Copied to BP by permission -- a message thread about wooden window repair.

As mentioned below, Jojo (the homeowner) says she's interested in what
y'all might have to say.


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(1) From Jojo, Tue Jun 19, 2012 6:44 pm

So, this morning a repairman was supposed to stop by and do some work
on my house.

I connected with this guy when he came by my house with a flyer. He
was doing something in the neighborhood, and it's common practice to
hit other people on the block for work... Anyway, I'd never used him,
but I've heard good things about him. I have some stuff that needs to
be done, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I asked him to give me an estimate on one small job. While we're
talking, he tells me how he has been a carpenter for 15 years, he can
give me recommendations, I can look at a photos of his work on his
website, he has lots of experience with this type of work...yada,
yada, yada....everything was all about him. Never once mentioned a
crew or a company...

During my emails with him, it was the same thing. Everything he said
was "I". I will do this. I will do that.

When he shows up this morning, another man is with him, introduced as
his "helper". Okay...no problem with that.

Well...a little ways into the job, the guy I hired leaves. The helper stays.

The helper has been working by himself all day. The guy I hired has
not come back, hasn't called. He's gone.

Not that the helper isn't doing a good job. He's friendly. He knows
what he's doing. I'm not going to be unhappy with the work.

but....I feel a little annoyed. This isn't what he lead me to believe
would happen. If he's said to me, "I have a crew. I'm sending Joe.
He's a great carpenter," I wouldn't feel this way.

Oh...and he also told me he'd be done in 6-7 hours. We are now working
on 10 hours. I think that has something to do with the fact that HE'S
NOT HERE WORKING.

...I don't think I want to use him again. Am I being unreasonable?


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(2) From Quincy, Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:33 pm

Find out as many of the facts first before reaching any conclusion. He
could have run up on a family situation or illness or something.

Barring all that...it's not uncommon for a handyman/builder to use the
pronoun "I" when describing his crew's work...especially if he runs
the crew. It is a bit "misleading" perhaps, but not at all uncommon in
that trade...especially for a guy trying to establish contacts in the
way you describe.

Good luck...I hope the guy that's actually swinging the hammer (so to
speak), continues his good work.


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(3) From Kristin, Wed Jun 20, 2012 1:27 am

I would be annoyed. I would also recommend following Quincy's advice.


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(4) From Everett, Wed Jun 20, 2012 2:20 am

I would also find out what is going on, but I would not be too
annoyed. The same thing happened to me. I hired a contractor to do a
job in my bathroom. When I spoke with him, he always said "I will..."
"I..." "I....".

On the day of the job, he showed up with two guys and spent only the
first hour or so at my house. His assistants stayed and finished the
job. He came in again at the end for about half an hour and stayed to
check the final product.

My father in law is an architect and he explained that the practice is
not uncommon. Especially for contractors that are just starting out,
need to build a costumer base, or advertise their work.

Later I found out that the guy I talked to drove to stores like The
Home Depot to check prices, distribute flyers, and talk to people. I
don't see a problem with that as long as the job is done right and you
are satisfied with it. Just make sure no funny business is going on.

Best wishes!


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(5) From Jojo, Wed Jun 20, 2012 5:58 pm

It's getting worse.

Last night, no phone call or contact from the guy. The helper quit
when it got dark outside. He didn't finish. They are repairing some
old wood-framed windows. He got the repairs done and the glass in. He
didn't get the caulking or painting done.

Today, it rains. Hard. No caulking in the windows. No paint on the frames.
I'm upset that he told me they'd be finished by 5pm yesterday.
Otherwise, I'd have known to check the weather for a few days out. Not
to mention the fact that a good portion of my A/C is cooling the yard
at this point.

And of course, no phone calls about this at all. Nothing about why
they didn't finish on time or when they plan to finish. No info about
how the weather will affect it. Nothing.

...this isn't going well.


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(6) From Quincy,  Wed Jun 20, 2012 6:12 pm

Often the carpenter will do the carpentry work and the painter will
caulk and paint. However, on a small crew like you describe, usually
the carpenter is a jack-of-all-trades and will do it all.

He probably didn't finish in time to properly caulk/paint (especially
if darkness was settling in). But to leave the windows unprotected is
just lazy and wrong (IMHO)...especially if it was going to rain.

