Notes on DIY

Koontz - Jodi gets really revved up talking about Do-It-Yourselfing and she has some legitimate points. I appreciate that she has a protective attitude toward tradespeople and crafts men and women and that she recognizes the sweat equity they put in to perfect their trade. I want people like Jodi around to argue all the fine points that I'm not willing to hassle with...BUT...I disagree with Jodi regarding experience being the end all and the be all.

I don't believe that unions, education, apprenticeships, wages, licenses, or experience have anything to do with quality work. I believe that there is a difference between a tradesperson and a craftsman, (and I use those terms asexually, thank-you very much). I believe that there are many, many tradespeople who do shitty, passable, or fine work. I believe that a craftsperson concentrates on doing excellent work. I believe that it is an attitude of the mind, not something won through longevity.

I once watched a 60 year old carpenter, who had been plying his "trade" for 42 years, set a gorgeous piece of cherry trim wood with an 8 penny nail. I thought I was hallucinating! I turned to my partner in disbelief and watched my partner walk out of the room, shaking his head in disgust.

That "carpenter", was what my partner and I call a "shack bandit", and he had no business being on that job. Longevity obviously didn't do shit for his capabilities.

You don't learn craftsmanship by apprenticing-the person you're apprenticing under might well be that shack bandit. You learn craftsmanship because you care. This is where a DIY'er has it all over help for hire. You're working on your home. The biggest monetary investment you'll probably ever make. The place you want to spend the next ten, twenty, fifty years. You care about this place and with a thirty, (or even a fifteen), year mortgage, you have the time to learn how to do something the right way. You don't need to do it fast it enough to make a profit-you just need to do it right.

The guild system Jodi speaks about turned out work that was desired not simply because the craftmen had been trained well, but because what they did reflected on who they were. It had to do with pride and ego. We have a psychology now that tells us we can "instill" self-esteem in our children-what a crock! You can't be given self-esteem. You develop self-esteem by doing something and doing it as well as you can-and the next time, doing it even better.

As to the perspective test-I pretty much laugh aloud. I wouldn't be a teacher on a bet, with the system they have to work with and in. Do I think I could better educate my children than that system? Hell yes. Do I know enough about the law to represent myself? Probably not, but isn't that the fault of the damn lawyers who want to make such a complicated system of law that even most of them don't understand it? In a business dispute many years ago my partner and I went to find an attorney. I made the appointments with lawyers who "specialized" in real-estate law-each attorney kept telling us we had a solid case, just give them a deposit and they'd take it on for us. I was thrilled, but my partner, for reasons I still don't know and he claims were just instinctive on his part, kept telling me to make the next appointment. The seventh attorney we saw listened to our story, turned from his desk and picked out a book behind him, opened it and turning to us, flipped it on the table and said, "you're screwed". So the other attorneys either were shysters, or they didn't know their field-which was it? Being a "specialist" is no guarantee that you're any good. If anything, specializing limits your knowledge.

Now having gone on and on about this-do I then think everyone should do their own remodel or design? No, in fact I don't. I think everyone should do what they love to do and what they're good at. I think if you have a passion to do your own house remodel, that passion starts you off on the right track. Now you have to educate yourself-alot! But if you don't have a passion, you are far better off hiring someone who does.

My big bitch about the DIY shows we all see is that they tell my clients that the savings in money is the primary goal and worth everything they will go through by doing a job themselves. That is a fallacy-because you haven't saved a thing if you don't end up with a finished product you are happy with and can be proud of. So if you have the time AND the inclination, by all means, do it yourself. If you spend some time doing the right research, you can turn out a stellar job-but if cost savings is the ultimate goal, be aware that you get what you pay for-and don't call me-I don't bid jobs to be the lowest bidder-I bid jobs to do them right.

Citizens' and Poor Quality Building

Koontz - A reader writes:

I've long believed that the houses I've seen being thrown up are of poor quality and craftsmanship. It seems the focus is on getting it done as cheaply as possible instead of building it to last. What is the layperson to do about it?

I'd like to build a house in the next five years on my own lot. How do I get started learning more about the process?


There are many houses built that are, to my mind, of poor quality and craftsmanship, and I am often disgusted with the lack of consideration regarding longevity. Here on the West Coast it seems we actually build with the assumption that the houses will not stand the test of time! In my town there are few, (read none), new housing tracts that will be left standing in one hundred years, whereas our downtown district still has several buildings that have survived that long! But I disagree with Jodi's contention that, "the layperson doesn't have a lot of choice as a consumer in the selection of a quality dwelling". I believe that the consumer holds all the power in this situation. Sadly, they often don't know how to excercise that power. I'll pick up that topic in the next post, here's how I would handle the second part of the question.

