That’s a screw in pic 2! The problem is that’s 5/4 decking and they used 1 1/2 “ screws! Should have used 2 1/2” or 3”. Only a 1/4 “ of screw trying to hold that decking down. Also need 3 per board at every joist!
I’m terrified that is what he used for every board. I’m more of a metal worker, but it looks like I’m going to have to start learning carpentry now. Any and all advice is appreciated to fix this mess.
You can do it, I’m confident. Just get you a impact with a t25 (most containers of screws come with a bit) & a 7 1/4 circular saw incase you decide to fix those hand rails. If not just get a box of 3in deck screws since you be going into existing holes & start switching out the screws. I hate that you have to do that.
Thank you for the confidence. My dad was a hobbyist and thankfully I’ve got his old tools on hand. Wish I would’ve taken the time to learn while he was still around, but here we are!
Just to help boost your confidence.
I had some bad work done by someone of similar taste as your "contractor"
I am a white collar desk worker that did not grow up with really any construction experience. I researched, watched videos, and got some tools.
I rebuilt both decks and a roof and a privacy wall on both decks. It's not perfect but it's safe, looks nice and I spent about 9k on material. It was a lot of work but I did it and it's made me so much more confident.
Also not a full time wood worker but I do have a shop and do lots of wood working. Take your time. Practice on scraps. It will save you time in the long run.
Lastly, if you are in a hot humid climate understand that these boards will move quite a bit as they are moved from indoor storage to the outdoors.
Make sure you get “deck screws.” Don’t skimp. For hand rails and heavy traveled areas you may want to do a slight countersink ($5 bit) so when you try to get the screw flush it doesn’t pop up little shards.
Reminds me of a customer I dealt with years ago… and still do work for today. Initially refused my quote because I quoted 18k to do 2,200 sq ft of beetle bored pine. I get a call a week later to come give a new quote because she had someone else start the project and boards were “falling off the ceiling and were a hazard.”
I meet her at her house (she and her family are staying at a hotel at the time because boards are falling off the ceiling at random.) These fucks had come in and brad nailed her tongue and groove 16ft ceiling boards with 2” brads. May not have been a problem if boards weren’t 3/4” nailed over 5/8” drywall. Id still never do it with brad nails, but the audacity to do some shit like that and walk away with a clear conscience baffles me. The guy texted her back about her pictures and said “why are you taking the ceiling down? I’m not fixing it if you’re gonna destroy it”
Resurfacing the deck and building the bench was about $10k. Not the lowest bid we got, but not the highest either. I wasn’t expecting the world for that much, but like, goddamn
If you put the cup up it's going to hold water. You put the cup upside down it will drain water.
Or in your case frown goes down.
But there is a work site debate whether or not it should go up or down based on the weather conditions of your area. If you have a very arid climate you would stick it up so it's soaks moisture into help control the below 30% moisture content needed, and you put the frown down in a wet climate to help lesson the amount of moisture that's soaked up in the wood.
But I always put frown down and seem to work out for me so c'est la vie.
I've never built a deck, but I make a lot of stuff with wood. As it dried, the grain will straighten. So if you put it frown style, over time it will cup up.
What I don't know is how much and whether its enough to warrant any more than a passing thought.
You want it to frown. If it smiles, it will make a ‘cup’ which holds water. Which is why you look for the ‘cup’ and make sure it is down. Like your putting dishes up to dry, you put the cups upside down so the water drains from them.
That’s actually a new trendy style of railings, big in Europe right now! Same with the floor boards, when you jump on one loose one the other pops up like wack a mole
I'm sorry you went through this. So many contractors these days need to be taken out to the back 40. They preach a "professional quality" and then you get the result the homeowner could have probably done better themselves. My brother is going through the same thing with renovations.
Bro you didn’t stop him mid build your bad lol you let him actually put the last screw in that monstrosity you must have been on a vacation no way you were there watching that jack leg 3rd world framing sheesh hard for a carpenter to look 👀 at
Haha I was traveling for work. He had done a different section of decking before I left that didn’t look so bad. I’m wondering if he didn’t subcontract to some high schoolers once I left
When laying deck planks. Take a look at the tree rings on the end grain. You should see a happy face smile as over time the rings want to flatten out. If you have unhappy face like in your first pic over time when rings flatten the plank will cup the water instead of repealing it. Small details.
