I hate "Home Repairs"!!!
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
May 6, 2007 5:53pm CST
I live in an apartment building and they've been doing re-wiring of electrical work...some new "code" where instead of being on fuses everyone has to have circuit breaker type boxes...they look like something one has in a basement.
Anyway yesterday was my glorious turn..actually a total of six apartments were re-wired...Here it was a Saturday, a day one normally maybe wants to sleep a bit late..but Oh, No! Had to be up practically at the crack of dawn cause these guys have been coming early, usually by 7:30...Then I had my main concern about my two kitties...the electricians have been leaving the front door wide open and I had horror images in my mind that they'd run out in the panic of all the commotion and noise..thankfully I had one travel case so large you could fit a large dog in it...so placed on of my photo developing trays as a litter pan, some food and managed to get my Pyewacket, but couldn't get Kissy..she thankfully hid under my bed the whole time
Okay so these guys come in... but not to my apt. until 12:30..so was waiting hours and hours to start work in my apt..Okay...the noise was terrible..drilling, pounding, smashing holes in the walls...getting plaster dust ALL over the place...there wasn't one inch of my place without a coating of the dust
THEN on top of that...after they were finished about 5:30 p.m.--the place looked like a cyclone had hit it...dirt, dust, mess everywhere...and did the guys offer to clean...NOPE...
So why is it when one has Home Improvements of any kind it gives license for workers to leave a horrible mess,..why should it be up to us to clean after THEIR mess?? Without exaggeration it's going to take me weeks to get rid of all this lovely plaster dust on everything..and I only just dusted...arrgh!!!!
Anyone have horror stories about Home Improvements and hate them?
6 people like this
10 responses
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
7 May 07
we had to do that in my house years ago-the old fuse box gave out entirely.it was a mixed blessing though,because the fuses were of an odd size that had become hard to find.
the only real horror story i'd say i have is the squirrels that keep trying to make a home in my roof.last time i had to have them caught and released,they had caused $2500 of damage to the roof itself.
@badkat83 (1620)
• United States
7 May 07
every home repair of mine is a horror story. i had my roof and siding done a couple years ago and now my roof leaks and my siding is crap. i just went to my camp today to plant some flowers and after i did that i decided to rip off old wallpaper, why i don't know. that is a horror story all by itself.
2 people like this
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
7 May 07
That is horrible, and not fair. If it were me, I would complain to the management, or the boss of the crew. I'm sorry you had to deal with all that.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
7 May 07
Uh..complaining to the management is the last thing I want to do...since I'm in that mess with Social Security I haven't paid my rent yet...did do a ton of paperwork related to it...since they didn't send me anything I was able to download a lot of forms from the SSA website and mailed to them-so in the paperwork stage...Just hope the jerk landlord doesn't take it in his head to up everyone's rent...he did that years ago when we had new storm windows installed---it wasn't like we asked for this "home improvement"
1 person likes this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
8 May 07
WOW! I was my belief that home imporvement contractors where suppose to clean up after themselves. I thought it was in their contract or something. But then again your super might not have cared who had to clean up the mess and therefore didn't make sure that was in the contract. You might want to ask him/her just to be sure though! That does sound like quite a mess you've got there!
Good luck sweetie with the awful clean up :)
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
8 May 07
My super?? That's a laugh..he's the laziest thing going...a friend of mine lives in the building next door and if ever someone needs repairs, especially emergencies it's done lickety split no matter what time of day or night...my super on the other hand doesn't like to do repairs after one in the afternoon...and of course we all complain about that to the landlord, but he doesn't care either
1 person likes this
@GnosticGoddess (5626)
• United States
11 May 07
WOW! It sounds like you got a super crappy super! That sucks!
