Old timer told me to skip the padding underlay and I laughed at him

Guy named Rick with 30 years in the trade said to just use a thin foam pad for stairs instead of the thick stuff. I told him he was crazy and went with the standard 8lb padding like I always do. Fast forward 6 months the stairs already have that wavy look and the customer is not happy. Rick's way would have saved me a $400 redo on a set in Tampa. You ever run into a contractor who gave advice that seemed wrong but was actually spot on?

3 comments

3 Comments

alicer5314d ago

That line about Rick having 30 years in the trade really got me thinking. Sometimes the old school guys have tricks that just work better for a specific job like stairs. I had a similar thing with a roofer who told me to skip the drip edge on a shed and I thought he was crazy too. Turned out he was right for that particular build because the overhang was so deep. It's humbling when you have to eat crow like that, but at least you learned something for next time.

fionafoster14d ago

@robinp89 You ever notice how the guys who've been doing this forever always seem to know when to break the rules? It's like their gut instinct beat out a manual written by someone who never held a hammer. I guess that's why I still listen to old timers even when my first thought is "that sounds shady.

robinp8914d ago

@alicer53 Yeah that drip edge story is exactly the kind of thing I'm curious about, did you ever find out if skipping it caused any long term issues like rot or rust down the road?