Yay....more home reno fun....

[Mad Mike]

Część

Doing the stucco on the outside will help a lot with the insulation or currently lack there of.
There is not other way to insulate from the inside.
Your house being 50 years old, your outside walls are only 2 X 4 instead of the current 2 X 6. Also back than they weren't all that crazy on insulating houses properly.

No matter what you do, the room above the garage will always be colder.

Spray foaming the ceiling WILL help but will not completely solve it.
I would consider putting in a gas heater in the garage and running it at a low temp so it doesn't only heat your toys in the garage but also help with the room above.

I would call around for more quotes and see if you can get a better price on the spray foaming.
I do know that it is not cheap. There is also the "health/good for your" aspect of it. It has been said that there are studies that the spray foam chemicals are not good for us and can cause health issues.
Most companies do not tell you this but you SHOULD NOT stay in the residence for at least 24 hours of the spray foam being applied.

As for the duct work.
I have small inspection camera that you can borrow if you want to look into your ducts. Hooks up to your mobile device and you can view/save picture and videos.
I have fishing sticks/rod as well as this is the line of work I do. You are welcome to borrow.

Investigate with a FERRET - rechargeable wireless inspection camera

If you do stucco on the outside you need to do it all in one shot.
(I am pretty sure you mean room by room and wife at the cottage if you renovated from the inside)

My Garage is stone up to 40" and stucco above. We used 2x4 construction with 2" styrofoam then scratch coat + stucco. 5 years ago the foam + stucco cost $7/sq' installed. It cost another $1000 for the styro mouldings and caulking.

 

[oioioi]

Yes you are correct. The AFCI breakers are approximately $90/each, and the ones that can be had after the panel are about $50/each.

What kind of panel do you have?
An AFCI breaker should not cost $90, unless you have an old panel or are buying these breakers from the big box store. (HD/Lowes)

A CH/Eaton or a Siemens AFCI breaker should be around $40-$55

Also, an AFCI receptacle (an after the panel breaker) should not cost $50.
It should cost approx $35

These are supplier prices.

If you are thinking of rewiring the house, might be a good idea to change out the panel and also increase your service. (especially if you only have a 60Amp service). If you are already at a 100A you should be OK, but you can increase up to 200A if you have some plans for high power demand items in the future. (pool, Sauna, 2nd kitchen, etc)

 

[oioioi]

@oioioi Thanks for the offer but need a camera that's longer. Dad has a 3ft camera, I'm looking at something closer to 10-20ft so I can actually go through most of the duct.

I probably have a 100+ feet of fishing rods if I put them all together. (not the ones you take to the lake )
Each one varies in length, from 1 foot all the way up to 6 feet being the longest.

 

[Mad Mike]

@GreyGhost Thanks for that edit, good info. The current outside walls are all brick. I wouldn't put the insulation over the drywall. If I'm at that stage, I'm ripping the drywall down. But that's a discussion with the wife. We both like stucco exterior, but just need to save some more cash so we can get it done. Will go to the neighbours' this week to get their contacts as we have 5-6 homes on the street with it done, and it looks good.

If we are pulling the drywall, then I'd re-wire the entire house at that point in time. Lots of outlets don't have grounds (see other reno thread I started) and that's another item on the 'to do' list. Work work work...at least I get to learn some new stuff.

In my sons house is 500s era brick. When the flippers reno'd the house they left the existing drywall and added 2" of polystyrene and vapor barrier to all the inside walls then re-drywalled. They did the outer walls of 1500 sq ' bungalo in 5 days with 2 guys. It's toasty warm and his heatting costs are less than $100 / mo in the winter.

 

[GreyGhost]

What kind of panel do you have?
An AFCI breaker should not cost $90, unless you have an old panel or are buying these breakers from the big box store. (HD/Lowes)

A CH/Eaton or a Siemens AFCI breaker should be around $40-$55

Also, an AFCI receptacle (an after the panel breaker) should not cost $50.
It should cost approx $35

These are supplier prices.

If you are thinking of rewiring the house, might be a good idea to change out the panel and also increase your service. (especially if you only have a 60Amp service). If you are already at a 100A you should be OK, but you can increase up to 200A if you have some plans for high power demand items in the future. (pool, Sauna, 2nd kitchen, etc)

AFCI receptacle? That's a thing? Today I learned.

 

[oioioi]

AFCI receptacle? That's a thing? Today I learned.

If it is wired from the Panel using Armored cable (BX) or EMT conduit, all receptacles after this one are considered to be AFCI receptacles. (this circuit only)

 

[mimico_polak]

@oioioi OK then that might actually work pretty good. The only issue is getting around the 90deg ones, but if you think it'll work, I will definitely take you up on that offer next time I'm home. Also, thanks for the info on the pricing. We considered upgrading the panel, but currently looks like there is 100A service at the house. When I checked all the receptacles, I'd say 30-40% do not have ground on them. Speaking with some electricians in BC they think that the ground is there, but they were cut so short during the era, that whoever was doing upgrades didn't bother to dick around with it as it is too short.

