Yap you are right. I had a customer tell me once that I care too much and give too much. I’m 70 still doing jobs making good money. I love it. Thanks Mike good show.
My company here in northern Pennsylvania recently built an interlocking cement block retaining wall about 15' high to park vehicles up on it. I tried telling them the wall needs drainage behind it but they acted like I was the dumb one. So, I simply smiled and said "okay". 😊
Once upon a time I helped my brother put on a steel roof. At the time, I just shrugged at the obvious problems with what he was doing. Loooong story short; that's the house I currently live in. And, I was right.
Mike, back in the mid 90s I was going full blast bricking and blocking houses. One time I decided to put anti-freeze in the mortar. I worked all that day on the side of a house and got the wall up a little more than scaffold high. We waited till the very end of the day to scratch joint it and it fell over in the middle of the wall....the ends stayed though. It made a mess and fortunately the hose was right there. I was able to straighten the two ends and me and my helper washed the brick that fell off with the hose ,so I didn't lose those brick. Anyway, I wound up working all day for nothing and had to pay my helper ...never again!
Your story about the chimney reminded me of a chimney we were building in the winter, probably 1967. I was the laborer on the job with one bricklayer. I had to tunnel inside the sand pile to get sand that wasn't frozen, snow on the ground to mix the mortar by hand. It had to be mixed really stiff and then taken inside an unheated house and set by the torpedo heater where even though it was stiff when I mixed it, it turned runny and was difficult to work with. The good old days.
Mike, here in southwest IA, every thing you noted is prevalent. Flat roofs with persistent puddles that leak, undocumented underground pipes that make your day when digging, the weather changing drastically on you same day, and yes, women. Your videos have saved me a fortune on labor. Stone is stone, and you put the fear aside and mix your mortar according to the specific requirements of where you're repairing. Knowledge is power. Over 2 years later, your knowledge and expertise has helped us keep our house dry and rodent-free. Thank you.
Lady asked me to paint her house 🏠 said no problem!🥵She had cracks in every room! I was fixing cracks for 1 week then I had to mesh tape/Spackle/sand/prime & finally paint it! Never Again! 😆 Lady said cracks are gone! Been 3 1/2 yrs! 😅You Da Man Mikey! 👍Thanks for telling the truth! Not many people will tell you problems they had at job sites!
@ Actually was plaster! I used a mixture of spackle & Plaster Of Paris powder with fiber mesh! The Lady was a friend of my Wife! SMH! I’m a Journeyman Carpenter & build Buildings in Jersey City! Now I just will say I don’t know how to paint! 👊
Well the outside foundation my house the concrete was spalling so over the course of 20 years I hired three different contractors to make the foundation look ok then I started watching your videos and learned so much that I Amin the process of doing it myself and for a small fraction of what I had spent prior . Thanks for the great videos it saved me a ton of money.
That was a change for your usual videos and it is an eye opener for many who haven’t dealt with the public and it’s your fault never theirs when something goes south. Good to see you post a new one Mike. I sold my house and am coming to Florida, I figure there is enough sunshine and heat that I can enjoy some too. I hope to cross paths with you sometime in the future.
Mike I’m getting ready to lay up block for a 8’ tall storm room inside corner of an existing garage with a 10’ ceiling. Is there anything wrong with pouring the cells solid every few courses and adding the vertical rebar in short lengths. I’m 74 years old and mixing the grout by hand. I plan to go slow since I’m working alone. It’s a very small room, 8’x8’ and two walls are already existing exterior walls. I appreciate your videos!
Another great video. As I grow older, I am way more careful about what jobs I take. Getting stuck on a job the entire Summer is not ideal. Small repair jobs are key!
Hey mike, when the brickwork starts to move while laying bricks we call that ' floating' because bricks cant absorb water brickwork moves. Also joints start to ooze mortar we call that ' weeping' . I have found that sprinkling some dry cement onto mortar bed before laying the brick helps a hell of a lot to prevent it happening.
Most flat roof at least in CT have a slight pitch. There are some that are designed to keep the rain water on top for evaporative cooling. It’s crazy how expensive they are given their short life span
Here in Ohio and Pennsylvania concrete masons and bricklayers don't know what anecdotes are. Are they some kind of Christmas cookie? Can I find them at Aldi?
but what about the concrete wizards of western PA ?? It was 28F, near Christmas and I see the forms, we might even have had snow a few days prior...it was cold....but they poured that sidewalk and driveway....2 or 3 years later and it's still perfect.... I was like no way can you pour it -- how can you do that below freezing ?
