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  1. #1126
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    Mar 2012
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    Losing the battle of patch and pray with our 20 year old roof. Every time I find one and reglue the shingles where water was seeping in at the nails under them another one pops up. Two right at the edge of the gutters on opposite sides of the house had water dribbling down the walls yesterday. Time to throw in the towel and just replace the entire roof. Getting estimates for strip and shingle versus metal. The wood around the edges under the trim will also need replacing so probably new gutters too.
    Go that way really REALLY fast. If something gets in your way, TURN!

  2. #1127
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    Oct 2003
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    711

    Recessed Lighting/LED Retrofits

    I need some recessed (can) lights. While the options are broad, I can't find much in the way of actual advice or reviews of different models/manufacturers. If we were just planning on incandescent bulbs I would just get the cheapest IC rated housing and call it a day - but options for LED lights outweigh the incandescents now. I know that LED light quality/dimmability can be a crap shoot, so I turn to you all...

    Any good experiences with particular LED retrofits that dim close to 0%, and don't flicker/look like crap?
    Dude chill its the padded room. -AKPM

  3. #1128
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    May 2014
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    VT
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    224
    I use a fair amount from Nora, typically 4”. But there are a bunch of diameter and lumen output options. All manufacturers typically list dimmer model #’s that are compatible. Best pricing on last batch I bought was here: https://www.cansandfans.com

  4. #1129
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    May 2009
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    inpdx
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    Quote Originally Posted by house View Post
    I need some recessed (can) lights. While the options are broad, I can't find much in the way of actual advice or reviews of different models/manufacturers. If we were just planning on incandescent bulbs I would just get the cheapest IC rated housing and call it a day - but options for LED lights outweigh the incandescents now. I know that LED light quality/dimmability can be a crap shoot, so I turn to you all...

    Any good experiences with particular LED retrofits that dim close to 0%, and don't flicker/look like crap?
    I like Juno 4", but there are many out there. The worst are the ones at big box stores in the <$75 range. Not saying they won't work; some work fine, but they aren't made for durability or color rendition or consistency. [I've got $30 fixtures in my basement from big box, but they aren't going to go in my living room or kitchen]

    Be aware that existing wiring may have hidden conditions that obviate good performance by LED fixtures since they are sensitive to power levels, even the best fixtures.

    Also, pay attention to mfr's recommendations for compatible dimmers


    I will also say that a lot of people say they want cans, but often they are not the right kind of light. There seems to be some popular opinion that they are desirable because they are recessed.
    Lighting efficacy is all about what surfaces are lit up. Cans light the floor & sometimes walls when directed. If you are looking for room brightness (all six surfaces lit up: floor, clg & 4 walls), consider surface mounted fixtures or pendants.

  5. #1130
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    Oct 2003
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    slc
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    17,891

  6. #1131
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    Apr 2005
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    The land of Genesee Cream Ale and homemade pierogies!
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    2,107
    Good resources and reading here, great idea book pictures: https://www.lightology.com/index.php...cat&cat_id=472, look for Lighting > Ceiling > Recessed
    “The best argument in favour of a 90% tax rate on the rich is a five-minute chat with the average rich person.”

    - Winston Churchill, paraphrased.

  7. #1132
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    May 2007
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    Sandy, Utah
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    14,410
    Just put in 24 Halo brand (Lowe's but I think hd too) airtight 4". $300 for 12. Fucking trim pieces are $13 each. Look great.

    Sent from my Pixel 2 using TGR Forums mobile app

  8. #1133
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    Apr 2005
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    The land of Genesee Cream Ale and homemade pierogies!
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    One more point I recall, when you put recessed lighting in a ceiling below a roof crawl space, such as third floor ceiling below an angled roof, the openings you cut in the roof and the recessed fixtures make a less than airtight gap.

    Not sure where you live, in the northeast and NE for tightly insulated homes it's common to address this, they make these flower pot looking things that sit above the recessed fixture to make an airtight seal. At the moment I forget the actual name of them, some contractors build them up in house and put them in.

    All this applies to crawl space only, where conditioned air is below and unconditioned air is above.
    “The best argument in favour of a 90% tax rate on the rich is a five-minute chat with the average rich person.”

    - Winston Churchill, paraphrased.

  9. #1134
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    Dec 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nobody Famous View Post
    One more point I recall, when you put recessed lighting in a ceiling below a roof crawl space, such as third floor ceiling below an angled roof, the openings you cut in the roof and the recessed fixtures make a less than airtight gap.

    Not sure where you live, in the northeast and NE for tightly insulated homes it's common to address this, they make these flower pot looking things that sit above the recessed fixture to make an airtight seal. At the moment I forget the actual name of them, some contractors build them up in house and put them in.

    All this applies to crawl space only, where conditioned air is below and unconditioned air is above.
    There are insulation contact air tight recessed fixtures available for this situation.

    Like this https://www.build.com

    Where you don't need a can.
    www.apriliaforum.com

    "If the road You followed brought you to this,of what use was the road"?

    "I have no idea what I am talking about but would be happy to share my biased opinions as fact on the matter. "
    Ottime

  10. #1135
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    Apr 2005
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    The land of Genesee Cream Ale and homemade pierogies!
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    Motorized Blinds?

    Dos, Don't and advice needed on motorized blinds!

    The well mannered ladies ("window treatment consultants") who come to your house or talk to you in the shops are all into this, but I'm at the point of being very confused.

    These things go by the terms shades, blinds, shutters or drapery (old school term). There's also shears, roman shades, roman shutters, roller shades, vertical blinds, cellular shades and privacy shears.

    Window treatments is the overall term, as in 'what kind of window treatments can I help you with today?"

    I'm looking at some type of motorized "treatment" for for two sets of windows, one is a 96 in. wide sliding glass door opening to a patio, and second is for a set of wood framed windows on the upper level of an 18.5 ft tall wall (window frame is not floor to ceiling, frame height is 63 in.). The sliding glass doors open to the outside, the wood framed windows do not.

    The windows on the 18.5 ft tall wall will be battery powered (cannot run power) or will use a solar 'adapter.' With wireless remote control.

    I'm hung up on the differences and trade-offs between light filtering, light blocking, sheer vs. privacy. Have talked to Graber via Costco, Hunter Douglas, and even an architectural supplier who supplies custom designs and sizes for office/commercial buildings.

    Any insights appreciated.
    “The best argument in favour of a 90% tax rate on the rich is a five-minute chat with the average rich person.”

    - Winston Churchill, paraphrased.

  11. #1136
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    May 2009
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    what do you hope the shades will do?
    - keep neighbor views out?
    - keep sun from blasting space?
    - provide obscured views?
    - provide total blackout?
    - provide shear decorative layer?
    - privacy at night vs day?

    Quote Originally Posted by Nobody Famous View Post
    I'm hung up on the differences and trade-offs between light filtering, light blocking, sheer vs. privacy.
    re: color: most people choose shade color to match interior wall/room color- this is what you should do if you are getting the simplest type of shade & only one material.

    solar shade style fabric comes in 1%, 3%, 5%, 7% (or others per mfr). You can still see thru these, but they do offer some privacy. Clarity of image seen thru depends on contrast of lighting & proximity to shade. At night with lights on, you can be seen inside (again depending on % of transparency). Commercial use is most prevalent, but more & more I see it in residential settings. I have 3% in my office. I couldn't convince the family to put them in the house (too modern/severe)

    blackout means just that: no light coming in - sometimes people do two rolls: one blackout & one filtered (for motorized that will get spendy). The material doesn't have to be black; it just doesn't transmit light.

    you can also get two sided material so that view from outside isn't too contrasty to the exterior building materials. Expect these to cost more.

    there are also filtered shades that align cutouts in the fabric that create a kind of semi transparency between a front & rear layer

    exterior shades are actually the most effective for both heat & light (but they are a specialty use and are very expensive compared to interior, esp if they are motorized)



    Quote Originally Posted by Nobody Famous View Post
    The sliding glass doors open to the outside
    whaa? ..."sliding" vs swinging out
    or meaning it is an exterior sliding door?

    maybe consider vertical blinds for a door situation? keeps ability to screen everything but the operable panel



    battery for the upper sounds tedious insofar as you have to climb up there periodically to deal with it (if it's hidden & part of the assembly)
    (I wasn't aware battery was even an option for big operables...seems like it might be sizeable?)

