Contractor installed wrong tile

7 years ago

Nor sure what to do here. We have a contractor doing backlash in the kitchen . Supposed to be field tile on two walls and mosaic on the wall with the window, as specified in writing. When we were talking a few days before she started, we discussed doing two walls of mosaic and I said, just hold off on that wall and we'll let you know when we get back (we were out of town the first day of install which is scheduled for 5 days). We came back and find that she's started mosaic on two walls, but only one row of it on the wall that should be field tile. So when she comes in tge morning of day 2, I say hey this wall should be field tile, and she says oh well too late. I thought she was joking and would fix it but when we get home that night it's 2/3 of the way up the wall. My husband says we should just roll with and the next day she finishes the way. I dont like it - we were doing the field tile because the mosaic is too busy for the whole kitchen. Friday I tell her were taking it out and doing the field tile, so dont finish, and she responded that she doesn't have time to fix it and she'll still charge us for doing the wall. It's about an 800 mistake and I'm irritated because I think she should have fixed it day 2 when it was only a 100 mistake. He thinks we should eat the cost because I didnt stop her on day 3. The work looks nice and we're otherwise happy with her.

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Comments (7)

Kirsten E.
7 years ago
I would say you should’ve stopped her when you saw the wrong tile going in; after that, I would say you accepted the mistake. It sucks you’re unhappy, and that a mistake was made in the first place though. If you really don’t like it, it’s a (relatively) small price to pay if you plan to stay there for a while. Can you live with it for a bit to see if it grows on you?
User
7 years ago
You had written diagrams taped to he walls? Written instructions beside them? Emails that discuss this? Or is everything undocumented verbal discussions?
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cpartist
7 years ago
If you have it in writing, then she's wrong and it needs to come out and be redone. If not in writing you're out of luck.
lmmcnitt
7 years ago
I don’t understand how customers can speak with a contractor about what they want, maybe get it in writing and then send the contractor to pick up tile and get to work. The homeowners expect to show up afterwards and expect all to be fine. Seems Ike when you hire a job, you actually have to be there checking in on them and assuring yourself that they’re doing what you had hoped. Or hire someone to do the supervising for you.
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Anglophilia
7 years ago
She sounds like the tile gal my daughter hired for her kitchen! The woman had shown us pictures of "her work" - all quite elaborate -- so we thought she was competent. All she was doing was installing subway tile behind the cooktop, and a row plus tile decorative molding, for the rest of the countertops. OMG!!! She made the biggest mess of this! We had ordered the amount of tile she told us to order; she needed more. She called the tile store and place the additional order herself. It was still not enough and she accused them of "shorting" her order; they hadn't

We had to fire her and yes, she refused to remove the mess she had made. Yes, there was a written contract but a lawyer would have cost more than the job itself. So DSIL spent a weekend removing all the tile, we ordered more, and we finally were able to hire a mason who had some idea how to hang tile. We later learned that all those pictures were just that - pictures she "admired", not ones she had done herself.

This woman had serious mental health issues and the tile store told me that during her next job, she went "postal" and the police had to be called and she was given involuntary confinement in a local mental hospital for 30 days.
Kaylie
7 years ago
I would not be okay with that. You should have been more firm, but don't settle for something you aren't happy with. I would insist that she fix it.
dan1888
7 years ago
Fire her now. Don't expect her to fix it. Do that with another person and get the product you want.