Hi Mike, Great video and sage advice. Some lessons learned the hard way despite you knowing better but the customer gets the nipple twisters out. We’ve all got those “told you so” regrets. Every time I’m laying brick, doing any cement or concrete work you’re always in my head! “If you wanna make it stick then get it good and wet”. Great video and I’ll be working my way through your last bunch of videos. The algorithm hasn’t shown me your stuff for a good old while and I’m sad to have missed your posts! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hogmanay!
Brother.... your killing me my side hurts🤣😅😂 ... Yeah I know about being suckered into things, a friend asked me to help with his rental home's sidewalk. By the time I was done with the this and that's it was better if I had replaced the entire section before and after I was repairing.It was crazy. His steps needed to be replaced but I didn't tell him he would have had a heart attack. GOD BLESS BROTHER ERNIE
Hi Mike, I’m a contractor in Louisiana and I love your videos. The no nonsense approach to masonry is very helpful! Just a video idea- about the differences of working somewhere like Florida or Louisiana and up north. Seems like two totally different planets!
Sorry to say Mr Haduck, but we are the old timers now. I tell the kids all the time when we're gone, there goes a world of work experience and accumulated knowledge. Then they're amused. I always enjoy your vids.
Back porch view looks good. Sometimes we try to run away from misery but it has a way of following. That Pa weather is looking for you to freeze that pond and turn that green to white.
Hey Mike, Great video brother! Though I was a golf course superintendent for 35 years, I think you and I were cut from the same cloth! Those engineers often I have called "college idiots"! I deeply appreciate you and your expertise! You have taught me a lot! God bless you, Kevin Barron
Awesome video! Winter masonry is hell. I limit myself to dry stone work at most unless there’s a warm stretch. When I was a kid, I was a laborer on a job building retaining walls for a local university. The walls were supposed to be almost twenty feet tall, holding up tennis courts. Talk about something that felt weak and unstable! I’m still afraid to go look at the work even now, twenty years later.
I have plans to build a small house here in the northeast . I am going to install radiant floors on top of the concrete in an assembly . If anything happens I won’t have to pound up Crete !
Love you Mike keep up the videos I been following for 5 years now and love your wisdom of stone work and Biulding has a tradie in Sydney Australia I do use your technique time to time keep up the good work love u buddy
First couple of years now in Oregon and our 1970s built ranch style was modified by excavating out under the garage floor adding a garage below and converting the original space into a family room. The property is on a slope so the driveway is near enough flat put flanked by retaining walls too close to the vehicles to open the doors on either side. Contactors delayed work all summer and fall with estimates then permitting process then revised estimates then crewing and logistics until the rains arrived full strength. I refused to go forward at that point because the demo and grading would result in a quagmire all winter long to say nothing of the freeze potential when the concrete showed up. I like your philosophy of no starters after November 1.
Hey Mike! Are ya playing pickleball? SWFL is the PB capital of the world. Regarding the pipes below the slab it is common here to cut into the slab to replace bad sewer pipes like rotted cast iron for example which that job is pretty expensive. Then you have to get the slab reinspected when you cut into rebar and will have to replace the tile in the whole room. In Texas they sometimes will have a crew tunnel under the slab to replace pipes. It is a tough job either way.
I live in an old house, and the electric line is underground in a metal pipe conduit. When it rains hard somehow water gets into the conduit and drips out my electric meter in the cellar. The conduit is pitched downward to the poll so it is a mystery.
Mike deserves a million subscribers, he is a real common sense American patriot with a plethora of real world information on each subject he speaks about. If people listen to what he says, it'll get done correctly. Thanks Mike for your time and instructions.
Yup, one has to learn how to say no sometimes. Going to "just take a look at it" can be risky for a good person. And how is it that the jobs where they arm-twist you into them always end up giving the most headaches?
Yep and I worked on a lot of Office Buildings man seen a lot of nightmares from the guys that were there before call ugly culture and I couldn't believe it contractor says what do I do at all gets covered BCT in carpet is going to scarifier
I was bricklaying with my dad , i kept telling him to put more water in , i didn't realise the mortar was freezing , you ought to see the wall crying when the sun came out
Hey Mike*, I can relate to following other peoples work. Especially footers for 2 to 3 course slabs, and the footers are 2 to 3 inches out of level, cutting block , bending over, laying below your knees all day. Pouring trench footers should be easy, and precise- they were always so difficult to lay block on! Worked in Northeastern Ohio for many years- Winters were like pissin' in the wind! Have a great day Mike!
