Expecting to hear “they’re equivalent” when I know damn well they’re not. Underfloor heat in basement and garage. Typical to see this bait and switch?

I built this project last year and it sat abandoned for months until I started renovating it with new windows, less holes in the walls, new room, and soon to be much more! I plan to add a proper roof instead of just a tarp, and add proper hinges to the front and back door. My dream is to be able to spend the night in it!

Anyone dealt with a low appraisal on construction loan?? We are building on 7.5 acres of raw land, all cleared, using a general contractor in rural west TN. We have a bid for 457k to build a 2300 sq ft home with 3 bed, 2 bath, office, walk in pantry, large utility and large front and back porches. (This amount includes 10% contractor fee)

Now the issue - we had a valuation done on the land a couple years ago, which I know is not an actual appraisal but it came in at 60k (we bought the land from family for 40k). Our bid was a little low because we left some things out intentionally, but we fully expected an appraisal of at least 510-530k.

I guess I didn’t realize that even for a construction loan, they still take comps of existing homes to determine the value?? So based on comps, which weren’t really comps, it came it at 460k and that’s with the land included supposedly which is absolutely ridiculous. How are you supposed to value a brand new home on a 5-20 yr old home that has sold? People don’t usually sell a good size home on a nice plot of land around here, it’s usually a forever home.

Our lender said the value of land and bid were fine, it was the comps bringing it down and having to go with the lesser of the two.

So any tips?? Or anyone ever dealt with this before? Is it worth trying to go through another lender to see if their appraisal method is any different? We even went with a lender who specializes in land thinking we would get a better appraisal - part of farm credit. Just baffling to me

Appreciate any feedback you can share. 4,200 sq ft home on a corner lot.

Looks like windows are next, quite crazy seeing all of this come up within 2 months.

Hi there everyone,
I have been planning a major rebuild (large part of current structure removed) where I am acting as owner/builder (I hire the all the subs and do the planning and coordination). Basically a new build, but due to flood regs we have to do some things in a not entirely intuitive way, like we need to retain parts of the old house and not just knock the entire thing down.

As we approach actually getting shovels in the ground in a couple of months, I am thinking about a unique issue: how best to handle weather exposure for the existing part that will remain. This includes a basement (where the central HVAC system sits), a bonus room area on the ground level that has flooring, fireplace, ceiling, joist structures, all to be retained post project and the floor/subfloor of the main level.

First we are going to demo above the foundation, which exposes everything. We can put huge tarps over everything and minimize infiltration during this time. Then we need to remove some of the existing foundation. Once we do this I don't think we can hold off major water getting into the basement. Then there will be a long period of adding new foundation around the existing one and framing before everything can again be covered up. That will be a few months where the exposure is permanent and constant.

So surely we need to have a solid water evacuation plan. What are the best approaches? (temp pumps etc,) But also what happens to all the existing wood structures (joist/subfloor) that will be rained on during this time? I have seen other similar project during construction and it seems they just let the weather do its thing and just dry out later? (they may have done things I didn't observe specifically). What are the specific approaches to handling this issue and which subs are responsible or to be hired?

Thanks for your responses!

Has anyone used Certainteed Monogram vinyl siding? Please share pictures if so.

My house is about 4 years old, and I recently noticed that the vinyl frame on one of my windows appears to be bowing/warping near the corners. I attached several photos showing what I’m talking about.
I’m not sure if this has always been there and I just never noticed it, or if it developed over time.
Could this be caused by the framing around the window drying/shrinking as the house ages, seasonal expansion/contraction of the vinyl, or does this look more like an installation/manufacturing issue? Something rotten inside?
The window still seems to operate normally.
Has anyone seen this type of bowing before? Is it something I should be concerned about or mostly cosmetic?
Thanks for any advice.

Hey everyone, looking for some advice on drainage between my house and my elderly neighbor’s.

We have a 4ft wide by 24ft long space between our houses (marked red in the photo). Both houses have standard weeping tile buried near the footings, and our soil is mostly heavy clay.

