ultimax

Am replying in case anyone else finds this useful. The fan is fixed in place. It cannot be opened like a window. No issue with the 15WUD fan. Perhaps the other model has stronger suction? In any case it works fine. My ID charged me $50 in 2012, but I'm pretty sure that was discounted. It's probably $200 now. Hard to say how much it costs as some contractors will only do the housing but you have to provide the fan (which means extra $), whereas others provide everything. Also, the workmanship varies tremendously. Let's just say there are many ways to secure a fan to the window. Whether chio or not is a different matter

Sorry! I only just saw your message. Yes, after 2.5 years. Don't know why I wasn't notified earlier. Anyway, am replying in case anyone else finds this useful. The box was provided by HDB. I believe all BTOs either come with concealed pipes, or the pipes are boxed up by HDB.

Wah like that ah. Hmm sounds like major job. Need to think about it. Should have thought about this during first time reno! Thanks for your advice!

Good idea! Here's a photo. The red line is where I hope to install the new aircon. The black line is where the existing trunking runs. To me it looks possible. Just need to cut a hole in the area where the new aircon will be mounted, then run the piping through it to the other side. I assume the inside of the false ceiling is hollow. But maybe more complicated than that. Any advice will be appreciated!

Hello, I live in a standard 4 room BTO HDB. I initially installed aircon in the bedrooms. But after 1 year, I now wish to install one in the living room too. The existing trunking runs through a false ceiling so it's hidden. Is it possible to run the new trunking through it? Or will I have to redo it? Thanks!

Never heard of the brand. We use Crestar and have been very happy with it. We upgraded the bulb too, but it's not LED. We simply got a bigger bulb from the shop. It shouldn't void your warranty. Our socket was rated for 60W (there's a sticker that says max. 60W), which was the standard wattage for old filament bulb. A CF equivalent only uses a fraction of that so we had no problems using an even brighter CF bulb. I'd just you get a ceiling fan that uses standard E27 screw on bulbs. Less trouble. There are even screw on LED bulbs now. Would avoid anything that would require special parts.

Hello, Can someone recommend a place which sells stainless steel sinks for the service yard? Doesn't have to be too big, just big/deep enough to do hand wash etc. Looking for a basic wall mounted one. Thanks!

Gas heater is pay as you go, whereas storage heater is pay upfront (because must heat the entire tank of water, regardless of whether you use up all the hot water). For those of you with gas heater, do you have an issue with the exhaust fan switching on automatically? I have a Macro water heater and the fan comes on automatically quite often. Just the fan. The heater remains off. I notice it happens whenever the block's water pump switches on. I suspect that causes a very small surge in pressure which triggers the exhaust fan as the heater thinks the tap is turned on. Anyone else have this problem?

As I understand it, there are two kinds of cement screed. The first is a "self-leveling" type which is what HDB uses in its corridors because it's easier to apply. It "flattens" out itself so you can apply it quickly The colour tends to be uniform. The second type is an more traditional mix that requires more skill to apply well. That was the type my ID used, and the effect was quite nice. I personally think the skill of the workman also matters. I went to someone's house and the cement screed floor was awfully done. Maybe it just wasn't to my taste but it looked really messy and uneven. It didn't help that the ID tried to do a "cloud effect" by sprinkling coloured cement powder on top of the screed. That requires artistic talent and sadly, I don't think it really worked out. As for epoxy, it will make the floor more durable, but it will also make it glossy. I personally don't like that look. Lacquer is an alternative, and the finish will be matt, but the amount of protection will be a lot less. Some don't even bother with a layer of coating because they want to achieve a worn in, smooth and naturally glossy look that will develop after months of mopping and walking around. Apparently kampung houses used to have this look. Ultimately, it depends what kind of effect you're going for. I think cement screed makes your house different, but it's not the easiest surface to maintain. You must be prepared for stains and cracks. Some say this adds character, but others cannot stand it. Cement screed should also be cheaper than tiles. At least that's my experience. But I heard it may lower your flat's valuation. Having lived in my place with cement screed for a year, I would say it's something I'd do once in my life, and it fits into my current raw theme, but will probably go with something more conventional in future if I move house /renovate again because a wet cement screed floor can be quite slippery and isn't the most child/elderly friendly surface.