That's home. Most of my work was in Medina and Summit Counties. Remember having the exact same issue on a couple big motel jobs where someone else was slightly lower priced on pouring the footers. Learned real quick why they were cheaper...pouring footers out of level is easy money.
I'm a retired Civil Engineer. My father was a master carpenter and I grew up in construction. I have seen many stories similar to your's. I learned to price high and require a big retainer. I retired my PE license as soon as I could because of the PIA people who wanted me to work for them(often for free). Retirement is great. My old Army wounds finally healed enough that they don't hurt most of the time. One of my future projects is to build 200' of 4' high stone retaining wall. I have to learn that art. When I dug for my house I had to screen the soil and now have about 2500 tons of 8"+ rocks(up to 5'). I enjoyed your video very much. Good Luck, Rick
Anyone who has been in construction trades very long has had jobs go unpredictably sideways. I always tried to think of the events as opportunities to learn another of life's lessons..."NEVER do that again!!!" Too often I needed to laugh at myself, though. I' the one who relented to help, and got sucked into a sequence vortex without an escape route. We repeat lessons until they're learned, right? Texas cheers!
@@pls1911 Well said. My old man was a WWII vet and master carpenter. He taught me the most important lesson: Nobody dies on my watch. As an Army Officer and a Civil Engineer from 1975 to 2011, I had only 3 minor injuries over all of those years(not counting when I tried to do a parachute landing fall out of the back of a truck at age 55). When I was a private, 50+ years ago, an old Master Sergeant told me "as long as you wake up alive the next morning, you didn't screw up too bad". Good Luck, Rick
I live in northern mn and a McDonald’s in Duluth mn had a huge retaining wall collapse. The funny thing is I pointed the wall out to my wife a year prior.
Living In Canada I have worked every winter even in minus 20 lol it sucks I wish I was rich and didn't have to work winters . Shot of Whiskey in the morning to warm up 😂 Tarps and heaters
I did about 40 Chimneys last year Some houses have 5 here I just subbed and made everyone large cash I did eat good last year now I'm back to Structural Block Siesmic Codes West Coast . I leaned a lot from your vids way back. Yea I have done so much work for crumbs lol The First Bricklayer I worked with said some people will try to vet you to do it for almost nothing , gotta watch out always .
As the Painting Contractor for 30 years as odd as it sounds, never had a bad customer. Even when I would sub it was only for the 2 best Generals in my area. The customer was always pleased how painting portions would bring the end to the nightmare of construction, remodeling and make it look like home. 😊
Started a wood fire in Ridgefield Connecticut inside a carriage house when i was sixteen.Lead carpenter had me thawing out lumber before we built with it. Mostly Douglass fir~~~1977.😂Winter woes.I changed to finish carpenter shortly after.
@@geraldgiannotti8364 my uncles, Art and Carl Berglund used to buy most of their lumber from Hatch and Bailey. The yard moved to where Hain Block was. They took over the block plant, built a showroom and sheds. About two years ago they closed down and sold the property to the city to build a new school.
Yea Mike,,You are sooo right. I`m semi-retired and i get suckered into more crappy jobs than ever!! They all got a SOB story and i get suckered in and then i pile up the sleepless nights wondering how i continue to get sucked into these never ending messes.....just like the women in my life,,,,they both cost me bigtime !!!!!!
Hi ogrein,, little at a time, that's a cold area, work would be sparce during the winter,, plumbing is a more year round business and masonry is reasonable, lots to consider, thanks, Mike
"Youse guyz.. " 40 years ago, while on the roof in rural Wisconsin, dismantling the chimney of an old log house, the farmer from next door walked over and called up to me: "Hey! Are youse guyz masonries!?"
Please do more videos like this. It is some of the best advice I have heard since your last video. Great job, as always.
Thanks raymond,, Mike
Yap you are right. I had a customer tell me once that I care too much and give too much. I’m 70 still doing jobs making good money. I love it. Thanks Mike good show.
Thanks Steven, Mike
My company here in northern Pennsylvania recently built an interlocking cement block retaining wall about 15' high to park vehicles up on it. I tried telling them the wall needs drainage behind it but they acted like I was the dumb one. So, I simply smiled and said "okay". 😊
Hi Ric, I hear you, Mike
Once upon a time I helped my brother put on a steel roof. At the time, I just shrugged at the obvious problems with what he was doing. Loooong story short; that's the house I currently live in. And, I was right.
