Unhappy With Decorating Work

KateLiana27

Alarm bells ring for me when a tradesman insists on getting paid the second he has finished the work. It smacks of being desperate for money rather than interested in doing a quality job. Even more so if he is insisting on being paid in instalments at the end of each day! A decent tradesman will invoice you at the end, giving you the opportunity to sort out any issues and ensure the job is completed to a reasonable standard before giving him your money. Take it as a lesson learned. (One that we've had to learn recently too, as it happens).

It sounds like you've resolved the situation as well as you can. How much less than the agreed price did you pay in the end?

By the way, damp wire wool is great for getting dried paint off sockets.

Leif

KateLiana27 wrote: »

By the way, damp wire wool is great for getting dried paint off sockets.

Does it scratch them?

jambooboo

1984ReturnsForReal wrote: »

What paint did you buy then?

These were my choices of colours for the walls...

Lounge walls.

Bedroom walls.

Hall walls.

He specified the whites for the ceiling and the woodwork...

Ceiling.

Woodwork.

As I said, the painting itself was very patchy. After pointing out the uneven nature of the paintwork on the skirting boards, I got some masking tape - I'm not proficient enough to cut in neatly without using it - and masked off the top and bottom of a two foot area of skirting board, and then evenly applied the paint myself, stating when done that that was the consistency and finish I wanted it. He then - in less time that I did the two foot - masked off and 'painted' about fifteen foot worth, with things barely being any better than previous (he dragged himself and the paint pot across the floor doing it like it was a race).

That - together with him turning up two hours late today and it not for the first time - convinced me that it was a rush job to him and then onto the next customer (in addition to lateness, the second day he was meant to be in he texted to say he wasn't coming because he "was tired"). I told him that I could do better myself, also inviting him round to my current rental property which I painted the kitchen of around a year ago - it's two minutes drive from the place I've just bought - to illustrate what I classed as a good standard of painting.

It really is poor and rushed finishing, with clumps of paint in places and bristles that needed picking off all over the place (he specified the white paints - I should have specified he used good brushes rather than Poundshop quality ones!).

KateLiana27 wrote: »

How much less than the agreed price did you pay in the end?

He did four 'days' (seven hours a day at best, under five at worst) out of the earlier specified six, so I told him I'd give him 2/3 of what we had agreed. He wasn't happy, but there was nothing he could say about the quality of much of his work. As the friend who I got advice from put it - he's in the property business hence why I asked him -
anyone can slop paint on a surface, but painting to a good standard takes time and skill.

KateLiana27 wrote: »

By the way, damp wire wool is great for getting dried paint off sockets.

I'd thought of replacing the white sockets anyway for chrome or stainless steel ones anyway, and now with paint covering them the decision is made. Cheers for the pointer though.

jcb208

I know its not the point as excess paint should not be splashed on sockets but is very easy to renove from plastic, just wet leave a minuite then scrape back with filling knife or window scaper thats not too sharp it will come off easy,then clean with scourer

keystone

Carp job all round by a bodger by the sound of it. 6 day job = payment at day six when satisfied not payment at end of each day and you supplied the materials? <<facepalm>>.

He specified shed's own brand one coat non-drip gloss? That was the time to run for the hills IMHO.

Get rid asap! - oh you have, good.

Cheers

jambooboo

keystone wrote: »

Carp job all round by a bodger by the sound of it. 6 day job = payment at day six when satisfied not payment at end of each day and you supplied the materials? <<facepalm>>.

He specified shed's own brand one coat non-drip gloss? That was the time to run for the hills IMHO.

Get rid asap! - oh you have, good.

Cheers

It's not a decent paint? I was going to use what I've got left.