We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

Patio disaster

Hello, we have just had a 70sqm porcelain patio fitted. The job is considered 'complete' by the installer but the process and end product is covered in problems. Would be great to get some honest opinions. 

Currently there are 4 areas of water pooling/puddles. Some of the slabs run off of the house, some off to the garden, some to the fence, some with no run off. Each area has different random directions. Entire rows of slabs are higher than the ones either side of them, like a long ridge, where the ones behind then slope to house, ones in front to the garden. A single french drain, basically just a gap between house and slabs, has been done. The builders have used PVA, either in the slurry, or in the mortar. Multiple slabs were re-laid already as were not sticking to the mortar bed. when pulled up, some had no slurry on, others with just some slurry in the middle, not covering the whole slab. Others were sloping up too much to the fence where the base probably hadn't been dug deep enough. The grouting has been redone twice as is slightly soft with white patches everywhere. 10 slabs have been chipped. The downpipe drains were incorrectly filled with rubble which I then had to scrape and dig out. The cutting around the drains is really poor. There are endless issues to be honest, and the work has been messy and slow. 3/4 of the bill has been paid for. I bought really expensive porcelain slabs costing £4k and provided porcelain spacers and grout recommended by the slab manufacturer.

We are very disappointed to say the least. Any thoughts very welcome. Cheers.

  We really



Comments

  • stuart45
    stuart45 Posts: 4,586 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    They should have used SBR/cement as a bonding agent. Even then you need a full bed under the slabs. The joints are poor quality and need doing properly.
  • Thanks for the comment. Do you think the job is a complete redo or can be fixed?
  • stuart45
    stuart45 Posts: 4,586 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    The problem with standard PVA is that's it's water soluable, so moisture will affect the bond bridging. I would guess you will have more issues in the future. Getting the builder to do it again properly is likely to be difficult.
  • OK good to know, thanks. What about the other problems.. the pooling, random fall offs, cutting etc?
  • stuart45
    stuart45 Posts: 4,586 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    The other issues are also poor workmanship, but can be sorted if they rip the lot up and start again.
  • FreeBear
    FreeBear Posts: 17,271 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    The label on the PVA bottle clearly says "Suitable for interior use". It says nothing about being suitable for exterior use.
    Her courage will change the world.

    Treasure the moments that you have. Savour them for as long as you can for they will never come back again.
  • Cheslea2010
    Cheslea2010 Posts: 52 Forumite
    10 Posts First Anniversary Photogenic
    Looks pretty awful to me. The cuts are a joke. A contractor who knows what they are doing would not put their name to those cuts. I would suspect corners have been cut with the sub base as well.
  • Bookworm105
    Bookworm105 Posts: 1,726 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 19 June 2024 at 4:53PM
    Looks pretty awful to me. The cuts are a joke. A contractor who knows what they are doing would not put their name to those cuts. I would suspect corners have been cut with the sub base as well.
    Cheslea2010  what is wrong with the cuts?
  • ashe
    ashe Posts: 1,574 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    The other issue you'll have is the water will always puddle, if you're using correct grout for porcelain it's non water permeable. Only solution is to use a grout that isn't water permeable but that then lets water in, which freezes in winter and loosens slabs, which will happen easily as your slabs aren't slurried

    If you have got these problems now, they'll only get worse 
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 348.3K Banking & Borrowing
  • 252.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 452.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 240.9K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 617.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 175.6K Life & Family
  • 254.1K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.