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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:39:07 AM EDT
[#1]
Quoted:
So how much has housing construction slowed down since 2008? In this area of the country, it's still down around half what it was back then. Same here |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:41:00 AM EDT
[#2]
Quoted:
I know windows are a big profit item for GC, but why do y'all install the biggest POS builder grade aluminum windows in new homes? Because HO's are cheap and they will buy a 200k house next door from another builder rather than mine at 205k with good windows and other upgrades (haven't seen an alum window on a new home in many years up here) |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:46:31 AM EDT
[#3]
Tag.
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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:49:01 AM EDT
[#4]
Quoted:
What do you think about ICF's and/or SIPS panels (pros,cons,difficulty, have you ever used them)? My new favorite are concrete sandwich panels like these.... Structural Insulated Concrete Wall Panel Link any thoughts? Repeat of this question. Have you ever worked with ICF? |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:42:41 AM EDT
[#5]
Quoted:
I know windows are a big profit item for GC, but why do y'all install the biggest POS builder grade aluminum windows in new homes? How are windows a big profit item? |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 10:12:54 AM EDT
[#6]
Why on new construction do builders try to overcharge for upgrades? For example the std countertop is corian, but to go to granite thier upgrade fee is more than what just installing granite is worth.
Math for clarity: Granite is worth 5k, GC wants 6k to upgrade Me: Where's the credit for the corian. I've seen the same thing with flooring, the carpet to tile upgrade fee is as high installing the tile with no credt for the non-upgraded flooring. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 10:26:04 AM EDT
[#7]
I'm going to finish my basement in the future; I have a background in carpentry/masonry, but not electrical. Will/would a contractor come in and look over my work on the outlets/lights/lan, and hook up the lines I run to a sub-panel. I am comfortable enough to do the wiring of the outlets and lights, but don't know about trusting myself to hook everything up to the panel. The panel was installed prior to me buying the house and was used for a hot-tube in the back yard. Nothing with a high load will be used down there, just outlets, lights, and switches in one big main room, bath-room, big bedroom, and a man cave for reloading.
I will be doing all of the framing, doors, insulating, drywall, bathroom, flooring, etc myself. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 10:38:22 AM EDT
[#8]
Quoted:
Quoted:
I know windows are a big profit item for GC, but why do y'all install the biggest POS builder grade aluminum windows in new homes? Because HO's are cheap and they will buy a 200k house next door from another builder rather than mine at 205k with good windows and other upgrades (haven't seen an alum window on a new home in many years up here) I've never understood the obsession over square footage at the expense of quality. I'd gladly pay a 10% upcharge or take a little less square footage in order to have my home "built right". People are idiots. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 10:48:56 AM EDT
[#9]
Quoted:
Why on new construction do builders try to overcharge for upgrades? For example the std countertop is corian, but to go to granite thier upgrade fee is more than what just installing granite is worth. Math for clarity: Granite is worth 5k, GC wants 6k to upgrade Me: Where's the credit for the corian. I've seen the same thing with flooring, the carpet to tile upgrade fee is as high installing the tile with no credt for the non-upgraded flooring. Is the Corian already installed or are you saying that's the upgrade cost before anything is started? |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 11:15:13 AM EDT
[#10]
Quoted:
Quoted:
What kind of windows do you normally spec for a home?Atrium or Empire (local companies) What is your choice brand of boiler (oil)? We don't use boilers here Do you spec PEX for plumbing? Yes, better than the current thin copper ABS or PVC for drain pipe? ABS inside the home and PVC (3034) outside Favorite circular saw? Bosch 1677m worm drive, Bigfoot 10" mag kit on a 1677m and a Makita 5402 16" for 6x stock Leather or Cordura for tool belt? Condura, it's too wet here for leather Really?, I hope your plumbing sub is using brass fits with copper rings, even then I would rather have type M copper any day of the week. You guys are still using ABS in your neck of the woods? |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 12:00:00 PM EDT
[#11]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
