How did that work out? (follow ups)

[simpsongal]

I have one, but figured others might too - so a thread for follow ups:

I posted about our tree falling into our neighbor's yard - I said we offered to pay and asked what others thought they might do.  We did file a claim w/our homeowners insurance.  The whole thing cost us $3150 out of pocket, insurance paid $1210: 

All insurance is different but, for FYI - our policy only covered removal of the tree on top of the insured property (so on top of our fence), + up to $500 for debris removal.  They took off 5% depreciation per year on wooden fences, so 40% off the replacement cost of the fence. Our deductible was $500 (which the agent said was low, it's typically $1000).  

The tree folks charged $1800 to remove the fallen tree ($1200 for the portion of the tree on our side) and another $500 to grind the giant stump (on the property line where the fence ran - insurance wouldn't cover that).  The tree took out over 20 ft of our fence, which cost $850 to replace (we got $510 from insurance since it's a 9 yr old fence).  

So....meh?  It's fine, it still probably would have been more money if we took the tree down voluntarily.  Our neighbor still hasn't fixed his shed, not sure when he'll get to it, but I'm glad we helped get rid of the massive tree for them.

I hope this is helpful if anyone is reviewing their homeowner's policy, or eying some sketchy trees around their property line!

[deadwing]

I asked for opinions on colors for a paver patio earlier this spring. It's going in this week and I'm so happy with the colors so far! I still haven't seen some of the materials, but I expect they'll be showing up tomorrow. They're estimating 2-3 more days of work. I'm taking next week off to sit outside and read. I'll probably make too many s'mores in the fire pit, too!

[aspentosh]

I asked a lot of questions so I'll update on those.

1. I asked about honed marble vs quartz countertops for our vanity. We went with quartz because of first hand experience here. Haven't installed the vanity yet, but it's in our basement ready to go when work starts in a month.

2. I asked about tile patterns for our shower. We opted to return the penny tile floor (which eliminated it for accent tile) because I didn't want to deal with so many grout lines on our shower floor. We ended up falling in love with a large format (11x13 or so) hexagon marble-look tile that we'll run throughout the entire closet, bathroom, and shower floor. That really sealed the deal for doing a straight herringbone pattern with no accent tile. Again, not installed, but they start in just about a month!

3. And then I asked about how much random things would cost. Never updated because it wasn't quite so simple. But everything we got a quote for was much more expensive than I expected. Ex: aerating and overseeing was $520 but they also recommended topdressing for $810. The French drain we looked into wasn't what they suggested because we have a storm drain at the front edge of our property and they recommended routing all our water output on that side of the house (sump pump, two downspouts) directly to that drain using PVC. Cost estimate is about $3500.

[simpsongal]

aspentosh, woof to that quote re: overseeding - I'd check w/Weed Man (we use them, and they're reasonable).

Can you PIP the hex tile? Is it one of the aqua or B/W ones from Floor & Decor?

[aspentosh]

Jun 10, 2021 9:01:05 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

aspentosh , woof to that quote re: overseeding - I'd check w/Weed Man (we use them, and they're reasonable).

Can you PIP the hex tile? Is it one of the aqua or B/W ones from Floor & Decor?

Because our vanity is blue, we wanted pretty neutral tiles. Here is the floor tile with the wall tile in our straight herringbone pattern. I think the tile sizes work well together and the colors coordinate without being matchy.

[deadwing]

aspentosh love the hex tile!

[simpsongal]

aspentosh, ditto - beautiful! Great coordination. I did the same thing at F&D w/my various tiles - laid them on their large format boards. I love having that ability there. I'll definitely be going back for our master.

[hbomdiggity]

I asked about the height of the counter for our island extension. Ended up making the cabinets same height and we are happy with the result!




App isn’t letting me add the before picture, but we added the 3 drawer cabinet to the existing island. Cost breakdown:

- saw cut existing granite overhang ($395)
- new custom paint grade cabinet boxes (3 drawer and open shelving on backside) and end panel ($890)
- custom butcher block top ($1800)
- trim materials (added mounding to existing and new) ($100)
- paint island - labor and materials ($1140)
Total: $4,325

[KellyEasterbrook]

Months ago, I asked about ceiling fan sizing. I was trying to decide between 42” and 52” fans for my three small bedrooms. I can’t figure out how to post pictures (what site do y’all use to link photos?), but I ended up getting 42” fans and I love them! Plus, with the money I saved by going for the smaller $110 fans, I felt less guilty when I splurged for an Akari Noguchi light for my dining area.

[libbygrl109]

aspentosh, I love the floor tile!

[dr.girlfriend]

Jun 11, 2021 18:13:47 GMT -5 KellyEasterbrook said:

Months ago, I asked about ceiling fan sizing. I was trying to decide between 42” and 52” fans for my three small bedrooms. I can’t figure out how to post pictures (what site do y’all use to link photos?), but I ended up getting 42” fans and I love them! Plus, with the money I saved by going for the smaller $110 fans, I felt less guilty when I splurged for an Akari Noguchi light for my dining area.

Now that tinypic etc. are out of business I usually put photos in Shutterfly and then C&P the address to post.

