buying a house

[CNS]

Dub so help me if you build a brand new house and then put carpet in it

First floor is all wood.  Bedrooms/basement are up to the buyer I think (aka Ms. Dub) but she doesn't like carpet really so..

Inexpensive and awesome looking:  stain the concrete slab in the basement.  They can polish it to look very smooth, stain it, then they have a sealer/coating that is clear, still looks smooth, yet adds traction so that the floor isn't crazy slippery.  Do that.  It can look bad ass. 

[Dub]

Just googled and that looks awesome.   

[slobber]

Dub so help me if you build a brand new house and then put carpet in it

First floor is all wood.  Bedrooms/basement are up to the buyer I think (aka Ms. Dub) but she doesn't like carpet really so..

Inexpensive and awesome looking:  stain the concrete slab in the basement.  They can polish it to look very smooth, stain it, then they have a sealer/coating that is clear, still looks smooth, yet adds traction so that the floor isn't crazy slippery.  Do that.  It can look bad ass.

have seen this a lot and I love it. Put an offer on a house once with it and my wife cried when we lost to a higher bidder. She CRIED because she didn't get this type of basement!


Gonna win 'em all! (using Tapatalk)

[CNS]

Dub so help me if you build a brand new house and then put carpet in it

First floor is all wood.  Bedrooms/basement are up to the buyer I think (aka Ms. Dub) but she doesn't like carpet really so..

Inexpensive and awesome looking:  stain the concrete slab in the basement.  They can polish it to look very smooth, stain it, then they have a sealer/coating that is clear, still looks smooth, yet adds traction so that the floor isn't crazy slippery.  Do that.  It can look bad ass.

have seen this a lot and I love it. Put an offer on a house once with it and my wife cried when we lost to a higher bidder. She CRIED because she didn't get this type of basement!


Gonna win 'em all! (using Tapatalk)

There is a new epoxy skim coat I have seen that goes down on existing concrete that can give you a real similar look.  Its like a one day process too, so I don't think it would be very expensive.  They can make it look like stained conc, like metal, like marble, etc.  Its equally cool.  Check it out and cheer Mrs Dobs up.

[pissclams]

you can also stamp pattern into the concrete before sealing/staining

[dmartin]

Dub, what is the exposure of the first option windows?  If its a western exposure, that bedroom will suck in the summer.  Like, bad.  Especially in a new neighborhood where the tallest tree is like 10-15 yrs from providing any shade to the second floor.

Haven't picked a lot (or even decided on this community or even a new build, but will within a month or so).  It's split in half throughout the community, half are either western or eastern (Mountain view/Downtown View) and half are north or south.  There's no backyard (Alleyway garage), "yard" is courtyard style on the side of the property with a wraparound porch and houses are close enough that exposure wouldn't be that high there.

With the windows, yes, the sun here is brutal when facing E/W but we've found some workarounds for it at our current place.

Another benefit of a southern facing house, is snow melts off the driveway much quicker. Our driveway will be clear and dry days before the guy across the street.

[Dub]

Dub, what is the exposure of the first option windows?  If its a western exposure, that bedroom will suck in the summer.  Like, bad.  Especially in a new neighborhood where the tallest tree is like 10-15 yrs from providing any shade to the second floor.

Haven't picked a lot (or even decided on this community or even a new build, but will within a month or so).  It's split in half throughout the community, half are either western or eastern (Mountain view/Downtown View) and half are north or south.  There's no backyard (Alleyway garage), "yard" is courtyard style on the side of the property with a wraparound porch and houses are close enough that exposure wouldn't be that high there.

With the windows, yes, the sun here is brutal when facing E/W but we've found some workarounds for it at our current place.

Another benefit of a southern facing house, is snow melts off the driveway much quicker. Our driveway will be clear and dry days before the guy across the street.

Snow melts off within the same day usually out here anyway so not too worried about that.. more death by sunlight.  Used to be on a 10th floor apt that faced west and it would cook our apartment from 3-6 everyday.

[wetwillie]

Move to Longmont and buy a fixer upper

[Dub]

Move to Longmont and buy a fixer upper

Not quite our style up there and I don't have time for a fixer upper

[IPA4Me]

Is Energy Star 3.0 certification a really good thing or pretty meh and standard?

It's a good standard but it's only as good as the rater. If I was having a home built, I would hire my own energy rater. They will be on your side and truly keep the builder following the ES3.0 guidelines.


http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.nh_v3_guidelines


You're had some good recommendations regarding things to make sure are in the builder package. I can't emphasize enough the importance of proper insulation and HVAC equipment sizing. Personally, I'd spring for foam insulation especially with a bonus room over the garage. Batt insulation doesn't stop air movement. If you stop the air movement, you can much easier control the home's environment.


