We all should know what Building means, but “Bodging”? There are a large number of definitions of bodging which you can look up in online dictionaries. Leaving out the more prurient among them, there is some agreement that bodging is solving a problem with a “quick fix” that may not be perfect for the long term but will, hopefully, last long enough.

I am taking a broader view to include clever, unofficial fixes, updates, changes, or implementations that get the job done. I have often found that advice given by so-called experts or professionals lack imagination and have undesirable secondary costs.

Let’s take, for example, the problem of supporting a double-bowl stainless steel kitchen sink attached to the underside of a granite countertop. The initial professional installation involved some clamps that were mounted into slots cut into the underside of the granite. The clamps failed and the sink dropped within weeks of installation. This was probably due to the large in-sink disposal unit mounted under one side of the sink. Very heavy. Vibrates a lot. But it was also part of the initial installation.

The professional recommendation for a fix was to use pine 2x3s to build a frame under the sink that could support the weight. That it would. But the result would be that the cabinet under the sink would be largely unusable for any kind of storage.

My solution was to install 1×3 boards horizontally under the front and back lips of the sink, supported at the ends by small boards attached to the cabinet sides. This solution took no space away from the cabinet and was invisible unless you crawled in and looked up. Fifteen years later, the sink has not budged.

So, is that “bodging”? I think so but a very successful bodge indeed.