What a waste!
Rubbish
I was looking today at my yard. from the car, well I had to it was raining! I thought it would be nice if it were perfectly tidy and clean and perfect. Well it’s not - ok! With all the good will in the world it never is as organized as you want it. I did visit a friend of mine’s yard as well today and mine in comparison looks as clean as a surgery! His was a real mess. Perfectly good materials were ruined or on the way to ruin. When we talk of saving the planet I wonder just how many perfectly good products and materials end up costing someone a fortune to skip, filling landfill sites with things that could be of use to someone.
I was talking to the guys concerned and telling them of the stuff I used to get given to me to send to Romania. I used to scrounge all sorts of plumbing fittings, paint by the lorry load that had been mixed to the wrong shade, bath suites with a small scratch on them. They all work perfectly but can’t be sold. Do we really know how lucky we are? Romania, then the Haiti earthquake as I write, everything has a value to someone. Don’t throw it give it to someone else. If it ain’t broke don’t throw it - recycle it or Freecycle - search online for details to allow people to recycle to each other unwanted items for free. What a great idea. If in our little part of the world we can save some of this rubbish then we really can make a difference.
Thank you would have done!
A little while back when I was young and nimble……. OK ages ago then, I was on an external decoration job with Vic my old cohort. Vic was a great character when working with me. In a previous life he had worked for Champion spark plugs. For Vic it was always a challenge getting up in the morning proof came to us when there was an old photo of the Champion head office building. On the main wall was a big clock and the time on it was 9.15 am. If you look carefully you could see someone running to get into work….. yes Vic! The camera doesn’t lie eh.
Back to me being nimble: Vic and I were working on this job when I in the front of the house heard a noise. It was a kind of tapping noise. I could not work out where it was coming from. After about three or four bouts of this tapping I looked at the house opposite to where I was. There was an old lady in the porch tapping the glass whilst she was laying on the floor. She had not got the key to open the porch door and the front door had shut behind her leaving her trapped with no windows there was no air and she was nearly passing out.
I sprung into action and got a ladder went to the side gates got over them and got a ladder around to the back garden. I put the ladder up and then got a roof ladder over as well. This went up and hooked onto the ridge tiles. I clambered up on to the main roof to the dormer window at the rear of the property. The fanlight was open. I managed to open it up and reach around to open the main window. There was a lot of ladies perfumes and bottles on the dresser. I somehow managed to get the dresser clear and get myself into the window and over the dresser.
Meanwhile the school backing onto the rear garden had drawn a bemused crowd watching my ”milk tray” ad copycat antics! I got in and ran downstairs and opened the front door from the inside. A gasp of air came from the old lady in the porch. She then grabbed the keys for the porch door opened the door muttered she was late got in her car and drove off leaving me standing there.
To say I was bemused, bewildered and not sure what to do was an understatement! I looked at Vic and we were both aghast and didn’t know what to do now. Still we didn’t have too much time to discuss it as the police turned up to help us! To be fair, I could not have made this lot up could I? What old lady was trapped in this porch they asked? Well she’s gone I replied. What leaving an open property with you just having broken in through a window in front of one hundred witnesses?
It was only my client who came over to verify my role in all of this that shortened the line of inquiry! Help old ladies again mmmmmmmmmmmm of course I would, but only in bungalows!
Top Tips 1
If you have a floor up for any reason to do work, think about insulating under the floor as not all heat is lost upwards.
Ok, so I lied…..
It is not something to shout about but please read on and consider what you would have done in my shoes.
Many years ago when I was a slip of a lad (how many years ago?!!) I worked for an old gentleman called Mr. Lawton, he was 89 years old. I remember his age clearly because he told me so many times. It was the middle of Winter and the weather was freezing, my writing this is inspired by the snow outside and the temperatures recently reaching minus 18 degrees around here!
He had an old boiler chugging away and getting no where fast. We did a gutter repair and were sitting drinking tea with him. He was always smiling, a fault of old people with nothing else to do but enjoy a young guys company! I have always been friendly to my older clients but this guy really was a gem. He would crack jokes and offer more tea than a true professsional could handle!
In moving a few roof tiles I noticed that he had not a scrap of loft insulation in the house. Incredible to think of that now, no insulation was there, but not uncommon in those days. You can tell a builder’s age by what he thinks the recommendation was. Often 25mm was all that was put in with a “that will do the trick” comment. Now we laugh at these paultry amounts.
I mentioned to Mr. Lawton that he had no insulation and he acknowledged the fact but he genuinely could not afford to have it put in. I also mentioned the fact that there were grants available and that the local authority would pay to have it put in because he was a pensioner. He was horrified and turned a little cross with me. His pride would not let him sponge off of the state for such an amount. I argued that he was entitled and that they would not pay if it wasn’t his rights to claim. He wasn’t having any of it and we left with a soured relationship.
