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Original poster

The builders are in.....share the ups and downs here.....

422 replies

nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 13/11/2009 17:34

Been as though a few of us have the builders in i thought we could share our fun and try and get through the mire together (even though pavlos stories scared me half to shit).

SO were getting an extension built and they started Wednesday - they seem canny and we have a digger in our garden, guinea pigs at the back of the garedn i have to risk life and limb for to get too to feed and mud - loads of mud - my wellies are caked in the stuff from my guinea pig feeding missions!

Our foundations are all dug out now and most excitingly a mixy truck load of cement was barrowed round the back in to them. Wheres everyone else at?

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Original poster
nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 04/02/2010 16:45

Hiya dilemma and sprinkles - sorry didnt mean to be rude - welcome to the chaos! I feeel the need to rant today - i laugh soem pages back we had a ceiling leak and they had started removing blockwork downstirs then stopped - weeks have gone by and my flooring has got soggier bt i wasnt radged as its coming up anyway and thought must be from ceiling - today them blocks have gone and builder says oooo you have had a leak some time ther havent you (lots of pipeork on other side of that external wall they strted knocking at hidden by my utility items) - no im thinking actually only since you started knocking my abode to bits. Why cant they ever jusy say ooo we must have disturbed it istead of trying to lay blame at another door grrrrrr

That all made no sense but it felt good writing .

Cake you got your glass all picked up?

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skinsl · 04/02/2010 18:51

dilemma, that sounds like a big job, good job you are not living there? we did that when we moved in here, but they didnt get the kitchen done in time, so I was 6 months pg with no running water. Had to use the hose outside!!
nappy- our sparky just told me £40 for downlighters. we get one pendant light included in the price but downlighters are extra. not good about your leak, I live in fear of leaks!

our builder wants cash for the extra knocking down of the chimney breast? why cash? Told him to give me a bill and I will pay him. Is that dodgy?

TooManySprinkles · 04/02/2010 19:17

Pssst Nappy it's me - the serial name changing one! What happened with your taps in the end?

We've had a leak too, water came through the new light fitting in the hall. Nice. All sorted now though.

Dilema - that does sound like a huge job! If it is a Victorian property then the smoke issue may be just because the chimney needs re-lining - the mortar can degrade. Would cost about £1500 approx to do I think (not that you asked lol!) I am that you aren't living there though

dilemma456 · 04/02/2010 21:06

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Original poster
nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 04/02/2010 21:18

sprinkles i suspected it was you you name changing nutter . Tap wise i got some from b and q and saved my self £80 which is just as well now my contingency pot that was empty is now further empty!

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TooManySprinkles · 04/02/2010 21:32

LOL! I'm like international mumsnetter of mystery

Plasterers have started today. Two ceilings done and the walls of those two rooms prepared for tomorrow. Kitchen is having the screed laid tomorrow. Last two windows arrive next week so I think once that happens and it's all secure they will be breaking through properly into the house

Oh and am aware that this isn't exciting for anyone else but I've bored all my friends and even dh is sick of talking about it!

Original poster
nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 05/02/2010 08:36

oh no i find it interesting - whats a screed? im sure i heard it mentioned early on in ourbuilder talk - we have a fresh new floor which is downstirs and the floor is still consisting of the original slab they built on - should there be a screed on it? I have left a cheeky where the fluck do you make your prices up note for my electrician as dh was radged that were spending a mere £500 on chuffing downlights!

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dilemma456 · 05/02/2010 09:09

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dilemma456 · 05/02/2010 09:23

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skinsl · 05/02/2010 12:07

I don't care anymore. DH and I probably gonna get divorced over this, he is sleeping downstairs cos he says he can't breathe cos of the dust. Bit dramatic, but hey. And last night I fell down the stairs,so sore!
I was going up with a drink and spilled some on the plastic covering, so came back down to wipe it and slid from top to bottom. Scraped all of one arm and pulled the other shoulder and a very bruised bum!! kinda funny now, but was crying last night.

Original poster
nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 06/02/2010 10:22

Hows it all going? i like weekends - i clean like a nutter on a friday then pretend for 2 days all is normal. Has your works made anyone cry yet? i have been close but havent - the fact i have easily over other stuff probably means its taking its toll! I just been for a run at local park parkrun 5k thing - i was dreadful and walking back to the car i did proper fill up because i knew when i got home i couldnt soak my achey legs in the bath . Today we are moving dd into her new bedroom so the mess in mine should lessen and the bedtime fights...

Our leak hasnt stopped in old utility but builder has kindly put a pot under it - its a slow drip and apparently plumber will tie them ones off on Monday though im sure it runs to the kitchen sink also .

Ah also i asked about screed and builder said dont need one on downstairs new room as some dry something technical waffley mix so i just nodded and thats that. I am probably a major walk over lol!

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Original poster
nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 06/02/2010 10:24

biscuits - yes - blimet i bought 5 packets of jaffa cakes extra last week (smart price cheapo) and they were all gone by wednesday night - i didnt buy anymore - cheeky buggers!

