Author Topic: The Barnhouse Transformation  (Read 88201 times)

snacky

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #200 on: December 09, 2016, 07:39:26 AM »
My laminate is matte, not glossy. Glossy would not work for many reasons. So it's not slippery, plus I have that rubber nosing stuff on my stairs to make them safer. There are matchy pieces that would look nicer, but I prefer knowing that it's hard to fall on the stairs. It's cheaper, too. https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/p.vinyl-stair-nosing-beige---1-78-inch.1000484951.html

pbkmaine

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The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #201 on: December 09, 2016, 08:05:42 AM »
I also have matte laminate throughout the house.



We looked at every kind of hard flooring. DH did not want tile (my choice) because it is hard on the back and feet. Hardwood does not work well in Florida. Engineered hardwood was pricy. We got down to vinyl plank and laminate. Laminate won for resistance to cat claws. We have had it almost two years and could not be happier.
« Last Edit: December 09, 2016, 08:09:40 AM by pbkmaine »

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #202 on: December 09, 2016, 08:11:05 AM »
There is a weathered barnboard laminate available for $1.75 PSF which is really working for me. I think its what I'll go with. It sortof embraces the "antique" nature of the house and runs with it. But really, everyone needs to come over and watch Bernie try to make a run for the back door or her dinner dish. You'll bust a gut.

The barnhouse stairs were covered in a heavy-duty linoleum with a woven cotton texture. The bottom step is trimmed in Chrome like the old masonite kitchen tables were. It is ugly to the extreme, but uber functional, and hardly shows wear despite the materials being ancient and in a heavy wear location. I think I'll leave it and put a runner over it. I can tackle making it pretty some time in the future.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #203 on: December 09, 2016, 10:11:34 AM »
So I know not all Canadians are the same person, but in my mind, Prosp is the guy on this channel: https://youtu.be/RFwURUE-Fu8 Only need to watch a minute or two to get an idea of the silliness and usefulness of the fellow.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #204 on: December 09, 2016, 10:33:24 AM »
So I know not all Canadians are the same person, but in my mind, Prosp is the guy on this channel: https://youtu.be/RFwURUE-Fu8 Only need to watch a minute or two to get an idea of the silliness and usefulness of the fellow.

This guy posts on CMF - Lately I've really been enjoying his tips and tricks, and his work looks great. I wish I had his talent. Hopefully you think of us Canucks like him instead...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxuK8EaH_dI
https://youtu.be/XtN7Vcf3br4
« Last Edit: December 09, 2016, 10:35:34 AM by Prospector »

Bracken_Joy

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #205 on: December 09, 2016, 10:46:45 AM »
So I know not all Canadians are the same person, but in my mind, Prosp is the guy on this channel: https://youtu.be/RFwURUE-Fu8 Only need to watch a minute or two to get an idea of the silliness and usefulness of the fellow.

This guy posts on CMF - Lately I've really been enjoying his tips and tricks, and his work looks great. I wish I had his talent. Hopefully you think of us Canucks like him instead...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxuK8EaH_dI
https://youtu.be/XtN7Vcf3br4

Took me a couple reads to understand this. I was very confused, thinking you meant it was the same guy?

Also, what is CMF?

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #206 on: December 09, 2016, 11:09:44 AM »
CMF = Canadian Money Forum.

I like how frank he is, and how he details what he does with excellent video work. And just his whole matter of fact personality about it all.

In the good news department - individual real estate sale prices went up 25% year over year in hometown. Big jump. Wonder what we evaluate at now. I also wonder what prices did in barnhouseville.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #207 on: December 10, 2016, 06:24:31 AM »
Baby, it's cold outside.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #208 on: December 10, 2016, 02:00:14 PM »
Momma and the boys just left. The living room looks very close to ready for drywall. The insulation in the master bedroom is proceeding slowly. I want everything ready before I go home tomorrow. There is snow in the forecast, and Hwy 401 is hell on a popsicle stick in bad weather. It may be a late night tonight. And tomorrow for that matter.

snacky

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #209 on: December 10, 2016, 06:28:35 PM »
Awesome progress! the home stretch is the best stretch.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #210 on: December 10, 2016, 09:04:21 PM »
I think I'm being clever.

Lowes has 15% off on certain laminate flooring right now. Plus a $25 gift card on every $200 spent (12.5%). Plus they do air miles (2%). Plus my credit card does reward miles (2%).

I am buying my flooring 5 bundles at a time. This works out to $204.57.

15%+12.5%+2%+2%=31% off. (sortof)

Tomorrow morning I go to get the last of the flooring. Then i'll go tomorrow afternoon and redeem the gift cards on the underlay or something. The gift cards are only good until December 24, and I don't want to lose or forget about them.

arebelspy

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #211 on: December 11, 2016, 02:18:30 AM »
Nice. Way to stack the bonuses!
I am a former teacher who accumulated a bunch of real estate, retired at 29, spent some time traveling the world full time and am now settled with three kids.
If you want to know more about me, this Business Insider profile tells the story pretty well.
I (rarely) blog at AdventuringAlong.com. Check out the Now page to see what I'm up to currently.

meerkat

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #212 on: December 11, 2016, 08:08:43 AM »
Then i'll go tomorrow afternoon and redeem the gift cards on the underlay or something. The gift cards are only good until December 24, and I don't want to lose or forget about them.

Smart! Having a specific "job" for a coupon or giftcard, including the day they'll be used, makes it a lot more likely that they'll get used. Lowes would probably be happier if you forgot about them in all the pre-Christmas rushing around.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #213 on: December 11, 2016, 10:44:38 AM »
So a manager was kind enough to load my last set of flooding boxes into the car and let me know the offer was limited to 1 card per customer. He also let me know the best way for leave the parking lot...

meerkat

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #214 on: December 11, 2016, 03:21:31 PM »
So a manager was kind enough to load my last set of flooding boxes into the car and let me know the offer was limited to 1 card per customer. He also let me know the best way for leave the parking lot...

As in you can only receive one per customer or spend one per customer? How many Lowes will you be near in the next couple of weeks, if you only want to use one or two at a time? And can you use these gift cards to buy $25 worth of gift cards from their store? I've seen gift cards for other stores available but I forget what all might be offered.

couponvan

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #215 on: December 13, 2016, 08:18:51 PM »
Check the lot number on the side of your laminate to make sure they match. We had to go to 3 different Costcos to find one with enough in a matching dye lot - we learned the hard way that mattered in terms of both sheen and color.

Metric Mouse

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #216 on: December 17, 2016, 05:06:16 AM »
So a manager was kind enough to load my last set of flooding boxes into the car and let me know the offer was limited to 1 card per customer. He also let me know the best way for leave the parking lot...

Ha. Got to know you pretty well, huh?

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #217 on: December 17, 2016, 07:37:36 AM »
Back at the barnhouse. Last night Momma and I insulated the rim joist in the living room. This past week the drywall dude installed strapping on the ceiling and over the lathe on the exterior walls. We need to finish insulating the master bedroom today, wire up pot lights, and possibly remove lathe on a living room wall if time permits.

By next weekend the walls and ceilings should be paint ready.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #218 on: December 17, 2016, 06:16:42 PM »
We finished insulating the master bedroom during a heavy snow fall today. This was fortunate. Remember that $35,000 roof the previous owner put on? The one that's guaranteed for life? Well apparently the reason for the plaster failure was water. From above. From the roof.

The roof  vent above the master bedroom is not placed over the cutout in the roof far enough. Snow buildup in the vent melts, runs down the roof, and is now dripping into the bedroom.

I'm glad we caught this before drywall went up. The reno gods are smiling upon us today. Now I need to figure out how to fix it on a steep roof in icy weather. I want this unit rented next month! I don't want to wait for good roof fixing weather!

My current plan is to get in under the vent with pop rivets and flashing. If I can make a dam on the up hill side maybe I can get lucky.

snacky

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #219 on: December 17, 2016, 06:35:36 PM »
Finding that right now was the luckiest thing in the world. Probably you should make an offering to the patron saint of shit getting done or the goddess of information arriving at the right moment.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #220 on: December 18, 2016, 07:13:50 AM »
Just called the roofing company. They'll get back to me next week. In the meantime we are stripping lathe off a wall, wiring for pot lights, and then going home. We likely won't be back until new years. By then drywall dude should be the living room done.

