Beyond Blue Home Improvement Thread

[geoff]

Hi everyone. I'm Geoff and have been a dedicated Volunteer on the forums for 13 years. I am proud to have stopped some of the stigmas that are associated with mental health as well as doing my best to help others too

Before my health went south I was a builder in all aspects of home construction and renovation. If you don't have a handyman around I hope I can offer you some tips that may be of help. I have had many years of experience in home renovation and will do my best to help you out if you are stuck and need some advice

I hope my experience may be of help to the people on Beyond Blue and make their life a little bit better. Even if you need help with the most basic painting job or putting up a shelf I can help there too with some tips

I will do my best to get back to anyone that has a question when I can as this is social yet important thread

Geoff

[Guest_1643]

Hi Geoff,

How are you? and thank you for sharing ur tips, so grateful for them!

Thanks so much, I am a bit annoyed that they have ignored my repeated emails.

Contacted them now quite clear which will see if they ignore again, then I wlll go to VCAT.

They have responded to me promptly (within seconds) regarding another simple issue (installation of new blind). But whenever I email about the heater I hear nothing. So I just sent an email topic "heater" asking for an answer.

The lamp was expensive and supposedly high quality + postagebut now they are delaying delivery, so they are offering me 15 dollars off what I paid for the lamp to make up for delaying it so much.

I think because it's 6 months delayed the 15 dollars seems a bit silly, so maybe I will just cancel the lamp....It was their way to compensate. They could offer more including making postage free or a more significant discount, or price off if I shop with them again. 15 dollars seems a bit like a token.

[Guest_1643]

They have just replied that the photos I sent of the laneway were not sufficient, and not clear enough, they need clear photos of the laneway

I can't get any clearer photos as my phone is quite old and i've tried my best. Also can't they come and look themselves?
I have tried my best. They didn't let me know the photos weren't sufficient or reply at all. They just ignored communication and didn't progress with the heater. I tried taking better photos but I can't do much.

[Ggrand]

Hello Dear Geoff....

My house has no skirting boards..and I have been given some second hand ones..which need a sand back, nail taken out and a paint...that’s okay for me to do...I am fairly certain I can do that...

My problem is the corners...How do I cut them to fit neatly into the corner with the proper machine to do so?...is their an angle I need to cut them on..or can I just place them uncut into the corners some how so they look good?..

Thank you so much for any help and suggestions you can tell me...it’s most appreciated..

Kind thoughts dear Geoff..

Grandy..

[geoff]

Hello Sleepy, is the person who quoted the split system able to take photos and give you a copy as well as to the real estate is one option, another one could be to ask whether the landlord can meet with the tradesman who quoted to make a decision or perhaps the tradesman can ring the landlord if none of this happens then inform the real estate that VCAT will have to be informed.

Once it's been accepted in previous discussions then you would expect this to be straightforward and I've also had something similar happen to me and was about to contact VCAT but fortunately, the problem had been rectified.

Is your place due for an inspection, then this could be resolved, but try what I have suggested, but don't give up.

My best.

Geoff.

[geoff]

Hello Sleepy, my reply is waiting for moderation.

Hello Grandy, this seems to be hard work but can save you money instead of buying new timber, so of the skirting boards may already have an angle cut at 45 degrees, you can use them for one wall if they're long enough and then you can buy a timber or plastic mitre box for only a few dollars, if you don't have an electric drop saw, a normal electric saw can cut 45 degrees but this can be rather awkward.

What I would do is place the already cut 45 degrees and place it in the cheap mitre box so you can get the feel of how to use the box for other walls and if you cut them yourself and they aren't a proper fit, then they can be filled with polyfilla and moulded into the right shape after you have nailed them to the wall, remember you can use water to mould them rather than using sandpaper, if that suits you.

When taking out a nail from the skirting board, place a spare piece of timber under the head of the hammer and between the skirting board, this will make it easier to pull the nail out and won't mark the board.

