Knockdown disaster.
#1
11-30-12, 05:33 PM
Knockdown disaster.
All,
I paid a contractor to extend the corner of a room two feet into the garage (we are moving the washer and dryer indoors from the garage, and the space needed to be made bigger so the door had room to open.).
They got it done faster than I could have, but I think that if I had DIY'ed, it would have turned out better, especially the finish work. And it's the finishing stuff (paint, drywall, trim, etc.) that you see everyday, so those blemishes become constant reminders.)
When he did the knock-down on the walls, within a 5 ft area, there were four different, distinct patterns ranging from completely knocked down to a token bit of mud.
They tried to splice the quarter round instead of just putting one 5 ft piece.
And then there's the mystery nail.
With our stairs, he had a nail gun, so he was determined to use it. I have never seen so many nails used. And none of them were in line with each other.
Lesson learned by me: I should have done it myself to begin with, because now I am taking their stuff apart to re-do it.
I know my knockdown would have been uniformally good (or bad) across the small area, instead of looking like four different people did it. 
<sigh>.
Regards,
Leaning
I paid a contractor to extend the corner of a room two feet into the garage (we are moving the washer and dryer indoors from the garage, and the space needed to be made bigger so the door had room to open.).
They got it done faster than I could have, but I think that if I had DIY'ed, it would have turned out better, especially the finish work. And it's the finishing stuff (paint, drywall, trim, etc.) that you see everyday, so those blemishes become constant reminders.)
When he did the knock-down on the walls, within a 5 ft area, there were four different, distinct patterns ranging from completely knocked down to a token bit of mud.
They tried to splice the quarter round instead of just putting one 5 ft piece.
And then there's the mystery nail.
With our stairs, he had a nail gun, so he was determined to use it. I have never seen so many nails used. And none of them were in line with each other.
Lesson learned by me: I should have done it myself to begin with, because now I am taking their stuff apart to re-do it.
I know my knockdown would have been uniformally good (or bad) across the small area, instead of looking like four different people did it. 
<sigh>.Regards,
Leaning
#2
12-01-12, 03:48 AM
Have you paid him yet? Your check book is always your best weapon to get a contractor to do the job right. How did he apply the texture? Did you check his references before hiring him?
Normally it's sprayed on which helps with the consistency. Small repairs can be dobbed on and knockdowned but IMO large areas should be sprayed. The 'mystery' nail may have been used to hold the shoe mold tight to the floor so it could be nailed but should have been removed afterwards. Also all the stained trim should have had the nail holes puttied.
Do you have any specific questions regarding the paint or texture? If not, I'll move your thread to the general chats section of the forum.
Normally it's sprayed on which helps with the consistency. Small repairs can be dobbed on and knockdowned but IMO large areas should be sprayed. The 'mystery' nail may have been used to hold the shoe mold tight to the floor so it could be nailed but should have been removed afterwards. Also all the stained trim should have had the nail holes puttied.
Do you have any specific questions regarding the paint or texture? If not, I'll move your thread to the general chats section of the forum.
#3
12-01-12, 06:08 AM
Member
The mystery nail is a miss-fire, gun was held at the wrong angle and did not penetrate the molding.
The splice was to try and be as efficient with materials as possible. They could have done a better job as the lap piece is too long. Dab a little stain on the seam and you can make it blend better.
If you did not work directly with the owner/manager and the work was done by the hourly people, then call the boss out to review his crews work. While I have seen it, can not imagine he would want his reputation marred by a poor job.
Remind them that they were building a staircase, not a deck stairway.
The splice was to try and be as efficient with materials as possible. They could have done a better job as the lap piece is too long. Dab a little stain on the seam and you can make it blend better.
If you did not work directly with the owner/manager and the work was done by the hourly people, then call the boss out to review his crews work. While I have seen it, can not imagine he would want his reputation marred by a poor job.
Remind them that they were building a staircase, not a deck stairway.
