Wife and I decided to do away with a wood deck and pour a patio/porch to replace the deck, had a hot tub by are garage so it just made sense to incorporate it into a patio.
Been running designs and ideas by each other for a few years, even talked to a contractor to a point of a quote of what we wanted last October but it got cold and we decided to wait till spring.
Enter my brother-in-law, he has been estranged from the family for a number of years but has been coming back to family functions recently. I know he dose handyman work and mostly helps a guy flip houses, other than that I knew very little. At mothers day we had a conversation and or plans came up, he showed us some pics on his phone and we drew up some plans on paper. He gave us a quote based on the drawing and we gave him the green light.
He showed up last week with a helper and demoed the old deck, all was good. He asked to keep costs down if he could barrow my skid steer which I agreed, I already had a pile of 53 limestone and told him to use what he wanted and where he could pile the sod, he agreed.
To my surprise when I came home, no sod pile and all the stone in place being compacted. He stated that the sod was fine under the stone as it was only foot traffic and that’s how it’s done, didn’t think that was kosher but he assured me It was fine.
Next morning came forming, he and his helper were busy driving stakes and 2x4’s when I noticed he was using a 4’ level I told him my friend had a transit laser thingy that I’m sure we could barrow but he Agin assured me he was competent enough without it.
Thursday before Memorial Day would be pour day he had stated originally, in our plans, that he would be pouring the porch and steps first but he had yet to form them, stated he would be pouring most of the slab first and the steps later and the order was irrelevant. My wife also inquired about the lack of curves she wanted with the original design and how he now had it laid out straight with 90 and 45* corners, also how he had a raised slab for the hot tub and its location was changed. He was the expert and what she wanted wasn’t possible was his explanation.
Wife was on vacation that day, he asked if both of us could help as he was short handed and it was just the two of them, his other help backed out. I had some work to do but said I would be there when he was pouring, wife said she would help all she could but had no idea.
The cement trucks and I arrived at the same time got boots on and asked what he wanted of me, wanted me on a rake, two of them on the screed and my wife would follow up with the bull float. All I could do was laugh, seriously you think she can run a bull float? Nope not going to happen, said he would do double duty then.
So off we went, mind you I have done some concrete as a farmer and been around while it’s happened but a job this size, no. When we started he told his help to grab the screed it was 2-2x4’s screwed together, yeah. Then I soon came to the realization that we had no wire reinforcement. I asked but was abruptly told he was the professional here and that was not needed on this job.
When we reached the part of the pour with the 8” block of cement for the hot tub the truck ran empty, he exploded on the driver that they cheated us a yard of concrete, it’s an old trick of cement companies to make money and they would be giving us a free yard.
He proceeded to start the bull float where we started but it had already started to set up, I knew it was hopeless but they started wetting and floating.
Friday he would form the steps and that agin the steps he had pics of on his phone that were curved with no edges or sharp corners would not fit in our design and he needed to form with 2x10’s and 90* corners.
They were both pretty wiped out from the previous day and wanted to barrow my post auger on the skid steer to install some post for the privacy fence, 6- 4”x 8’ posts installed 7ft above ground and one foot in. At this point I was disgusted. I might not be an expert in concrete but I know a fence post needs to be deeper than a foot, it’s my post auger. Told the wife he would be back on Saturday, had concrete ordered for Tuesday and wanted to form the steps. He never showed, no answer or respond to text
I‘m a patient man but I had reached my limit and he gave me just enough time to think about what had transpired. I called the concrete company, told them to not deliver anything unless it was ordered by me. They showed up mid morning surprised that I was home, the odor was unmistakable. Told him we had decided to go a different direction, no hard feelings on our part but we would no longer need them. Give me a statement on what we owe him to this point. In his mellow state he said ok, collected his tools and left. I have a feeling we have not heard the last of this and will not be together at family functions.
Did I over react? I feel that he put me in this position and I hate that. We are out $1500 for cement as I’m sure it’s scrap. Some other stuff probably at least double that but a lot of it is returnable Or I can use it around.
