AsktheBuilder.com Issue #1323 (Not Sure!)

February 23, 2025

Dear ,

Be Honest - Which One of the Following is You?

When was the last time you had a connect-the-dots moment?

I'm talking about when one random event in your daily life causes your little-gray-cells tumblers to align.

You might even say out loud, "Are you kidding me? How could I overlook that?"

It happened to me this past Friday morning while I was driving south on twisted Blackbrook Road. I was on my way to my son's house to continue working on the marvelous Embassy Ceiling system in his basement remodel.

This sinuous path of hot top hugs the shoreline of Lake Winnisquam like a new wife hugs her husband after he returns home from a long military deployment.

I need you to stick with me all the way to the end of this story. If you do, there's a 98% chance I'm going to save you at least $5,000 or $10,000.

Buying a Home With Little Time

Six days ago a bitter wind was slicing through the hills and valleys of New Hampshire. It was a day to stay indoors.

Not me. My friend Angel asked me if I'd go to look at a house with her realtor. I obliged even though I don't relish going outside when the air hurts my face!

Angel is in a bind. She has to move from her condo and needs to find a replacement house faster than a fly takes flight when you try to swat it.

Situations like this are fraught with financial danger. Emotions can overpower logic and common sense. 

Angel, or YOU, might overlook flaws that might swallow thousands of dollars a month or two after you move in to the new abode.

The house didn't suit Angel's needs. I decided she needed my Existing Home Checklist before she and her realtor go on a new adventure.

I created this product about 25 years ago. It's a handy tool that forces you to look at things that can cost big bucks to fix.

The checklist allows you to eliminate a house before you spend $500 on a professional inspector who tells you in his official report the house is a POC.

I sent it to her, and she was most grateful.

Don't order it just yet. You'll be able to get it for about a 90% discount in a few minutes.

Keep reading...

The Last Asphalt Roof You'll Install

Days ago I spoke with Buddy. He's about to sign a contract for a new asphalt shingle roof.

He's a subscriber to this newsletter and recalled years ago I talked about using copper to extend the life of an asphalt roof. 

He's right, I revealed my discovery in my Roofing Ripoff book.

I went into great detail on the call about how copper ions bond to sun-damaged asphalt molecules. The copper prevents cross-linking.

Buddy was thinking about investing in a spray-on product that I reviewed four or five years ago. You may want to read that past column.

How would you like to get my Roofing Ripoff book for a steep discount? Keep reading...

The $3500 Change Order

I'm acting as a virtual general contractor for a couple in Colorado. They're building a unique custom home. The issue is they tore down an old home and decided to build the new house on the old foundation.

All sorts of problems have popped up. The biggest issue is it forced them to fit a square peg in a round hole. The layout and room sizes were dictated by the OLD foundation for the most part.

About six weeks ago, they were hit with a surprise $3,500 change order. The plans for the job didn't call out the height of a fill-in foundation wall in the garage.

The couple wanted to change the way to enter the garage. This forced them to fill in the old notch in the foundation where the garage door used to be.

There are TWO issues with this story. In addition, there is the strong likelihood many more change orders are looming. They could total $50,000 with no effort.

I would have pointed out the danger of using an old foundation if they had just jumped on a one-hour phone call with me.

They could have eliminated the change-order vortex if they had a great set of plans and specifications.

But they didn't do either. They only discovered me after they got into trouble trying to figure out how to install foundation drain pipes around two very expensive counterforts they had to install to stabilize the out-of-level foundation.

I can assure you had they done a phone call with me, I would have advised them to tear out the old foundation instead of trying to make it work.

A New Roof, A Concrete Driveway, & a Kitchen Remodel

I also solved issues about those three things and more last week. Each homeowner was about to start a project that could go off the rails.

What would you say if I told you I had a checklist for you to use EACH TIME you go to hire ANY CONTRACTOR to do just about ANY PROJECT around your home?

The checklists FORCE the contractors to answer questions you'd never know to ask!

Losing big money could happen with each job IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND ARE HOPING THINGS WORK OUT.

That's when it all clicked for me. 

I rounded a bend on Blackbrook Road and said to myself, "What's wrong with you? Why, week after week, do you FORGET to share with your subscribers your amazing Digital Library?"

My Digital Library can easily save you TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OVER TIME.

 

It's like having a home improvement first aid kit with you at all times.

You may ask, "Tim, what in the world is your Digital Library?"

Be careful what you ask for. 

My Digital Library is a product I've been selling for years, but few know about it. 

My Digital Library is a vast collection of checklists, ebooks, hiring guides, deluxe shed plans, etc. 

