Has anyone completed a carpentry project in another country? By “another” I mean one other than the one where you usually work.
My daughter and son in law (and grandkids) live in Scotland and are going to begin conversion of an attic into a second floor loft. This will be a huge and expensive undertaking so they would like me to come over and do some of it, e.g. the stairs, room framing and drywall. I’m sure they will sub the wiring and plumbing. If this were in the USA I would have no concern about my abilities to complete the job, but doing it abroad, I’m not so sure. I can’t bring power tools (UK voltage is 220). Codes are different. Local practice will be different. Supplies will be different (do they use joist hangers in the UK??? Does Simpson make them???). And so forth.
So my question is: Does anyone have experience doing carpentry in a different environment like this? What problems did you encounter? I think there are some UK/US transplants on BT, and I’d especially like to hear from them.
Replies
Hi there penob, things do indeed work a little differently this side of the pond(Ireland here) but all in all carpentry is ever universal, no reason why your tools wont work here, what you need is a transformer which you can buy or hire.....and just change over the leads on your powertools to plugs that can be bought here (I have mucho American tools from the net and most work fine, saws, compressors etc) some of the higher ampage gear might be sticky but skillsaws and drills etc are n/p.It might be wise to employ a structural engineer as an advisor just so as to ensure the spec is up to standard/code. Scotland is beautiful anytime of the year....be a great working holiday
I haven't got the first clue about the ansers to your questions, but if you need any hired help, I'll gladly clear my calendar. You can take me with you.
Unless you're the lead dog, the view just never changes.
It is like doing work in any part of the country (USA) that is far from home. The supplies available will be different, the terms for supplies and tools will be different and methods will be different. Other than that, everything is the same.
Be prepared for a learning curve. Find the bar where the local tradespeople hangout. For the cost of a few anecdotes, a few beers and a few games of darts you might be able to get some jewels of information. There may be some initial resentment, since you are the rich american who could/ should hire them.
Tool and material suppliers will also have a wealth of information.
BTW, I would not bring my own tools. The cost of transporting them, "loosing" them and getting a transformer would be too great.
Frankie
There he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.
—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
PenobscotMan,
Look carefully at the cost and supply of wood in Scotland.. the prices they pay will shock you!
I do have a couple of friends who went over with the wood they needed and got an exemption from VAT and import taxes as a culteral exchange program.. They supplied the wood and skilled labor and had the local school provide the grunts as tradeschool candidates..
They made it sound easy to do but since they are there and not here I can't ask the details..
They did mention that they brought woods like Soft Maple and Eastern white pine, black walnut and woods that aren't common there..
Well... Don't know anything about Europe, but I've done work in 2 latin american countries... Spent 3 months in the Dominican Republic, and I am currently in Peru.
Down here yeah, things are a lot different......wood is costly, and everything is masonry. Even masonry is done differently. They work with very few and improvised tools too, but still seems to put out some quality craftmanship (some is the key)
Bring your power tools, cause it may be hard to get them or expensive---
I have to use a transformer for everything, but they are realatively cheap.
Bring the tools you are used too, cause some times it is hard to relearn with new stuff when your in an under pressure/ get it done environment.
I think meeting the local tradespeople/ contractors would be helpful too---find out where they hang.
Oh yeah, and I bet the use metric there too, so get a tape with standard/and metric so that your Subs won't be entirely lost!
I have a lot of difficulty convincing that proper tools make things go smoother, cause here tools are expensive and labor is CHEAP --
Don't be too afraid, think it through, and have your family over there do some investigating, and get over there and DO IT! And have a blast too!
When in doubt, get a bigger hammer!
Well, on the bright side, at least you speak the same language.Well, um, no, not quite.
I had a buddy who did a carpentry stint in France. It took him a while to get used to using metric system and their standard dimensions, especially for sheet goods, which were similar but different enough to take some getting used to. Didn't Norm and the This Old Piece of Sh#t House do an urban project in London a few years ago?
Another friend did two years with the Peace Corps in Papua New Guinea. They built a guest house and a school in some coastal village. Bamboo studs, grass walls and banana leaves for a roof. No power tools, just a machete, a rock and a few vines for fasteners, not much different from a few of the sheds I've seen posted hereabouts.
Red
When I left the UK skillsaws were unheard of - a carpenters' kit consisted of a hammer, folding tape measure, a handsaw, a bellybrace, and a chisel that did duty as a screwdriver (or was it the other way around?). In 30 years they've only added the skillsaw. Don't worry, there's B&Q (HD lookalike or offshoot), and, yes, lumber is twice the price of here (and isn't 'dressed'), but tools aren't that much more. Buy the minimum of tools there, if there's a problem you can exchange at the supplier. You'll have fun trying to guess how they can do without the tools we take for granted!
Gas will knock you back - $8 per gallon! You buy in litres but drive in miles, and weigh in kilos that are priced in lbs.
Drywall isn't - it's called plasterboard, and you use scrimcloth to cover the joints, then everything is plastered over. The electrical you won't want to touch - one 30amp 'ringmain' around the house, with outlets in that 'main' (each plug has its own fuse, usually 13 amp - even for the curling-iron), and it's all so clunky. Not a 'cord' but a 'flex' to your tools.
Otherwise framing is the same, but expect things like purlins and ledgers, and perhaps RSJs (rolled steel joists). A lot of lumber is pressure treated, so watch for 'splinters'. Metric is order of the day and a good old 2x4 is 104x51 mm, or thereabouts.
I won't tell you any Brit-speak, it'll be Scottish anyway so you'll have to keep asking what they said (and I know of one movie where the regional Scottish's accent was so strong they had to dub it for the rest of Scotland to understand!) Oh, they're not Scotch - that's a drink - they're Scottish or Scots.
Have fun - there's some beautiful places up there, gorgeous scenery, and ancient buildings....
ciao for niao
To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.
I've poked around "timber yards" in Scotland, and yes, the prices are shocking. The wood looked pretty cruddy as well. I'm not sure if I've been in B&Q - but I did go into another big box type store and was disappointed at the quality of the tools. They were more in the handyman mode that the tradesman style. One of the posters said I should bring my own tools, cut off the ends, put in plugs for local wiring and get a transformer. I think in the end it might be easier to buy local and chalk it up to the cost of the job.
I'm OK with metric. The price of gas -- whooee! Things seem to cost in pounds there what they cost in dollars here, despite the fact that a dollar is only worth about 60 p. However, everything comes with free health care attached, so I shouldn't complain. When I pay the VAT I feel that I'm paying for my grandchildrens' education.
I need to find some books in the UK that are like the Taunton books - on framing, plastering, etc., in order to learn more about local practice.