Nice old school Florida background. Can't wait to hear the 3 volume Mike's women videos.
Hi Oldman, good idea for the future, lol, Mike
Mike, back in the mid 90s I was going full blast bricking and blocking houses. One time I decided to put anti-freeze in the mortar. I worked all that day on the side of a house and got the wall up a little more than scaffold high. We waited till the very end of the day to scratch joint it and it fell over in the middle of the wall....the ends stayed though. It made a mess and fortunately the hose was right there. I was able to straighten the two ends and me and my helper washed the brick that fell off with the hose ,so I didn't lose those brick. Anyway, I wound up working all day for nothing and had to pay my helper ...never again!
Hi Mikey, I hear you, thanks Mike
Good to see you Mike. Your wisdom and advice is always appreciated.
Thanks retireearly,, Mike
Babe wake up Mike Haduck posted
Thanks Thimothy,, Mike
Same!!
Your story about the chimney reminded me of a chimney we were building in the winter, probably 1967. I was the laborer on the job with one bricklayer. I had to tunnel inside the sand pile to get sand that wasn't frozen, snow on the ground to mix the mortar by hand. It had to be mixed really stiff and then taken inside an unheated house and set by the torpedo heater where even though it was stiff when I mixed it, it turned runny and was difficult to work with. The good old days.
Hi padroo,, I hear you, Mike
I did a full masonry house in Leroy OH. I paid a small fortune to have two real masonry chimneys installed. I appreciate all your videos.
Thanks blog,,, Mike
Glad your still making videos. Brick house up here in Erie, Pennsylvania. Just got hit with 4 feet of snow. We miss you in Pennsylvania, come back 😊
Well for sure 4 feet of snow will beat any crocodile, alligator or python you can measure as long as it's not your bathtub pet.
Thanks mrizz, Mike
Mike, here in southwest IA, every thing you noted is prevalent. Flat roofs with persistent puddles that leak, undocumented underground pipes that make your day when digging, the weather changing drastically on you same day, and yes, women. Your videos have saved me a fortune on labor. Stone is stone, and you put the fear aside and mix your mortar according to the specific requirements of where you're repairing. Knowledge is power. Over 2 years later, your knowledge and expertise has helped us keep our house dry and rodent-free. Thank you.
Thanks erik, I appreciate hearing that, Mike
Lady asked me to paint her house 🏠 said no problem!🥵She had cracks in every room! I was fixing cracks for 1 week then I had to mesh tape/Spackle/sand/prime & finally paint it! Never Again! 😆 Lady said cracks are gone! Been 3 1/2 yrs! 😅You Da Man Mikey! 👍Thanks for telling the truth! Not many people will tell you problems they had at job sites!
That was a drywall repair job not a paint job
@ Actually was plaster! I used a mixture of spackle & Plaster Of Paris powder with fiber mesh! The Lady was a friend of my Wife! SMH! I’m a Journeyman Carpenter & build Buildings in Jersey City! Now I just will say I don’t know how to paint! 👊
Thanks lenny,, Mike
Well the outside foundation my house the concrete was spalling so over the course of 20 years I hired three different contractors to make the foundation look ok then I started watching your videos and learned so much that I Amin the process of doing it myself and for a small fraction of what I had spent prior . Thanks for the great videos it saved me a ton of money.
Thanks Ralph, I appreciate hearing that, Mike
That was a change for your usual videos and it is an eye opener for many who haven’t dealt with the public and it’s your fault never theirs when something goes south.
Good to see you post a new one Mike. I sold my house and am coming to Florida, I figure there is enough sunshine and heat that I can enjoy some too. I hope to cross paths with you sometime in the future.
Thanks Clint, yep I am still enjoying florida, Mike
Honesty is the true colors of a person.
Honesty is often a hard pill to swallow.
A big thank you for this upload, a nice change.
Bravo Sir 👏🏻
Thanks Richard,, Mike
Great video Mike everything you described has happened to me I was getting flash backs listening to you.
Thanks rocco,, Mike
Mike I’m getting ready to lay up block for a 8’ tall storm room inside corner of an existing garage with a 10’ ceiling. Is there anything wrong with pouring the cells solid every few courses and adding the vertical rebar in short lengths. I’m 74 years old and mixing the grout by hand. I plan to go slow since I’m working alone. It’s a very small room, 8’x8’ and two walls are already existing exterior walls. I appreciate your videos!
