Anyone else get this deal? I had a Comcast rep push this on me today. At first I had my reservations but when I kept listening.....................
I have Direct Tv, switched over from DN many years ago. I have my horror stories with DN. I have the lowest channel package they offer which for me is like $59/month. I don't know where their basic $29 channel lineup went. Seems they gave themselves a raise. Then I have Verizon DSL internet service, which piggyback's off my land line service. Both set me back another $60/month. So for Tv and internet/phone I pay $120/month.
Comcast is offering me a no contract deal for both high speed internet and 250+ Tv channels with HD signal for only $49/month. Been looking for a reason to drop my land line service from Verizon for awhile now anyway. It's becoming obsolete. I realize only a select number of channels are in HD but giving my use of Tv, I don't care.
What do any of you feel about this offer? What do you use and what do you pay? I'm curious. Any experience with Comcast/Xfinity and have some input? For a $70/month savings I just can't go wrong in my eyes. No?
I have/had Comcast HD TV, HS internet at one of my homes...no contract...its not nor ever been $49, its $97 plus tax....$79 classic TV and 12mb internet double play bundle, plus modem ($8 additional), plus 1 HD TV receiver ($10 additional)....so i found it cheaper and better to add unlimited phone for $89 and get the triple play....careful of them comcast sales reps, and take their name and employee ID and confirm with their superviosr about any deals ya make cuz sales don't talk to billing and your first bill is usually triple what U were quoted...
That $49 deal is way too cheap, unless its the bait for 1 month to hook you in.....go to www.comcast.com and see the promo deals in your area, they vary from place to place.....I do this every year when I head North for the summers..
I use DTV, Comcast and Verizon Fios at my houses (4), and they all are fairly equal in prices and various bundles...But Comcast and DTV have lil to no taxes compared to Verizon..
ONLY good thing about Comcast is their customer reps are pretty decent, but be well prepeared with names, ID's, dates, and supervisor confirmation and insist on them inputting any price offers into their notes and email to ya...they'll tell ya they can't email, but they can..they conveniently lose their notes when ya talk to billing and that $49 deal turns out to be $135 monthly..
I just did talk to a comcast rep a few menutes ago who told me that in some very limited locations there is a very short $49 deal with slower internet and NO HD..so if ya add the modem cost and the HD cost, you're looking at least $67 and taxes, about $72 or more a month MINIMUM....that $72 price U can get with Directv or Verizon as well anytime, cuz i have that as well at my other homes for 1 year with no contracts.......also Comcast will charge U $99 for installation (modem and TV) even though U already have existing wiring there, plus some activation fees (30-60)..and also charges installation fees (30 each....60 total) for the 2 free digital adapters U may want for use with any other TV's in your house beside the 1 HD receiver one..
They don't tell ya all the hidden fees and costs..DTV and Verizon were upfront with those with me...Comcast sales rep said he would waiver most but once billing got involved all hell broke lose and was a nightmare..I finally got it straight after 20 phone calls and 40 hours on the phone..
BTW....never talk to a night sales rep or personnel...they have no power or authority and all BS talk, and are all young yahoos wanting a quick commission... if ya want the real deal look on the interent for your address and call and ask about the modem and additional HD charges...along with ALL the installlation aand activation fees..careful they love to double talk ya...I honestly beleive U will be paying around $80 a month plus at least $150 in various initial fees for only TV and net....if ya get the triple play (phone, net, TV), they are much more flexible and receptive to true waivers of initial fees that U certainly must get documented and confirmed by a supervisor....I just ordered few months back at another house, net and Directv for total $69 a month (no taxes) and no contract...U may want to consider staying with DTV (they hookup with a local net provider for ya) or Verizon...
"Comcast is offering me a no contract deal for both high speed internet and 250+ Tv channels with HD signal for only $49/month." That is an excellent deal, and is compatible with third party Rogers cable offerings in Canada. "Been looking for a reason to drop my land line service from Verizon for awhile now anyway. " Just get your Internet service at the cheapest rate compatible with at least 400GB download. Then go separately for a Voip phone deal. My brother has US based Majikjack plus for $65 for 5 years and $13/year for Canadian number, giving him unlimited calling in USA and Canada. If you want US number you do not pay yearly charges at all, and can transfer your number to MagicJack. Package deals usually tend to be a red herring.
Well the rep that approached me sold to the previous home owner some 8+ years ago. He was an older gent who seemed to know his stuff but that can always be deceiving. He didn't get into the details like LK mentioned like all the fees involved which I'm sure will affect the bottom line. Still taking into account the receiver, installation, activation fees, ect, I'm still looking at a cheaper solution long term. No contract means I can take my ball and run anytime. Haven't used my land line in almost 3 years for the phone so I'm still on board. Even if it winds up costing $75.....$80.....or even $100/month it's still better than what I'm paying now.
