Subscriber Poll Results

How long have KnowYourHome Subscribers have been homeowners?

•  37% - Less Than 5 Years

•  26% - 6-15 Years

•  37% - 16+ Years

We have a good mixture of homeownership tenure in the group!

Avoiding Contractor Shortcuts

Contractors take shortcuts to make more money. Surprise! Not all of them, but even the best ones do things they don’t even realize are shortcuts.

How can we prevent this and what are the common shortcuts taken?

Some skipped work steps or incorrect work can be due to incompetence as well. We need to be diligent about making sure the contractor knows how to do the work. Never assume they do.

One of the problems with these shortcuts contractors take, is that the impacts of the shortcut might not show up until years later. A skipped step may be critical to the durability of the project. A great example of this is garage floor coatings. Failure to properly prepare the concrete WILL result in a coating failure in just a couple of years.

Here are several general shortcuts to be on the lookout for:

1. No general liability insurance.

2. No W2 employees (staff on payroll).

3. Not following product manufacturer instructions (if you don’t see a physical copy of these on-site, it is almost guaranteed they are not following them).

4. Not following the construction drawings general notes.

5. Using lower quality materials.

6. Not obtaining permits.

7. Rushing and generally not thinking through what they are doing before doing it.

8. Using staff not competent in the type of work at hand

9. Not putting anything in writing up front

10. Not being registered with the local municipality

Here are several specific shortcuts contractors take:

1. Watering down asphalt sealant used to seal your driveway

2. Not flashing new gutters with proper drip edge, apron and kickout flashing

3. Less coats of paint than you requested or the paint manufacturer requires

4. Using cheap/reject/sale plants in your landscaping project

5. Electrician’s using cheap materials and components

6. Foundation contractors backfilling a new basement before bracing the walls

7. Foundation contractors pouring different elevation footers at the same time

8. Plumbers not routing pipes in a clean and organized way (even with pex!)

9. Painters not prepping the wall by cleaning and sanding

10. Using inadequate size/strength components

11. Not using all the required steel reinforcement bars (who is going to notice?)

12. Using warped lumber

13. Roofers not using the proper underlayments

14. Roofers using the cheapest shingles

15. Tile contractors not putting down the proper amount of tile adhesive, creating voids

16. Flooring contractors not cutting the bottom of door jambs to slide the flooring under

17. HVAC contractors not using the right size ducts

To recap, contractors take shortcuts because:

1. They are trying to save time

2. They are trying to save cost

3. They are ignorant of the proper way to do things

4. They don’t have the correct materials or tools on hand

5. They underbid the job

6. They are having money problems

For these reasons, we must be careful when vetting and hiring contractors. We need to ask good questions, get everything in writing, check their paperwork, and be on the lookout for the common shortcuts listed above as the work is being performed.

If you need help with your projects, never hesitate to hire an engineer or construction manager to assist.

Missed Our Past Newsletters?

Australian Unique Homes For Sale

1. South of Melbourne on the Port of Phillip

   With waterfront views, this 5 bedroom 5 bath home has an amazing english country feel. Asking about $5 million. CHECK IT OUT HERE.

2. On the Gold Coast, south of Brisbane.

   Located on the creeks right off the Tasman sea, the modern home is ideal for entertaining and boating. At about $7 million list price, this home has the most amazing deck. Featuring an elevator, dock and 3 pools, this home has it all. The views from the home are amazing at night! CHECK IT OUT HERE.

The Future of Water Heaters

The end is near for water heaters in our homes powered by electric coils or gas burners.

Electric heat pump style and “alternative” heating options are the future.

Many manufacturers are offering electric heat pump style water heaters.

The benefits of these systems are:

1. More efficient than electric coil/direct fuel options.

2. The heat pump both cools and dehumidifies the room in which it is operating. This is great for garages, outdoor sheds and closets.

3. No carbon monoxide risks.

Check out the Rinnai brand HERE.

Enginuity Power Systems has created this fantastic unit. With a small (quiet) natural gas fired engine on the top of the tank, waste heat is used to heat the water in the tank and feed your hydronic furnace.

When the engine is running, it is powering your home or recharging your whole home battery. This is all accomplished in combination with your solar panels.

Check them out HERE.

The content of this newsletter is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Always perform your own due diligence before making any financial decisions. There are no sponsors of this newsletter.