We tried to put in some USB, but one of the things that came up was that the space behind the drywall was so tight, the electrician gave up. I'm also pretty ****** that he only did 4 pot lights in the soffits outside, because he did not want to / could not access the higher level. So that needs attention in the spring.

@Mad Mike That's pretty interesting, never thought of that until this thread, and your comments. Will definitely look into it, but I think my wife is pretty set on the stucco (and I'm starting to grow on the idea).

I'm also happy to report that the furnace changeover, and the register removal (for now until we find more free flowing ones) has really made a difference. The entire house just warmed up.

My only issue...of course...is the cold air return right above the furnace seems to be doing some of that 'whoop whoop whoop' noise, whereas the register on the main floor does not. I think it may have to do with plastic register versus aluminum. It was driving me nuts, so I walked around the house listening to all the registers/returns for the source.

Thank you all for your suggestion and comments, I'll be investigating the other items discussed so we can move forward, and ideally keep you all posted. Really appreciate the GTAM community here.

 

[oioioi]

@oioioi OK then that might actually work pretty good. The only issue is getting around the 90deg ones, but if you think it'll work, I will definitely take you up on that offer next time I'm home. Also, thanks for the info on the pricing. We considered upgrading the panel, but currently looks like there is 100A service at the house. When I checked all the receptacles, I'd say 30-40% do not have ground on them. Speaking with some electricians in BC they think that the ground is there, but they were cut so short during the era, that whoever was doing upgrades didn't bother to dick around with it as it is too short.

We tried to put in some USB, but one of the things that came up was that the space behind the drywall was so tight, the electrician gave up. I'm also pretty ****** that he only did 4 pot lights in the soffits outside, because he did not want to / could not access the higher level. So that needs attention in the spring.

If the ground was actually there and tied into the grounding screw of the box, a tester should pick that up as a grounded receptacle as the grounding would pass through the screws that hold the receptacle to the box. It does not necessarily need a grounding wire tied right into the grounding screws of the receptacle itself. It SHOULD but can do without it. (however some receptacles can be different depending on the brand and year of production)

Yes it will be hard to get a USB charging receptacle into the old style boxes. There were smaller than todays boxes.
You can always use an extension, but it does not look all that pretty. I would only put this in a non visible area, but still accessible so you can use it as a phone charger.
I doubt that your wife would want this on her kitchen counter.



As for your outside pot lights.
I don't know the electrician you used and I do not want to offend anyone.
But you are the paying customer and they should do the job you ask them to do.
Doesn't matter if it is hard to do or accomplish. UNLESS there is no way in hell to get it done.
I always say "If there's a will, there's a way"

 

[mimico_polak]

If the ground was actually there and tied into the grounding screw of the box, a tester should pick that up as a grounded receptacle as the grounding would pass through the screws that hold the receptacle to the box. It does not necessarily need a grounding wire tied right into the grounding screws of the receptacle itself. It SHOULD but can do without it. (however some receptacles can be different depending on the brand and year of production)

Yes it will be hard to get a USB charging receptacle into the old style boxes. There were smaller than todays boxes.
You can always use an extension, but it does not look all that pretty. I would only put this in a non visible area, but still accessible so you can use it as a phone charger.
I doubt that your wife would want this on her kitchen counter.

View attachment 41674

As for your outside pot lights.
I don't know the electrician you used and I do not want to offend anyone.
But you are the paying customer and they should do the job you ask them to do.
Doesn't matter if it is hard to do or accomplish. UNLESS there is no way in hell to get it done.
I always say "If there's a will, there's a way"

I'll see if I can pop into some of the outlets tomorrow after I get my painting done ('Parapetowa' this weekend) so all hands on deck to make sure it's presentable to guests on the weekend.

As for the electrician...yes I won't use him again. He was recommended by a colleague, and although I'm ok with the work. A few things weren't done as I'd like them (i.e.: walked away without cleaning) so I'm done with that. For now electrical is taking a backburner, but if I could figure a way to re-wire the house with minimal impact, I may do that through the attic. But that's a whole other thread. I'll pick on the easy stuff first! LoL

 

[oioioi]

('Parapetowa' this weekend)

No to zdrowie, ?


Ohhhhh..., The things we do to our houses because the guests are coming.
That could be whole different thread altogether.

 

[crankcall]

Ohhhhh..., The things we do to our houses because the guests are coming.
That could be whole different thread altogether.

sorry for the thread derail, couldnt help myself. The things we do because guests are coming? In November we dicided to sell the house, the stagers came in and what I thought was a nice house?? Not even close LOL. Furniture moved , things repainted, solid wood birdseye maple trim painted white, pictures relocated.

Place looked so nice I'd have bought it. Except painting hundreds of dollars of mahogany and maple white, that hurt my heart.

