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illcendiary posted:Legitimate question: what’s the right course of action if a contractor does lovely work, you contact them and ask them for rework, and they blow you off/tell you to kick rocks? Sue them? Assuming you have a real contract... Work to be done/payments/etc... Paper trail, paper trail, paper trail. Assuming that it gets to the courts, the courts want to see a paper trail that issues are documented and what the resolutions are. If your contractor doesn't do email back to you (calls only) you need to summarize whatever conversations and email them with that. Create that paper trail. Realistically, it's about making sure that there is incentive for the contractor to finish the job. There's a fine line of paying too much (there's not enough money left on the table to bother finishing) and not paying enough (they decide its not worth the effort). As I've been told by various GCs, you basically make sure the final payment is their profit on the job. Ie: Ongoing raw costs/materials are covered,
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Apr 14, 2024 03:41
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Been out of work for a bit over a year now, as a homeowner I was wondering if anybody ever got their feet wet with trade work that helps them improve their ability to maintain and enhance their home? I'm considering landscaping, hardscape, etc work...I know it'll probably be back breaking but at this point I'd rather take a physical job than be endlessly sending off resumes online and hearing nothing back. Starting tomorrow I'm going to be calling up local garden centers and crews and seeing if they need help. I'm a pretty reliable worker, but I don't have much experience outside of taking care of my own lawn/garden/home, which I feel like I do a pretty decent job at. I know a few people who work in the trades and they say they've got enough work for the next 2 years or something insane, and they won't go out to jobs unless it's worth their time. Their crews aren't looking for more people but they were saying they start guys at $28-$30/hour, I don't expect to make that much as a novice/apprentice but I'm willing to start at the bottom if it means I at least get some valuable knowledge, useful connections, and some money to cover bills. Any advice or input would be awesome, I think when I talk to them about it they don't take me too seriously since I've been doing office poo poo for the past 15 years.
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Apr 15, 2024 01:37
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Tangentially related, but we have a resume thread: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3553582
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Apr 15, 2024 01:54
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Dunno how old you are or where, but the type of unkilled no-experience labor around here is being satisfied largely by illegals hired for the day in the home depot parking lot every morning at 6 AM. Doesn't seem like the kind of business someone with a social security number would want to persue.
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Apr 15, 2024 02:17
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Motronic posted:Dunno how old you are or where, but the type of unkilled no-experience labor around here is being satisfied largely by illegals hired for the day in the home depot parking lot every morning at 6 AM. Doesn't seem like the kind of business someone with a social security number would want to persue. Won't take long for someone that shows up clean, sober and English speaking to build a decent word of mouth business. dopesilly posted:Been out of work for a bit over a year now, as a homeowner I was wondering if anybody ever got their feet wet with trade work that helps them improve their ability to maintain and enhance their home? Go for it. Worst they can say is no.
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Apr 15, 2024 02:20
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Motronic posted:Dunno how old you are or where, but the type of unkilled no-experience labor around here is being satisfied largely by illegals hired for the day in the home depot parking lot every morning at 6 AM. Doesn't seem like the kind of business someone with a social security number would want to persue. It's also very, very physically intensive labor of the kind best left to 18-22 year olds or people who have been doing it their whole lives and are used to it. I can totally understand why a bunch of people who do that for a living laugh a bit at a mid-30s office worker saying he's going to pull an Office Space and do a mid-career jump to construction. I'll also add that a lot of the work done by people first starting out is the really backbreaking crap that the older guys either don't want to do any more or find too physically taxing to do if they can avoid it. I know my early 40s rear end certainly wouldn't do well having to do the kind of grunt work you throw an apprentice in their first year.
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Apr 15, 2024 03:27
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Apr 15, 2024 03:45
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dopesilly posted:Been out of work for a bit over a year now, as a homeowner I was wondering if anybody ever got their feet wet with trade work that helps them improve their ability to maintain and enhance their home? My uncle was in his 40s working a dead end job and managed to join the local electrical union and get training + paid + a career doing that, all in this century. Might want to look into any union work and apprenticeships. The skills he picked up doing electrical construction transfered to working on his house as well as his kids places.
