I get hired to build things, but I'm often asked to do other stuff. In this case, it was move something. And by "something" I mean "the most massive piece of furniture ever."

Anyway, my tip of the day is this: When moving tall furniture, look on top. And by "look on top," I mean "get on a ladder and look on top."

When we tipped the top of this beast to roll on the hand truck, a virtual treasure trove of dust-covered stuff was there waiting for me. And by "waiting for me," I mean "fell on me."

Next time I hear "could you just..." I'm going to be a little more careful.

We are in the beginning stages of remodeling our hall bath that's about 29 years old. I want to replace existing standard tub with a Claw Foot Cast Iron Tub. Niiiiice.

It has to be less than 52" long. I know that they make them I'm just not sure about a few things. Should I purchase one from over the internet?
Unless you can find them in local distribution (try pro plumbing supply houses/showrooms) or in a salvage shop that rescues such things, the internet might be the only place you can get them (Note: the internet isn't really "a place" per se; I hope you know I know that.

Also there are so many styles to choose from and to consider as far as where the plumbing is located on the wall and/or mounted to the tub itself ?
I can't recommend the type of plumbing fixture you should get because so much of it is subjective. In other words, your starting point needs to be a style you like. Then to follow up and see if that works with your tub, wall, drain situation, etc.

That said, you can make just about anything work. What I can say is what I'd do on my jobs if this applications faced me. Generally speaking I would make sure that if the supply lines were stubbed up from the floor I'd be sure the plumber chromed them. Raw copper just doesn't look good—especially with a chrome or nickel finish on your fixtures .If you choose to route the plumbing in the wall be ready for drywall repair. Finally, make sure you install a trap in the drain; if you don't you risk the smell of sewer gas and/or the aroma of dirty pipe mung escaping back up the drain pipe. Uh... diiiisgusting.

This should get you started. Good luck Vital Vita from Florida!
Carpenter Mark

I'm once again turning to you for some DIY advice and guidance. Looking to re-stain my deck. What are the key elements (product choice, technique, process) to consider with this process? The last thing I want to do is screw this up and have to do it 3 times!

I've already used a wood-prep product to strip the deck of the old stain, so I am back down to the wood. The deck is made of pressure treated wood. Not sure of the wood type. Our preference is for a darker stain. Do you like oil based stains over latex?

Any commentary is appreciated – for two reasons. 1) It is useful information to help me do the job correctly. 2) For my reading pleasure.

Thank you,
CamO' from tip-top Topsfield

Hey Mr. "Cam-Do"

1. Great to hear from you.
2. Here are my thoughts:

While I want most things to be environmentally friendly, there are some that I want to be environmentally UN-friendly, at least in a manner of speaking. Those items include oil-based deck stains because I want to the oil to repel the environment, not wear out, or more accurately, wear off. See, generally speaking, oil-based products soak into the wood becoming part of it below the surface while water-based products tend to encapsulate the wood. Over time, as the wood moves and the encapsulation doesn't, the bond breaks down.

Also, be warned. I've seen an oil-based stain in at least one big box store that "cleans up with water." Uh... what?

Oil and water don't mix, my home improvement friend. What I always use is a truly solvent-based product, aka OIL. What I've used on my own projects really works, even below grade. It's called DeckScapes by Sherwin Williams, which I buy at my local Sherwin Williams store. Benjamin Moore has an oil option too. If you can't find that, hit a pro paint store near where you live inquire about "solvent-based" stain, which you can get in various colors, including the deeper tones you mention above. Double-check the meat-headenedness of the counter guy by investigating what to clean-up the stuff with. (Right answer: mineral spirits. Wrong answer: water.) Also, get some mineral spirits to clean your stuff/yourself with.

One more thing: the darker the tint, according to the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association, the more UV inhibitors the material has. In other words, darker tints hold up better to sunlight (or photo-degradation) than light or clear tints.

Use a high-quality, natural-bristle brush (ask at the store for the right brush; expect to pay a few bucks for it) to really massage the material into the wood. Use two coats, minimum.

Work bottom-up on vertical surfaces to prevent streaks (total chafe on guardrails; you can investigate spraying them but it's probably best to bite the bullet and brush them, at least the first time.) I'd stain the deck framing/surface first, then do the guard rails. This way when there are runs and drips from doing the rails, the horizontal surfaces already have a sheen on them and you can either brush the drip in or wipe it off. See what I'm sayin'? Work clean!

Unlike a water-based product that basically dries by evaporation, oil's drying process is more a chemical reaction so there's no hurrying the dry time, which is around 24 hours (maybe more). Really, really soak end grains of the wood where you can see them.

