GREENBOY
01-16-2012, 12:55 PM
Just want to share this nightmare and maybe prevent anyone else falling victim.
So, doing a reno on a very small guest bathroom. Guy comes around to check parts of the job out. Shows us past projects and seems to know his stuff and assured us he could tile and do the other things we wanted. Basic bathroom reno stuff, no plumbing work. Small cabinet, subfloor, tiling, drywall. His was the best quote so wife went ahead and gives him the OK (putting blame firmly with her on this one, ha).
Ended up taking literally WEEKS and weeks to do and working ridiculous hours, job wasn't ready for a family visit at Xmas (the whole reason we were getting it done). Had to have him work while family were here, which sucked big time...and we now basically need to get it all ripped out and get a pro to do the whole thing again. Here's the highlight: His last day trying to remove all the grout he left to dry all over the face of our marble mosaic (!!!) he uses acid and melts the chrome off the new shower, taps, plug, faucet and shower bar etc. THEN...tries to spray paint it with silver paint to hide it, also spraying the tile, tub etc before leaving our house for the last time. Total disaster. We stopped the last cheque to cover the cost of buying a new shower etc. He actually moaned about how many hours he'd worked and how he wasn't happy not getting paid that last cheque, even after we discovered the spray paint!!!
Wasn't until he left that day we saw how bad the rest of the job was...mostly the mosaic and finishing. Some was laid back to front with the backing mesh on view, some badly uneven, other pieces missing altogether with holes filled with thick white grout to disguise. The whole tile area has dried-on white grout set into the uneven surface of the rough marble and it's totally ruined. Looked like someone trying out tiling for the first time. He didn't cover the floor so that's done too, stained and grout lines trashed. It all needs re-grouting or tile removing and replacing altogether and going to cost more $$$$ to fix.
So just a warning and a laugh at my expense. We only recouped 700 bucks to buy new shower etc. Just going to have to suck up the cost and learn from our mistake. Next time I'll pay the extra for a pro...and not listen to the wife. After more than 5 grand in total (not just to this guy) bathroom still unfinished. Disaster!:banghead: :banghead:
So, doing a reno on a very small guest bathroom. Guy comes around to check parts of the job out. Shows us past projects and seems to know his stuff and assured us he could tile and do the other things we wanted. Basic bathroom reno stuff, no plumbing work. Small cabinet, subfloor, tiling, drywall. His was the best quote so wife went ahead and gives him the OK (putting blame firmly with her on this one, ha).
Ended up taking literally WEEKS and weeks to do and working ridiculous hours, job wasn't ready for a family visit at Xmas (the whole reason we were getting it done). Had to have him work while family were here, which sucked big time...and we now basically need to get it all ripped out and get a pro to do the whole thing again. Here's the highlight: His last day trying to remove all the grout he left to dry all over the face of our marble mosaic (!!!) he uses acid and melts the chrome off the new shower, taps, plug, faucet and shower bar etc. THEN...tries to spray paint it with silver paint to hide it, also spraying the tile, tub etc before leaving our house for the last time. Total disaster. We stopped the last cheque to cover the cost of buying a new shower etc. He actually moaned about how many hours he'd worked and how he wasn't happy not getting paid that last cheque, even after we discovered the spray paint!!!
Wasn't until he left that day we saw how bad the rest of the job was...mostly the mosaic and finishing. Some was laid back to front with the backing mesh on view, some badly uneven, other pieces missing altogether with holes filled with thick white grout to disguise. The whole tile area has dried-on white grout set into the uneven surface of the rough marble and it's totally ruined. Looked like someone trying out tiling for the first time. He didn't cover the floor so that's done too, stained and grout lines trashed. It all needs re-grouting or tile removing and replacing altogether and going to cost more $$$$ to fix.
So just a warning and a laugh at my expense. We only recouped 700 bucks to buy new shower etc. Just going to have to suck up the cost and learn from our mistake. Next time I'll pay the extra for a pro...and not listen to the wife. After more than 5 grand in total (not just to this guy) bathroom still unfinished. Disaster!:banghead: :banghead: