My F**king Builder.

[PavlovtheForgetfulCat]

He took all his tools last week, after receiving an agreed additional payment (from the final that we owe him) To clear the loft for the final lot of plastering he said. To be able to gain perspective he said. (he did not do this last time he plastered and there is only remedial plastering to do now up there, the rest is on the stairs, hallway etc). He talked to us about this and that, all nice.

After about 30 mins, I became a bit suspicious, again that he might have done a runner as he took everything apart from a yellow bucket. He took is ladder, why would you do this if you were plastering at height? Anyway, I am naturally suspicious. It is part of my job, it is part of my make-up. DH was a bit worried too, but we put it down to being nervous about this job. And I reminded myself of his reassuring conversation about him completing and DH and I agreed we were being unecessarily suspicious.

He was not coming in monday he said, bank holiday, out with the kids, he said.

This morning, he did not show. Did not answer his mobile. DH and I have been panicking. Eventually at 11am he phones.

And he said:

His younger brother has been rushed to hospital, is critical, collapsed lung (he only has one apparantly) and next 48 hours are critical. it had only just happened. He would try to get his plasterer mate to help him out.

Now. I am very cynical. DH said, initially, he appeared genuine. But DH is a very forgiving person and sees the best in everyone. I don't. DH started to doubt whether this was the truth or a blag. But, we are very nervous about whether this is true or not.

I actually want it to be true, so he that it means he has not done a runner with most of our money and left us in a hellhole. Does not make me a nice person I feel But then I also think he is very elaborate with his stories, has been so far and this smacks of some bullshit.

Either way, this week is dead for any work. and I am getting closer to my due date. And now, calm, chilled relaxed DH is starting to pull his hair out.

Sorry. Half of you probably won't even know what on earth I am banging on about but I needed to vent as I am so annoyed and upset and stressed and fed up it is unreal. I have no space. I am not sleeping as I am sharing with a toddler who talks in her sleep and a DH who is smoking too much and therefore snoring.

ilovemydog yes its a very plausable theory. I would also explain why he screens my phone calls and then calls me a few minutes later (ie stops work).

still has not got the sparky round. We have had to shut the circuit for the affected area, luckily all the areas are linked so its obviously a specific area, so easily shut down. We are using lamps! FFS, he has said he will contact his 'mate' who is working with him. But as yet, nothing.

.

If you think he's screening your calls, can you phone from a different number? blocking your number is too obvious.

Grrrr. I got up to go check him out this morning (had my magnifying glass and everything. And it was 7:20! It will take me 15 mins to get there and won't get there til almost 8am. He normally (used to) start work here at 8am, so likely he would already have left if he is doing another job, but tomorrow...i will get him!

The electrician finally came around, after I sent another text saying that either he got in touch by midday or we got an emergency electrician and I sent the electrician the bill (i decided this was a better threat than saying I would take it out of what I owe the builder, he has little enough incentive now to return, but he won't want to piss his electrician off).

Lo and behold, 10am and the sparky was on route to our place, despite being on 'holiday'.

And, he has been spun the same line told builder's brother is in hospital. So, DH is now thinking he might believe him. I think yes, it is possible, but I am reserving judgment. Its all too neatly wrapped up for my liking. And if your brother was critically ill in hospital, with a slim chance of surviving, how could you be be absolutely sure he would either die or make a recovery by monday . Anyway, i am a meanie!

Sparky cannot fix the problem until monday as he has to get builder to remove the floorboards in order to get to the electric supply in question. He has said we cannot use the hallway light. So he has lent us this industrial type light to use as DH said it was unsafe to have me wondering to the loo in the dark! (bless).

Oh, and the electrician has not said that a wire has been cut by one of the builders. He said 'lets not say that shall we?!'

Ilovemydog, I'm not sure about your theory. My next door neighbours had a builder doing some work for them and when, due to unforeseen circumstances, the work overran, the builder was quite honest about having another job that he'd booked in ages ago.
They were quite understanding about him having to go off for a couple of weeks and then come back to them.
There's no need for Pavlov's builder to make up elaborate stories if another job is the problem.
Unless he's allergic to being honest, as so many tradesmen are.

Glad you're making some progress, Pavlov.

lyra I think I would have been annoyed if he had to bugger off for a week, but if it had been work already booked due to expectations that this would all be finished I would have understood. BUT, I think, DH thinks, everyone else thinks that the builder is probably hesitant to tell me anything negative at the moment given my current propensitity to go bananas delicate emotional state that he might have considered he could appeal to my emotional side? .

Or, as you say, he is just allergic to being honest! He has also been moaning to everyone about whose fault it is, the electrician commented to DH that he was surprised it has gone on this long and that the builder is blaming the architect. The man doth protest too much methinks!

