I don't know what it is about this year but the heat is really affecting me bad. now I go out at 6 or 7 am and gotta stop by 10am and start again like 6:30 pm til dark sweating buckets and working alone. as if thats not bad enough I'm doing it with a back brace and 2 wrist splints and elbow brace and gotta worry about insurance seeing me do it. using a saws all or pole saw to trim oaks cuz the chainsaw crapped out, can't really pull start anything anyway with a sore elbow. havent pulled a trigger since turkey season and gotta go find out what I'm able to do and how much recoil I can handle. weapon of choice this year is probably gonna be the 22 mag.
don't know whether it's the heat,sun, humidity,insects,inferior grade materials/shoddy workmanship or just getting older/lazier or it's getting harder to do it myself, but upkeep on my house/yard is freaking ridiculous. it's non-stop and more than a full time job. don't remember it being anywhere near as bad in other parts of the country, fix one problem and 3 more pop up. if it isn't the house it's the yard. my house is not that old, imo, built in 89 by artistic homes. you can tell where someone else did some work by the difference in quality of workmanship, specifically tiling, plumbing, electrical and carpentry. I hate to be one of those homeowners that stands over the shoulder of workers but each time I haven't, I've regretted it. don't mean to dis any of you tradesmen but If I have to re-do something myself they did to make sure it was done right with quality material, then imo they have no right to call themselves pro's. latest for instance I moved my dryer from inside, venting thru roof to the garage on an outside wall and hired a so-called electrician to run a new 220 line and asked him to tie it in to the existing dedicated 220 line that it used to be on. had a bad feeling, got a diff electrician to check it out, the first guy tied it into the hot water heater and used a sub grade wire to boot, gotta pay one pro to correct the work of another. he would have eventually burnt my house down. gotta put some blame on myself for not checking licenses,referrals more carefully.
Well Nacho heres how it is man. As most of you know i'm a Self Employed Contractor (Wood Flooring). Licensed & Insured. As are alot of other guys here. Theres a couple of reason why you get shabby work.
Well first of all Cheap homeowners who go with the lowest bidder. Thats always a tell tale sign of my second point... NON LICENSED OR INSURED contractors. They can charge cheap because they have no over head. And if they mess up they will just go home and get drunk and their phone will be disconnected.
I battle with this all the time. The GIR R DONE handyman comes in does a wood floor and i look it and cant believe how they got the nerve to ask for a paycheck after it was done. I mean REALLY!!
Do your homework, Shop around, and make sure you don't be cheap!.
Ive noticed that every customer i have done a floor for has recently had more knowledge then i expected. Thats because they did their homework and knew what materials were needed and the process of getting the job done. Now they couldn't do the labor because what i do is a skilled trade.
Bottom Line..... Do homework and dont be cheap.
yup, not only do you have to ask if they are licensed and insured but get it in your hand and photocopy it if possible. hate to do this to an honest guy cuz it's like I'm saying I don't believe you and am calling them a liar, but some of these guys use others license #'s with permission or not. I know times are hard but come on. my d-bag electrician put my house and safety at risk of fire for a couple bucks worth of wire I would have gladly paid more for.
Its the same with any profession. I quote a price for pest control.."well Joe Blow pest control said he will do it for $20"
I explain the cost of gas to drive my truck to their house, the cost of my licenses,the cost of my insurance, the cost of my chemicals that I go to a reputable warehouse and purchase out of my business account and have to show my license to do so, and I still need to make a few dollars somehow....Some people still want to go the cheap route.