Always wondered about MagicJack. Always thought it to be short term, seeing as the the large phone service providers would weed it out in court somehow. They have lost millions, almost billions to it.
Paul...I have a magicjack also for over 5 years now....for the device ($20...Walgreens...CVS etc) and the YEARLY $20 fee, ya can't beat it...mine works as good as any landline and its so portable (size of a cig lighter) that I bring in anywhere I go to live every few months...I have homes in various parts of the US , so I always have the same home phone # no matter where I am...its a simple way to have an almost free landline for home use or as a 2nd line for the kids or as a business line or whatever, less than $2 a month ...has all the free stuff too...unlimited local and long distance calling..911-411- caller ID...voice mail...great phone book etc..VOIP is here to stay forever...
Yep, $80 is better than $120 for TV and net, coupled with a magic jack phone, U will save about $40 a month... a lil beer or gas money and something for the kids..
"Yep, $80 is better than $120 for TV and net, coupled with a magic jack phone, U will save about $40 a month... a lil beer or gas money and something for the kids."
Ok, time to eat some crow on this one. The rep was waiting for me at the curb when I got home from work today. Literally approached me as I got out of my truck. Something I take as a very aggressive salesman. I told him I was interested but I just got home dude.................let me get in my house, take a dump, sift through my mail before I hear your full pitch. So he took a ride and came back 15 minutes later. Ok, bottom line details?
The $49/month for everything was indeed a bait/switch sales pitch. I ended up going with his deal in the long run but as always I was a bit disturbed with his antics. Especially when he seemed so convincing with his "get his foot in the door" pitch. Let me explain what we agreed on:
I get 200+ channels, HBO, Starz, HD signal on a good # of them, free DVR for a year, on demand, $100 credit within the first 90 days, first HD box included, second for only $4.95/month, free adapter for a 3rd tv, free local telephone use keeping my Verizon tele # with moderate long distance charges, high speed internet at speeds as high as 50 mbs, free installation and activation, and a $10/month credit for a year because I'm considered a bring back customer, all without a contract. Bottom line after credits and charges?
$91/month. That includes phone, internet and HD tv. Plus a free DVR for a year and HBO, Starz, on demand, sports channels, locals, free installation and activation all without a contract. That's a $30.month savings over what I pay now for all three combining two providers into one. And without a contract if they decide to raise their prices I can be out in a flash.
I signed. Not what he "pitched" the other day but I still consider myself a winner.
No monthly modem fee? ($8)...1 full year free HBO/Starz? (usually just 3 months)....No additional activation or install fees?.....1 full year free DVR? ( belive it when it happens)....phone is only local, no free long distance?....Starter TV package not Classic package?
Good luck Paul, but don't be surprised if your first bill shows some of the things I mentioned (monthly modem and some activation fees)..and those 1 year deal promises are only 3 months...also for $89 I get free long distance phone included on the promos I always get, and I get the upgraded Classic TV, not Starter programming package .....for $91, the rep didn't do ya any favors unless ya really get 1 full yr DVR and HBO/Starz, with NO initial fees, and free monthly modem, and free long distance too, along with upgraded Classic TV..
Yup that's what it says. No contract and no install fees mean if it isn't what he says I can be out without anything invested. he also admitted that their customer support is below par and that if I had any issues to contact him direct. I also told him I wasn't interested in the DVR but he convinced me it was free for the year and if I didn't feel it was worth the charge when it shows up on my bill after 12 months I could just turn it in. I also choose a $10/month bill credit as opposed to the $100 return customer award. That dropped it down to $91/month. Also within 90 days I'll be credited another $100 for some other competitive promotion because I was a sat user.
Like I said if it turns South or if the rep misled me at all I can/will terminate it and be sure to let the company know what was promised and what was delivered by their sales rep. The guy knew his angles and his limits and been pushing Comcast for over 15 years. He had delivered his pitch and had all the paperwork filled out and out my door in less than 30 minutes. Pretty efficient. I just didn't care for the "waiting for me at my door" routine when I got off work. That came off as being pretty desperate.
Paul...so does that $91 include the monthly modem costs, which brings it up to $98/99?....thats the same as my $97 (89&8) I quoted ya above initially...thats about double the $49 U were. originally quoted.. a curent savings of about only $15 a month (taxes $5), far cry from $70 as U thought....Comcast customer reps are good, but their sales suck and filled with lies..
