My name is Tom Lopatosky. I’m the President of LOPCO Contracting (www.LopcoContracting.com) and I’m honored to have the opportunity to talk to you about home improvement on a monthly basis. I love answering your questions! Please send them to tom@LopcoContracting.com or call 401-270-2664. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this column!
The Dangers Of Improperly Done Metalwork
Across the trades there are various skillsets which not only are lacking in their overall availability, but are creating a bit of a crisis in many areas.
For example, try to find someone to correctly replace a cracked stained glass windowpane.
Or attempt to find someone with the skillset to not only properly cut, tuck, & point lead flashing into your brick chimney, but also have the ability to properly weave the flashing into the shingles on your roof.
Certainly not that easy in either case.
Along these same veins (though not quite as dramatic – YET!) would be to finding someone to correctly take care of the metalwork on a vinyl siding job (the portion of the project that involves bending aluminum to cover the trim).
While the skillset of doing the metalwork itself, although challenging to find someone to be able to do it, is still a skill that is held by enough individuals to be able to satisfy current demand in the marketplace, the real challenge is to find someone willing and able to correct a metalwork project gone bad.
Have you ever had to fix something that someone else had done incorrectly in the first place?
I don’t care if it is going back over a floor that has not been swept properly, fixing someone else’s work is generally annoying for anybody.
When you have something as unique as bending aluminum and it gets messed up, it is typically quite the task to fix it while at the same time making the whole job look like it was always done properly.
Recently we had a Client reach out to us with something that was a textbook example of metalwork not done properly.
The metal was not completed in various corners, wood was exposed all over the exterior of the house, and the areas in need of attention in general would require methodical focus as fixing things from a functionality perspective, while at the same time making sure that things looked good cosmetically, was not going to be easy because of the way the previous metalworker had terminated their endpoints.
Compounding the challenge to correct things was that some of the metal – which led to exposed open wood areas – was located behind a number of gutter areas, this makes any type of corrective repair difficult because the tech conducting the repair has to contend with getting behind the gutter to properly fix things.
Having metal exposing wood in the manner in which this is occurring is a particularly concerning predicament because due to the way the metal is open to the elements, there is no doubt that moisture from wind-driven rainstorms is getting behind the metal and subsequently the siding.
Not addressing the situation will obviously lead to mold growth and rot happening behind the siding and metalwork that is not be able to be seen.
This is a problem.
Although not insurmountable, finding someone in these scenarios who can truly take their time and make sure that things are systematically repaired is no easy task.
Though we are fortunate to have technicians working with our company that are quite adept in these situations, this is a bit of an anomaly as metalworkers in general prefer to have their focus on new projects – projects that are begun from scratch – instead of delving into time-consuming corrections of someone else’s work.
Even with this being the case, and as hard as it may be to do, homeowners that find themselves in this particular predicament (once it is noticed) should do everything they can to get the situation properly fixed as soon as possible, because if mold, rot, etc. are begun to be experienced behind the metalwork and siding, the cost to really fix things at that point could be exponential.
The importance of properly executed metalwork cannot be overstated. When mistakes are made, they not only create an aesthetic issue but can also lead to significant structural problems, such as moisture infiltration, mold growth, and wood rot.
The challenge of finding skilled professionals willing to correct these errors makes it even more critical to ensure the job is done right the first time.
Homeowners should be vigilant in addressing improperly done metalwork as soon as it is discovered, as delaying repairs can result in far greater expenses down the line.
Perhaps this is yet another instance exhibiting the age-old axiom – investing in quality craftsmanship upfront will always be more cost-effective than fixing preventable damage later.
About Tom Lopatosky
Tom Lopatosky has run his own RI-based painting and repair business since 1995; LOPCO Contracting – the “Personable, Particular Professionals” – specializes in exterior & interior painting and carpentry. Recently LOPCO Contracting was named ‘RI’s Finest Painting Contracting Company’ by ShopInRI Magazine. In 2013, Tom was named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) and a “40 Under 40” award winner by Providence Business News. He is a member of both the PCA (Painting Contractors Association) and RIBA (Rhode Island Builders Association). Tom has often had weekly ‘Home Improvement Tips’ that have aired on the radio on 630 WPRO AM and on television on WPRI 12. You can catch Tom LIVE on the radio EVERY Saturday, 2pm-3pm, on 630 WPRO AM (99.7 FM) during his weekly PROTalk Home Improvement Radio Show! Tom has also written a book ‘The Care And Maintenance Of A New England Home’ (available on Amazon or through Barnes & Noble), detailing what he believes every New England Homeowner should be acutely aware of while owning a home in the region.
