Tim Carter
An expert homebuilder and renovation and remodeling contractor, Tim Carter has 20 years of hands-on experience in the home industry. His syndicated column, "Ask the Builder," is a how-to-get-it-done-right Q&A guide for all types of building projects.
Carter began his career as a renovation and remodeling contractor after college, first working on small jobs and gradually taking on bigger projects. Soon after he graduated from college, he and his wife bought their first house - a "fixer-upper" " and he renovated it and turned a profit. He is now a licensed master plumber, master carpenter, master roof cutter and real estate broker. Carter hosts the weekly two-hour live radio show "Ask the Builder" on WMOH in Cincinnati, and also serves as TV expert for "House and Home," a weekly news segments on WLWT-TV in Cincinnati. He is the editor-at-large of the new magazine Extreme How-To. He is also the co-author of "The Home Ranger Helps You Figure it Out," a resource and instruction book for accomplishing common household repairs.
In newspapers, and on radio, television and his website (www.askthebuilder.com), Carter offers professional advice and walks readers through each project step by step, offering instructions on how to hire the right professionals to do the work, what to expect from contractors, questions to ask, and tips on reading blueprints and job cost breakdowns. Carter's latest website expansion venture is selling e-Books on how to do a job the right way.
Remodeling Magazine selected Carter as one of the top 50 remodelers in the United States in 1993. His professional awards include several for the askthebuilder.com website, including first place from the Construction Writer's Association's 2001, 2000 and 1999 website competitions, and one of the top 50 in the world by Webmaster magazine in May 1997. His Web site was also featured in Web Savvy magazine in 1999.
Tim Carter Samples
To connect wood deck posts to concrete piers, plum bob is your friend
DEAR TIM: I need to build a deck, and I'm told that the wood posts that support the deck must then sit precisely on top of concrete piers. DEAR BONNIE: Your bewilderment is pretty common.
Install a new front door and save money
DEAR TIM: My front door is in bad shape, and my wife wants a new one. DEAR GARY: Installing a new front door is an ambitious project, especially if you've never done it before.
Water drainage around home requires understanding of gravity
DEAR TIM: Spring is here, and so are the incessant heavy rains. DEAR MARION: You're not alone. My college degree was in geology.
The eternal battle to keep a deck properly sealed
DEAR TIM: I've got a wood deck that needs to be sealed again. DEAR HEATHER: Virtually every homeowner that cares for a wood deck suffers like you do. Like you, I'm on a quest to discover the Holy Grail of deck stains and sealers.
Building a rudimentary tool collection
DEAR TIM: I'm a single mom with a few young kids and need to do home repairs myself because I simply can't afford to hire professionals.
Cleaning the underside of a wood deck
DEAR TIM: I have two decks at my home, one on top of the other. DEAR RHONDA: It sounds like you have a wonderful building lot that affords you a walk-out basement. The black and green coatings on the wood surfaces are mildew, mold and algae.
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