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If your on a budget but need a smooth floor 1/4" luan is the way to go. You don t want cement board for a couple reasons. One is the expense. Two it isn t the right ting to do at all. Hardibacker is what you d use but that is expensive to use also ( more than luan) Roughly 10/11$ a 3x5 sheet ( 15s/f) as apposed to 18$ a sheet for luan( 4x8 sheet and 32 s/f. You don t have to thin set either down , just nail. If you can borrow or rent a special wood stapler to do the luan with , in a few years it will come up fairly easy and you can then do the flooring of your choice GL

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I wouldn't spend so much on the party personally, but if you chose to spend your hard earned cash in this fashion, i am in no position to judge. Hosting 250 people is extremely pricey but i really think it can be done anywhere from 25,000-40,000 and you shouldn't exceed that. Spend the remainder on a car so that the car + party don't go over 50k

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Forget the drop in ceiling.It looks cheap and gaudy.Tear down the old tiles and get rid of them.If you ceiling joist aren't perfectly straight then do a little extra work and add some lumber so straighten it out.Put your can lights in correctly.Insulate any copper pipes.There shouldn't be any junction boxes in the ceiling that don't have an access covers.Think ahead and make sure everything is done and done right before you sheetrock.Sure,drop in tile ceilings are great for the repair man but you have wiring and plumbing throughout your house.You don't install drop ceilings in your entire house. It's like all the old plaster homes with the nice high ceilings and they would slap up 8" brown paneling and hang a suspended ceiling at 7'-11". Icky

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Generally no more than 12' apart..There are codes that you follow for your local codes as you know but 12' is a general rule of thumb. GL

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Ceramic is really the only right choice for a bathroom.

The larger the tile, the more attention you will have to pay to how level your floor is. Big tiles on an uneven floor will crack. If you are not experienced at ceramic tiling I recommend using a tile no larger than 4-1/4", or a mosaic-type tile that comes in sheets.

Home centers sell good cement-based backer boards for ceramic tile. Use that for your subfloor, preferably fastened with screws, but make sure the screw heads are countersunk to be level with the subfloor surface.

Use a straightedge or a chalk line to draw two straight lines across the room so that they cross at exact right angles in the middle of the room. Work out from this center point when laying the tile, using the lines as a guide. Lay out a test run of tile without adhesive before you start, and adjust the lines if necessary to avoid ending with a very small cut piece of tile at the edge of the room.

Spread tile mastic (essentially a thick glue) with a notched trowel. If you are using 4-1/4" tile you will want a trowel with about 1/4" triangular notches; for mosaic tile, a little smaller. Spread only as much mastic as you can cover with tile in about 10 minutes. Gently tap each tile into place with a rubber mallet or a small block of wood to seat it firmly in the mastic. Cut the edge pieces with a tile cutter and nipper, usually available for rental where you bought the tile.

After the tile has set for a day or two, apply grout. Mix the powdered grout with water or latex grout fortifier until it is a stiff mashed-potato consistency, then force it into the cracks with a grouting float (essentially a stiff rubber sponge on a handle). Wipe as much of the excess grout off the surface with the float as you can, then wipe the surface over and over with a damp rag rinsed in clear water until the tile surface looks completely clean. You will NOT be able to remove set grout from the tile surface later, so do as good a job as you can.

When the grout is dry there will be a hazy film on the tile surface; buff that away with a dry towel and you're done.

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added later: Carp (below) is correct about grout sealer, and also about making sure your subfloor will support cement backer board. Thanks Carp! I don't agree with his recommendation about lauan plywood underlayment, though; in a bathroom, the repeated moisture exposure can cause the plywood to warp and delaminate over time. A better course is to reinforce the subfloor to support cement backer board. It is more work, but it will last longer.

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I just type you a nice letter and corrected spelling and lost the whole thing. So I will just give you the website.

Http://www.faucetdirect.com/index.cfm/page/search:browse/categoryID/3913

It is in accessories Good luck.

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You may be having thermal expansion going on.
This happens when you heat water. It expands.
You need to put in an expansion tank on the cold inlet of the water heater.
Have the air charge the same psi as the incoming water pressure.
Good Luck.

