Porcelain Tiles - Problems! - Tile Advice

[WetSaw]

I think your only course of action now is the small claims court. How successful you'll be there is doubtful as you had ample opportunity to stop the work continuing. I can't for the life of me think why you had the kitchen fitted on top of tiling that you weren't happy with and hadn't been since the first few tiles were laid.
I hate to say it but you have to take some of the blame for allowing things to continue when you knew, and had video evidence, that things weren't going well.

 

[Flintstone]

Oh my opinion, Chris your a fool and you haven’t helped yourself from day 1 and now it’s too late. You ignored lots of good advice.

 

[Chris101]

I think your only course of action now is the small claims court. How successful you'll be there is doubtful as you had ample opportunity to stop the work continuing. I can't for the life of me think why you had the kitchen fitted on top of tiling that you weren't happy with and hadn't been since the first few tiles were laid.
I hate to say it but you have to take some of the blame for allowing things to continue when you knew, and had video evidence, that things weren't going well.

I spoke with trading standards prior to making my decision to put the kitchen down and they advised me that as I had already given the building company a second chance (repeat performance) I did not have to ask the builder for a third time to resolve the issues and could seek compensation...

I appreciate the advice given but just because I didn'ttake some of the specific members advice, that does not make me a fool...

 

[Flintstone]

It’s good old common sense that you ignored, not just opinions! It was never going to end well was it when it was shown that the tiler didn’t know what he was doing and the builder wasnt very pleasant about it yet you allowed it to carry on.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

@Localtiler - not surprisingly I don’t agree!
When customers put their faith and a lot of money in the hands of professionals, they expect a decent job.
If that’s not achieved there should be a line of recourse. Having gone the mediation route that hasn’t provided the result for one side, then the legal route is the next step.
Yes the OP could have stopped the work earlier, not had the kitchen fitted etc. but that doesn’t take away the lack of quality that the completed work achieved.
Had he been away for the duration of the work and instructed the project to progress under the professional guidance of the builder - the result would have been the same.

 

[Andy Allen]

I would tread very carefully if I was you, all this could back fire on you massively, and you end up with a crap job and absolutely nothing...!!

 

[WetSaw]

Whilst I can see and appreciate your point of view TJ, I feel that this shouldn't have got to this point. To continue with work that you are not happy with makes absolutely no sense to me.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

The customer has rights and it’s for the legal system to establish the merits of both sides.
To deride his attempts for gaining all information and attempts at settlement by calling him a fool is not the advice I’d expect from a member of this forum.

 

[Flintstone]

There isn’t anything wrong with trying to get this sorted now however possible, ofcourse and i wouldn’t wish a bad experience or bad job on anyone, but it could have all been stoped very early on and not got this far, he came on here for advice at the very early stages and was told by several people that the tiler was not upto the job and his work was not right on the first, or second attempt, yet he allowed it to carry on and had the kitchen fitted regardless because he ‘couldn’t wait’. That’s foolish in my opinion.

 

[John Benton]

Sorry but this was always going to end up with a situation like this.

I think your one saving grace is the fact that you gave the tiler the opportunity to rectify the work and you must give the trader 1 chance to do that. The fact that you let the kitchen be fitted over a floor that you still weren't happy with is just crazy. What was wrong with having the kitchen delivered to a storage company for the period of having the floor removed and fitted correctly, it would have been a damn sight cheaper than what it may cost you now.

You may gain recourse through small claims but I suspect you will not be recompensed for the kitchen being removed and re-fitted as you allowed it to be installed over an unsatisfactory floor.

 

[One Day]

I have read this up from the beginning.
I honestly see that some members on here simply forget that WE are the tilers and THEY are the customer with cases like this.
If you put yourself in the customer's shoes and imagine what they are going through you wouldn't call them fools!
A heavily pregnant wife with nesting instincts kicking in is enough to make anyone try and make lemonade with lemons. Hence the reason for just getting the kitchen in despite the floor.

It's very easy to be objective from our perspective - not so much from the perspective of a paying, worried, stressed-out and disappointed client.
I'm having a large extension built later this year and I am dreading it. Even though I personally know most of the people who will likely be involved, I know it's going to be largely out of my hands and in theirs.