That (bathroom) sinking feeling

GlitterQueen_2

I have had a complete bathroom renovation. The work is in the end stages. I bought fitted bathroom furniture which accommodated a semi recessed sink. However, I bought a counter top sink. The installer has fitted the counter top sink which I will need a step to access. I have spoken to the installer about this and he said: 1) Yes the furniture has a panel that is usually cut out for a semi recessed sink 2) Despite that he just fitted whatever came out of the box 3) His team and himself didn't realise the sink height would be a problem because they are all tall. The quote for this work includes a hefty project management fee. This is not the only problem to have been caused by what I feel is a lack of planning/preparation  and overall care on behalf of the contractor but it is certainly the most serious. The only way to remedy this is to remove the countertop and fit a new sink which potentially will lead to having to order new furniture if it is damaged when the counter top comes off. The plumber had indicated that  any remedial work will be at my cost. Citizens Advice have said that I am 'protected' by Consumer Regulations 2015 and that I am within my rights to 'ask' the contractor to do the work at no extra cost. I've also read however that it is notoriously difficult to get a contractor to agree to this. We are talking around £1500 retail for materials to fix this. Guidance/suggestions anyone? Please feel free to ask questions for clarification since this is just a summary

cc58

I'm sort of confused, you bought the wrong sink and the chap installed it and now you need a step to reach it? How high was it installed?  How short are you? 
I would suggest if you've bought the wrong sink and they've installed it the blame probably falls on you to check, usually if you have a good relationship you could probably split the cost but not sure what to suggest 

Bendy_House

You bought a counter-top sink. That's a sink that sits on TOP of the counter. You also bought a unit for it which has a counter-top.

The fitters put the two together in the obvious way. Any other method would have required significant modification to what sounds like a pretty costly unit. I'm guessing that this modification would not even be a straight-forward move, but would require some bespoke mods? Ie, to fit the EXPECTED semi-recessed sink would have been relatively straight-forward, as the sink presumably would have an edge/rim designed to disguise/hide/accommodate the cut made in the top? But, to recess a countertop sink, one designed to sit on top of a flat surface, with no provision for disguise should it be recessed for some reason, would presumably require much more care and precision in order for this unexpected scenario to be done seamlessly? OR, the whole unit would have had to have been reduced in height - scary! OR, these guys 'should' have noticed your error, and asked you to sort it?

Is that a reasonable summation?

If so, it would seem to come down to whether these guys should have NOTICED your incorrect choice of sink before they installed it?

That's a toughie. As it happens, I have very recent experience of trying to judge sink/basin heights, as I'm planning to make a unit to take a counter-top sink. I can tell you that, if left to pure guesswork - Ie, if I had to ESTIMATE the overall height of a unit designed to take a counter-top basin, then I'd have been a mile out. And that is despite, like everyone else, using a basin numerous times each day. If simply asked to mark a wall at the expected countertop height, I would have made it MUCH higher than reality. So these guys may have seen this unit as being a perfectly ok height, and not 'too tall'.

Here's a wee test for all folk on here who use a bathroom sink every day   My proposed counter-top basin is a typical 150mm high. That's 6". Now, use your hand to try and estimate how tall the UNIT that goes under this should be, in order to get the basin top to the normal pedestal basin height!

Do you have a figure? How many inches or mm?

How about - twofeetandtwoinches tall? Tiny, eh? Well, it certainly seems so to me... If other, very practical, folk on here think that a unit only 2'2" tall would look teeny, then perhaps they will have some sympathy with these fitters. I mean, a unit of the near-full height of a sink would actually look 'normal'. So, I'm not sure I share CAB's confidence.

If the fitters had also supplied the furniture and sinktop, then they'd be fully liable. But they didn't.

I really don't know how this is going to go. Or should go.

GlitterQueen_2

I'd say its 25cm higher than it should be. Want to post a photo but having trouble. I'm 5'3". Counter top sink bought in error since I didn't know there was a difference between counter top / semi recessed until this happened. All the fixtures were bought prior to work commencing. This is why I asked the contractor on the first day to check everything - I've never renovated a bathroom before which is why employing the installer to project manage was appealing. I don't think its unreasonable to expect consultation if there is any doubt or something doesn't seem quite right. A quick check would have spotted this rookie mistake before it lead to a more serious problem The bathroom furniture range is installed with a countertop that is cut to fit the sink. A counter top sink should not be used. 

GlitterQueen_2

To be clear about buying the countertop - I bought units/counter top that exactly matched a display unit in a showroom. I had already bought the sink. The installer knew exactly how the unit 'should' be fitted because he explained it to me in detail when I initially raised the problem with him.

Gavin83

Bendy_House said:

You bought a counter-top sink. That's a sink that sits on TOP of the counter. You also bought a unit which has a counter-top.

The fitters put the two together in the obvious way. Any other method would have required significant modification to what sounds like a pretty costly unit. I'm guessing that this modification would not even be a straight-forward move, but would require some bespoke mods? Ie, to fit the EXPECTED semi-recessed sink would have been relatively straight-forward, as the sink presumably would have an edge/rim designed to disguise/hide/accommodate the cut in the top? But, to recess a counter-TOP sink would require more care and precision in order for it to be done seamlessly?

Is that a reasonable summation?

If so, it would seem to come down to whether these guys should have NOTICED your incorrect choice of sink before they installed it?

That's a toughie. As it happens, I have very recent experience of trying to judge sink/basin heights, as I'm planning to make a unit to take a counter-top sink. I can tell you that, if left to pure guesswork - Ie, if I had to ESTIMATE the overall height of a unit designed to take a counter-top basin, then I'd have been a mile out. And that is despite, like everyone else, using a basin numerous times each day. If simply asked to mark a wall at the expected height, I would have made it MUCH higher than reality.

Here's a wee test for all folk on here who use a bathroom sink every day   My proposed counter-top basin is a typical 150mm high. That's 6". Now, use your hand to try and estimate how tall the UNIT that goes under this should be, in order to get the basin top to the normal pedestal basin height!

Do you have a figure? How many inches or mm?

How about - twofeetandtwoinches tall? Tiny, eh? Well, it seems so to me... If other, very practical, folk on here think that a unit only 2'2" tall would look teeny, then perhaps they will have some sympathy with these fitters. And I'm not sure I share CAB's confidence.

As it happens I’ve also got recent experience of choosing the height of a basin as I’m currently renovating my ensuite. I’d say you want the top of the basin to land somewhere between 800mm to 850mm. Essentially it’s a long way of saying I agree with you. 

OP, you say it’s 25cm higher than it should be. What’s the total height from the floor to the top of the basin?

Ultimately if it was your choice what to buy and they had no part to play in it you have to take at least some of the blame here. If you needed assistance you should have checked what you were buying worked. How comes they didn’t buy all the fittings?

There is an element of personal choice in how high you’d want your basin to be but if it’s a silly height then they should have really spotted it and said something.

GlitterQueen_2

Also the installer directed me to the shop where I bought the units. He has a close working relationship with that supplier and 'sends all his customers' there.

GlitterQueen_2

I bought the wrong type of sink. Not trying to get away from that. As I said, no experience of renovating a bathroom. On the other hand the contractor knew the furniture range I bought and was paid to project manage. I actually saw him in the shop when I was buying the furniture and indicated to him the units I was getting. I just feel knowing that, he should've said I'd made a mistake before fitting the sink. 

Gavin83

So how high is the top of the sink from the floor?

GlitterQueen_2

I'll have to measure it. Will do and post later

Bendy_House

GQ2, could you link to the unit and sinktop? Or tell us the brand and model? Trying to see how 'obvious' it could have been.