Morningside Renovation

Our Journey Through The Renovation Process Of Our Future "Forever Home" In Morningside (Atlanta,GA)

Tag Archives: residential


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We Should Just Start Over – long one but interesting read

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.


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Not This Time

I’ve been continuing to ask our GC for the framing plan for the renovation and new addition as well as the roof, however he informed me today that his engineer doesn’t have the software to do it and they (GC & subs) would just design it in the field.  No Way!! I’ve seen how they “engineered” our framing in the past, I would be an even bigger fool if I let this happen again.  Fortunately he did suggest that we hire a structural engineer and have that person can check everything and if anything is found to be questionable then he would “re-do” it.  Sounds okay, I guess, but why not make sure we do it correctly the first time?  Also, don’t most engineers have software to aid in drawing their plan?  I’m sure that I could probably even find a free version/program online.


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You Want Us to Pay For Your Mistakes?

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.


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3 Possible Options

Julie and I had a long discussion today about how we should move forward with the house if we can’t get everything worked out with our GC.   Basically we came up with 3 options: sell the house, redesign the house and make it smaller or not do all of it now and phase some of it.  Even just talking about this gets me upset, we’ve possibly been put in a position where financially none of these make sense.  If we have to pay to fix all of the issues that have been created by our GC and then construct it the way it was supposed to be built then I don’t see how we can justify all of the added expense.  In a perfect world we would ask for our GC to refund what was already paid to him, however he’s already told Julie that the money we advanced him has been spent.  Plus, I found out today about 2 more jobs that he has recently completed where the home owners have been experiencing major issues with his construction.  This just isn’t a good situation and I need to find a way to make it right so we can finally get in our house.


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He’s Been Here Before

Received some unsettling news today that our GC already has judgments against him and is in default on one of them.  Oh, and it gets better, another job also has foundation problems that he’s trying to work through, while another past client of his is in the process of pursuing a claim against him.  I’m more than scared, but he really has us in a bind being that we’ve already paid him more $ than the work he has actually completed. Scarier, I’m only starting to scratch the surface with his past and current clients. 

This is a horror movie, I can clearly see what has happened to those before me but I’m trapped and can’t escape.


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So Our GC says that I’m Unreasonable

I received an email today from our GC stating that “while the goal for the basement was to have a ceiling height of 8 feet,  we’re as close to that depth as they could get based on the site”.  Why did he tell us during our on-site meeting with him on March 31st that the ceiling height was correct?  Was he lying, I hope it was more ignorance than deceitfulness.   Side note – I checked on this and this just is not true, there was nothing physically or structurally that would prevent someone from digging any deeper. The subs told me that they dug to the depth of what was told to them by our GC. 

He also informed me that he will not remove the slab, that he can’t afford to remove it because he has already spent what we have given him and that “any reasonable person” that saw the site would agree.  So now I’m unreasonable wanting what was 1) shown in the plan and 2) highly achievable.  He stated that he’s going to put everything on hold until we decide what we want done. 

I guess that means either we accept the slab that was poured at an incorrect depth, at least 8″ too shallow, or he’s walking? 

So he screwed up and we have to accept it or else I’m unreasonable?


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Lack of Communication or Just Incompetent?

I received a rather rude email from our GC today, his response to me asking that the carport slab be pulled up and poured correctly and re-poured as according to the plan.  Basically his feeling is that I’m being unreasonable for asking this and we should be satisfied with it. The slab was poured incorrectly and can definitely present a water issue with the house, it’s not our fault that he did it wrong.  

I also asked about the repeated delays, his crew has yet to work more than 3 days in a row, of course he wouldn’t address that question.  The carrying cost is costing us a lot of money, we were originally supposed to be in the house in May however now we are at least 4 1/2 months away if they hustled. He also chose not to respond to my request for a meeting to discuss how we can prevent further problems and delays – a lot of the issues that have arisen had already been discussed numerous times and should not have occurred.  Really makes me wonder if there is a lack of communication between our GC and his subs or if it is just simple incompetence?


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I Hope He Understands

Today I sent an email to our GC letting him know that we want to stick with the construction plans as drawn.  Further, that I wasn’t comfortable with the way the carport slab was poured, being that it slopes to the house and that there isn’t an elevation change between it and the basement slab, both noted on the construction plans. I’m also wondering if the supports he put up for the existing structure are permanent or temporary – I hope temporary. 

All of this is starting to make me curious if there are other issues with the work that he has already done and we just aren’t knowledgable enough to know about it?  I would love to know all that Mike Holmes would discover – although I think even he would be overwhelmed.