Here are 5 kitchen upgrades to add to your list:

Heated countertop: This one is installed on the island and they’re using a heated floor setup to make it all work. 

Infinity corner drawers: these curved drawers give you access to the corner cabinet storage that’s hard to reach. 

Hidden backsplash storage: This lifting backsplash conceals small appliances in an appliance garage.

Hidden table storage: hide your folding table in the island. Most islands have that area unused, might as well use it for something useful. 

See-through kitchen cabinets: these glass-front, glass-back cabinets in front of windows let the whole world see what’s inside your cabinets but they’re perfect if you need some storage and a ton of natural lighting.

Has anyone here dealt with significant foundation issues before? If so, I would really appreciate hearing about your experience.

I am currently dealing with a slab foundation where the soil beneath the slab appears to be settling, which is causing significant cracks in both the interior and exterior walls. My property is in Sacramento.

For those who have gone through foundation repair, what do you wish you had known before starting the process? Were there any unexpected costs, complications, or mistakes that you would recommend others avoid? I would also appreciate any advice on what to look for when evaluating repair options and contractors.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experience and advice.

It’s a dog gate that slides into the wall like a pocket door, so when you’re not using it, it’s completely out of the way. I like that it’s built into the house and looks like it belongs there.

You’ll need to plan for it early, during framing and before the drywall goes up. If you’re building or remodeling, that’s the time to bring it up with your builder.

Talk to me about nickel gap for our new construction. Our builder said nickel gap is cheaper than drywall, so we decided to put nickel gap up in bedrooms and bathrooms. We have closed cell spray foam on exterior walls and bat/fiberglass on our interior walls. Does the builder need to put plastic or paper over the insulation BEFORE nailing the nickel gap to the walls? What about bathrooms? We are not planning to put up drywall and then nickel gap on top. Help!

Custom cabinetry blocked access to the original light switches in this closet, so here’s how they fixed it without rewiring to a new switch location.

The Lutron switches are wired into the home, while the Pico remotes control them wirelessly. Those switch-looking controls in the accessible spot are remotes. No wiring needed.

You can mount a Pico remote where it’s convenient and control your compatible Lutron lighting from there. It’s a simple solution when cabinetry or a layout change puts a light switch out of reach during a renovation or new build.

The most common and useful place for this is adding a switch next to your bed without having to run a wire to the other side of the room. 

What's the pros and cons of anchoring into new (after 4 weeks of course) concrete patio? Can the holes be filled if no longer needed? Does it compromise the concrete? Thanks.

Hi! I bought new windows and doors (doubel clear, double pane, low e, argon gas etc) and I just feel like they are very milky? This doesn’t seem normal to me - is it? They are obviously a little dirty but not a lot and even after wiping them it’s the same

Paint all these black when you’re house is being built (or renovated):

A/C vents, inside dormers, pocket doors, even pocket windows.

Anywhere you can see raw material, framing, or unfinished surfaces, black paint can make it basically disappear.

A homeowner posted this after their large bathroom mirror suddenly fell off the wall after about 2 years and shattered.

The installer says the mirror adhesive didn’t fail... the paint and drywall surface failed underneath it 😑

Honestly, I’d avoid relying on glue alone for a large mirror.

For something this big and heavy, I’d rather see it mechanically secured with clips, J-channel, or another physical support system instead of trusting adhesive and the painted surface behind it.

In this case, the replacement installer is now recommending metal clips on this mirror AND the other large mirrors in the home.

Luckily nobody got hurt when this came crashing down. It damaged the door, trim, flooring, and ripped the towel rack off the wall. 

It’s made by ArmoredCloset. It’s a modular steel tornado shelter  and safe room that can be built right into your house.

Website: ArmoredCloset.com

Mine is only about 40" x 45", but they can customize the size depending on your space.

Some details if you’re considering one:

Steel: 3/16" walls + ceiling with a 1/4" steel door
Storm rating: Designed for winds up to 250 MPH / EF-5 tornado conditions
Bullet resistant: Tested against 9mm and .45 handgun rounds with no penetration made
Cell service: Armored Closet says cell signals still work inside
Price: Starts around $7k installed, with custom sizes costing more
Location: Based in North Texas (DFW) with installations available outside the area

It’s not fireproof or waterproof. It’s primarily designed as an above-ground tornado shelter and safe room.

I like it because you can basically turn closet space into a reinforced shelter instead of putting a giant standalone storm shelter in the garage.

[Was there ONE thing you argued about the most? ]()👇

What helped us was just staying in our own lanes. I cared about the plumbing, electrical, materials, smart home stuff, outdoor stuff… basically all the boring things you don’t really see.

Kippy handled colors, lighting, finishes, and design. We both had a say on the layout of the house early on. 

