Garage and House Build/Remodel Update – 6/14/16

Garage:

  1. My slab is cured and the densifyer has been applied.  really happy with the results – a big thank you to Mr. Mark Flood!!
  2. The ground around my garage slab is all level.  I rented a Skid-Steer this past weekend and played in the dirt.  Hauled 2 yards of excess over to the neighbors yard to fill some voids and I used the skid-steer to pull out 7 small stumps for her.
  3. Got a call from the builder yesterday and the lumber will be onsite today, Framing starts Wednesday, and trusses are delivered on Friday.
  4. Was asked to move the Honey-bucket so that the lumber would have enough room.  Odd, request for my builder to make of the homeowner/customer, but I did it just so there would be no issues with the lumber delivery.
  5. If schedule holds, windows and siding start next Wednesday, and we will be fully in the dry by next Friday.
  6. It looks like I will be installing the windows as I am more particular than the builder about such things.
  7. My son, The Ruminator, will be here for a few weeks and I will get him help me run wire in the garage shell.
  8. My 2-post car lift will be installed by the end of the month

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House:

  1. We are finishing up the paint on the main level.
  2. I need to start putting the 1/4 round trim back down.
  3. Bathroom: there is tile work to finish and a mirror to be hung.
  4. Basement remodel is stalled.  We had the head manager for the plumbing company out on Saturday after we found even more problems with the work that was done and we have told them: “…in light of the previous and continuing issues, incomplete work, existing damage caused by your subcontractors that we will have to have repaired, and that the basement portion of our remodel has been brought a complete stop,  my wife and I do not want a____________ employee, or anyone from a subsidiary company back in our home.  We do not wish to continue dealing with _______.”  We can’t really touch anything until they agree to this.  If they do not, then we can’t do anything as the matter will have to be settled via remediation.

Continued Plumbing Woes…

As mentioned previously, no plumbing permit was pulled for the work in our house and we had to have the BRAND NEW concrete in the basement torn back so that the county inspector can view the pipes and witness a pressure test.  When the inspector arrived for the first try, he found 3 additional issues that the plumbing company (big company, one of the oldest in Seattle) had to address.  They ended up tearing up more concrete, part of our foundation wall and a 2′ section of my BRAND NEW AND FRESHLY PAINTED drywall!!  To add a little insult – I found an empty bottle of wine from a case we imported from France under the trash pile that the first and second crew used in our back yard.  Seriously, why would they leave the bottle?!  As a ‘Fuck You’..?!

I am unhappy and Stamps-With-Foot is livid.  The plumbing company GM came by and was really apologetic and assured us that we would get an update, directly from him, every day.  That hasn’t happened and we had no clue that the concrete was being re-poured until my floor re-finisher called and asked if it was OK that he let the concrete guys in.

The new concrete is super wonky and out of level – 1/2″ below the toilet flange and my tile guy wants $800 in addition to his original quote to lay extra floor leveler.  To rub salt in the wound, the plumbers sent us a bill for $36,000 dollars.  That is not a typo: $36K.  The original agreement was for $9200.00 BEFORE they screwed up.  I called the GM, sent him all the emails that had gone back and forth and he promised that he would get right back to me.  That was a week ago…

Super frustrating.  Out of the 7 contractors that have worked on our house remodel and garage build, the plumbing company is the ONLY one that we have had any issue with.  Everyone else to this point has been super easy to deal with, lived up to their contract, filed for and received permits, and were clear and concise when small issues came up.

I am not naming names – yet.  I am going to see what their next step is.  If they try to bill me for another dime, I won’t hesitate in publishing all the details, pictures, e-mails and text messages here on the interwebs – I get 34K hits to my site a week, so…  I will be having a long talk with the county concerning a fine request, use Angie’s List remediation, file a BBB complaint, file a WA State L&I claim, and then there is the Consumer Protection Division of the WA Attorney Generals office.   That should get things started at least.

Plumbing Screw-up 2016 (1) Plumbing Screw-up 2016 (3) Plumbing Screw-up 2016 (2)Plumbers drank my wine_ 2016

House Status and Plumbing Woes

We are making progress, abet slowly:

  1. My father-in-law came in this weekend and painted our bathroom and the trim.
  2. I have a new granite vanity top installed – one with the facets centered on the sink.
  3. New reproduction 1920’s glass handles are installed in the vanity.  I is not gud counter.  I bad at numbers.  Didn’t have enough – one short.  Store now sold out.  Amazon to the rescue.
  4. The drywall should completely done and sanded as of today.  The new arches are super sexy!
  5. I modified the kitchen knife rack to fit the new ceramic sharpener.  The original was broken by the asshat moving company and Kyocera doesn’t make that size anymore, so I had to drill out its assigned slot.  The replacement knives (also the movers…) are now in as well.
  6. Primer will go on the fresh walls tonight and tomorrow night.
  7. I have patched the hole in the tub surround and am waiting for the thin-set mortar to dry so that I can lay the tile.
  8. The new fireplace insert is in and fantastic.  I will do the new surround and mantel after the floors are refinished and as I am trimming out the Dining room Ceiling
  9. I met with the garage foundation crew on Monday to go over all the details and they start the ground work today.  I am almost giddy with excitement.
  10. My new dutch doors are ready and I will pick them up Friday
  11. The finish carpentry trim-out starts next Monday.
  12.  I learned yesterday afternoon that no plumbing permit was pulled and that we might have to demo the concrete in the basement – the new concrete – and the newly laid supply line so that the county inspector can view the pipes.  I am super unhappy and will update as I know more.
  13. We are now 4 weeks without a shower or bathroom sinks at the house. I have been a decent human being and fairly understanding up to this point with our plumbing company (big company, one of the oldest in Seattle). I am afraid that they have mistaken nice for weak and unwilling to have a confrontation.  That was a miscalculation.  Please refer to the Capone quote concerning kindness…
  14. My wife is still medium chipper and hasn’t threatened to leave me yet over the lack of a shower or all the dust, so that is something.
  15. The lavender out front is in bloom and the bees are back, so not all is lost.

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