because I fix everything myself. However, free installation of fibre internet and free modem and other gear was tempting. So, they arrived, and were perturbed to find that a trench needs to be dug for the conduit. They didn't have a tape measure so they used mine to measure how much conduit they would need, since they didn't bring enough. They've gone away, and someone else will dig the trench. And I'll need to stay home for another day. Today I dug most of the trench, because there were lots of tree roots to chop out. And I'll bet they wouldn't have brought an axe. And they wanted to have the trench under 8 inches of concrete that had my expensive tiles on top. But it's not going there.
I expect their last job was installing a shower, where despite the instructions telling them that odd bits of wood under the tray are not acceptable they put them under in any case as that is what we always did.... On the other hand they might have been fitting a double glazed bay window, and filling the bit above with foam and forgetting to support the top correctly so come the next rain, it goes right into the room.
I could go one, but this sort of tradesman who borrws others tools and bodges things they should have gotright to start with are everywhere. Give me a good Romanian any day. Brian
I think they are Nigerian. They are able to talk to each other without me knowing what they are saying. I'm not sure if I should ask them if my wood and brass dial telephone will work OK on fibre.
You have Internet installers who dig trenches? I had to dig my own. If I hadn't the cable would have gone along the fence, up and over the garage door, around the bay window, up and over the front door and finally into the house to where I wanted it.
+1, except for (a) gas work, (b) plastering and (c) fitting floor- coverings. (a) - because it's not worth the grief arguing the toss with SWMBO and (b)/(c) because I know I just can't get as good results as pros can.
But yesterday I was reminded of just how much I *hate* employing people to work in my house. We needed new vinyl flooring in the bathroom, and got someone in to do the job. Inspected afterwards, and it looked a really neat job; certainly better than I could have done - all good. But this morning, sat on the pot with the Saturday newspapers, I noticed the sink and did a double take...
It's a standard ceramic wallhung basin supported from beneath by a plinth stood on the floor. The plinth has never been screwed to the floor as it's wasy just to slide it out from under the basin to access the trap for cleaning (it's one of those which is concealed within the plinth). Anyway, evidently at some point the plinth has been nudged slightly, such that it's skew-wiff to the wall. And yes, Flooring Man has lovingly cut the vinyl neatly around the rotated plinth, so it's now set like that for the lifespan of the floor. I could weep.
Yes, I should have spotted it was out of position first, and should have remembered and screwed the plinth down or something, but really, would it have been so hard for him to have nudged it back where it obviously belonged? Or at least pointed it out to me? Must have taken him ages to cut the vinyl in that awkward way.
Reminds me of one of those Tumblr photos you see, where the council workie has painted double yellow lines around a parked car...
The way out of this of course is to fill the hole in then get a bit of something a bit bigger than the pedestal, and raise it all up by that thickness. It will then look like it was desighend that way, assuming you straighten it. Only snag is that the edges may need to be kept clean in some way, or maybe some edging for this is possible. Brian
I've just finished digging the trench and removed part of a brick path. There were lots of tree roots in the way, and I don't think a tradesman was capable of cutting them. I have just been informed that the installation will be delayed while they contact the other owners of my shared dwelling. That's news to me, I've been the sole owner of this property for 20 years.
I suppose I will have to supply and use a drill to get the cable through my decking timber and the wall. I have marked where the studs and nogs are inside the wall.
I have given up having a free fibre connection. Having dug a trench, I have now filled it in. I knew there was a reason I don't have tradesmen in the house. They couldn't seem to find my house despite the number on the letterbox. It's taken two months for them to ask someone to dig a trench, which I did for them. I don't want them drilling holes in my house. They will be in the wrong place anyway. Since I would have been the first in my street to have fibre, it probably won't work for a long time. And my phones wouldn't work.
While the same contractors were putting fibre along the footpath, they managed to cut the gas line. Here's a picture of that:
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i.e. three fire trucks, including Urban Search and Rescue, and lots of firemen with breathing gear.
Not surprised at that. We're still waiting for the New Zealand postal service to deliver a postcard to my granddaughter in the UK. It was posted in Auckland in February 2013...
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