Are the young being squeezed out of today's Housing Market?

I heard a news report the other day that suggested home prices have risen so dramatically in recent years that young people are now being priced out of the home market like never before. I am curious if you agree with this assertion or are personally experiencing this situation. Please send a comment as I and fellow readers are interested in your feedback.

Though I agree home prices have risen in recent years, I'm not so sure that the real/total cost of owning a home has changed so dramatically. Intereste rates have been at record lows for the past 2-3 years which I would guess have offset the high home prices. In addition, wages have continued to increase at healthy levels during the past few years - at least for those who have not lost their jobs.

Also, as far back as I can remember home prices have consistenly risen and sometimes quite dramatically. Somehow during these times, new homes were built and people bought them. With new home starts still continuing to climb, I am suspicious of this news report's assertion. Is this a real fact or just more fluff reporting?

Leave a comment as I would like to hear your views.

Building Your Dream Home - Part2

Razing the Cottage

With new house plans and permits in hand, sub-contractors hired and a Septic Design in process, it was now time to raze the existing cottage. Iconsidered employing the local fire department to burn it down, however I chose the demolition route instead. Though I did not contact the FireDepartment, I was convinced that this route would have led to multiple delays and pitfalls, as I would have been at the whim of several town employeesand weather conditions. The demolition route required only the excavator subcontractor and had less weather related schedule risks. In addition, thedemolition cost and effort was very reasonable. Within two days, it was as if the cottage never existed on the land. It is important to note, however, thatthe cottage was relatively small. It was 22’ x 30’. If the cottage had been significantly larger, then the Fire Department route may have made morefinancial sense.

The demolition effort itself basically consisted of three parts. First, all of the furniture and appliances needed to be removed. Most of these items were oldand musty and were not worth saving. Next, the excavator used a large backhoe and tore apart and crushed the building into small pieces. Finally, theexcavator loaded the debris into several 20 cubic yard dumpsters, which were then hauled away by a dumpster company. Finding the appropriatedumpster company was a little bit of a challenge, as there are strict regulations on the disposing of certain home construction material. In addition, thedumpster costs can dramatically increase depending on how far away their facilities are from the construction/destruction site.


Breaking Ground

After the cottage was razed, and the stakes were placed outlining the boundary of the new home, it was time to break ground. This was a very excitingtime as my dream was about to begin to take shape. I was building a large contemporary home with a wall of windows facing the lake front. Admittedlyit was only a hole in the ground, but this hole represented the rough footprint of my future house. Seeing the hole, I could begin to more easily visualize myfuture home.

Digging out the hole and preparing the site for a foundation is one of the most critical aspects of building a new home. As a result, I spent severaloccasions with both the Excavator and Foundation subcontractors reviewing the house plans and the site prior to, and during the excavation. It wasimperative that all of us were on the same page to ensure that the foundation walls, with all its jogs and step ups/downs would be located and installed perthe plans. During these meetings a few adjustments were necessary to the foundation plans, however with all the team members involved the changeswere minor and absolutely necessary. The changes helped prevent more serious problems later on and ensured that the outside aesthetics of the homewere maintained.

As I already indicated, the foundation is extremely important to any quality home. If the foundation is not built upon a solid footing, nor constructed of theappropriate concrete strength, the foundation walls will crack in short order. These cracks can lead to water in the basement, settling in the framing, andeventually cracks in the finished walls and ceilings. Consequently, it is imperative that the excavation site not only be properly dug out, but also backfilledwith crushed stone and sand to provide for a stable base and to enable proper drainage underneath and around the home. In my case I had theexcavator dig out sufficiently to enable 18” of crushed stone to be backfilled into the hole and still meet my foundation plan requirements.

Once the site was prepared for concrete, the foundation crew installed concrete footings 18” wide and 12” deep. In addition they installed severalcement footings in the middle of the house footprint for lally columns. The footings represent the base of the home and support the concrete foundationwalls and the home itself. Due to the fact that it was winter, Calcium Chloride was used as an accelerator to speed the curing time of the concrete. Inaddition water had pooled in a portion of the hole, so constant pumping was necessary during the curing time.

After a couple of days, the foundation crew installed forms for the concrete walls. A day later the foundation walls were poured. Three days later theforms were removed and the foundation walls were in. I then had my excavator subcontractor return. After tarring the outer walls, just up to the level ofwhere the finished grade would be, he installed a perimeter drain around the foundation and then backfilled the foundation with clean sand and fill. It isimportant that boulders and clay not be used as backfill material. Boulders can crack the foundation walls while being pushed into place, and clay canlead to improper drainage around the home.