He stopped by yesterday with the gift cards and a billion apologies, so last night Momma and I went on a hot date and bought the rest of the flooring for the living room. It turns out Lowes was out of stock on the faux tile we need for the entry way and bathrooms, so I ordered it as well with a hold for pickup the following weekend.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #221 on: December 19, 2016, 11:35:42 AM »
Roofing company just called - they are aware of the problem with their vents backdrafting snow into the attic, then icing over causing internal damage. Luckily they now have a new vent which will fix the problem, and will happily install the vent for us in the spring. They can tell us a price after a tech comes out to look at the roof. The lifetime guarantee is a materials only guarantee on the roof material itself. All fasteners, connections, etc. are not covered. Including the vents.

I doff my hat toward them for their quick callback on my issue.

I am not amused by the service model or the guarantee.

dilinger

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #222 on: December 19, 2016, 07:36:51 PM »
Roofing company just called - they are aware of the problem with their vents backdrafting snow into the attic, then icing over causing internal damage. Luckily they now have a new vent which will fix the problem, and will happily install the vent for us in the spring. They can tell us a price after a tech comes out to look at the roof. The lifetime guarantee is a materials only guarantee on the roof material itself. All fasteners, connections, etc. are not covered. Including the vents.

Are you talking about a soffit vent, or is it in an attic wall?  If you're finishing the attic (which it looked like you were from the pictures), maybe skip the vents entirely?

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #223 on: December 19, 2016, 07:55:27 PM »
The space is in the attic, but there is venting above the cross ties. There are no gable vents. This is a vent in the roof deck (Sadly I only know of them ever being referred to as "roof vents" so I can't give any other name). It's basically one of these: https://www.lowes.ca/louvers-gable-vents/duraflo-plastic-square-roof-louver_g1334958.html

I am well aware that the water dripping through the vent points to heat escaping the living space. At this point we are addressing it the best we can. But really, there should be no snow coming into the attic via that vent regardless.


paddedhat

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #224 on: December 20, 2016, 04:35:10 PM »
Roofing company just called - they are aware of the problem with their vents backdrafting snow into the attic, then icing over causing internal damage. Luckily they now have a new vent which will fix the problem, and will happily install the vent for us in the spring. They can tell us a price after a tech comes out to look at the roof. The lifetime guarantee is a materials only guarantee on the roof material itself. All fasteners, connections, etc. are not covered. Including the vents.

I doff my hat toward them for their quick callback on my issue.

I am not amused by the service model or the guarantee.

I hope all the financially savvy folks here pay attention to that lesson. Doesn't matter if it's roofs, magical siding, replacement windows etc.. If the installation bid is a multiple of the cost from those who install the plain old stuff, you're getting screwed. I've seen things from "lifetime steel roofs" that quickly degrade to embarrassingly sickly looking colors, to one poor old lady who dropped $18K to replace less than a dozen windows in a TINY cottage, since they were triple pane, NASA grade, lifetime no hassle warranty. Once the products, or installation failed, they got screwed, since the fine print let the company walk away from their garbage products. The wife and I even watched the slow moving train wreck of one of her colleagues lose her home due to this. The woman had a place that was in rough shape and in a shit location. A little tiny cottage, on a busy highway, that she could afford after an ugly divorce. She got suckered into new magical siding and windows. It was affordable, since it the company financed the work.  As the recession hit, the value of the place dropped and the weight of the second mortgage for the improvements made it a no win mess. She walked away.  Doubtful that anybody here would fall for such a bad choice, but these outfits are real predators.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #225 on: December 30, 2016, 06:29:16 PM »
Hey crew, remember this room? Well now it has a ceiling and pot lights!

snacky

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #226 on: December 30, 2016, 08:56:31 PM »
how much more needs doing?

couponvan

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #227 on: December 31, 2016, 07:09:01 AM »
Nice! Did you do the lights yourself? Did you go with LED? Basement lighting is in my future....

Shinplaster

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #228 on: December 31, 2016, 10:29:26 AM »
Best part is when you start putting it all together again.  Looking good!

LifeHappens

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #229 on: January 02, 2017, 08:44:46 AM »
Great improvements. I can start to see a happy tenant in that space.

RetiredAt63

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #230 on: January 07, 2017, 02:54:14 PM »
It's Saturday - is the Barnhosue getting the TLC it deserves?

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #231 on: January 07, 2017, 04:27:32 PM »
Just puttering. Nothing really reportable.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #232 on: January 08, 2017, 12:29:42 PM »
Just puttering. Nothing really reportable.

OK, I lied.

