Simple, simple, simple. Did a 4000 sqft house with hide a hose which is much harder and my conclusion at the end was what a ripoff these things are to install.

The skill level is way below electrical, plumbing etc. It is similar to low voltage wiring as far as skill level - ie something a handy person can pick up very quickly.

You might spend $200 in supplies for an average new house - 3000 sqft

ditto what David said.

Ditto. We installed Hide A Hose in a 4000 sq ft 2 story house. Simple and effective! My suggestion is that you install a CV with Hide A Hose for your own use. I can't imagine why you will not love it.....unless you have carpet everywhere (the only negative remarks I have ever heard were from someone with a lot of carpet).

Glad to hear this is an easy DIY job. Where can the materials be purchased?

Carol

Carol, I know at least some of it can be purchased at Home Depot. I replaced the beige outlets in my current house with white ones. I don't know if that would be the cheapest place, or if they'd have everything. I have requested a quote from a US website as well. And vacuum stores might have it, too.

Thanks Amberm. I will check out Rona and HD, but I do suspect they won't have everything. I will do some research and see where to buy locally or more in the GTA area. If your online source yields good prices and selection please let me know the source?

Carol

Maybe this would be a good source in Mississauga ON? I don't want to get into buying tons of special cutting tools. I will search next for some instructional videos etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: CV supplies

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be vague. I couldn't remember the site. It was something I found on Google. I filled in a form on a website yesterday, and they are supposed to get back to me in a few business days.

I looked in my history, and it was mycentralvacuum.com.

That does look like a good source. I need to stop distracting myself with "trivial" stuff and get back to figuring out the supplies I need to keep my framer moving. And finding a siding/roofing contractor. :P

Our sales rep at Rona figured out all the lumber we needed for framing. He gave us contractor prices because we were GCing and DIYing most of the house build. Did you try Rona?

Carol

Rona here is a gong show. I spent a half an hour on hold waiting to talk to sales about window wells the other day before I gave up and went to Lowes. If they didn't offer airmiles, and were the closest hardware store to my site, I wouldn't ever buy from them. By the way, thanks for the tip on the Wolfa. They are nice, but expensive for the size I need. I think I'm going to have the framer build out terraced boxes with pressure treated beams. And then I can plan stuff in them, so the view won't be so bad.

My lumber is coming from a local yard, and they do give me a materials list based on my plans, which is nice. But they've completely screwed up. They've given me at least 50% too many studs because they *assumed* we'd do 16" on center for the exterior walls, but we're doing 24" in order to increase the insulation. So I was going over the plans to see if I can use them elsewhere, but the upper floors aren't as tall. So now I need to convince them to take them back and give me a refund, and reduce the number they send me in the next load.

And I'm trying to get a quote for my tall walls (I have 2 sections of wall that are 2 stories tall, and 2 sections that are three stories tall!). But I have no idea what they are quoting on. The engineering company provided a list of materials, and I sent that and the drawings to the lumber yard, and they came back claiming the list of materials is wrong, and gave me a quote that I can't figure out what they're supplying. Engineer says we need some 4x10 beams, 30' long. Lumber company is quoting nothing by that size. But they ARE quoting 1788 of something, and the list of materials has nothing in that quantity. That's probably linear feet of something, but it's a size we don't need. Ah, the phone calls to be made on Monday morning.

Hang in there Amberm. All the lumber companies around here take back excess lumber or lumber that is not straight. I sure hope they will take the excess lumber they wrongly sent! Yes the Wolfa window wells are not cheap. I do love the light that bounces around them from their white coating and angle that lets light in. However, the idea of the terraced window well and plantings is going to look great! It may not be cheap either -- nothing nice is cheap.

Hope Monday yields some answers for you.

Carol

amb.....that shouldn't be any kind of problem returning those studs. You must be using 2x6?

Yes, they're 2x6, and they should go back easily. But this company is being difficult on other things.

For the Wolfa, I'd be looking at $465 per window, with all the extensions I need for my bat cave, subterranean lair. Plus shipping, or driving up to Edmonton to pick them up. Plus the cost of installing them. Plus it'll take at least 6 weeks to get the extensions. The framer will build me some for $150 if I supply the materials. I'm looking at $300 per window in materials. So not much savings. I also found a company that sells corrugated steel ones that I can use to terrace it out. But it seems they are only sold at Rona, which is why I spent a half an hour on hold. But then Lowes didn't actually have the material anyway, so I might be calling Rona again tomorrow.