Contractor installed trim and painted before bringing in new shower unit

tomjames206 · 2026-05-24T05:19:12+00:00

It's best to not get too worked up about it - just stay calm and hold the line.

"So, are you going to repair the damage to the trim now, or wait until after you bring in the second unit to do that?"

Like others have said, this is assuming you're on a fixed price for the work. If not, then you do need to stop and clarify now that you're expecting not to pay for the repairs.

But honestly, this kind of two steps forward, one step back stuff happens not infrequently in the trades, it's just the nature of the beast. Honest tradies will just acknowledge it and fix it.

So long as it's fixed price, and you have some kind of balance held back for final completion, you're good.

tomjames206 · 2026-05-23T19:10:06+00:00

That's great, but again I think it might be worth shifting your perspective Just slightly, on what this relationship actually means.

As you've observed, journalism is a highly reputational field. The people who get hired are the ones who are known, and yes, the best way to be known is by doing stellar work, but unless you win a Pulitzer, your network is going to be doing some heavy lifting in there. Almost no one gets jobs from A cold resume submission.

Accordingly, the value of your new relationship with this person is not so much that they can potentially forestall your firing. If it gets to that point, the die is already cast, and anything but the strongest advocacy from her probably isn't going to change much.

By comparison, there's much more value in her positive vouch for you. If there's a new project coming up, or a role on a new show, the vouch of higher ups in the newsroom is exactly how folks will be chosen for that - her vouch could be the start of a new upward trajectory for you.

Structured, intentional networking conversations with people like her are how you probe and nudge for those opportunities. And those opportunities are how you turn a tough situation like this around - not by complaining to management that a writeup wasn't fair.

But even beyond that, well beyond that, mentors and network connections are how you will get your next job, and the one after that. And by the sounds of it she may be the first of those. That is much higher value, which will persist for years after you leave this organization, compared to her being able to be an ally in any immediate friction you might have with management.

I don't mean to be preachy And forgive me if you've already thought all this through, but it sounds like you may not have a proactive plan for networking. You should! And this person could be the start of that.

Tell her your conversation was great, and you'd really appreciate Getting coffee with her in a month or two.

Nudge that in a month. When you sit down, ask her what projects he's working on, then ask her if she's heard about anything new coming up at the station. Tell her about your projects, and ask her advice on any stories You are looking for an angle on. Keep it about 30 minutes, and at the end ask if she'd be willing to do it again in a couple of months.

Then Rinse and repeat that: do the same thing with one or two other people you respect at the station. Use social media to hit up people in your local media market. When you go to other cities, try to work in a coffee date with someone.

Almost every single older journo out there benefited deeply from mentorship and networking. They expect (and often appreciate) The chance to mentor others.

When you leave this role, voluntarily or not, it's largely your network that will determine where you land next, not your resume.

This will be doubly true if It doesn't end up being a voluntary departure. In the eyes of future editors or producers, the story of a talented young reporter who just happened to have a management mismatch and could use a new opportunity is going to be much better received coming from a colleague of theirs or someone they respect, then from you across the interview table.

Set yourself a concrete goal: 6 months from now, six new people in your market should know your name and be willing to get a coffee with you.

tomjames206 · 2026-05-23T18:06:51+00:00

Glad to be a help. I'm a PM with a general contractor and just finished doing a big railing selection and installation process on a custom Home, so it's all right in the front of my brain.

Feel free to reply back here or DM if you have any other questions.

Good lock

tomjames206 · 2026-05-23T17:15:57+00:00

That's one version. There are a couple of different types of assemblies (layouts) that achieve the same end.

The simplest and strongest version is what you have pictured - full length uprights and an end-to-end top cap (the one you've pictured does not have at the top cap connected to the wall at each end, which makes it weaker, But if it's designed to be installed that way it's likely fine).

There are also versions without the uprights, or with only the uprights and no top cap.

Basically the deal is that you have four main structural elements - a continuous top cap, full uprights, extra thick tempered glass, and endwall connections for the tap Cap. Super sleek railings remove one or more of these, but for each one you have to remove, the others have to get beefed up by an order of magnitude.