I was determined that he should have this and started contacting the council. I got through to the right man in the council and explained the problem I was having getting him to accept what he thought was charity. The council were happy to do the grant and process it. I had no choice, I went to Mr Lawton and met the council man at his house. I then turned into Alec Guiness and turned on my best and sternest stance. I explained to Mr. Lawton that it was now the law to have insulation and that without it he would be breaking the law and could be liable for prosecution if he failed to comply. With a wink to the council man, he now chipped in with the Laurance Olivier version and we won the day and got our way. In the end Mr Lawton had to agree as an upstanding law abiding citizen could not defy the authorities after all!
We did the deed and insulated his loft and duly got paid with the grant money. He now had a house that could be kept at least to a comfortable level. I was so pleased that I had lied to him and won the battle and felt I was justified in doing so. When his neighbour was talking to me at the end of the job, his nephew turned up as well. We were all pleased at the outcome and feeling satisfied that justice had prevailed when I mentioned the fact I was not going to leave an 89 year old man in the cold like that. They both laughed at me. When i asked why they were laughing they let me in on Mr Lawton’s secret….. he had been 89 since longer than anyone could remember!
The moral is that he who lies last, lies the longest!
Youth & Enthusiasm!
After me bleating on about us old hands needing to keep up with the changes it was good to be asked from my newest recruit. He came and asked me if he could finish his course that he was half way through when the company he was working for went under. I like this sort of spirit and I will help in what ever I can do to make it work for him. Even if he leaves me at some stage if he can go with a course under his belt and a bit of experience from us as well then it will be time well spent.
Go for it Josh and good luck.
Never Stop Learning….
Damp
Although I have been in this business for a little while now there are always new things to learn. With my present company and my previous family firm, dampness has always been an issue. It comes from everywhere like it or not. It is an old problem with old solutions. We know they work and therefore there is no more to say on the subject - it’s sorted.
On the other hand we are always looking for longer lasting solutions that can be provided at a cheaper cost in a safer and cleaner manner of delivery. So whilst we should not throw out all of the old methods, we must take a look at new methods and materials and integrate them where we can.
Triton Chemicals my supplier for such products are at the forefront of solutions and run training courses for their customers to get first hand knowledge of how and why new products have been evolved. With clever techniques, new base materials and a superb knowledge of the industry, Kevin Dodds the man at the helm of new innovation guided a few of us through waterproofing and managing water coming through concrete and basements on a course just before Christmas.
With a heavy leaning towards getting the thinking caps on at the design stage being the preference for efficiency and costs, there also refurbishment solutions for your basement, cellar and ground floor needs. As this is written we have just witnessed a few weeks ago another bout of devestation in Cumbria this time from the months rain in a day causing havoc. Whilst we should try and rectify the environment, the long term solutions cannot help those in Cockermouth with 3 metres of water cascading down the High Street and flooding everything in its path. The ground floors in reality need to be considered as basements in these times and prevention would have saved misery and millions of pounds.
Have a look at the Triton website for technical details, but if the misery that floods cause can be eradicated or limited then investment needs to be addressed to where the problems are. There are many areas in the UK with seemingly continual warnings from the environment agencies to floods.
After the TV cameras have gone the people of Cumbria will be working at rebuilding the community for years to come and getting straight with the fear that if it happens once then a repetition is possible. Take advice take action and be prepared are the rules of engagement. Remember it costs to have a better house protected in a more reliable way, it is not free and don’t leave it to luck.
As for the construction companies, we need to keep up with the new systems. Our customers will pay for our research and commitment to getting the best available in the present day. Progress will only happen when the better products and systems will become the norm rather than a special. If we are to offer guarantees and want people to recommend us then learning more is the key. Builders have to put aside the “I have always done it this way” mentality and expand their thinking. The manufacturers are spending millions in new testing and technology to advance building systems and the way of communicating to us so how made are we if we do not take advantage of their expenditure to further our own businesses. The courses are invaluable way of showing you are serious about improving your skill set.
I have sent others as well this year on all sorts of courses, damp, rot in wood, sanding courses with Bona and painting and filling courses with Repair care systems. Get trained, get paid, get referrals, it is a simple business process.
What can we do next?
Police Alert!
Happy New Year!
I was talking to a client today whilst he was going through the ever more complicated procedure of getting into people’s houses legitimately and sorting out the alarms. This one is peculiar to say the least. I relayed to him about my father and his brush with the law.
Many moons ago in the long and distant past when not everyone in the world was honest, there was a spree of burglars in our local area going around as builders. A variety of scams were inflicted on mostly elderly and vulnerable people. Posing to be the local authorities or the gas board with very good identity cards and even phone numbers to ring. When the number was called a partner in crime assured the caller that all was well and to let this man into the house.
Next thing is the money goes missing the jewelry is down the pub and all of the mementos are gone for ever. One elderly lady who had fallen victim to such an event did the right thing and called the Police. On the same day she called my dad in to look at some work that needed doing. He turned up at the appointed time and rang on the bell. Two men jumped upon my father and wrestled him to the ground. My dad was not a slight man and within seconds he had turned the tables on the men and had one by the throat and was kneeling on the other. It was only then that the men revealed that they were policemen and were lying in wait for a man coming back for cash for a job he said he had done but had left her house in ruins.
