Recent content by Tharber

I haven't read all of these replies but here is my take. I have purchased both real and lab grown diamonds. This is one of the most-debated topics in the diamond business right now. Lab-grown diamonds are chemically, physically, and optically identical to natural diamonds. They have the same...

Carpet is far less labor intensive than vinyl or wood, thats the real reason plus builder pricing on carpet is 1/2 what the public pays and it hides a lot of flaws in uneven concrete floors and all you need is baseboard, no 1/4 round. Granite is a pain in the butt to get delivered and installed...

I am a huge, huge fan of luxury vinyl here in FL. I have put it in my last 2 houses and it lasts forever and is comfortable to walk on. It was not cheap at approx $6.00 psf hard costs but well worth it IMHO.

Granite depending on what level is less expensive than man made products anymore.

A mini split would be perfect and not expensive.

There is no doubt that at one time bricks were solid, like old Chicago brick. One thing to consider he in FL is that anything solid like that, tends to wick water and transmit heat. The holes give a thermal break, much like concrete blocks do. I have recently looked at some new age concrete...

The holes in the brick serve many purposes. They help the brick cure better in the kiln, they provide a better 'grip' for the mortar and they also have an insulating factor due to the air pockets. Solid bricks are hardly, if ever used in this type of installation, maybe for a load bearing arch...

They look like full brick to me, see under the window as well as the previous picture of the bricks on a pallet. Insulation is done from the inside. The membrane is a water proof barrier and there will be slots here and there that are not mortared so that if any water penetrates that it can...

Harmless black snake, that is unless for example you open your garage door and 2 fall out on you. Ask me how I know!

Honestly with the FL wind code requirements there is not much to worry about. Storms do the damage if the envelope of the house is compromised, ie.. roof blows off and they have never really been anything other than framed. There are some new standards coming out, I don't know if its in his...

Fraud is absolutely running rampant. Too many people use insurance as a warranty. In all my years, I have never had a single claim filed. I take care of my home and buildings and do not defer any maintenace.

Yes I have the entire Moody's suite and my exposure is minimal. I have zero chances of flood and a mild risk of wind damage.

I do not disagree with you. I will give you a personal example. I have a commercial building, with a new roof (2024)and impact resistant windows (2025). It is a CBS building with new A/C even. My carrier wanted $17,567 per year with a $15,000 wind deductible. The building is worth around...

If you use the concept of capital accumulation an invest what your premiums would have been, it is very easy to self insure. You would need to calculate the value of your loss and invest that money accordingly. I help many commercial property owners do this. You need to have a liability...

I prefer to purchase Bradford White. They are an American owned and employee owned company and produce their own water heaters.