It’s Wednesday, our framing package was supposed to be delivered on Monday and framing was to start on Tuesday. Nothing, still no framing package which means no framing – nothing has been done. Julie and I, as well as our Structural Engineer, have been trying to reach our GC by phone, email and text but for whatever reason he won’t respond. What is going on? This is crazy. I don’t even know what to think and why won’t he at least have the decency to call us back?
Tag Archives: Construction
Mad, Resentful, Angry, Guilty
As I sit here tonight typing out my thoughts I’m basically pissed and feeling very dejected. This house/project/our future home feels as if it has basically been taken from us. I do feel robbed, not saying 100% of this lies with the GC, however a vast majority of it does and I feel as if he has basically ruined what could have and should have been our home. Whether through his inaccurate estimate/budget, lack of knowledge and expertise, pure incompetence, lack of supervision and oversight, costly mistakes, etc…at this point it really doesn’t matter. I feel as if we’re at a point where we need to decide if it even makes sense to continue trying to move forward. Just the thought of abandoning our dream kills me, but I almost see no alternative. I just wonder which would be worse; the frustrations and disappointments that now seem to be created almost daily or throwing it away and just giving up?
Nothing further to add, maybe this site will end up becoming my pseudo therapist.
Snakebit
The rest of the basement slab was poured however for whatever reason our GC decided not to pour the carport slab. Almost funny that even the guys laying the concrete, laborers, were telling us that it wasn’t smart not pouring it all at one time and that it was going to cost us more money. Maybe they should manage the financials for our GC. Speaking of, he still won’t return calls or email from us or our Structural Engineer. It would be great if he was a little more responsive but this has always been the case.
It rained a fair amount this week and we have discovered that the ceiling is collapsing in the kitchen and the ceiling and floor in one of our boy’s bedroom has been damaged beyond repair due to him continuing not to properly install a tarp even though we have told him about this issue numerous times. GC still hasn’t been in our house, ridiculous. 
Also, our Structural Engineer informed us that as a result of the new foundation slab having to be cut to dig and pour footers (since the grade beams which were on the plans weren’t properly installed) she noticed that the slab is actually 2 1/2″ – 3 1/2″ thick in places instead of 4″ as the plans required. She also discovered that the guys pouring the concrete didn’t lift the wire mesh resulting in it being on the bottom of the slab. Thankfully she insisted on the footings to carry the weight of the structure or we would have one hell of a mess in a few years since basically the main floor would collapse into the basement area.
Last she also noticed that another grade beam, which was noted on the plans, was also not poured. This means another area will need to be sawn out, excavated and poured properly. I guess we won’t be able to go with a finished concrete floor since our slab is going to look like a checker board – a look we were leaning towards.
Good news is that our GC said that the framing material will be arriving on Monday and framing will begin on Tuesday. Yes!!! Let’s go forward – finally!!!
My constant question to myself – should we keep it or not? This is driving Julie and I crazy and we’re questioning what we could have done differently. We thought we did our due diligence on the GC but he has continued to not only drop the ball but create further issues. A lot is his lack of supervision and I believe knowledge of general construction along with not wanting to properly right a wrong, but I guess the question we keep asking is “are we just snakebit”? We’re going to talk to a few experts to see if we’re able to financially afford to keep going and honestly if it makes sense – I’m already scared about their answer. Julie’s “forever home” has turned into a nightmare and I just don’t know if now we’ll ever be able to make it right as well as remove the tarnish.I feel crushed and basically beaten down.
Some Progress
So today the footings and rest of the walls connecting the existing structure with the new were poured. 
It’s a hot one today but I’m so thankful that I’ve had so much wood to split and dirt to move – great way to take out my frustrations and feel as if I’m somehow moving things forward.
We Need You to Speed it up a Little GC
Due to both slabs being poured incorrectly we have had to get our Structural Engineer to design a new framing as well as roofing plan, versus “figuring it out in the field (extra cost to us). It looks good but it’s going to require the GC to cut, excavate and pour new footings. We have asked and are trying to get our GC to have this accomplished before the end of the week since our Structural Engineer is going out-of-town for several days.
A Little Quality Time Picking up Bricks
It was 90+ degrees but that didn’t stop Max from wanting to spend the morning with me picking up bricks that we’re hoping to salvage and reuse in our renovation. We’ve asked our GC to try to save any bricks that weren’t broken however we soon discovered that didn’t happen so the two of us spent a few hours collecting wheelbarrow loads of bricks which had been scattered around the property as well as buried in the dirt which was excavated for the new foundation walls.
Not sure if it will last being that Max isn’t quite 4 yet, however currently he’s quite the worker – no slowing down, wants to stay busy and you have to make him take a break. Half expected that the majority of the time I would be telling him “don’t do that”, “get back over here”, “put that down”, “get off of that” – never once, just a father and son picking up bricks while talking about all that goes through a 3 1/2 year old’s mind. Three hours of work and sweat that I wouldn’t give back for anything. I love being a dad!
Let’s put our Heads Together
Since our GC didn’t dig the basement deep enough we have had to go with an alternative for our joist system/floor system to get us closer to the originally planned ceiling height throughout the basement. Being such there is a lot of nice joist material sitting on our property which we’ve been told will be trashed. I hate that, seems like such a waste. So, I asked our GC, Architect and Structural Engineer to see if they can find a way to utilize that material somewhere. I’m hoping that they’ll find a way to use them, seems as if it would be a win – win for everyone. We’ll see.
There He Is
He responds, our GC let us know that the footings will be poured on Monday, foundation walls on Tuesday, plumber will be there on Wednesday and the slab will be poured on Thursday. He has no idea on when they will drill to make sure that they poured the necessary grade beams. Isn’t this pretty close to the same schedule as last week? I just looked, it is – seriously? What kind of Mickey Mouse crap is this? Aaauugh, I hate this feeling of being trapped and under the mercy of someone who we feel doesn’t even care, but we basically have no choice as he has our money and he’s told us that he doesn’t have the money to refund the difference. Also, I’m really getting a very strong feeling that our GC and his concrete sub are doing everything they can to delay drilling for the grade beams, maybe they know that they didn’t include them when they poured the slab.
Morningside Renovation 