PS

I'd obviously prefer something like poplar over MDF, but even that looked expensive when I glanced around online. Unfortunately, I don't live in Raleigh, but I am interested in looking into pricing for real wood again now after you saying it was $900 for your entire first floor + bedroom. When I looked around online at poplar crown, I was seeing anywhere from $2-$8 per linear ft (product, not installed cost) depending on total length ordered and width (ranging from 2.5-5" in the price range I listed).

Poplar chair rail wouldn't break the bank considering I wouldn't do it all over, and that was more around $1-$1.50/linear ft for poplar.

[Edited on February 4, 2010 at 10:19 AM. Reason : ]

2/4/2010 10:08:39 AM

What brands of replacement windows should I look for or avoid, and is there a sweet spot regarding price/quality?

I don't care about tilting and whatnot-- only long-term quality and energy efficiency.

2/4/2010 12:02:59 PM

i don't think MDF has the same shrink/swell factors as real wood. this is a BIG plus in my book.

2/4/2010 1:27:38 PM

^thats pretty much what I thought/read, which makes it good for something like crown because I think it has less chance to separate from the wall, plus with 9' ceilings I just don't think you are going to be able to tell that it is MDF if it is painted white.

For the one doorway that isn't framed/cased I definitely plan to use a solid wood, and who knows, I might use it on the chair rail, but I just don't know that I can justify the price difference/l.ft. for MDF vs solid wood for crown.

We'll see as I am still polling opinions and reading, but that is kind of the plan written in pencil atm.

[Edited on February 4, 2010 at 3:15 PM. Reason : ]

2/4/2010 3:15:06 PM

Quote :

"brandco (787-8453) - they're up in leesville industrial park off of westgate road. Oddly enough their price for the same unit was about $20-$30 cheaper than anything I could find online. Just call them up and give them the model number of your fireplace, and they'll match it to the correct blower unit, and preassemble everything for you as well. "

thanks! installed it in 10 mins. didn't know it was that easy. the guy showed me how to install it and told me to call him if I had any problems. the only thing about the sale was that it took so long for the guy to come out, once to talk to me, second to actually get the blower unit.

otherwise it was a good location, good price and the service was great. A+ would do business again.

2/5/2010 12:13:35 AM

^ yeah I had to wait a good 15 minutes before anyone came out to talk to me also, I thought it was because I showed up right before they closed. Meh, not a big deal, once someone did come out, he was just as helpful as your experience was.

2/5/2010 9:26:13 AM

The temperature of water in my shower has been highly inconsistent. Sometimes it is very hot for a long time and sometimes in about 2 minutes all the hot water is gone. The heater is a gas water heater…about 5 years old.

Any ideas what could be the problem? I am guessing it’s a broken dip tube…..Thanks.

2/5/2010 1:05:03 PM

^^^Won, did you get your brick fixed?

2/5/2010 2:18:47 PM

I found a cheap and easy partial solution to my heating woes. It turns out there's a reason they installed ceiling fans in every room. switched them on and the ambient temp increased from 60 to 67 (thermostat set point) in about 45 minutes.

2/6/2010 9:40:16 PM

yep.. ceiling fans are crucial in getting a home heated well, especially if there isn't good natural flow of air. otherwise the hot air just sits around the heat source and doesn't do the rest of the house any good.

2/7/2010 12:19:52 PM

Marshall, nope.

Too busy and haven't found someone trustworthy. Need to get it done soon. Called the city to have an inspector look at it, but no call back, yet. I'll call again on monday.

I'm glad it's only the mortar that is cracked at the bottom, but it still sucks. It pulled away from the wall when it was cold and then slid back into place when it got warmer. I wasn't able to push it back in, but now it's almost normal on it's own. WTF?

Centex sucks.

Do I have any recourse against Centex if it is indeed a code violation?

