Install the app
How to install the app on iOS

Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.

Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.

The new kitchen

Status
Not open for further replies.
chrismpw said:
How many miles has it been? 100 or 180 I can't remember. How many locks? 100 or 180. Everything has melded into one muddy exhausting rain sodden hell, with the only thing to lift my spirits being Everton's dominating of the league and Cup.

Today is the final stretch... a mile out of Stratford, 16 or so locks, then onto the Avon and into home moorings. Every obstacle made by man has been beaten, every deadline met with time to spare due to grit and determination.

I'm puttering through the rain so we can go home tomorrow, job done. The rain is entering through the neck of my waterproofs, fining its way down inside my clothing and dribbling out of my trouser leg into my boot. At least I think its rain. Ranked its too cold to tell.

We get a message to check the river state of the Avon. Its "on red." Red is NEVER a good colour. Red means high levels and high flow rates. Red means you really shouldn't try moving a boat. But it's only 1 mile of river when we get there and 1 bridge to negotiate. I've driven boats on Red before ... a cruiser and a Dutch barge. But never a narrowboat .... not built for rivers as I've explained time and time again to the female who chose the river mooring.

So here we are, 100m from the finishing tape of the marathon I've run, having to stop and await the floodwaters to subside. Having to wait for the flood caused a sprinkling of rain in the last week to subside, which will take at least a week, in the hope that it doesn't rain next week too. In the middle of winter. On a 2 day only mooring.

Arse!
Click to expand...
Rita_Poon said:
Way more patience than I've got. The occasional entre of reality is sometimes required to wake someone from the sepia tones of the dream and the jackanory of realising it. good on you for recycling the flooring though and i'm well jealous of a workshop (with a planer) that can hold 70m sq of solid flooring.

a sketch from february to may... a 3 month delay on a sketch, if you cant conjure with that...
"we need the door", "moving the gas boiler"(corgi registered* - steady!), "moving the sink", be brutal, be blunt, enabling a childs mentality only invites more. She must make a wicked bolognese, or Sunday roast.

Contract it out, and dont have a holiday for a couple of years. Ying and yang innit.
Click to expand...
It's practically Shakespeare 1:22-1:54
 
While I wait fir the rain to finish and then for the river to subside so I can finish the last mile or so of the journey I'm home.

So find the right unlucky alf video for this one @coyb25

Home for the fitting of the chimney flue promised for the 9th but turns out to be the 12th before the "engineers" turn up. I've resorted to professionals for plastering (because my plastering ends up looking like wattle and daub) no gas (cos I'm not allowed) no now this .... so I can get a hetas certificate for if I want to sell the house at some point.

Two lads one of whom I suspect was being trained and the other who I suspect had been trained the day before, turn up bright and breezy. Bright? Actually pretty much silent and in their own airpod worlds.

I pointed out where I had marked the position of the structural 6x2 uprights so the flue supports could be attached to them. The lad nodded.

I thought they'd bore nearly through the wall - but no - they chain drill. I queried the height where they started and pointed out that they would come through outside where the opportunity story timber frame started and would end up cutting through the structural timber, the plywood and he cladding. To me that sounded like making more work. Long story short, I was right.

They were half way through doing this before I stopped them and insisted they use a vacuum as the air in the lounge was thick with dust. Sure they'd covered the sofa with filthy dust sheets, but not the tv, expensive delicate hifi or anything else.

Then the plaster started coming away, while outside, bricks outside of the chain drilled oval were cracked and had come away. A lot of making good needed inside and out.

Next they had to return to base to get some bits they'd forgotten. No problem - but a delay.

They finish the job but admit to having to return the next day to neaten up their (rough as hell) attempt at polyfilla and clean up the stove. Fair enough.

At round 10.30 last night the top 2m of the flue camw crashing down. Could have killed me or the female if we were using the bins at that time.

Looking at what they've done - the stack was unsupported above two 45 degree angles to avoid a gutter. The stack just rotated at one of these joints and fell away.

The whole flue assembly is simply screwed to the cladding .. or if I'm luckier into the plywood behind. They hadn't used the uprights I'd mentioned.

Its all hetas approved though, so the authorities are happy that a better job has been done than if I'd done it myself.

I've asked for their most senior engineer to come and inspect it all today. Obviously they'll put it right - but I'm not inclined to pay the full price of what they're asking for installation because I have little confidence in their work.
 
chrismpw said:
While I wait fir the rain to finish and then for the river to subside so I can finish the last mile or so of the journey I'm home.

So find the right unlucky alf video for this one @coyb25

Home for the fitting of the chimney flue promised for the 9th but turns out to be the 12th before the "engineers" turn up. I've resorted to professionals for plastering (because my plastering ends up looking like wattle and daub) no gas (cos I'm not allowed) no now this .... so I can get a hetas certificate for if I want to sell the house at some point.

Two lads one of whom I suspect was being trained and the other who I suspect had been trained the day before, turn up bright and breezy. Bright? Actually pretty much silent and in their own airpod worlds.

I pointed out where I had marked the position of the structural 6x2 uprights so the flue supports could be attached to them. The lad nodded.

I thought they'd bore nearly through the wall - but no - they chain drill. I queried the height where they started and pointed out that they would come through outside where the opportunity story timber frame started and would end up cutting through the structural timber, the plywood and he cladding. To me that sounded like making more work. Long story short, I was right.

They were half way through doing this before I stopped them and insisted they use a vacuum as the air in the lounge was thick with dust. Sure they'd covered the sofa with filthy dust sheets, but not the tv, expensive delicate hifi or anything else.

Then the plaster started coming away, while outside, bricks outside of the chain drilled oval were cracked and had come away. A lot of making good needed inside and out.

Next they had to return to base to get some bits they'd forgotten. No problem - but a delay.

They finish the job but admit to having to return the next day to neaten up their (rough as hell) attempt at polyfilla and clean up the stove. Fair enough.

At round 10.30 last night the top 2m of the flue camw crashing down. Could have killed me or the female if we were using the bins at that time.

Looking at what they've done - the stack was unsupported above two 45 degree angles to avoid a gutter. The stack just rotated at one of these joints and fell away.

The whole flue assembly is simply screwed to the cladding .. or if I'm luckier into the plywood behind. They hadn't used the uprights I'd mentioned.

Its all hetas approved though, so the authorities are happy that a better job has been done than if I'd done it myself.

I've asked for their most senior engineer to come and inspect it all today. Obviously they'll put it right - but I'm not inclined to pay the full price of what they're asking for installation because I have little confidence in their work.
Click to expand...
Unbelievably shoddy standard of workmanship that and dangerous too!

But its alright they are "certified".

The craziness of certifying someone to do a job is highlighted in this post right there. Means nada if they are clueless ex YTS crew(for the oldies!)

Good luck getting it sorted buddy.


Lets hope the rain holds off too so you can get the last mile in!
 
chrismpw said:
While I wait fir the rain to finish and then for the river to subside so I can finish the last mile or so of the journey I'm home.

So find the right unlucky alf video for this one @coyb25

Home for the fitting of the chimney flue promised for the 9th but turns out to be the 12th before the "engineers" turn up. I've resorted to professionals for plastering (because my plastering ends up looking like wattle and daub) no gas (cos I'm not allowed) no now this .... so I can get a hetas certificate for if I want to sell the house at some point.

Two lads one of whom I suspect was being trained and the other who I suspect had been trained the day before, turn up bright and breezy. Bright? Actually pretty much silent and in their own airpod worlds.

I pointed out where I had marked the position of the structural 6x2 uprights so the flue supports could be attached to them. The lad nodded.

I thought they'd bore nearly through the wall - but no - they chain drill. I queried the height where they started and pointed out that they would come through outside where the opportunity story timber frame started and would end up cutting through the structural timber, the plywood and he cladding. To me that sounded like making more work. Long story short, I was right.

They were half way through doing this before I stopped them and insisted they use a vacuum as the air in the lounge was thick with dust. Sure they'd covered the sofa with filthy dust sheets, but not the tv, expensive delicate hifi or anything else.

Then the plaster started coming away, while outside, bricks outside of the chain drilled oval were cracked and had come away. A lot of making good needed inside and out.

Next they had to return to base to get some bits they'd forgotten. No problem - but a delay.

They finish the job but admit to having to return the next day to neaten up their (rough as hell) attempt at polyfilla and clean up the stove. Fair enough.

At round 10.30 last night the top 2m of the flue camw crashing down. Could have killed me or the female if we were using the bins at that time.

Looking at what they've done - the stack was unsupported above two 45 degree angles to avoid a gutter. The stack just rotated at one of these joints and fell away.

The whole flue assembly is simply screwed to the cladding .. or if I'm luckier into the plywood behind. They hadn't used the uprights I'd mentioned.

