Builder starting small extension, will I regret it

[RogerS]

I'd go along with Studders. To level it all out means you'll lose another 18mm or so plus all the mess on the floortiles - plastering after tiles have been laid is never a good idea (although I'm having to do this myself at home). One dodge to check how good plaster walls are is to get a halogen light and shine it down the wall and parallel to it, if you follow me. This really shows up all the indentations etc.

You're getting tight for time to let it all dry out properly before you paint it before you put the kitchen units up, I reckon. You do know not to get a dehumidifier in to speed the drying process up, don't you? Apologies if granny is sucking eggs.

Re the plaster boxes, my plasterer usually clears them out himself before its' had time to set hard. If he's tight for time then I do it. Usually the plaster breaks off quite cleanly on the edges of the boxes.

Those floor tiles look really nice, btw.

 

[Oldman]

Thanks both for the replies, Here is a close up of the sort of finish I have. I realise its very difficult to show defects in photo's but I will try.

First is the edging bead, not only showing through but so bad it will need filler before painting.

Next is a corner going floor to ceiling, this was perfectly square brick to blockwork before the plasteres got at it.

Lower view

and progerssing up the wall

The plastered wall varies from 50mm to 70mm wall to edge bead as it wanders in and out up to the ceiling.

Here is a spirit level at the line the worktop would be at, the gap behind it is near 10mm

I cant see how this can be acceptable work?

I realise not to use a dehumidifier and I also dropped the cental heating a degree and removed the rad closest to the work to let it dry nice and slow Roger.
I too like the tiles, pity I didnt use them on the walls :wink:

The wife likes them so much she wants the old kitchen, hall and dining area done in the same now.

 

[RogerS]

No, it's not. That plaster is rubbish and no excuse for it to go so far out of true. in an ideal world, it should be hacked off and redone...but you didn't want to hear that.

 

[Oldman]

Hacking off isnt realistic Roger, I would even entertain that if the walls didnt contain electrics that would no doubt get damaged in the process.

Im left I think with 2 possibilities, either they pva and apply more hardwall to level the wall then finish plaster again.
Or they dab 9mm plasterboard on level! and skim that.

I have fillers in the kitchen units on both walls allowing me the possibility of building out the walls by up to 50mm without coming to grief fitting the units.

As for the ceiling....

](*,)

 

[matt]

I don't think I've ever seen plastering out by so much. It's obvious where the box is showing the levels going out but will it notice once the kitchen is in? Is there room to be pragmatic about it from a remedy point of view whilst demanding some money back from the plasters?

 

[studders]

That is pretty bad though not as bad as some I've seen. I wouldn't let them back in myself, I doubt their ability to do any better. I'd bite the bullet and tidy the bits that will be visible when the kitchen is finished. The other bits could be dealt with by scribing or judicious(sp?) reduction/removal of plaster to get an acceptable fit.
That said, do kick up one hell of a fuss and get some money back off them.

 

[Oldman]

The wall with the window in is the worst of all and even with scribing the worktop in there are no other units above it on that wall so it will show.

I wonder if they would lay plasterboard on my tiles with sheets over to protect them if they want to go making lots more mess. Laid the right way up the plasterboard could still be used on another job and sheets are cheap.

I do have some new ply sheets that I could lay but I dont really want to.

On the ceiling they floated towards the cables I guess as I have a raised thickness of plaster by the lighting cables, this will be a problem as I have a fluorescent fitting mounting on these 2 points so it will be now proud of the ceiling instead of being flush.

Getting resigned to a 2010 kitchen now.

 

[Jake]

That's appalling plastering, I thought I'd experienced a bad one (and a couple of very good ones since) but that puts the bad one in the shade.

 

[Oldman]

The firm's estimator turned up this morning first thing, he agreed it was unacceptable and said the plasterer will be back later today to redo as needed.
He just arrived and has pva'd the wall and window revels, has cut some much wider than last time expalmet type beading for round the window and is setting that in carefully using a spirit level.

They also brought bonding plaster and multifinish, I have everything crossed...