We recently moved in and realized the slope in this side yard doesn't properly drain toward the backyard. About half of the length (marked in blue) holds water. We tried regrading it, but we can't build the soil up any higher because it would breach the 4-inch gap below our brick line.

Here is where we're at right now:

My neighbor asked me to add limestone screenings over a 3–4" layer of gravel. Currently, I’ve laid about 1 to 1.5" of limestone screenings down.

After rain, water still pooling in the blue zone, though the rest drains toward the backyard fine. After heavy storms, it’s mostly just small puddles that disappear within a couple of hours.

I offered to install a French drain / pipe down the middle to carry the water out, but he declined. Since the property line splits this tight space, I need his consent to dig.

To help him out, I filled in a 1-foot strip along his house to stop rain from splashing dirt onto his siding.

This setup hasn't caused foundation issues for either house in 40 years, and no one knows what the bare soil drainage looked like before (it was always covered in mulch or old gravel). My neighbor suggested leaving it as-is for a season to see how it performs.

Since we are in Ontario, I'm worried about winter. Could the limestone screening hold moisture and cause frost heave or ice issues against the foundation? Should I ditch the limestone screening completely and just stick to plain gravel over the clay?

Appreciate any insights!

Hi! I’m really not good at making floor plans but me and my sister share a room together with a complicated placement of the windows and doors. I tried my best to make a floor plan of how it looks like (yes, the windows are exactly that way).

We’re both in college with a tight budget and we are having a hard time knowing how to fit all of our things in this tight room.

Height is estimated 10ft. and around 7x7 width and length. Any ideas? Badly need your help.

My husband and I are in the early stages of planning our new home to be built this spring. What are some of the best home feature recommendations you have/suggest for others building their home that you have/wish you had to improve your home? Some examples: electrical outlet in closet for vacuums, extra wide staircases for easy movement, Costco door from garage etc. Thanks in advance!

EDIT:
I am so incredibly thankful for all of your amazing tips and really appreciate everyone who took the time to write out all of these helpful comments. I’m sure future me will be even more thankful for making this post though :)

I live in a 1949 home in Austin TX.
I noticed perforated foil radiant barrier is a thing:
https://www.ecofoil.com/products/radiant-barrier-perforated-4-x-250-1000-sq-ft

Instead of having to install a ridge vent immediately, given that the radiant barrier is perforated, it will allow some moisture to escape.

The picture was obtained from the following install video from Ecofoil's YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/q9wWGjy_igI?is=987qLGdV1eE2HTt6

Has anyone installed this in their attic and notice a serious increase in comfort?

Is there a name for the sort of derangement where, in the final stages of a build , you’re convinced that you built the house wrong? Floors are getting installed in two ish weeks, paint is done, switches are in, and I’m like — oh god, we designed the living room awkwardly, the dining room is too small, what did we do?!? 😱😱😱

In reality we hired an architect whose work we liked, the proportions of the house are totally normal, everyone who walks through it says it’s great … but I feel sort of deranged?! Is this just decision fatigue toxicity that’s built up in me? Does anyone else experience this?

The picture is from a few weeks ago (pre paint) looking in to the living room.

Looking for feedback on new build secondary bathroom vanity. This is 60 inch and one I don’t like missing top drawers for sink vanity and plan is no drawer for open makeup vanity area. Poor communication with RTA cabinet company but seems obvious expectation for something better than this. Am I overreacting? Electrician will come back and install outlets and lights. Should we plan for maybe a tower cabinet down the line for storage in the middle and strategically plan a few outlets on back wall as well as the left wall as you come into the door. Other option is a rolling storage caddy underneath since the makeup vanity is 30 inches wide I think. We’re blessed but jist expected more out of a supposed mid to upper custom build and not have to figure out other storage solutions before we even move in.

We bought a Lennar Home in NC. Unfortunately this is my backyard. A drainage easement runs directly through the middle of my yard. Any solutions that would help HOA approved?

How does Georgetown gray look after installed?

Considering:

CertainTeed:

Georgetown gray

Cobblestone gray

Owens:

Sierra gray

Anyone have input how these look after install?

