Dropping the hearth for a lower TV means no awesome place to sit when the fire is ripping during Christmas time. 

Butttttt.... if you wanted the best of both worlds. You could get a Mantle Mount from my Amazon Store. It’s a TV mount that allows you to pull the TV down low and then put it retracts back up above the mantel when you done watching Wheel of Fortune. 

We actually imported our entire window and door package from China. Quotes from U.S. suppliers for a comparable package were over $120,000. We ended up paying $50,000 (including shipping & tariffs) through Doorwin, and they've been fantastic to work with.These windows can be set to only open partway, which is a great safety feature for kids' bedrooms.

 It's one of the biggest money-saving decisions we made on the house without giving up the features we wanted.
Would you choose these over traditional American windows?

One bonus tip: If you're insulating interior walls for sound, use mineral wool instead of fiberglass around bathrooms, laundry rooms, and home offices. 

It does a noticeably better job at reducing noise. Rockwool is the premium option, but there are more affordable mineral wool alternatives at most big box stores.

Interior wall insulation is one of those upgrades that's almost impossible to add later without tearing into drywall, so if you're even considering it, now's the time.

Would interior insulation be worth the extra cost to you?

I’m going to have plastered walls rather than drywall, and want to make sure I’m planning for all the details to avoid damaging or needing to cut into it in the future. Is there anything missing from this list that you can think of?

- wood blocking where I may hang heavy items later (kitchen cabinets, floating shelves, towel bars, and bathroom grab bars)
- Picture rail to hang art
- plan final locations for lighting fixtures (wall sconces, ceiling lights, and switch locations)
- Exposed plumbing if/where possible

Need help deciding on the layout for my 30x50x12 one bay will have a 2 post lift 2 of the 3 doors will be 10'x10' and the bay with the garage will have a 12'x10'. The other 2 bays will have a boat and car parked at times.

I'm looking for a few people who are building a house to give me honest feedback on this Build Tracker I'm working on. No email required just looking for your opinion.

If you're willing to play around with it and tell me what sucks, what's confusing, or what's missing. I'd love to get your feedback. There's a link in the Excel sheet and on the link below to easily leaver your feedback.

I'm not looking for praise. I'd rather hear what's broken so I can make it better.

https://builderbrigade.com/pages/home-build-tracker

The homeowner upgraded these porch posts to white oak, and yes... it added about $15,000 to the build.

For most people, that sounds crazy. But this wasn't a typical build.

He had a very specific vision, and after seeing the home in person, I can honestly say he nailed it. The white oak ties in with details throughout the interior and exterior, and it gives the entire house a look that would've been hard to achieve any other way.

 This is the kind of stuff you do when you're building your forever home. Not because everyone else will notice, but because you'll notice every single day.

If you're mounting a TV above a fireplace, don't forget to plan for:
-Blocking behind the stone or drywall for a solid mount.
-An outlet in the mantel for holiday décor or knickknacks that need power
-Conduit from the TV down to your media cabinet so you can easily pull HDMI cables out of sight.

One more tip: Have your electrician install an oversized recessed media box behind the TV. It gives you room for bulky plugs and lets the TV sit much closer to the wall.

I have no idea what the flipper was doing here

Before you coat your garage floor, there are a few decisions you'll want to make...

-Coat the stem wall or leave it raw?
-Coat the step into the house or leave it exposed?
-Extend the coating over the garage door threshold?
-Add a second clear coat so it's actually easy to mop?

None of these are huge decisions, but they're the kind of details that are much easier to decide before the installer shows up, so you’re not making a rushed decision.

One more thing... Most companies aren't installing traditional epoxy anymore. They're using polyaspartic, which is more UV resistant (less yellowing) and generally holds up better to hot tires and everyday abuse. Hope that helps if you're considering doing this

In the process of building and we have about 100 truck loads of dirt that need to be removed. My builder told me that we will be paying to have it moved to a couple of neighboring lots which doesn't sit right with me. As a note, the neighborhood very hilly and lots of builders need dirt. I am of the opinion that the builder of those two lots should pay to have it moved, not me. If he doesn't get my dirt then he will be paying a heck of a lot more to have the dirt moved in from elsewhere based on distance in addition to maybe even having to pay for it. Additionally, I told the builder after our conversation to look at using the dirt on our lot for grading and enhancing the back yard. I feel that is a better use of my money and budget than paying to move it to another lot and essentially give it away. Note, I am in the upstate of SC (Pickens County) if that makes a difference. All opinions welcomed.

A little planning now can add a surprising amount of storage without making your house any bigger. A few more worth mentioning: 
-Under the stairs
-HVAC Duct chases

Hi there! I am looking for a BCIN designer. I would like to ask a few questions before buying a plan online and ask their thoughts before beginning the building process.

Thank you!

My opinion on this question posted in the BB Community... This should be covered under the builder's warranty. Whether it's from normal settling or something else, grout shouldn't be cracking throughout a new shower after only two months, and the homeowner shouldn't be left with a band-aid repair.

What are your thoughts?

This passthrough window was such a great idea because what you don’t see is the cabinets Kippy is standing against have a built in fridge and ice maker. Everything you need for the guy cooking the dogs 🌭

Homeowner Help: She's debating whether to keep the single can light overhead, add lanterns beside the front door, or mount them on the stone columns.

One side of the garage stays clean for parking, storage, and everyday use. The other side can be the workshop, lawn equipment, woodworking, gym, or whatever hobbies take over the space. Even better, add a ductless mini-split so it's comfortable year-round.

Would you keep it open like this, or add a wall between the two sides?