Cheery's country living adventure

Cheery_Daff

Ha, so much for testing the new radiators! We don't even actually have any radiators plumbed in yet The main issue is, of course, the stupid HOUSE, and the fact that the walls/windows upstairs don't precisely correspond to the walls/windows downstairs, and so you can't just carry the upstairs pipe straight through the ceiling. We spent a long time pondering options - the plumber has a preferred one (the easiest), of course Mr Cheery doesn't want that one, but he wasn't here to discuss the options - I've got a drawing of alternatives and we'll have to look tonight, but I suspect he'll have to fight it out with the plumber in the morning because I really just don't care enough.

Also, we wanted plain pine skirting boards, NOT planning to paint them - but I've looked through the ones they've got upstairs and some of them are filthy and discoloured, and they also don't seem to have enough - some are really short ones and they have some plain pieces of wood, presumably to build up the height? Really don't want to raise that as an issue, but I also don't want them to put it on the wall and then realise it looks utterly wrong, so I might try cleaning some of it before they attach it, in case it needs swapping. Need to channel Fortune's energy here - strongly suspect she wouldn't stand for discoloured skirting boards when they KNEW we wanted it plain, not stained or painted!

Yawn. 

Managed to get all the medicine down one chicken, and most of it down the other one, and they had most of the day roaming free, which was nice. Of course they wouldn't behave and come quickly into the run when I wanted them to, so with one thing and another, the whole day has felt like quite a palaver. 

On the plus side, I got some heavy duty painkillers from the doctors for period pain, and they seem to be doing the trick. I'm particularly excited as you just take one every 8 hours, so I can take one before bed, and then (hopefully!) not be woken with pain in the middle of the night, which is what usually happens. Took one at 2, so I can take another one at 10 (supposedly 'with a meal' so that might just have to be toast). 

It's slightly MSE in that I have a medical exemption so free prescriptions  

Karmacat

You're amazing at keeping on top of the detail.  Hope you sleep well, finally.

beanielou

Oh dear.
Hope you get it resolved.

POsitive vibes for a good sleep 

Fortune_Smiles

Remember Cheery:

• you are paying for these materials and they should be of sufficient quality, fit for purpose and as described - that is the law and a reasonable expectation
• you are paying for this service and the trader must perform the service with reasonable skill and care - again this is the law
• this is a business contract - I'm sure they wouldn't be happy if you didn't keep up your end of the contract so you have a right to expect they will keep up their end
• it is acceptable and necessary for you to communicate your requirements as long as you are courteous and reasonable (and I know you always are)
• think of your interactions with them as similar to those you have at work - a professional speaking with a professional.

If you have to clean up the skirting boards I'd say they aren't of sufficient quality or fit for purpose - so not what was asked for as part of the contract.

You know all this of course - it's just a reminder to bolster you ahead of your conversation 😉

Fortune x

Chiglepig

I absolutely wouldn't stand for mismatched oddments and already dirty skirting. It's one of the things I've had done in every room we've renovated here and nice skirting board makes a big difference.

Hope you slept well.

EssexHebridean

Agree with the others - if you were going to paint the boards then the discolouration *might* not matter - it still might of course, if the staining bled through the paint or simply meant paint wouldn't bind, but it would at least be less of an issue. Allowing that they are aware that you plan to simply keep them "as is" though, nope, not the deal that was agreed. I wouldn't try cleaning them either to be honest - just politely reject. If they want to clean them and then present them back to you as suitable then fine. You're paying a market rate for this job - while there might be some small things to compromise on to get the job done, I'd suggest this isn't one of them. (And remember - the more you let them get away with in this line, the more they will push their luck, too!)

The painkillers sound like they're really working for you - thank goodness. Hope you did indeed get a good night's sleep! 

greenbee

They may be having problems getting hold of skirting (there's a shortage of a lot of materials at the moment) but that doesn't mean to say that you shouldn't be consulted on what they are planning to do. 

Cheery_Daff

Thank you all 💜 you're right of course! 

We have hopefully sorted the plumbing issue now, thank goodness, and I mentioned the grubby skirting, but the plumber (who was going to make a start on it) will be leaving it for the builder anyway. 

Electrician back tomorrow, and between the two of them hopefully the boiler will be sorted. 

Chicken medicine delivered, and I've arranged to work at home tomorrow as well (I was only going in for a couple of 10 minute meetings with students, which I've now switched online).

Now trying to decide whether to take annual leave in a couple of weeks. I was planning to, but hadn't booked it. The students are off so no teaching, but we're having a writing retreat. I'd like to go - but I'd also like a week off and this is my only chance before Christmas...

Cheery_Daff

Evening MSE chums 😊

All four new radiators are on the walls! Very exciting! However, there is now a new list of things to mention tomorrow...

* one of the upstairs radiators is under the window, and it's not in the middle. Why?? It looks daft off to one side 🙄

* we'd decided on metal clips, but hadn't realised just how much they sti k out from the wall... For two of the radiators it's fine, but the other two it looks wrong. I think we're going to have to get them to replace with plastic o they're closer to the wall. Plumber won't like that I don't think...

* one of the downstairs radiators is too high. Plumber also won't like that, as he said it was too high,but the skirting board is tall and we got it as low as we could... but now Mr Cheery wants it moving, and notches cutting in the skirting board....

There was something else tiresome, oh, just clarifying that we want the pipes on the same wall as the radiator - we did have that specific conversation this morning but somehow it looks suspiciously like they might be intending to put them on a different wall...

So one thing to clarify, two things we've changed our minds now we've seen them (annoying and we'll likely be charged extra for doing those again but I'm trying to be brave and mention them now in the spirit of having what we actually want, although personally I couldn't really care less at this point) and one thing that is just apparently wrong (radiator not central to window).

Urgh. I hate all this, I'd seriously rather kick them all our now and go on a plumbing course... not going to, but that would be my preference...

Should probably go to sleep... I'll read Fortune's list of reminders again when I wake up!

themadvix

Urgh, I feel for you Cheery - I’d hate having to deal with them and be the bad guy, and like you, it probably wouldn’t bother me that much either… Channel Fortune definitely - her list was great! We all need to be more like her (or my mum, who recently had a gas fire installed and didn’t like the height - which was to do with the installer’s laziness - so made the company come and redo the whole thing).