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Winterheart
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@winterheart
Join Date: 2007
Post Count: 11
November 2, 2007 - 11:35 pm
Renovating an existing motorhome would be distinctly easier, as all the essentials are already in place, eg wiring for 12/240, plumbing for fresh and waste, storage etc.
If you were to convert a bus over, you would need to get all the fixtures and fittings, plumbing, electrical etc etc done, which would work out more expensive. The flipside of this is that you would be able to choose what you want, where you want it and so on.
At the end of the day, it comes down to what you want and what you're prepared to pay for it.
Just my thoughts, comments and opinions. Cheers
Winterheart
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@winterheart
Join Date: 2007
Post Count: 11
November 2, 2007 - 11:29 pm
As you have already said you don't want to stamp it or paint it, the only other options I know of are to tile it, or get some chemical cleaning done. The chemical cleaning will for lack of a better description strip the upper most layer of the concrete off to expose fresh white concrete.
Just my thoughts, comments and opinions. Cheers
Winterheart
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@winterheart
Join Date: 2007
Post Count: 11
November 2, 2007 - 11:25 pm
(I posted in your doublepost of this thread, so thought I'd copy paste into this one too)
OK, as a tiler I have some bad news for you. There is no way to fix the issue of no fall on the bathroom floor other than to rip it up and redo it all. The builder who did the work should be contacted and made to rectify the work under warranty, as being a wet area it must be screeded and a fall built into the base prior to tiling.
That said, you may have some issues with the builder if screeding wasn't specified in the initial quote, though any remotely decent tiler should have known that they would need a sand cement base would be required and screeded prior to tiling. In addtion to this, what sort of undertile waterproofing was carried out as well? If there was no waterproofing carried out, again, you may have troubles further down the track.
You *may* be able to get away with a base laid over the existing tiling, but considering that the last time I looked at the standards the minimum specified bed thickness was 25mm, laying a new bed over the existing tiling will result in a very very thick base (allowing 25mm bed + approx 7mm for original tiles + approx 7mm for new tiling) will cause more potential for problems than ripping up the old work, relaying the bed and doing the screeding.
I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but it's the only thing that can be done to fix the problem. Good luck with it.
Just my thoughts, comments and opinions. Cheers
The above post is my comments, thoughts and opinions only and should not be used in place of professional advice from persons qualified in the particular area you need.
Winterheart
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@winterheart
Join Date: 2007
Post Count: 11
November 2, 2007 - 11:15 pm
OK, first things first, was the person who was chatting running a business offering or giving financial advice in return for consideration or attempting to influence someone to do something? If yes, then they should have an AFS licence unless exempted under the statute.
Secondly, if they should have a licence and fail to do so, they leave themselves open to prosecution under the Corporations Act, not to mention the TPA. The government has these statutes in place for consumer protection for a reason.
Thirdly, the person who was chatting with you about the negative gearing may leave themselves open to a negligent misstatement action under civil law if they provide services or advice which is later relied on and causes a loss to another party. The reason most people employed in the financial services sector won't chat willy nilly is because of the risks inherent in doing so, eg see my above statement.
Fourth, as posted above, most people on forums will offer opinions on a matter, however this *may* also result in a claim for damages due to advice being relied upon and losses incurred. AFAIK there hasn't yet been a precedent involving online advice brought before the judiciary as yet, but if it hasn't yet happened then it's only a matter of time.
Fifth, also as posted above, always seek professional advice from people licenced to operate in the particular area of interest. This gives you significantly more protection if things don't work out.
The above are my thoughts, comments and opinions only. If you need advice on specific matters, consult a licenced professional within the field you need. Cheers
Winterheart
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@winterheart
Join Date: 2007
Post Count: 11
November 2, 2007 - 7:55 am
As mentioned above, the costs will vary depending on numerous factors including tiles used, fixtures and fittings used, amount of work required in the reworking of the plumbing etc etc. I don't know any tradies up sydney way, but I would hazard a guess that from what you've described a starting budget of $5000 wouldn't be out of the ballpark, and most likely higher.
