Yes you would think this. They said that they really "hated" putting it in the slanted part. I am sympathetic because the area in the flat part is very crowded but yes, they could have called and should have. I think we are going to make them redo all of this which will be tough, access is very limited in this part of the house. We may end up with the exhaut fan as a vent and put the fan on the roof as a unit (fantech) and have to run a soffit through the MBR closet to fit in the vent. In other words, half baked and not looking like a totally new piece of construction. They are already two months late and with pool season coming we want them out of there so the pressure is on!

“Do you have any exposed brick?” All of the brick is covered in plaster, but I would seriously consider exposing a brick wall. “Are your stair treads and risers wood?” No; carpet. But a future project will almost certainly be removing the dark laminate floors and replacing them with a lighter hardwood. When that happens, I suspect we’ll also remove the carpet from the stairs and install hardwood rises and treads. “Do you like the mood of your current dining room? It reads dark, without much ambient lighting.” Yes and no. I like the colors in the dining room – green paint, some original red-brown wood on the door and stair rail, white trim, and black cabinet (painted white inside). We have similar colors in the living room – the same green paint, white trim, reclaimed wood shelves supported by cast iron brackets, and a new (modern-ish) stained glass transom window over the door. There is a casual slipcover couch, that is white. The former fireplace, that is now a built-in bookcase, is also white. Red-brown piano. What we don’t like: the dining room is still a little dark, although new track lighting and brigher lights in center of the room have helped a lot. In some places the space in and between the rooms flows oddly. So I guess my overall inclination is to try to embrace some of the things that seem warm or quirky about the house - but open up the space, improve lighting, etc. “Have you decided what you are doing with the opening to the DR?” The plan right now is employ Rebunky’s idea. To cut away some of the left hand entry – the deep side – and infill the right wall only as deep and high as is necessary to cover the sides of the new cabinets. That keeps the space open for light to pass through, and it prevents any new visual barriers from hampering conversations between people in the kitchen and dining area. We have also tentatively decided on the skylight, and additional lights in the kitchen. There is a single overhead light in the kitchen now, so while the ceiling is out we’ll put in a series of new lights. “If you go with timeless neutrals you'll be able to decorate with color rather than rip out a backsplash when your taste changes.” This is very good point. And it sounds like everyone agrees that in trying to match the warmth and colors of the current house, we're getting too dark. I'm going to step back from the backsplash idea and try to think about what might keep the look a little more light or open. My original idea - gray and white - would certainly have been airier. We could, of course, still chose this. Then again, my husband likes the red-brown cabinets, and they do fit the setting. So maybe what I should think about is how to complement and balance the choice, rather than trying to layer on elements that dark or rich.

building2017 wrote: ... - What are the silencers I have read about and how do they work/would they work here? These are like giant truck mufflers, except designed for various diameter ducts. They have low pressure loss (forget the value but it is a lot less than baffles). Fantech is the source. - Any benefit re:sound to using two smaller liners instead of one big one and only using one at a time when using only one side of stove? Or is this magnifying the cost for no good reason other than sound? (Because I'm assuming I'd then have two runs up and out and two things on the roof because they wouldn't combine to avoid a turn and to ensure proper function? If only one side were run at a time, then MUA costs could be lower, but where code requires MUA, I am willing to bet a donut that the AHJ will demand an MUA system that can handle both at once. In theory, the sound reduction will be only 3 dB less. Also, when using the central burners, you will still need both systems for capture and containment. Well, I guess three things on the roof then with the MUA. While commercial systems mostly use roof MUA entry, and I use roof MUA entry, the options for residences are wide open and may include side of house entry, or entry into a basement that has an air path access to the kitchen.

True, some apartment maintenance workers tend to be one step ahead of the law or started their training in prison maintenance, but the jobs usually included a free apartment and got them off the street. But the quality of maintenance people depends on the management company and I've seen some highly trained professionals with decades working for the same company, and well paid to $25/hr top scale in 2012. To be fair not many, well it was only one company but had thousands of units including high rises requiring training and competency tests to advance up the pay scale. I'm sure there are others. I started working industrial maintenance 40 yrs ago on the 2nd shift witch gave me the opportunity to attend Texas State Technical College for HVAC full time for a year, and then worked mainly in commercial/industrial settings. With another two years of full time technical schooling in electrical and electronics I was ready to move up to the big companies witch paid for what you knew, not what you do. Hear that? ME beating my chest! BOOYAH! My Carrier path was OK but feel I wasted my life and traced it back to the day I dropped out of Kentucky state university and moved to Texas. My true desire was to major in chemical AND electrical engineering, to save the planet with a sustainable energy source and be a hero. This was 1979, I was ahead of the curve, but I lacked the patience and intelligence to endure almost a decade of classroom training. I'm Still working on a energy source, almost have it and I only need another 40 years.