With the foundation in and backfilled I was ready for framers.

The Framing Stage

The framing stage is probably the most exciting part of building a home. In a relatively short period of time, literally days, a house begins to take realform. Within less than a week knee walls were up, floor joists were installed and a plywood sub-floor was down. After a couple of weeks, the first floorwalls were up and ceiling joists were being installed. I was so impressed I was convinced my new home was a month ahead of schedule. Boy was Iwrong.

Before I elaborate on my misconception I should jump back for a minute. While the excavation work went on, I was also engaged with the Framingsubcontractor. The Framing subcontractor needed to order framing material including lumber, doors and windows, shingles and siding. Inevitably therewere issues with the availability of material and delivery dates, and as a result, we spent a fair amount of time resolving these issues. Fortunately, due toconstant communication and quick problem solving we were able to have the initial delivery of lumber arrive on the site within a day after the backfilling ofthe foundation.

It is important to note, that it is at this time of the project that the large outlays of money begin to occur. Lumber costs for a home construction are quitelarge, and final payments are due to the Excavator and Foundation subcontractors. Excavation/Sitework and Foundation installations are a significantportion of the cost of building a home. In addition, the Framing subcontractor requires a portion of his labor to be paid in advance.

Also, it is very important that Homeowner Construction Insurance be obtained prior to the construction phase. This insurance protects theHomeowner/Builder against material theft and job injuries. All of your subcontractors and their employees should be insured but don’t count on it. Duringany building project, subcontractors are bound to hire extra help for short stints and I would be surprised if these temporary employees were added tothe subcontractor’s insurance policy. The homeowner/builder insurance policy is small change compared to the risk of theft or the threat of injurylawsuits.

As I indicated earlier, I was in for a surprise with the framing phase of my home. As mentioned, the initial framing moved quickly. However it was stillwinter and frequent snow storms and extremely cold weather began to hit. This dramatically slowed progress. In addition, with the fresh supply of snowit quickly became apparent that my framing crew had an affinity to snowmobiling. So even on the sunny days my framing crew was frequently absent. Nomatter my level of complaining or prodding I was unable to control my framing subcontractor’s work ethic. Consequently, I had to contact my plumbing,electric, and fireplace subcontractors to inform them of the delay. This was extremely painful to have to do, as I had no definitive date on when I wouldactually need them and each of them had very full calendars. As a result, to be able to call them at the last minute and expect for them to drop what theywere doing to come to work on my project was highly unlikely. Again, through regular communication with these other subcontractors I was able tomitigate some of this problem, however my project did experience significant schedule slips due to my framing crews shenanigans.

In retrospect, I am not sure what I could have done to have prevented this problem. Reference checks on the Framing subcontractor had been positive. Iguess I should have asked what his hobbies were and made sure they did not correspond to the season I wanted the work done. It is also a fact thatunexpected things do happen on any project and one should expect it and plan accordingly. For example, put some contingency dollars and schedule intoyour project for events such as mine. Also, I can not stress enough to establish a rapport and regular communication channel with all of yoursubcontractors. Do not assume anything during a project of this size.


To Be Continued ….

In Part 3 of “Building Your Dream House”, the Framing continues and Rough Electric and Plumbing begin. Stay tuned……………

Eliminating Moles and Grubs

If you are seeing raised tracks of topsoil on you lawn this spring you have Moles and underground insects. This is a sure sign that your lawn will have tremendous problems in the ensuing weeks and months unless you address the problem immediately. If the problem is not addressed large brown, dead patches of lawn will begin to appear.

Moles are insect eaters, and without insects they will move on. Thus it is imperative to treat your lawn with a pesticide to reduce the insect population. There are a number of products on the market that work reasonably well, including GrubEx, Dialox and Milky Spore. Typically these products should be applied in late Spring through early Summer and should be watered in within 24 hours of application. Typically it will take 2-4 weeks to eliminate the Grub population, thus eliminating the food source for the Moles. As a result, the Moles will soon migrate to other locations.

To see if your lawn has a grub problem, simply use a shovel and lift up a small, 2-3 inch deep, shovel size section of lawn. Perform this test in 3 or 4 places throughout your lawn. If there are more than 2 or 3 grubs per square foot then a pesticide should be applied.

Strapping a Ceiling

Prior to hanging sheetrock to ceiling joists it is important that strapping first be installed. Strapping helps prevent cracks from showing up later in your home’s ceiling, as well as provides more surface area for securing the sheetrock to the ceiling.

Strapping typically consists of 1”x 3” boards that are nailed perpendicular to the ceiling joists. Strapping can be purchased at any home improvement center as individual sticks or in bundles of 10, and comes in lengths from 8 to 16 feet.

Strapping should be applied every 16 inches on center perpendicular to, and across, the ceiling joists. Care should be made in installing the strapping such that two pieces of abutting sheetrock each have access to approximately 1.5” of surface area of the strapping material. For example, the centerline of the 3rd row of strapping from a wall should be at 48 inches (the width of a piece of sheetrock). Not the edge of the strapping!

The installation of strapping is straight forward in concept, however significant care should be given to ensure that it is securely nailed and runs straight. Otherwise the sheetrocking effort may not go smoothly or be installed properly.

On pitched ceilings, it may help to use a chalk line and level to ensure straight lines. Also, the use of a Nail Gun is very helpful in this task, as nailing over one’s head can quickly become tiring. Not to mention, the job goes much faster.

Repairing a hole in a Sheetrocked Wall

It is quite simple to repair a hole in a Sheetrocked wall, however there are minor differences in methods of repair depending on how large the hole is.

Small size holes (1/4” or smaller)

With small holes, simply apply a little joint compound or wall putty with a small putty knife or trowel. Let dry, then sand lightly and paint.

Medium size holes (Greater than ¼” in diameter and smaller than 2” in diameter).

First clean out the hole and surrounding area of any debris and loose sheetrock.
Then apply a mesh tape, specifically manufactured for sheetrock applications, across the hole. Use your putty knife to ensure that it is applied evenly on the wall surface.
Next apply a liberal amount of Joint Compound over the hole and mesh. Let this set for 1 to 2 days.

After the initial coat has been applied and has had time to fully dry, apply a second skim coat of Joint Compound over the area. However, this time spread the Joint Compound over an area that is 2-3 times the size of the original hole. Basically you want to flare out the area that you are repairing so that it will blend in nicely with the rest of the wall. Again let the area dry for a day.

Finally lightly sand the area and apply one last skim coat over the area. Again spreading the Joint Compound out a little further than the last application. Let the Joint Compound set up one more day, sand lightly and then paint.

Holes larger than 2 inches.

With large holes, I recommend cutting out an area such that a new small piece of sheetrock can be applied to the 2”x4” studs. For example, I would consider putting in a new 16”x16” piece of sheetrock for a hole that is greater than 2” in diameter and less than 16” in diameter.

The best method to remove the piece of damage sheetrock is to use a Carpenters knife (razor blade) and score the area where you want to cut out. Repeatedly apply the knife until you have worked your way through the sheetrock. When complete, you should have about ½” to ¾” of the 2”x4” stud showing on each of the two exposed studs.

Note: Care should be taken to ensure no wires are cut behind the sheetrock when cutting out the damaged piece.

Next, cut a piece of new sheetrock to the size of the hole, and secure with sheetrock screws or ringed sheetrock nails.

Next, tape the cracks with the mesh tape material mentioned above. Then as described earlier, apply three skim coats of Joint Compound, with each successive coat getting flared out further. Make sure you wait for the Joint Compound to dry before applying the next coat. Perform a final light sand after the final coat has been applied and has had time to dry, and then paint.

Home Depot to Present at Merrill Lynch Retailing Leaders Conference

ATLANTA, March 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Home Depot®, the world's largest home improvement retailer, announced that Carol Tome, executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Frank Blake, executive vice president, business development and corporate operations, will present at Merrill Lynch Retailing Leaders Conference in New York, N.Y. The presentation will begin at 8:00 a.m. EST on March 22, 2005: See entire Story at: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050316/clw018_3.html

The Wireless Home

It was only a few years ago that Real Estate agents and Builders were promoting the “Wired” feature as a must have when buying a new home. Wired meant that the home not only had cable running throughout it, but also Cat-5 wire. Cat-5 wire consists of four pairs of wire that are sheathed into one bundle, and is used for interconnecting multiple computers and computer peripherals throughout the home. Electricians went to great length to run Cat-5 throughout new homes, and home buyers paid a handsome premium for it. Now the latest buzz from the Computer and Networking world is, “Unwire Your Home”, as the Computer/Internet world rapidly moves to wireless interconnections.

