I do a wide range of stuff. I bought pre 1900 sweatshop in building in Chicago and rehabbed it almost singlehandedly when I was in my 30's. Lot o friends in the trades walked me through stuff I didn't know..I gained a lot of different skills and then applied those to my current business.
I do quite a bit of old double hung window restoration-bathrooms, kitchens. I sub out when Im under the gun but Im always on the job with my subs.
I like taking a gut job right to the end and doing it properly every step of the way..and, along the way I get SO sick of undoing stuff that folks have done before me..
I just finished a gut job > new bathroom. When I tore up the floor I found that the last tile job had been installed on top of 45 year old plywood that was dried out, rotted and delaminated..the "tile guys" took 1/4 concrete board (wunderboard?) and nailed it to the old plywood with ring shank nails..in the process, raising the floor so the wall mount toilets didn't hit the spec height - (closet flange coming out of the wall 4" up..has to meet that toliet there and then takes a heavy rubber gasket)..the toilet wasn't lined up with the flange so they used a wax ring..of course the toilet was also moving (how many moving toilets have you guys seen?? they're everywhere) The toilet had been leaking into the wall and onto the floor for years. I asked the homeowner about when this job was done and who did it..They said it was 10 years ago and that it was supposed to be a complete tear out and new tile...these guys quoted it extensive and flat and then launched into what I see as criminal behavior.
In the same house, which has rough cut cedar lap siding all over it..someone had recetly calked the entire exterior..trim points, windows, inside corners etc..with clear silicone. I had to go round this 3 story on a variety of rigs and remove all this crap..get rid of the film and then replace it with vulcum and dymonic..
Almost every time I start a job these days Im tearing out crap work that came ahead of me..some of it is work that has caused a lot of expensive damage to my clients homes.
I could go on but these dudes are everywhere...It's gotten to a point where when Im on a job site with other trades around...I can almost always tell who the shaky guys are by the way they carry themselves..they look they're pulling off a crime..shifty.