Red Lined

I thought a lot before writing this post because I don’t think it is very good form to criticize your clients but because so many of the folks who read my blog are in the business, or appreciate the gardening design business I thought that this might be a good learning experience.

I’ve been working on a very small planting plan for the last 3 months.
Yes, three months, you read correctly.
What would normally be a one week turn around job has stretched into 3 months due to a multitude of changes, revisions and indecision's.

The last straw came when my plans were sent back to me red lined.

My client has a daughter who is an architect and she red lined the plans.

Now I don’t mind changes, revisions and construction critique, but when the red lined plans come back and the ‘new design’ is obviously going to fail due to poor materials choice and inferior construction techniques that’s when I say, “No can do. I’m not redrafting up someone else’s plans on my legal construction documents that are bound to fail”.

Anyone who has ever build an exterior planter box can tell you that a 1x 12 board is going to curl and crack in a matter of weeks. You don’t have to be a landscape professional to know this
Hell, even a 2x12 will sometimes curl if not properly fastened to it’s substructure.

So I sent the newly revised ( and final ) plans back to my client with a blank section reserved for the planter box and told her to have her architect provide a set of plans for the box and that I would not be responsible for a design that will fail as soon as it is built.

As professionals you have to stand your ground. We have a responsibility to provide sound construction detailing that will stand the test of time and meets the aesthetic that was discussed during design review.
If someone else changes the design or construction techniques that were shown then ‘they’ need to assume the responsibility when it fails.

The red lines :

From Blogger Pictures

By the way, where is the specifications calling out the quality and the species of the wood ? How about that nailing or screwing detail ? Waterproofing details anyone ?
And do you really think a 1x12 is going to make it out doors as a planter box without curling and splitting ? I think not.

From Blogger Pictures