another thing, if you ask a contractor to build something nicer that's not shit, they have no idea what to do and will tell you they don't do that. a lot of older materials just aren't made anymore too. you have to go find some specialty builder that will charge you your life savings. want flooring that isn't shit? you need a custom floor. want tile that has corners and bullnoses and isn't rimmed with schluter? gotta get that shit custom made or find old shit on ebay. everything is standardized to be the cheapest shittiest crap, but it's easy to install, and still costs a fortune.
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