A man can't win!!

[artme]

Well, since getting back from Brasil life has bee damned hectic. I simply have had no chance to get to the shed except to collect some tools for some odd jobs around the house.

My trouble lies mainly with my wonderful wife's constant questioning and pushing of me.We have just had the ensuite re-done. Yours truly did the demolition and then relined it. With the help of a mate I installed the new vanity.

In the process of doing this job the dust, despite my wearing of a dust mask, caused an asthma like reaction that bothered me for a week, but I soldiered on. As part of the process I cleaned up all the rubbish and cut tiles, put them in the trailer and took them to the tip.SWMBO wanted to know why I did thecleaning up. "That's the tiler's job."

Now we have had the living area re-tiled. I carried the boxes of tiles to where the tiler could get at them easily. I cut strapping on boxes so as to save some time. The tiler did the grouting and I said Ok, I'll do the clean.up. Again SWMBO thinks this is all a job for the tiler. My attitude is that this isn't Brasil, where tradesmen are treated as serfs.

I also think that this helpfulness on my part is plain courtesy and will help when we need the tiler later on, as he knows he will get a fair go.

I also put all the fittings back in the ensuite., only to be barked at over the placemnt of the shower. My answer that I did'n't want to run the risk if drilling into hidden pipes was not good enough!!

I must admit to having trouble with getting a watertight seal on the S-trap under the sink in the vanity and a source of annoyance with a leaking fitting near the cistern. To-night we noticed that the brand new single lever mixer type shower fitting is leaking just a tiny bit. I think that all the mess with the plumbing has loosened some fine grit that has lodged in or near the cartridge. All of these problems are annoying but fixable.

What does SWMBO want to do?? Call a bloody plumber!! The last one cost $200 per hour!! NO THANX.

Do women not understand?? A bloke works his butt off, saving money in the process but there is no satisfaction to be had because it's never enough!!

Think i will have a good sulk.

[RufflyRustic]

I'd say you've earned a good sulk!!!

[China]

And people ask me why I,m not married

[wheelinround]

Artme never argue with a woman she knows best.



Join the club

Honey can you make this ?............yes ........I'll just nip down to H&F's and spend the $3k for all the machines it ill save us in the long run.

[RedShirtGuy]

I think it's very nice of you to generally help out and clean up while saving a few bucks on the side. I'm sure the workers appreciate not having to do the grunt jobs themselves...as long as their invoice reflects it too.

In my experience though, just because it's "the tiler's job" doesn't mean they'll actually do it. I've rarely encountered a professional tradey that hasn't left us with a heaping pile of crud at the end of a job and it *always* pees me off.

[cultana]

Artme, seriously, you have only just discovered this??

You can now officially join the rest of us.

[Sebastiaan56]

Just remind her that you treat her the way you treat your tradies and that there are other ways.... just kidding!!!

I find a couple of coldies at an establishment designed for the purpose therapeutic. By yourself of course,

[acmegridley]

Trade-in time!!!

[Frank&Earnest]

Well Artme, if it is any consolation to you, for decades I have looked at the DIY maintenance of my old house as a source of relief from my pen pushing job. I have done everything from replacing plaster ceilings to cutting and installing parquetry, of course fixing and building everything made of wood and the odd plumbing and electrical work (certified by a licenced professional of course, I would never break the law! ) The wife has been generous enough not to complain too much. Only a coupla years ago I decided that life was too short for mowing lawns and got somebody to do it.

As regards tradesmen, I have a strong belief that ethically an amateur should not do for others the work that a tradesman does for a living. I am not happy about tradesmen charging professional rates for menial work, though, as this story illustrates:

the last remaining old galvanised pipe remaining on the block, outside the house leading to a garden tap, springs a leak. The plumber spends one hour trying to locate the pipe digging the lawn. At this point I politely suggest that this is not a good use of his hard earned skills and that I will call him back after I got a garden labourer to do the digging. The plumber calls the office and offers to send a first year apprentice at $30 per hour. Still more expensive but saves time and trouble. I accept. The apprentice comes and does the digging. The plumber comes back before he has found the pipe and potters around for another half hour to finally cut and plug the pipe in ten minutes. Holes refilled. $400 bill for something I could have done myself after payng 60 bucks to a digger. Lesson learnt for next time.

[artme]

Yes F&E! Don't get me started on plumbers! They must be amongst the costliest people on the face of the planet, and perhaps the worst examples of tradespeople! "nuff said!

[hughie]

Used to have similar problems early on in the marriage. Ended up backing off and telling her to do it herself.
Got a few queries about ''when I was going to get on with it'' . ''Sorry thats your job now''.
This went on for a bit till she realized it was not a piece of cake. But involved a great many things in sequence many of which she had never heard of.

Been married 30years and all is well.

[Enfield Guy]

Yes F&E! Don't get me started on plumbers! They must be amongst the costliest people on the face of the planet, and perhaps the worst examples of tradespeople! "nuff said!

As has been said elsewhere, A procrastination of Plumbers, A mess of electricians.

When the electricians start on a site that I am building, the first thing I establish is that they know and can use a broom and a rubbish bin. I also backcharge them for any mess I clean up. Bits of conduit are the big offenders, nothing like stepping on a short bit of round crap with your arms full and ending up on the ground.