More Than Father's Day

Dad with his kids, nephew and nieces

I am the son, grandson and nephew of painters. My dad worked for his dad growing up. Shortly after coming home from Korea, where he served in the Marine Corps he started his own painting business in 1952, one year before I was born.

Dad and me working on the Lake house

When I was 8 years old I was allowed to go to the job site with dad sweeping and cleaning. I eventually worked my way up to becoming the baseboard expert. I learned to sand, putty and wrap baseboards. Dad said when I could touch the top of the door casing without standing on a bucket I would graduate from baseboards. That was a day I longed for.

Painting a water tower

Dad had 3 passions; his family, his business and remodeling the homes we lived in. As a boy growing into adulthood it was the perfect combination leading to not only a career, but passion of construction. His passion gives me many happy memories related to my life in construction, the day he told my mom I was ready for my own hammer or Saturday mornings waiting anxiously as mom packed my lunch and dad finished breakfast so that we could get into the truck for the drive to work. What pride I felt sitting next to my dad holding firmly on to my lunch. My dad is no longer with us, but I still remember the first time he gave me a company truck and sent me out to paint a house exterior by myself.

Grandpa Elings

Dad taught by example and what he gave his 7 children was a legacy of hard work, resourcefulness, creativity and persistence.  He instilled in us pride of a job well done, to strive for perfection and craftsmanship. Cutting corners was not acceptable but continuing to learn and being open to new techniques was to be desired.

Grandpa Miller and Dad

Dad's other love; his grandchildren

Not so secret love; his ice cream

Five Ways Not To Write a Craigslist Ad Looking For Contractors

Have you ever read a Craigslist, or any other, ad looking for remodeling or repair help? Maybe you’ve actually posted such an ad? If we shopped for medical aid this way healthcare costs would be much lower, right?

"Date: 2011-05-10, 7:09AM
Reply to: Unskilled Labor
Need a 30x30 room plastered/drywalled and prime/ painted (2 coats)
We have all materials.
Couple days work, $100.00 (cash) for the job once finished
Please email your angies list verification page and a brief description of your company, also your bid for the job (if willing to do it less than $100).

* Location: USA
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
* Compensation: $100.00"

1. Always offer to pay in cash. This way you give the impression to the prospective bidder you are willing to become an accomplice by potentially skirting any State or Federal obligations.

2. Always state in the ad exactly how much you expect to pay. The contractor will be immensely relieved that there will be no need to waste time writing a bid or calculating what overhead costs are needed to stay in business so that they may do jobs for you in the future. Best of all you might be contacted by someone who is willing to do it for less than offered. What could go wrong?

"Need someone with a small tractor to move about 100 yds. of dirt in tight areas, scrape new grass to form a firebreak and scrape a driveway. 1/2 to 3/4 day maximum. (Do not need someone to tell me it will take a full day or more, or to show me how to "milk" a job!)."

3. Always tell the potential “contractor” how long it will take to do the job. This will put the “contractor” more at ease when dealing with you; they will realize immediately that you know way more about their trade than they do. Taking the time to research the time it takes to perform a task on www.howlongdoesittake.com shows you won’t be just any pain in the rear customer.

4. Always request a bid for your project by describing the scope of work in your ad.  Who needs the aggravation of contractors tramping through your home?  How much can such things as site conditions or matching existing material matter? What if the contractor had some ideas to improve the end product or make it less costly? What a bother.

"….If this job is finished to my satisfaction I have many other jobs to do around my house."

5.  Always promise more work. What contractor worth their salt wouldn’t want to bid a job cheaper on the hazy promise of more work in the future?  We all know you can lose money on projects as long as you make up for it by the number of jobs you do.

To be clear the person writing these types of ads or email are most likely not looking for a real contractor, they are looking for someone likely unlicensed, uninsured and not knowing the real costs of doing business.

To be fair not all homeowners are searching for contractors with the same goal in mind. Maybe some have been misled by how-to television shows or websites that portray to know the “right” way to find a contractor. I’m not saying don’t use Craigslist or whatever else you use to find someone to work on your house I am saying there are better ways to go about finding someone to work on your biggest investment.