5:30pm update, that one wall 2.8m x 2.4 tall with a 1.8m x 1m window in has taken 3+ bags of bonding and lots of scraping/checking. Its scratch finished for tonight and hes back tomorrow pm to finish it.
Then there is a stub wall to redo.
My extension will be a broom cupboard by the time its finished :roll:

 

[Triggaaar]

Ouch, I hope the plaster gets sorted. My build is pretty much in line with yours, I started a week or two before you, and my plasterer started today. I've not used him before, but he did some work at a friends place. I think he's pretty good, but I'll check as we go. Good luck with the second attempt.

 

[Oldman]

Well Studders was right...dont let em back...I should have taken notice of what he said.
I am so peeeeeed off now.

They came back today to finish the job for the 2nd time. I watched them like a hawk all the time, getting more nervous as the multi finish went on and on and on, how thick does it need to be!
I already got a barrowload of bonding on it yesterday.

Anyway much mess later they pronounced it finished and left quickly.

I cleared up...AGAIN!

Ran a finger along the beading on the sill edge and got stabbed.

Not sure how well you can see that but the snips were blunt and the bead got bent off rather than cut I think.
How he managed to float off the wall without grinding to a halt each time he got to there I dont know.

Then I looked more carefully at the revels, not much window left there after all that plaster.

Its also nowhere near vertical or horizontal in the revel when a level is put up to it.
So now I have a mini window surround with not enough meat left to rescue it by tiling square even.

Close inspection of the beading shows the metal showing through and the base bonding plaster.

Here is a vertical that had the bead showing through before, its been reskimmed.

 

[houtslager]

sorry to say this, but I'd hack it all off and tell them to stuff themselves where the sun never shines :evil: :evil: :evil: I hate plasters , but not as much as plumbers :x

hs

 

[RogerS]

sorry to say this, but I'd hack it all off and tell them to stuff themselves where the sun never shines :evil: :evil: :evil: I hate plasters , but not as much as plumbers :x

hs

There are some good plasterers.. I use one. John Devaney is his name and works out of Shropshire as far south as Worcestershire.

 

[Doug B]

I hate plasters , but not as much as plumbers :x

hs

Gee, best get my coat.......................Fully qualified plumber who took up plastering 20 years ago.

Arch nemesis or what :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Triggaaar]

Sorry to hear your troubles, it can be such a nightmare. Some of the work shown in your pics is horrendous.

Here is a vertical that had the bead showing through before, its been reskimmed.

I can't make out properly from your picture, you're not just talking about the metal corner of the bead are you, as it's fine for that to show.

 

[Oldman]

No Triggaaar not the bead edge, cut a bit of 50mm beading from both sides then bend and twist the actual corner part cause your snips wont cut it and you will end up with a barb that sticks out at right angles to the bead. Thats whats there.
Sorry I was too angry to take better pics.

My daughter got in from school just now and asked if I wanted a tarp as there was one blowing down the road.
I went to look and its the plasterers :roll:

I just spoke to the plasterer who, if his wife wasnt ill was originally doing the job, he says at the very least the plaster around the window reveal needs stripping off and starting again.

He's coming to have a laugh...sorry look tomorrow.

 

[Mcluma]

mistake after mistake, I feel for you

Redoing the electrics and start from scratch again was/is much less hassle then repairing the error of these people

sometimes you just have to take your losses

I would get the angle grinder and slice it so you can take it off

I would take it off myself rather then let them do it, and then get compensation and get another company in to do it

there are good people who can do it spot on. these people were not plasteres. or they were plastered when they did your house

 

[Triggaaar]

Sorry I was too angry to take better pics.

I can understand, some tradesman are so bad and they can wreck your home.

 

[studders]

On this occasion I'm very sorry to have been right. I was really hoping they might just come through and do a decent job. You've had a very raw deal from these cowboys. Some help from Citizens Advice might be worth a try; you may be entitled to have the work redone by someone competent and bill the cowboys for it? If nothing else I would get on to trading standards, maybe the local media might be interested?
Meanwhile I've just buggered up a worktop by cutting it too short. These things are sent to try us, and boy is it working.
Keep going though Mate, you'll get there in the end.

 

[Oldman]

When I ordered my kitchen I ordered 3 lengths of worktop.

I only actually need 2 lengths, but knowing my luck lately...

I am pretty sure to need the third :roll: