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Sunday, March 8, 2015

View Outside My Window - March


I've come back to my kitchen window this month to show you the view.   You may notice I've rearranged the window sill knickknacks. The 10 inches of snow we had last Thursday has started to melt. . . . 

I had planned to show you the view outside my dining room window today (which is the same view, but from a different angle) along with the newly painted walls and wood floors.  All that has been completed, but the room is not put back together yet because the shoe molding needs to be nailed in place.  That's because what the installers brought did not match the floor.  When we found out that's the best they could do, Ken sanded off their finish and I set about trying different stains until I found one that did.

Nor can I show you the completed kitchen because the floor cannot be installed until the new boxes of wood are delivered.  When all the boxes were opened the installer found several boards in every box unfit to be installed for one reason or another--but only after he'd installed three such boards and I had pointed them out to him.  He graciously cut out the defective boards and replaced them. What good wood was left was only enough to finish the dining room, but not the kitchen.  I'd told Ken I wished the wood countertops would be ready when the floor was, and it seems I may get my wish!  But I did not mean that the floor should be delayed in order to have the two come together at the same time.  Oh, well.

In the meantime, I've been going through everything I took out of the two rooms, cleaning it, and putting back what I can.  In the kitchen I did not put back some things I had hanging on the newly repapered walls.  I'm cleaning out cabinets and putting down new paper in them, too.  Everything looks so fresh and clean.  I'm loving that part!  But the part I don't like is what I want to talk about this month.

The last time we hired someone to do work in our house was in 1999 and I had the same problem then. In many instances their idea of what looks right and mine differ.  Things are not straight, have gaps, or the workman did not have a good eye for what pieces of stone or wood go good next to each other.  The reason this presents a problem for me is that I have a terrible time speaking up!  I let a lot go by because of that, rationalizing that once the room is put back together I probably won't see it.  But the things I know will bother me--things my eye will be drawn to constantly--I gather all my courage and say something.  Thankfully, the contractor or foreman has always been willing to make the adjustments.  But it exhausts me and I just don't like having to make people redo things, and I'm certainly not going to stand over them to make sure they do it right in the first place.

So my question this month is when you have to hire someone to do work around your house or yard how do you handle the problems that arise?  Thankfully, the delay on the flooring has not impacted us in a negative way.  We're not having company this month so it's just a matter of having my house look turned upside down for an extra week or two.  At least we don't have to wait "A Thousand Years" even though it feels FOREVER since I had a dining room.

Are you good at speaking up?  Do you delegate that task?  Do you have a remodeling disaster story you want to share?

I'll end with this photo I took last night from my back door.  All the tracks you see are made by the squirrels that have been visiting the birdfeeder there in the window.  It looks like we're being invaded. . . .

.•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•
Take Joy!

26 comments:

  1. Cathy, I know you will be glad you have spoken up about things that are not right with the work you're having done. I used to have trouble speaking up, but now have no problems doing so. I don't feel it is unkind to ask for what you pay for. We had eleven windows in our Fl room replaced this past year. I can assure you they were not inexpensive . We chose a reputable company and paid a premium for these windows. Because our original windows and woodwork is stained in that room we had to go with replacement windows that could be stained. We were assured that they would match our original stain. Well, to make a long story short---they didn't. My husband and I insisted they remedy this issue. We started on this project last February and we were not completely satisfied with all of it until December. I am very happy with them now and this room is much warmer with the new windows. It is disheartning to have to speak up-- I think you will be happier in the long run if you do. ♥

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    1. Eleven months must have felt like a thousand years waiting for things to be made right! Was the company nice about fixing the problem? I have already gone through the wood they left here and removed those pieces I don't want in my kitchen. The new boxes will be delivered ahead of time to adjust to the room's temperature. You can be sure I'm opening those boxes and removing the unsatisfactory pieces too. And then to make sure there will be enough wood left to finish the kitchen I'll have Ken calculate the number of boards needed to cover the room before they get here.

