I am absolutely spitting mad furious

Millymollymandy · Sun Sep 30, 2007 12:56 pm

My English neighbour/friend who is a builder has been booked for more than 6 months to work for us for the month of October, pointing some of the exterior walls of the house.

Today he's decided that he 'can't be bothered' to do the work, as he refuses to pressure wash (even though that was the understanding) and pointing is 'too boring' - but that's what he was booked to do!

I am spitting mad because it is too late to get anyone else in and it has to be this month really, or November maybe. I have had great plans for some flower beds that I am itching to design and plant, that have been on hold for a couple of years until this pointing is done, as I can't plant anything near the base of the walls as it would only be trashed by the work. So looks like I will have to wait yet another year unless we should be lucky and the professionals who did our gable ends at vast expense 2 years ago should have a week or two free this autumn, but that's pretty unlikely.

Oh, and he doesn't want to 'fall out' over it. WHAT? Tough, they will never darken our doors ever, ever again, and they called themselves friends.

I just cannot believe the effing (excuse my French!) mentality of some people.
:whdat:

the.fee.fairy · Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:38 pm

That's awful! Especially from someone who considers themself your friend!

Tigerhair · Post: # 72783Post **Tigerhair** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 4:54 pm

MMM that's terrible! What a sod!

Perhaps we could establish a working party and bus over to see you next year? Then we could all do it, you could feed us and... sorted! No experience though, might have to bring my Dad! Whadda ya say?

Shirley · Post: # 72785Post **Shirley** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:03 pm

Awww M3 that's just not fair. I'd be up for coming across and helping. Got a little bit of experience from when we renovated a house up here and I was helping out the builders and the joiners in order to learn as I went along.

Big hugs.

red · Post: # 72788Post **red** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:06 pm

ok that is really really annoying..

half the reason we do so much ourselves is cos its just easier then trying to get someone in..

glenniedragon · Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:41 pm

M3, you have every right to be annoyed by this guy, is he a builder by trade? wish I was nearer as I could do the pressure washing (everything that didn't need to be any higher than a step ladder anyway!) vent your spleen, you have every right

kind thoughts
Deb

Wombat · Post: # 72836Post **Wombat** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:36 pm

Bummer M3!

Yeah, book me in on the bus too!

I've got a mate abit like that, very positive and "yeah we're gunna do it!" but then I don't see him for 6 months. It is frustrating.

sounds like your neighbours deserve the old"burning bag of dog poo" at their front door...

Kind thoughts coming!

Nev

Millymollymandy · Mon Oct 01, 2007 9:29 am

Thanks guys for cheering me up!

My hubby would have done the pressure washing in advance, but he was too busy, not just with his own full time job, but with doing all my chores as well, and on top of that we've had 4 cords of firewood delivered in the last 2 weeks, some of which needed splitting as well as the stacking, so he is just plain knackered.

So the neighbour said he didn't want to do the pressure washing and didn't want to work on his own as OH won't have much/any time to work with him (he was expecting my husband to stop work for the whole month to help him

).

Yet the neighbour had the audacity to say in response to hubby's reasons for not having the time to pressure wash - Oh but you had the time to mow your orchard!!!!!!

Yes that's another chore that is a necessity amongst everything else!

These of course are the people who never offered to help when I broke my foot, although if the situation had been reversed I'd have offered to help them out like a shot, because that's what nice people (i.e. me) do.

ina · Post: # 72901Post **ina** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:01 am

I'd say - those are the kind of friends you can do without.

red · Post: # 72919Post **red** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 10:12 am

seems you found out who your friends are...

hope you can find someone more reliable

mrsflibble · Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:03 am

I hate to sound kind of mumsy or know it all as this isn't the aim I@m going for; but I've been crapped on by "friends" in the past- always get a contract signed. it may seem the wierdest thing to do 'cos you're sure they'll turn up etc... but so many times have I had friends ask me to do stuff promising cash and they've decided not to take things I've made for them... or I've asked friends for help and they've f****d me about so much that we end up falling out. I'm now a cynic who doesn't trust many poeple.

Thomzo · Post: # 72979Post **Thomzo** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:57 pm

Having run my own property maintenance business in the past I'd always say steer clear of working for friends or having work done by friends. There is so much scope for falling out over the work.

On a more positive note, definitely count me in on the bus. I did some repointing a few years back and found it really quite satisfying.

In fact this is sounding like a real possibility. When do your frosts end? That would be the best time to do it.

Zoe

Millymollymandy · Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:15 am

He is a registered builder. This was the best time to do the repointing before the onset of really cold weather. I didn't really want it done in April as we'll have to chop back a lot of the wisteria just as it is coming into flower but what the hell.

Hubby is going to try the firm who did the gable ends 2 years ago and see if we can get them to do it either this autumn or next spring. At least I know they do a good job and they'll do it the same way - it's just that they were very expensive!

And I just want to get on with my new flower beds that I've been itching to create for ages now.

mybarnconversion · Wed Oct 03, 2007 5:43 pm

A lot of builders dislike pointing as it's so time consuming ...

I know you've said you've not got much time, but have you tried doing it yourself? You may well find you enjoy it - I love it!

If you're using a lime based mortar you can mix it in small batches and as it won't set hard you can use the same batch over a period of weeks.

Millymollymandy · Fri Oct 05, 2007 11:19 am

My husband's pointing leaves a lot to be desired and he has no time with a full time job, plus doing my job (garden, laundry, housework, chooks, ducks etc etc) which is full time as I haven't been able to do anything for the last 2 months as I broke my foot. So the only option is to get the professionals in.

The stupid neighbour shouldn't have agreed to do it more than 6 months ago if it was such a boring job, should he? I could have had the other firm in by now doing it. :whdat: