Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner

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All of my employees and I were sitting in our trucks eating lunch when the OSHA inspectors arrived on the commercial job site, which was a two-story addition to a nursing home. Talk about fear — the other trades and general contractor’s employees about had a coronary!

Customers can be a fickle lot. You do your best for them, but they move on in spite of your fair pricing and Johnny-on-the-spot response times.

I first encountered formic acid erosion/corrosion when our installed air conditioning and heat pump evaporator (indoor) coils began suddenly leaking refrigerant in 2008. These were not old coils either, and some had only been installed for a year when the issues arose.

How much money do you have in the bank? I’m talking about your business primarily, but your personal cash reserves can become an important tool to temporarily support your business.

The fun of being an apprentice starts with a steep learning curve. 

Where do you draw the line? That’s easy if you’re a one-person shop. Telephone rings; it’s 2:30 a.m. The clock face comes into focus as you reach for the phone.

“My faucet is dripping and the noise is keeping me awake. How soon can you be here?”(Seriously?)

We may as well face reality: COVID-19 is here to stay. What a PITA this pandemic has been. As essential workers, you haven’t been given your due. Fearlessly, or not, you have endured two years of fluctuating — often conflicting — information regarding how to remain “safe” from the virus. What the hell?

You ever have one of those jobs where nuisance heating system lockouts drove you crazy?

Supply chain disruptions are ever present and show no signs of going away anytime in the near — or perhaps distant — future.