Episode 1670
My top 10 DIY renovation mistakes that cost you money
In my 30 plus years of home improvement, design, and remodeling I have learned a lot of little tricks and other mistakes that just cost you money. Here is my top 10 of what you can avoid that will cost you more in the long run.
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Transcript
[00:00:27] Eric Goranson: But many times we decide, Hey, we want to change technologies. We want to step up and do something. different and maybe we want to put in a, um, on demand water heater or a heat pump water heater. And before you go do that, I would really ask you to take some time and really make sure that you have got things dialed in.
[:[00:01:21] Eric Goranson: Well, today I wanted to talk about my top 10 renovation mistakes that can cost you money. This might be something that, uh, you're doing as a project around the house or it's something even that you're hiring somebody. And the concern is, of course, is that they are not aware of doing it the right way, or they're trying to do it quickly and aren't.
[:[00:01:59] Eric Goranson: So here's [00:02:00] the thing. These are my 10 renovation mistakes that really. Cost you money. Now, the first one here is, um, a big one and that is understanding window and door flashing. Maybe you're replacing a window. Maybe you're having the windows and doors replaced. And one of the biggest issues that I see is so many times is what I see is contractors and homeowners.
[:[00:02:46] Eric Goranson: And I'm not just talking to beat a silicone around it. And you throw the window and that's how they did it 30 years ago, but it's not how it's done today. So making sure that you have the correct flexible flashing that's going to seal around the [00:03:00] window or door assembly is key. Now, let's talk about this because, you know, people in old houses go, well, it's not.
[:[00:03:25] Eric Goranson: And then what I want to see is, is that I want to see somebody go in there with flexible flashing and generally the rule is. Is you are going to start your way from the bottom and you work your way up. So that way, every new layer is an overlap of the layer below it. I need to make sure that that goes into the door door or jam seal.
[:[00:04:08] Eric Goranson: If you can get around that corner, a half inch, three quarters of an inch, that's a good start. And it's better than nothing. But I want to see you flash that around and make sure that you've got the top covered as well. So many people install windows and doors like in the eighties, and there's no nail across the top.
[:[00:04:47] Eric Goranson: And what happens is, and I've seen this dozens of times in my career, somebody go, Hey, I've got a little moisture on the window. I peel the window curtains back and in the corners, I've got moldy drywall cause it's soft, it's [00:05:00] nasty. And that water has been leaking down around the windows and getting the drywall underneath it wet.
[:[00:05:30] Eric Goranson: And you know something, it went in doubt. You can jump over whether it's, you know, uh, grip, right, or zip systems or any one of the different companies you see out there, you know, Tyvek, DuPont, any one of these companies that you see out there, jump on their website. And look at their videos to see how they recommend doing the flashing.
[:[00:06:12] Eric Goranson: So you can make sure that the people you're hiring know how to do it. And more importantly, if you're going to be tackling that project, you understand it one way or the other. And some of these tapes are interesting. Like with the zip system, the biggest failure of a zip system is because someone didn't roll out the tape correctly.
[:[00:06:46] Eric Goranson: So don't have the water damage, the flooring damage, this could be like a minor flood if you're not careful. Just do it right, and that flashing is going to be key. And the same thing goes around decks as well. Make sure that that joint is done any time that you've [00:07:00] got a structure coming up to another structure there, and you're fastening through it and breaking through.
[:[00:07:28] Eric Goranson: And then you'll have to spend that money again to do it. And that is making sure. That shower was installed correctly. Now this is one that, um, when this goes badly, he goes super badly. Now the shower is an interesting thing because there have been over the last 10 or 15 years, there have been some great technology advances when you're putting in a shower and I'm talking specifically.
[:[00:08:26] Eric Goranson: Maybe it's green board Maybe it's, um, just a hardy backer tile system, no waterproofing over it, and the tile gets installed, and all of a sudden, two, three years later, at best, they've got a big leak. And now, all of a sudden, you've got to tear it out, the thousands of dollars you spent on the shower door is now not going to fit correctly, so that has to get tossed, and all of a sudden, you've got a major issue of how this all has gone together.
