Carpenter wants heating on. Bizarre situation!

[Pluvia]

Asking on behalf of my DS and DBIL. They are renovating an old property. They have one main contractor who is managing it for them. He has blamed all the delays and issues they've encountered on sub-contractors but DS is starting to wonder if it's him that's the problem, not the subbies.

Latest hitch is that the heat pump they have contracted a specialist installer to install has been delayed: the installer has produced evidence to show that it was due for delivery weeks ago but that the product is currently on a ship on its way to the UK after manufacturing delays. Apparently the carpenter has told the main contractor that until the heat pump is installed and the house is fully heated he can't do any carpentry work. The heat pump people have pointed out that it's been 23C for the last couple of weeks, the house is so hot all the windows are open while other trades are working and screeds (underfloor heating) and plasterwork dried out months ago. The house is maintaining 18C or higher overnight. Heat pump people say that as soon as the temperature in the house reaches 21C the heat pump will just switch off anyway.

Anyone had carpenters make this request before now?

This sounds a lot like a misunderstanding, which is understandable if it’s come through 3 people

Has anyone asked him why he needs the heating on? surely he just means he can’t start his work until he’s sure the heat pump is fully fitted, not that he wants the heating on to keep him warm?!

I agree, there HAS to be some misunderstanding here. He simply cannot mean he wants the heating on!

Though I'm struggling to see what on Earth he's need to have it installed for before he can start any work.

I suggest they get him
replaced.

IF he can't offer a reasonable reason for his weird demand

What is he doing? I just had two bedroom wardrobes built, shelves and cabinets in living room, boxed in the meters, doors to under stairs cupboards built, and rehung a few doors after carpeting. None of this required the heat to be on!

I think it’s either that the fitting of the heating needs to happen first so the sequence of jobs is in the right order, or that the wood needs to be in the right temperature range so as not to warp etc.

The heat pump people have been in touch with him to assure him that all the interior work is complete. They've been cooperative. Anything more they do will be outside the house. The carpenter just keeps saying he needs the heating to be fully functioning before he starts. My DS is beginning to think he's just looking for ways to put starting the job off and he just says no, the house needs to be heated. Meanwhile the main contractor has been so offensive to the heat pump people that she suspects they won't be racing to complete the job when the heat pump is delivered.

House is dry and warm: so warm that the plumber and tiler have all the doors and windows open. Things like door linings, skirting and architraving could be going in right now.

easyday, I need a couple of simple wardrobes built in bedroom alcoves. Can you give me an idea of how much you paid?

Hold on, could this be nothing to with the room temperature and everything to do with access to pipework for the plumbers?

Is he being expected to fit things that might have to be ripped out if the plumbing system has not been proven to be watertight and hold pressure?

My guess is that he has a policy of not working on final fix items whilst first and second fix work is still underway or he'll have to do things twice - and I bet customers have refused to pay him for that in the past....

I had a cabinet built in my lounge last summer and the carpenter asked for the heating to be on! Something to do with the glue he was using?

No, main pipework has been in and pressure-tested for months, plumbers are just installing the bath, shower, loos and basins. He could be putting in skirtings, hanging doors, doing architraving throughout the house without interfering with the work of the plumber and tiler.

Why would he cite the need for heating if it was leaks he was worried about?

I remember us having to have our wooden floor for 3 days before laying so it got used to the temp of our house.

He could have brought all his wood into the house months ago!

I think someone has to ask him WHY.

If you can't ask them separately, get them to the property together and resolve the things causing issues, together. You know, A says "I can't do Z until B does X" and you can say "OK, B, when can you do X so A can do Z" and so on. Then if A says "I need the heating on" you can say "Is that because something needs to come up to more than 25 degrees or you are freezing" and so on. If you get to a point where the pump installer says 'you will never get this temperature of 25 degrees because the air pump will switch off at 21" you might need to rent a space heater or something. Either way, you need to make sure it's sorted. I'd be ringing them in turn acting as the go between or talking to them all together F2F.

Yeah you literally need to ask him.
I think it will be because installing interior woodwork in an unheated house is more risky, the first year the wood will dry out and move a bit, so cracks are common, but if you add on damp from being unheated, he probably doesn't want to have the argument about who pays for any repairs.
Probably a side effect is he has more work than he needs on so he can afford to be choosy and go for the lower risk jobs. No one likes to be called back.
If you want him to do the work then try negotiating. If that fails you need to find someone else.
Good luck!

There must be a reason in terms of the work and not his comfort. We had some carpentry work done recently and the joiner told us to move all the doors and wood products into the house so that it acclimatised to the house otherwise if they fitted a door and then the heat increased it would swell? Ours was in the garage but it's not been cold lately. Anyway we did as he asked.....

It's warmer in the house at the moment than it will be most of the year! Even when they're living in the place it will only be heated to 20C. I don't know if you've done any carpentry but you buy properly seasoned and dry wood. There is no risk when installing architraving and skirtings.

Will tell my DS that no one here has any idea and that she will need to meet the carpenter on site and pin him down. I think he's probably running late and using this as an excuse, but it's really pissing the heating people and everyone else off.

Is carpenter from sunny Saudi?!

No! It's so warm in there today, apparently, that the tiler is complaining that his adhesive is drying too quickly.

Did you accidentally post on a wrong thread yesterday?

I can understand the need for the house to not be freezing, but unless we're due a sudden snow storm, I think the current weather is perfectly fine in terms of any concern about shifting due to temps.