---
title: Renovation Issues
image: https://davidawindham.com/wha/helene-1.jpg
hide_table_of_contents: true
draft: true
---

:::warning[Private Page]

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These are our notes related to the hurrican helene [repairs](/notes/house/helene) and post helene renovations on the [studio](/notes/house/studio), master, and [bath](/notes/house/bath). I'm using this page to share some questions and comments with the contractor and the boss. We've also started a document for the contractor [costs](/notes/house/kl-timmerman-costs).


## KL Timmerman Enterprises, LLC 

## Quality Control Issues

We've had some hiccups along the way, so I just wanted to start list of issues we've had with the general contractor and sub contractors so they're not forgotten if we need to reference them.

## Punch List

**Exterior**
- rear upper deck & railings
  - ~~deck light~~
- ~~chimney seal, cap, & wrap~~
- caps on doubled 2x12s
  - was told they would be caulked to look like 4x12s
- insulation and pipes in crawlspace
- gap sealant on gas exhaust
- proper drainage valves on hot water heater?
- gutters left metal intact from previous gutters
  - leaving visible gaps under the shingles that are large enough that small critters could enter the attic. 
  - ~~missing downspouts on gutters~~
  - ~~hole in gutter to right of entrance~~
  - water dripping along wood under upper gutter.
  - ~~leaking downspout connector entrance~~
- painting in spots
  - siding
  - paint spills on porch, side of house, and upper deck
- front doors - were measured but not follow up
- ~~haul off~~
  - ~~truss & doors~~
  - ~~ladder from painters~~
- replace 3 gallons of exterior paint 👈🏻

**Interior**

- bathroom hardware
  - ~~shower handrails~~
- ~~hvac ductwork~~ 
- ~~broken shower wand tube~~
- ~~bad water pressure~~
  - ~~remove water restrictors?~~
  - check sewer leak?
  - had failed to clean out heads on faucets.
- bathtub not properly installed 👈🏻
  - slides around
    - no blocking as specified in manual
  - no additional 2x12s as specified in manual
  - no backsplash or water proofing on the wall of bathtub 👈🏻
  - white caulk on bathtub filler
- sliding door not caulked
  - sliding poor trim paint/stain
- ~~ceiling fan~~
- paint on tile floor
- ~~no backing support for grab bars behind tile~~
  - ~~broken grab bar install~~
- damaged bi-fold doors
  - broken hardware on bifold doors
  - split wood on the base of closet doors
- door hardware for bedroom
- cracked floor trim from carpet puller
- ~~closet shelves needs to be split for attic~~
  - didn't closet shelves
- ~~carpet doesn't meet baseboards~~
  - carpet transition to tile 👈🏻
  - ~~feel tacks on bare feet~~
- dressing room 
  - drawers/hardware
  - stained seat top
  - lighting? extra switch? 👈🏻
  - ~~bathroom switches upside down~~
  - ~~stairway light switch~~
- lots of questionable drywall/paint work 👈🏻
  - crooked wall in bedroom corner
  - tape marks in ceiling
  - wavy at bed entrance - too many repair pieces
  - splotchy above bed
  - spots on bathroom ceiling
- downstairs ceiling repair from two separate leaks and jackhammer cracking 👈🏻
- downstairs bathroom paint 👈🏻
- stairwell trim paint baseboards


**Minor**
- window treatments 
  - tub / vertical blinds
  - remove curtain rod


## Management

- Timeliness 
  - slow pace - some contractors will work for just a couple of hours a day for a week.
  - took **over a year** to complete the project or **9 months** if you account for the truss manufacturing delay
- very little inspection of work - **NO** final inspection
- General contractor has only been by the site twice to check up on work
  - after the trusses were installed and after the the paint
- Assistant to GC not on site often
  - once on an emergency call after a leak
- Not much supervision of subs
- Communication lackluster
  - Inconsistent notice of subcontractors arriving onsite
    - sometimes no notice and sometimes just 15 minute notice
- Broken Sewer Line
  - blowout line crushed by one of the haul off trucks or the lift equipment
- Subcontractors
  - contractor 💩 in our backyard - dog was eating something and noticed the roll of toilet paper
  - contractors peeing in our driveway
  - contractor puked in the yard because he came hungover
  - left food trash in buckets upstairs that caused am indoor bug infestation
  - dumped rotten food in bushes
  - paint in bushes and on house in cleaning
- had to drive over to GA to confirm quartz because couldn't get what was promised
- didn't fix cut drywall in downstairs bathroom for three months
  - left it open and we taped the piece back into it
  - still not painted
- contractors on site past normal working hours
- contractor fishing in pond putting fish in bucket

## Craftsmanship

- studio left without hardware for three months
- leaking seal on pipe that ran into the wall and stained the ceiling on the floor below in both the den and downstairs bathroom
- hot water install mixed with cold water
  - we didn't have cold water for a couple of days
- covered existing electrical outlets
- didn't seal off area of drywall sanding
  - no ventilation or air treatment
  - didn't replace hvac intakes
- installed tile inset the wrong direction
- left hvac ducts unpatched for months. I finally patched them.
- poured water under the house instead of piping it out
- left a pile of debris in the yard for three months
- left the old sliding door in the yard for a month
- we personally hauled off several loads of trash
- popcorn ceiling has visible seams
- drywall not consistent or square in spots
  - dropping drywall at hvac intake
  - not square where the corners meet
  - didn't use the waterproof type throughout the bathroom
  - made patches where it should have been an entire board replaced
- ripped out a closet that didn't need to be removed
- threw away good materials and unnecessary demo
  - duct vents, bi-fold doors
- broke glass into the yard by tossing shower doors over the ledge
- didn't plug the two HVAC vents that were ducted into the closed ceiling
- found a previously split truss just one truss back from what was installed
  - didn't mention it to us
- left the extra truss in our yard for nine months
- didn't patch the ceiling until months after the trusses installed
  - $600 heating cost to heat ceiling area
- didn't tile all the way to the ceiling in shower as requested
- don't clean up after work
  - trash/food in yard, nails/metal in bushes
- paint on window hardware
- paint on tile floor
- paint spills on front porch
- had to repaint and drywall because of poor work
- didn't install backing support for grab bar
- spilled a heavy amount of paint thinner into the subfloor which then permeated the house for a week causing headaches and eye irritation. So potent that any heating element like our oven on the first floor gave off a lighter fluid smell for a week.
- put the new carpet down before the contractors had finished the other work
  - carpet has visable seams
  - carpet doesn't extent far enough under baseboards

## Billing

- quotes and invoicing inconsistent. 
- Showed up on site requesting payment before work was completed or inspected
- No discussion of invoicing changes
- Invoicing duplicate errors
- aggressive labor charges