DIY Network

Gulf-Shores Home: Sound Advice on Subcontractors From "Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes" episode DBCV-107

The view from the Wilder's vacation home in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

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In this episode of DIY's Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes, we meet homeowners Lundy and Harry Wilder who acted as their own contractors on their unique waterfront home in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

In this segment the do-it-yourselfers talk candidly about their experiences and challenges in dealing with subcontractors, and about the lengths they went to in order to make their house hurricane-resistant.

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Windows on The Gulf

In previous segments, Lundy and Harry Wilder discussed the specialized DAC-Art building material they used to achieve a classic look for their gulf-coast vacation home, and about how the material was ideally suited to withstand severe storms and hurricanes. Another important consideration for the house, which is separate from the gulf only by a small barrier island and narrow strip of bay, was the choice of doors and windows.

Because of the Italian-style architecture, and because the Wilders wanted to maximize the scenic views from their lot, the doors and windows were a big part of the visual design of the house (figures A and B). And because they knew these were likely to be exposed to severe weather that doors on inland homes would not, they gave serious consideration to what types to use.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Lundy wanted 10-foot doors to accentuate the architecture of the house. (The house interior features 13-1/2-foot ceilings.) She also wanted to make sure that the doors employed stainless-steel hinges and operating systems (figure C). The specialized doors they chose employ a seven-point locking system so that, when the door-handle is operated, seven separate locking pins extend and retract to secure and stabilize the doors in their frames. One of the pins extends upward into the top of the frame, one downward into the bottom, and the remainder extend horizontally to engage with the length of the door frame. In this case, this extra measure of door strength was employed as much for holding them tight under hurricane-strength winds as it was for deterring burglars.

	Figure D
	Figure E
	Homeowner and dedicated do-it-yourselfer, Lundy Wilder.
	Figure F

Lundy opted for casement windows that open outward. In that way, when high winds are present, the pressure is serving to actually close the windows tighter against their frames. Lundy actually visited the manufacturer's showroom to research the types of doors and windows available and see how they operated -- an extra measure that she recommends for do-it-yourselfers.

Since the style of construction and the types of doors and windows were specialized, Lundy was also particular about locating a subcontractor for the installation of the doors and windows. The Wilders located a carpenter in northern Alabama who had worked previously with the DAC-Art building system. They went to the extra length and expense of paying the carpenter's local hotel expenses while he worked on the project. They felt the extra expense was justified to make sure that the job was done right (figures D and E).

"Because the stress factor is such a part of contracting your own project," says Lundy, "that when you know that you've got somebody who can work well, you're doing yourself a huge favor to stick with that person. What you're saving yourself in 'the unknown' is probably well worth the extra expense."

When Subcontractors Turn Bad

Dealing with the subcontractor for the flooring was a less pleasant experience. The Wilders wanted a concrete floor for the home since it suited the architecture and would be ideally suited to the beach setting. With the ever-present likelihood of sand being tracked in, it would be easy to manage than wood or carpet. It would also be much more likely to resist water damage from hurricanes or other conditions that can arise near the beach. Done properly, a concrete floor can have an elegant look, and is a relatively inexpensive choice.

The first two levels of concrete blocks in the DAC-Art construction served as the forms for the concrete-slab foundation. The concrete subcontractor provided a smooth finish to the sub-floor (figure F).

	Figure G
	Figure H

Lundy then hired a second subcontractor to add a colored finish to the floor. She provided him with funds to pick up supplies for the job, and then never heard from him again. He returned none of her phone calls. The completion of the floor was time-sensitive because it had to be done before the walls went up. So Lundy did some quick research in the internet and learned enough to finish the floors herself. She used a hydrochloric-acid based stain, scored lines in the concrete and added an acrylic finish (figures G and H). Though she was pleased with her results, Lundy learned a couple of valuable lessons from her experience.

"Number one, don't ever give subcontractors money for work that's not done," she says, "even when they're talking about needing money to buy supplies. If they're a successful subcontractor, the won't be so hand-to-mouth to need your money to buy supplies. Number two, check their references more closely than I did."

	Homeowners Lundy and Harry Wilder

Harry, who manages his own moving business, has some general advice for dealing with subcontractors: "Just keep the tempo and the mood of the job where everybody's happy to be on board. As long as you can keep that, it's like in the circus with the man who has plates spinning on a stick. Everybody's gotta be coordinated and working together and happy to be there."

In the segment that follows, the do-it-yourselfers discuss some of the finishing touches on their vacation home and offer some final words of advice to other do-it-yourself contractors.

RESOURCES :

Investing in a Vacation Home for Pleasure and Profit
Author: James H. Boykin
Order this book from Amazon.com
Publisher: South-Western Educational Pub (2005)
ISBN: 0324314116

How a Second Home Can Be Your Best Investment: New, Tax-Free Methods for Using a Vacation Home for Recreation, Retirement and Investment
Authors: Tom Kelly, John Tuccillo
Order this book from Amazon.com
Publisher: McGraw-Hill (2004)
ISBN: 0071429700

Special Resources for Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes, episode 107

DAC-Art Building Systems
Website: www.dac-art.net

Lundy Wilder's website
Website: www.scrapbookscrapbook.com