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mountaineer61
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RE: What if your city paid you to use less water?
WHAT IF YOUR CITY PAID YOU TO USE LESS WATER? I’ve run into this exact issue on a couple of remodels. One project was a 1920s bungalow where the city’s “approved” low-flow fixtures just looked completely out of place - ...
RE: Nailing the first property check: finally got the green light
When I moved into my 1930s terrace, I was convinced I needed to splash out on secondary glazing straight away. Ended up just using thick curtains and some of those foam strips around the windows for the first winter. Hon...
RE: Digging into property easements - anyone else find online tools confusing?
Honestly, I’ve had mixed luck with those GIS maps. Once, I thought I’d found the perfect spot for a rain garden, but the online map missed an old utility easement - had to scrap the whole plan after talking to the city. ...
RE: KEEPING THE COLD OUT: MY STEP-BY-STEP FOR DRAFT-PROOFING DOORS
KEEPING THE COLD OUT: MY STEP-BY-STEP FOR DRAFT-PROOFING DOORS Totally get what you’re saying about the “permanent” solutions not always being worth the hassle. I once spent a weekend fussing with fancy weatherstripping...
RE: Choosing the Right Grips for Your Doors
Totally get this. I tried mixing reclaimed wood knobs with some new brushed nickel ones in my last reno, thinking it’d look “eclectic.” Instead, it just looked like I ran out of matching hardware halfway through. Ended u...
RE: Switching to energy-saving bulbs: how many of your lights are actually LEDs?
Totally get where you’re coming from on the bargain LEDs - been there, done that, ended up with a pile of dead bulbs in a drawer. The dimmer thing is such a pain too. I swapped out my old switches last year and it made a...
RE: Weighing the pros and cons of switching to a 15-year mortgage
WEIGHING THE PROS AND CONS OF SWITCHING TO A 15-YEAR MORTGAGE I totally hear you on the curveballs - life’s always got a few tucked away. But I keep circling back to the flip side, especially after what happened with ...
RE: What if your city paid you to use less water?
Funny you mention that. When my building started tracking water use by floor, suddenly everyone was talking about it in the elevator. People got weirdly competitive - one guy even bragged about his “record low” shower ti...
RE: When the night sky turns to day: what if your neighborhood was lit up 24/7?
It’s wild how often people just assume more lights = more safety. I’ve seen neighborhoods go all-in on super-bright LEDs, only to have folks complaining about not being able to sleep or feeling like they’re living in a p...
RE: Lighting tweaks made my workspace way better
Lighting Tweaks Made My Workspace Way Better Funny you mention the blue tint - I've had that same “hospital room” vibe from cheap LEDs before. It’s wild how much the quality of light changes how a space feels. I tried s...
RE: Struggling with ventilation inspection requirements lately
I get where you’re coming from, but I’m not totally convinced it’s all down to personalities. I’ve had a few inspections where I thought the inspector was being picky, but later realized they were just really passionate ...
RE: Building green? Watch out for those sneaky VOCs
Funny you mention the “chemical tang” - I once painted a bedroom with a supposedly “eco” brand and it still smelled like a nail salon for a week. I’ve started doing a sniff test in-store, even if I get weird looks. Somet...
RE: Building base structures - what if you had to start over?
Title: Building Base Structures - What If You Had To Start Over? Capillary break membranes are one of those things that sound great in theory, but I’m not convinced they’re a magic bullet. We put one under our slab in a...
RE: Builder Insurance - Ever Wondered Who Covers the Mishaps?
Couldn’t agree more. I once thought “builder’s risk” covered everything, but turns out, water damage from a freak storm wasn’t included. Learned the hard way that green building materials aren’t always standard in polici...
RE: Trimming down expenses on project supplies
TRIMMING DOWN EXPENSES ON PROJECT SUPPLIES That line hits home. I’ve definitely had my share of “what was I thinking?” moments after trying to save a few bucks on materials. One winter, I used some off-brand MDF for w...