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[bracke] 03/12/2013 16:47

promises, promises !!

[el chupacabra] 03/12/2013 16:30

None of this floor nonsense would of happened if you where my ADVFN girlfriend wolfy ;)

[bracke] 03/12/2013 16:24

"throughout this whole renovation, not only have I learned a lot about building work and builders generally, but about myself."
=================================================================================

Yes indeed.

'IF' you were to do another refurb you would be a lot wiser but probably like most who do one you will decide not to do a second !!


I hope the rest of the work goes according to plan or at least close to it and that you are well ensconced by the 25th.

[bracke] 03/12/2013 12:48

Good day Babywolf

I appreciate your situation and the problems that further time delay would cause.

When one is under pressure we want to resolve the situation and think that 'yes I will agree to pay this and then it will get done and be ok' plus being a 'fair' person you think it is the right thing to do.

Unfortunately my experience and that of others has taught me that if someone has made a 'mess' of it there is a fair chance they will do so again. Also you don't part with money or pay for poor work.

'not using Treatex before' and 'expert floorer' do not go together. The company maybe experts but is your floorer ?

Depending on the cost of rectification small claims court would come to mind.


My refurb and building was approx 15 years ago. I no longer live in that house. I was fortunate in that I was able to work from home and was on hand to sort out queries and problems There were still mishaps but were resolved without too much problem. After it was completed I used to look at parts of the work and remember what had occured. It took a few years for that to cease.

"Was it worth it ?"
==================

That's a difficult question to answer. Because I was doing some of the work myself I spent a large proportion of weekends for a couple of years doing it which took its toll on family life. The end result was good but I would not want to do it again. Had we known how much time and effort would be required to do the necessary I doubt we would have taken it on.

[el chupacabra] 01/12/2013 20:42

I was once given a good piece of wisdom by an old carpenter...

'listen to what they want then tell em what they can have'

Lol :)

[babywolf] 01/12/2013 20:07

Hi Bracke

Thanks for the 2nd laugh today - for now, am simply 'done in' I'm afraid.

It WAS a flooring expert - the company he was from has the words 'floor' and 'solutions' in its title. I've just returned from seeing the floor again with the builder. He said that the sander used to take off the treacle must have had too rough a grit on its sanding pads - maybe 40grit or 60grit (versus the finer grain of an 80 or 100) and that the 'expert' had sanded it roughly, scratched the whole surface so that the coloured oil which was applied had highlighted this. I think that is spot on. Meaning, the £400 I paid him yesterday was money ill spent and is in addition to the money I've agreed to pay to rectify the floor. I bought the story he presented ie that the Treatex oil had been too thick a consistency and this wouldn't have happened had I used Jon's recommended Osmo.
The problem I have Bracke is this:
the expert is a nice man, a genuinely nice man. When he said he had lost sleep last night worrying about it, I know it is true. That then has my feeling empathetic towards him which in turn has me agreeing to pay him for his additional work. I now know this is not right and I am abandoning my own position and financial welfare.
The builder is forthright, blunt and - most importantly - A Man.
So he is going to call the expert tomorrow to challenge him on the fairness of charging me £400 for shoddy work.
I will exasperate everyone with the next comment - "I will keep you posted"...

[bracke] 01/12/2013 16:04

Babywolf

The first paragraph does put matters into perspective. We do tend to become blinkered in our own little world with its trials and tribulations which in comparison are 'small beer' to what many are suffering.

When I take a 'skilled' workman on to do a job providing I have explained what I want I expect it to be done correctly. If I take someone on who I know to be ok but not an expert I expect to keep very close watch on what they do.

If your 'floor man' was of the skilled variety something as basic as applying oil should be second nature to him and done without any problem. He should know exactly how to apply the oil.

I suspect that he is not a flooring expert but someone who knows a bit about it but little more. He is learning at your cost.

Personally I would expect him to correct the error in his own time.

I do hope you are done and in (two separate words) for Christmas and that you can put it all behind you.....so to speak.

