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The week everything went wrong on a single job
I had a job last month in a house out in Beaverton that I thought would take two days. Took five. First the customer wanted to keep the old pad down and I said no but she insisted. Then the tack strip was glued to concrete with epoxy from the previous owner. Spent three hours just trying to get that off with a demo bar and hammer. Then the carpet was 15 feet wide but the room had a weird bay window alcove that threw off the seam placement. Had to re-cut three times because the pattern wouldn't match. By day four my back was killing me and I wanted to walk off the job. What saved it was the customer finally listened when I explained why the pad needed to go. She apologized and I finished day five clean. Anyone else have a simple job turn into a nightmare for no good reason?
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adam1862d ago
Saw a YouTube video where a guy just used boiling water and a scraper on epoxy glue and it peeled right off.
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The epoxy glue on concrete is actually pretty common on slab foundations from the 80s and 90s. A heat gun or floor scraper with a long handle usually makes it come off faster than a demo bar. Glad you got it sorted out though.
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ben_fisher2d ago
That bit about the heat gun or long handled scraper is good to know. I used to think you just had to muscle through everything on a job but this whole experience honestly made me reconsider that.
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sandragrant2d ago
You know, I used to think the same way. I remember my first big flooring job, I spent like two hours hacking at glue with a scraper and swearing up a storm. My neighbor came over, saw me, and just handed me a heat gun without saying a word. I felt like a small child who just learned you can use a fork instead of your hands. After that, I told myself I'd never work harder, just smarter. Ever have one of those moments where you look back and cringe at how much extra work you made for yourself?
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