Bathroom tiling meets coving ...

andyhop

If the coving was fitted at time of house build then chances are the edges are not taped. You would need to tape and skim the full room again or you run the risk of cracking around the wall/ceiling edge

Leif

andyhop wrote: »

If the coving was fitted at time of house build then chances are the edges are not taped. You would need to tape and skim the full room again or you run the risk of cracking around the wall/ceiling edge

In other words, the choice is to have the tiling done better to the old coving edge, or rip it all out and start again. A good local firm quoted £6K without furnishings.

I feel angry that this bodger had the chance to remove the coving and didn't.

Someone on another forum mentioned that the shower is at the opposite end to the taps. And that means it is hard to stand up and reach the shower controls.

andyhop

Not ideal but should still work

Sounds like the installer is either lazy, doesnt give a toss or does not have the experience to forsee issues like the coving.

aliasojo

Leif wrote: »

Someone on another forum mentioned that the shower is at the opposite end to the taps. And that means it is hard to stand up and reach the shower controls.

Don't quite understand that comment. If you stand up you will be able to reach anything?

Anyway, when we refurbed the bathroom, we got the bath turned round (we had a window in a similar place) so that the taps were under the shower (i.e. both were on the same wall)

I would have thought your fitter should have raised this with you but then again it involves more work so maybe he kept quiet to avoid that?

It all depends on how far you want to go. Personally I'd be starting from scratch simply because if things bug me, they will always bug me. I'm not good at just living with things that are wrong.

But many would be able to accept this job too, so I suppose it's just how you feel about it.

olly300

Leif wrote: »

In other words, the choice is to have the tiling done better to the old coving edge, or rip it all out and start again. A good local firm quoted £6K without furnishings.

It always costs more to get a bad job fixed up then to have it done right from the beginning as often the bodger has hidden a mess, which may be dangerous, within their work.

Leif wrote: »

I feel angry that this bodger had the chance to remove the coving and didn't.

Less work for him if he didn't, plus he could quote less.

Leif wrote: »

Someone on another forum mentioned that the shower is at the opposite end to the taps. And that means it is hard to stand up and reach the shower controls.

He should have pointed that out to you.

If you are fitting bathrooms day-in day-out simple design issues like that are what you are suppose to point out to customers. I got told that the shower screen I chose wasn't idea even though I chose it because it was easy to clean.

Leif

andrew-b wrote: »

Taps at the wrong end is very valid point....try standing in the bath as you'll be about midway along to be comfortable because of the slope of the back of the back..about 90cm from the shower - my whole cubicle is 900mm wide..water falls about midway.

Exactly and this bath, a Carron Delta, has a strong slope at the non tap end. Looking back, his suggestions were all about laziness. He wanted the shaver socket in the easiest to do location. He wanted a shower that had a large box that hid the pipes, so easy to fit with no drilling.

Leif

andrew-b wrote: »

If i were you i think i'd show them the door and do what you can of the work yourself and just get professionals in for things you don't feel comfortable with. You've shown willing in decorating etc and it's all new to you but if anything can motivate you this should! No point paying plumber rates for stuff you can do yourself.

Unfortunately I cannot lift things like the bath, loo and sink without risk of injury and/or damage. And I do not have the time to learn to do this stuff. Painting, decorating and coving is not hard to learn to do to an okay standard. But fitting a bathroom has a steep learning curve. And it would take me months, during which time I live in a rented flat.

I am not happy to have a bodge, so I might call this a very very expensive learning experience and get a company I know can do a good job to do it properly. Like you indicated, I am not prepared to live with a fixed up bodge. And I have to make sure the fitter does not run off with furnishing such as basin and shower.

keystone

Oh dear what a horrid bodge altogether. Whilst it is easy to criticise I have to agree that I would not be at all happy taking your money for work like that. Actually he should be paying you for the training opportunity. Lots of things already mentioned and I have a further list of quite a number of other things but have decided not to post it just now in case it depresses you further on a Sunday night.

Cheers

Leif

keystone wrote: »

Oh dear what a horrid bodge altogether. Whilst it is easy to criticise I have to agree that I would not be at all happy taking your money for work like that. Actually he should be paying you for the training opportunity. Lots of things already mentioned and I have a further list of quite a number of other things but have decided not to post it just now in case it depresses you further on a Sunday night.

Cheers

Actually I really would like you to. I am already depressed, possibly clinically, having seen the work, and the money I have in effect thrown away. A list of faults would help me greatly when confronting him tomorrow. I have to make sure he leaves without taking loo, sink etc. There are two of them, so it might be difficult. But I will take a mobile so I can ring the police if they try to intimidate me. I want him out, and the spare keys back.

Regarding training, they have been working 40 years in total. I am reluctant to post the name of the company here.

keystone

Ok here goes (in no particular order):

Tile layout very poor.

Whole tile to edge of bath rather than cut down to bath.

Bottom row of tiles in place at wall/floor interface. If floor being tiled bottom row on wall should be done AFTER floor tiling.

Lippage on tiles (perhaps that has been mentioned?)

Bodgery on getting tiles level on LHS of pic. Larger bits of stuff than standard spacers been used.

Careless leaving of addy on tile surfaces which means it was carelessly applied in first instance.

Hope you have a combi boiler or an unvented cylinder. Those flexis are not only horribly restrictive when used with 1/4 turn ceramic disk taps but the one that is visible is perilously close to its MBR causing further restrictions. If you are tank fed then your flow rate at the bath taps will be carp.

No sign (although thats perhaps because I can't see it) of iso valve on tap supply.

If he is replacing like for like on the electrics then notification to LABC is not required. Moot point as to whether it requires an MWC though. Not sure how the shower affects the electrics though. 2 pipes = pumped or mains pressure shower not electric shower. That flannel about no certification as the the CU has already been done is bovine excrement.

Wheres he hidden the isolating valves for the shower feeds? The use of push fit stop ends implies that he hasn't got any or perhaps (to be fair) they may only be there to prevent carp getting into the pipework.

He was responsible for having the wall skimmed - did he use a cheap spread to allow that much fall away from vertical near the coving - or perhaps the spread was trying to preserve the coving edge so did it thin up there. That points to poor jobspec given to spread - particularly with the way he has subsequently tiled it.

Skimmed on Weds and tiled on Fri!!!! No chance - should have been Monday earliest. Paint on Fri maybe (possibly) but not tile.

Pipework exiting wall for shower not level. That means either there's plastic in the wall (hope there are no push fit joints then) and its just flopping about or the pipework will be under stress (if copper) when the shower is fitted or the pipes won't fit into the shower properly. All of which is indicative of possible (not probable but possible) future leak.

I think most other things have been mentioned.

Cheers