Bad plastering... advice please!

[Jadey121]

I need some advice if possible. I've had someone in to replaster my whole house. He wasn't the cheapest quote and had good reviews! I'm not happy at all with the finished job.
I moved out for the work to be completed and only now have I noticed the cracks / marks on the walls on moving back home. Apparently my walls dried too quick which made it a difficult job. He did coat the walls and then applied two coats of blue grit. I've called him back today and told him I wasn't happy with the finished job. He repeated that the walls were drying too quick and that he could redo them I've declined his offer. The decorators that Im using were horrified and said the only option is to line the walls with lining paper and for him to foot the bill for the extra costs for putting his work right.
They did paint one room and the amount of filler they needed and even then no amount of filler would fix the problem! I've told them to stop work until I've got the problem sorted.
The guy has agreed to get someone in the line the walls but I'd like to know with the lining paper on is it going to give me a better finish?! I'm so upset as I've paid a lot of money to basically line my walls when I could've saved myself time and money and had that done in the first place! Not only is it a bad job but they had no respect for my belongings - my brand new cooker is now scratched! My blinds were thrown into a corner and I now cannot use them and my garden is a mess with plaster down my drain! Would it be fair to say I'd want the whole lot refunded?! Or just let him put right what he's done from his own pocket? Obviously not living here i didn't pick up on anything but when the one room started to be prepped and painted I noticed the flaws. I've checked the others closely and they are pretty much all the same with poor work. Here's some pictures I don't think I'm being unreasonable when I said to him it's a bad finish.
So best advice on how to get this fixed and is it reasonable for him to foot the bill?

 

[roughcaster]

Jadey, that is an awful mess. We had someone on here a few weeks ago, who had a similar "cowboy job" done. He blamed the plaster drying out too quick as well. Let's get this straight, a GOOD PLASTERER will NEVER blame the materials for doing a rough, shoddy job. A GOOD PLASTERER knows how to handle the materials.
Skimming is the easiest type of plastering there is, to leave such a rubbish job is an insult to the trade. The mess left on the socket says it all, and everyone knows that "you NEVER EVER" pour dirty plaster water down a drain or a toilet. The quality of the work done in you case is terrible. In one of the photo's, there are many cracks, like a spiders web, rub the back of you fingernails over that area, because it looks as if it's hollow. I could go on and on, but overall, it's a very poor job. You should certainly ask for a refund to cover the cost of any repairs required, plus the cost of damage caused to your personal property. You could also tell him you're going to take your complaint further, by going to the Trading Standards. All in all, ask for your money back.

 

[pilsbury]

I am not a plasterer, but that is a crap job. Some advice: You have told him you are not happy with the work, put that in writing, but you really need to give him a chance to put it right. To be honest, by the looks of some of the photos, it is unlikely he will if that was his best effort unless he rushed it and thought he'd get away with it. The reason I suggest doing this is a bit of self protection as depending on his next effort or a partial/refund offer, you may have to go to small claims court. This is cheap and easy to do if necessary, but it is important to show you have been reasonable.

 

[Jadey121]

He's coming Sunday with a person that can line the walls. I don't know what my best option is to be honest. I'm not letting him go near the walls again though as the finish is poor in every room. The walls were not in bad condition to start with to skim over them. He has said he will pay for costs to get it looking right for me and pay the bill for the room the decorators have already done. As it will now need to be redone.
I'm wondering how the rooms will look with lining paper on? I just want a nice finish to my walls. I shall put it in writing to him though to cover my back should anything happen. He knows himself he's stuffed up as the look on his face said it all. Just a bit of a nightmare having three little ones here liv in utter chaos at the moment.

As for the cracks in the wall they are hollow and my guess is that it will peel off in time with the paint on?! I'm no plastering expert but to me that wouldn't stay on the walls...

 

[Jadey121]

These are just a few more. I'm not being unreasonable by saying it's a poor job. He's going to try and resolve the poor work by getting someone in to go over with the paper. My argument is I could've had that in the first place meaning a cheaper job for myself. 3k I've parted with here. So to say the least I'm unhappy is an understatement.
I'm going to let him try to resolve the matter but if I'm still unhappy I'm quite in my right to take him court right? I'm a reasonable person I'll see what he puts right firstly. It's not as if I've gone with the cheapest quote and read reviews so I really don't know what's gone wrong. His other 'work' did not look like this.

 

[AGAS]

fooking shocking tbh , save the headache and get someone else to re-skim it and tell him to do one for the money and take it straight to court . why have someone back to fook it up again and you know deep down thats the truth . he knows he's ruined it because he's prepared to cover his shocking work .

you need proof of dealings with this so called tradesman either emails,texts ,quote or receipts for court . but remember if your prepared to have him back for more work then that would not look good in court e.g his version of account in court . but remember in court its your duty to prove his workmanship was a rip off to the judge

have some balls and take this idiot to court

i was a plasterer and seeing that is shocking

 

[motorbiking]

I disagree,you won't harm your case by allowing him to make good. But lining paper isn't the answer. You could have done that yourself.

Personally, if it was me, depending on the age and insulation of the house, I'd have taken it back to brick and put insulate plaster board up instead.

The work is appalling.

Get him to set out in writing what he intends to do to make good. get another plaster round to assess the repairs planned and give you an estimate to fix.

You may need to offer some cash for the other guys time.

If the written plan to fix doesn't look right or match what others are saying the sue for the cost to get it corrected. I can post some tips on the process if needed.

 

[HERTS P&D]

i was a plasterer and seeing that is shocking

Were you?

