I need help

Mark E Smith

Member
Messages
190
Location
Arkansas
Why am I so stupid and how do I become un-stupid. Ok let me clarify, I have COPD and any exertion I usually need to use oxygen at 3 lpm, so that means any major project, I have to hire out, pay some one else to do it, and I suck at this adventure, and it is an adventure. I hate doing this, all my life I did my own work, roof needs singles, I did it, need a new walk way I pour the cement and I did it, need a wood working shop I built it. So let get to to the problem, now I have to hire this out, and for the life of me I keep hiring idiots, so it must be me, why can't I find anyone to do things right. Six years ago I had my roof redone, of course it already leaking, call the guy cause I have a 15 year guaranty, of course he is no longer in business. So I hire another guy, last week, this guy sounded great, had great reviews on Home Advisor etc.. called right away, said he would be out that afternoon to look it over, great. Never showed up but he called me said he would be out the next day, great, showed up looked it over said be about 2 or 3 hundred and he could do it the next day and he would email the official estimate, i said fine lets do it. Now I feel locked in, gonna get this fixed. Email never showed up, no phone call nothing, now during this time I got several calls from other contractors and said I didn't need them already got someone. wish I hadn't done that, call the guy get voice mail, doesn't return my call for 5 hours, then tells me he had an emergency one of his workers got hurt, yada yada, hope he is ok but I really ain't buying this story, so once again we are pushed to the next day, now keep in mine, we are still getting rain every so often, and every time it rains, I got a five gallon bucket filling up, this ain't small leak its a BIG leak, of course this tells me he has some tarps, never shows to use them, I still get wet sitting at my bar in the den. So back to mine original question what do I need to do, I need to learn how to deal with contractors because what I am doing now is useless. It's been five days now I still don't have my roof fixed. Not to mention in the future I am going to have to hire more contractor to do my driveway, and someone to redo the eves on my house, and of course in another couple years the roof again, I need to get better at this hiring contractor because for now I suck at it, I need advice ...please help me
 
I'm kind of like you Mark and try and do my own stuff so I'm not much help. I would however kick the guy to the curb and call another roofer. Sounds like your getting the run around.
 
Well, Mark I'm in the same boat where I end up doing most things myself because its so hard to get good help.

I'd agree with John, keep churning through them until one actually shows up! The other alternative is to try and find a good general and pay the 20-30% overhead to have them schedule the subs when you need them... The upside of that is that once you find a good general he's an in to quality people in the sub trades so you only have to burn through 5 or 6 generals and then you have a chance for a while. Try to find a younger one so you can hope to use him for a while before he retires!

Good luck!
 
Try Lowes or Home Depot. Their contractors are so afraid of being dropped (usually) that they offer great service. Prices are right as well. I just had some cermacic tiles installed and the contractor treated me like a king.

Your 15 year warranty is not given by the contractor it is given by the manufacturer of the shingles. Call them and explain the problem and give them proof of the installation. Chances are if it's not a severe workmanship problem, they will help you out.

I've got COPD as well No O2, just Spiriva. So far.
 
I've been having similar problems since moving South. I'vecome to the conclusion that when a contractor says he will be there "Tomorrow", all it means is the he won't be there "Today". I wait until tomorrow at 4 PM and then call another contractor. If/when the "no show" calls or arrives I tell them "Sorry, you didn't show when you said, so I got someone else".

Shortly after moving here I needed the well pump serviced and went down the list. I was without water and really needed help, but couldn't get anyone to show up. I finally went back to the real estate person who had sold me the house and who had recommended this one guy, and told her what this "recommended" guy had done to me two times. She called him for me, and he actually showed up the next day, did the work, but left all of the old pipe, etc. and a big mess in a pile near the well house. Two days later I got a bill from him, but he still hadn't come back to clean up. I waited a couple more days and he called me, wanting to know when I was going to pay him. I told him that "where I come from, any contractor that I hired, cleaned up when they finished the job, so I didn't consider that he was finished yet." He said that he could come back and clean up. I said "when?" and he said "oh I can do it tomorrow". Then he asked again when I was going to pay him and I replied "Tomorrow". He got the message loud and clear, came back the next day and took special care to make sure he had cleaned up real well. So the next day (tomorrow) I sent him a check. He never got any more work from me.

