Ask The Contractors

Ask The Contractors

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Ask The Contractors episodes

  • Question: Plywood underlayment
    Question from Julie in SacramentoWe have a 1927 home. It had original hardwood which was placed over (1 x 6in.) planks. We have since removed the original hardwood. We repaired our 1×6 planks, and now we’re putting in 5/8 CDX plywood subfloor over our 1×6 planks. Over the plywood, we’ll put new engineered hardwood.Two Questions: – Do we need to be concerned with plywood going in the opposite direction of our planks?– Does it matter if we have floor joists, planks, then plywood?
    I love the questions that everyone sends me. I get so many of them and I have to decide which one to use. This week, I picked this from Julie in Sacramento.
    [Click to follow along with the Transcript]
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    4 min
  • New Loan Rates Trends
    I rely on Troy Bird and Margeate Work with the Work with Bird team at Guild Mortgage because some homeowners may find more expensive renovations require them to secure different types of loan financing. They can help.
    So, I welcome Troy Bird from Guild Mortgage
    Todd: There has not been much change from last time we talked. The national average rate’s about 4.5% (as of 2/19). Very good.
    Troy: We’re still hovering around that 4 and 1/2 percent, depending on the loan program. We’ve been there for a while now.
    Todd: What if someone wants a 15-year loan?
    Troy: You could save roughly half a percent. Big savings on your interest, but remember you can always turn your 30-year loan into a 15-year loan with an amortization schedule, if you want to make some extra payments. I’ll be glad to talk to anyone about the advantages of extra payments.
    Todd: How about people out there looking to buy a home? What are the benefits of having a pre-qualified status?
    Troy: When buying a new home or an existing home it’s important to be pre-qualified. In a competitive market, sellers will get five offers on a house.
    Easy Steps to Pre-qualification
    Run your credit.Look at your income.Evaluate your assets.Start thinking about your down payment.Find the right loan program for you.
    Troy: I try to call the listing agent and say, “I’ve talked to this client. They’ve met me face-to-face. I’ve gone over everything with them. I have a pre-approval on them.” That really puts your offer in the number one position.
    Let’s talk about refinancing for Home Improvement projects
    Before starting a home improvement project, homeowners must first consider the loan costs involved.
    Experts estimate more than
    one-third of homeowners do not understand what hiring a professional will cost.
    And, they cannot successfully secure financing or a budget once they have set
    their sights on a renovation project.
    Todd: Homeowners are always looking to put a new kitchen or a new bathroom that will make their home more beautiful ,and worth more money. How does someone start the process?
    Troy: First, you’ll get an appraisal on your property to determine if you have enough equity to do that remodel. Have an appraiser and contractor come out to give you a bid. Then we can talk about the perfect option for you. There are loans that will project what your house will be worth, based on the improvements you are making. It will estimate your future value and our office can help you with that.
    If anyone has any questions, I’m Troy Bird with the Work with Bird team at Guild Mortgage 916-977-1234. You can also check me out on the web www.troybird.com.
    11 min
  • Useful Tips to Make Your Home Renovation Project Less Stressful
    Yes, home renovations can be stressful. I want you to maintain your relationship with your family and loved ones while you’re renovating your home because it can be stressful. There’s dust. There’re people in your home that you just met. There is contractor cleavage, for crying out loud. All these things are going on in your home. Your life is disrupted, and you’re going to be happy when it’s over. That’s because you’re going to have a brand-new project; maybe a new kitchen, or a new bath.
    “You’re going through the eye of the needle. It’s not fun.” Host, Todd Bird
    Here’s what
    I’ve learned over the course of my 40 years to make your home renovation
    project less stressful.
    Move Out
    First, if
    it’s a huge project, go get an apartment. Make it an adventure for you and your
    kids. Go rent a 2 or 3 bedroom condo or an apartment. You can get into a
    month-to-month lease.
    You want to
    make your family comfortable. If your family is not comfortable, then it’s
    really miserable. Get away from the project so you’re not there stressing out
    every day looking at what’s happening.
    Plan your Budget Well
    Get a good set of plans. A good set of plans.  What can you do with those? You can get a good budget together. It’s worth paying the money to get a good set of plans.
    No Changes
    You do not want to get into a remodel and make changes. When you change something, it ends up affecting six other contractors who are working on your home.
    Have a Reasonable Time-line
    If you think
    it’s a 6-month project, add a month to your schedule. There’s going to be rain
    delays. There’s going to be a subcontractor delays; it happens. You want to get
    it as close as possible but be reasonable with your time frame for getting that
    project done.
    Do you have a news tip for our Show Prep on AsktheContractors.com? Send us a comment on the home page.
    4 min
  • Question: Wood Split at Hinges