Dryin standing clothes dryer for sale. Not your conventional tumble dryer, but dries by blowing warm air from the bottom up. This is gentler on your clothes. It is essentially a wardrobe which circulates warm air to dry your clothes. Details here: http://dryin.com.sg/ Review here: http://www.herworldplus.com/solutions/road-test/review-portable-clothes-dryers Only a few months old. Selling for only $50 (1/3 of retail!). Selling because we've moved house and it takes up too much space in our service yard. Self collect @ Yishun. SMS 98234100 or reply here.

How do you find your gas heater? I'm using a Macro digital one, which looks bigger than yours. I find the exhaust fan comes on randomly even when the heater isn't in use. Like every few minutes it'll come on and blow for about 5s, then switch off. I donno if that's normal or not.

Hello, For those using the Macro MA-10FE gas water heater (pic below), do you find the exhaust fan switches on randomly even when the heater is not in use?

Looking forward to reading this. Am curious to find out more about the gas dryer.

As good as new Scanteak Vinkel KING sized bedframe for sale at $700 (almost 50% off retail). Dimensions: 2030mm x 1900mm x 700mm Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/103181544948273527820/ItemsForSale#5901131940792873890 https://picasaweb.google.com/103181544948273527820/ItemsForSale#5901131942130816674 Scanteak's website (note dimensions are for a queen sized bed): http://www.scanteak.com.sg/catalogue/bedroom/wooden-beds/39503-vinkel-5ft-queen-bed About a year old, but only used a few times because I was overseas. Am downgrading to a queen sized bed now because a king's too big for my room. Delivery not included. Frame can be disassembled into 4 pieces and transported in a MPV with seats folded down. SMS 98234100 if interested.

My kitchen doesn't have overhung cabinets so I have no personal experience with them but this thread my answer your question: http://www.renotalk.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=46323&st=0&p=695195&hl=+kitchen +cabinet +counter +height&fromsearch=1entry695195

I must say this is a rather artistic shot. That's Mark right? Anyway, I love the colour scheme you've/Artist Room has chosen for the tiles. I love neutrals, especially that combination. It's so relaxing and welcoming! I think your house will turn out wonderful!

If that's the case you might want to consider sewing a backing to it. Otherwise you'll find it'll always crumple. Same thing with bathroom floor cloths. Very irritating! That's why I now buy those with a more solid base that won't bend or crease ... always a perfect rectangle

maybe you could get the door people to make a door that's slightly shorter so there's a gap below, then install a brush strip below to seal gap yet allow it to go over the floor mat easily. It looks something like this. Seen it as DIY stores.

Where did they come from and what are you going to use them for? I've seen braided metal hoses of that size. I think it's 1/2". Anyway plumbing fixtures usually come in standard sizes so shouldn't be hard to find.

This is what my ID did. THe glass pane with circlular cut out and aluminium border cost me $50, which I think is cheap compared to the prices I've seen here. But as always, it came as part of the totla package so you know lah The fan I'm using is the KDK 15WUD. I think it was $50+ at Chan Huat. You could DIY the whole thing if you want, just that it may not look as nice. It's not difficult to remove the glass pane. You can get an acrylic shop to cut a piece to size. Mounting the fan is straightforward. Wiring is also straight forward (usual 3 wires - Earth, live and neutral). The whole piece is secured in place with sillicone.

Where is your shoe cabinet? I think your options are limited because of the door. There's always going to be some space which you can't put anything as it'll block the door. In fact, I think the settee is probably the closest you'll be able to position anything permanently. Floor mat may not fit under the door so that may not be an issue. One other idea is to have a small stool which you can slide out from under the settee. When you're done you can then kick it back in. It may a bit low. Should be OK for guys but for ladies, might be a bit inconvenient. Or you could put felt underneath the white chair and drag it over when you want to wear your shoes, and push it back when you're done. Or replace that chair with something with rollers. Perhaps the best solution is to leave everything as it, have a good front door mat, make sure everyone wipes their shoes before they step into the house, and and mop that area everyday

I am a big fan of Ikea too. I think people sometimes dismiss Ikea because they think the quality sucks. It is true that for many of their items they use particleboard, which is not solid wood. And for some items, the price of getting a carpenter to do something similar isn't much more. But for many other items, you cannot beat the design you get for the price. We have a couple of Hemnes mirrors too. Cannot beat the price for that kind of design! The best thing about Ikea are the internal drawer configurations for the wardrobe and kitchen systems. If you get your carpenter to do something similar it will cost you A LOT! Also, the durability may not be as good, but it's not THAT bad. You can also easily replace worn/damaged parts as all Ikea systems are modular. So it's plug-and-play. These systems also come with 10 year warranties. Sure, the terms and conditions may be restrictive, but at least it's there and you can still make a case for things like the separation of laminates as a manufacturing defect. Will your carpenter offer you a 10 year warranty? I think with big items (built-in wardrobes etc) you might actually save money in the long run eventhough you have to replace items because custom carpentry is really quite expensive these days. Frankly, it also may not be as good as you think it should be. The quality of work is really slipping man. If you were to spend a little bit of time and energy to reinforce the Ikea construction, it can actually feel quite sturdy! It's amazing what a few extra screws or right-angle supports can do to the strength of the item.

Hey where did you get these plants from? My wife's been looking for them!!!!

All the best with your renovations! If you need some guidance, check out these threads. There are many more like them around, just hard to find. Too bad I only discovered them after my renos. Therefore learnt a lot of things the hard way ... hopefully you won't! My 3 Golden Rules are: 1. Be disciplined with your budgeting. Work out your budget, and stick to it. Don't add here, add there, even if it's a little bit, because it will add up. If you add somewhere, must subtract from somewhere else. 2. You are the boss. This is probably a five figure sum contract with your ID. It's a lot of money so you need to act accordingly. You need to take charge, set boundaries, and be very clear what you expect. For small things, give and take. But for anything involving a deadline or specifications, must be firm. Otherwise it's very easy for IDs to makan you. 3. Be proactive in the design process. Do your homework. You need to partner your ID. Yes, you hired the ID to design the place for you. But I guarantee you no ID will put in as much effort or thought into thinking about your place than you ever will. Because they won't live there at the end of the day, and they have other projects. For them, it's business. For you, because you live there, it will be personal. So you need to arm yourself with info and your own ideas. Not just about design but practical things too. Like some people prefer a particular configuration of cabinets. Or are used to positioning kitchen equipment in a particular configuration. Some prefer like higher kitchen counters (I kena here - my ID built my counter too low. Get back-strain when I wash the dishes!). Good IDs will seek your input but a lot of them will just go with "default" template unless you talk to them about it. What You Need To Know Before You Start Renovation Materials That U Regret Using/ Installing Guide For Renovation TIPS FOR RENOVATION [beginner's Guide] What Lights To Choose

Sorry to see you're going through all this. It really sucks that you're getting this kind of #@!@ service eventhough you've parted with quite a lot of money already. I don't know of any other industry where this happens! It's so easy for the ID to makan their clients. Without knowing all your details, I am a bit worried about how things will be as work progresses. Because if they're already like this at the start, it could be worse when the actual construction begins. Hacking is quite straightforward compared to the coordination needed for the actual building. A lot of things must be done in proper sequence. And at the end, when you point out things that need to be rectified, they may boh hiew you. They also know you have your own timeline to move in, so eventually you may get tired of pushing them. They can wait because they are occupied with other projects, but can you? You say the ID and contractor have bigger projects. This is scary because I find in this industry, money talks. Big projects = big priority. Small project = ..... I mean one of the ID firms you consulted already pointed this out in your face - "we don't do contracts below $60K." Not saying there's anything fundamentally wrong with focusing on money, but that's the attitude in the industry I feel which sometimes causes professionalism to be sacraficed. Perhaps you can share what the terms of your contract with the ID/contractor are. See if there's a legal way out of this mess. Maybe you should really just dump them and start afresh. Since you're already doing a lot of the project management yourself, maybe you should switch contractors and DIY liao. You also seem like you know what you want. All the best!