Again if ya want some real savings...go to Verizon or Directv and get their double play bundle (15 mg net & TV) for $68/69 a month and grab a magicjack landline ($2) a month for a total of $70 a month for a real savings of $50 from your current $120 bill...much better than the Comcast $15 a month..
I do this at least 2-3x a year and really know how these companies and their sales dept really work...and what things they fail to tell ya but bill ya for and their taxes and good and bad points...I use em all at various houses, all with no contracts..and Comcast is a weird company cuz its national, but their cost will vary from state to state and zipcode to zipcode..and 1 sales or rep in one area can't talk to ya about promos in another area...company is run like individual entities and not like a national company...I would use Comcast at all my houses if they were consistent everywhere and cheaper, but no way U can beat $69 and a magicjack for unlimited phone, HS 15mg net, and 250 channels with HD ...I only use Comcast cuz thats the only thing available to me at one of my houses..
Good Luck with whatever ya decide and hope all works outs well..
BTW...if ya really wanted to save some $$$,, split your Directv bill with a friend who also has a dish installed and give him an extra receiver ($5) from your account..and its as safe as gold in Ft Knox was..
Well I'm not only saving a bit each month but I'm getting more for my $$ with Comcast. At least for the 1st year that is. I never had any HBO channels or Starz with Directv or on demand. Plus I get a free DVR for a year. Plus my DSL with Verizon might have been state of the art 7 years ago but with a 30 mbs they claim compared to Verizon's 1mbs download speed it will help a ton on those nights when I'm fighting for bandwidth with my son with his online gaming with his PS3. And like I said it's free install/activation with no contract. If they throw me a curve, I can always switch back as I'm leaving all of Directv's equipment installed, minus the receivers I'll have to return.
Speed of 30 mbps is impressive - for home users that is like Rocket science of 2012. You will notice the difference. I am surprised that you have put up with 1 mbps download speed for the last 5-6 years. However, with that speed and a "son with his online gaming", you might exceed the maximum download per month which should be a minimum of 300GB/per month for you. In Canada, Bell and Rogers set the limits to 25-60 GB and then they charge extra for exceeding the monthly quota. So Canadians go to other providers, such as Techsavvy and Acanac, if these are available in their area.
Comcast is 8-12 tops usually..never 30mb ...but 8-12, sometimes 15 is still very fast if U have plenty of available ram..especially if U been using 1mb for years..
DTV always gives me free HBO/Cinemax etc whenever I activate
On Demand is no biggie..bunch of very old movies ya seen 100x already...
Verizon Fios always gives me 12-15mb net when I activate with them, haven't had DSL in 6-7 years...and free HBO and other premium channels..thats normal with all TV providers
I own my own DTV receivers, no rentals ..and no give backs
In US, there is no monthy net limit with any provider..
I really don't care if I get only 5 mbs on my internet to tell you the truth. It's a huge step up from DSL. I was never a HBO fan at all but I tell you when I scroll through the lineup and see a movie I like it's DAMN nice to watch it uninterrupted. The DVR will be something my son will use. Just cotton candy on top. On demand as well.
Like I said even though the salesman was very versed in his tactics and new both sides of the fence very well, like even knowing exactly how much I was paying for my service and equipment's monthly charges with DTV. That's his job no? To put my monthly bottom line just in the right area to push me to switch? I'm sure they tailor every offer to each customer to maximize their profit while still gaining another subscriber, especially a return one.
#$@% I still have my receivers from way back when through DN. One is trash and I assume they both are worthless.
Oh snap I have a strawberry daiquiri waiting for me. later!
Dishnet (DN) receivers won't work with Directv (DTV)...and not much use now for anything, except door stoppers..
Very unusual for a Comcast sales rep to be at your door...but Verizon did that when they installed Fios up and down the street, few years back....but once ya grabbed Fios, no turning back to DSL or anything other than their Fios..unless ya switched to DTV or Comcast..
enjoy the drink...having a gin and tonic on the deck myself....
comcast has been the best internet service for me. holy shiet this site is in the gutter wow. whats up lk, paul how goes it. hey lk still catching a buzz while fishing hahaha. long time bud
every post from you always is a attack lol. have i insulted you or said or mention you no but i guess this makes you feel better about yourself.good bless you nydas haha
I never had Comcast provide me internet, Only tv some years ago. Been a sat junkie for at least 8 years. Looking forward to the switch. 7/28 is the install date so I'll see shortly after that. The boy getting tv in his bedroom is a huge plus and the expanded internet bandwidth will surely be loved. Like I said the switch is basically a free one with perks so for at least a year I should be on the greener side of the fence.
Oh, and I have to mention, again, I'll be sitting here, as always, enjoying my new entertainment choices lol. Either in front watching the small 13" tv or behind watching the big screen. Always refreshment in hand!!!
I really need to look into replacing that ancient 13" tv. I think I can get a 20" or larger flat screen for $200 or less. Especially considering I got last Xmas a 42" for only $300 shipped off Amazon!!!
paul i have comcast fore internet service and all i have to say i get 18 ro 22 mbps. when i download or stream all smooth sailing bro. let me know if you need sites for movies for the kids i mean new releases or ppv events i have stream sites for that bud.
Rtap: I don't know why you take offense with anything I say. You said "holy shiet" - "shiet" can't be holy, so I corrected it and said "unholy shiet". You said "this site is in the gutter". You were in the site all the time and not seen, so I acknowledged your presence as you surfaced and said you have "emerged from the gutter." Sir, these are your statements repeated exactly (and corrected) as you qualified and interpreted this site's existence.
Hey RTAP, good to see U....I'm up North now (Belchertown MA..mountain country, lil town living) and enjoying the summer and Fall..lake fishing and saving the big Gulf ones for the winter when I head back South..
Paul , I think U will enjoy Comcast...never goes down here, and good reps here...cocktails down at the lake on the deck , grabbing some good country fresh air and then a nice country ride on the bike..
Belchertown MA? We have a plant up there. Pretty big one too! I'm an estimator/inside sales rep for Universal Forest Products down in our South Jersey facility. We have guys who routinely commute to and from Belchertown almost monthly. Some with a Canadian accent ehh. Lol. They are big on their hockey and their Red Socks that's for sure.
If you're a long time resident you've probably heard of us. We engineer and manufacture wood building components like floor and roof trusses and wall panels. It's nice working for one of the largest companies in the industry during such a housing crisis we've endured the last 4 years. Nice in a job security kinda way but majorly stressful as all our smaller competitor's drop like flies we are left to take on the load. With everyone cutting back they (as all big corps do) expect more out of less. Your office used to have 6 ppl? Screw that. Now add twice the work and put it on 2 ppl. Then tell you there will be no cost of living increase (3 years running) and no OT for hourly employees.
Late on a project? Screw you, get it done on your own time. Throw 150% of a shop's capacity into production and demand/expect a 0% mistake mentality just to make up for ever lowering margins by the sales staff? Old news. Just get er done. I don't care how.
Shame really. The cut throat world we live in coupled with the ever increasing immigrant workforce means the old term of "pride in workmanship" is out the window. They don't care how it gets done as long as the deadline is met and the check clears.
I'm from an old school line of craftsmen. Carpenters, masons, plumbers and electricians. Anything worth doing is worth doing right. If you pump out a house in 60 days there WILL be problems with the finished product. There's a reason why 120 year old Victorian style homes still stand today while 5 year or less homes of today suffer foundation and finish work flaws because of their turnaround time.
There's a poster on the wall in our designers office that reads:
You want it cheap You want it fast You want it correct
Paul: Interesting to learn what you do. The following is a real question for a real need very soon. 1. If I want to span with a floor joist, a full 25 ft without a central support, will I need a 14" or 16" deep floor truss joist? 2. Can these types of trussed floor joists overhang by say 3ft?
Many variables in that loaded question which will dictate the answer. Let me throw you at them one at a time.
1. Are you referring to an I-joist product or open web metal plated floor trusses? Fairly big difference in design values between the both. We also carry an open joist product. Similar to open web floor trusses except they are pre-manufactured in 2' lengths with 1' trimmable ends. This reduces design times in half, but you pay the price in shipping as you won't get it delivered direct, plus we add our margin on top of our supplier's #s.
2. What deflection criteria? We use a standard live load deflection of L/480 for residential applications. Covers 90% of the use. HOWEVER, if there will be tile flooring installed above such as a kitchen or bath then your deflection limits may want to be adjusted to L/600 or even L/720. In these areas a stiffer floor system means less of a chance of grout cracking. Also in kitchens we tend to increase loading for possible island installations above.
3. What lumber will the nearest facility to you be using for design? This plays a factor because some regions use SYP and others use SPF due to availability and costs. SYP DSS lumber may be stronger but is more prone to mold damages if the product is exposed to weather. That has turned into some major lawsuits in some large commercial jobs we've built. Imagine building a 100 unit multi family building and after erecting 4 stories your inspector fails the building because of mold. THEN what do you do?
4. By overhang are you referring to a cantilever? Meaning, will the extended floor system have to carry additional weight from above? If so then all carried loads from above will need to be known to properly design the truss.
5. Lastly based on the info provided a 14" truss will not work, loading and lumber aside. Our industry has a span depth ratio limit of 1/20. Meaning a 12" deep floor truss can only clear span a maximum of 20'. A 14" deep floor truss will span a maximum of 23' 4". You would have to go with the 16" deep system even to start with based on this criteria alone. This is not a lumber failure but a benchmark design value to reduce the floor system's vibration. Deflection and vibration are two different things. Without getting into complicated engineering terms you can easily exceed the truss's span depth ratio while maintaining the lumber/plate limits. It's simply a limit we do NOT violate and something our design software prohibits anyway, regardless of spacing. To put it mildly it would be like walking across a trampoline. It may not break or even exceed the deflection limit, but it just doesn't feel "right".
On another note you would want a deeper floor system anyway. We use a term "Deeper is cheaper". Meaning that the deeper the truss, the stronger design and lower lumber grades are used, thus making it cheaper to design, build and sell to you.
Lastly builders choose open web trusses over I-joists because of the flexibility of HVAC ducts being designed right into the truss. This eliminates the build down soffit design many are forced to use. Trusses also reduce/eliminate site theft of product. A truss is exact in length to the 1/16". Since you cannot cut a truss it's almost impossible to use on a different house. Wall panels as well. Site thieves LOVE to see drafts of lumber and plywood. They drive on by sites with trusses and wall panels. They are worthless to them.
Sorry to turn a simple question into a complex answer. Which is a minimum 16".
Paul: Thanks for the detailed answer. The design is to add a second floor to an existing solid brick house. 1. I was referring to metal plated lumber design similar to roof trusses for residential house construction. I might consider the I-joist product. In either case 16" is what I had settled in my mind, and I am glad you confirm it. One manufacturer has a recommendation of 14" or 16", and even with that system I was leaning more towards the 16". 2. "What deflection criteria?" I am not sure but I will probably go for the higher strength. 3. "What lumber?" I was not aware of the mold problem. I am aware that different lumber have different strengths, and would go by the Engineering specification of "suitable for a span of 25' " 4. "By overhang are you referring to a cantilever?" Yes, I should have said "cantilever." I intend to put one 2 x 6 wall above the floor at the end of the 3 feet overhang, and even the roof will be carried on one side at that end. The other side is not cantilevered and will directly transmit the weight on solid masonry wall underneath. I don't mind putting a little piece of lumber to go diagonally from the end of the cantilevered floor to about 2' below and anchored to the wall below. I would find some way of covering it and even do some decorative work there. From an engineering perspective this is the most tricky part of the decision. From a layman's point of view the simple bracing should give added strength. I do not want to carry the weight of the cantilevered part to the ground level - will look ugly to say the least. 5. There is very little likelihood of site thieves stealing, but you never know. I do intend to get ready made wall panels to complete the work fast.
Yassou: Thanks for your input. I am doing the drawings myself. There is a tacit understanding that if the drawings are to fully to code, the Local Building Department will approve for an owner applicant. "existing room partitions should help carry the floor load" The existing partitions are mostly supported on the old floor. The basement has only one well supported central beam (and the outside walls). If the drawings are better than code minimum there will be less hassle for approval. Thanks again.
Unless interior walls were intended to be load bearing you MUST consider them invisible. They are not meant to carry any additional weight besides their own dead weight. Relying on non load bearing walls for support can end catastrophically. A load bearing wall will have solid beams directly under or a wall beneath that carries straight down to a haunched footing in the foundation.
One of the reasons we have to ignore non load bearing walls in floor design, outside of the obvious reasons, is that you have to assume in the future a homeowner might take it upon himself to remove it to expand or open up a room. A little common sense should tell anyone not to remove a wall that appears to carry weight from above.
And yes, depending on your local code officials you can prepare your own drawings but truss drawings will need to be sealed from a licensed engineer from your state (assuming you're in the US) because they are an engineered product. It's a very touchy subject in some areas and there's a lot of red tape. Inspectors are notorious a**holes with a god complex and they can turn a project into a nightmare if you challenge them.
In some states builders actually prefer stick framing to reduce the interaction with the inspectors and the brakes they put on their progress. Also, since stick framing is not engineered they have the flexibility to chose lumber to fit their needs. I have seen dimensional lumber used in roof framing that would shock anyone with more than 10 minutes of framing experience, but because it's stick framing the roof gets blessed anyway.
