Hi,
Last week I learned a very valuable lesson; for the first time I loaned my big SDS drill; brand new 40M extension reel and sledge hammer to two builders repairing the adjoining wall in our rear garden the wall belonging to excellent neighbours. I couldn't believe what I saw; they were using club hammer and cold chisel to break through the rock hard mortar joints; when I asked why go through the joints when the soft blocks are much easier I was told it's because the full sized blocks are easier to handle than blocks broken into small pieces; during breakfast we could hear the chisel being pounded.
After breakfast I donned my waterproofs and headed up the mountain in torrential rain to where they were still working. The weather was absolutely dire; I took pity on them and offered the use of my kit which was gratefully accepted so I ran the extension from our exterior socket and now they were using the SDS I returned indoors to dry off.
After dinner the wall section was down and my kit was returned; it was in filthy wet condition and they'd broken the sledge hammer shaft but would replace it. I spent a couple of hours drying and cleaning my kit; 40M of extension cable takes a lot of drying with a rag soaked in WD40. The SDS too was dried and cleaned but I removed the gearbox grease cover and only just in time it was almost dry of grease so I topped it up with LM grease then put the now clean drill and bits away.
The following morning the monsoon was still with us; as promised I received a new sledge hammer shaft. Later as I looked out of our kitchen window I became very distressed to see these two unloading materials directly under the new mesh fencing that had almost flattened me to erect; I'd spent three months of hard graft sorting the fence out firstly having to remove a huge hedge together with stumps; I spread 5 tons of wood chip mulch; 2 tons directly under the fence and everything looked perfect; I really could have cried to see a lot of my hard work ruined but what was the point of being awkward; the rain was bucketing down and the mulch turned to mud as did the path they were treading.
They finished the job after dinner and as they departed out came the sun; I wandered up to survey the damage but in fairness to them they had done the best job they could under the conditions to leave it tidy and take away their debris. I've since made good the damage but I confess after all the hard graft I'd put in it sure upset me.
Never again will I loan kit out; this was the first time and will be the last time.
My chum David emailed me last night with a motto to live by; DIY = DON'T INVOLVE YOURSELF
Kind regards, Colin.
When the builders first arrived to inspect the job I joined them virus protected wearing face mask whilst keeping the safe distance; they said to our neighbour the hut will need moving the hut end sitting on the wall top; I suggested just lift the hut clear of the wall and they agreed it's a good idea; I then suggested a fence post under the hut joists would give support but this was immediately rejected they saying a fence post won't be strong enough; they'll use scaffolding? I received a phone call asking if it would be OK to start work because the builders were suddenly available so the builders arrived to check what they would need; like an idiot I offered to lift the hut clear of the wall which our neighbour was delighted with saving quite a bit of time and money. When they all departed I only took a few minutes to lift the hut onto four support piers using a trolley jack and small bottle jack; after my initial suggestion had been declined I now lifted the hut with so much ease I could have used one finger and not a bit of scaffolding in sight? The difference between a builder and a mechanical engineer? The picture shows the section of wall removed; our former neighbours who built the house at the top of their garden skimped on everything to the point this wall didn't have a foundation and it's a retaining wall.
Full marks to the builders for adding substantial concrete foundation; here the concrete has just been poured.
The wall now repaired.
I'll never loan another bit of my kit out; I look after it; yes it was bucketing down with rain but no excuse to return a favour like this.
My brand new 40M extension cable after drying and cleaning which took ages.
Looking at this it distressed me after I'd put my heart and soul into the work I carried out over three tremendously hard months.
No I didn't want a muddy path but I got one. For half a century I've grafted in some terrible jobs but having this done to my hard work really did get through to me. The neighbours have a perfectly decent flagged pathway with steps and I had suggested a fence panel be removed near the hut; this damage had already been done before I saw them carrying materials down our garden.
Last week I learned a very valuable lesson; for the first time I loaned my big SDS drill; brand new 40M extension reel and sledge hammer to two builders repairing the adjoining wall in our rear garden the wall belonging to excellent neighbours. I couldn't believe what I saw; they were using club hammer and cold chisel to break through the rock hard mortar joints; when I asked why go through the joints when the soft blocks are much easier I was told it's because the full sized blocks are easier to handle than blocks broken into small pieces; during breakfast we could hear the chisel being pounded.
After breakfast I donned my waterproofs and headed up the mountain in torrential rain to where they were still working. The weather was absolutely dire; I took pity on them and offered the use of my kit which was gratefully accepted so I ran the extension from our exterior socket and now they were using the SDS I returned indoors to dry off.
After dinner the wall section was down and my kit was returned; it was in filthy wet condition and they'd broken the sledge hammer shaft but would replace it. I spent a couple of hours drying and cleaning my kit; 40M of extension cable takes a lot of drying with a rag soaked in WD40. The SDS too was dried and cleaned but I removed the gearbox grease cover and only just in time it was almost dry of grease so I topped it up with LM grease then put the now clean drill and bits away.
The following morning the monsoon was still with us; as promised I received a new sledge hammer shaft. Later as I looked out of our kitchen window I became very distressed to see these two unloading materials directly under the new mesh fencing that had almost flattened me to erect; I'd spent three months of hard graft sorting the fence out firstly having to remove a huge hedge together with stumps; I spread 5 tons of wood chip mulch; 2 tons directly under the fence and everything looked perfect; I really could have cried to see a lot of my hard work ruined but what was the point of being awkward; the rain was bucketing down and the mulch turned to mud as did the path they were treading.
They finished the job after dinner and as they departed out came the sun; I wandered up to survey the damage but in fairness to them they had done the best job they could under the conditions to leave it tidy and take away their debris. I've since made good the damage but I confess after all the hard graft I'd put in it sure upset me.
Never again will I loan kit out; this was the first time and will be the last time.
My chum David emailed me last night with a motto to live by; DIY = DON'T INVOLVE YOURSELF
Kind regards, Colin.
When the builders first arrived to inspect the job I joined them virus protected wearing face mask whilst keeping the safe distance; they said to our neighbour the hut will need moving the hut end sitting on the wall top; I suggested just lift the hut clear of the wall and they agreed it's a good idea; I then suggested a fence post under the hut joists would give support but this was immediately rejected they saying a fence post won't be strong enough; they'll use scaffolding? I received a phone call asking if it would be OK to start work because the builders were suddenly available so the builders arrived to check what they would need; like an idiot I offered to lift the hut clear of the wall which our neighbour was delighted with saving quite a bit of time and money. When they all departed I only took a few minutes to lift the hut onto four support piers using a trolley jack and small bottle jack; after my initial suggestion had been declined I now lifted the hut with so much ease I could have used one finger and not a bit of scaffolding in sight? The difference between a builder and a mechanical engineer? The picture shows the section of wall removed; our former neighbours who built the house at the top of their garden skimped on everything to the point this wall didn't have a foundation and it's a retaining wall.
Full marks to the builders for adding substantial concrete foundation; here the concrete has just been poured.
The wall now repaired.
I'll never loan another bit of my kit out; I look after it; yes it was bucketing down with rain but no excuse to return a favour like this.
My brand new 40M extension cable after drying and cleaning which took ages.
Looking at this it distressed me after I'd put my heart and soul into the work I carried out over three tremendously hard months.
No I didn't want a muddy path but I got one. For half a century I've grafted in some terrible jobs but having this done to my hard work really did get through to me. The neighbours have a perfectly decent flagged pathway with steps and I had suggested a fence panel be removed near the hut; this damage had already been done before I saw them carrying materials down our garden.
