Furniture damaged by window fitter

itm2

We're in the process of having a large window replaced in our bedroom, at a cost of £720. The window fitter, who I believe to be self-employed (but brought a young lad along to assist him on the first day), has damaged a dressing table immediately in front of the window (it was not possible to move the dressing table as it is fixed to the built-in wardrobes). The damage is a number of zig-zag scratches covering a 12 inch area, and a chip on the edge which looks like it was caused by a slipped screwdriver or chisel. The dressing table was previously in pristine condition.
The fitting job has been fraught with problems. Firstly, he had a hell of a job removing the existing window frame, and needed to leave to get a different set of tools for the job. This caused the work to spill into a 2nd day. He didn't have time to finish the job on the 2nd day, and after he left we noticed that there was a crack in the corner of the largest pane - about 5-6cm long. I texted him to tell him about the crack, and he replied a few days later to say that the manufacturer would need to supply a new unit. He hasn't said how long this is likely to take.
In the meantime we're wondering how to tackle the issue of the damage to the dressing table. He's a nice enough chap, but we feel that he should take some responsibility for rectifying the damage (although I'm not sure how, as the dressing table was part of a fitted suite, and I suspect that replacing the top may not be feasible).
Any suggestions for how we should address this with the window fitter?

Doozergirl

Goodness. If it’s the sort of job where it is necessary to move furniture out of the way, which a large window would be, then he should have told you that he couldn’t take responsibility for damage caused to it if you couldn’t move it. Someone savvier would have made you sign a disclaimer.

The presence of furniture right in front of a large window that needs to be removed and then replaced is going to make the job much harder. Glass is really heavy already, without having to lift it over items. And of course, that furniture is in the firing line.

You couldn’t move it without damaging it but it’s also just likely that he couldn’t do a job properly with it impeding access. You were taking a clear risk by leaving it there.

Swings and roundabouts, I think. Whatever you did, it was a risk but you put it in his hands instead of taking it into your own.

itm2

Yes in retrospect I should have at least put some sort of protecting covering over the dressing table (it's not movable). I foolishly assumed that any professional tradesman would themselves take the trouble to place protective covering over anything they thought might be at risk of being stained or damaged.
So you don't think it's reasonable for him to accept any responsibility for the damage?

Doozergirl

I’m not sure it’s acceptable to expect him to take all of it. You left it in the way of significant building work where really heavy items had to be manoeuvred out and over it. The outcome was predicatable.

You chose not to risk damage in removing it but it would have been fitted in pieces with screws etc that a bit of effort and perhaps the cost of a chippy would have been able to remove safely.

Burying your head, keeping your fingers crossed and then blaming him when that happens is like trying to shut the door after the horse has bolted.

SuzieSue

When I had my kitchen painted, I covered all my work surfaces myself as I did not want the fitters dirty dust sheets in my kitchen.

He should have said something about protecting your furniture but you also should have asked him about it.

PasturesNew

I think a home owner only ever has a job done once. With no prior experience of how the work happens....

As a professional, doing one job every day for XX years, I'd have expected him to point out "You want to move that love, it gets a bit messy and so you need a cover" and/or to even bring his own covers and pop one on.

As a home owner you have an idea in your head of how a job will progress .... and only once you've seen how they do it do you realise just how much mess they make, how much building materials fly around, how much room they'll need etc. A home owner would probably never think that, say, he might grab his grubby brush and brush bits of frame/concrete into a mucky bucket and put it down (on the furniture as it's handy?).... etc etc. No idea.

Until you see it for yourself you can't possibly imagine the things you never thought went on.

e.g. you might think they'd gently tap round the existing window, get a grip on it, pull it out, put it down, pick up the other one and put that in, fill it round and leave. Job done.

In reality there might be a lot of chipping round the window, grinding out round the existing frame, pulling away of wood chips/whatever and bits of concrete flying as power tools are used to channel out or cut off a stray bit of old concrete/brick .... which you had no idea would occur.

I think the weight of "pointing out the obvious" should fall on the workman because they know how they will work - and the home owner will only ever have this job done once in their lifetime.

sevenhills

itm2 wrote: »

We're in the process of having a large window replaced in our bedroom, at a cost of £720.

£720 is quite a lot of money, depending on the window, there will be some profit in that, but if it took them 3 days, that doesn't sound like they are experienced in doing this work.
The manufacturer wont replace the glass, it will more likely have been cracked installing it.

Doozergirl

PasturesNew wrote: »

I think a home owner only ever has a job done once. With no prior experience of how the work happens....

As a professional, doing one job every day for XX years, I'd have expected him to point out "You want to move that love, it gets a bit messy and so you need a cover" and/or to even bring his own covers and pop one on.

As a home owner you have an idea in your head of how a job will progress .... and only once you've seen how they do it do you realise just how much mess they make, how much building materials fly around, how much room they'll need etc. A home owner would probably never think that, say, he might grab his grubby brush and brush bits of frame/concrete into a mucky bucket and put it down (on the furniture as it's handy?).... etc etc. No idea.

Until you see it for yourself you can't possibly imagine the things you never thought went on.

e.g. you might think they'd gently tap round the existing window, get a grip on it, pull it out, put it down, pick up the other one and put that in, fill it round and leave. Job done.

In reality there might be a lot of chipping round the window, grinding out round the existing frame, pulling away of wood chips/whatever and bits of concrete flying as power tools are used to channel out or cut off a stray bit of old concrete/brick .... which you had no idea would occur.

I think the weight of "pointing out the obvious" should fall on the workman because they know how they will work - and the home owner will only ever have this job done once in their lifetime.

I can understand that one may not appreciate just how much work is needed or dirt caused, but I think it is as obvious as thinking about what you have to do if you wanted to clean that window. If it’s blocking the window area, you’re going to end up standing on the table to reach the top. That presents a risk to both the table *and the person trying to access it*.

Employing people doesn’t allow us to move the burden of common sense or basic risk assessments - “mm, that could pose a problem”. People may not appreciate this, but homeowners are ultimately responsible for the health and safety of tradesmen on their property!

Slinky

Have you got accidental damage cover on your insurance?

Aylesbury_Duck

itm2 wrote: »

In the meantime we're wondering how to tackle the issue of the damage to the dressing table. He's a nice enough chap, but we feel that he should take some responsibility for rectifying the damage (although I'm not sure how, as the dressing table was part of a fitted suite, and I suspect that replacing the top may not be feasible).
Any suggestions for how we should address this with the window fitter?

I suppose the obvious question is: What do you want as a solution? If it's not possible to replace the top, are you looking for the whole fitted suite to be replaced? Given what others have posted and your part in the circumstances, I think the best you can hope for is a contribution to the replacement of the suite. As to what that should be, who knows and of course it depends on the cost of a new suite? £50? £100?

EssexExile

Surely the fitter would have insurance for such occasions?