Another case on the People's Court, of a guy hired to assemble a kit for
a log home. He was to be paid 62 thousand, but he and the owner kept
arguing about the doors and windows. The contractor said they sent the
wrong ones. They said they'd sold 65 of these and only had problems
with one other builder. He m anaged to phrase a question right so they
gave him the right answer, Do you ever have to put in padding to fill a
gap. He says they said Yes, but that still doesn't say it was required
in this case. He also say he offered to fix it, but the owner, and he
I think, said they'd been arguing about this for weeks and he kept
refusing, until the owner kicked him off the site.

The owner had lots of pictures and they looked bad.

Of courze the testimony is edited to squeeze 3 trials in an hour minus
commercials, etc. But I thought the owner was right. And he won, and
got money for the second contractor to correct the problems.

They didn't quite say it but I think a contractor with 40 years
experience is more likely than a novice to look at the parts of the kit
and think, I can assemble this, without reading every line of the
instructions. So he got it together but there were gaps around the
windows and doors, that rain could enter.


The owner also said screws should be used to put in the windows, not
nails. Is t hat true? Is that because windows might have to be
replaced 30 years later because they wear out?

On 9/10/2020 4:15 AM, micky wrote:

They didn't quite say it but I think a contractor with 40 years
experience is more likely than a novice to look at the parts of the kit
and think, I can assemble this, without reading every line of the
instructions. So he got it together but there were gaps around the
windows and doors, that rain could enter.


The owner also said screws should be used to put in the windows, not
nails. Is t hat true? Is that because windows might have to be
replaced 30 years later because they wear out?



Unless it requires trim to seal there should b no gaps. There is a
rough size to fit windows and doors to allow for shimming to plumb.

I'd use screws. You have control to keep the window where you want it in
the frame. Bang a nail too hard and you have no easy way to adjust.

On Thu, 10 Sep 2020 09:09:24 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 9/10/2020 4:15 AM, micky wrote:

They didn't quite say it but I think a contractor with 40 years
experience is more likely than a novice to look at the parts of the kit
and think, I can assemble this, without reading every line of the
instructions. So he got it together but there were gaps around the
windows and doors, that rain could enter.


The owner also said screws should be used to put in the windows, not
nails. Is t hat true? Is that because windows might have to be
replaced 30 years later because they wear out?



Unless it requires trim to seal there should b no gaps. There is a
rough size to fit windows and doors to allow for shimming to plumb.

I'd use screws. You have control to keep the window where you want it in
the frame. Bang a nail too hard and you have no easy way to adjust.

I worked for 2ifferent window/door installation companies and all our
manufacturers REQUIRED screws to be ised for installation. Use a nail
and there was NO WARRANTY. PERIOD

In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 10 Sep 2020 17:11:07 -0400, Clare Snyder
wrote:

On Thu, 10 Sep 2020 09:09:24 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 9/10/2020 4:15 AM, micky wrote:

They didn't quite say it but I think a contractor with 40 years
experience is more likely than a novice to look at the parts of the kit
and think, I can assemble this, without reading every line of the
instructions. So he got it together but there were gaps around the
windows and doors, that rain could enter.


The owner also said screws should be used to put in the windows, not
nails. Is t hat true? Is that because windows might have to be
replaced 30 years later because they wear out?



Unless it requires trim to seal there should b no gaps. There is a
rough size to fit windows and doors to allow for shimming to plumb.

I'd use screws. You have control to keep the window where you want it in
the frame. Bang a nail too hard and you have no easy way to adjust.

I worked for 2ifferent window/door installation companies and all our
manufacturers REQUIRED screws to be ised for installation. Use a nail
and there was NO WARRANTY. PERIOD

The owner showed a picture of a window put in with nails. Finishing
nails, nicely set into the wood, but I don't think that part helps the
contractor.