Rock, what are you looking at per sq/ft?

 

I'm curious because next year we may have to make a decision between remodeling bathrooms or just adding on and reconfiguring the existing bathrooms.

LOL, ill let you know when we finalize the plan. Still in progress designing/finishing.

"Before"

 

 

 

 

 

 

"After"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still some finishing work to be done, but this is probably what we'll go with heading into Thanksgiving.

Looks great!

Wow, that's impressive shack, nice work!

Love that backsplash thingy you have going there.

Finally seeing my hopefully final revision of our plans on wed. Super pumped.

Love that backsplash thingy you have going there.

I made pork chops in the broiler last night...oh man...6 minutes on each side and they were incredible.

 

Damn oven was worth every penny

so all you did was spray paint it gray?

so all you did was spray paint it gray?

Yes, but it was very "expensive" spray paint

Wow, iamshack that looks like a model kitchen you'd see at Abt or something. Looks fantastic.

 

Love that backsplash thingy you have going there.

yeah, really cool

How easy is it to install a Nest Thermostat? I'm not handy at all and am terrified of screwing it up and being without heat for an extended period of time.

The only moderately difficult part to a nest is taking off hte old thermostat and screwing the base into the wall. Everything else is impossible to screw up.

You have to be careful not to cross / touch the wires as it could cause an issue. Other then that, its very simple.

 

Shack that looks awesome.

yeah, really cool

Trying to figure out how the hell to finish the outlets...

Trying to figure out how the hell to finish the outlets...

Ever get this figured out?

Anyone know the typical installed cost for a new high efficiency water heater (40 or 50 gallons)? edit: this would be a like-for-like replacement of a natural gas WH

Edited December 29, 201510 yr by StrangeSox

Ever get this figured out?

No, I have my handyman on it...he is going to try and get some ideas from the manufacturer of the tiles.

Anyone know the typical installed cost for a new high efficiency water heater (40 or 50 gallons)?

$600-800 would be my guess.

Are they more complicated installs than a typical water heater?

I'd imagine most water heaters around Chicago are natural gas, it'd just be a typical installation as far as I know. I just don't feel like lugging a couple hundred pounds down the basement stairs (new water heater) and a couple hundred pounds up the basement stairs (old water heater) as I'm sure we'll have 1000 other things going on when we first move int.

 

The water heater in the home we're buying is old (approximately 14 years) anyway, and it might also be the source of the sulfer-y smell that comes when you turn on the hot water. I'm hoping that a new water heater would solve that problem and save me from spending a few thousand on a water treatment system, but even if it doesn't, that water heater is going to need replacing within a few years anyway and we have the cash on hand now from the sale of our current house to do it.

 

Looking around online, apparently you can get wifi modules for your water heater. What would ever be the point of that? Unless it could somehow monitor and alarm if there was a gas problem or a water leak, why would I ever need to control my water heater temperature remotely? I think I've touched our current water heater thermostat once in five years.

I'd imagine most water heaters around Chicago are natural gas, it'd just be a typical installation as far as I know. I just don't feel like lugging a couple hundred pounds down the basement stairs (new water heater) and a couple hundred pounds up the basement stairs (old water heater) as I'm sure we'll have 1000 other things going on when we first move int.

 

The water heater in the home we're buying is old (approximately 14 years) anyway, and it might also be the source of the sulfer-y smell that comes when you turn on the hot water. I'm hoping that a new water heater would solve that problem and save me from spending a few thousand on a water treatment system, but even if it doesn't, that water heater is going to need replacing within a few years anyway and we have the cash on hand now from the sale of our current house to do it.

 

Looking around online, apparently you can get wifi modules for your water heater. What would ever be the point of that? Unless it could somehow monitor and alarm if there was a gas problem or a water leak, why would I ever need to control my water heater temperature remotely? I think I've touched our current water heater thermostat once in five years.

