Contractor problem with bathroom tiling - what are your thoughts? Pics included

ck361

We had some work done on our bathroom this week and we're not happy. These are contractors who came and built our deck and overall we were happy with their work. So we had them come over to retile our bathroom and below are the results.

Some of the complaints we have:
1) They didn't clean up after themselves everyday and trucked dust all the way from the upstairs to the kitchen. (We were able to clean it all up).
2) They ruined our carpet because they didn't put any plastic down. (We are having it replaced anyway, but they didn't know that, luckily we hadn't done it yet).
3) They used some of our equipment and didn't return / replace it (towels, buckets, paint rollers, sandpaper, sponge, not sure what else).
4) They left a ½ inch gap between the walls and instead of tiling they filled it with caulk. We specifically ask them about this before they caulked and said they were getting "spacer" tiles to fill in the gap (not sure what that meant since there was plenty of left over tiles), but they ended up caulking anyway! The thick white caulk is distracting, especially between the colored tile. They said the gap was the result of our walls not being straight – but they put all new wallboard in when they tore out the old tile!

We haven't paid yet, just wondering what you would do? They mentioned something about an "up charge" for something, but haven't discussed it with us yet. They do know we're not happy but we haven't had a chance to talk to them since the work was completed yesterday (it took 4 days for this project). We're certainly not paying any more than we agreed.

What are your thoughts?

Here is a link to some pictures showing how they left the room one day (notice the carpet) and the gap between the tiles before and after they caulked:
http://entertainment.webshots.com/album/572097972mfggAy?vhost=entertainment

Scuba_Dave

Sorry, but every time I tried to look at a picture an add kept popping up

Gary in WA

Unacceptable. The installer didn't do a proper layout to have the cut tiles in the corners. To use a homeowner's bed and unprotected carpet is wrong. Very unprofessional.

What does your Contract say about customer satisfaction before final payment? All joints should be the same width, caulked or grouted.

Make sure you get lien releases from their suppliers, or you may be getting some surprise bills.Up charge should be in your Contract.

Be safe, G

Aggie67

Dave,

I noticed that kind of ad this week on other sites. It's a PIA, but you click on the little "take me to website", and it will get you to where you wanted to go. Just don't click on "Take Me There" or whatever the ad is pointing you to.

ck361,

Good Lord. That's a horrifying tile job. If that were my bathroom, I would have stopped them before they grouted, or even got too far up the wall. It looks like the wall is out of plumb, but that's no reason to leave it like that. That would be like a pilot stepping out of a wrecked plane saying, well the mountain was in the way, what do you want.

That's bad. Call him back and tell him that's unacceptable. That there is the work of someone who didn't know what they were doing. They could have shimmed the wall board plumb, for crying out loud.

Tell him "I trusted you to do a good job, and you didn't. The wall board should have been checked for plumb and shimmed if needed, and that gap is unacceptable. I need you to come back and redo it. If you won't, I will have to call in someone else to do it, but that will involve a back charge if you refuse to do it correctly."

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Jay123

What made you think he would do a good job on tile work? Just wondering...

J

Willie T

If I had walked into that bedroom, they would have been fired on the spot. And that sloped wall is nothing but amateurish.

They would be paying ME for that poor a job.

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"True eloquence consists in saying all that is necessary, and only that which is."
François Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Willie T

Jay123

I think you mis-spelled the eighth house...

Gary in WA

Dave, click on the tiny----Take me to the webshots---- at the top of the picture. Be safe, G

Jay123

Hey, where'd all the chinese lettering post go...

jaros bros.

Completely unacceptable. I would confront them and refuse payment for the shoddy work, not to mention the mess they left and complete disregard for your house.

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Josh Jaros Remodeling in The Woodlands, Texas
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Ron6519

These guys had no idea how to layout a tile job. Hopefully the deck came out better
It always amazes me that people think if you have tools you can do any job well.
Ron

ck361

Thanks for the replies!

Yes, the deck did come out nice and we've had lots of compliments. I forgot to mention that they also put in a new door for the upper deck they built, too, and did a nice job with that. From what they said, it sounded like they could do the tiling too. Honestly, we could have done it ourselves, but we're in a bit of a bind with time and so we thought we'd pay someone.

We're still steaming. The truth is we DON'T want them back. I think the easiest thing to do is to discuss the work that was done and suggest that we compromise on a price and give our reasons why. Court isn't worth it, and asking them to redo it is not acceptable given the work they've already done and the mess they made.

Ugh. This is frustrating.

We haven't talked to them yet, but plan to this weekend. I'm normally not that confrontational, but I feel like I might go off the handle, which is why we haven't called them yet… we’re still waiting to calm down.

johnrem

I think the up-charge is for the extra caulk.No way they could figure that in!

Scuba_Dave

I did, but every time I look at a picture, then go to look at another picture, the add pops up again
I won't go to websites that do that

nap

as the others have said, far from acceptable and the problem is, there is not easy fix. the tile needs to come down and it needs to be laid out properly so the gap is not there.

and the stuff in the bedroom. WOW!!! very poor work habits and manners.

I do have to say the grout lines in the field do look nice and equal and the tiles are set square but that does not excuse the rest of the shoddy work.

and please tell me I am wrong but it looks like they have used plain old sheetrock and plain old joint compound behind the tile. Please tell me it just looks that way in the picture because if I am right, that whole thing does need to come down regardless of the tile situation and built with the proper materials.