Advancements in software design have also impacted our industry immensely. Designs from only 10 years ago fail by as much as 200% in today's design standards. Scary to think of when you consider all the schools and churches we've done, even though we include a safety factor of 3 into the matrix.
In the house in question there is a basement. In the middle of the 25' dimension of the basement, .i.e. at about 12.5' there is a beam consisting of three 2 x 10 sandwiched together, and resting in a slot in the foundation wall. There is a carrying wall carrying the beam. The current ground floor rests on top of this. At the ground floor level I can see an extension upwards of the weight bearing wall to carry the roof. In the attic, I can see 2 x 10 rafters supported by a central weight bearing wall. In the old days this was the style of construction with a weight bearing wall and no roof trusses. Then came the roof trusses which meant eliminating the central weight bearing wall. There were also laminated beams which meant less support for the beams. After all this came the floor trusses; the principle is the same as roof trusses, and I was talking with Paul about this engineered item and its depth and spans, to which he has made a very thorough and intelligent reply. I am very satisfied with his reply that I should use 16" depth floor trusses to span the 25' I need to for the floor at the second level. I do not want the new floor or the new roof supported by anything else except the outside walls of the house. The floor trusses he recommends would probably be at 24" or 19" centres as specified by the manufacturer. In North America, in most jurisdictions, there is a very unambiguous code for all these components and their installation. Any item not specifically included in the Building Code has to be covered by a manufacturer's specifications. In the case in question here, if the owner overlooks one item, he might be forced to go to an Architect/engineer and pay $3500-$4000 - that is something I have to avoid for his sake, by doing a bit of a overkill in my drawings.
"How can one tell in a existing Single Family Dwelling if the interior walls were intended to be load bearing?"
As I stated if there is a solid beam parallel beneath the wall it is probably an interior bearing wall. Take a look at the framing above. Do the floor joists or ceiling joists run perpendicular or parallel to the wall? Next if you can follow the wall down to the foundation then it was probably used as bearing. Also, if you have a span break directly on the wall it most certainly is a bearing wall.
in newer construction home owners have the luxury of getting a copy of the original blueprints of their home. Or at least the layouts of the floor and roof products. These layouts tell the framer exactly how to lay out and space the components. With this tool alone you can determine what is considered bearing and what is not, because that's what the truss designer has assumed.
It's imperative that the framer follow and understand the truss drawings and supplied layouts. We've had non English speaking framers simply ignore the provided instructions/installation warnings and they are quickly out of a job. One job in particular was a detached garage, 30' x 30'. There was a barn style attic space above. The garage had a post and beam running straight down the center, which the floor system was to pick up as bearing. Well the framers quickly set the trusses and decked the floor. Even began framing the loft above. We got a call shortly after as they claimed there was something drastically wrong with our trusses. Get out on site and the framers had set the trusses in the wrong direction. Instead of running the trusses perpendicular to the post and beam they ran them parallel. They had 14" deep 30' floor trusses running clear span. What made matters worse was they had a draft of drywall sitting directly in the middle of the span. What a bunch of MORONS! This goes back to my comment on quality skilled labor and how it's vanishing like a f@rt in the wind in this country. That situation could have killed someone.
I also made a site visit to a customer who was complaining about racked (out of square) wall panels on the first floor of a 4 story senior citizen center. A few production issues happen from time to time. It's expected. Not this. I get out there and before I even got out of my truck I knew the problem. They had framed 4 stories high and because of a delivery issue of their exterior plywood to the site they went ahead and framed on up without applying the wall sheathing. BIG FREAKING MISTAKE!!!! Without the proper bracing sheathing provides you NEVER go a story or two above without it. Let alone 4!
The building was acting like a wet noodle under the pressure from the floors above. Something like trying to balance 4 water balloons on top of each other, have fun with that lol. Of course the first floor wall panels experienced racking. It was a miracle the building didn't collapse. Yet this is how a lot of new construction is getting done. It's all about time, not quality or proper procedures.
There are 100's of horror stories like these and it's hard to pinpoint who to blame. The migrant workers are just looking for a $. The contractors are just looking to stay competitive against everyone else who also uses the same labor and the banks who funded the housing bubble burst have been given a bailout and a license to continue their practices.
Buying a home used to be the American dream. 4 bedrooms and a garage, sitting on 1/3 acre surrounded by a white picket fence. Kiss the wife and hug the kids goodbye every morning to a 9-5 job. Play on the weekends and take real vacations. Eventually pay the house off and see your kids have kids of their own. That's a real life. How much of that still holds true today? How many of us wind up feeling like we just had the chair pulled out from us?
