Drywall Nightmares

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I guess my first post was a little misleading, I do use the inspector but not to make a point, it just relieves me from having to find the boxes at my expense and going to war with the sheetrocker.

The inspectors in NC will right the violation on the red tag which I make a copy of and hand to the GC. If the reason for the red tag is covered boxes, there is not much that can be argued.

Roger
 
greg y said:
Maybe i should not post this here, but just need to vent a little we are timming out a 18 unit apartment building and are finding more buried boxes, cut wires, by the drywallers everywhere and don,t know what to do anymore. Started seeing this from the first 12 on rough and did some things differently to try and prevent it on the rest, did not help. What or how is the best way to prevent this with the next job if the G.C. uses this drywall company again so it does not happen like this again?
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You really need to state up-front in your contract that there will be a back charge for locating buried boxes and a charge to repalce any cut wiring.

I can locate most buried receptacle boxes quickly and it can be an easy money maker. I will located and cut in boxes for say $60 ea. all day long because I can average about 4 an hour. So let them bury all they want to.

I understand that people make mistakes so I will normally locate a couple of boxes free of charge because I can live with that but anything more is just sloppy work and they need to pay for it, it's the only way they will learn. I don't locate any recessed fixtures for free because if you can't see a recessed can then you are legally blind and should not be on the job.
 
That's a good point grolwer! I might add that to my contract. I have never had a lot of luck recovering back charges from GC'S.
I should have added to my post I will try everything else first but if they insist on covering my boxes I will get my hammer out.
 
growler said:
I don't locate any recessed fixtures for free because if you can't see a recessed can then you are legally blind and should not be on the job.
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Why do you make it sound like it's so much easier locating recessed lights? IMO it would be much harder to find any ceiling box as opposed to finding a box in the wall.
 
steelersman said:
Why do you make it sound like it's so much easier locating recessed lights? IMO it would be much harder to find any ceiling box as opposed to finding a box in the wall.
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I don't know what recessed lights you're looking at, but most any I ever saw have a lip for the high hat to go in that's bigger than any plaster ring on a device box.....and most times a make up box and/or ballast on top. A little harder to miss than a little old 4 square with a double gang or even triple IMO :D
 
daleuger said:
I don't know what recessed lights you're looking at, but most any I ever saw have a lip for the high hat to go in that's bigger than any plaster ring on a device box.....and most times a make up box and/or ballast on top. A little harder to miss than a little old 4 square with a double gang or even triple IMO :D
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I understand that, but if you really think about it, it should be easier to see the bow in the wall from a smaller box as apposed to a larger one such as a 6 inch recess light. Also a light being i the ceiling makes it that much harder to find in my opinion.
 
Hehe...Back in the 80's I was sledgesaw locater. Then got fed up with it. We just wouldn't show up to trim until they found them all.

I like the contract way....

"EC shall not be liable to locate buried wires, boxes, etc. Locating, opening up to be done by others. EC shall not be liable for repairs, patching due to the locating, opening up of said missing items as stated elsewhere in this contract.

EC shall be paid COD, a $250.00 trip charge, to identify/quantify said missing items prior to any work to commence.

EC shall commence work after, and only after, the above identify/quanitfy trip charge has been paid and said missing items have been located and opened up.

EC shall be paid COD, as a Change Order, a sum of $150.00/hr, above and beyond said contract price, to repair damages to boxes, wires, etc, as caused by location and opening of said items by others." :grin:
 
steelersman said:
I understand that, but if you really think about it, it should be easier to see the bow in the wall from a smaller box as apposed to a larger one such as a 6 inch recess light. Also a light being i the ceiling makes it that much harder to find in my opinion.
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Rock gets hung on the ceiling just the same as a wall. Yes it's harder to find once it's covered, but what I'm saying is that it's a lot easier for the rockers to miss in the first place. I've not had to find cans from the top but I have had to get in the attic to run the wire and make them up from the top because they were added in the design as an afterthought. It ain't pretty, and definitely NOT the highlight of my career.
 
steelersman said:
Why do you make it sound like it's so much easier locating recessed lights? IMO it would be much harder to find any ceiling box as opposed to finding a box in the wall.
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I took his statement to mean that recessed cans are harder to locate, not easier.

However, layout should make them fairly easy to locate.
 
Not drywall, but a similar situation with another trade:

During a cinema install, I was going to place the emitters for the assisted listening directly below the observation ports, that would allow me to mount them from the projection room instead of dragging an extension ladder all over. There were 8 of them to install.

The port design (which I objected to but couldn't get changed out) had the glass permanently sealed in the frames. I had coordinated with the GC and the glass contractor to make sure I would have my emitters installed before the glass went in. We all agreed on the idea that I would install my emitters right after lunch, staying just ahead of the glass install. I went about my other work that morning then went to lunch.

When I got back from lunch..ALL the glass was in!! I found the GC and asked him what was up..he had no clue and repeated what he thought was the plan as we'd agreed. He called the glass guy and was told, using language not suitable for this forum, that too bad deal with it. I told the GC to ask the glass guy to come back the next morning to remove the glass so I could proceed, and the guy could re-install the glass right behind me. More abusive language followed. I told the GC I would deal with it my way.

Out came my hammer and eight observation ports bit the dust. :D

I installed my emitters and gave the GC my card to send me a bill for the replacement glass. :D

I never did get billed, and that glass guy never worked for the GC again. (A huge loss as he was also responsible for the lobby walls, etc. so major money involved.) I did however work for the GC again.

I would not have taken such drastic action if the glass guy had acted in a mature and reasonable manner and we had come to a date/time to do the work.
 
Drywall Nightmares

The drywallers at this house never buried a box,not because they did good work but because the house wasn't wired yet and they rocked 3 rooms before noticing it.
 
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