We use foam in one way or another on better than 90% of our projects. Its air sealing properties, leave no void, and incredible insulative properties make it a big win. Sure you have to let go of a little more green on purchase, but the cost savings quickly add up.

I usually install a few feet of 2″ rigid foam board around the perimeter of a slab, which is code, but this time I decided to use closed cell foam beneath the entire slab. This slab will be the ground floor for a writing/recording studio. Providing insulation under the entire slab on this project made a lot of sense.

Here is a short clip of that foam being sprayed on!

The cost of the foam is very comparable to rigid foam board. Sure you can buy the material for a little less, but after you calculate in labor, the price difference becomes a wash. On this type of application, you can estimate between $2.00-$2.50 a foot.

Here is what the closed cell foam gives you!

1. Conforms infinitely to gravel and foundation as a substrate. Won’t break when stepped on unlike rigid foam board.
2. Forms a continuous vapor barrier especially sealing around electrical and plumbing penetrations in slab.
3. Forms a great surface to pull concrete across.
4. Another benefit I hope we will see is keeping external noise at bay by decoupling the slab from the substrate. Ever feel that big truck rumble by?
5. Excellent R values. At about 7.5 an inch, the slab should be closer to room temperature than ground temperature.

Now remember, only closed cell foam can be used in this capacity! Open cell foam would be crushed beneath the concrete, and would not perform as a vapor barrier.

So the next time your loading your truck with that pink board, think of calling in a foam installer instead. I think you will be happy.

After any storm of great magnitude, some damage will occur. In our case, with the flood of 2010, the damage was silent, creeping, and incredibly invasive. In the aftermath, contractors will come from the corners of our country to help rebuild. Even so, pricing, finding supplies, getting honest bids can be a daunting task. This post is dedicated towards giving you, the homeowner, a pricing guideline for reconstruction. This post does get quite lengthy.

A few caveats if I may. This is a guideline only, not an actual bid. Please be aware that your home may have site conditions that could dramatically affect pricing. Also be aware that material prices are fluctuating.

This is the first step of construction, planning. This is absolutely essential for figuring out if you will have enough money to complete the project. This guideline is assuming the structure is intact, and that no changes will be made. A following post will detail out who to call, and which steps to take.

As a reminder, before going forward with reconstruction:

1. Make sure that your insurance adjuster has paid you a visit.
2. Calculate square footages in affected areas.
3. Select as much of the fit and finish as possible.
4. Develop a budget with a categorized detail for organization.
5. Make sure to pull the permit before you start work.  This is a must.

Pricing Categories:

Site Preparation: Plastic off storage area, creating barriers for living space, and installing a keypad lock, are important first steps. My favorite keypad lock can be found here. Schlage Keypad Lock Budget here should be $200-$500.

Demolition: If any remaining items need to be removed, tile changed etc, budget in between $150-1000.  $150 per man per day.

Framing Repair: Some have termite damage, or minimal framing repairs.  Budget in at least $500

HVAC: Air conditioners are most easily priced out by figuring out your tonnage.  Divide your square footage of living space by 600.  That will give you your basic tonnage.  Anywhere from $1500 per ton for easy swapouts, to $4500 a ton for complete installs should be expected.  Options or High Efficiency will be at the top. Check for tax credits on this category.

Plumbing:  Add up the number of plumbing fixtures you have e.g. a toilet.  For most, your rough plumbing should be intact.  If any fixtures need to be moved, e.g. moving a toilet, plan in $500-$700 a fixture. Just reinstalling fixture called trim out, budget in about $200 a fixture.  If you haven’t changed your water heater, expect $1200-$1500.  Remember to hire a licensed plumber.  There will need to be an inspection.

Plumbing Fixtures: Below is a basic list of plumbing fixtures with basic costs.  Select yours and plug in those prices.

Electrical: The work criteria, is whatever was below water needs to be swapped out.  Plugs, horizontal wire runs, and electrical panels.  For most homes budget in $1000.  If your panel needs replaced, budget in another $1000.  If you want to make changes to any fixtures, add at least $75 an opening if accessible, and add the cost of the fixture.

