Builders labourer wrecked my layout yesterday

[pedromorgan]

where abouts in UK are you?

if you need a hand i will be free for a few days after christmas.

Peter

[james saunders]

so sad to see a great layout destroyed by concrete dust[:(] i feel for you.

regards james

[howmus]

Steveblackledge, My heart goes out to you! People sometimes just do the dumbest things. But, maybe, from the ashes (dust in this case) may arise an even better, grander and glorious layout (if that is possible. Your work is wonderful!). I would definately go after the contractor for damages! Back in the 1960's I worked for the Phone Company at an X-Y frame office. They finally decided, after years of complaints from workers shorting out 90 volt lines with their hands (with the other one holding onto the metal frame) when it was 105 degrees in the room, to put in air conditioners. The idiots installing them just came in and cut holes in the concrete block walls with no dust seals in place. Phone service was out for days and it took several months of cleaning switches to get it back working well. (We had to use Carbon Tet back then...!?!)

Anyway, I hope this all wroks out for you. Good Luck!

[AggroJones]

Thats sucks. But it sounds like you can take some kind of legal action.

[Anonymous]

Get lots of powerful fans, and blow it out [:p]

[Anonymous]

Sorry to hear that [:(]

[Anonymous]

That'd tick me off bad. I know what you mean about him being a friend, but this a prime example of why you don't do business with friends or family...and church members too.

[steveblackledge]

Had a good think and i'll save most of it, there is just one bit that is a pain to clean so i'll take it carefully apart and re build it incorporating my sons layout, i found out that a 10 ft long tunnel is a real pain to clean out when you only have limited access,, the change will do us some good i think

[SpaceMouse]

I read your post when you first put it up and could not answer it.

I'm sure that there are things about your layout that you would have liked to change. I can remember at least one major change since I've been around. I think you're right that it will not clean-up the way you like it.

I think I would dismantale the layout and clean up what you can. I think I woud tally the parts that are unsalvageble, and give the contractor the bill. They have insurance for that. I would include the tools and bikes as well that cannot be salvaged. IT is one thing to rebuild because they cannot do the work, but it another to assume the finacial burden to correct their mistake.

[ARTHILL]

I shed a tear for you.

[rolleiman]

After visiting the website, I see what a tragety this really is.. I also hadn't realized the 'work' was going on Outside at the time.. I thought they were cutting the Garage floor. I don't know what's left anymore but there is one more thing you could try.. Place something like a nylon stocking over the mouth of the vacuum hose.. Turn the air hose down to a loud rumble, something like 10 psi. While pointing the airhose toward the vacuum hose opening, Lightly blow off the layout a little at a time.. You don't want to send it airborn to resettle, but get it off of the layout so it can be removed with the vacuum. May be worth the one last try..

QUOTE: Originally posted by dave9999

People are always quick to point their finger at contractors... in this case it is
the contractors fault. The guy is responsable for his employee. And if the employee
has no more sense than to aim the saw in the direction of an open garage,
then he needs to be taking orders at Micky D's, not working on someone's home.

I have the impression he would screw that up too... I've had helpers like that.. They weren't employed very long. Unfortunately good help IS hard to find..

QUOTE:
I take care not to damage anyone's property. But, I have had my share of dumb***
helpers. And sometimes they can do really dumb things before you can stop 'em!
Lucky for me, they have never done any serious damage. Good luck with your clean
up/ rebuild. If you do rebuild, hopefully you can salvage most of your layout. Dave

Just like a 2 or 3 year old kid, have to watch them every minute.. Of course, the 3 year old in the photo tour of the layout looks like he has enough sense not to mess up the layout. Maybe He should have been supervising the labourer..

Good luck,
Jeff

[mechanic]

I'm sorry to hear this happened to you.
It must be very disheartening to seemingly have all of that work go down the drain.
:(
Regarding the builders labourer who wrecked your layout: Do you own a gun?

J/K
Eric

[Tom Bryant_MR]

Steve, just looked at your links to your web and train. I really feel for you. You've obviously put a lot of labour and love into that layout. Your misfortune has been a real lesson for many of us. My layout is just starting contruction in the garage and I will find a way to keep the door locked !

BTW, Yes, it's labour ... my wife is English [^]

[John Busby]

QUOTE: Originally posted by steveblackledge

.
time to think about the future now, Robert my 6 yr old wants us to dismantle half of it and re build it to incorporate his layout on the lower level, i think i'll try that, at least i can re use most of the stuff, but only when the house is done.
Later Guys

Hi steveblackledge
Sounds like young Rob is in for some serious Dad time so something good has come out of it.
Treasure it will seem all to soon that Dads car will be of more interest than Dad
Hope you got room for a decent interchange yard between the two railways[:D]
regards John

[trainboyH16-44]

So you've decided to start again because it's too hard to clean up? I''m relly gonna miss your layout...
The detergent bottle, wouldn't that just make a thin impermeable lair of cement?
Matthew

[steveblackledge]

Dave

QUOTE: I have had my share of dumb***
helpers. And sometimes they can do really dumb things before you can stop 'em!

i aggree with you on this one, you can't watch everyone all the time, i have eight men working for me and they amaze me at times with there antics,

[dave9999]

People are always quick to point their finger at contractors... in this case it is
the contractors fault. The guy is responsable for his employee. And if the employee
has no more sense than to aim the saw in the direction of an open garage,
then he needs to be taking orders at Micky D's, not working on someone's home.