Here are all the CHECKLISTS and GUIDES it includes:

Digital Library Contents:

Drainage and STOP Wet Basements

• How to Install a Trench Drain Video Series
• Linear French Drain Streaming Video

Popular eBooks

• Roofing Ripoff eBook
• Crown Molding eBook
• Painting Cabinetry eBook
• Shower Pan Liner eBook
• Shower Pan Cement Mud Floor eBook
• Building Simple Stairs eBook
• Cork Flooring eBook
• Tar and Chip Driveway eBook
• The Real Truth About Energy Savings Methods
• Slate Flooring Installation eBook
• Basic Structural Concepts eBook
• Cleaning and Sealing Your Deck eBook
• Save Money Buying Tools and Materials on the Internet

Project Checklists & Contractor Hiring Guides

• Air Conditioning Installation/Repair Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Asphalt/Blacktop/Tar & Chip Installation & Repair Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Attic Dormer Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Basement Remodeling Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Basement Waterproofing Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Bathroom Remodeling Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Concrete Work Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Ceramic Tile Installation Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Chimney Repair Contractor Hiring Guide
• Deck Installation & Repair Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Drywall / Plaster Installation Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Electric Circuit Panel Upgrade Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Exterior Door Replacement Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Exterior Painting & Staining Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Furnace - Boiler Installation Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Garage Addition Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Gutter & Downspout Installation / Repair Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Hardwood Flooring Installation / Refinishing Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Water Heater Installation Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Insulation Installation Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Interior Painting & Staining Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Kitchen Remodeling Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Brick & Concrete Block Repair Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Plumbing Work Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Retaining Wall Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Room Addition Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Roofing Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Security & Fire Alarm Installation Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Termite & Carpenter Ant Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Vinyl Siding Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist
• Window Replacement Contractor Hiring Guide & Checklist

Deluxe Two-Story Shed

• Deluxe Shed Plans

New Home Construction

• Land & Vacant Lot Buying Checklist  
• New Home Construction Cost Estimator
• New Home Checklist with Cost Breakdown
• New Home Partial Package Deal
• New Home Full Suite Package
• New House Specifications
• Sample Blueprints
• Bid Comparison Spreadsheet
• New Home Walk-Through Checklist

Existing Home Inspection

• Existing House Inspection Checklist

Bundled Checklists - All-in-One-Place

• Indoor Projects Contractor Hiring Guide Bundle
• Major Addition Projects Contractor Hiring Guide Bundle
• Major Indoor Remodeling Contractor Hiring Guide Bundle
• Mechanical System Projects Contractor Hiring Guide Bundle
• Outdoor Projects Contractor Hiring Guide Bundle
• Five Category Checklist Contractor Hiring Guide Bundle

Easy & Simple Repair Guides

• Repair Your Asphalt Shingle Roof
• Deicing Salt Guide
• Fixing a Stripped Wood Screw Hole Guide
• Drywall Tips and Tricks
• Trex Decking & Mushroom Problems
• Grout Floor Tile & Slate
• Mortar Recipe for Stone Veneer
• Recipe for Super Strong 4500 PSI Concrete
• How to Make a Plumbing Loop Vent
• Do I Need a New Roof
• Deck Ledger Flashing Detail And Notes
• Best Plumbing Practices for Installing PVC Drain & Vent Piping
• Concrete Sidewalk Drawing and Specifications
• Chimney Crown Specifications
• White Residue & Fuzz on Wood Decks

Packaged How-To Video Series

• Shed Building Videos - Full Set
• Site Clearing Videos
• Layout Videos
• Builder's Level Videos
• Concrete Pier Layout Videos
• Excavation Videos
• Concrete Piers Videos
• Pouring Concrete Piers Videos
• Wood Posts & Beams Videos
• Floor Joist Videos
• Floor Foam Insulation Videos
• Plywood Subfloor Videos
• Wall Framing Videos
• Wall Sheathing Videos
• Window & Door Framing Videos
• Roof Framing Videos
• Roof Sheathing Videos
• Ice & Watershield Videos
• Roofing Drip Edge Videos
• Sun Tunnel Videos
• Roof Shingles Videos
• Skylight Videos
• Flat Sun Tunnel Videos
• Soffit & Overhang Videos
• Siding Weather Barrier Videos
• Window Flashing Videos
• Window Installation Videos
• Door Installation Videos
• Siding Installation Videos
• Overhead Garage Door Installation Videos
• Rough Interior Stairs Videos

Home Repair Videos

• New Front Door Video Series
• Wood Rot Repair Video Series
• Deck Stain Test Results
• New Window Installation Video Series

CLICK HERE NOW to purchase my Digital Library that contains all of the above products.

You get it for just $79.99.

If you were to buy them one at a time instead of in the package, you'd spend over $1,150.00.

Here's the kicker. On March 1st, I'm raising the price to $99.99.

Now is the time to start saving huge money.

"Yeah, right. That's the way it is. It's down there and I'm in here. I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.

Andy Dufresne just before he escapes from Shawshank prison.

CLICK HERE to see this classic movie scene.

#DoNotComply

Once bitten, twice shy...

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

The BEST Love Story of all time - well, maybe a close second.

That's enough for a Sunday morning.

Peace out.

Tim Carter (PhD, FullyAwakeology)

Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Electromagnetic Adventures: www.W3ATB.com

My Pronouns: Told/You/So

Do It Right, Not Over!