Author Topic: handyman-ness  (Read 135636 times)

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The Big Train

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #600 on: February 12, 2015, 08:25:44 PM »
On a handyman-ness scale of 1 - KCFDcat, how hard is it to put in new countertops?

Depends on if you have access to buy countertops at contractor price or not.

Typically, the countertop folks come out and take all sorts of measurements with a fancy machine then go back and actually manufacturer the countertop at their shop to exactly fit your space. When I replaced mine, I had about 1/4" change in elevation over the 16' length, so the countertop (quartz in my case) was machined to be slightly thicker on one end so it sat level on the top of the cabinets. From the front and top, you can't tell at all, but behind the bullnose, there is some change in depth so it fits perfectly.

To make a long story short, order countertops directly through the manufacturer (I always use Top Master, Inc out of KC) and not Lowes, Home Depot, etc. You'll get a much better price and service.

we got quartz for this project and the cheapest we found was through Nebraska Furniture Mart. about 10% cheaper than top master. Even though top master installs for them, NFM must get some huge discount.

Really? What brand of quartz did they install? Were you getting contractor pricing through Top Master or retail pricing?
Hanstone is the brand I think...

It was contractor pricing from top master, if I remember right Nfm was having a deal on that brand of quartz. It was installed back in June so the details are fuzzy.

if you got a better deal than shellshock for the exact same thing he is gonna be super pissed  :lol:

Offline Tobias

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #601 on: February 12, 2015, 08:29:20 PM »
did your quartz come with whitlock dna?

Offline ShellShock

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #602 on: February 13, 2015, 08:47:30 AM »
On a handyman-ness scale of 1 - KCFDcat, how hard is it to put in new countertops?

Depends on if you have access to buy countertops at contractor price or not.

Typically, the countertop folks come out and take all sorts of measurements with a fancy machine then go back and actually manufacturer the countertop at their shop to exactly fit your space. When I replaced mine, I had about 1/4" change in elevation over the 16' length, so the countertop (quartz in my case) was machined to be slightly thicker on one end so it sat level on the top of the cabinets. From the front and top, you can't tell at all, but behind the bullnose, there is some change in depth so it fits perfectly.

To make a long story short, order countertops directly through the manufacturer (I always use Top Master, Inc out of KC) and not Lowes, Home Depot, etc. You'll get a much better price and service.

we got quartz for this project and the cheapest we found was through Nebraska Furniture Mart. about 10% cheaper than top master. Even though top master installs for them, NFM must get some huge discount.

Really? What brand of quartz did they install? Were you getting contractor pricing through Top Master or retail pricing?
Hanstone is the brand I think...

It was contractor pricing from top master, if I remember right Nfm was having a deal on that brand of quartz. It was installed back in June so the details are fuzzy.

if you got a better deal than shellshock for the exact same thing he is gonna be super pissed  :lol:

We got great pricing through Top Master on some Grey Caesarstone. I'm definitely going to check out NFM when we get to remodeling the kitchen to make sure that i'm getting the best pricing possible.

Offline ShellShock

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #603 on: February 13, 2015, 08:48:04 AM »
did your quartz come with whitlock dna?

No. It was put in way after I bought the house and purged all of the Whitlock out...

Offline HerrSonntag

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #604 on: February 13, 2015, 11:06:16 AM »
Finished staining and hanging a door for MommaSonntag earlier this week... first time hanging a door.  It works great functionally but i'm not happy with my finishing work.   Finishing carpentry is hard, guys.

Offline TaqMan

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #605 on: February 13, 2015, 11:17:49 AM »
I'm installing new doors for the first time as well, and the trim work is actually what I look forward to! much rather be doing that than wrestling around with doors that must weigh 100 lbs...

Online Cire

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #606 on: February 13, 2015, 11:26:20 AM »
I helped frame and sheet rock a wall last week

The Big Train

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #607 on: February 13, 2015, 11:30:11 AM »
i had to hang a new door in an apt once because someone put a hole through it  :th_twocents:

Offline ShellShock

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #608 on: February 23, 2015, 03:45:03 PM »
Oh, you guys! Just finished the master bedroom remodel and once I figure out how to host pictures on the internet, i'll share. Also, waiting on carpet so it might be a couple days for final pictures.

