Thermo Brace vs Thermo Ply
wrightgj
5 years ago
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doc5md
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoSpringtime Builders
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Can we talk about stone veneer?
Comments (60)When exterior materials of different coefficients of expansion are rigidly attached to one another, they will eventually fail. Therefore, the attachment detail of veneer materials not only needs to allow water to drain, it must allow the materials to move independently. This is why the original "brick veneer" system had a cavity between the structural wall and a wythe of brick 4" thick and the brick was supported on a ledge and attached to the wall with flexible ties. A stone veneer wall was the same with 4" thick stone. I've designed and built many buildings with this system. Designing a tile-like cladding for a wood framed wall is difficult even in warm, dry climates. Some good systems were described in this thread 5 years ago. I'm not sure why cultured stone would perform worse than natural stone except that it absorbs more moisture, however, the joints do that anyway and in the photos above, the cultured stone doesn't appear to have cracked....See MoreKitchen Cabinet Reviews
Comments (19)I searched for a well-made, well-priced cabinet for months and I know how hard it is to finally make a decision. If you are going through a similar tug of war trying to find quality and a good price, you might stumble across a company called Choice Cabinets. DO NOT buy from this company. I was told by the Chicago distributor that I had to fully pay in advance in order to get the best discount (major mistake by me). Amazingly, the next day, I was told that some of the cabinets were back ordered. I didn't get the last one until almost 3 months after I paid. Funny thing is that on their website they talk about quick delivery being one of their benefits. BUT, OH DOES IT GET WORSE! One of the cabinets was stained wrong. The Chicago distributor told me I could re-stain it with a stain pen. When I did it looked terrible. The distributor�s solution? He made me buy a new one. OH DOES IT GET WORSE. The local distributor actually measured my kitchen (or input the figures) wrong and my cabinets didn't fit. Yep, you guessed it. I was told that I signed the contract and I needed to pay for the new cabinets even though I had their blueprint with the wrong measurements. OH DOES IT GET WORSE. After having nothing but trouble with our local distributor, I wrote the owner of the company (based in Cleveland). He emailed me back saying that they don't talk to or communicate with customers. I needed to work things out with my distributor. When I told him that wasn't possible, he never responded back to me. Can you imagine a company that gladly takes your money, but won't take your call or email??? YOU DO NOT WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS COMPANY. Almost NOTHING they said was true and I greatly regret giving them my money. During this same period, I have spent $50,000 getting new flooring, window treatments, 2 bathrooms re-done, painting, new fireplace, etc and not had one problem. Choice Cabinets is the worst customer service company I've dealt with in a long time. Stay away....See MoreHow to protect new flooring while remodeling continues
Comments (14)Thanks very much for all for the helpful comments and information. I asked the contractor today about covering the floor after it was finished... nope, not necessary, he says. I guess I'll tell him I'll find some help to do it myself (76 today!). As noted, they still have lots to do, so will be all over it, not just on certain walkways. (Flooring seemed out of order to me, as the ceiling and walls still need at least one more coat of paint, a couple windows put in.) SJ: No cleaning in estimate, and I'm pretty darn sure they don't plan to do it. Reassuring that tile can be deep cleaned. Jelly: Agree - I don't like the idea of dirty grout and it's not a light color. Cinar: Is corrugated cardboard sold by the roll at building supply stores? Our Wal-Mart is a small one - doubt there's any, and if there is, maybe a roll or two. Couture: I don't know what RamBoard is, but I'm going to check on availability and cost in this very rural area tomorrow. Actually glad to hear your cautions, as they reinforce my concerns. Diane: In the midst of extensive remodeling, so more than walkways will be needed. I admire your advance preparations but couldn't have done that in this situation. Painter's tape held firm? Most of you suggest cardboard. If RamBoard doesn't work out, I'd best start making requests from several stores pronto to come even close to having enough! Thanks again, all!...See MoreBowed Studs - Is this bad?
Comments (54)Oh, dear. 'Curious why so many of you are so biased against a large national builder. They build 10s of thousands of new homes each year. Do you think they got this big by delivering a crappy product?' Many a national brand has become a national brand by providing a barely acceptable product at a rock bottom price. The difference here is that it's a lot harder to deal with the repercussions of poor quality in a home build than it is when I buy my kid cheap pants at WalMart because she's going to promptly put holes in the knees anyway. With sufficient oversight, you may still be OK. The problem is that if you don't know what's acceptable and what's not, it's very difficult to provide that oversight. I also don't go along with "well, it's hard to find good help" as an argument. Judgment THAT poor means that this business has scaled up beyond its ability to make good on its promises. This requires some kind of correction - whether better hiring and training, scaling back on production levels, or providing additional supervision - more than it deserves a shrug and a "move along, nothing to see here." Also, ad me to the list of people rather surprisedly agreeing with Robin. Although the excess of exclamation points still gives me a twitch....See MoreJeffrey R. Grenz, General Contractor
5 years agoPaul
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoJake The Wonderdog
5 years agoworthy
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoBT
5 years agoTodd
5 years agoBT
5 years agocarlos229
5 years agoTodd
5 years agocarlos229
5 years agoDevon Ehlers
3 years agoPatrick Downing
2 years agoD B
2 years agomillworkman
2 years agoworthy
2 years ago
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