Author Topic: Homeowners STOP (Read 1624 times)

DREDIOCK · « **on:** March 09, 2005, 06:59:51 PM »

Trying to do construction projects yourself unless you have actually WORKED in the trades for a while.

STOP watching Hometime, This old house, Home again, Trading spaces, etc etc etc.

No matter how easy these people make these things look From Painting to plumbing to wiring to sheetrocking. Its not as easy as they make it look and 95% of you are totally enept at doing even the simplest of these things, Spackling a nail hole

So STOP. PLEASE STOP!
Be honest with your wives for once and admit there are things you not only dont want to do, but cant.
And Just hire a professional.
In the end you will save yourself Time. Money and aggrivation.

But STOP thinking you can "do it yourself"
Trust me, you cant. At least not right.

And of the remaining 5% just remember.
you can do anything we can do. It will just take you alot longer and wont look as good when your done.

Oh and when you do finally give up and call us to fix your mess stop trying to tell us "the last contractor" did it.
Your only kiodding yourselves
We can tell homeowners work.

Sandman · « **Reply #1 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:03:17 PM »

I hate building contractors. Nine times out of ten, if I don't watch them like a hawk, they cut corners or do shoddy work.

Pongo · « **Reply #2 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:07:40 PM »

Had to get a guy in to clean up some dry wall I tried to mud. I was honest though.

Its harder then it looks.

Gunslinger · « **Reply #3 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:08:04 PM »

Yes I've learned this lesson the hard way a few times.

This being my first "home" (and I'm ashamed to admit it) but thinking I've worked with quickcrete before I figured I could take a few bags and fill in some "cement in an area that is usually nothing but mud next to my patio. (it's really not like pooring a slab.

Yes me being ignorant in the ways of pooring figured 4 $2 bags and a 5 gallon bucket with a few smoothing tools could do the job no problem.

Let's just say I've fixed it up since then AND it has a outdoor mat over it BUT after having a new back patio put it in does look rather shotty.

This was howerver, a nescesity at the time because I was broke and the dogs would go roll around in the mud there every time I let them out.

I've done a few other projects around the house (mostly landscaping) that look decent....and a few others that I should have called for help on.

Sandman · « **Reply #4 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:14:35 PM »

It's a lose-lose situation to be a homeowner.

boxboy28 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:16:27 PM »

LOL i used to work for a guy who specialized in finishing basements.............. everything from the walls insulation, wiring, partial plumbing, drop cielings, doors, windows (when needed) but everything else that Jewish carpenter hired(contracted) some one else to do. But even what little he did know 1/2 was jury rigged!!!! not cause we wanted to do it that way but he wanted us too.

Guys name was Jerry Shapiro (in West Bloomfield Michigan) ya we did some very nice stuff but behing the sceens..............you know where its going.....

best part is we would only work from 7AM till Noon every day!!(he would sweat his butt off at all times even in freezing cold weather but he never worked hard, that why he had us.....

BUT i dont care who the builder is they all cut corners and dont always do it right!! specially cause thry all use contractors

IF AND ONLY IF YOU KNOW HOW TOO THEN DO IT! dont think a self help book from time/life will help you complete the job!

Gunslinger · « **Reply #6 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:17:21 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Sandman
It's a lose-lose situation to be a homeowner.

Technically I rent....for now.....but it is still applicable. If Mait. were to see that I royally screwd somthing up trying to fix it myself I'd definatly get charged for it.

They wont even let us turn on our swamp coolers in the spring.

Jackal1 · « **Reply #7 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:18:42 PM »

When I want something done right, I do it myself.

boxboy28 · « **Reply #8 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:21:02 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Jackal1
When I want something done right, I do it myself.

Great idea IF and only If you know how to do what you want done!

Jackal1 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:33:55 PM »

True that.

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #10 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:37:50 PM »

Then your not hiring the right contractors.
Probably hiring the one willing to do the job the cheapest. Which is probably one of the most common mistakes people make when hiring someone
"Good work isnt cheap and cheap work usually isnt good"

Ya get what you pay for

good rule of thumb when hiring an unknown is throw out the highest and the lowest bids and take one of the ones in the middle.