What kind of windows do you normally spec for a home?Atrium or Empire (local companies) What is your choice brand of boiler (oil)? We don't use boilers here Do you spec PEX for plumbing? Yes, better than the current thin copper ABS or PVC for drain pipe? ABS inside the home and PVC (3034) outside Favorite circular saw? Bosch 1677m worm drive, Bigfoot 10" mag kit on a 1677m and a Makita 5402 16" for 6x stock Leather or Cordura for tool belt? Condura, it's too wet here for leather Really?, I hope your plumbing sub is using brass fits with copper rings, even then I would rather have type M copper any day of the week. You guys are still using ABS in your neck of the woods? Why is that? The brass fittings are basically being phased out at this point. I would choose Wirsbo or Veiga PEX over copper pipe any day and would never use the copper ring type crimp. That style is the lowest end one. Alot of people still use ABS. My plumber uses ABS and I would use ABS in my own home. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 12:13:21 PM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
What kind of windows do you normally spec for a home?Atrium or Empire (local companies) What is your choice brand of boiler (oil)? We don't use boilers here Do you spec PEX for plumbing? Yes, better than the current thin copper ABS or PVC for drain pipe? ABS inside the home and PVC (3034) outside Favorite circular saw? Bosch 1677m worm drive, Bigfoot 10" mag kit on a 1677m and a Makita 5402 16" for 6x stock Leather or Cordura for tool belt? Condura, it's too wet here for leather Really?, I hope your plumbing sub is using brass fits with copper rings, even then I would rather have type M copper any day of the week. You guys are still using ABS in your neck of the woods? Why is that? The brass fittings are basically being phased out at this point. I would choose Wirsbo or Veiga PEX over copper pipe any day and would never use the copper ring type crimp. That style is the lowest end one. Alot of people still use ABS. My plumber uses ABS and I would use ABS in my own home. So your telling me that plastic pex fittings are better than brass ones?  What is wrong with the copper crimp rings, who says (beside you) that they are the lowest end?
I have no problem with ABS, I just though it went the way of poly pipe. The reasons I prefer copper pipe are 1. it has full flow fittings 2. it is a lot more ridged than pex, thus making a better looking job. 3. it can be on a 24 hour circulating system. 4. it can be installed with no compression type fittings |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 12:27:37 PM EDT
[#13]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
What kind of windows do you normally spec for a home?Atrium or Empire (local companies) What is your choice brand of boiler (oil)? We don't use boilers here Do you spec PEX for plumbing? Yes, better than the current thin copper ABS or PVC for drain pipe? ABS inside the home and PVC (3034) outside Favorite circular saw? Bosch 1677m worm drive, Bigfoot 10" mag kit on a 1677m and a Makita 5402 16" for 6x stock Leather or Cordura for tool belt? Condura, it's too wet here for leather Really?, I hope your plumbing sub is using brass fits with copper rings, even then I would rather have type M copper any day of the week. You guys are still using ABS in your neck of the woods? Why is that? The brass fittings are basically being phased out at this point. I would choose Wirsbo or Veiga PEX over copper pipe any day and would never use the copper ring type crimp. That style is the lowest end one. Alot of people still use ABS. My plumber uses ABS and I would use ABS in my own home. So your telling me that plastic pex fittings are better than brass ones? What is wrong with the copper crimp rings, who says (beside you) that they are the lowest end?
I have no problem with ABS, I just though it went the way of poly pipe. The reasons I prefer copper pipe are 1. it has full flow fittings 2. it is a lot more ridged than pex, thus making a better looking job. 3. it can be on a 24 hour circulating system. 4. it can be installed with no compression type fittings I'm telling you that the brass fittings are being phased out due to other reasons, not that the plastic ones are better. The copper rings are the cheaper alternative to the other fastening methods offered by Viega and Wirsbo. Veiga offers a crimp fitting as well but it goes all the way around the pipe. Wirsbo uses a plastic color that contracts around the pipe and fitting. We stem off the boiler and water heater with copper so the visible plumbing is nice and neat. Once the copper reaches the ceiling it is convereted to pex and run through the joists. We do not clip PEX to the bottom like one would do to copper. It looks cheap. Basically all the PEX is covered by the basement insulation making for a very clean install. PEX can also be used on a 24 hour circulating system. I don't see a lot of radient heat floor systems using copper pipes. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 12:33:57 PM EDT
[#14]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Have you grown to like salsa music? Nope, I'm more of a custom builder and we do most of what the brown army typically handles in house. The only consistently mexican crew I see are the drywall hangers Project Manager for a GC here... As long as it's at a reasonable level, it's cool, but I'll tell them once to turn it down. If it goes back up, well, did y'all know a Benchmade Griptillian will slice through an electrical cord like butter? 
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Posted: 7/19/2010 12:41:46 PM EDT
[#15]
We stem off the boiler and water heater with copper so the visible plumbing is nice and neat. Once the copper reaches the ceiling it is convereted to pex and run through the joists. We do not clip PEX to the bottom like one would do to copper. It looks cheap. Basically all the PEX is covered by the basement insulation making for a very clean install.