When I needed a new roof I had the same problem. After 7 "no shows" I went to the lumber yard and picked out the shingles and other materials that I wanted and told them that I didn't have a roofer, so I would not buy the materials until I could find a good reliable roofer who would install it for me at a reasonable price (my roof is 52 square - a very big roof plus 11 more square on my shop building). They suggested someone, who they said they had hired to put roofs on their own houses. They called him for me and sent him to see me (that afternoon). We agreed on the price and he began installing the roof 2 days later. He did an excellent job (himself and his step son). They were here every day until the job was finished and had cleaned up. We became good friends and I used him for several carpentry and roofing jobs after that roofing job. Unfortunately, he died last year, so I am again looking for a reliable carpenter and roofing contractor. The good and honest ones that will do the job right seem to be very few and far between around here in Central North Carolina.

I've used the "Lowes" contractors a few times since. Some are exceptional and some are just OK, but at least they all showed up when they said they would, and none tried to get 2X or 3X what the job was worth out of me. All cleaned up when finished too. The tile guy even took the time to show the wife and I that using as manyof the small corner insert pieces as she wanted, was really too many. He laid the tiles out in the two variations (his and hers) and she quickly agreed. His job got a little easier (less cutting), and I saved money by returning the excess unused corner pieces. I will likely be using them again.

Charley
 
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It's hard to find anything more annoying than a business person who won't return phone calls. They get one chance with me. A day later I call somebody else. Should they finally call I tell them how I feel about people who won't return my calls.

I once hired a contractor to replace 3000 Sq ft. of carpet that was glued down and had to be scraped up. Two men worked 2 days to remove most of it, then were no shows for days, phone calls produced nothing. I was able to hire another contractor to finish the job. When the original guy came back, days later he wasn't happy that he would not be paid for his work until the job was finished. I used his original bid and deducted the amount charged by the 2nd contractor to calculate the amount paid. There wasn't much left for the original guy. Thats when I started my one call policy.

Legitimate contractors are hard to find. There's a lot of money involved and it attracts irresponsible hangers on. Show them the respect they show you. Wow, the sounds bad, it took years of abuse by contractors to develop that attitude. If you find a good one treat him with courtesy and respect.

Bill
 
Most all the guys I use are childhood friends or guys I ride with. I like the idea about using the Homedepot contractors also, I've reemed Angie [owner of Angie's list] out on the phone. I talked with her about ethics, she changed her tactics and I believe she has found the right combination to getting good contractors. But thats still up in yhe air.
 
Thanks guys, I guess I'm getting better, I just had to learn to be a difficult customer, at least in the contractors eyes...lol..so here is the update, guy called Saturday said will be out sunday morning, of course no show no phone call then Monday calls in the afternoon said Tuesday morning. He says he is real business but he hadn't forgot about me and he is still trying to squeeze me in if he can't do Tuesday might be another couple days, I finally had enough I said listen I am tried of being the "Squeeze me in guy" since you can't do it today then I am moving on, it's been a week and has rained three of those days sitting in my den with a five gal bucket next to my chair is getting real old, I don't even want to think about the damage being done I can't see. So I went with a company that advertises on TV, oh I am sure I'll be paying twice the cost, but at least it's a big time company, not some Home Advisor guy that just started doing this, so called these guys Premier Roofing said they can have a guy out first thing Tuesday morning. So yesterday around noon I am thinking here we go again, suppose to rain again on Thursday, so I call them up ask where is guy, said she'll call him, they call me back about 15 mins later she says he is on the way. Finally the guy shows up looks it over pretty much confirms what the other guy said, but says it will be about 8 or 9 hundred and he will give me an exact est before work begins. I told him what had been going and put my new lessons to work, I firmly told him I was not going to be the squeeze me guy, if this can't be done by tomorrow afternoon, don't waste my time and let me know so I call someone else...lol...he said oh no I will have a full crew tomorrow I promise...lol...ok same thing I have heard from every contractor so far, we will see, I hate being a hard ass like that it is not in my nature, but I really am feed up with this deal, so I will keep you'll posted we will see if they get it done today. Suppose to have some wood that needs replacing and new water shielding and the shingles need to be put on correctly, both contractor said the same thing that the guy from six years ago didn't know what he was doing and did it backwards, probably why he is not in business anymore, well at least that guy showed up on time and did the work and worked with the insurance company so I didn't have to pay anything his bill even covered the deductible. This job is a little short of my deductible so I will cover all the cost, thought that guy six years ago did me a favor guess I was wrong, coming back to bite me now.
 
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Well, Mark I'm in the same boat where I end up doing most things myself because its so hard to get good help.

