New House Build in WV

[TnWV]

If you have never hired drywall installers before, the biggest issue that I run into with them over and over again is clean up. If they are allowed, they will make a mess like you cannot imagine!!!! Be sure to know how much material you are buying, and how much they use before paying them. It's not uncommon for a lot more sheets to be delivered then are needed, and they charge you for all that was delivered, and then they keep all of the extra. I've seen 30 to 50 sheets extra on a job!!! Be sure to insist that 5/8's drywall is used on the ceiling. NEVER use half inch unless the ceiling joists are 16 inches on center. Half inch will sag over time on anything farther apart then 16 inches. Be sure to have in writing what you want the floors to look like when they are done. If you do not say anything, there will be joint compound and scraps of sheetrock everywhere!!!!!!

NEVER make your final payment until you are 100% happy that they have done everything the way you want it. Once they get paid, they will be too busy to fix anything. If they have not been paid, they will find the time to get it done, and this includes clean up and hauling off the extra sheetrock that you do not want to pay for.

Eddie, I completely agree. They will be required to put paper down and it looks like I will be buying the material through my 84 lumber person, a good friends son, as he has given me better prices than the contractors can get, so far at least.

I have made 5/8’s for the ceiling a requirement and will not back off on it.

 

[TnWV]

Made good progress this weekend, but it’s never enough.

Kitchen lights functional, and I believe provide good coverage. There will also be two pendant type lights over the island. Cans are on a dimmer if full power is t needed/wanted.


Same with living room can lights. There will also be two ceiling fans/lights. All on 3-way switches and cans on dimmer. We wanted plenty of light when needed.


Also got the gable on living room side of cathedral ceiling framed including ceiling nailer.



In addition, I also managed to get the 4” plumbing drains in on the kitchen, side of the house. Kitchen sinks and vent connected, washing machine and vent connected, still need to connect the master toilet, bathtub, shower and sinks connected but all tee’s are already on the 4” drain.

A second drywall contractor showed up this morning right at the time he said he would. Being on time is something I hadn’t seen too much of, so bonus points for that. I liked the guy, and know 2 people who used him on new houses and were very happy with his work. He was about a $1,000 cheaper than last guy too, so hired him. He can get to it in 3 weeks. That works well for me, should have no issue being ready by then.

Pretty good weekend other than the purple primer I spilled on my concrete floor. Mostly came up without issue, but some staining before I got it cleaned up.....adds character I guess.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

If you have never hired drywall installers before, the biggest issue that I run into with them over and over again is clean up. If they are allowed, they will make a mess like you cannot imagine!!!! Be sure to know how much material you are buying, and how much they use before paying them. It's not uncommon for a lot more sheets to be delivered then are needed, and they charge you for all that was delivered, and then they keep all of the extra. I've seen 30 to 50 sheets extra on a job!!! Be sure to insist that 5/8's drywall is used on the ceiling. NEVER use half inch unless the ceiling joists are 16 inches on center. Half inch will sag over time on anything farther apart then 16 inches. Be sure to have in writing what you want the floors to look like when they are done. If you do not say anything, there will be joint compound and scraps of sheetrock everywhere!!!!!!

NEVER make your final payment until you are 100% happy that they have done everything the way you want it. Once they get paid, they will be too busy to fix anything. If they have not been paid, they will find the time to get it done, and this includes clean up and hauling off the extra sheetrock that you do not want to pay for.

This should be "pinned" to every thread everywhere, including FB.

 

[TnWV]

Work continues. Got all of the plumbing vents completed and the last toilet plumbed into the main drain. All lighting is complete except garage and porches. Finished running wires for the front and back porch receptacles. Built the master shower wall, wired the master bathroom, and installed the door from mud room to the garage. Got more insulation in as well. Moving along, but not fast enough. Going to take Thursday and Friday off work to make a 4 day push to finish all the electrical and plumbing, including gas lines.

 

[TnWV]

Siding was finally delivered last week. Color turned out exactly as we had hoped.

 

[EddieWalker]

Looking at your outlets, I thought of another issue that I've dealt with a few times. I've had installers cover up outlets and leave them covered up. It's extremely frustrating looking for an outlet box when you connect all of your outlets and there isn't power after one of them. Since it's cheap and easy to take pictures, I always make sure to take them of every room, every wall, before they hang the sheetrock. 90% of the time, I do my own sheetrock, so there is never an issue, but when a crew comes in there, you never know if one of them has issues that day, or what's wrong with his head. Having pictures will make it a lot easier to know if they covered up an outlet, and where to find it if it happens.

 

[TnWV]

Looking at your outlets, I thought of another issue that I've dealt with a few times. I've had installers cover up outlets and leave them covered up. It's extremely frustrating looking for an outlet box when you connect all of your outlets and there isn't power after one of them. Since it's cheap and easy to take pictures, I always make sure to take them of every room, every wall, before they hang the sheetrock. 90% of the time, I do my own sheetrock, so there is never an issue, but when a crew comes in there, you never know if one of them has issues that day, or what's wrong with his head. Having pictures will make it a lot easier to know if they covered up an outlet, and where to find it if it happens.

I definitely agree. Back when I worked as an electrician, I had that happen many times, very frustrating. I’ll be sure to take pictures of every wall before drywall starts, so I have a good reference of where all outlets all.

 

[s219]

I take pictures of walls and ceilings prior to the drywall going on, and refer back to them year after year. It's always nice to know where wiring and plumbing is before I need to saw/drill/nail into a wall for later upgrades/renovations. Sometimes those pictures are the only clues I have to wiring or plumbing mysteries.

I have heard of drywall guys covering up can lights in the ceiling and nobody caught it until years later.

 

[Buppies]

House coming along nicely being dried in helps with the snow you have been getting for sure

 

[TnWV]

House coming along nicely being dried in helps with the snow you have been getting for sure

Yeah, if it wasn’t dried in, it would be hard to work out there right now, that’s for sure. With most of the insulation in now, I’m able to keep it pretty comfortable to work in.