@Katlady2 (9904)
• United States
7 May 07
I think I would have chained those guys to the apartment until they got everything cleaned up! I hate it when workers do that. It's so darned rude. I've been very lucky in that aspect of life. Maybe it's because of the baseball bat next to the front door. (Hehehehe....just kidding....but really....there is a baseball bat there, but I haven't clocked anyone with it yet. LOL) Even the electricians that installed outlets in the house last summer made sure to clean up after themselves. They even had a little hand held vacuum along with a regular sized one to clean up after themselves. AND...they wore the little plastic booties like the ones surgeons wear, over their shoes. Maybe I should send them to your place to give those other guys a lecture on neatness in the workplace. LOL
@susieq223 (3742)
• United States
7 May 07
My husband, who is a retired licensed contractor, decided to build our home. It only took him 5 years. The worst part was when he was doing the kitchen. He had to turn the water off inside what was already completed of the house. I took cold showers from the outside hose and went to the bathroom in the bushes for a couple of days! I did get tired of stepping over all the wood he was using for studs, walls, etc. I know about the sawdust, too. Contractors and repairment don't clean up after their work and that includes my hubby!
My sympathies to you and the cats. Hope none of you are too traumatized!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
7 May 07
It ONLY took him five years huh? No my kitties are fine now...and I guess my Pyewacket forgave me for shoving him in the case...he was on my bed all night..something he usually doesn't do..then he seemed to extra cuddly with me later on...I think he was letting me know I was doing it to keep him safe..even my Kissy -face was extra loving to me...Thank goodness pets do hold grudges as long as we humans do.
1 person likes this
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
7 May 07
It looks like something was not done right...landlord is responsible to clean this place after any remodeling...and in many times provide spare place for you to stay if it is giving you much destruction...
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
7 May 07
Provide a place to stay..My cheap landlord???..hah! When we first moved to this building years ago, our landlord was only the painter then...from painter to landlord...my..how did he do that? He not only owns fifty other buidlings but owns resort hotels all over the Greek Islands--yet he is the stingiest as far as providing good supplies for repairs and things
@rosie_123 (6113)
•
8 May 07
Oh my - you have my sympathy. I hate all the mess, noise, and disruption that goes with repairs like this. And of course I especially sympathise with your fears over the cats - glad they were OK. The only real horror story I have is when my beloved "significant other" decided he wanted to save money be re-fitting our kitchen himself, instead of getting in the professionals. He was full of good intentions, but sadly DIY is not his talent, so after 2 weeks of having no hot water, no cooking facilities, minimum electricity, and mess everywhere, I told him I was moving myself and the two old cats we had then, down to my Dad's house, and may not return until he got some proper kitchen fitters in............The fitters arrived two days later (LOL!), and have to say they did a brilliant job! I wish you luck with all the mess and dirt!
@unusualsuspect (2601)
• United States
7 May 07
Ughh! It sounds exactly like what I'm going to be going through pretty soon. My entire apartment complex is being upgraded, with all the old wiring stripped out and new put in. It will probably be three full days of having my apartment ripped to shreds, and then another day or two for the drywall people to come in and repair and paint. The apartment under me is in process, so I know how much noise and mess to look forward to. And I have no idea what to do with my cat on the days when I know I'll have to just get out for most of the day.
Also, all the furniture will have to be moved and jammed together in the center of the rooms so they can get at the walls. I have dust covers ready, but I know it's still going to be a massive cleanup when everything is done.
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
7 May 07
That was my main concern..my two cats...fortunately I have this big travel case that could fit a fairly large-sized dog...was able to put a very small litter pan and some food in it..I was able to grab my Pyewacket and put him in..but not Kissy--thank goodness she stayed hidden under the bed...can you put your cat in a travel case too?? Might not be too thrilled being stuck in there all day, but better safe in there than loose...the noise will scare the daylight of your cat--like it did mine--
@sumofalltears (3988)
• United States
7 May 07
They should not have left you with such a mess, you should complain to the landlord....when work gets done in my apartment they pick up everything after themselves. They are not careful of my cats, but then I don't expect that it is why we are supposed to be home when they do work. The wiring is for the better and it is a lot safer with a circuit box, I wish we could get our wiring redone here it is a mess.