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  2. Cathy, the company was very helpful in getting the problem resolved. They had to reorder from the manufacturer and there were delays because they were custom made for our large window openings. We had the windows in but the stained panels had to be redone as well as the grids. They were quite embarassed about the whole process. When we made our final payment, my husband asked for some percentage to be taken off and it was. That made us feel a little better about the whole deal, but the time it took was unacceptable.


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    1. I think quality control in manufacturing must not be what it use to be and maybe that's because so much is made in Asia now? The other day the plastic vent on top of our Samsung microwave we bought in January 2014 fell off because the plastic broke around the screws that held it on! Our 8-year-old GE refrigerator keeps having plastic parts crack and the condenser was replaced before 3 years. Thankfully, we had purchased an extended warranty. Our old refrigerator is in the basement still going strong--no problems. We use it for extra freezer space and overflow, especially when we have company. We gave our upright freezer to a friend. We bought it around 1982 and it still works just fine.

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  3. My son is an incredible craftsman.....not his day job! He has refinished floors, done his own tile work and done his own drywall work. I know he is busy with his own job and two small children, when I ask him why he doesn't hire someone, I get the same answer,... Because no one will do it as well as I do! And he is right! He is meticulous.

    I live in a remote area and it is extremely difficult to find accomplished repair people. We have paid for plumbing work that wasn't done correctly! Luckily we have never had to have any major projects done. Now I make a list of all the things I can't fix myself and SON fixes it all during his yearly visits! Bless him. But I do feel your pain!
    Chris in W Tx

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    1. Chris, it's a relief to know I'm not just being too picky! This is why we've waited so long to replace our aging floor. Our room has irregular corners and we didn't know how to deal with the higher level putting down a new floor to create. We finally had the money to hire someone to install the kind of floor I really wanted (not just self-stick tiles which I can do). At least when it's done I'm pretty sure I'll be very happy with it and glad I went ahead with the project even though I had my reservations. But everyone's comments are helping me speak up to ensure that happens!

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  4. I am no good at speaking up & whisper to Andy & he does the speaking up. We have not had much success at having folks come & do work for us because things are not done right & with the expense to so we just do it ourselves, that works out best in the end.
    Hope you get all your projects finished soon.
    Fondly Michelle

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    1. Michelle, it seems gone are the days when skilled workmen treated their trade as a craft and something to be proud about! Now it's all about getting in and getting out and seeing what you can get by with! So speaking up sounds like just part of the whole process now. I DID tell the floor salesman that I was particular when he said at the very beginning he wanted us to be happy with the floor when I raised my concerns about the degree of difficulty with our particular floor with all the angles and drop-offs to match up with the wood floor in the adjoining hallway.

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  5. It's really tough. I hate to follow them around all the time watching everything, but if I don't ... Often I'll ask my husband to speak up, but he's so gentle and forgiving that sometimes I just do it myself as I feel they will listen to a unhappy woman. My son works in construction and says the customer is always right and he has some stories to tell about disgruntled people and what they can put a company through. I guess it's good to keep a watch on so that they don't go too far with something you don't like. But it all sounds exciting and I hope you are pleased in the end.

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    1. And here I thought I was the only one with this problem. If anyone who stops by has a no-hassles success story to tell about their hired workers, please let us know about it! I have yet to have a hassle-free home improvement project because of poor workmanship.

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  6. My reply keeps wiping out. so, brevity now ~ yes, I do speak out, not a particularly British thing to do and I'm often branded as outspoken! I am also nominated by friends to speak out on their behalf because I get results ~ such odd behaviour!
    I hope you get your workmanship issues sorted out. Dad was a builder and never had any customer issues as his work was first rate. I do think that today there are a lot of hobblers about and this has a huge impact on the quality of work that is being done.

