Waxahachie, TX Owner Build - A race to beat the baby!

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Jamie,

You need a hard-hat, clip board, bullhorn and a stretch-tee shirt that has "UNDER CONSTRUCTION" printed on it and a cigarette pack rolled up in the sleeve. Then the subs will learn to NEVER mess with a pregnant mother of six ;)

Good luck and keep the whip on them!!

Matt


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006
 
JoyfulNoise said:
Jamie,

You need a hard-hat, clip board, bullhorn and a stretch-tee shirt that has "UNDER CONSTRUCTION" printed on it and a cigarette pack rolled up in the sleeve. Then the subs will learn to NEVER mess with a pregnant mother of six ;)

Good luck and keep the whip on them!!
Matt
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Haha! Now THAT would be quite a sight!
 
The kids are probably so excited! I know my kids were just fit to be tied with the excavator in the back yard.

It is really awesome that you found a fossil.

I will say I can relate to them wanting to do it their way and not the way you want. I got so frustrated by this because some where flat out refusing to do what I wanted. Their way would have meant a pipe going through my deck up to my hose bib 14' up. That isn't including the problems with freezing etc... I finally won that one and have the water supply for my pool tied into my irrigation system. I totally understand but I wouldn't let up continue to get what you want. They won't have to live with those choices for years but you will.
 
PB's get paid to deal with this stuff. You are getting paid too by saving money. No one said it was easy, but think of it this way, if you did have a PB and wanted it done right, you would have had to do part of his job anyway in all likelihood...and not have had any savings at all.
 
bmoreswim said:
PB's get paid to deal with this stuff. You are getting paid too by saving money. No one said it was easy, but think of it this way, if you did have a PB and wanted it done right, you would have had to do part of his job anyway in all likelihood...and not have had any savings at all.
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This was exactly our reasoning. For me, I am happier being the person the subs come to for answers than having someone (PB) as a go-between, when the PB might not even be here those times questions might come up. I know there will be stress in some of the decisions we need to make on the fly, or situations we need to deal with, but it will be worth it (I hope!) in the long run.
 
ummgood said:
The kids are probably so excited! I know my kids were just fit to be tied with the excavator in the back yard.

It is really awesome that you found a fossil.

I will say I can relate to them wanting to do it their way and not the way you want. I got so frustrated by this because some where flat out refusing to do what I wanted. Their way would have meant a pipe going through my deck up to my hose bib 14' up. That isn't including the problems with freezing etc... I finally won that one and have the water supply for my pool tied into my irrigation system. I totally understand but I wouldn't let up continue to get what you want. They won't have to live with those choices for years but you will.
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Good for you for standing your ground! Following your thread, it seems like you had to fight hard for what you got, but the end result was fantastic. It is good practice for me to be polite but firm with these guys to get what we want. So far so good!
 
kimkats said:
"BUTTTTTTTTTTTTT this is how we always do itttttttttt" NOT here buddy! My pool=my money= MY way!

Good job!

kim
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Thanks Kim!

Hopefully I didn't make the guy sound too bad, but there is definitely a "we normally do it this way" kind of tone in what they tell me. Fortunately, he doesn't keep pushing me when I let him know what we really want.
 
+1 on being there to answer questions all the time. I feel like this is what makes it better than with a pool builder. Example: the guys were putting in my equipment pad concrete and were going to put the concrete flush to the shed. They wouldn't have asked anybody. They would have just done it. Because I was there I said "necesita separacion para que podamos moverlo en el futuro".

Also, I got small things for my workers at the beginning and end of the day. Breakfast tacos in the morning, offered beers at the end of the day. At the end of the tile job, we had tequila shots. I feel like because they know that I'm the owner who's paying, talking to them in Spanish, being nice, that they will take good care of me. Maybe they won't give me any special treatment but it feels right since they don't make that much and breakfast tacos are pretty cheap at Taco Cabana.
 

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And5555 said:
+1 on being there to answer questions all the time. I feel like this is what makes it better than with a pool builder. Example: the guys were putting in my equipment pad concrete and were going to put the concrete flush to the shed. They wouldn't have asked anybody. They would have just done it. Because I was there I said "necesita separacion para que podamos moverlo en el futuro".

Also, I got small things for my workers at the beginning and end of the day. Breakfast tacos in the morning, offered beers at the end of the day. At the end of the tile job, we had tequila shots. I feel like because they know that I'm the owner who's paying, talking to them in Spanish, being nice, that they will take good care of me. Maybe they won't give me any special treatment but it feels right since they don't make that much and breakfast tacos are pretty cheap at Taco Cabana.
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What a good contractor you are! I gave our guys chocolate chip cookies yesterday, does that count? :p I did remember the recommendation of beer, etc, and think I may be neglecting the workers, so maybe I should pick up the slack. I'm sure your treating them well won't hurt! Oh, do you want to come and be my translator for me? ;-) Fortunately there's been no trouble so far, but I'm a little concerned about the steel guys.

Here is how things looked at the end of day 2:


I don't know if you can tell, but that rock in the deep end has changed from the white limestone of yesterday. It's what they call "blue rock" around here and is very hard to get through. You can see how the chunks are much thinner and slab-like instead of chunks because it's so hard to chisel with the rock hammer. The excavator had thought he'd be done today (and I was optimistic by his saying so) but it wasn't to be. I know he was bummed because he's supposed to be in Waco excavating tomorrow but that will have to wait.

Rebar was supposed to go in tomorrow, but now it will have to be Saturday. Same with plumbing. I'm just praying the rain will hold off till I can get through gunite. Then I'll take all the free watering I can get!
 
Agreed about having rain hold off until you are through gunite, but going somewhere it's not. And certainly not caving in with that quarry.
 
bmoreswim said:
Agreed about having rain hold off until you are through gunite, but going somewhere it's not. And certainly not caving in with that quarry.
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You're right about the rock not caving in, but the top 18"-2' or so is clay and that's what I'm worried about. Just saying my prayers! :)
 
Wow. I think dynamite might have been a better choice than the rock hammer. That is a serious rock bathtub you've got there!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006
 
Looking good! Congratulations on your bun in the oven!
 
kimkats said:
I noticed the color change right off. That stuff looks pretty! How many truck loads have they taken out so far?

I bet he was bummed.......that is a lot of hard work! He gets his own 6-pack!

Kim
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I'm not sure how many truck loads. I thought I might be able to keep track, but life gets busy! :) I'm sure I'll find out today though because that's partly how he's billing me.
 

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