How much should you spend on kit
- Thread starter D4mp
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smoother09
Well-Known Member
Kind of answered your own question there bud :RpS_thumbsup:
I don't own any kit appart from my eyes and nose and a bit of building knowledge. I looked at a job last week where the previous guy had said you will need to hack off and fit a new membrane, you may need to remove half of your stairs and you may need to get someone to take out your gas metre before the work can start. The problem with the stairs was there was a cupboard below with a door that had no vent and it was stacked out with rubbish, the gas metre had a box over it with a plant on top. The box never had a door or vent on it so when the metre got cold is caused all the problems even to the point of small plants growing out of the mortar joints on the exterior wall directly behind it. Just goes to show all these fancy gadgets don't mean a thing if the guy doesn't have any common sense or is just there to sell something.
jeanclaudevangyproc
Well-Known Member
adapt
Active Member
I think a really good pair of glasses or a regular visit to the optician might be more useful for some :RpS_lol:
Personally I am not a fan of sending big money on the toys because I think you can do just as good a job without getting to top brands.
I rather spend on good quality more than the labels. you also have to remember that some people in the trade see it as a wages scheme.
They have a few men working for them and need to keep the wages paid.
I looked at a job the other day, the so called leading company said they wanted £3500 for some injection work, I went over it and found that the moisture readings were fine and the areas they missed were the ones that needed doing. My quote £950 for tanking including re-plastering.
Guess who the estate agents and banks recommend ? lol not me anyway because I am too thorough.
A good honest work ethic and knowledge does not make you rich I am afraid.
So regarding kit, just buy what you can afford and upgrade as and when needed. I refuse to spend £300+ on a moisture meter.
Personally I am not a fan of sending big money on the toys because I think you can do just as good a job without getting to top brands.
I rather spend on good quality more than the labels. you also have to remember that some people in the trade see it as a wages scheme.
They have a few men working for them and need to keep the wages paid.
I looked at a job the other day, the so called leading company said they wanted £3500 for some injection work, I went over it and found that the moisture readings were fine and the areas they missed were the ones that needed doing. My quote £950 for tanking including re-plastering.
Guess who the estate agents and banks recommend ? lol not me anyway because I am too thorough.
A good honest work ethic and knowledge does not make you rich I am afraid.
So regarding kit, just buy what you can afford and upgrade as and when needed. I refuse to spend £300+ on a moisture meter.
Hello @adapt,
A good honest work ethic and knowledge doesn't make you rich i'm afraid. This is very true, but it's rewarding when you give your customer the truth.
There is some great cheap kit around that works just as good as the more expensive brands, when it comes to damp meters though I wouldn't be without my Flir or survey master.
We have a company near us that claims to be an expert in damp diagnosis, hasn't even got a boroscope to check a cavity. A customer I recently worked for told him to **** off when he told him he couldn't check the cavity.
Another one had another idiot come round saying that it wouldn't be rising damp as it didn't exist. When we opened up the floor and wall junction you could see that the dpc had been bridged which was causing the rising dampness.
All in a days work I suppose
A good honest work ethic and knowledge doesn't make you rich i'm afraid. This is very true, but it's rewarding when you give your customer the truth.
There is some great cheap kit around that works just as good as the more expensive brands, when it comes to damp meters though I wouldn't be without my Flir or survey master.
We have a company near us that claims to be an expert in damp diagnosis, hasn't even got a boroscope to check a cavity. A customer I recently worked for told him to **** off when he told him he couldn't check the cavity.
Another one had another idiot come round saying that it wouldn't be rising damp as it didn't exist. When we opened up the floor and wall junction you could see that the dpc had been bridged which was causing the rising dampness.
All in a days work I suppose
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adapt
Active Member
Hi D4mp
Your right I do think that it is good to be able to help customers with issues rather than just see them as a cash machine. Not very good for the bank balance but then again I am not money obsessed so it actually doesn't enter my head to fleece them.
I have always tried to put myself in their shoes I guess and you hear horror stories of some people.
I cannot afford a Flir or a survey master, the mortgage is my issue lol, i guess it depends on the amount of surveys you do in a week, i can go weeks without a survey so hence no need to buy the toys.
These days i know where the blame should be put when it comes to dodgy remedial works, the chemical companies have a large part to play in the encouragement of people with very little knowledge getting into the industry.
