The Home Improvement Thread

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I'll be doing my garage soon, so I'll let you know how hard it is!



If it isn't going well, I'll call a pro, but I've done lots of smaller jobs in the past with success. And in the end, it's just a garage, so perfection isn't needed. Just wrapping up the vapour barrier today and tomorrow, so it'll be soon!

Let me know! Obviously a basement needs to be a bit prettier but if I can do knockdown and hide somethings I might still be tempted to try it myself.

[opendoor]

With enough time and patience, and enough coats of mud, I think a reasonably skilled amateur can do a great drywall job, even on a smooth ceiling. But pros are so much faster at it, there comes a point where it's simply not worth the money you'll save. What they can do in an hour might take a beginner 5-6 hours when you consider their equipment, the fewer number of coats they need to get a good finish, and how much less sanding they need to do. And of course there's the very real possibility that the beginner just gets fed up after a while and leaves a pretty shoddy looking ceiling.

So if you want to treat it as a learning experience because it's something you think you'll do more in the future, then what might amount to $5-10 an hour in savings could be worth it. But if not I'd just pay someone. Boarding, taping, and mudding above your head is pretty miserable work.

[Sliver]

Anyone have Hardie Board siding? We're thinking of redoing our siding (upgrading from 1960s cedar) and looking at Hardie. There's also vinyl, but not sure if that's the look we want.

[Fuzz]

I considered Hardie for my garage but I saw so many problems with installs, and the more I looked at it, the more I thought the patterns looked cheesy. Plus for one guy working with it, it is heavy(cement board) and you need a diamond saw, and it is messy. Just overall didn't look like something I wanted to deal with.



So then I heard of this stuff called LP Smartside, which is basically chipboard, but they treat each individual chip with anti rot stuff before gluing together, and it then gets a wood pattern on the outside. I think the pattern looks waaay better than Hardie Board. Anyway it was light enough I could install the 16 foot boards myself(Hardie only comes in 12), it's easily paint-able, easy to work with and looks great.



It's actually the stuff most installers use for trim with Hardie, you can see samples at the big box stores called Smart Trim. It's the same stuff, just in trim format.


Now, I couldn't find anywhere except Monarch Siding in Calgary to supply it, so that's where I got it. But a few months ago I did see a sample pannel at Rona Edmonton Trail, so maybe they have it now. The other very similar prduct is called Canexel, my neighbors used it on one side. It is just as good in my opinion, but comes in pre-painted colours and costs about 1/3 more. But maybe you save that in paint.


Anyway, if you can't find a sample to look at, you could come see my garage... I'll be doing my house to match when I have time.



Oh, and for those worried about rot because it is similar to chip board, I left a scrap in water for several months, and it only showed extremely minor signs of swelling. No worries at all if it can survive that.

[speede5]

I have Hardie. Its a beautiful product and I would highly recommend it as long as you have a competent installer. It is easy to botch the job.

All the tools are available to rent if you decide to do it yourself, shears, holders for placing the board for nailing. One person can do a whole house if you needed too.

I would have done mine on my own but time constraints required me to contract installation.

I am very happy with it.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Anyone have Hardie Board siding? We're thinking of redoing our siding (upgrading from 1960s cedar) and looking at Hardie. There's also vinyl, but not sure if that's the look we want.

I have Hardie Board and it’s great. It seems basically indestructible I think. Vinyl (I had prior) can be damaged a number of ways, and once it happens I think you’re basically re-wrapping your house. It’s not in my circle of expertise, but that’s my understanding.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I considered Hardie for my garage but I saw so many problems with installs, and the more I looked at it, the more I thought the patterns looked cheesy. Plus for one guy working with it, it is heavy(cement board) and you need a diamond saw, and it is messy. Just overall didn't look like something I wanted to deal with.

So then I heard of this stuff called LP Smartside, which is basically chipboard, but they treat each individual chip with anti rot stuff before gluing together, and it then gets a wood pattern on the outside. I think the pattern looks waaay better than Hardie Board. Anyway it was light enough I could install the 16 foot boards myself(Hardie only comes in 12), it's easily paint-able, easy to work with and looks great.

It's actually the stuff most installers use for trim with Hardie, you can see samples at the big box stores called Smart Trim. It's the same stuff, just in trim format.

Now, I couldn't find anywhere except Monarch Siding in Calgary to supply it, so that's where I got it. But a few months ago I did see a sample pannel at Rona Edmonton Trail, so maybe they have it now. The other very similar prduct is called Canexel, my neighbors used it on one side. It is just as good in my opinion, but comes in pre-painted colours and costs about 1/3 more. But maybe you save that in paint.

Anyway, if you can't find a sample to look at, you could come see my garage... I'll be doing my house to match when I have time.

Oh, and for those worried about rot because it is similar to chip board, I left a scrap in water for several months, and it only showed extremely minor signs of swelling. No worries at all if it can survive that.

That looks really great (checked out some photos online). Never heard of it before, so thanks.

