redecorating hall advice

amyandoli

Hello,

We unfortunately had a leak upstairs in november that led to having to /rip out ceiling/part of wall/replaster and redecorate the hall/stairs/landing, on the insurance (through Halifax- who have been great, a firm called Munters (who dried out the house etc) - who were lovely, and a firm called EBL to plaster and redecorate (bleugh awful folk!)

So after several problems with EBL (plasters didn't know what they were supposed to do, and didnt do all the work told to by Munters, and made a few marks on their plastering jobs, and were a bit cheeky taking over my beloved kitchen), we finally got the decorator in on Wednesday (sub contracted by EBL).

He stripped the walls the first day (but hadnt stripped the landing ceiling-which had matched the hall, as EBL had agreed to do, but he said they hadnt, so we had bits of landing ceiling paper scraped missing where they'd torn it by accident, and painted over the lot in white). He told me that there had been no lining paper under the paper, but that he's such a proffessional that he cant work without it, so he'd lied to his boss and said there was so it has to be replaced, and will get some for us. He tells me I have to decorator filler any gaps between woodwork/walls myself as 'he can't do it all for you'. My husband filled it in that night. He also left a half eaten banana on my kitchen worktop which I just found a dirty thing to do in someone elses house.

Day 2 he sands them down and half finishes putting up lining paper. Some of the pieces of lining paper didnt butt up. We have a loud mobile on our bedroom door, and I heard it ringing, so he must of gone in our bedroom, but stupid me didnt dare do anything, and havent even told my husband. There was no need for him to open the door never mind go in, and I've decided to install interior door locks like we had in an old house, to prevent this from happening again. The daft thing is, all the stuff from the spare bedroom was dumped in our room short term, and I was so embarrased what he's think of the mess. I put a tea tray in the spare room before he came to hopefully keep him out of my kitchen/livingroom, and I think he was a bit upset/offended by this as he cut me off with a curt 'I see' when I said I'd put a tray up there.

Day 3 he finished the lining paper and starts on the wallpaper- a large pattern, obvious to match up (I wallpapered one of our old houses myself, and friends later asked for help with theirs so I was ok at it), and well he's a decorator who said he started working when he was 15, he's over 60, so should have the skills to manage it. best link on the web to show paper: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HOLDEN-ZAHRA-WALLPAPER-CREAM-JADE-AND-WHITE-10059_W0QQitemZ180089960184QQihZ008QQcategoryZ52348QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting. On going to collect the mornings post, he asked what I thought of the paper and I said it looked fine, much brighter than the old stuff. I didnt look closely, I feel rather intimidated by his loud and brassy personality and over use of my name if you know what I mean. Since he's been here he wanders around the house flicking through our cds, books and playing on my husbands guitar, telling me how he was friends with the Beatles, plays in bands, taught John Lennon the bloomin harmonica! I think I offended him today by saying the livingroom door had to be kept closed to keep Oli rabbit safe (I'd asked before and he didn't/wouldn't and I found some lining paper the day before on Oli's foot, so I had to say something), he kept slamming ladders and cursing and huffing.

After he left I had a proper look and it's upside down. The pattern doesn't match up everywhere. He's made cuts for no reason in the paper- as if he's cut them too short so just added another slice. There are tears rather than neat virtually invisable cuts around doors, electrical fittings, the windows and banister. He also left his stuff in the spare bedroom, without asking me, we had friends staying and had to sleep in the livingroom (which was just awkward, we had to move Oli rabbit into the kitchen so he even he was upset!) My husband came home and was fuming. The decorator turned up this morning, I carefully explained (been nervously going over what to say since Friday) we'd had concerns with the finish and had called the Halifax who were sending someone from EBL around. He said he's sort it now. I explained that my husband was adament that he wanted someone to come round and go over things with him, so he called his boss and his boss called me (whilst decorator stood at the top of the stairs listening in to me on the phone in hall, so wasn't comfortable.) So he's packed up all his stuff into his van, left the wallpaper we bought (and 2 bags of rubbish, an old paint pot and scraps of sandpaper and a very dirty looking carpet), taken the leftover lining paper he bought in our name (3 rolls, which surely he should have left if they were bought in our name?) and he's gone. (Had a celebrationly mug of hot chocolate right after he'd gone!)