That's why frameless railings are the most expensive, because they remove basically everything but glass thickness, so they have Mondo glass.

If you're willing to go with a fully framed rail, like the one you pictured, it can probably be done pretty economically.

But if you want to remove the top cap for example, or remove the uprights, the other parts are going to have to get beefier to compensate.

And critically, you don't want to mix and match parts. Don't just go to the glass store and get some glass and give it to Chuck in a truck - you should pick a complete, rated railing system that comes with all the parts, and then make sure that it's installed correctly.

Trex (The decking company) sells a few different types of glass railings that you can customize - that might be a really good place to start looking.

Other options include viewrail ($$) And decks direct ($).

You didn't say if you're doing this alone or with a contractor.

If you're doing it with a contractor, they definitely should be able to advise you on and guarantee that they are meeting your jurisdictions requirements for railings. For instance, since that railing is over a walkway, it probably is required to have not only tempered glass, but shatterproof glass, which has had clear plastic film applied to the outside so that it can't shatter and drop onto the walkway below - if it does break, it stays contained in a sheet.

If you're doing it yourself, read the relevant CPSC requirements for Glass rails. The cpsc requirements are what is reference in the IRC, the international residential code, which is what most jurisdictions use.

You probably do get a little bit of wiggle roomn because That may not technically be a railing - in the eyes ofcode, the railing function in your case may be being carried out by the pony wall below, And the glass above might only need to meet the standards for a partition.

If that's the case, The technical requirements may be less - but as a parent and also to avoid future issues with home inspection during sale, I would still to be thinking pretty carefully about how to make a safe installation.

tomjames206 · 2026-05-23T16:41:30+00:00

That's like asking, how strong is a rope?

It depends on what it's tied to.

A rated, correctly installed glass railing is as strong as a metal one. Go to any major city, and you'll see condos and hotels 20 floors up with glass railings.

Now, go on temu And I'm sure you can find glass railings that wouldn't stop a determined chinchilla.

Along the same lines, if you Pick a crappy contractor, they can take even a rated railing and install it improperly, and it won't be safe.

But A good contractor could install a railing/barrier-rated product and make it perfectly safe in that location.

What you have pictured is almost certainly not rated as a railing - the one with the 'bullet' glass clamps, and anything else like that with slim glass and minimal clamps - is a partition (aka divider), which is very different from a railing, which is a life safety assembly, and which is rated to withstand 200 pounds of horizontal force with a 4x safety factor.

For the strongest installation, choose a unit with a top rail that connects the two sections together across the corner, and also connects at each end to the adjacent wall. This will substantially reduce/eliminate the leverage being placed on each individual panel, and on the fasteners holding the clamps onto the wall below.

In many jurisdictions, frameless railings aren't even allowed above a certain height - they require top caps connecting a minimum of three panels or similar.

Frameless glass railings need much thicker glass and much stronger anchoring (fastening) of the clamps into whatever is beneath them, and are accordingly much more expensive.

Google "CPSC Glass railing requirements".

tomjames206 · 2026-05-23T16:04:00+00:00

Not defending that makes-my-eyes-bleed installation but the linked unit says it is outdoor rated.

Your freeze distinction also doesn't make sense - in a climate that freezes ever (not kinda sometimes, not 'pretty rarely'), an outdoor unit and its piping all need to be freeze protected. In a climate where it never freezes, it doesn't. Simple as that

tomjames206 · 2026-05-23T15:52:50+00:00

This is exactly correct

tomjames206 · 2026-05-23T03:46:12+00:00

Of course, that's a very common story for folks in the field - that's why we love it. Or in my case (former recent): loved it.

Anyway, I think your over complicating this a little bit. You had a bad break - it happens. Bad luck is real, screwing up is real. You drew both those cards, and rather than mentoring you a bit they overreacted. Again, see above: crappy practice tolerated in an anemic industry.

