School me on Fireplaces

[Spoosner 86]

Does anybody have a fireplace/chimney sweep person they like and trust in the Austin area? We had 2 companies come out to inspect the fireplace/chimney at the house we bought in NW Hills. Both said we needed $5k+ of work, but had differing reasons and ways of spending all that dough. They wouldn't really answer the direct question of, "Ok, but can we safely use it today?".

One company was Top Hat Chimney Sweeps, who I was not a fan of. I forget the other one.

[TeeDubya 3362]

We love our outdoor one.

[baboso 6056]

I still kick myself for cheaping out when I had my patio put in and going with a firepit instead of an outdoor fireplace.  

[TexEx15 17566]

4 hours ago, TeeDubya said:

We love our outdoor one.

Same. We opted to add in the gas insert for convince but it’s capable of wood burning too.

[TeeDubya 3362]

1 minute ago, TexEx15 said:

Same. We opted to add in the gas insert for convince but it’s capable of wood burning too.

That looks gorgeous!

 

[troph 24905]

Bump, first fire of the season…

 

[Chewbacca 7782]

On 10/29/2023 at 5:55 PM, troph said:

Bump, first fire of the season…

 

Gorgeous, troph.  You need a wood basket/bucket of some sort, though! 

 

Can't want to be able to post my pictures this time next year.  My mountain house is currently a framing skeleton.  They've poured the new foundations and torn off all the siding and demo'd the interior.  Framing supposed to start next week for the additions.

Edited November 1, 2023 by Chewbacca

[troph 24905]

3 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Gorgeous, troph.  You need a wood basket/bucket of some sort, though! 

 

Can't want to be able to post my pictures this time next year.  My mountain house is currently a framing skeleton.  They've poured the new foundations and torn off all the siding and demo'd the interior.  Framing supposed to start next week for the additions.

Yeah we haven’t figured out the fireplace accessories. Mostly just due to laziness. Work, kids, and relaxing time to both of us doesn’t include shopping. So as put together as our place now is we lack shockingly obvious stuff. Meh, we’ll eventually get to it, probably this fire season (year 2).

I’d imagine your place will be epic can’t wait to see it. 

[Bevo 13596]

15 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Gorgeous, troph.  You need a wood basket/bucket of some sort, though! 

 

Can't want to be able to post my pictures this time next year.  My mountain house is currently a framing skeleton.  They've poured the new foundations and torn off all the siding and demo'd the interior.  Framing supposed to start next week for the additions.

You better hurry with the framing. You are running out of time before winter sets in.

[Chewbacca 7782]

2 hours ago, Bevo said:

You better hurry with the framing. You are running out of time before winter sets in.

Yep.  Plan is to be dried in by the end of the year. The fucking county cost me 2 months of summer building time with stupid bullshit.  So now we get to pay to frame in winter.  The fucker at the county cost me at least $50-100k so far.  

[Bevo 13596]

34 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Yep.  Plan is to be dried in by the end of the year. The fucking county cost me 2 months of summer building time with stupid bullshit.  So now we get to pay to frame in winter.  The fucker at the county cost me at least $50-100k so far.  

Pretty typical bs. That is one of the reasons I haven't started our build yet. With the unexpected costs and the post-Covid higher cost of labor and materials and the need for landscaping, etc., it makes it less expensive to take a home down to the studs than to build from scratch. The question is always whether you can find an existing home and lot that works.

I'm having a problem with the architect that I can't figure out how to resolve. I may not have even signed a contract but I'll have to dig through everything. We received a final bill and paid the final  bill. The timber company for timber framing said that there were problems with the plans with regard to the timbers so the timber guy told the architect what needed to change. The architect then sent me a bill for $8000 after the changes were made and without telling me that there would be charges. He sent me to collections. What do you think I should do?

[Chewbacca 7782]

5 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Pretty typical bs. That is one of the reasons I haven't started our build yet. With the unexpected costs and the post-Covid higher cost of labor and materials and the need for landscaping, etc., it makes it less expensive to take a home down to the studs than to build from scratch. The question is always whether you can find an existing home and lot that works.

