I just washed these windows, AMA

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
08/31/2018 at 01:41 • Filed to: None

That’s right baby. I’m back. 9800 Sq. Ft. Of new construction. It feels so good to be out in the field again.

Jobsite Miata got a lot of love from everybody. There must have been 60 people working on the house, and a good dozen work trucks, 15 vans, couple of moving trucks... But just one bright red Miata.

Today I taught my guys the key tenant of new construction window washing. Bid so high you’re all but gaurenteed to be turned down, with curses aimed in your direction. Then when they agree, internally kick yourself for not asking double that. Now you have to do it, stupid!

New construction is a nightmare. Here, we had 300 windows—each one coated with tons of stickers, cement, concrete dust, paint, excrement, caulking, etc—to remove with razor blades, elbow grease, and various solvents. Incredibly time-consuming, and no margin for anything less than absolute perfection. Working around the aforementioned 60 plus guys (did I mention there’s a wedding tomorrow?). Most workers are not cut out for this, which is why 9 times out of 10 I recommend walking away from new construction. Leave that shit to the fresh-faced kid starting a new business who’ll bid it out at $500 and end up making 6$ an hour. And still manage to piss of the general contractor with “astronomical prices.”

Luckily there’s one dude at this company who—while still incredibly slow by my old companie’s standards—has the work ethic and attention to detail to get the job done. I told him and his partner that I’d help out on the job for a few hours, then when the scope of the job increased (they originally wanted just the exterior, but after seeing how great that looked decided to get interior too) I sent one guy home and finished up with the crew leader into the night.

I would not do this every day, but once a month or so.... Yeah. That works.

Oh and this home has nine garage doors. Nine!!! Should have gotten more pictures.

DISCUSSION (28)

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 01:45

Wow, now I know how everyone else feels when I post obscene houses.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/31/2018 at 01:48

Poor?

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 01:49

No, I mean that house is hideous.

AestheticsInMotion > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/31/2018 at 01:53

You know how those raised bowl vessel sinks are all the rage? They have those of course , but the hot and cold water each flow out of a SEPPERATE vessel sink that’s raised about two inches above the central hand-washing vessel sink.

So each "hand washing station is made up of three vessel sinks. The master bedroom has his and hers, so six vessel sinks. It's... So bad

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 01:59

Ugh. Tacky.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 02:05

This house has negative architectural value. I’m surprised they even wanted arched windows. It looks like a college dorm.

AestheticsInMotion > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
08/31/2018 at 02:11

The best thing I can say about it is that they have a rediculous amount of land and absolute privacy despite being in the heart of a major suburban area

Future Heap Owner > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 02:14

How many different of species of birds pooped on them?

Steve in Manhattan > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 02:26

Is there a fire in this house’s future? Asking for someone with taste ....

NKato > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 06:10

Everv think of using a glass-safe eraser wheel? Attaches to a drill. Used to remove stickers, adhesive, and other stuff from smooth surfaces.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 07:00

I imagine a lot of new mansions are pinterest builds...the owner hands a pinterest account to the architect and says “I want all of this in my house”. Architect obliges and voila shitty looking mansion with tacky features.

shop-teacher > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 07:07

What in the hell????

Textured Soy Protein > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 08:08

Tenet /= tenant

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 08:47

That house is *uggllyyyyy*

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 08:58

9800 sq ft makes no sense to me, but 9 garage doors seems completely reasonable.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 09:00

Honey, how can we spend more money on this house?

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 09:01

Somebody has to keep making new subjects for McMansion Hell.

fintail > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 12:26

This looks like mcmansionhell could have a fun time.

VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
08/31/2018 at 12:31

Well, 5800 of that better be garage.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > fintail
08/31/2018 at 12:37

But it doesn’t even resemble anything you could call a house. It’s like... Existential Hell

OPPOsaurus WRX > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 12:40

that sounds crazy, sr20 required.

fintail > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
08/31/2018 at 12:41

I see a pile of relatively cheap looking materials haphazardly arranged in a design that keeps certain areas dry. It’ll be fun to see how it ages in 20 years.

RPM esq. > AestheticsInMotion
08/31/2018 at 13:22

SINKCEPTION

ThePlasticOne - no diggities expressed nor implied. > VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely
08/31/2018 at 13:32

I’d want to set up garage door roulette. Set a pressure-activated or laser-tripped switch in the driveway which send s a signal to a Raspberry Pi that issues the actual open signal to a randomly-selected door , which I’d then have to try and quickly pull into and not hit anything before it closes X seconds later.

VajazzleMcDildertits - read carefully, respond politely > ThePlasticOne - no diggities expressed nor implied.
08/31/2018 at 13:34

While it sounds like a lot of fun, I would anticipate a lot of dinged doors and fenders...

AestheticsInMotion > RPM esq.
08/31/2018 at 14:15

So bad. It was strange too. The entire interior is the definition of “ rental-spec bland” and then there are those sinks.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > fintail
08/31/2018 at 14:23

Eh, in 20 years you tear it down and build another trendy structure there. If you have the money to build this, you have the money to build it repeatedly at such an interval.

In my old neighborhood in Bellevue, most houses were at least gutted, if not knocked down and rebuilt, when they changed hands. None of the original houses predated the late-1980s and they were all built to exceptionally high standards for the era.

fintail > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
08/31/2018 at 14:30

I’m interested in how it will age during that time. I predict settling and leaks.

Bellevue has no intact neighborhoods of prewar housing anyway, there was almost nothing over here then.