HELPING YOU RELAX
WHILE YOUR PROJECT IS FAR AWAY ~CALDWELL CONSULTING~
SERVICES
Onsite Supervision
Daily Reporting to YOU
Onsite supervision is essential to ensure what you buy goes INTO your job, who you pay is earning it, proper material handling is done and things are done to your specifications, without "shortcuts".
Communication with your crew
Good communication with your crew and its foreman is essential to get things done, in other cultures its important to avoid miscommunication that can lead to poor morale, bad attitudes, and costly mistakes in your construction.
I offer daily reporting directly to you!
I take pictures and video and make notes as to what materials were purchased,how much they cost and what progress was made each day on your job,thru e-mails uploaded pictures and my phone number is yours with any questions or concerns.
ABOUT
When i built my house in the Philippines i was a nervous wreck. I was sending money to my wife who hired her family members as a "crew" and after i got a look at some pictures of what was done so far i was not happy. After repeated calls to my asawa and much effort trying to explain various aspects of good construction sense and what needed to be done, we were both stressed and disappointed. She ended up crying and saying she was not a builder and was doing the best she could since " I was not even there!"
Well,she was right... She grew up in a small brngy and was young and had no experience being a boss or any construction experience at all. It just about ended our relationship and cost me money i could not really afford to lose.
I ended up leaving work for 6 months and going there to take care of it myself , and repair the hurt feelings we had accumulated.
I ended up firing her grandfather and several others, hunted down a guy with experience as a foreman and his son, and built a team around them.
As things progressed i found out they typically use small pea gravel from the ocean to make concrete,it is not the best aggregate and is loaded with corrosive salt after it dries. They used sand reclaimed from the ocean that was loaded with corrosive salt. They did not prime or rustproof the rebar before use.
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The list could go on and on but that's not productive.
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I found a source for crushed stone, in two sizes even! I found a source for river sand, free of salt. I showed the foreman how to make rebar rings for columns so the ends were locked into the center of the column concrete to prevent opening and failure in event of an earthquake, it cost pennies, literally, over the rings they were making.
I made friends with the crew and found which ones were talented in what areas and utilized the available talent, took advice from them on many things and both I and the filipino crew learned a lot about construction,and about each others culture.
I became a "guy who knew where to get things".
I am really happy with my house and its strength and will never worry about a typhoon or wonder whats inside the concrete slab over my head as i lay in bed looking up at the ceiling.
My piece of mind cost me dearly in lost wages and missed work in the U.S., way more than the cost of my house!
Thru all of this i wished there was just some american, or english speaking person around i could call and explain " I don't want it like that ! Please tell them to make it like this!" OR "Why did they buy so much 10mm rebar, where is the 12mm i asked for!?"
And phone calls to a tagalog speaking filipino on the other side of the world trying to explain your concept of any changes you want done in english is an exercise in futility, its not just language,its culture,you WILL pull out your hair.
hint: draw it on a scrap piece of plywood with a pencil.
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So my friend, here i am at your disposal.
Don't spend twice as much as you need to for half the end result.
Don't get a divorce before you ever get to retire to your island home.
Don't get high blood pressure working at your job to save for your future while worrying where all your money is going and what are you getting for it.
Call or E-Mail me and we will get you where you want to be stress free!
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