[:[00:09:15] Eric Goranson: You want to make sure that you or anyone else isn't taking it. You know, any shortcuts on this process? Because if one thing goes bad, it all goes bad. And that is one of the things it is really tough to go in and actually repair a shower after it started leaking. It's pretty much start overtime. And that's going to be the worst case scenario.
[:[00:10:13] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to The Round the House Show. This is where we hope you get the most outta your home through information and education. Thanks for joining us today. Well, here's what we got going on right now, guys. We have been talking about our top 10 renovation mistakes that cost you money. It doesn't matter if you're hiring a contractor or you're doing it yourself as a DIY project.
[:[00:10:56] Eric Goranson: And here's where the biggest problems that I see happen. [00:11:00] One, the shortcuts are made or bad installations are made. At the shower pan, because what happens is, is somebody will use old technology. Maybe they just pre slope a concrete pan and they're going to be installing over the top of it with just tile.
[:[00:11:41] Eric Goranson: If you go in and install these correctly, then you are golden. You've got a system that's going to last decades. And you're going to be good. What happens is that somebody goes in and tries to do a mud set pan. And what a mud set pan is for the people that don't know is that there are layers of of rubber [00:12:00] membrane and a hard pack where you go in and pre slope things and, uh, build this shower system with a weeping system.
[:[00:12:27] Eric Goranson: So what I see happening here is, is that we have homeowners and, um, you know, general contractors out there trying to do it. And all it takes is one little nick and a pan liner, or they didn't water test it before. Um, inspection time, so they didn't have any of those things done and here's what happens.
[:[00:13:10] Eric Goranson: So one, I strongly recommend anybody these days, my position, and this might be controversial to some old school people out there, is to use one of the composite pans. Install it per the manufacturer's instructions. And if you had a certified installer do it, sometimes that will get you a different warranty, um, whether it's a lifetime or 20 year, whatever it is, you got to figure that out for yourself, depending on the brand, but then you're going to have something that's going to be waterproof.
[:[00:13:57] Eric Goranson: So, uh, make sure that this [00:14:00] waterproofing is done correctly. If someone goes, Oh, I'm just putting red guard over it. If you can see any of the stuff below it, like. And there should be at least two coats, maybe three coats on there, uh, to make sure you shouldn't see any print or pattern that comes through that Redguard.
[:[00:14:32] Eric Goranson: When it could need 234, depending on what you got going on. So understand how that goes. You'll be better off and that's going to be one that will save you money because you'll get the project done once, right? It'll last 2 years. And a side note on this. If you're doing a steam shower, pay really good attention because there's only 1 or so systems out there.
[:[00:15:15] Eric Goranson: And then, uh, also make sure that you've got some insulation around that space. I think, uh, it's good to try to keep, um, any kind of, um, you know, condensing of moisture on the backside of that system. So if you're not using a foam system, what I did is I put rock wool around in mind when I did mine, that way I have a nice insulated system.
[:[00:15:55] Eric Goranson: And I tell you what that is where expensive mistakes happen. [00:16:00] Here's why. The thing that I look at is when you buy a cheap toilet, they're not engineered as well as some of the nicer ones. Maybe it's a higher end American standard, maybe it's a higher end, um, Kohler, you know, or. Even a Toto, you don't have to worry so much about it.
[:[00:16:39] Eric Goranson: So that ends up costing you a ton of money. So what can happen is you go out and buy the 150 toilet and let's say it's costing you 150 extra a year in water usage. That gets to be a pretty expensive toilet, six, seven, eight years down the road, where if you would have went and spent, let's say, 400 bucks on a Toto Drake, and you put it in [00:17:00] there, that you didn't have to do that.
[:[00:17:18] Eric Goranson: So there's a big difference in technology between the cheap toilets and the more expensive ones and how they're finished. And 1 of the things they do is they have a wider trap that goes down through. They do the porcelain all the way through that trap. They use less water, like a one gallon flush versus a 1.
[:[00:17:58] Eric Goranson: If you have a basement [00:18:00] bathroom and an old house, it's built before 1970. Let's say I would go with a little more water in the flush just to make sure it's working correctly. Those old toilets, drain systems that you see in basements. And, uh, prior to 1970 can be problematic with lower gallon flush. So, uh, when in doubt in those situations, go with a little bit more water in the flush and you'll be good to go round the house.
