Incompetent / awkward builders

[ProDave]

Most houses up here are timber framed. It's what we do. Most builders are easy to work with and understand the other trades and what they need to do.

Not so the one I am doing at the moment.

We got off to a bad start, when I looked at the job and we discussed how to do things, which resulted in the builder telling me this is the order I do things, and I am not changing (even though his way makes it more awkward.)

So I told him what I need to do, which meant leaving some sheets of plasterboard off (or portable) to allow some wiring to be fitted.

Last week I went to do some more and check how it was going and he virtually told me to bu99er off as I can't be on site while he was working, I would be in his way.

I go back today and where I need to fit some cables is boarded and fully screwed, so that had to come off.

Next thing, he has screwed some steel furrings to the underside of the joists. Now where the CU is going, I have drilled a row of holes where all the cables will drop. But only one of the holes is currently full of cables, the rest were empty. the Furrings were fitted over while I was gone and he has cut a clearance hole for where the cables are but never thought the vacant holes might be there for a reason. I have take this strip off and fixed my cables. Perhaps when he puts it back and finds he needs to make more clearance holes the penny might drop.

Other silly things he has done, bedroom light and smoke alarm cables though the same hole (they are labelled, he obviously can't read)  He hasn't even put them in line with the mvhr vents so it looks awful.  No point telling him the socket and light switch heights, he drills the holes at the height he thinks (waste of time)

I have never met such an awkward builder, and one so out of touch with the needs of the other trades.  I won't be there next week when he comes back, I just don't think I can work with him.
 

 

[leesparkykent]

I've recently had a right PITA job due to dryliners...19 flats All electric heating (6 rads in each flat) so radiator positions supposed to have wood put in the wall none what so ever. Cables left in walls and ceilings, trapped cables, cables pulled through at random heights even though clearly marked etc. Had a site meeting at start of job and through out and was discussed cables with red tape pull through, cables with earth tape leave behind plasterboard which went in one ear and out the other. They turned a job which could of been a good 1 in to a shambles TBH.

I had a proper row with one of the tape and jointers.....went in to a flat and as per usual everything was wrong as mentioned above and the tape and jointer had put all his scrim tape up on every join so I ripped the lot off  as got to find cables/unscrew boards which we nearly come to blows over lol. Site manager had no bottle so was about as much use a chocolate tea pot......I feel your pain lol :Salute

 

[ProDave]

It's funny how some can be nice to work with and some are just awkward sods.

I worked for one set of joiners on a new build a few years ago, and you could not have found a nicer, more accommodating bunch of guys to work with. That job was a pleasure.  So when I was starting to build my own house, I was very happy when they were put forward (by the architect) as a building firm to build it, and we had a similarly good relationship while they built my house. 
 

 

[Andy™]

most builders round here are like that, useless idiots. as a general rule, i wont work directly for them. too much hassle. usually easier working direct for customer

 

[sprocketflup]

most builders round here are like that, useless idiots. as a general rule, i wont work directly for them. too much hassle. usually easier working direct for customer

Luckily for me down here its the opposite, well it is in my experience anyway, not had a bad one yet. Only guy I had a prob with was a chippie who I had asked not to put some panels down so I had access, and he did, tbf to him tho I was two days late getting to site

 

[ProDave]

most builders round here are like that, useless idiots. as a general rule, i wont work directly for them. too much hassle. usually easier working direct for customer

I am working directly for the customer. It's just the joiners are getting in the way and being awkward.
 

 

[Murdoch]

I went to a job today to start 2nd fixing - nice and simple, or so I thought.

I wandered round at started to notice:

Cables missing from back boxes

Back box grommets not in place

Back boxes at angles with single black screws (i use 2 x shiny)

Back boxes set at new heights so they don't line up

Thanks you EE  planks.

Ps the wall are nearly all stud work

 

[Sharpend]

Oh I've had my fair share of EE rubbish. Metal frames ceilings with downlights, cables clearly marked, requested please leave enough room around for springs of downlights to fix, oh really they put very piece if metal you can think of right where downlights need to be. 

Then another ceiling, just for fun put the metals in at angle, subsequently didn't matter how you lay out the lights they hit metal at some point. 

Oh lord. 

 

[binky]

I am working directly for the customer. It's just the joiners are getting in the way and being awkward.
 

firk em and get in the way then, you will probably find that the builder is sulking cos he isn't using his own sparky and can't put a mark up on the work

 

[Doc Hudson]

you will probably find that the builder is sulking cos he isn't using his own sparky and can't put a mark up on the work

Agreed, a lot of builders like to have their own little gang of subcontractors that they can control and boss about, telling them when, what, where and how they should work. a bit of empire building or little man syndrome, so they don't like it when someone comes in able to think and plan a job better than they can and who they have no control over. knocks their ego a bit.