Don't think that thought didn't cross my mind, if I could have figured out a way to get my oxygen tank up onto that roof, I damn sure would have been done with this deal by now, drives me crazy not to be able to do my own work. Not on O2 24/7 yet, but heavy exertion or exercising it sure makes my life better and possible...lol...would need a way to get my beer up there too cause I would have up there for awhile
 
How in the heck can you put the shingles on backwards!?!?! :eek: If you get a chance to snag a couple of pictures from the ground while they're pulling them off I'd sure be real interested in taking a peak at what was going on.

Mark, I've had a hard time learning where my limitations are as well and sometimes its not worth it. I'll often do it anyway even when it ends up causing damage (to me..) but I'm sure not claiming its always smart. I'd argue that you're being the wiser one here!

Good luck on your newest contractor!
 
Ooof, I've got a roof over our back patio that needs replacing. It leaks 'everywhere'. It's at a very low slope, and it looks like when the put a fresh set of shingles on the house that the new shingles on this area actually are flat and are at an angle that nearly flows back up the roof.

I'm going to make a separate post on this a little later because I'm going to need to do something about it before winter...
 
How in the heck can you put the shingles on backwards!?!?! :eek: If you get a chance to snag a couple of pictures from the ground while they're pulling them off I'd sure be real interested in taking a peak at what was going on.

Mark, I've had a hard time learning where my limitations are as well and sometimes its not worth it. I'll often do it anyway even when it ends up causing damage (to me..) but I'm sure not claiming its always smart. I'd argue that you're being the wiser one here!

Good luck on your newest contractor!

Well at least they showed up and are working on it now. What happened is my den is an add on to the house (done about 35 years ago) so they tied the dens roof into the existing roof of the house years ago, about half way up, the old roof (about six foot of it) is still extending into the attic shingles and all..lol..of the den if that makes sense, anyways that leave a double pitch valley at an off angle, just on the one side of the house. They are telling me that the old guy didn't make the ice/water shield nearly wide enough and the shingles overlap in the wrong direction for that valley or something to that effect, basically it means that water can backup under the shingles, not to mention both are at a low angle. Seems like it took awhile for the wood to finally rot enough to let water through into the house. Backwards was probably an incorrect way to explain it...lol...not a roofer.

I know what your talking about on limitations, I have no problem knowing where they are ...as soon as I can't get my breath, I instantly know ...ok...this is my limit...lol
 
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Ok took some picture while they are on lunch break.

IMG_20160810_122130.jpg

Here you can see the stain it caused around the light fixture, basically the old roof is directly above this light. Water backed up ran right down the roof and onto here. Not sure how I am going to fix that stain, really don't want to paint, would have to do the entire room

IMG_20160810_122258.jpg

Here you can see the valley where they are ripping up will put new ice/water shield and tie in new shingles

IMG_20160810_122402.jpg

Different angle shows how the old roof meets the den area add on, behind the trailer is where my den is, my house is more of "L" shape with the addition of the den years ago

hope that clears it up
 
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Success! (or pending success anyway..).

Surprised that lasted 20 years :eek: Hope they get it all fixed up right.

I helped a buddy do his low pitch roof a few years back and he used one of the stick down underlay membrane products under the shingles. It was a fair bit more expensive but the roof was effectively waterproof right away even before the shingles were down, it was also squishy over the nails so it would completely seal around those as well. Waay way better than the tar paper stuff.
 
Success! (or pending success anyway..).

Surprised that lasted 20 years :eek: Hope they get it all fixed up right.

I helped a buddy do his low pitch roof a few years back and he used one of the stick down underlay membrane products under the shingles. It was a fair bit more expensive but the roof was effectively waterproof right away even before the shingles were down, it was also squishy over the nails so it would completely seal around those as well. Way way better than the tar paper stuff.

Actually I went back and corrected that post, the den went in about 35 years ago. So the old roof was done correctly and lasted about 29 years, wasn't until I did the new roof 6 years ago I had a problem. Kinda illustrates the difference between the way our generation does things and the way they do them now. In the 80's roof done correctly lasted 29 years and this generation roof last 6 years and done incorrectly...lol...when we added this room we decided to just replace the entire roof, and there really wasn't anything wrong with it six years ago, just figured hey almost 30 years old some hail damage getting it done free ...why not ..so I do take some responsibility here, in hindsight I should have just had them re-shingle over the old roof, had I done that I don't think I would be dealing with this now. But I assumed there were probably some bad wood after 30 years so I opted for a complete tear down and new shingles, probably a mistake, and I also assumed the workmanship today is the same as it was then, I am learning it is NOT. 30 or 40 years ago workmanship was primary, money was secondary, now days money is everything, workmanship and pride in your work seems to come way down the list if at all, don't even get me started on that conversation, I'll get to worked up and need to get on my O2...lol
 
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