First, you're on the right track knowing you need education. Take it where ever you can find it-visit housing sites on your cruising around days-especially at the framing stage. Tradespeople are often supremely happy to talk about their projects-get chummy if they have the time to talk with you. Ask about anything and everything you see-and then ask again at the next site you visit. There's almost always more than one right answer to every question.

Read everything you can find-and I don't mean "building for dummies". Read the magazines from Taunton Press, as Jodi suggested, and get some of the books they recommend. They always have a great reading list, from general information to very specific. At this point, you want general info. Don't get bogged down in how to build the best bookcase...

Read Tracy Kidders' book entitled HOUSE. A must for anyone who wants to attempt building from the ground-up. Use the internet. Taunton has a great chat room where builders talk and will answer questions-as much as I appreciate the DIY attitude, forget those sites-you need information from tradespeople who have been in the field for decades, not a couple of years.

Start asking friends/family/neighbors about the houses they've lived in or bought-living in a place happily is a great reference. There are some good builders out there and you're on a mission to find them. Often homeowners' actually know the name of their builder, (even if they bought the house 30 years after it was built). My mothers' house was built in the 50's by a local builder by the name of Grove. Every house I've ever come across by this builder has been a joy to work in, and I think to live in for the homeowners'. This guy knew what he was doing and hired people who built to a specific, and high, standard. I've got to assume there are still builders' like that around...(please let there be...) So talk to people who are buying and/or building now. Talk to them especially when they've been in the house a year or so!

In my area, there are big name builders who develop tract houses but there are also companies that specialize in one house construction. This is your contractor-and do hire a contractor! Unless you actually go to work in the trades for the next five years, you'll never be happy with a house built from the ground-up by a novice-I do agree with Jodi on that. When you find those contractor's who work on one or two houses at a time-and preferably one, start going to their job sites if you can. You've looked at tracts, now you have a bench-mark for the work you're seeing at these sites-and you'll probably notice alot of differences.

The current issue, (oct 2005), of This Old House magazine has an excellent article on how to hire the right contractor/architect/designer. I bought the issue for that article specifically, ready to laugh aloud at their recommendations-I'm such a snot! I ended up reading it aloud to my partner over lunch and we were both really impressed with the advice. If anything, it gave clients too much information-as with any business, I appreciate the advantage on my side...but there really wasn't a thing I disagreed with or could add.

From a perfectly personal perspective, I would recommend paying attention to what you really want in your house. If you need 3500 square feet, you will end up losing the craftsmanship and quality because the reality is that most of us can't afford it in that size house. There are still craftsmen and women out there, but quality costs and consumers too readily trade it off to get something else; like the latest bullshit counter-top material. It's the building that counts, you can always upgrade the cosmetics later.

P.S.-To hell with propositions, but I would pay attention to building codes as they are often more responsible for the lack of building quality than anything. Codes are to be considered "the minimum standard", much like "contractor grade" materials, and you can always build higher than that...and often should!. We now have "one coat" stucco and it's to code---it's an exterior coating that I can literally put my fist through as long as I don't hit a stud-the toughest thing about this stucco is the chicken wire behind it, so to hell with someone kicking my door in, all they have to do is walk through the damn wall!

What's a Citizen to Do About Poor Quality Building?

Fitzpatrick-

A reader writes:
I've long believed that the houses I’ve seen being thrown up are of poor quality and craftsmanship. It seems the focus is on getting it done as cheaply as possible instead of building it to last. What is the layperson to do about it?

Unfortunately, the layperson doesn’t have a lot of choice as a consumer in the selection of a quality dwelling. Sure, they’re a million tract homes out there, but very few quality builders, even though you’ll hear the words “quality builders” ad nauseum.

To change this, pay attention to propositions on the ballot that determine building wages and standards. Publicly object to developer tactics to abolish the Prevailing Wage on Public Works projects. These wage standards are what keep apprecticeship programs alive and skilled workers adequately compensated so they stay in the trades; professions like concrete finishing that can literally cripple your body in two decades. Object to school districts trading in high school vocational building workshops for computer labs; the graduates of which will then lose their jobs to outsourced technology. (Ain't no one outsourcing the electrical work on our new multi-million dollar courthouse or the tile floor in your neighbor's house.) Vote, vote, vote.