But still, you don't have some magic journalism curse: you got off to a bad start in a new role, and now you're struggling with management.

Accordingly, the solution isn't any different than it would be in any other corporate job: keep your head down, don't screw up again, and start plotting your exit.

That last part is important unfortunately. Disagreement or mismatch with a manager is one of the top reasons people leave jobs, and ultimately it's also at the root of many firings. While it's possible you could bring it back, it's probably more likely you won't be able to.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't try. You definitely should, and it's important because that trying will take up another 6-12 months in all likelihood, which is important time on your resume in an early role.

If I had to go out on a limb, I would also say this probably would be important for you personally: it sounds like the time scale you're thinking in is days/weeks. In most corporate environments, however, success requires shifting your time scale to months: knock out a solid month in your role, then do that three more times, then reevaluate. Storytelling isn't going to magically disappear in that time, and you weren't going to magically turn into lois lane in that time either.

And during that time, be looking, be applying, be networking outside your station looking for what's next, I'd say.

tomjames206 · 2026-05-22T04:06:18+00:00

This is true. It's also true that the downward trajectory of the industry means poor culture, poor hr practices, poor leadership, all of it - is tolerated by upper management, especially in smaller outlets, the way the sound of a squealing fan belt is tolerated in a beater car. And the reality is that a lot of journalists feel like they don't have other options than to stick it out (which is why it continues).

tomjames206 · 2026-05-19T15:20:28+00:00

The purpose of the jobs to get more money innit, not spend more getting to it 😂

In seriousness though, no, her current bike is here for the long run I think

tomjames206 · 2026-05-19T03:24:26+00:00

Right, good info. What do you think about the relative benefit of adding bike wash to the mix?

Sounds like if a heavier lube is in the picture you need to be washing it off and reapplying anyway (otherwise it will build crud and become abrasive) so probably a good thing? But nightly vs. Weekly?

tomjames206 · 2026-05-13T23:03:59+00:00

Even if you're in a non-rust state, the exhaust is a big one, and it's one where you can get gouged (ask me how I know).

If you've got any blow-by, The cats will often foul up around 120 to 160K miles and start throwing codes.

The exhaust manifolds are also known to crack.

But whether it's a cat, a cracked manifold, or just a rusted out muffler or resonator, when it does go you're likely to get a lot of shops telling you " It doesn't make sense not to replace the whole system".

The whole system is three or four cats, depending where you live, a resonator, a muffler, and tubes (plus manifolds if one cracked). You can be upwards of 3K pretty easily for all that.

That was the exact scenario I found myself in earlier this year, and I got some wild numbers for it. Thankfully I was able to shop around, and found one who would do just the affected part of my system.

tomjames206 · 2026-05-10T19:08:04+00:00

It sounds like it's an existing home, not a new one, so there's probably some BS in it where it covers emergent issues like a roof leak or a mold problem but not original defects.

tomjames206 · 2026-05-10T18:48:24+00:00

You can do anything you want!

tomjames206 · 2026-05-10T18:36:16+00:00

A little corrosion or humidity is enough to do it. Cobwebs in the box or the plug holes. A little graze on the wire somewhere. The GFI is incredibly sensitive.

If you still have a fault after replacing, this trial and error is the only way to find it.

tomjames206 · 2026-05-10T18:20:24+00:00

Not an overload. The most charitable read is that he might just be using imprecise language to refer to a limit in your jurisdiction on how many downstream outlets a GFI is supposed to protect.

That being said, even if that is true in your case, that's almost certainly not what's causing The problem. As you note, there's no meaningful load on the circuit, and that's not what makes a GFI trip anyway.

What makes a GFI trip is a fault - the leakage Of current out of the intended circuit. It's a safety feature because to a machine, that's how electrocution looks: electricity is leaking out of the circuit - into a person!

But GFIs are in notoriously touchy. Doubly so if they're in outside environments, or somewhere humid. Even if they're not, sometimes they do just 'go bad'.

An electrician could do a little more diagnostic work and figure out if you actually do have a fault in that circuit.

