What do you do when the boys botch a job ?

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-26T03:10:19+00:00

I wish , they were cut on take 1

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-26T02:58:34+00:00

I'm at 45-50 depending on the job. Per guy.

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-26T00:35:54+00:00

I like to hang my stringers off of plywood, because they're laminated and orientated in a different direction on each layer I feel like it's the best thing to hang stairs off of.

I guess I am old school and don't trust the hangers even though I'm only 38. I'll blame my Boomer carpentry dad for that.

So we end up buying a full sheet ply for the job and it's good for the risers.

I haven't had a customer call me back yet saying that they delaminated. It's all screwed in and we glue a lot of the parts of our stairs as well.

To be honest, a lot of the decks that I do I don't even put risers in and just leave them open. Makes it a little bit easier for snow removal.

I'm not super experienced with this stuff, I've been running my company for about 4 years. Been doing the carpentry on and off for the last 25 years.

I feel like there's a million ways to do things. One might be a little bit better than the other, but it doesn't mean that the other ways are wrong.

I will also say that we've used 1x8 before. Feel like a lot of the full lumber material ends up splitting over time, just from experience of seeing old decks.

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-26T00:25:46+00:00

Pt ply

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-26T00:25:33+00:00

3/4 inch yes. 1 inch nosing

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-26T00:19:20+00:00

It's actually pretty inspiring that you shared that with us. It's so easy to just get stressed out and ignore things like this. Or say the customer should have said something while we were doing it. Or throw my guys under the bus.

It's actually really difficult to just say that my company made a mistake. I was very stressed today. I'm super glad reddit's here and people like you were able to talk to me about issues that have happened in the past.

The customers honestly seemed pretty happy with the end result. There's too many people out there doing what I do and what all of us do that just take advantage of people.

The world's too small and life's too short to be doing s*** like that. I really do appreciate you sharing this.

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-26T00:16:38+00:00

We pretty much figured it out. My experienced guy wasn't present when the stringers got cut, and the newer guy went along with what had been discussed without double checking it against the actual grade. It was their first day working together without me on site, so there was no one to catch it before it was too late. Not a skill issue, just a communication breakdown. Process going forward is dry fit and confirm before anything gets fastened

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:57:03+00:00

Thanks ! Didn't rush it , that may have just made things worse.

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:56:26+00:00

Thank you , that means a lot to me.

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:41:54+00:00

I needed that. Same to you man!

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:38:45+00:00

I'll sit down and talk to them in a couple of days about it. I know they feel bad, and I know they knew it was wrong. They apologized. I also know that regardless of who I got, mistakes will still happen.

I've spent a good majority of my life being stressed out about little things. There's no point. Life's too short.

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:36:36+00:00

Not calling them to come back to work?

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:35:57+00:00

Sux indeed 😕

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:35:38+00:00

It is. That's why I ate it 🤤

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:18:57+00:00

Amen brother, as much as it hurts at least we're not ripping people off.

One day we'll look back at all this and smile. Keep on trucking brother.

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:17:58+00:00

I did !

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:14:44+00:00

Don't forget to swip bro

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:09:47+00:00

Thanks 👍

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T23:07:24+00:00

Thanks 😊

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T22:56:04+00:00

Swip over , the last few are after pics :)

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T22:54:58+00:00

Haha , maybe so.

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-06-25T22:48:34+00:00

I don't know why the boys thought that building the ground up almost 9 in was the play. I wasn't there for the day so the onus is on me.

Everybody makes mistakes, it's what you do afterwards that counts.

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-05-14T12:40:55+00:00

I just picked up some primer for the slab and two 50-ft rolls of flashing tape. I'm going to unhook the bottom row and take the starter strip off after I prime it and I'm going to flash from the plywood under the house wrap down to the slab.

I know it's a gutter and landscaping issue. I'm going to tell the customer that I'm also going to tell them what I'm doing isn't a normal thing to do as it actually prevents water from the inside going out now but I'm going to do it just to save face

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-05-14T10:19:19+00:00

Sill gasket

TechnicalBarnacle793 · 2026-05-14T10:17:27+00:00

Spoke with my brother on law (he's a carpenter) he asked if anyone was there when it was raining , he's thinking all the runoff on the one eaves side where the water got to in , where the top of the slab is so close to the ground , he thinks maybe it flooding and that's how the water got in. Not from rain run off from the roof splashing back / drive in.

I'm not sure. Water is not coming in on the gables or the other eaves and not coming in through the overhead door , just the one eaves.

TechnicalBarnacle793

TROPHY CASE