They only are interested in volume of sales and not bothered if the job is correctly carried out or identified.
I digress but these days everyman and his do can do it from what i have seen, shame the customers end up calling me when it fails and they pay for it twice.
Just wondering where do you mainly get your enquires from? yellow pages, estate agents, internet ?
Your right I do think that it is good to be able to help customers with issues rather than just see them as a cash machine. Not very good for the bank balance but then again I am not money obsessed so it actually doesn't enter my head to fleece them.
I have always tried to put myself in their shoes I guess and you hear horror stories of some people.
I cannot afford a Flir or a survey master, the mortgage is my issue lol, i guess it depends on the amount of surveys you do in a week, i can go weeks without a survey so hence no need to buy the toys.
These days i know where the blame should be put when it comes to dodgy remedial works, the chemical companies have a large part to play in the encouragement of people with very little knowledge getting into the industry.
They only are interested in volume of sales and not bothered if the job is correctly carried out or identified.
I digress but these days everyman and his do can do it from what i have seen, shame the customers end up calling me when it fails and they pay for it twice.
Just wondering where do you mainly get your enquires from? yellow pages, estate agents, internet ?
Hello Adapt
There are many products available over the internet that will always be used by the diy enthusiast or the cowboy builder, I look at this as a work bank, especially when it comes to the basements,there are a huge amount of waterproofing failures that is why the NHBC have a new standard.
Most of my enquiries are from recommendations, website, PCA.
There are many products available over the internet that will always be used by the diy enthusiast or the cowboy builder, I look at this as a work bank, especially when it comes to the basements,there are a huge amount of waterproofing failures that is why the NHBC have a new standard.
Most of my enquiries are from recommendations, website, PCA.
raytheplasterer
Well-Known Member
I got out the shower earlier, the floor was wet, have I got rising damp?
raytheplasterer
Well-Known Member
on a serious note, what is a boroscope and where do you get one?
irish_spread
Private Member
Forgive me me if im going to make you look like you're an idiot, this is not my intention. I have been quite interested in some of your threads re mould, condensation etc and have placed some trust in your replies, this being an area I'm weak on.
This job you're talking about, is it the one which you recently started another thread on ?
If it is, you are indeed misinformed, and should not be encouraging the other clown' on here
irish_spread
Private Member
Don't worry, he won't be back :RpS_thumbup:
Idiot, please and no it's not that thread, why?
irish_spread
Private Member
Another bullsh1t thread where you 'discovered' rising damp in a bridged damp course after putting your endoscope back in the car ? You've forgotten about that one ? It append a lot ?
irish_spread
Private Member
Destructive survey on rising damp ? A lot of similarities there. I hope you understand
irish_spread
Private Member
Another one exposed
adapt
Active Member
Controlling condensation is a black art, some of us have it and others dream to be on the same level :RpS_lol:
I don't have any fancy gadgets I have two eye balls and a bit of a brain, I am going to look into buying a few gadgets probably a cheapish hydrometer and a cheapish laser thermometer for taking surface readings.
Basically condensation is a symptom and you cannot treat the symptoms like most people do you have to find the "cause"
Yeah the PIV route I think is great for air changes and if I was a landlord I would have one fitted as a essential bit of kit.
Really to understand condensation and how to cure it you need to find the source of the moisture then go from there.
I have had to learn it myself through a few years of being on the job, but its not something your going to learn on a 2 day course with a PIV supplier lol.
I don't have any fancy gadgets I have two eye balls and a bit of a brain, I am going to look into buying a few gadgets probably a cheapish hydrometer and a cheapish laser thermometer for taking surface readings.
Basically condensation is a symptom and you cannot treat the symptoms like most people do you have to find the "cause"
Yeah the PIV route I think is great for air changes and if I was a landlord I would have one fitted as a essential bit of kit.
Really to understand condensation and how to cure it you need to find the source of the moisture then go from there.
I have had to learn it myself through a few years of being on the job, but its not something your going to learn on a 2 day course with a PIV supplier lol.
raytheplasterer
Well-Known Member
it's a science, you can baffle people with that.
Hello Adapt
If you want some recommendations for some kit give me a shout, I know of some good cheap kit that will help you with your diagnosis. I have spoken to some of the lads on here who were after some advice. Only happy to help.
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