  12. #1137
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    Mar 2006
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    Beaverton, OR
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    Basic GC question....do I get a better deal getting quotes from a GC company that has in-house crews vs one that subs everything out and charges me and then adds his 25% fee on the total bill for himself? Or is it a wash?

  13. #1138
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    Sep 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by sirbumpsalot View Post
    Basic GC question....do I get a better deal getting quotes from a GC company that has in-house crews vs one that subs everything out and charges me and then adds his 25% fee on the total bill for himself? Or is it a wash?
    Depends on the GC. But with third party subcontractors you usually can ask for several bids - 3 plumbers to compete against each other, for example. But with in-house trades, the plumbing price is the price. No way to tell if you are a getting a good deal.

    There is zero reason for a contractor to do a trade in-house unless they are making money on it. If they are making a fair amount, then you get a single point of responsibility and perhaps a better, more supervised sub. If they are less scrupulous, you can get overcharged pretty badly.

    But again, it depends on the contractor. Some are awesome, stand up dudes. Some less so.

    Personally, I'd go third party and negotiate that 25%. Does that percentage include supervision also, or just overhead and profit? How big is the job?

  14. #1139
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    Jan 2010
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    Quote Originally Posted by sirbumpsalot View Post
    Basic GC question....do I get a better deal getting quotes from a GC company that has in-house crews vs one that subs everything out and charges me and then adds his 25% fee on the total bill for himself? Or is it a wash?
    there are cheap contractors with cheap subs

    then there are expensive contractors

    I charge the highest prices per sq ft and labor, standard mark up is 20% but since insurance costs are skyrocketing my prices have gone up too
    I got employees and use subs costs me $9.00 per hr overhead per employee payroll is at least 5k a week I have more control over things with employees and have high expectations for both subs and employees, my guys are never forced to rush or work ot unless they want
    when dick face drywaller falls on his face and hurts himself cause he's in a hurry getting 1.00 sq ft to hang and he ain't covered by wc guess who picks up that tab? the homeowner will be pulled into that mess

  15. #1140
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    Dec 2009
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    in a box on the porch
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    My new goal is to bid higher than Fred and get higher than Fred.
    Breckenridge right?
    And a hotter sugar baby, also.

  16. #1141
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    Apr 2005
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    The land of Genesee Cream Ale and homemade pierogies!
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    Quote Originally Posted by acinpdx View Post
    what do you hope the shades will do?
    - keep neighbor views out?
    - keep sun from blasting space?
    - provide obscured views?
    - provide total blackout?
    - provide shear decorative layer?
    - privacy at night vs day?
    .
    .
    .
    Thanks, good info. It's forcing a thought process.

    For the sliding glass door I want privacy at night, keep neighbor eyes out, and light during the day with option to be both filtered and be wide open (shades pulled up). No blasting sun concerns, and no total blackout needed. Interior structure is all white, and what I've seen is any white colored textile passes too much light and outsiders can see in through the textile/fabric at night. Cellular in white is the exception to this, white cells are totally and completely private because of the thickness/depth of the cells.

    I presume obscured views mean people from outside can make out human figures, movement, furniture, tv screens, etc. I want the level of privacy to be more than obscured, obscured could a setting or level (with the vanes open) but there needs to be a higher level/setting to have more privacy than obscured.

    For the windows on the 18.5 ft wall, privacy at night, light during the day is the goal.

    The sliding glass door is sometimes called a Sliding Patio Door.
    “The best argument in favour of a 90% tax rate on the rich is a five-minute chat with the average rich person.”

    - Winston Churchill, paraphrased.

