Ask me anything 2.0
Posted by thetruckboy@reddit | plano | View on Reddit | 49 comments
I've been in various home and commercial construction trades for almost 30 years. I've just about seen it all and I've done A little bit of everything. I currently own my own business, however this is NOT a soliticitation for my business. NO, I will not "come out to your house to look at something".
Ask me anything.
I did this last year and received hundreds of comments. It was interesting. Let's do it again.
FunNeedleworker7726@reddit
There’s a lot of townhome communities going up in the area, which I think is great, but I’ve always wondered why they have them face out towards the busy road rather than inwards for a better community feel. Example, Ridgeview Dr by Alma has townhomes with the front of the house facing Alma rather than putting the garage there and have more of a walkable community on the front of the houses. Have always wondered why they’re not building communities that way.
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
Here are the likely factors off the top of my head:
• People drive. Therefore the garage is the "primary entrance". The developer probably has built other neighborhoods where the garage faces the front of the house and as people move in and get settled, they typically turn their garage into a hangout spot. The developer notices this as they still office there until the development is 95% built out. • Without having looked at the development itself, I'm assuming if the garages faced the busy street, they'd have to build brick walls and an alley as a lot of older neighborhoods used to do. This eats up valuable sq footage in a development where you might lose the space to build as many homes as possible. Before you think this is greedy behavior, please see my other comment under this post where I talk about home builders being squeezed literally from every direction. It's a really tough business to be in right now. With that being said, if they were forced to flip the homes and build them the other way, install an alley and all that, and build 3 or 4 less homes because of alley easements, the development might not be worth doing. It's probably barely worth doing as it is.
heinzenfeinzen@reddit
Also looking at kitchen renovation.
Is it cheaper to keep 30+ year old cabinets (high quality brand), refinish the boxes, get new doors and drawer fronts OR is it cheaper to get totally new cabinets?
Don't want to paint cabinets.
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
If the boxes are in good shape and you like the layout, just get new door/drawer fronts.
heinzenfeinzen@reddit
In general, can the boxes be sanded and re-stained?
I'm trying to determine if they are veneers: 1) how best to determine that and 2) CAN veneer be sanded and re-stained?
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
They can absolutely be sanded and stained but it's not going to look good. New wood, even if it's the same species, is never going to match old wood. It's a general rule of thumb that new wood is lighter than old wood.
If you want to change the style of the doors, your options are painting everything or paying through the nose for all new stain grade cabinets. Not to mention it's more expensive for a painter to stain and clear them than it is to paint them.
heinzenfeinzen@reddit
well that burst my bubble :-(
I was hoping to get new doors and drawer fronts, sand the boxes and have it all lighter color finish. Cabinets are cherry suppose you are also going to tell me that using cherry wood is as expensive as it gets ;-)
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
Cherry is definitely near the top. If they were mahogany I'd tell you to get a second mortgage on your house. Or sell a kidney. Or hit six figure scratch off ticket.
flilmawinstone@reddit
How do I find a good contractor for a room remodel (kitchen or bath)?!?
So many shit contractors!! I feel like that’s the most daunting and hardest part about a room remodel!
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
References. References. References. Reach out to your community and ask who they loved and hated working on their houses.
The good contractors list is another resource to find legit contractors. Then, as I said in a previous comment in this thread, do not go with the most expensive bid. Do not go with the cheapest bid. Go with the most complete and detailed bid. Someone who's going to detail all of the phases, the most detailed draw schedule, the most detail for finishes. Asked to see their subcontractor operating agreements.
Research their business credit with any of the credit bureaus, including Dunn and Bradstreet. But take that with a grain of salt because there are some legit businesses like me who do not use debt or credit cards. Some businesses do.not have a credit score or credit history.
The contract they put before you should mention sections in the Texas Property Code that protects the contractor and protects you.
flilmawinstone@reddit
Thanks! The details in contract is something I always look for. I’ve had contractors ghost me when I start asking for details to be added — guess that was a sign ;-)
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
Playing devil's advocate - sometimes a small job isn't worth my time or effort to quibble over the details.
