Home Improvement Shows

[mountainsoft]

My wife and I really enjoy watching DIY and home improvement shows. We built our own house, so it's something that really interests us.

However, I'm constantly amazed at the dumb things the "professionals" do.

Is that a bearing wall? Well, let's bust a big hole in the ceiling to see. It would be a lot easier to just go up in the attic or in the basement/crawlspace without causing more damage. Far less dramatic for TV I guess.

We just refinished these original hardwood floors. Oh no, they were ruined by rain coming through that big hole in the roof. What?!? Anyone with a brain would get the house water tight before working on fine interior finishes.

We're going to replace these cabinets. Grab a sledgehammer and smash them into thousands of small pieces you have to pick up. Sounds like a lot of extra work to me. Why not remove a few screws and take them out as a unit, preferably recycling them? Oh yeah, doesn't make for good TV.

These cabinets look so 80's, or so 90's. Let's tear them out and install white cabinets, white quartz waterfall counters, and a super busy backsplash. It will look so 2020's so we can remodel again in a few years.

 

[Aerides]

Those "dumb things" are by design: The bust a sledgehammer thru a wall is part of each episode on purpose. Yes, it makes good TV, and HGTV is worth bazillions as a result.

 

[pacergal]

but, they have to have some drama to make it interesting!!!
I still like to watch them sometimes.

 

[Scrapr]

Our company works in the construction field. One of our contractors hooked up with a show. All the trades were "invited" to attend a meeting. After the pleasantries the real motive became apparent. Shake down the locals for $$$. Look at all the advertising you will get!!! Except it's national advertising. Not a lot of help for the mainly small local companies. I also noted that this was one of the top shows at the time. So they were making bank. And the "stars" were celebrities housed in million dollar trailers/busses. They certainly didn't need my couple thousand bucks

 

[RetiredHappy]

We also love watching HGTV shows.

The seller of the home which we just bought decided on a cheap job on the master bathroom, tiling over beautiful floor to ceiling granite shower and counter top with porcelain which looked like formica. In the process, the sellers created horrible leaks from the shower into the walls. We just re-did the master bathroom, updated the very old fashion guest bathroom and vanity. Instead of tearing out the cabinets in the 2 bathrooms, the contractor painted them white and they look beautiful.

 

[Bamaman]

Watching all the HGTV shows motivates many to get out their sledge hammer. I'm the type that has a 75 pound breaker that cuts thru ceramic tile like it's butter. And I also have my own concrete mixer.

The lake house had to have a new heat pump, and I removed sheet rock off a wall. While I was at it, I demo'd the shower I'd built 40 years ago. And also the upstairs bathroom floor is being replaced. While I'm at it, I'm dumping 6 interior doors and replacing them with 6 panel doors. And my wife bought all stainless appliances 2 years old online, so I've got to take out the old and put in the new.

Here it is pushing Labor Day, and about all I've accomplished is the demolition and cut the grass weekly. I've only used the boat 2 hrs. this year, and never used the Waverunner. After taking my wife to doctors' visits weekly, only one day a week is left to work on all these projects.

So my summer project becomes a fall project. But with fall comes getting rid of about 5,000 lbs. of mulched leaves. Being a do it yourselfer is a never ending job.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Yes, like a couple of brothers who have made a billion dollar empire yet seem to always have brand new toolbelts that rarely have any tools in them. Not a fan.

 

[mountainsoft]

Watching all the HGTV shows motivates many to get out their sledge hammer. I'm the type that has a 75 pound breaker that cuts thru ceramic tile like it's butter. And I also have my own concrete mixer.

My biggest sledge hammer is just a 4 pounder. Anything more than that and I break out the rotary hammer or reciprocating saw. I guess I'm not into smashing things to bits...

Here it is pushing Labor Day, and about all I've accomplished is the demolition and cut the grass weekly.

I've had a busy DIY summer. Built a large entertainment center for my brother-in-law, built a new fence, replaced the pressure tank in our well, installed a new ductless heat pump, repaired my mother-in-laws house after her chimney was removed, repainted our storage shed, and a whole host of smaller projects.

