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In reply to Post #54
That’s right mate not just for the canopy.
There is a thread on here that I started and listed just a few issues. Such a shame there is a whole lot more.
To supply and fit an MDF window board in the bedroom (shockingly cut and fitted) cost £120.00 + vat = £144.00.
To supply and fit an MDF window board in the lounge that is 18 inches longer - how much do you think?.
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In reply to Post #54
You got it 
Had a run of the skinny ones a few years back, can't remember if its 9 or 12 mm but customers were having problems registering the warranty, then we started going back to jobs where they've dropped a tin/jar/cup out of a wall unit and got a nice spider web shaped pattern on the worktop. Also a lot of tops with sink or hob cutouts shattering in transit.
I've had no problem with 20mm
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In reply to Post #53
Yes 20mm Dekton splashbacks. I was going to have glass but it was so much easier getting everything templated, supplied and fitted with one company.
Fingers crossed but so far I've been very impressed with the company.
LINKY POO™ https://naturalstonesurfaces.co.uk/
Funnily enough I enquired about the thin stuff for the splashback but they said it wasn't something they stocked and was a special order from Spain with a 6-8 weeks wait so it wouldn't have worked out any cheaper.
Perhaps such a large company doesn't stock the thin stuff for a reason
@Tazi
So it wasn't just for a canopy, that makes sense now. 
As for those kitchen legs, how could they get it so wrong 
I'm guessing the company address is Paul Street?
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In reply to Post #52
Great, i was dreading you saying you had ordered the skinny one 
Did/have you considered using dekton for splashbacks?
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In reply to Post #49
Yes its all 20mm.
As for the edges not matching I was told that it's a lot to do with the main colour. If you choose one of the colours with lots of other coloured swirls in it then it might notice as those swirls are only on the surface, not all the way through.
That's what I was told, whether that's BS?
I've gone for a fairly uniform matt grey colour called Bromo with pencil edges which hopefully should be ok.
Let's put it this way, I've paid for it now so there's no going back
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In reply to Post #46
This muppet even used self drilling screws you use for metalwork to screw them on, so all the legs were falling off when I started moving the units about
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In reply to Post #45
20mm dekton is good, but personally I don't like that the edges don't match the surface.i don't like the price either I'd swerve the skinny stuff
Its probably 5+ years since I did a diy, but I had a run doing loads of them, and I'd usually be able to spend a couple of hours going through and changing the order long before I'd turn up to fit.
Last year I had to get some replacement doors/panels for one i did over ten years ago (was rented for 2 years and got abused) and they were great to deal with. Aftersales let a lot of companies down as in any market.
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In reply to Post #44
Edit - and crooks.
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In reply to Post #42
Not just a canopy as the whole house had to be renovated, extension put on etc etc and considering that her solicitor was served to protect her (court of protection order because she’s a vulnerable individual) the solicitor has always being involved and contract administrator was employed to oversee the whole project.
It hasn’t worked out well at all and currently in a legal process that will determine who the buck is to stop with. Could be the solicitor, contract administrator or the builder, even all 3 but someone will be accountable.
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That adjustable foot fitting on the unit carcass!😲
Having recently had an extension built plus new kitchen I then used the old kitchen units downstairs in my workshop.
I needed extra feet for a couple of units that were changed from their old configuration.
I found some left over ones from the new kitchen ( exactly like the ones in your pic). and fitted them to the units. They were different to the older style ones and it took me about 3 minutes to realise how they fit with the locating lugs - and I’m not a Tradesman.. That guy is taking the piss if he took money for his work.
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In reply to Post #43
I'm pleased with the actual product but I can imagine problems for people like yourself who turn up and have to fit something that an unqualified person has designed.
I spent ages backwards and forwards on the phone and emails trying to get it right.
Even then there was a couple of unexpected things that needed some thought.
Almost finished, I've done everything I can.
Just need worksurfaces and splashbacks which I can't do.
Someone came yesterday to template them, the same company will fit them within 2 weeks
After seeing it as someone else's house I went for Dekton in the end.
Please don't tell me I've made a mistake!
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In reply to Post #41
Too many cooks
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In reply to Post #40
Done a few of those, found them a decent product, service and aftercare. The problem is usually in the diy bit
Its been a while tho, I'm sure there were things with the product I didn't like. My issue was turning up to fit a job and having to redesign it wasting hours in the process, losing time waiting for the right stuff...
Hopefully that side of it has got better
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In reply to Post #41
He completed the work and my daughter had to pay her half as the contract administrator who was overseeing the project issues the builder with a certificate for payment. This was then passed onto my daughter’s solicitor by him for payment and it was promptly paid.
I can understand it if it were a big complex undertaking but why would contract administrators and solicitors get involved in a canopy?
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In reply to Post #37
Talking of canopies here’s a story.
