When it comes to home improvements, the words “contractor” and “delay” tend to go hand in hand. With so many contractors failing to live up to customer expectations from a project completion standpoint, it’s no wonder that even the most earnest of contractors have gotten themselves bad reputations by simply being part of the home services industry. While indoor contractors often times have little excuse for delay, outdoor contractors are – sometimes - a different story. Since outdoor contractors are forced to battle the elements of nature as part of their daily routine, customers should be inclined to cut them a bit more slack. Unfortunately, some of the less honest outdoor contractors have ruined things for the good guys by exaggerating weather-related limitations in order to make excuses for not showing up or completing a job on time.
When it comes to siding installation, there are certain weather conditions under which a contractor legitimately cannot do the job. Ruben Jeruco of Jeruco Exteriors feels that it is important for customers to know which types of weather delays are valid, and which ones are simply excuses.
The greatest impediment to siding installation is heavy, consistent rain. While rain won’t usually prevent siding from sticking properly to the exterior of the house, it does create an unsafe working environment for those who are attempting to complete the installation. Ruben Jeruco’s strategy is to keep a close eye on the forecast and attempt to work with light rain or intermittent showers. In many cases, his workers will show up, start working, and pack it in if the rain starts coming down.
While safety is the primary issue when it comes to rain, certain situations also warrant an automatic cancellation from a quality of work perspective. For example, vinyl siding can be installed over existing siding that is already waterproof. So even if it’s raining, it won’t affect the quality of the work. However, without existing siding, one could run into a situation of having to work with an original wooden exterior that is suddenly exposed to the rain. In this situation, the installation of siding over wet, exposed wood will only serve to lock in humidity and eventually cause the wood to rot. Therefore, a weather-based cancellation under these circumstances is not only legitimate, it is actually favorable for the customer.
Homeowners should also be aware that extreme temperatures can have an effect on siding installation. Temperatures below 20 degrees can cause vinyl siding materials to become brittle and difficult to cut. Therefore, a siding contractor might have no choice but to cancel on an exceptionally cold day. Also, while contractors are expected to work under circumstances that might be less than ideal, it is unreasonable to expect a contractor to spend hours upon hours outdoors in extreme cold and intense heat. As a business owner, Ruben Jeruco has to look out for the safety of his workers, and a reasonable customer is expected to do the same. Furthermore, customers should realize that from an efficiency perspective, having a contractor get frostbite or heatstroke from working under extreme temperatures will only delay the project more.
Now that you know the truth about bad weather and siding installation, you should be in a much better position to determine when to accept a weather-related delay and when to question your contractor. Of course, no matter what the weather has in store, one thing is certain: Under no circumstances should a contractor simply not show up on a scheduled work date without calling first. While your siding contractor can’t control the weather, no amount of rain will impede his ability to pick up the phone, explain the situation, and attempt to reschedule as quickly as possible. You, as a customer, are always entitled to this sort of service. So while you can – and should – forgive certain delays, you should also insist on open communication until your siding installation is completed.
