Bathroom renovation nightmare (plenty of photos). HELP!

[datadiyer]

Hi,
I can't comment on the work as i'm no bathroom fitter. No offence, but you seem a bit like me, worried about every little aspect of the job and whether it's being done correctly. In my experience, I would go with your gut feeling and let them go. You also seem (correct me if i'm wrong) as Mr nice guy afraid to offend people. In my experience also, i've been afraid of letting people go half way through a job and lived to regret it. After paying them at end of job, realising it's not done properly, i've felt nothing but anger at myself for being too nice to tell them to jog on. I did once, although the easy option when I told a builder I didn't have the money to pay him to continue. Have you paid up to date for the work he's done?
p.s i'm no psychologist either, just reading between the lines.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I'm torn on this one.... I'm a heating man that can do bathrooms at a push. But I know my limits and this guy has exceeded his....


At the same time.... you as a customer seem to be....... not fair.... I am on your side here OP.


What you have their is a potential hornets nest of problems principally in light of the fact there is another flat underneath. Which is what spurred me to comment.

That WC frame will NEVER be support properly the way he has it.

There are a myriad of other problem with the work that may or may not cause issues in the future.

If this was the work of one of my underlings, and I was called to inspect the work with a view to be being kicked off site; I would accept materials costs to date with a couple of day's labour to cover the rip out and disposal.

Cut your losses now and get someone who can do the work (with references).


For what it's worth, I hate bathroom work and only do it now for existing customers, with plaster and tiling work subbed out in the grounds that I don't want it to look like your pictures. Bathrooms are very fiddly (read stressful) to get right and unless you do them all the time, not worth it financially unless the customer has other "intrinsic" values.


I did my own last year and it was murder.

 

[cAtLeYx]

Hi,

Its apparent form the mess and untidy nature of the working area the guys an amateur. The sequence of works is also not being carried out in a methodical manner. You should expect all 1st fix M&E to be installed, tested and commissioned correctly prior to covering up any works. On completion the floor should be levelled by either using firing strips or by installing new joist to the side of the existing and levelling them in accordingly. Once the floor is installed (and level) the walls can be boarded, preferably using metal stud or at least treated timbers, and moisture resistant plasterboard fixed. Not sure if you have received a written quotation for the works or formally accepted it? Personally I would ask him to leave and get a professional. Its not just what you can see now but the defects that will no doubt become evident in the near future.

 

[sgabello]

I fell like it would be nice for everyone who contributed to the thread and support my journey to know how it ended.

Long story short... it was just too complicated to let the fitter go and find someone else. So... I carried on...

We had further issues and delays (a drama when the bath didn't fit between the walls) ... but we got there in the end.

The final result is actually visually good. But knowing what's behind those walls still causes me sleepless night every now and then.

Here we go:

 

[75pete]

I hope it gets sorted soon, nuffin worse then an a job half finished!

 

[DaveHerns]

I just hope it stays looking like that and the flat downstairs doesn't get damp patches on their ceiling or you'll be ripping it all out to fix the leaks.

 

[Agile]

First time that I have read this thread. I think that Dan's recent comment sums it up that bathrooms are very fiddly and time consuming to work on. They need constant thoughts and then rethinking so that you don't get baths that don't fit.

I specialise in boilers and heating and will just do emergency plumbing if there is a leak doing damage. I do my own bathrooms but would never do them for anyone else.

It does look very nice. But we know the horrors behind the walls and under the floors.

All that I can say is that I have seen many refits like that being done by builders and looking just as bad or even worse than yours. They usually end up looking good and usually working acceptably. But when everything is covered with tiles it would be a major disaster to gain access to repair a leaking fitting.

Tony

 

[FiremanT]

OP: How did you overcome the floor issue?

 

[DaveHerns]

I suspect most of this firms customers only care about what the finished job looks like , not what's hidden underneath the glossy surfaces

 

[sgabello]

OP: How did you overcome the floor issue?

I insisted until we got a carpenter in to fix new batons to the old joist.

I suspect most of this firms customers only care about what the finished job looks like , not what's hidden underneath the glossy surfaces

The real problem is that most customers do not understand the difference between a shoddy job and one properly done. What you see is the end product.
Before starting the renovation I asked to visit previous finished projects. They looked "ok"... how can you tell how they've been done underneath?
The other problem is that there are too many tradesman that are simply not reliable and do not take pride in what they do and on average the quality of workmanship is really poor. I used checkatrade to find these guys... and they had good reviews. This goes back to what I said at the beginning... the average customer can give a review only on what they can understand... and they know too little to actually judge the workmanship of a tradesman.

 

[Dean744PiN5]

We've ripped out plenty of "great looking" bathrooms and wet rooms only a couple of years old because of what's underneath and how the tiles had been fitted, i hope it doesn't happen to you OP but it might be worth considering starting to squirrel money away for the inevitable maintenance.

Also buy a few sqm's of spare tiles, because if any ever have to come off for repairs in the next few years but that range is made obsolete you will be buggered.

 

[Agile]

I suspect most of this firms customers only care about what the finished job looks like , not what's hidden underneath the glossy surfaces

Unfortunately that's true of most customers!

With boiler repairs, the only thing most customers are bothered about is coming very quickly and at an exact time. That's why Pimlico Plumbing always scores so well and they also have highly polished patent leather shoes too.

That reminds me of one landlord who called me as he was waiting for a boiler repair before he could let the flat so was losing a lot of rent money.

He called Pimlico who sent out this guy. He was unable to diagnose the problem and gave the landlord my number and the bill of £90.

I apologised to the landlord that he needed to pay that £90 but he said he was totally happy to pay it to just get my number!

Tony