<tears hair out> I JUST dusted/Christmas cleaned the sitting room....and now it's being ruined

[GodReastieMerryGentlemen]

This is just an excuse for a moan really. I'm pathetic and actually close to tears.

I have deep cleaned our sitting room in preparation for the Christmas decorations/festivities. Decorations have been up a week or so.

FIL has come this morning to replace a bit of skirting board for us (we are paying him). For background, we have been waiting over a year for him to do this work (and he isn't working/have work commitments). Have just heard him sawing in the sitting room and gone and asked (very politely) if he could do it outside to avoid getting dust everywhere inside with the decorations and got a real attitude back of 'well, I'll go home and do it after Christmas then as it'll take me all day if I'm in and out' (in very rude tone).

So I'm upset by his tone and rudeness (I was actually a bit taken aback by this) but also really annoyed I'm now going to have to dust the whole room. Again. Like I have time.

Sorry, I just really need to moan and wasn't sure where to put this but I'm sure the god housekeeping gang can appreciate my annoyance.

Any quick tips of super fast dusting/removal of wood dust?

[HeyMacWey]

Stand next to him with the hoover on as he's sawing - this'll get most of it sucked up before it travels to far. He may get so annoyed by it that he'll start going outside. Tbh if you're paying him he should follow your instructions - or tell him to come back after Xmas?

[WerewolfBarMitzvah]

Yy to hoovering while he's sawing.
Too bad if it pisses him off, you asked nicely. He got arsey.

[GodReastieMerryGentlemen]

I can't tell him to come back after Christmas as DH will get annoyed it's alright for him as he doesn't have to dust it . Tbh we've got FIL here to do the work which has taken over a year to do, I daren't tell him to come back as he'll never do it and we've had to move the furniture especially and don't fancy having to move it all back then out again. I just assumed he would saw outside and not give me attitude about it.

I have DD here with me and so can't hover with a hoover. Plus I don't have the balls.

I'm annoyed as I'd never get a workman in to do this job with Christmas decorations around .

[HeyMacWey]

Leave the hoovering and dusting to your dh then.

[GodReastieMerryGentlemen]

I shall although I'll be probably waiting a few weeks for it to get done . I just went in to give FIL a cup of tea. The wood dust is EVERYWHERE and there's more than I expected .

[Riverland]

Weird.

You're going to pay him for doing something at the wrong time and in the wrong way? You're scared to hand him the Hoover?

Is he armed, or something?

[GodReastieMerryGentlemen]

No River I'm just pathetic and the whole thing is awkward re: employing family for work. I'm not comfortable about doing it but DH thinks there's no problem and his Dad is very capable.

[Riverland]

Don't say you're pathetic! I'd say you're overly obliging.

I don't like seeing anyone bullied. You sound as if you are being, by a bit of a crass FIL. Is your MIL around to tell him to stop being an inconsiderate twerp?!

Sad to say but it's often women's work to point out the inconvenient lunacies of domestic life.

[Fullpleatherjacket]

Dust everywhere? How ever much is the man sawing?

I have replaced skirting and don't recall swirling eddies of sawdust all over even though we did do the cutting outside.

Is he deliberately spreading it?

Because he sounds like the kind of arse who might...

[GodReastieMerryGentlemen]

It was an awkward area full involving 5 cuts on different angles (and I think he had to cut alot to get the right angle as he used a hand saw not a quick piece of equipment which would do it perfect first time. When I say everywhere I mean a thin layer of dust over every surface, enough to mean it all needs doing again.

[erin99]

Handsaw is almost certainly less dusty than any powered tool. I have only ever used a hacksaw for mitres, is this wrong? Clearly we lack the right 'quick piece of equipment'. We have a few basic power tools but none I'd use to mitre a skirting board.

It's a pain and I get why you are moaning but I think the problem is that division of labour thing. You aren't really valuing his job and are convinced he's doing it wrong even though you are, presumably, not a massively skilled carpenter yourself (or you'd be doing it). He doesn't appreciate the work he is creating because he never has to vacuum. Surely it's a piece of piss with a 'quick piece of equipment' like a cloth and a vacuum cleaner!? This is why traditional division of work along gender lines is pants. Which is no help to you at all right now.

[Ragglefrock]

This sounds so annoying I really feel for you. Its ridiculously inconsiderate to saw inside..?! I would do various passive aggressive things like start a coughing fit at all the dust/loudly instruct my children to be VERY CAREFUL about splinters/offer a tea (made badly) but drop his biscuit in the sawdust.
I guess the lesson is never to ask him again.

[MerryJeffingChristmas]

Dh has just reskirtingboarded great made up word three rooms and the landing. All sawing done indoors. Woody dust everywhere. If he had done the sawing outside in our tiny muddy garden we would have just had said mud added to the dusty mix.

On the plus side it is vastly better than the plaster dust that preceeded it.

[GodReastieMerryGentlemen]

erin Fil wasn't using a hacksaw, it was just a regular saw. When we had our kitchen done the workmen had a piece of equipment which cut at angles .

Merry do you have a beautiful looking house now though? After all of that work I hope so.

DH has now dusted away FILs dust mess he moaned alot about it

[MerryJeffingChristmas]

Almost beautiful. Carpets tomorrow

[MerryJeffingChristmas]

And I will be face down sniffing them for some time

[ihatethecold]

Why did you bother dusting before he came to do the work?

[GodReastieMerryGentlemen]

Because I didn't know he was coming to do it when I did the dusting (or I wouldn't have bothered). He waits over a year and then comes when all the decorations are up.

Merry enjoy your new carpet sniffing whilst you can, it doesn't last long enough

[ihatethecold]

We I can see why you're pissed off then.
Think of all the joy you've brought everyone hunting out those Xmas bargains

[GodReastieMerryGentlemen]

ihatethecold