Trivia: You said your deck is pressure-treated lumber. I get the sense you're on the East Coast, so the species is almost surely Southern Pine -- check out a fence project I built for them. If you're on the West Coast, they treat another species out there. Any ideas what it is, anybody?

Some of the smartest and yes, most eloquent, people I know drop the "F-bomb" about every third word -- and that's before they really get going.

See, you have to be someone with thick skin and a developed adrenal gland to climb all over a roof, haul framing, burn a wormdrive through splinter spewing OSB all day and do all the things we do. Things that not only require a massively elevated blood pressure compared to what I'm doing now for example (which is hacking this out on my MacBook) but that would utterly terrify most people. I freely admit I'm not immune to colorful language on the jobsite, including but extraordinarily not limited to George Carlin's 7 words you can't say on TV .

But those guys primarily worked new construction with nary a homeowner in sight. Remodelers, on the other hand, work where people live. I've had guys working for me that I've had to reign in on the facacta lingo. Then there's the radio. What with amped jobsite radios (which I like by the way), I've heard guys blaring Howard Stern. It's not the point if you think the guy is funny, his job is to offend people. See where this is going?

Whether or not swearing is something you do or don't do, Stern is someone you like or don't like (and you can include hyper-political radio from either side of the aisle in the Stern category) this is an honor thing -- Scout's Honor.

You don't swear, you don't listen to polarizing stuff -- and you shut down your guys who do it in a homeowner situation -- or at least when the homeowners are around, right? The reason is, you might offend your customer -- you know, the one with the money. I can't say it enough: Your customers have every dollar you'll ever earn, and just about all your referrals too. Why take the chance on torquing them off?

So whether you're passionately political, think the shock jock du jour is just a guy telling stories, or you swear like a carpenter, it's a free country. But don't kid yourself: no one cares about your personal desire to do stuff. It's about the business and the right thing. Take a step back and think about how you come off to others. It's a worthwhile exercise. It's our job to do the honorable thing because it's the right thing to do. Isn't it?

Or are you going to tell me to go screw... nevermind.

Level Lines. Use a good level and strike level lines all the way across the wall so that you can use the line as a guide for laying up your tile. Most levels work, but I've been using Irwin's deluxe box beam levels lately and I like 'em! Also, measure level as it corresponds to your new counter and cabinets (which should, but may not be, totally level and parallel). Worst case, you may have to make a decision about the line on which you run the tiles. This could take some experimenting to see which line looks level versus which one is level. All this is called "layout."

Equal "Reveals." You want the tiles centered in the "field" of the wall. In other words, you want the tiles on the left and right ends of the back splash to be the same size. If you can dig up a Carpenter's Notebook, I explain that technique in good detail. You might also want to do it in the up and down orientation too but not necessarily. Usually, starting the tile install from a plumb layout line in the center of the wall, then working left, then right, takes care of this.

Notching. Tile butted up to a window trim that is not significantly proud of (or thicker than) the tile looks bad to me. There is a very visible transition there that is difficult to hide. You may want to strip the window apron (the trim below the sill) and replace it after the tile is up or install a different one to prevent this. This is an important detail to work out before you have a bucket full of thin-set drying on the counter.

Switch Boxes/Electrical Devices. You'll have to cut out for switch boxes, which can be tricky. A tool like the RotoZip with a tile-cutting bit can really help here. Another tool that works for this is the Rockwell SoniCrafter. Pro tile guys use a plier-esque tool called nibblers which I have had little luck with (I usually end up cracking the entire tile: fury). That said, there's room for a little error because the switch plate covers the rough cut out. Also, you have to bring your receptacles out to the level of the tile for the switch plates to work right, usually not a problem. Be careful around the electrical.

Mesh Backing. The mesh backing means you can set more tiles at once, but the thing to watch out for is that the mesh can pretty easily deform while you press and twist the tiles into the thin-set. The result is that within a single square foot the line can get out of true. If you don't press them into the thin-set uniformly they look lumpy -- keep an eye peeled for this as you set sheets.

Furthermore, cutting these tiles on a manual tile saw is a mega-chafe. Cutting on a wet saw -- mine is a primo Porter-Cable unit is much easier.

Protecting The Countertop . I would get some big pieces of cardboard and blue-tape them to the counter (including around the front) to prevent filth and muck and scratches which can be a result of everything from tools to your belt buckle.

Tools and Supplies. You need some good buckets (I use a flat-bottomed, two gallon bucket that I believe you can buy in the paint department of The Home Depot) to mix up thin-set, a notched trowel to apply it, a grout sponge for (duh) grout. I use what's called a margin trowel to mix, scoop and otherwise fling thin-set onto the wall. Then there's one or two sponge floats you'll need for grouting and a bag of cotton rags for wiping off the grout residue. Clean the bucket after every mix-up to prevent dried stuff from getting into the new batch.

