Dealing with problem staff that don't listen

[Rich Rule]

 It sure mate.  We just used ply for everything.  Drill a few holes in the ends and some polyprop rope and just can create hinges if you need to.

[Con]

Boards and sheets are useful. We use boards on wet grass as well occasionally.  For the clients that expect you to dismantle a 50 ft tree and levitate out of the garden without touching anything. 

Which makes me wonder about this post. With the op having not seen the damage, it may be a something of nothing

[Ty Korrigan]

In Brittany, most houses post war are rendered white or cream, it can be a real problem at times but only one that requires  water and sponge.

Paint though and especially more recently exterior insulation which is über fragile as I found out recently when I tripped pulling a Monkey Puzzle and fell against the wall instantly making a hole in the polystyrene.

I had no idea just how fragile exterior insulation is, a liability if your kids play ball games.

I'm still waiting to hear about that one.

 Back in March I stacked a few small logs against a wall as indicated by the customer at the time.

They moved them in June and found marks on their wall.

They demanded my insurance details saying the wall required re-rendering.

Now my memory was of a dirty gable end with cracked render.

So I called round with bleach, bucket and water and as the gate was open started cleaning the few insignificant marks left by the logs.

This left a few whiter patches on an otherwise grubby wall which had indeed multiple cracks in the render.

Another case of a client trying to obtain betterment through insurance fraud by exagerating a situation.

 

 

[Pete Mctree]

33 minutes ago, AHPP said:

I’ve been meaning to buy plastic boards for ages. What’s thick enough to run a micro skidder on and thin enough to bend round a house corner?

Look at stock board. Different diameters for different jobs though as the thicker ones weigh a bit. I use it for roadways, covering greenhouses roofs etc.

[Stere]

I don't' think power washing  was a good suggestion  as  a chance it would remove the render.

Edited January 7, 2023 by Stere

[doobin]

A very strong case for a micro chipper here. It’s a different way of working, yet often far far more efficient. 
 

The time savings from feeding the brash into the chipper at the base of the tree rather than dragging far outweigh having to sned up a little more. Couple that with a an electric wheelbarrow with high sides and a decent ramp into the tipper body and you have a very effective setup for narrow alley jobs. 
 

Too many are blinded thinking big chipper = efficiency, or mini loader dragging to big loader is the ultimate. The lack of mess from a mini chipper can’t be overstated, and Lord knows I love my loaders. 
 

It’s not an either or scenario either. Mini chippers are very cheap, no harm in having one sitting at the yard for the odd job like this. 

Edited January 7, 2023 by doobin

[carlos]

i think until the op actually sees the clients wall then its hard to say whos at fault etc, there could be two tiny marks or the wall could be destroyed.

[Steven P]

I didn't read all of the posts but can the team leader be responsible for the state of the site, plenty of time in this job and no one leaves site till the client has given it a once over and accepted that the site is left in good condition - and if this means bucket of water to clean the walls then so be it (in this case).

 

Maybe reminding the team leader that no one leaves site without the client being happy or you saying so ?

[Mark Bolam]

2 hours ago, AHPP said:

I’ve been meaning to buy plastic boards for ages. What’s thick enough to run a micro skidder on and thin enough to bend round a house corner?

6mm stockboard is apparently the kiddy mate.

[Sviatoslav Tulin]

3 hours ago, Rich Rule said:

Work towards their strengths.

 

Get some sheets of ply and take them to jobs like that.  They work wonders propped up against a wall, by a window, on shed roofs etc.

At least one  very good advice, plus garden gates and frame protectors, plus before work start you can always negotiate little dmg with client, most of the time they agree with minor issues.