As for recommendation of tradies up that way, maybe consider another thread asking specifically for recommendations of tradies and or companies that other forum members have dealt with?
Just my thoughts, comments and opinions. Cheers
Winterheart
Member
@winterheart
Join Date: 2007
Post Count: 11
November 2, 2007 - 7:49 am
OK, as a tiler I have some bad news for you. There is no way to fix the issue of no fall on the bathroom floor other than to rip it up and redo it all. The builder who did the work should be contacted and made to rectify the work under warranty, as being a wet area it must be screeded and a fall built into the base prior to tiling.
That said, you may have some issues with the builder if screeding wasn't specified in the initial quote, though commonsense should have dictated that they would know that a sand cement base would be required and screeded prior to tiling. In addtion to this, what sort of undertile waterproofing was carried out as well? If there was no waterproofing carried out, again, you may have troubles further down the track.
I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, but it's the only thing that can be done to fix the problem. Good luck with it.
Just my thoughts, comments and opinions. Cheers
Winterheart
Member
@winterheart
Join Date: 2007
Post Count: 11
October 11, 2007 - 11:07 am
I'm not an expert in the area, but from my limited knowledge you should be able to also sue them for breach of contract as well as there is clear proof that all the basic requirements for a contract to be valid are present in the form of the contract of sale. In addition, the court may be able to issue an order for specific performance in addition to damages ifwhen you are successful with the suit.
Just my thoughts, comments and opinions.
Cheers and good luck
Winterheart
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@winterheart
Join Date: 2007
Post Count: 11
October 10, 2007 - 12:09 pm
I've spent a substantial amount of time in that general area early last year and I would recommend away from it, it's got a reputation for being a bit rough for a reason.
Just my thoughts, comments and opinions.
Cheers
Winterheart
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@winterheart
Join Date: 2007
Post Count: 11
October 10, 2007 - 11:56 am
I know of one female in the brickies trade in Melbourne. Other than that, I know one female tiler, also in Melbourne. I did know of a female sparky in canberra but last I heard she'd dropped out of the apprenticeship.
Cheers
Winterheart
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@winterheart
Join Date: 2007
Post Count: 11
October 10, 2007 - 11:33 am
OK, the following is my opinion and thoughts on this entire thread and the subject it covers
:
Firstly, as with all levels of society, trades have their share of ethical issues and interpersonal relationship problems. If you have a problem with a particular tradesperson, talk with them about it first in a calm rational manner. You would be surprised how often something that simple can help avoid or minimise problems.
Secondly, plumbers and electricians are licenced trades for a reason. If any old person could wire up a house or do the complete sewerage works, how many more accidents and issues do you reasonably think would occur? Guess what, 240v kills, and so does massively unhygienic situations! My father was a sparky and he had numerous issues with doing the 240v dance after morons who thought they were sparky's screwed with the wiring!
Thirdly, I'm guessing no-one seems to be a student of basic economics, namely the rule of supply and demand. Given the overfocus on university grade education for the last couple of decades, is it any wonder that the trades are stretched thin now? And what do you think it will be like in another 5-10 years when the older very experienced tradies decide to retire?
Fourth, if you want a good job done by a good tradie, ask around your friends and acquaintances. The best tradies I know of all get their work by word of mouth, they haven't advertised in years and don't need to! They also charge a reasonable fee for their skills and experience, eg. one of the tiler's I've worked with charged a minimum of $60/hr but he was able to actually back it up with the sheer quality and speed of his work.
Fifth, in terms of insurance, if you get dodgy work done and you later have a problem, a number of insurance contracts I've read have a nice little disclaimer about work that isn't up to the required australian standards gives the insurance company a nice little escape clause, namely, you're not covered!
Sixth, in terms of tradies having a chip on their shoulder, with some of the attitudes I've been reading in this thread, is it really any surprise that they may not necessarily be as unctuous to you as you want them to be? If you spent years doing your best in your particular career and you were constantly put down and considered to have a lower IQ, don't you think that might just unconciously get to you after a while? As has been proven just reading through this thread, there seems to almost be some sort of hatred towards the trades in some respects. Jeepers people, try and develop some sort of empathy and understanding for each other (and I direct this to everyone!).