If you have long term plans to live here, I'd also go with a solar panel package. Something that can handle a bulk of the loads. If you really want to go all in on efficiency, strive for a net zero build. It's a given that utility rates will increase over the next twenty years. So, why not hedge the increase with an energy efficient home that provides all your electric needs?

[Dub]

Is Energy Star 3.0 certification a really good thing or pretty meh and standard?

It's a good standard but it's only as good as the rater. If I was having a home built, I would hire my own energy rater. They will be on your side and truly keep the builder following the ES3.0 guidelines.


http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.nh_v3_guidelines


You're had some good recommendations regarding things to make sure are in the builder package. I can't emphasize enough the importance of proper insulation and HVAC equipment sizing. Personally, I'd spring for foam insulation especially with a bonus room over the garage. Batt insulation doesn't stop air movement. If you stop the air movement, you can much easier control the home's environment.


If you have long term plans to live here, I'd also go with a solar panel package. Something that can handle a bulk of the loads. If you really want to go all in on efficiency, strive for a net zero build. It's a given that utility rates will increase over the next twenty years. So, why not hedge the increase with an energy efficient home that provides all your electric needs?

Is foam ins the same as blown in?

Walls are blown in fiberglass R-23 6 inch.  Attic is R-50 cellulose.  2nd floor over unconditioned spaces are R-49 blown in.  Box sills and rims are R-21 batts.

Sound good?

[star seed 7]

No, foam is not blown in.

[IPA4Me]

If not going all foam insulation, I would request rims to be foam as well as any bonus room floors above a garage.

[GoodForAnother]

polished concrete is awesome. if I had a basement I would have it.

carpet is disgusting and horrible. we have hardwood everywhere except bathrooms/kitchen/laundry where it's tile.

[Kat Kid]

wood floor buddies-----how often/how difficult is it to clean.  Think tiny children monsters scuffing it up and such on the reg.  I feel as though carpet is just so lol with kids that you just absorb the damage until the carpet looks like a Mangino office towel and then replace.

[Pete]

polished concrete is awesome. if I had a basement I would have it.

carpet is disgusting and horrible. we have hardwood everywhere except bathrooms/kitchen/laundry where it's tile.

How about when your kids are playing in the basement and listening to music and you are trying to watch a TV show on the floor above them?   Do you like that concrete floor then?  I don't because it sounds like a rough ridin' circus in a dungeon down there. 

[Pete]

wood floor buddies-----how often/how difficult is it to clean.  Think tiny children monsters scuffing it up and such on the reg.  I feel as though carpet is just so lol with kids that you just absorb the damage until the carpet looks like a Mangino office towel and then replace.

My hardwoods are from 1980, and haven't been refinished, and won't be until my kids get bigger and my old Golden passes away.  Until then, we say it has "character."  I love them for kitchen, front hall, and main family room.  I have a carpeted "den" where we have a little tv watching area and I enjoy the coziness of that room with the carpet (good acoustics too).

[CNS]

Yeah, hardwood/concrete and acoustics are natural enemies.  Even with a good rug.

I want hardwoods but have a lab and a basset.  The basset has the most dense dog nails I have ever seen, and looking into in online, they are one of two breeds that ppl say are near imposible to keep from gouging floors.

[8manpick]

polished concrete is awesome. if I had a basement I would have it.

carpet is disgusting and horrible. we have hardwood everywhere except bathrooms/kitchen/laundry where it's tile.

How about when your kids are playing in the basement and listening to music and you are trying to watch a TV show on the floor above them?   Do you like that concrete floor then?  I don't because it sounds like a rough ridin' circus in a dungeon down there.

Also when your kids are trying to recreate the Harlem Heat vs The Outsiders title match, you definitely want the cushion that carpet provides.

[star seed 7]

That's what beds are for

[michigancat]

hardwood floors are better than carpet

[Kat Kid]

I think we can all agree that especially with children a carpeted basement is a feature, not a bug.  I will refocus my efforts on main floor hardwood.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[IPA4Me]

Gross. Basement carpet is disgusting. It's a giant petri dish. The concrete is curing for years. When you put carpet on it, the carpet absorbs moisture and starts growing mold on the backside. Bleh.

[steve dave]

the thing about carpet is it's super cheap. just buy new carpet every 6 or 7 years. our house is about 1/3 each of hardwood, tile, carpet. I cannot imagine having a non-carpeted kids play areas and bedrooms. my knees would get trashed. carpet with a super thick pad are essential.

[GoodForAnother]

wood floor buddies-----how often/how difficult is it to clean.  Think tiny children monsters scuffing it up and such on the reg.  I feel as though carpet is just so lol with kids that you just absorb the damage until the carpet looks like a Mangino office towel and then replace.