Hopefully, the boards will have 45 degrees for each corner as well as external corners, such as for a wall that's not for a corner of a bedroom, but for a wall that sticks out from a wall, hopefully you know what I mean.

Please mind your fingers and those nails you've polished, sorry.

My best thoughts.

Geoff.

[Guest_1643]

Hi Geoff,

hope u are well
That is a great idea, thank u

The home had an inspection which led to them suggesting the heater wasn't effective enough and offering to fix it, as well as broken blinds.

I kind of have given up - my MH hasn't been good, I've sent the agent many, many pictures and she doesn't reply or say if they are good, bad, or what is happening with the installation of the heater. They make it like me not being able to take clear enough pictures is a good enough reason to halt the whole operation. I've photographed everything they asked several times and asked them to please let me know if these pictures are helpful and if not, specifically why not. They don't reply at all.

I could call the tradesman himself but have been a bit upset about the whole thing and annoyed they are halting it and also making me feel bad about it. I'm no photoprapher and have done all in my power regarding that part of the process.

[geoff]

Hello Sleepy, I know how you must be feeling and it is certainly annoying.

The old heater needs to be replaced, it can't be fixed to solve the problem and the landlord has agreed to install a split system, so asl the real/estate that you want the landlord to come to your (his) house and agree on where the split system can be installed, you have every right to do this, or alternatively, if you know where he lives to send him a letter or go knotting on his door.

The r/e are messing you around and if the property manager/ess is as young as the one I've got, then she would know as much about the property as a young kid would.

The other option is to tell the r/e that unless the split system is installed, as promised, you are going to go to VCAT.

The landlord must have all the essentials working in the house, that's by law, and definitely, the heater comes under this category.

I would love to be there to help you, I actually enjoy these situations, but you mustn't give up, remember if and when you go, the landlord would have to rectify this problem before someone else moves in.

Don't give up.

Best wishes.

Geoff.

[Guest_1643]

Hi Geoff,

i felt very dejected after every attempt to send them requested photos they do not acknowledge receipt, respond or do anythng at all. then after i said 5 emails asking for following up they simply respond

"Your photos are not sufficient enough" without syaing why

The heater is temperamental and it was agreed that it was time for a new one, and a technician came. he was thinking to install it in an area that was afterwards decided unsafe/unsuitable so now they are thinking of alternatives of where to put it and asking me to send pictures of their suggested area, which I have done, and which they have rejected.

The landlord is not very mature and doens't seem to understand and i've got nowhere dealing with her at all

[Ggrand]

Hello Geoff...

Im so sorry it’s taken me a while to thank you for your directions to go....They all have angles on one side and I never really thought about that..so I’ll give that a try...Thank you...

I haven’t started putting them down yet but I used your suggestions for taking out the nails and it worked a dream...

I will start in a couple of weeks to put them on and I’ll let you know how I go....I do have a circular saw attached to a bench...so I’ll give that a try...The hardware stores are over 80 kilometres away...as I don’t like going out I find it difficult to get to one...

Thank you again for your kindness and patience.....and this thread...

Kind thoughts Dear Geoff..

Grandy..

[geoff]

Hello Sleepy, the technician/tradesman would have a better knowledge of where it should be put, rather than someone who is completely untrained like the person at the r/e who has no understanding of the unit.

I would think the reason why they haven't responded is that they simply don't know, they have no experience what's so ever.

If you have an email or any documentation stating that a split system air con has been accepted and to be fitted to your house/flat, that's all you need, VCAT will demand this to be done.

May be you could take someone with you when you go to VCAT, the administrator will enforce this to be done, you probably won't have to say much at all, just give the email to them and then it has to be done.

You could also ask the tradesman to speak with the r/e, it's a job he won't want to miss out on, if I was that tradesman that's what I would be doing, winter approaching rapidly and you need to keep warm.

Best wishes.

Geoff.