Specifying "grades" vs "brand+model" in construction contract
e f
6 years ago
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New Construction Plumbing: White PVC vs The Black Stuff
Comments (27)There is no right or wrong answer here. Different places have different climates hence different building codes and different pipes. The reason ABS is basically the only pipe used anywhere in Canada whereas PVC is the only pipe used in the southern US, is the same reason why buildings in Florida requite hurricane ties while all structures in Canada need 4-6 foot deep concrete foundation - it's not the same place! ABS is more resistent to cold, is easier to install in the cold, yet is damaged by lots of Sun... Almost sounds like colder, darker climates should use ABS.... HRMMMMM!!!!!!!...See Morenew construction - doorknobs vs levers for doorhandles
Comments (17)I have Schlage brushed nickel eggs because I have seasonal arthritis in the small hand bones. I don't like the look of levers all over the house, for narrower doors the standard width lever looks disproportionate. For arthritics or carpal tunnel issues...I think the eggs are actually better if your grasp is reasonable (doesn't have to be normal!), because you open them with a wrist rotation only. For levers, if you watch other people, many of them grasp the lever and then extend their wrist (bend backward at the wrist - bad) while rotating and pushing downward with their arm and shoulder - I conciously avoid doing this. The idea of levers for ADA had several reasons, including individuals with no grasp who could get their hand over the lever, and the fact that in many cases wheelchair-based people are pulling downward (not pushing downward). As a separate issue for a house with small children, I recently read an article where running children had impaled their eye on the lever. This report was from a third-world country with straight levers, evidently tapering to a fairly sharp point....See MoreMarine Grade Plywood vs. Reclaimed Fir Planks for Carriage Doors
Comments (5)Are these garage doors? In any case, it depends on your skills and what you want the finished doors to look like. A few years ago I needed to build a 42"x6ft gate so I decided to make it with four panels like a door. The frame I made from mahogany and the panels I made from sign board. When I asked my lumber guy about how good the sign board was, he said, "It's just as good as your paint job." If you use the lumber, you could make it into a v groved ship lapped type of panel. With the plywood, you don't have to do that, but I would use a good grade of marine plywood. You might use sign board like I did. It's cheap and lighter than marine grade MDF and probably about the same weight of plywood. Your job will stand or fall by the jointery of the frame....See MoreFixed vs. Cost-Plus Contracts
Comments (28)bry911, you are quite right; on a Cost Plus a Fee project the owner is credited with all discounts that accrue to the General Contractor (but not the subs) so Joseph Corlett is not using a Cost Plus a Fee delivery method but the standard small project method of an hourly rate plus marked-up materials. This method has nothing to do with what is being discussed on this thread and therefore his parallels are specious and irrelevant. In a Cost plus a Fee contract type, an owner would not see a breakdown of a sub's competitive bid or invoice unless that was, for some reason, required by the contract (an owner can ask for almost anything in this kind of contract) and even then such breakdowns would normally be limited to special materials, fixtures and equipment not labor or overhead & profit. These costs might be reviewed by the owner if there was a change in the scope of the sub's work since that work would not be competitively bid. Such costs are often included as a proposed markup % in the sub's original bid. The point of this kind of contract is to allow any savings derived from competitive bidding of sub contracts to accrue to the owner rather than to the contractor. The contractor is in turn well compensated for this service by a negotiated Fee. Things get a bit more complicated when there is a Guaranteed Maximum Price. When the owner chooses a sub's bid that is higher than the lowest one, the GMP is increased by the difference. Also since the work of the GC's own forces is not bid, those labor rates are sometimes included in the contract. I have seen a Guaranteed Maximum Price split to provide a Maximum for those costs... we called it a Mini-Max. These contract provisions can get complicated and are therefore not attractive to homeowners without professional presentation or home builders without trained staff. That's unfortunate because such contracts can be of great benefit to all parties....See Moree f
6 years agobeckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
6 years agojust_janni
6 years agoUser
6 years agobeckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
6 years agoSabrina Alfin Interiors
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoVirgil Carter Fine Art
6 years agoeelh
6 years agoe f
6 years agobeckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
6 years agoDavid Cary
6 years agoe f
6 years agohomechef59
6 years agoe f
6 years agoUser
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agobeckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally
6 years agoVirgil Carter Fine Art
6 years ago
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