Do you recall the words of wisdom given to me by Mickey Moore? Here we go for the ride with the builder-they just know we can install the flooring in this house. I went under and all around the home only to find a number of things not right with the house. The crawl space has a poor plastic job; it's clear and the roots are growing under it like it's a greenhouse. There are big rips in the plastic, plus it is not installed up to the wall nor overlapped:
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Do you recall the words of wisdom given to me by Mickey Moore? Here we go for the ride with the builder-they just know we can install the flooring in this house. I went under and all around the home only to find a number of things not right with the house. The crawl space has a poor plastic job; it's clear and the roots are growing under it like it's a greenhouse. There are big rips in the plastic, plus it is not installed up to the wall nor overlapped:
Look at the gutters...what? They do not have any.
Well, after long conversations and testing with the meters we have the homeowners won over. The builder is not happy that we will not start until they have more done on the outside, the crawl fixed and the numbers all add up. So, did I go around the builder? Did I overstep the rules with the GC? Truth be told, I do not care what the GC was upset about; we wanted the job to be right, not just done. Who do you think they will point the finger at if things go wrong? Cardinal Hardwood & Tile... not the builder, not the GC, not the dealer-that is not going to happen. I was ready to walk away from this job.
So, long conversations later we won the battle and were able to get the new plastic under the home and shut down the crawl space troubles. I know that being a jerk is wrong, so during the battle it was the clear path of information that won the war. Let me take this chance to put in a plug for the NWFA Expo-the topic of wood and job site will be one of the seminars I will be sitting in. Also the one about controlling the other trades on the job is a must for me. You might want to review the training programs they have going on and plan to be a part of it. OK, you do not have to tell me that funds are tight, but in my mind the money spent to get the education is better than the funds lost on a job for callbacks or not getting paid.
The open house with the NWFA was a great time for me, seeing some friends and having the time to talk with a few finish folks was very helpful. One key for me with talking with them was the factory-finish recoats and resands we are seeing more of. I have two recoats on the books and just got done with the resand from last week. It is fact that the long-term warranty they offer will require trained floor folks like us. It is a big part of the future, so let's get ready now. Be the leader in your market is what I say.
Next week we install 600 feet of factory-finish 3- & 4-inch hickory, it has been on the job site for three weeks just to get ready. The subfloor and wood are ready for the house ... I got the house ready for the wood and now the wood is ready for the house. Dang if that is not the hardest part of the job; the install is nothing compared to the time it takes to keep going back and checking the wood and subfloor. I have been thinking about the unit that you leave on the job and call with the cell phone to get the information. That is the other thing on my list of stuff to get help with at the Expo this year.
This has been the first Saturday off in a few weeks and I have enjoyed the fire out of it. I've been sitting around like a old blue tick hound dog ... I've got a warm spot on the front porch and letting time roll by. Now if someone would just rub the back of my ears… life is good on a lazy Saturday.
All Things Wood Floor, created by Wood Floor Business magazine, talks to interesting wood flooring pros to share knowledge, stories and tips on everything to do with wood flooring, from installation, sanding and finishing to business management.