# What Do You All Do On Rain Days?



## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

DPCII said:


> I notice you did not comment on the post from a "real contractor" just prior to mine that stated "get wet".


I'm a fake contractor, so that didn't count.

Seriously, while I'll often use an Easy-Up or two to protect the tools, I do get wet outside of their protection. In mild weather with intermittent rain, that's no big deal most of the time.

But there are times when it's just not practical, and Dan's been working under those conditions lately.

It's just difficult for most of us hammer-swingers to empathize with the kind of work you do.


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## DPCII (Mar 14, 2010)

ApgarNJ said:


> The answer "get wet" isn't for most people and who really wants to work in rain all day, if there is a place to cut and work inside, then I work. If not. I stay home and do office work. The last thing I need is all my tools getting rusty and ruined because I felt the need to rush a job in the rain. we've been in such a drought that I can't remember the last rain days up until this past week in the northeast. I'll do estimates, invoices and all kinds of running around that I can't do when I'm working 40-50 hrs a week on the jobsite.
> 
> DPC, I never get a dumpster picked up after it's rained. I try to keep them covered up. take 5 tons of debris and soak it and then weigh it. you are over the limit and get banged 80 bucks a ton.


I am not disagreeing with you, in fact I fully understand that you would not want to subject your tools and body to it. All through school I labored concrete forms, and the owner worked rain, snow, sun. I hated it but at the same time the most expensive tool we used was a 10" shovel and Estwing hammer.

Looks like plenty of rain is coming our way in the NE the next two days.

80 ton/overage is pretty cheap actually.


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## ApgarNJ (Apr 16, 2006)

the bigger problem is when the weather says the night before it's going to rain all day and then in reality it only rains on and off all day, like yesterday and I tell my guy we won't be working, it's difficult to plan and change things in the morning once you see what the weather is doing. most times i have already cancelled a delivery at that point or told a client we won't be there.  we got so lucky this summer it was dry and worked many 40-50 hour weeks with very few disruptions from weather.


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## Aaron Berk (Jul 10, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Uh...... if your wife is at the store, and you're at the job site........ who's skooling da kids? :blink:



We have an employee at the store. So neither my wife nor I need to be there. But when I get the time, I go take over at the store and let our girl go. Saves us on man hrs, or um woman hrs:whistling


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## mudpad (Dec 26, 2008)

ApgarNJ said:


> the bigger problem is when the weather says the night before it's going to rain all day and then in reality it only rains on and off all day, like yesterday and I tell my guy we won't be working, it's difficult to plan and change things in the morning once you see what the weather is doing. most times i have already cancelled a delivery at that point or told a client we won't be there. we got so lucky this summer it was dry and worked many 40-50 hour weeks with very few disruptions from weather.


Right, and that's why I tell my guys to always show up. Sometimes they sit around the office trailer BS'ing for 2 hours, but that is a rarity. It rarely rains all day around here, and if it does we usually have several projects dried in that need help with toilet accessories, doors and hardware, that kind of stuff.


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

ApgarNJ said:


> the bigger problem is when the weather says the night before it's going to rain all day and then in reality it only rains on and off all day, like yesterday and I tell my guy we won't be working, it's difficult to plan and change things in the morning once you see what the weather is doing..


That's why I usually wind up getting wet.


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

Indoor sports for the feeble minded.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

In snow country an inch of snow on the top plates meant go home. Or if you had to shovel the deck off again after lunch.

In rain country the second time you poured water out of your boots or when you sank in mud 6" above your ankles you went home. Also if the 4x4 Lull got stuck again. Adios:thumbsup:

The rest of the time get it on.


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

On rainy days, I used to like to stay home and do it with my wife all day long.

now..I just stay home.


..maybe mop the floors.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Steve Richards said:


> ... stay home and do it with my wife all day long....


Do what?:whistling:laughing:


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## Steve Richards (Mar 7, 2006)

ironing


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Steve Richards said:


> ironing


Well starch keeps it stiff.:whistling:whistling:clap::laughing::laughing:


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## Scribbles (Mar 10, 2009)

Make fun of the roofers next door, and be glad I am a cabinetmaker


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## drroof (Sep 28, 2010)

seriously GET SOME RAIN GEAR .........................


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## jhark123 (Aug 26, 2008)

Haha,

Look at my location. I work rain or shine, I only quit for ice.

If we took time off for rain we would only work 50 days a year.


