Wendorf Construction and Remodeling

Overall, the function of the stairs was greatly improved and it opened the house up more. The issue was the lack of detail, precision, and overall sloppines. I performed all the deconstruction, dry walling, and finished the oak treads myself, and Wendorf Construction was to build and new staircase. This is a 100+ year old house, so that means there is not many truly square angles and the job would have to take precision and customizing. We were assured that the contractor was capable of doing finished stairs and carpentry. The issues we came across happened when he started putting in the stairs. The first day we came home and the new treads were in place. The problem was the skirt on the ends of the stairs were only extended a third of the way to the top, and the remainder of the stairs had the oak treads butting right up the the walls, which we did not want. None of the treads fit tight to the side skirts, so there are gaps on one side on every stair that is impossible to fix. He did not cut the treads to fit(called scribing), instead to save time took a measurement and cut them all square. Upon inspecting the treads towards the top of the stairs, which consisted of two landings with three treads put together on each landing, none of the treads were level with one another and a corner of the stair stunk from standing on it. Essentially, the treads were not glued or connected together before installation to make a smooth surface between pieces. The collapse of the corner of the stair was blamed on glue not being dry. That means the corner is not resting on a stringer for support and instead glued to the bottom of the next riser. Weeks later we finally got him back to do repairs, attach the handrail, and finish the railing up top. He added the skirt to the rest of the stairs by cutting into each tread and caulking the snot out of the cut lines. Ever see caulk on oak treads before? Me neither, and you don't want to! The railing around the top of the stairs was put in place with one the the corner newel posts not resting on the floor, but resting on shims leaving a noticable eighth inch gap between the railing and floor. Along one portion of the railing all spindles are loose, with one that actually pops out! The handrail going up the stairs started coming loose a week after it was installed, and the screws literally fell out a few days later. I was glad it happened to me and not my wife carrying our week old baby. The holes he predrilled were too big, so I had to hunt down larger wood screws to fix it myself. When this was brought up to the contractor, he stated "somebody must have bumped into it". Bumped into it? Isn't a handrail supposed to give support and stability? After examining the stairs before calling the building inspector I discovered the stairs are not to code! The risers cannot be over eight inches high with a variance of no more than 3/8 inches between heights. Our stairs had two at eight and the rest ranging from 81/4 to 9 inches. I got a bill from the contractor that was already dated two weeks prior, and a week later he's threatening to get a lawyer because the he said the bill was a month overdue. Overall, this was a poor quality job done and nothing but excuses and threats from this contractor. I had a new countertop put in at my business at the same time and that as well is failing. The corners are coming apart and sagging. I wouldn't recomend him to some one I didn't like. Beware, do not have him do any finish work, even if the price sounds right.