c/albuquerque-home-reno

Hot take: I thought spray foam insulation was a total scam for our old house near UNM.

My contractor pushed hard for it, but the $4,500 quote made me sure it was just an upsell. After a brutal winter with a $300 gas bill, I finally caved and my heating costs dropped by almost half. Anyone else in a historic home see results this drastic, or did I just get lucky?

PSA: Had to pick between a new build addition or a full historic remodel for my 1920s Nob Hill bungalow

Went with the remodel to keep the original plaster and woodwork, but man, finding matching old-growth pine for the baseboards was a six-month hunt lol. Anyone know a good salvage yard besides the one on Menaul?

The guy at the lumber yard on Central told me to just use OSB for my shed floor

I was asking about 3/4 inch plywood and he said 'nobody out here pays for that, the ground's too dry to matter'. Has anyone actually had an OSB floor hold up past five years?

Hot take: Albuquerque folks keep putting the wrong kind of tile in their showers

I've seen it three times now in houses over in the Northeast Heights, people using that beautiful Saltillo tile inside the shower stall. It looks great for about six months, then it starts to soak up water and crack because it's not sealed for that kind of wetness. My neighbor learned this the hard way after a full redo last spring. What's a better, local material that holds up to our dry air and hard water?

I was sure I wanted a gravel yard for my place near UNM, but the dust changed my mind.

My contractor friend in the South Valley told me to just try a bag of decomposed granite in a corner for a week, and the fine grit got on everything. I ended up going with a mix of flagstone and drought-tolerant plants instead, which looks way better and is way cleaner. Anyone else in the Heights or UNM area deal with this dust issue and find a good fix?

Just realized my new patio cost me double because of our soil

I spent about $2,500 on a nice stamped concrete patio, but the crew hit caliche just a few inches down and needed a jackhammer. That added another $1,200 and a full day of extra work I hadn't planned for. Anyone else in the Heights run into this and have a better way to check for it before digging?

Question about using spray foam insulation in our older homes

I was helping my buddy redo his 1950s house near UNM last fall, and we filled some wall cavities with spray foam. A few months later, he started having serious moisture problems in the exterior walls. The inspector said the foam trapped existing moisture and didn't let the old adobe brick breathe like it needed to. Now I tell people to think twice before using modern sealants on our historic materials. Has anyone else run into this with older Albuquerque builds?

Talking to a stranger at the grocery store made me see my leaky faucet in a new way.

Unpopular opinion: I used to think xeriscaping was ugly until I tried it myself

I always thought xeriscaping would make my yard look barren, but after trying it with some local plants, it's actually really vibrant. Plus, my water bill dropped a lot this summer.

Skipping native plants was a mistake for my mental health.

Including them in my remodel has lowered my stress.

After years of dust, sealing the attic door made all the difference.

Just redid my patio and I'm going against the grain here, but gravel for ABQ yards is a bad call

ABQ Kitchen Remodelers: Full Measure Kitchen & Bath vs Hunter Builders?

Hey everyone, we're finally biting the bullet and remodeling our 90s kitchen here in ABQ. I've been doing a ton of research and narrowed it down to Full Measure Kitchen & Bath and Hunter Builders. Has anyone used either of these recently? Full Measure seems to have a solid reputation but their initial estimate was definitely on the higher end. Trussell's has good reviews too, but I've read a few grumbles on nextdoor about their project timelines dragging out. Would love to hear your real-world experiences before we sign a contract!