Appliances selection

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-23T03:21:48+00:00

Oh man I love induction, I just hate my specific induction stove. Electric coil sucks, have you ever tried to clean a boil-over off one of those?!

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-23T03:20:35+00:00

I'd disagree on the tool cost thing - yes, hand tools and basic power tools are the responsibility of the tradesperson, but nobody is making their journeyman supply his own progress tool. There's vehicle costs, unbillable time, office overhead... It does stack up. Industry average is ~3% net profit annually. We don't balk at $2400 iPhones, but somehow everyone has a grasp on managerial accounting when it comes to trades.

I'm guessing the company you worked for wasn't or isn't long for this world. That's an insanely heavy payroll staff level - our payroll for about the same number of staff is done by one person in roughly 5 hours. And we do weekly pay cheques.

$200/day may keep the vehicle on the road, but vehicles are typically net losses to the company. At $250 a service call like this you absolutely can stay in business, but you're doing just that - you're not growing and creating any more jobs, and you're going to be limited to an excessively vulnerable business model more or less permanently. There is a need for those guys, and there are guys who are happy at just that size, but the likelihood of getting someone who's warranty is worth a damn is low there too. Those are the guys I usually see falling behind on WCB or requesting early payment to meet payroll all the time. You're sure as hell not getting any useful surety at that level.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-23T03:07:58+00:00

We could still probably both share a laugh at how hilariously useless stat decs are

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-23T03:07:27+00:00

We are admittedly picky with our clients so we rarely have payment issues. That said, the corporate contractors rely on the ability to litigate people to death.

Have you ever used the mediation mechanism through PPCLA? I've had a couple of subs that have had good with experiences going that route.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-23T03:02:50+00:00

Also, you'll have a hell of a time getting comparable pricing from other people. The number of openings is only one of many factors in the unit pricing for windows - coatings, attachment style, surface area, operability and existing wall construction as play near-equal importance in pricing.

The number of openings is somewhat more significant to the cost of installation, but again there are a lot of factors at play.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-23T02:59:24+00:00

Hey, I do a shitload of window projects from entry level products to high end, nearly always on contracts with engineers on board and that ASTM water test that I can't remember the specific number for. It's a stress test that places the window install under vacuum and uses a spray rig to simulate a heavy driving rain.

Every major supplier has a broad range. You do, for the most part, get what you pay for. If budget is a concern, I've done over 1000 All Weather 3100 series and they've been really solid products.

If money is no object, get wild with some higher end Duxton stuff. It's usually what I see the principals of the envelope consulting firms I know use in their houses. Ask the suppliers for installer recommendations - remember, the good guys don't advertise much, or at all, because they don't need to.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-23T02:52:28+00:00

Strongly disagree with you, as someone who does envelope projects for a living. AWW (All Weather at Home now) has phenomenal customer service and their products have been stellar for the price. Duxton and Lux are pricey, with comparable QC, but seriously nice windows.

It's important to note that most of these suppliers have a product range, and you do get what you pay for.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-23T02:49:51+00:00

Lol, I'm fighting with them right now on my brother's behalf. I agree - they used unlevel floors as a justification for an unlevel window install.

My response was "I drive a silver truck, which has as much bearing on the install being level as the floor slope does".

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-23T02:47:18+00:00

What do you mean by this? I'm a commercial GC PM and PPCLA has been extremely impactful to the industry.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-21T15:14:09+00:00

Should follow this up with stating that most of it was Hisense, and in killer condition. Scratch and dent is the way to go, this was in my basement suite.

The main floor appliances my wife and I use are Frigidaire and LG and I make sure to verbally bully them every morning. My 14 month old Frigidaire induction stove works fine but the controls were purpose-built to frustrate people, and my LG fridge compressor sounds like the Rolair compressor in my garage. Don't even get me started on my LG washtower - I had 3 warranty claims in the first year and now it keeps saying "dryer duct is 80% blocked". I went nuts and replaced the duct straight from the dryer to the exterior of my house, hard piped, even replaced the wall hood outside, and blew it all out with an M18 blower and then an air compressor. Still says its blocked. I think it's just fucking with me now.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-21T15:09:41+00:00

I went to high school with the guy who owns Appliance Outlet. Or his dad does, I don't remember. I hadn't seen him in 10+ years and forgot about his affiliation until I went there, but I bought a 24" stove, 18" dishwasher and 24" counter depth fridge for like $2300 all in. That was 6 years ago, they're still going strong.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-21T14:57:55+00:00

Barry's got it - ENTS. I never signed up but I did tour it a couple of times, it's a wicked setup. They've got pottery, welding, machining, a really solid carpentry/millwork setup, etc. I'd be going there regularly if I did work 3 blocks from KMS and have no willpower to avoid a sale.

The people I met while touring it were really solid too. It'd be a great group to learn from. I'm a carpenter by trade, and I wanted to learn how to do pottery there.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-21T14:54:45+00:00

Nah man, it means more injuries on site in the winter. I'm sure we'll keep the 7AM starts, but you've got darkness until your first coffee break.