Hi Gary, I can't say unless I was there to see it, I would ask the local guys, I hope it helps,, thanks Mike
Another great video.
As I grow older, I am way more careful about what jobs I take.
Getting stuck on a job the entire Summer is not ideal. Small repair jobs are key!
Thanks Mark, it was the direction I ended up in. And it ended up better for me,, thanks Mike
Hey mike, when the brickwork starts to move while laying bricks we call that ' floating' because bricks cant absorb water brickwork moves. Also joints start to ooze mortar we call that ' weeping' . I have found that sprinkling some dry cement onto mortar bed before laying the brick helps a hell of a lot to prevent it happening.
Thanks Lee, I hear you, Mike
Most flat roof at least in CT have a slight pitch. There are some that are designed to keep the rain water on top for evaporative cooling. It’s crazy how expensive they are given their short life span
Thanks janderson,, I hear you,, Mike
Not sure whats better.... Winter work in the North or the summer work in Central Florida. Both have to be scrutanized well
Hi Timmy, very true, Mike
Happy Holidays, Mike!
Thanks joey, happy holidays, Mike
I love it Mike! Masony and wisdom go hand in hand, it would be foolish not to listen to the knowledge of experience.....
HI nichol ,Thanks for the kind words, Mike
So good to hear you validating all the things I have gone through. With no hype. Good man!
Thanks letsbereal,, Mike
Thank you for doing these. Excellent advice for the next generation, if they listen.
Thanks norm,, Mike
enjoy the anecdotes. have a good day Mike
Thanks ziprock,, Mike
Here in Ohio and Pennsylvania concrete masons and bricklayers don't know what anecdotes are. Are they some kind of Christmas cookie? Can I find them at Aldi?
@jeffreymcmillan7703 hi Jeffrey, I had to look up that word anecdotes,, lol, Mike
Thanks Mike , I always enjoy hearing you speak about your work experience
Thanks roderick,, Mike
Ok, Im ready for a few more stories. I could keep your eyes wide with some Coast Guard stories. Loving retiy👍
Thanks John, I got some more comming, thanks Mike
but what about the concrete wizards of western PA ?? It was 28F, near Christmas and I see the forms, we might even have had snow a few days prior...it was cold....but they poured that sidewalk and driveway....2 or 3 years later and it's still perfect.... I was like no way can you pour it -- how can you do that below freezing ?
Concrete generates heat as it cures, the heat of hydration. Covered in poly it would be ok as long as it didn't cold snap.
Hi Dan, my rule of thumb is 3 days without freezing, I don't know how they get away with it,, thanks Mike
And they poured it on a hillside with a 12% grade in downtown Pittsburgh with no way to get a truck close. Must have known some alien technology.
I live in Michigan, winter work is never good.
Thanks again marv,, Mike
@MikeHaduck cool mike, wish I was enjoying Florida weather about now. Lol. Take care my friend
great video mike alot can be learned from stories like jobs gone wrong...Ive had my share and call backs too. Thank you for your wisdom
Thanks krowraven,, I appreciate it, Mike
Hi Mike,
Great video and sage advice. Some lessons learned the hard way despite you knowing better but the customer gets the nipple twisters out. We’ve all got those “told you so” regrets.
Every time I’m laying brick, doing any cement or concrete work you’re always in my head! “If you wanna make it stick then get it good and wet”.
Great video and I’ll be working my way through your last bunch of videos. The algorithm hasn’t shown me your stuff for a good old while and I’m sad to have missed your posts!
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hogmanay!
Thanks Glynch, I hear you,, Merry Christmas,, Mike
Very useful video, thank you as always!!
Thanks 1clinkerman,, Mike
Brother.... your killing me my side hurts🤣😅😂 ...
Yeah I know about being suckered into things, a friend asked me to help with his rental home's sidewalk. By the time I was done with the this and that's it was better if I had replaced the entire section before and after I was repairing.It was crazy. His steps needed to be replaced but I didn't tell him he would have had a heart attack.
GOD BLESS BROTHER
ERNIE
Thanks Ernie,, God bless, Mike
Great advice, Mike. I would like more like this. Thanks
Thanks gypsy, I appreciate it, I got more comming, thanks Mike
Great advice! Yes everyone has been caught up in "one of those" jobs.... happens more than I'd like to admit!
