[Greenbuilding] firing a roofer, preventing mold, etc

[Bruce Donelson]

i remember seeing a tow-truck driver in Germany sweeping up the
little bits of glass and plastic from a minor accident. i couldn't
believe it. Here in the US, that would never happen. Those little
bits would be left to be caught in car tires, swept away by the rain
ect. My German friend said that al such profesionals are trained and
take pride in their work. WOW.

Here in Oregon I have always seen tow truck drivers clean up glass.

Roofers here, are so inconsistent. It's really hard to find one who
is good, and that you can trust.

It's easy to find good roofers here, too. I ask people I know who have hired
roofers, and see how they liked the job. I swing by one of the jobs they
have in progress, and talk to the crew, and look at the work in progress. I
check the Contractor's Board website to see if they have complaints. It
takes maybe 2 or 3 hours total. Less work than getting 3 or 4 quotes,and I
know a lot about the sub. If I get a really solid reccomendation from
another contractor, I might skip the site visit. Lots less work than hiring
the lowest bidder!

And I would NEVER pay more than 10% up front to a sub. That's like paying
them not to show up. Its usually a sign that they are in a very poor
financial condition. Could be a variety of reasons for that, and many could
reflect adversely on their business skills.

Bruce Donelson
A Better Builder