2/7/2010 4:36:16 PM

Anyone have an idea of how long those rubber seals around the vents on the roof normally last? I replaced all of them today. My shingles look to be in good shape, but I don't know how old this roof is. I'm wondering if the rubber seals might be an indicator of the age.

2/7/2010 10:29:27 PM

^^if there is still a warranty, you might, but otherwise, i doubt it.

i swear it sounds like they left out the retainer clips on that little section. You should be able to lag the facade back to the garage wall and not have to tear down the brick.

if you want, i may be able to give you a few references to do this for you, but I am sure DaBird knows someone more "cost effective"

2/8/2010 9:29:17 AM

Skack, if you are referring to pipe boots, then they are not an indicator of roof wear. I replaced mine about 4 years ago, and when the guy was replacing them (I had a roofer do it), he said my roof was still in very good condition. The house would have been 10 years old or thereabouts at that time.

I replaced them all because one started to leak.

2/8/2010 10:52:51 AM

Mine started leaking a couple of years ago. I sealed them with roofer's sealant a couple of times, but finally did it the right way and replaced them yesterday. If I had to guess I would have said the roof was in the 10-12 year range, so that makes sense if those seals normally last about a decade.

2/8/2010 1:09:55 PM

Aight, I'm lookin to replace my furnace which is 20 years old and maybe get some tax breaks while I am at it. I've gotten several estimates and they are all in the same ballpark. The last guy that came in said I needed to have a bigger return vent for a 2.5ton unit, but no one else mentioned this. Any body know what the proper size is for a 2.5 ton unit?

I ask this, because the furnace is the original unit for the house, so it seems *odd* that whoever put in the unit would have undersized the return knowing exactly what he was going to put in tonnage-wise...

2/8/2010 8:23:08 PM

^ Sadly, very few HVAC companies actually do heating load calculations to determine duct sizing.

To answer your question, assuming that you have one return line... at 400 cfm per ton that equates to 14 or 16 inch round flex-duct line depending on the length of the run.

2/9/2010 1:28:09 AM

I just put some weather stripping around the the door frame of my back door. Good news: My laundry room and kitchen are no longer drafty and cold all day. Bad news: It is now almost impossible to shut and latch the back door. The stripping I got was like .25 inches too thick! D'oh!

2/9/2010 10:22:00 AM

aaron, you hit some of the frustration I had when upgrading my HVAC last year. Too many different opinions on what needs to be done, even with those who supposedly run load calcs...

To make things easier, you should first ask yourself if your unit warms your house well. If it does, then that should make things a lot easier... Keep things as they are, and replace your unit with a more efficient unit. If your home doesnt seem to get the airflow through the vents that you want, adding a bigger return 'could' help get more air through the vents if the return is constricted. Some HVAC guys could come in and say that a contricted return, or contricted supply, could ruin your fan, but you have history on your side: a 20 year old furnance which has been running just fine.

However, you should know that people that generally install these things for builders do a shit job. They did not spec my house correctly, and it made my upgrade a bit troublesome. Same thing with my wife's old townhome (3 years old).

2/9/2010 10:29:06 AM

When my loan officer says he needs a copy of my canceled Earnest Money check, what exactly does he want? I'm going to contact him in a bit, but I don't want to sound stupid. I provided my buying agent with my $2000 earnest money check when we went under contract. That check has since been cashed. Am I missing something??

2/10/2010 4:07:32 PM

^ He wants a copy of the processed check that your bank either provides an online copy of or returns to you in your monthly statements. What's so hard to understand?

2/10/2010 4:27:44 PM

Thanks. I guess the "canceled" was throwing me off. I have the online copy of the cleared check I presented saved on my computer with all the other files I've been saving. For some reason I've never heard a cleared check referred to as a "canceled" check before. Or, if I have, I guess I just assumed it wasn't the same as a cleared check. I guess this is a standard term that I have just never run across myself somehow. Then again I don't write too many checks, maybe 1-2 a year max. (The last one I wrote before this was probably at least a year prior).

