Need an opinion - should I fire this guy or am I asking too much?

[Royd]

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Yeah, and 3 years later, you wonder why the door won't close.

 

[Royd]

Just a note. We live in Florida and the reason that I haven't gone to work in two weeks, is because I can't give the man I'm working for and honest day's work, what with it not getting above freezing before 11am, and yes, I'm independent, and on the current hodge podge job, with a thousand projects, he's paying me by the hour.

 

[vfem]

I just want to say... thank you...
for NOT being the people who hounded my husband about a job that was supposed to take 3 weeks, and it took 5 weeks because they made him do 3 things over again (offered to pay extra for the hassle). They lied about fire damage that needed repair and then in the end when it was all done and the husband was happy... the wife went crazy that the finished colors were not what she thought they would be on the walls and since she was sooooooooooo unhappy stiffed us on $3000 job, we only were paid enough to cover supplies! My husband who is too sweet, didn't want to sue them because they were friends of friends.

Thank you for realizing this stuff is hard work, and he earned his pay.

 

[Royd]

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Ok !!!! I think I have heard enough....................................... you said you learned your lesson and that is to not trust someone to know what their doing..................... with that attitude you will be forever in project h3ll, You failed to do your homework and your pawning off the blame on him. Stepping stones as you thought are not the right material and you insisted on the dirt when you should not have. your failure to check this guy out as you say............... you thought he knew what he was talking about.......... well then !!!!!!! duhhhhh that's on you. I always carry a book with large 8"x11" photo's of all of my work with references, you didn't do that. You thought you knew more than he did about what you thought was the right way. Now WTS it didn't live up to your expectations fine your both at fault, let's be clear on that and not dance around what you already know to be true. You wanted to get out cheap and it came back and bit you in the ***, I personaly don't take one single penny from a customer until their satisfied with the work, if they aren't that's my fault. Personaly I wouldn't have taken the job in the first place if you insisited on the wrong materials and couldn't agree on price beforehand, That is just not the working customer relationship I want to work under. Remember the good contractor's want to earn your business the next time you have a project and be called first without question. I am truely sorry you got shafted in your oppinion, perhaps you can gain a possitive lesson from this and do a little better next time and be a happy camper.

AL

Good GRIEF!!! How about cutting her some slack on making very typical mistakes? Do you think everyone is born with knowledge of what all is involved in any sort of home repair or enhancement project? How about the contractor's responsibility to educate her into what are apppropriate constructions methods? I didn't see anythng about him saying that the underlayment was incorrect and should be fixed, or offering to bid by the completed job, or naming references for her to check. They BOTH made mistakes, but quite frankly I see him as more culpable as tile laying is at least similar in concept to laying pavers, and he was at least thought to be an experienced contractor. She did not insist on ANYTHING, but rather changed to meet his requests. MOST contractors would have provided material samples for the customer to select from, not made their own selection. Regardless of whether it is flagstone or pavers or tile, they come in a variety of sizes and colouring which might match or clash with the homeowners taste in varying amounts.

Hey, she's obviously got a computer and information is a word away, not to mention a hundred different home improvement shows on any satellite or cable channels.

 

[Sjisty]

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As far as supervising him, we were not home all the time he was here, as we both work full time. He told me he had a design planned, and I let him. The fill was compacted before placing the pavers.

He swept powdered concrete between the pavers and then sprayed with water, saying that would set them.

Also, the last day he came he admitted that he made a mistake in placing the pavers and he didn't know how to fix it. He gladly took his pay and left as he did not have enough knowledge to go any further. He apoligized and I paid him for his work thus far.

 

[Royd]

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I've seen that game before....There are con artists on both sides of the fence.....I can guarantee you, she was laughing, as your husband drove down the road, emptyhanded.