Can you grout with tile adhesive?

[DHTiling]

It does look unbalanced, when you stand in the doorway, the floor looks like it is swirling away from you. I don't think he has insurance anyway so it looks like I'm going to be out of pocket.

You will use a propper tiler though..?

I can source one for you if you want...we have some really really good ones as members...

if this is the route you want to go then pm me..

 

[Bolter]

It does look unbalanced, when you stand in the doorway, the floor looks like it is swirling away from you. I don't think he has insurance anyway so it looks like I'm going to be out of pocket.

Chin up mate, at least you got the balls to talk to him and you never know, he may be able to compensate you.

Send him a bill, and mark it as a copy will been sent to Trading Standards and BBCs Rogue Traders if he doesnt come to an amicable agreement. You may well be out of pocket over this though, thats almost guaranteed.

Good thing is, if Dave sends someone round, you will get an AWESOME job. Thats also guaranteed 🙂

 

[Snowfrog]

Dave, pm sent.

Bolter, how I wish I could turn back the clock. When he said he'd never fitted travertine tiles before that should have been a warning to me.

 

[Richardk]

Where are you from? Im sure someone from this forum would be willing to pop over and check it all out, on the quiet of course.

If you are near me, I would be happy to.

This seems like a good idea. With each post, the job seems worse and worse and there may be other issues you're not aware of yet. An assessment from a tiler would be a good start.

 

[Snowfrog]

Richard, I'm in Liverpool. If he doesn't start sorting out things tomorrow, I'll hopefully get someone from here to fix it for me.

 

[faithhealer]

Snowfrog , we really feel for you, hope you get it sorted. Has he been paid for those 12 days? hope not.

 

[doug boardley]

Snowfrog , we really feel for you, hope you get it sorted. Has he been paid for those 12 days? hope not.

Jeez, has it taken him that long??:yikes::yikes::yikes:

 

[mavrik483]

He is at it mate, sounds like a john wayne

 

[Snowfrog]

Snowfrog , we really feel for you, hope you get it sorted. Has he been paid for those 12 days? hope not.

Jeez, has it taken him that long??:yikes::yikes::yikes:

He started two weeks ago tomorrow, so has worked 9 days on the job as he hasn't worked weekends, but the total job wasn't just for tiling. He removed t and g ceilings in the loo and bathroom, replastered both ceilings, the loo walls and half of the bathroom walls and been tiling for a total of 4 days and so far has been paid £720.

 

[user123]

Just read the whole sad story, good luck, Snowfrog.

 

[Snowfrog]

Thank you Mosaic Girl. 🙂

 

[Snowfrog]

Well guys I've got an update for you. I spoke to the tiler the next morning and told him that I wasn't happy with his work and that I wanted it up and re layed properly. He managed to get up the tiles without damaging the underfloor heating, so far so good. Then all work had to come to a stop as I needed some extra tiles and couldn't find any that matched.

Eventually last Wednesday I found some 60 x 40 tiles which were a good match and hit on the idea of just cutting them down to 40 x 40. I told the tiler that I could only get 60 x 40 and he said he a friend who had a laser cutter specifically for cutting and finishing marble, which he could use, so I'd get a smoother finish. I agreed to pay him £15 as I thought it wasn't a bad price and would save the tiler's cutting time, anyway. So he came on Friday and layed the floor, 16 tiles in total, but still never got round to finishing the tiling around the bath. For that I paid him £120, plus the other guy's £15. It was only after he went that I actually worked it out that his work rate is working out at £50 a metre. Just for laying the tiles as I sealed them and they still need to be grouted. I moaned about it to my boyfriend and he said he'd have a word with the guy as he seems to be taking advantage of me. So far, up to the end of last Friday, he had part plastered the bathroom, plastered the loo and layed a total of 8 metres of tiles and been paid £1000 and cost me an extra £125 for more tiles and adhesive. Far from being a cheap job, he is working out far more expensive than any other quote I had and it's still not finished, but worse than that, I think the quality of his work is really poor. I've got more pictures to show you, if somone could kindly put them up for me.

I'm having the pipes boxed in and tiled over and the rest of the room is having a tiled skirting board. Well I noticed another problem with one of the floor tiles he re-layed, by the radiator. It was too short from the wall so when I rested a tile on it, you could see the gap. I pointed it out to the tiler and he just poo poo'd it as being a problem and said when the skirting board had the adhesive behind it, you wouldn't see it. Guess what he's done, he's shoved nearly a centimetre of adhesive behind the tiles, so you don't see the gap, but it looks awful, I think. Also because he's come out so far, he's now tiled over the feet of the radiator.

I despair.