  17. #1142
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    Dec 2008
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    Summit County
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    332
    Quote Originally Posted by SumJongGuy View Post
    Losing the battle of patch and pray with our 20 year old roof. Every time I find one and reglue the shingles where water was seeping in at the nails under them another one pops up. Two right at the edge of the gutters on opposite sides of the house had water dribbling down the walls yesterday. Time to throw in the towel and just replace the entire roof. Getting estimates for strip and shingle versus metal. The wood around the edges under the trim will also need replacing so probably new gutters too.
    Just got a quote from local roofer. Metal standing seam was much cheaper that i thought it would be including hi temp membrane. sheffielfd metal with any color. suspect partly cheaper bc they fab on prem.

    not sure what the gotchas are...

    probably 3/4 of roof has shingles needing replacement [so probably 1800sqft) and even in breck it was only 15k including tear out and haul 2 layers of shingle, adding extended drip edge etc...

  18. #1143
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    May 2009
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    inpdx
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    Home Remodel: Do, Don'ts, Advice

    Quote Originally Posted by Nobody Famous View Post
    Interior structure is all white, and what I've seen is any white colored textile passes too much light and outsiders can see in through the textile/fabric at night.
    Point of order here: it doesn’t just have to be cellular (tho that double layer can do what you say)
    There are white blackout materials available.
    There are white fully sheer materials
    There are white materials to fit the whole range of in-between filtering

    Just have to give your shade rep the criteria and look at samples to figure what % is right for your comfort level

  19. #1144
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    Apr 2005
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    The land of Genesee Cream Ale and homemade pierogies!
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    Thanks good info.

    I'm also trying to decide on the merits of using a solar power strip in place of batteries for the windows on the 18'5 ft wall. Not feasible whatsoever to run 110v power, so battery power is the next option.

    The name brands say for hard to reach places use battery power, which they offer as a common option.

    I'm not so sure about a solar pack in place of the batteries. It's a straightforward option, Costco solidly backs up a Graber warranty so I may go for it.
    “The best argument in favour of a 90% tax rate on the rich is a five-minute chat with the average rich person.”

    - Winston Churchill, paraphrased.

  20. #1145
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    Mar 2006
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    Beaverton, OR
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    Quote Originally Posted by beece View Post
    Depends on the GC. But with third party subcontractors you usually can ask for several bids - 3 plumbers to compete against each other, for example. But with in-house trades, the plumbing price is the price. No way to tell if you are a getting a good deal.

    There is zero reason for a contractor to do a trade in-house unless they are making money on it. If they are making a fair amount, then you get a single point of responsibility and perhaps a better, more supervised sub. If they are less scrupulous, you can get overcharged pretty badly.

    But again, it depends on the contractor. Some are awesome, stand up dudes. Some less so.

    Personally, I'd go third party and negotiate that 25%. Does that percentage include supervision also, or just overhead and profit? How big is the job?
    Thanks, I have a couple quotes from standard GCs that swing a hammer but contract plumbing, flooring, electrical, windows and cabinets out. Both quotes about the same. A friend had suggested he used a larger company that had crews in house like he did - he said for him it was cheaper....however like you say I can't imagine keeping all those guys under your roof except a carpenter and maybe electrical. The 25% includes the supervision, they already have the subs they go to submit their quotes separately and their labor and then toss 25% over the whole thing and then add materials + 10-15% on that. I haven't ID'd a company with in house yet.

  21. #1146
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    Apr 2016
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    1,064
    One of my buddies has the battery-powered electric shades and he said he only needs to recharge the packs once a year. Seems like a pretty easy way to go about things.

  22. #1147
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    Sep 2018
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    Quote Originally Posted by sirbumpsalot View Post
    Thanks, I have a couple quotes from standard GCs that swing a hammer but contract plumbing, flooring, electrical, windows and cabinets out. Both quotes about the same. A friend had suggested he used a larger company that had crews in house like he did - he said for him it was cheaper....however like you say I can't imagine keeping all those guys under your roof except a carpenter and maybe electrical. The 25% includes the supervision, they already have the subs they go to submit their quotes separately and their labor and then toss 25% over the whole thing and then add materials + 10-15% on that. I haven't ID'd a company with in house yet.
    Hard to tell without knowing the size of the job, area of the country, etc, but from what you are telling us I'd say that it sounds like you are looking at a reasonable deal - based on what I've seen lately. Especially if it's not a huge job.