Good for you guys, a lot of people just throw Pex together and it look like crap. We are in the process of re piping a nursing home that was piped with Viega Pex, the pipe has started to develop pin hole leaks. We contacted the Viega rep, and he told us that this is a problem with Pex that is on a circulation system, he went on to say that you have to give the Pex 8 hr of rest every 24 hours to prevent this. I am not saying that Pex is a bad form of pipe, we use it a lot in crawlspaces, or anywhere else it could freeze, but it will be interesting to see how it holds up in the next 50 years. Until the day that I can no longer buy brass fittings (due to the new lead content laws) I will use them over plastic fittings, I have seen the new methods of crimping pex, but see no advantage over the copper rings to justify the cost. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 12:52:39 PM EDT
[#16]
Quoted: I can feel the torque of a wormdrive on my 53 year old elbow from here.Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I don't care for worm drives. Poor ergos. Are you left-handed? No. I don't like the position of the handle or the balance. I use a Bosch circ saw with direct connect cord. Excellent visibility on the cut line. Rafter hook. 56 degree bevel and lightweight. I have never had a need for a worm drive. Well, to each his own. I find the ergos on circ saws pretty uncomfortable. I use a Bosch 15 amp worm drive. Came with a sky hook, IIRC I paid about $135 for this one. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 12:59:32 PM EDT
[#17]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I don't care for worm drives. Poor ergos. Are you left-handed? No. I don't like the position of the handle or the balance. I use a Bosch circ saw with direct connect cord. Excellent visibility on the cut line. Rafter hook. 56 degree bevel and lightweight. I have never had a need for a worm drive. Ive got one of those too and its been great. The only thing can complain about is that it doesnt take every cord Ive ever tried. So I just carry a designated one with it. I also really like the lefty porter cable mags. I prefer to see the cutting side while holding it. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 2:12:31 PM EDT
[#18]
Quoted:
Quoted:
What do you think about ICF's and/or SIPS panels (pros,cons,difficulty, have you ever used them)? My new favorite are concrete sandwich panels like these.... Structural Insulated Concrete Wall Panel Link any thoughts? Repeat of this question. Have you ever worked with ICF? I'll also bump this one up (both SIPS and ICF or similar) and add a question about metal roofs: Is Galvalum almost as good as standing seem and what's the cost difference. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 2:25:39 PM EDT
[#19]
Looking for about 650 sq feet of tile flooring (over concrete) and about 200 sq ft upstair over sub-floor..ball park on what I can expect to pay for labor? I'm hearing 3.50-6.50 for labor, including thin-set and grout..For the upstairs bathroom I got a guy talking about Ditra instead of backerboard, but that shits expensive..worth it?
Lastly, the house is about 2400 sq ft/two story––the AC unit is rated 3 1/2 ton, but looks small..is that size about right based on sq footage? Any help is appreciated. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 3:17:08 PM EDT
[#20]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I don't care for worm drives. Poor ergos. Are you left-handed? No. I don't like the position of the handle or the balance. I use a Bosch circ saw with direct connect cord. Excellent visibility on the cut line. Rafter hook. 56 degree bevel and lightweight. I have never had a need for a worm drive. Ive got one of those too and its been great. The only thing can complain about is that it doesnt take every cord Ive ever tried. So I just carry a designated one with it. I also really like the lefty porter cable mags. I prefer to see the cutting side while holding it. The lefty Porter Cable is my back up saw. I like that one too. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 3:19:33 PM EDT
[#21]
Quoted:
Looking for about 650 sq feet of tile flooring (over concrete) and about 200 sq ft upstair over sub-floor..ball park on what I can expect to pay for labor? I'm hearing 3.50-6.50 for labor, including thin-set and grout..For the upstairs bathroom I got a guy talking about Ditra instead of backerboard, but that shits expensive..worth it? Lastly, the house is about 2400 sq ft/two story––the AC unit is rated 3 1/2 ton, but looks small..is that size about right based on sq footage? Any help is appreciated. In my locale, $3.50/sf for labor only is about right. If I have to provide mortar/grout/underlayment, I would bill that as cost plus in addition to the labor. Haven't used Ditra myself, but it seems to come highly recommended. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 3:32:08 PM EDT
[#22]
Quoted:
We stem off the boiler and water heater with copper so the visible plumbing is nice and neat. Once the copper reaches the ceiling it is convereted to pex and run through the joists. We do not clip PEX to the bottom like one would do to copper. It looks cheap. Basically all the PEX is covered by the basement insulation making for a very clean install.
