here’s the deal….
got a call from contractor guy I know that I’ve done some work for in the past. I guess he’s in a bit of a jam. he’s done this large deck with sunken hot tub with a step up to a gazebo type deck.
I’ve helped him out once already when the owners wanted to move the hot tub over form it’s original position. He was having trouble getting the carpenters to come back to reframe the area surrounding the deck and replacing the deck boards. – they kept putting him off. since the owners were getting tired of waiting, he told the guys they had to come redo it or he would need to get someone else. They were fine with having someone else get in there to finish the deck. so I went and did it … 2 day job no problems.
since then they’ve gone back to put up the soffit ceiling in the gazebo, which is KD t&g pine. But now there are a couple of sections that have warped badly. they went and looked at it and said the whole thing needs to come down and be redone in order to fix it. The contractor says I’m not going to pay you to redo the whole thing, you’ve got to fix it.
The lumber supplier says it is should have been treated. ( it’s going to be painted, I figure a coat of primer should have been applied.) I’m not sure what the deal is. it’s the rainy season. usually it’s the dry season that warpage occurs. So although it wasn’t treated seems to me the moisture content was probably way higher than it should have been. So even if it had been treated if the moisture content is already high seems there may still be problems to be had.
anyway, the contractor has asked me if I could fix it. He would then deduct my fees from the other carpenters payment. I know it is easy to fix. I don’t know why they would say that the whole would have to come down to fix it. surely they know how cut out a piece by ripping the centre of a board, then rip the top of the groove when fitting in the last piece of the fix and face nailing it. I’m guessing they simply don’t want to do it.
One other issue ….the owners are holding back final payment until it is fixed, so nobody gets paid until all is done, including me for me previous 2 days work.
in conclusion…. I have no problem fixing it, I’d like to help this guy out. I don’t want any trouble though, and I want to get paid. To me it seems fair if my payment comes from the other carpenters money. They were given the option to fix it, Their solution seems a little ridiculous – get paid twice for the same job?! But I also like to try to see thing from everyone’s point of view; who should have made sure the product was prepped properly the contractor or the installer? ( I know…both…but who is responsible) and would it have made a difference? that I don’t know… I could see the supplier saying that to cover themselves from supplying crappy material.
I think I will tell this guy to give the other guys one more chance and to at least give them warning that someone else’s payment to fix their job will come from their pocket. I’m trying to imagine myself in their shoes and think how I would respond to this…..But I would have fixed it to begin with…..
Edited 12/6/2005 9:28 pm ET by alrightythen
Replies
Your thinking way too hard about all this.
If the money is right and the work is suitable, I'll do service work for anyone. I don't want to hear the story and I really don't care. I know there are a lot of carpenters out there that don't give good service once they've left the job, so when someone asks me to fix something that they can't get good service on, I look at it as a major marketing opportunity.
I don't need to know where the money's coming from, nor do I care. If a guy can't promptly service his work, he shouldn't be in business. If I'm going to do the service work, he can pay me my rate, or let the builder pay me, then he can bite the bullet. All of this can be avoided by promptly getting the service work done. The problem is that he's too busy making money somewere else.
Let him and the builder fight it out in court...
blue
"Your thinking way too hard about all this."
I had to laugh out loud when I read that....... you are probably right. I do tend to overthink things at times. Thanks for the insight....Piffin too. I'll try to chill and make a few bucks.
It shouldn't matter a blessed dime to you whose pocket the money comes out of, as long as it goes into yours
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Home Improvements
One other issue ....the owners are holding back final payment until it is fixed, so nobody gets paid until all is done, including me for me previous 2 days work.
Was your contract directly with the home owners for this two days of work? If not I think you are due your fees immediately..... Its not your problem that your buddy has not been paid for your work yet.... Your contract was with him not the HO"s.
this whole situation stinks....... you cant be paid until someone else dose something that you had nothing to do with but you can be paid more if you do this one thing???? Wonder what will be next on the list?
james
You bring up a very good point, and are absolutely correct. it is something I have not overlooked. And it is probably bad business on my part to not demand full payment for the 2 days.
The thing is I have known the contractor for a number of years and have worked on numerous projects of his thru the company I used to work for as well as some sidework work on my own for him. Getting payed has never been an issue before, and I really would like to help him out.
I've invested 2 days work for which I am being held at ransom for till he gets his money, so for a couple hours work which I should be entitled to charge a 4 hour minimun. I have to decide is the drive and time worth the risk for helping him get out of this jam.
I am willing to take the risk....if it were a weeks worth, then maybe a different story.
Edited 12/7/2005 12:13 am ET by alrightythen
Cast my vote for you getting paid for the two days you've already worked before you do the next repair.
Just say to 'contractor freind' it is just business. I'm sure he'll understand.
OK I'll take that to heart.
anyone got any thoughts wether it would have made a difference if the soffit had it been pre-primed. If it was supplied with a high moisture content alreardy present, sealing the moisture in doesn't like it would be a prevention from warping. The point of priming it would be to keep further moisture from migrating into the product after installation. which in this case I couldn't see happening, as the warping occured almost immediately- unlike, say a season of moisture then come dry season warping occuring at that time.
I hope you take no offense when I suggest that you don't offer any opinions on why the problem occurred. If I don't miss my guess things are getting contentious between the contractor and the customer and when you start offering opinions you can end up in the hot seat.
Fix it if you really believe and trust your contractor buddy but lots of times when all of a final payment is getting held for a few small punch list items there are bigger problems brewing.
The only opinion I'd offer is perhaps there's a problem with the materials or perhaps it was installed improperly( :-) ) And I would seriously leave it at that.
yeah, I think you are right...I have picked up that it seems as though things have gone a bit sour.
as far as the reason of the problem, I am more curious for my own information so the same thing doesn't happen to me. for something to warp as badly as it has, it seams to me that there must be something wrong with the product ( moisture content too high) I have installed a little bit of soffit in my expierience but have never used a moisture metre to check it before. I don't think most guys check moisture on soffit material.( am I wrong) But there is obviously a reason that it has warped.
I'm thinking if this happened to me I would definately fix it with no extra charge, but I think I would be looking to the supplier for some credit for the crap they gave, me wether primed or not - no?
I must have missed that you have an ongoing working relationship with this contractor, It still stinks that he won't peice you out for your two days.... says a lot about him.
james