Sealing the Tile. After the grout is on and wiped clean, I would apply a sealer to really protect it.

Caulk Versus Grout. Instead of grouting the joint between the cabinets and wood trim and tile and counter and tiles, it's best to use a high quality, color-matched latex caulk. Reason: the cabinets will, albeit slightly, move with temperature and humidity changes. Grout doesn't and the joint can crack. So this means you need to run a smooth, clean caulk bead for it to look good.

I might be overthinking this, but at least it'll give you some guidelines so you get the results you want.

Good luck.

It's always important to be hustling for new work -- even in busy times -- but never has it been more important than now.

Buy this house and you get...

• 2 Philadelphia Eagles season tickets, 50 yard line
• A new 50-inch plasma TV
• $7,500 -- cash money -- at settlement

You'd think the house was a keg-toss from Lincoln Financial Field (where the Eagles play) but it's not. It's a big house out in the 'burbs going for $800,000.
This seller is, in realtor lingo, motivated. And they're working their market (to describe Philadelphians as anything less than rabid about their Eagles is folly). Further, they're offering a variety -- tickets, TV, cash -- because not everyone will bite at the tickets or TV.

These incentives screamed out to me. Ann has more houses for sale than this one but this is the one I'm chatting up, which makes my larger point: how motivated are you? What innovative ways are you finding to attract and keep customers, leads, and to get your name in ever brighter lights? Signs on the truck? New logo? Yard signs? Ads in the paper or church bulletin? Smoke signals? Howling at the moon?

I offer cash money for referrals that lead to new work (always have), but I make it clearer than ever these days. And homeowners -- same deal: how motivated are you? I've heard stories of people raking contractors over the coals because it is hungry-time right now for us. Have you skipped quality because you feel a feeding frenzy of bottom line bidders and low prices?

What's the incentive?

If you're working on your own house, like so many of us do, you live with seeing it!!!

Problem is, sometimes you don't see it until you've painted and drywalled it or put on the siding or framed the stair stringers. Some mistakes you can live with. Others, not so much.

And if it's a mistake a customer will surely see or experience, then it's almost always worth pulling down whatever you've put up and doing it right. It'll take less time than trying to skate by, getting caught, having an argument, then having to remove and replace it anyway. Then being seen as a liar. That's the worst move you can make. How much is your integrity worth?

Then there are the mistakes you make that probably no one will see -- but they'll dog you, like framing something out of square for example will haunt you from framing to tile.

So there's no question that some of the jobsite wisdom covering mistakes -- "high work is eye work, low work is show work;" "good 'nuff for government work;" "good 'nuff for who it's for" have their place. Nothing's perfect for sure. That's why trim guys make lousy framers -- they spend all day trying to get dead on when being within 1/4-inch is usually as good as you can make it -- and vice versa. But some stuff has to be on, no doubt.

So bring me the war stories. Tell me about being all the way there, then seeing a mistake and falling into the one-step-forward-two-steps-back snare. Or tell me about problems that turned into solutions, or teachable moments for crew members. I'd like to hear about building solutions and business solutions from the trade and from the client end of the spectrum. In fact I'd really like to get some insight from any clients who might be looking over our shoulders here. We need to know what you think of us. After all, using information to solve problems is a huge part of what we do.

I read that in a great book about the World Series of Poker called The Biggest Game in Town by A. Alvarez (Seriously, even if you don't know a full-house from a roundhouse this is a totally gripping book).

To that end, I met a realtor recently. When she found out that I wrote, she asked me to submit something to her newsletter and I obliged. It also got me thinking:

I just happened to run into her and she just happened to have a newsletter. But if I were you, I'd start knocking on realtors' doors, sending them emails, whatever, just to let them know I was out there -- whether they have a newsletter or not. And if they do have a newsletter -- ask if you can submit something. Get your name out there. For the record, I am you, and I have done this.

Realtors are as hungry as we are to get the few houses they do have in the pipeline to the settlement table. If the place needs a new roof, landscape repair, a deck repaired -- whatever issues pop up at the home inspection -- it'd be nice to be the first one on the list to have your phone ring.

The tie-in to "tough times make tough people" is this: writing isn't for everyone. Neither is networking. I've never had to do it before with such focus, and I'm not in love with it. But I'm doing it -- with a big old smile on my face to boot.

