The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:43 pm**

Juat looked at the forecast for this week. Guess what Yes RAIN bloody RAIN. again

Are any other contractors as sick as me. In the space of 4 weeks I have lost nearly 2 weeks to the weather. Theres only so much you can do when it is pi**ing down constantly.
Why is it that when you want to build a facing brick wall - it rains. You come to lay flags - it rains
I laid a full dry screed for 20m2 of Saxon flags last Thursday - guess what as soon as i finished screeding the heavens opened Result - nice dry mix turns into slush. I had a tarpaulin on site - but it was used for covering the facing bricks !
At least Friday was good. Managed to get 70m2 of Driveline 50 laid - not one straight edge. Must have spent 2 hours doing all the cuts.
Ah well I will be playing catch up this week or maybe playing more cards in the garage drinking gallons of tea !!!

Lets hope for some sun soon After all it is Summer isnt it ?

Cheers all

Nigel

Posted: **Mon Aug 23, 2004 11:00 am**

How many of us have heard the "Indian Summer" rumour? Every time we get a wet summer, this rumour starts to circulate, usually around the end of July.

Or "s'global warmin', innit?" Wet summers and mild winters are the forecast, so although we're losing working time during the summer, we don't get as many prolonged frosts during the winter.

I'm just glad I decided to postpone my few days away until late September - surely we'll have run out of rain by then!

Posted: **Thu Sep 02, 2004 2:23 pm**

September is here. And here is the SUN Yes that hot round yellow thing in the sky !
Heard all the rumours of a 6 week sunny dry spell ? Heres hoping

Isnt is much better working in the sun, even if you are bent over all day on your knees laying flags and blocks. Somehow the sun makes the aches and pains easier to bear

Long may the good weather continue

Nigel

Contractor

Posted: **Fri Sep 03, 2004 1:13 am**

Rain forecast for tomorrow, here in NW Eng-er-land.

Apparently, this August has been the wettest since Noah was a lad, but September been ok, up to now.

Posted: **Fri Sep 03, 2004 9:49 pm**

lets just hope that the better weather is here to stay for a while we lost 3 weeks in august just finished a 3 week job today after six weeks. :rock:

Posted: **Sat Sep 04, 2004 12:29 pm**

Had the same problem Alan

Started a 1 week job 4 weeks ago. It took 3 and a bit weeks to complete.
It is a knock on effect. 1 job gets delayed by the rain - the next follows. Then you get a job that has been booked for ages and they need it done on that day. So the schedule is completeley cocked up !!!
Have just managed to get back on track. But then everything was thrown into chaos last week. 2 of my lads decided to leave employment on the Friday afternoon - no notice given. One of the other lads got called up for the Army sooner than he thought. So on 1 day I lost 3 of my workforce. More phone calls to clients to re-arrange jobs. As if this job isnt hard enough already !!

Anyone else had problems with staff leaving. I have contracts with all my staff . It states that 2 weeks notice must be given on either side. But after speaking to ACAS there is nothing I can do about it - i have to pay their week in leiu. Although I can withhold their holiday pay. It stinks. If I had laid them off with no notice, I would be getting a letter from the Employment Tribunals.

Heres waiting on replies to my job advert in the local paper.

Nigel

Posted: **Sat Sep 04, 2004 1:47 pm**

Great weather today in the East Midlands so its time to rebuild the rotting Pergola before it falls down. Here's hoping the weather keeps good for all DIYer's and Contractors alike.

Posted: **Sun Sep 05, 2004 12:34 pm**

Picking up Nigel's point about losing staff, this is something I was discussing with the top bod of a major manufacturer on Friday afternoon. Hundreds of Contractors complain that they train up lads and lasses, and then they either get poached by some bar steward down the road, or they set up on their own in direct competition.

As some of you know, training is one of my hobby horses, and I'm hoping that, in conjunction with some of the manufacturers, we'll be able to set up an independent training system that will provide a trained workforce to anyone in the industry, and provide contact info for lads/lasses looking for a change of employer.

As it stands, there's too many vested interests that see no immediate financial benefit in setting up a training system, but unless we do, the industry is condemned to be plagued with Cowboys and thieves for years to come. I'm trying to do summat about it - I wish some of those companies that make a lot of money from our trade would show at least a modicum of support.

Posted: **Sun Sep 05, 2004 10:42 pm**

I obviously haven't had any where near the amount of crap weather you boy's have suffered down here, cus i'm more or less on schedule.

As for employment problems I only have two employees most of the time to worry about, and although I moan to myself about their output sometimes, at least they are reliable. After all I couldn't expect them to work as hard as I do could I ?

I hope you get your staff probs sorted soon Nigel, cus it sounds like your due a bit of good luck mate.

James

Posted: **Mon Sep 06, 2004 8:11 am**

I agree that a training programme would be beneficial, but i think the problem lies with the customer as much as it does the contractor, there is only 2 full time employees at our company and both of us are well quallified but people seem more interested in prices than in qualifications, the amount of shite driveways we see on our travels is testimony to this, but how can you compete with someone that puts 1 inch of crusher down and spots a driveway etc..etc..

Posted: **Mon Sep 06, 2004 9:31 am**

I don't think the owners of the shite driveways planned to end up with a shite driveway - they probably thought they were going to get a quality installation at a bargain price. Some people really are that naive! :p

You're right about identifying the customer as a potential problem for our trade. The number of customers that want to pay cash in exchange for "losing the vat" are playing into the hands of the cowboy element. However, I don't think we can ever completely eliminate those clients that want a Rolls Royce driveway, but only want to pay for a Lada.

If we can create public awareness of the need for a skills register, so that they can check their tradesperson is actually as good as they make themselves out to be, then we should see fewer and fewer of those shite driveways, and the good contractors out there will not need to spend as much time defending themselves and our trade to suspicious clients.

The Brew Cabin

Weather