A CO alarm going off changed how I handle budget jobs

I used to do temp fixes for folks short on money. Then one of my quick patches failed and a carbon monoxide detector sounded. Now I tell them the real cost upfront, even if it means they walk.

3 comments

3 Comments

gray_adams6d ago

I once used the wrong sealant on a basement patch job to save the client maybe fifty bucks. Two weeks later they had water coming in and mold starting. That sick feeling in my gut taught me the same lesson. Cutting corners just means the problem circles back, usually worse. Now I'd rather lose the bid than lose sleep over what might go wrong.

spencer_bell6d ago

Was it a silicone sealant instead of one made for wet areas? I made that same call on a crawl space job and got burned. Now I always check the product label for waterproofing ratings. For concrete cracks, I pack in hydraulic cement first, then coat it with a flexible sealant. That double layer keeps water from working its way back in. It costs a bit more upfront but saves so much headache later.

nancybennett3d ago

That hydraulic cement tip is solid for vertical cracks, but it can actually cause more problems on a slab floor. The stuff doesn't flex at all, so if the slab shifts even a tiny bit, you just get a new crack right next to your patch. For flat work, a polyurethane injection kit is the way to go since it stays a little flexible. Learned that one the hard way after a basement floor patch failed in under a year.