Home Improvement/DIY Projects

[Sheik]

Staying with the smaller jobs you usually wont have to worry about permits either. You have any kind of license from Ca? OK does have a reciprocity for other states it's just a form and filing fee.

I had a C-39 in California that I let go about 6 years ago because I knew I’d never use it again. I already checked, it’s been dissolved.

I don’t need a license here to do what I’m doing currently, but if I were to get a license, I really wish I could obtain a plumbing license.

I’ve been doing it my whole life, but not enough years under a licensed plumber to get the work experience necessary to satisfy the requirement here. I’ve worked for a licensed plumber that won’t vouch for me, I’ve also did it for 10+ years under my dads now defunct B license.

I thought about going and talking to someone in Ada at city hall to see if there’s something I could do, but haven’t yet.

I’d love to get licensed for plumbing. As it is I’m not allowed to do in depth plumbing legally.

 

[bbgun]

I’d love to get licensed for plumbing.

let's see your crack

 

[Sheik]

let's see your crack

That costs extra.

 

[Cotton]

I’m not sure if I mentioned it or not, but when we decided to move to Oklahoma I wanted to go back to working in the trades. I had taken a 4 year break to do the restaurant thing with my wife, it was nice for a while, but I was really burnt out by the time we decided to not renew our lease.

I started putting my name out there a few weeks ago. Dropping off business cards, running ads in the local papers, stuff like that. I can’t believe the level of workmanship out here in this area. I’ve literally come across some of the worst workmanship I’ve ever laid eyes on the past few weeks. Lots of “the contractor took off with my money and never came back stories”, jobs left unfinished, done completely half-assed. Just some really bad shit.

I went to an estimate the other day, the owner had two different guys out from OKC to work on his kitchen sink. It was still leaking and the guy didn’t know why.

I knelt down to look and 3 of the shark it’s connections were leaking. They had busted a huge hole in the sheetrock to expose the drain line. There was a nail just chilling in the drain pipe that someone had hammered into it. Just a complete and utter clusterfuck. Two different people charged this guy for “fixing” the issue and never answered the phone or came back.

I spent 4 hours there on Thursday of last week redoing everything under the sink and repairing his dishwasher that he was told was broken. The dishwasher just needed to be hooked back up and have a code reset.

He was tickled to death to pay me $400 for the repairs and was shocked that I didn’t ask for money upfront or money to buy materials.

These people out here are so used to getting fucked over by drug addicted handymen that they just kind of expect it to happen.

Anyway, here are some pictures of work that was “completed” by the other two, and pictures of what I did to fix the issues they left this poor guy with. He was blown away that I took the time to install new Sheetrock and actually put the water lines back where they needed to be instead of looking like a god damned disaster.

View attachment 692726View attachment 692727View attachment 692728View attachment 692729

Good god, that is so bad.

 

[Cotton]

It was a hack job. When they cut the copper they must have used a sawzall or something, definitely not the right tool to cut copper. The cut was bad and the shark bite fitting was on maybe 3/8ths of an inch. Those connectors have to go on at least 0.9” in order to seat correctly.

No fucking way. Really?

 

[Cotton]

Good lord.

Welp, looks like ole Choco Chapo finally timestamped someone else.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Welp, looks like ole Choco Chapo finally timestamped someone else.

 

[Cotton]

I don’t know how realistic it is, but my 2023 goal is $100k with this business solely focusing on repair work, I’m going to try and stay away from remodels and projects that take longer than a week. I think it’s doable, but I also don’t know if the market will support $300-$400 per day in service calls.

Remodels and builds are what my brother does. My son is working for him and I have highly encouraged him to stick with it. I told him he could make a very good living doing stuff like that and if he stuck it out and learned he could start his own business. So far he is doing very well. The kid is smart and I have already taught him a ton, but working in new builds he had never done before so it's new to him. One day my brother told him to wire in a room with very little instruction and the boy ran with it and got it done.

 

[Cotton]

I had a C-39 in California that I let go about 6 years ago because I knew I’d never use it again. I already checked, it’s been dissolved.

I don’t need a license here to do what I’m doing currently, but if I were to get a license, I really wish I could obtain a plumbing license.

I’ve been doing it my whole life, but not enough years under a licensed plumber to get the work experience necessary to satisfy the requirement here. I’ve worked for a licensed plumber that won’t vouch for me, I’ve also did it for 10+ years under my dads now defunct B license.

I thought about going and talking to someone in Ada at city hall to see if there’s something I could do, but haven’t yet.

I’d love to get licensed for plumbing. As it is I’m not allowed to do in depth plumbing legally.

WTF?

 

[Sheik]

WTF?

Very vindictive asshole. He told me I was the best employee he ever had at one time. He’s pissed at me currently because I decided I didn’t want to work for him when I opened my restaurant.

