PFC Is Not Your Damn Blog!!! (Home renovation)

Kristy

Hey Y'all,

Here's what happened over my weekend.

This is the start of a long list of renovations, replacing hideous drop ceiling and paneling walls, installing pot lights, more outlets/replacing old plumbing and wiring while exposed, and recessed above-cabinet lighting.

Lol moments of the weekend:
Getting showered in Asbestos-laced vermiculite insulation.
My father-in-law trying to help the contractors.
Getting the contractor's number 2 drunk after work on Sat.
Getting peeping tom'd by a worker whilst in a very compromising position with GW. I have not made direct eye-contact with the guy since.

Issue I'd like advice on: The contractor is trying to tell me that he quoted me for textured walls/ceilings. I want flat. He wants to upcharge. How do I say "Yeah, Imma go ahead and not pay that", without causing extra ruckus?

I've never done an outside hire like this, back home my family has connections for every job you ever want done, so I'd be getting the best possible price no matter what, most often from someone so close I'd grown up calling him Uncle _____ regardless of blood connection. Little Kristy, would just get whatever her heart desired by paying materials.
This current contractor is a completely unknown quantity to me, and honestly, I call BS at the idea of a drywall quote being on the basis of getting a texture. They're hideous, and no one has wanted them for like 20 years.

Anybody have and experience with this? (Post pics of your reno for bonus points)

DataMn

> How do I say "Yeah, Imma go ahead and not pay that",
> without causing extra ruckus?

Not to derail, but do you know how to do anything without "causing extra ruckus"?? ;-)

trigs

Getting peeping tom'd by a worker whilst in a very compromising position with GW. I have not made direct eye-contact with the guy since.

i think we all need more details to fully understand the level of your embarrassment.

i can't help with the issues, sorry. i suck at stuff like that.

here's my backyard reno from last summer: http://www.pokerforum.ca/f12/hardly-played-any-poker-all-summer-but-30970/

Kristy

It was the two party act that most of you wish your girl would do more/at all.

In a stroke of amazing comedic prowess. GW, strutted downstairs and dramatically high-fived the guy after. Not kidding.

:died:

Kristy

DataMn;383207 wrote> How do I say "Yeah, Imma go ahead and not pay that",
> without causing extra ruckus?

Not to derail, but do you know how to do anything without "causing extra ruckus"?? ;-)

You're right, I generally prefer as much ruckus as is humanly possible, but in this one instance, where I have lots more work to get done, I'm hoping to minimize the fallout.

trigs;383209 wrote here's my backyard reno from last summer: http://www.pokerforum.ca/f12/hardly-played-any-poker-all-summer-but-30970/

Gorgeous job! It looks absolutely perfect.

wildbill7145

Drywaller is trying to get you to go with textured because it takes more time and proficiency to do a flat ceiling. They try and get away with that all the time. Texture means they can get away with less mudding and sanding and just blow the texture out and get paid. They'll try and upsell the process by calling it a 'fancier' ceiling to get paid more.

Do not allow this if you don't want it. Do not pay them unless they prime the drywall first as you can't tell whether they've done a good finishing job until it's primed.

Check your contract as well.

Kristy

I'm painting, but he did say that he would come back and touch up after I primed...

It is just that he wants to charge $600 for flat now on the basis that textured is the standard when quoting. This seems absurd to me.

wildbill7145

Kristy;383216 wroteI'm painting, but he did say that he would come back and touch up after I primed...

It is just that he wants to charge $600 for flat now on the basis that textured is the standard when quoting. This seems absurd to me.

Textured is not the standard. That's bs.

I just finished painting for a couple doing their first renovation. The drywaller did their open concept kitchen and living room. He used no dropsheets at any point in time. Didn't mask off openings to other areas in the house at any point. He completely covered their hardwood floors and all their furniture with drywall mud and the entire house with dust. That was the state I saw the job in when I first looked at it. It was pretty shocking.

I told them they should be sure he does the priming because I wasn't going to. As soon as I touch a brush or roller to the surfaces they're my responsibility. He primed all without any dropsheets and completely covered their floors and furniture with primer.

During the entire job he left all of his tools on their kitchen floor overnight for about a week including sharp mud knives, in spite of the fact they have 3 kids all under 4yrs old.

Now he's storing his tools at their place for a month because he has another job scheduled in the area at some point.

Absolutely shocking. Poor people asked me if this was standard. "uh, no."

They've been trying to get the mud and primer off their floors for two weeks with metal scrapers. What a sad situation.

Some contractors are scumbags.