Exterior Doors: For a front door that is decent, $400 is a starting point.  Remember installation.  Front door setups can easily be $2000-$3000.  Hardware can be another $600.  For the budget conscience, $250 for both can be had at the big box stores!

Interior Doors:  If you have saved your trim work, slab doors (just the door) can be had for $20 on the low end for hollow core, to $150 for wood doors.  If your casings are missing, buying a pre-hung door (a door hung on a jamb with trim) can start at $60 and go to $250.  If your trim is gone, go the prehung way, unless of course have an older home and need to match doors up.  That is a different discussion altogether.

Fireplace Insert: If you have a fireplace insert, it must be changed.  Gas logs as well.  Budget in around$1000 for a replacement insert and logs with installation.  A surround (the hearth and granite sides) budget in at least $350.  Mantle, same thing, at least $350.  Remember, if you want custom, it can go up dramatically.

Insulation: For Fiberglass batt, add your linear ft of exterior wall.  If you need 4 ft replaced, multiply by $2.20. If you have to replace 8 ft, multiply by  $4.40. If you have extra budget, consider spray foam insulation, you will probably have to multiply your fiberglass estimate by 4, but it would be worth your money.  As far as crawl space re insulation, between the new plastic vapor barrier and insulation, plan at least $3.00 a square foot of your houses footprint. My suggestion, look into foaming the perimeter instead of fiberglassing the floor.  Especially with ductwork in the crawlspace, your will be rewarded in the future.  Remember, usually it is usually the same cost  to hire a professional  to insulate with fiberglass as purchasing the material yourself and installing.

Drywall: Drywall is priced usually by the board.  A board is either 4 X 8, or 4 X 12.  The price includes material, hanging, and finishing. Add up the linear ft of walls that need new drywall.  Plan on either replacing at the 4 ft mark, or the 8 ft mark.  Plan extra if you had plaster for furring out the walls.  Take that linear foot of wall and if access is easy, divide by 12.  If access is difficult, divide by 8.  That will give you the number of boards of drywall.  Then multiply that by $50-$60 if there are only a few boards.  If there is a substantial amount, or if you team up with your neighbors, multiply by $30-$40.

Interior Detail and Trim:  For basic homes, take that linear ft of wall that needs drywall, and multiply by at least $3 for the trim material and labor.  If you have specialty trim, multiply the linear ft by $4-$5. If doors need hung, closet shelves put in, consider adding at least $1500 to have a trim carpenter in your home for a week or two.  Don’t forget closets components, stairs, etc.

Painting: Most exteriors will survive paint wise, but most interiors will need completely repainted.  Multiply your home footprint by anywhere from $2.50-$3.50. If you have higher ceilings, wallpaper that needs removed, or wood paneling, add another dollar per square ft.

Tub and Shower Surround:  Most standard tubs can have a surround tiled with material for $1000.  Most full tiled showers can be done for $3000.  This will mean picking an inexpensive tile, and being minimal on the extras.  If you want a mosaic, or intricate custom scenario, double that amount.

Flooring:  Add up the floor space square footage for each particular area.  Carpet, Budget $1.50 to $5.50 a square ft.  I know big margin, but big difference in choice of carpet.  Hardwoods, $6 to $8 a square ft. Vinyl, $2 to $3 a square ft.  Tile, $7 to $12 a square ft.

Cabinetry: Here is another big one, and one hard to budget for.  Add the linear ft of cabinets you need to have replaced.  This can include bathroom vanities.  On the semi-custom lower end, multiply the linear ft by $230.  This should include installation.  For a step up, add another $100 a linear ft.  Keep going if you want something nicer.  $700-$800 a linear ft for great custom cabinets isn’t unheard of. If your budget dictates, perhaps getting build yourself from a big box store, or purchasing a used set from Habitat Home Store will help.  There are cheap options out there, but start your budget with what I listed, and go from there.