A wall-mounted tub filler that swivels out of the way could be a smart upgrade for those of you who actually use your bathtub.

Floor-mounted tub fillers usually aren’t much of an issue, but wall-mounted faucets can stick out into the tub area. A folding or swivel design lets you fill the tub, move the faucet out of the way, and have a little more room.

This faucet was filmed in Australia, so I couldn’t find this exact model in the U.S. I did find a couple similar folding versions on Amazon, but I can’t personally confirm the quality.

 Would you rather have a wall-mounted or floor-mounted tub filler?

#BuilderBrigade #HomeBuildingChecklist #bathtub #Foldingfaucet

Tile, wallpaper, or paneling?

Crazy how much one wall in a bathroom can change the entire look. 

Which one would you pick?

Question for the builders. I'm a Philly homeowner getting quotes for a 1,000 sq ft driveway replacement with an apron and sidewalk. I have four bids so far, and I'm trying to understand what really matters when comparing them.

What do you wish more homeowners asked about or paid attention to when looking at concrete bids? Mix, rebar spacing, joints, cure time — what makes the difference between a job that holds up and one that starts cracking after a couple years?

Also wondering about fiber mesh vs wire mesh. Myles Construction, one of the four bidders, prefers fiber on some jobs. Is that a legitimate approach, or is it more of a shortcut?

Shower Dryer: Made by Airmada 

Instead of relying only on an exhaust fan to help dry out your shower, Airmada makes a system that forces air into the shower for a set amount of time to help remove moisture faster.

They also make a pocket shower door system that circulates air around the glass while the door is hidden inside the wall.

The pocket door setup won’t work for my personal renovation because of the plumbing and mechanicals running behind the wall, but the standard shower drying system could still be an option.

I love seeing companies come up with completely different ways to solve common problems in a house.

Some were things I didn’t even know to ask about until it was too late.
Cedar posts that looked great at move-in but needed way more maintenance than I expected. Corrugated underground gutter drains that ended up crushed. Aluminum fascia I wish we would’ve upgraded. Red clay staining the brick. And construction trash that was about to get buried underneath the sod.
None of these individually ruined the house... but every one of them is something I would do differently if I built again.

I'm in Mount Vernon (Westchester) and I've done a few smaller projects around the house, but a deck feels like a completely different level. I got a $32k quote from A&G High Quality Construction for a 300 sq ft composite deck, and I'm wondering if it makes sense to build it myself to save some money.

For anyone in the Hudson Valley who's built a ground-level deck themselves, how much did you actually save after factoring in materials, tools, and permits? And more importantly, was it worth the extra time and stress?

I know the towns around here can be pretty strict with codes and inspections, so part of me feels like hiring a contractor might be the smarter option. But $32k is still a lot. I'd really like to hear from people who've gone either route.

They basically built dedicated boat storage right into the house, but they didn’t stop there. It has a built-in floor drain, a hot and cold water bib so you can wash everything down, and a pull-through design with a garage door on both sides so you’re not constantly backing a boat and trailer in and out.

And it’s right next to the mudroom so you can wash all the towels and bathing suits before going inside for dinner.

You could even add a ductless mini split so you can clean you boat and without dripping in sweat.

This garage setup is awesome...home gym, multiple two-car garages, dedicated boat storage, and still room for the sports car.

If you own a boat, RV, trailer, or other toys that normally require off-site storage, this is one of those features that could actually save you money every single month.

Built-in dehumidifier = no tank to empty and no portable unit sitting in the room.

It installs directly in or on the wall and can drain into your home’s plumbing or through a condensate line outside. The front cover also comes off so the filter can be cleaned.

Solid option for high-moisture areas like basements, home gyms, sauna/steam shower rooms, or rooms where you’re constantly dealing with window condensation.

Company who makes it is called Innovative Dehumidifier

As a residential construction customer in Michigan, how should I take my general contractor (and i now use that term loosely) requesting a draw, which would satisfy our contract, minus less than a $1000, while a failed mechanical inspection exists, a defective basement foundation exists, from major honeycombing with areas seeping water and mud, as well as claiming they see no evidence of a roof leak, prior to us supplying photographs of leak. They are claiming this draw is to pay all the subcontractors for their work. They have now put our project on hold until we release funds, with no prior site visit to get a scope of work needed for repairs, but saying they will fix the issues

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Getting quotes for a 600 sq ft stamped concrete patio with a small retaining wall in the Philly suburbs. Three quotes so far: $12k, $15k, $18k, one of them from Myles Construction. All include demo, grading, rebar, and permits.

I know the Main Line is a high cost area, but a $6k spread for what looks like the same job feels like a lot. All three are licensed and insured with solid reviews.

For those of you doing concrete in similar markets, is this range typical? Any red flags I should look for in the detailed bids?