Dell Computer is an example of this phenomenon. They are touting new technology from Cisco that enables homeowners to wirelessly connect their Personal Computers (PC) to their Home Entertainment centers. Through Cisco’s Linksys WMA11B Wireless Media Adapter, connected via standard cables to your Home Entertainment Center, and a wireless router connected to the PC, homeowners can enjoy their digital photographs on their Televisions and play their MP3 music collection through their stereo system.

The wireless protocol interconnecting the Media Adapter and Router is known as Wireless-B (802.11b). The Media Adapter comes with a Remote Control, and has user-friendly menus that are displayed on the TV. It can support JPEG, GIF, TIF, and BMP type file formats. The Remote Control can also be used for browsing your MP3 or WMA formatted music collection. The cost for the Media Adapter is around $100.

Without a doubt, wireless is the present and future technology for interconnecting home electronics. There are other similar products and companies on the market today offering products such as Dell. Definitely take a look at these products prior to paying any type of “wired” premium on a new home.

Mahogany Decking

A couple of years ago I had the chance to tour several newly constructed Adirondack homes. One of the areas that particularly stood out for me while touring these homes were the decks. All used Mahogany lumber for both the decking and the railing systems. The red color and the general beauty of the Mahogany wood was unique to anything I had ever seen before in decking material.

After completing my home tours I went out and researched Mahogany further. First, there are several species and colors of Mahogany, supplied by various countries around the world. Not all are the same, however. It is the species known as American Mahogany that has the rich red color that I had observed. American Mahogany comes from the West Indies, Mexico, and Central and South America. It is generally viewed as a harder wood that is extremely durable and resistance to moisture and insects. Also, because it is a hard wood it has a tendancy to not split, twist or check. So be sure to ask about the species, prior to buying Mahogany. Note however, Mahogany is a little more expensive than pressure treated decking and railing systems, however it is well worth it in terms of quality, looks and durabilty.

Since discovering and researching Mahogany, I have built two deck systems using this material. As I had indicated earlier, it is a hard material that as a result, requires a little more effort in its installation.

Fastening the Material

First, use stainless steel nails or screws on both the decking and railing systems, as other types will not penetrate this material very well. My preference was the stainless steel nails, however pre-drilling holes is mandatory if not using a nail gun. Even with stainless steel nails, they will bend trying to simply nail them into the wood. I found that with the stainless steel hex head screws that they chewed the wood going in and left somewhat of a ragged finish on the surface of the wood.

Second, when installing the decking material, I found it aesthetically most attractive to create a frame on the outside perimeter of the deck surface using long Mahogany boards. Once the outer frame is installed, the main Mahogany decking boards can be simply installed within this outer framework. The result is a cleaner line when viewed from a distance or standing on the deck itself.

Regarding the Railing system, screws and bolts should be used exclusively as the material use in this part of the deck is typically thicker and requires more rigidity.

Painting, Staining or Sealing

Mahogany takes paint and stain well, however I have preferred to apply a clear sealer. The clear sealer enables the natural red color of the Mahogany to shine through, while still providing a layer of protection from the environment. Typically I re-apply the clear sealer every year to continue to preserve the color. If you do not, the Mahogany will bleach out.

Remodeling Your Kitchen

Remodeling a kitchen is one of the best investments a homeowner can make. For most homeowners it is the most important room in the house. It is used for cooking, eating, and gathering, and is typically a focal point in the home. Consequently, though a great investment, a kitchen-remodeling project can be very disruptive to the family. And the length of the disruption can take as long as two or three weeks.

The Planning Stage

Planning is absolutely essential in remodeling a kitchen. The homeowner should first identify the main objectives of their future kitchen. They should next research the latest products on the market including: cabinets, countertops, appliances, and flooring. If the kitchen is more than 5 years old, there are a lot of new products to choose from. For example, Silestone is quickly surpassing Granite and Corian, as the premier countertop surface as it is extremely hard, elegant in appearance, and comes in many colors. For cabinets, the trend appears to be towards lighter colors as they help the appearance of lightening and enlarging a room. In regards to appliances, the Stainless Steel look appears to be in. And for flooring, vinyl or wood is the trend. Tile looks nice, however, it can be unforgiving in a room where things tend to get dropped. In addition, if there is no radiant heating planned for the floor, tile has the tendency to feel cold on the feet.

