Clanwilliam - It is official: summer has arrived, or at least it has here. Luckily, I am writing in my air-conditioned study while the temperature outside hovers around 42°C.
When I was in Cape Town last week, our old friend Mr South-Easter was blowing his heart out and debris was flying everywhere.
Strong winds are going to cause damage which may not be spotted until it starts to rain again and by then you are going to be standing in a queue to have the problem repaired.
Every time you have strong winds, you should:
* Walk around the property to check for obvious signs of damage.
* Listen for tell-tale banging sounds that means something is loose and may soon end up in your neighbour’s swimming pool.
* Check for missing roof tiles and gates that are loose on their hinges.
* Ensure that no tree branches are being blown against your gutters – or anything else for that matter. I know we all hate chopping down trees or even parts of them, but pruning needs to be done regularly.
With hotter temperatures:
* Check your pool and its accessories more regularly than usual. Higher temperatures inevitably mean more chemicals and more filtering time, and a missed day when it is really hot can turn your crystal clear pool into a green monster overnight. So make sure you are continually on top of the situation.
Modern technology has many benefits for today’s builders modern technology on the job
I’m old school, but I have learnt that if you want to survive in this ever-changing market you need to be geared up to handle modern technology.
I am presently involved in a project management-type role for an old client, and I am fast realising how important it is to keep up with the changes and new innovations that are coming on to the market daily.
I am based in Clanwilliam, the client is in Johannesburg and the contract is in Gordon’s Bay. It is becoming very interesting just keeping communication open with the team on site. While the contract was being negotiated, one of the client’s main stipulations was that the site foreman had a phone that could handle Skype, emails and photographs.
As an old-school contractor I thought this was a little over the top, but I have learned that they were all necessary. But you also need to get good buy-in from all the parties concerned.
This then poses the following question: Are you willing to learn and improve the service you are delivering to your clients?
Over the past five years I have preached about the need for proper communication. I can assure you that your contract will become much easier to manage if everybody is on the same wavelength.
However, you cannot lay a brick with a smart phone. You still need experienced people on site and I must say that the team on this site are all enjoying the challenges, especially as they are getting quick answers and not sitting around twiddling their thumbs waiting for the next meeting. Photographs are flying back and forth. For example, the foreman needs to chop 50mm off the brickwork so the distribution board will fit, and the client can immediately look at the photo and authorise the change as he can see how it will affect the aesthetics of the kitchen.
The benefits are numerous: things happen more quickly without too many alterations, so the client saves money and the contractor has an easy record to price changes for the final account.
Importance of a qualified roofer
A couple of weeks ago I was sent a question by a reader who must remain anonymous at this stage as I fear the matter may well end up in court.
While I was in town last week I popped in to see what was the matter and I wish, at this stage, that I could print a photograph of what I saw on the roof as it really shows how not to construct a roof with a low pitch. I am going to try to help the reader, but in all fairness I must give the builder the right to respond. However, this did highlight a couple of things that you should all be aware of.
* If you are joining an old and new roof, ensure that the architect has provided proper details of how it is going to work and ensure the builder does it properly.
* Signing the builder’s quotation does not mean that you have a proper contract in place as it is very one-sided.
* Never pay in full until you have had the opportunity to check for leaks.
* If you have a low-pitched roof, ensure that the sheeting used suits the pitch of the roof; sheeting designed for a 20° pitch will leak if it is laid at 3°. One of the most useful apps I have on my phone is a spirit level.
* Ensure that your roof is erected by a qualified roofer.
* Ensure that your proposed contractor is registered and compliant with the provisions of the building industry’s bargaining council.
Check for leaks regularly and water wisely
Water is becoming more and more scarce. For the first winter in years our Clanwilliam dam did not make it to 100 percent full, so I am sure we are going to have restrictions. We are all quick to complain when we see the government – whether it be national, provincial or local – letting water just run away because of poor maintenance, but how many of us are guilty of similar misdeeds?
To help the situation:
* Check for leaks regularly at home. We have leaks because of faulty washers or leaking toilet systems.
* Take a close look at your garden and decide what is really necessary. For example, I have decided not to plant any more vegetables in the near future. I don’t want to waste money or water on projects which may not be feasible if restrictions are brought in because what I plant today might not get enough water in the future to survive.
* Use as much of your grey water as you can. The only area of my garden that looks healthy is where grey water drains on to it.
Don loves this
Despite all the doom and gloom there is always something to cheer you up. Driving back from the vet I spotted a beautifully decorated garbage bin outside a neighbour’s house. I know it is really nothing in the overall scheme of things, but if we all did a little something to brighten up our surroundings life could be a lot more pleasant.
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