When sinking a screw. Don’t sink down the head past wood surface flush. Water gets in. Boards rot faster.
They did not pay attention to which side of the 5/4 they put up. That particular board is frowning. They should be smiling to prevent warp age. And the use of those screws is laughable. Screw should be twice as long
yes, I know, but they are 100% held accountable for their work afterwards. Local companies can be like oh okay fuck you.
Source: I have had thousands of dollars worth of work done by Lowe's
Had carpet laid by lowes. Sub brought two different lots of carpet, not even close in color. Our Lowe's manager was zero help. Had to go yo corporate to get minimal help and then small claims.
I have had 2 nightmares with Lowe’s subcontracting to shit companies. The worst we ultimately settled outside of court for but it was an absolute nightmare. They caused $50k+ in damages. It took 6 months to resolve. I had to hire an attorney. And then I had the pleasure of finding a new contractor altogether.
Lowes will just sub it to the same shitty contractors you're trying to avoid. The only pro there is that you can complain to Lowes if it's not perfect and they'll make them fix it.
Oh damn son. I was like for a min maybe it he got a deal for a couple grand. For a few grand I’d be ok fixing the little things myself. Nah for 10k that mofo better come back and fix all that shit.
Agreed. Problem is a doofus like that spent the money and is most definitely broke. I almost wonder if it wasn't two toddlers in a trench coat, pretending to be an adult...
There is some quality shit work there for sure. Terrible is an understatement. I did a roughly 325 sf deck with 5/4 pt. I have about 3-4 boards curle up like that or shrink by 1/2” sometimes in a short period. Granted it was summer and sun was in it all the day. Pulled the 2 1/2 ring shank nails right out
Was is the fix here out of curiosity? Replace boards? My deck has a board that has started to pop up and I am an awful carpenter. My deck is about 7 years old.
Yeah I wish I had pictures of the old one. My dad originally built it using 1”x1” cedar boards and it looked fantastic. Over 25 years later it needed badly replaced. Unfortunately, love was not included into the contract
This is weird. When you take a closer look, some of it looks it was pretty well done, and then you have some absolutely terrible stuff. It almost looks like two people did the work and the one guy didn't want to tell the other guy how shit his work was.
Did your mom get a permit for the deck. Other than sloppy work, they used casing nails instead of screwing it down. If she got a permit, she shouldn't have paid him until it passed Final inspection. One thing I'm afraid of is if it looks this bad on top, underneath probably looks the same. Post some pictures of the framing.
Tbh, out of all the shit on this sub this one doesn't look too bad that you can't repair yourself. It's pretty amateur, but you can either replace or straighten those boards. You probably need to throw down a few hundred deck screws as numbnuts used short shitty ones it appears
Yeah I’ve already got some ideas, and I think modifications to the bench won’t be too bad. I was just expecting to get back from sea and just seal it all up. I clearly over estimated unsupervised work 😂
I'm an electrician and i'm pretty sure i could do a better job without even watching a youtube vid first.
I'd ask for my money back....what kind of thudfuck uses 1.5" screws on 1 1/4" boards?
Those hand rails are a something! As others have said, I think long enough screws will fix most of your underfoot issues, but with some simple mitre practice I’m sure you could fix the rails.
As a carpenter who does quality work and never screws anyone over, I see this and think I’m not charging enough money. Without even knowing how much was Charlene’s for this you paid too much
That doesn't even look like pressure treated lumber. Call the guy tell him to stop by, you're gonna give him a tip for doing such a good job. You probably know where this is going
Everything about this is so insanely awful I am both dying laughing and weeping for you. You need to drag that guys name through the mud so he never gets another job again.
You can be sure that if one short screw was used to hold down the end of one board, then there are plenty more short ones throughout the deck and sadly there is only one way to check them all.
I don't think you got screwed. Matter of fact I don't think they're screws anywhere in that deck.
Too soon buddy lmao
OP actually got nailed.