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    1. Deb, I've thought about saying to the worker, if this were your home would this be acceptable. :-) But then I might get someone that says yes! But I must say the guy who laid the floor went on to set aside some other boards that didn't have the strange markings I was objecting to but were splitting. He did that on his own, so maybe I helped awaken him from just being just an installer laying down boards, to being a craftsman who can take pride in his work. ☺

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  7. Oh Cathy I can think explain this, or at least maybe one reason for it. In general, I think we raise little girls [far more than little boys] to always be nice, to be conciliatory, to tolerate or put up with things they don't like. Little boys are taught much more to be strong, to be tough, to challenge things they don't like or want. Like most girls, I was quite reticent to speak up for myself when I was younger, but somewhere in my 20s, all that ended. I slowly realized that [A] no one was going to stand up for me except me and [B] that I REALLY didn't care what strangers thought of me. Not really. Ever since I've had no problem speaking up, especially when it's something I'm paying for. I'll hand a coffee back that wasn't made the way I asked, or a pizza if the right toppings aren't there. I always try to be nice about it - nothing is accomplished by being rude or a general jerk - but when I'm paying, I tell the truth. If it was great, I say so, and if it wasn't, I'm honest about it. My mother always said, "if it was MY business, I'd want to know what customers really felt. If no one ever says anything, nothing gets fixed. Customers just stop coming..." In this age of online reviews, I think it's more important than ever for people to speak up. Both the business and potential customers can win. If someone does something particularly well, they should get credit for it. And if something's not so great, or if a product is just plain bad, this should be out there too. My best "speaking up" story is when I was 29 and buying a new car. I was in the salesman's office signing the paperwork and noticed the monthly payment was about $25 more than I'd been told it would be [which would amount to $1200 over the 48 months of the loan period]. When I asked about this, I was told "Oh that's just the GM protection plan. We always add that on for our customers..." I told him, very nicely, if they always add it on [without the customer's knowledge incidentally] they should be paying for it too. And the salesman, a 50-something male, looked quite stunned. I honestly think he was mostly stunned that it was a 20-something female telling him this. Then I requested to have the plan removed from my order and the loan paperwork adjusted. The salesman told me, with a bit of attitude, that it would take "the computer" half an hour to do this, and I countered with "Well, then you will have an unhappy customer waiting in your office for half an hour..." A mere five minutes later, the corrected paperwork was presented to me for signature. Needless to say I never bought another car from that dealership. I don't go looking for things to complain about, and I do try to be as complimentary as I can when the situation warrants. E-mails sent to companies in praise of their people or products can do a lot of good. But I'm found it very empowering to speak up for myself. I get things the way I want them, and when you are the one paying for it, that's the way it should be. Hope you get all your renovations settled soon, the way YOU want them. Take care and talk to you soon...

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    1. Janet, as I read your comment I realized something.....I don't have a problem speaking up in stores and car dealerships, etc. What I suddenly realized is that the workmen are in my home and I must see myself as a hostess. I've had guests that leave wet towels on furniture in their room. I never say anything (but I do go hang it up in the bathroom the first chance I get saying "There's space in the bathroom for this.") I've learned to give my guests a tour when they arrive and point out the towel rack they can use and the bath mat draped over the side of the tub. You'd be surprised by the number of people who leave the mat there when they shower. It's sopping wet when they get out of the tub and of no use to them. I guess I see workmen as guests in my home and in an attempt to be polite feel uncomfortable being critical of their work! Hmmmm....maybe now I can treat them as hired workers and not guests!

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    2. Cathy, I think you are spot-in with your "hostess" theory. That must be right. I know I have had to be insistent on services etc being done in my home as well, and I have felt differently about it. Not enough to stop doing it, but still, funny about it. The "hostess theory" really makes complete sense. We feel like we're having guests, rather than paying for goods/services. You nailed it!

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    3. This theory also explains why, if they're here for several days, I bake cookies or brownies for them!

