[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Ask a General Contractor anything (Page 1 of 4)
Posted: 5/27/2013 9:02:57 PM EDT
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Questions about your house, maintenance or potential upcoming projects? Ask away, I'll do my best to answer. I know there are several members here experienced in residential construction, feel free to add your input.
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How much should I expect to pay for tiling a shower stall? I've got new cement board up and the joints taped and prepped, just need the tile put up and I really want it done right the first time (which means paying someone to do it).
Or, is it easier than it looks and I should do it myself? |
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Quoted:
How much should I expect to pay for tiling a shower stall? I've got new cement board up and the joints taped and prepped, just need the tile put up and I really want it done right the first time (which means paying someone to do it). Or, is it easier than it looks and I should do it myself? This...I started tearing down the tile and old backerboard 4 months ago and it's still waiting to be finished |
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Quoted: How much should I expect to pay for tiling a shower stall? I've got new cement board up and the joints taped and prepped, just need the tile put up and I really want it done right the first time (which means paying someone to do it). Or, is it easier than it looks and I should do it myself? Around here, about $1k. Maybe a little less depending on the size of the tile. If you have experience and are patient and detail oriented, you shouldn't have a problem doing the job yourself if you want to. Do some research, add a little lyme to your thinset (makes it stickier), rent a tile saw and get a diamond blade for your 4" grinder and it's completely doable. Most tile stores sell caulking in all the grout colors. Make sure to use that between your tub and your first row of tile.
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Quoted: If I was going to poor an addition to my back patio pad how deep and should I go ahead a pour some footings to support the weight of a brick firepit / bbq pit? Typically a 6-8" perimeter footing works for a patio, with a 4" slab. Your footing should be 6" wide at least. Some crews use netting or mesh for reinforcement but I prefer #3 rebar on 16" centers, it's stronger. You need to make sure the soil you're pouring on is either undisturbed or compacted to 99% before pouring. I would definitely up the ante in your BBQ area. I would go with a 6" slab and a bit bigger footings.
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Quoted: Do you ever pay you Subs  Always. I've had problems with a few, but as long as they make it right I pay them. Even if they don't, I pay them, but I don't hire them again. One time I caught a stucco guy sleeping in the bushes, I wrote him a check for what he'd done and told him his services were no longer needed. Heard from a mutual friend that he checked into rehab the next day.
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Quoted: I'm setting posts for an 8x8 treehouse. How do I make sure I get them set square? Pythagorean Theorem. When one side of a triangle = 3', and it's right angle side = 4', the hypotenuse will = 5' if it's a true 90* angle. So, set two stakes 8' apart, set another 6' in an approximate 90* angle from that line and then measure to the farthest stake. Adjust you 6' stake until the measurement is exactly 10'.
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Few questions:
First, my home was new in 2006, and the builder cut some corners. He installed a hose bib/water spigot on the north-east corner of the house, on a non-heated garage wall. It predictably froze that first winter and pushed the plastic guts of the "freeze proof" hose bib out. I capped the line because I don't use that bib and never got around to fully fixing it. It is all PEX so I wasn't too worried about an in-wall burst. I'm now getting ready to sell the home and I'm debating on how I should proceed with the repair. Is it possible to keep something from freezing without having a heated space behind it or should I just remove the hose bib and cap the line off where it splits off for this particular drop? Second, the rear deck was never built properly and it is beginning to sag. The builder has the supporting beams running parallel to the hanger board instead of perpendicular to it, and since they are so long they have sagged in the middle causing my deck to have a slightly "bowl" shape. Is it possible and "worth it" to install some support beams and jack up the center, or should I just FO and start over? I don't want to spend money on a new deck, but I also don't want to sell a home with what I would consider an un-safe deck. All of this brings me to my third and final question. The reason I am trying to prepare my home to sell is that I am trying to find some acreage just outside of town to build on. I don't have any experience with building, but I am an engineer by education and trade so I'm not completely clueless. What are some good resources for finding a good builder/G.C. that will build what I'm looking for without taking me for a financial ride? |
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Quoted:
Few questions: First, my home was new in 2006, and the builder cut some corners. He installed a hose bib/water spigot on the north-east corner of the house, on a non-heated garage wall. It predictably froze that first winter and pushed the plastic guts of the "freeze proof" hose bib out. I capped the line because I don't use that bib and never got around to fully fixing it. It is all PEX so I wasn't too worried about an in-wall burst. I'm now getting ready to sell the home and I'm debating on how I should proceed with the repair. Is it possible to keep something from freezing without having a heated space behind it or should I just remove the hose bib and cap the line off where it splits off for this particular drop? Second, the rear deck was never built properly and it is beginning to sag. The builder has the supporting beams running parallel to the hanger board instead of perpendicular to it, and since they are so long they have sagged in the middle causing my deck to have a slightly "bowl" shape. Is it possible and "worth it" to install some support beams and jack up the center, or should I just FO and start over? I don't want to spend money on a new deck, but I also don't want to sell a home with what I would consider an un-safe deck. All of this brings me to my third and final question. The reason I am trying to prepare my home to sell is that I am trying to find some acreage just outside of town to build on. I don't have any experience with building, but I am an engineer by education and trade so I'm not completely clueless. What are some good resources for finding a good builder/G.C. that will build what I'm looking for without taking me for a financial ride? Referral, referral, referral to find a good builder. If you don't know someone who has built a home with a good contractor, check with your local home builder's association (even though I'm not a member). 90% of my business comes from referral. Also, don't tell the prospective builder that you are an engineer unless you want a 10% pita upcharge. |
