General Chat

Heard the one about the builders taking the roof off and covering the ceiling with plastic - starts raining and water comes through ceiling - you discover plastic has hole in it?? You have now!! That's what happened last night!! Praying that it doesn't rain again this w/e!! Anyone else like to tell me builders horror story worse than this that will make me feel better?? Maggie

i was having my garage turn in to a kichen half way though doing it he walk out i had a big hole in my wall anyone could of walk in no window in or door it rain and snow it was like that for two week untill i could find some to come and do the job i could not go out as any one could walk in to my house and rob me.

Maggie my thoughts are with you on that one mine was not so bad but bad eough. We decided to have kitchen extended in 1985, took them six weeks their working day started at 10am and finished at 3pm we had no back door for a few days, window was covered with hardboard ,dust every where ,ceiling came down it wasnt meant to ,back garden looked like a bombsite, kitchen was out of bounds it was living hell for all of that time. Ater the job was finished cant say we were over the moon about it. Last year we thought lets have a new kitchen four days it was revamped and i could still use the kichen. Margaret

Judith Even Sampson couldn't beat that

Thanks for your thoughts chaps - Judith, your story does sound like the worst ever - has anyone managed to lock these chaps up?? Storm clouds gathering, fingers crossed..................

No horror stories , but the tradesmen have been interesting...the painter was just out of jail..bank robbery he said , but claimed he was actually a kneecapper for a bikie gang...reckoned we'd saved his life, and , by the way, was there anyone we wanted looked after? And his mate the plasterer said he had a plate in his head, and would we excuse him if he had any funny turns? Those two responded best to psychological counselling..the more normal ones worked hard for an unlimited supply of beer and cash in hand at the end of each day. John in Aus

Maggie, we had a similar situation with our roof, only we were stupidly talked into having it done in the winter- we were left with leaking tarpaulin and the builder decided to take three weeks off over christmas/new year. We spent New Years Eve 2001 emptying the rapidly filling buckets catching the water. We could not go out incase they filled and overflowed- and how it rained that night!!!! Fortunately once the work was eventually completed it was a good job and we have not had any problems with the roof since then. But I would not wish a leaky roof on anyone!!!

Oh Dear Maggie. . . You want to borrow a few ground sheets or fly sheets ? MIKE.

Well I always thought our story was pretty bad until I read these, and now realise how lucky we were! We bought our current house 4 1/2 years ago brand new and moved in end of November. Christmas Eve we sat down exhausted after playing Santa, looked up, saw big wet patch on living room ceiling - radiator had leaked from bedroom above. They came out day after boxing day, took up carpet and floorboards and dug big hole in adjoining bedroom wall. Was like this all through new year. Then water coming through dining room ceiling - shower was leaking from above. Another time, hubby (who is normally a shower addict) had been gardening and fancied a long hot soak in the bath .... I was downstairs in the kitchen when the water started pouring through the ceiling; some of the water had gone through the overflow which wasn't attached to anything and had therefore just soaked through the floorboards! The list is endless, it took most of the first year to get the house up to standard. It had been built by a very reputable builder but they had contracted work out and rushed the contractors, not kept an eye on them, and it just hadn't been finished properly. About 6 months ago, we were sat in living room and heard a big crash ... went running out into the hall to find a 6ft length of plaster coving had fallen down. Because the house was over 2 years old, nobody would do anything about it - but I'm sure your coving isn't just meant to fall off after 4 years!! You all have my sympathy and best wishes, Mandy :)

Thanks for all your sympathy and suggestions folks - did phone the builder last night and he said "leave it with me" - have I seen sight or sound of a builder today?? Have I ****!! It hasn't rained today - yet, but was supposed to be camping out tonight (not doing that owing to hurting myself falling on wooden post left in garden by builders - but that's another story - my fault, not theirs!!) - there are a lot of clouds in the sky - can see myself spending the night emptying buckets!! Hubby is away, so have taken the precaution of opening a bottle of gin to drown my sorrows in if the ceiling ends up on the floor overnight!! Builder in for an earful Monday morning!! If we get storms tonight, and you hear someone singing "I'm singin' in the rain" - you can bet your life it won't be me!!

How awful, We had the builders in last month. They built an extension on the back of my house. The second day, after digging the old conservatory floor up they discovered some bright spark had concreted over the manhole cover to the main sewer. That was bad enough in the extra money it cost, but two days later after having that rectified the wall that was dividing mine and the next door garden fell down in one piece straight into the footing hole onto the drain, another one to replace. I wondered what the hell we'd started it was pouring down with rain and I was devastated. However, the next four weeks went with a breeze, no problems and the extention is great. None of it was the builders fault though, just bad luck. So really we were very lucky. We'd definately have them back. Hope it all turns out alright for you. Diane

Maggie, Our home is brand new or should be. To cut a very long and sad story short, the builder ran off leaving us with the shell of a home and nothing else. Only after writing registered letters to the builder and waiting the required two months were we allowed to take action. With two independant witnesses present the law allowed us to have the locks changed on the house so that we could get inside. We landed up selling our old home to pay the people that he left high and dry. In other words we landed up having to pay for our new home twice. We have been here two years and the first winter the rains brought water from the roof into our upstairs shower. Last winter after having had the roof fixed, not only did it rain in the shower but in the toilet as well. The water saturated the downstairs ceiling and leaked onto the furniture in the lounge. We now have to have the whole roof lifted and replaced. Fortunately, or not the house is built on three levels so it is only one roof. God help me because if I ever see that man again I shall not be responsible for my actions. Lindy living a nightmare:-((

last week we had rain one night in ages, daughter and dog came into my room at 1am and said 'mum i have a problem. thinking she was sleep walkin, just about to say go back to bed, she said rains coming through my ceiling. got hubby home from work, he could see nothing that time in morning. found great builder who found birds nest in roof just above daughters room. Hes replacing tiles felt and repairing daughters ceiling, this weekend. Have to say at moment hes great. hope you have better luck soon maggie.

Thanks for all your good wishes chaps - some of your problems make mine look small by comparison - hope they all get fixed soon. Went out tonight, and as I went it was raining........ Just got back and wasn't sure what I would find, but it looks like it didn't rain too long - ceiling is still hanging in there. Will have to hope that it doesn't start raining again. Think I might have to pour myself a (large) G & T just in case........!! Cheers everyone!!