  23. #1148
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    Oct 2017
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    181
    Quote Originally Posted by sirbumpsalot View Post
    Thanks, I have a couple quotes from standard GCs that swing a hammer but contract plumbing, flooring, electrical, windows and cabinets out. Both quotes about the same. A friend had suggested he used a larger company that had crews in house like he did - he said for him it was cheaper....however like you say I can't imagine keeping all those guys under your roof except a carpenter and maybe electrical. The 25% includes the supervision, they already have the subs they go to submit their quotes separately and their labor and then toss 25% over the whole thing and then add materials + 10-15% on that. I haven't ID'd a company with in house yet.
    In the last 40 years, I’ve worked for generals as well everything from a laborer to superintendent. And from guys that built a house a year to GC’s that did $100 million gross.

    I’ve never seen a GC that self performed even close to all work. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical all take special licenses and a cabinet shop has a lot of machine tools that need to be busy making cabinets.

    I have an idea that your friend was sold a bill of goods.

  24. #1149
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    Mar 2006
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rock Knocker View Post
    In the last 40 years, I’ve worked for generals as well everything from a laborer to superintendent. And from guys that built a house a year to GC’s that did $100 million gross.

    I’ve never seen a GC that self performed even close to all work. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical all take special licenses and a cabinet shop has a lot of machine tools that need to be busy making cabinets.

    I have an idea that your friend was sold a bill of goods.
    Job is in PNW, is basically a family room remodel, Kitchen partial, new floors in 3 rooms and resurface /stain entire first floor floors, paint 1/2 of first floor, refinish stairs, etc. ~$72,000 quoted + $18,000 O&P (25%)

    Friend's contractor was in SoCal and 3x the size of mine. His was lowest bid, but said the other two seemed to small and not experienced enough to handle job.

    I am just wondering about difference between an independent guy or couple of couple of guys sub-ing work out vs a big company that carries multiple crews on payroll ready to go on full jobs....is there any savings to one or the other or they end up the same cost in comparison.

  25. #1150
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    Quote Originally Posted by sirbumpsalot View Post
    Job is in PNW, is basically a family room remodel, Kitchen partial, new floors in 3 rooms and resurface /stain entire first floor floors, paint 1/2 of first floor, refinish stairs, etc. ~$72,000 quoted + $18,000 O&P (25%)

    Friend's contractor was in SoCal and 3x the size of mine. His was lowest bid, but said the other two seemed to small and not experienced enough to handle job.

    I am just wondering about difference between an independent guy or couple of couple of guys sub-ing work out vs a big company that carries multiple crews on payroll ready to go on full jobs....is there any savings to one or the other or they end up the same cost in comparison.
    there is no right or wrong answer to your question
    I've had this discussion many times over many years
    it blows donkey balls to be a customer because life's like a box of choclates and you never know what your gonna get
    trying to ask the right questions getting referals and all that shit is what will help the customer find the right contractor
    a contractor homeowner relationship is like an affair you want to make sure the is an attraction good sex and mutal combaitbility for the brief fling you have or else it's not going to work
    the internet is desperate to normalize and institutionalize contracting right down to a robotic assembly line with a fixed price they want to hook homeowners and contractors up like its an easy thing
    referals referal refearls
    it will never never work or happen

    here is some examples:
    big company nice office showroom lots of pizzaz high price they deliver a top notch product on time on budget, but wait they only have 8 workers when they need 12, they over booked and you get shafted

    chuck in a truck blowing bowls and smoke up your ass shows up one day and not the next underinsured and not really sure what he's doing becase he was a checker at walmart a week ago, then again chuck and his beater truck is there every day paying close attention to details he's a highly skilled guy that cares alot about your home and your project he only does one or two jobs at a time and is passionate about everything and reasonably priced because he has little overhead

    there is no answer

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