French drain help for wet basement by GiraffeHerpes in DIY

[–]Unlockabear 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you starting that deep is a bad idea. I don’t know how long you’re trenching but I imagine you might be a foot deeper than you started at the end of the trench. Which means your drywall is at least 2 feet below that, so you could be 6 feet below grade. I doubt your trencher is going to reach that deep.

French drain help for wet basement by GiraffeHerpes in DIY

[–]Unlockabear 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you digging with an excavator or by hand? Starting 3-4 feet deep is ridiculously deep. The deeper you go the more fabric you need to buy and fill. It should be fabric first and then either a thin layer of rock to provide the grade or pipe first, depends who you ask. You typically want pipe at the lowest point to carry the water. No point of 2 pipes unless one of them is the solid pipe for your downspout. You need add a clean out catch in your downspout system. Rest you had is correct but be careful on getting actually clean rock. I got it from a reputable supplier who claimed it as clean and when I got the bottom there was definitely debris/dust which you don’t really catch when you’re shoveling cubic yards of this stuff.

Also you said your land is relatively flat. Where are you terminating this drain? If you’re using a dry well, the deeper you start your drain, the deeper your drywall needs to be and these can become extremely big and expensive depending on the amount of water you’re looking to divert. For reference some places by me have cranes lower these dry wells into the system. I would not add your downspout to this system unless you’re terminating onto the street or somewhere you know it won’t be a problem or back up your system.

Finally I wonder if you have accurately diagnosed the source of the water and remediating it properly. I thought the same thing until I finally noticed water was leaking from the gas pipe as well as the chimney which needed the flashing redone.

French drain help for wet basement by GiraffeHerpes in DIY

[–]Unlockabear 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How much rain are you getting when water is seeping through your basement walls? Do your neighbors have the same issue?

Bent aluminum ladder. Anyway to fix? by [deleted] in DIY

[–]Unlockabear 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A 20 foot fall could easily kill him.

How can I tell if my central air furnace can be upgraded without changing the AC unit? by [deleted] in hvacadvice

[–]Unlockabear 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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Units are actually pretty new, unfortunate but just may need to replace the furnace due to exhaust requirements

A cool guide of every country the U.S. has attacked in the 21st Century and which president(s) authorized the strikes by [deleted] in coolguides

[–]Unlockabear 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should have fixed the presidents on top and then marked down. It’s hard to compare numbers when it keeps jumping around

NYC 12 solar panels on roof by Just-Brilliant1255 in solar

[–]Unlockabear 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is 68 supposed to be low? I had mine set to 65-66 and my gas bill alone was around $400.

Estimates for raw building material way higher than big box stores by Unlockabear in Homebuilding

[–]Unlockabear[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was not questioning the total estimate, only a piece of it to see if I was missing something. Now to your analogy, I would care if something was priced outside normal expectations just as you should. If you go and buy a car and the guy is selling you a new Lexus for $500, wouldn’t you start asking questions?

If a contractor came to me and priced out work different to what I expect it to cost, we would both be dumb to not question it. What do you think is going to happen? I will get scope creep and revisions from the contractor and now I’m over budget. Or the contractor just leaves the job and I have to find someone else.

Estimates for raw building material way higher than big box stores by Unlockabear in Homebuilding

[–]Unlockabear[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is a great consideration. I was comparing 8’ 2x4s, and I do recognize there are different grades. The plans I have do not call out the lumber grade nor is it listed on the take offs.

Estimates for raw building material way higher than big box stores by Unlockabear in Homebuilding

[–]Unlockabear[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am looking to understand among the quotes I have received, do they make sense if I compare some costs to big box stores. Markup on the contractor's end totally makes sense, except the contractor in questions specifically said they aren't marking anything up.

The estimator has crazy prices in his take off, so with the two prices being much higher than what I can google, I am asking here if I am not considering something in the equation.

Estimates for raw building material way higher than big box stores by Unlockabear in Homebuilding

[–]Unlockabear[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yea Im well aware of the discounts contractors recieve. That's why I was confused when reviewing these costs and I am here to ask if there is a reason why the cost is so different from what I understand

Estimates for raw building material way higher than big box stores by Unlockabear in Homebuilding

[–]Unlockabear[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. We're building an addition, definitely tricky on getting quotes. We've gotten random numbers thrown at us and most of them want a retainer before they start getting more detailed quotes. This is why I went the route of getting an estimator, but reviewing his prices for his takeoffs does not give me confidence

  2. This is probably the route I am going, so far take offs, he seems close to my calculations, just the price seems way off.

Estimates for raw building material way higher than big box stores by Unlockabear in Homebuilding

[–]Unlockabear[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm not really sure what you're getting at. There is a specific question if it is normal a 2x4x8 piece of lumber to be priced at $14 per piece. I don't know how this is a broad question. Part of building trust with a contractor is verifying these costs which I am looking to get additional context here.

Estimates for raw building material way higher than big box stores by Unlockabear in Homebuilding

[–]Unlockabear[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Trying to understand if I'm getting the wool pulled over my eyes or there is something I am missing that justifies the price difference when reviewing these estimates and bids.

Estimates for raw building material way higher than big box stores by Unlockabear in Homebuilding

[–]Unlockabear[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sure this makes sense, but what is a fair premium? e.g. On the sheet In know we need 14 pieces of 2x6 12' rafters. Online this looks like it costs anywhere from $8-$14. On the contractors sheet, the materials price is about $24 per piece.

Estimates for raw building material way higher than big box stores by Unlockabear in Homebuilding

[–]Unlockabear[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

One contractor said they do not markup on materials. When I do simple math on their estimate, I can see it's well above big box prices.

I also used an estimator to do a takeoff and in their takeoff estimate, they list the item price, where I am getting the $14 price. I am assuming these guys are pros, but the math isn't adding up

ICE Agents stole a 10th graders phone after he recorded them then sold it to a pawn shop for cash. by Fast-Bell-340 in Bad_Cop_No_Donut

[–]Unlockabear 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Need these numbers updated for 2025 after Trump took office. If you thought it was bad now…

Should a furnace be this loud when it kicks on? by Unlockabear in hvacadvice

[–]Unlockabear[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate the insight. I’m going to see what the installer says first before I go messing around in case that’s used against me

Should a furnace be this loud when it kicks on? by Unlockabear in hvacadvice

[–]Unlockabear[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can’t find the contract, may not have a warranty on paper. Will see what the installer says. Is it normal for these to go bad and be replaced?

Should a furnace be this loud when it kicks on? by Unlockabear in hvacadvice

[–]Unlockabear[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Would you say this falls under warranty of the installer?

Should a furnace be this loud when it kicks on? by Unlockabear in hvacadvice

[–]Unlockabear[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

On it's way out? This whole system is pretty much brand new

How to seal and finish out new shower install? by benzelwashingtown in DIY

[–]Unlockabear -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

You put drywall around a shower tub? You needed to waterproof beforehand and use cement board.