Major renovation down to the studs that included all new electrical, plumbing, flooring and roof. The work also included an addition for the kitchen and great room plus a 2 car garage.
House Renovation: Everything taken down to the studs
Unfortunately, we did not have a great experience with this renovation or contractor. He did not use a crew with proven skills and same with some of his sub trades. As example, we had issues with painting. When we asked, we were told the painter was recommended by a "good buddy"and hired for the job. He did not personally know the quality or workmanship of this painter or his crew. Our project was first time he worked with this painter. Another example, we had to have closets redone. Looked like someone used wrong tools. We corrected this by hiring Courtney Closets which were great. Also, my basement flooring had to be re-installed 4 times. When initially installed, my floor had a horrible downward slope. I was told this was due to being an older house and if we ever had a flood, the water would have a place to go. Looked like we were installing a ramp. When I asked, I found out no material had been used to level the floor. Eventually they corrected. Our master ensuite had to be redone. The epoxy backing was not taken off the marble so the thinset did not stick. After a few months, grout started to crack and tile started to move. We worked with Schnarr Craftsman to correct this. When tile was removed in master and original sub floor exposed, we noticed nails were used. No screws. I do not feel there was a lot of attention to detail. We started to keep a list of issues and Chris would kindly walk thru the list, but could never commit to a timeline to address and resolve. Communication was average at best. I suggest when looking for a contractor, consider the following: Ensure you have a detailed agreement as well as work back schedule. Be sure crew is on board for daily clean up of job site and organization of tools. I have 3 young children and many times tools would be left out ( ie hammer, screwdriver, caulking material, etc) and I would have to remind folks to put this away so it could not be accessed by little ones. Look for someone who doesn't just want the space to be functional, but also pays attention to detail. My door trims , in some places, are uneven so they used white caulking in these areas to fill the gaps and just looks subpar and not professional. There are many other things I could comment on, but limited in how many words I can use. I do also think Chris is a great guy. Friendly and nice, but I think this scope of our project was too much for him and his crew. When having to address issues multiple times, it is a big disruption to have people in your house for months and months. Take a look at following: http://www.decormentor.com/2011/05/30/12-qualities-in-a-great-contractors/
