ArcaMax

I received two frantic phone calls in less than 12 hours several days ago. Both calls were about plumbing emergencies. The one young woman was so flustered she hung up on me the instant she discovered my Google Maps listing was about drawing plumbing plans, not doing plumbing service calls. I speculated a pipe had burst and water was flooding ...Read more

Last fall I traveled with my wife across the USA. We arrived in Los Angeles and a few hours later got to hold our newest granddaughter. It was magical, to say the least.

My youngest daughter inherited her mother’s love of gardening. It was decided a day trip to the magnificent Huntington Botanical Gardens located in San Marino, California, ...Read more

Not long ago I was skim coating hundreds of square feet of new drywall in my son’s basement. I added water to the thick drywall joint compound so it was the consistency of latex paint. Investing in this extra step makes the new drywall satin smooth because the paper face of the drywall ends up with the same texture and porosity of the taped ...Read more

Do you park your car or light truck in a garage? I do both here at my home. I didn’t build the house I live in, but I hope to build my final dream home with my dream garage in the next few years.

I grumble each time I back my Ford F250 Super Duty 4x4 into my bay. The architect who designed my home made the same mistakes that have been made by...Read more

You may not know this, but I received a bachelor of science degree in geology many moons ago. I was fascinated by the topic, and it helped me build houses and buildings that would not fail. Hydrogeology, the study of groundwater, and continental glaciation were two subjects that have allowed me to solve wet basement problems for thousands of ...Read more

It's likely you’ve been inside a house that is surrounded by spectacular scenery. You may have stayed at a resort like the one in Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park. Perhaps you’ve stayed in the Mt. Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.

I can guarantee you the architects who designed the buildings and specified the ...Read more

The seasonal tumblers are all clicking into place here at my home. The same thing might be happening where you live. My central New Hampshire town, much to my dismay, uses rock salt to fight ice and snow on the roads. Yes, it works, but it also corrodes cars and trucks. The salt also creates anxiety for many a homeowner in the spring. They think...Read more

I grew up reading Superman comic books. One of his superpowers was X-ray vision. He could see through opaque objects to detect danger. I was mesmerized by this power.

What would you say if I told you that for less than $300 you could have a simple tool that plugs into your smartphone to give you a similar superpower? I’m talking about an ...Read more

Water drainage is misunderstood by many homeowners, builders, YouTube personalities and building inspectors, if my email in-box is any indicator. I’ve lost count of the thousands of drainage help requests entered on the Ask Tim page of my AsktheBuilder.com website.

Geology was my college major, with a specific focus on hydrogeology. That’s ...Read more

I’ve been helping my son finish the basement in his 3-year-old home. We can only work on Saturdays, some Fridays and any paid days off he can spare. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to help my kids work on their homes. Five years ago I installed all the plumbing, radiant heating and electrical cables in my oldest daughter’s home.

My son...Read more

Were you 100% satisfied with all of the work done on your last large project? I’m talking about near perfection. If you did an autopsy of all the problems, errors and delays on the big job, what do you think would be the top causes? How do you prevent problems? The answers may surprise you.

I was recently hired by a young couple in Denver to ...Read more

Several weeks ago, I shared a story with you about a young woman. She attends our church, and my wife and I are friends with her. A week ago she reached out to me with a new problem. She was attempting to install a new handrail on two flights of stairs in her condominium.

This woman had the best of intentions. She got her younger sister to jump...Read more