Pretty disappointed in him, we were friends for a while before I started working for him.

 

[Cotton]

Very vindictive asshole. He told me I was the best employee he ever had at one time. He’s pissed at me currently because I decided I didn’t want to work for him when I opened my restaurant.

Pretty disappointed in him, we were friends for a while before I started working for him.

I hate people like this.

 

[jsmith6919]

Anyone have those rain gutter covers? We have a couple big oak trees and anytime there is wind it fills ours up with acorns

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Anyone have those rain gutter covers? We have a couple big oak trees and anytime there is wind it fills ours up with acorns

No, but I need to do that too. Buddy of mind just installed some, I've messed with the ones my mom and dad have, I just never got any for myself. Mine are under an oak tree also.

 

[jsmith6919]

No, but I need to do that too. Buddy of mind just installed some, I've messed with the ones my mom and dad have, I just never got any for myself. Mine are under an oak tree also.

Yeah I just cleaned mine this morning, think it's the 6th or 7th time Ive done it this year

 

[Chocolate Lab]

How do you guys scrape popcorn ceilings? I've done it in all but two rooms of my house. One in a smaller bedroom I use as an office, but the other is my much bigger living room with a tray ceiling. Ugh.

The best way I've come up with is to spray it with a decent amount of water, maybe a little vinegar, let it sit for 10 or so minutes, then scrape with a joint compound knife. But it's usually not perfect and you have to skim coat the whole thing anyway.

I've thought about not scraping it, just covering the whole thing with hot mud. It'll take a lot of mud but I won't have to make the horrible mess that scraping does. I did this in a bathroom that had painted popcorn (so really hard to scrape) and it worked okay.

Any thoughts?

 

[Sheik]

How do you guys scrape popcorn ceilings? I've done it in all but two rooms of my house. One in a smaller bedroom I use as an office, but the other is my much bigger living room with a tray ceiling. Ugh.

The best way I've come up with is to spray it with a decent amount of water, maybe a little vinegar, let it sit for 10 or so minutes, then scrape with a joint compound knife. But it's usually not perfect and you have to skim coat the whole thing anyway.

I've thought about not scraping it, just covering the whole thing with hot mud. It'll take a lot of mud but I won't have to make the horrible mess that scraping does. I did this in a bathroom that had painted popcorn (so really hard to scrape) and it worked okay.

Any thoughts?

Pretty much the same. It’s a bitch if it’s been painted.

I usually get one of those pump sprayers that you would use to spray roundup or whatever in your yard.

I usually soak it 2-3 times with water once every 1/2 hour or so, then see if it comes off east enough.

It’s definitely not one of my favorite things to do.

 

[jsmith6919]

Pretty much the same. It’s a butch if it’s been painted.

I usually get one of those pump sprayers that you would use to spray roundup or whatever in your yard.

I usually soak it 2-3 times with water once every 1/2 hour or so, then see if it comes off east enough.

It’s definitely not one of my favorite things to do.

Yep easiest way I've found too, it's just a bitch of a job

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I usually get one of those pump sprayers that you would use to spray roundup or whatever in your yard.

That's what I did too. I didn't wait as long as that, though, maybe that would help.

But I always have some areas where the paper gets torn off the sheetrock and that has to be repaired, too.

Plus, my house was built in 1980. It "shouldn't" have asbestos but it might.

Any thoughts on the mudding over it idea? I feel like then I could at least do it a little at a time. I have to admit all these projects are beating me down.

 

[Sheik]

That's what I did too. I didn't wait as long as that, though, maybe that would help.

But I always have some areas where the paper gets torn off the sheetrock and that has to be repaired, too.

Plus, my house was built in 1980. It "shouldn't" have asbestos but it might.

Any thoughts on the mudding over it idea? I feel like then I could at least do it a little at a time. I have to admit all these projects are beating me down.

I’ve never skim coated popcorn ceilings before. I’d be more inclined to do it if it’s been painted at least once.

I think it would be less of a mess overall. People definitely do it. Let me know how it comes out if you tackle it.

 

[Sheik]

That's what I did too. I didn't wait as long as that, though, maybe that would help.

But I always have some areas where the paper gets torn off the sheetrock and that has to be repaired, too.

Plus, my house was built in 1980. It "shouldn't" have asbestos but it might.

Any thoughts on the mudding over it idea? I feel like then I could at least do it a little at a time. I have to admit all these projects are beating me down.

I have to skim coat my ceilings in my entire house.

I’m too lazy to do it right now, but I’ll post a pic at some point. I tested an area and it’s going to take 3 coats to get it smooth. Lots of burning shoulder and stiff neck in my future. Like you, it’ll take me me time to do it. I’ll probably do 20 square feet at a time