[:[00:19:05] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to the round the house show. This is where we hope to get the most out of your home through information and education. Thank you for joining me today. Hey, if you want to find out more information about us, head to AroundTheHouseOnline. com. That's where everything from our YouTube videos to everything, including our phone number here to the studio, you can find it all right there.
[:[00:19:40] Eric Goranson: I'm putting another 50 gallon electric back in or a 40 gallon gas, and I'm putting it back in and we are good to go. But many times we decide, Hey, we want to change technologies. We want to step up and do something different. And maybe we want to put in a, um, on demand water heater or a heat pump, water heater.
[:[00:20:29] Eric Goranson: You know, maintenance with them with cleaning and scaling and things like that that you need to pay attention to. And you need to make sure you understand what it takes to turn it on and how much water has to flow. There's a little more science to this. You just can't say, Hey, I'm going to put in this one and think it's going to work without understanding how you need to go.
[:[00:21:09] Eric Goranson: And then I started talking with my water heater professionals and I went heat pump water heater. And for me, it was a good move because it saved me a ton of money and more so than if I was going to go to a on demand unit. And so now I have cheaper water and I have an 80 gallon. That's saving me a couple hundred bucks a month.
[:[00:21:49] Eric Goranson: And my advice to him was to turn the electric water heater off. And then when you go back over to the house, get over there, turn it back on again and, uh, power it back up and make sure that, [00:22:00] uh, Uh, you get some water going might take a few hours depending on how big that thing is, but you know, something it'll save you a lot of money.
[:[00:22:24] Eric Goranson: So Please, when you're putting in a water heater, make sure you understand what you're putting in. Understand what the codes are. Do you need to have an expansion tank? Some places require it, some don't. It's really a good idea. So, uh, take a look at all those things and make sure you understand it and don't make the mistakes of many and go the wrong direction.
[:[00:23:04] Eric Goranson: Here's the rules that you should be operating by if you're working on either one of these kitchen fans, always no exceptions should run to the outside of the building and be vented outside. If you are using a hood that is recirculating, that is not working correctly, and it is putting hazardous chemicals, smokes, carcinogens.
[:[00:23:46] Eric Goranson: So it vents correctly to the outside, and you want to make sure that you're using that fan when you're cooking. Now, bathrooms are even more problematic, because if you don't have a bath fan, and the tighter the house you have, the more energy efficient [00:24:00] the house you have, the more that you've got issues.
[:[00:24:25] Eric Goranson: There's a lot of different rules that people use out there. Here is the problem we have. And this is where I get really concerned with bath fans. Bath fans are figured CFM at the fan. So if I have 120 CFM fan and it's venting all the way outside through a small duct. Through a small opening that might be 70 80 or less CFM and all of a sudden you've got a fan that is operator under the specs that you're looking for.
[:[00:25:21] Eric Goranson: So think about that. There's a lot we can do with that when it comes to ventilation. Getting that out and that fan should always run at least 20 minutes after you get out of the bathroom or shower and that way It is ventilating all that. So that's why building code in most areas says you have to have a You have to have a fan on timer to make sure that runs after you leave the space.
[:[00:26:09] Eric Goranson: Science is a key here. This could be. Weatherproofing on the outside of your home. This could be putting in a ERV and an energy recovery ventilator. This could be not having the right ventilation in your ceiling, uh, or your attic space up above coming in and out. There are a lot of issues when it comes to building science, and I want you to make sure you understand it, especially if you're doing siding, windows, roofing, insulation, all of those things.
[:[00:27:07] Eric Goranson: And what might work in one area doesn't work in the other. So you got to think about what climate zone you're in and design your house around that. Because if you are online and you're looking on the Internet, and you're trying to figure out what to do for your house in building science with ventilation.
[:[00:27:55] Eric Goranson: So make sure you understand what those rules are. And if you understand that building science, it's going to make. [00:28:00] For a much healthier home and that's going to make sure that you're not trapping moisture. You're not causing issues down the road. You're ruining your roof or even worse. You're causing other damage to your home when you think you're trying to do something to help.
