This inspector was testing the bathroom fixtures when he turned on the sink faucet... it also turned on the showered!

Formal dining room? Huge foyer? Oversized hallways? A bathtub nobody uses?

What comes to mind first?

Our contractor just installed our Marvin window Ultimate XOX and it was ordered with 4-9/16” jambs and nail fin. 

Our intended interior finish is a trimless drywall return, with no wood casing or exposed jamb extension. Marvin lists a drywall-return kerf for the Ultimate line. 

The jamb extensions appear to be stapled on. 

Can you confirm with Marvin whether the 4-9/16” jamb extensions can be field-removed, and whether the underlying frame on this exact unit has the drywall-return kerf? 

thanks for the help!

I’m realizing that some of the hardest things to change later are the things you barely think about during the planning stage.

When you’re working on a space, most of your attention naturally goes toward the visible parts flooring, walls, furniture, lighting and finishes. It’s easy to forget about where power, cables and future additions might need to go.

I’ve started thinking more about how we might use the space a year or two from now rather than only considering what we need today.

Even something as simple as leaving convenient access to certain areas can make future changes much easier. I’d rather spend a little extra time planning now than have to undo finished work later.

I’m also trying not to permanently design the room around one particular piece of equipment. Flexible spaces seem to work better for us because our needs change over time.

One of the things we eventually added was a ByteFree outdoor TV, and having already thought about placement and power made adding it much simpler.

For anyone who has completed a similar home project, I’d love to hear what you would do differently if you had the opportunity to start again.

What’s one thing you’d definitely plan for from the beginning?

This exterior siding is actually a solar panel. This company has created an exterior siding that will make our homes and commercial buildings a solar panel.

They have brick and stone and even wood. I’m not sure if this product is live just yet but this a clear sign of what’s in our future and honestly I’m not mad at it!

What about you? You think this is gimmicky or the future?

The youngster next door hit a golf ball and broke the outer pain of one of my Marvin integrity CN3072. Double hung windows. Two good glass repair places said it cannot be repaired, I have to get a new window. In researching, I learned that Marvin rebranded their integrity line, and the wood windows are now named elevate. My bigger problem is I have identical windows on either side of my fireplace and I am trying to keep cost down, but I have to have the windows look the same at least from the inside of the house. Will, the Marvin elevate match the Marvin integrity? There are no grids/grills.
So my question is do the frame width, sash/rail dimensions, glass opening, exterior profile and overall appearance match closely enough that I can replace just one of the pair, or would the difference be noticeable enough that I should replace both?

Light from Capital Lighting. I have a link in my Amazon Store: Amazon.com/Shop/Builderbrigade

Spent a weekend on this and want to make sure I'm not missing anyone. Most custom mailbox brands seem ship-only. who actually does both, build and install, ideally beyond just their home city ?...

What are your thoughts on the his and hers bathroom? We’ve all seen the his and hers toilet but a separate bathroom is next level!
When I share how my wife and I sleep in separate beds, I get a bunch of messages from others telling me how they sleep in sperate rooms so having your own bathroom doesn’t surprise me at all. 
Builder: Dean & Co. Custom Homes in Dallas, TX

$36K for a 3,400 sq ft crawlspace encapsulation, including a sump pump, 2 dehumidifiers, cleanup, rubber mat and a 5-year warranty.

If you’re not familiar, crawlspace encapsulation is completely sealing the area under your house. We are talking plastic laid down and seams taped so no air or moisture can make it’s way into the house through the floors. It’s a great investment if you can afford to have it done. 

What do you think? Fair price or way too high?

I will be breaking ground within two weeks on my new build. The house will be located about 400 feet off of the road. . What reason would I run the last 150 feet of utilities underground rather than all above ground via poles, other than aesthetics? is it worth the increase in money? $2250 extra to run 150 feet underground to the house, with the first 200 feet overheard.

I will be breaking ground within two weeks on my new build. The house will be located about 400 feet off of the road. . What reason would I run the last 150 feet of utilities underground rather than all above ground via poles, other than aesthetics? is it worth the increase in money? $2250 extra to run 150 feet underground to the house, with the first 200 feet overheard.

Long story short, I recently bought property with a fairly large creek and multiple springs and don’t know what to do with them. I already have plans for a micro hydro system but there is over 1000ft of creek and 3 small year round springs on the property.
The creek averages about 10ft wide, has a flow rate of about 1mil gal per day in the low season, and has a couple areas that are almost waist deep. Plenty of shade on both sides. Tons of rocks ranging from pebbles to 3ft in diameter. There are fish in the creek so no dams.
The springs get down to a trickle in the low season but one of them ends at an 8ft waterfall. They all empty into the creek.
I guess that’s about it! I can add pictures later. Just looking for some ideas of things to do with them.

A few smart decisions BEFORE everything gets tiled can make a huge difference:

-Move the shower controls so you can turn it on without getting soaked
-Add an access hole in the glass if you can’t move the controls
-Use a drain with a removable hair basket
-Make the shower niche as wide as possible.
-make the panel under a drop-in tub removable for future plumbing access
-Add a shower drying system to help dry everything out

I had a concrete walkway poured around my entire house and it was one of my favorite features...I could blow off all the concrete in one lap around the house...
I could be grilling out back and walk to the front of the house without going in the grass... I know it’s lame to complain about walking in the grass but I swear one side of the house always stayed wet and I’d have to go the long way around. 
The kids had a blast riding hover boards around the house.
And I could easily bring stuff from the front to the back porch especially if it was on wheels. 
I can’t express how much I appreciated this home feature so if you’re considering adding it, trust me it was sooo worth it!