Botched job, slippery tradesman

Extra

I am having problems with a tradesman who cannot/will not fix a botched job.

Last year, I had water coming through the kitchen ceiling due to cracks in my shower's grout. I hired a builder to assess for any structural damage, install a new bathroom (including redoing all the tiles) and put a new ceiling in the kitchen.

Everything was great until cracks started to appear in the grout again. He has been back several times to fix the grout and once to patch up the kitchen ceiling where water came through again.

New cracks are still appearing in the grout. Unfortunately, he isn't responding to texts or answering calls and water has started dripping through the ceiling again.

I am wondering what my options are. Ideally, he would come back one last time and magically fix everything but I am not sure he has the correct skill.

What options do I have for forcing him to pay for someone else or for getting my money back from him? Am I able to claim his insurance or sue him? Finally, are any of these options wise?

Thanks for reading and for any help.

Edit: I should mention this is in Scotland since some laws, governing bodies are slightly different here.

stebiz

Last year. Dec 2013 or Jan 2013?

Extra

October 2013

Doozergirl

Have you had a structural engineer out to look at the house? I'd be surprised at cracks continuing to appear if the bathroom is completely new.

What did the builder say about the possible source of the original cracking?

Extra

The builder who carried out the work didn't comment on the cause of the cracks.

Another builder I got a quote from said the cause was "poor installation".

Doozergirl

Okay, but you you said you asked him to assess for the structural damage. What does that mean?

Grouting isn't a hard thing to get wrong. Where is it cracking? Floor, walls? Inside wall, outside wall? Is it in the same place as before?

I'm asking because if there is a structural issue, refitting a bathroom isn't going to fix the problem.

cootuk

Is the shower tray poorly installed and moving when people get in and out?
Has the edge of the tray been chased into the wall or just butted against it and sealed?

Extra

Doozergirl wrote: »

Okay, but you you said you asked him to assess for the structural damage. What does that mean?

Grouting isn't a hard thing to get wrong. Where is it cracking? Floor, walls? Inside wall, outside wall? Is it in the same place as before?

I'm asking because if there is a structural issue, refitting a bathroom isn't going to fix the problem.

I asked him to assess for structural damage because water had been coming through the ceiling for some time. I wanted to make sure it had not done any damage before fitting the bathroom.

The grout has cracked all around the base of the floor, the joins between walls, and on the actual wall in the shower area.

Is the shower tray poorly installed and moving when people get in and out?

Has the edge of the tray been chased into the wall or just butted against it and sealed?

Now that I don't know. Is there a way of finding out other than asking him?

Doozergirl

I think you need a structural engineer. Whilst sealant won't work when a shower tray is loose, grouting coming away on walls is really unusual. I think that there is an underlying problem. Looking for structural damage to a joist etc from a leak is different to looking for structural damage to the house as a whole.

You need to work out why this is happening before you consider making accusations and seeking recompense.

Outside wall, or not? Did any tiles actually crack on the last bathroom that was in there? Any photos for us?

Whether the shower tray is chased in has little bearing. The shower tray should butt to the wall covering (plasterboard?), be sealed, then tiled, then sealed again.

If i isn't fitted tightly them you will see a difference in the gaps between the shower tray and tiling, in the times when you stand in it and when you don't.

Extra

No tiles cracked in the original bathroom.

Whether the shower tray is chased in has little bearing. The shower tray should butt to the wall covering (plasterboard?), be sealed, then tiled, then sealed again.

This sounds like what they did.

Structural engineer sounds expensive. My house insurance accepted responsibility (after a fight). Since then I changed companies at renewal (because of the stress of having to fight). Do you think there is any chance of getting the money back from them under the original claim?

andyhop

Cracks indicate movement in the substrate

I would say that moisture has got behind the tiles and that the substrates has moved/expanded

Was tanking membrane or similar used behind the tile

Size of tile and substrate they are glued to?? Could be that the tiles are too heavy and are beyond the safe limits of substrate