PROJECT MANAGEMENT
SITE SUPERVISION
One of the least expensive ways to get your project built, one of the best ways for you to keep control of the quality of work as well as the costs, the best way to prevent the builder cutting corners to the detriment of your project, this is especially true if your undertaking a substantial restoration project. For a successful conservation project its vital that you have experienced and knowledgeable management and tradesmen. Project management gives you far more control and input into how works are performed, allows you access to our wide circle of contacts in the industry, tradesmen and sub-contractors that have the skills to do your job to high standards, all without a builders mark up. . Restoration jobs are always very fluid, one usually does not know what your going to find behind that wall, under that floor, you the owner will often want to change plans or specifications as you see the project develop, project management gives you the flexibility to do that without facing substantial change orders.
We take on project management roles ranging from One hundred thousand to Two million euro, we have the expertise, the managent skills and the tradesmen to run a smooth and efficient building project.
Conservation knowledge and experience is needed throughout the project. Where we are subcontractors on many jobs, we would see on a daily basis, poor decisions being made, inappropriate materials and methodologies, the simple matter is your average contractor wants to get the job done for as little as he can get away with, and move on, the fact is most contractors just don't care enough about historic buildings to do what's right.
SHARED RISK:
Our project management services, offer you an alternative
and cheaper method, one that is being used more these days in the UK and Europe
on conservation jobs. Known in conservation circles as 'Shared Risk Policy'.
This is effectively a project management arrangement, allowing you to get
quality conservation works done for a very reasonable rate. Conservation work is
notoriously difficult to estimate as there are so many unknown issues that one
faces as the project progresses, and the idea is to get the job done reasonably
and fairly to owner and contractor. Pick the right man, the right firm for your
job and your halfway there to a successful project.
The advantage from our perspective is RISK, take away our risk and we work cheaper, we don't need to make a fortune, just a living.
Let me give you some background first to the theory.
When one prices
a conservation job it is necessary to build in contingencies for problems in
executing the works, obviously this can inflate the overall price. Contractors do this
from experience as losing money on conservation work is something we all do too
regularly. While our fixed price for the works gives you comfort it does mean WE
take on a big risk, If you can take away our risk then you could get the job
done a good deal cheaper. Not necessarily cheaper than the lowest bidder on a
tender, but cheaper than the quality builders on the tender.
Our team is a very experienced at conservation work, we are highly skilled in
our trades and we know exactly what should be done and how it should be done,
we’re not guessing or experimenting with your house. We did not spend the 10
years of the Celtic tiger working on housing schemes and bungalows, we worked on
old and historic buildings as we have done for 35 years, we know what we’re at.
You can go hire a regular builder, he may be a fine contractor or tradesman, a good decent
man, but will he understand this type of work? Virtually everything done on old
stone building is or should be done differently, will he know this or will he be
just giving it a lash?
Two of the things you don’t want to hear from
your builder:
First, the “good idea”, this is perhaps the most insidious, the
builder will certainly believe it’s a good idea, but the question is do you want
your house to be experimented on, or would you prefer sound and well researched
conservation methods, old houses are littered with failed “good ideas”.
The second is, “it can be done, I did it before”, the question should not be,
“can it be done”, the important question is “should it be done”.
A well
known conservation engineer once said of a contractor following conservation
specs, “but does he believe in it”, the point being if you don’t really believe
in the methodology because you think there’s nothing wrong with cement for
example, are you going to do it right, or say oh, that will do.
So on
that basis, we
can manage your project in full, or on an a la carte basis. If you like, with you hireing some direct labour and
subcontractors, We can also hire them on our own books as subcontractors at cost
to you. We would also provide you with our own core tradesmen at flat rate
per man per day, plus our other costs and take a flat management fee over and
above.
We can cover the following trades with our own men
Masonry,
plastering, carpentry. This covers stonework, plastering, floors stone and
timber, walls, ceilings, foundations, drainage, roofing, installing windows
doors, glazing, door window hardware insulation.
Depending on the size of
the project a combination of our men, your direct labour and subcontractors
would be the team. Work to be subcontracted: Electrical, plumbing,
heating, manufacture of windows and doors, other specialist works. We can
reduce some of these subcontracting costs by doing some of the work ourselves,
such as mains for water and electric, some first fix plumbing.
We have a
lot of construction equipment available as part of the project management
package:
3, Special Lime mortar paddle mixers, 1.5 meter, a 1 meter and a 750mm
1,
Mortar pump especially adapted for the use of Lime plasters. This is the
equivalent of 2 men plastering
1, three phase generator, for operating on
site equipment
375 CFI compressors to operate stone working equipment, sand
blasting, hemp spraying etc.
3 phase 3000 psi power washer
Various
plastering and stonework tools and equipment
Storage facilities and
containers
Scaffolding for 600 sqm of wall, safety netting
Teleporter
for moving and lifting materials and equipment in and around the site
NOT IN
SERVICE, 20 ton Lorry with Hiab for transporting materials equipment
Van for
transporting men and equipment
2 ton digger for drainage and site works
Multiple kangos, drills, jack hammers
Table saw, planer thickneser, various
woodworking tools and equipment
Welder, power nail guns, grinders
laser
level, transformers, ladders, roof ladders, acros
14ft Trailer, debris
shutes for scaffolding, 50mtrs safety fencing
.FOR A QUOTE or TO DISCUSS OUR SERVICES, PLEASE SEND US AN EMAIL ALONG WITH A FEW PHOTOS OF YOUR PROPERTY
www.OldBuilders.com : CONTACT US HERE