    I love this segment about hinges. It’s the Question of the Week.  Ask me the question and I’ll give you an answer.

    Question from Jason B – in Sacramento  

    We moved into our new-construction home 2 months ago.  

    About half of the cabinet frames are splitting where the kitchen hinges screw-in.

    I’ve asked the builder how they’re going to repair the cracks. They said they’re only going to fill the cracks with wood putty, but not glue.

    I asked if they would use glue and re-drill the holes, but they said no.  

    Two Questions:  
    What is the proper solution for my problem?
    What outcome should we expect?  

    I want to thank Jason for sending this in… It’s a good question and I’ve seen the picture. These are inverted hinges. They’re hidden hinges.

    [Click to follow along with the Transcript beyond]

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    4 min
  • Question: Wood Split at Hinges
    I love this segment about hinges. It’s the Question of the Week.  Ask me the question and I’ll give you an answer.
    Question from Jason B – in Sacramento   We moved into our new-construction home 2 months ago.   About half of the cabinet frames are splitting where the kitchen hinges screw-in.I’ve asked the builder how they’re going to repair the cracks. They said they’re only going to fill the cracks with wood putty, but not glue. I asked if they would use glue and re-drill the holes, but they said no.   Two Questions:   What is the proper solution for my problem? What outcome should we expect?  
    I want to thank Jason for sending this in… It’s a good question and I’ve seen the picture. These are inverted hinges. They’re hidden hinges.
    [Click to follow along with the Transcript beyond]
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    4 min
  • Tips from Interior Designer Kerrie Kelly

    I want to talk with an interior designer about home decorating. I’m a contractor. When it comes to designing and picking out finishes, I find it very difficult. I have a knack of putting the puzzles together but I do not have a knack for finding the pieces. To help us find those pieces I’ve invited Kerrie Kelly from Kerrie Kelly Design Lab. She’s an interior designer based here right here in Sacramento.

    Todd: A lot of times homeowners have a hard time visualizing what they’re going to do. So, one of the secrets I tell potential clients is to go up to El Dorado Hills, Serrano. Also, go to Winchester. Go to these high-end subdivisions where they have model homes. You know someone spent hundreds of thousands of dollars staging and designing those model homes.

    Kerrie: I think model homes are a great way for people to envision a lifestyle for themselves. Not only is it the interior; it’s how that spills out to the exterior. Now we live in a place, especial in California, where we can blur the lines between Indoors and Outdoors.

    Todd: The California rooms are becoming so popular because your kitchen doors and family room doors open right up into another living area. It’s outside. Maybe you have a fireplace. You can have big screens… In California, we get to do that. We are absolutely blessed here in California to have that advantage.

    Kerrie: We’ve evolved the concept of Outdoor Living, as far as, what we’re doing, as far as entertaining and living. The materials now work for us. For example, take those Sunbrella fabrics. There’s a pallet that I would specify as indoors, for durability sake. Those fabrics can now spill outdoors with stripes, and plaids, and solid colors, and all of our favorite things. It’s not just beige anymore.

    Let’s Talk Trends 

    Todd: I’ve seen certain Trends in the design business, but there are some things that I think will be around forever. These items can be integrated into your home.

