Here's a problem that comes up around this time of year.

Make sure you take your garden hose off of the hose bib... even if you have a "frost free" spigot.​ The freezing temperatures can still cause them to leak.

Frost-free valves have a built-in siphon which draws the water back up the pipe a few feet into the relative warmth of your home. It seems that if there's a full hose attached, the siphon doesn't make a difference because it's just sucking up more water.

And these spigots are tricky to replace.  Depending on the kind of pipe you have, you may even need a plumber.

If you haven't done this yet, it may be too late here in Asheville. If you think your spigot was damaged by the cold, look for a cutoff valve so that you can turn the water off behind the spigot.

Here's where I usually tell you to call me to get this fixed. But you're gonna need a plumber for this one. Fortunately, my wife keeps a "little black book" of good local service providers, including a great plumber. So call us anyway.

As a trim carpenter, I'm always looking for new ways to do a better job. One of the problems I regularly run into is breaking caulk lines, and I think I've finally found a solution.

When I install trim, I caulk it where it meets the wall so that it looks continuous with the wall. If the caulk breaks, as it often does due to the natural movement of the wooden trim, it leaves a dark gap.

Here's an example via Allan Bailey, one of the craftsmen in our network. On the left you can see trim which was installed a long time ago, where the caulk lines have all broken. In this example, the problem was caused by moisture from a poorly sealed shower door, but it can also happen when new trim is installed and dries out as it adjusts to the local humidity.

On the right, you can see where Allan has re-caulked and painted the trim. It looks much better, doesn't it?

Caulk lines have such a high tendency to break that we don't warranty them on handyman work. But I do like to do things right, warranty or not, and that's where Big Stretch comes in.

It's a new product by Sashco which supposedly resists moving and cracking. Here's a video to show the difference. (Warning: it's a little bit corny.)

I've been putting Big Stretch to the test on some of the built-in furniture projects I've finished lately. On most of these projects, my goal is to install a piece that looks like it's part of the home, like these two benches which I installed on either side of an existing fireplace.

So far Big Stretch has held up well.