 

Yeah that makes sense. I've never done it myself, but a buddy of mine did his and said it wasn't that difficult. What sucked was he lugged up the old one by himself, he lugged down the new one by himself, and when he opened the box he found a huge dent on the new one. So he had to lug it back upstairs and back to the store.

 

You should look into a tankless system. They're higher intro cost but savings over time evens it out.

Edited December 29, 201510 yr by Jenksismybitch

So who's a carpenter around here? I need a recommendation on some lumber and/or a lumber store/yard in the area.

 

I'm finishing up my basement and as part of the project I want to build an office in a "nook" by the stairs. It's a decent space about 12 x 12 (plus the area under the stairs) and I want to get a desk in there with some under-the-stairs storage. Where two walls come together I want to build a large L-shaped corner desk. Something that looks more similar to a large span of countertop with some homemade shelving/storage underneath and/or room for a short filing cabinet or two.

 

My question is about the desktop. Home Depot sells a 3/4 inch Birch plywood that's not cabinet grade but it's $50 bucks and comes in 4'x8' sheets. I could rip it in half and have my two desktops for the "L." But i'm a little concerned that since it's not cabinet grade the veneer could be too thin or there may be pockets of missing glue in the core (complaitns I've read online). But $50 bucks is a pretty cheap/attractive option. I don't care if the veneer has some imperfections since i'm going to stain it dark, but obviously I don't want it to be "bouncy" and not solid either. Through Menards I can get the same 4x8 sheet but cabinet grade oak veneer plywood for about $100. Better quality, but it's special order so I'd be praying the sheet isn't damaged/bent.

 

The other option is trying to find a store that just sells solid 3/4" slabs of wood. Two 2 foot by 6 foot sections would be ideal. But I don't want to spend hundreds on each piece.

 

Anyone do a similar project? Or know of a place to get the kind of wood I'm looking for?

So was talking to my banker this week and found out apparently they have a construction loan product that can be utilized to do an entire home renovation and/or addition. This is really outstanding news, as it would allow us to potentially consolidate many projects initially planned to be done over time into one or two much larger projects to be done concurrently. Thinking about adding about 1500 sq ft and reconfiguring the one side of the house.

 

Need to start talking to some builders.

So who's a carpenter around here? I need a recommendation on some lumber and/or a lumber store/yard in the area.

 

I'm finishing up my basement and as part of the project I want to build an office in a "nook" by the stairs. It's a decent space about 12 x 12 (plus the area under the stairs) and I want to get a desk in there with some under-the-stairs storage. Where two walls come together I want to build a large L-shaped corner desk. Something that looks more similar to a large span of countertop with some homemade shelving/storage underneath and/or room for a short filing cabinet or two.

 

My question is about the desktop. Home Depot sells a 3/4 inch Birch plywood that's not cabinet grade but it's $50 bucks and comes in 4'x8' sheets. I could rip it in half and have my two desktops for the "L." But i'm a little concerned that since it's not cabinet grade the veneer could be too thin or there may be pockets of missing glue in the core (complaitns I've read online). But $50 bucks is a pretty cheap/attractive option. I don't care if the veneer has some imperfections since i'm going to stain it dark, but obviously I don't want it to be "bouncy" and not solid either. Through Menards I can get the same 4x8 sheet but cabinet grade oak veneer plywood for about $100. Better quality, but it's special order so I'd be praying the sheet isn't damaged/bent.

 

The other option is trying to find a store that just sells solid 3/4" slabs of wood. Two 2 foot by 6 foot sections would be ideal. But I don't want to spend hundreds on each piece.

 

Anyone do a similar project? Or know of a place to get the kind of wood I'm looking for?

 

Where you located? If South you could check out Owl Lumber. You could get some 6/4 slabs of tree and have them plane those pups down. Not sure how much you want to spend but real hardwood isn't THAT expensive if you're only using it for a few slabs. WAY more fun DIY to take a piece of tree and make it look cool & be serviceable?