Why is it so hard to find a good contractor?

[Nigel Watts]

I have been trying for a year to find someone to restore the stucco exterior of my house, without success. I first approached a large firm but after a couple of e-mail exchanges they lost interest.

I then approached a smaller contractor linked to a specialist plastering firm who sent a team of three round to look at the house. I explained what was required and gave them a detailed spec for the work. After much chasing they sent me a one-line quotation for the first phase of work, which is to strip the paint from the stucco. I asked them to provide more details on how they were going to do the paint stripping (to make sure they understood the spec I gave them) and give an indicative estimate and specification for the stucco repair work. After weeks of chasing and numerous promises that they were just about to send me the answers I asked for they finally told me they didn't have the expertise to do the work.

Third attempt was to approach another specialist firm. After several weeks they said their order book was closed until 2012 because they were too busy.

I have now sent the spec off to two more firms - one smallish and another very large. I am not optimistic.

None of my dealings with contractors has ever got as far as a discussion of budgets, so price cannot a factor which is deterring them. The problem I suspect is that the job is too small and too unusual. Although there must be tens of thousands of stucco-fronted houses in London very few owners are interested in a full restoration, let alone one which involves stripping all the paint off, repairing with an appropriate hydraulic lime mix then lime washing.

Any ideas?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Maddening and frustrating. I think London is hard for the customer and good builders can pick and choose their work.

 

[Pford75]

Sadly, it might be easier to find skilled contractors by tendering through an architect or surveyor. Lots of the reallygood builders don't like dealing with 'householders'. Might seem like an unneccessary cost, but you will find a contractor this way

 

[Penners]

The head plasterer there, who repaired Strawb this year

Is he a union man?*

Nigel - in the past I've found my local CO to be quite helpful in suggesting contractors who might carry out work. The CO won't recommend, of course, but I have found them willing to give me a list of contractors who have been used by the council. I reckon this is tantamount to a recommendation.


*Obscure musical reference - I'm sure FF will explain.

 

[worms]

The head plasterer there, who repaired Strawb this year

Is he a union man?*

:lol:

 

[Penners]

Aha! Another Strawbs aficionado.

 

[skier-hughes]

Have you asked SPAB? Just picked the last of my strawbs :wink:

 

[88v8]

Builders don't want to be bothered with unusual jobs, especially if the householder obviously knows enough to detect any bodges. The few builders who are competent are hard to find and very busy. I had a lot of trouble getting someone to build a matching extension to my house.

I know a company which will delicately blast your paint off with plastic medium, they travel all over the UK removing paint from where it shouldn't be - oak beams are a favourite, but also facing brick and stone, and I used them to strip my TR6 bonnet which is easily distorted by careless blasting - but as regards getting the stucco repaired, I reckon the CO or perhaps the National Trust might be a good starting point.

Click on Building Restoration.
http://www.blast-cleaning.co.uk/building.html

Ivor

 

[Moo]

I'm sure there are exceptions, but as a general rule I've found that decent builders and tradesmen always have waiting lists.

 

[Nigel Watts]

Someone has actually called me and is coming to have a look next week. From the phone conversation he seems to know quite a bit about lime. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

I can't remember, so please refresh my memory - did we ever formally establish that the outside of Nigel Towers had originally been lime rendered (rather than Roman cement or some other patent material)?

 

[Nigel Watts]

My stucco dates from 1840 and is probably what would then have been called Roman Cement (I very much doubt that it is what they called Mastic - a superior type of stucco incorporating linseed oil). My potential contractor talked about pozzolans, possible addition of brick dust and other such esoterica. He certainly sounded convincing, but I will find out more next week.

 

[biffvernon]

Just get the book Exterior Stucco Restoration for Dummies and do it yourself.
Or maybe you'll have to do it yourself and then write that book.

 

[Nigel Watts]

I was tempted to try to do it myself but my wife vetoed the idea and told me to get a job which brings in some money. I have done quite a bit of the paint stripping through, where I can reach from a ladder.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I hate to say it but she's right. Chris had a week off recently and did wall washing, wallpapering and wiring. He had a lovely time, and I don't begrudge him a DIY holiday of course, but 5 days at Nomura would have paid for all that and a weekend break in Paris.

You poor men. Whip, whip, whip. Someone has to pay for the FnB wallpaper.

 

[c r]

Hi Nigel

http://www.masonsmortarshop.com/prompt-natural-cement.html

I looked into this product a while back, have posted before about it...You might want to consider looking into this, especially if you diy, but suspect it unlikely many buliders would have knowledge of it...Its not OPC cement based, despite name. Think its the only product available that similar to original 'Roman cements', the closest thing you could get hold of to repair like for like


tech docs:

http://www.romanportland.net/files/doc/cahier-technique_chx-cnp_anglais.pdf


http://www.romanportland.net/files/doc/cahier_technique_cr_cnp_eng.pdf

(particularly section 3&4 of this one )

 

[Nigel Watts]

At last I had a good conversation about lime stucco with a contractor this morning, who proudly showed me his ad on the back cover of one of the Georgian Society's publications. Keeping fingers crossed.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, I hope that works out for you.

 

[Nigel Watts]

I now have a quotation to restore my exterior stucco (stripping all paint layers and patching in hydraulic lime) from a contractor who seems to be a thoroughly knowledgable fellow. Not cheap, but not far off what I was expecting.

He has sent me a colour chart for Earthborn "Ecopro silicate masonry paint". A search on this site on the word "earthborn" has thrown up many favourable comments, but I would be interested in views on whether this would be a suitable substitute for limewash.