Managing Contractors

No matter how professional contractors are, I learn today that it is always best to be on-site while they’re working.

The first problem arises when the framers confuse our project with something professional and go and make the deck level. I haven’t found anything on our property that is level or has a 90 degree angle. In this case, the slab that the whole building sits on isn’t quite level. The result is that the deck is about 3″ lower on one end than the other — not a big deal to fix, but several hours of jacking and shimming that didn’t need to be done.

The second problem is that the holes I dug are not quite in the right spots. The solution, which the framer comes up with himself, is to not have the posts centered on the joists, but flush with one side so that the posts sit more closely to the center of the hole. Not a problem at all, but without anyone here to make a decision otherwise, the framer properly proceeds with the “correct” way to do it.

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