hard to stay cool in your home when the sun is beating on it like a bass...
All Stories
Ask the Builder: Tips for building a small retaining wall
You may not have granite where you live, so make use of any suitable durable stone at your disposal.
Ask the Builder: Wood needs room to swell and shrink as moisture level changes
Wood is a true gift from God. We tend not to think of trees as an agricultural crop like tomatoes, wheat or corn, but in many cases they're not much...
Ask the Builder: Installing ceramic tile outdoors
You may or may not know that water expands by about 9% when it freezes. This expansion is so powerful that it can split apart metal water pipes. It can...
Ask the Builder: Your chimney could be the source of your roof leak
Roof leaks plague countless homeowners each year. Talk to experienced roofers, and they'll tell you the vast majority of leaks happen at flashings. A roof flashing is a transitional material....
Ask the Builder: How to avoid geologic hazards when building
You probably don't give much thought to the ground under or around your home. What follows are a few true stories that may change your perspective. If you're in the...
Ask the Builder: How to spend the least money to stay warm
Like me, you may live where it gets cold in the winter. Even if you're blessed to live in the South or Southwest, occasional cold waves force you to put...
Ask the Builder: What do you know about cork flooring?
What I'm about to share with you might amaze you. We've all heard it said before that "you don't know what you don't know." And when something that has been...
Ask the Builder: Find hardware and parts in seconds with amazing boxes
I need you to be honest. In the past few months, how many hours have you spent looking for some nut, bolt, screw, wire nut or any other small part...
Ask the Builder: Opening a remodeling can of worms
My start in the construction business happened in Cincinnati in the early 1970s. The knowledge I obtained in those first few formative years doing remodeling work made me, in my...