I fault lack of standards for the abysmal quality of our labor. Think of it, even the person who cuts your hair or changes the oil in your car must put in hundred of hours of supervised training and have a license. In California, a general contractor or a sub-contractor must be licensed, but there's no regulation any longer requiring any of the laborers working under him/her to have any training whatsoever.

Here's another problem; greed. Even if a large home building company hires professional subcontractors, (or even, god forbid, union-trained labor), they demand such huge discounts, that the framing, electrical, roofing, plumbing, drywall and flooring companies make so little on each house, they tend to cut corners and not care about the work. My husband owns and operates a commercial flooring company. We just got rid of our last production builder client. We work on a cost-plus basis, it’s very fair, but he kept squeezing to the point that we could not do the quality of work we insist on and have the job profitable. It's no surprise that this builder is currently being sued for substandard workmanship; several of his homes are literally cracking apart.

Once upon a time, a home builder was himself a craftsman. Now, he’s an MBA or the private-schooled son or daughter of a home builder, who’s never worn a set of bags (tool bags) in his life. They don’t build houses anymore, they build spreadsheets.

I'd like to build a house in the next 5 years on my own lot. How do I get started learning more about the process?

If you're going to have your own home individually-built, you stand a better chance of ending up with a quality structure. The problem is, if done properly and professionally, it will end up being more expensive than a “production” or tract house. (Not to mention the headache while it’s being built; hope you have a strong stomach/marriage). It’s economy of scale. Also, you’ll have to get a construction loan that will be converted to a conventional mortgage when the structure is complete. These are harder to obtain than an ordinary mortgage, have higher interest rates, and often require higher loan amounts.

There are all kinds of publications around that will teach you about the process. You can also e-mail us with specific questions and we’d be happy to expound. Peg and I are fond of The Taunton Press (see our links); anything by them is generally good, professional information. If you're interested in quality, avoid the plethora of books pitching being your own contractor. You might save money, but with all the poor quality work around, and no consumer standards, if you decide to run your own project you’ll have no idea whether your trades are actually doing a good job; because you don’t know what to look for. You'll also have to pull all your own permits, be there for each inspection, etc. A good building contractor earns his or her money.

As does an architect. You’d be surprised how cheap they are, and what a great structure you can arrive at with their help.

DIYing; The Right to Work in the Building Trades

Fitzpatrick- We did have a renaissance of quality building in American, during the heyday of the unions. The best construction workmanship occurred before WWII.

The need for postwar housing and the ensuing “Right to Work” legislation of the 50’s in California, diluted union power; with a corresponding gutting of the apprentice programs and plummet in the quality of building. Before, it was the law that a carpenter had to have X-number of years of training to be able to work on a construction site. Now any swinging dick has the “right” to swing a hammer on your house without ever having picked one up in his life. I could show you whole subdivisions in my community constructed by “carpenters” that have never had an hour of training but for what they are learning on your house.

Basically, it's legal in California for someone to be DIYing on your house, for money.

Would you like nurses or car mechanics to have this “right” to work?

The house I lived in before I was married was built in 1920. The tile in the shower was replaced in 1990; a 70-year lifespan. The house I live in now was built in 1990. The shower failed in 1999; nine years later.

Think about your stance on union labor as you contemplate your new tract house in ten years; the beam twisting out of place in your living room, a bedroom flooding due to poor grading, a shower leaking, a window sill rotting. Just wait. Or are you experiencing some of these things right now?

DIYing: Take the Perspective Test

Fitzpatrick-For those of you who DIY and are proud of it:

1. Are you a teacher? How do you feel about home schooling?
2. Are you a lawyer? What do you think about people who represent themselves?
3. Are you a doctor? How do you feel about chiropractors, healers, herbalists?
4. Are you a realtor? How do you feel about people who attempt to sell their own homes?
5. Are you are a writer, agent or publisher? What do you think of self-publishing?
6. Are you a welder? What do you think of the folks who mess around in the garage?
7. Are you a peace officer? What do you think about Citizens’ Militias?
8. Are you professional military? What do you think of politicians?
9. Are you a dog breeder? How do you feel about people who want a litter to experience the miracle of life?

I’m sure you’re very nice people, but that’s what we think about you.

DIYing; An American Legacy

Fitzpatrick-It’s the American way to do things ourselves. Back in the frontier days, we enjoyed sparse population, sparse materials and even sparser skills. Think about it. If you were a skilled tradesperson in Europe, baring religious or racial persecution, famine or disease, you belonged to a guild and earned the same decent living for yourself and your family that your ancestors made before you. In other words, them that done come here was basically unskilled.

