That's the message from a construction worker in a video that I came across on Twitter/X. It's less than two minutes long, and worth watching. PROFANITY ALERT: The speaker isn't afraid to drop F-bombs all over the place, but that doesn't make his message any less worthwhile.
Basically, the construction worker shows us the shoddy materials and workmanship that can be found in almost all modern construction, due largely (he says) to the fact that better materials often aren't available. As he points out, once everything's assembled and hidden behind siding, we'll never know how poor the quality is - until something goes wrong, or something fails, and we have to pay for repairs.
If he's right, the entire construction industry right now appears to be a giant rip-off. I don't see how it can be that bad everywhere, because it would surely have become a national scandal by now; but I'm prepared to believe that it's that bad in certain areas, or involving certain products. That being the case, forewarned is fore-armed.
Go watch the video, and learn.
Peter
22 comments:
My inlaws built a house in the last 10 yrs & it has had more trouble with junk building products. Exterior door frames rotting, cheap windows fogging up, stucco with moisture behind it & falling off & now it looks like the roof needs to be replaced. Oh and the very expensive Viking stove had to be replaced that's how they found out the door frames were rotted. My house built in 1963 still has the original kitchen appliances except for a new refrigerator.
just in my honey-do list experience i can tell the quality of everything is lousy. everything is a hair thinner, making it a hair flimsier too. osb has more porosity, more air gaps in the substrate, less glue. plywood veneers are both thinner and more knotty and cracks that weren't allowed before are okay.floppy as hell, bubbles, nail gun shoots thru it. new faucets i put in last summer need replacing already. and good luck getting straight lumber. its the chinese wiring and fixtures that worry me most though. i had a basement flood so looking at flooring. even the name brand/expensive stuff has lousy reviews. its a crap shoot whether you get good stuff or a bunch of lemons. same with appliances, car parts etc.
When we were house hunting in 2021 we discounted new builds after touring some and seeing yeah they may have fancy amenities and kitchens but the basics were poor like switches and vents not square and plumb, so we didn't know what else would be untrustworthy if they didn't even have the work ethic to get those right.
I lived in JD Vance's hometown in Ohio. The major employer is a steel mill. Several people told us, "Don't buy a home built in a strike year!". According to folklore, when the steel workers were on strike, they took jobs in construction at lower wages than skilled construction workers, with unsurprising results.
During a strike, the local economy tanks. Two things happen - the market for new homes dries up, so builders are in a hurry to complete the home and get it on the market to compete for the few buyers available. Second, the labor force increases, between the striking workers and the reduced demand for workers in everything from suppliers to fast food restaurants.
Was the effect real? I don't know, but we did make sure the house we bought was not built in a strike year.
I'm building a custom home and will be keeping a close watch on the material quality for sure. It looks like he is working home repair, not new construction and I wonder who provided the crap sheathing plywood.
Do we have any location information in where the guy is working?
Over 3/4 of my neighborhood (built in 2003/04) was affected by the Chinese Drywall scandal. Thankfully MY crib wasn't one of them as it was the 'model house' for this floorplan in the development, so one of the first ones built thankfully.
I can't even imagine how bad it's going to get, especially in wet hot climates like mine in Florida where a house can literally 'rot away' if it's bad to start with.
Lawsuits are going to abound in the next few, you watch!
We saw this in our last house while remodeling. The electrician told us that most tract home developments are built by less experienced technicians. We found electrical outlets installed backwards- among other issues. We currently live in a custom home and the difference is huge.
I'm a bit worried about this - I'm due to retire soon, and my wife is eager to celebrate by doing some remodeling projects we put off during the COVID craziness.
On the one hand, we've owned this house for over 25 years and these will be the first time we've updated anything significant since we moved in. On the other hand ... quality. And cash. Though I'd rather spend a little more to make sure the work is done *right*, not cheaply. And the updates we want - master bedroom/bath and kitchen - are both potential major headaches if not done right.
Define a 'national scandal' for me.
That doesn't bode well for the 'new' houses near us, does it?
Buying a home has always been a crap shoot. I watched tract homes built in the 70's being framed on cold days one day after the concrete was poured. Otherwise, the most basic part of the house was compromised due to the uncured concrete being loaded beyond the strength. The homes were thrown together, there were blocks of them in progress, and if you missed a day, everything could be covered needing your attention.