Thanks for the replies, guys!

[Fuzz]

Electrician request! Help me Paperbagger, you are my only hope....


I borrowed a heater from my dad, it's 240v and has this plug here, a 6-15 I think.





Now, I could follow the guide here:


https://www.electrical-online.com/ho..._120v_to_240v/


And install a 240v 15 a circuit, but this is just temporary and I've got 2 NEMA 14-50 outlets already.


Can I just cut the cord and use one of these:



I assume the current wiring is just ground and 2 hots, no neutral. So I could wire the plug larger plug that way?


I don't really feel like shutting power off, opening my panel and installing a new outlet for temporary use. I've looked for an adapter, but they are more expensive.

[Fuzz]

nm

[GoinAllTheWay]

Don't you "nm" that! If you sorted it out, I'd like to hear about it! It was an interesting question


And on that note, can anyone recommend a good home electrician? Need some 4 way switches replaced and sort out an issue I've found in my panel.

[Fuzz]

Oh, crap, I still need an answer, the nm was a followup with an adapter that turned out to be wrong. Question still stands!

[Reneeee]

Anybody ever done an additional. We are looking at knocking out the walls on our living room to go about eight feet further into our front yard. What is a rough budget? Had one renovation company give a rather lofty quote of 72k

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Reneeee

Anybody ever done an additional. We are looking at knocking out the walls on our living room to go about eight feet further into our front yard. What is a rough budget? Had one renovation company give a rather lofty quote of 72k

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

It's going to be pretty expensive. You have to dig and pour concrete to tie into the footings of your house. Pour walls. That said you might as well do a big addition as it's only marginally more. The whole permit process can definitely add expense...engineers, architects or draft people, city fees. It's going to add up.

[Fuzz]

Have you checked where the actual property line is and what setbacks are required? I was surprised just how much of my front yard is actually city property.

[puffnstuff]

I think lot coverage is a potential concern as well.

[PaperBagger'14]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Electrician request! Help me Paperbagger, you are my only hope....


I borrowed a heater from my dad, it's 240v and has this plug here, a 6-15 I think.





Now, I could follow the guide here:


https://www.electrical-online.com/ho..._120v_to_240v/


And install a 240v 15 a circuit, but this is just temporary and I've got 2 NEMA 14-50 outlets already.


Can I just cut the cord and use one of these:



I assume the current wiring is just ground and 2 hots, no neutral. So I could wire the plug larger plug that way?


I don't really feel like shutting power off, opening my panel and installing a new outlet for temporary use. I've looked for an adapter, but they are more expensive.

Can you? Yes. Should you? No. Temporarily I honestly would do it knowing it is very very temporary and it's a relative emergency.

It's not up to code because you now have wire on your extension cord rated for 15 amps being fed from a breaker that is rated at 50 amps. Long term do not do this.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

It's going to be pretty expensive. You have to dig and pour concrete to tie into the footings of your house. Pour walls. That said you might as well do a big addition as it's only marginally more. The whole permit process can definitely add expense...engineers, architects or draft people, city fees. It's going to add up.

Or he can use screw piles. If I'm understanding correctly, he only mentioned extending the living room, not the basement.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

Can you? Yes. Should you? No. Temporarily I honestly would do it knowing it is very very temporary and it's a relative emergency.

It's not up to code because you now have wire on your extension cord rated for 15 amps being fed from a breaker that is rated at 50 amps. Long term do not do this.

Well, "relative emergency" is me wanting some heat to drywall in! I see your point why it is a bad idea though...will think on that one...It definitely wouldn't be long term for me, but my dad might use it when I give it back to him, and I know he currently has neither connection in his garage.


Thanks for the advice, appreciate it.

[speede5]

Originally Posted by Slava

I have Hardie Board and it’s great. It seems basically indestructible I think. Vinyl (I had prior) can be damaged a number of ways, and once it happens I think you’re basically re-wrapping your house. It’s not in my circle of expertise, but that’s my understanding.

With the right tools you can easily replace a single piece of vinyl siding in the middle of a wall. Damage is not the main issue, it's finding matching product after a few years as manufacturers change their color charts. Even the same color can have dye lot issues.

Hardi is a lot harder to patch, if you do damage a piece mid run it's not a simple process. Chances of damage are way less but nothing is indestructable. I backed into the corner of my house a while back and broke one of the bottom boards in a short wall. I haven't fixed it yet, luckily it is only a 4 ft outcropping so I'm just replacing the whole wall.

[gasman]

Originally Posted by Reneeee

Anybody ever done an additional. We are looking at knocking out the walls on our living room to go about eight feet further into our front yard. What is a rough budget? Had one renovation company give a rather lofty quote of 72k

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

We did a 500ft2 addition to a bungalow in braeside. We also replaced all the windows and did hardi around the entire "new house" and an entire new roof.

Addition included bedroom, bathroom and mudroom.

Cost was in the $125k range 7 years ago