Heard a story about a wall collapse in Cincinnati that got me thinking

My buddy told me about a job over there where they used a cheap mortar mix from a discount supplier. The whole garden wall came down after one winter because it couldn't handle the freeze-thaw cycles. It wasn't even a structural wall, but it's a good reminder to never cut corners on materials. What's the worst material failure you've seen on a job?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_evan1mo ago

Used to believe you could save a buck on stuff like paint or caulk without big problems. Saw a deck fail because someone used the cheapest possible wood screws from a hardware store bargain bin. They all rusted out and snapped after two seasons, whole railing came loose. That was a real wake-up call about how even small parts need to be right. Now I won't even buy off-brand fasteners for a fence.

milesj701mo ago

Yeah, and always check for the right coating on those screws too.

park.abby1mo ago

Totally learned that the hard way on a shed project. I grabbed some generic zinc screws for the pressure-treated frame, and they started showing rust spots in under a year. Switched to hot-dipped galvanized for the replacement and they still look new five years later. What coating do you usually go for?