Well actually, the Craft Man’s Ship has not “sailed” anywhere----it may be that only our “focus” has changed. Builders cut corners, and “professionals” butchered the work of other professionals. Just look at the inspectors that post regularly here on activerain. The vast majority of posts are about the myriad of defects that they find----the more bizarre the better. Readers want to read about the bizarre and “unbelievable” more than they do the mundane. Look how many more comments these posts get. People would much rather read about how much easier it would be to “row” instead of “crawl” around a crawl space as opposed to how exceptionally neat and clean it is. As bloggers, we like to FOCUS on the sucker punch. It is blogging “cleavage” so to speak. If we can not “titillate” we will gross out, shock or awe the reader through to the end of our post. Very often the comments that follow these tales are variations of: “Where has pride in workmanship gone?” The question implies that there was a time when things were much better. Since I did not live in any other time than my own, I can only go by what I see in my own time as well as what I can infer from what I find----from times previous to my own. I routinely find defects in houses older than I am, that were created in those homes long before I was born or even before anyone reading this was born. Just because there was no one blogging or filming at the time the defect was created, does not mean that the person that did it was a better craftsman, or cared more about his job. People will point to the great old mansions that are remarkable testaments to incredible levels of craftsmanship and extrapolate that quality to the lack of quality sometimes found in today’s tract homes. Well the reality is that the homes we should be comparing to the tract homes have long since been bull-dozed, burned, rotted away or rebuilt. Just because the ones that are left standing, from times gone by, are “exceptional,” one must realize that being exceptional is part of the reason they still stand----not because of generally higher levels of workmanship at the time. One of the things that irritates me the most about this perceived lack of craftsmanship or pride in workmanship is when it is used as a means to put down non-English speaking populations that make up a huge percentage of today’s construction work force. As a builder I never found that to be the case----in fact quite the opposite and can attest to numerous occasions where more WASPY workers would game the system from one L&I check to the next, call in sick when they would rather be doing “anything” else----or just hung over. Craftsmanship----pride in workmanship----is a personal thing and is not restricted to any time and/or place, gender, race or place of national origin. It is available to anyone that chooses to take it on. It was both present and missing in my Grandfather’s time and his Grandfather’s time-----as it is in our time. It is everywhere and in most houses to one degree or another. Charles Buell
Way back before the Internet was invented, before there were home inspectors poking and prodding, before “This Old House” and “Fine Woodworking” magazine were around, and LONG before “A Day Without Mexicans,” houses were still built poorly.
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Charles, good post. At each point in construction history, new things were introduced and things were found to be unworthy of a future. I always try to point out to critical buyers how many nails are in a home. Know how many? So when one pops, does that make the whole house bad? We have to put things in perspective sometimes. A house is actually an amazing feat of engineering when it gets beat up by the big bully Mother Nature herself.
Well said, Charles. My father worked in carpentry from the 1950s to 1980s. He was very skilled and his pride of craftsmanship held his reputation high with those for whom quality was essential. There was always a mixed bag of quality in the industry... the reason why he drew distinctions.
Lyn, properly built houses is all about dealing with Mother Nature whether directly from storms or more indirectly from moisture control (building science).
Joy, yes----it always has been a "mixed bag of quality" and likely always will be.
Charles,
Thanks for the post. Yes I think we all get too rushed and we sometimes miss the details. Was it better then....don't know but I don't think alot of the homes we see up today will be around like the ones from 200 years ago. Before the English speaking folks made fun of the non-English speaking they had the Pols, the Irish and others to kick around. I guess we forget that we are a nation of immigrants.
Diane, you are welcome. Of course the point of my post is that 99 percent of the homes from 200 years ago are no longer around either:) May we never become a nation that decides that enough imigrants are enough----what if that door were closed just before we got here:) My family got their start here in 1632 and I still see myself as an "imigrant."
Good post Charles . . . If more people would focus on the task at hand, rather than the paycheck ahead, we'd see a vast improvement in production quality. But, unfortunately pride in work seems to be in short supply, while attention to the bottom line is pervasive. Like Joy, my father was a true craftsman, mastering every trade he came across, and taking the time to do it right, he could not do otherwise. I think his values had a lot to do with it. The values projected by today's media are quite different.
Very good post Charles, and I couldn't agree more. There is way too often a rush to judgement, and just as often, it is wrong.
Debi
Frank, a lot of things come down to "focus" don't they
Debi, for sure
Individual pride is where good craftsmanship, workmanship begins. You should want to do a good job for many reasons, individual and social. I have heard the points you brought up before, but I seem to forgot them at times. We inspectors I feel are a little like cops. We see the ugly more than the average person and it can begin to taint our perspective. Thanks for clearing my window on the world today. :)
James, it is easy to get pessimistic some times.
Mr Charles,
I have great pride in my workmanship and keeping my body looking good. You might burn off some flab and do the same.
Nutsy
Nutsy have you never heard of the "lemon law?"
Lack of pride in workmanship is an equal opportunity purveyor!
Why not sail over to Bestway Construction! Where "pride" is spelled with a, a, well, where pride is spelled.
Call now! Billy Jays
I will be right over.
Charles - Having been in the building business for 4 decades, I've seen many of the things you describe. I've both owned and worked in homes that were more than a century old, and I agree that many do have problems. It just seems that the lack of concern for true craftsmanship has grown more scarce in recent years.
You mentioned foreign workers; and I would add that most of the first generation workers have a work ethic that is superior to workers in this country. As an example, the last two years before closing the doors of my construction company, I encountered a Honduran roofer who was the best roofer I've ever used. His commitment to quality was incredible and he followed the simple rule of: "Do What You Say You Will Do," a commodity that seems to be lacking today.
We're on the cusp of some great changes both in our country and our business. I'm not certain where they will lead, but I do believe the changes will be significant, and I hope positive.
John, I think that "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." It is funny how we spend so much time worrying about the past and the future, we don't know what to do with ourselves in the present.
Mr Charles,
Why does Mr Jay always have a phony beard anymore?
Nutsy
Nutsy - I have no beard at all.
Mr. Jay
Nutsy, as usual you are not paying attention
Jay, we are dealing with a mental midget here----you are on your own:)