Remember back in the early days of Barnhouse where I cut the beam out of the basement and framed a wall to take up the load? Well, I was never really happy with how that wall went in, so last night after J2 went to bed I tore it out, laminated up a beam of 2X10's (4-ply) And set it in where the wall had been. I used 3 jackposts in place of the wall framing to take the load, and I think I took most of the sag out of the floor above that way.

Not sure if you remember, but when I did this before I posted the pic showing the lift I got on the floor, but then lost when I framed in the wall. This go 'round I've gotten all that lift back, and the depth of the beam, and the point loading of the columns means more control on how the floor is lifted.

I mean there is still deflection in one plane, but I did eliminate a pretty big dip where the worst of the sag had been. I maxed out my piston jack (blew the seal on it) and the columns just spin if I try to get more lift out of the jack screws, which tells me I'm at the top of loading for them as well. While I've gotten rid of the sag, I need about another 1/2" to get things proper. Next weekend after things have settled to the new alignment I may attack again with a heavier piece of lifting equipment. If I can take the weight off the coulumns by applying a point load beside them, I am confident I can get the floor up on a level plane. Meanwhile, Its a race against drywall dude. I need to get this done before he applies mud and finishes the living room above, otherwise I'll be cracking fresh drywall.

The way I see it, the floor is "close enough" now. If he beats me to it, my work is done. If I get there first, the floor will get its additional lift.

Also the plumber is coming back "soon" to rough in basement fixtures. Supposed to talk to him tomorrow.

Longwaytogo

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #233 on: January 08, 2017, 01:53:57 PM »
Nice work! (Overall, but most recently on the beam)

Had to do a similar thing at my house. The beam itself was actually OK but the wooden posts it was sitting on had been rotting for years.

Pretty amazing how much those jacks can do!

I'll confess to skimming and not reading the whole thing but I was wondering about the basement apt. Are you segregating it from the upstairs with fireproof drywall, separate electrical panels and stuff like that or just kind of doing normal residential construction.

Are they still connected by a staircase or did you eliminate that completely?

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #234 on: January 08, 2017, 04:59:32 PM »
Nice work! (Overall, but most recently on the beam)

Had to do a similar thing at my house. The beam itself was actually OK but the wooden posts it was sitting on had been rotting for years.

Pretty amazing how much those jacks can do!

I'll confess to skimming and not reading the whole thing but I was wondering about the basement apt. Are you segregating it from the upstairs with fireproof drywall, separate electrical panels and stuff like that or just kind of doing normal residential construction.

Are they still connected by a staircase or did you eliminate that completely?

I'm up in the air on this right now. For teh time being, I'm trying to just get the upper going. I'll tackle the lower... eventually. Either way the stairs to the basement need some love. The PO cut (another) beam to put the stairs in, so it will come out as well to have another solution sistered in.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #235 on: January 14, 2017, 10:55:55 PM »
The barnhouse is                  c       r           a           w          l      i            n        g along and teaching me great lessons about things like patience and perseverance and whatnot. I don't like it. The drywall dude has been in once since Christmas. The plumber hasn't finished converting the septic to sewers. There are piles of dirt in the basement and bare walls in the livingroom. I am growing impatient since this place is supposed to be tenanted by now, and the two small things are still not done. So yesterday I called both the plumber and the DW dude and asked to see them at the house today.

DW dude said he'd meet me at the house at 10:00. He was glad we were meeting because he had some questions, and needed help moving some stuff upstairs. Plumber said he'd give me a shout this morning.

So i left here bright and early to get there and talk with these guys. Arrived at BH at 10:03 (I was worried I was going to be late - which I was, but only barely) - and no car was in the driveway. I loitered. Tidied up stuff, made coffee. No sign of DW dude. Called and got no answer. Moved small stuff upstairs. Assembled the DW lift. Started hanging the DW that DW dude hadn't done yet (I pay him by the day, so I'm saving myself cash by doing this). At 11:30 I get a text from DW dude that he can't make it by today, but maybe we can talk next weekend. Fucker. I need him for mud/tape and trades are hard to find. Wish I was Axe - he'd have a clever way out of this.

Spent the day hanging DW so I could get ahead/save cash/eat his lunch, and waited for a call from the plumber. Around 3:00 I get a text from him. He's in the woods, can't get a cell signal. He'll call me at work on Monday. To be fair, we had never scheduled a meeting, but he knew I was coming up to talk to him.