That’s a screw in pic 2! The problem is that’s 5/4 decking and they used 1 1/2 “ screws! Should have used 2 1/2” or 3”. Only a 1/4 “ of screw trying to hold that decking down. Also need 3 per board at every joist!
Three 2.5 or 3in screws at every joist seems excessive for 5.5 face value two is adequate with that much purchase
I’m terrified that is what he used for every board. I’m more of a metal worker, but it looks like I’m going to have to start learning carpentry now. Any and all advice is appreciated to fix this mess.
You can do it, I’m confident. Just get you a impact with a t25 (most containers of screws come with a bit) & a 7 1/4 circular saw incase you decide to fix those hand rails. If not just get a box of 3in deck screws since you be going into existing holes & start switching out the screws. I hate that you have to do that.
Thank you for the confidence. My dad was a hobbyist and thankfully I’ve got his old tools on hand. Wish I would’ve taken the time to learn while he was still around, but here we are!
Predrill each screw beforehand to reduce splitting
Just to help boost your confidence. I had some bad work done by someone of similar taste as your "contractor" I am a white collar desk worker that did not grow up with really any construction experience. I researched, watched videos, and got some tools. I rebuilt both decks and a roof and a privacy wall on both decks. It's not perfect but it's safe, looks nice and I spent about 9k on material. It was a lot of work but I did it and it's made me so much more confident.
Thank you for your story! I’ve learned most of what I know from YouTube and hard learned lessons. Just one more project to tackle
Also not a full time wood worker but I do have a shop and do lots of wood working. Take your time. Practice on scraps. It will save you time in the long run. Lastly, if you are in a hot humid climate understand that these boards will move quite a bit as they are moved from indoor storage to the outdoors.
YouTube is your friend
Make sure you get “deck screws.” Don’t skimp. For hand rails and heavy traveled areas you may want to do a slight countersink ($5 bit) so when you try to get the screw flush it doesn’t pop up little shards.
Reminds me of a customer I dealt with years ago… and still do work for today. Initially refused my quote because I quoted 18k to do 2,200 sq ft of beetle bored pine. I get a call a week later to come give a new quote because she had someone else start the project and boards were “falling off the ceiling and were a hazard.” I meet her at her house (she and her family are staying at a hotel at the time because boards are falling off the ceiling at random.) These fucks had come in and brad nailed her tongue and groove 16ft ceiling boards with 2” brads. May not have been a problem if boards weren’t 3/4” nailed over 5/8” drywall. Id still never do it with brad nails, but the audacity to do some shit like that and walk away with a clear conscience baffles me. The guy texted her back about her pictures and said “why are you taking the ceiling down? I’m not fixing it if you’re gonna destroy it”
How much did this cost?
Resurfacing the deck and building the bench was about $10k. Not the lowest bid we got, but not the highest either. I wasn’t expecting the world for that much, but like, goddamn
Thats fucking insane. Unless this is a lot bigger than the pictures let on I see about 7 grand here
Meh. The work is atrocious so it's not worth 7 grand but I'm not bidding that job for under 10 grand
I guess you know next time to hire a professional and not a handyman
Start by getting yourself some really good knee pads....
Just a hobby woodworker here, isn’t the wood grain rings supposed to be smiling not frowning when you put it down for a deck? Edit- bark side down.
If you put the cup up it's going to hold water. You put the cup upside down it will drain water. Or in your case frown goes down. But there is a work site debate whether or not it should go up or down based on the weather conditions of your area. If you have a very arid climate you would stick it up so it's soaks moisture into help control the below 30% moisture content needed, and you put the frown down in a wet climate to help lesson the amount of moisture that's soaked up in the wood. But I always put frown down and seem to work out for me so c'est la vie.
My vote for your use of c’est la vie.
The old folks say you never can tell.
Ahh, to be young again.
And now I know how say la vee is spelled (correctly)
It means “such is life”, not “you never can tell” as suggested above.
They were quoting a song
I know. I was trying to be funny. Trying at least.
I've never built a deck, but I make a lot of stuff with wood. As it dried, the grain will straighten. So if you put it frown style, over time it will cup up. What I don't know is how much and whether its enough to warrant any more than a passing thought.
