Tradesmen woes.

[Tootsiroll]

What does one do when you can't get one?

I'm willing to pay, I understand it has to be worth their time and effort but who knew it would be this difficult.

I've been trying to get an electrician for two months but no luck...too small a job. I've been trying to get a builder for the same amount of time but nothing. I've only got one damp specialist to look at the house but can't get a second opinion so have no idea if I'm being sold snake oil.

Do I tackle the electrics and cross my fingers that I don't electrocute myself. Do I let them inject silicone into my walls and hope it works.

Just venting my frustrations but, bloody hell!!!!

Where are you in the country?

My partner is an electrician and he does small jobs some days as they fit in after a medium job.

But he has a wait time of a couple of months. He says if you can get an electrician quickly they probably not busy enough and not good.

don’t do it yourself. Keep pestering them. One will get back to you eventually.

what is the job by the way? It might be a faff / dirty work which some don’t like

Don’t let anybody inject silicone into the walls - that is snake oil and it serves no purpose, regardless of what they’ll tell you. Look on somewhere like NextDoor for people that have lots of recommendations and expect to wait for someone who’s worth paying decent money for. Once you find someone, pay them on time, be nice to them, ply them with tea and biscuits and build a relationship with them so they know you’re a good customer who won’t mess them around.

Agree with the silicone and avoid. Electrician wise how small a job? What is your competency level? Big difference between changing a light bulb and rewire but it will always boil down to do you know enough to not connect yourself to the grid!

I want an exterior light disconnected from the mains so I can remove it and seal a hole in the wall. Water is literally traveling down the wire and out of the switch. I refuse to flip the switch so I can't tell that wires lead to what or where.

I've got water entering the house somewhere near a window. Damp / waterproof guy says silicone will seal gaps in mortar.... emphasized it's not damp proof causing but I have no clue.

Whilst it’s easy enough to remove an outside light fitting, you’ll still have a wire connected to the mains circuit, so you can’t just take out the fitting and fill in the hole left behind. You need to make sure the circuit isn’t affected, so I think you will need an electrician to check it and make sure the wiring is safe. If you’re going to take the fitting off yourself, remember to switch off the lighting circuit at the fuse board and check it’s off so you don’t electrocute yourself.

Re the window, have you checked all around the frame to see if there are any gaps where water could get in? Gaps can be filled with clear or white waterproof sealant. It’s likely that it’s either coming in around the timber or PVC frame, or through cracks in the mortar.

If you wait for a dry day and silicone round the wire to the outside light, that should. Sort that issue out.