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    <title><![CDATA[Ask The Builder - ArcaMax Publishing]]></title>
	<link>https://www.arcamax.com//homeandleisure/askthebuilder/rss</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Ask The Builder News Feed]]></description>
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	<copyright>Copyright 2026 ArcaMax Publishing</copyright>
	
	
	
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: Prevent bathroom mold and mildew]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[You may be plagued with mold and mildew in your tub and shower area. It’s a very common problem. The good news is that if you’re willing to spend just 30 extra seconds once you’ve rinsed off all the body wash and shampoo from your hair, I ...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-4058639</link>
 
    <pubDate>Apr/03/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: Avoid social media shortcuts]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[I perform media scanning on a routine basis. I’m constantly on the lookout in publications and the Internet for new products, techniques and hokum. I do this, in part, to keep my ear to the ground, but I also do it to help you save time and ...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-4049669</link>
 
    <pubDate>Mar/23/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: Planning an expensive vanity top]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[I’ve shared in past columns how I’m helping my son finish off about 1,200 square feet of his basement. I’m saving him more than $100,000 in labor and profit costs he would have had to pay a contractor. I’m also confident he and I are doing...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-4044210</link>
 
    <pubDate>Mar/17/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: What you can learn from a septic tank disaster]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[I’m about to share an incredible story about Jennifer’s new $20,000 septic tank that failed in the first year. You may not care about septic tanks, but this column may save you tens of thousands of dollars if you plan to build a new home, add ...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-4036575</link>
 
    <pubDate>Mar/10/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: The ugly truth about your heating and cooling system]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Tell the truth. Are there days in the winter when your heating system can’t provide the heat you need to keep you comfortable? What about your AC system? Are there blistering hot summer days when you feel like a simmering sausage in a skillet? ...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-4029325</link>
 
    <pubDate>Mar/03/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: Please stop hoping your contractor is doing the job right]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[This column is all about misplaced hope. You can lose thousands of dollars, or even tens of thousands of dollars, if you make this mistake. I do at least five short telephone consultations with homeowners each week. The common denominator in ...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-4021966</link>
 
    <pubDate>Feb/27/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: How to get better a spackling and caulking]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[I’ve been sharing with you the wonderful saga of my son’s basement remodeling project in past columns. Together, he and I have transformed 1,100 square feet of bare basement into five large rooms and a full bathroom. We’ve done all the work ...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-4014402</link>
 
    <pubDate>Feb/20/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: A drone may save you big money]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Thirteen months ago, my very good friends Steve and Karin were going about their daily lives in their wonderful home in Altadena, California. Several years before, I had visited for a week. Steve and I plowed through a long honey-do list. I ...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-4009175</link>
 
    <pubDate>Feb/13/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: DIY wood preservatives]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[There’s a very good chance you own something made of wood that’s exposed to the weather. It might be a fence, a deck, a dock, patio furniture, wood siding or a shed. Wood is a marvelous material. It’s favored by many because it’s easy to ...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-4001508</link>
 
    <pubDate>Feb/03/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: Bring back vocational schools]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[I need your help. You’ll be helping your children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors, too. You may not realize it, but there is a severe shortage of workers in just about every residential construction trade. Here’s another reality: Over 70...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-3994035</link>
 
    <pubDate>Jan/27/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: Artificial intelligence and contractor quotes]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[I talked with Irene on the phone a few days ago. She lives in Connecticut and used my affordable phone coaching service. She needed to make sure the bid she received to repair wood rot next to her front door was reasonable. Irene was about to have...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-3988525</link>
 
    <pubDate>Jan/23/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: Looking to make your last big relocation? Do your research first]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[Brian lives with his wife, Kelly, on the East Coast. He’s been a subscriber to my free newsletter for years. Brian is in a select group of virtual friends I’ve made over the years. It’s a delight to have email exchanges with these high-tech ...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-3980310</link>
 
    <pubDate>Jan/12/2026</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[Ask the Builder: Interior lights that wow]]></title>
		<description><![CDATA[It’s very hard to keep up with all of the improvements in building materials and products. Thousands of new things hit the marketplace each year. You need to focus on just one or two verticals to stay abreast of all that’s new. Lighting is a ...<br /><br /><hr size="1" />]]></description>
		<link>https://www.arcamax.com/askthebuilder/s-3973879</link>
 
    <pubDate>Jan/09/2026</pubDate>
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