Re-Decontinues

posted by Jaitu at 23:53

Keeping with the general spirit of cleaning, clearing, sorting and rejuvenating I decided it was well past time that the site had another face lift. So here is the result. A cleaner, hopefully improved and enlarged space.

On the more tangible front the conservatory is now nearly done. We had most of the tiles laid this week. Embarrassingly we ran short by about four tiles, the first delay of our own making and so near the finish. We were able to buy more but following the trend we were promised a phone call on Wednesday to arrange another visit and have not yet heard anything more despite leaving messages and having Nuglas chase it up.
The pipe work has been boxed in and once the final tiles are down we need only have skirting and final fixings applied.
The spot lights flicker when the dimmer is in use but we should be able to get that rectified easily enough too.

Then it only remains for us to paint the plaster, move in the tumble dryer and build an enclosure for it, then get some furniture and we're completed. It will be an enormous relief when it's over.

After that we have plans to get the garden respectable, move and replace a couple of radiators and then completely redecorate our bedroom. The fun just never stops.

Happy Anniservatory

posted by Jaitu at 12:39

Last Saturday marked one whole year since we paid the deposit for our conservatory to Nuglas. A lot has happened in that year, a lot has not happened in that year.
Back in March I attempted to cancel the contract as we needed this conservatory built by mid-July and if we were going to get someone else to do it we would have had to get that underway. I was persuaded to leave the contract in the hands of Nuglas but agreed only on a few conditions:
That we be given a firm date for work to commence; That we be given a timeframe for completion; That all work be completed by the middle of July; And that failure to meet these conditions would result in financial penalty.
We were guaranteed that work would begin in the week beginning the 14th April.
It began on the 24th. It stopped very shortly afterwards for reasons not entirely down to Nuglas and ultimately properly began on the 3rd of June.

We were guaranteed the contract would take six to eight weeks to complete.
It has been eleven weeks so far and it will be at least another two.

It has not been the middle of July for more than a month.

On top of this we have been sent an invoice for the final payment. The final payment, according to our contract, is to be paid when the work has been completed to the customer's satisfaction. This is despite that fact that we are still waiting to have floor tiles laid, pipe work boxed in, skirting boards fitted, door handles replaced and some final trim finished.

Back Pipe Intervention.

posted by Jaitu at 17:20

We had another entire week of inactivity on the conservatory front last
week. We had a plumber out today to remove our inside/outside tap and
turn it in to an outside/outside tap. We're told there should be people
coming to begin the plastering tomorrow and everything should be done
within the next two weeks. Other than the plastering we have the screed
floor and tiling to be completed. I suspect that Nuglas will have
forgotten that they said that they will lay our floor tiles as they have
been unaware of other details within the agreed plan of work thus far.
Hopefully they will prove me wrong and we will get this thing completed
before we hit the twelve month mark in just under three weeks from now.

It's Mostly A Conservatory. Mostly.

posted by Jaitu at 15:47

After the aforementioned delay the chaps turned up last Wednesday and
set to work on erecting the uPVC framework and glazing. By all accounts
they worked pretty tirelessly until Friday and now have the majority of
a conservatory in place.
All that's left to do is:
Lay the screed floor.
Tile the screed floor.
Wire the sockets and ceiling lights.
Relocate the formerly outdoor tap to the new outdoors.
Remove the botched dryer vent.
Make good the botched dryer vent.
Fit a new dryer vent.
Plaster the walls.
Fix and secure the new roof water down pipe.
Not in that order but I think that's it.

It really is a pity that this has been such a nightmare. The product
that Nuglas supply (the actual uPVC and glazing) is great, the fitting
that they themselves do is faultless. Unfortunately the unending delays
and poor communication as well as some of the sub-contracted work mean
there is no way we could ever recommend them.

No Conservatory: Update

posted by Jaitu at 09:38

We were supposed to have our conservatory guys attend site today to put
in the framework and start on the glazing. With dull inevitability I had
a phone call to say that there has been some kind of problem with the
frame and they won't be coming until tomorrow. It's been ten and a half
months so far so I don't know why I should expect things to start
happening on time now. So far the company who shall remain nameless
(Nuglas Southern Limited) have missed every date and broken every
promise. Other than that, and the air of indifference whenever I call, I
cannot recommend them highly enough.