Daydream thread... without the rose-tinted specs

Davesnave

lostinrates wrote: »

Well, far too early of course, but the red roses are pruned, the pears checked and tidied. And another wheel barrow of prunings.


Snowdrops are up, the juneberry a are in blossom and the first japonica is blooming.

I saw more wasps last week than I counted in the whole of July. They were on the willows. Perhaps they'd been out on the razzle and had headaches. :cool:

lostinrates

Davesnave wrote: »

I saw more wasps last week than I counted in the whole of July. They were on the willows. Perhaps they'd been out on the razzle and had headaches. :cool:

No wasps , but lots of green fly still here.

I know I should take all
The rose buds off the plants too, but......cannot quite bring myself to.


Cleaning out understairs cupboard now....l.industrious day.

I_have_spoken

Another storm here in Glasgow, rain lashing down even harder than the other week so there's water pouring out the drains of the raised-beds and across the patio...Am glad I got the whole lot of ridge tiles re-cemented and not just the 3 that shifted in the last storm!

Definitely indoor jobs - trying to reduce the mealy bugs on the orchids for starters.

And forecasts for another nationwide storm next week...

choille

Torrential rain & stormy winds here as per forecast.

It's grey & grim & half sleepy time. I'm shutting down into hibernation now - nearly at the shortest day - hurrah. It's still pretty mild, but everywhere is slidey & boggy.

Glad the skin is calmer CTC - I use sudacream on the animals a lot. It's really very good & very gentle.

Still far too wet to get the trailer emptied of 2nd hand kitchen units, It's rained for a couple of months I think at least. I must go rooting about for tatties as we've none left for dinner. Wet suit on...................

lucielle

CTC try putting some bicarbonate of soda in the bath as it helps to take the itch away, also good for anyone suffering with chicken pox.
L

lostinrates

Oh, and god knows why, but we got a little bit more blue wall painting done today.

Hopefully its dried in the wind now, before the rain sets in!

rozeepozee

Sheeting rain and lots of leaky windows. Maybe it's best that the contractors haven't finished up yet, despite the weather. If we'd paid them all up as we come into spring. we mayn't have had the bad weather before we realised the problems...

COOLTRIKERCHICK

rozeepozee wrote: »

Sheeting rain and lots of leaky windows. Maybe it's best that the contractors haven't finished up yet, despite the weather. If we'd paid them all up as we come into spring. we mayn't have had the bad weather before we realised the problems...

with this happening, can you withhold the last payment for x months, as a retainer, for any work that needs to be re-done/tweaked etc??? as the amount you have/will be spending on the renovations, its got to be perfect

rozeepozee

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

with this happening, can you withhold the last payment for x months, as a retainer, for any work that needs to be re-done/tweaked etc??? as the amount you have/will be spending on the renovations, its got to be perfect

With the window fitting company, they've supplied and fitted, they've only had half their payments yet as the job is not completely finished. They are already coming next week to sort out any issues and snag. Then we will pay them, but I feel they will sort out any problems if they are ongoing. He seems a really nice guy and has been really helpful,

With the main contractor who has done all the structural work, a term of the contract is that you get to wihold 5% on an ongoing basis. 2.5% os then payable after three months of the work ending and the remaining 2.5% after 6 month. This should mean that the full amount won't be payable until July or August, so hopefully we will have sorted out most things by then. I've a feeling that after that, we're on our own.

lostinrates

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote: »

with this happening, can you withhold the last payment for x months, as a retainer, for any work that needs to be re-done/tweaked etc??? as the amount you have/will be spending on the renovations, its got to be perfect[

We agreed retainers in advance. Luckily we also have a builder who has acted in good faith, and comparatively few problems, not none, but few. But its a really good idea.


There are somethings I would do differently, but I think its important to remember a couple of big things are likely to go wrong on a biggish project and to just try and be as serene as you can be after a weep and as steely as you can be while resolving, then LAUGH together with the team afterwards.

One of the important things about the big works last summer is I very much felt that 'good humour' and 'well meaning' was being built into the house with the bricks , mortar and insulation. Of course there were soMe tense days, it its somewhere we generally liked being.


Leaks now, as you say for, are a GOOD thing. Better than three weeks after they leave site. . I have had to bring things up after they leave site and one feels like a heel for some reason.