The Three Stooges and Home Repairs

For the past couple of weeks, we've had workmen at our house doing home improvements. First, we had a new roof after our insurance guy found wind damage. I can't say enough good things about the roofers - Toby and his son, Nick. They did a great job, were friendly, cleaned up after themselves every night and honored all of DH's wishes in regard to protecting other parts of the house. We also had siding added, and the coordinator for those guys bothered Toby nearly every day to make sure he was on schedule and they'd be out of the way on the siding guys' schedule. Okay, a little irritating, but he wanted to keep things moving. The weather cooperated for the most part, and Toby finished the job on schedule.

Enter the three stooges. Now, I realize there is bound to be some inconvenience when people are working on your house, but these guys were like slaves with that coordinator holding a whip to their backs. They worked fast, and messy and were IN THE WAY a lot of the time. They blocked the driveway from 7am until 7pm (in fairness, Toby blocked the driveway, too, as he used his truck as a dumpster, but he wasn't there both before and after work hours). DH had some instructions for the siders as well, which they either didn't get or didn't pay attention to. One of the things involved fixing the outside water faucet they broke. Then, with all three of them crowded around the faucet, they made it worse. Wrenches on the driveway, they waved when DH drove in, and he had to point to their tools to get them to move them and make room for his car. Do you have to leave your tools in the middle of the driveway? So the scheduler sent out a plumber at DH's request since the stooges couldn't figure out how to fix the faucet. The plumber shows up and its "Let's Make a Deal." I told him the scheduler was paying for it since his stooges broke the faucet. Oh.


via GIPHY

When they completed the job, Mr. Scheduler decides the roofer guy helped him out by leaving his protection on those parts of the house DH wanted covered and will throw him a couple of bucks to thank him (because if the roofer hadn't extended that courtesy, the stooges would have ruined more of the house). So he brings CASH, puts it in a baggie, and staples it to the tarp the roofer left OUTSIDE. "I told him it would be here and I told him to get over here and pick his stuff up now that we're done." (more whipping of the slaves, except the roofer isn't one of his slaves.)

I have never been so glad to have a project finished in all my life. They're done now, provided we don't find something they've screwed up. The roofer is coming back to repair the NEW ROOF where they scuffed it up, and being the good guy he is, he says this is pretty normal for siding guys.

Did they do a nice job? Overall, I'd say yes. They put in long hours so I don't want to criticize overmuch, but it sure would have been nice if they were more careful while they were working instead of letting things fall off the house, banging into things on the way down. For the most part, they cleaned up after themselves. The end product looks nice, but man, the stress of watching them work! If DH had been home, he would have been out there yelling for them to BE CAREFUL every five minutes. And then to have a plumber who wanted to barter with me? (he did a nice job, he did a nice job, he did a nice job)

This was one of those times that I kept siccing DH on them because Mr. Scheduler AND Mr. Plumber took one look at a woman and decided she was dumb. Period. End of Story. Ignore what she says or try to take advantage of her "lack of brains." Mr. Plumber learned quickly not to underestimate me, and Mr. Scheduler can just deal with the wrath of the Big Guy.

Did I mention I'm glad its done?