My Daughter has had a local builder in to knock a hole through from
her kitchen to the dining room. It is a victorian house and she
wanted a matching finish for the arched hole. The edges are finished
like an OJ achitrave.

He worked very quickly and cleaned up well afterwards.
However on closer inspection the arched hole is not the same width at
the top and bottom and the finish on the plasterwork is not great.
She suggested getting a specialist plasterer in but the builder said
he could do it.
She has not paid the builder yet.
So what should she do?
Get the builder back in to put things right or get a specialist
plasterer to refinish the arch.

What is your advice.

Thanks

"chudford" wrote

My Daughter has had a local builder in to knock a hole through from
her kitchen to the dining room. It is a victorian house and she
wanted a matching finish for the arched hole. The edges are finished
like an OJ achitrave.

He worked very quickly and cleaned up well afterwards.
However on closer inspection the arched hole is not the same width at
the top and bottom and the finish on the plasterwork is not great.
She suggested getting a specialist plasterer in but the builder said
he could do it.
She has not paid the builder yet.
So what should she do?
Get the builder back in to put things right or get a specialist
plasterer to refinish the arch.

What is your advice.

Thanks
If your daughter has made it clear that she was expecting a spot-on finish
to plaster-work before the builder started, then IMO she is in a strong
position.
Try asking in uk.legal.moderated for best course of action - but explain
exactly what brief was given to the builder if you want meaningful answers.

Phil

On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:04:57 -0700 (PDT), chudford
wrote:

Get the builder back in to put things right or get a specialist
plasterer to refinish the arch.

If, at this stage, she gets a specialist plasterer in she will have to
pay him herself. She cannot deduct his fee from the amount owed to
the original builder without giving him a chance to rectify any error.

chudford wrote:
My Daughter has had a local builder in to knock a hole through from
her kitchen to the dining room. It is a victorian house and she
wanted a matching finish for the arched hole. The edges are finished
like an OJ achitrave.

He worked very quickly and cleaned up well afterwards.
However on closer inspection the arched hole is not the same width at
the top and bottom and the finish on the plasterwork is not great.

What sort of figures are you talking about? Anything of around 12mm max
wouldn't be excessive, especially if there is nothing to 'eye' it against.

Again, what's the actual problem with the plasterwork - lumps, hollows, not
polished etc?

She suggested getting a specialist plasterer in but the builder said
he could do it.

That's as it should be before any further action is undertaken - he should
be allowed to rectify his work before anyone else is called in.

She has not paid the builder yet.

That's a good situation to be in - don't pay the builder until rectification
is complete. *AND* make sure that you take photographs of the defective
work *BEFORE* he starts to put things right - it will stand you in good
stead if things turn nasty.

So what should she do?

See above.

Get the builder back in to put things right or get a specialist
plasterer to refinish the arch.

As I previously said, builder first - he must be given a chance to sort it
out. If you don't do that, your daughter will be on rather shaky ground if
the builder demands payment for his work.


Cash

On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:33:39 -0000, "Cash"
wrote:

Again, what's the actual problem with the plasterwork - lumps, hollows, not
polished etc?

She suggested getting a specialist plasterer in but the builder said
he could do it.

That's as it should be before any further action is undertaken - he should
be allowed to rectify his work before anyone else is called in.


I took that middle bit as posted by OP to mean BEFORE the work was
done but the solution is still the same .

Builder should have used plasterboard (dot-n-dab or on batons)
including the arch with metalwork.

Then it comes down to being able to do a decent skim coat.
Skim on plasterboard is not hard - even a crap builder can do it and
just sand the living daylights out of it (just more mess & time, to
his cost as the substrate is perfectly flat).

It may simply be the builder has not appreciated how far the wall is
out.

Usenet Nutter wrote:
On Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:33:39 -0000, "Cash"
wrote:

Again, what's the actual problem with the plasterwork - lumps,
hollows, not polished etc?

She suggested getting a specialist plasterer in but the builder said
he could do it.

That's as it should be before any further action is undertaken - he
should be allowed to rectify his work before anyone else is called
in.


I took that middle bit as posted by OP to mean BEFORE the work was
done but the solution is still the same .

Doh, you're right! Blame the pain killers :-(

Cash