Help I'm in a house of bodgeit and scarper

[Yit]

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• Yit
• 3 Dec 2016

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• 3 Dec 2016

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• 3 Dec 2016

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• Yit
• 3 Dec 2016

Guys I need some help please,

Recently had the hallway boarded and plastered. Before that I had new door linings put in and the guy doing it did such a bad job (I was away with work) managed to get my money back but the plastering had already gone ahead.

Now it's time to install the architrave and get the doors sorted but I'm at such a loss now I'm going to attempt it myself as dealing with trades just isn't worth it they all seem to make a mess for us.

The board doesn't sit flush with the door casing (knew it wouldn't as being dot and dabbed) but it's not even at the top nor bottom.

I will have to fit a filler piece of timber but just after advice on how to get it equal

I will post some photos shortly once i get my head around uploading them.

 

[Yit]

Pictures show what a mess he made in our daughters room which has previously been finished before. But we needed to change the door lining as previous was in a bad state. In hindsight it would of been better to had them all done but wasn't thought about at the time.

However there was no excuse for this and if he would of asked first it would of made things better rather than leave a massive gap like that. My plan is to cut a new piece of board in and replaster.

There are so many things wrong here with the door linings I don't know if it's worth ripping them all out and starting again but this time employ someone who gives a flying ****.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

TBH I think you'd waste less time and be less frustrated if you simply took the linings out and replaced them with deeper ones. As a tradesman I'd have little choice because my labour costs me (and my customer), but there's also the issue of the quality of the finished result. Adding packing pieces can work, but leaves you with joints to disguise. And they hav a tendency to reappear or even crack over time

 

[Yit]

Just to come back to this before the new year when i finally approach some trades.

Is it possible to have a custom door lining made?

Some of them require 155mm to meet the new plasterboard and some 120mm so its going to be hard to get them off the peg so to speak.

Just wondering if trades will bother with me if i ask this?

 

[JohnD]

Is it possible to have a custom door lining made?

yes, a chippy will cut to size. You could do it yourself with a circular saw.

It doesn't appear to be a fire door lining so has no moulding or grooves.

120mm is a standard size

 

[Yit]

What I'm worried about is how they are going to source the timber? Will they know to get a decent thickness and cut down from that or do i need to specify what they need? What is the minimum thickness the timber needs to be to hold hinges steady? 27mm about right?

 

[JohnD]

I think 32mm is usual for softwood linings, but it varies.

You are really asking "how can I find a competent local chippy who knows how to make and fit door linings"

Personal recommendation is best.

Get them to do the doors and locks as well.

 

[Yit]

I think 32mm is usual for softwood linings, but it varies.

You are really asking "how can I find a competent local chippy who knows how to make and fit door linings"

Personal recommendation is best.

Get them to do the doors and locks as well.

Well that isn't easy as it may seem. Using checkatrade and finding someone with a decent feedback score i thought was perfect but didn't turn out that way at all.

I will have them fit the doors etc however

Carpet before door install or after? Reason i ask is we are having the same carpet in two bedroom and hallway so will they install door bars and if so will they know where to stop them at? Sorry i just don't have a clue

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I will have them fit the doors etc however

Personally, I dislike fitting new doors into new casings that I have not installed. It's partly because I've had a few horror stories to deal with - and at least if I install the casings, then it's my problem if things aren't right and I have nobody else to blame other than myself. Many of my colleagues feel the same way about things. So get the carpenter to do the full install - then there is no excuse for any problems.

If your casings need to be deeper than standard it is possible to get pre-machined rebated and flat stock in various dimensions and cut down to size on site. A simple job for a competent carpenter. Any competent carpenter should possibly be able to cut materials and extend the linings in situ to overcome your problem, but that is only possible if the extension isn't going on the hinge side and it will always be visiblE even if the extension is stepped in to disguise it a little. It shouldn't ever be necessary to resort to this on new linings/casings, but it sometimes is

Carpet before door install or after?

I did mine afterwards, but I'm a joiner and I wanted a tightish fit to the floor as we have acoustic seals on the bottoms of som of our doors. To avoid having to call the carpenter back I'd suggest getting the carpet fitters to give you the clearance they require for the thresholds and then getting the carpenter to saw the doors to the appropriate length klaving a 5mm gap at the bottom. If he's any good he'll also put a very slight chamfer around the bottom edges of the doors - this reduces the tendency of the surface veneers to be pulled out if the door does ever rub against the flooring

 

[JohnD]

websites that people pay to be included on, are advertising sites, whatever they might call themselves.

Do you know if the "recommendations" have been written by the advertiser and his buddies?

Personal recommendation is best, and have a look at the work done for the recommender. If you see someone working locally, ask for a card and write the client's address on the back. A couple of weeks later, ask the householder's opinion.

Avoid 0800 and 0845 numbers, they will be commission agents.

 

[Yit]

Very true

I'm in the midst of finding a decent carpenter now but nervous about it giving the issues I've had with so called "pros" - We had a builder who did a decent job of fitting a garden gate and his work has held up thus far from the people I've spoken to. Problem is I'm not too sure he's open to the idea of going that extra mile and faffing about cutting down frames. But will give him a try and see how i get on as he's a friendly enough chap to deal with and cost is reasonable!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

... I'm not too sure he's open to the idea of going that extra mile and faffing about cutting down frames.

But it isn't "faffing about" - on older properties it's what you often need to do to get it right. That's all. Oh, and in the UK there really isn't such a thing as a qualified builder, is there? Most of the jobbing builders I've known were brickies who've expanded their range a bit - not quite the same as an "old school" 5 year apprenticeship in a single trade

 

[Yit]

But it isn't "faffing about" - on older properties it's what you often need to do to get it right. That's all. Oh, and in the UK there really isn't such a thing as a qualified builder, is there? Most of the jobbing builders I've known were brickies who've expanded their range a bit - not quite the same as an "old school" 5 year apprenticeship in a single trade

Yeah absolutely not sure where his skillset was from haven't had the opportunity to speak with him whilst he was doing work for us with work commitments and all but was pleased with his work. Its very hard to find good tradesmen these days who give a crap about doing things the way they should be done. Guess its the pressure of earning a living!

That said I'm sure they are out there but in the 3 trades we've had all from checkatrade i might add none of them met expectations and mine aren't even that high!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

... in the 3 trades we've had all from checkatrade i might add none of them met expectations and mine aren't even that high!

Then surely that's saying "don't use Checkatrade"! If it's any consolation I'm in the trade and we sometimes have problems finding site carpenters who can be given a task and left to get on with it without the need to more or less stand behind them. I find the better guys, the ones who don't think that everything is a race to finish (and that cutting corners is acceptable), tend to be the older guys. But then I would say that, because I am one myself. But for a better guy you'll probably have to wait, and he won't come at bargain basement prices, I'm afraid.