This flat faucet is popular but everyone I’ve tried, including the one at my house... splashes water all over the place. This big ol fatty drain solves that splashing problem.
Most homeowners don't know they have 4 options:
#1 - ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms)
#2 - SIP (Structural Insulated Panels)
#3 - Block
#4 - Wood Frame
My pick? ICF every time if the budget allows. Energy savings over 30 years pay for the upfront cost, and you sleep through hurricanes.
What would you build with ➡️ 1, 2, 3, or 4?
✍️ Start picking out your New Home Selections with my Home Building Checklist at BuilderBrigade.com
Ask your plumbers to fill and test your drainage system. They fill the vents up high and monitor the water level over a 24 hour period.
After testing mine... the pantry vents weren't sealed and started gushing water. Without the test we never would've found it.
Mandatory on new builds. Easy to skip on a reno.
Lay your leftover flooring across your attic decking. Cleaner storage, easier to walk on, and stops plywood particles from getting tracked back into the house every time you go up there.
Two ways to do it:
1.Leftover LVP from your flooring install, already paid for, just snap it in.
It pulls stale inside air out, brings fresh outside air in, and keeps your pressures balanced so you're not fighting your HVAC.
The biggest feature... the old crusty air transfers its temperature to the new incoming air. That way you're not paying twice to condition the air leaving your house.
There are also bigger ERVs that tie directly into your HVAC system to treat all the conditioned air in the home. conditioned air in the home.
✍️ There are hundreds more details like this in my Ultimate Home Building Checklist at BuilderBrigade.com (catch them before electrical gets locked in)
Here's the full list:
Under the soffit, for Christmas lights, security cameras, or outdoor speakers
In the closet, for a cordless vacuum, an iron, or a small dehumidifier
In-drawer, charge devices without cluttering your counters
Bedside, for charging and a reading lamp
On the mantel, no cords running down the side of your fireplace
Near the toilet, even if you don't want a bidet now, future you will thank you
Which one would you have forgotten?
Hose bibs usually come soldered to the pipe.
Spigots wear out, and when this one does, you can't unscrew it. when you turn it, the solder joint breaks, and then you'll have water spraying in the wall
Ask for a threaded iron pipe connection behind it and replacing the head becomes a simple swap. This house has crawl space access so it's covered either way, but on a slab build you'd be cutting drywall to reach it.
That black coating is a liquid vapor barrier, Bostik Roll-Cote.
If you want automated shades for your new home build, add wiring to your windows before drywall.
3 wiring choices to choose from:
➡️ 16-2 Wire, the safest most universal pick if you haven't chosen your shades yet
➡️ Lutron Wire, if you've got the budget and you're committed to Lutron
➡️ CAT6, if you're planning heavy smart home automation
Small tiles mean more grout lines. That's more cleaning, more spots for mold and mildew, and more daily upkeep.
Large tiles cut your grout by up to 90%. Less scrubbing, fewer places for bacteria to hide, and a cleaner modern look.
One thing to watch: large floor tiles can get slippery. Spec a textured or matte finish on anything going on the floor so you're not sliding around a wet bathroom.
Recirculating hoods are cheaper and don't need a duct run, so sometimes they'll get spec'd without anyone asking.
The problem: a recirculating hood just pushes air through a charcoal filter and dumps it right back into your kitchen. Grease, moisture, and odor stay in the house.
A vented hood ducts all of that outside where it belongs.
This is a before-drywall conversation. Adding a duct run after the walls are closed is a headache you don't want.
These adjustable gang boxes are cheap insurance where you’re installing tile or even a something like shiplap. After the outlet is installed, if you end up needing to pull the outlet closer to the finished surface, it only requires a turn of the built in screw.
Aluminum Plinth Blocks sit between the wood post and the concrete to break the moisture contact point. Without one, water wicks up into the end grain and rots the post from the bottom out. You've got two install options: -Recessed, tucked inside the post base -Fully visible beneath the post Which install do YOU think looks better 1 or 2?