White people, generally speaking, suck.
Any time you try hire them, it's nearly an exercise in futility. You have to pay them to come out and give an estimate. It takes them two weeks to do that. Then they have to "work you in" to their schedule, which is typically booked two months in advance. If, and it's a big if, you make it through all of that, they always "find something" that doubles their original estimate and increases the amount of time it takes to complete the job.
I've been busting my hump the last 4 days sanding, priming and repainting my front deck. I needed somebody with some VERY tall ladders to paint the steel awning of my sons bedroom window and the faux shutters on the second floor. I could have done the shutters, but with my health the way it is the last thing I need is a fall off the roof. It has been impossible to find anybody to do it.
Being a white man myself, I find it a major embarrassment.
So on my way to Home Depot to pick up some more paint sticks and a new cut in brush, I happen to pull in right behind a van that had a painting company name on it.
So I follow them and approach the driver as he gets out of the van. It's an all Hispanic crew, definitely Mexican, and I tell him about the painting work I need done and asks if he does that sort of thing.
He tells me that the company they work for does not, but he can come by and take a look at it. I say OK.
He comes by that afternoon, takes a look, says, "I don't know about the color. That will be nearly impossible to match I think."
So I tell him I'll buy the paint as I wanted a slightly brighter color anyway. My exact words were, "I'll buy the paint so you don't have to worry about it. That will be on me. You just tell me what brand and type of paint you want to work with."
He says OK and that it will cost 200 bucks.
That's it?!
OK then.
I ask when he can do it. He says he can come by tomorrow afternoon and knock it out.
Really?!
So I drive up to Sherwin-Williams, shell out 60 bucks for a gallon of DTM paint. True to his word, he shows up Saturday afternoon and knocks it out. No hidden surprises, no "working me in" to a schedule, no nothing.
200 bucks, you buy the paint, I'll knock it out tomorrow.
Done.
I gave him 300 cash and a cold beer.
Any time you try hire them, it's nearly an exercise in futility. You have to pay them to come out and give an estimate. It takes them two weeks to do that. Then they have to "work you in" to their schedule, which is typically booked two months in advance. If, and it's a big if, you make it through all of that, they always "find something" that doubles their original estimate and increases the amount of time it takes to complete the job.
I've been busting my hump the last 4 days sanding, priming and repainting my front deck. I needed somebody with some VERY tall ladders to paint the steel awning of my sons bedroom window and the faux shutters on the second floor. I could have done the shutters, but with my health the way it is the last thing I need is a fall off the roof. It has been impossible to find anybody to do it.
Being a white man myself, I find it a major embarrassment.
So on my way to Home Depot to pick up some more paint sticks and a new cut in brush, I happen to pull in right behind a van that had a painting company name on it.
So I follow them and approach the driver as he gets out of the van. It's an all Hispanic crew, definitely Mexican, and I tell him about the painting work I need done and asks if he does that sort of thing.
He tells me that the company they work for does not, but he can come by and take a look at it. I say OK.
He comes by that afternoon, takes a look, says, "I don't know about the color. That will be nearly impossible to match I think."
So I tell him I'll buy the paint as I wanted a slightly brighter color anyway. My exact words were, "I'll buy the paint so you don't have to worry about it. That will be on me. You just tell me what brand and type of paint you want to work with."
He says OK and that it will cost 200 bucks.
That's it?!
OK then.
I ask when he can do it. He says he can come by tomorrow afternoon and knock it out.
Really?!
So I drive up to Sherwin-Williams, shell out 60 bucks for a gallon of DTM paint. True to his word, he shows up Saturday afternoon and knocks it out. No hidden surprises, no "working me in" to a schedule, no nothing.
200 bucks, you buy the paint, I'll knock it out tomorrow.
Done.
I gave him 300 cash and a cold beer.
