Home Extension Thread 2019 - The Extension

[TheFatberg]

Only a few posts left on the first thread of 2019, so here's a new one to get us started.

I'm glad I didn't go out - I have become "That Client".... Told brickie that he hadn't mixed the bricks up enough as he had 6 purply ones in a row.
"so you want me to change it?"
Yup, just put an orangey one in to break it up, it's still the top row. Or else you do another three rows and THEN you change it...

Learnt a new term today.
"on the wonk"
This is something that you don't want your windows to be.

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo - I honestly don't understand comments like that. Of course you want him to change it! Why else would you have said?! That being said, I wish I had brickies to even speak to. Ours just keep not turning up. Now it's very showery which apparently they don't like to work in.

Wonk is not a word I want associated with any building works! Are they squint or not on the wall correctly?

I am also "That Client" today. Part of partition being rebuilt and gutters to be redone with new downpipe. Love how he was telling me what was happening with the rain water... not like I hadn't told him this on Monday...

New Dad is a bit awol this week. We still have 3 guys on site but I suspect the delayed kitchen has meant he's having to try balance his next job differently. I really want to nag him about the utility units as they are not the same as the main kitchen. Def not special order ones!

No, my windows are not (yet) on the wonk.
They are being supplied by the same local company that replaced all our windows about 8 years ago. Window guy was just explaining why HE wanted to put his windows in as he was worried that the builders would put them in On The Wonk.

Our windows are on the wonk, sort of, in that one of our bedroom windows is about 5cm lower than the other. Not the builders’ fault, but due to 100+ years of the house slightly sagging in the middle (I empathise). So now we have to decide whether we mess around with the windowsills and architraves height to try to make them look more even, or will that look odd and we should just accept it as a quirk of an old house...? (and stick roman blinds over the top to disguise it)

Meanwhile just found a scratch on our lovely new sliding door frames gaaah

So impressed —jealous— with the speed some of you are moving. We’ve been going since last October and still a lot to do... move in date early Sep. In theory.

Oh minipie, my 7 months plus sounds okay compared to yours!

See I'm stressing now as I'm a hundred miles away and can't keep on the builder's case Haha

Christ.
Day one of brickwork and I've told them it's not right.
BBB says it is and he won't change it just cos I don't like it.
Bit of arguing.

Currently being dug out again....

First day in about 3 weeks of neither DH and I being onsite and we’ve come home to..... apparently nothing happened today 🙄. Boiler is being installed tomorrow though and the bad tiling being removed but I am very peeved with the loft team who are already behind and don’t seem to have done anything at all today.

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo, that is so annoying re BBB’s brick reaction. It’s your house, you are completely within your rights to ask things to be changed so they are right!!!

Sending positive thoughts to everyone getting frustrated with the process. We're at the end now and I'm so glad the days where the builders came at 8am while we were all still getting ready are over. New radiators fitted today - we've had the old ones replaced as well so they all match. Hopefully the utility room and en suite will be finished in the next couple of weeks, but I'm not too stressed and haven't been since the kitchen was fixed.

We had an unexpectedly large bill from the electrician and now we've just got the plumber to pay. Hoping that one isn't crazy.

@WorrisomeHeart those days are really annoying, we had about a week of nothing going on and there didn't seem to be a real reason for it.

@worrisomeHeart - I hate those days. Much as I want peace I don't want silence when they should be doing things!!!

WhereDoes, You asked him to do it when it was easily done. They should have just done it. My partition got taken down and rebuilt correctly today. Slight tone to the "anything else?" but not much. It wasn't plastered. It was a few sheets of plasterboard.

He agreed to change it.

I bought some bacon on my way home from evening class and may placate the squad with bacon butties tomorrow.

I just didn't really want to disagree on stuff this early on in the process.
Mr WheresDoes was elsewhere this afternoon so missed the fun and games,

Morning all.

Really interesting hearing all of your 'that client' stories. Reminds me of our loft, original refurbishment and the worst general Builders I've ever met (who insurance co appointed to do our subsidence work in our old flat).
So in other words every single project involving builders 😂 experience has taught me to keep on it and remember is a) your home and b) you are paying them, however nice they may be. Bloody hard though when those lovely 'ive got 3 hungry mouths to feed at home' puppy dog eyes look at you and say 'do you really want me to re-do it/correct it/re-measure it/match it up with the other one? ' Stay strong people, it's worth it.

Council planning person came on 8th and has said it will be 4 more weeks until the PD decision. We are supposed to be starting 1st week in Sept.

Am on hols trying not to stress about it .

I reckon there’s only about 3 things we’ve asked the builders to redo which isn’t bad for a 10 month project. All have them have been worth it. There are one or two other things that haven’t been right but by the time it was done it was too painful to correct it so we’re living with it. To be honest most of the things I’m not too happy with were my own choices I am crap at decor!

The tricky bit is who pays for the extra work. If it’s clearly their error, ie you asked for X and they did Y then it’s them. However if you didn’t say you wanted it done X way and then later when you see Y you realise you don’t like it and ask them to change to X... that’s a variation and they can charge for it. It really helps to have put instructions on an email so you can point to something and say - look I asked for X. After a few “differences of memory” I’ve used email as much as possible!

That's a good point about who pays for a redo.
BBB was here at sparrowfart while I was still in shower, and I emerged from garage to hear him gently /firmly telling brickie to SORT IT OUT.
He said that on site bloke hadn't explained properly what the problem was, I had tried but my hearing loss means that phone is a poor medium for communication.

Anyhoo after much discussion, I asked "was I right?" and he said yes.
So I'm assuming that redo is a freebie.

It's actually cleared the air, made it clear that Mrs WheresDoes has valid opinions and if there are 2 ways of doing something, I should be consulted.
He's already talked me through next stage and checked I am OK with possible outcome.

Bacon sandwiches were served all round and peace and harmony reigns.

I have noted your advice to email confirmation of discussions, thanks for that

World's smallest extension has a wall!

Ah I see what you mean about the bricks now...i love brick houses. We are in Scotland and most houses are rough cast.

The mythical brickies have apparently turned up today for us. Only the 4th time they've said they would... Can't wait to get home and see!

I wish we had a bbb. New dad is too new to be a Boss builder. Maybe in 10 years as he has potential.

You do need to check what's happening on a regular basis I think. They had moved the partition wall a bit from architect drawings. This was a suggestion by builder that oh liked (i went with us as could see the sense) but then forgot they'd already had electrics in line for original layout. A big square of plastered ceiling had to be cut out and lots of wiggling about of cables after I reminded them that I was expecting a light switch near the door. Least I could get on my high horse and remind them that the move had been suggested by new dad so not my fault he forgot about wiring!

I have a positive view of Building Control. They are definitely a GOOD THING.
I don't know exactly what they were checking today (BBB asked them round) but everything was, "good, fine, I see you've done X, don't forget you need to do Y next". Very reassuring.

Torrential rain. No bricks will be laid. I didn't realise brickies were such divas! I do understand why but new dad offered to put up canopies for them. I am jealous of your wall wheredoes!

Yes I think if they’ve done something that clearly looks rubbish then it should be their cost to redo. Looks great now!

I’ve spent this morning looking at door stops and toilet roll holders. And working out if our wardrobe door hinges are going to work with our internal drawers. Exciting times... cannot wait for this to be over!

My brickies are also snowflakes, and dont do rain

Re brickies it's because if they lay bricks in the rain you get that white sediment all over the mortar and bricks - something to do with humidity and moisture I think.
That's what a brickie told me anyway

Absolutely horrendous day here yesterday and I couldn’t even type about it last night 🤦🏼‍♀️😂
We have got our new fancyschmancy boiler through Corgi as I got a massive discount via work. The installer seemed a bit of an arse when he came to survey but you know, such is life. Anyway, he’s been on holiday, was due to come on Thurs and was a no show, the Corgi team finally tracked him down for him to say he got the day wrong and could come on Fri instead. Fine but annoying as the head builder (coincidentally also a BBB) was flying out on hols on Fri am and there was a lot to discuss re the new gas pipe and current trench etc etc. So I asked gas man to call my BBB and talk through the job on the Thurs so there was no confusion. Anyhoo horrible gas man (HGM as he shall henceforth be known) turned up on Fri and proceeded to gripe and moan and say things like ‘well we never quoted for that and you were supposed to get this done and this is a massive cock up’. So yes there may have been miscommunication, but it is all fixable, and the plumber for the rest of the job was very good and spoke to HGM to try and get it all sorted etc etc. Anyhoo, so HGM basically huffed and puffed around for the rest of the day, didn’t put the boiler cover on properly and left after grumpily issuing instructions for our plumber and saying he’d be back to finish the job once the plumber has done his job. He was absolutely one of those guys that you just don’t want in the house, if you know what I mean? Both DH and I had the exact same bad feeling about him regardless of all the whining. I’m hoping that our plumber (who is also GasSafe registered) will be able to finish it all off without having to get HGM back. It really tainted everything yesterday and although it looks brighter this morning I am still really regretting not just getting the main team to do it all - with all the extra work we won’t actually be making the saving we thought we would. Blergh.

@WorrisomeHeart HGM sounds dreadful. Getting related work done by someone outside of Builder's control is always a worry.
You did the right thing getting HGM and builder to discuss direct.
I've had people in to do work that I never want to have in the house again.
Thankfully the majority of our build is under the control of BBB, but it's the bits where his remit ends or meets another job that worries me most. Like the electrics for the new kitchen (which he is not installing) and my poncy HOW MUCH? radiators