I've only used the boat 2 hrs. this year

We rented kayaks for 3 hours a couple weeks ago.

Being a do it yourselfer is a never ending job.

Amen! I feel the same way...

 

[ponyboy]

Is that a bearing wall? Well, let's bust a big hole in the ceiling to see. It would be a lot easier to just go up in the attic or in the basement/crawlspace without causing more damage. Far less dramatic for TV I guess.

How exactly does one figure out a load bearing wall if they have a 2nd floor? I dont know any way other than taking a peek to see if the floor joists run the length of the room. I guess you could see which way the joists run, but thats not always a great indicator. I had to punch a hole in our ceiling to check this. Opening up a kitchen, joists were staggered on the wall we want to remove, thus making it load bearing.

It amazes me that we can cover a 20' span with 2 LVL beams that are only 1.75" wide (3.5" total) and 11 7/8" depth. Didnt realize how strong those were, wow. Excited to start that project in a month or so...should only take a weekend to get the wall out and put in beams.

Guy I knew in high school was on House Hunters. I stopped watching it after he did it. Fake show. They already owned the house that they "picked." Matter of fact, they already lived there. Crew came in and removed all belongings to storage so they could pretend to want to buy it. So yeah, next time you're wondering which house they want to live in, they already live in the one they chose.

 

[Music Lover]

One of my favourites is "We just found out you need a new electrical panel". WTF? You'll be adding circuits and you didn't have the common sense to look at the friggin' breaker panel before you made your bid? IT'S NOT HIDDEN!!

I bought a used kitchen in good shape for our cabin. There are always some for sale, not everyone takes a sledgehammer to perfectly fine cabinets. Even if they're not good enough to sell many people repurpose them in the basement or garage for storage, or give them away to friends or family.

Load bearing walls...90% of the time you can look in the attic and in the basement where the support posts are. Breaking the ceiling is usually only required in complicated situations.

I could go on all day about HGTV...but we still watch and enjoy a few shows. But I can't stop pointing out stupid things that no professional should ever do.

One more stupid thing they do...taking a sledgehammer to a perfectly good piece of granite counter.

 

[mountainsoft]

How exactly does one figure out a load bearing wall if they have a 2nd floor?

As the name suggests, a bearing wall "bears the weight" of everything above it. One way or another that weight has to get transferred to the ground, through a wall, post, or beam.

Want to know if a second story wall is load bearing? Climb up in the attic and see what is resting on that wall. If nothing is resting on it, it's not bearing any weight except itself.

If joists overlap on top of the wall, or there is a post in the attic above the wall, or if roof purlins are resting on the wall is probably load bearing.

If you have roof trusses, the interior wall is likely not load bearing, but I would want to investigate further to be sure.

If second floor ceiling joists are continuous between the outside walls (no overlaps above the wall), it may or may not be load bearing. I would look at the size of the joists to see if they are adequate for the full span, even if the wall wasn't there.

Want to know if a first story wall is load bearing? Go down to the crawlspace or basement and see what is supporting the wall above. If there's a large beam or posts underneath, odds are it's bearing the weight of something up above. If it's running parallel with the joists, or just sitting perpendicular to the joists with no additional support, it's probably not load bearing.

Of course, there are always exceptions, such as offset loads (second story wall shifted over a bit from the first floor wall below), or flush concealed beams.

I had to punch a hole in our ceiling to check this.

Obviously there are situations where this is the best option. Maybe it's built on a slab with vaulted ceilings and no attic. What bothers me is the home improvement shows use that technique for every house.

It amazes me that we can cover a 20' span with 2 LVL beams that are only 1.75" wide (3.5" total) and 11 7/8" depth. Didnt realize how strong those were, wow.

The depth of a joist or beam is usually the biggest determining factor for span capabilities. For example, four 2x4's in parallel probably wouldn't be able to support as much as a single 2x12. LVL's tend to carry more weight because they don't have the imperfections of dimensional lumber (knots, splits, etc.). Steel can carry even more.

