Painful Process for attic primary bedroom, ensuite bathroom & closet reno
Overall, we are pleased with the result of our renovated bedroom, bathroom and walk in closet. The space was in need of a complete overall, very dated, rustic and not really touched in over 30 years. Because of the age of the house and configuration of the this attic space, it was tricky and had many issues. While we understand issues come up ,the whole process was more painful than it needed to be. We were told it would be 10 weeks and we did pad that estimate with 4 additional weeks. It ended up being 23 weeks, with only minor scope increase. I got the sense that Jason was overwhelmed with the amount of organization and planning. His communication, planning and even measuring were not satisfactory. For example, he mismeasured the amount of hardwood flooring and tile. This caused delays ,which could hace been avoided. The vanity and closet system were paid for and ordered very early on in the cycle, but I got the impression they were only submitted a month before completion. With the exception of one worker who came in the final month, the workers were very unprofessional, sloppy and kept a very dirty workspace. The hvac contractor Jason hired removed the ductless air unit without draining antifreeze properly, so in the heat of summer we were without a working ac unit on main floor until I arranged to have it fixed. They also drained our rads and caused a problem that needed repair (additional $). I got the impression Jason chose contractors who he could pay less, but these contractors came with a different price - the drywall guy insisted on starting at 6:30am and made a mess, hvac guys caused more issues that needed repair, workers swore, left our bathroom a mess. All these things could have been minimized by Jason, but he was rarely here, or showed up for a little bit and disappeared again. I asked him to put up plastic to keep demo and drywall dust more contained to the 3rd floor. He did not do it. I asked him to cover the ac unit to protect it from demo and drywall dust and he did not do that either. Jason needs to invest in a space to hold equipment tools and supplies. Without this or a large truck, much of what he needs is on site (our house) or he has to go buy what he needs frequently,. He could have used his time more efficiently if he had the space for what he needs for any given project.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $80,000.00
- Company Response
i am glad that you are pleased with the overall result.
i am going to respond to the comments..i am not looking for any type of argument or back and forth. the job is complete and you are pleased with the result. thats ultimately what matters.
i am not above criticism as some comments and observations are valid as i always have room for improvement.
certainly this job took a lot longer than it could have.you live in a 110 year old plus house with many issues. there were dozens of problems and non ideal situations which i happily solved. oncluding thenfact that this was on the third floor, we could not carry full sheets of drywall upstairs, each had to be cut into. half. there was a multitude of odd framing from years old renovations which i corrected, the exterior walls are brick framed and uneven which required difficult strapping to get any kind of even drywall finish. the space was small so we did not want to frame new walls inside of the brick. the old plimbing was notched into the top of the floor joists, presenting a problem to relocate a new tub. we solved that issue
we had a totally new layout of the floor which i designed for you. raised the ceiling, etcthere was old cloth wiring and incorrect wiring. we had tonfix all that
i went above and beyond to fabricate and install period casing and moldings around your windows which i idid because i felt it was nicer for the style of the old house
i never disappeared from your job. i was on site every day. there are times that certain things were being done where i did not need to stand in a small space while other people were working so once i did what was needed i would often attend to other things outside of your house.
it is true that i undercounted the amount of flooring needed but i also spent a lot of time expeditiously solving the problem.and sourcing more. it took all of 10 days or so to get. the missing pieces were all deep inside the walk in closet and on a landing on the stairs. this did not affect work happening in the other areas
to speculate that i hired a cheap HVAC contractor is not a reasonable comment. i was on another job previous and a licensed HVAC contracotr was there and i asked him to come to your house to do a couple things. As far as i know he assumed he would be back soon, so he was aware of some of the issues left and would have addressed them on his next visit.your mini split did not get reinstalled until after thenwalls were painted...there was no more drywall dust. there was some cutting with a saw afterwards for casing but dust was minimal
I try to give the benefit of the doubt to people and stick with them as long as i can even when they may be having personal issues and i certainly tried to do this with Rob who had worked with me for 4 years
despite his increasing personal issues but the moment you said he felt he was toxic and you didnt like his swearing, i fired him and replaced him with someone newyour cabinetry showed up exactly as needed . its not accurate or true to say i waited to order it nor is it pertinant
and as far as the taper goes...considering all the framing issues there, i wanted Andrea the taper to come as his expertise was required. he does insist on an early start and i asked you before hand if this would be ok...your response was that you are all up and around by then and it would be fine.
i have done many many many different jobs of all size and worked for many different types of people . some get completed quickly and some take longer than expected. there are many reasons for all these different types of issues. but i have NEVER abandoned a job despite any complications, even when they hurt me financially, physically or mentally
i always get to the end.i am sorry you felt this was painful and felt the need to highlight these items.
i hope you enjoy the space for years to come
thx