Oh snap I need to stop. My rants are getting out of hand lol.
Paul......As I stated if there is a solid beam parallel beneath the wall it is probably an interior bearing wall.
nydas.....In the house in question there is a basement. In the middle of the 25' dimension of the basement, .i.e. at about 12.5' there is a beam consisting of three 2 x 10 sandwiched together
Papi........So why use floor trusses?
Btw.....nydas check the beam in the basement to see if the three 2 x 10 sandwiched together has plywood in the sandwich.
PS.........on your floor drawings show your masonry foundation and the home made beam and how the beam is supported.
I don't think you grasped what I am trying to do. I am adding a second floor to the existing bunglow. At the new level I want a totally open space unencumbered with bearing walls. I also want to remove the current central wall at the ground floor level. So when I remove the current ceiling and roof which is 8' above the current floor, I want to put a new floor above which is using engineered floor trusses which will span a full 25', which as Paul said should better be 16" deep. That way on the second floor I will have open hall and at the ground floor I can remove the roof bearing wall. Under the ground floor, I would leave the beam and old floor joists (2 x 10) untouched.
Joke of the year------------his making his own drawing to have them approve by the building department.
What does a Indian waiter from England know about building codes, electrical codes, Plumbing codes, Structural codes, zoning codes to make his own drawing.
Anyone can draw them. We've had many customers draw up their own drawings, some very impressive. In the states though you HAVE to be a licensed engineer to seal an engineered product however.
Those involved in the building industry know that 9/10 times approval problems are procedural and paperwork. Some are just looking for the grease. The "process" was designed to protect the public from shotty workmanship and dangerous building practices. However because of who ppl are today they muck up the water with their greed.
We battle with architects all the time over who is responsible for what. Many times they omit info on plans because they simply don't know how to solve a framing issue. They assume the truss manufacturers will step in and solve their problems. Well guess what, THEY are the building designer, NOT us. Why should we be responsible for their short comings? Architects make $100K+ a year. It's why their customers pay $5000 for plans. They shouldn't throw together a set of half azz plans and expect the vendors to fill in the blanks.
BUT, the building process is a fast moving entity and when you send an issue to an architect you can expect a month delay. They simply aren't about a fast turnaround. Builders today work in milliseconds compared to architects' hours. Their bonuses are based on a fast completion. That's also why they deal with mistakes that are always two steps behind.
Not to bore anyone with the details, I know this thread didn't start out the way it turned.
They way builders make their $$ today is through back charges. They slam the process down everyone's throat and get the project done 5X faster then it should be. THAT way when the project is long past completion they go back and fabricate all kinds of BS backcharges on various issues that will ensure them a profit on the side.
Think about it, 6 months after the dust settles and people are actually living in the home, who wants to go toe to toe over issues that are buried anyway? So we meet in the middle and call it a day. It's a scam but an "acceptable" one that's part of the business. Pay your immigrant workers $7/hr yet backcharge $250/hr for repairs done by the same?
Paul: Are you in the market for $300/month with Comcast? Then read this. Comcast (CMCSA) customers now have access to roughly the same level of top-tier service as Verizon (VZ) FiOS customers if they're willing to pay $90 more for it. As reported by GigaOm, Comcast on Tuesday unveiled its new "platinum" Xfinity broadband tier that promises speeds of up to 305Mbps, slightly higher than the 300Mbps promised by Verizon FiOS' top tier. The catch is that the new Xfinity tier will set users back $300 a month, or $90 more than what FiOS subscribers pay for their top-tier service. GigaOm does say, however, that Comcast's lower tiers are cheaper than comparable tiers from Verizon, as 50Mbps FiOS costs around $75 per month while 50Mbps Xfinity costs around $59 per month if bundled with other services.
I have both..Verizon Fios and Comcast...they are very comparable for the exact same services, high speed internet, unlimited phone or similiar TV channels in HD....don't muddy the waters with BS propaganda that U copy and past, which is not factual....
SINCE I have BOTH services, I know the reality and facts about both...regardless what U copy and paste..
U don't even have either one of these services or companies in Canada, so STFU dipshit..U have no clue what the truth and reality is about either company..I don't care what links U can put up..azzwipe..
Shame what the drought has done to most of the states. In NJ I haven't seen much rain at all. Haven't cut my grass in a month. Probably won't need to this week either. I won't let it kill my Peach tree though. Been watering it at least once a week. This pic is a month old. My peaches are tennis ball sized now. I have almost 30 on a 3 year old tree. Giddyup!!
