By Myron R. Ferguson

What do we base the choices we make on?
Do we actually see the full picture or calculate the cost all the way through?

I have witnessed a contractor driving out of a lumber yard with a few pieces of metal corner bead in the back of the truck. They hit a pothole and the bead kinked in the center. Was purchasing the cheaper bead worth it when you can’t even get to the jobsite with it?

How many of you go for the bargain tool? Using an inexpensive T-Square results in poor end cuts and the increased possibility of cutting yourself.
A few years ago I taped a house where 48 inch high drywall was hung on all the 9 ft high walls. The 48 inch high drywall was a little cheaper per sq ft. Now was it worth the cost of double the lineal footage of seams that needed taping not to mention the decreased overall quality of the finished job?

This leads me to something I did this past March…..
I was repairing plaster walls and ceilings in a few rooms of a house. There were some cracks and even a few areas where the plaster had lost its key. So I V- grooved out the cracks and covered them with extra strength FibaTape. I used drywall screws with plaster washers to tighten up the loose plaster. (Photo-Right Side) Then I used the Fiba Fuse Wall reinforcement to complete the work. The results were even better than I expected. The customer couldn’t believe how great the surfaces were looking. And I hadn’t even primed and painted yet.

I went to pick up the paint and while I was at the paint store I picked up a three pack of 9” roller covers for about 8 dollars. When I opened up the pack I was impressed with how great the 3/8” nap cover looked. After the primer was dry I lightly sanded with a 220 grit paper and then painted with an eggshell finish paint. I had the jobsite well lit and I was moving fast trying to keep a nice wet paint edge.

When I finished painting the two rooms is when I noticed the occasional raised fiber on the painted surface. Just one or two fibers every so often. All my beautiful meticulously done work had fallen victim to a cheap roller lint. (photo of bargain bin-right side)

Now, put this in perspective: I’m done with this job!  All I have to do is clean up and go home. So now I start to panic. I think that if I get some 600 grid sandpaper I can just lightly brush over the surfaces, but I am sure the surface will then have an inconsistent sheen. Soon I come to my senses and go get more paint, a lint free roller cover, and leave a note for the customer that I will be back tomorrow to finish.  I figure I lost about $200., the  new lint free roller cover only cost $4.75

So next time I go to purchase anything I won’t be looking for a bargain price. I will be looking for “Quality” which is what I like to think my customer was doing when they hired me to do the work.