I used 2x12 joists @ 16"OC to span the full 24' width of our garage. It would be a little bouncy for a living space, but works great for our attic storage. Sure beats having a post in the middle of the garage or a big beam running across the ceiling.

Just my personal preference, I try to avoid major point loads whenever possible. For one, all that weight gets concentrated in one spot, meaning larger footings, increased potential settling, and a major failure if that post was damaged. But, point loads are often hard to avoid with modern open floor plans.

 

[mountainsoft]

I could go on all day about HGTV...but we still watch and enjoy a few shows. But I can't stop pointing out stupid things that no professional should ever do.

Yep, no matter how much we complain about the stupid things they do, we still keep watching...

 

[RetiredHappy]

Yep, no matter how much we complain about the stupid things they do, we still keep watching...

 

[Aerides]

Here's a good long read piece on HGTV from earlier this year in the New Yorker, for those who like behind the scenes stuff:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/29/hgtv-is-getting-a-renovation

 

[razztazz]

but, they have to have some drama to make it interesting!!!
I still like to watch them sometimes.

Yes. If you can't work sex into it, violence will do. Or maybe the poster was watching "Tool Time."

 

[Winemaker]

Well currently, I'm tearing up 30 yo 9X9 ceramic tile that is in the entrance way, hallway, 1st fl bathroom, kitchen, breakfast room, and laundry room. In 8 hours, I'm lucky to get 32 sq. ft, including the lauan underlay. Most of the tile comes up whole, it's the underlay that is a killer, nailed on 4 "centers, and the glue from the underlaying OSB has got it stuck pretty good.


I also laugh at the current shows, with the open floor concept. With many folks, working at home with their spouses and kiddies, any local contractors are putting up room dividers, so folks can have privacy while w*rking.

 

[Koolau]

In addition to finding "surprises" that should not have been surprises, I always wonder why the reno budget doesn't contain a decent contingency for real "surprises."

 

[mountainsoft]

In addition to finding "surprises" that should not have been surprises, I always wonder why the reno budget doesn't contain a decent contingency for real "surprises."

I'm always surprised by all the projects that go WAY over budget.

"We have 60K to spend, that's it, not a penny more." The project costs 80K to finish. Somehow they suddenly have 80K to spend...

If I say 60K, that's all I have. There's no pulling an extra 20K from under my mattress. Keep it within my budget or it isn't getting done. If a major unexpected issue comes up, we're gonna make do with paper taped to a plywood floor for a few years. I doubt that would be an acceptable ending for a home improvement TV show.

Personally, if I only have 60K to spend, I'm going to aim for something like 40K. I don't want to spend every last dime even if I have it available.

Of course, everybody has to have top of the line everything. I've never understood the need for an 8 burner range with griddles and a massive hood that would suck the toupee off your head. I very rarely turn on more than a couple of burners at once.

Oh, and the aircraft carrier kitchen island that is a MUST. That's another popular item I just don't understand. Do that many people really sit at the kitchen counter to eat? I don't even want to see the dirty dishes from the dining table, let alone sit there and eat next to them.

I get a kick out of the "First Time Flippers" show. People buy houses with absolutely no experience of even using a screwdriver. And then proceed to do a series of stupid and dangerous stunts in an attempt to improve the house. Of course, by the end of the episode the house looks spectacular and sells for well over the asking price. Yeah, right.

 

[ncbill]

My wife and I really enjoy watching DIY and home improvement shows. We built our own house, so it's something that really interests us.

However, I'm constantly amazed at the dumb things the "professionals" do.

Is that a bearing wall? Well, let's bust a big hole in the ceiling to see. It would be a lot easier to just go up in the attic or in the basement/crawlspace without causing more damage. Far less dramatic for TV I guess.

We just refinished these original hardwood floors. Oh no, they were ruined by rain coming through that big hole in the roof. What?!? Anyone with a brain would get the house water tight before working on fine interior finishes.

