www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

To be fair the Forge steel level gives it away before we even look at the pics

I wouldn't follow ROs advice re filling the bath as the traps not actually connected to the waste

You can see the pipe from the overflow leading to the trap and what looks like the end of a shallow bath trap........unless I am seeing things. In white??

By the way as well Razor, give me an answer in the plumbing forum lol. Been waiting all night for a plumber to get in there.

royaloakcarpentry wrote:By the way as well Razor, give me an answer in the plumbing forum lol. Been waiting all night for a plumber to get in there.

I don't think there's any plumbers on tonight

If you zoom in the waste isn't connected and the baths the wrong way round

I need to start zooming in lol.

You can see the bath without zooming, especially when you aren't concentrating on the tiling. Taps up the opposite end to shower should have alerted my bells to ringing status.

royaloakcarpentry wrote:I need to start zooming in lol.

You can see the bath without zooming, especially when you aren't concentrating on the tiling. Taps up the opposite end to shower should have alerted my bells to ringing status.

If these are the sorts of problems you can find from photos, I wonder what would be found by a proper on site examination of the work? It makes me worry what he has done in the loft. I saw soldering in the cupboard for the shower pipes, and thought it looked a bit iffy. If this lot had a slow leak after closing in the bath etc, it could cause substantial problems, unless I am mistaken.

Also I noticed substantial damage to the back door, a uPVC job. There were deep gauge marks along the sides of the frame to 1.5m high. He has a large tile cutter device in the back passageway that the back door leads to. I have no proof that he did it, but given recent events, it seems quite possible. IN fact I must examine the sides of it to see if there are bits of white plastic.

You've got a dirt cheap bath and taps there. What exactly are they doing for 5k?

Razor wrote:You've got a dirt cheap bath and taps there. What exactly are they doing for 5k?

There is a Lecico basin and loo, and the Carron Delta bath (they quoted £300, much cheaper online). For a 1.7m by 2.5m bathroom, they quoted to remove old bathroom suite, supply and fit ceramic tiles on the floor and walls, supply and install bath, sink and loo, fit extractor fan, and paint. Except they then said they'd forgotten to add painting the walls. And then after the job started he said it would need plastering, so an additional cost. But I can't see how you could not plaster given that walls were to be partially painted.

How do I go about finding a good installer? I have had bad luck with the last two trades men. I did not use the first builder to do the bathroom as I was unhappy with the work e.g. botched self levelling compound on kitchen floor, poor filling of skirting board screw holes (caulked), and dreadful communications (countless "I'll do it next day" promises that are not honoured). The kitchen people (Optiplan) and fitter were brilliant. The bad ones came via CheckATrade, which should be renamed 'find a bodger'. Someone here said that good trades people get work by reputation not via CheckATrade.

If you don't know anyone who can recommend someone personally then your best bet maybe to try http://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/ which operates in your area.

darrenba wrote:If you don't know anyone who can recommend someone personally then your best bet maybe to try http://www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk/ which operates in your area.

They are on that site. They apparently have a lot of satisfied customer given the references on their web site. I know three are genuine, as I spoke to two, and one was related to a third. (Could have been stooges, but I don't think so.)

I would have given you the option of coving down. Coving down tile to ceiling and new coving around painted walls and finish at tiles.

Plastering, haven't a clue on that as I didn't see the job. May not have needed any. Might have needed some. Some things are best included as part of provisional works which may or may not need doing.

Normal way to get a tradesmen is through recommendation. Friends and colleagues are first point of call. Failing that then for this job............Independent plumbers merchant that also have a display area for bathrooms. They will always have cards for fitters or know good ones. Then you go from there. Obviously other ways but all of them will mean you can check out work or reputation.

Don't feel too bad about it. Sometimes even a good company can have a job go wrong for any number of reasons.

I sub a lot of work from a firm for bathrooms and depending how much stuff is going on (I am fully booked year round) I may do start to finish apart from plumbing as it is a plumbing firm that gives me the work and other times all of it but not tiling and plumbing or the rip out.

One thing is constant and that is the plumbers are good, I ain't too shabby lol and the tiler when used is very good. We never have a problem or a bad job when I am involved.........but......

Just sorted out a job as I was too busy and one of the plumbers ran it. He has no idea for detail. Along with the carpenter used they fecked everything up for the tiler and the tiler did a poor job as a result. Client was far from happy and we nearly lost a lot of other work from them. Luckily I managed to sort things out and talk the client round.

This is another of ours I put in the rogues gallery. Much to my protest the main firm used incapable ''decorators'' to paper the ceiling. I wouldn't mind but I did warn them. how-not-to-paper-a-ceiling-t42466.html

Same thing goes for the bigger refurb works. My jobs for them are always problem free and hardly any snagging. One of the other sub contractors jobs are a ruddy shambolic excuse for an end product. Same firm behind the product but different workers.

There's only been a few times that I've taken on half finished bathrooms usually for friends of existing clients. I don't like doing it.

As the saying goes 'you can't polish a turd'

There are only two of them, and I think the American is doing my bathroom, as he is the 'bathroom fitter'. I just don't see how CheckATrade reviews can be glowing, and yet they bodge so badly.

I did get a recommendation of a very good firm, but they charge close to £5.5K. I misread their quote as not including furnishings. I know they are first rate (colleagues parents used them, bloke on site, telling them what was done, and good work, and they have a string of references with telephone numbers and glowing quotes). The irony is that after all the 'uplifts' these clowns are the same price.

The lesson here is never ever use a company without strong proof they are any good.

Razor wrote:There's only been a few times that I've taken on half finished bathrooms usually for friends of existing clients. I don't like doing it.

As the saying goes 'you can't polish a turd'

I work in software, and I have moved to a team that regularly polishes a turd. And clients buy the turd. Still, a nice ribbon, and a quick spray with air freshener, and it looks quite presentable.

The only way I get my work is through recommendation. The firm I sub a lot of bathrooms, kitchens from only get them through my work lol. I haven't even got comments on my website or a section for it, have never bothered doing the gallery and don't need to publicise the website.

Normally a good reputation will put you a long way along. That is why I bend over backwards in the work I push out on sub contract basis......I view there company as also being mine.