Of course it was the right thing to involve the police but she should have perhaps told them of a genuine caller. The good news is that the man they wanted was a little late and so ten minutes later they managed to get the right guy and he was prosecuted accordingly with a slap on the wrist. My father got an apology from the two officers but he felt bad at the fracas even though he was the innocent party!
War heroes
War heroes
It is an appropriate time of year to talk about war and the heroes from any time who have given so much for what we cherish most freedom. They say you never miss it until you lose it. Most of us have it even though we moan all the time of being trapped, it is not like the real suffering from those who have fought in a war.
One of my customers from way back when I was only a teenager, was a real old soldier. He must have been in his nineties. He always smiled and never grumbled at anything. He had leaks in his roof, no heating and the hot water was on a hit and miss basis. He had never got married and had no family at all alive. He also only had one leg. Being a nosey chap but being genuinely interested as I always have been with the elderly, I asked what had happened.
In the first world war he had gone out from the trenches to rescue a friend of his. He managed to bring him back to the relative safety of his trench only to find that it had been over run in his absence by the enemy. He carried his friend for nearly five miles to get to real safety what ever that was. He was shot in the leg en route but still he carried on. When he finally stopped he found out that his mate had died probably at the start of his amazing journey. For his valour in trying to save his mate our man was added the further blow of having to have his leg removed as a result of being shot and carrying the weight causing so much loss of blood.
I often think of him when I think I have had a bad day and compare whatever life throws and say was it as bad as his on that day? He was one of the happiest men that I have ever worked for and I didn’t get the feeling he would let anyone be sad for him he was just a positive person through and through and a very nice human being as well.
Not all as it seems
It has been a familiar them of late that what we look at isn’t always as clear cut as it seems. A friend of mine has bought a bungalow and has noticed within a few months that there are signs of damp in a couple of corners in one of the rooms. In the survey it pointed out the need for good ventilation under suspended floors. This is of course the correct thing to say and he had recommended that the build up of debris in front of the air vents was cleared to make sure the full air vent was exposed to allow a draught under the floor. This is essential to keep the timbers from getting damp and not drying out. There is only a small gap under the floor so all the more important for the vents that are there to work properly.
These vents had been cleared before my arrival to the property. Still not convinced that there was not another additional problem, I asked to be able to take up a couple of floor boards. When I did, I could see the beginning signs of rot starting to affect the joists where they went directly into the wall. We would, if constructing the floor now, put a DPC around the timbers of course, but these were not. On then checking the air vents we discovered that although there were plenty of air vents outside, they were blocked on the inside. In fact the brickwork did not have a gap on the inner brick wall. This means that from the day they were installed as part of the original house build, they have been ineffective. This is now resulting in damp problems requiring work to be carried out to repair and prevent a recurrence of the moisture building up. We can fix this fairly easily but what you see is not always what you get.
The moral of the story is that the surveyor was not wrong in his advice but until the floor was taken up no one really knows what the cause of a problem is. If there is the sign of damp get it sorted. Try the easier routes first a small damp patch does not always end in a full scale project.
A house I worked on years a go needed a new roof according to the roofer. I solved the problem by moving some games piled high on a wardrobe that prevented air flow around the room. In the cold spots, normally external walls with family junk stacked against the wall the air condensates and a damp patch can occur. Poor old roofer lost an £8,000 job and I got a cup of tea - fair exchange indeed. I did get a lot of work from the client from then on because of this ability to save him money. Of course had he replaced the roof, whilst it would look lovely I am sure the problem would have remained the same.
My advice is start with the easy things first. They are normally cheaper and quicker to identify and change and then if they are not the cause move on to the next thing. Points to remember is that there can be more than one cause to a sign of damp. The signs you see can be seasonal therefore keep an eye out to see if it comes back with rain in a certain direction or the water table changing as examples. If you don’t see the problem for a few days it doesn’t mean it is solved.
Water travels so don’t think the problem can only be where the signs are, it could be further afield. Be vigilant - repairs don’t happen by themselves!
Give us a chance!
No crystal balls used here!
I do understand the importance of service and like many other builders that I know, the office and estimating side of the work sometimes falls behind when you are busy. We do have to, however, rely on suppliers coming back with prices for us to work on. Keeping track on millions of products in your head just doesn’t work. It is why I will not give a price whilst visiting a job on the first visit. It isn’t fair to the client or the builder and will result in one of the parties feeling let down. The builder may have to cut corners half way through to save money and then, well, you know what happens - it all kicks off or falls down.
I was asked three days ago to price up a kitchen in an empty house. I gave the quantity of units (as specified by the client in a letter by post) to my supplier and then was trying to get and look at the property. I could not gain access as there are no keys locally and the owner cannot travel the 200 miles from where he lives. I explained that I needed to see to determine not only where the units are to be fitted, but also to see about the electrics, plumbing, decorating, tiling, flooring etc etc.
I have learnt today, that the owner has gone elsewhere as he feels I am obviously not interested in the job. W H A T?
I would be interested to find out how the other builder came to his figures. At the moment he will be King because he has satisfied the client by giving him what he wants. We will see if he has over charged or will he cut corners? He could be Derren Brown of course and just sense it all though the walls!
I am going back to my crystal ball and will see you later!
