homebuying fun (caution: stupidly wide .jpg)

[Todd Black 88]

Don't move here then.

I think the median price in Vancouver is something like 1.3 million now.

My in laws just listed their house in North Vancouver for 1.945 million. It needs a full renovation. It was built in 1969

[Powling]

I don't know how you guys can afford a home and renovation of it. Even in Portland homes vs salary aren't very good. A decent (not falling apart) home is $250k. The payment is around $1600 month after insurance. Even on my salary that isn't happening any time soon.

Yeah $250k is stupid cheap. In the General Toronto Area, for a basic suburb home you are into the $750k range to START. Just bare bones home in a bare bones neighbourhood.

I live 1.5 hrs outside of the Toronto area and my place was $325k and that was cheap for the area we are in.

...and this is all with the real estate bubble bursting earlier this summer. Over the winter some families were into the 1 mill range just to get a home that ticked their basic necessities of space and location.

[bradmer]

Shower pans

Shower pans are no different than anything else, when done correctly they are fine on any substrate. Find a guy that can hot mop a pan in your area, someone who has worked in a region previously where that sht gets inspected by the local AHJ. They will know how to do it right the first time, it's worth the $250 for piece of mind over a liner.
Liners leak because they are installed by tile guys with little or no plumbing experience.
I have installed hundreds of shower pans at schools, prisons, hospitals as well as residential and never had a leak with this method.

When you grout, roll your sponge upward as you slide it across slowly at a 45 degree angle to the joint, it will eliminate the hazing as you will pick up more of the cement. Fresh sponge with each swipe.
Seal your project, tile and grout with a good sealer, I used to use chemical based Miracle, they have a matt and wet look that creates an invisible non slip surface.
Good luck

[mbonder]

I don't know how you guys can afford a home and renovation of it. Even in Portland homes vs salary aren't very good. A decent (not falling apart) home is $250k. The payment is around $1600 month after insurance. Even on my salary that isn't happening any time soon.

If I could find fixer-uppers in the $250-300k range in Northern NJ I'd be in the business of flipping houses all day every day. Most homes around me that are worth anything are $450k+.


On the shower pan front, you should see if you have a dealer for Tile-EZ. These are prefabricated shower pans that drop right into whatever space you are building your shower. They are custom built to your measurements and utilize a compression drain that is sloped for proper water flow. Because it's one piece it will never leak. Way better than any acrylic lining will ever be.

[mjimport]

Ugh, one of many reasons I would never move to the West coast.

[TeXJ]

I don't know how you guys can afford a home and renovation of it. Even in Portland homes vs salary aren't very good. A decent (not falling apart) home is $250k. The payment is around $1600 month after insurance. Even on my salary that isn't happening any time soon.

move then.

[joshh]

I don't know how you guys can afford a home and renovation of it. Even in Portland homes vs salary aren't very good. A decent (not falling apart) home is $250k. The payment is around $1600 month after insurance. Even on my salary that isn't happening any time soon.

[mjimport]

I second the comment on the exhaust fan. I got a cheap fan and had to rip it out immediately. Way too loud.

I recommend a Delta.
In the other bathroom remodel I hired an electrician due to running new wire, switches etc. and he sourced a Delta fan/light combo and it was barely audible.

[M-technik-3]

When you gutted the interior you put a nice quiet exhaust fan in correct? Nothing kills mood of shower time like a clanky exhaust fan. I opted for one with heat, exhaust and a led night light and just a normal light. They now have them with a humidity sensor so when your kids or who ever fails to turn on the fan it comes on at a preset level that way your drywall MR board does not get moldy.

I suck at drywall and now I work for a commercial metal framing/drywall company.

[Exodus_2pt0]

I want that shower. Just scrolled through and saw your posts. Beautiful!

Yeah the hole is for the ac duct. Got a nice register to put in but it looks like I need to fab up some ducting from the floor to the main. It was a rectangle the whole way, and I can't find anything that fits.

[M-technik-3]

That rectangular cut out is fha duct work? Like the tile need to see a walk in shot when it's done.

That said when I had this house on the market briefly before I decided to stay in it, everyone loved the walk in shower but the realtor mentioned a few negative comments about lack of a tun for children. Odd because that is where many kid deaths occurs from just that a tub and lack of supervision.

[Exodus_2pt0]

I appreciate the kind words but I can't take credit for the tile work. Let the pro lay it down and I kept cutting and feeding them to him.

Sealed the grout with aqua mix enhance/sealer. Happy with the results so far, let's hope it holds!

Lesson learned. More setup time and less water!

[M-technik-3]

Do you think your shower has enough knobs?

Nope, from side it looks nuts. But here is a straight on. Top is for the overhead, next is for the first three jets at chest level, next is the next three jets and next is the wand and lastly is the temp.



Sit on the seat do the steam bath thing or go to work and use the sauna at the gym. Great way to start the day and company pays for it via reduction in insurance because I use the gym.

[mjimport]

Here's after another wipe down to get the haze off, grout was about 24hours in and shows how light it got. It is even though, lighting makes the one spot appear much worse.

I installed those exact same tiles in the house we just sold and experienced the same grout problem. I suspected I used too much water when wiping down. I dig the wood plank look!

[rturbo 930]

Do you think your shower has enough knobs?