Where's my glass?
Posted: June 18th, 2021, 3:12 pm
Probably a bigger question about building material shortages in general, but bear with me.
About ten weeks ago, I posted here about a five foot pane of toughened glass in my greenhouse that had spontaneously shattered. (viewtopic.php?f=40&t=28804). And I ended with the encouraging news that a bright young local company had sold me a replacement pane for barely twenty quid.
Well, they had and they hadn't. I paid them, but after three weeks they said my glass was "still in manufacturing", and two weeks after that they said the same thing again. (Explanatory note, you make toughened glass by heating a pane of standard glass and then cooling in a special machine. It takes time, and logistics.) But feck it, I still had a hole in my greenhouse, so I ordered a second toughened pane from the biggest local supplier.
And guess what? Five weeks later it hasn't arrived, and this second lot don't know when it'll be delivered. This getting beyond a coincidence.
So what's going on? I've heard about shortages of building supplies, which are due to:
1) Covid home-improvers buying everything up.
2) Covid labour shortages creating product shortages.
3) Brexit causing transport difficulties.
4) Suez Canal blockages causing transport difficulties.
5) China hoarding all the shipping containers, so they've become too expensive for many producers.
6) China building fewer houses.
7) China building more houses.
8) A global shortage of sand for making glass. (Seriously.... )
9) The global economic contraction.
10) The global economic surge.
My guess? Big UK builders are ridiculously busy, and they're snaffling up all the building materials in the yards so that retailers who deal with the general public aren't getting a look in. But what have other Fools been experiencing?
Late unexpected development:: My wife was strimming the lawn yesterday, and a pebble shot up and hit another pane of glass in our greenhouse, about six feet up from the ground. Bang, click, click, click, another pile of granulated sugar. She was more than a little upset about it. Relax, I said, I've ordered two panes of glass, and two panes of glass is what we need. Forward thinkers don't get much more forward than me.
Bit of a pain, though. And I still have no idea when the stuff will arrive. Sheesh. Thanks for listening.
BJ
About ten weeks ago, I posted here about a five foot pane of toughened glass in my greenhouse that had spontaneously shattered. (viewtopic.php?f=40&t=28804). And I ended with the encouraging news that a bright young local company had sold me a replacement pane for barely twenty quid.
Well, they had and they hadn't. I paid them, but after three weeks they said my glass was "still in manufacturing", and two weeks after that they said the same thing again. (Explanatory note, you make toughened glass by heating a pane of standard glass and then cooling in a special machine. It takes time, and logistics.) But feck it, I still had a hole in my greenhouse, so I ordered a second toughened pane from the biggest local supplier.
And guess what? Five weeks later it hasn't arrived, and this second lot don't know when it'll be delivered. This getting beyond a coincidence.
So what's going on? I've heard about shortages of building supplies, which are due to:
1) Covid home-improvers buying everything up.
2) Covid labour shortages creating product shortages.
3) Brexit causing transport difficulties.
4) Suez Canal blockages causing transport difficulties.
5) China hoarding all the shipping containers, so they've become too expensive for many producers.
6) China building fewer houses.
7) China building more houses.
8) A global shortage of sand for making glass. (Seriously.... )
9) The global economic contraction.
10) The global economic surge.
My guess? Big UK builders are ridiculously busy, and they're snaffling up all the building materials in the yards so that retailers who deal with the general public aren't getting a look in. But what have other Fools been experiencing?
Late unexpected development:: My wife was strimming the lawn yesterday, and a pebble shot up and hit another pane of glass in our greenhouse, about six feet up from the ground. Bang, click, click, click, another pile of granulated sugar. She was more than a little upset about it. Relax, I said, I've ordered two panes of glass, and two panes of glass is what we need. Forward thinkers don't get much more forward than me.
Bit of a pain, though. And I still have no idea when the stuff will arrive. Sheesh. Thanks for listening.
BJ