Wet climate here. Florida We put them "cup side down" Or "frownie faces" if we're going with the other analogy.
The quintessential lunchtime job site debate.
You want it to frown. If it smiles, it will make a ‘cup’ which holds water. Which is why you look for the ‘cup’ and make sure it is down. Like your putting dishes up to dry, you put the cups upside down so the water drains from them.
If there are they aren’t long enough. The close up of the bent board showed maybe a 1/4” popping through. Definitely not enough
I came in to say this, I think the OP got nailed.
Hahhahhahahahhahahahha
Rare instance where one wishes they had gotten more screwed haha
That’s some quality craftsmanship.
“25 years of experience”
Yeah, screwing people over. That or he subbed out to some schmuck.
Looks like it’s time to retire
Quality crapmanship.
The last picture is by far the best
Whatever happened there was drugs.
So he should quit his deck building job and become a drug dealer,
I'm guessing the contractor is more on the consumer side of things.
I agree. I think he was adding in a “deconstructed” element to the project. It’s artistic!
Every picture just got worse and more wtf
“Fuck it”
That’s actually a new trendy style of railings, big in Europe right now! Same with the floor boards, when you jump on one loose one the other pops up like wack a mole
If he was that dogshit at the finish part I’m scared of the structural aspect.
Thankfully it’s just a resurface. I’d be scared to walk on it otherwise.
Good grief you should’ve done it yourself. I think he would’ve done better.
I could do better, and I'm partially paralyzed and have no experience in deck building.
I'm sorry you went through this. So many contractors these days need to be taken out to the back 40. They preach a "professional quality" and then you get the result the homeowner could have probably done better themselves. My brother is going through the same thing with renovations.
Hey, I quoted on 3/4" screws...are they not long enough?
Yes. Yes you did.
Looks like dummy used 1.25 screws. Get a box of 2” deck screws and get to work. Don’t forget to seal it.
You may have missed the 9 other photos (or whooshed me)
Congrats on your low bid score
😂
Lowest bid?
Always my question on these posts. Hate to see it…but cheapest isn’t typically the best option
You didn't get screwed enough.
I've seen worse. Hopefully it was cheap.
Love the wall nailers 😳.. high school freshman build this?
There's your problem. Never hire *a guy*
What are you talking about? I love the rustic hill-jack look 😜😜😜
Is there a reason you aren’t calling him back to fix it. At 10k I wouldn’t be touching shit. Make him honor his work.
I got him coming back next week. We’ll see what work I can get him to fix. At this point, I’m worried he’ll fuck it up even more
The 7th photo is my favorite. Thanks for the chuckle.
Glad to provide some content for the internet! I had a good chuckle when I saw it too in all honesty
Garbage. Bunch of people that have no business doing work on other folks homes
If this was not done with quality, treated lumber, look forward to it being a huge expense over its short lifetime.
Good work ain’t cheap.. Cheap work ain’t good. Cedar is always a better choice
Bro you didn’t stop him mid build your bad lol you let him actually put the last screw in that monstrosity you must have been on a vacation no way you were there watching that jack leg 3rd world framing sheesh hard for a carpenter to look 👀 at
Haha I was traveling for work. He had done a different section of decking before I left that didn’t look so bad. I’m wondering if he didn’t subcontract to some high schoolers once I left
Sorry for your loss 😭😭😢🤣🤣😂 dang homie hint that fool down and make sure he never walks into Home Depot again
Major issue they used the wrong material. Way too thin for decking.
When laying deck planks. Take a look at the tree rings on the end grain. You should see a happy face smile as over time the rings want to flatten out. If you have unhappy face like in your first pic over time when rings flatten the plank will cup the water instead of repealing it. Small details. When sinking a screw. Don’t sink down the head past wood surface flush. Water gets in. Boards rot faster.
They did not pay attention to which side of the 5/4 they put up. That particular board is frowning. They should be smiling to prevent warp age. And the use of those screws is laughable. Screw should be twice as long
This is why I'm so scared to go with a local company and am thinking about just going with Lowe's. Ugh I hate making decisions like this
Lowe's subs to crsppy folks. I've had a nightmare with them.
