MitchB Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Well quite a full packed Easter break, chap came and laid a concrete base on Good Friday a handyman recommended by a relative. To cut a long story short my 14 foot X 8 foot concrete base ready for a WIR from Avaries4u is:- 13 foot 6 inches X 8 foot. Not straight!!! Not Flat (has an added feature of a hump in middle and dips at both ends) Since taking the frame off (consisiting of tongue and groove) which I suggested he may like to do a frame as he wasn't until I said, they did one for the oil tank base! Concrete not mixed properly as it's consistent in places with crumble topping!! Chap with his wife came and looked Monday afternoon when I rang to say there was issues with it!! He did offer to fix the edges, couldn't fix hump or the six inches short issue, blamed my OH for that one saying he just put it where it was marked!!!??? Although my son had seen him take out the markers and measure it again and put his own markers. It ended up them leaving saying keep the money he'll not be back, after OH explained the only thing right with it was he had put it in the correct garden!!! When the wife said it was because he did not have a cement mixer ( which I had hired for him but he couldn't collect it and assured me he could do it without but would take longer) but hand mixed OH retorted neither did the Roman's and theirs is still standing!!! Anyone know if I can patch said crumbly base or what???? Babies have spent their first whole night outside last night survived in the two storey rabbit run and love free ranging the garden, winding up the big girls in their enclosure especially Archie the Silver Dorking prancing about this side of Omlet Netting as if to say I'm out here and you're not..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 oh dear! Sounds like me you need it relaid. You could get someone in do re-do - if he doesn't want paying he's really admitting liability for a bad job. I guess if it costs you to demolish you could try billing him for the extra. But that's all longer term than you want I guess! Someone on here who is more handy than me will be along to help I'm sure. Astw is an expert on these things as is ANH .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Heck how awful for you. What cowboys! How can they possibly do a big piece of work like that without a concrete mixer, it must have killed him. You must be so dissapointed but guess you learn from things like this. No idea if you can make it good but would be a nightmare to get rid of. I do hope someone can give you a positive answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 How upsetting and annoying . At least you've not lost any money on it - what a cowboy . Patricia, it's very kind of you to say I'm an expert . I'm certainly not . I just stood about and watched a) gardener b) ES c) brother d) best friend's OH do all the hard work . I was only responsible for the interior design and the "curtains" . I would say though, that dips at either end will be a definite nightmare . I had a very tiny dip where the run didn't sit flush and the wind moved the whole run side . It's now screwed into the slabs. Now Andrew, he really is an expert . I'll go and round him up . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 How about Cookie Monster? her OH is a PROPER handy-man and may be able to offer advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross81 Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 Hi I am no handyman but could you maybe extend the bad base with some concrete blocks on the end to gain the extra 6 inches and then cover the whole base with paving slabs it may be easier than having to redo the whole thing again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 How disappointing. Could you get someone to extend it and skim the top so that the hump vanishes? He should be offering to put it right himself at no charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 How about Cookie Monster? her OH is a PROPER handy-man and may be able to offer advice Hi I am here , I have had my husband read this and he said get a screw driver and s"Ooops, word censored!"e the cement and it nothing comes up, there is a product you can buy which you can restore the level suface but only suitable for cracked/holey type surfaces, I think it's called rapid cement,when mixed with water it goes rock hard. However if when s"Ooops, word censored!"ing with the screw driver or another metal object firmly across the concrete it 'crumbles' or 'flakes' away, the base is no good, and needs breaking up unfortunately. as the 'mix' wont be right. However!!! you can only do this test after the base has been laid a few days otherwise the concrete is still 'green' (I guess that means still new) He should have been leveling his concrete as he went like hubby did below with the piece of wood on the level shuttering surround this would rule out any uneveness?? Hubby is not happy for you Any other problems pm me. edited to add my photos, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchB Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 Thank you to all who have replied and given me advice. Although I do not have to pay his fee I bought the materials which it looks like he has ruined, so it has cost me so far £200 approx for this.... Here are the pics:- From what Cookiemonster's OH has said looks like it is no good and I have to start again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I am so so sorry you have been put through this, OH has looked at the pictures and is disgusted, he says the only solution is to start again. He said the man obviously did not know what he was doing unfortunately . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Now Andrew, he really is an expert . I'll go and round him up . That's very kind of you . Laying slabs is more my thing, but I agree that the base must be flat and well made if the WIR is to stand the test of time. Any unevenness in the base and the run will become unstable and weak. You certainly don't want the base crumbling away after the run has been erected, that will put extreme strain on the WIR and could break joints. As CookieMonster's OH has advised, I also think the only real option open to you is to start again - sorry . Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DominicJ Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Someone tried that without a mixer? Crikey. I would be tempted to let it set properly, smash it into pieces with a big hammer and then lay a longer, wider, taller base on top of it. Thats always good advice, the vbase size, not the smash it up and build on top of it, which is probably bad advice, make the base too big, because it will never be perfectly straight with 4 90 degree angles (seriously, check the walls in your house) But I am something of a cowboy, and certainly wouldnt do that in someone elses garden, not that I'm a builder, so would be doing anything in, you know I should probably just stop this train of thought. When you say the materials cost you £200, what materials did you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 how are things going now? any progress? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchB Posted April 23, 2009 Author Share Posted April 23, 2009 Well update so far, I have ordered my WIR from Avaries4U have spoken to Tony and the delivery time is May 3rd/4th week so gives me time to get someone to redo the base. Plus a timeline to work towards. Babies growing fast and will soon outgrow the Hutch they are currently in. Need to make in roads with maybe hiring an Eglu temporarily although none near Ipswich as far as I can see on the Hire board. At least when they are all together in WIR they will be safe and have the space they need, plus the free ranging as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 That's great news . You won't regret getting an A4u run - they're fantastic . What size are you getting? You'll have to pop over to this thread to share your excitement . (Sorry if you have already, it's a very long thread!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted April 23, 2009 Share Posted April 23, 2009 I know a great builder from Woodbridge. He comes up to Lowestoft to do all our work. If you ever need someone Mitch, I'm sure that he wouldn't mind me passing on his number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
