All Forum Posts by: Mike Gallus

if you are really looking for durability and ease, look into an epoxy floor paint, it rolls on and will give you a nice surface. Never have to worry about tears or scratches. 

first things first... Let's talk subfloor, what are you going over? Laminate will contour to many substraits where tile will usually require the install of wonderboard or dietra type product to be effective over time

to answer your question: buy a sterling tub and matching surround. (Kohler product). Mortar the underneath of the tub ( which is an option in the instuctions). The shower walls will attach directly to the studs, so take the time to level the surrounding walls to ease the installation.  Lastly, once the walls are installed, pack out the rest of the studs using1/4" plywood to account for the nailing flange, then use green board ( moisture resistant Sheetrock)to finish

Hey Jordan... I am a contractor and time is money. Repeat business from a client who I have done work for in the past warrants a no monetary visit. My advice to you is to take plenty of pictures of the projects you wish to address, email them to your potential contractor, and they should be able to ballpark some numbers for you. Later in the negotiation process, he/she will be less likely to charge a fee to further explore what needs to be done first hand. Beware of the guy/gal who can stop by anytime... this usually means they are not working or they sub out most of the work.

personally then, if it were me, I would consult my agent as to wether they believe potential buyers would be less likely to bid because of it... running ductwork in a home that wasn't set up for it can really eat up closet space and square footage... that may deter buyers more.

good point... i just wonder if the conversion is worth the cost.  more than likely the surrounding homes are still using oil heat.

hey Kris,

  i have a rental with oil heat ( lived there before ), and really liked the heat it provided. The best thing i can tell ya is to get under contract with an oil company with a watchdog program... this ensures that you will never run out and be charged a smaller manageable fee per month instead of a lump sum at one time in the height of the season when demand is higher.

something to consider:

-melamine cabinetry around a stove area will start to come unglued from the heat of the oven over time. Especially when the oven cleaning function is used due to high heat.

- if your countertops are going to be granite or a solid material, know that they will be attached using a silicone and permanently attached to the base cabinets... think about using a base cabinet that is made entirely of plywood to protect your counter top investment.

another option may be to use finish screws. ( they are thinner than standard ) and you can use a color match crayon that matches your floor color to hide the hole. Make sure you predrill the spot ou are going to fasten and use a drill bit slightly smaller than the screw threads. Finding the joist underneath may be tricky because the hardwood is usually attached to the subfloor ,but if you can find them its all the better.

hey Sean,

Welcome to the site. I also reside in the Philadelphia area (fox chase). I'm sure you will find many interesting insights from many influential people who use this forum. The networking aspect is amazing and its cool to pick the brains of people like yourself.