Nice. I recently watered my tree and over night the fruit changed color. Won't be long now. Because of E's ancient file size upload limit you're limited to what you can see but, whatever. You can also see how brown my grass is. It's bad here.
With all due respect to the OP on this thread, oh wait, that's me lol.
A review on my Comcast install experience today.
He came on time, very knowledgeable and helpful. He performed his install duties and was out in under 90 minutes. THAT'S for all three utilities which included HD tv on 2 tvs, std on one more, HS internet and phone. He even installed a few splitters for me than I can install several more tvs off of at no extra charge. Once installed he booted up my receivers and got me all set up.
WOW what a difference in signal. The picture was so sharp compared to DTV. Yes I didn't have HD before because I didn't want the addition $10/receiver/month charge for them. These are included. Very nice picture. I'm not a big fan on their guide display and how it plays out on my tv after I have to expand it to fit my screen but I'll have to get used to it.
Son's room is hooked up. Internet is EXCEPTIONALLY faster. I see a MAJOR difference in speed already, even on my laptop. Pages load so much faster and even ram hogging sites like FB are much better now.
So far I am VERY happy with it. Looking forward to the HBO and Starz, as well as the free DVR. On demand as well. What I do see, as well as pretty much all tv service, is an abundance of PPV and "Buy now" programs and channels. They make it easy to purchase additional media. VERY easy. I always HATED when any provider includes PPV channels in their lineup. I feel cheated when I'm told I have 250 channels but 75 of them are at an additional charge to actually view. To me that means they aren't included then are they??!!
QVC, 24/7 shopping, music, spanish channels, ect, do NOT pertain to me so why do I pay for them? I guess that's all part of the game I suppose. In heaven you pay for the channels you watch and not a dime more than its' worth. In that world the glass is always half full and full of beer!!!!!
Oh, and get this. In talking with the installer we got to talking about some of the issues he personally hates. He mentioned that the sales rep got $175 for every account signed, mine in particular because I was a "return customer". He hated the fact that he did the install and only got $75. He earlier stated he did 6+ installs a day. Ok, you do the math. 6+ installs/day X $75 each ...........= STOP FREAKING COMPLAINING lol. That also means the sales rep is getting $175 for each account signed, like mine. Even if they only got $100/account that still = $78,000/year on just 3 accounts a day. More if they are "return" accounts.
Now I know why that D-bag was waiting for me at my driveway after work.
Well like I said if that's the case then they can pound sand. Disconnect me. No expense on my account. If my bill goes over what I was paying in total then the sales rep can "explain" it to me in his words why every promise he made was BS. The next call will be to Comcast and to ask why their sales reps are quoting things in writing that they won't stand behind. Then they can swallow the install costs and fight with the sales rep over his commission when I cancel.
Got my first month's bill in the mail yesterday. After install, two receivers, one adapter for the boy's room, internet and phone, DVR, all HBOs and Starz,.................................A $5 and change credit because of my return customer status bonus. ($100). So far the bonuses promised by the rep have played out. We'll see what happens in the up and coming months. I'm still looking at a triple play at $91/month with two receivers and DVR, internet and phone. I talked with a few I know at work and they pay $200+ for the same deal with Comcast.
Canceled DTV and Verizon. They are sending boxes with return labels for their gear. DTV offered NOTHING to keep me. Verizon offered a free upgrade of internet modem for 3 months. Funny because Verizon just sent me a free modem awhile back because my current one was acting up. Anyway neither of them acted like they wanted to keep me. So be it. I'm disconnected from the both of them.
Phone works great, internet/tv as well. No complaints thus far.
Paul...I pay $100.47 (includes taxes) for the triple play in high def, classic TV package, 12mbs high speed internet with a wireless router/modem, unlimited landline phone with all the whistles and bells , 1 HD receiver, and 2 digital TV adapters...initially I had no contract at that price but then decided to lock that price in for 2 years and got a $355 Visa gift card, in return..
My concerns with Comcast has always only been there sales reps offering U 1 thing at a specific price but the first month bill having many hidden fees and never as promised...and then fighting with Comcast over those initail first month added/hidden fees...
and Paul, I always get Free HBO, Starz, Cinemax , premium channels for 3-6 months, sometimes 1 yr...no matter if I use Verizon Fios, Comcast or DTV...thats a bone they all throw ya to get ya in..
We'll see. For now I'm leaving the dish and all cables as is.
And because I never had HBO/Starz or cared to watch anyway it's kinda like a premium I'm getting for free that I may never use. Because of the channel lineup DTV had me used to I got used to not caring about it. Even the DVR, I may never use it but my son may. As long as I'm not paying for it to me it's a "whatever".