Seven, if you were a sparky or a plumber and you got called out in the middle of the night or on a weekend, don't you think you deserve some sort of recompense for doing so? If you were a banker and got called to attend the bank and work on a saturday or a sunday, do you think you would do that for say $20 an hour? Again, this point comes back to supply and demand.
Eight, yes, the trades do as a whole have their fair share of shonksters, but guess what, so does the rest of society. I have known a number of tradies who would do a totally half baked job simply so they could go home and drink or do whatever. Those same tradies are no longer in the trades and are working in the manufacturing and related industries instead. Again, this comes back to word of mouth which works both ways – builders won't use tradies they know are dodge, and if enough other people know it outside of the trade as well, they find themselves with insufficient work so they leave the industry.
Nine, have you considered the fact that the trades are for the most part the only one's who will help you maintain your portfolio or your income other than yourself and your financial provider? It makes sense to me even if it doesn't seem to make sense to anyone else that if you find a good tradie, then keep with that tradie – the ongoing relationship will ultimately be of benefit to both parties, and it gives you another avenue to find more good tradies.
At the end of the day I guess that human nature will prevail over all else which in some respects is a sad indictment of us as a whole.
Just my thoughts, comments and opinions
Winterheart
Member
@winterheart
Join Date: 2007
Post Count: 11
October 10, 2007 - 9:52 am
To the original poster, the first thing you need to do is to ascertain what the cause of the leak is. If it's a leaking pipe then you need to get it fixed before worrying about the tiling.
If it's cracked grout and you're prepared to put in a fair few hours of elbow grease, get a grout remover and remove some or all of the grout (bare minimum of the grout that has already cracked and a range in each distance past the cracked area as well), clean the area up (a vacuum helps a lot!) then regrout.
If you're keen, you can also remove all the grout in the entire area and regrout the whole thing (this will also assist in terms of getting colours all matching – old grout tends to be discoloured to a degree and you can't colour match it perfectly).
If it is a cracked tile or tiles, your only real option will be to remove the grout surrounding those tiles, gently and carefully remove the broken tiles (be careful as they're sharp), clean the substrate and prepare a new tile to be fixed in place of the broken one.
Your other options are to get the entire enclosure sealed, or to do the complete renovation of the bathroom at the time. If you are going to completely renovate, make sure you use a substrate material like cement sheeting that won't be affected by water if the worst happened with the new bathroom. Secondly, make sure you use at least a double coat of a waterproof membrane material over the top of a bead breaker on the joins (aka line of silicone along all the joins PRIOR to any waterproof membrane being laid) then put an initial layer of waterproofer down with reinforcement in the corners (matting or the like). Allow this layer to dry at least 1hr depending on ambient conditions, then apply a second waterproofing layer ontop of the first. Aim for an approximately 2mm membrane on each layer to ensure a good seal. Allow the membrane to cure for at least 24hrs before using a good quality adhesive over the membrane for tiling. Something like Ardex Superflex premixed would be a good membrane.
When purchasing the adhesive, make sure it is a flexible based adhesive, ie it must be polymer based, or cemetitious based with a polymer agent added. Ardex D2 or X56 springs to mind. Once the tiles are set, allow at least 24hrs for the adhesive to cure before you grout. For grouting, it's your call in terms of colours etc. When grouting, don't make your grout sloppy, keep it firm and damp, but not wet. If you do make your grout too wet, add more grout to the mix, a little at a time, till it firms up. When grouting the tiles, grout on a 45 degree angle to the space, this way you will force the grout all the way down into the gap and use less effort to grout the area. Once you've grouted, clean up any grout that is left on top of the tiles with a damp cloth or sponge before it dries, you can also use the sponge to tidy up the grouting a little if needed. Also, don't grout into the very bottom of the joins of walls etc – use Silicone sealant here as if there is any movement of the structure then your grout shouldn't crack and you will generally still retain water proof enclosure.
Hope this helps somewhat.