Category: ask the builder

Ask the Builder: Lost Building Secrets That Prevent Wood Rot

Hours before I began to write this column, I was backing my car into a parking spot at church. Just ahead of me was an older garage on the church campus that was being remodeled. New vinyl siding is being installed, and my guess is all of the trim is going to be wrapped in…


Ask the Builder: Drain Swampy Yards and Stop Wet Basements

Ande lives in Puyallup, Washington, and reads my weekly column in her paper. She’s got a very common problem. In fact, tens of thousands of people suffer from it in places where there’s abundant rainfall for many months during the year. Ande’s backyard turns into a miniature Okefenokee Swamp when it rains. Her crawlspace also…