Reccomendation to others – carry your measuring tape and a big fat magic marker with you at all times, and mark centerlines and quarter lines on joists, studs, sheeting, wherever you can think of EARLY in your project. When you’re working in a room stripped down to studs, you can often lose track of “centerline” and “quarterlines” and such because you’re being inundated with visual information that may NOT be centered or evenly spaced around your workspace! It’s funny how after days and days in the shell of a room you can mentally and visually latch on to *that* stud as the stud you just *know* in in the middle!

Cheers,

Willy

What an annoying thing to have a plumber telling you where you want stuff! I often wonder with guys like that if they even look around and see that a house like yours or mine is 1) not your run of the mill 60′s blech apartment building and 2) is obviously NOT owned by an owner who doesn’t know any better or care about details.

I usually get very quiet and stern and most importantly CLEAR with service providers like that. I reccomend to people that they make their decision and stick to it, and simply state it in no uncertain terms: “I want the plumbing hook up RIGHT HERE. If you are unwilling or unable to put the hookup right there where I’ve asked for it, would you be so kind as to reccomend a colleague that might be able to do so?”…and if the guy gives you some huge difference in price to do it YOUR way as opposed to HIS way and can’t give you a reason why that makes sense to you, politely ask him to leave.

Remember, you’re paying for the job, so YOU set the specs for the job.

Cheers!

Willy

Any update on the exterior of the house?

–Eric