Are building merchants non essential shops being closed?

[lockdownontheway]

Sorry to use AIBU but no answers on other thread. Our non essential shops are being closed as from tonight, and I am not sure whether or not this includes building merchants, as building work can be emergencies. Does anyone know?

I guess you are not in UK. You need yo ask your gov or the particular shop. Theoretically anything can be emergency

I think normally it would be only food shops and chemists open.

What sort of emergency would require Leyland SDM to stay open during a pandemic...?

Electrics.

Lack of sleep for a few nights might be dictating this response, user, but fecking unhelpful response. You live in buildings, of course it is important. I just wanted to know what had been done in other countries who have been on lockdown for a few days now.

@user1473878824 damaged manholes. Fences collapsing. Burst pipes, electrics fused, shower breaks, taps break, toilets stop flushing. Can you really not envisage a situation where you may need to do an urgent household repair?

Your fence falling down doesn’t mean Gareth who works Saturdays should risk his health. These are non-essential things.

I would like to know too as DH can't work if builders merchants not open. All will become clear on Monday I suppose.....

If we have a lockdown only supermarkets and pharmacies will be open.

If your property suffers damage that requires emergency repairs to make it safe and watertight I'm sure there will be arrangements, you'd have to ask the authorities should the situation arise.

If you're hoping to use the lockdown to catch up with DIY, you're out of luck.

@perinino I know - that is another aspect to it - very large numbers are employed in the industry, many on low profit margins without savings, many with dependants to support.

@user1473878824 look at the other examples in the post, and think about how much we rely on modern electrics, sanitation, structure to keep our families safe. If your washing machine breaks, your boiler goes, and there are many other examples of things that could go wrong, without building merchants and people working in trades you will have to live with the consequences in isolation if they all close down. Try to be more community spirited.

@BarbaraofSeville If your property suffers damage that requires emergency repairs to make it safe and watertight I'm sure there will be arrangements, you'd have to ask the authorities should the situation arise How are you sure? How easy do you think it will be to get the answer out of the "authorities"?

OP I'm guessing you're in France like me. DH spoke to someone this morning who said, yes all builders merchants will be shut unfortunately. We're hoping we've got a window tomorrow morning where we might be able to get supplies from smaller independents who will be desperate for sales. It's going to be a different life as we know it this week....

In Italy and France at least I think non-essential means everything other than pharmacies and food shops, so unfortunately I doubt builders' merchants/DIY shops would be open.

Yes in France. Who did he speak to? I don't understand how smaller independents would be open if the mandate is for everyone to close - such as which ones do you know? The bigger ones are mostly franchises I think. People are supposed to keep on working so I am not sure how this is going to work.

Sorry but your washing machine breaking isn’t bloody essentially if people are being locked down to stop the spread of a bloody virus!!!

@user1463878824 u ok hun? Or being deliberately obtuse?

user it was just one example.

having to wash sheets, jeans, all by hand - possibly with a bed wetter in the house - possibly with someone being sick everywhere in the house...just one example

we are trying to plan, trying to get organised, trying to work out what will and won't be a problem day to day and how to mitigate likely problems

are you ignoring the fact that many people will also lose their livelihood? over night, no opportunity to plan for it? and yet no one should be asking questions about how it will work and what is planned for? because we just don't understand about the "bloody virus"?

anyway, i am going to hide thread so i don't get further wound up by your posts, which i really don't need right now. @Perinono if you get more info please would you pm me? I will do the same @Travis1 thanks for your support

We're not talking about washing machines, we are talking about our livelihoods!! And being able to feed our children fgs!!
OP, I think they are all shut but if I was a small business owner I would be going in to my business tomorrow morning to telephone my clients/cancel orders/deliveries etc etc. I'm hoping that this may mean we can telephone a supplier tomorrow and request to collect some supplies or arrange for a delivery. Pretty sure the big franchises won't be open. Fingers crossed we can get some supplies otherwise my DH is out of work and we will have no income whatsoever.....

Will do. Though in the meantime it's not clear whether we can work or not!

@lockdownontheway
Terrified of this happening in the UK too. No help planned for self employed. Building merchants closing means no (outside) work for my husband. We would be fucked.

My parents are sitting in their mortgage free house on their pensions shouting for a total lockdown.. alright for them hey