nightmare job!

[Andy Allen]

i started a bathroom the begining of last week for a plumber i do some work for all the materials are being supplied by his client and were all on site apart from the trims (there some kind if fancy brush steel the client sourced).

i was told they would be with me that day or they following morning, by the end of the week they still havnt turned up, i have other work booked in which will tie me up for a week and a half to two weeks, its work i cant but back as im tied in with plumbers and kitchen fitters and it will throw there schedules out the window.

the plumber/client ain't happy and expect me to drop everything when the trims arrive and finish there job (about 2 days work with the grouting).

ive told them when ive finished my other comitments and the trims are in i'll be back to finnish off.

got a feeling its going to get messy with them finishing the job and not paying me for the 4 days ive worked.

where would you think i stand from a legal piont of veiw should the worst happen.

 

[Aston]

andy

put a letter together and state something like this.....unfortunately, due to the immending delays, you have had to oblige your current contract.
state, the the delays were in no way your responsibilty (try and get a few witnesses to confirm this!! and that you waited a suitable period of time for the delay too but after 1 week and with no immediate sign of the delay ending, you felt it reasonable and with prior notice to attend your other contract. 'state that at your earliest convenience, you will return to complete the origional work as agreed..

all as you can do is clearly state the facts mate in a polite but firm way..that way, if it goes legal, the solicitors or more importantly the judges can see that..

1. you were NOT responsible for the delay
2. you gave them more than reasonable time to rectify the delay
3. you are committed to returning and finishing the job!

when things start to get heated, responses in writing can be more beneficial other wise it will just end in an argument and then resentment sets in and you add a personal issue to the problem.... they have to pay you for what you have done because the delay is NOT your responsibility in any way mate..... if they dont pay, go throught the courts...

 

[SandyFloor]

Don't you know someone trustworthy who can finish it for you?

 

[paul flight]

sonds like you could finish the tiling in half a day ??? then go back for a evening and grout it . been there so many times mate . go on go for it and get paid !!!

 

[Andy Allen]

sonds like you could finish the tiling in half a day ??? then go back for a evening and grout it . been there so many times mate . go on go for it and get paid !!!

these are the tiles mate, there a nightmare to work with, so getting someone eles to finish it isnt an option, and and its all very time consuming work.

 

[paul flight]

ya . nightmare to grout up . you will need a good day .and need to have the double seated before grouting. like you said nightmare job . iam base in swindon . if you ever need any help mail me . go luck on this one mate .. paul

 

[Sean Kelly]

Andy, I've used this mosaic tile before. It was used in a Premier Inn restaurant and it was all around the buffet area. The architect did not want them grouted. After some research I believe that these tiles should not be grouted! I also saw them in a McDonalds and there were not grouted. I think they should only be used indoors and only as a feature wall. I could be wrong of course. The grout lines are so tight (sometimes less than 1mm). I think it would be an absolute nightmare if you tried to grout them. However, if you do grout them I would make sure they are well sealed first. Cheers Sean

 

[poynton phil]

One of the tile shops i use have just put these up as one of their displays, and I asked about grouting, and as Andy says you dont grout them.

 

[grumpygrouter]

Yep I agree, they should not be grouted, they weren't designed for it. I saw them at the KBB show a few years a go on display and they weren't grouted.

 

[Pebbs]

Andy they look like the Island Stone ones and yes they are a nightmare. But back to the point of your post, your really caught between a rock and a hard place so to speak. I know about delays only to well, something doesnt turn up and your at the mercy of late deliveries. I have to always now put a clause in, stating that the estimate is based upon the assumtion and understanding that the works undertaken are of a continuous nature, that acts as my get out clause. When the delays kick in, I pull this one out of the bag, which isent popular, but then they realise we have other work to do, and we dont take delays lightly.
Sean is correct, these tiles are not intended to be grouted, I would also advise that you draw their attention to this, if they have the installation papers that come with island stone it clearly states this (from memory but go onto the site to double check). To my mind you cant let down the other client who has booked you in to start, so you inform the first client that as soon as the trim comes in you will be happy to do a return visit to complete the works. They wont like it, but they ordered the trim, and should have been on the chase for it. Basically they are being unreasonable in their attitude, stand your ground and dont be mugged of. You may however be lucky and the second job gets put back a bit.

