Am I being too fussy? Joiners / carpenters advice please

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Apologies if it's not the right place to post it but I need some expert opinion please.
I am having a few things done on our house which is being fully refurbished. I needed a joiner for a new front door/frame, 5 inside doors to realign (were hung by me previously), door furniture for 6 doors, 3 window boards + 1 bay window board made of oak and skirting / architrave done in two rooms. I have had many quotes and contemplated for some time who to go with. At the end we went with the most expensive one on the basis of that he seemed the most professional and he seemed someone we can work with. We also waited two months for him to start which is fair enough since this was agreed. He only asked for deposit for materials and the rest is on completion. He has always appeared on time except once but then he called in advance so no complaints there.
I don't know if I'm expecting too much or I'm being unreasonable but I have expected more quality wise for the nearly 3k he's charging. Please just let me know if you think I'm expecting too much. I can post photos if needed.
The window boards look great. The actual real oak window boards are nice and smooth, waxed to perfection. I was extremely pleased when he first turned up with them up until he installed them. Almost all the sides of the boards are either rounded or just not at the right angle to the face of the board. It's hard to explain I expected nice crispy edges and got something looking like I carved it with a Swiss army knife. Some of them on the side look burnt. As in wrong blade have been used or when you cut something at a higher speed then you should. When I bodged something and used an angle grinder to cut wood.
The doors have been re hung I expected the hinges to be properly flush with the edges of the door but they are not. Yes he can blame my door frames which have been installed by me so can't complain much, all in all they look exactly they looked before I have paid £40 each to be re hung. To be fair two of them have been planed and the price included the installation of the door furniture which looks reasonable.
Today we had the front door installed. The main reason for the new front door as for insulation purposes. Around the old one you could see the sun shining meaning it was far from airtight. Also there is a small window on top of the door which we have asked him to order in double glazing to improve the insulation of the hall because we have been losing most of the heat there from the house. Now it's done I can see the same "silver lining" around the door. Again to be fair it is not all around but on one side all along, one corner at the bottom and also some places at the top. Where the hinges are it seems alright. He said the latch can be adjusted a bit but having some light coming in around the door is normal and nothing can be done about it especially around the corners. Is that true? What's the point of spending thousands on double glazing, roof/attic/floor/wall insulation if there is a hole around the door? Also the catch bit of the latch is already scratched. It was scratched before I had the chance to close the door once. He said it would have scratched eventually anyway. Is it reasonable of me to expect an unscratched latch on my new front door for which I am being charged £1250? At least for the first week and then let me make the first scratch for heaven's sake.
When I raised the issue with the window boards he said that any joiner would call it a professional job and that quite possibly I'm just trying to find faults so that I don't have to pay him. It is not the case. I have the money set aside for the last 4 months on a separate account and I am happy to pay the full amount but I expect a professional finish for it. I wanted a professional because I thought he can do a better job than I can faster. It would probably take me twice or three times longer to do the same but I am positive I could have done a job like this too. He blamed the walls which are not straight that is true, but I have not complained about the boards not following the wall. He can't do anything about it, it's not his fault(that's the plasterers fault but it's another story). He also said it should have been done before plasterboarding but he never said this when he had taken up the job.
Thank you for reading my first post any advise is much appreciated.
If you feel that I am being unreasonable don't hold back at least than I will know what to expect in the future from professional joiners and will not be disappointed or a pain in their backside. I want to be fair with people and want to be treated fairly too. I don't even know if I should trust him with the architraves or skirting after all this I have a feeling I will be disappointed with the outcome.
 

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I just have posted some photos so you can decide for yourself just please let me know. It does not look that bad on the photos actually. I expected to be amazed but unfortunately I am not. If everyone says here that it's just me and that I expect too much at least I know that it's not him but me/us. Thanks
 
Yes I think it could be better and don't think your being over the top, this is my view from a Decorator looking at it so not a professional opinion! By no means do I think he should be featured on rouge traders or anything just think his detail isn't quite there.

The black on the edge of the cill can be sanded out I would of thought. Not sure why the edge of the cills arnt straight? Obviously you won't see the edge that meets the plaster anyway as it will get sealed in. The scratch on the door furniture I would not be happy with as its quite a nasty one!
 
