Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
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stumbling goat
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Fence query and a problemWhat you would do in these circumstances?
My neighbour spoke to me about putting up a new fence on our boundary. Feather edge over gravel boards. Existing was only 1600 high and she asked about going higher, no problem with me.
Along that boundary I have a path of light Cotswold light colour paving slabs, edged both sides with Cotswold stone shingle. All bright and clean. There is another area of cotswold shingle at the front.
Th local general maintenance handyman arrives and takes down the old fence.
Its a muddy job. For some reason he does not bother to cover the slabbed path with a tarpaulin, or the shingle area.
At end of day 1, the old 16 metre fence is gone, all the new fence posts are in. A lot of work in a short space of time. How is it so quick I wonder?
The new fence height will be about 2 metres. 150mm gravel board and 1800 feather edge. The new posts are 75 x 75mm, about 2800 apart.
At end of day 2, the 2 new 3 x 2 treated rails are fitted. One about 150 from the top and one 150mm from the bottom of the fence. I don't think that 2 will be enough to prevent warping? Some feather edge is fitted. Galvanised nails were used, they are in an undulating line as no level used or measurement taken as to where they should be placed.
At end of day 3, the feather edge is completed.
So you stand back and look.
Instead of butting up 2 gravel boards at the dogleg in the fence, he has just cut one end off, not straight, so there is a chamfered edge showing, curving out, as the cut has gone wrong.
From my side, I can see that the 125mm feather edge has been fitted so that some show 95mm and others show 110 mm, some are at an angle one way, others an angle the other way, some straight, no level was used and no guide as to distance apart. Some slats are bowed or warped, instead of being put aside they have been fitted. It shows.
He ran out of galvanised nails, instead of going to the builders merchant 5 minutes away, he used clouts on one half of the fence. Some of these have gone in, others not quite, and the bent nail heads show on their own wavy line.
The paved slabs are filthy and the edging gravel will need to be replaced. I expected to replace some but thought that some care would be taken to protect the path and shingled garden area. A tarp would have done most of that.
Chatting with my neighbour, and seeing her side of the fence, it's worse. Some of her support rails are at an angle, fitted and levelled by eye apparently, such that at one point there is 150mm board above and at others 75mm above. Some posts are over 30m out of true in 2 directions. As an afterthought, he said that he would fit a 3rd middle rail for added support but as this was after the feather edge had been fitted the fixings are through the sides of the posts, visible and ugly.
The tops of the posts are at varying heights.
The fence flexes and can be pushed back and forth easily due to the thin posts. Its a bodge job. She is not happy at all, neither am I.
She is still having her pond filled in and a patio area laid by him, supposedly.
I know I can jet-wash the slabs and dig out and lay new shingle. And I can stain the new fence dark brown which will make the bodged fitting less obvious.
How was it so quick? Because it was not measured or levelled, it was mostly done by eye.
What would you do?
Oh, and a similar fence section I fitted a few weeks ago, with 3 rails started to warp after 3 days so I had to install a 4th rail.
Rant over. That certainly feels better.
sg
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Mistress Rose
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First suggest to neighbour that she stops him doing any other work. If he is a member of any trade association complain to them. It is up to neighbour whether she pays him, insists he does the job properly, or whether she gets someone else to do it.
I can see why you needed a rant.
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stumbling goat
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Oops doubt;e post sorry.
sg
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stumbling goat
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Thanks MR.
My lovely Neighbour, her Hubby, and I have chatted. Her builder BIL came to view it last night.
His comment "It's not the best job". Then went on to say "He should have used 4 x 4 posts, shorter gaps between, proper arris rails, should have levelled the rails and used a spacer for the slats".
Basically done it properly.
Ah well, we'll see what happens today.
sg
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Pilsbury
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You could always suggest that you have a chat to the builder and ask why he did it as he did and not use a level, discard the wrapped boards and tarp your side of the fence, all politely and if he knows he has someone who knows how it should be done he might take a bit more care and effort about his work.
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stumbling goat
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All sorted,
Apparently he meant to cut the posts level and will do that today, he meant to straighten up the bent post and will do that today, the rails that are not level, no idea about them.
The change of nails was due to the fact that they were all he had, so well that's alright then!
He offered to build out the gravel board joint with some more gravel board to hide the uneven cut, but that would make it stick out even more.
I have taken them off and cut the edges true so that they now butt up and the joint is hidden.
The slats have only been up one day and are already staring to warp so that you can see daylight between them.
The nails are through both slats, so do not allow for timber shrinkage and expansion.
Will the clouts not give when the timber warps and starts to come away from the rails as they have no grip? I would have used annular ring shank nails, in a straight line, just for a laugh. 
I am not paying for the job, but he tells me my neighbour is happy now.
How long is it likely to last before the gaping between the slats becomes too much?
sg
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onemanband
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As it's not your fence I doubt there's anything 'you' can do about the fence unless it is unsafe. You appear to be on good terms with your neighbour so all you can do is what you have done and point out it's shortcomings.
Re the path - you would be justified in asking for it to be cleaned and the gravel re-instated. Ultimately you could bill the builder for cleaning the path and reinstating gravel - good luck with that.
Yes 75x75 is too small - should be 100x100. I bet only 8 foot posts have been used too.
Upto 10foot/3m spacing is acceptable for arris rail fencing (if it's done properly).
The fact that the work is scruffy would not justify non-payment-in-full. However, given that the posts are inadequate and all the other faults you mention, the fence is not 'fit for purpose' - I would not pay a penny - at most, the cost of any re-usable materials and disposal of old fence.
And I wouldn't let him touch the patio.
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Nick
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How long is it likely to last before the gaping between the slats becomes too much?
sg |
I estimate they'l be fine until after he's been paid for the pond and patio, or whatever the other jobs were.
The cynical me wonders if she asked various people for a price and went for the cheapest.
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