Wednesday, 16 September 2020

Knowledge and understanding is key (1)



My advice to you, if you don’t understand the building process, and it is a involved and a complicated thing, DON’T SIGN ANY CONTRACT OR APPOINT ANY ONE.  Be careful of any one who claims to be able to project manage or have done a bit of building -  actually run away!
Don’t appoint anyone to design or  draw plans. Especially not if he is family, friends of the family, a member of your church, bowls, golf or any club, before you really understand the process.
Remember  these things I refer to above will cost you a huge amount of money, time and potentially frustration, in worst case scenario’s heart attacks and strokes. The point I am so laboriously trying to make is -  Understand the total and holistic implication of building your home.
Be very scared of these these words: “ WHAT IS YOUR COST PER SQUARE METER”  I mean really, do you go into a car dealership and ask the salesman, “How much is the red Mercedes per square meter”. Duh.



This is how scary this building thing is,



But I have simplified it a bit. (Remember lines are open now if you have any questions, LOL. Contact details in my website).




Ok I am still getting to “ Knowledge and understanding is key”..... but more later.

* Note - If you find the Blog interesting, it makes more sense to read the Blog entries chronologically from the start.

Wednesday, 30 January 2019

BUILDING TERMINOLOGY

If you get involved it is important to communicate with all involved and that means you need to speak their language. It also helps greatly to understand their language. Always keep in mind you will talk to people whose IQ vary from low 60’s to above 150 ( Do one even get IQ’s that high?)
Here are some:


“Readymix”
noun: readymix
pre/ ready-mixed concrete

“Mpa”
The pascal (symbol: Pa) is the SI derived unit of pressure used to quantify internal pressure, stress, Young's modulus and ultimate tensile strength. Important for bricks and concrete density and strength.

“Dpc”
A damp-proof course (DPC) is a barrier through the structure designed to prevent moisture rising by capillary action such as through a phenomenon known as rising damp.

“Brick force”
the steel reinforcing that strengthens a wall. It is placed in the cement between a course of bricks. Brick force is used in every course of the foundations and every course above lintol height.

“Butterfly ties”
A masonry wall tie made from heavy wire in the shape of a figure eight.

“Lintol/lintel”
A horizontal support of timber, stone, concrete, or steel across the top of a door or window.

Jeez this will a boring blog entry, google anything else technical related you come across. 

What construction related words mean in reality
Contractor - A gambler who never gets to shuffle, cut or deal. In other words, an unqualified chancer.
Project manager - Someone who retired from a different occupation such as priest, teacher, civil servant etc. with a phone and internet connection for Google.

Bid - A wild guess carried out to two decimal places and no hope of achieving.
Low Bidder - A contractor who is wondering what he left out.

Engineer's Estimate - The cost of construction in heaven. Also involves a crazy amount of steel.
Strike - An effort to increase egg production by strangling the chicken.
Delayed Payment - A tourniquet applied at the pockets. Promised money you will never see.
Completion Date – A time a contractor use to get a contract, mostly never achieved. Also the point at which liquidated damages on a project begin.
Liquidated Damages - A penalty for failing to achieve the a contractors promise.

Here are stuff you find daily on site but not on Google

“yes”
Used as answer to:  can you do something? ”Yes”  universal answer to everything, rarely the truth. Inevitably resulting in a “oops”

“Oops”
Something went seriously wrong and no solution is evident.

“Sorry”
Normally follow quickly after “oops”
In South Africa  “Eeeish”  also “uhh”
Total lack of understanding of what is being asked or required. Happens often. Can also be synonym for  to, or will pre-empt “Ooops” 

“It’s a fuck up”
Time to leave site, serious chance of not returning.  Time to call in the “Professionals” See earlier blog for Professionals

“It not me” or in Fanagalo “ I am not the one”
Total lack of accountability. Normally used in relation with all the above.

 “Tomorrow”, “next week”
Time related. Any time in the future, probably never.