 

[Colour Republic]

ohhhhh nooooooo, I want to cry for you Snowfrog:mad2: You sound like my other half... just too nice sometimes and you get taken advantage of (although £15 to cut the tiles down seems like a good price

 

[Stan001]

snowfrog - document all your conversations you've had to date whilst its fresh in your memory / make a diary of what has been happening plus contact the office of fair trading for advice asap .... The Office of Fair Trading: making markets work well for consumers

 

[Snowfrog]

CR, thanks for the sympathy, I feel like crying for me too. 🙂

Stan I don't think the Office of Fair trading will be able to help me. The guy was recommended by an electrician friend, I didn't get him through the yellow pages or the like. He was a good plasterer, but IMO, he's no tiler. I've paid him cash in hand, and I really can't see how I can get recourse. I know the guys name, well first nam, but not where he lives, nor anything else. The way things are looking, I'll just have to get everything sorted by the new tiler when I eventually do my kitchen.

Here are the photos, I hope.

Pictures by DaisysJ91 - Photobucket

 

[Colour Republic]

I'm really sorry Snowfrog but the plastering is anything but good let alone his tiling, in the few pictures I can see his plastering it looks awful, I'm sorry to be add insult to injury but once the plaster is painted you will see how rough it is. So sorry

 

[Snowfrog]

I want to go to bed, pull the covers over my head and stay there. I'm so fed up. Matters aren't made any easier by the constant battles with my boyfriend. He really does think I am being too fussy now. I think he's just fed up hearing me moan about it, but I can't pretend I'm happy with it, when I'm far from that.

 

[Colour Republic]

I don't often advocate suing a 'trademen' as there is normally two sides to a story but this is really quite bad, enough to have caused damage to the value of your home and I really don't say that lightly. you have spent good money after bad. I want to say something that will cheer you up and tell you it will all be OK but sadly I can't

So sorry to be so blunt and harsh

 

[Colour Republic]

Go to bed ignor my last post😳

 

[Snowfrog]

So you don't think I am being too fussy?

 

[Stan001]

snowfrog - please don't assume - he is providing a service - he is happily taking your money for that service.
If you dont know his name ask it, ask for a business card, take his van registration number, and take lots of pictures of his work. Get his details from your electrician friend, maybe he can help you? Have you given him an opportunity to refund you for the tiling work only? (if his plastering etc is good). You really need to take professional advice (which is free from OFT or your local CAB). don't procrastinate.

 

[Snowfrog]

Go to bed ignor my last post😳

At least you made me smile.

 

[DHTiling]

Pics here..

 

[White Room]

Your entitled to be fussy, your paying for work to done to a standard and it certainly has'nt reached that.

 

[Colour Republic]

Pics here..

you beat me to it dave I thought they should be shown in there full glory too

 

[Snowfrog]

Thanks Dave.

Whitebeam, I know I can be too fussy sometimes but I have clear ideas of what I want and I really don't think I am in the wrong here. I've had all sorts of grief tonight because I've said I'm not happy with everything. My boyfriend thinks everything will look fine once it's grouted. I don't think grouting could possibly fix it and if it wasn't for Baghdad today, I would say what I think it needs.

 

[simhopper]

Your entitled to be fussy, your paying for work to done to a standard and it certainly has'nt reached that.

Being fussy does not come into it

The works done is absolute rubbish,Fussy is picking up stepped tile less than 1mm

The plastering looks very poor, cuts and grout lines also poor

I would give him the oppurtunity to replace, if he refuses take him to small claims...The quicker people like this are taken out the trade the better

 

[Colour Republic]

Let's get one thing straight, you are being far from fussy!

This is a mess; his plastering is nearly as bad as his tiling. Although I have great sympathy for you I am quickly becoming angry. The chances are you are so down about this whole episode that you will want to get this buried and try to make the best out of a bad situation and in the process this 'tiler' will be allowed to damage somebody else’s property. This is a prime example of what gives our industry a bad name.

You have been recommended this 'Plasterer/tiler' by an electrician, I’m starting to wonder what the electricians work is like now. I know loads of tradesmen in my local area but I can count on one hand the amount of them I would recommend to customers as I know if I recommend someone it's as good as my company endorsing them and me taking the flack for any misgivings they may have. You haven't done anything wrong, most people on here would advise you that if you have one workman you are happy with then get them to recommend somebody for other trades you may have. Our whole industry is supposed to be built on our reputation.

I would love our industry to be monitored and government backed but sadly I know all too well that our government would use it as an excuse for a stealth tax and in the process make such a hash of it that cowboy builders would excel because they would undercut the firms that pay to comply.

I'm getting really mad now...

Snowfrog, PM me your 'plasterer/tiler/muppet's' number so I can let off some steam:mad2:

 

[Snowfrog]

One thing is for sure, I'm not going to let him lay another tile. He'll want paying for the work he's done this week and I don't really want to pay him as I'm going to have to undo everything he's done and pay for it to be put right. I'm not looking forward to it.

 

[DHTiling]

Don't give him a penny more....:mad2:

 

[Colour Republic]

I know it my seem easy for us to post our opinions from the comfort of our desks but i'd be happy to have a chat with this bloke when he wants your money. We never did find out where you are from