Problems with the builders

[technogeek]

Confused...

I do DIY - but with 2 kids simply don't have the time.
So, got a builder in to do my bathroom - complete refurbish.
Excellent reviews on Check-a-trade and good piccys of completed projects.

So we are 4 days in and....

The shower valve is fitted at an angle.
The shower plate won't fit over the valve because the valve is burried too deep behind the tiles
The shower outlet is in the wrong place
He's tiled down to the edge of the bath - no space for sealant.
He's chopped out the chipboardd floor and put in 18mm ply for better floor tile fixing - but where the chipboard and ply meet he's left it un supported so the 2 surfaces move about 4mm up and down with respect to each other when walked on.

What should I do about this guy?

Tell him and hope he puts it right?
Tell him and demmand he does it right (but he's bigger and scarier than me!
Sack him and do it myself?

I'd like to think that it's not me being anally retentive, but I'm paying this 'professional' to get it right and even I can see it's a mess.

Pretty disappointed with check-a-trade too!

 

[HERTS P&D]

Sack him.

Andy

 

[Mrdjc]

You'll obviously need to bring it to his attention at some point...
He after all should be obliged to leave the customer with a satisfactory outcome.

Take lots of pictures of all the faults and store them somewhere.

Try the nicely nicely approach and highlight your concerns and see if he will act on them.

If he doesn't play ball, you could try someone at your council's building control and show them the images and see what they think of it.

After that, trading standards I guess..

 

[technogeek]

I pointed out the shower valve and outlet and he seemed very happy to fix these.

I only realised that he wasn't going to strengthen the floor when I saw that he's already screwed it down - and installed the bath on it...

So I guess that he probably is going to have to remove the bath (risking damaging it) and take the floor up, then fit multi-truss hangers between the joists and cut trusses to fit, then refit the floor and the bath.

That'll cost him a day.

What ticks me off is having to baby sit a 'professional' that I'm paying £1800 to when I've got enough to do already.

Going to take photos tomorrow morning and start documenting this all just in case.

 

[libby lou lou]

Document it on here, let's see some photos

 

[oph]

Confused...

I do DIY - but with 2 kids simply don't have the time.
So, got a builder in to do my bathroom - complete refurbish........

Dude, that was your first mistake
It's a plumbers job at the end of the day.
Push fit and compression fittings should be banned IMO

 

[technogeek]

Most problems fixed:

- Shower now vertical.
- Shower outlet in the right place.
- Floor fully trussed and rock solid.
- Wall tiling done and looking excellent

THEN - he puts the heating mat down on the floor and latexes it down... under the toilet pan......
The screws for securing the toilet are bang in line with the heating wires.

Arrrgggggghhhh!

 

[ibby]

Most problems fixed:

- Shower now vertical.
- Shower outlet in the right place.
- Floor fully trussed and rock solid.
- Wall tiling done and looking excellent

THEN - he puts the heating mat down on the floor and latexes it down... under the toilet pan......
The screws for securing the toilet are bang in line with the heating wires.

Arrrgggggghhhh!

Sounds like you have bad builders
and I have bad archtiects

 

[technogeek]

Might have to take that back...

According to our tile center, the modern way is to use gripfill and stick the bog to the floor tiles.

Any thoughts?

 

[mattylad]

At least the screws wont rust & rot if Gripfill is used.

I suspect the only way to remove it then is with a hammer?

I have a sink that is affixed with sealant only - bloody well too lol (not my doing).

 

[swbjackson]

The tiles will have to be really well fixed otherwise when you lean to one side to get the bog roll they'll go with you.

 

[peekay53]

well my friend you used check a trade you looked at photographs of
work you should have asked to view at least 2 of his previous jobs and talk to clients he pays to be on check a trade so they are only interested in his money sorry its your own fault again due diligence spend the time to check out ppl you propose to employ to carry out work for you.
Ihonestly dont believe you ppl you dont make proper checks then its everyone elses fault but yours will trade checker not help you oh sorry no they still want builders money

peekay53

 

[handyman77]

Toilet being gripfilled to the floor. No way jose! Cant believe these people keep getting more jobs! Cant believe this s h i t!

 

[Whitespirit66]

Confused...

I do DIY - but with 2 kids simply don't have the time.
So, got a builder in to do my bathroom - complete refurbish........

Dude, that was your first mistake
It's a plumbers job at the end of the day.

Exactly what I thought. Sounds like typical builder's plumbing. Will you be getting a decorator in to service your boiler?

Second mistake was Checkatrade. Always, always, recommendations from friends, family, colleagues. Not Mickey Mouse websites.

 

[Pedrovr4]

Confused...

I do DIY - but with 2 kids simply don't have the time.
So, got a builder in to do my bathroom - complete refurbish........

Dude, that was your first mistake
It's a plumbers job at the end of the day.

Erm plumber? Employ a bathroom fitter.........duh