If you missed the start of this blog on hiring a contractor please read this four part series on finding a contractor and following my own advice starting with Part I below:
https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2016/02/when-i-dont-follow-my-own-advice-part-i/
Tuesday January 12
Bryan 6:32 AM I will get dwn as fast as I can. I gotta stop by where my truck is and give the last of my money to get her fixed and sgn papers. The farm truck runs good but isn’t going to spoil me like me own vehicle.
Me 6:54 AM See you soon
Bryan 6:57 AM 10-4
Bryan 11:15 AM Im finally headin out of fargo. With the cold, the borrowed truck wldnt start.
Me 11:15 AM See you soon
Bryan 11:16 AM 10-4
Bryan did finally arrive and started work at 1:30 in the afternoon. His first mission was to paint the bedroom, master bath and its walk in closet. In the midst of doing so, he managed to fall off a ladder, he appeared shaken, but otherwise okay. About an hour later, he was showing me photos he took with his cell phone of the bruises to his legs. He did work until 8:30 in the evening, so put in seven hours including his frequent smoke breaks and talking nearly constantly on his cell phone. He did paint over a popped nail in the drywall, which I pointed out to him and told him it was my pet peeve – he assured me it would be fixed. He never did fix it, but he did paint over it again.
As Bryan had suggested, I had ordered the window for Judy’s sewing loft. He told me, after he came to work, he would not install it, I would need to hire someone else to!
Wednesday January 13
Bryan 8:47 AM I need an xtra hr. Im hurtin bad. I did take Aleve and waitng for it to kick in
The hour became nearly two, and he worked from 10:30 until 9 p.m.
Thursday January 14
Bryan told me he would have to be gone Friday as he had some award to pickup from the City of Fargo for sponsoring a street clean up or some sort. He also said he had to run around and pay bills. Knowing he had spent everything we had given him when we got started, I took this as a subtle hint he would be looking for more money. Being generous and trying to keep things moving forward, I wrote him a check for the three days of work. When I gave it to him, he said, “This won’t do me any good”. He was expecting to be paid for a full week’s work! I bit my tongue and wrote him a check for a full week and reminded him he was now paid ahead for seven days of work. He worked from 9 until 4:30 and was out of here for Fargo.
He was pushing the wrong buttons, so we began looking closer at the work he had been doing. Besides my previously mentioned popped nail, he had also partially filled a drywall crack with painter’s caulk, then painted over it, however the crack was still evident. In one area, he had repaired seams at the top of the wall with drywall compound, leaving trowel marks, then painted over them as well.
In the bathroom, he didn’t pull out the washer and dryer, or remove a heat vent cover or a light switch. The vent cover he got paint on, the other things he just painted close to and left the rest for later.
He also got paint on the ceiling in several places.
Knowing he would be gone for at least three days, he left tape on woodwork to sit.
All-in-all, I was less than impressed with the attention to details. And this is the man who was also to been sanding and finishing our wood floors which were being installed by another contractor.