Hope it all goes well for you, and in future put in your estimate the continous work clause.

Lynn

 

[Andy Allen]

hmm interesting, no grout how would this work in the shower area would this be ok? i used mapei keraflex slow setting addy

 

[doug boardley]

yep, I've used them too, but only in a dry area, left ungrouted. Sorry that doesn't help Andy

 

[grumpygrouter]

From my point of view, those tiles should not have been used in a shower area. How you are going to get around this I have no idea. Was the area tanked?

 

[kilty55]

as russ,i dont think theyt are suitable for shower areas

 

[Pebbs]

"i started a bathroom the begining of last week for a plumber i do some work for all the materials are being supplied by his client"

Truth be told its not Andys problem, about the suitability of these being used in a wet area, as he was not involved in the process of purchasing this material. I have no doubt that the question wasnt asked if they were suitable for this type of area. Andy you simply throw the question back to the client, have they been told they are suitable for a shower area? I can see a bigger problem cropping up, because these really are not suitable for a wet area. Raise the question tomorrow about who said these would be ok to use in a wet area, someone hasnt done their homework, but dont be getting dragged into it by offering up a solution. If it all goes pearshaped let them sort it out themselves.

Lynn

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I don't agree that Andy is not responsible!
As the tiling contractor, and not just a tiler instructed to do the fixing by a tiling contractor, he should have known they were not to be grouted he should have tanked the walls and used a fully waterproof adhesive.

 

[Andy Allen]

well john i have another tread going about sealer, it it seems to me some tilers feel they should grout them some say no , even there web site states some can be grouted, some not, none of it is very clear.

some back ground on the job............its a very big mansion house owned by a couple of american bankers who have employed an idiot, sorry i mean 'designer' to over see the complete refurbishment, my client is the plumber the plumbers client is the desingner and the desingners client is the owner of the mansion, we have been told not to talk anything to do with the job to the owner everything is sorted by the designer who is proberly getting paid a hansome sum of money to get the tile chioce right!!

i vioced my conserne about the tile to the plumber regarding the grouting ect as the jionts were very tight and i new the grout would be a night mare to get off. i will look more into it today and report back.

 

[doug boardley]

andy, are all the pieces the same thickness or are they random thickness? I assumed they were slate like the ones I've done before, hence random thickness.

 

[kilty55]

after seeing phils tiles grouted it seems i may have been wrong,still not sure if these tiles are suitable for a shower area i hope either way it works out for you andy

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Then as Pebbs - throw it back to the designer.
Do they want a matt seal or gloss seal.
As you will be aware it will be easier to take off any grout after the slate has been sealed.
Job looks good.
How you getting around the shower dial/controls?

 

[Andy Allen]

andy, are all the pieces the same thickness or are they random thickness? I assumed they were slate like the ones I've done before, hence random thickness.

sorry doug i didn't make it clear, there not slate tiles there porcelain, made by marazzi, the thickness is quite good, just very dimply to give it a natural look, the sealer i was going to use is a water based sealer you put on the tile and it washes off with the grout, its used for any tile ceramic porcs ect and just makes it easier to wash off, well its supposed to, ive never used it before.

any way, ive spoke to the plumber who spoke to the desingner, and he says there to be grouted so unless hes telling porkys to cover himself, i will grout them this week, cant wait :mad2:

 

[White Room]

Enjoy:lol:

 

[Andy Allen]

Then as Pebbs - throw it back to the designer.
Do they want a matt seal or gloss seal.
As you will be aware it will be easier to take off any grout after the slate has been sealed.
Job looks good.
How you getting around the shower dial/controls?

hi john, there a big chrome cover plate going over the shower dial.

 

[DHTiling]

Yep, Just grout them... enjoy and no swearing:lol:

 

[Andy Allen]

Enjoy:lol:

thanks.........and they want mapei anthracite :mad2: