After fifteen months ........

[Whizzer]

It has been fifteen months since Hurricane Ian hit our community and while the dmamage we had was minuscule compared to others who lost everything, to say it has been an inconvenience is a statement of fact. Our little retirement home lost the carport, roof on the sunroom and shed containing the washer/dryer. There were other things but nothing of the magnitude of some. For fifteen months my Bride has been washing clothes al fresco. These are photos of the property before and after Hurricane Ian hit.
Our Christmas present arrived Thursday morning when the crew showed up to strip and reside the house. Looks like it shouldn't be too long until my Bride can resume washing clothes indoors once again and we'll have a sunroof to sit and enjoy reading and best of all, a screen room under the carport where we'll have morning coffee, our favorite thing. Those large oak trees shade the side of the house and we are getting more hopeful every day they will survive although the arborist said because they lost 50% of their limbs they most likely wouldn't make it. So far so good.

 

[Magnethead]

It's amazing how long it takes things to happen. Was the bigger delay on the insurance company, or having the construction labor physically available?

 

[Whizzer]

It's amazing how long it takes things to happen. Was the bigger delay on the insurance company, or having the construction labor physically available?

Within a month after the hurricane we signed with a contractor and he notified us in August he couldn't do the full scope of work, so we had to start again. Luckily found a contractor on such short notice and signed with him in August. He ordered the siding from Certainteed because we wanted something better than builders grade which is what was being installed on the majority of homes in here. The contractor had it direct shipped from Certainteed and it was delivered Tuesday. They started work on Thursday. Not sure how long it will take them but average in here with others contractors is a week and they've been at it two days. Once they finish the aluminum contractor can start by replacing the roof on the sunroom and continue from there. No timeline from them as yet.

 

[Whizzer]

Today they are preparing the sunroom for siding. A long process. Once that is completed they will begin siding. Might not be able to finish top sections of siding until car port is completed and sun room roof replaced. Right now the roof is covered with a high wind, blue tarp. This is the second one the first withstanding the elements of Florida sun, wind and rain for a year.
Parts of carport are attached to house and installing siding before carport is finished would complicate matters. We're good with that as mostly glad people are working on the place.

 

[Whizzer]

WOW! When things happen, they get into high gear. The siding was completed within the week they started. At least the contractor was true to his word when he said, "we start a job and stay with it until it is done," and they did just that.
Getting the carport and roof replaced over the sun room is another story.
Once the siding contractor finished, we began calling the aluminum contractor every day asking them to just come and replace these room roof since the siding had been replaced, there was no way to nail the tarp without punching nail holes in the siding to secure it. Ergo, when it rained, like Morton Salt, it poured inside the sunroom. Fortunately the floor is tile over a concrete pad and everything else covered with a tarp.
Considering the aluminum company delivered materials for the job on December 15th, they did nothing else until January 18th. I twas noted not all of the aluminum was delivered and the contractor made aware of this as materials were delivered by a third party and the contractor not being on site did not know what was delivered.
I contacted them and made them aware of what materials were missing and how little the workers got done the day they were here and after a lengthy discussion with the contractor was assured they would return on the 22nd and replace the sunroom roof plus frame the carport and build the shed. Big issue was, we had changed a small part of the original plan and it meant going back to the county to revise them. Should not be a major issue as the change involves removing an extended portion of the carport and this would not affect the rest of the project.
Will be posting photos shortly.

 

[KTMLew01]

I have a hammer you can borrow? Couple or three staple guns. Air powered nail gun. Let me know. I'll text them to you.

 

[Whizzer]

Everything is done except for finishing the interior walls of the sun room. Getting the carport and screened-in room plus shed sided was a chore of sorts. Fortunately I applied some of my experience from fabricating and installing architectural aluminum store fronts and curtain walls.
The first day the guys showed up they unloaded all new ladders, work tools, saws, and stands for the saws. This sent a shiver up my spine wondering if they knew what they were doing or were just hired and bought new tools.
Day one they placed uprights next to house exterior wall spaced as previous carport supports had been. Next they installed posts for outside wall for carport but posts were not spaced same as interior wall and pointed this out. Foreman recognized mistake and after I laid out spacing for him, had workers place posts in proper spacing with exterior posts giving concentric appearance.
The work crew did not speak English and we communicated using Google Translator. The lead guy came to me the next day and showed me his message translated into English saying, "if you see anything wrong or want us to change, let me know. We want you to be satisfied when we are finished."
From then everything went well but I still had to watch everything they did.

They worked two days and skipped several days before resuming. Then worked a couple more days and wound things down to completion. They put siding on the storage shed but the inspector rejected it because he wanted to see how the backer board was installed so they had to come back and remove the siding. Inspector came and rejected the project stating they should use longer screws to attach the backer. The screws were all the way through the backer board and extending past the aluminum they penetrated but the code calls for 3/4 inch beyond penetration and the screws they used were 1/4 inch beyond. Inspector came and said to reside halfway up so he could make surety were installing siding properly which the did and the next day inspector came to look and found they had run screws to tight not allowing vinyl siding to expand and contract. So they had to come back, remove the siding and start from the bottom up making sure screws holding siding allow for expansion and were centered in slots. Final inspection approved the following day. What should have taken a week stretched into two months.
In the end we are satisfied but my Bride said she felt sorry for people who had no idea how these things go together and there are so many screwed up jobs with totally unsatisfactory workmanship yet passed county inspection. The end result is unscrupulous contractors taking advantage of people in a time of distress. In speaking with a chap last week, he told me he gave an 18K$ deposit to one contractor who has since gone out of business.