Thanks Frank,, Mike
You’re right, unless you do it with your own skills, abilities and experience, who knows what others have done before you. Great video, as always!
Thanks tevman,, Mike
Hi Mike,
I’m a contractor in Louisiana and I love your videos. The no nonsense approach to masonry is very helpful!
Just a video idea- about the differences of working somewhere like Florida or Louisiana and up north. Seems like two totally different planets!
Hi milo, very true, lots of differences, thanks Mike
Sorry to say Mr Haduck, but we are the old timers now. I tell the kids all the time when we're gone, there goes a world of work experience and accumulated knowledge. Then they're amused. I always enjoy your vids.
Thanks kelsy, I appreciate hearing that, Mike
Back porch view looks good. Sometimes we try to run away from misery but it has a way of following. That Pa weather is looking for you to freeze that pond and turn that green to white.
Thanks John,, I hear you , Mike
Hey Mike,
Great video brother! Though I was a golf course superintendent for 35 years, I think you and I were cut from the same cloth! Those engineers often I have called "college idiots"!
I deeply appreciate you and your expertise! You have taught me a lot!
God bless you,
Kevin Barron
Thanks kevin, I appreciate it, Mike
Awesome video! Winter masonry is hell. I limit myself to dry stone work at most unless there’s a warm stretch. When I was a kid, I was a laborer on a job building retaining walls for a local university. The walls were supposed to be almost twenty feet tall, holding up tennis courts. Talk about something that felt weak and unstable! I’m still afraid to go look at the work even now, twenty years later.
Thanks Hiraeth, I hear you, Mike
Thanks Mike for such a good advice have yourself a Merry Christmas and a Prosperus new year🎉
Thanks Willie, Merry Christmas, happy new year Mike
Good to hear from you again Mike have a merry Christmas down there in FLA and keep the videos coming. They never get old happy holidays.
Thanks Ronald, Merry Christmas,, Mike
I have plans to build a small house here in the northeast . I am going to install radiant floors on top of the concrete in an assembly . If anything happens I won’t have to pound up Crete !
Thanks gerdberg,, Mike
Thanks Mike. Great video.
More life stories please. Its enjoyable to hear.
Thanks complete life,, I will, Mike
We always enjoy your wisdom. Keep it up!
Thanks erne,, Mike
Love that view mike from your back porch ..... nice !
Thanks Matt, I enjoy it, Mike
Love you Mike keep up the videos I been following for 5 years now and love your wisdom of stone work and Biulding has a tradie in Sydney Australia I do use your technique time to time keep up the good work love u buddy
Thanks casig, I appreciate it, Mike
First couple of years now in Oregon and our 1970s built ranch style was modified by excavating out under the garage floor adding a garage below and converting the original space into a family room. The property is on a slope so the driveway is near enough flat put flanked by retaining walls too close to the vehicles to open the doors on either side.
Contactors delayed work all summer and fall with estimates then permitting process then revised estimates then crewing and logistics until the rains arrived full strength. I refused to go forward at that point because the demo and grading would result in a quagmire all winter long to say nothing of the freeze potential when the concrete showed up.
I like your philosophy of no starters after November 1.
Thanks ricked, I agree, Mike
Thanks for everything love you 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thanks matthew,, Mike
Good video mike
Merry Christmas!
Thanks Anthony, Merry Christmas, Mike
Thanks for the video mike
Thanks marv,, Mike
👍👍👍. Thank you Mike
Thanks Pete,, Mike
Hey Mike! Are ya playing pickleball? SWFL is the PB capital of the world. Regarding the pipes below the slab it is common here to cut into the slab to replace bad sewer pipes like rotted cast iron for example which that job is pretty expensive. Then you have to get the slab reinspected when you cut into rebar and will have to replace the tile in the whole room. In Texas they sometimes will have a crew tunnel under the slab to replace pipes. It is a tough job either way.
Hi nultari,, yep and there is no need for it, if they planned on it during construction, thanks Mike
I live in an old house, and the electric line is underground in a metal pipe conduit. When it rains hard somehow water gets into the conduit and drips out my electric meter in the cellar. The conduit is pitched downward to the poll so it is a mystery.
Hi Das,, I don't know what to tell you there, I would be talking to an electrical guy, thanks Mike
Mike deserves a million subscribers, he is a real common sense American patriot with a plethora of real world information on each subject he speaks about. If people listen to what he says, it'll get done correctly. Thanks Mike for your time and instructions.
