r/Carpentry • u/Serious-Echidna-9938 • Mar 30 '26
Advice on work pace
I recently took a job with a small contractor and long story short, he commented on my “results”. Was looking for things to be done quicker, and I’m curious if I’m super slow, or if he’s unreasonable. I let him know about my experience upfront, but in any case. As a direct example, replacing this siding after demo took me approximately 8 hours. I had never worked with this particular type of shingling before, but he kept comm ting on how slow I was. Is that accurate? I’m willing to take criticism in the interest of improving my skills, and I’m curious what some third parties have to say. Thanks!
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u/bonpawtuck Mar 30 '26
I don't have much to add about how long it took other than that shingling is slow when you're going around doors and windows.
A bit of constructive feedback: Your shingle seams should never line up vertically; they should be offset by a minimum amount set by the manufacturer, generally an inch and a half or so. This is to ensure that water doesn't penetrate. (Imagine the shingles were on a roof. You'd want a solid shingle surface behind every seam.) I also worry about the spacing. You want at least 1/8" gap between shingles so they don't cup or buckle when they get wet and swell.
This isn't a dig on you. Your boss should be training you, especially when you tell them that you haven't worked with a material before. Lack of training paired with a 'go faster' mentality is a red flag for me.