This beautiful, oak staircase fully demonstrates the "I don't care" attitude in new construction - "nuff said.
You will notice that there are brads shot into the wood.
They are NOT at the pre-drilled points, already provided by the staircase producer who is obviously trying to be careful to protect his work.
The photo below accurately describes what the subcontractor has done, and what he has done all over the staircase.
THAT is a pre-drilled hole!
Notice, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the brad BESIDE the pre-drilled hole!
What the manufacturer is intending is that a finish nail be inserted into that pre-drilled hole, hammered in CAREFULLY so there is no hammer-head dent on the wood, and then driven into the wood with a nail punch.
THIS IS HOW A PROFESSIONAL CARPENTER WOULD HAVE DONE IT!
The hole would then be filled with putty that IS SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME COLOR AS THE WOOD!
Instead, this is what they did all over the staircase!
Behold the wondrous carpentry and installation of a custom, oak staircase!
These pre-drilled holes you see appear in six places on each stair riser.
NOT A SINGLE ONE HAD A FINISH NAIL INSIDE!
Every tread had a multiplicity of power-driven brads in assorted arrays!
You have to understand - these oak staircases go from lower level to the upper level in a three-floor townhouse on a slab.
They have all been ruined.
The buyers said they had been there 20 times and had not noticed this.
I can tell you that I found many other things they had not noticed either!
The supervisor should be taken to task for this work.
It should have been EXCEPTIONALLY explained to the sub "contractor" how these stairs should be treated, installed and protected AFTER installation!
These stairs were not taken care of in any way.
They are muddy, scratched, full of unwanted holes and damaged all over the house!
This is not finish carpentry by any stretch of the imagination.
My recommendation: sometimes incompetent and uncaring work is NOT covered by drywall! Sometimes it is very, very visible. This builder balked at the idea of having me come by. A home inspector, they said, of course, is "unnecessary" as "so many" other inspections are done by "so many" other people.
NOT MUCH COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
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