[KellyEasterbrook]

Jun 12, 2021 11:20:22 GMT -5 dr.girlfriend said:

Jun 11, 2021 18:13:47 GMT -5 KellyEasterbrook said:

Months ago, I asked about ceiling fan sizing. I was trying to decide between 42” and 52” fans for my three small bedrooms. I can’t figure out how to post pictures (what site do y’all use to link photos?), but I ended up getting 42” fans and I love them! Plus, with the money I saved by going for the smaller $110 fans, I felt less guilty when I splurged for an Akari Noguchi light for my dining area.

Now that tinypic etc. are out of business I usually put photos in Shutterfly and then C&P the address to post.

Thank you! Off to see if I can remember my Shutterfly password…

[Susie]

I've been a longtime SW paint customer, but pivoted to BM this week due to SW paint shortages and time sensitivity.  I usually use SW Duration or Emerald, and this weekend did one bedroom in BM Regal matte and another in BM Regal eggshell.

Obviously I have no views on durability/washability yet, but as far as application, I am not sure if I have a clear preference.  I found the BM paint had better glide than SW, and went on smoother.  That is a pro.  However I also found it thicker and more prone to drying on the brush, like in the time frame of cutting in a single room.  I had to pull clumps off bristles more than I have to with SW.  I also found myself pulling little bits of dried latex out of wet rolled paint on the wall more often than with SW.

We chose matte for our bedroom because we usually buy matte from SW.  BM's matte is lower sheen than SW's matte, so I got BM eggshell for DS's room.  I think I would do eggshell for future rooms as well.

I feel like most people are either "SW people" or "BM people" and actual product comparisons can be hard to find.  So those are my thoughts so far!

[magic]

I had questions about gutting and renovating a bathroom. We just finished and I love it! This was our first renovation ever and I was nervous because I had to manage everything remotely due to Covid. I learned a lot, avoided living in a construction Zone and didn't go too far over budget. Thanks everyone for the tips!

[deadwing]

After being told last Wednesday there was 2-3 days of work left on my patio, only 2 hours of work had been done since then. I got a call from the landscape architect who is in charge of the project today that even though he ordered materials for my job 2 months ago, the material for the remaining part (fire pit and seating wall) are back ordered at least 8 more weeks. He offered an alternative material that's available now, but I'm not sure I love the grey color it comes in. It's a very light grey, versus the medium-dark grey I originally picked. The materials that have already been installed are a mix of tan and shades of grey, with a medium-dark grey trim. So, I guess I'm waiting 8+ weeks to complete the project. Which is really disappointing, but I think it's the right call long term.

I'm comparing Unilock Lineo in Granite (original) to Techo Bloc G-Force in Shale Grey if anyone is interested (or has an opinion).

[dr.girlfriend]

Jun 14, 2021 10:07:12 GMT -5 magic said:

I had questions about gutting and renovating a bathroom. We just finished and I love it! This was our first renovation ever and I was nervous because I had to manage everything remotely due to Covid. I learned a lot, avoided living in a construction Zone and didn't go too far over budget. Thanks everyone for the tips!

Yay!  Post before and afters if you can!

[divanerd]

Put sod in yard and got rid of bushes in yard. Much more space.

[KellyEasterbrook]

Jun 11, 2021 18:13:47 GMT -5 KellyEasterbrook said:

Months ago, I asked about ceiling fan sizing. I was trying to decide between 42” and 52” fans for my three small bedrooms. I can’t figure out how to post pictures (what site do y’all use to link photos?), but I ended up getting 42” fans and I love them! Plus, with the money I saved by going for the smaller $110 fans, I felt less guilty when I splurged for an Akari Noguchi light for my dining area.

PDQ. I’ll probably delete this tomorrow. I hope this doesn’t post at enormous size… if so, apologies. So please ignore the unhemmed curtains, needed paint touch up around the fan and 1980s carpeting (lumber costs have set that back I definitely)

ETA: ugh, I can’t figure out why this isn’t showing up and don’t have the patience to figure it out

[scm1011]

I decided to go with my friend, the newbie real estate agent, on the sale of our home. Outcome still TBD since we're waiting to close on the new house before we put our current home on the market, but she's been incredibly on top of things thus far and is eager to prove herself.

[deadwing]

Update to my bathroom fan post... Yesterday I treated the ceiling with a mold and mildew cleaner. Today I started wiping up the mildew and discovered I do not have a step ladder that let's me reach the area above the toilet - it's too close to the wall. Somehow my mom painted this entire bathroom when I moved in. I'm afraid I'll bread the toilet seat/lid if I stand on it, but my mom is probably small enough that she was able to get away with it. It was cleaning up really nicely, too.

I have a full 6' ladder in the garage that might be able to straddle the toilet...

Also,i checked outside while my fan was running and the vent cover flaps were floating in the breeze, so it does seem to vent properly to the outside. It's just a shitty fan.

[redheadk]

I asked for help choosing fixtures for updating my grandmother's condo last year. It got put on hold bc of covid (no workers allowed in) but we did eventually get everything done and the condo got some traction and sold. She's very happy to have that behind her. So thanks!