I'd be interested to hear what the crew "I" guy says when you finally
get in touch with him. I don't like this so far...


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(7) From Jojo, Wed Jun 20, 2012 6:38 pm

He just called. He wanted to talk about paint color. Told him I don't
much care, as long as it blends.

He didn't even bring up the rain. I had to. He didn't seem concerned
about it. He said, "If the sun's out tomorrow, it should be dry by
noon."

I'm not happy about that at all. I'm not all that worried about the
surface wood. If it's not dry, the paint won't stick. What I'm worried
about is the places where there's no caulk, because that means the
water is all down in the cracks.

(...did I mention that the reason all these repairs need to be done is
because the previous owner didn't keep the windows caulked, and water
got in and rotted the frames?)

I suggested he at least wait a few more days. He wasn't happy with
that. He wants to do it Friday at the latest.

...and I agree about leaving the windows unprotected. They should've
at least put plastic or something up.

My bad, for not checking the weather forecast. Never even crossed my
mind because it was "supposed" to be a one-day job. Of course, if I
had checked the weather last night, I would've been out there at
midnight putting up plastic and cursing the carpenter.


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(8) From Quincy,  Wed Jun 20, 2012 7:58 pm

Be sure he uses a backer rod and sealant, especially if the gaps to be
caulked (sealed) are fairly large. Figuring if you've had problems
before based on the previous home owners lack of maintenance, then you
may have some larger type gaps.

Also...if the wood is weathered from age, he may need to prime it
before painted to ensure a solid bond between the wood and the paint.


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(9) From Everett, Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:21 pm

Ok, I take back what I said. What they did was so unprofessional, if
they were falling behind, they should have told you. Furthermore, it
is unacceptable that they left you window open to the elements.

If something was ruined and/or got dirty, I would demand that they
clean it and fix it. Did you sign a contract? I would be furious and I
am also curious what his excuse will be.


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(10) From Jojo, Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:48 pm

To be fair, the windows do all have glass. They aren't wide open. But
the glass is just sitting in the frame. There's no caulking/sealant at
all. So there's a fairly decent draft happening. Which doesn't make
for happy thoughts when it comes time to pay the A/C bill during the
summer in Texas.

I checked the weather forecast, too. Last night there was only a 20%
chance of rain predicted for today. So the heavy rain we got today
wasn't exactly a sure thing at the time the helper quit last night.

On the other hand, they were predicting the rain by 8am this morning.
The rain didn't arrive until noon. He had plenty of time to come over
and either finish the job or cover the windows, even if it meant
rescheduling something else...and especially since he was already past
his finish deadline.

Again, partly my fault for not checking the weather, either. I did
check everything when I got home from work. No major water inside, but
the frames were pretty wet.

Still, it is his professionalism on the line here. I don't like his
attitude about it all. I'm trying to be calm about it because I know
I'll have to pay him anyway, and I want him to finish caulking and
painting. I don't want to be doing it myself this weekend. But I don't
think he'll be doing any more work for me.


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(11) From Lawrence Kestenbaum, Thu Jun 21, 2012 1:48 am

May I share your story with an email list of folks who work on
historic buildings -- including window repair?

They may have interesting things to say.


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(12) From Frederica, Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:34 am

Ya, when I first read this, I thought, well ... maybe he meant "I" as
in "my" business. It not unusual for a small business contractor to
leave a helper behind to do common jobs. So, while it would have made
me more aware to ask specifics in the future "Are YOU going to be
doing the work, or will someone else be doing it?" ... besides
annoyed, I wouldn't have thought much of it.

Then you posted the follow up.

Contractor told you work would be done by 5pm. He indicated a one day
and done job. Checking the weather and covering the windows became HIS
responsibility when the job WASN'T finished, not yours.

And I would abslolutely NOT use him again, or even give him a decent
review to anyone who asks.


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(13) From Jojo, Thu Jun 21, 2012 12:38 pm

I don't mind you sharing this at all. I'd be interested in what they
have to say. I have no experience with this kind of thing. Only what
I've been told.

Just for reference -- This house is a 60s split-level. The windows in
question are large bay windows, I think custom built by a factory
somewhere, with 4x9 grids of glass panes, each pane about 2ft x 2ft.


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