Terry Lamphier Consulting

07/03/2025

Trex damage - and a possible fix. I had to remove roofing tar that had dripped onto the Trex decking. I used a rag with a stain-removing chemical designed for removing tar but found out afterward that it dulled the finish where I had removed tar.

Solution? In this case (of minor dulling) I mixed a very dilute solution of an oil based stain with paint thinner - think weak tea. After applying with a rag, then wiping off excess and blending edges, the flat spots disappeared. I was worried that the stain would just sit on the surface and be sticky but it is fine!
This deck is "saddle" color and has a wood grain embossing and now looks like new.
Probably voided the warranty but better than replacing decking!

01/10/2025

Please note that I am no longer doing construction/handyman, etc work.

10/10/2024

Tax revenue (property tax, sales tax, etc.) versus tax supported services (police, fire, streets, parks, etc.). Each house built results in over $500 tax shortfall, hence 4 tax increases in Grass Valley since Tim Kiser and Jan Arbuckle joined City of Grass Valley.

10/10/2024

VOTER GUIDE: Grass Valley Council Candidates – in their own words.
(League of Women Voters forum, Oct. 2024)

Matthew Coulter, candidate: (re: city contracts): “I’ve been a watchdog. I’ve gone to the city council meetings for over a decade…to see what’s going on, what’s being duplicated, and why things are just so messed up.”
“It’s a very small group of people that get the money and they’re all very tightly knit, both with the city council, the Downtown Association, Chamber of Commerce, and a few others I could name in town”.
Keoni Allen’s Sierra Foothills Construction (office directly across the street from city hall and above Chamber of Commerce office) awarded $6+ million for Mill Street mall project. Allen received favorable City treatment on Loma Rica land he owned next to airport. Coulter alleges Allen’s workers assaulted him during construction of Mill Street.

Bob Branstrom, incumbent:
- on fiscal responsibility: “We’ve continued to provide forest, city services, police, fire, water and sewer and we’ve done all these things while maintaining the city’s financial integrity”… “I always want to maintain financial integrity for the city…I will be watching that like a hawk”.
He supported 2024 tax increase needed for city-declared “fiscal emergency”, which city manager stated ‘was not really a fiscal emergency’. Supported using ‘failing infrastructure’ Measure E tax funds to convert Mill Street into shopping mall, requiring new multi-million dollar parking replacement structure.
- on ‘affordable’ housing: “I would suggest we build more housing locally to increase the supply” and “lobby (the State) for reductions in the regulations that are required that make housing expensive”.
Short of removing ALL building and land use codes and building thousands of new homes, there is no way that reduced regulations will make housing “affordable”. Fixed land, labor and materials costs alone make local housing unaffordable to low wage locals, only to retirees and commuters.
- on new development traffic and business impacts: “New developments will bring in more people…having more people to support [local] businesses is a valuable thing”… “I’d like to take a live and learn approach of let’s wait and see if and when and where those [traffic] problems occur”.
Voted for Loma Rica, which will have its own business district.

Jan Arbuckle, incumbent:
- on “affordable” housing: “Housing has been an issue forever, and affordable housing…what is affordable”? Affordable to who?”
She has been in office since 2007, supporting every large development and four tax increases.
She supported diverting nearly $6 million in redevelopment funds (intended to fight blight) to close Dorsey Interchange funding gap (later reversed by CA State Dept. of Finance).
She voted to make City responsible for Loma Rica airport safety liability, benefiting Keoni Allen and other local Loma Rica land speculators..
She did not answer the League’s question on housing because, as The Union wrote, “possibly a result of a poor Internet connection”.
- on transportation:
“What we can do to mitigate the cars on the road…There is a way for our seniors to get around on discounted fares”
Getting groceries the last few blocks is your problem.
- on development: “as far as affecting our retail, I think if anything, it is going to make our local businesses more profitable"
As noted, Loma Rica will have its own competing business district.

(See League website for additional info, including two other candidates, Joe Bonomolo and incumbent Tom Ivy)

05/26/2022

To all: I am currently more or less retired but if you have a question about something, I have learned a few things in my 40 years of remodeling and repairs. Note that I am not set up to take text calls.

11/09/2021

Flickering Lights?
Finally figured out that many new technology light bulbs do NOT like dimmer switches, even on separate circuits. If you experience flickering lights, get rid of dimmers anywhere in your house or see if new tech solves the problem.
Not sure if problem is old dimmers (maybe new ones are not a problem) or older "new" tech light bulbs (some are designed to be able to dim).

03/27/2020

Gas room heater acting up (not coming on)? Could be faulty thermocouple. This device allows gas to flow to the heater. Works off your pilot light - pilot light provides heat to thermocouple and thermocouple opens up gas valve.
Cheap, safe and easy to replace, even with just a pair of pliers. This one is under $10. B&C has similar. Takes about 5 minutes.

03/27/2020

01/07/2020

Important Plumbing Tip: Whether you do it or hire someone, be sure to NOT connect copper pipe to steel pipe without a "dialectic union" or a section of brass pipe. Why? It creates a very minor but forever electric current that erodes the steel pipe. This leads to leaks, rust build-up in the steel pipe, AND MAKES VERY SIMPLE JOBS OF CHANGING FAUCETS, ETC. A VERY TIME CONSUMING PROCESS DUE TO PARTS "RUSTING" TOGETHER.
My next project: crawling under a house to run a new line from existing copper pipe (disconnecting and abandoning the steel pipe), as the old line is almost completely clogged with rust. Or, pay a plumber hundreds of dollars instead of less than $100 to swap out a faucet.
Where does this commonly occur? You pay someone to replace old steel pipes with new copper but they don't replace the plumbing in the walls that go to your sinks, tub, etc. and they don't hook the differing pipes together with the proper, non-electrolysis type fittings!!!!
In the last few years, I had to replace faucets that normally would take about 45 minutes and instead had to spend hours cutting out fixtures instead of just disconnecting them.
This problem sometimes takes years to show up - don't be penny wise and pound foolish!
http://www.balkanplumbing.com/galvanic-corrosion-pipes-plumbing-copper/

02/06/2019

Original side wall did NOT have gutters, so the wall was subject to heavy water flow at times, particularly the lower areas. Also, shelf brackets had been installed for lumber storage and likely the combo diverted falling water onto the wall.

Solution? Use continuous siding with no joints. If joints are necessary, using a high quality caulk INSIDE the joint (clean off excess after installation).
Or, install new gutters and replace lower section with good grade exterior plywood siding, primed and with caulked joints.
A minor additional measure: drive fasteners in slightly angled upward to minimize water intrusion around nail holes.

02/06/2019

As the damage appeared to originate at the siding's lapped joints, it remains the only likely fail point (see red arrow)