stupid diy tv shows?

[AdamW]

Where exactly is the line where Western Europe becomes Central Europe, and where that becomes Eastern Europe?

I used to love winding up French students by insisting that because the bulk of France is further east than England, France is therefore poor and backward.

If you look, Italy extends just as far east as the Czech Republic, and overlaps such places as Bosnia, Slovakia, Hungary.

And Greece goes further east than Latvia, and I wouldn't describe Greece as Eastern Europe...

Makes me wonder if the "East/West" label has little to do with latitude.

 

[AdamW]

CIA world factbook reckons Latvia is Eastern Europe, but Greece is Southern Europe. If I get really bored, I might draw a map defining where the CIA reckon the different bits of Europe are.

 

[werealldoomed]

draw a map to show the CIA where their their own *rseholes are.

 

[werealldoomed]

- and the availability of cheap tradesmen from eastern Europe

wonder what the quality's like?

 

[felix]

Here's a few more observations about DIY programs.

1) They rarely show you anybody doing the difficult bits. How many times have you seen a painter cutting in around a door frame. Try doing that with a dirty great roller.

2) They're careful not to reveal their bodges but I caught one. Some plonker had just painted a pine kitchen unit door with lurid green Cuprinol but that wasn't the bodge. They accidently showed the back to the camera. What a horrible streaky mess; and they were going to leave it like that?

3) They don't always finish the job. In one program the Changing Rooms mob decided that a high kitchen cupboard would be a great place for a TV - as long as it could run on no power that is!

4) Given half a chance they wreck the place. One foolish house owner left a perfectly good varnished wood, spindle back chair in the room. Somebody painted it with bright blue gloss (but no undercoat) and added "If they don't like it they can always get some paint stripper and take it off again". Has that moron ever tried this?

I watched the first episode of Honey I Ruined the House with some interest. At last, here was somebody warning us that DIY was not as easy as those other programs made out. So what did she do in the very first house? Painted all the furniture the same colour as the walls!

Has anybody else noticed something about DIY SOS recently. They don't do much DIY now. They spend most of the program throwing stuff around like a bunch of cowboys. Perhaps they've watched so many DIY programs that they think that's how it's done!

Here are a few of my own DIY observations that the program makers might like to address:

1) When putting up shelves on a brick wall, at least one fixing hole will go straight into an outsized, crumbling mortar joint.

2) When putting up shelves on a stud partition wall, at least one fixing hole will hit a plasterboard nail.

3) At least one radiator pipe will end up directly over a joist.

4) Walls are never upright, floors are never level and there's no such thing as a right angled corner.

5) Your last roll of wallpaper will run out leaving you with a one inch wide strip of bare wall.

6) As soon as you've finish glossing the window sill the cat jumps on it.

7) The door that was perfectly flat in the shop will have warped on the way home.

8) Just when you have the screw almost tight the head shears off.

9) No matter how you plan your house extension the soil stack will be in the way.

10) DIY is 90% preparation and 100% perspiration.

Please feel free to add your own.

PS: And finally, some advice to those who like to 'theme' their rooms. The correct bottle of shampoo for any bathroom is the one ASDA are selling half price!

 

[kendor]

Come on it's TV! do you expect reality? if all shows had to comply to reality then no-one would watch them as they would be terribly boring(are they complying already? ) besides they'd have trouble keeping to schedule( each shot can take time to setup, lighting and camera rigging etc. )

 

[ohmygodwhathaveyoudone]

back to the original post then I spent ALL DAY sanding/filling/smoothing over the fire place as I said to the wife thats the focal point of the room & its got to be as flat as glass The wife replies "ITS O.K. I'VE DECIDED TO HANG A PICTURE THERE NOW" trial seperation springs to mind

 

[kendor]

It doesn't matter, what does is that you took pride in your work to do a proper job regardless of it now being covered up somewhat, the trouble today is that too many "tradesmen" as well as DIY'ers cut corners to save time with the attitude that it won't be seen so don't worry about it!
give yourself a slap on the back and maybe in the future who knows your masterpiece will be revealed again
Just wish more had your attitude.

 

[Richardp]

The article I read said that more people are now hiring tradespeople to do the work.

Finally !

Hopefully the 'cowboys' don't get wind of this and spoil it again for the proper/honest/hardworking/dedicated to service tradespeoples

The article I read gave 4 reasons...

- over 66% finally admit they are no good at DIY
- houses are being devalued because of poor DIY
- number of emergency hospital admissions has grown massively
- and the availability of cheap tradesmen from eastern Europe

Well I reckon its time we sent then all back where they came from, especially the bent, dark, left wing ones, that support the EU. What do you reckon Richard?

I reakon your dead right Dave, if thats your bag. you is da man!

 

[WoodYouLike]

Here are a few of my own DIY observations that the program makers might like to address:

4) Walls are never upright, floors are never level and there's no such thing as a right angled corner.

Ahhhh, is that the problem Poh, what a relief, I thought it was my crummy circular- and jig- saw messing up the wooden floor every time

 

[ohmygodwhathaveyoudone]

When I lived down south my first house was a new build never again,the door on the bathroom was hung the wrong way round,the kitchen worktop finished short of the boiler as not to cover it(access was from the front),uneven walls,all the doors stuck,hairline cracks in ceilings etc....I know a house has to settle but 5yrs later still had cracks appearing in the plaster coving covering of turf in the garden on top of rubble

 

[WoodYouLike]

When I lived down south my first house was a new build

Build by DIY-builders ?

 

[ohmygodwhathaveyoudone]

yeah laing homes

 

[WoodYouLike]

Hooray ! Property Ladder and Selling Houses are back on the telly! (well, from next week anyway).
Looking forward to those shows again
(Although, her from Property ladder does have some good point sometimes, but Selling houses is just cr*p)

Oh and with regards to DIY-builders, Fairview's done it again: sold garages with their £200.000 houses in Ashford which can't hold any cars = to small ! !
Comment of sales-office: well, the dimensions were mentioned on the specs

 

[AdamW]

Although, her from Property ladder does have some good point sometimes,

Especially when it's cold.

Want bitty.