The high ones are probably ripping you off. the low ones will probably be cutting corners and doing shoddy work to make up for the price

Also get references or hire somebody referred to you by someone you know and not from the contractor.
Almost all my work I get through referrals alone.
Works out better for everyone that way

DONT go by references provided by the contractor.
Think about it. Would you give the phonenumber to someone of someone that is going to say you do any less then great work?

What I do if a potential customer wants references form me is I take out my list of current or very recent customers and let the homeowner choose who they want to call

Most of the contractors I know do their level best to do a great job. But I have known a couple that I wouldn't trust with a set of Lincoln logs. they tended to be the cheapest pricewise.
One guy I knew byt he last name of Boyko we used to joke about and call him "Boyko destruction company" Cause no job he ever did came out right.

I remember I stopped to talk to him on one trim job he was on and he had a guy working with him and up on a ladder Taking measurements around a window for trim and calling them down to Boyko who was making the cuts. At one point the guy called down "22 and a little bit"
Boyko called back "A little bit what?"
the guys response " a little bit shorter then the last one"

but I've found those guys to be the exeption and typically only found then the homeowner tries to get the job done on the cheap.

and like I said. you get what you pay for

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #11 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:51:19 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Pongo
Had to get a guy in to clean up some dry wall I tried to mud. I was honest though.

Its harder then it looks.

LOL Lemme guess you tried to get it done all in one shot right?

Left Mountains the guy hadta chisle down before he could even start to apply mud to smooth and feather it out. and about 1/2 of what you used ended up on yourself and the floor.

Bet ya earned a new respect for those that tape for a living.

Jackal1 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:51:35 PM »

No need to hire a contractor period on my part.
I save money and can do a better job than most.
I`ve had quite a bit of practice.
I have also seen some homeowner nightmares, but on the other hand I have seen far worse from some contractors.
A friend of ours owns a Bed and Rest. They needed a little help one day last summer with some small stuff. I knew she had recently had some work done from a guy I know who is supposed to be a pro. I had never seen any of his work first hand. When I entered the first area where he had did the work it was everything I could do to keep from laughing out loud. Paneling was crooked, trim had gaps you could run a coing in and the baseboard painting looked like it had been done with a sock.

Some of the very worst work I have ever seen has been on new apartments by top name contractors. Some of this work I couldn`t have walked away from, charged for and slept well afterwards if I had done it.

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #13 on:** March 09, 2005, 07:54:33 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Jackal1
When I want something done right, I do it myself.

LMAO last guy I heard say that decided to resheetrock his ceiling and managed to screw the sheetrock to the drain for the toilet.

A year before that I saw the same guy stapling cove base to the wall because he didnt know how to make it stick on outside corners

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #14 on:** March 09, 2005, 08:01:44 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Jackal1
No need to hire a contractor period on my part.
I save money and can do a better job than most.
I`ve had quite a bit of practice.
I have also seen some homeowner nightmares, but on the other hand I have seen far worse from some contractors.
A friend of ours owns a Bed and Rest. They needed a little help one day last summer with some small stuff. I knew she had recently had some work done from a guy I know who is supposed to be a pro. I had never seen any of his work first hand. When I entered the first area where he had did the work it was everything I could do to keep from laughing out loud. Paneling was crooked, trim had gaps you could run a coing in and the baseboard painting looked like it had been done with a sock.
Some of the very worst work I have ever seen has been on new apartments by top name contractors. Some of this work I couldn`t have walked away from, charged for and slept well afterwards if I had done it.

LOL his name wasnt Boyko was it?

Another job he did was instaling a sink in a new countertop. Well he cut the hole wrong and there was a 1/4" gap on each othe the corners.

I laughed at him and said "your f&*%ed now"
He said "daaa Dont worry about it. I'll put some caulk in it and will be just fine"
Homowner didnt think so. Dont know what they ever did to resolve it.