Thanks Glenn, I appreciate the kind words,, Mike
Yup, one has to learn how to say no sometimes. Going to "just take a look at it" can be risky for a good person. And how is it that the jobs where they arm-twist you into them always end up giving the most headaches?
Thanks mark,, I hear you Mike,
Keep these coming Mike.
Thanks lmilned,, Mike
I worked out of the union hall 45 years I've seen plenty of nightmares
Thanks donald, I hear you,, Mike
Yep and I worked on a lot of Office Buildings man seen a lot of nightmares from the guys that were there before call ugly culture and I couldn't believe it contractor says what do I do at all gets covered BCT in carpet is going to scarifier
I make good money repairing floors at other Crews screwed up
I was bricklaying with my dad , i kept telling him to put more water in , i didn't realise the mortar was freezing , you ought to see the wall crying when the sun came out
Hi bigears,, I hear you, Mike
Thanks for this Mike
Thanks again, Mike
Hey Mike*, I can relate to following other peoples work. Especially footers for 2 to 3 course slabs, and the footers are 2 to 3 inches out of level, cutting block , bending over, laying below your knees all day. Pouring trench footers should be easy, and precise- they were always so difficult to lay block on! Worked in Northeastern Ohio for many years- Winters were like pissin' in the wind! Have a great day Mike!
Thanks jamlandhomes,, I hear,, Mike
That's home. Most of my work was in Medina and Summit Counties. Remember having the exact same issue on a couple big motel jobs where someone else was slightly lower priced on pouring the footers. Learned real quick why they were cheaper...pouring footers out of level is easy money.
@@jeffreymcmillan7703You would have to shoot heights on the footers before you could even give a quote on laying the block.
Hi Mike, I was wondering if you could paint with Portland cement and then seal it.. you think that would prolong it?
Hi Jason, it's just a covering to make it look better, or fill in the holes, etc, it's better to just paint it every once in while, thanks Mike
Hi Mike! Good to see ya. Are you doing a follow up video about what you've learned about women?
Hi Jeffrey, I wish, lol, Mike
cold up here in Seattle, getting in the 40's...thxs for sharing (hurricane season over?)
Hi top, cool in the mornings down here, dry season now, a whole different world, thanks Mike
Good storytelling. We have pretty good winters here.
Thanks Texas,, Mike
Summer work is rough here been trying to avoid it my whole
Life because of the rain
Thanks PalmMasonry,, I hear you, Mike
I'm a retired Civil Engineer. My father was a master carpenter and I grew up in construction. I have seen many stories similar to your's. I learned to price high and require a big retainer. I retired my PE license as soon as I could because of the PIA people who wanted me to work for them(often for free). Retirement is great. My old Army wounds finally healed enough that they don't hurt most of the time. One of my future projects is to build 200' of 4' high stone retaining wall. I have to learn that art. When I dug for my house I had to screen the soil and now have about 2500 tons of 8"+ rocks(up to 5'). I enjoyed your video very much. Good Luck, Rick
Thanks Rick, I appreciate hearing that,, Mike
Anyone who has been in construction trades very long has had jobs go unpredictably sideways.
I always tried to think of the events as opportunities to learn another of life's lessons..."NEVER do that again!!!" Too often I needed to laugh at myself, though. I' the one who relented to help, and got sucked into a sequence vortex without an escape route.
We repeat lessons until they're learned, right?
Texas cheers!
@@pls1911 Well said. My old man was a WWII vet and master carpenter. He taught me the most important lesson: Nobody dies on my watch. As an Army Officer and a Civil Engineer from 1975 to 2011, I had only 3 minor injuries over all of those years(not counting when I tried to do a parachute landing fall out of the back of a truck at age 55). When I was a private, 50+ years ago, an old Master Sergeant told me "as long as you wake up alive the next morning, you didn't screw up too bad". Good Luck, Rick
@richardross7219 thanks Texas, I agree. Mike
I live in northern mn and a McDonald’s in Duluth mn had a huge retaining wall collapse. The funny thing is I pointed the wall out to my wife a year prior.
Hi MN, I hear you,, Mike
This guys content is great, free education!
Thanks Joe, Mike
@ thank you for the videos Mike.
Great video sir.
