Local tradesman web searches

[wemorgan]

Of the many tradesman web search pages available, can anyone recommend one over the other?

I'm after a carpenter to lay a wood floor in the Banbury area.

Thanks.

 

[MicB]

Of the many tradesman web search pages available, can anyone recommend one over the other?

I'm after a carpenter to lay a wood floor in the Banbury area.

Thanks.

Word of mouth is the only ''fool proof'' way......not one of our trades people advertise; nor are they listed in any directories.
We have a web site www.bennettgibbons.co.uk which essentially only acts as an on line brochure to which we are able to refer potential clients.

Mic

 

[Charles Morgan]

I have had decent results with RatedPeople, and not very good results with mybuilder. Both unfortunately have too many members who instantly sign up to quote, often without the necessary experience or with the wrong credentials for the job.

 

[Rob77]

I would ask around locally. If you know of, say; a plumber or whatever,call him up and ask for the name of a good joiner. They all know one another.

 

[artyman]

My experience of Checkatrade has been good

 

[A-AvantGarde]

I would ask around locally. If you know of, say; a plumber or whatever,call him up and ask for the name of a good joiner. They all know one another.

+1, also the trade counters (e.g. Electrical wholesalers / Plumbing supplies / Timber merchants) are a good source if new to an area.

I've had success with Rated People too but as Charles Morgan has stated some of the people responding don't appear to be qualified / rated!

 

[wemorgan]

Thanks all. I've filled in Ratedpeople website, so we'll see where that leads. I'll also ask a few neighbours.

In the meantime, does anyone know roughly the £/m^2 for installing wood flooring? (edit: the room is of medium complexity with regards to shape)

 

[Deleted member 6183]

As above, ask the supplier.
I did and found a brilliant guy who has done loads of other work for me.

 

[Whitey]

I've had bad experience of Rated People - 35+ positive reviews for plastering, had to get it partly redone.

Word of Mouth for the win.

 

[wemorgan]

B&Q quoted £35/m^2
1 quote through RatedPeople @ £10/m^2
Recommended carpenter coming next week to quote

 

[ricky s]

Will, as per the other guys, get personal recommendation, and veiw the previous works if need be, although you may strike lucky with these trade co. recommendations, in my experience, getting a friend or aquaintance recommendation is far safer, the tradesperson in question in my eyes is hopefully going to perform for you, as if not, you would be a lost customer as well as the persons that recommended that tradesperson to you, my own business revolves very much along this line, I never take cold calls, too busy, but bend over backwards if recommended by existing clients, all the best with your little project.

 

[wemorgan]

Two weeks on:

The recommend local carpenter visited but has yet to reply with a quote.
Another local carpenter also visited and has yet to reply with a quote.
Another local carpenter fails to answer the phone.

There's a serious risk that I might get my hands dirty and do the job myself at this rate.

Anyone know an affordable and reliable carpenter in West Midlands / N.Oxfordshire area?

 

[Palfrem]

I thought work was scarce.

Or is it a case of the good guys are always busy?

 

[Charles Morgan]

How large is the area Will? A long shot, but a friend of my brother in law is a flooring specialist who normally works for a builder but is finding work quite sparse at present. He is near me, so about an hour from you. He is coming to do some general work for me next week, so I can ask if he would be willing to make a trip.

 

[wemorgan]

How large is the area Will? A long shot, but a friend of my brother in law is a flooring specialist who normally works for a builder but is finding work quite sparse at present. He is near me, so about an hour from you. He is coming to do some general work for me next week, so I can ask if he would be willing to make a trip.

Thanks for the offer Charles.

I have one more carpenter to chase up, but should also fall flat your contact might be useful.

Roughly the job is: 36m^2 for the hall and open plan living/dinning room. The floor is fairly flat but will need levelling compound before the wood is glued to the floor. I wont be having the skirting boards removed, but edging strip used instead to cover the border. Previous carpenters says it is at least 3 days work.

 

[lxi]

I've found tradespeople for the last three jobs I needed via MyBuilder.com - Find Trusted Builders and Tradesmen. Your register (it's free) & post up as much detail as appropriate with an approximate location - wait a day or two & you should get several replies from interested parties, all of whom will have feedback to check out

 

[wemorgan]

Quotes now in. Interesting only one quote recommends a damp proof membrane - which makes sense to my layman eyes.

This is a lesson learnt regarding sold wood floors as the adhesives used are VERY expensive.


Paint damp proof membrane. Bond oak direct to floor.

Cost VAT Total
Materials £600 £123 £736
Labour £700 £138 £830

£1,566

Wood battens fixed to floor. Nail oak floor to batons.

Cost VAT Total
Materials £200 £40 £240
Labour £1,000 £200 £1,200

£1,440

9mm plywood fixed to floor. Bond oak to plywood.

Cost VAT Total
Materials £450 £90 £540
labour £1,000 £200 £1,200

£1,740

Self levelling compound. Bond oak direct to floor

Cost VAT Total
Materials £300 £60 £360
labour £1,000 £200 £1,200

£1,560

 

[Dieselman]

Surely the floor is already damp proofed.

 

[jaymanek]

Id go either first or last... never known anyone to have to put batons down for a wooden floor unless there are issues of height differences.

 

[Charles Morgan]

My builder used battens for my solid oak floor. It saved having to screed the entire ground floor, and a further layer of insulation was put in the voids. It gives the floor a slight spring which I like.

Admittedly, this was a brand new floor dug out to almost a meter.