More builder worries

[Nigel Watts]

Now that I am working again I am not around to supervise the builder. After an inspection today I have come up with a long lost of niggles: blown areas of stucco being overlooked for cutting out and repair, wrong materials being used, filler not being raked out of the fake ashlar joins, poor quality finish, moulding repairs being attempted by hand rather than with a proper template. I believe he has spent far longer than he expected stripping the paint and is now cutting corners to get the job finished. I have emailed all this to him and suggested he now bring in a specialist lime plasterer. My mistake was to think I could manage all this myself directly with a relatively small builder. He is a decent enough fellow, but doesn't listen enough to me or pay enough attention to getting a good finish.

In retrospect I should have employed a specialist conservation architect and relied on them to find the right tradesmen. It might have cost more, but the quality would have been better.

 

[middi]

It is a difficult one. If the chap is decent enough he may be working at the edge of his limits and not meeting with your expectations.

It is possible, as you say, that he may have submitted a " good price" to do the work and now will be under pressure ( and possibly upset) that his work is not acceptable. As you are paying for the work it is his duty to keep his customers satisfied , if he is not achieving this he should not be too upset that he has been made aware of it

In your situation I would probably have a nice heart to heart friendly chat over a cup of coffe and see if you can come to an agreement about rectifying the " shabby" work already done and to work to a much high standard. It may be beneficial if ( you think) it is more economical (in the long run) to offer him a little bit more money for his trouble as long as the standard meets your expectations.

Good luck

Middi

 

[Nigel Watts]

Thanks for the good advice.

Part of the problem is that he holds himself out as being a specialist in restoring historic buildings and he talks a good story. It's his delivery which is not always up to scratch, although when I have pointed out problems he has usually made a good effort to correct them. My suggestion that he should now bring in a specialist lime plasterer was accompanied by an indication that I would be prepared to talk about the price.

Fortunately the stucco on the front facade of the house - the only part with any ornamental detail - is in pretty good shape and in need of minimal repair. It's the areas of plain stucco on the side and back which are in quite poor shape and it won't be the end of the world if these are not repaired to the highest possible standard, but it pains me to see sub-standard work.

 

[skier-hughes]

I'm with Middi, and probably yourself, as you are thinking more money may be required to get a good finish. I'd also go for the coffee and chat approach now to chat over how things have gone, what is expected, time already taken and time expected, review the amount you are going to pay, but have strict quality control standards included in any further contract.

 

[stuart45]

The problem with a lot of builders, myself included in the past, is that because they have worked on many old buildings they consider themselves experts in restoration. Unfortunately this has often been bringing old buildings up to modern standards.
Nowadays many period property owners seem to know more about the correct methods than some builders, even though they may not have the hand skills to do the work. The builders usually mean well and it's often a dificult job to try and tell someone with 40 years in the trade where he's going wrong.
However at the end of the day it's the home owner who has to live in the place and the work has to be done to your satisfaction.

 

[MdB]

The problem with a lot of builders, myself included in the past, is that because they have worked on many old buildings they consider themselves experts in restoration. Unfortunately this has often been bringing old buildings up to modern standards.
Nowadays many period property owners seem to know more about the correct methods than some builders, even though they may not have the hand skills to do the work. The builders usually mean well and it's often a dificult job to try and tell someone with 40 years in the trade where he's going wrong.
However at the end of the day it's the home owner who has to live in the place and the work has to be done to your satisfaction.

So true.

 

[Penners]

Obviously you have some very useful thoughts above, Nigel. However, leaping to the opposite end of the spectrum for a moment, if your good-natured indications of dis-satisfaction, plus a bit more money, don't have the desired effect, I fear you may have to harden your heart and fire the chap.

If the alternative is a second-class job that will pain you whenever you look at it, this may ultimately be your only option.

Do let us know how you get on.

 

[88v8]

The problem with a lot of builders, myself included in the past, is that because they have worked on many old buildings they consider themselves experts in restoration. Unfortunately this has often been bringing old buildings up to modern standards.
Nowadays many period property owners seem to know more about the correct methods than some builders, even though they may not have the hand skills to do the work. The builders usually mean well and it's often a dificult job to try and tell someone with 40 years in the trade where he's going wrong.

How right.
I employed a builder who came highly recommended by PO, so much so that I gave him the keys and let him get on with it.
His idea of 'lime mortar' was cement with hydrated lime... he pointed my quarries with cement drypack by brushing it in, as if it had been a garden path.
He added my Georgian chimney pot to the original stack to give more headroom above the thatch, by standing it on (allegedly) stainless brackets, but omitted to flaunch the corners so that one can see daylight around the pot.
He and his sons are very nice people, and covered up very well indoors, and were extremely tidy with their cement mixing, but I have in effect fired him :evil:
Now I have a team of builders coming 80 miles each way from Wales, they have the right limey attitude.
One never knows until it's too late.
As to quality controlling in absentia, dream on........ :wink:

Ivor