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## Hardly Working (Apr 7, 2005)

I live in Seattle it always rains here. You just pack an extra hooded sweat shirt and a towel. Seems that we were always getting some guy that wanted a deck built in the off season Fall or Winter. Love the rain & mud. BS


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## drroof (Sep 28, 2010)

go as far west as you can thats where we work wa is wet but we love it


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

I try and take care of things I normally don't have time to do: clean, sharpen chisels, planes, oil things, etc., and do paperwork. I love sharp tools! Makes things so much easier.


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## PA woodbutcher (Mar 29, 2007)

Hardly Working said:


> I live in Seattle it always rains here. You just pack an extra hooded sweat shirt and a towel. Seems that we were always getting some guy that wanted a deck built in the off season Fall or Winter. Love the rain & mud. BS


And I would hope you had systems in place to work in the rain without getting the customers house wet, or to keep from tracking mud in the house, on the porch or whatever. For me not having those systems, would mean cutting into my bottom line, and I try to avoid that.

Clean the shop, hang out here on CT, go to estimates, make wine, visit friends that I haven't seen in awhile. There is always something to do.


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## Aaron Berk (Jul 10, 2010)

Hmm, the forecast says 10% chance of rain, and it's rained the last 2 days, should I go:whistling



Yeah I guess I could chance a few sprinkles.... this time


Hi ho Hi ho, it's off to work I go.:whistling


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## jmiller (May 14, 2010)

Must be a regional thing but we don't fish while it's raining around here. Combined sewer overflow problem... It's a catch 22, the rain days and (not being able to go) fishing, but we stay busy chasing leaks/estimating. 

OTOH there is occasionally the most beautiful perfect work day that will be partially lost because we say screw it lets go fishing.


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## JDavis21835 (Feb 27, 2009)

Its not allowed to rain on our jobs. Most of the time we can keep going in bad weather. Only when trucks or equipment start tracking mud out on paved areas, or traffic areas at some of our gas station jobs, do we shut down. That being said, thunderstorms will send most of our guys for the hills, or at least into some cover. Our laborers know to have rain gear, or a change of clothes. 

The other night we worked through a series of thunderstorms. We were on a deep cut sewer job, so the laborers sat in trucks/equipment while I dug, and the other hoe operator bailed dirt out of my way. The storm was in waves, and just before I finished the cut, it would pass, we would lay that stick of pipe, stone it, just in time for the next wave to come through, and we would repeat the process all over again.


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## Royal Johnson (Aug 13, 2010)

*Depends*

It depends on what type of project we are working....!!


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## nailit69 (Sep 8, 2010)

Here in the great northwest , if we stopped for the rain we wouldn't work from oct. to jun.


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## nailit69 (Sep 8, 2010)

WarnerConstInc. said:


> I want to put a RV awning on the side of my trailer.
> 
> I could have almost 20' of covered work area. It would be great when it was really sunny out too.


 
I actually had one on both sides of my trailer... works awesome, in summer and winter especially if you have the side door. It had heat, microwave, mini fridge, and pop up chairs in it too. I also mounted the compressor and genny on the tounge, great setup... too bad I sold it and my truck, I miss my big truck more though.


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## Bulldogpainting (Sep 16, 2010)

Catch up on paperwork, make calls, ***** about the rain, the take an early trip to the bar about 3:30, get home about 8 and crash, or pass out, which ever occurs 1st:whistling then pray the day is dry.


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## stevethepirate (Oct 11, 2010)

nailit69 said:


> Here in the great northwest , if we stopped for the rain we wouldn't work from oct. to jun.


same thing here. i've had a couple guys from the praries and ontario join the crew in summer and when fall rolls around and the first rain starts to fall they start to roll up the tools and then the boys laugh :laughing:


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## the specialist (Nov 4, 2010)

VA Remodeler said:


> What do you all do on Rain Days, when you have an outside job going on?
> 
> Bill


 whats a rainday?


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

even a dog knows to get out of the rain:laughing:


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## wrightconst (Jun 7, 2009)

Lunch at the strip joint. LOL


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## Tom Struble (Mar 2, 2007)

yes..yes that's almost as good as breakfast there:clap:


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## Countryboy94 (Nov 23, 2010)

during mowing season I just clean out the truck/organize everything, head to the gym, hell maybe even spend some time with the lady. 

Doing scrap removing though I have no problem working in the rain, a little water never hurt anybody


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## Hardly Working (Apr 7, 2005)

But when it does this I don't do a thing.


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## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

Hardly Working said:


> But when it does this I don't do a thing.


Light snow flurries?

That looks like a pretty good day to work for us.


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## tcleve4911 (Mar 26, 2006)

This may slow us down a bit


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