building work

[nickelarse]

do/have any of u done any building work?

iv been in discussions for a while with a m8 of mine about having a try

 

[MFW]

Yeah I do a bit from time to time, tend to find there's more money in it than plastering. There's more variety in the work too.

I'm also considering branching out a bit more and advertising general building services as well as plastering.

 

[Pug]

i do other building work, however , in the long run you're better off subbing out to trades who know they're doing. its a bit like decoraters who do a bit of plastering, know what i mean?

 

[skimmin2day]

Not a problem though if the decorator is good at plastering Pug.
I do all general building work,plastering,painting,tiling,kitchen and bathroom installation,maintnenance work etc.

 

[Chris W]

go for it mate, provided you know what youre doing...
just remember building work in general is exactly what it is, general building work with all the variation and unforseen problems associated with it

if you dont know what youre doing your gonna look a plank very quickly and although you may flourish early on with cheap underpriced quotes etc.... youll soon bury yourself...

I'd sub out the electrics and gas stuff, and anything I couldnt really hack with me and a few lads....

watch the building regs closely, especially insulation, roofing, electrics (17th edition now), fire etc...

 

[owls]

we do tiling now in conjunction with the plastering side and find it profitable,
good for a change of work. needs to be spot on tho bad tiling looks really terrible,and stands out like a sore dick

 

[PhilPlaster]

I can do most things but its knowing the regs thats always freaked me out especially when your the one responsible.

 

[Nisus]

Yep I do anything really, main work plastering but I don't turn work down if I can do it.
as said above if you can do it do it, if you can't sub it out.
I don't touch plumbing electrics or gas.(for obvious reasons)

 

[nickelarse]

yeah my m8 is a plumber which helps.

iv used to work with a building firm for a couple of yrs but it was a long time ago now. iv had a couple of houses iv done up as has my m8.

i reckon we ok for digging out and footings, concreting is easy as i screed, brickwork would get a bricky, windows we can do, and i no how windows should be done as it does my nut in how poorly most people fit them before we plaster to them, chippy for roof and 1st floors, sparks for sparks stuff, we can then plaster, paint, cove, plumb, doorlinings, architraves and skirtings, insulate, lay floor/patios, tile, m8 does kitchens and bathrooms, so im hoping it would go alright. the only thing iv never done is outside drainage

 

[Chris W]

if you can hang doors mate you can fit kitchens... theyre a peice of p'ss.... and quite profitable if you can screw howdens down to a 70% discount and price the job off their brochures... all they are is modular (stack em) units in multiples of 100mm starts at 150 wine rack, 300, 400, 500, 600, 800, 1000... all trick units come with an idiot guide... for masons mitres have a go with a router and a jig on a cheap bit of worktop, theyre not difficult...
even the cornice and pelmets are p'ss easy... just mitre em on the chopsaw, glue the mitres with mitre fast on a flat surface (like the worktop, dont get glue on the worktop) and send em up there and bend em where they wanna go...
you can buy the 'off the shelf' units from wickes cheap as f'ck.. only difference is theres no legs, youve got to pack the units level, but with a couple of full lengths of plinth, cornice, pelmet and some under cupboard lights you can make em look like 10 grands worth.... cost to you - 10 units, prolly under a grand including a stainless oven/hob/extractor and a sink/taps..

 

[nickelarse]

when i said my m8 i meant the plumber who im gonna do it with..

but yeah i no a couple of fitters that make a fortune, mostly on material mark up, and it doesnt look that hard