 

[oioioi]

At least you were doing for a good purpose.
to attract buyers and trick them into paying as much as possible for the house

when we do these things cause guests or family is coming. That a a different story

I doubt that our friends would stop coming over for parties if the house was not in “catalogue or museum like “ state.

/rant over

 

[nobbie48]

sorry for the thread derail, couldnt help myself. The things we do because guests are coming? In November we dicided to sell the house, the stagers came in and what I thought was a nice house?? Not even close LOL. Furniture moved , things repainted, solid wood birdseye maple trim painted white, pictures relocated.

Place looked so nice I'd have bought it. Except painting hundreds of dollars of mahogany and maple white, that hurt my heart.

I hear you. Making hardwood into fake MDF.

 

[nobbie48]

@oioioi .

My only issue...of course...is the cold air return right above the furnace seems to be doing some of that 'whoop whoop whoop' noise, whereas the register on the main floor does not. I think it may have to do with plastic register versus aluminum. It was driving me nuts, so I walked around the house listening to all the registers/returns for the source.

We had a new furnace and air put in a few years back and all was well until we used the air. There was a weird howling. My wife traced the problem back to the grill on the air return. Touch it and the noise stopped so it was a harmonics issue.

I took the grill off and glued a wire down the back of each zone to change the harmonizing and silence returned.

 

[nobbie48]

What kind of panel do you have?
An AFCI breaker should not cost $90, unless you have an old panel or are buying these breakers from the big box store. (HD/Lowes)

A CH/Eaton or a Siemens AFCI breaker should be around $40-$55

Also, an AFCI receptacle (an after the panel breaker) should not cost $50.
It should cost approx $35

These are supplier prices.

If you are thinking of rewiring the house, might be a good idea to change out the panel and also increase your service. (especially if you only have a 60Amp service). If you are already at a 100A you should be OK, but you can increase up to 200A if you have some plans for high power demand items in the future. (pool, Sauna, 2nd kitchen, etc)

The big box stores have their places, late night and weekend purchases but they are convenient not cheap. Helpful they are not. If you can use a true wholesaler you can get better product at better pricing.

If you aren't a trades-person try to go after the morning rush when the trades are trying to get their day rolling, especially if you have questions.

 

[Lyndsay]

I hear you. Making hardwood into fake MDF.

That killed me on my last house. I had added to the size of the kitchen and added lots of cupboards. Took a while of back and forth sending old maple doors to the manufacturer so they could match the finish and colour. Looked great when done. I sold it and the new owners did some cosmetic and some smart upgrades and sold it a couple of years later. I happened to be driving by and noticed a new fence being built so I stopped in to see if the new owners didn't want the underground dog fence. They invited me in and I just about **** when I saw they had painted all the maple cupboards and trim. Broke my heart.

 

[mimico_polak]

I hear you. Making hardwood into fake MDF.

No comment. My dad, who is awesome with wood, decided we will do hardwood trim all around. Sounds great right?
I get home from BC and majority of the beautiful hardwood is ******* white!? WTF!?

I asked what that’s about....’well you’ll always know it’s hardwood, but it’s better white.’

I almost **** myself. Hundreds of dollars in wood, hours and hours of planing, joining, painting all gone to waste. I’m still ****** today. Would’ve looked so nice with natural wood.
I can rip it all out, plane it, and return the wood look. But I’d need at least a week of using the planer for it. Ugh.

 

[nobbie48]

That killed me on my last house. I had added to the size of the kitchen and added lots of cupboards. Took a while of back and forth sending old maple doors to the manufacturer so they could match the finish and colour. Looked great when done. I sold it and the new owners did some cosmetic and some smart upgrades and sold it a couple of years later. I happened to be driving by and noticed a new fence being built so I stopped in to see if the new owners didn't want the underground dog fence. They invited me in and I just about **** when I saw they had painted all the maple cupboards and trim. Broke my heart.

I knew a lady that had a white grand piano that was looking tired so she sent it out to be stripped and repainted. She got a call from the refinisher asking her to rethink. When they stripped it the found out it was rosewood. She went with the rosewood.

 

[mimico_polak]

We had a new furnace and air put in a few years back and all was well until we used the air. There was a weird howling. My wife traced the problem back to the grill on the air return. Touch it and the noise stopped so it was a harmonics issue.

I took the grill off and glued a wire down the back of each zone to change the harmonizing and silence returned.

Good call. Seems it’s the plastic register flexing. I pushed it tighter and the noise stopped. Will go look for the metal ones but it’s fairly large so may not be available in metal (wasn’t when I first bought it).
Plus the other return register is super quiet. So it’s not the fan/blower.

 

[crankcall]

Friends just moved into a 1.8m oakville Mcmansion, they brought in a contractor to spray out the dark cherry kitchen WHITE. And replaced 9k in granite countertops , with granite they liked.

There is a lid for every pot....