Tomorrow an EBL boss comes to go over things with my husband (and me).

Basically, what do you guys think we should do? I have a horrid feeling the same decorator will come back, or they'll be funny with us. He has done a bad job, and got us filling in cracks for him, but I don't know if we're being too grumpy about things. I feel I should have said something to him, and if I was myself I would have, but we're rather out of sorts at the moment. Can anyone tell us if we're being too picky? And if not, how we could get the Halifax to use a different decorator?

Many Thanks, sorry it's a long one!

Amy x

noonamanda

Amy
It is your house, you must insist on another decorator. Get your husband to complain as you sound so stressed out over it.
We had a leak last week damaging our kitchen ceiling, I am waiting for someone to visit to take away the drying equipment. We asked about repairs but were told the important thing is to be dried out and that we may get away with glueing the paper back on! We pay a lot for insurance and should get our property reinstated automatically.
Any company paying for that decorator would not use him again if you put all of your complaints in writing .
Amanda

amyandoli

Hello,

I'm sorry you're going through a leak/insurance stuff too. We had to have the ceiling and affected walls ripped/knocked out so redcoration was must, surely your wallpaper will dry out with that yellow stain damp paper gets?! I think you're right, we need to say something, we're just so upset at the moment and it's such a bad week for us anyway. I think I'm going to call and rearrange the boss coming til next week.

Amy x

misgrace

I am horrified at your post, I cannot believe that someone can have the bare faced cheek to behave like your decorator did.:mad:

You have every right to refuse him back, the reason I know this is that I used to work for building firms before I took the plunge and worked for myself.
And if the client was unhappy with a decorator, or the whole lot, whether its thru insurance or not, the client can refuse.

I was working with a male decorator, and the poor blook looked quite weird,not his fault, he is the way god made him, but I knew he was okay, so we had to do decorating at this house, and the lady of the house phoned up the company and asked him to be removed, as he gave her creeps, and the boss did move him.

What you have to remember is, that the loss adjuster can sway a company to the client, and the decorating or building company want to keep the insurance bloke happy so he will get more work, if the company gets too many complaints, then the loss adjusters wont put thier company forward for any more work.

Write down everything you posted above, and give it to them, they cannot ignore it.

My god, I am amazed at this man, strumming your guitar :eek: flicking thru CDs etc, thats bad enough, but you also have the inferior work to contend with.

You are the boss, and you stick to your guns.

The clients I have had doing insurance work, you would not believe what they get away with, cause they are in the driving seat, but you have genuine concerns, and I would be concerned with this decorator.

amyandoli

The big boss came today with a new decorator, went over the hall and said it would all be redone, he'd have words with the other guy. He took photos as evidence. The new decorator seems ok, polite, intoduced himself, and explained problems, and what would happen. 100% happy now yay! I'm glad it didnt get hostile. Thank you for the replies, hopefully it'll be over this time next month.

misgrace

Lets us know how you get on, and if this one does the job right.:D

amyandoli

Will do,

We're picking up the new wallpaper tonight, and the new decorator is coming on Monday 19th, with a trainee to do it all again. They've sent another cheque through to cover the wallpaper cost. Last time they quoted 3 days and it was going to take 4, this time they've quoted 5, but there's less to do, just taking off the wallpaper and sizing the lining paper ready for the new wallpaper. After the decorating is done we can finally get the new carpet down (parts were damaged by leak). Then it starts all over again (hopefully trouble free) on the 27th when we have our new bathroom fitted!

Argh! Thank-god for gardening and hot chocolate.

Amy