Sketch out some plans

After the main objectives of the future kitchen have been identified and the homeowner has an idea on the products for it, they should next sketch some plans. I would suggest developing two or three sketches, keeping in mind three important points. First, professional kitchen designers like to think of a triangle when starting a new design. The three points of the triangle include the Sink, Refrigerator, and Stove. Make sure your sketches consider this as it will ensure a good functional kitchen. Second, consider adequate walking areas and space for an eating area, such as a table or center island, with applicable space included for chairs. I would suggest that the walking areas be wide enough for two people to walk through at the same time. The sketches should also include dimensions, as these will be needed when meeting with the Kitchen Designer. Finally, consider where the existing outlets and power for the stove are, and assess if additional outlets will be needed or old outlets relocated.

Visiting the Kitchen Design Center

Once sketches have been created, bring them to a Kitchen Design Center or Home Improvement store. A certified Kitchen Designer will then take the sketches and goals and incorporate them into a formal set of plans. Once the Kitchen Designer has formally generated the plans, typically someone from the Kitchen center will visit your home and take very precise measurements so that the plans can be finalized. In fact, make sure that they do visit your home; otherwise unexpected costs and delays could occur when the wrong size cabinets arrive on your doorstep.

When the cabinets do arrive at your doorstep, ensure that they match the list of materials generated by the Kitchen Designer. Again, this will help ensure that no delays or unexpected costs arise during the actual remodeling process.

Cabinets: Out with the Old and In with the New

Once the cabinets arrive, the cabinet installers will remove the existing cabinets and countertops, unless the homeowners decide to do this themselves, and install the new cabinets. If new flooring is planned, I would suggest installing the flooring between removing the old cabinets and installing the new ones, as this will save time and money. In addition, particularly with Linoleum, you will get a better end product, as the Linoleum will be unable to lift-up over time, if the material goes under the cabinets. If new flooring does get installed prior to the cabinet and countertop installation, additional care will be needed to ensure the floors are not damage during this process.

Installing the Countertops

After the new cabinets have been installed, measuring and templating for the new countertops will be required if Silestone, Granite or Corian are to be used. This task should be planned in advance so that it can be performed the same day the cabinets are installed. This will help to reduce the disruption time. Once the templating has been completed, expect several days to a week for the countertops to actually be cut and installed. During this interval the Kitchen Design Center should install a temporary countertop and faucet so that your kitchen remains operational.

Though remodeling a kitchen can be a huge disruption to the homeowner, the finished product will quickly erase the brief inconvenience. Between its new and contemporary look and features, and the knowledge of making a sound investment, the homeowner will swiftly forget about the disruption as they fully enjoy their new kitchen.

Building Your Dream Home - Part 1

For most of my adult life I had thought about someday building my Dream Home. Several years ago I finally got the chance. I had purchased a lake front lot with a small cottage on it. My initial intention was to use the property “as is”, and someday raze the old cottage and build a new home in its place. After a couple of weekends in the musty old camp I came to the conclusion that I needed to speed up my timetable.

Part of the dream in building my own home was to act as the General Contractor and to personally supply a great deal of sweat equity. I accomplished both of these goals, however it was not easy. There were many roadblocks and bends in the road along the way. In the subsequent parts of this chronology, I will review my experiences in hopes that others may gain from my experiences.

Determining the Home Style and Size

After making the decision to raze the cottage and build a new home, I had to first determine what type and size of home to build. My lot was limited in size and required careful planning to ensure that I would meet all of the setbacks governed by the town I lived in. Although I had these concerns, I decided to forgo the Architect route. I deemed it too expensive and probably not necessary for the style of home I wanted to build. Instead I picked up a handful of Home Plan magazines and surfed the internet for home designs. I also picked up an inexpensive software package for designing homes and floorplans. After a week of reviewing home plans, I found one that met most of my requirements in terms of a floorplan. The footprint was smaller than I wanted, but I concluded that I could redraw the floor plan accordingly using my newly purchased Home Design Software Package.

The Home Design Software package was not as simple to use as the instruction manual implied, however after a couple of weeks I had a floorplan with all the dimensional information.

Assuming the role as the General Contractor

As I had indicated earlier, one of my goals was to assume the role as General Contractor on this project. I quickly learned that banks frown upon lending construction mortgages to everyday homeowners and to folks who have little professional building experience. I got around this issue by deciding not to use the banks for financing. However, from what I learned later, it may have been possible for me to assume a construction mortgage if I had quit my day job and applied for the loan as a “full time General Contractor”. Indeed, I would have needed to complete a full proposal to the bank with all costs and subcontractors identified, but this is necessary anyways.