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Quoted: What is your wort horror story about the job Those are always priceless I had a pretty unique summer about seven or eight years ago, three insane clients back to back. The first was a guy who contracted with me to do a bunch of initial work, in preparation to do a full scale remodel. He seemed like a normal guy at first, then slowly he got weird, then he threatened to shoot my concrete sub in the face. He demanded the names and addresses of everyone that was on site before he issued final payment, I gave him a fake list and GTFO. Turned out he was a schizo. Next was some work at large winery in the area for the wife of the owner that had a rep for being a little eccentric. Long story short she was fucking crazy and though we did beautiful work she screamed at me several times. The whole place was run by her completely dysfunctional family and fortunately they made good wine because she burned through cash like no other. The third was a tear down addition/remodel for a nice couple, who just happened to have a schizo son that they kept in the garage. The asked me to employ him, so I did, and he fucked around for an entire day, didn't get shit done and bugged the hell out of my crew. He stole my box of romex and broke the oak handrail fighting with a redwood tree in the front yard. I left the state after that summer and spent a month in Nevada. |
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Quoted: Few questions: First, my home was new in 2006, and the builder cut some corners. He installed a hose bib/water spigot on the north-east corner of the house, on a non-heated garage wall. It predictably froze that first winter and pushed the plastic guts of the "freeze proof" hose bib out. I capped the line because I don't use that bib and never got around to fully fixing it. It is all PEX so I wasn't too worried about an in-wall burst. I'm now getting ready to sell the home and I'm debating on how I should proceed with the repair. Is it possible to keep something from freezing without having a heated space behind it or should I just remove the hose bib and cap the line off where it splits off for this particular drop? Second, the rear deck was never built properly and it is beginning to sag. The builder has the supporting beams running parallel to the hanger board instead of perpendicular to it, and since they are so long they have sagged in the middle causing my deck to have a slightly "bowl" shape. Is it possible and "worth it" to install some support beams and jack up the center, or should I just FO and start over? I don't want to spend money on a new deck, but I also don't want to sell a home with what I would consider an un-safe deck. All of this brings me to my third and final question. The reason I am trying to prepare my home to sell is that I am trying to find some acreage just outside of town to build on. I don't have any experience with building, but I am an engineer by education and trade so I'm not completely clueless. What are some good resources for finding a good builder/G.C. that will build what I'm looking for without taking me for a financial ride? 1. Tough to say without seeing it, if it's opposite a garage wall you should be able to remove the drywall and cap it, worst case, inside the wall and repair your siding. Sorry I can't really give you good advice from the description, maybe post some pics. 2. Installing a mid-span girder shouldn't be that difficult and would definitely be cheaper than starting over. You'll want to get ahold of some bottle jacks, set up a "false" beam about a foot away from where you want to install your girder and jack up the deck as close to level as you can, that is as close as it will allow before it starts to pop and creak too much. Leave the jacks, posts and beam in place, dig a few footings, pour concrete, set posts and new girder, then lower jacks and deck framing onto new girder. Nail joists to new girder. 3. This big of a financial investment is worthy of as much time as is necessary to find a reputable builder. Do whatever it takes to make that happen. Talk to your friends, talk to architects in the area, don't be afraid to leave a note on the door of newer houses in the area that you admire. Talk at length with prospective contractors, ask for references, get multiple bids, be wary of the low bid.
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The paint on my deck is getting worn and needs redone. How much effort should be taken to remove the existing paint? Scraping to get the loose stuff, power washing to take up more? Stripping it all down to bare wood?
I've done a lot of interior painting but not exterior. eta I know it's more of a painter question, but I figured you might know |
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Quoted: The paint on my deck is getting worn and needs redone. How much effort should be taken to remove the existing paint? Scraping to get the loose stuff, power washing to take up more? Stripping it all down to bare wood? I've done a lot of interior painting but not exterior. Rent a pressure washer, 2700-3000 psi. Use the widest tip, it's usually green, should take you less than a day for an average sized deck. Remove what you can, don't scar the wood. If you want to strip it down completely you'll probably have to use an orbital sander. Refinishing with a semi pigmented coating of near the same color will probably make that effort wasted, so just pressure wash and repaint. Start with the railing, do the decking last.
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The paint on my deck is getting worn and needs redone. How much effort should be taken to remove the existing paint? Scraping to get the loose stuff, power washing to take up more? Stripping it all down to bare wood? I've done a lot of interior painting but not exterior. Rent a pressure washer, 2700-3000 psi. Use the widest tip, it's usually green, should take you less than a day for an average sized deck. Remove what you can, don't scar the wood. If you want to strip it down completely you'll probably have to use an orbital sander. Refinishing with a semi pigmented coating of near the same color will probably make that effort wasted, so just pressure wash and repaint. Start with the railing, do the decking last. Awesome, thank you. |