[:[00:28:31] Eric Goranson: Round the House will be right back with more for our list of the top renovation mistakes that could cost you money. Music Back[00:29:00]
[:[00:29:50] Eric Goranson: I strongly advise that if you're doing a basement remodel, just make sure that you understand with a couple seasons, and make sure that there's no moisture issues down there. [00:30:00] So many times I'll see people that bought flipped houses where somebody came in and went, I'm going to add some square footage to this basement.
[:[00:30:24] Eric Goranson: So you need to make sure one, that you don't have any moisture down there. And if you do that, you're managing it correctly. And there's a lot of different ways of doing it. Not that we're going to talk about all those here today, but the worst thing I want to see happen is that you get mold trapped between the wall and the foundation.
[:[00:31:11] Eric Goranson: That's not as big a deal What I'm looking for is, uh, that unfinished basement and that old house that didn't have the right drainage system or the right waterproofing or gutters or that kind of thing. So just make sure you got that dialed in before you finish it up, understand what the issues are. So you don't have to do it twice.
[:[00:31:50] Eric Goranson: I'm going to install a power attic fan up there. And I'm going to create a vacuum in this space. I'm going to pull it out and I'm going to vent all that out. [00:32:00] And in theory, that's a great way to do it. Now, your biggest issue is, is that if you just go in and install that most of the time, you're going to start sucking out that conditioned air inside the space, because what I recommend you do, if you're going to be pulling.
[:[00:32:43] Eric Goranson: Because if we get all those sealed up, we're not going to be pulling conditioned air from the inside and dragging it through there because now you're just having to heat that again or cool that again. So you want to make sure that you keep the cool air in the space below and that it's pulling it out and doing the right thing.
[:[00:33:19] Eric Goranson: So anytime that you're putting more. Like a power attic fan in I want to make sure that you're increasing the soft fence and the stuff down below and this is really where I want you to consult with a venting professional that can do the math and make sure that your math is correct. Do you have enough in there that you're not causing other issues by putting that fan in?
[:[00:34:04] Eric Goranson: And where this can be expensive for you is if you plan a remodel project, maybe you're doing a bathroom, you're doing a kitchen, maybe you're doing a bedroom. The issue that I have, and this is a big one, is not planning the steps in the right order for your project. Now, if you're going to be doing new electrical in the house and you go do a remodel and you're having to tie into that, Maybe you want to do a lot of these things first or while you're at it.
[:[00:34:53] Eric Goranson: Is there anything that you're doing that you want to be doing at the same time? So project planning, project [00:35:00] budgeting, and making sure that you've got all the materials. Understood purchased and that they're all going to work well together is key. So project planning is a big one, and I just really want to make sure that you've got that planning done correctly.
[:[00:35:34] Eric Goranson: I just did it last year. I just had to do that because well, I didn't think that I had to run this For the other projects, so if you're having to run new circuits for other projects, maybe you want to do it while that room is tore up and at least you can get in behind the walls and do some of the stuff and not be fighting it last up here is number 10 is not understanding how plumbing vents and drains in fittings [00:36:00] work.
[:[00:36:31] Eric Goranson: If you're going from a bathtub to a shower, you need to technically put a bigger drain in. You need to go from that inch and a half up to 2. Now, building code is starting to change on that in certain areas. So there's always something like that to take a look at, but you want to make sure that you're using the right.
[:[00:37:13] Eric Goranson: And now the shower is not draining curl out correctly. Cause you moved it two more feet. Which is kind of beyond the suitable use of that vent or you put a, you buried a, uh, a vent in the wall, one of those mechanical student events in the wall and 5 or 10 years from now, when it quits working, nobody knows that that's back there and you buried it in the wall.
[:[00:38:01] Eric Goranson: And that's a big one. And that's a really big and expensive one. So make sure you got the right fittings. You've got the right usage. Some fittings work great for walls. Some. You can't use laying down flat and, uh, just make sure that you understand that before you get into it. And that's something that in the future here, we might bring in a plumber to talk about, um, and actually record it so we can talk about it.
[:[00:38:49] Eric Goranson: Versus just a handy person that kind of understands or. Might not even have the same knowledge as you do. All right, everybody. That's the end of our one here. Thanks for tuning into around the house today. If you [00:39:00] want more information about us, head over to around the house online, online. com. And if you miss part of the show today on the radio, don't worry.
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