oops, meant to post this in conversations.

I think it's fair for you to ask them to please (in consideration of the neighbors) not talk on the deck until later in the morning. We have construction going on outside our bedroom window (urban) and we have had to ask the workers to remember that this is a residential building (it looks industrial). They were very nice about it, and I'm sure they just didn't realize they were bothering anyone.

As for the screw holes in the deck, wow, well, they can now replace your deck too!

Yes, it's a fine line between standing up for yourself and not turning the contractors into vengeful enemies. Believe me, I know. The guys who put new siding on my house would turn up at the crack of dawn and blast Howard Stern all over the neighborhood. They started a trash pile on the front lawn and threw the garbage from lunch in there. It attracted bees and killed the grass. I had to put a stop to all of that. It was hard to ask them nicely when I was shaking with anger.

I was really nice to my kitchen contractors but I still found out that they threw trash behind the walls. They didn't know that it was falling into the crawl space in the basement and was perfectly visible.

I could go on. We do have local laws that say noise cannot start earlier than 8 a.m. You should look into that.

I cannot believe they put screws into your deck. Of course you should not have to fix their slovenly work but perhaps by doing so you will send them a message, and them nicely express your concern. Do not be a milquetoast! Remember that they will want good references from you in the future.

So sorry you are dealing with this, as if renos are enough stress already.

Thanks guys, great advice. Just got an email from other neighbours saying they were there at 720 this morning (Sunday) and woke them up. We have a call out to the contractor. Sigh.

On the positive side, it is good that they are showing up, getting there early, and motivated enough to work on weekends. That is not always the case :-) and I wouldn't discourage that in any way! Find out what your city regulations are for noise/work hours, and ask them to honor that out of courtesy to the neighbors.

I would let them know you are close friends with your neighbors, and speak to them often. That may affect their behavior and lounging on the deck.

The deck situation is ridiculous. I'm with you on hating confrontation, but what they did is unsafe and destructive, and just plain dumb. Maybe fixing it yourself will send a message? There will have to be a discussion about it.

Showing up as frequently as you can is always a good idea, although it's not fun at all. During our remodel, I was so upset with our contractor over various problems, I didn't go to the house at all for the last six weeks of the project. It was making me crazy, so I just let my DH handle it.

Wishing you good luck! You'll get through it, I promise. One thing you may want to do is set up a regular weekly meeting with the contractor. I wish I had done that. Keep a list of issues and deal with them all at once each week, instead of playing phone tag or interrupting them while they're working.

Daisy, I think as with most all situations, it isn't what you say but how you say it and one's approach to what can be confrontational conversations can make all the difference. In regards to the noise, I would just take a walk to the site early in the morning and nicely let the the guys know that they need to remember it's a neighborhood and with other people living so close, noise early in the morning has to be kept to a minimum. Let them know you "appreciate" that they are there so early but you're getting complaints. In regards to the deck, when our contractor was doing our master bath, his crew didn't lay tarps on our still fairly new carpets. They were plastering or painting, I don't remember which but I was upset. The contractor was in the garage and since I got along with him very well, I just mentioned with a smile that I hadn't realized he was replacing our carpets too and when he said no, he didn't realize that either, I said well, your guys better get some tarps on them and quick or you will be. He hadn't been upstairs and able to see what they were doing yet, but he made a fast beeline upstairs and remedied it quick once I made him aware. My point is, if the contractor is running several jobs or not paying attention, he may have instructed that the deck be covered but didn't actually check to see what they had done to protect it. Also, it doesn't matter who hired the contractor you need to approach things with confidence that isn't rude but still says it is your property and you expect them to respect it. If his crew has ruined the deck, he needs to at the very least replace the boards that are ruined and I would just approach it very factually without letting the emotions take over. If he refuses, I would take photos and make a call to the insurance company, after all....he was their choice not yours

The decking IS ruined, so that needs to get addressed with them. I wouldn't fix it for them. And, even if the boards are unscrewed, at this point they have screw holes and are ruined. That seems a lot like protecting a counter by glueing cardboard on them. Unbelievable.

