Wisdom Works: A large stack of new lumber

A house in my neighborhood has been in a partially finished state for a long time. The foundation has been layed. The framing has been done. The windows are installed. The roof has been shingled. The exterior has been wrapped. The workers who did these tasks left months ago.

As I walked by the construction site this weekend I noticed a large stack of new lumber. Being curious I approached to take a closer look. Someone was working and that someone turned out to be one of the people who framed our home. Up until the great recession hit he had worked steadily for many years as an experienced framer. I asked about the pile of lumber in front of us. He proceeded to tell his story.

His framing group had originally bid on the job but the owners in an effort to “save money” had gone with a “cheaper” alternative. The resulting structure could not pass inspection. In fact, as our framer tells it, even the most basic engineering rules had been ignored. For instance, no brick ledges had been created on the foundation. He and I glanced quickly over to the pallet of brick that had already been delivered. No brick ledge. No brick. He said the owners were heartbroken. Stucco is not what they had in mind. Not only that, but stucco was actually going to be more expensive than the original brick.

“The whole thing is going to be more expensive, take longer, and they are not going get exactly what they want”

What was the new stack of lumber for? Critical parts of the existing frame must be torn down. New and stronger structures will be built in their place. The experienced framer is working in partnership with an experienced engineer to save this project.

Do not make this mistake. Do not let this happen to you. Seek competent and experienced help. Do it early. Do not wait until it is too expensive. Do not wait until it is too late.