Trestle Tables

over the past few weeks I have redone and built a few tables and have decided too make a few more The first one was for a client that wanted a 4x9 foot pine table , it turned out so well that now I have some orders for more tables .

 It was quite the learning curve to make the first one ,I had to find a way to clamp the hole table together as well as sanding them down .

lucky for me I have a floor sanded and I used it to sand the table top smooth then hand sanded with the grain till I was able to take out all marks.

All of our tables are stained and sealed with 4 coats of varathane  and we use 100 year old hand made nails 

we have started to make tables with unique  item for legs that we salvage from places we pick from

as well as using stumps and old doors to make one of a kind tables .

come check us out at 7 bay st Baysville   we will be having a open house on july 27 during the baysville walk-about between 11 & 2 so stop by and see our tables and our home for sale 

The Kiss Theory

How many times have we herd this from business professional just keep it simple and you will succeed      

It sound so easy but  and heres the big but  we just need the money work slow so we jump at the chance to make some money with a job a little out side of what we do.

most of us have been there your doing a little yard work and your client asks if you know someone that can build a deck or dock .

maybe your a painter and they ask if you could instal some flooring .

well some of the time it works out but far to many times it turns into a mess and you wind up losing money  .

This sort of thing can damage a new business and many have been affected , the saying is true keep it simple and work hard to grow your company .

just today I have been to 2 job sites where things went bad one was a property management company  

tried to build a deck , it was a mess . the other was a handy man service fig they could build an addition  lucky for the home owner they did not get very far before she notice something was not right 

what kills me is how many people out there think they can do the work I saw a pic of a deck by a carpentry company on twitter today that has problems they have placed the decking back and forth so the the joint goes right down the centre off set by what looks like 12 " it clearly shows that these guy do not have the experience  to be on there own .

I do feel for all those people out there that find them selfs left with substandard work because workers just don't know when to say no.

If more home owner would ask for recent ref and google how the work is to be done then maybe just maybe this kind of bad judgement will stop.

Remember you only hurt your self in the long run for a little extra money now so keep it simple and stick to what you know best 

old to new

decks !!! many people have one attached to their home and as they get old and start to decay they stop using them and thats when your deck become dangerous . 

The biggest problem is that once the deck is built you start using it but most never maintain their decks

Thing like just keeping the trees and bushes cut back to let the wood breath and not to let the leaves and pine needles sit on it . 

You should shovel the snow off in the winter the added weight could do damage .

Inspecting you deck every year and fix anything that starts to show signs of decay or damage will help make your deck lasts , adding a stain or wood renewer every few years helps to extend the life of your deck .

If you stay on top of it you will not only keep the value the deck adds to your home but you will continue to enjoy your deck and not have to spend a hole lot of money to replace it .

From small decks to large out door living area fix , repair and maintain so you can enjoy for years to come .

here are some pic from a deck that was not looked after and needed over $15,000.00 in work to fix

Trades I Trust

Yes when it comes to making sure the job gets done right then I trust in my own trades .

I am constantly asked by my clients why I bring my Trades from outside the area when doing their project . 

It is simple when your reputation is on the line and performance will be judged you need to bring your game , many guys out there try to build with low bidder or un tried trades and soon find themselves in trouble .

Yes there is always luck and experience to help get you through but using   untried trades can and will complicate thing sometimes .

for this reason I take some of my trades with me when doing projects out of town  , I know their work and can trust them to do the job right and on time .

Just last week this was quite evident when I sent my tree guy's down to Toronto to cut trees down for my next build , the client was worried the neighbour  is a big problem  but my client was very pleased my guys not only clean their yard but cleaned the neighbour yard of all mess from cutting the trees down .

 The neighbour was happy and my client remarked to my tree guy that they can see why I was insistent on using my trades. 

The fact is my project must reflect the quality of work that is expected and for me to deliver that when ever possible I use only trades that I trust from other jobs that I have done or trades sent to me from my friends that are builder that deliver the same quality work that I do .

By sticking to this system I can control and deliver a project  On Time On Budget Total satisfaction  

  

Not Getting Paid

We all know how hard it is to find work and with all that it brings with it like having to deal with low bidders and fly by nighters .

just keeping your self and your employee working is quite a job in it self, so when  you do find work you put all that you are into it and hope that everything you do will result in leading to more work.

But even when you go over and above to complete your work with professional workmanship  and fix other peoples work all the time dealing with the owner sending other trades in and screwing up your time line. 

you do not expect to have to deal with not getting your money , but that is what just happen .

I went into this job knowing  I would have to fix the mess that the first framer had done .

the floor was out of square by 6" and the project was 2 month behind .

So in I come and not only fix everything and get the job back on track but take over and finish everything .

So after i spend 2 nights installing pine flooring along comes the owner and the stain they want is a rub on furniture stain sorry not what was quoted  , the wife decides that she wants the finish applied with some stain mixed in .

the next day they do not like the look so sand all day and start over he picks a stain half a bedroom done the wife does not like that .

Now 6 sat night and i still have not been paid for the pine install and now they want me to hand rub stain on all night , well not happening they will not pay extra so tell them no and then they decideI should   leave and now they will not pay me for the pine install which was a separate contract .

This kind of crap is what really tics me off you give the job all you got and the owner could give a dam they just think that you are disposable with no regard to what  not getting your money will do to you and your family.

Now what are you to do put a lien on the house well that takes money and remember just did not get paid , threaten  them well maybe might work but most often they will call police and them were will you be . 

I use social media to inform people just who they are and try to hurt them this way if they have a company then this can effect them but most often you will be out and without using violence to  make them pay people will just keep doing it .

in my case the owner is greg peterson  with growthadvisors.ca   and renovantage.com  president of renovantage inc    

Flood rebuilding

Over the past few weeks we have all seen the picture listen to the story of heartbreak and devastation that was all in thanks to the hight water causing flooding throughout muskoka and Halliburton .

As the water starts to recede and the damage is finally being inspected the cost are rising and with many not covered under their insurance it will be up to the home owners to deal with the repairs.
While this will give the local guy a chance to pick up some work it will also open the door for bad choices and fraud , as with all building projects when hiring contractors always ask and check ref,
always get 3 quote and never feel rushed or pushed to commit to a contractor .

now paying for material when they are delivered is common but large deposit is a red flag and make sure that the work is done and been inspected before paying .
remember all work requires a permit .
if your contractor brings in subs then make sure you get a clearance that they have been paid before you pay off the builder for everything.

Now with everything else it is very important that you do not try to do more than you can afford.
work with your contractor not against them set your goals and time line at the start .

remember just as many jobs go south because of bad contractor as do bad home owners

huntsville project coming to an end

well we are at the trim stage now soon it will be over and on to the next project
hear are some pic of the progress