[catbox9]

So I have a deck that was in terrible disrepair. I attempted to patch it myself but this isn't the type of work I feel like I should be doing so I hired someone who a friend highly-recommended. I hired a different person to build a fence and my fence builder insists that my deck is being built terribly and I should have hired him to build it. I'm wondering if the deck builder is actually terrible (he seems quite shady in retrospect) or if perhaps the fence builder is just trying to get more work. I will attach pictures below but I have several concerns...

• He is using shims to attach ledger boards to old support
• He is not using joist hangers (with a few exceptions)
• He is not using blocking between joists
• One of the sections looks unlevel to the naked eye

roll 6


Which option is best?

1. Let the guy finish because the work is being done correctly
2. Let the guy finish because it's nearing completion, although it is not perfect
3. Have him fix some minor errors and then continue
4. Fire him and let someone else fix some major errors
5. Fire him, tear down everything, and have someone else start over

I left out the option of letting him fix some major errors because if the errors are major I don't trust him to continue. If I have to tear down and start over, is all the material wasted?

 

[stick\shift]

If you're showing After pictures and not Befores, this guy needs to go.

 

[lenaitch]

Golly, where to begin. Go with #5. Whatever it has cost you to this point is money well lost to get this bozo off your property.

 

[de-nagorg]

Reee-jected. :biggrin2:

Sorry, I could not resist.

Rid yourself of this "Dim-bulb", With our guidance, you can build that yourself much better than the current contractor.

There are so many irregularities there, that if I were the inspector, you would be starting anew.


ED

 

[catbox9]

If you're showing After pictures and not Befores, this guy needs to go.

Those are the afters


---


So I hired a home inspector who was able to come out today due to last-minute cancellation. He says work "unacceptable" BUT he said that with proper knowledge, it can be salvaged.


EDIT: Oh, and I guess it matters, but I'm in California. No joist hangers a huge no-no here, but in states without earthquakes apparently that can be done.

 

[de-nagorg]

Those are the afters


---


So I hired a home inspector who was able to come out today due to last-minute cancellation. He says work "unacceptable" BUT he said that with proper knowledge, it can be salvaged.

It's obvious that the contractor, does not have that knowledge, or they would not have FUBARed it.


ED

 

[catbox9]

It's obvious that the contractor, does not have that knowledge, or they would not have FUBARed it.


ED

Well as is obvious, he's not a licensed contractor. Get what you pay for sadly. But the inspector says for what I paid I'm actually in decent shape because current cost + repair cost will still be decent value.

 

[carpdad]

The beams may be too short now unless you support with larger post/pier and footing. That beam joint is no good and must be cut away. Beams CAN'T be joined like it. As such, you may need to buy some new beams. Ask your fence guy for how to fix and to do the work. He had the guts to tell you. Tell him how he will do the work, line by line written. Tell him you are going to ask in a forum. Go over the answers with your worker and confirm if he agrees and if not, why. Review and confirm. You may get a sense that you could build one yourself after the process, and that's when you get a good work from somebody you hire.


Some pros will not take that job because fixes, after the fact, can't be guaranteed. On a steep hillside as such, I would want my footing to be fairly deep even if there was no frost. Dirt washes away.

 

[catbox9]

The beams may be too short now unless you support with larger post/pier and footing. That beam joint is no good and must be cut away. Beams CAN'T be joined like it. As such, you may need to buy some new beams. Ask your fence guy for how to fix and to do the work. He had the guts to tell you. Tell him how he will do the work, line by line written. Tell him you are going to ask in a forum. Go over the answers with your worker and confirm if he agrees and if not, why. Review and confirm. You may get a sense that you could build one yourself after the process, and that's when you get a good work from somebody you hire.


Some pros will not take that job because fixes, after the fact, can't be guaranteed. On a steep hillside as such, I would want my footing to be fairly deep even if there was no frost. Dirt washes away.

That sounds like a reasonable approach. The guy building the fence is someone I've hired for many projects before and I feel I can trust him. He is two of my friend's uncles so I feel he is less inclined to screw me over. He moved here from Oregon where he was a licensed general contractor. Here in California he only has his drywall license but is working on the general contractor's license. Probably still not the ideal person to use, but better than some guy that appears to be high on meth.

