Agreed. After building my garage the Squeeze and I sided it. Looks fine, even if you look pretty close. Thought "that was easy" and then wrapped our shed as well.
Enough of COVID...what are you doing to the house?
- Thread starter mimico_polak
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Excuse me? In Toronto contractors hire unskilled labourers, give them a days training and turn them loose on other people's houses. Their interests in the project end with the cheque being cashed.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
Siding, soffits, roofing and landscaping are all unskilled labor. That doesn’t mean the people doing the job lack the necessary skills or experience, it means they aren't certified in any trade.
Worker skills aren’t usually the problem, bad work is usually due to poor job supervision and oversight.
I have no doubt I could manage putting up siding but I also have no doubt that I would cack up flashing and trim at corners edges and windows.
That's my concern as well
Exactly. 'Unskilled labour' just means that it's not a certified trade but a basic knowledge of the work is required to not totally screw up a job (whether for oneself or a customer).
The quality of the labour is also commonly inversely proportional to demand. When the renovation/building industry has more work than capacity they tend to slap in warm bodies, specially at the lower end of the skill set tasks like siding, etc. If things are slow, most will keep their good guys and dump the hacks.
On many things DIY I always say, a pro hopefully can do it better but if I can do it good enough I will have at it. At the same time if I paid someone and got my good enough quality level I would be ******, more times than not that is what I would get--maybe worse....
On many things DIY I always say, a pro hopefully can do it better but if I can do it good enough I will have at it. At the same time if I paid someone and got my good enough quality level I would be ******, more times than not that is what I would get--maybe worse....
It could also mean they don't have the skills or experience.
No worries. Sidiing is like a big lego set. There's starter strips for the bottom. Special inside and outside corner pieces. J moulding for around windows and doors. And like lego you snap the pieces in before nailing - the trick is not to sink the nails all the way home. Siding will expand and contract thru the seasons and if you constrict it by driving the nails tight it can buckle in the summer heat.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
It could, but it usually doesn’t. Workers will take shortcuts, supervisors and leads on the job should check workmanship to be sure best practices are followed.
Not saying crap contractors aren’t out there- they are - and they do produce bad outcomes.
I’m in the biz, can’t count the times I’ve had them rip out and repair shoddy work.
Mad Mike
Well-known member
Typical mistakes/cheats:
Using 1/8 ply strips as the starter. Doesn’t vent, rots in a few years.
Randomizing joints. Novices may start with a full strip on every row, or every other row
Reverse tuckin corners on 2 story houses. Causes water to get behind siding
Tight nailing, short nailing, tight fitting to corner channels. Causes wavy or loose pieces
No kick out flashing at roof. I see this a lot.
No backflashinv of hardy or wood butt joints. Causes water leaks.
No strapping. Reduces ventilation. Can rot sheathing.
Incomplete housewrap under siding.
Poorly installed drip flashing at windows and doors.
None of these are ‘skill’ things. They are shortcuts with catastrophic consequences.
Well said and all things I had to be careful with my dad.
He liked to do some shortcuts that he’s done before and I basically ripped off any boards that didn’t properly set.
Now…I was militant and WAY overdid it….but as I said before, I’m extremely proud of the results and how it came out.
Need to redo some flashing….but it’s a minor issue.
I swear I’ll finish that brick veneer mortar this season….
The problem is naïve clients. No inspections for roofing or siding. Ten years later the shortcuts have become a six figure fix.
The ONLY reason I do my higher up roof is because I’m scared of heights.
I have a side split same as you, and those first few rows terrify me.
If it wasn’t for tjay. I’d do my damn roof myself as it’s coming up for replacement.
Unless my friends agree to 1.5….but over many tequilas in MX currently….they’re holding to their 1.6.
