I really feel for your actionjackson. It's difficult to offer any more advice really without prehaps seeing the room first hand. It's really difficult to find a good trader amoungst the cowboys these days. Purely because there are so many cowboys out there. Not suggesting your new tiler is though. If you have a read at the ratedpeople.com thread on this forum you'll see how easy it actually is for anyone to advertise, quote and deliver (all be it badly) a service or trade to the public these days. It's almosta needle in a haystack situation.
I don't know wether suggesting to the forum moderators here a cowboy name and shame board? There me be one actually i've just not come across it.
Anyway, i don't think it's advantagous to you or your stress levels to put down your desicion making or slag off your current tiler. Unfortunately this is an issue whch any domestic customer could face with, like i say the amount of and ease of which a cowboy can confidently come across to someone and secure a job. With all good intentions, even if someone is an "approved fitter" by a company or council. How do they determine their approval? I know of some companys that will hand out a business card if you ask them, they don't check your work, they don't do any background checks at all. They'll hand out a business card and hide under the umbrella of "we're not affiliated with them, we just handed you a business card"
Anyway, if i was in your situation, on the perspective of being the customer here. I'd explain to your current tiler the history of issues, explain also the standard you expect from him. Ask him if he can meet this standard. If he can, be firm and set out your expectations. From the history in this post i would be suggesting something like:
"These are the issues i've had in the past, these are my expectations. Can you do that?" if the answer is yes then say "This is what is unacceptable to me, if the floor doesn't meet with my expectations i will not be paying the bill"
I think the first step forward is for customers to stand up for themselves a bit more with cowboys. The amount of jobs/quotes i've gone out to over the years where a customer has been screwed over by a cowboy and they've paid him as well. Set out what you expect at the start, if it's understood and then not carried out don't pay. It's as simple as that.
One thing that has just cropped to mind, have you installed underfloor heating? Your not running this while the tile adhesive is going off are you? I just can't understand why your tilers are struggling to lay even and level tiles on what sounds to me like a good surface to lay on. I'm just wondering wether if you have any UFH running if this is drying some areas quicker than others and maybe pulling the tiles out of "level" in the process?
Wish you all the best, sorry to hear your having so many problems.
I don't know wether suggesting to the forum moderators here a cowboy name and shame board? There me be one actually i've just not come across it.
Anyway, i don't think it's advantagous to you or your stress levels to put down your desicion making or slag off your current tiler. Unfortunately this is an issue whch any domestic customer could face with, like i say the amount of and ease of which a cowboy can confidently come across to someone and secure a job. With all good intentions, even if someone is an "approved fitter" by a company or council. How do they determine their approval? I know of some companys that will hand out a business card if you ask them, they don't check your work, they don't do any background checks at all. They'll hand out a business card and hide under the umbrella of "we're not affiliated with them, we just handed you a business card"
Anyway, if i was in your situation, on the perspective of being the customer here. I'd explain to your current tiler the history of issues, explain also the standard you expect from him. Ask him if he can meet this standard. If he can, be firm and set out your expectations. From the history in this post i would be suggesting something like:
"These are the issues i've had in the past, these are my expectations. Can you do that?" if the answer is yes then say "This is what is unacceptable to me, if the floor doesn't meet with my expectations i will not be paying the bill"
I think the first step forward is for customers to stand up for themselves a bit more with cowboys. The amount of jobs/quotes i've gone out to over the years where a customer has been screwed over by a cowboy and they've paid him as well. Set out what you expect at the start, if it's understood and then not carried out don't pay. It's as simple as that.
One thing that has just cropped to mind, have you installed underfloor heating? Your not running this while the tile adhesive is going off are you? I just can't understand why your tilers are struggling to lay even and level tiles on what sounds to me like a good surface to lay on. I'm just wondering wether if you have any UFH running if this is drying some areas quicker than others and maybe pulling the tiles out of "level" in the process?
Wish you all the best, sorry to hear your having so many problems.