We have to get tough to ride this storm out, whether that's at the end of a pen (or keyboard) or phone or handshake. My phone has by no means rung off the hook, but building relationships is better than building nothing.

What's working for you? Are you on full-tilt marketing hustle? Are you staying the course? Are you taking jobs you'd previously never even consider? (Secondary question: is your ego smashed because of it?) What are your keys for success... or survival?

The usual routes I've taken to find good craftsmen -- social and professional networks -- have yielded less than sterling results lately so I called HGTVPro plumbing ace Ed Del Grande and told him my tale. (Actually I whined like a ninny, but "telling my tale" is my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

Ed, author of Ed Del Grande's House Call, felt my pain and gave me some from-the-trenches advice.

Ed says to start by visiting your local plumbing supply house and quietly asking a salesman for recommendations. Make sure you tell him what kind of work you do, i.e. basic bathroom remodeling, additions, new construction, etc.

Next -- and this is the part where you're checking what color the salesman's eyes are -- ask the salesman if the guy he recommends pays his bills.

Ed says that being responsible with bill paying usually goes hand-in-glove with a plumber that'll do good work for you; if the dude flinches... well you get the idea.

I've never been through this many plumbers in a row in my contracting life, but it seems they're falling like dominoes. Is this a trend where you are too? Are plumbers that can tell time -- and sweat a joint -- becoming a vanishing breed? I know a number of remodeling companies that specialize in kitchens and baths have on-staff plumbers. Is that your model? Or do you do it all yourself? (Note: I know I can't make money doing that, that's why I hire it out). How do you find your best team members?

Or is it just me?

We walked through Pioneer Square an area of commercial buildings built around 1900. The mill building we spotted on the way in was detailed with brick arches and copper cornice that was so beautiful -- ON A FACTORY, imagine that today! -- that it made your heart ache. Then, in the main square, we saw an ornamental iron train station entrance copied after those in Paris (Paris, as a city, by the way is in tact and a link to pre-WWII architectural history because the French surrendered to Hitler he tells me; London, not so much). Then, building after façade after storefront was dripping with individual detail and artistry. Stone, brick, masonry, copper, metal -- cornices, crown, window heads, doors -- it just couldn't get prettier. I mean even the fire station that was run down was a work of art.

And behind us rose the glass and steel towers of Seattle's center. Sleek, stark, modern, enormous.

Why can't they hold the same warmth and "integrity" as the older buildings? Why aren't they as "beautiful?" we asked.

Well, there's a quantifiable answer to this subjective question, for me at any rate, and it comes from my mother (wise) and my wife (wise and trained in architecture.)

A mom-mantra -- and I have yet to find a time in my life when this isn't true -- is as follows: There is no arguing matters of taste. Some people like blue; some yellow. It's just the way it is. Always has been, always will be.

My wife's point of view has changed my view of "modern" architecture because, unlike so many things produced by architects (any builder will tell you) it is pragmatic. "Think about it, Mark," she says. "Imagine the cost of building an 80 story building whose footprint takes up 1/2 a city block with turn-of-the-20 th Century detail. There's not enough money in the whole world to do it, never mind the armies of men required to pull it off building after building."

It's true.

It might be sad, but it might open up a new perspective on looking at modern buildings. The rules are different. You can make the case that, in order to be so massive, they're designing in a narrower bandwidth.

But don't get faked out. Architects are loaded with hubris -- you have to be to put your name on something 80 stories tall and they'll tell you they're work is beautiful; Frank Lloyd Wright was downright forceful about it.

While I've learned a valuable lessons between the low-scape and high-rise horizon at Pioneer Square, I don't care how flippin' awesome someone says they are... if I think your building is ugly then it's ugly to me. Moms have a great way of being right sometimes.

Pulling back a little to housing styles in general there's a nice timeline of which style was popular when at The House of Antique Hardware.

And while a timeline is handy for knowing when a style was hot, it's more useful to know some identifying details of the actual style -- Victorian, for example, is named for the massively detailed architectural style popular around the reign of Queen Victoria. Then there's Italianate (similar but different from Victorian,) Cape Cod (typically a 28x32 footprint with a 12-pitch roof popularized in America's first suburb Levittown, ironically built on Long Island, NY after WWII), Ranch or Rambler (a housing style popularized by Frank Lloyd Wright but only made tolerable as a resident by the existence of conditioned air; the house was affordable and gatewayed opening up vast tracks of populable land, like Florida and Arizona.)

Here's another thing this kind of high-fallutin' hoobbee-whatee opens up: your own opinion and -- dare I say it without becoming hopelessly lame?--your own sensibility.