Sometimes a customer wants the paint color in the contract. I tell them I'm not doing that because my contract says that you will verify the paint color prior to me buying it. It's not worth the effort when it's already addressed in my contract.
A quick story from a long time ago - I was building a spec house and before we even finished the frame, we sold it. In the spec details it said the whole house will be level 5 drywall finish (perfectly flat). That buyer thought that the level 5 drywall finish started at the frame so started tearing studs out that were bent or bowed. I'll cut to the end where he approved a change order after hearing from my attorney that he's not to step foot back on the property until 90% completion for a blue tape walk. And he only gets one.
flilmawinstone@reddit
Fair enough!
Etown0401@reddit
I'll try. I just bought a 50 year old house and I dont trust the wiring yet. It has solar and I want to install a battery and smart fuze box later on.
If I get an electrician in, what questions should I be asking him to make sure Im future proofing my house if things are needing to be updated/replaced?
Thank you -K
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
Solar is one of a couple things I'm not completely well versed in. Especially as far as "future proofing". From the way outside looking in, I don't see a clear market leader establishing industry norms and regs and so much innovation happening all the time. Once innovation slows a little and some consolidations start happening, that's when I'll dive in. SO MUCH of it is in the eye of the beholder from what I can see. And again, way outside looking in.
56kToDSL@reddit
Thanks for answering my other question. Got one more for you if you have the time:
I've been struggling with how best to structure contracts in the $4k-$12k range as a homeowner. In this amount it's a bit more serious money but not always worth chasing legally with a real lawyer/small claims court if a contractor disappears/doesn't finish the job.
I've also observed that in this range: i) a lengthy contract tends to scare away contractors; ii) almost always want 50% upfront deposit; and iii) its harder to get contractors to finish the the job - anywhere from after the initial 50% deposit to the last 15% of work.
It's been a struggle trying to finding the balance between keeping it fair for the contractor & protecting myself as well. I'd love your thoughts!
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
So you're putting a contract before the contractor for them to sign?
56kToDSL@reddit
What type of fastener would I use to hang a TV mount with a dynamic load onto a brick facade fireplace?
I'd like to hang a MantelMount, which is a type of of TV wall mount designed to pull a television down from above a fireplace to eye level.
The last homeowner removed a few bricks in the center of the brick wall to add an outlet. Through the gaps I am able to scope inside to see appeicmatley where studs / open space / vented gas fireplace insert is.
The static weight of a 70" TV and mantelmount is close to 100lbs. Given the dynamic load, my initial thought was to hang the TV mount to the studs, meaning the fastener would bind - brick veneer, gap or cement, cement board, and the stud. Is there a better way of doing this?
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
Need some more details. So this is a gas log fireplace insert? There's a framed chase out of 2x4 to enclose the metal chimney pipe and they put brick veneer (thin slivers of brick that are only about 1/2" thick) or regular brick?
If veneer brick- Take the necessary brick veneers out and put that TV mount flat against the drywall (most likely drywall but could be concrete board) then sink in 2.5"-3" x 5/16" lag bolts right in the middle of the studs. Done.
If real brick- search around with a drill bit until you're sure you found the middle of two studs. Put that TV frame out in front of the brick and use 5" - 6" x 5/16" lags and sandwich the brick between the tv mount and the studs.
56kToDSL@reddit
It's real brick with a gas log fireplace insert! I was thinking lags too, so glad to hear I'm on the right track. I was a bit afraid that 'sandwiching' might be an issue given the sporadic gaps between the concrete-board & brick; I suppose as long as I don't over-tighten the 'sandwich' it'll be fine. Thanks for this!
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
Anytime. Don't worry about the gaps. 100lbs isn't that much for lags and a bracket like that.
RBXTR@reddit
Putting my house on the market at the end of the month. Any recommendations on items to tackle before the first open house?
So far on our list we have paint touch-ups, power washing the patio, and replacing the quarter round our dogs have destroyed over the years.
