Musings from the Merse
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Duns The Builders; read Dunces throughout?
Consider this:
Mid May Builders arrive on site and 'mobilise' This means turning two long ladders into ramps for moving stuff with wheelbarrows onto a slightly raised site. Gardener moves two recently planted apple trees to allow ramp to cross corner of garden. Cuts down a few shrubs Takes down large chunk of internal fencing.
Builders not seen for two weeks.
Late May Builders arrive and take down neighbours fence. Wrong fence. Neighbour peeved.
Three days later after several angry long distance phone calls (we were in France) Builders replace fence.Neighbour puzzled but mollified Builders not seen on external site since. Height of new extension remains at 0cm. (Mysteriously summer house full of builders debris. From what?)
Mid May discussion with Builder Highheidyin over wood burning stove. Kind we want in garden centre one mile away. Available immediately. Builder says he has own supplier in central Borders. Work to start immediately to allow us to move in on 21 July. Assured all internal works finished by end of June to allow decorator three working weeks to,er, decorate.
Mid July after many calls and many promises-Ins'allah, Manana, certain sure. Builder admitted that stove was ordered too late and had not turned up. Promised to start work Thursday.
Monday and decorator now working on what he could-Builder admitted by Thursday he meant 'Thursdayish'
Later: Builder on overseas holiday. Foreman took over.
Five days before move stove available. But chimney pipes not. Another outbreak of Thursdays. D day minus one: Stove arrived on site plus pipes. Fitters had no plans or instructions. Not sure where to put chimney piping. My suggestions impracticable because of limitations of human anatomy. Foreman claimed plans too vague.Architect shouted at him a bit.
After poring over plans fitters said that they needed more parts. Left.
Not seen since
We moved in on Monday. Stove out of box on hearth.Pipes in garden.
Today Architect e-mailed to suggest meeting at my convenience to discuss 'options for the stove. (? to have one or not?)
My convenience full of unpacked boxes. (No room in summer house)
To be continued and continued.
Bet your boots
Consider this:
Mid May Builders arrive on site and 'mobilise' This means turning two long ladders into ramps for moving stuff with wheelbarrows onto a slightly raised site. Gardener moves two recently planted apple trees to allow ramp to cross corner of garden. Cuts down a few shrubs Takes down large chunk of internal fencing.
Builders not seen for two weeks.
Late May Builders arrive and take down neighbours fence. Wrong fence. Neighbour peeved.
Three days later after several angry long distance phone calls (we were in France) Builders replace fence.Neighbour puzzled but mollified Builders not seen on external site since. Height of new extension remains at 0cm. (Mysteriously summer house full of builders debris. From what?)
Mid May discussion with Builder Highheidyin over wood burning stove. Kind we want in garden centre one mile away. Available immediately. Builder says he has own supplier in central Borders. Work to start immediately to allow us to move in on 21 July. Assured all internal works finished by end of June to allow decorator three working weeks to,er, decorate.
Mid July after many calls and many promises-Ins'allah, Manana, certain sure. Builder admitted that stove was ordered too late and had not turned up. Promised to start work Thursday.
Monday and decorator now working on what he could-Builder admitted by Thursday he meant 'Thursdayish'
Later: Builder on overseas holiday. Foreman took over.
Five days before move stove available. But chimney pipes not. Another outbreak of Thursdays. D day minus one: Stove arrived on site plus pipes. Fitters had no plans or instructions. Not sure where to put chimney piping. My suggestions impracticable because of limitations of human anatomy. Foreman claimed plans too vague.Architect shouted at him a bit.
After poring over plans fitters said that they needed more parts. Left.
Not seen since
We moved in on Monday. Stove out of box on hearth.Pipes in garden.
Today Architect e-mailed to suggest meeting at my convenience to discuss 'options for the stove. (? to have one or not?)
My convenience full of unpacked boxes. (No room in summer house)
To be continued and continued.
Bet your boots
Labels: Building the extension. Wood burning stove, Small House in Duns
Comments:
As a public service they should be named and shamed to allow the rest of us to avoid their excellent service! But at least you're in. In our experience putting in a wood burning stove chimney is challenging
I plucked up the courage to phone our builder today. Said he will be here tomorrow to tidy up and re-mark out sun-room, ready for large digger that should be coming on Monday to dig the foundations...
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