I take care not to damage anyone's property. But, I have had my share of dumb***
helpers. And sometimes they can do really dumb things before you can stop 'em!
Lucky for me, they have never done any serious damage. Good luck with your clean
up/ rebuild. If you do rebuild, hopefully you can salvage most of your layout. Dave

[steveblackledge]

Thanks for the kind words and advice here guys, i have had a go at cleaning up, i took the big electric fan from the house and set it to blow out of the door then i got the compressor upto full pressure and let rip with a blow gun. as well as dust flying there went a fair chunk of scenary out the door, when the dust was gone i took the vacume to work and sucked everywhere, more scenary gone again, now there is just the horrible white lines and concrete residue, the structures can be washed in warm soapy water but it's the track thats the problem, i might try a fine squirty bottle of detergent / water to blast the track. As was surgested i may go with a winter scene, i have read reports the Woodlands Scenics snow is good stuff and would be fun to do.
The thing that bite's my butt is i made a small hole for the electric extension to pass through with the door shut, he didn't use this slot and just pulled the door shut to the cable the guy thought he had shut the door but it blew open a bit without him seeing it and that was that, it's amazing how much dust a 9" electric grinder / cutter can make.
Granted it will take time to clean all the other stuff like tools, bikes, and all the other stuff i have hidden below the layout but i'll just get on with it i think, thankfully my new locos and other rolling stock are all safe, boy i would have hit the roof if they had gotten damaged.
time to think about the future now, Robert my 6 yr old wants us to dismantle half of it and re build it to incorporate his layout on the lower level, i think i'll try that, at least i can re use most of the stuff, but only when the house is done.
Later Guys

[trainboyH16-44]

QUOTE: Originally posted by NJfrieght

its the home owners who have to move their stuff out of harms way the builder is there do do a job not play pick up your stuff then go to work maybe next time youll think about what a mess a cut off saw will make . what were you thinking that the concrete dust was going to disapear in to thin air. its cement ,rock,hard to cut .

Wait.....I thought his layout was inside of his house? How can the inside of a person's home become a work site! I know it was the garage, but still! How can you be expected, even if you don't have a MRR in there, to after you move all of your garage clutter out of there, to clean up all that concrete dust!

QUOTE: [i]Originally posted by Monkeyman2[/]i

Ouch... Get alot of those cans of air and blow it all off maybe?

It would just blow up into the air, and settle again. That might be a good way to get it off of sensitive parts, but it's harder to shop vac it out of the air.
Matthew

[selector]

QUOTE: I am afraid big Educations don't nessasaraly mean clever people
regards John

How true! How true! [:D]

[monkeyman2]

Ouch... Get alot of those cans of air and blow it all off maybe? :)

[railroadyoshi]

NOOOOO
Such...wonderful...modeling...gone
I really hope you can salvage it

[John Busby]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pavariangoo

i can imagine that conversation,

Anyway just see what you can get cleaned up because it should not have damaged anything really. just becareful when cleaning


pavariangoo

So can I
From when I had words with the Division Engineer after he was responsible for when a ceiling dropped on my "N" gauge layout.
It was not pretty when he was dumb enough to suggest I sue my employer and got told he was personally responsible not my employer and I would take up his suggestion with the responsible party namely him if it was not sorted out quickly efficiently and too my satisfaction.
As you can guess there is more too it than I am prepared to say on this forum
other than it was the second time it had happened through no fault of mine.
And I have a long memory as he found out when he came to farewell us before he left town and I bought my own house
I am afraid big Educations don't nessasaraly mean clever people
regards John

[Anonymous]

i can imagine that conversation,

Anyway just see what you can get cleaned up because it should not have damaged anything really. just becareful when cleaning


pavariangoo

[John Busby]

Hi steveblackledge
I would be looking at having some serious words with the builder.
I don't think I would be taking things so calmly.
You should have some avenue for recompense under trade practices law.
I would think.
The [censored] labourers job should certainly be a casualty.
He should have had the sense to shut the door so that the clients property
was to some degree protected.
The building company should clean up the mess and pay for all damaged parts if that means all switches and electrics so be it and anything else that gets broken in the clean up.
After all it was the company employee that did the damage.
The client may have too move property out of the way of the Work Site and cover what cannot be moved
That however DOES NOT in any way remove from the builder the duty of care
to proved a safe environment for the clients and the clients property this has clearly not been done the dust is dangerous and damaging to the health and property
of the client and the builder has a responsibility to keep the dust down.
It has been stated by some one who knows about these things that it is as simple as a water feed to the machine I would be asking as the first question why this was not done and why the other simple step of closing the door was not taken.
regards John

[SSW9389]

Hey, I'm a contractor who owns a concrete saw. The thing works best with water, it cools the cutting blade. It keeps the dust down and makes clean up way easier. Someone either wasn't thinking or in a hurry to get 'er done. Concrete dust as others have said is a mess, hard to remove, abrasive, and can be toxic to breathe.

[Anonymous]

[#ditto]

i agree

[Eriediamond]

QUOTE: Originally posted by NJfrieght

its the home owners who have to move their stuff out of harms way the builder is there do do a job not play pick up your stuff then go to work maybe next time youll think about what a mess a cut off saw will make . what were you thinking that the concrete dust was going to disapear in to thin air. its cement ,rock,hard to cut .

For lack of better terms, that is the most stupidest thing I've heard. A contractor has a moral and professional obligation to inform the home owner of the work to be done and what a home owner needs to do to protect his property during the construction proccess. Clearly, the contractor failed to monitor the work being done and his opligation to the home owner. Repectfully, Ken

[Anonymous]

are things getting hot in here???

thats a bit much isnt it? how do u move a layout?