Kristy

Whew, I feel a little better about my guy now. He's SUPER-meticulous with covering and clean up. It was so clean that I had little more to do than a quick swiffer, and I found one screw when I moved the piano out of the way.

My "read" of the guy is that he just doesn't like mudding/taping (who does? Worst.Job.Ever.) I'm pretty sure that if I push the issue he's gonna sub it out...hence the attempt at upcharging.
He wants to show me textures on a scrap piece of sheet rock, even though I've told him I definitely want flat..do I let him? And does this sound like a guy who knows he's playing a losing hand? I feel like I have the advantage, and hearing that my suspicion about non-specified quote meaning textured was correct. I'm going to push the issue a little harder. Thoughts?

wildbill7145

If you're a drywaller who hates mudding and taping, that's not a good thing. I don't like putting my head within inches of your toilet when I'm painting the baseboard behind it, but that's my job.

No, don't let him show you the texture samples. It's a waste of yours and his time if that's not what you want. Why bother? It's not what you agreed to verbally or by contract. Is there a written contract?

Not a reno I guess, but here's a shed I built last year. Not one bit of help from anyone from top to bottom, except my trusty helper Ace who was constantly stealing stuff I was using and running around the yard with it. Damn dog.

Kristy

He's a general contractor, not a drywaller. We're doing a huge overhall. There is a written contract.

Kristy

actually, contract might be the wrong word. There is a written quote.

wildbill7145

Kristy;383221 wroteHe's a general contractor, not a drywaller. We're doing a huge overhall. There is a written contract.

Yep, he'll be subbing it. Does the contract specify textured or flat?

He'd better be trying to keep you happy if he wants to keep the rest of the job.

Kristy

The quote does not specify, which I feel works in my favour...there are dozens of textures, but only one flat. He's very hands on, so he'd be doing the texture...but I get the feeling he can't do flat perfectly and would sub it out.

moose

Did you move in next door to Hobbes?

Kristy

If I lived next door to Hobbes I woulda spent the weekend camped out at his house waiting to cuddle that baby. :h:

Irunit4times

I am a general contractor myself, and do lots of work like this. First off, every quote or contract when being a general should have everything written in it right down to the smallest thing, to minimize any of the issues with he said she said, but literally if he quoted on a textured ceiling, it should say on it what type of texture, popcorn, california knock down, etc or flat. I am not sure how much he is charging you but we price per sq/ft and for material and labour to do a flat ceiling for 1/2" drywall, we charge between $2.50 to $2.75 a square foot. This includes drywall, mudd, tape, screws, labour to install the drywall, labour to mudd and tape all joints, level 3 finish, 1 coat tape, and 2 skim coats. Then a coat of primer to finish and paint ready. Depending on the original price and the amount requesting to do flat, it may be a proper quote, however the issue I think in this case is more of the he said she said, where he never wrote anything down and you told him flat ceiling when he quoted on popcorn.

Also, I would recommend checking that he is WSIB covered and has liability insurance and is registered with the city. Any contractor that touches electrical or plumbing is a no no, he must sub it out to a certified contractor, and they must have a master license and WSIB insurance. Also remember any electrical or plumbing touched virtually needs permits from city and ESA.

Hope some of this helps.

On a side note, nice shed Wildbill. I think you forgot about your jack studs when framing lol and added them in as an after thought lol.... no bottom plate under them! I see all hahaha j/k seriously, nice shed.....

GTA Poker

Good show:

The Pirate Bay - The galaxy's most resilient bittorrent site

Allz I can say is don't pay up front

wildbill7145

Irunit4times;383238 wrote On a side note, nice shed Wildbill. I think you forgot about your jack studs when framing lol and added them in as an after thought lol.... no bottom plate under them! I see all hahaha j/k seriously, nice shed.....

What's a jack stud? Lol! I honestly had no idea what I was doing. First structure I've ever built in my entire life. Worst part about building that thing was the roof. Why roofers roof I have no idea. What an absolutely horrible job to do.

edit: Oh, yeah those. I can't remember why I did that. Paint job is the best part imo. Wife and I had some intensely serious discussions about the white battons. I originally wanted the shed to be red with white trim like an old fashioned barn. She freaked, made me paint it green. She wanted the whole thing to be green but I outright refused as I wanted the battons white. Basically told her I'd burn the thing to the ground before I'd paint them green.

Milo

Kristy;383204 wroteIssue I'd like advice on: The contractor is trying to tell me that he quoted me for textured walls/ceilings. I want flat. He wants to upcharge. How do I say "Yeah, Imma go ahead and not pay that", without causing extra ruckus?

Wha . . . ? You mean, treating him like a rock star didn't work? :D

Alternate answer . . . show him your targets from our wager.