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Apr 15, 2024 04:55
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Cyrano4747 posted:It's also very, very physically intensive labor of the kind best left to 18-22 year olds or people who have been doing it their whole lives and are used to it. I can totally understand why a bunch of people who do that for a living laugh a bit at a mid-30s office worker saying he's going to pull an Office Space and do a mid-career jump to construction. That's what I was getting at with age. My first construction job as a teenager was working for a local family contractor - dad and his son. Great guys, but I didn't know poo poo about poo poo so I spent 3 weeks carrying 55 gallon trash cans of demo-d out plaster down 2 and 3 floors and out to a dumpster. All day. Then I was carrying heavy sheet stock up those same stairs for the next week or so. When I finally "moved up" to being put in the pit around the newly poured basement with a roller and abucket of tar it felt like a vacation. trevorreznik posted:My uncle was in his 40s working a dead end job and managed to join the local electrical union and get training + paid + a career doing that, all in this century. Might want to look into any union work and apprenticeships. The skills he picked up doing electrical construction transfered to working on his house as well as his kids places. That's awesome, and I've absolutely never heard of it. I suppose we're at the point where there are so few people in the skilled trades that some unions see no other choice but to take people mid career that want to switch. But a 40 year old doesn't have a lot of knees and back left for a long trade career - that's why they typically haven't taken on older people as apprentices. By the time you're 50 you better be running your own crew or business or it's gonna be a rough retirement.
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Apr 15, 2024 14:00
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My experience with roofers says they will take any willing and able body so long as you have even a modicum of an ability to follow instructions, follow the drat rules and not constantly endanger the business by getting yourself injured or killed. But it's also horrible work for lots of reasons, and doesn't pay super well either.
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Apr 15, 2024 14:25
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GlyphGryph posted:My experience with roofers says they will take any willing and able body so long as you have even a modicum of an ability to follow instructions, follow the drat rules and not constantly endanger the business by getting yourself injured or killed. But it's also horrible work for lots of reasons, and doesn't pay super well either. Roofing being the origin of the saying "if you fall off, you're fired before you hit the ground" is enough to make me steer well clear of that discipline.
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Apr 15, 2024 14:37
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If you love construction but too old to lug around the heavy materials - look into becoming a licensed building inspector, especially if you can get employed by your local government as a permit inspector.
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Apr 15, 2024 16:56
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unknown posted:If you love construction but too old to lug around the heavy materials - look into becoming a licensed building inspector, especially if you can get employed by your local government as a permit inspector. lmao oh good an inspector who has never actually built anything, truly what the world needs more of how about bein a cowboy? imo OP should skip lawn care and go straight to suckin dick and wranglin cattle montana or bustin nutz
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Apr 15, 2024 18:57
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trevorreznik posted:My uncle was in his 40s working a dead end job and managed to join the local electrical union and get training + paid + a career doing that, all in this century. Might want to look into any union work and apprenticeships. The skills he picked up doing electrical construction transfered to working on his house as well as his kids places. I’m in the IBEW and it’s true that our local is absolutely hurting for apprentices. Most apprenticeship classes include at least a few dudes in their 30s or up. This is mostly due to the extended construction boom afoot in my area (salt lake city). It’s therefore very dependent on the local economy. As construction jobs go, this is a very good one. That said, it’s still a construction job and it annoys me that construction is often a job-recommendation-of-last-resort. It’s hard and not everyone is cut out for it. And an apprenticeship is a big commitment—if OP has any desire to return to his original line of work then he might be better off doing something that doesn’t require paying for textbooks and tuition.
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Apr 15, 2024 19:01
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Just go be a firefighter
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Apr 15, 2024 19:03
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So we have a wooden deck, it’s very new but needs to be stained. We’re starting to research this, but def figured I would stop by here and get recommendations on the best ways to go about it? Tools needed, paint brand, etc. Going off of this link to start, obviously I don’t think it’s the best guide. https://www.homedepot.com/c/ah/how-to-stain-a-deck/9ba683603be9fa5395fab90de38c905 Anyway, I’ll take any recommendations.
