You're looking at a whitewashed project of mine.
This particular job, overall, was the most challenging one of my entire building career. There were two room additions here, one you can't see on the back of the
house. Both had a 17/12 pitch roof and part of the roof on the back addition was curved.
There were many difficult things about this project, including the homeowner. But that's a story for another day over a plate of BBQ.
A major part of the job required me to match PERFECTLY the 70-year-old whitewash on the original house. My painter and I nailed
it.
Troubling Phone Call
Late yesterday afternoon I had a troubling phone call with a grade school classmate of mine. We were very very good friends through grade and high school.
It turns out he is helping his son remodel a 70-year-old house in the St. Bernard suburb of Cincinnati, OH.
He proceeded to tell me that a severe storm back about four months ago flooded his son's basement requiring them to rip up a thin vinyl-tile floor.
He was faced with the task of removing a black troweled-on mastic. My friend didn't go to my website to look for information. He didn't bother to call me.
He went and rented a grinder. Not only did he remove the mastic, but he also ground into the concrete.
Here's part of the
conversation:
"(name withheld), you should have called me before you rented that grinder."
"Why??
"Did you realize the mastic, because it's so old, very likely had asbestos in it as a
fortifier? Also, grinding into the concrete creates clouds of silica dust. You can contract serious silicosis by breathing silica dust."
"I had on a mask."
"Was it one approved to stop asbestos fibers and silica dust?"
He didn't know......
I have a column at my website about how to remove tile mastic.
Just a day before my son and I were talking about how I'm in the life preserver business.
Ninety-eight percent of the email I get are from people who are
in DEEP TROUBLE AFTER they started a job or hired a contractor.
If they would have just spent 30 minutes using my Search Engine at AsktheBuilder.com, they'd probably not be drowning.
Don't drown - Use my Search
Engine.
Consider doing your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc. a HUGE FAVOR. If you ever hear them say they're about to start ANY home improvement or they're about to HIRE a contractor, BEG THEM to go use my search engine.
They'll most likely discover tips on
exactly how the job should be done and WHAT are the BEST materials to use.
I don't like to give people bad news that will cost them thousands of dollars as I'm throwing them a life preserver, but I do it each day to many who email me crying for help.
Latest Revised Columns
Just a few days ago, after sending out a batch of the revised columns, you may have been the one who sent me an email that read something like this:
"Tim, I'm really enjoying
reading your past columns. I had NO IDEA all these topics were at your website."
Yep, and we're just scratching the surface. For the rest of this year I think you'll be amazed at some of the content you'll be seeing, including older, but still relevant, videos.
The following columns have quite a
few of my videos in them.
Enjoy filling your brains with knowledge!
That's enough for you for today. Are you having fun doing the translations?
あなたの心は今日のように決して柔らかくはありません。
Anata no kokoro wa kyō no yō
ni kesshite
yawarakaku wa arimasen.
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Do It Right, Not Over!
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