Good evening everyone!
Our drywall installer started work this week. Today was the first time we met him. From a layperson’s perspective, he has done his work well and quickly so far. However, one thing bothered me a lot: he smokes while working. And not just one or two cigarettes, but constantly. In the 10 minutes I was there, he smoked two cigarettes. Just as he finished one, he was lighting the next. This probably went on all day and also on previous days.
When I entered the house, luckily I didn’t notice any strong cigarette smell. He had one or two windows open. But now that our house is sealed, we as non-smokers do not want smoking inside. Especially not this frequently.
Currently, he is only working on the attic, but gradually the walls will be done, and the smoke will seep into them. So, from a health perspective, this is unacceptable to us.
I understand that as homeowners we can of course prohibit this. On the other hand, I worry that if we ban smoking for a chain smoker, the work quality could suffer and/or the project might take longer. Or, in the worst case, he might do a poor job out of frustration.
We have an inspector, so any problems would likely be noticed, but we also want to move in eventually and not have to redo everything.
He will still be working in the house for a few more days. Should we talk to him about it or better not?
Our drywall installer started work this week. Today was the first time we met him. From a layperson’s perspective, he has done his work well and quickly so far. However, one thing bothered me a lot: he smokes while working. And not just one or two cigarettes, but constantly. In the 10 minutes I was there, he smoked two cigarettes. Just as he finished one, he was lighting the next. This probably went on all day and also on previous days.
When I entered the house, luckily I didn’t notice any strong cigarette smell. He had one or two windows open. But now that our house is sealed, we as non-smokers do not want smoking inside. Especially not this frequently.
Currently, he is only working on the attic, but gradually the walls will be done, and the smoke will seep into them. So, from a health perspective, this is unacceptable to us.
I understand that as homeowners we can of course prohibit this. On the other hand, I worry that if we ban smoking for a chain smoker, the work quality could suffer and/or the project might take longer. Or, in the worst case, he might do a poor job out of frustration.
We have an inspector, so any problems would likely be noticed, but we also want to move in eventually and not have to redo everything.
He will still be working in the house for a few more days. Should we talk to him about it or better not?
B
Bertram1006 Jan 2022 09:10MiCasaEsSuCasa schrieb:
Chain smoking in my future house maybe already.Oh, do you have a real eco-friendly house made with natural materials? Or is there actually PUR foam and similar stuff inside the walls? I could understand you a little bit with the first case, but not with the latter. You can’t live in several hundred square meters of multilayer plastic and then worry about a few smoked cigarettes.
Hello,
During our new build, there were also some workers who smoked. However, this was not a problem for us, as our construction company apparently prohibited all subcontractors from smoking inside the house. We had already handed over our “house rules” during the construction phase anyway. The workers always went outside for their smoking breaks. As non-smokers, we appreciated that very much. So, you might want to have a conversation with your construction company or the subcontractors. Sometimes a friendly discussion clears things up and everyone is satisfied.
During our new build, there were also some workers who smoked. However, this was not a problem for us, as our construction company apparently prohibited all subcontractors from smoking inside the house. We had already handed over our “house rules” during the construction phase anyway. The workers always went outside for their smoking breaks. As non-smokers, we appreciated that very much. So, you might want to have a conversation with your construction company or the subcontractors. Sometimes a friendly discussion clears things up and everyone is satisfied.
Mahri23 schrieb:
Hello,
During our new build, there were also some smoking workers on site. However, this wasn’t an issue for us because our construction company apparently prohibited all subcontractors from smoking inside the house. We had already given up our “house rules” during the construction phase. The workers always went outside for their smoke breaks. As non-smokers, we appreciated that very much. So you might want to have a conversation with your construction company or the subcontractors. Sometimes a friendly talk clears up the situation and everyone is satisfied.Of course, so the general contractor can kick the subcontractor’s behind and the subcontractor’s employee gets a scolding. That will be a great collaboration. You always have wonderful ideas.Just talk directly with the drywall installer over a coffee, and that’s it.
Tolentino schrieb:
It’s about ownership rights and house rules. The general contractor (GC) also has house rules. It might even be stipulated in the contract that the GC alone holds the house authority 😉
Tolentino schrieb:
It’s also about respect. As the client, you are the homeowner, not just a guest. Consider who sets the house rules because it’s not that simple to just call someone “disrespectful” and so on. Couldn’t the tradesperson make the same argument? After all, they’re not just a guest at your place?! 😉
Tolentino schrieb:
But the sandwich won’t get into the walls. However, greasy fingers can leave nice fat stains on plaster and drywall!
And if salad with dressing is eaten at lunch, the dressing can splash onto surrounding surfaces…
A carbonated drink might leave marks on walls when opened, and it’s hard to imagine that portable toilets have sinks that are actually used 😉 The construction water is more likely to be used…
MiCasaEsSuCasa schrieb:
Ah, getting personal right away. Nice to meet you too! Sandwiches and beer are fine, I’m even happy to bring them over. That won’t harm my health! Chain smoking in my future home, maybe. Let’s keep things in perspective: you won’t notice anything afterward from a tradesperson’s drinking, nor get sick from it or anything. Your young lungs are probably already blackened by general air pollution.
Man, these kinds of discussions often escalate one-sidedly because 9 out of 10 non-smokers just don’t understand smokers.
Whether you are friend or foe of vices, it’s about tolerance.
The tradesperson is at work, has a boss you probably don’t even know, and is employed under a contract. They also sign some kind of house rules stating they only do their work on site and so on.
There is probably even a section about smoking outside and such… and now this tradesperson breaks those rules… so what?!
They will be history for you in a few days anyway!
P.S. The beer you personally bring them has no place on the construction site during working hours either. Imagine if something happens… and it’s your fault because you brought it 🙄
ypg schrieb:
The general contractor (GC) also has the right to control the house. If it’s not even specified in the contract that the GC has exclusive house control.No, not in my case.ypg schrieb:
Think about who sets the house rules, because it’s not that simple with terms like "disrespectful," etc. Couldn’t the tradesperson argue the same? They’re not just a guest at your place?!I set the house rules. The tradesperson could argue the same at their own home. Otherwise, yes, they are a guest and an agent of my contractor.ypg schrieb:
But greasy fingers can leave great smudges on plaster and drywall!True.ypg schrieb:
Man, man: such a conversation often leads to one-sided provocation, just because 9 out of 10 non-smokers don’t understand smokers.
Whether you are friend or foe of habits, it has to do with tolerance.I’m even an occasional smoker. Still, I don’t tolerate constant smoking inside the house. That’s actually also an issue with my wife. It’s clearly a matter of how you communicate it. I handled this with the plasterers. Politely asked them, and that was it. No pressure, no stress. At least not because of that.
TmMike_2 schrieb:
This will be a great collaboration. You always have such wonderful ideas. Even if you don’t believe it, the collaboration was excellent, and I didn’t have to talk to any of our tradespeople. Everything went perfectly.
And the original poster’s question is legitimate, he is just seeking advice on how to proceed. So please be a bit more “friendly”... 😉