We're going to replace these cabinets. Grab a sledgehammer and smash them into thousands of small pieces you have to pick up. Sounds like a lot of extra work to me. Why not remove a few screws and take them out as a unit, preferably recycling them? Oh yeah, doesn't make for good TV.

These cabinets look so 80's, or so 90's. Let's tear them out and install white cabinets, white quartz waterfall counters, and a super busy backsplash. It will look so 2020's so we can remodel again in a few years.

The contractor who bought the townhouse across the way from me dismounted the cabinets, sent them out to be refinished, then re-installed them.

The 1920s house where I grew up had in its kitchen white enameled metal cabinets with all stainless steel appliances and SS countertops...same SS piece was both countertop & backsplash (seamless)...I'd love to have seen how they formed that.

It was "modernized" by tearing out the original kitchen, butler's pantry, the servant's half-bath, & two large pantries down to the studs and rebuilding with an island in the middle to make an eat-in kitchen...according to the owners at the time (~15 years ago) all of that cost over $100,000.

 

[Katsmeow]

I love the HGTV shows. But, of course, I know a lot of it is staged for drama. I've read that on Love It or List It, they film one version at the end where they decide to stay and another where they list and the show picks which to do. I don't know if that is really true though.

I did also read that on House Hunters they pick people who already have their house and then they find random other houses to use as the alternatives. So they really weren't deciding between those shows. Even so I enjoy it. I like seeing the alternative houses (fake though they may be) and thinking about what would work best for the family given their criteria. And, I enjoy seeing if I can guess which one they've chosen.

We did a major house remodel on our current house and, honestly, having watched all the HGTV shows was helpful. I had learned more from them than I thought I had.

 

[old medic]

I absolutely DISPISE the Reality TV industry as a whole... DYI and instructional shows are awesome, but if they add the reality show spin to it, I can't stand to watch...
We are big time self reliant DYIers.... Some have even mistakenly use the term Prepper, which in itself is victim of the reality shows.

 

[Bruceski44]

I worry that these shows mislead people into thinking they can do any job and it will turn out OK. Flip Or Flop, for example: they make huge mistakes, or miss obvious problems in almost every episode, yet they still end up making a huge profit. "I can do that!" says the naïve viewer, then goes out and loses everything on a bad flip. I realize you can't keep people from making mistakes, but these shows seem to be actively misinforming, which is a problem.

 

[Gumby]

...

I bought a used kitchen in good shape for our cabin. There are always some for sale, not everyone takes a sledgehammer to perfectly fine cabinets. Even if they're not good enough to sell many people repurpose them in the basement or garage for storage, or give them away to friends or family....

That's what we did with our old kitchen cabinets - put them down in the cellar for extra storage.

My peeve is the home buying shows where the potential buyers obsess about the interior paint colors. It's paint, for God's sake! One of the cheapest and easiest DIY tasks.

 

[Montecfo]

We love those shows. We know the house-picking shows are fake.

One undeniable result of HGTV is causing everyone to think they need to remove "dated" white or black appliances and put in stainless-even at their weekend retreat or, worse, at the beach in the Caribbean where these things rust more rapidly.

I guess if you are on national TV you want to show your "good taste".

I'm sure this is changing and stainless will soon be "dated" and black will reign, or avocado back from the 50s. Who can forget "almond" when that was the rage?

And who said all appliances have to be the same color or brand....I mean I can remember when....

Sorry for rant!!

 

[Aerides]

My peeve is the home buying shows where the potential buyers obsess about the interior paint colors. It's paint, for God's sake! One of the cheapest and easiest DIY tasks.

Yes! But I think that's a proxy for "i don't like this house" which is something people aren't comfortable saying, so they find any other reason to say out loud. I think they are also coached with things to say if they can't put their finger on it in the moment.

Another is "my furniture won't fit properly in this room" - for crying out loud we've seen your before house, and you should toss it. My mum, in particular, would go nuts on those comments..."who cares, your old stuff is ugly anyway!"

Then when house shopping two years ago, when she and dad literally took a tape-measure to the living room in a potential new home to see if their sofa would fit, I took great pleasure in letting her incredibly patient realtor know her prior stance...