A few things we did that I know helped our stress level: I rented a Port-O-Toilet that stayed on the job site for the length of the project, I had my wife deliver coffee and donuts a number of times, and during the warm months I left ice and Gatorade in a large cooler every morning. How did that help OUR stress level? Happy workers that had no problem fixing mistakes that we came across, that's how.
I realize that being 85 miles away complicates things, but putting in a little extra along these lines will help YOU get through this...
We established ground rules at the begining with the builder and tried to enforce them the best we could with their subcontractors. No smoking in the house once the drywall was put up, no shoes on in the house after the carpet was installed, etc.
The builder put a dumpster on the site and they were responsible to keep the site clean, but the drywallers threw the scraps out the window rather than walking the extra five feet to the dumpster.
Even though some subs cleaned up their mess at the end of each day, many didn't, and I ended up sweeping it up, just because I can't stand a mess!
Update:
The slab is to be poured Saturday. I had the chance to drop by yesterday. Spent 30 minutes picking up trash. Seems some person took the opportunity to clean out the back of his truck onto my trash pile. The foil that previously housed sandwiches was scattered ALL over by the nighttime critters. Ken will set a toilet on the slab instead of bringing out his portable potty building (we already have the septic in). The driveway is holding up well, although where vehicles have left the drive, they have almost disappeared. (We have had a lot of rain recently.)
Over all, things are going well! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Update 2. Ken wanted a draw for the foundation, so we took a quick run last night (170 miles, round trip) to make sure it was in. (It's not like we don't trust him; we really just wanted to see it.) Well, I'm glad he used the concrete pump truck! Around the house itself would have been much worse. As it was, only the driveway is ruined (from the parade of cement trucks). We knew this would happen, it was just a shock that is impossible for which to prepare. (The jobsite was much cleaner this time! Maybe they are reading CBN.) So far no tree damage. We'll keep our fingers crossed.
Hey JazzDad, where are you building? I am getting ready to build near Giddings. I am going to hire a GC. No time for details. I have some recommendations so far for local builders. Keep us posted...Kyle
Thank you for asking. (I was waiting on some pix to post along with the narrative.)
The roof is on, all the 5/8 plywood sheathing is up, the house wrap is on, and (as of Saturday) about 1/8 of the house was sided. These guys are GOOD! They do so many things in the old craftsman style. Wonderful joinery, very little caulking will be needed. A while back they set an old toilet on the slab so no porta-can is needed on the site. We've been cleaning every time we go out. They are treating the area very nicely. Last trip, the primary task was to burn the bigger of the 2 scrap piles. We got there and discovered they had done it that morning! (It's as if they read our minds.) The electrician has set the boxes and pulled wire into the eave areas that are now closed in. We will be trenching in the electrical conduit and the water line between the barn and the house.
It's a bit overwhelming at times, along with all the other daily tasks to complete. When we are home, we spend time fixing and painting- getting it ready to sell. So far, we are surviving all of this. [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
I now know why God created things to ride on: it's so people over 40 can still do work. Mow the grass? Riding mower. Plow the garden? Tractor. Dig a trench? NOT a walk-behind trencher.
So, how did I come upon this revelation? 120 feet of trench and 6 hours later I asked myself: when was the last time you did this, you fool? And the answer was- over 20 years ago! But back then I did this kind of thing all the time. Now I sit at a desk all day long and move electrons around.
The worst part of this episode wasn't the whiplash when I hit the huge root, or the agony of cutting through the unknown extra sewer line going out to the septic tank. The greatest pain was seeing my poor wife down on her knees trying to get the mud out of the bottom of the trench.
When we were done, and both looked like we had been culled from the mud wrestling championships, I asked her why she let me do this. She said she asked me if I was sure we could tackle the project. (I guess I said I was sure.) I requested that whenever I got another of these hare-brained ideas for her to stop me and ask, "Bret, when was the last time you did this?" (She said she also asked me that before we started this one.)
When we raked the last of the dirt back into the end of the trench, I turned to Douglas (the builder) and said, 'At least we saved a bunch of money, right?' He just smiled.
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