    <
    0 min
  • Tips from Interior Designer Kerrie Kelly
    I want to talk with an interior designer about home decorating. I’m a contractor. When it comes to designing and picking out finishes, I find it very difficult. I have a knack of putting the puzzles together but I do not have a knack for finding the pieces. To help us find those pieces I’ve invited Kerrie Kelly from Kerrie Kelly Design Lab. She’s an interior designer based here right here in Sacramento.
    Todd: A lot of times homeowners have a hard time visualizing what they’re going to do. So, one of the secrets I tell potential clients is to go up to El Dorado Hills, Serrano. Also, go to Winchester. Go to these high-end subdivisions where they have model homes. You know someone spent hundreds of thousands of dollars staging and designing those model homes.
    Kerrie: I think model homes are a great way for people to envision a lifestyle for themselves. Not only is it the interior; it’s how that spills out to the exterior. Now we live in a place, especial in California, where we can blur the lines between Indoors and Outdoors.
    Todd: The California rooms are becoming so popular because your kitchen doors and family room doors open right up into another living area. It’s outside. Maybe you have a fireplace. You can have big screens… In California, we get to do that. We are absolutely blessed here in California to have that advantage.
    Kerrie: We’ve evolved the concept of Outdoor Living, as far as, what we’re doing, as far as entertaining and living. The materials now work for us. For example, take those Sunbrella fabrics. There’s a pallet that I would specify as indoors, for durability sake. Those fabrics can now spill outdoors with stripes, and plaids, and solid colors, and all of our favorite things. It’s not just beige anymore.
    Let’s Talk Trends 
    Todd: I’ve seen certain Trends in the design business, but there are some things that I think will be around forever. These items can be integrated into your home.
    The first is Granite. It’s around to stay. Every once in a while I get a news story that granite’s “out”, and it’s not popular anymore. I love it. I think it’s beautiful.
    The other is hardwood flooring. Above all, it’s just so beautiful. We have hardwood throughout my entire home. I use throw rugs. I have dust bunnies all over the place but I know where the dust bunnies are so I have a really clean house.
    The other is used brick. I think used brick incorporated into a home makes it look so beautiful. Plus, it usually comes with a story.
    It’s amazing to talk about people who pull back their carpets in the Fab Forties. You will find the hardwood floors are perfect.
    Kerrie: I agree. I think the hardwood is a happy surprise. That is to say, there’s nothing better, especially if the homeowner is there during the discovery. It really kicks off the renovation; absolutely. Actually, I live with hardwood myself. I do live in East Sacramento, so I know exactly what you’re talking about. My house was built 1925 and those hardwood floors are still there today. I definitely believe in hardwood floor.
    I grew up in a partial brick house. My dad laid all the bricks, so that’s near and dear to my heart. It’s a Timeless aesthetic, for sure. I also think we should use natural products like Granite in our homes. I don’t specify it very often as an Interior Designer because of the maintenance. We do a lot of Quartz. These materials are going to be timeless and classic for us.
    Todd: So you don’t see green shag carpet and acoustic ceilings with sparkles coming back anytime soon?
    Kerrie: No. We’ve checked the avocado green color accents off the list for a little while.  [Ha ha]
    How about colors?
    Todd: Where do you see colors going this year? For instance, I’m talking paint tones; accent wal
    0 min
  • Construction Loans Options

    I always like having Troy Bird on AskTheContractors.com to talk about mortgage rates, where we’re going in this market, and what is happening now with Mortgage Loans trends?

    It’s hard to make sense of Mortgage rates. I asked Troy Bird, Mortgage Banker with Guild Mortgage in Sacramento about where mortgage rates are now, and are they going to remain steady. Troy says, “We’ve seen a nice dip at the end of the year into the New Year. We’ll probably see them going up this year but we’ve seen a little bit of a window where we’ve had the rates drop”.

    Mortgage Application
    News

    Mortgage applications rose by 13.5% on a seasonally adjusted basis over the week ending January 11, 2019, according to data from The Mortgage Bankers Association weekly mortgage loans application survey.

    “I think a little bit of that is the clients out there, they’re smart. They’re going to their lender and they’re getting pre-qualified, so they’re looking at what they’re going to be doing in the springtime. Also, with the dip in rates, there’s little bit of that refinance action as well,” said Troy Bird.

