The structure of our second floor was raised so the carpenters could make the floor go over instead of through our existing ceiling. Now our stairs won't fit, our second-floor hallway has to change and a bedroom will be smaller. Some structure was made up of smaller pieces so that the weight doesn't go to the posts and beams don't have to be beefed up. Now we're finding that the roofs don't match. They're at different angles and don't meet. Now that the stairs don't fit, we're being told by the contractor that he won't continue until we get the architect to fix the mistake. He blames the architect, but the plans clearly showed how the roof and floors were supposed to be. What can we do?
A.
Sometimes all contractors get a bad rap for the work of a few really bad ones. Your contractor probably isn't at fault. Your framing crew leader is the culprit, but now there's enough blame to go around, because once all the lumber is up, do you think the contractor will simply say, "I see what you mean. We'll tear it down and start over"? The last thing most contractors want to do is start over or absorb their mistakes. They may not even realize the problem, or may just be skilled at not taking responsibility for the error. And contacting the person who produced and directed the plans, the architect, seems to be the last thing contractors or framers want to do. It would interfere with their ability to keep the project moving, and they'd have to cover the "adjustments" they make to get the project built.Some changes are absolutely brilliant and necessary. Some adjustments are convenient and downright dangerous, while others throw off the final outcome, such as your roof pitches. Imagine what I go through when I arrive at a job site and discover that a roof detail will now be an inlet for water. I point it out to the foreman, who launches into the usual "it will never leak" tirade. "Do not pay" seem to be magic words. They produce anger directed at me, but results for the owner.I have another project with a similar structure-over-the-floor-level-instead-of-through. The contractor is being told by the owner that the second-floor walls won't be changed. The contractor, who has been trying to manipulate the owner by telling him that the stair guy has it all figured out, threatened to walk if the architect doesn't solve the problem. Blaming the architect is a common smokescreen, and the owner, more savy from the experience, knows this and has been interviewing others to finish the job. The owner is sick of hearing the contractor's excuses, and wants a solution. I have two that the contractor won't follow. Both involve changes and eating the cost. Just remember, you aren't alone. Your solution is to not pay until you're satisfied. Once you pay, you validate poor or unsatisfactory work. Good luck.Readers are encouraged to send questions to: HERALD Homes, 379 Central Avenue, P.O. Box 220, Lawrence, N.Y. 11559-0220Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.