Counter tops: Measure the square footage space for your countertops.  If you have 10 linear ft of cabinets, multiply by 2.  Add square footage of backsplash.  Sink cutouts for undermounts are $200 and don’t forget the cutout for a drop in stove if you have one $150.  Budget $10-$20 a square ft for cheap laminates, to $45-$65 for granites and solid surface countertops.

Misc: Budget in for appliances, for bathroom accessories/mirrors, and for lighting fixture changes. Budget in for cleanup, and waste management.  A dumpster can cost $400 for a 30yd.  Most projects like this will take 1-2 dumpsters.

Remember, this is a budget.  It helps set expectations, and helps you prioritize.  Invest on things that are hard to change in the future, and don’t get caught in the indecision world.  Pick everything out before hand, and relax while the project proceeds.  Its helpful once you have your budget to check with major subs on your project to check costs.  Management may add up to $20 percent to this number.  If you have the time to manage, with the proper steps it can save you money.  If you don’t know what a hammer looks like, consider hiring a general contractor.

Also, stay tuned to a post on a step by step chronology to run your project.

Here in Middle TN, moisture in your home has been at the top of many homeowners minds due to recent flooding.  Rumors, good and bad advice, and warnings all pertaining to water in a home have been circulating like wild fire.

There are three main keys with moisture in a home.

One is quick action.

Quick action is needed to eliminate standing water in a home, and remove all articles and building materials in a home which hold water, or keep air from circulating freely. I have wrote more on this here.

Second is to not rush dry time.

Many are concerned with fixing their home as quickly as possible. If you don’t allow the moisture to drop to a safe a standard level, their can be a host of problems. Mold, wood movement, and deterioration of building products.  Your home may take 2-4 weeks to stabilize.

The building principle is that all homes have moisture in them.  Their are safe levels of moisture, and unsafe.  I know there have been people running around with moisture meters trying to determine what is bad and what is good.  One day after flood waters leave a home, is premature in testing for moisture content.  Follow the basic rules of remediation, start the drying process, and then test later.  Here are some key facts.

1. Lumber from the mill can arrive at your doorstep at 19-20 percent moisture reading.  This is not unsafe!

2. Moisture readings of 12-16 percent are safe to close up and proceed on with construction.

3. Furniture needs to be at 12 percent or below to be dimensionally stable.

4. Homes in a dry climate will sometimes drop to 6-7 percent but rarely lower.

5. An area to watch is between 20-28 percent moisture reading.  Most flooded areas will drop out of this range quickly though.

6. Above 28 percent for a prolonged time, mold and deterioration are imminent.

Read more about this here.

Third, know when to stop.

Many homes are being stripped beyond what is necessary. Sub-flooring, unaffected drywall, wall sheathing are all examples of items that may not need to be removed. True the appearance of your wood may have changed, but the serviceability for the most part remains intact.

So called dimensional lumber, a 2 X 4, should look the most normal after significant water entry save for some staining.  Plywood subfloor, or osb (oriented strand board) subfloor will many times look grey, obviously dirty, swell at the seams, and flake.  Don’t rush removal though.  OSB and plywood are manufactured with the idea that at some point they will get wet.  If you can imagine a building project in a variety of rainy conditions, these substrates need to remain serviceable while getting wet.  Allowing them to dry sufficiently before covering is important, but appearance isn’t primary here.

If in doubt call an engineer to check out your particular situation.  Most engineering companies will perform a site visit for 300-400 dollars, much less than the cost of replacing your subfloor.  As a note, particle board or mdf, as seen in lower end cabinets and at times under carpet, is a complete loss.  Remove as quickly as possible. Also, if you are installing hardwoods, have them acclimate to your home for at least 3-5 days before install.  This will keep them from excess movement after install.

Feel free to read more here.

So how do I test?

For the homeowner, buy an inexpensive meter.  This type of meter will have prongs that you will push into the affected areas, with a gauge displaying moisture content.  This is easy and necessary insurance before you start covering up walls and floors.

Check this one out, available on Amazon. There are better, more accurate ones out there, but for the average home owner this should suffice.

Yes water in your home is a call for action. Just don’t act irrationally. Knowing the rules can save you big bucks.