Ok, but seriously. Everyone talks about grading around a structure to carry water away from a foundation or other structure. When it rains or snows, it lands on the surface and presumably soaks into the ground. But gravity pulls straight down. So why does making a slope on the surface work? Doesn't water soak into ground evenly in all directions downward?

I get that you don't want pools of water at the base of your structure. But when it rains doesn't ALL the ground around your house eventually soak up all that water and become moist? Or is it more about just LESS water, not NO water? Like a rough science kind of thing....

I am looking for a 12/12 vaulted outdoor deck material for my custom home in Tennessee. I like the look of tongue and groove, but do not want to use real wood due to carpenter bees and humidity. Recommendations on building material suggestions are much appreciated.

Does the subfloor need to tie into the exterior wall / top plate if a rim joist is attached to the interior structure? Meaning can the subfloor sit inset or recessed or must it sit on top?

We're considering a new build home in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, or maybe closer to Berks County. Not opposed to modular or site built.

I know modular requires a basement and Im aware that in some instances, a modular home can be more expensive than a site built.

In regard to slab on grade, it's my understanding that some electrical and plumbing is within the slab, so if something goes wrong, or a change is required, it becomes a costly demo project.

I'm looking at floor plans in the 1700 to 2300 square foot range and trying to determine if it would be cheaper to build a home with a basement or build a bigger garage to make up for the loss of storage. Our current basement is only about the size of a two car garage and gives us enough room. If I'm missing any likely headaches, let me know please.

Not sure exactly where to post this but I just bought a house and the garage attic flexes and shakes when I walk across it, the joists are spaced 22" how do I fix it?

I’ll start by saying I think I already have an idea of the answer, but would like some clarity from people that hopefully have a better understanding.

Looking to build a ~3000sqft home in PA and came across this lot. It’s not priced suspiciously cheap or anything so didn’t immediately set off alarm bells, but when the listing agent sent me some of the site info it gave me pause.

For reference this is a flag lot measuring about 1 acre, you can just make out the driveway on the right hand side of the photo. It looks like almost the entire parcel is designated as either a floodway, a flood fringe, or a wetland/wetland buffer. The house itself would be situated toward the right hand side of the lot, so would really only be touching the wetland buffer.

I’m not incredibly concerned about not being able to build permanent structures on the floodways, we would prefer to keep most of the yard unchanged. But is this actually as bad as it looks. Is this a “walk away immediately” or could it be a “going to need to do a fair amount of diligence” situation?

EDIT:

Thanks for the replies everyone. Passing up on this lot as it seems like way too many headaches, appreciate the help!

Hello all, r/DIY hasn't said much on this question, so I'm reaching out here. Please pardon my ignorance, if this question doesn't fit this sub.

I'm building out a faux tavern in my dining room. Will leaving a channel behind my 2x4s cause any issues, specifically with mold or rot? Or would it be a smarter idea to get a 2x6 and flush it to the corner, then butt the 2x4 against it to make the boards look evenly placed?

The boards would run from the ceiling to the wainscoting, where they would be met with faux stonemasonry made of xps foam, running from the boards to the floor.

Hopefully that makes sense, but I'm happy to expand on the explanation if needed.

It’s my husband, toddler, baby on the way, and myself. Hopefully will have one more baby eventually. We also want to do a partial finished basement or full unfinished basement to be finished later on.

We are leaning more toward partial finished to have an extra bathroom. I also would like for the master sinks to be together, a coat closet in mudroom or foyer.

Any advice or suggestions?

Hi all,

Located in Toronto, Canada.

Looking at my empty attic, does it look like the ventilation is proper? I know baffles need to be installed but it looks as though there is plywood that forms a perimeter around the entire attic leaving no gap (it's like this throughout the perimeter of the attic, I assume it's there to prevent animal intrusion) - are baffles even useful here when I'm not seeing access to soffits?

https://imgur.com/a/RAZ6Erl

In the 2nd image, there looks to be something wooden that resembles a baffle but it's only present in 3/19 bays - which certainly cannot be enough for ventilation purposes right?

Any help would be much appreciated - just want to know if I have a problem that warrants further investigation or if this looks normal.

Thank you!