Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum http://www.contractortalk.com Contractor Talk Forum | A Community of Professional Contractors Discussing Business and Trade Knowledge for the Construction and Remodeling Industry. en Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:55:54 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.contractortalk.com/images/misc/rss.jpg Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum http://www.contractortalk.com Linear Shower Drains http://www.contractortalk.com/f73/linear-shower-drains-83862/ Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:51:01 GMT Anyone have input on what they think of linear shower drains/troughs? I have not seen a popularity in them but wouldn't mind knowing more from some one who uses them more frequently. ]]> DT Builders http://www.contractortalk.com/f73/linear-shower-drains-83862/ 9/11 in NW Connecticut http://www.contractortalk.com/f22/9-11-nw-connecticut-83859/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:52:56 GMT By act of Congress in 2001, Sept 11 is a National Day of remembrance, Patriot Day. Fly the flag, at half staff if you can. Take time to remember the people who died in the attacks of 9/11/01. The people of the United States should observe Patriot Day with appropriate programs and activities; ... By act of Congress in 2001, Sept 11 is a National Day of remembrance, Patriot Day. Fly the flag, at half staff if you can. Take time to remember the people who died in the attacks of 9/11/01. The people of the United States should
observe Patriot Day with appropriate programs and activities;

This is what will happen in NW CT again this year. You can find the Congressional record of "Patriot Day" there.

www.patriotday1.com ]]> Off Topic (Non Trade) denick http://www.contractortalk.com/f22/9-11-nw-connecticut-83859/ A couple of follow up baluster layout Youtube vids http://www.contractortalk.com/f13/couple-follow-up-baluster-layout-youtube-vids-83858/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:41:54 GMT Here's a couple of follow vids. One show calculator close up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itdqfmc8gX4
and the other is for rake runs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPFQm9HgiSQ ]]> Finish Carpentry keith mathewson http://www.contractortalk.com/f13/couple-follow-up-baluster-layout-youtube-vids-83858/ How to hook up your Ikea European fixtures to North American supply lines http://www.contractortalk.com/f74/how-hook-up-your-ikea-european-fixtures-north-american-supply-lines-83857/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:22:18 GMT Q: How do you hook up your Ikea European Kitchen and Bath fixtures to North American supply lines?

A: You need conversion pieces.

Where do you buy them? Ikea here in Coquitlam does not stock the conversion pieces for the fixtures they sell. They are going to get them I'm told but don't know when exactly. I called today and confirmed this.

I managed to source some conversion pieces from a preferred supplier of mine but only secured enough fittings for one other bathroom. Does any one know where I can load up on these fittings?

Is there any other options out there?

Thanks.

John Whipple ]]> JohnFRWhipple http://www.contractortalk.com/f74/how-hook-up-your-ikea-european-fixtures-north-american-supply-lines-83857/ Freestanding garage http://www.contractortalk.com/f4/freestanding-garage-83856/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 22:52:45 GMT I am in the process of buying a house and lot. I have to build a 1 car garage on the lot with the house to meet the subdivision requirements. I was thinking to build a 3 car garage instead of one. Something that I can pull my truck in and do some work and maybe have 2nd floor office. I was thinking... I am in the process of buying a house and lot. I have to build a 1 car garage on the lot with the house to meet the subdivision requirements. I was thinking to build a 3 car garage instead of one. Something that I can pull my truck in and do some work and maybe have 2nd floor office. I was thinking along the lines of a 2car garage about 26Wx30Dx10H with 2 10Wx9H doors and 3rd garage 16Wx40Dx16H with a 12Wx12H door and a 2nd floor over the 26x 30 area. I am try to keep the cost down so was thinking I can just build myself out of CMU or ICF brick the first 3' and stucco the rest get prefab wood roof truss with a standing seem metal roof. Then I was thinking maybe a pole barn or a prefab steel building. Any opinions or help would be great. I added a pic I found online something like the pic but with 2 doors on the left and no man door in the front.
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]]> Construction Nac http://www.contractortalk.com/f4/freestanding-garage-83856/ Sunday night chat? http://www.contractortalk.com/f11/sunday-night-chat-83855/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 22:30:06 GMT Are we going to have a sunday night chat. There was talk of it friday? Cole Are we going to have a sunday night chat. There was talk of it friday?

