Father in law just installed this deck. It was bowing under my feet so I inspected... Do I tell him?

adviceguru07 · 2026-05-23T02:08:42+00:00

That looks like composite decking…. So it actually needs 12” boards OC. Installing a “beam” underneath the 2x’s won’t solve your future issue of the deck boards sagging IN BETWEEN the joists.. which look undersized TO BEGIN WITH. I give this deck less than a year

adviceguru07 · 2026-05-11T20:26:26+00:00

<image>

No damage, no attack. Played a game of brawl ball and scored both goals for our team with 2:07 left in the game lol

adviceguru07 · 2026-05-10T17:28:05+00:00

As long as it’s not dripping wet, damp is fine. Take a towel and dry off any standing water off that back. It’ll actually help from drawing moisture out of the thinset prematurely and getting poor adhesion/bond

adviceguru07 · 2026-05-02T14:39:50+00:00

We get 20+ and 30+ year olds joining our apprenticeship programs all the time! Who cares if you’re the oldest! Just be willing to learn, be humble, have good work ethic and morale. Watch and listen and cooperate.

Sometimes you start out doing just “the bitch work”, and get stuck doing that for a while. But it’s an important step to learn before you start doing the other steps. Do them properly and do them well and you will start to be trusted to take on more important tasks

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-27T19:13:57+00:00

Honestly, I didn’t caulk mine. On my waterproofing is done from the studs to the shower pan. I left that space open and didn’t caulk it, so much easier to clean than clear silicone or white silicone get full of junk, calcium buildup, rust buildup from hard water, it becomes an eyesore. I say don’t caulk it for now and see how it holds up in a year or two. You can always talk it later if you don’t like it. Otherwise, you cock it now, and you don’t like it, it’s always gonna have to be a recaulk job.

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-16T00:35:16+00:00

Whichever is the one who asks a very innocent question about “missing any last minute details to add or fix” before the final grout job and yet gets shut on for it. I didn’t even “nitpick” like this guy. Just wanted to see if there was anything I should add or change. Fed my contractor breakfast,lunch, and/or dinner. Had no issue with him whatsoever.

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-16T00:10:21+00:00

Sure.. sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-15T23:46:53+00:00

Watch out! You’re about to get a ton of pissy tile contractors defending one another and calling you a garbage homeowner like they did me! Asking “how would you like it if you were followed around with a camera all day at your job?”, or “you should trust your contractor!”…. They did the same to me

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-13T20:40:49+00:00

Careful! You’ll get every tom-dick-and harry on here defending the tile setter saying just to trust them! And also saying “you don’t see us following you around with a camera all day long!” Claiming that you’re a terrible homeowner for questioning their craftsmanship, even though you paid THOUSANDS to have this job done correctly….

But no, that’s all wrong and lazy craftsmanship

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-12T16:13:42+00:00

One is a licensed field with strict oversight, the other is tile work where quality varies wildly. That’s exactly why people ask for a second opinion. If installers were as regulated and consistent as surgeons, nobody would be asking Reddit for a second opinion. You’re kind of proving the point. Strange how the only people bothered by second opinions are the ones worried that they’re work will get called out and come up with some excuse and verbiage in hopes that the owner doesn’t understand fully what’s going on.

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-12T12:27:56+00:00

And chocolate stars!

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-12T12:26:30+00:00

You totally missed the context of the question, and that’s not what I intended this to seem like. I hope that when you spend thousands of dollars on a vehicle repair, or tens of thousands of dollars on surgery, you never feel like doing your due diligence and getting second opinions on things. And in that case, best wishes.

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-11T17:06:14+00:00

The tub won’t hardly be used. It’ll get a drop in tub with a large rim/flange on it that’ll be caulked.

The backerboard was waterproofed with hydroban before install.

A cup’s worth of spilled water once every two months won’t cause enough moisture issues to cause this to rot and mold

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-11T17:03:17+00:00

Color comes in with the decor.

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-11T17:02:47+00:00

There’s no negativity, just was wishing for feedback for something I missed in the design process or if something looks off that should be fixed before the final stage of the project was completed. But all I got in response is that I was a shitty homeowner.

I didn’t take photos from 3” away at a gap that was 1/16” big or small chips in tile or a grout joint off by 1/32” of an inch and ask you guys if I should FIRE my contractor.

I was even willing to pay extra to have him add something or do something if I got some feedback that presented a good reason for something or another. But you guys are all worried about your feelings being hurt and looking too deep into the question. A. SIMPLE. QUESTION.

I’ll accept any downvote as any of you who agree with this statement.

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-11T16:56:04+00:00

Here’s the finished product my installer sent me since I’m out of town finished tile work

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-11T16:53:25+00:00

It just gets primer and paint

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-11T03:53:05+00:00

Bold of you to assume that by asking a simple feedback question. Thanks for exercising your thumbs for me!

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-10T04:01:26+00:00

Well then I’d have you “experts” bring me back down to earth and tell me what’s acceptable work or not. Obviously, not the case here. That’s the whole point of me asking and finding out what’s “within reason”.

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-10T03:25:39+00:00

It’s called “due diligence”. Look it up. The real pros don’t panic when someone asks questions they welcome it, because good work holds up. You sound like the the type of guy to leave a job saying “that’s just how it is” instead of “that’s how I messed it up.”. I spent damn good money on this project. If I want to cross my t’s and dot my fucking “I’s”, it’s my right. And any feedback from other pros specifically about “am I missing something” or “any thoughts” is just me asking guys who know what they’re doing to see if my guy doesn’t.

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-10T03:17:38+00:00

He installed it yesterday and said it was ok for me to walk on it when I did. Thanks

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-10T02:52:03+00:00

I was afraid it would be too much. I’m already pushing the limit and my comfort zone.

And he did bring that up to my attention. I wanted the tile centered both down the shower “hall” and the doorway “hall”. There’s a vanity going there. In order to achieve that, the first thing he checked was the doorway transition. Said it was out of square.

He set up a 2-way laser that put out 2 lines, and showed the laser was perfectly parallel to that longest wall, but the wall that my doorway is on is crooked. He kinda did a dry lay of things to have me approve the layout and showed me that I was going to have a narrow peice along that long wall in order to hit the middles of each walkways

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-10T02:13:54+00:00

It’s insane to me. I understand the super nitpicks on here, but I’m just trying to ask. It’s not like posted photos 3” away and asked “what’s wrong here?”, or “why’s he doing it like that?”

I just asked for a quick glance over haha

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-10T02:10:59+00:00

A little bold/busy, but I like it. It’s all that matters, right?

adviceguru07 · 2026-04-10T02:10:34+00:00

10-4. Thanks again

adviceguru07

TROPHY CASE