[Edited on February 10, 2010 at 4:33 PM. Reason : ]

2/10/2010 4:29:54 PM

new one for me....refrigerator died Sunday night, went out and bought a new one to be delivered today, but the blizzard hit MD and the delivery was pushed back to Sunday. Thank god I have 30 inches of snow to keep some of the food edible, and the beers cold.

2/10/2010 11:43:22 PM

So. I'm about to move into a house that has a small gas leak. It's not really noticeable at all I suppose. I only found it because I wanted to make sure that it wasn't leaking. Damnit! lol. Unless you put your nose about two feet within the gas meter, you wouldn't know it was leaking. I had PSNC come out and they responded by saying:

Quote :

"He found a grade 3 leak below the cutoff and made sure the situation was safe and filled out a leak sheet. These leaks are very minimal and as mandated by the Utilities Commission need to be checked every 18 months to be certain they continue to remain at a grade 3 level or repair as needed."

The leak is before the meter, so it's not running up the bill. But still, there's a gas leak outside the house... Oh well, right?

[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 5:12 PM. Reason : .]

2/11/2010 5:11:54 PM

meh, just go light it. that will solve the problem one way or anothr

2/11/2010 5:27:53 PM

Hit with hammer until it smells like a grade 8 leak.

2/12/2010 11:15:21 AM

If you are unhappy with them not repairing it (I certainly would not be), then call the Utilities Commissioners office and see if they can force them to repair.

The UC office has been very helpful with me in the past. I had a problem with my meter that progress said I was SOL on. I called the UC, and within 1 hour after I got off the phone with them, progress called me to tell me they would fix the problem immediately.

2/12/2010 1:58:34 PM

A grade 3 leak is the lowest grade btw. It's too expensive to fix every small non-hazardous leak. Just like it's too expensive to fix every stress crack in an airplane, so they evaluate, document, and monitor until certain conditions are met. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, lol.

For reference the NCUC adopted the PHMSA's leak classification system (last 3 pages of this pdf):

http://tinyurl.com/LeakDetection

2/12/2010 3:24:00 PM

Anyone have experience or suggestions with regards to tankless water heaters?

2/15/2010 11:15:27 AM

^well I love my Rinnai. There hasn't been any problems like the ones mentioned earlier in this thread.

2/15/2010 1:00:20 PM

How was it as far as installation? Plumber and Electrician needed? Have you realized a savings on energy?

2/15/2010 2:13:07 PM

I have a Rinnai as well. I can't really comment on the savings because I've only had it a couple of months and I have a second housemate this year that was not in the house the last few years. Very happy with it so far though.

PM me if you want info on some local plumbers that I checked with when I was getting quotes as well as a recommendation for an installer (the guy I went with).

When I got mine you could get a $100 rebate from PSNC (if you're on gas) for doing the tankless upgrade. In addition you can get a 30% tax credit (probably $700 at the very minimum) thanks to the stimulus program. The rebates do a pretty good job of offsetting the $2k+ initial cost. In addition, these things are supposed to last 20+ years as opposed to 6-10 years for a traditional water heater. Add in the energy savings + the fact that they add value when you decide to sell the house and they really aren't a bad idea at all.

PSNC rebate: http://www.psncenergy.com/en/save-energy-and-money/appliance-rebates/default.htm
Stimulus program tax credit: http://www.rinnai.us/tankless-tax-credit/

I did the electrical myself. All it takes is an outlet. Any competent electrician can do this for 1-2 hours labor ($60-$80 per hour) unless you have a really odd configuration. They may have to pull a permit which will add $72 to the cost.

[Edited on February 15, 2010 at 4:04 PM. Reason : l]

2/15/2010 4:01:41 PM

^^^^ I like mine, and would probably never buy another water heater that wasn't tankless. Can't compare in terms of cost, as my house was tankless from the beginning.