Doc H.

 

[Evans Electric]

I've recently had a right PITA job due to dryliners...19 flats All electric heating (6 rads in each flat) so radiator positions supposed to have wood put in the wall none what so ever. Cables left in walls and ceilings, trapped cables, cables pulled through at random heights even though clearly marked etc. Had a site meeting at start of job and through out and was discussed cables with red tape pull through, cables with earth tape leave behind plasterboard which went in one ear and out the other. They turned a job which could of been a good 1 in to a shambles TBH.

I had a proper row with one of the tape and jointers.....went in to a flat and as per usual everything was wrong as mentioned above and the tape and jointer had put all his scrim tape up on every join so I ripped the lot off  as got to find cables/unscrew boards which we nearly come to blows over lol. Site manager had no bottle so was about as much use a chocolate tea pot......I feel your pain lol :Salute

Didn't you know that plasterers are the kings of the site Lee?      

Everyone seems scared of them ....they have got away with murder for years , they are on a price , they don't give a stuff , they are never there at  final fix time ... never met one with more than half a brain . 

When it was all wet plastering , browning & finish  , we were still doing flush steel conduit in those days , they gloried in filling the boxes so you had to search for them . 

 

[Evans Electric]

Agreed, a lot of builders like to have their own little gang of subcontractors that they can control and boss about, telling them when, what, where and how they should work. a bit of empire building or little man syndrome, so they don't like it when someone comes in able to think and plan a job better than they can and who they have no control over. knocks their ego a bit.

Doc H.

You have the building trade sussed out there Doc.

If we realised cables were being hidden , boxes boarded over , I used to raise it at the site meetings , especially when the architect or project manager and client were present  ,  (a) it went in the minutes and (b) it embarrassed the hell out of them .  

 

[Tony S]

I've recently had a right PITA job due to dryliners...19 flats All electric heating (6 rads in each flat) so radiator positions supposed to have wood put in the wall none what so ever. Cables left in walls and ceilings, trapped cables, cables pulled through at random heights even though clearly marked etc. Had a site meeting at start of job and through out and was discussed cables with red tape pull through, cables with earth tape leave behind plasterboard which went in one ear and out the other. They turned a job which could of been a good 1 in to a shambles TBH.

I had a proper row with one of the tape and jointers.....went in to a flat and as per usual everything was wrong as mentioned above and the tape and jointer had put all his scrim tape up on every join so I ripped the lot off  as got to find cables/unscrew boards which we nearly come to blows over lol. Site manager had no bottle so was about as much use a chocolate tea pot......I feel your pain lol :Salute

Just pee in the water they use for the final skim.

 

[Rob_the_rich]

Just pee in the water they use for the final skim.

if it goes everywhere as usual, the job would then be covered by Part Pee, even if in Scotland.

 

[Tony S]

Pee (Uric acid) in plaster is the same as sugar (sucrose) in cement, it never sets. It will dry out eventually but it will be a useless fine powder.

Self leveling screed contains very carefully controlled amounts of sucrose.

Sucrose was useful at the foundry for getting rid of waste cement slurry without it blocking the effluent pipe lines. One of my ideas I didn’t get paid for  X(

 

[Rob_the_rich]

Perhaps someone could put Alan Sugar in cement. preferably under a kiln, "you're fired"

 

[Tony S]

I’ve cooked joints of meat, chickens and roast potatoes under a kiln.

A full body would take a lot of baking foil to wrap but it could be done. Bloody site easier to shove him in the kiln end cooler feed, any big bits that’s left the clinker breaker will sort out.

Would you like your meat well cooked?

 

[Rob_the_rich]

i can donate as much baking foil as might be required, but I like your idea better, perhaps it could be suggested to channel 4 in their new "bake off" series ...add Sugar.

 

[kerching]

i can donate as much baking foil as might be required, but I like your idea better, perhaps it could be suggested to channel 4 in their new "bake off" series ...add Sugar.

Bake off?

whats all the fuss about?

all it is is mixing water sugar eggs flour and warming it up...sometimes chocolate is involved and yeast

thats about it really

cant be that hard....women do it

just ducking the flak

 

[misssweden]

Bake off?

whats all the fuss about?

all it is is mixing water sugar eggs flour and warming it up...sometimes chocolate is involved and yeast

thats about it really

cant be that hard....women do it

just ducking the flak

Maybe you're just talented kerch, because it's about as hard as walking in stilettos and you seem to manage that alright...