It finally paid off
 

I have this problem of always doing construction or repairs as if some expert is looking over my shoulder, critiquing my work - like God is a cosmic building inspector or something. I live in fear that someday someone will come along and look at something I've done and say, "Who is the hack who did this?"

Five years ago, I built this pool deck in my usual obsessive/compulsive way. We took our pool down, and I sold the deck as-is last week. As he was taking it apart, the guy to came to pick it up kept commenting on the great job "whoever built this thing" did.

I just smiled.

The guy is no slouch. In less than 5 hours he disassembled the entire 12x15 deck, keeping it largely intact, using jacks and cribbing and loaded it on his trailer by himself. We had a chat when he was finished - mutual admiration all around.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1724340814.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1724340814.jpg

Nice, and impressive on both the construction and destruction!

The 2 best days in your life are the day you get a pool and the day you get rid of it. :D

The shocking part to me here is someone "bought' a used deck and dismantled it to take it home. I had no idea you could resell decks ;-) Good work

Also me when I read that.

https://images.ctfassets.net/cnu0m8r...1073296643.jpg

I have a buddy at work that put in an above ground pool and then built up around including pavers, etc... it so it seemed like an in ground pool (I never saw it myself). Saved a bundle and apparently looked great. He's since moved and now has a proper in ground pool.

Have you priced dimensional lumber lately? THAT'S what's shocking!

Patrick was most likely selling this for a fraction of what he paid - pre-covid.

Win-win if you have time and skill.

Somewhat-related: Several years ago a Scout in my troop built a deck / viewing platform for a local managed forest as his Eagle project. The idea was to build the platform and then put in the 1.2 mile ADA-accessible trail to access it. It was not an easy build - we had to hike in all the materials. This was a 10 x 20 ft platform built on concrete pier blocks (also hiked in). It took several days to get the material in and construct. No path for motorized vehicles.

That platform was in place for about 4 weeks and then somebody STOLE it. No evidence of motorized vehicles. No helicopter. Somebody had to have taken that apart and carried it out piece by piece. Not a single fastener was found on the ground where it used to stand. No footprints. Somebody was practicing Leave No Trace to an extreme level.

(Yes - He got his project signed off anyway...)

Well I think that pool deck is EXCELLENT and the guy was lucky to buy it from you.

There is an official term for friends who critique things you have done. It's a jealousy thing. The term is a Topper. They say things like "Sure it's good, but if you had a bracket here and a 2x6 over here." But they never actually do anything themselves.

I often find other people's decisions curious. Like when they do something, and deliberately choose to do a mediocre job.

I am in a band right now that seems to avoid the conversation about what we're trying to do, and it looks like they want to avoid doing the work of making it a very good band. I think they will very soon need a new bass player. Sheesh! When you learn a song 80% then you are just 20% away from 100%. Why stop at 80?

If something is worth doing, then it's worth doing right. Often enough, scrimping ends up costing you MORE than if you had done it right in the first place. What is it they say?:

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten."

^^^ You are so right Sup!
If it's worth doing twice it's worth doing it right the first time!
I'm a printer with OCD :D