My Other Dumper
Truck is a Porche
The following first appeared within a series released by
Cavity Trays of Yeovil as part of its Site Works reports. It deals with the
Site Agents point of view and the need of ongoing adherence to specification.
A dumper truck bearing an unusual sticker passed the other
day, and it reminded me of a colleague who runs a car assessory shop. He
informs me he sells literally thousands of key ring fobs every year and the
most popular are the ones bearing the names of performance automobiles such as
Porche and Aston Martin. He could only think those manufacturers were producing
twenty-fold more cars than the declared car sales figures, or the owners of
such automobiles were forgetful and regularly lost their keys every few weeks?
There are of course other possible reasons. One is that a key fob bearing a
performance label looks impressive, even if in reality the keys fit a lesser vehicle
parked around the corner!
In the eighties I knew of a carpenter who also believed in
creating an impression. In carrying out his second fix work on a local
authority contract, he was obliged to supply and fix timber of a particularly
high standard. He did not. He used less expensive material. He simply carried
with him a bag of timber-end off-cuts bearing the stamp of the higher-grade
timber specified. He deposited these around him and his equipment and at the
end of the day they were returned to his bag. ‘It
looks good if they check up on me’ he said, ‘I’ve used these all year’. One
likes to believe such practices are no longer.
Many things these days are not as they first appear. Take
the conventional cavity wall as an example and consider now the long-term
integrity of a structure and in particular the damp-control measures. They are
of paramount importance. They are hidden within the wall and should last the
life of the structure. Once out of sight, they should be out of mind. How do
you know they are of an appropriate standard? Are they what you asked for? Do
they have a performance rating? Will they last the life of the building? How
can you avoid facing possible expenditure in the years ahead?
Of course the answer is simple. Insist on the use of damp control products that guarantee a
consistent quality of build detail. Be selective. Specify and adhere to that
specification.
Cavity Trays of Yeovil brands its products with name and
logo, as proof of type and accompanying warranty. Adherence to the chosen
specification can be monitored. Take a
closer look and you can check the tray being built-in is a genuine cavitray
that has European Technical Approval. (ETA). There is no higher standard. You
know your contract has the trays and flashings of the right quality. Don’t
forget the product performance warranty that comes with genuine ETA cavitrays
by Cavity Trays of Yeovil. It’s far more valuable and worthwhile than an
impressive key fob!
And what about that dumper truck you ask? The sticker upon
it said ‘My other dumper is a Porche’. To my knowledge Porche has never
produced a dumper truck and the sticker is fortunately recognised for what it
is: a joke. The moral of the story is simple: If specified goods are substituted
on site with alternatives of a lesser standard, the consequences will not be humorous,
and in the long term are likely to prove exceedingly expensive? Look for the
name and logo and ask for the accompanying paperwork supporting the performance
warranty. It pays to check.
Cavity Trays Ltd offers a service wherein a site is visited,
an inspection is executed, and straightforward advice is given on how to comply
with the regulation requirements efficiently and cost-effectively. Getting it
right first time must be the objective on every site, and Cavity Trays of
Yeovil provides a route to achieving this goal. (01935 474769). Cavity Trays Ltd is the first and only tray
manufacturer with European Technical Approval. It offers an unmatched track
record plus warranty protection.