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skinsl · 08/02/2010 11:31

really don't know where to turn.
After a showdown on Sat with builder and the boss, the boss told us we have "moaned about everything" huge row.
just sent him an email,outlining exactly what we have complained about.
I am so angry and frustrated and just want to throw in the towel

Original poster
nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 08/02/2010 13:17

skinsl do you have building regs peoplpe doing regular visits? Not sure how this would help mind but perhaps they could mediate. Failing that - a crisis meeting with a happy outcome? I feel for you. No plumber today by lookso f it here so my 2 leaks are just continung to leak into their little pots (little leaks)

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skinsl · 08/02/2010 14:02

building inspector been once. We are happy enough with their work so it's not that, it's the stuff being left around, the mess, the sooty dust. there is light at the end of the tunnel, but to be told we are just whingeing just showed how much they don't give a toss

Original poster
nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 08/02/2010 14:34

its just rude isnt it? They should apreciate you are still living there and make it safe and habitable. I dread any confrontation and touch wood so far we have been ok.

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dilemma456 · 08/02/2010 17:13

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Original poster
nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 08/02/2010 18:15

strange that is - any further forward? whats the plan? - ours is refered to as the money pit lol! My interior quotes are a bit off - i allowed £500 for downstairs flooring - seems cheapest i can find i like is £998 - eek! This is for engineered wood, now dh has mentioned laminate - hmmm

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cakeforbrains · 09/02/2010 20:33

Dilemma - nightmare. Have they found the cause yet?

Nappyzone - We are going for laminate. We have engineered wood in the living room, dining room and hall, spent a fortune on it. But it scratches and dents ridiculously easily - e.g. DS1 only has to drop a plastic toy for it to leave a mark. So given that we now have 2 small boys we are playing it safe with laminate. I know you can sand engineered wood to restore the finish, but really, will u ever bother?

Skinsl - it sounds like you are having a really bad time. Have they behaved better this week?

Well we are frantically clearing out our bedroom because the knock thru starts TOMORROW!!!!! The new bedroom is plastered, just have to wait for it to dry out before we paint. We'll be sleeping in the living room for a week or two because DS1 is refusing to share his room with DS2. DS1 is having nightmares at the moment and is generally really fed up and disrupted by the building work, so it will be better to keep his room the same.

And amazingly WE HAVE CENTRAL HeATING for the first time since November 3rd. It feels really strange!!

Original poster
nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 10/02/2010 11:04

Yes cake i think your right i would never bothre and would be more annoyed if it got damaged - i cant tell the difference to look at with some to be honest. Yeye for knock through - last night our buidler announced to day he was knocking through our itchen/ utility so spent night emptying kitchen cupboards which contents are now everywhere.

I am tiring of it all now. My builder has been lovely but im getting a bit bored of him going on about how my job has become and excersise in cost now as if other builders where on job they would have walked of it now on account of the cost but hes a man of honour blah blah- wtf am i supposed to do coz i have no monoey to offer hin extra and he quoted us!!!

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skinsl · 10/02/2010 11:55

plasterers been in this week, think they have got the picture, the poor guy keeps coming and telling me that they are covering everything with new dustsheets, and they are cleaning and hoovering before they leave. Different guys though. And the boss or the foreman haven't been in touch since Sat. Am making complaints to the 2 trade associations they are members of.
cake- how's the knock through going? messy?? I know what you mean about the kids being disrupted, DS has been restricted to one room for 4 weeks now, and I think he is going crazy! mind you I haven't been able to get to my wardrobe for 4 weeks, so living in the same outfits! can't believe you haven't had heating!
Nappyzone, how long do you think you have left? I think we've only got a couple of weeks, but I am sure there are things that are going to drag on. Will have to get everything cleaned and then probably painted too.
will it ever get back to normal?????!!!

Dilemma, did you sort out your leak?

Original poster
nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 10/02/2010 12:38

lol - i hadnt been able to get in my wardrobe since after new year so too have been restricted to limited wardrobe - this week was like a liberation when i finally got in it again. I didnt find knock through to bad - it was dust from plastering that got me - god knows what dust awaits me tonight. Once new kitchen skimmed its pretty much finishing off by elec and plumber so could potentially all be fin by end of next week but judging by plumber never appearing i would say perhaps add another one after that - he not on site till fri and has a boiler to fit and new downstairs loo bits. Also our builder is doing all his self so not sub contracting plasterer like he normally would he has told us again because of cost. hmmm. Hes seems happy enoiugh to drag it out.

I think decorating will go on till easter!

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Original poster
nappyzonecantrunfortoffee · 11/02/2010 10:05

My kitchen was knocked through yesterday - it looks so much bigger (well it would) - was really pleased last night - builder seemed chipper too, our builder mentioned ages ago he is 60 this month and on Tue i asked when but he wouldnt give it away - anyway his wife works for our organisation and i saw her today and she said it was yesterday - not that he is a memeber of my family or anything but i feel compelled to go home and stick a candle in a muffin for him today!

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RupertTheBear · 12/02/2010 08:06

I haven't been back to this thread since the very beginning - the end is definitely in sight now. We are just wating for the taps to be connected, TV hung, tumble dryer vented and a few more finishing off bits. We have survived - but it has now been 7 weeks with no kitchen and no washing machine. I will never eat another microwave meal.
If we were doing it again we would find a way of moving out. Still - it will be worth it in the end!

dilemma456 · 12/02/2010 19:18

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