Good for you guys, a lot of people just throw Pex together and it look like crap. We are in the process of re piping a nursing home that was piped with Viega Pex, the pipe has started to develop pin hole leaks. We contacted the Viega rep, and he told us that this is a problem with Pex that is on a circulation system, he went on to say that you have to give the Pex 8 hr of rest every 24 hours to prevent this. I am not saying that Pex is a bad form of pipe, we use it a lot in crawlspaces, or anywhere else it could freeze, but it will be interesting to see how it holds up in the next 50 years. Until the day that I can no longer buy brass fittings (due to the new lead content laws) I will use them over plastic fittings, I have seen the new methods of crimping pex, but see no advantage over the copper rings to justify the cost. I've never worked with this stuff before, although I'm well aware of it. CPVC for the win. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 3:38:27 PM EDT
[#23]
my government office is getting a new floor this week... end of the year maintence budget leftovers...
7 buck a sq foot lwood veneer...7 bucks a foot to install was the winning.. and only bid.... 2 guys are getting 7k for two days work cutting and laying snap togethor flooring and new shoe molding 
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Posted: 7/19/2010 3:40:55 PM EDT
[#24]
Quoted:
my government office is getting a new floor this week... end of the year maintence budget leftovers... 7 buck a sq foot lwood veneer...7 bucks a foot to install was the winning.. and only bid.... 2 guys are getting 7k for two days work cutting and laying snap togethor flooring and new shoe molding This is the reason why I am going to get a cage code so I can bid on these jobs. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:14:32 PM EDT
[#25]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Why on new construction do builders try to overcharge for upgrades? For example the std countertop is corian, but to go to granite thier upgrade fee is more than what just installing granite is worth. Math for clarity: Granite is worth 5k, GC wants 6k to upgrade Me: Where's the credit for the corian. I've seen the same thing with flooring, the carpet to tile upgrade fee is as high installing the tile with no credt for the non-upgraded flooring. Is the Corian already installed or are you saying that's the upgrade cost before anything is started? These builders were for new construction. The upgrade costs were before construction is started. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:29:20 PM EDT
[#26]
Why in the blue fuck do they change the code every fucking year?
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Posted: 7/19/2010 7:36:00 PM EDT
[#27]
How often do you get "Kill Bill" customers? Kill Bill is a term I use for customers when they get down to punch-list/ final payment. It's at that point they (some customers) start nit-picking and making up shit to try to "Kill-The-Bill" by making it more problems than the final payment is worth.
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:10:30 PM EDT
[#28]
Quoted: Quoted: I can feel the torque of a wormdrive on my 53 year old elbow from here.Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I don't care for worm drives. Poor ergos. Are you left-handed? No. I don't like the position of the handle or the balance. I use a Bosch circ saw with direct connect cord. Excellent visibility on the cut line. Rafter hook. 56 degree bevel and lightweight. I have never had a need for a worm drive. Well, to each his own. I find the ergos on circ saws pretty uncomfortable. I use a Bosch 15 amp worm drive. Came with a sky hook, IIRC I paid about $135 for this one. They snap a bit while they're spooling up, but not nearly enough to make them uncomfortable. They're far faster and more powerful, which serves the less patient of us well.
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:17:28 PM EDT
[#29]
Quoted: Why in the blue fuck do they change the code every fucking year? They make modifications to the building code constantly, but the new edition of "The Building Code" is published every three years. States with more "proactive" government tend to adopt the most stringent building code available. This is why, in California, we're currently using Florida's foundation code. So, if a category 5 hurricane ever hits here, all the new structures will be a-ok.  Don't even get me started on how this shit makes my inventory of hardware (which was fine two years ago) obsolete on current projects.  Invest in Simpson Hardware, people. They're guaranteed to remain economically viable for the foreseeable future.
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:18:29 PM EDT
[#30]
Why do you guys all hate that guy on HGTV?