I'm extremely mixed about the noise complaints from the neighbors... Honestly, I'd be thrilled if crews were showing up at my home at 7 am on weekends to power the work through and would be tempted to tell the neighbors that "I'm sorry, but I'll be as understanding someday as you have to be now when you have manage to find contractors that will work these hours for your projects". We had a neighbor who was up until 2-3 am siding their home for a week or two a few years back. He worked long hours and when he could, he did these marathon sessions to try to finish up the project during our short season. We also have neighbors who mow early in the morning or into the evenings - or other industrious things. To me, it represents people who are investing in my neighborhood - and the sound of industry and productivity and motivation on my block is music to my ears. I'm a flexible neighbor, though, and the neighbors who focus so much on "code" just drive me bonkers. I think being in a neighborhood requires some give and take, but that's clearly just me. We have all kinds of nit-picky crap go down on the block with people who are protective of the street in front of their houses, get all wound up about how people are dealing with snow removal, etc, etc, etc

If, on the other hand, I found out workers were throwing their food empties behind the walls, I think I'd freaking fire them and throw them out of my house after throwing their empties in their faces. Good grief.

Oh daisy...I wish you didn't have to go through any of this. It sucks. It all just sucks.

Stand your ground is all I can say. If you don't like it, tell them. It's not worth the stewing and what not.

I would document everything and let the insurance company know...the loud conversations, the screws in the deck and anything else that comes up. I would make it clear to the insurance company that you don't relish the idea of having to visit the site morning, noon and night to make sure they are doing a good job, especially since these guys were not your choice. Take pictures when necessary.

When you talk with the contractor and workers....as nicely as you can....throw it back on them....."how would you like people speaking loudly outside your window at 7:30 on Sunday morning?"......."would you really screw plywood to your deck and want screw holes all over when you removed the plywood?" I I know nothing about construction but even I know this was an idiotic thing to do!

I would also let them know that you expect the quality to be the same as if they were rebuilding their own houses.

I feel so bad for you.....stay strong!

Find out what your city regulations are for noise/work hours, and ask them to honor that....

That wouldn't be good enough here, because they're allowed to start at 7 -- but that doesn't mean I want them loudly conversing outside my bedroom window (or my neighbor's) at that hour!

Workers can start at 7 on weekdays but 9 on weekends here. Good idea to check and to let workers know.

Do you know if these workers are just for the clean out and demo? They may not be the skilled workers. Maybe that's wishful thinking, but I'd talk to the person in charge and find out. If they are going to be in site throughout, you've got to put your foot down now. IF they are there forthe short term, I'd still let the boss know what is and isn't acceptable. You can be nice, but be firm. You have to move back in and feel comfortable calling it home again when they leave. The only way you wil have peace of mind is to know the work is being done right. Right now, it's not apparent that will be the case.

I would tell them you can understand reusing lumber to protect the deck but that you do not accept them damaging the deck by putting holes in it as part of that "protection." I would also tell them the haphazard approach you see out there will not be tolerated inside your home -- that you expect the work to be neat, clean and professionally done.

I am assuming they have pulled permits on the work. Make sure they have if you don't know. The sloppiness outside would make me concerned that they could get sloppy inside too and you want their work checked.

If you have any issues in talking to them or after talking to them, call your adjuster and tell them this contractor is not going to work. Focus on the damage they have done to the deck, the sloppiness and your concerns about shortcuts or safety on the work inside and the act that neighbors have already complained about the workers and you have to live there when they are done.

Fenced visiting with neighhbors will help with normalcy, but you might need some added stress relief. It might not be a bad time to take up yoga. Or matial arts. LOL

Laugh when you can, and good luck with it all.

Good point about talking to the insurance company. Take pics of the deck, document and get in touch with them. I missed the saga about it not being the company you wanted, but esp if the insurance company wanted the current company, I'm sure they will help.

I would take pictures of the deck, send them via email to the contractor (creating a written record) and very politely explain that it is not acceptable to (1) create holes in the deck in the name of protecting it and (2) create a tripping hazard by not providing a level surface. I would ask how he plans to remedy the situation.

I would also politely say that you have received complaints from the neighbors regarding noise. If you think they have violated any local noise/work hours rules, I would reference those. I would ask if he would please make sure any applicable rules are complied with and if he would please ask his crews to be mindful of the neighbors.

I would give your GC an opportunity to respond and fix the problems before going to the insurance company.

I am sorry things haven't gotten off to a great start and hope it improves from here!

I'm sorry you're dealing with all this extra stress! I wouldn't touch that deck. I'd also take photos and start a paper trail. I agree about seeing what they will do with the deck before going to the insurance company.

