There are no code requirements for water closet exhaust fans because taking a stinky dump isn't something the code is intended to address. Technically, you don't need an exhaust fan at all as long as the bathroom has an operable window.

The water closet doesn't have it's own window. So, I wasn't sure if that meant it had to have a fan, since it's kind of a separate room.

Still doesn't matter. Code cares about very humid air. Code doesn't give a damn about the stench from your butt hole.

^^^

Put a box of kitchen matches in there and light one after you are done. Let it burn for a bit and toss it in the toilet before you flush. Way cheaper than an exhaust fan and yes it still works.

I worked as an installer for Renewal by Andersen for several years about 15 years ago in the Bay Area. If that is for the Andersen patio door it is not far off what we charged back then. You can for sure get a cheaper door, you can for sure buy the same door cheaper yourself, and probably get a better price from a private installer, though there is something to be said for getting someone who specializes in retrofitting patio doors. I got way, way, way better and obviously way more efficient at it after specializing for a while even though I had done maybe a dozen patio door replacements with a previous general.

As far as Andersen doors, they are really worth the hype IMO. I am not up on the latest patio door developments or which companies are ranked where these days, but I replaced somewhere around 100 patio doors in my time there and never took out an Andersen door.

Quick question, I've replaced a couple of bathrooms over the years, strictly for myself or helping a friend for free, so now ive been asked to demo an old bathroom for a tile setter.

How much should i charge to take a shower area down to the studs?

Pretty standard tearout, old tile about 200 square feet.

Then put back durock.

Strictly friend of a friend cash deal.

Im thinking 400 dollars labor, 2 days tops.

Am i a bloodsucker or just a sucker?

^^^ If he provides the beer and pizza and you can do it over a weekend, it sounds like a solid price for a brother-in-law deal.

I can't really answer that question for you. If it were me, in the part of the country I live in, that would be cheap (very cheap if you're buying materials) but possibly fair if there was some additional quid pro quo somewhere down the road.

Are you hauling and dumping?

Nope, no material bought either.

Then it's just your time. Seems like this could be done in a day depending on how old and tired you are.

Random homeowner fact:

The same contractor doing work at your house that will drop off the face of the earth for 3-4 days at a clip without so much as answering a text, will text you 4-5 times a day and make unscheduled drop-ins at your house looking for his last check. This runs at ~100% consistency.

Odds are it will be cement behind the tile which is A LOT of work, plus the shower floor will be 2" thick of cement and tar. The floor actually comes up good if you have a jackhammer.

A friend of a friend, at least $750. IMO, demo and install backer board is like $1k+

I am surprised the tile setter wants someone else to install the backer board. He's probably not that good to be honest.

The fastest way to demo a cemented wall shower/tub is to get your skillsaw with concrete blade, a hydro sprayer, a dust mask, and a helper. Set your saw to about 1 1/2" deep and cut sections on the tile walls, get a big bar and rip the pieces off. Then clean up the corners and windows. Messy but you can have most of it done by lunch.

The shower I built is about this size and I have about 18" above the glass with zero ventilation issues. I have an exhaust fan about a foot from the glass door away from the shower. I feel like I could have a much smaller gap without an issue.

Your outlet is rated to 15A, but the light strands must be using much thinner wires between the lights, so it can't handle a whole bunch of strings pulling more current. Without the 3A fuse, the wires could get hot enough to melt through the insulation and short out somewhere. It probably wouldn't start a fire, but not impossible. (The heat generated is proportional to the current squared, so doubling the number of strings quadruples the heat generated in the wires)

Would you replace old plaster with new insulation and 5/8 sheetrock on exterior walls or replaster? Also, which r value would you choose if going with new insulation?

Plaster is a hell of a lot more expensive and there is no reason to use it unless you're maintaining a historic building. Insulation R-value is dictated by the depth of the wall cavity. 2x4 walls get R-13, 2x6 walls get R-19. You don't need 5/8" drywall, 1/2" is fine.

Thanks for the info. I wonder if we would have splurged on better quality lights if we would be having this issue.

Thanks zikzak, happy thanksgiving to you and everyone else.

I said $750 but a friend of a friend is really just a guy wanting to save money or just doesn't know anyone else. $1500, unless you need the money or are bored out of your mind.

I doubt it. All the xmas lights I've bought over the last few years have that same 3A fuse in the string, to protect the wires in the string, which like you say are kinda tiny. Xmas lights are strung together in series, so at .5A each, stringing 4 together is getting towards the limit for a 3A fuse, particularly when you're running them for multiple hours. Code says for continuous loads (3 hours or more) you shouldn't load a fuse or breaker beyond 80% of its rating. And of course it would be the fuse closest to the outlet that would blow, having to handle the whole string of lights.

So what's the latest? I fancy myself a xmas light stringing foo, with a pretty crazy setup last year (about 3000 lights outside), computer midi controlled with 120V switching (any love Micro, Stumpy?) so if you're still having issues, post!

Following up on this, well I guess not all home DIY efforts are successful. I followed the advice here, tracked down the closest thermostat I could find talking to multiple sales reps, and ended up ordering a "replacement" stat, $100. Felt like I had to give the the old college try before surrendering. The t-stat that showed up had only 2 terminals to switch the oven on and off, but the temperature range was correct. The existing stat had 6 terminals. I studied the existing control schematic, modified the wiring to what I think was a correct re-wiring, put the thing together and tried it; fail. All the On, Heat, etc lights were coming on, but the oven didn't heat. I said eff it, and am ordering a new range.

This DIY failure brought to you by Sparks. Cheers!

What brand are you getting?

It wasn't that bad as far as demo went, but we decided to move the plumbing fixtures and add another shower head.

So the job grew a little bit. Probably adds a couple hundo so i probably will get close to 700. My uncle isnt getting his cut, so don't tell anyone.

The guy who does the tile is older but definitely knows his stuff, he just doesn't like to do the heavy lifting anymore.

The fuses are Saftey devices and were sized to prevent the lines from overloading and catching on fire. If it says to not exceed 216 watts, then don't.
The lights would have been tested to see at what amperage the lines caught fire and then a fuse would have been selected to trip the lines if they are overloaded to prevent this. Different wiring sheaths are rated for different power. If you continuously overload the lines/blow the fuses, it will degrade the materials and lower the temperature they can withstand and cause them to catch fire.