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Apr 15, 2024 19:39
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Duckman2008 posted:So we have a wooden deck, it’s very new but needs to be stained. If you like the natural look and youre lazy like me, consider a sealer like Thompson's rather than a stain. Apply with a pump sprayer once per year or whenever it stops beading water. Costs $100/5 gallons and will do ~300 sq ft/gallon. First time do two coats. Stupid easy. EDIT: Youll wanna pressure wash or at least clean pretty good before the first one and then just blast it with a hose sprayer or pressure washer now and then to keep clean same as a stain. CarForumPoster fucked around with this message at 19:53 on Apr 15, 2024 |
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Apr 15, 2024 19:42
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CarForumPoster posted:lmao oh good an inspector who has never actually built anything, truly what the world needs more of Inspectors look at a lot of things, and I imagine they don't need to have been employed in literally all of those trades. Like imagine if inspector certification required 3 years as a roofer, 3 years as an electrician, etc. Those careers would be beneficial, no doubt, but maybe it's ok to train a former roofer on how to test outlets and how to inspect breaker panels as part of getting certified as an inspector
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Apr 15, 2024 22:51
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CarForumPoster posted:lmao oh good an inspector who has never actually built anything, truly what the world needs more of Eh, maybe in your zone it's crap, but there's a poo poo load of exams to pass here. (GC that's my neighbour is doing it now and grumbling on how much there's to do). Almost prefer a well trained guy who doesn't think his learned shortcuts are ok.
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Apr 15, 2024 23:04
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Has anyone gotten a whole home water filtration system with a water softener? I was originally concerned about iron, but we have crazy high nitrates in our well water. Basically the deluxe package is $7500 with lifetime warranties etc. I was thinking it was going to be a subscription based thing so was pleasantly surprised when it was a one time cost. I am going to call one or two other places to get an estimate, but this doesn't seem terrible. The company is https://www.purfectwater.com/, which seems to have positive reviews across the board.
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Apr 17, 2024 00:44
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I got it for mine, it was $5000 altogether and about a third of that was the radon mitigation system, which it doesnt sound like you're getting? Its not a subscription, but you do probably want it serviced regularly, and you'll almost crrtainly have something (salt, at least) that needs to be refilled on the regular. GlyphGryph fucked around with this message at 16:43 on Apr 17, 2024 |
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Apr 17, 2024 02:14
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I worked for a startup a while back that was entirely funded by the profits from a water filtration company like that. The cost on a sink RO unit and a water softener is maybe a few hundred bucks. $7k should be whole home RO territory (which is rarely needed). This is something a plumber can install.
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Apr 17, 2024 03:06
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I bought a whole house heavy metal filter to take care of lead, no water softener though. I think the parts were about $500 and the plumbing company charged me about $300 to setup. I get new filters once a year at a cost of about $150. Aside from the lead though my water quality was excellent. Pretty messed up to think that for decades the lead level in my house would've been considered safe, then at some point the EPA lowered the level considered safe and my whole city was getting mail warning us and offering advice and programs to mitigate it.
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Apr 17, 2024 05:13
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BaseballPCHiker posted:I bought a whole house heavy metal filter to take care of lead, no water softener though. Can you expand on this a bit? I was considering something very similar, but wasn't really sure where to start / how to test / how to ask for it to be setup?
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Apr 17, 2024 05:20
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I bought this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Express...0SCKS/308246491 Then called a plumbing company and asked them to set it up with a bypass valve for filter swaps. I got my lead tested before and after and it did make a difference and got us under the EPA limit. If I remember right we went from like a 13 ppm to a 5-6 I think.
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Apr 17, 2024 05:29
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BaseballPCHiker posted:I bought this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Express...0SCKS/308246491 How big is that? Would it fit in a crawlspace?