Some time into the future you will not as is said 'laugh at it' you will grimace.

[babywolf] 01/12/2013 11:58

Thanks for the much needed laugh Bracke - yes, I have been 'floored', scuppered, fleeced, mugged, roasted, hung out to dry - you name it, been there, done that.

A humbling moment last night.
I was out for dinner with a friend who is over from Athens.
I knew life in Greece was tough but it really is brutally hard for many.
She and I were comparing our 'just listen to how awful this that's happened to me' stories when in walked in a group of 4 attractive girls who took the table next to us. One of the girls had no legs below her knees - some metal stalks in trainers were her lot - and we both shut up. Momentarily.
I once heard the sobering sentence 'I was upset because I had no shoes - and then I met someone who had no feet'. It was one of those moments.

However, today, I was face to face with the continuation of the soap called "The Refurb". I met with the man who did the flooring yesterday who had lost sleep over it, saying it was not acceptable.
The problem I have is this: I keep seeing it from the workman's point of view - they want to be paid for their time and effort - while I, being the customer, want to pay for results. We reached a compromise in that he will charge me a reduced daily rate for tomorrow and Tuesday to re-sand yet again the floor and this time apply the colour and oil by hand with a rag versus the buffing machine.
Back to feeling miserable that this renovation will never end.
IT's now thrown off dates for the final paint coat, carpets and curtains - again.

"a life to run" no, sorry but when the builders are in life goes out of the window. Unfortunately, you are 100% correct :(

[bracke] 01/12/2013 10:36

Good day Babywolf

My commiserations. I am tempted to post that you have been 'floored' but I won't.

Will a second sanding do the trick or does 'the patch' need to be replaced ?

"a life to run" no, sorry but when the builders are in life goes out of the window.

renovating - once done never to be repeated.

Good luck.

[el chupacabra] 30/11/2013 00:04

cant hear it peny :(

[el chupacabra] 30/11/2013 00:04

Osmo do teh best wood floor oil wolfy


thank me later

[bracke] 29/11/2013 16:54

Good evening Babywolf

Yep that's how it goes with builders Leaving them to it is risky. Was it the wrong oil they had used?

The 16th getting mighty close to the 25th.

I am trading carefully. It's becoming tenuous with posibility of taper and the debt ceiling.

Night Babywolf

[babywolf] 29/11/2013 16:45

Good night Bracke - just back from South Africa (work) - and dreadfully gaga with jet lag.
I would have been moving in on Tuesday next week but for yet another mishap - this time, it's the new wood flooring in the hall, dining and living room areas. I liked the test patch the builder did and bought that particular make and colour of oil. Last Friday, I leave them to it and when I return at their request, 60-70% of the floor looks like someone has brandished a thick brush (they had) and slapped on treacle-like stuff onto my beautiful new American White Oak floor.
I halted the job immediately and tomorrow, the newly laid floor will be sanded off to remove this treacle and 2 coats of properly applied wood oil will go on. I had to postpone the painter and decorator going in to apply final paint coats, delay the carpet and curtain people and then, finally, the removal people cant move me in until Dec 16th - ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......................................

I hope all is well with you?
Yes, am a happy bunny re BARC - will look at your graph in the morning - thanks for posting it!!

Night night Bracke x

[bracke] 29/11/2013 16:16

Babywolf

Are you close to taking up residence in refurbished property ?

BARC has done well this week but is approaching a number of resistances. A visit to the Daily SMA 200 would suit you.

[bracke] 27/11/2013 13:52

Afternoon Penycae

BARC up to the Weekly SMA 200.

The problem with banks is that you never know what else is going ro emerge from the woodwork.

[penycae] 27/11/2013 12:28

Afternoon all.

[bracke] 20/11/2013 23:23

250 still holding.

[babywolf] 20/11/2013 22:15

2360, 2361 and BARC's close at 253 = :)))

[bracke] 20/11/2013 11:45

LOL!!!

He'll be looking for his nuts.