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Thank you. I feel the same. I just find myself touching up someone else's work for days for which I am paying a fair amount of money. I can put most of these things right the question is why do I have to?
 
There is a certain amount of unprofessional work, the burning of the wood cills means his Electric saw seized when cutting which he must have known about,
the gaps and the uneven cuts on the cills would have been hidden up if the cills had been chased into the walls and filled ( how did he say he would fit the cills)
As for the rehanging of the door, when I hang a New front door for a customer I recommend a New frame as well, as the old frame could be bowed, out of alignment or cut about, that then is the customers choice, door only or door and frame.
IMO you would be justified in asking to have the faults put right or an adjustment on the cost of the work.
 
Thank you Bosswhite! The frame was made by him. He did everything from measuring up, making the frame, hanging the door, putting up door furniture and painting them. If he blames the frame he can only blame himself. He made it and installed it this morning.
 
Door casing - It's looks to me that there isn't a jamb (stop - either a strip of timber >Bad< or a rebate >Good<) on the lock side of the door casing (you maybe calling int the frame, some call it a door lining). Post a picture of the door casing with the door open.
Door hinges - the butt should be set so that the centre of the hinge pin is level with the face of door and casing at best; at worst, unless the casing and door are widely differing dimensions, where the Butt 'swells' on the pin side may be level with casing and door face.
Sills - Umm, either he has blunt tools or a very fast sander to cause those burn marks; what is worse in my opinion is that the ends are not square - my apprentice master would have made me re-make them (and pay for the wood out of my pocket if I made the same mess of the job a second time...).
As for how much he charged - yo uaccepted the quote so I'm afraid you have to live with it, sorry. Maybe in the future ask what the day rate is.

W.
 
Thanks wgt52. As far as I understand the jargon the door frame has been installed today and the lining is to follow tomorrow. I can post a photo tomorrow with the door open but now it's too dark for that. I am not arguing the price you are right we have agreed on the quote. Since it is a fixed quote for the job I don't care about the day rate as long as it's done within a reasonable amount of time. My problem is exactly what you said about the window boards. I hurts my eyes to look at them they're so out of square almost all of them. He said that was the only way to sand them because the walls were uneven so he could not just sand the back bit. This I can't understand how can someone not sand one part of a piece of wood and leave the other end as it is. It is probably harder and requires more care but definitely can be done. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
The works absolute crap, and he should be ashamed of himself; but I've also got to ask why you didn't stop him earlier. There shouldn't be daylight coming from the front door jamb, and we need to see a picture from the outside to determine why. Oak will neatly always burn with power tools that aren't ultra sharp, but you just need to sand it down carefully afterwards. He should have cut a recess into either side of the windows, and then slid the boards in, and then left you to arrange to make good. The bad cuts show that he doesn't have any quality power tools, so I'd question whether he's a carpenter, or just a glorified DIYer. The hinges on the rehung door should be cut to the edge of the frame, and then the door stops refitted to suit, but I suspect he's left the door stops in place, and fitted the doors and hinges from that starting point.

He's going to try and put you in the wrong, and force you you to pay him, but you'll need to stand your ground, and offer to pay to get an independent assessment done. You have every right to be unhappy with the quality of the work, and I wouldn't pay him till he's redone them properly - offer to pay him for each window or door as they are done so he can't accuse you of trying to cheat him. He need to supply and fit another door latch, as it's unacceptable to damage a goods whilst installing them.

And if you can't come to an acceptable agreement, then you tell him you can pay him, and get another person to do the job properly, then then sue him, or refuse to pay him, and let him sue you.

Post the outside pics though.
 
