Bathroom Renovation Gone Wrong? (You will not believe this picture)

brm6685

Hello,

My wife and I have recently brought in a contractor to convert our half bath master into a full bathroom. This is our first time hiring outside workers for remodeling, and we are unweary about both the progress and quality of work thus far. The space available was 46" in length for a shower, however, the contractor has "tried" to install a 48" basin. To do so, he has cut into the walls studs (pictured) is this up to code? My wife is extremely irritated with the length of time this process is taking. The original contract quoted completion by 9/30. They are no where near complete as the basin is not even installed completely. My concern is not the length of time, but the quality of the work. I think cutting into the studs is a ridiculous solution to a problem that should have been seen beforehand. Is this ruining the structural integrity of our house?

So, we are at a point where we have paid 33% down. I am fine walking away from the contract, allowing the contractor to keep my deposit for the plumbing and work done to this point (if he fixes the studs), and finishing it myself. Is this logical? Or am I simply overreacting by expecting a contractor to perform at a much higher standard than myself?

Any help or advice (or even your opinion) would be greatly appreciated.

allthumbsdiy

Was his name Fred Flintstone? What does he plan on doing for the shower walls with that hack job?

Can't tell by your picture but is the stud closes to the camera hacked even worse?

If these studs are on the outside wall, yes, they are load bearing. To correct it, you will simply have to sister any hacked studs with identically sized (length and width) studs.

Before giving up on that 33% deposit, I would ask a plumbing inspector to come in for pass/fail on the work he has done thus far and possibly consider lodging a complaint to state licensing board.

Good luck

brm6685

Yes, this is an exterior wall. So I am right to think that this would be a large structural integrity issue? I plan on having a lengthy discussion with the contractor about this tomorrow morning, and I want to have all of my points for the conversation. I just can not see what their plan is from here, and I am just so unbelievable angry that they would do this to the studs without even the slightest hint of talking about it before they went and hacked through.

sublime2

Cut your loses and RUN! What you see now is only the beginning of the corners he will be cutting ( no pun intended) to finish the job if you allowed him to.
I would have the next contractor inspect the work hes done before he finishes the work.
Any contractor you decide to go with,ask for references.call people that he has done work for.
If he's any good he will not have a problem with you contacting previous customers.
DO NOT continue with this hack! Pun intended!

AtlanticWBConst.

What the Heck??!!



You did not hire a "contractor", you hired a wanna-be-contractor - TOTAL CLUELESS HACK.


Good thing you have stopped this butchery (of your house and your wallet) now, and not later.


That picture has got to go down as one of the "ALL TIME WORSE HACK JOBS" ever posted on this site = Seriously!!!

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oh'mike

That is amazing----Is that a 'tile ready' pan--???? Everything in the picture is scary bad-----Bounce that guy----the money will be nothing compared to the future failures and repairs.

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joecaption

All of the above plus, where does he plan on putting the insulation on the outside wall?

stubborn1

As others said, run away from this contractor. With a 46" space constraint, the contractor should have recommended a custom built shower pan and not tried to fit a standard 48" pan in the space. Just plain bad workmanship.

I 2nd the recommendation of bringing in a building inspector to look at this work. His professional opinion will give you another voice in the discussion you will be having with your contractor. Good luck - hang in there.

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FTF-Tom

Wow, your fears of bad workmanship are indeed founded. You cant take more than 1/4 of the stud width out of a load bearing wall, period. I would have him fix the studs and cut your losses. As suggested, get references next time you hire a contractor.

joecaption

Ever tryed to fit a Qt. of Jello in a pint jar? Not going to work.
That's ugler then a fat person in spandex.

chrisn

contractor?
I am just a dumb painter and know better than to cut out studs like that'you need to ask( next time) to actually see some credentials( license, insurance, etc)

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RWPete

That is some amazingly creative idiocy. The contractor My Mom hired to do her bathroom 2 years ago which I just demolished because the city of Berkeley was about to recognize it as the "Cities only Rainforest" Would have handled that a little different.

For one, he would have stolen a serrated bread knife from our Kitchen and sawed 2 inches out of the middle of the shower pan and then use rubber cement and Scotch tape to rejoin the sides. Dear good if it's not level, those plastic placemats from Pottery Barn are apparently acceptable shim material. We always wondered what happen to one of our cutting boards. Well I found it below the tile he laid and he used that and a placemat to fill a hole in the subfloor.

How I feel your pain. Run and run fast!

chrisn

un freeking believable

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mae-ling

Please Please Please let him finish.
I want to see he does with that from this point.