Our Structural Engineer met (spoke) with our GC today and was informed that the majority of the dirt has been removed which will give them the ability to properly connect the expansion with the existing structure. Now they will need to build temporary supports to support the existing structure as what was previously constructed by our GC was insufficient and basically put the existing structure at risk of collapsing.
Better Than Any Toy
What is encouraging is the fact that she laid out the order of what needs to be done as well as how to do it. She pressed our GC for a schedule, yep, you guessed it – he couldn’t even begin to provide one. I hate this feeling that has been created. It’s becoming obvious that our GC has basically drawn a line in the sand that there are two separate parties at work on our house. Us along with our Structural Engineer, and then him and his subs – we’re supposed to be working together as a team. I don’t like this setup and I’m growing highly concerned as to where this is going to lead.
The temporary and proper temporary supports for the existing structure were constructed today, not as our Structural Engineer drew them but they are sufficient. Seriously? Can’t even simple drawings be followed? This is almost a joke, it’s as if our GC and/or his subs just don’t care.
While I was instructed (told by Julie) that I couldn’t attend because of my anger towards our GC, Julie and our Structural Engineer actually met with him this morning and initially it seems as if progress was made – Wonderful!!! Our Structural Engineer had a slew of questions for him regarding his plans for the joist system, support of the existing structure since he removed the majority of the original support columns, various load bearing wall questions as well as a few about the carport foundation wall. Unfortunately but not surprising, both of them told me that it seemed as if it was all Greek to him and he actually kept making the statement that his plan was to “figure it out as we go along” – same line I’ve heard from him so many times and look where it got us.
As for the progress, he agreed to remove all of the framing this Tuesday as well as clean out the existing basement and then the Structural Engineer will meet with him and the foundation guy to discuss the next steps. Our Structural Engineer will design the framing as well as the roofing plan versus the one supplied by our GC which he admitted was created by a computer at a building supply store and not an engineer as he had previously stated…and billed. Our GC also said he was unaware that there were 2 entrances from the new to the existing basement – clearly marked on the plans and JUST discussed in our meeting on May 17th. I’m wondering if when he is faced with something confusing or for which he doesn’t have an answer if his solution is to act as if he forgot about it and hope that it doesn’t come back up?
Bottom-line, progress was made. We’re moving past what was previous done or not done. We’re making sure that everything is structurally sound and we’re going to get this house built!!! At least that’s the plan.
We hired a Structural Engineer today to hopefully identify some of the structural issues created by our GC but more importantly provide us with a remedy. Part of me just views this as an added unnecessary expense however it is now obvious that we are going to need these services. She (yes, she) is very impressive and amazingly knowledgable, she feels certain that she’ll be able to get everything back on track however she did say that the recent construction (poured slab and framing) was beyond concerning and questioned if our GC had ever built a house before. Not Comforting at ALL!!!
Julie and our GC did schedule a meeting with our GC for June 1st, unfortunately they won’t allow me to attend.
So this morning I met with our GC and his concrete sub at the house to discuss the issues with the recently poured carport slab being in the wrong location as well as the lack of an elevation change between the basement and carport slab. Basically the purpose was to provide me a solution that would resolve the potential water issues. They certainly provided me with a few options, however none of them gave me any comfort and basically their “solutions” all revolved around accepting structural modifications to the house which would affect the overall plan as well as value of our home. They couldn’t give me an answer as to why such a mistake would happen however they did agree to pull the slab up as well as the foundation wall which was poured in the wrong location by three feet. Before leaving I had a conversation with our GC basically letting him know in person that I wasn’t happy with all that has transpired and that my confidence was fading fast. Interesting response on his end, acting like such an arrogant donkey he told me that our house wasn’t going to be perfect, Perfect. And that we were just going to have to learn to accept some things. Okay, Julie and I are more than prepared to compromise and we’re well aware that there will certainly be instances when we will be required to deviate from the original plan however this mistake is inexcusable. It was poured wrong and that mistake could very easily present moisture issues down the road. I’m not sure how to take his statement, but it certainly rubbed me the wrong way. We’re spending a lot of money with him and had a lot of faith in his abilities but now he is basically telling me that we need to make sacrifices that would affect the value, plan and structural integrity of our future home.
So, I stopped by the house on the way home from the office. I just wanted to look at everything again and I guess a big part of it had to do with me wondering if there were any other mistakes that I had missed. Having very little construction knowledge I really didn’t know what I was looking for but I do have the ability to work a tape measure. After measuring the various rooms and noting the differences in actual versus what was on the plans I decided to measure the ceiling height. I’m not sure why, especially being that just a few days ago our GC told us that the ceiling heights were fine, but I did. Expecting to find a height of 96″+ I was shocked when my measurements were from 92″ – 94″.
Add sheet rock, flooring etc…and we’re basically looking at a finished ceiling height of 7′ 6″ versus 8′, that’s not even considering the mechanicals that will need to be run throughout. Mad, angry, dumbfounded, confused – I can’t begin to express to you all of my feelings. How could they not dig deep enough? How does this happen? This is basically the second time that they didn’t dig the basement foundation deep enough. This makes no sense to me.
To only add insult to injury I decided to spend a few more minutes looking at the framing. Oh boy, again, I don’t know much about framing but I would imagine that the walls would need to reach the joist and that everything is level, especially the floor above – not so with our house.
What’s even more disturbing is that some of these walls are load bearing. Further, the exterior walls are mixed with #2 & #3 grade lumber, which I quickly found out once I got home and looked at the building code that this is entirely against code. So for almost a month it has been like this and either our GC knew about it and just didn’t tell us or he didn’t even notice. I really don’t know which is worse in my mind.
