Steveek

We went slab-on-grade for our remodel because my partner wanted radiant heat and I was tired of squeaky subfloors; the key lesson was to treat the slab like a finished surface from day one: protect it after pour, plan decorative saw cuts where furniture lines fall, and insist on a proper vapor barrier (our neighbor skipped that and gets seasonal cupping on their wood overlay). We ran PEX, polished the concrete, and used big rugs to soften acoustics; zero regrets. For overflow during the messy months, a quick pre fab storage shed in the side yard saved our sanity—tools and boxes lived there, so the slab stayed clean and we weren’t tracking grit over it while the sealer cured.

I helped my brother on his remodel a while back — we had no clue what we were doing with the ducts at first. We thought bigger ducts = better airflow, right? Nope. What really killed efficiency were all the little leaks. Once we sealed it properly, the difference was night and day. I actually learned a lot from this article: https://www.iplocation.net/duct-sealing-the-hidden-energy-saver. Worth a look if you’re new to this like we were.