Also, per the images, a crack develops in the kitchen, on the other side of the house where the wall meets the ceiling. 

Use a non-abrasive scrubber or dish soap to clean the cooktop, and consider using a scraper for any stubborn, burnt-on stains—just be careful to avoid scratching the surface.

For example, you want to add a wall to create a bedroom.

And then you will purchase a new investment property and all of the gain is tax deferred indefinitely as @Jaron Walling said.The way to combine and get both advantages would be to move out and turn that property into an investment property for a year. 

& different parts of the asset can be depreciated on different schedules.To find out the useful lifespan of each component, you do a cost segregation study to analyze all of the parts.The raw land can't be depreciated so you start by giving that a value first.But other items can be depreciated on a quicker timeline.A roof, road, sidewalk, fencing, walls, gates, doors, latches, flooring, air conditioners, pavers, curbing, landscaping, etc.The IRS has a depreciation schedule for each type.Some parts are 5 yrs.

If the subfloor is the cheaper plywood this is more likely to happen, as the crappy surface gives it more sticktion. 

You should read more books on this topic because you haven’t even scratched the surface.

Make sure you and your contractor get the right permits but all you have to do is add temporarily walls to where you want to section off.

From what I've read in the Wall Street Journal, Austin's push to increase zoning for multifamily developments seems to be making a real difference.

There was a hole in the wall where the drywall was broken to access the pipes.