From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein
DETROIT, July 13, 2023 ~ In this busy economy, it is not surprising the Guys get a lot of emails from owners who have had work done by contractors that don’t use well-written contracts and proposals.
What we hear from our listeners is that they “really don’t know what they should have gotten,” or they “have no idea what recourse is available to them” in the event of an issue arising after the work is complete. The common explanation is simple. “We tried for so long to get someone out here, we hired the first person that showed up with a ‘credible’ proposal.”
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July 13, 2023 ~ Chuck “The Inside Guy” Breidenstein and Ken “The Outside Guy” Calverly offer the knowledge and resources you need to make the home of your dreams a reality. Catch them every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon on 760 WJR.
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We get it. But you should know there are laws and rules that contractors are obligated to follow, and the good ones will do so not only because it’s required, but because, in most cases, the mandates represent good business practice.
Start with the idea of creating a good specification. The law says the contract must be clear in terms of what is going to be done, what will be provided, and how much the work described will cost.
How does a homeowner create or obtain a good specification?
The answer lies in talking with a great provider, one more reason to use the professionals like the ones at InsideOutsideGuys.com.
When the Inside Guy was still building homes, it was not unusual to have to bid on a specification he was not up to date or familiar with. A typical one might be the installation of a private water well for the home.
When cleaning concrete, it might be best to pre-soak tough old oil stains or black walnut-type stains, then spray with a 25 degree tip, working from the top of a slope to the bottom and using care and caution around isolation joints in the concrete and exterior housing materials like siding.
If you are going to install backer foam rods and special caulk in the isolation joints, then a pressure washer is a good way to begin cleaning out that space, but be aware the intense spray will “shoot” material quite forcefully out of those gaps.
With concrete drives and sidewalks, it is also a good idea to plan on applying a breathable sealer to the cleaned surface. This will help the concrete shed surface water and bleed out ground moisture.
If you are cleaning the walking surface of a wood or composite deck, be very careful.
It is always wise to verify with a product manufacturer whether a material can withstand power washing.
You might start with a dilute solution of dawn dish soap, warm water, and a stiff bristle brush instead of the power washer.
If you must use a pressure washing device, use all the caution earlier discussed and a 40 degree or wider spray tip at a 45 degree angle and well off the surface.
Clean one board at a time
A mistake commonly made on any surface with these machines is to use too high a pressure with too narrow a stream too close to the material.
Keep in mind that a concentrated flow of water can cut steel, so it can certainly etch or destroy concrete, wood, vinyl siding, and other housing materials.
One friend, ignoring all caution while cleaning his attached wood deck, actually severed the electrical connection to his air conditioning unit with the powerful stream of water.
The Guys have also seen homeowners who think using such a device on the roof is a wise decision — we disagree. Shingles are not meant to withstand the concentrated force of pressurized water.
Most such machines will caution they are never to be run without a supply of water to the pump. Running them dry can damage the device.
If you recently acquired a pressure washer, use it wisely and with caution. If you need a professional to do the work for you, go to InsideOutsideGuys.com.
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For housing advice and more, listen to “The Inside Outside Guys” every Saturday and Sunday on 760 WJR from 10 a.m. to noon, or contact them at InsideOutsideGuys.com.
