Your DIY Home Improvements - Post'em up! - Page 2

markinnaples · #11 04-04-2016, 03:31 PM

Beautiful work, Steve. Looks great, inside and out.
Thanks, it's coming along. It's all my wife's idea as she's extraordinarily creative and artistic when it comes to design. We had a nightmare clearing some trees in the back. I hired a company to "remove 22 trees" including grinding the stumps, however, he subbed it out to a guy who grinded the trees leaving very large tree pieces (was supposed to be usable mulch) as well as 20 stumps that needed to be ground down as they were 2-3 inches above ground and it took us weeks to clear them. I called the company I contracted with when I saw what was done and it didn't match our contract at all, so he said keep the other half of the payment that was due, which I did as I didn't have much other choice. So then I get a call from the sub who asks me for payment, lololol. I explained the situation and that they would get no more money from me. So now the sub is suing the contracted company for payment and they want me to potentially show up in court. What a fiasco. I'll post some pics of the ridiculous mess they left.

Chick_Maggot · #12 04-04-2016, 08:09 PM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: markinnaples</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Beautiful work, Steve. Looks great, inside and out.
Thanks, it's coming along. It's all my wife's idea as she's extraordinarily creative and artistic when it comes to design. We had a nightmare clearing some trees in the back. I hired a company to "remove 22 trees" including grinding the stumps, however, he subbed it out to a guy who grinded the trees leaving very large tree pieces (was supposed to be usable mulch) as well as 20 stumps that needed to be ground down as they were 2-3 inches above ground and it took us weeks to clear them. I called the company I contracted with when I saw what was done and it didn't match our contract at all, so he said keep the other half of the payment that was due, which I did as I didn't have much other choice. So then I get a call from the sub who asks me for payment, lololol. I explained the situation and that they would get no more money from me. So now the sub is suing the contracted company for payment and they want me to potentially show up in court. What a fiasco. I'll post some pics of the ridiculous mess they left. </div></div>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Sounds like I'm not the only one who has problems with contractors. I'd just as soon beat the hell out of most of the guys who have done work in my house. No wonder they call them "con"tractors.

We're getting ready to totally redo the kitchen soon. I should start going back to the gym as I know there are bound to be some fist fights during that job.</span>

markinnaples · #13 04-04-2016, 09:27 PM

No question. Almost every one we've deal with just didn't do what they said they would, period.
Here are some pics of the mess that the guy left us with (these don't show nearly how bad it really was), and another pic of the wall not shown already.

markinnaples · #14 04-04-2016, 09:32 PM

Oh, and before my wife kicks my rear, here's little better pic of her, eek:

Chick_Maggot · #15 04-04-2016, 11:40 PM

<span style="font-size: 14pt"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: markinnaples</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Oh, and before my wife kicks my rear, here's little better pic of her, eek:

</div></div>

<span style="font-weight: bold">You have one of those wives too? lol.</span></span>

Chick_Maggot · #16 04-04-2016, 11:54 PM

<span style="font-weight: bold">My wife and daughter wouldn't even go in the backyard because of all the spiders, geckos, rats, ants and various other wildlife, so we had to do a little work back there, as well.

I paid to have the hardscape laid, but all greenery, design and material selection was done by me. I also planted everything. All the manual labor was a PITA at the time, but it seems to have paid off.

We also got together with some of the neighbors and replaced the 18-year-old rickety, broken down, water soaked, ant infested, rotting, good for nothing but toothpicks, booger nose, original wood POS fence. </span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Before (north corner)</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">After (north corner)
I dug so many holes in this backyard that I feel like a gopher.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">The Chill Zone - The wife and I just hang out here for hours with the fire blazing and the water feature going. Well worth the money spent. During parties, the guests seem to appreciate it, too. When the water feature is on, the Tiki spits water into the river.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Before (south corner)
That old jacuzzi was nothing more than a ghetto for rats.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">After (south corner)
After tearing down the pergola, I used the wood to make a smaller pergola over the BBQ island.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">I had to build some gates to hide the crappy side of the house where all my junk is stored. I happened to acquire the handles and iron work from a store that was being torn down. Also added some bamboo to keep the vibe going.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Before (side walkway)
I needed a nicer pathway from the frontyard to the main party area.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">After (side walkway)</span>

markinnaples · #17 04-05-2016, 12:54 AM

Looks amazing sir.

**Billohio** · #18 04-05-2016, 02:49 AM

Very nice work guys.
I had my kitchen redone about 6 years ago. The boss was here sporadically. He had a huge thermos and was always getting ice out of my fridge. I asked one of the other guys if he had tea in there or what. He laughed and said scotch! About a week later, the guy I asked, he was the perfectionist too, he showed up and apologized. He said I am drunk, this was at 8 am. He said he woke up and was out of it and thought it was 6 pm not am so he had a drink.. or few. Now I know why he always rode with another guy.

Chick_Maggot · #19 04-05-2016, 03:14 AM

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Billohio</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Very nice work guys.
I had my kitchen redone about 6 years ago. The boss was here sporadically. He had a huge thermos and was always getting ice out of my fridge. I asked one of the other guys if he had tea in there or what. He laughed and said scotch! About a week later, the guy I asked, he was the perfectionist too, he showed up and apologized. He said I am drunk, this was at 8 am. He said he woke up and was out of it and thought it was 6 pm not am so he had a drink.. or few. Now I know why he always rode with another guy. </div></div>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Too drunk to know what time it is = you're fired.

Wow.</span>

Chick_Maggot · #20 04-05-2016, 03:32 AM

<span style="font-weight: bold">Because I can never leave well enough alone, I decided to add a little more to the backyard. This project involved a little visual interest via installing a piece of art. I spotted this at a business in San Diego about two years ago. When I went back about a month ago, it was still there. The owner of the business was supposed to take it to his vacation home in Hawaii, but never did. One of the sales guys offered me a deal I couldn't refuse, so I took it.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">I knew where I wanted it, but I wasn't initially sure how to display it. I first had to dig a hole so I could get rid of a length of pipe which came off the water bib, but served no purpose.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">I whipped up with this pergola idea as a display vehicle.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Testing an uplighting option (before I got the tiki torches in place). I'll probably roll with it.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Here's the "Director of Family Operations" enjoying the fruits of my labor.</span>

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