Repairs During Covid

[tooj]

My wife and I are in our eighties and have been staying indoors as much as possible.
Now we need some plumbing repairs and our gas fire service is well overdue.
Do you think that there will be any risk if we invite a local tradesman into our
house to do the necessary work?

[dannyk13]

Providing you and the tradesman take some precautions, distancing, face covering etc should be OK.

[gingejbee]

....and, if possible, could you sit outside (garden?) while they are inside?

[KARL]

Strictly speaking nothing is without some risk of some kind. Discuss with your tradesman any particular concerns you have and he/she should be willing and able to take them into consideration. What you yourselves can do is arrange that the tradesman can enter the house while you stand back/away as far as you want and that he/she has free access to wherever he/she needs to get to. Regarding payment you can either leave cash in/on an agreed location at the end or else arrange later remote payment (cheque/transfer/card payment over the phone/etc.), this is a matter for mutual agreement. Before the tradesman's arrival you would prepare those parts of the house where access is required. If you feel so inclined you can discuss whether he/she will wear gloves and a face covering, etc. From what I have gathered, with the tradesman's reasonable co-operation it should be relatively easy to bring any Covid risk right down to the totally negligible.

[tooj]

Thanks. Feel much happier about getting these jobs done now.

[Gizmonster]

..... and herein lies the irony ....

My dad can't come round to my house, but if I arranged for him to come round and do some repairs on my house; that would be okay.

*Quick phone call*
"Dad, do you wanna come and paint my door?"

[Sparkles62]

I would imagine most Tradesman would be responsible and considerate, our youngest son is a plumber, when he gets to his customer, he knocks the door, then while they watch, he puts on shoe covers, and cleans his hands with antibac gel before he enters their house.
We have setup a bowl, liquid soap and small towels on a stand in our porch. No one gets in without washing their hands first .

[jourdain2]

We had our boiler serviced about a month ago. We weren't particularly worried, but the chap offered to keep well away if we were. He has a beard so a mask is ineffective. There was no problem at all. Our local general plumber (meet him dog-walking) says he just asks people if they are OK with him just keeping away from them and doing his hands before he comes in. He's not had any problems either (and nor have his clients, he says).

[Sqad]

Good reply by Karl 12.36.
I agree entirely.

[calmck]

This also relates, I think, to the use of masks. They are mandatory in all shops etc. here so any tradesperson coming to the house will have worn one whilst buying supplies etc. and therefore I feel quite safe. Those who have come have asked if I want them to wear a mask. They all carry hand sanitizer etc with them

[Mexican18]

I don't understand why the beard makes any difference.

[jourdain2]

Apparently it does, mexican18. A chap called 'John the Viking' who works for our local Timpson's has had to shave his (magnificent) beard off and others have told me that a beard renders masks completely ineffective. Possibly to do with the contact between mask and skin? Anyway, a lot of bearded chaps are still wearing them.