# Hacks and Homeowners: Post your stories and photos!



## Checkers (Jun 25, 2010)

Feel free to post up any funny and alarming situations you have encountered over the years!

Just a couple weeks ago I was called in to finish hanging an incredibly hard house. 25' stairwell, 18' vaulted living room with loft, all kinds of huge windows dumping onto the walls, the works. Supposed to be a Level 5 finish.

I asked the homeowner who was taping the job and he replied, "Blankity Blank Paint and Drywall" I had never heard of them so I asked around to a couple friends before I bid the job and no one had ever heard of them doing drywall. "Ding, ding, ding!" Instant alarm in my head.

A few days later the "taper" showed up and I talked to him for a bit and then threw out a simple question. 
*ME: "How long have you been taping?"*
HIM: "Oh, 4-5 years."
*ME: "Nice. Who did you learn from?"*
HIM: "Well, um, we weren't so much taught as, self taught."
*ME: *(In My Head)*  "Oh Sweet."*
That was it for that conversation.

A Few days later he showed up and I noticed him pre-filling with a 3 inch knife and carrying in his way too clean looking tools.
*ME: So how did you guys start taping?*
HIM: "Oh we taped a small remodel together instead of hiring a taper and decided, Wow! This is easy! So we bought a set of tools and have been taping ever since!"
*ME: (Sarcasm) "Oh yeah, anyone can tape, it's extremely easy. "*
HIM: "Hey, do you guys box your butt joints?"
*ME: "Yeah, of course! You don't?"*
HIM: "Oh no, we have never been able to figure it out so we full all of ours by hand."
*ME: "I see."*
HIM: "You guys use a power sander, right?"
*ME: "Ummm, no."*
HIM: "Dude you have to get one! It shaved two days of sanding off our first job we used it on!"
*ME: "You use it on smoothwall?"*
HIM: "Oh yeah it kicks ass!"


Wow. I was so scared for how this house was going to look finished...

We finished hanging while he taped and the next day we just had to check it out.
The tape on the flats was 6" out of some angles, angle tape had drug out close to 12" in some spots, 50% of their angles had holes in them where they didn't bother to fill on the first coat, ugh, it was terrible.

The next day they were still taping the first 100 boards lol, we noticed none of the backs of their closets were taped. So, being the nice guy that I am I decided to throw them a bone and see if they wanted to learn a few tricks to tape the backs of them. They said sure, so I pulled some tape out of the tube while applying pressure to advance the mud and they thought that was great, but they just caulk their closets..........Not just the top back angle, but the back legs, and in some closets, the right and left top angles!

The builder eventually decided to go with a swirl texture everywhere thank God but I really don't want to see how the job turned out either way. If I go back I'll for sure take photos!


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## Checkers (Jun 25, 2010)

*Homeowner*

Father-In-Law









I'm glad he took the time to hide the extension cord!









Custom built stair rails.









Custom build entertainment center that is 1" longer than the wall, lol.









Bar that doesn't match anything in the basement, and the door that opens right into the bar.

I'll post photos of the infamous flat mounted crown molding tomorrow.


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## M T Buckets Painting (Nov 27, 2010)

LMFAO, can you get a pic of the crown laying flat on the wall? I have broken ribs and it hurts to laugh but it is well worth the pain.:yes:


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## M T Buckets Painting (Nov 27, 2010)

I have a certain relative (ex father in law) who was helping my ex sister in law by doing her remodel. He hung some rock in the bathroom, by putting the bottom wall sheet in first. I will say that he took the time to make sure that the top of the flat seam was level. The big problem was that after putting the upper wall sheet on, there was a 4" gap in the upper angle. 

When I saw this, I asked why he did that. He got all offended and replied: Who is doing this job? Me or you? Then after I laughed a little while, he told me that he had intended on installing crown moulding in the bathroom. So I asked why crown only in the bathroom? He got pissed and sat down and started drinking beer.:yes:

The crown never ended up installed because he couldn't figure out how to make the cuts on it. Now there is a wall paper border extending onto the ceiling. I guess he had to cover the gap somehow.

Also, I was informed by him that drywall doesn't need to be finished if it is to be covered by wallpaper. Wow, was the one wallpapered wall in the living room a sight to see!:whistling2:

The trim job was the worst, instead of using prehung doors, he decided to make all of his own jamb liners and mortise the hinge pockets himself. Not a single door that he did would close right if it even closed at all. Then of course, the casings were a 1"x 4" with no miters. His 8" torpedo level was used to level everything, no matter how long or short it was. The parting stops were kinda level matched to an unlevel door and jamb.

The job reminded me of the 3 stooges house where when you flip the light switch, the toilet flushes.


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