Guess who? Specifications.

Here is one of the specifications on a project I am looking at. Can you guess who's specs these are? Field Quality Control A. Inspection: After the paint has thoroughly dried, visually inspect the entire application and touch up as required to provide clean, straight lines and surfaces throughout. B. Testing: Testing of wet film thickness shall be performed a minimum of two times on each parking row (including striped islands) and pedestrian cross-walks, and a minimum of one test on each lane/alignment striping. At least one test shall be performed after refilling paint striping machine, changing operators of striping machine, and changing paint types, brands, etc. This shall be performed in addition to the testing stated above. These tests shall be performed on each coat applied. Testing shall be performed in accordance with ASTM D4414

Has to be some government goober with to much spare time.

who is it

straighline wrote on Mar 12, 2005:Go to #2

Has to be some government goober with to much spare time.

Sorry Straightline, try again! Anyone, anyone?

this is who it is

We have a winner... That was too easy. We'll keep it going. Anyone else? Anyone, anyone?

Is this for real?? What a bunch of hassle, you sure could keep an inspector busy! I would be curious to know if the millage display on the L/L III would satisfy their demands? Sure sounds like government to me...

Jobs like that I walk away from. there is plenty of work to do with out that hassle. You know darn well that as soon as one thing isn't up to exact spec the whole job is gonna be checked out even closer. can you say high blood pressure.

Great observation Kris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A big Ditto!!!!!!!!!!!

Looks like you could have fun doing it. take extra care, & time in fact take so much time you have to come back every day for 2 weeks and have the inspector on site. True it would be a PIA but I bet they would never require that tight of inspection again. Oh ya charge accordingly.

This is for Wal-Mart. I helped a local competitor out last fall (fear of weather) on another Super WM and there was no inspector, I believe they are telling you it better be correct and if it is not...

Does the fine print say who is responsible to pay for the inspection or who is qualified to do it? Sounds like a good way to put a small guy out of business, which they are known to do.

I cannot find anything here about who is responsible for inspecting the work or who is qualified. It is stated unchanged above. I now assume I would test mil thickness as I go myself. And yes I agree, it could be the sort of thing that chokes a small outfit. I will say this, I have seen dozens of Wal-Mart stores striping & signing work, as well as other workmanship (concrete, asphalt etc.). I feel I am fully capable of producing equal to or better quality workmanship than any of the stores in this district have accepted in the past. I was part of a crew that layed out a few of these stores when they originally were built and was on one SWM last fall, I know I do better work and for (expletive) sure do better re-stripes than they are willing to accept. I am not worried in the least about fulfilling the requirements. I thought some of the requirments from the manual were amusing, nothing less, nothing more. Just thought I would share.

I know what you mean about the quality of their work I would not sign my name to any of the wal-marts in our area eather. Maybe they want it done as fast as they want their stores built... almost over night and this is the type of job you will get when you are rushed to completion.

This is some of Wally Worlds quality control. Still if something is in the bid I would sure cover my behind.

sdstriper wrote on Mar 12, 2005:Go to #1

provide clean, straight lines and surfaces throughout.

I've seen more bananas in the parking lot at Wally-Worlds than in the produce department. Same for every store around here. And here (luckily we were between fire inspectors) when they repainted they took my "spec" fire lanes (I did the storefront on a "local pay" basis after some remodeling messed up the lines a couple of years ago) and just did their standard thing. If it had been 3 weeks earlier before our nit-picky fire inspector left for a better job they would have been sending a crew back or paying tickets.

Wal-Mart is a whole lot pickier about the original layout and striping than it is about the subsequent restriping work. The original installation is paid out of the GC's bid budget and Wal-Mart makes sure it gets every penny's worth. When it comes to the restriping (which Wal-Mart pays for directly), things sometime go to h3ll in a handbasket pretty quickly. LOWWWW BID all the way... And as far as banana's in the parking lot, I have been contracting sweeping at Wal-Marts for 20 years and have never seen an easy Wal-Mart. Even as we are sweeping the lots and cleaning the sidewalks, the Wal-mart employees are out in front of the stores, taking their breaks, tossing trash & cigarettes on the ground. Our favorite Wal-Martian likes to wait until we are totally finished with the cleanup, then he collects all the (in the way) shopping carts and throw all the trash in the carts on the ground. I am waiting on a complaint, so I can show pics of him in action....

BTS, we just concider that job secerty. seems like the employees are always the worst @ getting in the way or throughing out there butts, even the ones that pick the spot you are getting ready to sweep and park in it. most of the time they park all spread out over the lot instead in one spot. Seems like a Co. policy to only through cigarette butts on the clean part of the lot. The spell checker does work but does not give me enough options to pick from. LOL

I quit bidding on new Wal Marts a long time ago, I never got a bid. But, I don't think there has been a Wallyworld or Sam's builit around here where they didn't have to call me at the last minute to fix something so they could get their CO.