Had to pick between a full tear-out or a sister joist fix on a sagging porch in Atlanta.

The homeowner wanted it cheap, so I went with the sister joist, but after a year the whole floor still has a slight dip. Should I have pushed harder for the full replacement from the start?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_cole2mo ago

Should have pushed harder, man. That dip is the house politely telling you it wanted the full replacement. You can't argue with physics, even for a cheap client. Now you get to explain why the cheap fix needs a second, less cheap fix. Classic.

lilychen2mo ago

Yeah, "you can't argue with physics" is the whole story. I see this everywhere, @the_cole, not just in contracting. People try to skip the real fix for something fast and cheap, and then the problem just comes back harder. It's like ignoring a weird engine noise until your car quits on the highway. Why do we keep thinking the basic rules won't apply to us?

wesley_hart1d ago

...like is it though? I mean yeah, the dip in the floor is annoying but is your house gonna collapse tomorrow? I've seen plenty of old houses with dips that have been fine for decades. Sometimes the "real fix" costs way more than the problem is actually worth. It's not always about physics, sometimes it's just about how much inconvenience you're willing to live with.