Would it be unreasonable of me to do this behind DH's back?

[VivaLeBeaver]

pay a man to come round and fit the laminate in the hallway?

Dh is going on holiday with his mates in sept for a week so it will be the perfect opportunity.

We bought the laminate nearly two years ago. It's been piled up in a corner of the dining room for two years. The hallway carpet is 20 years old, it smells of dog and has a 2ft square hole in one corner.

Dh says he will fit it but he needs to remove all the skirting boards first and sand the nasty mahogany varnish off. He wants the laminate to go under the skirting boards not up to them. He never does it, if I mention it he explodes and says he's working hard and doesn't have time.

Not true though. He's a bugger for starting stuff and not finishing. This weekend he's spent the weekend sanding and painting all the external windowsills. He's done a fab job but I'd rather he sorted out the hallway.

He won't be happy if I do it as he'll moan that the skirting boards will need painting with new laminate in situ.

Then there is the threadbare sitting room carpet that I'm not allowed to replace until he gets round to plastering under the bay window. That's been bare brick for two years with no sign of it been sorted. I'd like to get a new carpet down in there while he's away as well but no way can I empty the room of furniture on my own.

Camping + kids DOES NOT = Spain (+ mates) - kids!!!

Really??? He is soooo taking the piss.

I really don't mind him going to Spain - its a sports week for a hobby he does which you can't do as well over here. He doesn't drink, smoke, watch the footy, have nights out. His one excess is a week abroad to jump off mountains. That's fine, I just want the hall sorting out!

My exH used to grumble about my plans for the house, grumble at the expense, grumble at the upheaval and then invariably say "Why didn't we get this done ages ago?"

Get the bloke to put up some hooks or shelf or something so your dh comes back to a clutter free hall as well

I reasoned with dh that if I made a list of all the jobs that needed doing a joiner could do them in a day when
It would take him weeks, so if he went to work to earn the money to pay for the joiner he was actually saving money, in the end joined took 4 hours. Dh happily trotted off to work and did a days overtime and I was happy the jobs were done.

YABU.

And you will be so glad it is done too!

If you do it, and they run up to the skirting, make sure they use a trim between the floor and skirting. If you can possibly afford it, get wood. Also, if you're considering getting someone in to do the floor, could you get someone in to sort out the skirting while you're at it?

Putting new skirting in would probably work out cheaper than sanding the old stuff as it would be less labour intensive ( unless the joiner can run it through a planing machine in his workshop).

Totally do it, wouldn't think twice.

I always do this. DH doesn't like paying for anything but is completely incapable and unwilling to do things himself. So, I book people and the night before I mention that they are coming. He moans and tuts and asks how much. I tell him and he scowls and moans. The workmen come and do the job and he doesn't mention it again.
Our house would be falling down, dirty, full of rubbish and everything would be left broken if it was up to him :( :o

In other words... DO IT!!

I get a man in to price up jobs all the time.

Best part is my dh is a joiner with a van full of tools. He always pulls his finger out once he sees the price.

Or failing that I get hold of a drill and make a start myself and it doesn't take him long to take over.

You could do it yourself, it should be very easy.

For sanding fiddly bits, you can get sanding blocks which are slightly soft on one side and which work really well.

Or you could use paint stripper and wash it off...

Good for you op. i would do this too, definitely.

discrete: You could do it yourself, it should be very easy.
Don't be silly! :o :o :o

There is no way I'm doing it myself, no way at all. I'd far rather chuck money at someone else.

When I was 7 my dad went on a training course for a week. When he came home, the beautiful open fire had gone and a nice modern gas one was in it's place. He then spent the next 6 months being constantly nagged to build it a hearth.

I do my own DIY :o

yanbu.

fwiw carpet fitters will move the furniture if you pay for that service. the floor man can also do the skirting boards for you and they may be able to recamend a plasterer as well.

My hubby is a joiner and its a total nightmare trying to get him to do stuff in his own house! I get around it by starting the job myself until he gets so pissed off and says ' give me it'! haha, I had no skirting in my new house for 6 months and the skirting boards were just sitting there, I proceeded to go to the shed, pull out a saw, measuring tape and a nail gun... boy did he move fast and put the skirting on! Maybe try that! x

Yep go for it - that's great, I've got someone booked in next week to decorate the upstairs, finish about a zillion jobs, and the best bit - it's a handy woman.. she's FAB.

I love DIY and loathe having workers in my house, so to me it would be a no brainer....

Plus so satisfying to know that you did the job and he didn't. Take over control of the DIY, I say!

The skirting boards need to be sanded because they've got a shit mahogany varnish on them. Dh wants to sort them before sorting the floor out as he's worried about damaging a new floor when doing the skirting.

I don't actually know what Dh's final plan with the skirting boards is, whether he means for them to be plain wood or painted White. I think I'd prefer plain sanded wood.