I got a lot of the DW up. So the day wasn't a total waste, but I'm feeling a little walked-on by these guys right now. Need to come up with a plan B. The DW should be long since done. The plumbing has sat for months while the guy does other jobs. I need these guys to do their work, but I want them to hurry the fuck up and get out too. I have never understood this with contractors - even at my real job - they go gung-ho for the first 3 days, but after that things drag along without constant nagging. Who does that benefit?

dilinger

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #236 on: January 14, 2017, 11:19:24 PM »
Heh. Just had an oil tank removed and soil remediated. Same story - they were gung ho, got everything removed, filled the hole, told me they just needed to do the last 2' with topsoil.. and then they disappeared for 4 weeks.

They finally came by and finished up, and then sent me a bill. I'm thinking there's not much rush to pay it..

Why not try mudding and taping yourself?  Worst case, you fuck it up, have to pull/scrape it off and have someone else redo it..

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #237 on: January 14, 2017, 11:50:35 PM »
I hate mudding and sanding. The one thing I told Momma I would not do on this place is mud and sand drywall. Then i went ahead and did the upstairs bathroom. Then I hired this guy.

dilinger

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #238 on: January 15, 2017, 12:00:56 AM »
Yeah, but it sounds like that guy ALSO hates mudding and sanding! :)

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #239 on: January 15, 2017, 12:10:09 AM »
Yeah, but it sounds like that guy ALSO hates mudding and sanding! :)

You should go on tour - that's gold right there!

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #240 on: January 15, 2017, 07:37:13 AM »
Welcome to the joys of small town life.  My area is technically in a depressed economy, but it is like pulling teeth to get quotes and have people actually show up.  And of course word gets around and the people who actually do show up are known, and so busy that they literally will fit you in when they can.  Of course the downside is that if you now start looking for replacements, that word will get around too and you will get a bad reputation for dropping contractors part way through.

Can't win.

Have fun taping.

G-dog

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #241 on: January 15, 2017, 08:07:21 AM »
Not just small town! Same problem here - fucking contractors. I guess they figure there is always new work. And that you are unlikely to need them on another job very soon, so they can piss you off. I agree with not rushing to pay - they keep such crappy records that they'll probably never know. And if they do, follow up with them the same way they followed up with you!

Good luck.

paddedhat

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #242 on: January 15, 2017, 10:22:38 AM »
Not just small town! Same problem here - fucking contractors. I guess they figure there is always new work. And that you are unlikely to need them on another job very soon, so they can piss you off. I agree with not rushing to pay - they keep such crappy records that they'll probably never know. And if they do, follow up with them the same way they followed up with you!

Good luck.

Having been one, and employed dozens of others, I couldn't even attempt to refute any of your thoughts. I got through it by treating everybody well on the job, and paying faster than anybody else.  I have had framers show up weeks ahead of schedule, since the jobs they were on were for competitors who took forever to pay at the end of jobs. The flip side is that I demanded quality work, which leads to an odd dynamic. Some who could produce quality didn't feel like doing so, and refused to work for me. Some who didn't have what it takes were never hired for the next job, and were pissed at me. The happy medium was those that could and did the job right, and appreciated that I believed in doing the right thing for my customers. The problem with jerking anybody around on payment is that it can come back to bite you. You end can end up creating bad blood in the community, if it's a small town. I know of a few real difficult city folks who will bitch loudly that all the locals are bums who won't show up to do work. The flip side is that they are true assholes who are (unknown to themselves) blacklisted by any tradespeople who are worth hiring. When they need anything done, they are limited to either hiring an overpriced contractor from a big box store, or slick improvement company, or ending up with whatever local dregs will show up.

Overall, the situation i pretty screwed up for everybody. Lots of self employed guys out there that shouldn't be.  Lots of very talented guys with issues that prevent them from being a good employee, and as a result have no choice but to toss a step ladder in the pickup and proclaim that they are now contractors. I don't have the answers, but I spent a few decades studying the problem, LOL.

G-dog

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #243 on: January 15, 2017, 10:38:48 AM »
Oh, I've always paid quickly. Easier to just be done with it. I did have to hassle a plumber to get a bill so I could pay. No reason they can't invoice on the spot now with smartphones, but not all do.
Also, I don't really have the time or temperament to really jerk someone around, but it's a fun mental exercise....

paddedhat

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #244 on: January 15, 2017, 04:10:26 PM »
Oh, I've always paid quickly. Easier to just be done with it. I did have to hassle a plumber to get a bill so I could pay. No reason they can't invoice on the spot now with smartphones, but not all do.
Also, I don't really have the time or temperament to really jerk someone around, but it's a fun mental exercise....