Cole ]]> General Discussion Cole82 http://www.contractortalk.com/f11/sunday-night-chat-83855/ Conical Roof onto Cylindrical Turret http://www.contractortalk.com/f15/conical-roof-onto-cylindrical-turret-83854/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 22:02:22 GMT Hello, I am considering replacing the conical roof on my parent’s house in Scotland. This was burnt in a fire in the late 60’s. This is a painting commissioned before the fire. Photo: //i122.photobucket.com/albums/o275/zarasdancing/GB_Painting_Full.jpg This is a photograph as it stands today.... Hello,
I am considering replacing the conical roof on my parent’s house in Scotland. This was burnt in a fire in the late 60’s.
This is a painting commissioned before the fire.
Photo:
//i122.photobucket.com/albums/o275/zarasdancing/GB_Painting_Full.jpg
This is a photograph as it stands today.
Photo:
//i122.photobucket.com/albums/o275/zarasdancing/Gowanbank_Home_2010.jpg
I was looking for some advice/ direction on the typical design of the internal wood framing of this type of roof . Any website recommendations or even reference books you could suggest I look at?
I own my own engineering company and have steelwork fabrication facilities. With this in mind I was going to build the back bone, ring beam etc in steel then add wood rafters. My first thoughts are to build this at ground level then crane up into position fully clad with wood and slated?!? Do you think this is possible?
I project managed their last project – rebuilding of their sunroom at the front of their house.
Demolition of old Sunroom, new foundations, Steelwork Framework, Internal wooden kit, External quarried stone, roof, slating etc. etc
Photo:
//i122.photobucket.com/albums/o275/zarasdancing/GBSunroom.jpg
Thanks in advance,
Callum Smith B.Eng Hons.
Mechanical Engineer
]]> Roofing getthewheelsinl http://www.contractortalk.com/f15/conical-roof-onto-cylindrical-turret-83854/ I freeze when customer throws me these three objections http://www.contractortalk.com/f11/i-freeze-when-customer-throws-me-these-three-objections-83852/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 21:37:08 GMT All I can think of is the typical responses that never gets the sale. 1. I have to talk it...]]> Hi! I'm Mike and new to this board! I am in the plumbing industry and it requires me to give on the spot estimates !Can anyone give me a clear response to these 3 sales objections I get on a daily basis> All I can think of is the typical responses that never gets the sale.

1. I have to talk it over with my husband
2. Your price is to high or higher than the competitions
2. I'm getting other estimates ]]> General Discussion mouthiest http://www.contractortalk.com/f11/i-freeze-when-customer-throws-me-these-three-objections-83852/ Free standing rough sawn patio http://www.contractortalk.com/f30/free-standing-rough-sawn-patio-83850/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 19:06:24 GMT I built this last month. It is 16'x14'. All dimensional lumber is rough sawn. 6x6 posts, 6x12 girders, and 2x8 w/1/4" sleepers for the rafters. I decked w/inverted T-111, and put on a 90 lbs rolled roof.
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]]> Carpentry Picture Post Brutus1175 http://www.contractortalk.com/f30/free-standing-rough-sawn-patio-83850/ Is there any recourse for damages that were caused by shoddy workmanship ? http://www.contractortalk.com/f16/there-any-recourse-damages-were-caused-shoddy-workmanship-83849/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:42:45 GMT No contract was signed, my fault I know. No contract was signed, my fault I know. ]]> Business jjc725 http://www.contractortalk.com/f16/there-any-recourse-damages-were-caused-shoddy-workmanship-83849/ Chipping Wood Waste http://www.contractortalk.com/f11/chipping-wood-waste-83847/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 17:02:57 GMT Any of you ever chipped up your lumber waste into landscape chips or landscape mulch or shredded it for that? Was it difficult? Is there a way to color it darker brown or red/brown? I'm sure it doesn't really save much money. Thoughts? ]]> General Discussion jakejorgenson http://www.contractortalk.com/f11/chipping-wood-waste-83847/ Question about flagstone patio http://www.contractortalk.com/f48/question-about-flagstone-patio-83846/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:54:20 GMT I am a little unhappy with the flagstone one of my subs installed do to the grout being low in some areas. In my opinion all the grout should be level with the top of the flagstone. He claims he can add to what is there to bring some low areas up but will this crack over time? Do we need to... I am a little unhappy with the flagstone one of my subs installed do to the grout being low in some areas. In my opinion all the grout should be level with the top of the flagstone. He claims he can add to what is there to bring some low areas up but will this crack over time? Do we need to paint on a bonding agent before adding some mud? I imagine the right way would be to dig out the existing mud then add new but I dont wont to make more work for the guys than I need to. Longevity and customer satisfaction is always to priority is my top concern. Any thoughts guys? Thanks.

Ps
We used chopped limestone for the walls, half walls and sawed limestone for the flagstone and half wall caps. ]]> Masonry c.c.co. http://www.contractortalk.com/f48/question-about-flagstone-patio-83846/ Tiring of this inconsiderate world? http://www.contractortalk.com/f22/tiring-inconsiderate-world-83842/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:35:17 GMT Gentlemen, A little rant. It occurs to me that I am tiring of having to remind the world to be decent. The neighbour who thinks it perfectly normal he have drinks, loud conversation, laughing, music and a bon fire in his postage-stampe-sized backyard - at 3 a.m. The other... Gentlemen,

A little rant.


It occurs to me that I am tiring of having to remind the world to be decent.