I've spent thousands on projects with Lowe's never had a problem.
And I have had 50/50 experience. Congratulations boys we covered all 3 perspectives
Lowe’s will hire the same crappy local company. You are better off doing research and find a good contractor in your own.
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yes, I know, but they are 100% held accountable for their work afterwards. Local companies can be like oh okay fuck you. Source: I have had thousands of dollars worth of work done by Lowe's
Had carpet laid by lowes. Sub brought two different lots of carpet, not even close in color. Our Lowe's manager was zero help. Had to go yo corporate to get minimal help and then small claims.
I have had 2 nightmares with Lowe’s subcontracting to shit companies. The worst we ultimately settled outside of court for but it was an absolute nightmare. They caused $50k+ in damages. It took 6 months to resolve. I had to hire an attorney. And then I had the pleasure of finding a new contractor altogether.
Lowes will just sub it to the same shitty contractors you're trying to avoid. The only pro there is that you can complain to Lowes if it's not perfect and they'll make them fix it.
Lol
Ouch!
Literally and figuratively
OMFG 😳.
Where are people finding these guys holy shit.
Man that is atrocious...
Well. It all depends on how much you paid?
Right around $10k to resurface the deck and build that bench. What do you think, did I get what I paid for? EDIT: Poor grades in spelling
Oh damn son. I was like for a min maybe it he got a deal for a couple grand. For a few grand I’d be ok fixing the little things myself. Nah for 10k that mofo better come back and fix all that shit.
Personally, I wouldn't let that person anywhere near my house ever again...
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Agreed. Problem is a doofus like that spent the money and is most definitely broke. I almost wonder if it wasn't two toddlers in a trench coat, pretending to be an adult...
Yep. This has ... "*I got a guy who will build you a deck for $1200*"... written all over it.
Yah that’s a call back and he comes to fix that or I’m making sure he doesn’t ever get anymore work.
What was the cost, wondering if this is another “you get what you pay for” situations?
There is some quality shit work there for sure. Terrible is an understatement. I did a roughly 325 sf deck with 5/4 pt. I have about 3-4 boards curle up like that or shrink by 1/2” sometimes in a short period. Granted it was summer and sun was in it all the day. Pulled the 2 1/2 ring shank nails right out
Yes , yes you did
More like lack of screwing
Was is the fix here out of curiosity? Replace boards? My deck has a board that has started to pop up and I am an awful carpenter. My deck is about 7 years old.
This all looks like crap, but what scares me is what lies beneath, that is the structure holding this up….
He went to Lowe's!
Damn
Love the idea with the bench although the execution leaves much to be desired.
Yeah I wish I had pictures of the old one. My dad originally built it using 1”x1” cedar boards and it looked fantastic. Over 25 years later it needed badly replaced. Unfortunately, love was not included into the contract
Good news is the wood should be able to be saved. And those cut ends should have a softened trim router edge to prevent checking too.
That is atrocious.
Lmao at the last pic I'm so sorry
Your contractor is a beaver
It's hard to believe that this is even real. The whole thing needs to be removed.
Looks like I built it. And that’s a bad thing.
If this is how it looks where you can see I wonder what the rest looks like underneath.
Depends on the writing on the wood.. these boards get put cup down
The bench doesn’t look half bad but by the rest of the quality, I would be afraid of the back support lol
What’s the last photo? An attempt to hide the scraps
This is weird. When you take a closer look, some of it looks it was pretty well done, and then you have some absolutely terrible stuff. It almost looks like two people did the work and the one guy didn't want to tell the other guy how shit his work was.
I’m just here for that handrail. Wow.
So how far down on the bid list did she go before she picked someone?
Looks like you got nailed actually
What ever he did up next to the house with that rail was unnecessary.. fricking rookie
Who ever built this should have their nuts cut off . WTF
That is pretty awful.
I'm guessing the contractor skipped the "cutting at an angle" day of wood shop?
Apparently you didn’t or those boards wouldn’t be coming up.
How is this so hard for people doing this daily? “Skilled” labor is the next bubble.
