Painter Holiday.....

John Smith_inFL said:

That reminds me of when I worked for a Handyman service. I told the boss that I was raised with "Do your best, then add a little more". And he said . . . "I was raised with Caulk it - Paint it - and move on".
That photo just goes to show who does - and who doesn't, care about the finished project (or their self pride).

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It's kind of a paradox....people are paying quite a lot of money for a new house built by crews that are lacking supervision and the willingness to throw someone to the curb when the work comes out looking like this every time. You don't want someone like this....but the day force is so slim now, you want to keep someone hoping they'll wise up. It was my observation...they didn't want to wise up....construction was a temporary job for them until that "Rich & Famous" contract shows up so they can play their guitar for BIG money.

At one time, we had more trades, crafts and laborers per square mile of metro Atlanta than we had permits. Which is pretty much the current status for musicians....more musicians and less jobs to play for money. Conversely...we have more permits than we have swingin' feet to build the permits. The best thing I did was to retire last year as the labor situation is a liability to any builder...even more so on a contract job. I started to wind things up when materials were peaking and it was getting harder to get a sub contractor with a full crew to do any of the phases on any job. I wound up with a can of surveyor's tree paint to mark everything I saw wrong each day...and a different color to paint over the first paint mark to show that the job was finished...and finished as I expected.

I couldn't guarantee a price on any job because of materials and I couldn't guarantee a finish date because of labor problems with everyone. Basically I couldn't be a good general contractor if I didn't have good subs. I figured to "git...while the gittin's good...." before something happened to spoil my retirement after 50 years. I hate it...but seeing as how the largest number of graduates today are lawyers rather than anything else....I didn't want to put up with any TV lawyers with a butthurt client that doesn't keep up with current events.

wildwoodbybrianjohns said:

I have worked as a high-end Painter for 25+ years; and absolutely despise caulk. If it is done right, there is almost never a need for caulk. There isnt a single ounce of caulk in my entire house, which I reno´d myself - except a bead of clear silicone around the exterior frames of north-face windows - where we can get side-winder downpours from the nor-easters.

If someone asked me to fix that nightmare above I would say - get someone else! Not touching it. Or perhaps, do you have fire-insurance?

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Yessir...I don't get along well with finish carpenters that can't seem to get things tight enough to be an obvious flaw with stain or just sealer. IF they can't get that right, I just can't see paying them top end rates for millwork that gets painted while they're coasting along with the idea...."the painter will fix that."

I have to correct that with...."nope the painter will try to cover up your lousy trim work. If I can see a miter from across the room....it's not acceptable. If I can slide a poker deck card into the crack....that's not what I'm paying you for. I'm paying good money and I want good work in return....if not, I can wait for the next trim man to float through here."

This window would belong to the painting sub to remove and replace....only if he wants to get paid for that week.

Dark_Lightning said:

I like tight joints, as well. We had a new floor put in our rental house. What a bunch of goofs. They went around and cut the door casings anywhere from 1/2" - 5/8" from the floor. The casings are nowhere near the new flooring. They used base board and left 1/8" - 3/16" gaps and filled them with caulk. Butt spliced the joints instead of making a run with a new piece or scarfing it. We were selling it, so I just ignored the shoddy work. The new owner gutted the kitchen, anyway. All new cabinets and floors.

One of my sons used to work for a high end contractor. He spent a lot of time making sure things like real mahogany wood crown molding were installed right.

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I didn't have a lot of patience with anyone that I hired new when i couldn't get the usual crews out. With the exception of quarter round on bigger walls and show mld for 8 ft wall and closets...the floor installer was agreed to install the new spacing cover....for old work where the base didn't quite meet the new floor going in. Miters, coped and scarf joints were the only acceptable choices.

I could probably stroke out from some of the stupidity....but there comes a time to look in the mirror as one of the responsible parties to any crap work. I have a lot of jobs as the builder...but one of the biggest being....being on site when someone is working. It's even more important now. For the hardheads a work agreement that spells out how draws and payments are made subject to approval by me....and a definition of what that sub is expected to do before any draw is issued.