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:20:39 PM EDT
[#31]
Quoted: How often do you get "Kill Bill" customers? Kill Bill is a term I use for customers when they get down to punch-list/ final payment. It's at that point they (some customers) start nit-picking and making up shit to try to "Kill-The-Bill" by making it more problems than the final payment is worth. Problematic customers can be identified from the outset, if you know what to look for and have a good contract. I have a very thorough contract and when people balk at signing, when all points have been agreed upon, it's a red flag. Some want to do the job on a handshake. More often than not those are the ones that intend to burn you. ETA: I also intentionally leave a very small amount at the end, and make it contingent upon a big ticket item important to the customer. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:22:58 PM EDT
[#32]
Quoted: Why do you guys all hate that guy on HGTV? Because he will cut a hole in a ceiling, push a can in there and tell the audience that it is "just that easy!" to install recessed can lighting. He doesn't bother to address the wiring process.
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:26:16 PM EDT
[#33]
Quoted:
Why do you guys all hate that guy on HGTV? Which one? If you are talking about Mike Holmes I don't think anyone really hates him, he is just kinda annoying. What I don't like about it is that people watch those shows and expect everything to be done like he does it. The if they had to pick up the bill they wouldn't be so happy. Most people expect something for nothing and that's not real life, that's TV. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:27:40 PM EDT
[#34]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Why do you guys all hate that guy on HGTV? Because he will cut a hole in a ceiling, push a can in there and tell the audience that it is "just that easy!" to install recessed can lighting. He doesn't bother to address the wiring process. Didn't you know that everyone and thier brother or three jerk off friends can flip a house in 10 days and turn a $200K profit? |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:30:14 PM EDT
[#35]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Why do you guys all hate that guy on HGTV? Which one? If you are talking about Mike Holmes I don't think anyone really hates him, he is just kinda annoying. What I don't like about it is that people watch those shows and expect everything to be done like he does it. The if they had to pick up the bill they wouldn't be so happy. Most people expect something for nothing and that's not real life, that's TV. I don't have a dog in this fight, I was just curious. My dad thinks he's a folk hero or something, then a lot of people dislike him. I've only seen his show once. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:32:37 PM EDT
[#36]
Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Why do you guys all hate that guy on HGTV? Because he will cut a hole in a ceiling, push a can in there and tell the audience that it is "just that easy!" to install recessed can lighting. He doesn't bother to address the wiring process. Didn't you know that everyone and thier brother or three jerk off friends can flip a house in 10 days and turn a $200K profit? That sock puppet can keep selling his infomercial to the retards for all I care. I've picked up many a customer halfway (maybe) through the job when fantasy met reality, and they either gave up the owner/builder route or fired their brother in law. I don't mind at all receiving "emergency" rates.
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:34:43 PM EDT
[#37]
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Why do you guys all hate that guy on HGTV? Which one? If you are talking about Mike Holmes I don't think anyone really hates him, he is just kinda annoying. What I don't like about it is that people watch those shows and expect everything to be done like he does it. The if they had to pick up the bill they wouldn't be so happy. Most people expect something for nothing and that's not real life, that's TV. I don't have a dog in this fight, I was just curious. My dad thinks he's a folk hero or something, then a lot of people dislike him. I've only seen his show once. Of course. I would like to see actual invoices of the work he does on that show. Then I would like to see them billed to the homeowners instead of the show picking up the tab. I doubt he would be much of a hero then. Not knocking his know-how. The guy definitely knows his shit. |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:38:36 PM EDT
[#38]
Quoted: Of course. I would like to see actual invoices of the work he does on that show. Then I would like to see them billed to the homeowners instead of the show picking up the tab. I doubt he would be much of a hero then. Not knocking his know-how. The guy definitely knows his shit. Yeah, no shit. I don't know anything about construction, but I've watched a few shows lately. I remember one, where they ripped up the whole subfloor to see what was under it and "make it right." They guy ripping up the floor looked pissed/in shock/incredulous. He said, repeatedly, "There's no way another contractor would ever go this far." Holmes agreed, but he's got to. He's on friggin' TV, complaining about other contractors "taking shortcuts, because it's easier." He HAS to tear it all down. NOBODY else would do that or pay for that. It was strictly for tv, to save his reputation for "making it right." |
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:42:25 PM EDT
[#39]
What would you think of finding 15% - 18% moisture readings from the framing in the crawlspace under a 40-year-old house? Is this normal and, if not, what is normal?
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Posted: 7/19/2010 8:47:41 PM EDT
[#40]
Do your contracts regularly feature a clause that penalizes you for taking longer than estimated on a project if the delay is significant enough?
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Posted: 7/19/2010 9:03:45 PM EDT
[#41]
Quoted: Do your contracts regularly feature a clause that penalizes you for taking longer than estimated on a project if the delay is significant enough? B. Date of Work Commecement |
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