Bodges you’ve seen.
Discussion
When we bought our place in London, we knew it needed work, but thought it was mainly cosmetic.
The one bit I didn’t get was the fuse board. None of the switches worked - if you popped a breaker, everything still worked. If you turned off the main breaker, everything went off as expected. It all looked fine and was labelled nicely on the breaker board.
Hmmm.
About a year later we were lifting the floorboards in the hall and found the problem. Remember all of those nicely labelled wires in the breaker board? They ALL went to a big piece of chocolate block where they were all joined together. On the other side of the chocolate block, ALL the house wiring was joined together.
I’ve still got that bit of chocolate block somewhere.
The one bit I didn’t get was the fuse board. None of the switches worked - if you popped a breaker, everything still worked. If you turned off the main breaker, everything went off as expected. It all looked fine and was labelled nicely on the breaker board.
Hmmm.
About a year later we were lifting the floorboards in the hall and found the problem. Remember all of those nicely labelled wires in the breaker board? They ALL went to a big piece of chocolate block where they were all joined together. On the other side of the chocolate block, ALL the house wiring was joined together.
I’ve still got that bit of chocolate block somewhere.
Teddy Lop said:
PositronicRay said:
A mates place, he moved in and a rectangular hole in the kitchen splash back. We reviewed the photos and realised that's where the bread bin was. I think I'd have the decency to leave it.
maybe he realised he was running out of tiles so got "tactical"Last time I did it in 2006 I ran out of tiles I allowed 10% but I had a lot of cuts and I was 3 short - went to the tile place to find they had been discontinued - no stock anywhere
The bathroom cabinet covered 4 tiles if I was clever with the location
bristolbaron said:
My washing machine was making clunking noises. I checked online and everywhere suggested bearings, but the thing span without issue.
I found a YouTube video suggesting shocks, so took a look underneath. One of the shocks was indeed loose, but had done so by ripping a hole in the base. Problem identified - I need a replacement piece of metal to act as a long slim washer. Hmm.. I don’t have any scrap metal and I’m sure as hell not buying something for this bodge!
Fortunately my magpie wife regularly comes home with cutlery from the work canteen. (Unfortunately she also leaves our good stuff there
) - problem solved!
I actually have a spare washing machine in the garage, but couldn’t be bothered to move all the stuff in its way and drag it down to the house - gotta be worth a couple of extra bodge points?!
No bodge points from me, that seems to be a very sensible and solid repair!I found a YouTube video suggesting shocks, so took a look underneath. One of the shocks was indeed loose, but had done so by ripping a hole in the base. Problem identified - I need a replacement piece of metal to act as a long slim washer. Hmm.. I don’t have any scrap metal and I’m sure as hell not buying something for this bodge!
Fortunately my magpie wife regularly comes home with cutlery from the work canteen. (Unfortunately she also leaves our good stuff there
) - problem solved! I actually have a spare washing machine in the garage, but couldn’t be bothered to move all the stuff in its way and drag it down to the house - gotta be worth a couple of extra bodge points?!
Why buy materials if you already have something suitable to hand.
bobtail4x4 said:
its half way up a hill on a long valley
they were re done
Glad to hear they were changed but it pisses me off when someone does something wrong but leaves it to see whether they get pulled up on it. they were re done
Regardless of whether the timber is weakened or not, they're clearly not cut right.
I have to declare an interest in that, amongst other things, I investigate dodgy building work on a professional basis, however this is a flavour of undoubtedly the worst ever attempt at roofing I have ever seen (not even travellers either) - on a high profile city centre building using very valuable green slate
Conical slating is certainly an art but one which had not been mastered on this occasion
Conical slating is certainly an art but one which had not been mastered on this occasion
Lotobear said:
I have to declare an interest in that, amongst other things, I investigate dodgy building work on a professional basis, however this is a flavour of undoubtedly the worst ever attempt at roofing I have ever seen (not even travellers either) - on a high profile city centre building using very valuable green slate
Conical slating is certainly an art but one which had not been mastered on this occasion
That's amazing. Please tell me that each block of wood was at least individually nailed in place Conical slating is certainly an art but one which had not been mastered on this occasion
And then this from my current house..
This gem we noticed when we viewed.
Only once we started ripping it all out did we also find that the cable in the wall was obviously cut too short so they had twisted it to extend it. I'm not a spark but I don't think this is good practice and especially on the kitchen ring!
This gem we noticed when we viewed.
Only once we started ripping it all out did we also find that the cable in the wall was obviously cut too short so they had twisted it to extend it. I'm not a spark but I don't think this is good practice and especially on the kitchen ring!
Edited by thewoodgnome on Wednesday 16th December 15:07
I know when we had kitchen re done the wiring wasn’t above the plugs and there was too a random junction box embedded in the wall. Originally we had a new kitchen in 2003.
Also when we moved in upstairs had the 3 bedrooms changed to 2 bedrooms.
So half the wall was removed and an archway put in.
Also when we moved in upstairs had the 3 bedrooms changed to 2 bedrooms.
So half the wall was removed and an archway put in.
Our last house, built in 1840, had been added to the end of a 16?? Cottage. The 'new' house was wider & higher than the cottage. The cottage had burnt down in the 1950s & been demolished. The outside of the end wall of the house had been rendered in a tidying up excerise.
When we moved in I noticed that the plaster in the bedroom on the end wall of the house was sound at the sides & top but hollow over an area in the centre. We stripped off the plaster & found a window frame, no glass, filled with neatly cut stone blocks. Surely it would have been easy to remove the window frame first? An 1840s bodge?
The house had 3 chimneys but only 2 fireplaces. The 3rd chimney had belonged to the old cottage & the house had been built round it.
When we moved in I noticed that the plaster in the bedroom on the end wall of the house was sound at the sides & top but hollow over an area in the centre. We stripped off the plaster & found a window frame, no glass, filled with neatly cut stone blocks. Surely it would have been easy to remove the window frame first? An 1840s bodge?
The house had 3 chimneys but only 2 fireplaces. The 3rd chimney had belonged to the old cottage & the house had been built round it.
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