Cross-post what is the average builder/contractor's discount ?
xoxosmom
16 years ago
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16 years agoRelated Discussions
kitchen vent make-up air advice needed please (cross post)
Comments (73)So you have the Broan 6" MD6T and you have it unfiltered, unconditioned, and ouputting under the fridge for conditioning purposes? So you are relying on the exhaust heat of the fridge to cool the incoming air? How cold did it get this past winter for you? How cold was that make up air? Detectable at all? Here we had -20 real feel in NY with the wind chill at times. It was brutally cold and cold often. I think I might have to put in a heated MUA. So update on Broan. The lady I spoke to today was completely useless. To make a long story short she had absolutely no idea how to use the Make Up Air Specifier on her site. It was quite pathetic and my impressions of Broan's customer service = suck. I spoke to Dean at Electro Industries at length about all the factors I'm thinking about. We went over two options - one using the MA-10 (10kw all in one 10" heater with damper, blower, filter, and current detector to control blower speed) and the less expensive heater unit EM-WX1025R. The broan MD6T comes with a 24volt 20VA transformer so I could then use the one signal to turn on both the Broan damper and the heater unit. Both options unit can accomodate up to 637cfm in a 50 degree temperature rise. It's a 10kW unit though and would require a 50A or 60A two pole (240V) breaker and its own dedicated lines (of course). I can take care of the electrical so no problem there but man I'm guessing my heating bill (which was astronimical last year) will be more than I can tolerate this year. Temperature Rise Needed/CFM EM-WX1025R 10000 Watts 80/395 70/452 60/527 50/632 40/790 30/1054 MA-10 $1917 + freight EM-WX1025R $800 + freight. I think that should be sufficient - it's better to have 50 degree air coming in than 0 degree air. I'm thinking that maybe I can get away with non-heated air if I can get fresh air to come up that old supply register near the range. The opening is closer than the fireplace but it might work if I put a blower in-line as well....See MorePricing from contractors more discounted in this economy?
Comments (10)We have had the same problem sheesharee does for years, and it's only gotten worse recently. On average, if I call (or rather leave messages for, since no one actually answers a phone anymore) a dozen people, maybe five might call me back and schedule a meeting, three show up for that meeting and one or two actually produce an estimate which might or might not be detailed enough to make sense. It sort of traps me into a VERY small selection of contractors and makes it very difficult to compare apples to apples. I would really appreciate it if people would take the two minutes to call and tell me "I'm not interested", "I'm too busy" or "I charge $20 for a detailed estimate" (which I'd usually be willing to pay) instead of just leaving me hanging, but it's VERY rare for anyone to bother. People who don't return phone calls, show up, or follow up when promised are put on what I call the "when h*ll freezes over" list and I do tell other people about them. I tend to group together small projects to make at least a half-day's work and preferably a full day to justify things like travel time. Since my schedule is quite flexible, I do have the luxury of being able to be fitted in when the contractor has the time between jobs, inclement weather delaying another project, etc. Angie's List is pretty much nonexistent in my area, the couple of friends we have who own homes either have sorta-handyish relatives who wouldn't know building code from Morse code or are using the prayer method of maintenance (aka "pray real hard nothing goes wrong"), and it's pretty obvious that my neighbors aren't prioritizing home repair!...See MoreWhat is the average American looking for in a kitchen?
Comments (51)Well, it depends on price point. I think the only feature that is absolutely expected across the board is to have a counter that isn't tile -- that is instead some material that is entirely smooth/solid (without grout lines) for easy cleaning. I also think people really appreciate things that look roomier than they were expecting. Americans tend to like big stuff and to associate it with luxury. So if the kitchen is bigger than you'd expect in house like that, that'll always make a good impression. I don't think the average American is particularly informed or design-minded, so they'd be looking to hear buzzwords like "granite counter tops" and "stainless steel appliances" and "custom cabinets" and "solid wood" and "new." I think it matters less if it's actually really unattractive granite that doesn't go well with the cabinet color, or if it's a crappy, unreliable dishwasher. That said, while most don't cook much and wouldn't know what a good layout was, anybody who does cook would also be on the look out for that. I am an enthusiastic baker, so how the work spaces are laid out is the first thing I notice aside from the general feel of a kitchen (calm, light, clean, etc.). I look for large swatches of uninterrupted counter, and I look at how someone else might use part of the kitchen while I'm in there too without getting in my way. I would run screaming from one of those tight u-shaped kitchens. They only accommodate a single cook. And I really dislike features that eat away at usable counterspace -- upper cabinets that come all the way to sit on the counters, split-level peninsulas/islands, appliance garages, etc....See MoreWhat's the difference between general contractor and home builder?
Comments (31)There is no difference between a home builder and a general contractor To repeat the second response on this thread: Vague terms whose definition varies by jurisdiction. For instance, as per the British Columbia government housebuilding registration site: Ditto in Ontario, where my municipal renovator's license counted for bupkis when I wanted to build a new home for sale....See Moreweissman
16 years agomarkw
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