Please Evaluate Basement Trimwork

Wow - bummer.:( The outside miters and inside miters might be covered with caulk, but really would not be up to my expectations of anyone who calls himself a trim carpenter. The shelf is just inexcusable as is the butt joint. Shouldn't that be a 45 degree scarf joint?:doh:And aren't inside miters a no-no? Should this not be a coped joint?
 
Rennie, your post mirrored my thoughts as I looked through the pictures. Now, if it was me doing the work.....:D
I can't imagine doing a butt joint on floor moulding. 45 or 60 degree scarf. And yes, if painted, filler, sanding smooth, and paint will hide all of this. I know because I've done it, but then I work very cheap on my own projects.:rofl: I guess the thing that bothers me the most is the floor moulding...the joint is not even...no way filler and sanding are going to take care of that. It will always have an odd look to it. Jim
 
it all depends..........what did you pay for?
if you went with the low bid to save a buck i`d say you got what you paid for........
if you checked out your trim carpenter in advance and found somebody with a good reputation and track record then i`d ask him/her to make it right.....and no doubt if they`re making a fair wage they will....if not see previous comments........sorry, tod
 
Just to clear up some details.

No, I didn't do it. Yes, this is my house.

I am paying a contractor to finish my basement. This is part of the whole project. The trim is not priced separately.

I am responsible for caulking and painting.

I still owe the contractor a sizable amount for the job.

Knowing all that now, do you think I'm being anal about my displeasure with this?
 
rob, if your contract states that all work will be preformed to "industry standards in a workman like manor" then i`d insist that the contractor meet his obligations........either way by holding the purse strings you have leverage....and lots of it! try talking with the contractor and see what you can work out?.......most folks will go out of their way to insure pleased clients...tod
 
it all depends..........what did you pay for?
if you went with the low bid to save a buck i`d say you got what you paid for........
if you checked out your trim carpenter in advance and found somebody with a good reputation and track record then i`d ask him/her to make it right.....and no doubt if they`re making a fair wage they will....if not see previous comments........sorry, tod

Got to agree with Tod on this one. I might be the wrong one to ask about this since I do all the trim work in the homes I build....it is not reflective of the work I do, but it is of some of the competition I have to bid against.
 
I would speak with the General Contractor about the issue if you have not done so already. If he is a "Good" contractor who cares about his reputation, I would think he would try to make you happy.

The quality of work is sub-standard in my opinion. The baseboards are terrible and I dont need to get started on the shelf, thats just plain lazy on the part of the installer.

Good luck,
 
Wow. Me, personally, I'm a complete doofus. But If I did things like that on our house, Doorlink would laugh me out of the shop. I can't believe someone could actually get paid to do something that poorly... if they can, we're all in the wrong profession! ;)

Good luck!

Thanks,

Bill
 
I concur with the rest of the gang...that's sub-par workmanship. I'm guessing the GC will want to make things right. If not, you can remind him that you're playing by the Golden Rule (and you still have a large amount of the gold he wants). ;)
 
Absoutely not.

I do trim work also.
I couldn't do a job like that and feel good about it.

When I do have an unaccepable joint like that, I either pull it and redo, pr at least caulk that darn thing on my own time with my own caulk.
I would never leave a joint's like that.

That joint on the floor is a scarf joint. But a bad one. They didn't get the two pieces even top/bottom
 
Have the contractor come over and take a look at it and see if he thinks it is acceptable. I have taken on some small jobe and over looked something (not that it would possible to overlook the entire project!) but if something is pointed out to me I will do my best to make it right. If your GC hires someone to do this job, it is his responsibility to make it right.
 
Ed, that's exactly what I'm doing. The GC has been pretty responsive to other issues so I hope he shows some common sense with this one. If he doesn't come up with an acceptable solution, he doesn't get paid. Simple as that.

BTW, I fully believe that a business should be given the chance to make things right before they are crucified publicly.The goal of this thread was not to bash the contractor (which is why I didn't name them), but to confirm that my issues with the trim are valid. I really wanted to make sure that I'm not overreacting here. I think the responses here, at SMC, and WoodNet confirm that I am not.
 
Hi Rob,
Sorry about the work done in the basement, it is accepted down here in some houses where it is caulked and painted before the buyer sees it. I have seen alot worse accepted, sadly. Tod had a very good point " how much did you pay him"? and your answer was basically "part of the total package."
We must remember that we who are in this forum have the desire in our own work to be better and to learn. Too often the guy doing the work at your house does not care, he is just doing his job. Right there the quality just dropped because it doesn't matter as much to him as it does us.
Good luck with the GC. I think Ed's advice was well stated.
Shaz
 
My son had a nice lake house built two years ago. The last time we were there, I noticed a lot of joints like that and (inwardly) groaned that my son didn't demand a redo. Obviously, the miter saw was off and the workers didn't care. I wouldn't accept. Written contract or not, I believe that if he is representing himself as a professional it is implied that his work will meet certain quality standards. Take lots of pictures and save. If he balks, suggest you will withold enough money to take out an ad in the local paper with those pictures and his name. Don't say anything bad, just state facts. I'll betcha he'll fix fast. You might also reccomend a good quality CMS.
 
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