Re: DIY and MAINTENANCE?

No I prefer Brandy for internal lubrication - it tastes better!!!

Re: DIY and MAINTENANCE?

Hi Rainbow - I'd like to think I am, at least I will never call in a tradesman when I can do it myself for less money and a whole lot better. It really annoys me that these trades people never do a good job, it was bad enough in England but it's a dam sight worse here in Czechland. I have to be good at DIY here because the trades people don't exist, they are all cowboys, are reluctant to come out to us and when they do they want me to buy all the materials, they want to use my tools and ladders etc. and they never clean up behind them. It's driving me insane so I prefer to do it myself.

I do just about everything except gas (And we don't have that here anyway) and like Dragon I used to spend more time in Homebase than at home

Main problem I have now is finding good quality parts, Homebase and such seem to specialise in cheap poorly made Chinese supplies.

Re: DIY and MAINTENANCE?

No wonder hubby complained that the shop had run out of stock!


Rainbow

Re: DIY and MAINTENANCE?

"cowboys!!!" The cowboys we have here are real good at repair!
Just kidding-Know you weren't referring to real cowboys.
can you get supplies from off the net there Losos?
If so-then have them shipped in if not needed asap.

Re: DIY and MAINTENANCE?

Losos, Don't these so called 'Professional's' want recommendation??? That is what helps further their business. People feel more confident in recommendations!

What about pride too??? Don't folk take pride in their professional work either!

Disgraceful when they do not even bother to clear up afterwards!!


Rainbow

Re: DIY and MAINTENANCE?

As someone who is sells her art world wide, I have to ensure my customers that if they are not the least bit happy to send it back at my expense. Happy to say that only one came back!!! It was corrected & remailed-all were happy at out come. Mistakes do happen but solutions can correct.

Re: DIY and MAINTENANCE?

I have always done my own DIY, designed our bungalow and extensions, installed all the heating and extra electrics, plumbing decorating that was until I retired, I retired from work all together.

I got people in to do any work that needed doing and now that everything is done we dont need tradesmen.

Re: DIY and MAINTENANCE?

I`m pretty handy at DIY as I have been a construction tradesman all of my working life. I still do the light odd jobs but I lack the physical strength these days for the heavy jobs.

We are having the patio slabs re-laid this year, but one of our sons is doing the graft, just leaving me nothing to do but supervise I suppose...

Re: DIY and MAINTENANCE?

Yes, that is a good idea Dragon, some stuff is just to big and heavy 'tho

I use a combination of quarterly trips around England, plus local hardware and building merchants (They don't stock much but at least with sand and cement there's only a few 'types' that are generaly used) and if there's still something I need I use the internet.

As you said it pays to 'plan in advance' buy a little more than you think you'll need and make sure you get everything before you start the job.

Getting decent timber is my main problem, what's annoying is that we're surrounded by forrests but it's all Pine and Spruce which IMO are rubbish timbers. I like Oak and Mahogony.

Re: DIY and MAINTENANCE?

I offer to do all the little jobs around the house but the Wife won't hear of it, she does not trust me since the time I fell off the ladder fixing a high picture in the hallway. she gets this handyman in ( Joe or mike, something like that she calls him) and he hangs around all day drinking tea and chatting. That suits me fine because if Joe makes a balls of it she can't blame me.