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Apr 17, 2024 12:17
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:How big is that? Would it fit in a crawlspace? The last picture has a person next to it, you may be able to judge size from it. Comfortador fucked around with this message at 13:43 on Apr 17, 2024 |
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Apr 17, 2024 13:24
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Duckman2008 posted:So we have a wooden deck, it’s very new but needs to be stained. Make sure to let your wood weather for several months. Treated wood has a hydrophobic component that will prevent the stain from penetrating properly. You can test by sprinkling some water on the wood; if it's readily absorbed, it's ready for stain. I always go for Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore over HD/Lowe's paint products. I've always heard that their quality is better for not much more money. Plan on reapplying every few years, especially if your deck is exposed to a lot of sun. When applying, you'll need to plan according to the weather. Not too hot, not too cold, and definitely not raining in the previous or next 24 hours. If the wood is wet, the stain won't work properly. I've seen good results on cedar with a penetrating sealer instead of a stain, but aesthetically, I don't like the look of pressure treated pine, so I use a solid stain on that wood.
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Apr 17, 2024 17:30
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Hieronymous Alloy posted:How big is that? Would it fit in a crawlspace? Probably not. I think that page has the physical dimensions listed but it's about waist high for me at 6 feet tall.
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Apr 17, 2024 19:12
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I have a weird bathroom sink in my condo. It is, by distance, the closest in the house to the hot water heater but takes almost 5 minutes to warm up, while every other faucet (including the ones in the bathroom another floor up from this one) warm up in < 2 minutes. I don't even know what the gently caress. 
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Apr 17, 2024 20:38
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2 minutes to hot water still sounds insanely high 
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Apr 17, 2024 21:35
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:2 minutes to hot water still sounds insanely high I'll time it and see if I'm over-exaggerating the 2 min. I've timed the downstairs one and it's over 5 min, but the upstairs may be shorter. The kitchen is really fast, but the bathrooms are all a good bit longer.
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Apr 17, 2024 21:46
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:2 minutes to hot water still sounds insanely high I’ll have to time it in my place but that’s what it is for all my sinks.
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Apr 17, 2024 21:50
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:2 minutes to hot water still sounds insanely high It can be that long if you have copper pipes and a long run of them between your water heater and the faucet. Not only do you have to clear out all the cold water between the heater and you, but if the pipes are cold they're cooling that nice hot water until they get up to temp too. We've got a bathroom that's right near the heater where it's near instantaneous and you get it max temp right away. We've got a utility sink that's stealing water from a kitchen sink three rooms over, and the kitchen stuff is near the end of the original run of pipe to begin with, so it takes loving forever to get hot. Thankfully we almost never need hot on that one.
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Apr 17, 2024 22:11
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One old house we were in, the hot water heater was in the garage, and the bedrooms/bathrooms were all on the far side of the house ~65+ feet away, so that's like 2.3 gallons, assuming zero heat loss Here in California we have hyper lovely water restrictors on all the faucets. Doing water changes on my aquariums is a Forever Task unless I go down and use the utility sink in the garage or garden hose
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Apr 17, 2024 23:13
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I got tired of slow delivery (especially shower shock when the toilet was flushed) & re-piped from the main to the water heater with 3/4" copper.
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Apr 18, 2024 00:03
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SamsCola posted:Make sure to let your wood weather for several months. Treated wood has a hydrophobic component that will prevent the stain from penetrating properly. You can test by sprinkling some water on the wood; if it's readily absorbed, it's ready for stain. This was super helpful thank you !
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Apr 18, 2024 02:17
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Hadlock posted:Here in California we have hyper lovely water restrictors on all the faucets. Water restrictors in facuets are stupid bullshit (even conceptually I don't understand how they are supposed to "save water"?), but they are also super easy to remove in my experience. (they do make sense in showerheads, but I remove them there as well)
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Apr 18, 2024 15:30
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I’ve never encountered a flow restrictor that didn’t require a ton of force, cutting and plier work to remove so I’m extremely mad at the motherfuckers online who always seem to get the ones that pop out easily. The last shower head I did had the filter integrated with restrictor so I had to remove both and accept that debris will probably shorten the thing’s lifespan. Still worth it
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Apr 18, 2024 15:43
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GlyphGryph posted:Water restrictors in facuets are stupid bullshit (even conceptually I don't understand how they are supposed to "save water"?), but they are also super easy to remove in my experience. They save water by reducing the amount of water while still getting full pressure and coverage of your hands, dishes, etc. Makes sense for washing, doesn't make sense for filling containers.
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Apr 18, 2024 15:49
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