Thank you Doggit! Very useful info. I know it seems like he's just a chancer but in fact he really is a joiner with decades of experience. He also has the right tools. I consider myself a good/quality diyer (even though a slow one) and can distinguish between proper tools and diy ones. He's got all the best tools, top end Makita and Festool gear which makes it even more strange how on earth could he be happy with this level of quality. To be fair with him we told him we did not want the window boards to be wider on the outside we have asked him to make it the same width as the window recess. I can't blame him for the walls being not perfectly straight, but from you comments it seems to me it is not unreasonable to accept the window board sides to be perfectly square. If I push the door a bit more when it's close the gap closes a bit so less light comes in but still around the corners you can see the light. He said he can adjust the scratched bit of the latch to keep the door more shut by doing this the door pushes more against the rubber seal sealing the door better. I have two problems with it, the first one is that even if I push it in as hard as I can there is still a little gap, and the second is that it is hard to close the door as it is. If he adjust the catch it will take my full body weight to close the door and my partner will have to ask me every time she wants to leave the house to close the door for her. I think some thicker but less rigid rubber seal could solve this problem. Maybe a different profile. I still think I shouldn't be the one worrying about it.
Unfortunately asking someone else would/will end in another 2-4 months waiting. I approached about 10-12 reputable joiners. 6 of me came back to me finally, 4 of them had free time in the following 6 months, 4 we have arranged a visit with, 2 turned up (other 2 ignored calls after that for whatever reasons) and I have chosen him. I don't know what else could I have done. I don't know why joiners waste their time contacting me back arranging a visit then don't bother to turn up. If they're busy fair enough but why don't they just say so? Looking back I should have done all the work it would have taken me a few months but I ended up waiting months anyway and if I mess something up at least I can only blame myself and my lack of knowledge and also I could have saved a few thousands of pounds. Thank you again for your input, I'll post some outside/inside with open door photos tomorrow.
 
Okay, he's got good tools, but that quality of work suggest somethings wrong somewhere, no decent carpenter should sand down a piece of wood out of true. If you wanted the windows boards the same width as the windows, then he still needed to cut back the plaster half an inch, as you can never get the boards to fit exactly, not even with a template. Post the outside pics (door closed, and slightly open, and we'll carry on after that.
 
This could mean the door is 'Hinge Bound'. Sounds like you need to take a few more pictures. This time to show the hinge side of the door, both inside and out with the door closed, plus picture of the door open on the hinge side and a close up of the fitted hinges.
 
First of all let me thank you all for your advice and time.
I have to be fair with my joiner and you people and report back what happened this morning.
He turned up on time as usual, in fact earlier then discussed, by the time I got to the house he was already working on the door from the outside.
To cut a long story short I have told him all my problem with his work. He did not take it good first and asked me if I wanted him to leave since obviously I think everything he did was rubbish. I told him this was not the case, I just wanted him to put these things right. Then he changed tune and I have to say very professionally offered the followings: he'd change the seal around the front door frame (or inside it rather), offered to change the lock FOC, and also offered to take the two worst window boards and basically make them again from scratch with square sides and also will sand the burned sides of the rest. He seemed to want to cooperate and put things right. It is always awkward for both parties in a situation like this but thankfully once this was discussed everything seemed to be back to normal.
You might agree or disagree with me but I am happy with this outcome. Since then this morning he had changed the seal to a better type. He said he only used the other one because that came with the door frame but will avoid in the future. You might ask why did he use it in the first place but I have to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he did not know how rubbish it would turn out. I have also agreed with him that he'd deduct the price of the nightlatch from the final price and I offered to buy the same type (everything has been cut out for this particular type on the door) and if something goes wrong with it in the future at least I can return it directly myself. It is an ERA nightlatch so can't accuse him of buying unbranded cheap stuff. Since he's put up the new latch the keep on it started to scratch again so I have contacted their customer service (ERA's) and asked if it's normal. Obviously they said it was not and that the latch might be sticking causing the latch hard to move hence scratching the keep. I have checked it and it was not the case. It simply seems poor quality. It feels basically painted which is very stupid, they should have put a metal plate where the latch meet the keep when one shuts the door. It is satin nickel. Probably the chrome one is more durable but since everything around it is brushed stainless steel, chrome does look odd and I could not find any stainless steel night latches.
All in all for what he had done today I have to praise him. I know he should have done a good job in the first place, but other customers might have been happy with what I had yesterday and he tried his best to put most of the things right or the way I want it. So tradesmen of the world you will get appraisal from me when you do good not only moaning and fussing when we disagree. I appreciate it must be hard to please different customers all the time. If the story changes I'll report back here. Thank you all!
 
I am glad you have come to a compromise and that he putting right the flaws, I think however good and qualified a Tradesman is there will always be a job that will come along that does not go to plan,
 
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