The Home Improvement Thread

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Can you check out your neighbors' decks to give you an idea of what might be allowed? If a few people have built similar sized and shaped decks it might indicate what you could expect.

Originally Posted by Lubicon

Do you have a gas line ran to the back yard for a future BBQ? It might be external but you should be able to tell visually. Other than that I cannot think of why there would be a utility line in the back yard.

Some odd advice here. Get a locate done. Utilities come from the alley more often than you’d think. In many areas the gas line does and is generally 18”-2’ below grade, while usually placed up the side yard. The other line you need to know about that a One Call locate won’t mark is a private underground elec service between a detached garage and residence.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Some odd advice here. Get a locate done. Utilities come from the alley more often than you’d think. In many areas the gas line does and is generally 18”-2’ below grade, while usually placed up the side yard. The other line you need to know about that a One Call locate won’t mark is a private underground elec service between a detached garage and residence.

Well of course get a locate done but he's asking if there's any indication he could go with to doodle up a deck drawing in the mean time...

Obviously I will call for a line locate before digging but for planning purposes I’m wondering if I should expect to have to deal with them.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Well of course get a locate done but he's asking if there's any indication he could go with to doodle up a deck drawing in the mean time...

His neighbours having decks or no decks isn’t really any indication if he has underground utilities or not. Doodle away. He should be able to deduce a few things by knowing where his gas meter is.

[OMG!WTF!]

I don't think the lines going to his house are the issue. Those can usually be accommodated for. But there could be lines the city doesnt allow you to get close to or to cover. I had a house backing on to a park and wasnt allowed to build a deck within a few feet of a main that ran through the backyards on my street. None of the houses had decks on grade.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I don't think the lines going to his house are the issue. Those can usually be accommodated for. But there could be lines the city doesnt allow you to get close to or to cover. I had a house backing on to a park and wasnt allowed to build a deck within a few feet of a main that ran through the backyards on my street. None of the houses had decks on grade.

Then your title would have had a utility right of way registered on it and you’d have known about it pre-locate.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

You almost want to do the same water proofing for a normal shower anyway. It's not much more to waterproof a steam shower. I think your extra cost might be the glass doors and if course the steam effects.

Yes and no. Yes - same quality water proofing (Kerdi, Redguard, etc, with a non-permeable (aka non-concrete) floorpan), but for a steam shower you're effectively going to be waterproofing the entire stall rather than just below the water / head line.

Also, is this thread from 1988? I haven't heard of anyone wanting a steam shower this millennia. Usually its questions about how to rip them out.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Also, is this thread from 1988? I haven't heard of anyone wanting a steam shower this millennia. Usually its questions about how to rip them out.

Nothing like a steam shower after a hard day followed by hopping into your waterbed!

[You Need a Thneed]

Taking advantage of the exterior soffit getting redone to improve the insulation and vapour barrier situation on the 2’ cantilever on the back of my house.

Previously, there was just a 4’ R20 batt (the 2’ of the cantilever plus 2’ into the house), and a 1” white styrofoam over just the cantilever.

I took all the insulation out, cut the batt insulation into 2’ pieces, put one of the pieces back behind the cantilever, then added a new 1.5” foil faced insulation vertically at the exterior wall, and the old 1” styrofoam, along with the new 1.5” insulation at the top of the joists. I spray foamed the gaps, creating a full vapour barrier, then out the remaining 2’ piece of batt insulation back underneath the styrofoam.



The green section is the new installation in progress, the white hasn’t been started yet.

There’s plywood that was original that was reinstalled, underneath the whole thing.

[photon]

Mmm.. insulation porn...

[scotty2hotty]

I would like some interior French doors for my home office. The opening is uniquely sized, so they will need to be custom.

Should I order online?

Is Home Depot good for these types of custom orders?

Anywhere else you would recommend? (I'm in Ontario)

Thanks!

[rain_e]

Any Windsor Plywood locations in Ontario? I would go with them over Home Depot on a custom order.

[scotty2hotty]

Originally Posted by rain_e

Any Windsor Plywood locations in Ontario? I would go with them over Home Depot on a custom order.

Sadly, there are none in the Toronto area.

[Fuzz]

What are my options for concrete delivery? I used to use GAL concrete, but it appears they have closed. Burnco?

[Fuzz]

I went with Astro minimix. It's a bit more expensive than GAL, but I guess maybe there is a reason for that..

[You Need a Thneed]

Next improvement I had done while siding was being redone- added a small picture window into our ensuite.

It is wonderful to have natural light in there.

[keratosis]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

What are my options for concrete delivery? I used to use GAL concrete, but it appears they have closed. Burnco?

Try Fourstar. They are the budget arm of Burnco. With Burnco suppling the ring road and commercial customers you won't get a great price from them right now.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Some odd advice here. Get a locate done. Utilities come from the alley more often than you’d think. In many areas the gas line does and is generally 18”-2’ below grade, while usually placed up the side yard. The other line you need to know about that a One Call locate won’t mark is a private underground elec service between a detached garage and residence.

On my street, every house has their utilities come from the street...

Except mine. Mine come from the back alley.

Get a locate if there’s even the slightest bit of doubt.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

Next improvement I had done while siding was being redone- added a small picture window into our ensuite.

It is wonderful to have natural light in there.

As part of this window install, I had to move a plumbing vent that happened to be in the way. So, today I fixed it in the attic.

However, I notice that my ensuite exhaust fan isn’t connected to the duct. The way the duct is sitting, it’s also impossible that it just fell off at some point. Which means that the duct was never rehooked up to the fan since the en-suite was built, which I’m guessing was 25 years ago?

Didn’t appear to be mould, at least.

Fixed it up. I’ve been up there before, so not sure how I didn’t notice it before. Gotta day I hate working in attic space.

[Ahuch]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

As part of this window install, I had to move a plumbing vent that happened to be in the way. So, today I fixed it in the attic.

However, I notice that my ensuite exhaust fan isn’t connected to the duct. The way the duct is sitting, it’s also impossible that it just fell off at some point. Which means that the duct was never rehooked up to the fan since the en-suite was built, which I’m guessing was 25 years ago?

Didn’t appear to be mould, at least.

Fixed it up. I’ve been up there before, so not sure how I didn’t notice it before. Gotta day I hate working in attic space.

Did you get your roof done at some point? Roofers might have screwed it up.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Ahuch

Did you get your roof done at some point? Roofers might have screwed it up.

I didn’t, but it was connected on the roof end. It wasn’t connected at the fan. There’s no way you could have disconnected it the way it was from the roof - or anywhere else.

It was a hard pipe, but it was too long to fit around the vertical in the truss to be in line to hook up.