DIY disastersI just can't do power tools. They always fly out of control and end up embedded somewhere they shouldn't. I've no idea how I've still got all the appendages I was born with.
Add to that the fact that nothing ends up square, able to support weight or free of sticking-out sharp bits and you can see why I try to avoid DIY.
Tell us of your own DIY disasters.
(
chthonic, Thu 3 Apr 2008, 17:19)
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Bright sparkMy dad has a few rental properties that he owns but there is one that he dosent have any more.....
A rew years back my parents were woken up one night with a phone call from the fire brigade to inform them that the x street flats were on fire.
Luckily the fire brigade got there quickly and put it out before the whole place was destroyed and everyone got out safley. However serious damage had been done to the rear flat.
Subsiquent investigations revealed that the fire started in a socket at the bottom of the stairs. It was an old house with matchwood and plaster walls so it didnt take much for it to go.
It turns out that the TWUNT of a tenant had decided that he needed a socket at the bottom of the stairs. Did he ask the landlord ? no. did he get an electrician to do the job ? no.
How hard can it be ? just 3 wires to run behind the skirting board to the stairs right?
It may have of been ok if not for the old missmatched wrong sized wires he had found. Correctly terminating the cables so they dont arc is also a fucking good idea.
The first my dad knew of this was when he got the fire report a few days later citing it as the cause. "What socket" he cried upon reading the report.
Next the insurance company refused to pay out as the socket hadnt been installed by a registered electrician. It took a lot of letters and an eventual admission by the former dickhead tenant before they stumped up the cash.
Of course the insurance dosent cover loss of income from the 2 flats( smoke damage to front flat). All this is just 3 months before my dad was due to retire. This stress took a serious toll on his health and he has never really been the same since.
Apologies for lack of humor but this was a disaster for our family with ongoing issues.
I can post some pics if anyone is interested
(, Wed 9 Apr 2008, 8:59, 2 replies)
Yes please.A picture of your dad with a sad face, like this:
:(
(, Wed 9 Apr 2008, 9:47, closed)
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