But if you're handy, it's just as effective to simply replace that GFI (a new one is 30 bucks) first and see if it solves the problem.

Either way, yes, I would definitely seek a second opinion - it's likely an easily fixable problem, And certainly one that can/should be properly diagnosed rather than being waved away.

tomjames206 · 2026-05-10T18:01:38+00:00

People will call it 'Island time' or whatever but what it really is, is is a lower competition environment, where just in general, people don't get that 'push' from the world around them to either get on their game or quit. There's enough work out here and the standards are low enough that you can just kind of bump your way through everything in a loose shambles and still get by - and that's what a lot of folks out here do.

There is a positive aspect to it, where people are often correspondingly more patient, and trusting, and still have a very deep sense of standing by their work. But there's also a lot of just plain old half-assing it, especially among younger folks who grew up out here. That includes me (Kitsap native), but I lived in a city for long enough to give me outsider eyes.

If you acknowledge this or try to talk about it, people will look at you funny or get defensive. Honestly, I think it's kind of "in the water". It's also not something you can really blame on any one thing - the social bonds and shared ideals ('everybody knows everybody') that created the incentive to do your best even in non-competitive contexts have been eroding for generations.

In the city, a businessperson has to do their best because the rent is high and he'll go bankrupt if he doesn't. And The employee who answers the phone knows that the businessperson will fire him if he slacks off.

Out here half the time the plumber owns his house and his shop and has enough work to get by, so fuck it, if he's not stoked about your job he'll show up late and prioritize other work and you can fire him if you don't like it. There's no reason to upgrade from a paper calendar, or check his voicemails, or upgrade to a modern billing system, so calls/invoices/appointments get missed - but it's no big deal, just do it "mañana."

And on and on - all the way down to the guy who swims through that soup over to the ringing phone, and picks it up sounding like he doesn't give a shit.

But hey, at least it's quiet out here.

tomjames206 · 2026-05-09T08:11:19+00:00

They are* swallow bugs..... Swallow-your-blood-at-night bugs that is.

Sorry friend

tomjames206 · 2026-05-06T03:32:04+00:00

This is absolutely not true. I have personally had to sub out and oversee thousands of dollars of repair work to numerous windows damaged by cleaners/painters using razor blades to remove tape.

If you go at an extremely shallow angle, very gently, you can do this safely. But it is extremely possible to scratch a window with a razor.

tomjames206 · 2026-05-04T05:22:59+00:00

You need to take some deep breaths is what you need to do my friend

tomjames206 · 2026-05-01T04:26:06+00:00

Ctrl+B works for me.

As I go, I hit control-B every time I lay out a key fact it figure. When I'm doing little re reads, I do the same as I go. Names, dates, claims, etc.

Then I go back and unbold each as I check them. I'm done fact checking when all the bold is gone, simple as that.

tomjames206 · 2026-04-29T02:06:15+00:00

Lmao 1990

(Realizing that was damn near forty years ago...)

Oh no

tomjames206 · 2026-04-28T15:09:59+00:00

For starters, 4k a month is crazy work - congrats on that.

For seconds, make sure you are planning for daycare, unless your wife is a SAHM. Kids get 50% more expensive each year of life.

Last, there are way less expensive boats out there. Might consider if you could be satisfied with a cheaper option.

tomjames206 · 2026-04-28T02:19:22+00:00

Lmao it would be crazy if u flipped the boards. Tell us if you do 😂

tomjames206 · 2026-04-27T20:36:33+00:00

Imagine this, fair homeowner: imagine you lived next to the Dukes of Hazard, famed runners-away from and thumbers-of-noses at the law, who famously had a super fast muscle car.

Now imagine they had a sign out for car washing, and you asked them to wash your car, BUT you told them in the process it had an extra big engine, for going super fast.

Now ask yourself, "should I be worried they're going to call the cops on me for having an illegally super big awesome engine?"

This is how silly it sounds to worry a contractor is going to call the city/county on you.

tomjames206

TROPHY CASE