Appreciation post: A messy kitchen remodel in Akron taught me to always check the subfloor first

I was helping my buddy with his house last month, pulling up old vinyl in his kitchen. We were ready to just lay the new plank right over it. His neighbor, an older guy who used to install floors, walked over and said, 'You boys even look at what's under that mess?' We peeled a corner back and found a huge soft spot from an old leak. Would have been a nightmare in six months. Now I pull up a full corner in every room before I even give a quote. Anyone else have a simple check that saved a job?

3 comments

3 Comments

price.nora2mo ago

My cousin in Toledo bought a house and the inspector missed that the bathroom fan vented straight into the attic. She only found out because her handyman went up there to check for something else before installing new insulation. The whole attic corner was black with mold. That guy saved her from a huge cleanup bill just by taking a quick look around first.

faiths122mo ago

Remembered my dad always checking for wall outlets before hanging a TV mount. Found a live wire running sideways once, would have drilled right into it.

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garcia.charles1mo ago

Ever wonder how many houses are just one wrong drill bit away from disaster? My buddy almost hit a pipe because someone ran the plumbing for the upstairs sink right behind where the living room mirror was supposed to go. It's like they build these places with a dartboard for the blueprints.