For example, just because everybody says Wright is the bees-knees it's OK to not like him (gag.) One of my mentors loves Wright. I can't stand him, Wright that is. But the point is to GET what Wright is doing -- or TRYING to do--and how it's impacted the houses we work on (which is something I learned from my designer wife, who's a designer.)

You may not be called to frame an 18-in-12 turret on a Queen Anne or Shingle Style home or to set columns on a Greek Revival but when you meet with customers there's an unspoken expectation they have of you to know what kind of house you're standing in. By the way, if you're ever in Washington, DC visiting the National Building Museum will not be a waste of your time.
Now, you can stuff your tape measure in your overalls and stick a pencil behind your ear and bark, "Let's frame it!" and not really see all the implications of what you just said. Or you can have a working knowledge of the pieces and parts that go into building what they want -- and you can communicate that to them as well as build it into your bid so you can actually make money. Knowledge, esoteric or not, brings us closer to the art and science of how we make something work versus how we make something beautiful.

So here's your chance to take me to task: have my feet left the earth here? Do you expect your contractor to have an eye for proportion and architectural history? Do you want your trim guys to know the difference between Colonial and Craftsman trim details or do you just want them to nail the boards up and move on?

The low-cost carrier had the NICEST gate I've ever been at only to be followed-up by a primo plane. Seating was a snap -- you get your seating assignment on-line before heading to the airport -- and the service was great.

There's a lesson here. Problem for me is: there's no direct translation between air travel and building. Or is there?

As our economy remains the toughest business environment many of us have seen in our lifetimes, where can we cut costs and increase value -- and increase profit? What changes do we need in our business models? Since every business is different I can't tell you. It's my job, however, to ask questions.

Do we cut the marketing budget? Do we market more? (There's a case for both, though I tend to say more marketing is better.) Do we lay a guy off and work weekends or do we give the whole crew a 4-day work week instead of laying someone off?

People in this economy still have money. Lawyers, doctors, (some) executives still have jobs and roofs that leak or decks that need rebuilding. How do we get to them and keep our companies growing and profitable?

After all, it'd be nice to take a vacation from all this work and worry. If you do, might I recommend flying Southwest.

Send me your thoughts, comments, and ideas. (You're now free to move about the country.)

I don't care if you smoke.

But, smoking is an issue that many people in our business confront, both in-house and in YOUR house.

I asked my electrician if his mechanics' smoking bothered his customers. He reported it bugged some of them. I asked if he ever thought about establishing a no-smoking rule. His reply was great:

"If I did that, I'd have no workers to tell not to smoke; they'd all quit."

He further reported how much smoking costs him -- every day. His guys (paid hourly) must smoke when they get to the shop -- before they start working. Then, they plan their drive to the job based on if they already have, if they need, or if they will need cigarettes. Then there're the innumerable smoke-breaks throughout the day.

Note that none of this is about health, which is my point (though I should mention his lead mechanic has cancer). This is about business.

I know another builder who enforced a strict no smoking policy. Again, it was about business. He didn't care if you smoked; he only cared if you smoked on his jobsite because his customers -- the people paying everyone's salary -- were usually non-smokers.

Where do you find yourself on this continuum? Do you allow it on your sites? In your home? Do you have an image that matters to customers? What is it? Will you have a labor-free workforce if you no smokeless?

Send me a smoke-signal.

Who'd argue that climbing ladders, rolling joists, or breaking down a deck package isn't an "active" lifestyle? But working, to me, is waaaaay different than working out. And working out is a key component in staying healthy for work.

Lots of reasons. Mine is: I feel better. (Note: though I'm writing from my personal experience, I'm not a personal trainer or doctor, so this is my opinion only).

See, for me, exercise (running, riding a bike, playing racquetball) consumes energy in a different way than nailing off plywood or crown. Sustained physical activity makes me sweat--intensely. Unlike building, it burns every single calorie of the Ho-Ho I ate at lunch and purges the toxins in the coffee or beer from the day before.

And, it's a mental break. Chasing a rubber ball around a racquetball court or pushing through a run requires 100% of my brain's bandwidth. I can't agonize about hip rafters or estimates. In pushing myself toward some meaningless goal -- Note: Nike www.Nike.com is NOT calling to sponsor me--I actually get something meaningful, purging my body and brain.

Getting started -- or getting started again, where I (achingly) find myself -- is hard. But it's worth it, both as part of the poetry of a well-lived life and as a tool that helps me be more profitable. And, sane.

The "New Year's Resolution" hubbub has faded. So I hope if exercise is (or was) on your mind that this helps you stare down the treadmill or bust-out a walk or get your tennis racquet re-strung. I also hope you share what your health tips for mind, body and work.