My property tax went down by $50/month, so my mortgage (w/ escrow) will go down starting next month, and I just got a ~$800 refund check due to escrow overpayment. Great success.


My oven is a fiery inferno (I think it's jetted for NG instead of propane), and my dishwasher needs to be remounted. I think my home appliance warranty will cover these, though.

2/15/2010 6:19:26 PM

so i finally fixed my garbage disposal...



i used a screw driver to turn the blades and reset it and while it wasn't jammed anymore it still made a horrid noise

i grabbed a flashlight and unplugged it and stuck my hand in there and pulled out the crap in the above picture

i blame my old roommate. any guesses on wtf it is?? its very hard, flat plastic about as thick as cardboard

2/15/2010 8:49:56 PM

Roommate in the kitchen with the chapstick

2/16/2010 10:36:18 AM

haha chapstick is for scale

but you already knew that

2/16/2010 11:32:13 AM

I wonder if the chapstick helps the smell?

Is the thing working now?

2/16/2010 12:03:52 PM

yeah it works

2/16/2010 12:44:22 PM

To me it look like plastic to me.

2/16/2010 2:53:33 PM

ordered house plans online and checked the box that said right reading reversed. Got them in the mail today and they were not reversed. I hope this is not a sign of things to come while building this house.

2/16/2010 6:28:40 PM

^who is building your home?

I have a rinnai. i love it. i'm not sure about the cost savings. i know that when it is not winter my gas bill is like $12 and I take long showers, have a gas cooktop, and gas dryer.

2/16/2010 11:09:22 PM

called the architect today, they are overnighting the correct plans to me and told me to keep the ones they sent in wrong. Pretty awesome customer service.

2/17/2010 9:21:04 PM

I havent met a single person that didnt have to fight their way through their house being built correctly. There is always shit that goes wrong, and if you dont watch them like a damned hawk, you'll be very pissed off at the end.

2/19/2010 4:59:58 PM

Going to start demolishing the bathroom tomorrow. I am going to take pics in a few minutes. Got a guy coming in to re-tile and replace most of the bathroom. Two rotten spots under the floor near the tub and when the geniuses put in central air about 12 years ago, they cut through a beam under the house to run the duct work. Now the floor is sagging, and the beam they cut runs right behind the washer/dryer on one side of the cut and the refrigerator on the other. So the small floor tiles have popped up and the kitchen floor is off level. He is going to jack the floor up and put some permanent support in there to fix that, replace the rotten spots, and then we are sheet rocking the walls. Going to be a fun weekend of destruction!

First major renovation on the house since we have had it for 4 years. Pretty excited.

[Edited on February 19, 2010 at 8:13 PM. Reason : ]

2/19/2010 8:12:32 PM

^^ As long as he has good subs then he will be fine. Most people that do their own building will go for the cheapest sub and they will receive what they paid for.

that is really the case for any type of work.

2/20/2010 8:55:50 AM

Signing papers on a house today

Then I get to work with our mortgage broker to get the deal ironed out for the loan.

Should be closing at the end of March.

2/21/2010 12:04:09 PM

grats man!

We close/move in this coming Friday

2/21/2010 12:07:51 PM

Had a bunch of gift cards to the HD and Lowes, so the wife wanted to replace all of our fixtures in our master bath.

We have a double sink, tub, and walk in shower.

She picks out everything she wants, we get home and I start working. Who knew the parts for a tub and shower weren't universal? Turns out to change the two handles and faucet on the tub, I will need to decaulk the whole thing and actually LIFT the top half of the tub out so I can replace. For the shower, I would need to completely cut out the wall that shares the shower wall so I can get back there to replace the handle to turn our water on and off.

Give me a break, what a pain in the ass.

2/21/2010 3:40:54 PM

shower valves ftl

2/21/2010 6:03:02 PM

I close on March 26th.
3 bed rooms (and office), 3 full baths, 2350 sq ft, 2 car garage, .2 acres.

2/21/2010 6:05:21 PM