I fear our rekindled relationship with my brother-i-law is gone.
Been running designs and ideas by each other for a few years, even talked to a contractor to a point of a quote of what we wanted last October but it got cold and we decided to wait till spring.
Enter my brother-in-law, he has been estranged from the family for a number of years but has been coming back to family functions recently. I know he dose handyman work and mostly helps a guy flip houses, other than that I knew very little. At mothers day we had a conversation and or plans came up, he showed us some pics on his phone and we drew up some plans on paper. He gave us a quote based on the drawing and we gave him the green light.
He showed up last week with a helper and demoed the old deck, all was good. He asked to keep costs down if he could barrow my skid steer which I agreed, I already had a pile of 53 limestone and told him to use what he wanted and where he could pile the sod, he agreed.
To my surprise when I came home, no sod pile and all the stone in place being compacted. He stated that the sod was fine under the stone as it was only foot traffic and that’s how it’s done, didn’t think that was kosher but he assured me It was fine.
Next morning came forming, he and his helper were busy driving stakes and 2x4’s when I noticed he was using a 4’ level I told him my friend had a transit laser thingy that I’m sure we could barrow but he Agin assured me he was competent enough without it.
Thursday before Memorial Day would be pour day he had stated originally, in our plans, that he would be pouring the porch and steps first but he had yet to form them, stated he would be pouring most of the slab first and the steps later and the order was irrelevant. My wife also inquired about the lack of curves she wanted with the original design and how he now had it laid out straight with 90 and 45* corners, also how he had a raised slab for the hot tub and its location was changed. He was the expert and what she wanted wasn’t possible was his explanation.
Wife was on vacation that day, he asked if both of us could help as he was short handed and it was just the two of them, his other help backed out. I had some work to do but said I would be there when he was pouring, wife said she would help all she could but had no idea.
The cement trucks and I arrived at the same time got boots on and asked what he wanted of me, wanted me on a rake, two of them on the screed and my wife would follow up with the bull float. All I could do was laugh, seriously you think she can run a bull float? Nope not going to happen, said he would do double duty then.
So off we went, mind you I have done some concrete as a farmer and been around while it’s happened but a job this size, no. When we started he told his help to grab the screed it was 2-2x4’s screwed together, yeah. Then I soon came to the realization that we had no wire reinforcement. I asked but was abruptly told he was the professional here and that was not needed on this job.
When we reached the part of the pour with the 8” block of cement for the hot tub the truck ran empty, he exploded on the driver that they cheated us a yard of concrete, it’s an old trick of cement companies to make money and they would be giving us a free yard.
He proceeded to start the bull float where we started but it had already started to set up, I knew it was hopeless but they started wetting and floating.
Friday he would form the steps and that agin the steps he had pics of on his phone that were curved with no edges or sharp corners would not fit in our design and he needed to form with 2x10’s and 90* corners.
They were both pretty wiped out from the previous day and wanted to barrow my post auger on the skid steer to install some post for the privacy fence, 6- 4”x 8’ posts installed 7ft above ground and one foot in. At this point I was disgusted. I might not be an expert in concrete but I know a fence post needs to be deeper than a foot, it’s my post auger. Told the wife he would be back on Saturday, had concrete ordered for Tuesday and wanted to form the steps. He never showed, no answer or respond to text
I‘m a patient man but I had reached my limit and he gave me just enough time to think about what had transpired. I called the concrete company, told them to not deliver anything unless it was ordered by me. They showed up mid morning surprised that I was home, the odor was unmistakable. Told him we had decided to go a different direction, no hard feelings on our part but we would no longer need them. Give me a statement on what we owe him to this point. In his mellow state he said ok, collected his tools and left. I have a feeling we have not heard the last of this and will not be together at family functions.
Did I over react? I feel that he put me in this position and I hate that. We are out $1500 for cement as I’m sure it’s scrap. Some other stuff probably at least double that but a lot of it is returnable Or I can use it around.
I fear our rekindled relationship with my brother-i-law is gone.
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