Is this a bad smooth ceiling job?
Tricia McMillan
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
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Sammy
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoRelated Discussions
Bad Drywall Job Over Plaster
Comments (12)RM, Are you clear about the advice that Billl gave you? It sounds as if you might not be. What he said about the window frames sticking out 1/4" too far meant that the sides of the window frame (literally the sides of the window, that are at right angles to the sashes holding the glass, the sticking-out edges of which you can not see when the trim is in place) were (after he had replaced the plaster with sheet rock) deeper than the plane of the installed sheet rock. He could have used two or more layers of sheet rock to build up the depth equal to the old plaster, or as he chose to do, he planed these edges down to meet the sheet rock evenly. He was not talking about planing the visible trim which is installed on top of the edges of the window frame and extends from there over and on to the plaster or sheet rock. The window trim bridges (and conceals) the joint between the edges of the window frame and the wall surface. That's why the window trim sticks up proud (as it is called) from the wall. It can only provide this bridge if the edges of the window frame and the overall plane of the wall covering are even. There is an excellent book on windows ( Working Windows) by Terry Meany, that you might find useful in grappling with complex construction, and nomenclature, of window frames. And I have a suggestion, I'd recommend emulating your user name's approach. Do your homework and understand what to do, what not to do and how to do each before you try to engage handymen, or semi-skilled home repair persons. Whatever you do, don't rely on the "professional" advice from workers with less knowledge, affection, or experience in old house renovations than you have. There are excellent resources on line (of course, tons of crappy info online, too); good print resources on the curatorial care of old houses, and of course a wealth of free advice here and on similar old-house positive fora. (Old House Web and Historic Homeworks are two very helpful and knowledgeable sources - Google 'em and post questions.) When I was a new old house owner, I figured that most workers knew more about houses renovations than I did. Most did, but only a few knew more about old house renovations than I did, which was next to nothing, at first. Luckily, I didn't have too much money to do renos right away, so I was spared making mistakes by not being able to pay workers. In the meantime I made it my business to learn about how my buildings were put together and, what others had done with similar structures. When I was finally ready to embark, I knew that many of the things I might have blythely embarked upon were really bad ideas. The best thing you can do for your house is clean it, study it, and learn about it. Only then would I suggest getting involved with workers. What I suggest is both money-saving (which you'll need as good old house work is never cheap) and absorbs all that new-house-I-gotta-make-it-mine-energy that everybody has right after they close. The handyman who got upset about you wanting to save money by demoing is exactly why you need to learn more about houses before you hire workers. But, please, use your energies to scrub the floors, or dig a garden, or something else, instead of demoing right off the bat. It's not that hard (but a much bigger mess than you can ever imagine, though, and once started you have to see it through to conclusion) but don't use it as a catharsis. It must be done in a deliberate manner, (I really like the "deconstruction" approach noted above) after careful consideration of whether it is the right thing to do. Sometimes it is, sometimes not. Have you tried to remove the drywall from one small area to see what's underneath? Do you know by whom and under what circumstances it was installed? There may be some clues to be gained by investigating, or querying about it. Again, a case of the benefit of not just launching into it....See MoreHelp! Bad Paint Job! Need to make decision!
Comments (9)Thank you for the advice. Really appreciate it. Unfortunately, he will only fix the paint job if I let him continue with the rest of the kitchen tasks (electrical work/rangehood installation/ceiling border). If he couldn't paint properly how can I expect him to be competent at other tasks. When he had finished the two coats he had advised this is final. However, when I showed him the paint job. He defended himself saying The kitchen is not done finished yet and he would have corrected all these small issues at the end. The 50% deposit would have covered the paint job he did. So he doesn't lose out on much. It's us that lose out as we will be left with a sloppy paint job....See Moreneed help addressing a bad drywall job
Comments (49)Hi hdavidson7, I am a licensed civil engineer. I realize you may be past the point but I am posting for others to see. A letter is never sufficient for removing a wall. The correct way is to go through the permit application process with your city and clearly outline the scope of work. Along with your application, you submit the letter provided by the engineer with his stamp. The letter must include the necessary documentation supporting their opinion. Without a stamp the letter holds no legal merit and is useless (even if signed). This is a detail sometimes overlooked by home owners, and is one of the many reasons you are required to go through the permitting process so these details are not omitted. The city plan checking office also reviews your permit to make sure any other proposed modifications do not require additional review from an engineer or licensed contractor. You don't know what you don't know, and the permitting process is designed to protect you. Cities do not make much in permitting fees contrary to what many homeowners may think. Having said that, I wish you the best of luck with your drywall nightmare, honestly it sounds like it needs to be completely redone if you want straight walls and no cracks in the present and distant future. Good help is hard to find these days, even when you look carefully like it sounds like you did....See MoreBad interior paint job?
Comments (19)I still don't know if you hired the painter or the GC hired him. If you have a decent relationship with your contractor, I would start there. If it is your painter, just ask for advice on how such issues can be handled. Perhaps a request from the contractor to the painter to come by and look at the situation might get a response from the painter as the GC would be a source of future income. If the contractor provided the painter, the issue is his, not yours. If you have paid in full for the job, you don't have much influence over the painter at this point. Your only recourse is reviews but that is small comfort if you are dealing with a subpar paint job that still needs fixed. I might take some good pictures and go talk with the store where he bought the paint, presuming it is a real paint store. Show them the pictures and ask for advice. They may be able to get you in contact with someone who would fix up the job at a reasonable price. Look on the paint can labels to find out where the painter bought the paint. Most people don't like getting called out by their peers and a comment from the counter staff might be heard more clearly than one from you. Of course, if the paint was from a big box store, you chances are slim...See MoreJoseph Corlett, LLC
4 years agoJeanne Cardwell
4 years agoartemis_ma
4 years agoTricia McMillan
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agocat_ky
4 years agoJeanne Cardwell
4 years agoci_lantro
4 years agoUser
4 years agomileaday None
4 years agoMT Castillo
4 years agomcguirks
4 years agoTricia McMillan
4 years agoBri Bosh
4 years agoHU-464286693
2 years ago
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