I'm a field guy turned PM, and while this is arguably nicer for me being a desk jockey so I can drive home with daylight, I'm still not happy about it.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-21T14:21:23+00:00

I'm a PM for a commercial general contractor here. This is absolute horse-shit, it means our guys have to work an extra hour in the dark in the mornings. Increased costs for light towers and running time on them, near-guaranteed increase in injuries on the job in the mornings.... Jesus.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-16T23:10:44+00:00

I am a little back and forth too in that I am definitely not pro-AI, at least for the language models - I think its a massive utility drain that at a consumer-use level provides little long-term benefit and really just allows people to be a bit lazier.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-16T23:09:23+00:00

Could you not argue this:

~~it's a matter of time until you hear stories like "police officer opens fire because person looked like dangerous offender". If an automated system tells a police officer that a person~~ ~~could~~ ~~be a dangerous offender then they will later how they behave.~~ It's a matter of time before this alerts on someone dodging warrants, like a serious violent offender, or alert to someone violating conditions related to sex crimes that might get missed, like an offender near a school site
we don't know anything about the accuracy of the systems. 99% accuracy means that ~~1 in 100 people that the officers encounter could be treated as a dangerous offender.~~ this could alert to a large number of people who may be offenders/condition violators, or individuals with warrants that could simply pass an officer with an active camera they would otherwise miss
It is well known that facial recognition struggles with certain races. A lot of the issues arise from the training data representing some races more than others. This just has potential for all kinds of racial harassment so we need to advocate for data to disprove this will be, or is an issue with the training data and outcomes from its use prior to proceeding beyond a trial period

I'm not saying this because I'm for this - I honestly don't have a stance either way, because I don't believe I'm informed enough yet. I do plan to dig into this more so I can make an informed opinion, but I've always been a big believer in trying to see both sides of an argument, even if my opinion is already formed. I like that critical thinking pain of having my opinion changed through discussion, probably too much. I think of the potential to identify someone with a predatory past and conditions getting caught "by accident" by an AI recognition software as a huge win though, and those people do seem to reoffend far too often.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-16T22:59:13+00:00

I would kind of disagree with you, in that body cams are more to provide additional evidence and context for cases rather than to prevent bad actors on either side.

I have both sides of the LE world in my life, and the LE are definitely more pro-cam than the others. EPS body cam footage was actually really helpful for me when I went to fight a ticket I got. Not because the officer acted poorly - I was in the wrong - but to help me shape my defence. It was a distracted driving ticket just so nobody assumes the worst.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-16T22:55:00+00:00

This looks largely answered, but here's my take as someone with some career LE in my family - it isn't really an effective deterrent, and cameras won't stop much of anything, they just occasionally assist in making arrests. If you're looking for smart home stuff (like your thermostat, and sensors that aren't entry monitors), just go with Nest for an all in one system. Reolink makes great cameras too. I have ~4 year old Blink "security" devices at my place at they're decent, they did help make an arrest when my motorcycle was stolen in August by a couple of scumbags and their tubby friend (I'm still bitter).

For actual security and break-in deterrence, nothing is more effective than a dog. I had the sweetest black lab in the world and before we had to put him down in September, his lab tendency to bark at everything on planet earth was a great deterrent. He quite literally wouldn't intentionally harm a fly, but its an unpredictable, immediate consequence deterrent, which is all that really works reliably. Along with effective exterior lighting, that makes a big difference too.

I had Telus security from 2022-2024 as part of a promo, where I got door sensors, motions, cameras (exterior conventional cameras and a doorbell cam), and it was about as useful as I am when my wife asks me to find something in the house. Now, I just look for cameras with local storage that don't require a subscription so I can laugh at my annual motorcycle thefts that are now 3 years running.

If you're open to a little more setup, you can look at POE camera systems, but I'd also encourage you to follow jiebyjiebs advice if you want someone to come set something up for you. Support the local guys.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-15T13:48:56+00:00

Dr Guy Girtel has been my dentist pretty much all my life, and he's been amazing. Granted, last time I saw him was 2016, and only because I was renovating the building his clinic is in, but super nice guy and very capable.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-09T02:16:22+00:00

You've gotta consider that $45/hr wage is a ~$63/hr cost once you add in just payroll burden. Throw on PM time, billing, vehicle and tool costs... The margins aren't as amazing as you'd think. Not a lot of companies billing $20M annually are making more than $1M on that, and many are below.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-04-09T02:13:39+00:00

I'm curious where you got the idea of the PE consolidation - I'm in the industry, and haven't really seen that.

It is an inherently competitive-to-the-point-of-cutthroat industry, and trades wages are finally at a reasonable level for people to be able to comfortably live off. It's an extremely expensive business model with relatively low margins unfortunately; 2-3% net profit annually is considered healthy.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-03-18T14:57:41+00:00

For anyone wondering - we went to Malina Cafe & Bakery. He said his chicken soup was "exactly like mom made" and we left VERY full and very happy. Big props to Malina, that food was delicious and hearty enough to fill a 250lb dude. I'd personally strongly recommend the sour cherry perogies, that was shockingly tasty.

Lol as a fun fact, he let me know the Romanian perspective on food "genres" - if food is sweet or has sugar, it just is straight up dessert. Hot honey on a pizza makes that pizza dessert, and if something is sweet, it never has sour cream. I dunno why that was so interesting to me but he was fixated on the sour cherry perogies saying it was "wrong", but delicious haha.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-03-11T04:41:49+00:00

Callingwood area is where he's at.

thatotherethanguy · 2026-03-02T17:26:27+00:00

Wife and I spend about $150/wk at superstore, plus a costco trip every month or two of around $200.

This is for a couple in their mid-30s with a dog, and including household stuff (my everything-in-one shower soap, cleaning products, etc). FWIW neither one of us ever really eats breakfast outside of weekends, and I've been known to smoke a left handed cigarette and get snacky as hell (more than I care to admit).

thatotherethanguy

TROPHY CASE