Incoming minority opinion: it depends. It depends upon how knowledgeable you are about plumbing and electrical issues, how extensive the remodel is, and how much legwork you want to do to find just the right outlets/switches/plates, lighting... How closely are you willing to spec the job and how much will you leave to the pros? Are you aware of the cost implications of your decisions? Can you coordinate the work from different subcontractors so they don't get in each others way and get their work done in a timely fashion? (This can have a huge effect on the time for the remodel.) Sometimes there are many more options than you might think. I don't know if this is good or bad, but some expertise (via GC or KD) is useful. We GCd a relatively modest kitchen and bath remodel a few years ago. In the kitchen we replaced a U-shape with an L plus an island, and put wood floors over vinyl. No walls taken out, no new plumbing and only one new electrical outlet. The baths were similarly simple with only a small amount of new plumbing and no new electrical. The guys did just what we asked them to do, and no more. It was reasonably successful, but there were some problems. For example, a couple of weeks after completion we had a water leak. Bad news for wood floors. The plumber blamed the cabinet guy (long but relevant story) and the cabinet guy blamed the plumber. In the end, nobody would take responsibility. Rather than go to court, we ate it. In retrospect, if we had been smarter (e.g. mined gardenweb) the end product would have been nicer. But it was still OK. We currently have a GC to take responsibility and a KD to oversee the details of this extensive and complex remodel. Yes, it costs more, but it is easy to overlook seemingly little things that become bigger later. Sometimes I simply don't recognize when I should ask a question. These guys do make mistakes and spec down, given the chance. So it really does depend on the project scope; your knowledge; how closely you want to spec the job; how much material you want the contractor to supply; your daily availability; your willingness to stand over the workers' shoulders and immediately confront something that does not appear kosher; and your patience. Wait until after the job is completed to try to quit your bad habits. You may even pick up a few new ones during the process.

Hi again. The leaking toilet is from the late 50's by Richmond. The two closet bolts that are missing are located at the rear of the toilet. Are there replacement bolts for a toilet this old? The other two bolts look original. I cannot understand why that plumber I hired six months ago didn't replace the missing bolts and didn't fix the movement in the toilet. Shouldn't he have addressed these issues when he was here, since I told him about them? When a plumber comes to fix the currently leaking wax seal, what if he finds that the wood structure underneath is wet or rotted? There could have been a small leak that I didn't know about. Is it the plumber's job to replace rotted wood, or does that require hiring a builder/carpenter? If the wood is only damp, then can the plumber go ahead and replace the wax seal and set the toilet that same day without waiting for the wood to dry? If there is damage/rot to the wood, how long does a repair like this usually take to fix? I only have one toilet in this house. Thank you for any help.

I've been using polyester fillers for over 45 years, mostly on metal. More recently I've used them on wood too, thanks to suggestions here. Below are a few tips I've discovered over the years for using Bondo (or my preference, Duraglas, which sets up harder). 1. When mixing, use a little less hardener for a longer working time. Not TOO much less, or it will never harden fully. The basic proportion to use is a 1/4" strip of hardener to a filler blob slightly larger than a golf ball. You'll get it with experience. 2. For shapes, make up a jig or mold in advance. Wood works for simple shapes. Hacksawed PVC pipe can be shaped with a heat gun for curves. I bet a 3D printer would be great for this. 3. Quickly cover the applied filler with 6 mil polyethylene sheet from the hardware store, then press your premade mold or jig over it to shape it. Usually you want it to be a little higher or thicker than the surface around it, to allow for final shaping and smoothing. After the filler sets, the poly will peel right off. 4. Tools and hands clean up with lacquer thinner until the filler is fully set. 5. If you go overboard when shaping and sanding, scratch-sand the filler with 40 or 60 grit for adhesion, then apply another layer and try again. 6. After shaping and sanding, an oil base indoor-outdoor patching compound such as MH Ready Patch will fill any scratches and voids. 7. Prime with an oil base stain-resistant primer such as Kilz.

I'm assuming that's plaster, correct? I fixed a number of cracks like that for my daughter when she bought a 1948 vintage home. I started with a utility knife to cut a vee along the crack. This excavates anything that is loose, and also removes those raised edges I can see in your photo. You could just fill it with joint compound, but it could also open up a bit over time. For your situation, if you have the skills, I would suggest using paper tape and joint compound as if you were repairing sheetrock.