I'm having a problem with the architect that I can't figure out how to resolve. I may not have even signed a contract but I'll have to dig through everything. We received a final bill and paid the final  bill. The timber company for timber framing said that there were problems with the plans with regard to the timbers so the timber guy told the architect what needed to change. The architect then sent me a bill for $8000 after the changes were made and without telling me that there would be charges. He sent me to collections. What do you think I should do?

You need to talk to a real estate attorney.  Did your architect (or you) hire a structural engineer to sign off on the plans?

[Bevo 13596]

1 hour ago, Chewbacca said:

You need to talk to a real estate attorney.  Did your architect (or you) hire a structural engineer to sign off on the plans?

The timber company was going to send his plan and the architect's plans to a structural engineer that the timber company uses and I was going to pay the structural engineer directly. I haven't done it yet because the construction costs have pretty much doubled. It is at that stage though - finalized timber plan, finalized architect's plans, finalized stormwater and landscape plan - needs to get engineering stamp.

[Chewbacca 7782]

36 minutes ago, Bevo said:

The timber company was going to send his plan and the architect's plans to a structural engineer that the timber company uses and I was going to pay the structural engineer directly. I haven't done it yet because the construction costs have pretty much doubled. It is at that stage though - finalized timber plan, finalized architect's plans, finalized stormwater and landscape plan - needs to get engineering stamp.

Where are you building?  Costs in the CO mountains are through the roof right now and not coming down - they're still going up.  I'm probably stupid for not waiting, but I've been waiting for years and they don't come down, so I plowed ahead.

[luke duke 6413]

What do you think I should do?

Fuck his mother, kill his dog and burn his house down. Or dispute the collection and ask for proof you authorized the work.

[Bevo 13596]

3 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Where are you building?  Costs in the CO mountains are through the roof right now and not coming down - they're still going up.  I'm probably stupid for not waiting, but I've been waiting for years and they don't come down, so I plowed ahead.

Sandpoint, ID although now I am expanding my search. Maybe Whitefish, MT but it is the same deal. Basically, the price of places in the entire Rocky Mt. region is ridiculous.

 

3 minutes ago, luke duke said:

Fuck his mother, kill his dog and burn his house down. Or dispute the collection and ask for proof you authorized the work.

Obviously, I am disputing the charges and obviously I didn't authorize additional charges. But, that doesn't stop collections or the effect on credit ratings. That is where I need assistance.

 

[luke duke 6413]

https://www.incharge.org/debt-relief/credit-counseling/bad-credit/how-to-dispute-a-debt-with-creditors-collectors-reporting-bureaus/

[Chewbacca 7782]

Obviously, I am disputing the charges and obviously I didn't authorize additional charges. But, that doesn't stop collections or the effect on credit ratings. That is where I need assistance.
 

Ah, so you still have to pay the acquisition cost, too? Ouch. I bought mine 8 years ago, knowing we would eventually remodel.

[Bevo 13596]

5 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

On 11/2/2023 at 7:17 PM, Bevo said:

Obviously, I am disputing the charges and obviously I didn't authorize additional charges. But, that doesn't stop collections or the effect on credit ratings. That is where I need assistance.
 

Ah, so you still have to pay the acquisition cost, too? Ouch. I bought mine 8 years ago, knowing we would eventually remodel.

We have a lot in Sandpoint but there are a decent number of building restrictions which increases the cost considerably at today's prices. So, I am opening back up the search. There is new construction for sale with worse views but much less expensive than what it would cost me to build. There are lots further away with better views and fewer building restrictions but more remote... Basically, I am holding tight for the next 6 months and see where things go - Actually, this isn't really true. I am looking online a lot. What throws a wrench in things is that my family has a beautiful house in Santa Fe which we go to regularly and which may or may not go to me in the future. I guess it makes me a little less desperate but at the same time I want a place of my own when I am still young enough to enjoy the hiking, skiing, etc.