Jul 23, 2013
Hot, Hot, HOT !
The weather prediction is highs over 102F the rest of this week and coming weekend. Fortunately by 8:30PM we can shut the A/C and enjoy much cooler air. Last night we had a breeze coming in off the lake which was lovely. Sadly the heat means forest fires. So far so good.
I felt sorry for the fellow working on our stair railing system today. The water was just pouring off of him. But really this job should have been completed mid May. I have a reader from Texas who calls himself ‘butterbean carpenter’ and I should have hired him to come and do the job. I bet even with paying his airfare up here it would have been cheaper. I have no idea how we will be charged on this fiasco but I won’t be in a hurry to pay the invoice.
Monday afternoon Mr. Carpenter comes back to start the install. Only he decides that the stringers under the composite deck boards are too green to support the posts!
No we are still not rebuilding the steps as he suggested last time he was here. Colin got under the steps to try and come up with a solution. By now something had to be done, as my only means in and out of the house, the wooden makeshift railing, had been removed. So Mr. Carpenter goes back to wherever the posts came from and changed out the base support. Back to the original 4 hole post he had brought us last time.
Finally the posts are in and the rail assembly is starting.
Colin had to supervise every step. Mr. Carpenter put in at least 7 hours on Monday, not leaving until after 5:30PM putting a crimp into our birthday celebration. Colin thanks you all for his birthday greetings. Meanwhile we had yet another trade person on site Monday.
I have lost count of the number of times Mr. Electric has been back to get our light railing system working perfectly. Happy to say it is functioning perfectly. Once again it took Colin to pinpoint the problems so they could be resolved.
Colin is on a job site today so the girls have taken over the supervision of Mr. Carpenter.
So far the back stairs have posts and railings. Now comes the work of measuring for the glass inserts.
I think Colin told this guy he would not be here today so Mr. Carpenter is being extra cautious on the glass measurements. He has been working on this for hours and measuring and remeasuring and remeasuring yet again. Now I worry he is going to dehydrate. I keep pushing fluids on him. Yet another long day for him, going onto 5 hours so far. I wish Colin had been here, it would have been done in 1/4 the time. Please finish up so I can relax with a glass of cool vino blanco.
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And this is why I’d prefer to do my own work whenever I can. Kinda glad I’m too cheap to hire anyone.
Bob….okay…you are next on my list to call in for a project. Hey, flying you in from Toronto is much cheaper than from Vienna.
Rod…haven’t tired OK cider. Ahh….Sylvia, give the guy a break.
George…me too.
Marty….send him over, pronto!
Good Okanagan Cider works pretty well to cut the heat. Unfortunately Sylvia makes me drink water 🙁
Always did most of my own work doing major renovations on 11 houses. Just found most of the trades frustrating to deal with and expensive to boot.
Hope everything gets sorted out there.
Too bad we couldn’t send Stan’s brother up to you. He is aces on decks and the like. He was here the other day retrimming our patio door, the new door didn’t fit exactly like the old one. The contractor we had first asked promised he’d do it but never showed up. Took Harold a couple hours and it looks great! He has a great word of mouth business in Helena.