Today, unless you, or someone you trust, make a daily inspection of the progress, understand building codes and are willing to put on the brakes, you get what you get. Many materials are substandard, but some aren't. Built in appliances should never be the choice of the contractor. That, and all the HVAC equipment should be researched before purchasing.
I think you can get a good house in 2024, but only if you are involved with the complete construction. Bad homes have always been built, and incompetent craftsmen have plied their trade since the beginning of time. Realizing the cost is inflated, interest rates are ridiculous, a booming market means less attention to detail, and realtors never have your best interest in mind are what a potential homeowner should have in their mind, regardless of when the home was built.
had the head mechanic at a chevy dealership tell me don't buy any american made cars...he said new chevys are crap, new fords are crap, dodges are crap...nothing is made to last anymore...had to replace my fridge beginning of the year...7 years old...repairman said i can fix it but you can buy a new one for the what it will cost you to repair it...he said right now if you get 5-7 years out of a new fridge you are lucky...it's all crap...
"If he's right, the entire construction industry right now appears to be a giant rip-off. I don't see how it can be that bad everywhere, because it would surely have become a national scandal by now; but I'm prepared to believe that it's that bad in certain areas, or involving certain products."
I assume you've been following the Boeing debacle. Well it's not just constrained to homes and construction as a person with first hand knowledge, part shortages and substandard materials are affecting manufacturing. Look for this to hit the automotive industry as well with increased recalls and dissatisfied consumers.
Build back better or some such...
And the materials specs can make a huge difference.
Back in the 80s, DuPont? came out with polybutelyene water pipe, and swore that it would last forever.
Many developments in Texas used it to build houses on slab foundations.
20 years later, all the plumbing failed. Cost DuPont millions. It wasn't the pipe. Cheaper plastic was used for the joints, and it failed.
When we remodeled with Pex pipe, speced brass fittings. Checked halfway through the job, they were using plastic. Told them to tear it out and fix it to contract. They wanted to charge me for it, but reconsidered when I told them to gave their lawyer call me.
John in Indy
Last year I tried to build a house. Initially was quoted $375k for a 1800 sq/ft house. The builder took our plans and ghosted us for a month. He finally came back with a revised quote of $550k and twice the timeline due to material unviability. Concrete has tripled in price in the past 5 years. Then there is the $80 a sheet of 3/4 plywood.
Our house was built in 1935. I find its a lot sturdier than our previous homes built in the 1990s.
I worked in a big box store for a while. People would go through the quality lumber looking for a quality piece. They'd leave the junk out, I think so we would throw it away. The manager would say put it back on the shelf, someone will buy it. And a lot of the moulding is not made in the US, not sure about the lumber. This is what happens when profits are more important than customers or quality.
Think "Covid shots are safe and effective and you need them to travel" except nobody dies.
Nobody goes to jail, but a lot of people lose some sort of imagined wealth when they stop payong their mortgage and taxes, the house gets bulldozed and the county sells the lot to someone else.
Or it gets burned in the Great Fiasco of '24/'25...
Work bought a batch of chevy 3/4 ton trucks for one plant. In 6 months we have had half of the 8 of them need full dash replacements. Something fails in the dash and the truck wont run and no displays work, so the dealership has to replace the dash assembly since the unit is sealed. One truck has been down waiting for its dash for 2 months. Since they arrived in January we have never had more than 6 actually working at a time.
Another one of our sites got a bunch of dodge 1500's. The tires on them keep blowing out, dealership said the stock tires not rated for gravel. Who sells a fleet truck not suitable for off road?
Exile1981
I work with a large gold mine that has hundreds of pickups.
When they get a new one, they wait until one or two tires blow and then replace all 4. At this point it takes less than two weeks.
Unfortunately, I'm not surprised - yet another way they shortsightedly keep costs down
Jonathan
Get all your significant pieces yourself beforehand. No delays and no last minute substitutes.
Best secondary benefit is the contractor isn't making a profit on your appliances.
PS, open everything and check it is ok.
Sounds like USA is aiming to take over the title of "The Land of Almost Right"
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