I was painting a neighbors house one day in a suburban neighborhood of 1950’s 60s houses when a neighbor from across the street approaches me asking if I would be interested in painting his house. Those single story houses are easy work so I told him I’d take a look. Find out he’s interested in buying a house down the street that might need the paint job to close.
I walk in the house. Someone tried a renovation using cedar shakes on a wall in the kitchen. Didn’t work so they painted them the same antique white as the rest of the house interior. Strike one. I discover that the owner/seller had someone in there to spruce the place up. Gawd awful man. They had decided to poly the hardwood floors. They just poured the poly on the floor. It had chunks of dirt in it. And a paperclip! A bloomin’ paperclip in the poly. The didn’t sweep the floor let alone prep it. Strike two. But the most exciting part was seeing the 1/8 inch thick ring from the paint can on the poly floor. Strike three. But that wasn’t that bad cause the only clear part of the poly floor I could see was under the welcome mat in the middle of the room, WHERE THE PAINT OVERSPRAY COULDN’T LAND. The whole floor in all the rooms was covered with thick paint overspray from when whoever decided to spray paint on the walls and ceilings with no dropclothes to protect the poly. I mean I’ve seen boogers before and been guilty of a few but never seen such an attempt in my life. I won’t add anymore of the discoveries.
I did manage to talk the guy out of buying the house which was way overpriced on top of it all. I’m amazed at what’s out there.
Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We’re going on.
Replies
Well!!! That makes me feel a little better about MY work!
BTW, House I worked on last Spring, nice neighborhood and all, had an 87 yr-old former Reno showgirl and her 62 year-old former Reno showgirl daughter living next door. Yard had plastic flamingos and a little plastic picket fence and whirligigs everywhere.
Problem was, Mom and daughter still thought they were in great shape and would parade around in some of the most godawful outfits you can imagine. All the bare hide showing looked like your descripton of that floor (I didn't get close enough to check for paperclips).
Suppose a coat of paint would help this DIY job?
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." --Marcus Aurelius
Well, I guess they won't blow off nailed like that. Joe H
Shingles might not blow off but the whole thing could blow away. I shot this next door to a job I was working on for the giggles file. Apparently, this family spent the whole summer putting it together. Good bonding experience!
;).
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." --Marcus Aurelius
Piffin
You sure that that thing aint supose to fly, looks like its powered with some sort of lawnmower. I think you just missed there intent!
Doug
It does have aerodynamics similar to a pterydactyl!.
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." --Marcus Aurelius
an, I got excited and thought you guys were talking about Reno, as in Nevada. Last trip I actually came out $80.00 ahead. It was Boomtown, by the way.
Does that job qualify as "faux midwestern"?The graveyards are full of indispensable men. [Charles de Gaulle]
Just "Faux"
I, for one, am glad they built that shed. If the roof leaks, I am doubly glad.
This shed was built either because it was exactly what they intended to build.. eg, just something to keep the worst of the elements off, nothing more.
Or it was built because the homeowners had watched a few shows, talked to a carp or two, and maybe some pizza-faced kid at HD. They thought they knew everything there was to know about building. How hard can it be. After they got the thing finished, they found out that they didn't know as much as they thought they did.
Result, either they decided to get someone else to do the remodel on the kitchen, or, they at least got some experience here, that helped them to do a better job on the kitchen. (We all start somewhere. It doesn't take a cabinet maker to build a doghouse. But a cabinet makers first set of cabinets may look like a doghouse.)
It's also entirely possible that the parents let the kids do most of the building, to get some experience. Or just to have some fun...
Aside from all that, c'mon guys, it's just a cover for the lawnmower.
Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
Interresting point, Luka.
Better the shed than the kitchen or a room addition.Discretion is the better part of valour, but stupidity goes everywhere.
If you guys dont quit makin fun of my high end work ill, ill ill, crawl back under my table.
I should of brought some pics of my buds houses. This guy is cheap.. I mean he makes me look like a spend thrift. He paid some Mcguire to out in some window for him. The guy ut the stucco and remove and replaced the new one. he didnt restucco just put some wood trim ( of a questionable species) in place, well it was raining like a big dog this week end here and I went over his house for a party, I noticed the paint was bubbling on his ext. wall in the stucco near one of the windows. I showed it to him and explained he might have some damage in there from the moisture, but before I could get into the whys and becauses, he cut me short with a , Its ok its just dripping off the roof. I wonder if he noticed the line on the stucco from the rafter tails to the bubbles?...Nah its Ok.....
At Darkworks cut to size made to burn......Putty isnt a option
Now THAT is something to pick at.
The crapenter would probably hold up the excuse that the homeowner refused to pay for a good job. But in my mind, they both hold accountability for this, and the crapenter holds the most.
He should have known better. He should have refused to do a job that would fail in that way. Either refuse the job, unless it is for enough to do the job right. Or take the job, knowing that you are going to dip into your own profit, to do the job correctly.
If I take your description literaly, your friend is in for a major costly headache. (Or else he will cover it up, and sell the house.) Not to mention the possible structural danger he is living with, and/or fostering.
Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
"The crapenter would probably hold up the excuse ..."
I don't know if you intentionally mis-speeled that word or not but I think we have a new one to add to the vernacular here, alphbetically it would go ahead of Faux-midwestern.
Crapenter - One who needlessly performs crappy work with wood.
I think the family who built that shed did it for a fun thing with the kids but the scary part is that they were probably saying, "Look here little Johnny, this is the way to install roof rafters...."
Johnny could grow up to become a crapenter instead of a carpenter....
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are." --Marcus Aurelius
Yes, I intentionaly misspelled it. (The real clue is that I misspelled it twice in reference to the same guy. LOL)
And for exactly the reason you postulate.
Didn't feel it needed explaining, as I always do it that way. A carpenter is a carpenter, and a crapenter is a crapenter. They are exactly as you describe. I suppose that I assumed wrong when I assumed it needed no explain.
: )
Don't bogart the Ghost
Quittin' Time
I know why those 2 2x4 rafters are laying flat. Because it's easier to nail thru 1 1/2 inches of wood instead of 3 1/2. Let the thunder crack and the waves roar.
We're going on.
Thanks for the second pic...I had NO idea what I was looking at in the first one!
Maybe they were going for "rustic"?
I thought the rake trim was a nice touch.
Just about finished the job...