Building a stick frame house in the woods in 90 days

[drifter2518]

Are the painters coming back to repaint the green walls? Or is it just your camera? Every picture from the fireplace down in the last set looks like they all need to be repainted. Looks like a big stain above the fireplace, then sanded joints bleeding thru on next, and 2 spots near the top by the ceiling.

 

[Pixguy]

Nice home, too bad the finish guys are not as conscientious as the rest.
I ran into the same thing on a house I had built in Florida last year. I ended up painting some rooms over cuz I didn't want the same jerks back. Don't know why they were put on my house so soon, but imagine not even taking the switch plates off to paint? Geesh.
But all are right, as long as the bones of the house are solid, the paint's an easy fix.

 

[pclausen]

The walls are all getting a 2nd coat of paint. That has been the plan all along. That said, there are definitely places that needs to sanding work before that 2nd coat goes on, and those areas will likely need a 3rd coat before they are right.

Here are misc wall shots I took today showing the issues.

Since it started to rain, I figured now would be a good time to light one of the burn piles. It kept a close eye on it given how close it was to other trees.

I also "tested" the parking area. I think once it gets expanded slight to where I have the red lines, it will be good.

Ron, I'll try to get a better picture of that bow in the ceiling next time I'm over there. Might try running a string too.

 

[pacerron]

Peter said:
Ron, I'll try to get a better picture of that bow in the ceiling next time I'm over there. Might try running a string too.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peter that might be a good way, or if you had one of those cheapy little Laser beam levels with the vacuum base you could easily check out the entire house.

Up at the front door area on the lower sheet of plasterboard that one of the folks saw sticking out, and you later photographed it head on; measure from the edge of the front door surround glass frame to that plasterboard wall at floor level, at the 4' high seam level, and at the top of the door frame. It looked like in one of the pics that the lower pb sheet is possibly bowed into the room going down in the corner. If the sheet is up off the floor a little that should not be the case, but often an extra piece of 2 x 4 x 6-8" long is (should be) added at the inside corners so there is a good nailing surface behind the pb for the baseboard end coming into the corners.Sometimes the little scab doesn't get nailed even with the 2x4 it is attached to or it is a little wider causing a bulge/angling of the pb at the bottom. It may just be a camera illusion but should be checked.

That trim piece they ripped and put on the end walls needs removed before they sand the ceiling boards. Whether they use a belt sander, orbital sander, or straight line sander, none can get close to the ends with that board along there w/o gouging the board. That wood is too hard to sand by hand and the black drive marks may be deeper than they think.

I'm glad you are going to be checking on them a number of arbitrary times each day this week. Don't give them a pattern to know when you are checking in.
Ron

 

[FairfaxStu]

I'm glad you are going to be checking on them a number of arbitrary times each day this week. Don't give them a pattern to know when you are checking in.
Ron

Ditto. This will put a huge amount of pressure on your contractors and their subs. I would probably spend the entire day there tomorrow, then come back at random times afterwards as much as you deem necessary.

BTW, are those walls painted with satin finish? If it is, that would explain it. However, if is flat, then it is a simply an awful job. Satin finish paint is really hard to make look perfect. Fortunately, my remodeller had a guy that could do it and make it look easy. I found out the hard way when I tried to do some touchups.
-Stu

 

[pacerron]

Ditto. This will put a huge amount of pressure on your contractors and their subs. I would probably spend the entire day there tomorrow, then come back at random times afterwards as much as you deem necessary.

BTW, are those walls painted with satin finish? If it is, that would explain it. However, if is flat, then it is a simply an awful job. Satin finish paint is really hard to make look perfect. Fortunately, my remodeller had a guy that could do it and make it look easy. I found out the hard way when I tried to do some touchups.
-Stu

Stu,
I don't see the paint as the real issue here.
To me the problem is with the taping of the seams and filling the nail holes. It doesn't look like a third coat of mud was put on in most areas and the sanding left a warbly mess like the fascias.
You can put on 10 coats of paint with a deep nap roller and the indents and protrusions will still show as a non smooth, non flat wall surface. Same as painting over peeled or chipped paint without filling and sanding the surface to level beforehand. IMO.

I hate painting, it is boring. That's why early on in our marriage I was sure to spill and drip enough paint on any inside painting jobs to make a mess for the wife to clean up. She soon got the idea that it was better for her to do the inside painting in the first place.
Ron

 

[FairfaxStu]

I see your point, Ron. After my addition was built and the rest of the house looked spectacular, I was still left with the old master (now a super nice guest BR) which had not been touched. The walls and ceiling were in horrible shape. So much so that I was thinking it may require new sheetrock. My painter came in, assessed it and told me point blank - there is no amount of paint to fix this. He said the way to go was to skim coat the entire room (20x15). So, he started by checking the drywall adhesion all around including and especially the ceiling. Turns out he used about 200 screws in various places, most in the ceiling. Then applied the skim coat which was 3x5 gallon buckets of drywall compound that he mixed down with water to make it easier to spread out. Finally, he did some light sanding and painted it. I never thought it was possible, but that bedroom looked like brand new and still does to this day.
-Stu

 

[pacerron]

I see your point, Ron. After my addition was built and the rest of the house looked spectacular, I was still left with the old master (now a super nice guest BR) which had not been touched. The walls and ceiling were in horrible shape. So much so that I was thinking it may require new sheetrock. My painter came in, assessed it and told me point blank - there is no amount of paint to fix this. He said the way to go was to skim coat the entire room (20x15). So, he started by checking the drywall adhesion all around including and especially the ceiling. Turns out he used about 200 screws in various places, most in the ceiling. Then applied the skim coat which was 3x5 gallon buckets of drywall compound that he mixed down with water to make it easier to spread out. Finally, he did some light sanding and painted it. I never thought it was possible, but that bedroom looked like brand new and still does to this day.
-Stu

There you go.
I grew up in a house that had sand coat plaster. To this day, I can remember the sore hands and worn/shredded out sponges from washing the walls down before my dad painted them with a brush. Years later and many coats of paint, they were still ruff when he sold the place.
Ron

 

[FairfaxStu]

Yep, I still have 2 of those sponges from the place I grew up:
Woltz & Associates, Inc - Real Estate Brokers and Auctioneers - Roanoke, VA
Somehow, I wonder if we did not regress in the move from lathe and plaster to sheetrock. Back in those days, you had to be a true craftsman to get a wall right. Nowadays, any jackleg can slap up some drywall and mud.
-Stu

 

[Beltman60]

That is some absolutely beautiful looking stuff, Belman. :thumbsup:

Thanks for the kind words Jay