The first builder prior to building a canopy over my daughter’s front door I asked him if he could extend it so that it also covered our front door.
He agreed to do so.
I agreed to pay for my half after he’d completed it.
He completed the work and my daughter had to pay her half as the contract administrator who was overseeing the project issues the builder with a certificate for payment. This was then passed onto my daughter’s solicitor by him for payment and it was promptly paid.
I however had my concerns about the whole canopy and despite the builder attempting to put things right it was still not right.
The builder took me to a small claims court demanding payment of £950. Having taken me to court I sought an expert inspection/report on said canopy and needless to say it was condemned as it didn’t even meet regulations and it was even lifting in the wind and pieces falling off. Needless to say the builder didn’t carry on with his claim thereafter.
In come the second builder with a second contract administrator and I informed my daughter’s solicitor that the canopy was lifting and pieces falling off it. I was told that if I was confident enough to take it down then to do so because this was a Saturday afternoon and to wait until Monday for the builders to return could have being dangerous to people such as postmen etc etc.
Anyway, it’s all documented for me to take it down and during taking it down I took photographs and forwarded these onto my daughter’s solicitor along with it all bagged up into 1 tonne sacks.
For some inexplicable reason the contract administrator gave the builder a certificate for payment as he believed they had taken it down, then lo and behold the builder then forwarded it to my daughters solicitor in which it was paid totalling £450.
That is just the tip of a very very expensive and frustrating iceberg.
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In reply to Post #39
Who made the kitchen?
I got mine from here
LINKY POO™ https://diy-kitchens.com/
Have you worked on them, what's your honest opinion, don't hold back!
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In reply to Post #38
Waiting on some replacement bits and other work to be done before the final finish, but the difference is night and day from what I started with. Would have been a nice job to do from the start
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In reply to Post #37
I question the blokes ability to get dressed in the morning unassisted if he can't figure these out.
So considering what you have to work with, have you managed to salvage the kitchen and now you are finished?
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I asked the neighbour if he requested a canopy here, said he would have asked for a straight one
Notice the rsj peeking through, looks like the weight of the doors has pulled it forward
Decorator will get over it...
Another day, another room, same crap
I question the blokes ability to get dressed in the morning unassisted if he can't figure these out.
Back to some proper jobs for a while so this'll likely be the last photo, and i think it sums up the standards of AAaaaaaarrrrrggghhhh Design and build perfectly
....
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In reply to Post #35
Looks good
I like to show off and leave it on when I go home so the client walks in to see all the top glowing red
I have to have rechargeables or it'd cost me a fortune.
Plug the sander into a hoover, that dust gets everywhere!
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In reply to Post #34
It certain feels professional it's a DW088K. I had special offer code and paid £89.99 which at the time I couldn't beat elsewhere, also if there's any problems Screwfix is only around the corner.
I bought a Dewalt Orbital Sander last week from Howe Tools, that was much cheaper than Screwfix
I always try to use Topcashback or Quidco to gain a few more pennies
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In reply to Post #33
The cheaper dewalt ones are still professional tools. To late for you but screwfix usually aren't good on prices with them. My bosch one was double the price in screwfix/toolstation.
Some of cheap offerings are crap, a sparky had a cheap one on a job and couldn't work out why his sockets weren't parallel with my worktops, turns out the one he had was self levelling and pretty accurate, but had no warning when it went past the range it could compensate for
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In reply to Post #32
Both red.
My Dewalt is only the entry level but for using at home indoors is more than enough for me as a DIYer.
The reason for the Dewalt being superior is the glass is at 45% meaning the beam covers all of the wall, ceiling and floor all at once vertically, horizontally its also very wide
The beam on the cheap one without the 45% was far more limited.
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In reply to Post #30
I'd be lost without it mate, so much easier and more accurate (still have to check them tho, they don't like being dropped)
Were both the same colour or were you comparing red to green?
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In reply to Post #29
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In reply to Post #29
I bought a laser level recently, I bought a cheap Magnusson one from Screwfix thinking it would be ok for what I need but the beam was disappointing.
Took it back and bought a Dewalt which is so much better. I wish I had bought one years ago.
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In reply to Post #28
Its so hard to try and put things right, it's just a horrible environment to work in. When the client get shafted they automatically compensate by watching the next lot like a hawk, questioning everything done and every penny spent.its an environment that breeds more mistakes. The woman was checking the island worktop i refitted with a crappy level the bodger had left behind and asked if I was going to level it 
Its hard not to take it personally but I gave her a not so quick lesson on how to check a levels accuracy, this one being 4mm out over 1m , then showed the same procedure with my laser level showing that is out by about 1.5mm....
....over 8m
But still she has to wander off into another room, probably watch a YouTube video or two to check I'm telling the truth before wandering back and questioning something else.
