I appear to have failed to realise how stupid brickies can be.

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHopeful]

Argh got someone in to do a simple bit of landscaping in the garden. They've done it right apart from the line of bricks set into the floor around the patio area.

The line is two bricks thick, instead of setting them in two rows so they overlap (like a brick wall) they have set them in two rows but with the bricks on top of each other.

This is all my own fault, dh insists on standing over tradesmen when they are doing work. I have to admit he has a point.

Ummm I don't think you should tar all tradespeople with the same brush. Just sounds like you had a cowboy

Your right I'm just pissed off and having a rant.

Does anyone have any luck getting people in and getting them to do a decent job? We have had a few small jobs done over the past 2 years and each and everyone has been buggered up in some way.

We once had a plasterer who plastered the halogen spot lights up into the ceiling. Just a nice smooth ceiling, with the lights up inside it.

(He also stole some of DH's tools, and we had to ring him up to bring them back.)

Some tradespeople do need to be supervised within an inch of their lives. Others are fantastic, and will point out potential problems or savings, and will ask lots of questions to make sure the job is as you want it.

Word of mouth is still the best way to get a trusted trades person. Oh & trust your instincts - if you don't feel comfortable with someone, don't hire them

I've just called him. He's coming back to put it right, bless. I'd better get ready to stand over him.

I'm really sorry but your plasterer story made me I'll bet you were livid when he did it.

OMG that plasterer! How could he think that was ok? .

I've had some stupid things done by tradespeople too. I'm a bit cheesed off as have just had an engineered floor laid and somehow the joiner has managed to lay it so that it has a hump in it in one spot. How the hell he did that when the floor is level I have no idea. Needless to say he now has to come back to put it right.

I also had someone use silicone sealant instead of decorators caulk all round the top of my newly decorated sitting room walls...looked ridiculous.

Generally though I've had some really great tradespeople and have been lucky enough to get them through word of mouth. My builder has been fabulous (Russel waring - would recommend him to anyone in Calderdale area!)

*engineered WOOD floor.

How the hell did he put the hump there? Baffling.

Well brickie has thoroughly redeemed himself. Came back straight away and all has been put right.

I'm dreading next year though, will be on mat leave with a baby and a toddler and dh expects me to babysit the plumber while he puts in two ensuites. I'm dreading it, toddler hates being cooped up in the house and I'm not sure how practical it will be to invite friends and their toddlers over to keep her company.

We had a brickie do a small job in the garden and ended up getting decking put round it. My fault for going with the cheapest quote!

The NPower fitter who put our boiler in (BADLY) stole my crowbar. That was mine. I was very fond of it.

We had to turn the lights on, and drill little holes in the ceiling to find them. So our lovely new ceiling had a few random holes in it that then had to be filled. So much for a newly plastered ceiling!