Flat Re-Wire

[Gaj1]

First real post:
Doing a complete re-wire on a 2nd storey flat. Was orinially a large 1850 house and has been converted into 8 flats.
Flat is big, 3 bed, kitchen, bathroom, lounge, dining room. Area roughtly about 170sqm.
Walls are lime plaster (2-3" thick in places), some walls are solid concrete plaster. Most switches/sockets/JB's and rewirable CU oozing the green gunk. Some sockets still wired in lead wiring !
20 Sockets, 5tv and cat5 sockets, 8 light sockets, 11 wall lights, 5 pendants (surface mounting cable on ceiling (12ft up!)) + standard kitchen setup.
All sockets and switches are new chases (using hammer and chisel as my sds seems to demolish the existing plaster!) at reg heights, wall lights 6/7ft up and have all been sheathed.
No access to flat above or below so all runs under floor lifting numerous boards, drilling joists ang noggins and fishing/drilling behind high skirting.
This has been a dog of a job, So far its taken me 11 days (3 of which there were 2 of us.)
Have yet to 2nd fix, put new CU on and remove old cabling - suspect another 5 days for this... totalling 19 man days for the job.
Reading the other posts on re-wires it seems excessive .. is it ? Would be interested on your thoughts.
Cheers

 

[GLENNSPARK]

get on with it then....
keep us posted of course...pics of 1st and 2nd would be nice as well....

 

[aido11]

The joys of domestic work, some jobs are a piece of p*ss and some are nightmares. Keep gettin stuck in and keep the faith.

 

[telectrix]

so if you've priced it right, around £4500 + materials, no problem.

 

[thekingiam]

doing 3 bed house on my own total so far 14 days, taking my time toget it ready for inspection plus occupied.
done cu change,2 bedrooms ,conservatory and middle room sockets.recon another week to finish.

 

[Guest55]

Excessive ? nah , did a listed cottage rewire few years back and it took 10 days for 3 sparks just to first fix.
Pepple dash render , rotten joists , weak brickwork - we had it all lol.
job from hell.

 

[Guitarist]

Ignore the "rewire in a day" brigade mate. If you are doing a quality job and working hard then it will take as long as it takes. As already said, every job is different.

 

[sedgy34]

First real post:
Doing a complete re-wire on a 2nd storey flat. Was orinially a large 1850 house and has been converted into 8 flats.
Flat is big, 3 bed, kitchen, bathroom, lounge, dining room. Area roughtly about 170sqm.
Walls are lime plaster (2-3" thick in places), some walls are solid concrete plaster. Most switches/sockets/JB's and rewirable CU oozing the green gunk. Some sockets still wired in lead wiring !
20 Sockets, 5tv and cat5 sockets, 8 light sockets, 11 wall lights, 5 pendants (surface mounting cable on ceiling (12ft up!)) + standard kitchen setup.
All sockets and switches are new chases (using hammer and chisel as my sds seems to demolish the existing plaster!) at reg heights, wall lights 6/7ft up and have all been sheathed.
No access to flat above or below so all runs under floor lifting numerous boards, drilling joists ang noggins and fishing/drilling behind high skirting.
This has been a dog of a job, So far its taken me 11 days (3 of which there were 2 of us.)
Have yet to 2nd fix, put new CU on and remove old cabling - suspect another 5 days for this... totalling 19 man days for the job.
Reading the other posts on re-wires it seems excessive .. is it ? Would be interested on your thoughts.
Cheers[/QUOTE

depends what your up against!! and you are up against it lol

 

[Gaj1]

Thanks for the comments. Just needed a bit of re-assurrance I guess! Been doing this new career for 18mnths now (20+ yrs in IT) and this is the biggest job I have subbied to .. Boss was getting a bit shirty on length of time taken - I feel better now - at £10ph I thought it was value for money 8-5 + a few late ones - terrible pay but i'm still learnin the practical side - done the exams at college over 6mnths.

 

[Guitarist]

£10 per hour? It sounds like your Boss has probably allowed for x amount of hours at £40 per hour and he can see his profit margin diminishing the longer you take.

 

[OhmSweetOhm]

Is it just me that's thinking 18 months in the trade and 6 months worth of college seems very little experience to be doing a full rewire?

 

[trev]

Is it just me that's thinking 18 months in the trade and 6 months worth of college seems very little experience to be doing a full rewire?

A couple of years into my apprenticeship I was told one morning that I'd be doing a rewire with my mentor but with me calling the shots. Obviously Bill was there as a safety net but vou can imagine the pressure for an 18 year old.
Some people take to it like a duck to water mate. Some will never be capable or competent as long as they have a hole in their backsides

 

[Guitarist]

Agreed Trev, everyone's different. I've known sparkys who I wouldn't trust to fit a socket in my home without supervision.

 

[trev]

My own brother in law is a spark and I wouldn't trust him to turn the bloody light on mate

 

[Gaj1]

I did most of the chasing and sheathing, most of the cable runs were with assistance .. its easier with two ! Its all quite straightfoward though isn't it and would be confident to do it alone - its meerely the time it took that was worrying me. Second fix is the 'trickier bit' - not sure whether i'm on that though - possibly not. The boss and his guy have seen whats been done, and are ok with it all - they can see all the grief in the job but am bound to be slowerer as they have 30yrs between them - getting behind skirting when theres a floorboard, brick and steel in the way was a learner ! I'm not 18 either - over 40 with family so am aware of the importance of safety and not cutting corners. Testing will show up any problems - then it could be my arse - will keep you posted..
Thanks again.

 

[Guitarist]

Basically, they are getting you to do all the "sweaty" work for £10 per hour, then giving you grief for being too slow....
Sounds like a great deal

 

[Gaj1]

I know but am still learning and appreciative of the work to be honest !

 

[thekingiam]

doing 3 bed house on my own total so far 14 days, taking my time toget it ready for inspection plus occupied.
done cu change,2 bedrooms ,conservatory and middle room sockets.recon another week to finish.

another week and still not finnished!
going on holiday for the weekend.