Looking after builders

trailingspouse

Haha - I've literally just had workmen arrive to re-lay our driveway. They were meant to start last week, so I wasn't sure if they'd come today either, but here they are - quick coffee all round before they start, went down a treat.



I'll be making more at 3.

KateLiana27

Thanks all, comments and advice much appreciated. I made everyone a drink first thing, and then again at lunchtime. Will do one mid-afternoon and that's not too onerous, even for a non tea-drinker! I told them to help themselves to everything as they wanted it. The kettle is already splattered with plastery fingerprints but I don't mind, it was only cheap anyway. Biscuits have gone down well.

Definitely glad I put the dust sheet on the stairs up to the loo as it's an absolute state already. £10 well spent...

I underestimated the amount of dust that would be everywhere. And the noise!! Ah well. At least it's getting done and they seem to be working hard.

trailingspouse

Ah, dust - we've got clouds of it billowing across the road while they dig up my drive with a windy pick. Won't be long now before the neighbours start complaining...

Risteard

comeandgo wrote: »

All the workmen I've had in my house take their shoes off before coming in regardless of how clean or otherwise they are.

I would suggest that that is a clear breach of Health & Safety Law.

McKneff

trailingspouse wrote: »

I always make cups of tea - one mid-morning, one at lunchtime and another mid-afternoon. I would be making one for myself anyway, so it's no bother and I certainly don't feel like a maidservant. And it saves having plastery fingers on the kettle and the kitchen units, fridge etc. I only use mugs that wouldn't matter if they got broken/chipped - not the good ones!! Not a problem at this time of the year, but bottles of water in the fridge go down well when it's hot. And one particularly hot day I set up fans to keep them cool, which they really appreciated.


Smoking outside only (I'd rather they didn't smoke at all, but if they do it can't be helped).


I think it's all about respect and understanding how physically demanding the job is.


Had a plasterer come to stay with us (well, it felt like that - he was here off and on for weeks), and on his first day on the job he announced that he knew a good electrician... I asked him why I would need a good electrician (we'd just had the whole house re-wired!!), and he replied that he thought the kettle wasn't working. Nice one.

LandyAndy wrote: »

I'm afraid I made an inappropriate connection there. :eek:

Me too ....haha....

CKhalvashi

naf123 wrote: »

I agree but "little interaction" - unless you have a fully detailed specification to follow , a lot of interaction is required!

I have worked at home when workmen have been working before now. They have happily asked if theres a particular way I would like something done, despite being goven a specification to work from.

Risteard wrote: »

I would suggest that that is a clear breach of Health & Safety Law.

If they aren’t doing anything that could cause damage to themselves, probably not.

In answer to the original question, i have always made the first one and left whoever is doing a job in charge of the kettle afterwards.

KateLiana27

They seemed very self-sufficient today. Came to ask when they needed to check things a couple of times, but mostly appeared to want me out of the way and to get on with the job, which was fine by me Quite impressed with how hard they worked.

Fortunately I did not witness tools of any description being washed off in the kitchen sink :eek:

I will carry on with the first tea of the day and then offer 1-2 more (when convenient) throughout the day. I've made a coffee and pecan cake which they may or may not get depending on how things go tomorrow...

It's the first building work I've seen close up and it's weirdly fascinating.

trailingspouse

KateLiana27 wrote: »

It's the first building work I've seen close up and it's weirdly fascinating.

I know!! My guys came yesterday and removed the top level of my old driveway, have just come back now to continue the work. I would have loved to stay and watch - the digger driver was amazing working in such a small space (there are old walls either side of the drive).

But I don't want them to think I'm checking up on them ('cos obviously I'm an expert on driveways and I would notice immediately if they were doing it wrong...) so I'll have to content myself with taking them regular cups of tea.

I love work - I could sit and look at it for hours...

hollydays

I fed my builders on so many biscuits, one came back on his day off to partake with the other builders:eek:

hollydays

warehouse wrote: »

If there's one thing I've learned over all the years of dealing with builders it's to give them an £8 Argos kettle and that's it. Little interaction, not a penny up front and let them know who the boss is. Any other approach always ends badly.

The thing I've learned is to check on their work to make sure they are for example putting a ) exactly where you want it as once they've done it you can't say " can you move it two feet to the right.