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You said it yourself that he told you it could be $150 or more, so obviously the $150 was the minimum he thought it would be so you should have expected it to more. What you should have done was ask him to come out and look at it in person and then give you an estimate BEFORE he started the work. If he was not willing to do that I would not have hired him. I would say you are going to be stuck or you could try and negotiate with him somewhere between the $425 and $150. If you threaten to not pay him the full amount and say you can go see a a judge in small claims court to see what is reasonable and fair, he may be willing to meet you in the middle to avoid the hassle. I would also ask him why it is $425; ask him to itemize the bill, materials and labor. May be it is legite and once he got into the job it was bigger than he thought and he incurred more expenses to fix it or took him longer than he thought. Do you know how long it took to fix the issue? Was it 1 hour or 5. If it was longer I would say the fees seem reasonable.

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Ikea has really nice kitchens xxx

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Ou can use pre mixed white thinset, if you seal the tile before grout it'll help to clean, and sometimes if are using a dark color grout it can stain the tile, so better is to seal before grout.
Some people (like myself) likes when some of the natural holes on the travertine tiles is filled with the grout, so if you like the look you can fill some with grout.

You can refer to this blog which show you a article about kitchen backsplash ideas: design/remodeling
(if those website not change)

Kitchen backsplash ideas Video

http://kitchen-backsplash-ideas2.blogspot.com/search/label/Question%203%3AKitchen%20Design%2FRemodeling%20-%20Backsplash

Source(S)
Kitchen backsplash ideas articles
http://kitchen-backsplash-ideas2.blogspot.com/search/label/Question%203%3AKitchen%20Design%2FRemodeling%20-%20Backsplash

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Go to where the population you are marketing to hangs out - senior centers, nursing homes, etc. Put up some flyers advertising free assessment and estimates. You can talk to staf of nursing homes about your products - they may mention it to their short term residents (Offer a 5 or 10% discount for them). Also, go to wealthy neighborhoods and put up some flyers there too. Don't neglect people in their 40's and 50's - they have parents. Emphasize self respect and independent living - buzz words for seniors.

Remember, hen dealing with seniors and the handicapped, you will also be dealing with their caretakers (it will be a joint decision - which sometimes makes it harder on you).

Nice business plan though. Hope it works out.

Best of luck.

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Sorry, but that sounds like a fair estimate for that part of the country, materials alone with will be costly! Removing a wall and replacing entire bath, fixtures etc, plastering, plumbing, wiring, ceilings , yes a fair price to start, and if a bearing wall maybe even higher, all depends. Good luck.

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The cost / Sq foot is going to be pretty close to the same..about $100-$120/sq ft. However, the basement may be less if nothing needs to gutted or re-plumbed or new electrical. Then your probably looking at only $75-100. Hope that helps.

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First and foremost before hiring a contractor make sure he/she is registered and make sure he/she is bonded and insured.

If your contractor is a good one, they will have a list of references detailing different and varied clients with up-to-date contact information including: name, address, phone number(s), and info on the work done including quote. How many should they supply? I'd say at least 20 names !

Ask the homeowners important questions like: Did the contractor start/finish on time? How much down did they ask for? Did you have any problems on the job? Was the contractor pleasant to work with? Did they surprise you with extra prices you did not expect? Furthermore, try to go see at least three other properties that have had similar work done. This is important.

Before you agree to have the contractor do work on your property, it is the contractor's responsibility to provide a contract containing all their contact information and detailing the work which will be completed on your property, supplies they will be using, sub contractors (if any) who will be coming onto the property and a detailed payment schedule. It should also be stated in the contract that you will not pay any costs above the quote unless agreed to in writing.

It isn't a bad idea to put some terms on your contract, i.e. Times the property is open to them and that the contractor agrees to clean up at the end of each work day. Some contractors ask for an outrageous amount of money before they even lay a hand on your property.

Caution- Most importantly, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SIGN. A good contract should be typed, legible and easy to read. There should be no fine print. And remember - Always trust your instincts. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.

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I agree with jakeb, you likely have a 60" tub once the sheet rock/plaster is removed.

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Chicago faucet is still in business and their website has one that looks close to that for only $120

http://www.chicagofaucetcentral.com/chicago-lavatory-faucet-4-integral-spout-e12vp-vandal-resistant-2-2-gpm-pressure-compensating-softflo-aerator-390-indexed-curved-lever-handle-ceramic-disc-operating-cartridges

Personally I would not buy the 'antique' pictured there as you probably can't verify the true age of it and the seller also does not accept returns. If it shows up damaged your SOL Cruise Chicago Faucets products and you might find something you like better and it will be new with a warranty. Good luck with the bath.