Yet talking to the other guys they say she thinks the sun shines out of my arse
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In reply to Post #27
It’s terrible mate and I feel her heartache. They’ll use anything mate as long as there’s more profit in it for them. It’s sickening mate.
The first builder of my daughters declared himself bankrupt but we have other options who to go after.
I doubt you’re ever in the stoke on Trent area but if you are then you’re welcome to pop in and see the mess for yourself.
£650K at least spent on a house with a tops value of £100K and it isn’t even safe to live in and appears that the floors have got to come up because they’ve not done the supports correctly to where the specialist bed is going and the floor under the bath concerns have being raised.
Total nightmare.
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In reply to Post #26
Having pretty much always worked at the other end of the spectrum I found it hard to fathom what was happening at yours, seeing this sh1t and how hard it is to actually get a photo to show most of it gives a new perspective.
One thing I can't show on photo for instance, this house a pretty typical victorian london semi, built with yellow stock bricks. These bricks are very sought after and therefore expensive on the used/reclaim market as there really isn't a suitable new replacement. The demolition is easy as its lime mortar so 90% + would have been re usable, and would have pretty much covered the extensions, but they've used a cheap modern red brick. Since there's a variation in size between the old imperial bricks and new metric ones these plicks have done all sorts to match up the courses, just shocking to look at but would look fine in a picture
Legals will be an expensive dead end for her I think, the bloke will just fold the company and start a new one the next day and that's the end of it. The building control company will probably be her best bet to go after, they're private company's now rather than council so there's a massive conflict of interest
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In reply to Post #25
No mate it’s such a mess and there’s loads to sort out as at the moment it resembles a great big bowl of spaghetti as got to find out who should have done what. Just had to have an expert in to look at the mess and that alone cost £6,500 plus his expenses should it go to court.
Edit - I feel her pain and I hope it gets sorted out to her satisfaction but I suppose she may not be in a position to fight it whereas fortunately we are but in the sense that all this work was undertaken where my daughter had a solicitor to prevent this kind of thing happening as our daughter has court of protection. Either way someone will be deemed accountable.
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In reply to Post #24
By the time it's done I expect she'll have you beat unfortunately.
60k ish just to sort the roof 
Is your saga over yet? Not been on here in ages but thought of your issues when I started this job
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In reply to Post #4
I’ll raise you a further £300K.
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Only just noticed this thread.
The gap at the top of the door breaks regulations as the gap should be no more than 4mm. The gap is a fire hazard.
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Continuing the carnival of the grotesque...
I don't think he knew what these circles were for
So he drilled the tap hole in the quartz worktop, the supliers of which are also on the sh1tlist for being quite happy to fit worktops when they had to use 12mm of packers to level it. Of course they very generously offered to remove the island slab and replace the sink run for the token sum of £2600
Duck off mate
Another 10 mins with resin and you'll have to search for the repair
He tried to do this right bless him
But since 14ft sheets of 25mm ply aren't easy to come by he got the 8 inch screws out again
Perhaps he left this for ventilation?
....
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In reply to Post #20
Its great when things work out like that
When I was an apprentice I'd go in to work the next day and tell the boss what I'd been doing at college (leaving out the extended lunch in the dirt cheap bar and strippers in the classroom)
And get a bo11ocking about wasting time doing mortice joints in studwork and tusk tenons in joist work , hours in a classroom having to learn the life cycle of a house longhorn beetle (i agreed with him there hence the extended lunchbreak)
"What use is any of that crap these days"
Fast forwards a couple of years after I got fed up with the small firm, one week doing a massive hipped roof with big cat slide apex sections dorma windows, all sorts, working out the angles and lengths via pythagoras (the memory of "why am I paying for you to learn that nonsense" bringing a smile to my face), the next week maybe knocking up plaster ("i can't pay carpenters wages when your labouring") so when I get offered some work on a restoration firm I was gone.
That work is a different ballgame.I loved that, the skills you need are a different level, my first job was on a roof, yeah im good at that i thought, until they gave me quartered oak for rafters and wanted jointed purlings 
I'd imagine it's easier to find good tradesman, or perhaps easier to avoid wronguns in rural places as everyone seems to know each other and word gets about. For a lot of people in cities they just want to see a professional looking website and a snazzy Instagram page.
The mob who performed this abortion are a (very) limited company with both
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We were also very lucky with our inadvertent choice of the guy who did our slate walling. We have steps running up the side of our extension ( back door is 15’ higher than the ground level) and wanted a slate face on the step wall to break up the outline of the building. We went to see someone who did this, saw his work and it was quite OK. Unfortunately he pulled out at the last minute but put us in contact with another bloke. He turned out to be a stone mason who works on historic buildings ( churches, cathedrals chapels and the like). He does smaller jobs between his main work. 3 courses up and I knew he was producing something quite special. Pure luck, but so far as said we have been really lucky with the skills of the people doing our work, especially as we are in a rural community at the arse end of the world.
