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Small Cabin Forum / General Forum / Everything You Should Not Do When Building A Deck
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MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 27 May 2016 10:31 - Edited by: MtnDon
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... And all In One Project.

here

Littlecooner
Member
# Posted: 27 May 2016 11:18
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"Because he had a signed contract with a licensed contractor"

This just goes to prove that just because someone or some company is a licensed contractor, that they have the ability to do a proper construction project. Wow, this is a lesson in what not to do on a deck. This contractor needs his license pulled before he kills someone.

Ditchmonkey
Member
# Posted: 27 May 2016 12:18
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Wow. Drywall screws

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 27 May 2016 17:39
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One of the things this proves is that we need both building codes and we need inspectors. You would think that a person with a license would be doing a proper job. But that doesn't necessarily follow. Sometimes the person with the license is an overseer and the guys hammering the nails, pulling the air tool triggers are hourly workers with their mind on something else.

There is a new development being built near where we live. One of the things my wife and I enjoy is to do walk throughs of the homes as they progress from concrete slab through framed walls and roofs and we can see how all the pieces fit. It is interesting to see the sometimes many varied faults the inspectors find. They use red spray paint to highlight faults. A couple of weeks ago it seemed one of the framers had a bad day. Red paint marked several OSB panel edges where the staple fasteners only had one leg set into the stud. The framer could have checked that himself but he didn't. Good thing the inspector was more meticulous.

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 27 May 2016 18:31 - Edited by: Julie2Oregon
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The guy in charge of doing my roof wasn't a licensed contractor. His father was and had a building business and this guy learned from and worked with his dad and other family members since he was a youngster. I tried him out on some smaller projects around my house to see how he did and what his work ethic was like. I also watched and listened carefully as he ordered the materials and discussed my roof and the project.

So, he brought a couple of family members and got to work. Progress was slow, I must say, but it's because he was so meticulous and he checked EVERYTHING that the other guys were doing, as well as working super-hard himself. It was hot and I was worried about him up there because he refused to take breaks.

I had hired a very well-known and popular roofing company to reroof last time. Well, Chris was appalled by what he found when he was tearing off shingles. Not enough nails in some shingles. Sloppily attached underlayment around the vents. The boots on the vents themselves weren't attached properly. (Gee, could that be why I lost 2 of the coverings?)

Anyhoo, the kid did a fantastic job. He was a perfectionist about this roof, knew what he was doing, and took great pride in his work. That was more important to me than a piece of paper.

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 27 May 2016 19:52
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In Europe, they have fewer building inspectors but they keep a very tight eye on contractors, what many in the states would call 'over regulation'. But it's much harder to work there if you don't know what you are doing. As well, architects and engineers are responsible to directly oversee the project, whereas here they do there best to stay away. Thus we need building inspectors because no one else is necessarily responsible, if the contractor is not so concientious as Julie's. But I think it would be an overall less expensive way to do it, with better results, because a building inspector is only there a few times for limited lengths of time. Yes, I'm arguing that my job shouldn't exist, but I don't see how it could possibly change to system without inspectors without a massive effort to do so on a broad scale. Meanwhile building inspectors are the only hope for people that inadvertently hire grossly inexperienced 'contractors' such this deck builder. And since construction is a continual training ground with limited supervision, there are a lot of them around.

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 27 May 2016 21:14 - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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Compared to the "Shed of Doom" in Langley British Columbia, that thing is top of the line construction work.

For those few people left on earth who have not seen it, google "The Shed of Doom"

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=The+Shed+Of+Doom&l=1

Here is a few photos of it during the build. The photos were available because I guy was filming it from his apartment and went over after the builder left to take pictures as he progressed.

http://imgur.com/a/wixkx/embed#13

bldg_insp, if you have a heart that is anything but perfect, please dont click on these links. I'd hate to be responsible for a stroke etc.

Don_P
Member
# Posted: 27 May 2016 22:12
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There's a ticket that needs to be pulled. Ignorance is fixable, arguing that the siding/flashing wasn't his responsibility after opening up the wall makes a lie of that. In my state the contractors pay into the recovery fund as an assessment tacked onto our license fee... the "good" contractors pay for the bad and unlicensed, but they do nail that hide to the wall.

There are, as in all professions, good and bad. Having travelled and built, there is no doubt in my mind though that quality and knowledge in places without enforcement is lower. None of us likes having a building inspector but he does raise the bar, even if it doesn't feel like it at times.

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 28 May 2016 15:16 - Edited by: bldginsp
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The best contractors know what the inspector is looking for and do it right the first time so they can move on. Time is money.

Toyota- I saw the shed of doom. My cardiologist told me not to look again.

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 28 May 2016 22:10 - Edited by: toyota_mdt_tech
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Quoting: bldginsp
Toyota- I saw the shed of doom. My cardiologist told me not to look again.


Hey bldginsp, do you carry gas an matches in cases like this. I mean, instead of red tagging it, can you just set fire to it. A guy could get hurt just demo'ing the "shed of doom"

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2016 10:18
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There have been a few instances where I wished I could call in an air strike...

Borrego
Member
# Posted: 29 May 2016 11:48
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Wow. Just wow.

Wendigolake
Member
# Posted: 30 May 2016 19:52
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My township is unorganized but no real contractor here, would build something like that even though no building inspector will be around. Also why would the owner allow the guy to keep building something that looked like that? I just boggles my mind........

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 31 May 2016 15:17
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Quoting: Wendigolake
why would the owner allow the guy to keep building something that looked like that?



because the owner knows even less than the guy with the tools

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 31 May 2016 19:08
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Quoting: MtnDon
because the owner knows even less than the guy with the tools



Agreed. He probably knew nothing about construction, which is fine and why he hired what he thought was a professional. But in this case, he was not a professional. But being oblivious to basic construction practices, never knew he was getting a raw deal I bet.

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 1 Jun 2016 09:40
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It probably was the owner that did it.

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 1 Jun 2016 09:44
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We will call this "The Staircase Of Doom"

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