Rip it out…

In today’s post, I’m want to talk about what I call the “rip it out mentality.” I think the subject deserves a bit more attention. Because mistakes will happen on the job (we’re all human), it’s essential to understand that there is no shame in ripping it out and starting fresh. Even if it means adjusting the schedule. Your top priority must be in creating high-quality work.

WHEN TO RIP IT OUT

It’s a terrible feeling when you realize you or your team made a mistake. And the human tendency might be to try to hide it and hope no one notices. I just can’t operate that way. Our clients have sought us out for the highest quality work and are willing to pay for it. I can’t deliver anything less than what was promised. It’s my job as the builder or the company's owner to correct any mistakes—even if I lose money on the job. Therefore, it’s important to understand when it’s the right time to rip it out and start again versus finding a creative remedy. 

To illustrate, I was on a site visit and discovered the team had miscalculated an elevation height in the shower's mud pan. The dilemma was: Do they grind the mud pan down and try to fix the mistake and possibly have a tiny lip in the tile? Or do we rip it out and start again? Although I felt terrible for making the guy rip it all out, I knew it was the right call. The schedule got set back by a day, which created a ripple effect, but the focus had to be on achieving our goal—perfect work. I put myself in the shoes of the homeowner (or, in this case, the bare feet of the homeowner) and thought about every time you step into that shower. What if you felt that lip with your toes? That tiny imperfection in the height of the tile would irritate you for the rest of the life of that shower. Simply not acceptable.  

Impacting a project’s schedule by a few days is not what you will remember years down the road. But knowing you left the job with a less-than-perfect outcome is going to haunt your conscience for a very long time. And possibly affect your company’s reputation. So after considering all factors, you may come to the conclusion that the mistake can’t be fixed; you need to rip it out.    

IT WILL ONLY HURT FOR A SECOND

Remember when your mom had to change the Band-Aid on your freshly skinned-up knee because you thought it would be cool to make your own backyard rollercoaster using a sled, a pulley system, and the dog house? The Band-Aid felt like it was stuck on with superglue, and she said, “I’m going to rip it off quickly. It will only hurt for a second.”

Now I’m not saying Mom was intentionally lying… but her ability to tell time was questionable. It hurt for more than a second. But, by the time she applied a fresh Band-Aid, you were off and looking for a new adventure and forgot about the sting of ripping off the Band-Aid.

My point is this: Sure, it will hurt for a few minutes as you realize the mistake, assess the damage to the project and schedule, try to figure out a solution to fix it, and then come to the realization that the only way to do the job right means you are going to have to rip it out. As a builder, that stings. You or your team worked hard on something only to have human error screw it up. 

But, like the Band-Aid, it’s better just to rip it out quickly, reset your attitude, and focus on starting anew. Simply put—just do it and get back to work. The sting will subside.    

LOOK FOR A CREATIVE SOLUTION

There are situations where you can find a creative solution and avoid ripping the whole thing out. In greater detail in the Coffee Break Q&A video, I shared how this happened to us on a project involving two large pieces of quartz on a shower wall. Unfortunately, the seam in the middle of these two vertical slabs presented a problem. The veins didn’t run continuously through the two quartz pieces, but we tried to line them up as close as possible. But, as I inspected it up close in the shower (because that’s where the homeowner will be standing when they notice it) I could see the slab positioning was off by about 3/16 of an inch. 

It should’ve been caught at some point along the way, but here we are. Stuff happens. Now we needed to fix this. Seeing that tiny imperfection would just eat away at you day after day. So, do we rip it out and adjust the slabs? Not necessarily. 

I had this crazy idea that just might work. I’ve worked in the past with this amazing artist who paints on stone. She came by and worked her magic—etched the stone, painted it, blended it, and polished it, lining up the top and bottom edges and somehow made it appear to look like one piece of stone. Talk about talent!

FINAL THOUGHTS…

So, look for a creative solution if possible. But if that can’t be done, you may have no choice other than to rip it out. And remember—you’re in good company!  

Whether a renovation or new build, let the experience of NS Builders guide you through the entire process. Call us today; we can’t wait to hear about your dream project. Let’s start this journey together!

—Nick Schiffer