There are some very skilled people out there for sure 👍
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In reply to Post #18
No offence taken
Plenty of chippies will have the skills and knowledge for all areas, but to have the right tools for all areas will run to many thousands and take up an awful lot of space when you don't need them
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No offence meant. His words I was quoting 👍
I’m not in the trades, just a customer, but otherwise no skin in the game.
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In reply to Post #16
I can't agree on the carpenter vs kitchen fitter bit, any pleb can do do most aspects of both.
Plus most kitchen fitters i know start as carpenters, then gradually specialise in the one area.
Plenty of firms i work with have 1st fix and 2nd fix chippies, and you notice the difference when they do the other job
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Having a lot of building work done at the moment. When they turned up, main builder, two apprentices and some doddering old bloke.
I thought he would be doing the cement mixing, sweeping up and odd jobs. How wrong was I. He was the carpenter and he is an absolute legend. 73 years old and a true old school tradesman. His skills are second to non and as well as the woodwork he does all the marking out for roofing, steps etc etc. The builder dreads when he finally retires as he has got used to him doing all the difficult marking out.
He measures everything correctly, always thinking forward to make the most use of the materials so there isn’t huge piles of off cuts. What there is 90% of it we can burn on the fire without cutting. He also spent 25 years fitting kitchens at one stage to get off the building sites but eventually returned. As he says - carpenters can fit kitchens but not all kitchen fitters can do carpentry. Also trained in leadwork as the old carpenters were.
I took a while to work out the Velux windows in your pic, until it dawned on me the direction of the pitch Jeez…for real!
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In reply to Post #14
Last visit was after steels, should have set alarm bells off at that stage when you see the brickwork above, I expect he's trying to find a way to cover his arse.
Started the utility room today which has the underside of the stairs.
He tried so hard 
Pics tomorrow
Sat in the garden drinking my coffee and scratching my head earlier and noticed the only bit of undisturbed ground in the garden is about 6 meters from the extension and 2 meters from either fence, right where you should find.....
Answers on a postcard
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No bco visiting the site ?
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In reply to Post #12
I forget the exact name tbh, and they may even be trade only. They were called opti colour then changed names when they started doing other materials.
The only reason I do them myself is because mistakes cost me time and money whether I make them or others do.
I also use vale glass in notting Hill a fair bit.
Your only as good as your last job and most companies end up on the **** list eventually until there next on the list
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In reply to Post #11
Thanks I'll take a look.
I've just edited my last post by the way.
Is it Optidek?
Are they supply only?
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In reply to Post #10
Sorry Bob, bespoke glass design, based in malden
I can't even find opti deck
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In reply to Post #9
Seems to me there's a lot of chancers out there.
Go on social media, ask for a recommendation and all sorts of people claim they can do it. I would guess many of them have no skills at all.
Good tradesmen are often too busy to answer.
BTW I'm having trouble finding Bespoke glass and Opti deck. Where are the based?
I need 4 pieces of glass all with cut outs for sockets, so it needs to be accurate, probably best if I get a company to come and template, supply and fix.
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In reply to Post #8
The same bloke who dot and dabs walls with pink plasterboard and clads steels in standard boards
And also can't figure out how to fit legs on carcasses
and uses 200mm screws to hang cabinets yet they were all falling off the walls
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Who in their right minds fit Velux windows horizontally unless its in the new eco friendly rain shower room
As well as the soldiers above the window well on the piss I think the guy who laid them was in a worse state.
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In reply to Post #6
Bespoke glass
Opti deck
I've used both and found them good, typically I get them made by a local glazer and fit them myself
I'm regretting taking it on, really it needs a complete new kitchen where the last lot wrecked it
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In reply to Post #4
£350K 
They won't mind an extra few £k for your bill then 
I'm doing my kitchen at the moment. Over the years I've done two in my own house before but this one is just one problem after another after another. Still, nearly done now just waiting for a company to template my work surfaces
Then I think we will probably go for glass splashbacks. Do you know any companies that supply and fit glass splashbacks at a reasonable price?
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In reply to Post #4
350k
The scary bit, those who have done it may think they have done a good job
Good luck 
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In reply to Post #3
The guy who's trying to put it right talked me into sorting the kitchen out.
It's incredible just how badly that was done.
The scariest thing about this job tho, the owner has payed something like £350k for the work so far, and it really wants gutting
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In reply to Post #1
How comes you are this place, are you there to sort it out?
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Finally, someone sorting Tazi out
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After 25years as a tradesman I thought I'd seen some bodge ups, but this place is so bad it makes Tazis mate look quality
Check that laser line
From what was behind this they must have cut the middle out of an ig lintel to fit in in 9inch brick
Gorgeous brickwork repairs and pointing
I'll let you work out what wrong here
other than the 10° pitch on a slate roof
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