As the General Contractor I developed a build schedule and task list. Some of the top items included: Identifying subcontractors, pulling permits, and having a septic design approved.

Carefully Pick your Sub-Contractors

Identifying the right subcontractors is the most important task a General Contractor performs. Poor selection of subcontractors can lead to delays in schedules, cost overruns, poor workmanship and strife between the various subcontractors on the job. Prior to hiring subcontractors, it is important to visit their current jobsites. Review their work on existing jobsites and mingle with the other subs to judge the working relationship. In addition get two or three reference checks on the subcontractors. If there are poor workmanship, personality issues, or references move on. Do not settle for second rate subs, even if it means slipping your schedule or costs goals, as you will more than likely suffer even larger schedule slips or higher costs by hiring the wrong people.

Pulling Permits

Once you have selected and hired your excavator, chief framer, and foundation company, review with them your plans. Make sure you walk the site with them, and carefully stake out the house footprint, paying careful attention to lot setbacks, septic tanks, leach fields and well location. Once all are agreed upon with the house plans and the location of the home, contact the building inspector and review with him/her your plans. You will need to submit a very thorough package to the building inspector prior to getting approval. There are frequently town and state forms that need to be filled out regarding wetlands, and home thermal analysis. In addition, detailed engineering drawings of the proposed home may be required. In my case the Framer was able to assist in developing additional sketches of the house plan to ensure structural compliance to local, state and federal building codes. If I had used the initial home plans I had obtained, those would have been sufficient. I also could have contacted an architect with my selected plans to provide additional details, however it was not necessary in my case.

After about a week and several hundred dollars later I had the permit to build a new home.

Septic Design

My home required its own septic system on site. As a result, I required a septic design and an associated permit for the new home. I recommend pursuing this as early as possible in any new home project as this can take up to 2-3 months to complete as both town and state approvals are required, not to mention site and engineering work.

Without knowing exactly where the septic system and tank will reside, it may be difficult to locate the exact position of the home and in many cases the building inspector may not approve the building permit until the septic design permit has been obtained. I was fortunate in that the property already had a small septic system on the lot, so the building inspector gave me approval. I was at financial risk, however, in the event the new septic design was not approved or needed to be repositioned from the proposed location. Fortunately that was not the case and I was able to move forward on razing the cottage and beginning site work.

To be Continued....

In Part 2 of “Building Your Dream House”, I will cover razing an existing building, performing site prep work, and pouring foundation walls. Stay tuned……………

Installing a Toilet

The installation of a toilet is a relatively easy job for a homeowner. With a couple of wrenches, a screwdriver and a few shims a new toilet can be installed in about one hour.

Toilets can be purchased at any home improvement store or plumbing supply center. Typically a gravity flush toilet costs between $150 and $300, however the price can double or triple for more elaborate units, such as pressure flush systems. Today’s toilets are mandated to use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush, where as older units used as much as 5 gallons. The initial 1.6 gallon toilets were notorious for frequently clogging, however over the past several years suppliers have improved the performance of these low water-use systems.

Setting the Toilet

A toilet usually consists of two main parts: a bowl and a tank. It is best to first install the bowl. Prior to seating the bowl, check if the closet flange has been temporarily plugged with insulation or a rag to prevent sewer gases from escaping. Remove this. Next set the bowl on top of the closet flange to determine if it sits level. If it does not, prepare some shims to use later.

Next remove the bowl, and insert the closet bolts (approximately 2” long bolts) into the slots on the closet flange.

Then turn the bowl over and install a wax ring gasket over the outlet of the bowl. This outlet is also know as the “horn”.

Place the bowl onto the closet flange. Make sure the bowl is well seated by rocking the bowl down. Once the bowl has been seated, place a level on it and use the shims as necessary. Next, using nuts and washers tighten up the bolts. Note: be careful not to over-tighten these bolts as it could crack the bowl.

Next attach the tank to the bowl using the tank bolts, nuts and washers. Again, do not over tighten.

Installing the Float Supply Unit

Install the float supply unit into the tank and hook up the water line to the tank inlet. Again, do not over tighten and make sure to use the washers supplied.

Next, turn the supply line on and adjust the float as necessary.
Finally, caulk around the base of the unit.