Andy

 

[Jadey121]

I disagree,you won't harm your case by allowing him to make good. But lining paper isn't the answer. You could have done that yourself.

Personally, if it was me, depending on the age and insulation of the house, I'd have taken it back to brick and put insulate plaster board up instead.

The work is appalling.

Get him to set out in writing what he intends to do to make good. get another plaster round to assess the repairs planned and give you an estimate to fix.

You may need to offer some cash for the other guys time.

If the written plan to fix doesn't look right or match what others are saying the sue for the cost to get it corrected. I can post some tips on the process if needed.

He has said he would re do the walls however I really don't think he can plaster. He blames the walls BUT my downstairs didn't dry too quick and the same problems are there. Marks / ripples I can go on...
What would need to be done if I got a decent plasterer in? Would the whole lot need to come off? My house isn't that old and the walls weren't bad to start with. I just wanted a clean finish.

 

[AGAS]

Were you?

when i was a nipper before getting into the plumbing and gas game .

He blames the walls BUT my downstairs didn't dry too quick and the same problems are there. Marks / ripples I can go on.

its only a problem really when the walls dry too quick not quick enough , ye lets just blame the walls . problems with marks /ripples is his skill set I'm afraid .

i just says as i see it so i might offend people but its to the point but your the one to make the decision but the wrong decision will cost you dearly

What would need to be done if I got a decent plasterer in? Would the whole lot need to come off? My house isn't that old and the walls weren't bad to start with. I just wanted a clean finish.

im afraid it will probably cost more than originally hence the reason to recover the money first if your struggling with money that is . it will needs tidying/cleaning up before it can be replastered , it won't need knocking off unless of course theres bad bits . it can be re-PVA'd and re-skimmed . honestly do you really want this blagger doing more work in your home because by the looks of it i was doing that standard of work after 3 weeks of starting and i wonder if he has ever paper lined the walls before as well hopefully better than his plastering. get this chancer out providing you have the full proof you need to take to court because he's a bush!tter
but do you really want to paper the walls which would never look as good as plaster and its easier to damage as well and if you have kids good luck with that also it probably cost half of what you paid for the skimming

 

[Jadey121]

when i was a nipper before getting into the plumbing and gas game .


its only a problem really when the walls dry too quick not quick enough , ye lets just blame the walls . problems with marks /ripples is his skill set I'm afraid .

i just says as i see it so i might offend people but its to the point but your the one to make the decision but the wrong decision will cost you dearly



im afraid it will probably cost more than originally hence the reason to recover the money first if your struggling with money that is . it will needs tidying/cleaning up before it can be replastered , it won't need knocking off unless of course theres bad bits . it can be re-PVA'd and re-skimmed . honestly do you really want this blagger doing more work in your home because by the looks of it i was doing that standard of work after 3 weeks of starting and i wonder if he has ever paper lined the walls before as well hopefully better than his plastering. get this chancer out providing you have the full proof you need to take to court because he's a bush!tter
but do you really want to paper the walls which would never look as good as plaster and its easier to damage as well and if you have kids good luck with that also it probably cost half of what you paid for the skimming

He is not touching my walls again.
Money isn't an issue at the moment so I could get someone in to fix. Then recoup the costs.

 

[motorbiking]

In your shoes...

Get him to write an email with what he proposes to do to make good. Tell him you've had others look at it and they were appalled. Tell him you don't have faith in his ability but will let him attempt a remedy. Given it will cost more to fix. pick the worse room and allow him to fix that. A re-skim not paper line. if that turns out ok then allow the rest. But as others have said it really does look like he can't plaster - i wonder if it was his apprentice/mate/sub out.


If he refuses a letter before action setting out the value of your claim perhaps offering a without prejudice offer of what you will accept to avoid court. e.g. 2700 back. From memory. the listing fee will be £120 and another £150 for hearing if it goes that far. You'll need a couple of quotes as evidence and opinion of other professionals should be enough unless he's stupid enough to dispute it.

how old is your house? are these plaster board walls?

 

[Jadey121]

In your shoes...

Get him to write an email with what he proposes to do to make good. Tell him you've had others look at it and they were appalled. Tell him you don't have faith in his ability but will let him attempt a remedy. Given it will cost more to fix. pick the worse room and allow him to fix that. A re-skim not paper line. if that turns out ok then allow the rest. But as others have said it really does look like he can't plaster - i wonder if it was his apprentice/mate/sub out.


If he refuses a letter before action setting out the value of your claim perhaps offering a without prejudice offer of what you will accept to avoid court. e.g. 2700 back. From memory. the listing fee will be £120 and another £150 for hearing if it goes that far. You'll need a couple of quotes as evidence and opinion of other professionals should be enough unless he's stupid enough to dispute it.

how old is your house? are these plaster board walls?

House was built 1979.
I've got someone coming Monday to look what's been done and a quote to fix. I'll get a few quotes.
I really don't want him touching my walls again as I have lost faith. There's not one wall or ceiling in my home that hasn't got defects in. Do I really need to let him 'try again' to be fair to him?

 

[Gio M]

Im no expert at all at plastering. But even I know when a wall is done well or even average. That's a shocking job. I'd not pay a penny. Get 2 other trademen in to see what they make of it and how much to fix it.

 

[AGAS]

As mentioned above you need evidence is what you got now enough ( not just receipt as you had paid him as being satisfied with the job ) if not you have to get by whatever mean . You need admitted shyte job in writing in whatever form that may be e.g email or text or re quoted works to corrections the works .

That is no plasterers work end off , if he hasn't done any walls acceptable why would he get it right the second time