    Mortgage experts like Troy Bird say put yourself in the best position by getting pre-qualified. “You have a stronger arm going into negotiations when you’re buying a home. That is the way to do it. Talk to your lender first. Clean up your credit. Figure out your down payment. Look at what you need to do on your road map to home ownership so when you make that offer on that property you’re on top of the pile.”

    As a contractor I always appreciate it when the homeowner says, ‘we’re qualified. We’re going to refinance our home’. But, before you refinance we need to know how much we need to borrow. Maybe it’s for that new kitchen remodel. Conversely, it could be a bathroom remodel. It could be for a roof or a room addition. Whatever it is, Mortgage Banker Troy Bird with G

    12 min
  • Construction Loans Options
    I always like having Troy Bird on AskTheContractors.com to talk about mortgage rates, where we’re going in this market, and what is happening now with Mortgage Loans trends?
    It’s hard to make sense of Mortgage rates. I asked Troy Bird, Mortgage Banker with Guild Mortgage in Sacramento about where mortgage rates are now, and are they going to remain steady. Troy says, “We’ve seen a nice dip at the end of the year into the New Year. We’ll probably see them going up this year but we’ve seen a little bit of a window where we’ve had the rates drop”.
    Mortgage Application
    News
    Mortgage applications rose by 13.5% on a seasonally adjusted basis over the week ending January 11, 2019, according to data from The Mortgage Bankers Association weekly mortgage loans application survey.
    “I think a little bit of that is the clients out there, they’re smart. They’re going to their lender and they’re getting pre-qualified, so they’re looking at what they’re going to be doing in the springtime. Also, with the dip in rates, there’s little bit of that refinance action as well,” said Troy Bird.
    Mortgage experts like Troy Bird say put yourself in the best position by getting pre-qualified. “You have a stronger arm going into negotiations when you’re buying a home. That is the way to do it. Talk to your lender first. Clean up your credit. Figure out your down payment. Look at what you need to do on your road map to home ownership so when you make that offer on that property you’re on top of the pile.”
    As a contractor I always appreciate it when the homeowner says, ‘we’re qualified. We’re going to refinance our home’. But, before you refinance we need to know how much we need to borrow. Maybe it’s for that new kitchen remodel. Conversely, it could be a bathroom remodel. It could be for a roof or a room addition. Whatever it is, Mortgage Banker Troy Bird with Guild Mortgage suggests you work with a team that will check your equity. It is also very important to project-out what your home will be worth when the project is completed.
    Specialty
    Loans for Home Renovation
    Another option
    to help you buy the home of your dreams is a loan using your Veteran’s status.
    “The VA loan is for our veterans. If you have served then you have your Certificate of Eligibility which allows you to apply for a VA loan. The good news is, if you use your VA entitlement you can use it again. It’s not a one-time shot. That means you can always use your VA entitlement as you go through your home purchasing process”, Troy Bird tells us.
    How much do
    I need to borrow?
    If you are going to do a remodel, get all your ducks in order. That includes refinancing your home. Furthermore, always consider having a contractor come out to estimate that project. Is it $60,000? Is it $70,000? If its $70,000, and you guess and borrow $80,000, you’re paying interest on $10,000 you didn’t need.
    Finally, this last scenario. It’s a $60,000 kitchen. You think it’s only going to cost you 45K, but you run out of money. Troy and I have done a project before where the client has run out of money. Above all, it was an ugly situation. We worked through it, but it was very, very, very difficult. We avoid that by talking about your loan-type upfront. Ask how much equity will I have, and the amount of cash I would need to complete my project.
    If you have questions about VA loans, you can call Troy Bird at 916-977-1234 of Guild Mortgage.
    12 min
  • Question: Fireplace remodel
    Ask The Contractors a Question:
    This is a question from Angela.

    I have a brick fireplace that is flush with the wall. The upper portion is drywalled. I would like to remove a portion of the upper drywall and expose more brick. It’s an exterior wall.

    Here is the Question: “If I remove framing to expose the Brick, will that cause any structural damage?”

    To help me answer this question, we have Angela with us…

    Or click to follow along with the transcript below.

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    11 min

About Ask The Contractors

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Host Todd Bird answers your questions and highlights his endorsed & trusted Contractor Pros on the topics of Home Improvement and Renovation.