I would be shocked if 1% of the contractors in my area even know that it's a possibility.  I ran Quickbooks and could tell you what a new home cost me, to the penny. According to my accountant, who specializes in small contractors, I was one of a small handful of her contractor clients who had a clue as to how to run a business, and if they were making any money.  I had subs who owed  mid six figure amounts to the IRS, and subs. who I knew were in trouble since the IRS would send me thick packets of documentation on them. With the IRS requiring me to attest that I did not owe the sub. money, and haven't made a payment to them recently. Pretty F-ed up way to run a business, IMHO. Way too much stress.

It's not only small outfits BTW. My son hired on with a  mid-sized, oil services contractor with seventy employees, and 30 million plus in annual sales. He was asked to straighten out their heavy equipment service  department. He outfit the road service mechanics with smart phone based invoicing with customer approval signatures, and hunting down all the unbilled and unsigned work orders. He then spent weeks, and drove thousands of miles, to politely ask for payment from customers who never approved, signed for, or were billed for old invoices.  He recovered over $100K doing so.  These guys would take a parts worth thousands of dollars, to a job hours away, then do five, six hours of heavy equipment repair, return to the shop, and treat the paper work like a dirt paper towel. Most made it to a secretary's desk, some were shoved in various places in the truck cab, some just never got written. It ties in to what we were discussing. There is a lot of talent out there that can do a great job, but suck at even the basic concept of business.

couponvan

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #245 on: January 16, 2017, 06:55:35 AM »
I hear your woes! We planned on window measures at our FIRE house over the weekend, and the Home Depot guy didn't even show up! How crazy is that? I drive 1:45 minutes and you can't be bothered to show up. I was 2 minutes late and stressed. Then after an hour, I call and they told me they wrote my number down wrong and couldn't reach me so they cancelled. (The number was correct-apparently the guy misdialed my number....) I need to learn how to do this stuff myself....

paddedhat

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #246 on: January 16, 2017, 01:17:10 PM »
I hear your woes! We planned on window measures at our FIRE house over the weekend, and the Home Depot guy didn't even show up! How crazy is that? I drive 1:45 minutes and you can't be bothered to show up. I was 2 minutes late and stressed. Then after an hour, I call and they told me they wrote my number down wrong and couldn't reach me so they cancelled. (The number was correct-apparently the guy misdialed my number....) I need to learn how to do this stuff myself....

You won't regret learning how to do your own windows. HD has a pretty good line of replacements that they call American Craftsmen, made by Silverline, which is a giant vinyl manufacturer that Anderson windows bought. Unless you are tearing old frames out of a stucco or masonary structure, vinyl replacement windows are pretty easy to do yourself. Get yourself an education at YouTube university and have a go at it. If you're wary, pick the smallest window in the house, learn to measure and order a replacement, and give it a shot.

I'm sure there are exceptions to my experience, but in my area, you work as an installer for the big box stores after you have exhausted all other chances to make a living. As in, after you wore out your welcome with every renovation contractor and smaller retailer in the area, and failed to thrive as a self-employed tradesmen. I have an excellent kitchen guy. He makes a lot of coin unwinding the stunning clusterfucks that the kitchen sales and installation departments create at one of the big box chains. He doesn't do installs, he just fixes disasters, and he has a never ending supply.

dilinger

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #247 on: January 17, 2017, 01:41:38 AM »
I've been installing the anderson 100 series windows. I like the fibrex material, it's a bit stiffer than typical vinyl. I can't vouch for longevity, though; I've only been using them for a couple of months.

Here's one I did tonight (haven't caulked or installed the outside stops yet). Installing them is definitely worth learning. I paid around $180 for that window.

Le Poisson

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #248 on: January 17, 2017, 04:41:08 AM »
What size is That?  And are you in Canada or the states?

couponvan

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Re: The Barnhouse Transformation
« Reply #249 on: January 17, 2017, 05:51:36 AM »
Nice Dillinger!  Our windows are 53x72 (2),  a 96" slider. They are not little windows.