Its all hetas approved though, so the authorities are happy that a better job has been done than if I'd done it myself.

I've asked for their most senior engineer to come and inspect it all today. Obviously they'll put it right - but I'm not inclined to pay the full price of what they're asking for installation because I have little confidence in their work.
Click to expand...

 

Best of luck for the final bit of your journey pal, may the Gods look favourably upon you.



Re the kitchen works, I find gas 'fitters/engineers' to be the worst of all trades.
They outdo electricians all day every day. Absolute helmets generally.
 
To be fair @chrismpw you need to forget the Flue for a wee while and get into E Zone , Mosh has been on the Talk Sport radio thing and now esk is putting his 2 pennorth in and its all kicking off in the Farhad Thread!!

You know there are more important things in life than possible Carbon Monoxide poisoning and Flue falling off come on man get a grip!

;) ? ?

The Flue can wait!!!
 
chrismpw said:
While I wait fir the rain to finish and then for the river to subside so I can finish the last mile or so of the journey I'm home.

So find the right unlucky alf video for this one @coyb25

Home for the fitting of the chimney flue promised for the 9th but turns out to be the 12th before the "engineers" turn up. I've resorted to professionals for plastering (because my plastering ends up looking like wattle and daub) no gas (cos I'm not allowed) no now this .... so I can get a hetas certificate for if I want to sell the house at some point.

Two lads one of whom I suspect was being trained and the other who I suspect had been trained the day before, turn up bright and breezy. Bright? Actually pretty much silent and in their own airpod worlds.

I pointed out where I had marked the position of the structural 6x2 uprights so the flue supports could be attached to them. The lad nodded.

I thought they'd bore nearly through the wall - but no - they chain drill. I queried the height where they started and pointed out that they would come through outside where the opportunity story timber frame started and would end up cutting through the structural timber, the plywood and he cladding. To me that sounded like making more work. Long story short, I was right.

They were half way through doing this before I stopped them and insisted they use a vacuum as the air in the lounge was thick with dust. Sure they'd covered the sofa with filthy dust sheets, but not the tv, expensive delicate hifi or anything else.

Then the plaster started coming away, while outside, bricks outside of the chain drilled oval were cracked and had come away. A lot of making good needed inside and out.

Next they had to return to base to get some bits they'd forgotten. No problem - but a delay.

They finish the job but admit to having to return the next day to neaten up their (rough as hell) attempt at polyfilla and clean up the stove. Fair enough.

At round 10.30 last night the top 2m of the flue camw crashing down. Could have killed me or the female if we were using the bins at that time.

Looking at what they've done - the stack was unsupported above two 45 degree angles to avoid a gutter. The stack just rotated at one of these joints and fell away.

The whole flue assembly is simply screwed to the cladding .. or if I'm luckier into the plywood behind. They hadn't used the uprights I'd mentioned.

Its all hetas approved though, so the authorities are happy that a better job has been done than if I'd done it myself.

I've asked for their most senior engineer to come and inspect it all today. Obviously they'll put it right - but I'm not inclined to pay the full price of what they're asking for installation because I have little confidence in their work.
Click to expand...
Where do you find these folk Chris?

www.SwindonCowboyBuildersandTrades.com, right?
 

Daveysgingerlovechild said:
Where do you find these folk Chris?

www.SwindonCowboyBuildersandTrades.com, right?
Click to expand...
Its just Swindon in a nutshell.

Its reminiscent of the fawlty towers episode where Sybil berates Basil for employing the cheap Irish builder. Satisfyingly though on this occasion it was a company the female recommended as she'd used them in the past.

That and they were the only business who actually came out to look properly and came back to me with a date and price. The other 6 simply didn't bother.

Not sure what it is about Swindon.... its just such a focused, condensed epitome of modern Britain.
 
chrismpw said:
Its just Swindon in a nutshell.

Its reminiscent of the fawlty towers episode where Sybil berates Basil for employing the cheap Irish builder. Satisfyingly though on this occasion it was a company the female recommended as she'd used them in the past.

That and they were the only business who actually came out to look properly and came back to me with a date and price. The other 6 simply didn't bother.

Not sure what it is about Swindon.... its just such a focused, condensed epitome of modern Britain.
Click to expand...
No mate, it's not just Swindon. Having a game with my roof and roofers.

There's probably a thread in it, but I think you've cornered this particular thread market.
 

Status
Not open for further replies.

Welcome to GrandOldTeam

Get involved. Registration is simple and free.

Register
Back
Top