Vast_Hyena2443@reddit
Do you have original cast iron drains? Something to think about, as buyers will want those drains done. Local plumber Ray Mays (Shacks Plumbing) gave me a quote for our 1970 home that most plumbers will not be able to beat if anyone needs a good name for a plumber for cast iron drain replacement.
heinzenfeinzen@reddit
This is awesome list! Recently sold my mom's house and we got engineer's report for foundation (there was some cracking on the walls), cast iron replaced and all kinds of repairs done -- even had to replace soffit and fascia (I'd add these to your list as they seem to be something that gets ignored by homeowners).
We FORGOT about the electrical. LOL. Federal Pacific panel. ouch
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
All good points as well^^.
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
I always advocate for the things that will make the sale "easier". Easy detail items like what you mentioned are the bulk of it. A prospective buyer walks in with rose tinted glasses on and hopefully they spend an hour or so walking around and thinking about furniture and the flow of the house. The longer they're there and they start to notice little things like cracks, doors that don't close perfectly or bad touchup paint, then that's set in their sub conscious, "what else are we going to find?"
Another thing to pay close attention to is double pane windows. Look at them carefully. If any of the seals are bad or there's any moisture between them, get the panes replaced. In my opinion it's worth spending a few extra bucks to take care of some annoying things that come up in every single inspection like window seals, HVAC, garage door and water heater maintenance and show receipts when the buyer puts in an offer.
Daisy_232@reddit
Oh where do u start?
Is it wise to buy a house that had work done with no permits pulled (even if it was by companies)? Thinks like roof, hvac, water heater, etc
What’s the deal with so many homes here without exhaust fans in the kitchen that exhaust outside? I can’t get over this nor understand it. In other parts of the country vent out exhaust fans are much more common. Here even 700-900k homes or “gourmet kitchens” sometimes don’t even have a re-circulator. Is there a reason why?
Why are so many homes here plagued with the foggy windows you mentioned in another comment? I’m originally from the Midwest and there’s extreme weather (albeit cold) but it’s not a normal site to see so many homes with fogged up windows. Poor build quality?
csox5@reddit
What small/inexpensive home maintenance tasks do you complete regularly to avoid larger repairs down the road.
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
Caulking inside and out.
If you have a 1 inch thick ac filter, change it monthly.
Watering your foundation regularly.
Keep all branches a min. 2 ft away from your roof at all times.
Deodorize and clean your garbage disposal with a cup of baking soda and probably two cups, poured slowly, of vinegar. Remember 6th grade science?
Not a maintenance item persey, but DO NOT use pods in either the washing machine or dishwasher. The plastic doesn't always fully dissolve and the destroy thousands of pumps in the bottoms of these machines annually. Stop using them.
Get your HVAC serviced 2X per year. Garage door and water heater flush and service 1x per year.
04p221@reddit
Is it worth trying to build a room above garage?
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
Here's how you figure that out. These are example numbers. DON'T comment below about how these numbers are stupid or whatever.
Jot down the current square footage of your home. Jot down the square footage of the garage. Add the square footage of the garage to your living space (garage sq ft is not originally included in your home's listed sq ft since it's classified as "unconditioned space").
Example: 2851 sq ft + 280 sq ft = 3131 sq ft.
Now ask a realtor friend to run 2 comps real quick for you that are comparable to your current home sq ft 2851 and for homes that are around your new sq ft, 3131.
Example: 2851 sq ft, single story, no pool, etc. might come in around $230/ft. A 3131 sq ft home, two story, 1 additional bed, no pool might come in around $245/ft.
Find the difference of those two numbers.
Example: 2851 sq ft x $230 = $655,730. 3131 sq ft x $245 = $767,095 Difference = $111,365.
A second floor room and bathroom addition is going to cost a MINIMUM of $240/sq ft (not an example number that's a real number) to build PROPERLY. That's going to cost $67,200. That's spending $67k for work that will be worth an additional $111k. . In this scenario the comps say you should build a roughly 465 sq ft room addition to match dollar for dollar.
