Larry’s Rants
Larry's Rants
The beauty of having your own web page is the opportunity to express your personal opinion. I have been repairing foundations for about fourteen years, and in the construction business for over twenty years. What really irks me is the lack of quality of the repairs and upgrades I see or hear about at such a high rate. This last week I’ve seen and heard about the following repairs from several potential customers: A French drain placed against a wood framed wall (a completely insufficient repair)…
Time for chapter two. Thanks to all for the compliments on my first rant, and thanks to all the people who have given me more information to include in this new installment. Don’t worry, no names will be mentioned. The first thing I want to talk about is the difference between licensed and unlicensed contractors. Oh, I know, lots of unlicensed contractors do great work.
Ok, time for chapter three in the rant series. Thanks to all the people who complimented me on my previous op/ed pieces. Please note that this is my opinion only, and though it’s backed up by my experiences and observations, the bottom line is you should think for yourself. I also hope people don’t use my informing others of these cheating techniques to dupe other people who haven’t taken the time to learn about the right way to hire contractors to get their work done…
Thank goodness for rainy days, or contractors would never get any paperwork done. Also, rain causes foundation problems, and well, that’s what we do here. Today, even the paperwork is under control, and I found myself having a long and often repeated conversation with a potential client. The subject is drainage…
Hi Ya’ll! It’s once again time to get stuff off my chest. Instead of going to therapy, I just write another rant. Stuff sure builds up when living day to day in the foundation repair field. I imagine most every job has its challenges (i.e. pains in the tush) that you pretty much ignore, until something sets you off…
I didn’t get up today expecting it would be such a perfect day for writing a rant. Another day in paradise, as we say in San Diego. Rain is expected, which is a good thing in drought-ridden California, but generally pretty rare. If you have read my other rants you know I like rain, because it causes the ground to move, concrete to wear, and dollar signs to appear in the foundation contractor’s eyes. Of course it is the homeowner’s enemy, so check out my advice in my other rants. However, that isn’t the reason I am writing today. I have covered that before, and frankly, I talk about water so much sometimes it makes me have to pee. It’s just that sometimes things come up, and I realize that the mess I am involved today might shed light enough to help others avoid the problems in the future.
So this is not really a rant, but a situation that occurs all too often (although not with this much discussion). I did an estimate for a house. The house needed a new perimeter foundation, with new posts and piers, and leveling of the floors. I did the bid in February of 2010. The bid was about $33k total, including plans and permits.
I am pissed off today. I am not ticked every day, but everyone has their moments. I need to vent immediately, so it’s time for a rant. Sure, I am busy, and I may not finish this in one sitting, but if I don’t lay it out right now it may not have the tone I want to express.