Offline Fedor

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #609 on: February 23, 2015, 04:56:50 PM »
Changed out a 50 gal. water heater in less than two hours.  The internet has told me that this was a much better than average time.
I was wrong and I apologize. - michigancat 8/22/14

Offline star seed 7

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #610 on: February 23, 2015, 05:15:02 PM »
Carpet...  :Ugh:
Hyperbolic partisan duplicitous hypocrite

Offline puniraptor

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #611 on: February 23, 2015, 05:23:54 PM »
Carpet...  :Ugh:

bathroom carpets hold 1000x more DNA than a hottub :barf:

edit: oh, he said bedroom.

still BATHROOM CARPET IS A PET PEEVE OF MINE

Offline Boom Roasted

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #612 on: February 23, 2015, 06:25:18 PM »
600 sq ft of tile this weekend. Sore as hell

Offline star seed 7

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #613 on: February 23, 2015, 06:27:18 PM »
tile absolutely sucks (to install).  t's & p's BR
Hyperbolic partisan duplicitous hypocrite

Offline ShellShock

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #614 on: February 24, 2015, 07:57:41 AM »
Carpet...  :Ugh:

bathroom carpets hold 1000x more DNA than a hottub :barf:

edit: oh, he said bedroom.

still BATHROOM CARPET IS A PET PEEVE OF MINE

Agreed. If someone I know puts carpet in a bathroom, then they're no longer friends of mine...

Offline Tobias

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #615 on: February 24, 2015, 08:05:54 AM »
I'm amazed it's allowed by code (is it still?)

Offline Boom Roasted

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #616 on: February 24, 2015, 08:14:18 AM »

tile absolutely sucks (to install).  t's & p's BR
Yeah I used to do it as a side job in high school and college. Now everyone I know try's to rope me in to help with projects. Probably end up doing 3-5 per year.

Offline raquetcat

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #617 on: February 24, 2015, 10:41:28 AM »
That's like level 10 handyman-ness there.

 :cool:

I also renovated a bathroom and master bedroom. Did a lot of foundation repair, replaced 100% electrical (was old knob and tube) and replaced the plumbing, including the sewer line to the street.

Super glad to be done with all of it.

How is it you know how to do those things?  As I've written before, this thread is a river of lies.

I was a carpenter for 4 years.

So.  Who taught you?  It isn't intuitive.

A master carpenter, I was his apprentice for 18 months, he also taught me sign language since he was deaf...plus you learn a lot from working with other trades and such.
That sounds amazing, I would love to take off 1.5 years from my job and learn from a master carpenter, maybe retire early and do it. Do you get paid when you're an apprentice?
I'm purple down

Offline mocat

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #618 on: February 24, 2015, 10:52:02 AM »
KCFD cat your house looks amazing and very Hyde Park-y.

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #619 on: February 24, 2015, 10:55:54 AM »
Yeah you get paid, probably 12-15 an hour would be my guess
Hyperbolic partisan duplicitous hypocrite

Offline KCFDcat

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #620 on: February 24, 2015, 12:37:01 PM »
Yeah I made 12 when I started. By the time I finished my apprenticeship I made 14, then a substantial raise when you over up to carpenter... Being an apprentice is an incredibly rewarding and frustrating experience. You do stuff wrong everyday for a long time, and you are made to feel pretty stupid. But when you finish and have your own way of doing things it feels pretty good.

Thanks mocat, I actually live in Waldo, it's an old Waldo Tudor house.

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #621 on: February 24, 2015, 01:46:34 PM »
Thanks mocat, I actually live in Waldo, it's an old Waldo Tudor house.

i should have known from the arch in the doorway

Offline Missouriscribe

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #622 on: February 24, 2015, 01:55:41 PM »
Did 700sq feet of locking wood floor laminate last week, finishing the basement upthis week.

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #623 on: February 24, 2015, 02:00:27 PM »
you guys i spent saturday afternoon sistering up a back porch support joist, and replacing some broken deck slats. they used to use 1x tongue and groove material 100+ years ago, even for exterior applications, instead of 2x with gaps. that is so weird.

Offline Mikeyis4dcats

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Re: handyman-ness
« Reply #624 on: February 24, 2015, 02:06:55 PM »
tile absolutely sucks (to install).  t's & p's BR

tile doesn't suck.   GROUTING sucks.  Actually REMOVING grout haze sucks.