Hi Sandy,

So sweet of you to check in on me!!! I have to say I am quite frustrated. I had the ceilings done, (scraped off the popcorn and then smoothed out). Once the popcorn was off we discovered that two ceilings needed to be completely replaced. When it was all finished, although the ceilings looked nice at the time, the contractor did a lot of damage throughout the house because his people were not careful. I complained every single day to him and checked on the house every day, yet they still showed no respect whatsoever for my house. So big fight with him about the money, which he did not get all of -- that's another story, but I need to use the remainder of the balance to pay for the repairs. He damaged the mantle, most of the window sills and door moldings and a large piece of the knotty pine in the dining room. All probably by leaning ladders against things without protecting them. And the bathroom floor which was new tile, and my brick patio in the back. And now the brand new ceiling is cracking.

Sigh.

I had the floors done, the old wood sanded and stained. My bedroom floor turned out to be in too bad of shape so they put a completely new wood floor in there. The floors look beautiful.

I have windows on order. Air/heat go in next amidst the other repairs. Then paint.

It's been just incredibly stressful. I wish I was not going through this alone.

Thank you so much for asking -- I really appreciate it!!!

How horrible! what is wrong with people today?

file a complaint about this company so it'll be on their record for anyone else who might consider using them.

I'm definitely going to Steph. With every agency that will listen to me!

Kiki, have been watching for you to show up. We all have such a deep interest in your sweet bungalow. Very very distressed that the contractor should treat you in such a shoddy fashion.

Yours is a cautionary tale of what can happen in the remodel of any house. Even paying attention does not always save the owner from abuse.

You are not entirely alone, if you count all the participants on this forum. We LOVE your house. You can always come here to vent, you know. And maybe find some direction when you feel adrift.

All the best. Look forward to your continuing adventures.

Thank you Moccasin! I appreciate all of you very much. It's nice to have this place to come to with all my fears and stress because I know you all understand. I can't wait for the time I am moved in and just dealing with making things nicer for fun and staying organized in a small space.

kiki I will tell you it was this forum and another I go to that got the manufacture home company to do the work they wrecked on our new home when building it. I showed them I had a large internet presence and if they did not do the work and do it right they were going to be smeared by me all over the internet. And then I showed them on the other site how many times a day my posts are read. They did not want Fleatwood smeared like I was capable of doing. so they jumped right on it and did the repairs. Still was a fight and I sympathize with you for the frustrations. I still have stupid gummy light switch and plug plates. I think I might just buy new.

Do not understand why the ceiling is cracking. That seems odd.

Hugs to you. Chris

Thanks Chris! You clearly know how frustrating and stressful it is. I long for the day when my stomach doesn't hurt and I'm not anxious every day. :)

So glad to hear from you. But am dismayed at what you are going through. Does anyone know if insurance would cover this guys distruction. If he has a license he should also have a bond which covers this....his insurance. I would not let any of the repairs caused by him ignored. One window frame is worth more than he is.

The stress must be awful when this wasn't what was expected. Do not let the crack alone, make him come back and fix it. It doesn't seem to me that it is the house, considering his work it is most likely his bad job.

We'll be cheering for you to get through all and with less stress.

Sandy in CO

Wow, so sad... I was hoping the neighborhood/historical ass'n you mentioned would hook you up with more diligent and respectful tradesmen. That historic gem of yours is NOT to be trifled with, as if it were some foreclosed 1990s tract shack that needed a quick flip for a REIT.

I would ditto making a claim against their bondholder, though I'm sure you don't need the additional stress.

We're pullin' for ya! Chin UP!

I am so sorry the workers were so careless with your house. We have had good and bad with this house and I understand how irritating and frustrating it is. Definitely complain and see if threatening them with internet exposure will get you anywhere with them.

We had some cracked drywall (done when the house was leveled) and we hired one of dh's customers to fix it. They sent one person, and I bet he was barely 18. He did ok on the kitchen ceiling, but he didn't do any of the cracks above the doors until I complained and then I watched him "fix" them. He just put mud over the crack, no tape. So then there was a bulge over the doors where the crack had been, and of course they re-cracked within a month. So now all the doors and windows need to be done again.

There are a lot of internet complaint sites. My favorites are complaintsboard.com and my3cents.com. Of course BBB is a good place to complain to, but they remove the complaint if the company responds to the complaint, whether it is resolved or not. I had a problem with Goodyear taking my spare tire, filed with BBB, and Goodyear just replied that they weren't responsible for loss of personal items in the car. Yeah, the spare tire in the back of my SUV was a personal item. Anyway, then BBB removed the complaint because Goodyear responded. At least with these other websites, the complaint is not removed.

Time to call in Mike Holmes. Holmes On Homes, HGTV. Let your sorry arse contractor get wind of that and see how fast he gets back over to do the job right.

Now, how about Angie's List? Have you looked into putting up a posting about him there? Shoddy work like that needs to be posted for all to see.

Arrrrgh! That kind of behavior really makes me mad. And it lends credibility to the belief that women get taken advantage of too often. As an honest male, I hate guys that do stuff like that. I hope he hits his thumb with his hammer every day for the rest of his life!

Scott

I'll second that wish. May the curse of the big thumb be his for life.

Sandy, Frixin, Marty and Scott, thank you so much for the support! I think I will see if I can post on Angie's list, and I'm definitely going to report him to the Contractor's Board. His damage has set me back time-wise, not including the additional stress. Like I wasn't already stressing big time... :)

I appreciate all the kind words and encouragement!