Thanks zigzag,, Mike
As usual Mike, great advice… Murphy’s Law applied to every job!!! 😂
Thanks Keith,, Mike
Hi Mike love the video can you make a video about artificial stones works thanks ❤ from NYC
Hi Mike, I don't do any artifical stonework, rarely if ever, I did a video called "brickwork is dead" maybe that will help, thanks Mike
Living In Canada I have worked every winter even in minus 20 lol it sucks I wish I was rich and didn't have to work winters . Shot of Whiskey in the morning to warm up 😂 Tarps and heaters
I west coast,, I hear you, Mike
I did about 40 Chimneys last year Some houses have 5 here I just subbed and made everyone large cash I did eat good last year now I'm back to Structural Block Siesmic Codes West Coast . I leaned a lot from your vids way back. Yea I have done so much work for crumbs lol The First Bricklayer I worked with said some people will try to vet you to do it for almost nothing , gotta watch out always .
Thanks west coast, Mike
Good to see another video!
Thanks troy,, Mike
As the Painting Contractor for 30 years as odd as it sounds, never had a bad customer. Even when I would sub it was only for the 2 best Generals in my area. The customer was always pleased how painting portions would bring the end to the nightmare of construction, remodeling and make it look like home. 😊
Thanks Dave, it's good to hear that from a professional, Mike
🤣🤣🤣 The Old Timer got it right.
Thanks anna,, Mike
Programmed obsolescence. That's the manufacturer's motto these days:)
Thanks Constitution, Mike
I add an extra 15% to a job in the winter. Every things fights you the whole way.
Hi Tim, I hear you, very true, Mike
I never had any trouble with women or winter work. I'm also a great liar.
Thanks zam,, lol, Mike
Started a wood fire in Ridgefield Connecticut inside a carriage house when i was sixteen.Lead carpenter had me thawing out lumber before we built with it. Mostly Douglass fir~~~1977.😂Winter woes.I changed to finish carpenter shortly after.
@@geraldgiannotti8364 my uncles, Art and Carl Berglund used to buy most of their lumber from Hatch and Bailey. The yard moved to where Hain Block was. They took over the block plant, built a showroom and sheds. About two years ago they closed down and sold the property to the city to build a new school.
Thanks Todd, Mike
Thank you Mr Haduc.
Thanks David, Mike
Great stuff
Thanks denis,, Mike
Yea Mike,,You are sooo right. I`m semi-retired and i get suckered into more crappy jobs than ever!! They all got a SOB story and i get suckered in and then i pile up the sleepless nights wondering how i continue to get sucked into these never ending messes.....just like the women in my life,,,,they both cost me bigtime !!!!!!
Thanks Red, I hear you,, Mike
Did you move to Florida fulltime or just for the winter?
Hi Michael, full time,, thanks Mike
Thanks Mike
Thanks Matt, Mike
Love ya Mike from Pa
Thanks Mike,, Mike
Great job Mike. After listening to you, now I'm afraid to answer my phone.
Hi John, I hear you,, lol, Mike
10:58 this is an attitude that many contractors do not get . This is going to , or , is supposed to last many years !!
Thanks again,, Mike
Tkzz for sharing.,.,.,peace
Thanks John, peace, Mike
Mike, but even with the cockeyed chimney the folks could move in and had their heat - that's no fail it's a partial success.
Hi Don, true but I still had egg on my face, lol, Mike
I can't believe any concrete jobs ever go wrong; Honest Mike!
Hi julihrlee,, they have, I could do another video on that, lol, Mike
Unckle Mike. I like the smaller jobs too. More chasing it, but the smaller jobs less problems. Bigger jobs bigger problems, so true.
Thanks austin,, I agree, Mike
Im young and thinking of starting a masonry business in Erie Pa, any idea how to start?
Hi ogrein,, little at a time, that's a cold area, work would be sparce during the winter,, plumbing is a more year round business and masonry is reasonable, lots to consider, thanks, Mike
I knew a mason in Erie. His name is Ed Glass.
@jeffreymcmillan7703 hi Jeffrey, I was on other side of the state, about 5 hours distance, thanks Mike
Great video
Thanks stonemasher,, Mike
12:35 as an electrician , you need to know what jobs not to do !
Thanks gerdberg,, I agree, Mike
"Youse guyz.. "
40 years ago, while on the roof in rural Wisconsin, dismantling the chimney of an old log house, the farmer from next door walked over and called up to me: "Hey! Are youse guyz masonries!?"
Hi norm, that sounds about right, lol, Mike