It was interesting to see Hilary work on an outside space as the priority. But.... give me a break! Sonotubes are "very expensive and labor intensive"??? Who is she kidding? Are things that different in Canada?

I've built a deck using sonotubes.... and the sonotubes themselves are quite inexpensive. Yes, you are pouring concrete footings in the sonotubes, but concrete is not expensive, either.

Now, the way I did it, it was labor intensive, but that is because I dug every hole for the sonotube by myself, by hand, with a post hole digger (in heavy clay soil). I had to go at least 30 inches deep to go below the frost line. In contrast, her crew used an auger and only went about a foot deep. So no- this was not labor intensive.

I knew this show was fake- but this was not even reasonably fake. To claim that the change to sonotubes was sooooo expensive that it totally ruled out taking out a wall (which could have been done without that expense)- is stupid.

So you need to go 30 inches deep to get below the frost line in Colorado (?) and in Canada they only go 12 inches? Even in mild northern California we need to go deeper than that (and the use of sonotubes is standard). It is beyond my comprehension why this show and Property Brothers are so popular. They have little to do with reality.

Well, I will admit that I don't know for sure that it was only 12 inches- but they did show them cutting the sonotubes and it looked like they were being cut to about 12 inches... but it could have been more.

My point is that when I did my deck, I did not cut a sonotube into smaller pieces.


Funny thing about this episode- they made it look like the homeowner did not ask for a balcony off her "retreat"- that it was Desta's idea. (and a nice surprise) But I'm pretty sure that the cost of a Juliet balcony would be more than a dozen pieces of sonotube- including the concrete to fill them and the labor.

It's pretty silly, really, the way they set up the drama. I totally understand when the homeowners have to give up something on their wish list because of a structural, plumbing, or electrical issue. I even understand when they have to give something up because of zoning/covenants.

But to claim that something as minor as sonotubes would cost so much that they can't do something else.... but the cost "savings" could somehow give them something extra that they didn't even ask for? (and that extra looks suspiciously more expensive than the setback)..... that's just silly.

I believe the high cost of the sonotubes you refer to was due more to confusion created by editing than the host misrepresenting the cost of the tubes specifically. I believe Hilary was referring to was the entire cost associated with the project of having to install a door & balcony & those costs associated with same in order to comply with the area building codes that require a third floor to have at least two ways of access & egress.

So why not just be honest about what costs and what does not? Pretending one thing is the costly unexpected problem when it is something else just doesn't make sense.

What got me about this episode was that the mother said the new house had to have a space that they could rent out, and the son (maybe the mother, too) didn't want too much yard to take care of. So what do they go gaga over? A pool! Lots of work (even if they hire someone to take care of the chemicals and vacuuming) and expense.