So there you are on your homestead and you need to build your house. You are all you have, besides perhaps some strapping lads from the next township. I read a fascinating article in Harpers last spring about a man who collects antique farm implements and writes about such. He noted that the quality of American-made tools, even the old ones, never matched the Europeans’, because we didn’t have the benefit of centuries of the guild systems; whereby literally ten to twenty generations of the same family would work the same trade. Imagine what those guys know about their craft.

And what the average DIYer doesn’t.

The Trouble With DIYing; A Series

Fitzpatrick-I admire Peg’s admiration of the Doing going on after Katrina, and of the folks who Do on their own houses; especially if they learn something. DIYing with an open mind, care, money and a boatload of humility can produce some wonderful understandings, appreciations and pride in one’s developing skills. The problem I have with the whole DIY movement is when homeowners, and the home improvement industry, become arrogant about their relatively poor skills and disrespectful and dismissive of the history and legacy of the building trades.

My parents were DIY’ers. God help them, they still are, at 70 and 75. And as I’ve mentioned before, all three of their children became professionals; I’m a designer, one brother installs solar energy systems and the other is a B-licensed general contractor in California. We grew up watching two decades of cost-cutting, short-cuts, inefficiencies and half-assed construction; all while praises rained down for economy, ingenuity and design quality for a quasi-modern whole-house remodel (degradation) of a classic airplane bungalow. After this raising, we had to go out and try to balance the scale.

If you DIY, congratulations; you are either brave or ignorant. Be aware that you:

1. Will not be able do a trade better than someone who has spent 20 years doing it.
2. You cannot buy the same quality materials from a home center as you can from a specialty supplier.
3. You will be blissfully unaware of how bad your job actually is.

Now I must go. I’m late for my weekly gestalt session.

Regarding the Excess

Koontz - Jodi's head's-up regarding Dan Ho's website struck a chord with me. Think I'll be out to the book store soon for Ho's book-just to affirm that my current mood needs to be heeded.

My current mood has to do with "tipi" living-as my friend Lisa calls it. Nothing stays that can't fit inside your tipi. Many years ago I was in the tipi of a woman living on the edge of the Colorado River, and it was amazing what she could fit into that space! I was flabbergasted. Who would have thought they had so much room! But Lisa's point is that you can sometimes find yourself with so much "stuff" around you that it suffocates you. I agree, and it's time to pare the tipi down. I look around and realize I have too much furniture, too many candles, too many books, (that's a bit blasphemous, but it's true). Just too much. Time to re-align, streamline, get back to a style that I can move in. I truly don't know how it happens---one day there's just too much of everything and it does make me feel like an over-commercialized fool. I love the movie where there are a hundred candles burning, but frankly, it takes too damn long to light them and I can't breath once they are all lit! So out with the candles. That's just one example of the excess. I dated a guy once who said that you couldn't open a cabinet in my house without something falling on your head! That got to me and instigated the last over-haul. But he's been gone a couple years and somehow my old bad habits took over again.

So this week is dedicated to the neighborhood pick-up we have in my area once a year. I'll go through the cabinets and the closets and live by the rule that if I haven't used it in a year, it goes out. I won't entirely abide by the rule, but it's a good starting point. Then I'll go out and get Dan Ho's book, so I can feel good about myself, instead of bad...

Remodeling Ones' Life

Koontz - I thought Jodi's references to the importance of design and remodeling in the wake of Katrina were provoking-here's another perspective...

Catastrophic events always initiate re-evaluations, or it seems to me they should...

The issues that seemed so important five minutes ago suddenly shift because there are bigger things to think about now. Catastrophes actually make it very easy to re-align your priorities. What's interesting to me is that regardless of the nature of the event, people think in simple terms; someone needs food, or shelter. Someone needs comfort or comforting. Someone needs help; be it physical, financial, emotional. And often, the someone who responds, is someone who is use to "doing".

When disaster strikes there are two classes of people immediately on the scene-the professionals who are paid and trained to "do", and the DIY'er who is not afraid to say they are willing to help. Criminy, we all even know who those people are in our lives, they're the ones who show up the day you're moving!

In a big picture scenario, remodeling your house will not win you humanitarian awards-but being willing to learn about doing things will change your outlook on the world and make you a better person all-around because you're a person willing to try and "do". For all the jabs I could take at the influx of DIY shows, I do appreciate that in a real sense, those shows can help lead a person into a realm of themselves they may not have known existed-and that knowledge can benefit everyone.

New RSS Feed

Admin - We have a new RSS feed available. Click here to subscribe.