Oo-er

[avevale_intelligencer]

The people who are putting up our conservatory may be starting today. This may be my fault.

We've been waiting for this thing to happen for nine months and the Countess has pretty much given up on it. So when a guy came round on Monday to look at the site and talk about access and so on, I was quite pleased, even though the work didn't actually start then as we had been verbally told. And when he rang today and said they were sitting around doing nothing because of the weather, I called the office and gave them a rocket, expecting no response. The guys who completed the Countess's folly were here every day rain or shine till it was done, and they didn't whinge about a spot of rain. Seriously, I am expecting this conservatory to be the best-built conservatory in the known universe, because so far this company's customer service has been abysmal, and their reputation has to be built on something.

So when the guy rang back and said all right then, they'd be here at ten, I was startled. Also a little guilty, because I do know that the weather can affect these things, and if we have a torrential downpour today the trench they're going to dig for the foundations will fill up with water which will cause more delays.

The Countess is wont to mutter darkly that if we'd got in a local builder the thing would have been up months ago (when the weather was a lot better) and would have cost less than half the money. We decided (and we did decide) to go for this lot because they are supposedly the best, we've been done by local cowboys before, and I wanted Jan to have something for once that wasn't cheap and nasty.

I don't really know what to feel about all this.

Comments

[aunty_marion]

I would imagine that any builder worth their salt would know that if they're leaving foundations overnight, putting a tarpaulin over them will save time and effort in the long run.

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Apparently that wouldn't have worked with the trench, because the water would just seep in through the ground.

They're here again today, which is a plus point, and they say the concrete will go in okay, but if it carries on raining as it has been, they won't be doing any brickwork because it wouldn't work. Which I guess will have to do.

[soren-nyrond.livejournal.com]

Feed hopeful, watch them like a hawk (or a handsaw) and count your kittens before they come and after they leave.

[eoforyth.livejournal.com]

Sounds like the Möb en-trusted to fitting the MIL's kitchen. Promised the moon and star and left behind tawdry tinsel that the gleam wore of off.

[jahura.livejournal.com]

I don't know how you're supposed to feel any more than you do. I only know that if my name goes on a dotted line and I shell out beaucoup dollars and see no results for several months, then someone comes by and implies they're finally about to start and don't - then crown would be hitting ceiling in complete defiance of of Newton's Second Law of Gravity.
But hey, at least they didn't ask for more money "for materials" before they can start laying the foundation, right?

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

No, they didn't do that. The price we were quoted is fixed. And the boss is coming round next week to see how it's going, so we can, um, share our concerns with him then.

They've dug a big trench today, and given the nature of the soil in our garden (heavy, mostly clay) I don't envy them the work. The main concern I have at the moment is that the tree they had to cut down (which we knew about) is still here in bits, because they said they couldn't put it in the skip, and I'm fairly sure we were told that they would dispose of all the debris. So maybe a phone call about that tomorrow...

[jahura.livejournal.com]

Usually that's the protocol - if they make the mess they have to clean up the big stuff.

Although I'm not sure what a "skip" is. Dw we call that a dumpster or a chipper out here?

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Sorry, yes, skip=dumpster.

I've queried the tree and am awaiting an answer.

[jahura.livejournal.com]

You queried the tree and are awaiting an answer.

Oh dear. Oh, no. I'm having a dumb blonde moment. Bear with me.

This too shall pass, this too shall pass...