View Full Version : New Windows-Wrong carpenter for the job


Swimmer
01-06-2006, 01:22 PM
Ten weeks ago someone I hired that I have known for 27 years came to replace old and worn windows in part of my house. My wife picked the windows out, Andersens, special color order, non-returnable. Wifey comes home and immediately says thats the wrong bay window. Supposed to be a fix window in the middle not a mullien. She goes off the deep end, BIG TIME. Carpenter and his small crew put in slider, side door, and one octagon window before saying goodbye in such a way that my wife new they weren't coming back.
Fast forward ten weeks........I started calling carpenter four weeks ago leaving messages on his cell. No returned calls. Finally I pushed the issue of his having more windows and accessories that I had paid for and I wanted them or would be forced to file a criminal complaint for the carpenter not bringing them to house. They were delivered to his house as I had yet to pay for them and never should have.
Today I travel to Lakeville where carpenter ordered the windows and slider. Two very nice fellows helped me out at this business. They checked the original order and found that the window I wanted was actually the one we wanted, fixed middle window in the bay window. Carpenter did order two mulliens on either side but that is minor problem. The two guys turn to me and said this appears to be the Anderson window peoples mistake. All the paperwork on the computors we were looking at showed the lumber yards work to be correct.
Carpenter in the last ten weeks never bothered checking. The excuse he made ten weeks ago was I just forgot what window you wanted so I told the guys at the lumber yard to get anything that fits. That pleased my wife to no end when he said that. But carpenter lied. He did order the right window but instead of checking his work and the work of the lumber yard he'd rather bull%$%$%$%$ us becase he was too lazy to bother checking and he figured we would eventually settle for the window he put in. This almost boggles the mind and has almost caused divorce in Swimmer's household.
So I sit at home waiting for nice guy at lumber yard to call me back today, which he said he would, and tell me that in two weeks I will have replacement window delivered. No old carpenter will not be installing new version of bay window. It was never even made weather tight. The new carpenter will only have to take out four nails inside of house along with three screws and the nails along the windows edge outside before he installs new window. Ten weeks went by and all the guy had to do was double check his work at the lumber yard and he still would have the job.

spence
01-06-2006, 01:47 PM
Sounds about like every job (aside from one) I've every hired to a contractor :lossinit:

-spence

Slipknot
01-06-2006, 02:50 PM
you've known him 27 years and that's the answer he came up with?:smokin: musta been smoking something:huh:
That sucks swimmer, too bad it took so long to resolve.

It's situations like this and idiot contractors that give good contractors a bad rap when people generalize and group us all together as screwups.
I go out of my way to be on time, do a thorough job,neat and reasonable price but there's always someone who will be impossible to please even if I'm 1 minute late for an appt.

sorry just venting

BigFish
01-06-2006, 06:48 PM
Boy Frank....I would hate to be him if you ever pull him over in your town!:jump:

afterhours
01-06-2006, 07:07 PM
:devil2:

Raven
01-06-2006, 07:46 PM
same with doors.....and never- ever had a complaint....you just do it right the first time and seal the shat out of it so there's no come back calls to deal with.....which is ALL down time.
.................................................. ..................................................
but i have to cheer you up now...and tell ya a quick little story:
my brother and i and the crew....something like the f -troop this crew
and definately motley...ok ,were installing a bay window in this hotel that was old, in the grafton area....and my oldest brother who was in charge had made it extremely CLEAR that there would be no conversation PERIOD and was pissed at all of us including me....so as to be fair ,since we were in fact brothers......so as the window goes in, i noticed that the roll out window crank was up at the top instead of at the bottom indicating that the window was indeed upside down.:usd: Well, despite the "no speaking -just work ->no conversation order",
i still tried to tell him....but he wouldnt have it...so eventually i just said: F__K it, and let the S.O.B .install it upside down just to serve him right for being such a bastard that day.....:bl: :btu:

Swimmer
01-06-2006, 08:24 PM
Raven, thats awesome.....:jump:

Swimmer
01-06-2006, 08:27 PM
Slip I hope I didn't do the lump everyone together thing. I know plenty of people who do fine work and I'm sure you do.

This will be awhile before its resolved unfortunately. Called back to Lakeville at 4:55 p.m. and the Anderson suplier, Brockway didn't return Stocks call. The kid I talked to said he would call them again monday for me. We'll see.

Slipknot
01-06-2006, 08:43 PM
no it wasn't you or anyone in particular, I'm just generalizing :D

good luck with that project.

just by chance I just hung up the phone with my inlaws and she said she's glad I am busy but she would have had some work for me, they got a no interest loan to do all new replacement windows and some other home improvements. The windows they have are all drafty and don't work right. I'm actually glad I am too busy to do that job. I hope they don't get a price from your friend :hidin: ;)

Raven, I have often joked about someday hanging a set of cabinets upsidedown, wall cabinets down as bases, and base cabinets up as uppers :hf1: :spin: just to f with someone, but I guess it would cost me too much so I never did that.
That is funny about the window though:usd: