Problem with wall hung basin

[QualityFirst]

Fair enough. If that's normal in the bathroom fitting line of work.
Thank you for your contribution!

 

[Radioman]

Can I make one observation regarding your first installer. You state that he has worked FOR the merchant for 10 years. If you are saying that you paid the merchant for the labour and materials then the merchant is liable for rectification. If you are saying that the installer has bought his materials from the merchant for 10 years and is a sole trader then under the new act the installer is financially responsible in law for the work he has done for 6 years. It is for that reason that we still take out public liability insurance with efficacy cover even though we ceased trading as sole traders (not as a Limited Company) 2 years ago just in case a serious problem arises and an ambulance chasing lawyer decides to pursue us personally. Work done after Oct 2015 carries a massive protection for the consumer. So even if your installer has "given up plumbing" you can still pursue him for costs under his insurance at the time.

With regard to your question regarding costs. I think that estimate reflects the situation. Eg there is a cost factored in for rectifying faulty work carried out by an unknown tradesman for an unhappy customer. I would expect to pay £150 to £180 per day for a qualified installer plus his helper, then there is waste removal either via a skip or licensed waste removal, he cannot take any commercial waste to a council tip, but you can! Then he has to travel to purchase materials, possibly make a second visit 24 hours after tiling to carry out the final install etc. If so it sounds about right to me. You could probably get an economic migrant to do it for much less though.

 

[QualityFirst]

In my case, I bought a lot of equipment from the merchant myself. I transported or arranged delivery of almost all of it. The plumber gave me receipts for materials (including new boots!) which I paid.

I personally took my old bathroom to the tip, in order to save costs.

Yes, I do believe that the plumber should recompense me for simply re-fixing the basin. However, in practice, it is probably not worth the bother. I cannot prove how little ‘force’ it took to crack the tile. I might try sending him a bill.

I still think that £350 is a bit steep. I am just jealous that my responsible, conscientious endeavours, with an equally broad skillset and vast experience, don’t earn me anything like that rate of pay. But I digress…

 

[Stoney Ground]

In my case, I bought a lot of equipment from the merchant myself. I transported or arranged delivery of almost all of it. The plumber gave me receipts for materials (including new boots!) which I paid.

I personally took my old bathroom to the tip, in order to save costs.

Yes, I do believe that the plumber should recompense me for simply re-fixing the basin. However, in practice, it is probably not worth the bother. I cannot prove how little ‘force’ it took to crack the tile. I might try sending him a bill.

I still think that £350 is a bit steep. I am just jealous that my responsible, conscientious endeavours, with an equally broad skillset and vast experience, don’t earn me anything like that rate of pay. But I digress…

Why would you pay for his boots?

It sounds as though you agreed to pay a day rate or set rate plus materials. If that is the case he has no materials mark up to cover any errors he may make or minor accidents, as that would have to come out of his labour cost.

Have an existing customer who has just bough a buy to let, wants full bathroom strip out and refit asap. He has purchased all items from a major bathstore, some items impractical for what he needs.

Have offered to do it on day work as on price I have to price for worst case scenario, possibly reboard 2 walls alter all boxing. He doesn't want to get a skip or hippo bag and will take rubbish to dump.

So many customers now want installers to take all the risks but buy materials themselves, which eats in to any margins.



If I buy materials I put a mark up on them, if there is a problem I go to merchants and get it sorted.

 

[ToolGuy]

Moving back to the job, why has the sink come lose, the tile broken? How was it all fixed to the wall? Sounds like it might be tiles on plasterboard on stud wall with simple plasterboard fixings. A steel or wooden frame needs to be securely fixed to start.

 

[QualityFirst]

Moving back to the job, why has the sink come lose, the tile broken? How was it all fixed to the wall? Sounds like it might be tiles on plasterboard on stud wall with simple plasterboard fixings. A steel or wooden frame needs to be securely fixed to start.

It is fixed to an outside wall which the plumber had stripped of old tiles, and re-tiled himself. The basin was supposed to have either a pedestal or semi pedestal, which I didn't want. However, both the merchant and the plumber assured me it would be fine wall hung.

Also, the plumber hadn't consulted me re the height, and he fixed it too high for me, and so I asked him if he could move it. He then moved it so that the top is now 85cm above the floor, and this suits me fine. I wonder if moving it caused the problem.

 

[jonnyswamp]

In my case, I bought a lot of equipment from the merchant myself. I transported or arranged delivery of almost all of it. The plumber gave me receipts for materials (including new boots!) which I paid.

I personally took my old bathroom to the tip, in order to save costs.

Yes, I do believe that the plumber should recompense me for simply re-fixing the basin. However, in practice, it is probably not worth the bother. I cannot prove how little ‘force’ it took to crack the tile. I might try sending him a bill.

I still think that £350 is a bit steep. I am just jealous that my responsible, conscientious endeavours, with an equally broad skillset and vast experience, don’t earn me anything like that rate of pay. But I digress…

I'm curious about your last paragraph
What do you think is reasonable to pay a self employed plumber per day
Also, what are your skills

 

[SimonG]

900mm high for washbasin.

 

[paulusgg]

I generally put washbasins at 850mm, after all that's the height a pedestal would set them at!

But perhaps the problem with the loose basin was caused by it being moved after the initial fit resulting in the basin bolt holes becoming loose. In my experience if the basin bolts are fixed securely the basin will be fixed securely.

 

[AlexGas]

I generally put washbasins at 850mm, after all that's the height a pedestal would set them at.

Some of them are 820...

 

[chris watkins]

male chicken height,

although my basins seem to be a bit higher than they use to be.

 

[SimonG]

I must have short arms.

 

[Best]

You usually want a basin to be about 50mm higher than what the standard old basin with pedestals height were and they look better IMO. So maybe about 850mm high. Unless obviously the users are small people who want it lower.
I like to be able to reach my hands into base of basins without having to bend my back.

 

[spanner]

Maybe you forgot to stud it. Won't HANG on tile plasterboard wall. Simple remove the basin and cut out a hole in the wall (square! ) get loads of 4x2 and batten together and make sure you've placed a batton horizontal at basin height around the 700x800 line patch back the plasterboard hole. Tile up and refit the basin. Then try sitting on to see if takes the weight.

 

[Ric2013]

If it's on masonry, it can be a right pain.

Refixed a loose programmer for central heating recently. Soft red bricks, lime mortar. Mortar joints nearly an inch wide. Of course , you can't tell what's under the plaster at first. Ended up using lots and lots of Gripfill and wasting the best part of an hour.

So if your workman fixed to a wall under the tiles he may just have been unlucky enough to have hit a section of wall that lended no support, hence the tile took the weight.

My question is why should the tile crack? Experienced tiler on this forum may be able to tell you if this means the tile wasn't properly adhering to the wall or if it's what would happen anyway.