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    4. That's being a nice person. Gotta admit I've never served dessert, but then I've never had anything that needed more than one day either. As long as you stop short of tucking them in for a nap, I think you're good - LOL!

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    5. Janet, you made me laugh! ....something I need this first thing in the morning with the time change this week. My body is having a hard time adjusting to it this year for some reason. As for the nap, maybe they'd do a better job if they did take a nap! ☺

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  8. Lovely view from your window, even though you have probably had enough of snow this winter. How frustrating that things haven't gone to plan. We too have had problems with workmen. As part of the house move we needed some windows replaced which were paid for by the previous owner. It took them 4 times and so many excuses before it was done! Sarah x

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    1. Sarah, four times is ridiculous! I'd love to gather all these workmen (I wonder if any have been women?) together and interview them about how they feel about their job and what they are thinking when the customer asks them to redo something.

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  9. Renovations are always a nightmare. It just seems to be some unwritten rule in the universe. They almost always cost more, and they most certainly always take longer than expected. Worse still, they often expose a problem you didn't previously know you had. As you might guess from my comment, we have been in this place several times. I find it hard to speak up, and harder still to fire someone, which we've had to do once in the midst of our worst ever renovation experience. Hang in there!

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    1. Kristie, we had our own nightmare in 1992 when we asked the County Permit people a hypothetical question that led to our having to dig up our septic field in order to locate it because it did not show up on the County map. Of course, then it had to be repaired. And we weren't even doing any plumbing work or increasing the size of the house. The thing is the people before us who put in the septic field were able to sell us the house without it being on the County map. It turns out the field ran under the driveway they put in (a no-no) and onto their property (they'd subdivided the lot and built next door). So they had to give us an easement. I'd like to know how that all got through the Permit office without being noticed and why WE had to correct it. Grrrrr.

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  10. Hi Cathy,
    I am not good at all at speaking up, and leave most to my Husband!! We had a lot of work done at the house that we lived at before here , and did a lot of long waiting! You are right in saying that the workers have a different idea or vision!
    We often at this house planned to hire but did not know the reputations of workers in this new area, so we have fallen into doing a lot by ourselves( to our own great surprise we could actually pull it off)!!! Some times hubby's brother comes from Massachusetts to help greatly too! I must say we have been quite BLESSED :-) This spring they are planning to do the roof (two brothers that are not "spring chickens"!!! ) chuckle
    Hope you will have all good behind you soon!!
    Blessings and warmth, Linnie

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    1. Linnie, this is why we do a lot of our own work, too, and why it's taken us so long to have the floors done. We didn't think we could do it ourselves because of the weird angles around the room. Our house is in the shape of half an octagon so several rooms do not have 90-degree angles. The dining is in the middle, so it has two turns in the octagon. Plus, removing the old floor was next to impossible. They are nailing this one down over the old one from the side, something we have no expertise with. We basically are paying for a guarantee that this floor will not buckle. You are fortunate to have someone in the family with expertise.

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  11. We rarely hire out work. The last time we did, it was for rebuilding our porch. The worker was quite elderly and from Romania. He spoke English but pretended not to. Oh, he was so Stubborn! Would not take instruction from my husband, had to do things his own way no matter what. But my husband is pretty firm about these things and we did end up with an excellent job. Other than that, the only help we hire out is yard work when we need a guy with Bobcat to move earth. The guy we hire ALWAYS gets stuck in the mud, at least once, and we spend at least an hour pulling him out. Honestly, if you want something done...well , you know...

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    1. Thanks, Jeri, for sharing your remodeling woes. The latest on my floor: The wood is at the warehouse and should be delivered by Tuesday and installed on Thursday! The wood countertops are supposed to be ready sometime this week and I made the decision to use dark raw tong oil with a citrus solvent to help it penetrate because I found a poly product that can be wiped on later if I'm not happy with the oiled wood. It's called EZ-Do. Has anyone heard of it and used it?

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