I can’t begin to express all that I’m feeling however I did send our GC an email letting him know that I wasn’t happy about the slab not being poured at the correct depth as well as the significant deviations from the plan and the framing issues, being such I wanted both slabs removed and for it to be constructed according to the plans. This would alleviate a lot of the issues, both depth and footprint.
I’m curious as to his response especially after the way he acting today, however I can’t imagine that he wouldn’t be in agreement.
I’m sitting here tonight basically too pissed to even compose a simple entry. I’m just so mad that we’re basically stuck with having to consider alternatives since we won’t be able to have an 8′ finished ceiling in the basement. The basement ceiling was supposed to hide all of the HVAC as well as plumbing systems but because of either lack of supervision, knowledge or just plain not giving a sh!t our GC has now left us with no other choice. He made the mistake and he should rip it up? Not our GC, he continues to remind us that he doesn’t have the money to do so, forget the fact that he has been paid enough to take us through completion of framing and roofing. We’re stuck!! No way out!!! The architect is sending us options however we still won’t be able to achieve the ceiling height and we’ll need soffits. I still feel that our GC should be responsible for digging it up and doing it correctly, plus it actually makes more sense financially. It was on the plans, how can someone mess this up? I just can’t say anything more tonight, too mad and feeling dejected.
So today Julie and I met with our GC at San Francisco Coffee Shop to discuss all of the issues going on at the house and how we can resolve them and hopefully move forward. I prayed a lot before the meeting for the strength of silence and to be reasonable but from the moment he walked in it proved to be difficult. Forget the fact that he was late and sat down with his arms crossed while leaned back in his chair, it was more of his defensive and aloof disposition while making us feel as if we were crazy and the ones being unreasonable that tried my patience as well as tested my limits.
The purpose was to discuss and resolve the issue of the basement not being dug deep enough and how could we accomplish what was on the plans, an 8′ finished ceiling in the basement. He was quick to shift the blame to everybody except him; architect, subs, property, etc… but when I pressed him further it basically came out that he measured/calculated the needed depth incorrectly and never came back to oversee the work of his subs. While he was quick to pass the buck to everyone but himself, he is supposed to oversee the job, what really ticked me off was when we started discussing the various options that would bring us closer to that which is in the plans. It was quickly obvious and then blatantly so when he informed us that he was not going to pay for his mistake. If we wanted what was in the plans as well as discussed numerous times then it didn’t matter if he messed up, it would cost us extra, we would be the ones having to pay the extra money for a new joist system. I’m not sure if it was his arrogance or ignorance as to where his standing originated but after using a fairly elementary analogy we eventually had an agreement. Basically it was decided that he would pay for the new joist system as well as take the construction through framing and roofing all under the guidance of a structural engineer hired by us. After all was completed we would evaluate everything and decide at that time whether we would continue to move forward with him, my hope is that we would – probably stupidity, but I still want to believe in this guy.
What got me was his parting shot, he had the nerve to tell us that we had to use him, that we “had no other option than to stick with him”, that we either would have to stick with him or sell it. What an arrogant ass. I thought we were moving forward and possibly starting to move forward despite his attitude but to level such a stark comment was beyond professional.
One other interesting fact from the meeting with our GC, I would think that he has a fairly good idea about our plans. As we discussed the plans it came out that he had no idea that we were planning on connecting the existing and new basement, even though it is in the plans along with being discussed verbally and in emails numerous times. He then arrogantly informed us how that couldn’t happen but quickly backed off as I showed him on a napkin that it was achievable. I guess all of my experience of building a bird house when I was a kid paid off.
How? How did we, No how did I let this happen? How did I put us in this position? I thought that we had done the needed due diligence, we talked with his references but the guilt of putting Julie and myself in this position is unexplainable. I trusted him, thinking back there were little signs that I should have read, but this experience has become all of the bad you ever hear about dealing with contractors. Sure, I blame him, but I blame myself. I feel that I’ve tried to except some of the mistakes but this one effects not only the functionality of the house but also the value.
Sad thing is that he’s correct, we’re trapped. He knows it and I truly feel that he’s taking advantage of it.
Our GC informed us that he isn’t going to pay for a new joist system for the basement which would get us closer to achieving what was on the plan. Basically he won’t even try to remedy his mistake even though it still wouldn’t be correct. So he doesn’t dig the basement area deep enough to give us the ceiling height that was written in the plans and now our choice is to either accept his mistake and us have a ceiling that is significantly lower or “WE” have to pay for an alternative? That makes absolutely no sense. There was nothing preventing him from digging deep enough he just measured wrong and refuses to admit it or make it right and then he tells Julie that he doesn’t have the funds to dig it up and do it correctly – and how is this fair? How does he not have the funds? It’s beyond scary that he has already spent all of the money that we fronted him which financially should have taken him through framing and roofing.
I so want to be done with him and would but we would be upside down since we’ve already given him a substantial amount of money that he told Julie he’s already spent on other jobs – we’re his hostage. We’re stuck and this could have been prevented with a little supervision and probably just “some” knowledge. And now Julie wants me to have a meeting with him? I just don’t see a point.
What is encouraging is the fact that she laid out the order of what needs to be done as well as how to do it. She pressed our GC for a schedule, yep, you guessed it – he couldn’t even begin to provide one. I hate this feeling that has been created. It’s becoming obvious that our GC has basically drawn a line in the sand that there are two separate parties at work on our house. Us along with our Structural Engineer, and then him and his subs – we’re supposed to be working together as a team. I don’t like this setup and I’m growing highly concerned as to where this is going to lead.
Morningside Renovation 