The neighbour who thinks it perfectly normal he have drinks, loud conversation, laughing, music and a bon fire in his postage-stampe-sized backyard - at 3 a.m. The other neighbour who leaves their dog outside all night, and it starts barking every morning at 5 a.m. that it wants in. People who refuse to do their jobs properly. On holidays, the people who return to their hotel rooms at midnight whooping and hollering like it was noon. The guy with 4 kids and 6 family cars who takes up half the street's parking.

It just seems to me that wherever you , whatever you do, there is always a handful of self-absorbed ignorant people who probably don't even figure they shoudl be able to do whatever they like - that would be giving them too mcuh credit forthinking at all - I think they just do whatever without thinking about it or anyone else at all.

And most of the rest ofthe world won't get up and tell them to be reasonable. Most just cower in their homes or rooms. So ti always falls to the few with a bit of backbone to set things straight. But it gets tiring. ]]> Off Topic (Non Trade) bob_cntrctr http://www.contractortalk.com/f22/tiring-inconsiderate-world-83842/ Kitchen Rescue in Carmel, IN - Fixing a Remodel Gone Wrong http://www.contractortalk.com/f25/kitchen-rescue-carmel-fixing-remodel-gone-wrong-83841/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:24:36 GMT Sometimes it's a dishonest contractor.

Sometimes it's a DIY project gone wrong.

Sometimes, as in this case, it's a contractor in over his head.

Over the years I've been asked to rescue a number of projects that were going down the wrong path for one reason or another. When this client first called me, they'd just let their original contractor go after seeing things were not coming together the way they should.

The project was to be the culmination of many years of planning and dreaming for these homeowners. With a file full of magazine pages and a pretty clear vision for what they wanted, they'd placed their trust in a home center designer and a contractor referred to them by a friend.

The road to ugly is paved with good intentions--and while the contractor "was a nice guy", he had no business renovating a kitchen--for reasons you'll soon see. The design was serviceable, but had a number of small issues that were quickly adding up to average... dull... "wonky".

Kitchens are complex beasts. Without an experienced mind at the helm, it's easy for minor mistakes to creep in at the early stages which can cause major problems (and $$$ expense) later on.

One of my favorite quotes is "Experience is the name we give to our mistakes." Ain't that the truth--and nowhere is it more true than in the world of remodeling. I've FUBARed my share of kitchen details over the years and there's nothing more gut wrenching than staring into a mistake you made weeks before that at the finish stage means an unhappy client, weeks of delay, and cash out of your pocket to fix.

In this case, the problems started with the floor. The original hardwoods were to be saved and patched in to fill where the new layout didn't cover the old one. It was a sand in place oak floor that didn't go under the original cabinetry and the owners were not planning to refinish the floor. Patching in may have worked with a factory finished floor--but not so in this case. The contractor had attempted to make due with selective patches with original material, and shelving stock where he thought the cabinets would cover. Unfortunately, his patch work looked like hell because of the variations in thickness of the sanded floor and he made a major mistake by not accounting for the toe-kicks.

Here is the project as I saw it the first night I met with them:

The design called for a minimal trim detail--which was installed with wayyyy too much OH.


The entire 3" tall filler was used where the cabinets met the wall. That's how the plans
usually call it out--but an experience installer knows to scribe and rip it down.


The alignment of this middle cabinet was shown at this height on the plan--which looks
ridiculous. The left hand cabinet was cheated down to cover the floor patch but left
the gaps between the adjacent cabinets (I'm assuming to be filled in later.)



By not accounting for the recessed toe kick, the original guy had a major problem
when he went to install the base cabinets. I'm assuming the 2x4 wall cleat was an
attempt to get things to cover. But as anyone who's built a kitchen before knows,
you can't just go pushing things around willy-nilly when the cabinet plans have been
designed to fit the specific measurements of the room.



I was told the contractor had got in his head that the stove required fire protection
against all adjacent wall surfaces and cabinetry. Unfortunately, he read the above
counter set back specs and somehow thought they also applied to the base as well.
He'd cut the drywall out behind the stove in order to place hardi-board, and bought
all of the sheet metal you see there to line the base cabinets next to it. :rolleyes:



For all of his thoroughness there, he failed to locate the gas line in the proper location and was going to install the downdraft fan in an inaccessible (even to hook up) location. ]]> Remodeling Picture Post ChrWright http://www.contractortalk.com/f25/kitchen-rescue-carmel-fixing-remodel-gone-wrong-83841/ California Girls Parody - North Shore Boyz http://www.contractortalk.com/f22/california-girls-parody-north-shore-boyz-83840/ Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:16:16 GMT North Vancouver Boyz (California Gurls Parody)

Funny Video from a few North Vancouver Boys...

Nice video guys - love the lyrics....


A parody of the song about "California Girls"....

:) ]]> Off Topic (Non Trade) JohnFRWhipple http://www.contractortalk.com/f22/california-girls-parody-north-shore-boyz-83840/