Home Remodel: Do, Don'ts, Advice

[::: :::]

No design pro requires upfront payment... not a single one (i sub design pros as part of my day job).

generally we work then bill, but we do ask for a decent retainer to start cuz we've gotten stiffed too

[climberevan]

NV has a similar law WRT the max we can ask for up front. Many "contractors" ignore it and ask for more. If they have to buy a ton of materials immediately I can sort of see it, but you can bill for them the instant they hit the job site, so it's NBD. Anyone willing to take on that work should have enough reserves to float the cost for 2 weeks or more. CA has much laxer requirements for financial stability than NV, though.

In any case, we can always lien your ass if you don't pay, so eventually we'll get what we're owed. Thus asking for a big deposit is just bad form.

[californiagrown]

generally we work then bill, but we do ask for a decent retainer to start cuz we've gotten stiffed too

IME that has only happened when the client has a history of not paying on time, and the consultant is re-starting work on a project for them. Never seen it done first thing, upfront, on a new project/new client.

[old goat]

My understanding, after hiring multiple contractors over the decades, is that money up front means that the contractor doesn't have good credit with the suppliers.

[liv2ski]

I interviewed 5 contractors and have decided on a company with many great reviews and a estimated price of $450k for 750 sq ft of living space, 1 bdrm, 1.5 bath, full kitchen, W/D and 250 sq ft of Trex decking around two sides of it. Waiting for the contract. Estimated completion date June 2026. (rolls eyes) I will provide plenty of laughs for you heathens down the road.

[dan_pdx]

I interviewed 5 contractors and have decided on a company with many great reviews and a estimated price of $450k for 750 sq ft of living space, 1 bdrm, 1.5 bath, full kitchen, W/D and 250 sq ft of Trex decking around two sides of it. Waiting for the contract. Estimated completion date June 2026. (rolls eyes) I will provide plenty of laughs for you heathens down the road.

Looking forward to the mag discount if you/your daughter ever rents it out

[fatnslow]

Hope you fatten that budget by 50% and extended unforseen delays.

[liv2ski]

Here is hoping they don't bend me over like you would.

[fastfred]

My understanding, after hiring multiple contractors over the decades, is that money up front means that the contractor doesn't have good credit with the suppliers.

yeah this is spot on
pretty much having credit and cash in the bank is what a customer wants in a contractor not sure how you actually prove that to a customer?? showing bank statments? I never have
endless horror stories out there of people just dumping money and shelling it out to the contractor and nothing getting done

on the other hand I usually get my first check once we get started depending on the job it could be anywhere from 10k to 100k

[old goat]

With a local contractor and only one lumber yard in town, when I ordered something for an addition they asked who the contractor was and they told me they loved him. I suppose one could find out what supplier a contractor uses and ask.We're advised to ask for lien releases from suppliers before paying as the job proceeds. I don't know if that applies outside of CA.

[liv2ski]

Curious...one of the showers has a glass door and adjoining glass panel that has brackets the create a .25 inch gap that water can flow under. It was calked when installed but that shit always gets moldy. Is the not some type of clear plastic trim piece I could use rather than calk?

[nickwm21]

Just buy the most expensive silicone bathroom caulk you can find. Like from a tile or plumbing supply store, not HD / Lowe’s.

Caulking is probably one of the most true “you get what you pay for” items… A quality product will last 10 years without cracking / molding, a big box store product will last less than 2.


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[babybear]

Just buy the most expensive silicone bathroom caulk you can find. Like from a tile or plumbing supply store, not HD / Lowe’s.

Caulking is probably one of the most true “you get what you pay for” items… A quality product will last 10 years without cracking / molding, a big box store product will last less than 2.

Thank you- that is the type of “worth their weight in gold” info I get from this community


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[Vt-Freeheel]

Like Nick said, do not go cheap. Any sort of janky plastic trim will will trap water under, behind and or between and get moldy quickly.

Not sure if this will link or not GE Supreme Silicone Kitchen and Bath Clear



https://www.amazon.com/GE-Supreme-Si...435178858&th=1

[liv2ski]

Thanks guys.

[Foggy_Goggles]

If it really is 1/4 gap that is questionable install. When the customer wants a floating panel, with get slope on the curb and a 1/8max gap and the water stays in the shower. They do make plastic sweeps for glass doors. You may be able to get one of those to work. They get nasty also, but you toss the and get a new one. Caulking is a bit of an art. I don't let anyone do it on my job except me and the painters.

[Danno]

Asked this in the unthreadworthy question thread, but it might get more answers here.

Anyone ever insulate their garage doors? Did it make a big difference? Cause problems?

Got a couple of quotes for replacement of the non-insulated doors with insulated ones, but 2 doors is going to cost $2500 minimum, more than it seems worth it to do. DIY insulation kits are cheap and seem somewhat simple (depending on which type) but I have read that they might add too much weight to the door and wear out the motor. But some insulation kits, that are basically reflectix material, don't weigh more than 4-5 pounds, so hard to imagine that would mess up the operation of a spring/motor designed to lift a very heavy steel door. Right?

[Djongo Unchained]

Ive seen garage doors with 2 inch foam blueboard cut to size and attached somehow, glue or whatevs...prolly a bit tedious to do but cheap and simple.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Blueboard is R10. Those kits are usually R8. Assuming you have a standard panelized door, this kit is gonna be a cleaner install and Blueboard ain't that cheap. See how the door buck is finished against the garage door. That can be a big air infiltration area.

[old goat]

I had no trouble finding a replacement sweep for the bottom of my frameless glass shower door. The original tore after a few years but mold was never a problem.

[Name Redacted]

We have some Jeld-Wen French doors that apparently have lifetime warranty on weatherstripping. They came with the house, but when I finally figured out what company they were from and got the warranty info, I was pretty happy to find out that they'd send me all new weatherstripping to replace the old stuff for free. Definitely cut down on drafting.

[liv2ski]

"I had no trouble finding a replacement sweep for the bottom of my frameless glass shower door. The original tore after a few years but mold was never a problem"

Not the door sweep but the panel beside it. I have it all cleaned up and the shower all scrubbed out. A few spots soaking in mold killer for a few hours before I caulk the fucker again.

[old goat]

A sweep might still work. Possibly trimmed

[riser4]

I need to figure out dimmable LED conversion for my recessed cans. I see kits but im a little lost. I dont want to have to do any sheet rock work to replace the fixtures. They are buried up in there. Just screwing dimmable LED bulbs in the sockets isn't going to work, ive tried that already, with lots of flickering, an explided bulb, and lots of humming noises. Fortunately no fires so far. Is there a product that can handle pretty old cans and still be dimmable? Easy fix for one section was to put in a non-dimmer switch. But I want to go back to dimmable.

[carlh]

You should be able to get there with dimmable bulbs and a led rated dimmer switch but might have to do some trial and error for a combo that works.