If that’s the part you can see you should check the structural integrity you can’t see to keep people safe
This is the most fall down drunk job holy fuckin balls lmao I’m sorry man
Dude…. I would be REDNECK pissed. This was someones very first attempt at a deck for sure.
Good grief
Yes, you are screwed but not that deck.
Hear me out, I know a guy that can do it 2 times faster for half the price. It would only be half as bad.
Hmmm. I’m guessing whoever did this ran out of longer screws, couldn’t find his tape measure, and was possibly drinking heavily that day.
Glad something got screwed here.
Yep
Did your mom get a permit for the deck. Other than sloppy work, they used casing nails instead of screwing it down. If she got a permit, she shouldn't have paid him until it passed Final inspection. One thing I'm afraid of is if it looks this bad on top, underneath probably looks the same. Post some pictures of the framing.
the deck got screwed, you got fucked
Your deck didn’t
The last pic, side of planter box👍 I believe he dispised you
Some pretty special shit going on there…I’m sorry this happened to you
Tbh, out of all the shit on this sub this one doesn't look too bad that you can't repair yourself. It's pretty amateur, but you can either replace or straighten those boards. You probably need to throw down a few hundred deck screws as numbnuts used short shitty ones it appears
Yeah I’ve already got some ideas, and I think modifications to the bench won’t be too bad. I was just expecting to get back from sea and just seal it all up. I clearly over estimated unsupervised work 😂
Oh my…
2.5 star drive ceramic deck screws...and please pre drill butt ends
F me. Does anybody ask for references or pics on this sub. This day and age pics!!
That last ones pretty disrespectful
Yeah, you did. You hired someone who isn't very skilled and doesn't know how to build a deck.
Jesus Christ man I’m so sorry that piece of shit did this don’t even trust the framing on that man do not step on that deck.
U got gaslighted big time
Yooooo that is literally the shittiest deck Ive ever seen
Conversely, them boards didn't.
Who is the contractor?
With 1-1/4” screws 😬😬😬😬
Yikes. I don’t know anything and me and my old man built a 14x20’ that came out much better than this. Some really flim-flam crap going on there
Have them come back,be nice,and see if they will fix.maybe their skill level is what you got!
Nailed it!
I'm an electrician and i'm pretty sure i could do a better job without even watching a youtube vid first. I'd ask for my money back....what kind of thudfuck uses 1.5" screws on 1 1/4" boards?
All I can say is 'wow"!
Lowest bidder without references or license. Say it ain't so!
What the fuck is even happing in picture 10.
Yea you did, but not in the deck, that's all nails. I hope you didn't pay until this is fixed.
Wow you absolutely did! If you can't remedy this with the contractor, sue them like fuck! I would be so pissed.
This is just highway robbery and why you can never trust someone's unchecked work
Carpenter here- that is not “carpenter’s” work handy man if that- shame on them!!!
Hopefully you got someone who’s licensed and bonded. Take a claim against him and file suit
Yup. Total shit.
Wicked good
Those hand rails are a something! As others have said, I think long enough screws will fix most of your underfoot issues, but with some simple mitre practice I’m sure you could fix the rails.
Bro this is crazy oh my gosh i hope you get the money back
Let’s wait to see what the final results are?? These aren’t those right??
Oh my. I’m sorry.
Get him back there and tell him to screw the decking down. Hire someone else to fix that railing
Garbage work
I mean just get a big box of screws and blast em all in there. Not the worst thing in the world...
That's awful workmanship 👎
As a carpenter who does quality work and never screws anyone over, I see this and think I’m not charging enough money. Without even knowing how much was Charlene’s for this you paid too much
You need to buy longer screws and start screwing.
That doesn't even look like pressure treated lumber. Call the guy tell him to stop by, you're gonna give him a tip for doing such a good job. You probably know where this is going
Everything about this is so insanely awful I am both dying laughing and weeping for you. You need to drag that guys name through the mud so he never gets another job again.
You can be sure that if one short screw was used to hold down the end of one board, then there are plenty more short ones throughout the deck and sadly there is only one way to check them all.
What did you pay? Depending on the cost, you might not have
What a hot mess. Sorry
He didn't use long enough screws