 

[de-nagorg]

That sounds like a reasonable approach. The guy building the fence is someone I've hired for many projects before and I feel I can trust him. He is two of my friend's uncles so I feel he is less inclined to screw me over. He moved here from Oregon where he was a licensed general contractor. Here in California he only has his drywall license but is working on the general contractor's license. Probably still not the ideal person to use, but better than some guy that appears to be high on meth.

Well that explains the mess well.


ED

 

[catbox9]

Well that explains the mess well.


ED

Main issue I trusted my idiot friend. He still insists that even after home inspector said it was a mess that the guy does good work. I don't necessarily need the deck to be perfect but I want it to be safe and not draw much attention from a home inspector if I ever go to sell it but this deck appears to be neither of those things.

 

[de-nagorg]

There are glaring flaws that most people will see, and say that it looks unsafe, and not want to buy, if you decide that you want to move.

Those old ragged posts, look aged, and partly decayed, that rim joist, that is hacked up, will be a major problem, when it finally splits.

It should have been longer, and placed fully on the support, a lot of screws in the one picture, is a red flag to me.

As you say, you got what you paid for, too bad it was a wasted effort.


ED

 

[chandler48]

Aside from poor cuts and workmanship, the most glaring thing is your posts. It appears he tried to salvage them from a previous build and they won't work. Proper posts on footings and post bases, inlet to accept your bands and beams may help salvage it. The lap joint in the middle is ill cut and too low for the deck to remain level. What is that on the ground??? Concrete??

 

[660catman]

That’s a teardown if I ever saw one. Can you get any more nails in the end of the joists towards the corner?


Retired guy from Southern Manitoba, Canada.

 

[chandler48]

Then there wouldn"t be room for a joist hanger

 

[ron45]

What was your original agreement.?

Did you have a set dollar amount to go by.?

How much of the deck did you asked to be replaced or saved.?

Did you expect a Beverly Hills deck.?

Can you show before and after pictures rather then us guess what was done.?

 

[carpdad]

Be your professional self. Ask questions and take notes. Don't ask for lots of free time/advices and be prepared for pay for your worker's time. Say these things and gain his confidence. But don't start looking bored or distracted.:smile::smile: The guy is trying to gain your confidence as well.

 

[catbox9]

What was your original agreement.?

Did you have a set dollar amount to go by.?

He charged me hourly which made it even worse. I fired him and the amount of hours he billed me is substantially more than he worked. He liked to take trips to the hardware store 15 miles away for $30 several times a day even though there's multiple hardware stores closer.

How much of the deck did you asked to be replaced or saved.?

I said save what can but most needs to be replaced. The only thing he saved was the telephone poles.

Can you show before and after pictures rather then us guess what was done.?

Don't really have a before picture but everything you see there is new except for the telephone pole posts.....unless he found some used material somewhere?

 

[de-nagorg]

He charged me hourly which made it even worse. I fired him and the amount of hours he billed me is substantially more than he worked. He liked to take trips to the hardware store 15 miles away for $30 several times a day even though there's multiple hardware stores closer.








I said save what can but most needs to be replaced. The only thing he saved was the telephone poles.







Don't really have a before picture but everything you see there is new except for the telephone pole posts.....unless he found some used material somewhere?

He had an ideal customer ( sucker).

I'll bet those trips to the hardware store included a stop or two at his favorite bar.

And saving those pier posts, did not help at all, all it saved was him having to dig them up, and replace them.

They are well weathered, and in their last 10 years of life.

Multiple trips a day to the hardware, is a sign of poor planning, and laziness.


ED

 

[catbox9]

He had an ideal customer ( sucker).
I'll bet those trips to the hardware store included a stop or two at his favorite bar.
And saving those pier posts, did not help at all, all it saved was him having to dig them up, and replace them.
They are well weathered, and in their last 10 years of life.
Multiple trips a day to the hardware, is a sign of poor planning, and laziness.
ED

Well clearly this guy was awful so he has been fired. I'm now sort of in a bind. I have someone else who is willing to build complete the deck project and he wants to do the following:

• Adding new posts adjacent to the current posts as the piers are currently in terrible shape
• Use joist hangers as required per CA building code
• Fix most of the other errors that have already been pointed out (not trying to bore everyone with all the details and I'm not feeling like typing an essay here)

I have a new concern that I haven't previously considered....
I didn't pull permits for this job. I am replacing an existing deck with essentially the same deck. I have no clue if the previous deck was permitted but when I purchased the house there was no mention either way. Is any of this relevant?