InvertedHammer:


The landing cost of a cheap one from Harbor freight will be less than $6000 (including clearing). A lot of contractors can afford it but will never buy it. They will rather add more cars to their fleet.

Then and again, if you buy it and put a lot of workers out of work, you may wake up one day and backhoe will be up in flames. Double wahala! So let them dig. There is no rush in Nigeria. African time reigns supreme. You can hurry up the excavation, start construction and oga shows up a month later to state that he/she is out of funds. So why the rush?
\

EgunMogaji:


And Nigerias cheap labor will always win. This we know.

yak:



to access loan now, banks will demand for ur grandparents' head. aside that, interest rate of 28+% is simply outrageous, to put it mildly, what kind of business wld b able to pull through?

bixton:
. So much for contractors. Yea Yea Yeah. Not too many considerations. You acquire an excavator at $6000. Your company resides in Lagos, you get a contract to build a duplex in PHC or Enugu at about +#12M. You have a company car for your team, you transport your excavator and all machines to the site (by road or air is your choice), you get an apartment for your team to settle in an prepare the schedule for the work at hand. What exactly is the running and operating costs of your company per annum and what exactly is your take home after all deductions? You pick a loan today at about 20.5% interest and in less than 3 months time the bank writes to inform you about an increment to 28.2% due to CBN this and that. What would you do? Let's really be realistic here.

InvertedHammer:


Someone who lives in Lagos and gets most contracts in Enugu or PHC needs to relocate ASAP.

Some logistics are sourced locally.

A contractor that will need a loan for $6000 to purchase such equipment in Nigeria is still an errand boy. You buy such equipment as things progress not at inception. Machinery, when managed well, pays for itself over time.

My only concern is unemployment.

InvertedHammer:
What is the horizontal line/grove (as shown in the picture below) on the wall called?

Is it made pre or post plastering?

I have seen some aluminium inserts (probably cladding), but just curious.

Any ideas?

spyder880:


That would have been a very nice way of solving many problems on site but our workers rejected it after using it on two sites. I insisted we use them as it was reducing my wood and carpentry costs, but by the time I lost 2 good carpenters who just stopped picking my calls, I had to halt the use of the metal.

Another problem was freight charges for moving those metal contraptions. Vehicles charge so much to travel to some places, plus the incessant police delays as they try to figure out what it is, and how they can delay you till you settle them.

diordaves:


Now Spyder880 you've just confirmed our view and call that contractors should plough back some profit into the business to solve the challenges of the trade and pass on some of the efficiency savings to clients.

You talk of transport costs to transfer equipment to site. Instead of buying fancy cars and marrying more wives, like some of you contractors do, why not buy a Dyna Truck for example to transport equipment to site? On the long run, you save up on transport costs. You can also pass on this in-house company transport to clients and split the costs between company and client. So for example client wants to buy wood for roofing, instead of looking for third party transportation for 25k, you could present your company Dyna Truck and factor in 15k for wear and tear. I'm sure the client will gladly pay.

Then you talk of police. That one dey. But if your company truck is well marked with company name and logo with all permits fully paid, this will comand respect from police and client. Police will not be confused with the contents of a duly registered construction company.

Please contractors invest in your business. Find new ways to do old things. No business can grow without investment in appropriate technology at the required level.

johnson232:

It should be during the plastering. There should be a tool for marking out the desired line during plastering

WorldAmbassador:
@ kolnel. I agree with you my brother. I think if the government steps in and guarantees loans for contractors and builders, they will purchase these mechanized equipment which will lead to cost savings for the clients and contractors as well. The lack of adequate collateral(and other factors) make it difficult to access some of these loans. The United States and other Western countries have a good credit system that enable the average person to buy things they cannot ordinarily afford. Oga Hajj and Oga Egun pls verify this-I stand to be corrected.

EgunMogaji:


It's called a groover.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/5253724_img0352_jpega908e90eb05a34b15f6f79d005a10ee9

bixton:
. Any body who's into one form of business or the other is certainly an errand boy. Unemployment is not an excuse, as technology improves and ideas expand it is bound to occur. In order to run an actual company that intends to expand you need to conform to certain economic principles, et al. Except the company is being run by the same CEO,same accountant, same cashier, same procurement officer, same secretary,etc,etc.

diordaves:


Now Spyder880 you've just confirmed our view and call that contractors should plough back some profit into the business to solve the challenges of the trade and pass on some of the efficiency savings to clients.

You talk of transport costs to transfer equipment to site. Instead of buying fancy cars and marrying more wives, like some of you contractors do, why not buy a Dyna Truck for ....

johnson232:

Thanks

InvertedHammer:


EgunMogaji:

Some them are square and do not look like what was done with grovers. Anything else they use?

Like the picture below. It has aluminium inserts. Does the aluminium serve any purpose?

InvertedHammer:


EgunMogaji:

Some of them are square and do not look like what was done with grovers. Anything else they use?

Like the picture below. It has aluminium inserts. Does the aluminium serve any purpose?

Daboomb:


Looking at the picture that Egunmogaji posted, it is obvious that it can only do TRIANGULAR GROOVES.
But it does not take much imagination, to use the same style of Tool, to make the squarish grooves we desire, by simply replacing the triangular part, with a square-shaped plate.
Just cut SQUARE-SHAPE aluminium or part of a Pipe and weld it to the flat surface.
Pronto, you are on your way!.

This is where sound education comes-in.
A well educated mind is open to new ideas and can easily advance such ideas by way of further development.
Majority of our Contractors, though l must commend their tenacity in the face of daunting challenges, are unfortunately poorly/half educated.
There is always a place for sound education, whichever way you dice it.


****Chai, l don find trouble this night! Let the fireworks begin***

fireprince14:
Check out this portfolio https://adesidaadedamola.wixsite.com/insignionstudios Contact me on 08057510625 (whatsapp) if you want designs like those.

skimanski:
Hmmmm!! Oga Eguns! Na to work hard to be like Oyinbo na. You no worry, we go supprise you appear in 5D with all our gadget for excellence and Customer satisfaction.

Just chill and See.

EgunMogaji:
I present to thee Professori Wastecx submissions on building lines.

@InvertedHammer hopefully not upside someone's head

https://www.nairaland.com/2787541/harney-project-renovation-work-nairalanders/7

EgunMogaji:
I present to thee Professori Wastecx submissions on building lines.

@InvertedHammer hopefully not upside someone's head

https://www.nairaland.com/2787541/harney-project-renovation-work-nairalanders/7

InvertedHammer:
I noticed that some places do not plaster over their block works and the masonry looks beautiful.

Advantages:
1. It saves money on cement and materials for plastering.
2. It saves money on paints

And if done right looks exquisite.

Check out the picture below:

diordaves:


Looks beautiful as a feature wall. If you adopt exposed brick work throughout the build, then be ready to overlook the associated surface wiring which will deface the whole project in my opinion.

InvertedHammer:


It is factored into the original design. When they cut walls, they don't use hammer and chisel. Also in the surface wiring, they don't run the wires the way we do. Check out the second picture. Did you see the sockets?
It doesn't have to be used throughout the building. It could be used in lieu of external tiles or marbles.