Again example numbers, but that's how you go about figuring out if it's worth it. And not all changes are for resale value, sometimes doing an addition doesn't make perfect financial sense but it works because it makes life easier for the family dynamic.
itchysweatersdaw@reddit
Why most of the new construction houses are so poorly build?
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
The builders are in a very tight spot after COVID. The cost of EVERYTHING has spiked. The established builders used to enjoy healthy margins while the upstart builders had to pay the price of admission for a few years before establishing themselves.
And here's the kicker- no, they can't just price a home at whatever price they want to. They'd love to but there's one thing that keeps them in check - appraisal value. You can stretch the high side of appraisals, but it takes time. During and right after COVID, most builders, while selling homes for record prices, were actually barely breaking even because their costs were rising faster than they could sell the homes for. Something has to give. That means lower quality materials, lower quality (and cost) subcontractors and certain corners that used to not be cut because of integrity, are now measured on a balance sheet.
Yes the builders still have to make a profit. No making a profit is not evil or immoral. Yes they take A LOT of risk building homes. It's incredibly capital intensive. It's a really hard business to be in.
There are two prestigious, local, family-owned home building businesses in DFW. I know a VP at one of them. Their stated GOAL for fiscal year '26 is to.... Break even. They are stretching and hoping to just break even this year.
Prestigious_Ad_7222@reddit
If you really really really need to go to the restroom, do you use your clients bathroom or dip out to go potty
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
1, I politely ask. Never an issue.
2, I leave. I don't want to do that to their bathroom.
Distribution-Radiant@reddit
What's the worst electrical screwup you've seen (that wasn't done by the homeowner)?
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
Electric is pretty hard to screw up without paying an immediate consequence. Not too much really.
Plumbing is a different story. Some of those issues don't show up for weeks.
AssignmentSecret@reddit
Cost to renovate a master bath?
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
Similar scenario as kitchen answer above. Completely impossible to quote or estimate scope via the Internet.
locodfw@reddit
What is a approximate cost to renovate a kitchen. Kitchen is approx 200 sqft. New tile flooring, cabinetry, quartz countertops and mid tier appliances
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
This is impossible to quote or estimate via the Internet. There are innumerable factors that go into a kitchen or bath remodel that simply can't be accounted for without seeing it in person. Not to mention what's discovered once the walls are opened up. A good rule of thumb I went by when I was building very high end ($100k+) kitchens was you wanted to spend 20-25% of the value of your home on the kitchen. Some people don't agree with that.
Cabinets alone can be $10k for decent cabinets to $25k for awesome cabinets with all the bells and whistles. Flooring is anywhere from $6-20/sq ft. Countertops are $3k.for basic 2cm to $18k for 3cm waterfall edge seam matched granite.
The most important thing to do is to detail your own scope as much as you possibly can, that way you're comparing apples to apples.
NEVER GO WITH THE CHEAPEST BID. NEVER GO WITH THE MOST EXPENSIVE BID.
GO WITH THE MOST DETAILED AND COMPLETE BID.
jesuisunvampir@reddit
Easily $20k+
locodfw@reddit
thats it? i'm was thinking 50k+ for a nice quality reno....
amykizz@reddit
I am interested in seeing the responses to many of these questions. We are also putting our 43 yo house in central Plano on the market next year. But truckboy is not posting any answers....
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
I work 60-70 hours a week.
"Patience Iago."
Vast_Hyena2443@reddit
He will respond. Just be patient. 1 of his other threads is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/plano/comments/1fd8kd8/ask_me_anything/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Paulsur@reddit
What is the better value in Plano area older house pre 1980 in good location that requires updates (windows plumbing, electrical), or new home home construction?
thetruckboy@reddit (OP)
This is an entirely subjective question. It just depends on what you want. I personally want an older home that has character and a yard. I don't like a lot of the modern finishes but that's just my opinion. Most new homes don't have the yard that I want for my kids.
kaizenkaos@reddit
What do you do for fun?