What Course of Action with Dusty Builders?

Synthespian

I have currently got some builders in my flat and they have been doing some electrics in my bathroom.

They have left (over the weekend) an unholy mess of dust all around the flat. They've left all the doors open so that the dust has spread into bedrooms and the living room / kitchen, making our job after the builders have gone that much bigger / harder.

Shouldn't they have put up dust sheets, door covers and the like ... and definitely not left doors open when doing the work?

Is it something I can force them to legally do after they have finished the main job (at their cost)?

ormus

what did the terms of your contract say?
if no mention was made of cleaning and rubbish removal etc, then thats down to you.
all building work entails some mess. its the nature of the beast.

googler

From past experience, I wouldn't assume any builder to be aware of the mess they can create.

I'd seal off any rooms that they won't need to access, with plastic sheets and wide masking tape or gaffa tape.

Tom_Jones

Jeeeeeeeeeez people get more pathetic by the day, what do you expect no dust or waste from building work ?

Why didn't YOU close the doors, oh and grow up.

missile

A good builder will take as much care in your flat as he does in his own home. I hate to think what kind of squalor the rest live in :rotfl:

I guess you have allowed them free access whilst you are not there? I would speak to your builder and ask them not to go into the rest of your home. Maybe a notice on other doors "PLEASE DO NOT ENTER"

phill99

Tom_Jones wrote: »

Jeeeeeeeeeez people get more pathetic by the day, what do you expect no dust or waste from building work ?

Why didn't YOU close the doors, oh and grow up.

Well said.

anotherginger

Synthespian wrote: »

Is it something I can force them to legally do after they have finished the main job (at their cost)?

are you kidding? grow up and deal with it yourself.

leveller2911

ALL decent builders would have put down dust sheets and made a decent effort to clear up. No excuses at all, with any building work there will be dust but they should have made an effort and at the least made you aware of what the job entails...

My advice is don't use them again nor recommend them to anyone.....I was always told to leave a house at least as clean when you arrived as its one less was of people refusing to pay you.....:D

27col

The OP does sound a bit pathetic and wimpy. Although the builders might have been a bit slapdash, but anyone with a grain of common sense would know that, with the best will in the world it is almost impossible to stop building dust from migrating to places where it is not wanted. I wonder what are the chances of there being a contract in existence between the parties concerned, that covered any of this. Hmm!
Anyway, if they have not yet been paid it would appear that the big stick is in the hands of the OP.

Synthespian

Tom_Jones wrote: »

Jeeeeeeeeeez people get more pathetic by the day, what do you expect no dust or waste from building work ?
Why didn't YOU close the doors, oh and grow up.

We did!

They need a bit of access to certain areas.
They opened them, and then didn't close them.
Thus dust around the house that shouldn't have been there.

Right now they aren't going to be used again, nor recommended.

Doesn't help with my wife and son's asthma right now, nor the added cost of their actions afterwards.

Synthespian

27col wrote: »

The OP does sound a bit pathetic and wimpy. Although the builders might have been a bit slapdash, but anyone with a grain of common sense would know that, with the best will in the world it is almost impossible to stop building dust from migrating to places where it is not wanted. I wonder what are the chances of there being a contract in existence between the parties concerned, that covered any of this. Hmm!
Anyway, if they have not yet been paid it would appear that the big stick is in the hands of the OP.

And yes, I expect 'some' dust, but there are ways to minimise it.

Ironically, we discussed doing a different piece of work to which he said he would be putting up dust/plastic sheets to minimise any migration.

Just seems odd he didn't do it for this one.