Would you expect work men to clean up afterwards?

JustAnotherSaver

Norman_Castle wrote: »

So contact them and discuss it.

Indeed.

I posted that before 9, they open today at 9, we were already going down there today anyway.

moneyistooshorttomention

Personally, I take the view that my house will look absolutely identical AFTER a job is done as it did BEFORE it was done (except that the job has been done). Unless I have obviously stated that I know things will be otherwise (eg when it came to electrical work I said that I know there will be chasing down the walls and I'm planning to replace the d!cor and carpets anyway). If I hadn't said that, then I would have expected them to tell me (just in case I didn't know and had assumed d!cor would remain undamaged).

So, this means the tradesmen should clear up after themselves/not damage anything/take away all rubbish/etc.

If they don't propose to do that, then THEY must say so and not just assume the customer realises. No...the customer does NOT "realise".

That's how things should be. In practice, I have trouble at intervals with workmen damaging things/not protecting things/thinking I will be responsible for removing rubbish (even though they can see I'm a woman and don't have a car)....etc...etc....etc.

I did have one job done, for instance, where there was a fair bit of rubbish over from it and the workmen asked me, at the end, whether I had agreed with the boss that they would be removing it and charging me for it. I had agreed a totally inclusive price in writing and reminded them that "totally inclusive" obviously included removing rubbish or else the boss would have said "It will cost £x extra to remove the rubbish". As he didn't, then it was obviously included and so they took the rubbish away with them.

Good luck with this.

lessonlearned

Yes I do expect workmen to clean up.

You have been left with a dreadfiul mess, especially your poor carpet. The plasterer has been very disrespectful of your property and possessions.

I don't know how much redress you will get though - you might just have to chalk this one up to experience.

Plaster and brick dust cause an unholy mess. It will take several goes to clean it all because even if you have a hoover strong enough to cope with it, the dust will be in the air and will fall for several days. Also as the plaster dries - usually a few days - it will still produce dust. Realistically it's not until the new plaster gets a coat of paint that the dust stops.

Next time clear everything away, cover up anything that's left out and try and keep doors to other rooms closed. Also get an agreement in place as to what happens with rubbish removal.

Better luck next time.

I agree with the poster who said that until you know your trades person well and can trust them it is better to be around.

I have a team of trades currently working on two properties - I have known the head guys for years although some of the assistants come and go. I know they are trustworthy and diligent.

I visit them each day to check that everything is ok, run over the schedule, answer any queries, check for errors and that there are no slip ups or mishaps, make sure that they have plenty of milk, teabags, biscuits etc, and have a little natter and just generally touch base with them.

They all have my mobile no and can contact me if they have any questions that need an urgent answer or if they hit any snags.

This way there are no delays, we keep to the schedule and (almost!!) stay on budget.

lessonlearned

Money - good to see you are making progress now. Chin up it will soon be over. Just think how fab it's all going to be.

Bathroom now complete on Prop 2. Dead posh.!!!

trollopscarletwoman

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Usually they plaster over things :mad:


http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/Wiring/UK_telephone/uk_telephone.html

note there are two versions of the Linebox, one with punch-down / IDC connections for the incoming line, and one with screw terminals. Not all dropwire types are suitable for IDC.

The point is what do they usually do in these situations. They appear to have been heavy handed in removing the socket. If the homeowner had known he could taken the face plate off, made a note of the connections and taken the whole thing off. Then re-instate.

Now its a possibility that BT will get involved. And that will be a large unnecessary bill because they're robbers. At least !!!!!! Turpin wore a mask.

JustAnotherSaver

Well the wife (or my dear darling wife, for the preaching minority, despite the fact THE wife isn't as sensitive as these people!) went down to pay this morning.

Looks like lessonlearned is going to be right - chalking up to experience, as she just paid & didn't mention, as she doesn't like causing hassle. She'd done reading online & found some people don't tidy up, so took it that if they don't say then they don't clean & is accepting of that. I'm not so happy though.

But me being not happy turned to me being outright p1$$ed off this afternoon....

We had a door removed & boarded up. It's an old wooden 1930s interior door.
We had planned on using it in place of another door if in better condition, or even just selling it, so we told them to keep it to one side.

It's been removed for a week or so but only today did i begin to move it from where they'd placed it. When moving it, take a look at what i found...



Now i'm no expert in door removal, but i'm sorry - in my opinion that takes the absolute !!!!!!, and i know the overly sensitive might be offended by my use of 'extreme' language, but that's how i feel.

My wife removed that door & she's got no strength whatsoever. She didn't break it. I re-fitted it & i did this no problem & i didn't break it.
So some professionals come in & for some unknown reason, are unable to manage to remove a door without absolutely knackering it. Why was that even necessary??



This next bit is easily rectified, but that's really not the point...

If you spill something, you clean it up, correct? Wasn't we all taught that??

Coffee on the worktop...

Come on you're being very picky now right? Yeah maybe, but it's not the point, you should still clean it up if you spill, but that bit wouldn't even irritate me that much. This next bit does though....


Yes all that black stuff on the floor including the spill to the base of that wooden post is coffee spill. Ok i know a simple cloth will clean it up & it's not the end of the world, but it's not the point.

If these guys spilled wine on their carpet, would they just leave it & say oh well? If they spilled bean juice over their whatever, would they just leave it & say someone else will get it? No i bet they clean it up.

When does that become acceptable? There's no way that was done without noticing it, so why leave it? Like i say, i know i can go through there & mop it up, but it's not the point - why should i have to?

Is it because we're not living there that it's 'acceptable'?
Is it because we're decorating it's 'acceptable'?
Because i've taken the carpet up in the living room?


I'm happy with their plastering work - i'm no expert but it looks good. The other stuff though i'm pretty p!$$ed off with to be honest. The door more than anything else because that's wrecked. The wallpaper behind that because at no point were we told it needed removing & i don't believe it did need removing as if it did, surely they'd have ripped the ceiling paper by the same token - which they didn't do, so IMO it wasn't necessary.

Not happy.

amandajmartin

my husbands a plasterer and he said you should not have paid them till they had cleaned up all there mess and put right any damage they had done has they have public liability insurance for that reason

Norman_Castle

They've left a mess and damaged your door. You're clearly not happy. Contact the company yourself and talk to them about it.

JustAnotherSaver

I will be doing. Just not rushing into it or else i'll come across as a rambling Pd off maniac. It needs to be kept calm & to the point.

I suppose we're now at a disadvantage since we've actually handed over the money.

They have an email so i'll be using that. Just had a look on eBay for what them doors sell for & seems they start at £30.00. Not a vast amount, but again not the point.

I don't suppose any of you reckon that door is salvageable? I don't know what's repairable & what isn't really. To me that door is now totally goosed.

Things like the worktop & floor are just bloody irritating, but i can clean that.
The dust everywhere - i'd have liked to think they'd have put down sheeting, but again it may take a while but i can clean that.

The rubbish though - that's going to cost to remove.
The door - to me that's a goner.
The wallpaper - we can't paint it as it'll now look !!!!, we can't remove it as it may bubble the plaster, so we're kinda stuck.
The carpet - that's going to need wet vac'ing which will cost.

Owain_Moneysaver

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

I don't suppose any of you reckon that door is salvageable?

course it is, glue and clamp till set.