Not sleeping well and can’t make any noise so I am watching TV. It is 2 AM and ABC has a show called “Your House and Home.” What a bunch of idiots.
They replaced a bathroom monolithic countertop (cultured marble, integral sinks, not bad but dated) with a Corian countertop (nice) and 2 Kohler (very stylized though quite nice) drop-in sinks.
Someone please explain to me why a person would spend $$$ on Corian (a monolithic material) and $$$ on 2 sinks (stylized or not) that are drop-ins? A great benefit of monolithic countertops is that you can use an undermount application, thereby eliminating that annoying sink lip which prevents you from wiping directly into the sink. An opportunity to avoid a scum trap is lost.
Then they show how the hole for the sink is made in the Corian – With a jigsaw!!! This voids the Corian warranty! It says so in the installation guide because it causes micro-fissures which will grow and discolor over time.
The faucet is discribed as “pre-assemble” as though you do not have to disassemble it to feed it through the countertop bore.
Next they install a doggie-door in a brick wall. After showing a guy they say they hired to cut the hole in the wall, they skip to putting the trim on the wall (inside and out) without even mentioning the framing required for attaching the trim let alone actually showing the installation of the jambs, header and sill of the new aperture.
“It’s easily a project you could do yourself” they claim. What about the guy who cut the hole in the brick wall?!! Makes it look like a clever lunch time project.
No wonder clients balk at installation pricing and think construction work is simplistic – only requiring less than average pay and intelligence. “It says so on TV!”
Good thing BT exists. Kinda like FHB is the antedote for these shows. Think FHB could use that as a tagline for the magazine? Or would it piss off the advertisers who cross market?
Ya know, even the cooking shows have celebrity chefs as moderators. Key word – CHEFS. They are all accomplished in the Kitchen. On the home renovation DIY style shows, there are a couple of bone heads, who can’t even use a hammer properly, moderating.
I am told this is done (Kevin O’Connor of TOH) to make it more accessable to the layman. Fine, but at least get the information accurate and complete. Then again – who would you rather learn from: Someone as uninformed as you about the subject or an expert?
How am I supposed to sleep now? Ugh!
Frankie
There he goes—one of God’s own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.
—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
Replies
These "shows" mean money in the bank for us that have the opportunity to go out and fix the HO's FU's. Hope they make more...
I'd like to see someone just go and buy a corian top. You have to be certified to buy it as far as I know.
Mark
They're selling small pieces now to the DIY'er for "projects", the pieces are big enough for a vanity top I think!
Where theres a will theres a way
Doug
IMHO, Corian is already dated.
In the big cycle of style, Granite is the new Corian.
What's next? Maybe stainless tops are making a comeback?
Oh, I guess I'm not really responding to your post. Lately I've also had insomnia. I think it's the change of season.
For the DIY shoes, I watch many of them for entertainment (have one on in the background right now). Some of them make you think -- like where's Waldo -- how many missteps can I find and how do I actually do that. Keeps the gray matter sharp.
This board is more fun though because the best of the best are always around to give feedback. If I miss finding Waldo, somebody who knows more is always around to point him out. ;-)
"Let's get crack-a-lackin" --- Adam Carolla
Edited 4/15/2006 10:37 am ET by philarenewal
Frankie ,
I know exactly what you mean . Kind of like Norm A.
I've been a wood butcher for about 30 years and when I see Normie showing how to build a piece of furniture or a frame er sumthun I cringe . They show him cutting the parts and maybe making the joints , then they show the finished assembly without showing any clamping or cussing .
In general imo the DIY shows do a dis service to professionals , by minimizing the skills required and making things look awful easy .
It really bugs me when they do not show all the steps involved with a project .
dusty
I'm not a huge fan of the New Yankee Workshop, but at least it's shown Norm's progress in skills over the years.
Except in woodturning.
I'm a pretty decent turner, and it drives me crazy to watch him. Especially when he's got to get out the copy jig to make more than 1 piece. I'd have 3-4 done by the time he's got the template made and the jig set up.
But I don't think NYW or TOH or most of the other "home improvement" shows really are meant to appeal to guys like us.
Those shows are really designed for selling tools. Norm usually uses almost everything in the shop to do each project. And never says why he is using one over the other. The reason is that the sponsors want their tools shown.
Shep you are right about the shows.
My beef is with the latest (maybe last month's) Remodeler Magazine. The "pro" shows us how to install a bearing beam to carry some second floor joist. To accomplish what he's trying to do, he gets a five ply beam specced by an engineer.
Okay, I'm fine with all that but here's my beef: instead of getting the parts shipped out separate, he opts to order them from a company that prebuilds all the stuff because it is so long and heavy. Then, he proudly shows how he manages to drag that beast into the house and set it using rented equipment.
The really odd thing is that this particular "pro" admits to installing beams like this in the past in five pieces, instead of going the prebuilt route. I find this article odd because common sense and logic would say that he's basically scuttling the prime reason why built up beams exist.
Maybe it's just me....
blue
prebuilt is way faster ...
built up exists for times when U just can't use a prebuilt.
obviously ... he could ... and did ... use and fit in a prebuilt.
basic leverage, thinking out of the box ... and good rental equipment ...
that'll get lotsa heavy stuff into the house and up into the ceiling
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
It's NOT an issue of whether they appeal to guys like us or not. The issue is they misrepresent our trades, levels of skill required and simply lie about scope of work. They don't just simplify the project at hand. Instead they show incompetent design, ill-advised/ wrong construction methods and omit the difficult portion of the operation.When they refer to savings relative to having a professional do the job, they don't mention other related costs such as insurance, EPA compliance, WC, etc which we are required by law to carry. That's where the savings comes in, not from them doing it themselves.Aw, don't get me started. I've got things to do today!FrankieThere he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
I have to agree with you. I just was simplifying the problems earlier.
One problem for me is that a lot of these shows will take a 6-8-10 month project, and show it in a series of maybe 8-10 shows.
And gloss over the amount of time and effort it really takes.
And then our clients think we're ripping them off when we give a price and time frame for a job.
And I should be doing things. I've got a golf trip to get ready for!
Had to laugh at your post about Norm!
I get a kick out of the commercial for NYW, the one where you here Kevin and that landscaper guy talking in the background, they make light of Norm and his skills, then the announcer proceeds to tell us that they are wrong, Norm does all the work himself and never makes mistakes, that's priceless!
Obviously Norm isn't a hack but he's no Rob Millard either!
Doug
As soon as I read your description of the Corian with the drop-ins I thought "that's odd"... even before I read your follow-up opinion.
Glad my wife didn't see that show - she is always after me to cut holes in perfectly good doors/houses/etc for the beloved pets.