I have mixed feelings on the neighbor thing. I would see if there are regulations and agree with it's not what you say, but how you say it.

Be sure to find out about noise ordinances in your area. I know from experience about noise ordinances. I would contact your insurance company both about the early start, if it violates the noise ordinance, and definitely about the damage to your deck, and that you expect that the damage will be fixed as part of the CURRENT insurance claim. Your situation has been stressful enough without having all this extra grief piled on.

I was going to say exactly what yayagal said and go take photos of the deck screw holes they have already made and start a paper trail. Send them first to the insurance company and let them know you are not pleased with what they are doing to your existing deck and you will expect replacement cedar when the rest of the work is finished. Also be nice and let them know you appreciate them working on the weekends but that the neighbors have complained about the early noise. Don't re-do anything yourself.

I too have mixed feelings about construction noise. In a neighborhood, it's a given that things like this will happen. I would definitely check first to see if there is a city ordinance that covers things like power tools, mowers, etc cannot be operated before a certain time.

So sorry these problems have added to your stress.

Thanks so much everyone. It's been crazy busy. I decided to let DH do the talking. I wrote out what the problems were (they've also been using a toilet in the basement that is not hooked up and he promised he'd put in a temporary one they could use). I really think these are all minor issues and if we hadn't already been stressed over so much else, I would be able to look at it more calmly. DH spoke to the contractor this morning and I'll get a report when he gets home.

Using a toilet that is not hooked up? Oh my!

So DH spoke to the contractor and he was very understanding. He said he knew they were working on weekends but had no idea they were showing up so early. He agreed that 9 am was a more reasonable time and he'd remind them to try to be quieter. At first he said the deck was covered as best they could and then he went by the house to check it out himself and called back to say they had done an "idiotic" job covering it up. When I went back to the house they had removed it and replaced it with uniform pieces of plywood. I could see screw holes, but they weren't bad and I don't mind if they have to screw it down for safety. The toilet was his mistake and he'll get a temporary one put in today (glad I don't have to deal with the one that they used that isn't hooked up).

As DH said, I have to learn to communicate before getting upset. However, I think letting him make the initial call is going to be a good strategy as I do tend towards the dramatic and emotional :) Thanks for all the advice and, once again, having my back.

I'm the one that deals with everything around here in regards to the house. I agree that at the start of this, maybe let your dh start up. It might have saved me some upset. (our resto guys cut our our backsplash by just cutting out the drywall, ok, fine, whatever. They then drywalled over it. Ok, fine. What no one told us and it took my dad to think of it is that they cut all the vapour barrier that led to the outside wall and didn't repair it. They also cut all the corner bead, which was unnecessary and caused them to replace them all from floor to ceiling).

It'll be a long road and I'm glad you stuck up for yourselves. Wishing you sunshine, rainbows and unicorns for the rest of this process!

Oh lord, Aklvdb. I know professionals are always saying homeowners should just stand back and let them do their jobs, but it is that sort of idiocy that makes you realize staying out of it isn't an option. Yes, there are those who do immaculate work exactly as it should be done, but it seems those are rare and getting rarer.

So far daisy, the only people I would trust to do amazing work is my tile guy and my hardwood floor guy. We will be embarking on an ensuite reno and the company sounds good so far (in the design stage) but we'll see!

Everyone else sucks. I hope you get all the good workers!

Angie

So who is your amazing hardwood floor guy (if you don't mind my asking?)

It was through Image flooring. I think his name is Edmund! Came, worked, ate, worked, and beautiful work!

Angie

Thanks!

Oh Daisy, I'm so sorry you're having to deal with all this mess! It's bad enough you have the reno going on and living elsewhere while it's taking place, but having to deal with idiotic things like what they did to your deck, using a toilet that wasn't hooked up on top of your neighbors complaining to you about the noise, is just too much. I'm glad your hubby talked to the contractor "man to man". So many men in cases like this would just consider a woman's complaints as nagging. I hope all goes smoothing from now on.

That's great Daisy, I figured that was the case because as I mentioned in my earlier post that is what happened to us. I'm not the type of person to breath down necks, but realistically the contractor just can't be everywhere and most times, his help doesn't care so I do like to keep an eye on things and ask occasional questions. I also prefer to research the fundamentals of a project so I have a decent understanding of what each job entails.