Anyway, DH and I have spent some time organising an tidying and cleaning the place and its much better to live in right now. And we are going to decorate the front room at the weekend, or at least buy some tester pots to get started.

I feel much more 'ce'st la vie' about it all right now. Its done, can't change it. But if he dicks us about next week I will fucking string him up

Am not suggesting that it's acceptable for him to lie, just a possible explanation.

ilovemydog - and I think there is something in it tbh, it would make sense ie tools gone, inability to work until set date (monday).

We are not going to push it for now. Just taking this as an opportunity to collect ourselves a bit, clean some dust away, think about how we will organise the place, shifted some stuff into the eaves and had some space.

If he does not turn up on monday. There will be hell to pay, but if he turns up I shall go along with his excuse reasons.

I'm kind of with ilmd - maybe he needed to do some short term work to fund the remainder of yours (ie rectifying his cock up) and pay wages and had this already lined up.

Are you staking him out tomorrow - good luck!

fingers crossed he shows tomorrow.

Good luck for tomorrow. Hope he turns up and does some good work for you.

hope he turned up!

I'm hoping it's good news...

Update please! And I hope it is a good one

Has he come today?

So, did he turn up?

i think he turned up and we've had no response because Pavlov is sat on him to make sure he doesn't leave and not come back again

really hope he did arrive this morning and this is finally being resolved for you Pavlov.

Or perhaps she's still following him to see what he's up to?!!

How are things Pav?

LOL! He turned up. At 8:30am. Along with the electrician, who had to pull up most of the floor to locate the fault. Oh, funny that, what did you say Mr Sparky? Some-one has cut through a wire? Oh Mr Builder, what was that? Not you? Oh yes, must have been our 3 year old eh? .

DH overheard him talking about another job he is doing on the phone, not sure when he had time to pick that up what with camping out at the hospital and all.

And he did precisely nothing yesterday. Zilch. Zero. Nought. He faffed a bit, oh and moaned a bit and then DH came to meet me for lunch and when he returned at 2pm there was no-one here. DH gave it 1 hour then called him and he said 'oh I have just popped to travis perkins to get something won't be long' (its down the road 5 mins walk from us!) and the 45 mins later he phoned and said 'they don't have what I need so I have to go to B&Q, will call it a day for today and come back tomorrow!) so it took him 1 hour and 45 mins to go 5 mins down the road and find they did not have what they needed bullshit. I and my DH have reached the conclusion we beleive nothing he says. At all.

Oh and apparantly I have upset him. He thinks I have treated him disrespectfully he has no idea. I wanted a door to face outwards, not inwards, it means using a smaller door, he had not planned for this when putting the door frame in and it means he had to do some more remedial work (again). He said 'you do know you can get smaller single beds? You could wait til building inspection has been passed and buy a space saving door?' and I said 'can it be done or not?' 'well yes I can' and I said 'just do it then please'. DH trying to be good cop said 'are you sure you want it that way?' and I said rather rudely 'if I wanted it facing inwards so that we have no bloody bedroom that we coul use I would not have started this project in the first place would I? It must face outwards otherwise it will not be a useable space and then this whole thing has been a waste of all our time and money. HASN"T IT?' and walked off and the builder said 'ok, we shall face the door outwards then'. He said to DH later, I only have to put the door on a bit differently, I deserve to be spoken to with a bit of respect' and DH said 'you will be lucky mate' and then 'what do you expect?' good ol DH.

He is so lucky I did not hear him say it. He would have heard a little bit about my interpretation of respect. So, now, atmosphere is frosty with me and him. He is doing what he has to, and I am making sure he knows I am here, watching his every fucking move.

Sorry, needed to rant.

Oh and he moaned that we have boxes up in the loft in the middle of the floor. 'i cannot plaster around those, I thought you were going to move them into the eaves' I replied (before my little outburst) 'we put as much as we could in to one side, but we needed to leave the other eaves clear so the electrician can rip the floor up and fix our electrics. Did not think you would want to lug it all out in our absence?' 'oh right, ok'

I am so so so biting my tongue. It is the hardest thing in the entire world. DH keeps reminding me to keep calm with it.

When we cleaned out the eaves to store some of our things, they builders had left rotting food buried amongst some rubble chucked in there . I had been smelling a funny smell in the hallway for weeks, in one spot in particular and could not place it, or find the source. DH blamed my pregnancy nose as he could not smell it. As soon as we found it (along with some flies) I knew the smell ! It was so gross. And DH won't let me comment on it. He said to just let it go, get them finished and out of our home for good.