to be really pissed off with my LL's attitude!!

[littlemisssarcastic]

After 5 or 6 years, LL has decided to sort out all wooden window external frames paintwork.
It should be done every year or every other year, but they haven't bothered for 5 years minimum.
I got a note through the post box on Nov 8th to say the workmen would be coming within the next 7 days to begin the work.
The workmen arrived this morning.
Coincidentally I have the day off work today to take DD to an important appointment.
The workmen have said they need all of my windows and doors open, so they can apply the stain properly, and then left open until the stain dries which takes about an hour, possibly more in this cold weather, then tomorrow, they are coming back to apply the weather proof paint, so will need all of my doors and windows open again until that dries.
I asked how long that takes to dry. 'About 8 hours during warm weather, possibly longer in this weather.'

That's not the worst of it.

It apparently needs 2 coats of this weather proof paint!!

I have explained to them and to the housing that I work during the day. Their answer was that they will come back on Monday.
No, I work Monday to Friday during the day.

We have storage heaters, and now my house is going to be freezing cold all afternoon, evening and night, and they seem to think it's not a problem to expect me to open all doors and windows for another 2 days!!

It's November FFS!! It's cold!! Rahhhhhhhh!!!

Am waiting for a call back from the LL after complaining loudly!!

Considering the stain only takes about an hour to dry, the workmen have been here since 7.30am this morning and are still painting. So the length of time it takes to dry is pretty irrelevant imo if it is taking all bloody day to apply the paint/stain in the first place.

I don't think this is your LL's fault - there's a good chance they didn't know about it.

Unless your LL is a massive company then yes they do know about it, they would have organised it.

YANBU - I am a LL and jobs like this need to be arranged in the spring/summer.

What is LL?

Oh it's okay just ignore me - Land lord

I would just shut the doors and windows tbh, I take it its the window frames and external walls of your house ? If so I've seen some done where I leave and they do it with the doors and windows shut oh and its only done once and they have 2/3 of them and it takes maybe 4hours to get it all done.

Leave = Live stupid computer

The council did mine in the summer. I was supposed to leave doors and windows open but there was no way that was happening while I was at work. So I left them shut and the painters just had to work with what they could. It was all fine.

Seems a bit daft for your LL to be having this work done at this time of year really.

And what if you were out during the day - you just leave your windows open? Stuff like this should be done during warmer months and in consultation with the tenant.

Your LL is probably your typical amateur buy-to-let idiot. Just remember you do not have to allow access to anyone without your consent. If your LL has arranged this without your consent it's their problem.

It is too cold for an adult, never mind a child to have windows open continually, you may as well be sleeping exposed on the streets. Let the decorators come back next week, leave your doors and windows locked and let them work around it. When your windows are painted shut let your ll pay to have them sorted too. The ll sounds a fool to organise such work in the winter, or a tightfist as he may have been given a discount to do it this time of year.

Atleast your ll does something. We've been here for 6 years. We have major mould outbreak in the bedroom, and we can not get rid of it, we've tried everything. He's not bothered :(

LL is HA, so not a small venture. The workmen are coming back tomorrow. They have left ladders in my back garden, resting against my DD's bedroom window which is closed btw.

All the windows and doors are closed now, but the workmen have asked me to open them tomorrow and leave them open until the paint has dried, which under normal circumstances takes 8 hours!

I have explained that I work during school hours, so wont be here tomorrow, so that's when the workman said 'Ok, We'll come back on Monday if you're not in tomorrow.'
I explained that I work Monday to Friday and the workmen looked confused and said they didn't know what they were going to do then.

I expect they'll be back first thing in the morning, if only to pick up their ladders, but I cannot take anymore time off of work unless it is an emergency.

I never did hear back from LL after phoning them.

My only concern is the workmen have said if I don't open my doors and windows, they can't paint the edges properly, and there's a possibility that my windows will be stuck shut in the summer.

PoppyintheFog That's exactly what I'll have to do. The workmen keep laughing at me when I say I have to go to work, I think they think I am joking!!

Mummytotwox I'm sorry to hear you've got a problem with mould. Doesn't a LL have a legal obligation to treat mould? Why would any LL want their property to get into such disrepair? I don't understand that. How do you cope with it? Must be difficult if it's in the bedroom, where you sleep.

It should be done every year or every other year, but they haven't bothered for 5 years minimum

In what world does this happen, and why? Painted wooden window frames last years, certainly I couldn't afford to have my own house's wooden window frames painted every second year even. 5 years doesn't sound too bad.

Anyway, OP why don't you just send a recorded delivery letter to your landlord stating that, as you work, you cannot arrange access and can they make alternative arrangements? Problem solved.

tbh tradesmen, like most people, work 9-5 weekdays, or 8-4 or whatever, and while you can get emergency services, I wouldn't have thought painting windows fell into that category, and that daylight was also needed for it to be done...

It's done now. I went to work and they painted the outside while I was at work. The doors are sticking a bit, but they still open, so all fine.

LessMissAbs It was in the Tenancy Handbook and the LL confirmed that windows and doors get done at least every 2 years. This is probably because they use cheap wood paint stuff that doesn't last long.
Anyway, next door neighbours front and back doors and door frames have not been painted this time because in the time they have not been painted, they have rotted, so they will have to be replaced.

I understand that workmen work during the day, and daylight is needed, but first of all, I was told they would be coming in the next 7 days, then they didn't, and when they do come, they tell me I need to leave my windows and doors open until the paint has dried, which usually takes approx. 8 hours. If I had complied with what the company were asking of me, which was to be available for 7 days from when they gave me notice, then be available to leave my windows and doors open for at least 8 hours, I'd have taken 9 full days off of work so far, and I believe they are coming back again on Monday to do final coat of paint.

Even the workmen think it is ridiculous to carry out this work in November, but they told me that they continue even in the snow. They said other companies they have worked at will do scheduled work outside during the warmer months, and scheduled work inside during the winter months, but this company continue the outside work all year round, so they can do inside and outside all year round.
The workmen were very cold, and think it's stupid to do it in the winter because most people refuse to open all their windows and doors so the job doesn't get done properly anyway, it takes longer to dry and the workmen find the paint is difficult to spread in extreme temperatures as well as having frozen fingers making it more difficult to do the job.

I'm a LL. I would arrange this in the summer and at the convenience of my tenant.