It appears I have a nack for making u all chuckle at my daily adventures so I'm bored pant-less at being made to stay in the house all day today and feel the need to share a little amuse bouche with y'all. Yes I did say amuse bouche, I do know what it really means but I love the word bouche. So fermer la bouche and read on lol! (sorry this will be a giant post, if you get bored easy then move to another blog LOL, but if you're about to have any bathroom work done read on!)
As most of you probably know by now if you follow my twitter madness, me and Mr D are having a new bathroom fitted. Now, I've been waiting 12.5 years for this new bathroom. When we moved here I hated it and vowed it would have to be changed within a year or two at most cos it was hideous and old. And here we are. Mr D is no DIY'er, that I can tell you. We're talking about the man who made shelves from a cardboard tube and to this day thinks it's a proud achievement. I used to love decorating and DIY when I had nothing better to do in my pre-craft days, but the task of painting dark beige farmhouse style tiles white in my kitchen 7 times in a week to get rid of the brown kind of sapped all the DIY'ness from my aching arms forever. I've never picked up a paintbrush since and the kitchen remains half-done from where I had to go back to work. 12 years ago. Serious! And quite honestly I would rather do anything than DIY these days, ugh, it really did put me off for life.
So, back to the bathroom. 2 years ago I tripped as I got in the bath for a shower and put my size 8 through the side of the bath, creating a nice big 3" crack up the side. We couldnt afford to replace it at the time as I was determined I wanted the whole room doing and as it's always been tiled head to toe in there it was always going to be a big job, so it was good old Pinflair to the rescue! About 6 months later I dropped a big heavy bottle of shampoo on the crack and it had a nice extension! More Pinflair! Then about 3 months ago Mr Doodles had a bath one day and it decided to go even more, so finally enough is enough, after 2 years of Pinflair holding it together we had to admit defeat! As always these things happen when you're broke but by hook or crook we've managed to scrape the money together to get it done even though it's escalated ridiculously cost-wise. I've been looking for months for a cheap bathroom suite and finally got one on an ebay auction of all things! A mega wide P shaped bath (which is mahoosive), shower screen, taps, sink, toilet, wastes and everything a girl could need, delivered to the door for a bargainous price. So we managed to get a plumber recommended and he came to fit it for us. Only the toilet was all scuffed and the seat didnt match. So I phoned up, complained and got another FOC within 3 days - great service! In the meantime the plumber's cousin came in to start the tiling. Only he didnt do it himself. Big boo boo Mr Tiler man! Now we are talking about a room that is 1.7m x 2m big here. The wall where the bath goes has a large window and we are using those big tiles (cheapest we could get of course although in the end turned out to be a good choice over the more expensive ones), so in all they are only putting back half as many tiles as were on in the first place. Except this guy has to be one of the worst tilers ever. I think I could have done as good a job myself. The only reason I didnt do it is because from experience I am rubbish at doing the cutting angles thing - I did our laminate flooring but I bodged it a bit round the edges and I really wanted a good job with this - I'm gonna have to look at it for years to come.
Anyway, the first day I wasnt v impressed with the quality of the tiling work, the 2nd day I was thinking maybe it wouldnt look too bad when it was finished (hopefully). The 3rd day...well the 3rd day a tile fell off the window and took a big chip out of the bath right near the plughole. Ok, so it was an accident but WHY o WHY didnt he put a dustsheet in the bath to protect it? SURELY you would, right?? Well, I would anyway, especially on a brand spanking new shiny white spotless bath that had only been used once??? No, we're talking about a man here and a numpty one at that. So Mr Boss Tiler said he knew a proper pro repair man who charged £120 he would get in to do it. Fine! I wasnt happy but as he was going to put it right and I know they do a good job and it wouldnt be visible it was an acceptable solution (yes I know, I'm VERY amicable, right!).
So the next day I get home to an absolute STENCH in the house and could hardly breathe. Mr Doodles was already outside mid asthma attack from hideous fumes through the whole house and managed to wheeze at me that it was the solution he'd used to fix the chip. HE, not THEY. Mr Boss tiler had taken it upon himself to save himself a few quid, bought a repair kit and done it himself. Only it was awful!! The hole had filled but you have to spray over it to seal it all and the spray had obviously spread and covered half the bath. Now, a woman would have known to CLEAN the bath first and knows how much dust can settle when workmen come in. Men (sorry I know men read this, but I am talking about the other 99% of the male population) men just dont think of these things. So, the acetone spray stuff (which is like a car spray varnish so u can imagine the stink) has a dull finish, not the bright shiny spotless white finish on my bath! And to boot - all the tile dust had obviously settled and got stuck in the spray so all the bottom and sides of the bath were all rough and felt like they were pitted! My bath was ruined!! :O
To make matters worse I then discovered he'd also done another area which we hadn't even noticed, so there had been 2 holes and he'd only admitted to one. I just couldnt believe how awful it was and that he thought this was acceptable!! To ruin someone's brand new bath, try to repair it and fail and then walk away without saying anything - horrendous! Of course I was completely livid about the whole thing and then looked at everything else that was wrong in there. The first thing was the trim around the windowsill - there was a lip of about 3-5mm of trim, so when you have a shower all the water will collect behind it on the sill...previously the sill sloped a little bit so it all drained off, but there was no great big fat trim overlap! I went to bed raging about it and instead of going to work waited for him to arrive the next morning.
I TOLD you it was a saga didnt I!!
So when I got up next morning it was the brightest day we'd had all week and to my horror I noticed the centre tile in the middle of one wall was also chipped - absolutely no excuse, the guy must have been blind not to see it. THEN, as I was looking at my broken bath again in amazement I noticed a THIRD chip on the side which we'd all missed before! THREE!! No way Jose!! The 2nd one hadn't filled properly anyway so there was still a dip and the whole bath didnt look new any more because of the difference between the matt finish and the shiny one. If I hadnt been so angry I would have wept!
So Boss Tiler breezes in (an hour late) and promptly gets told I want a new one, no arguments, it needs to be replaced at his cost. He had nothing to say except for going bright red. Hi numpty tiler man beat a very quick retreat back to the van I noticed. He was also told about the other stuff that wasnt right too and sent off with a flea in his ear. Yay, go me! I hate confrontation but no way was i putting up with this crap!
So I ordered another bath (bear in mind we're already on the 2nd toilet). When the receipt was emailed to me I noticed something odd in the description...luckily...when I queried it the idiot at the other end of the phone had ordered me a new shower screen!! FFS!!!!!!! Are all these people just DUMB?? How the hell does NEW BATH possibly sound like NEW SHOWER SCREEN??? Even a lipreading deaf person couldnt make that mistake?? Thank god I noticed the anomoly, I'd have slashed my wrists if another screen had turned up!
ANYWAY (you still awake yet, my life is one whole saga like this constantly!)...
So today the tiler came back to take the tiles back off the wall so the new bath can go in and the plumber comes back to fit the new bath, the sink and the new toilet...
The Tiler is coming back tomorrow to finish off the tiles...at last...YAY, it will be finished tomorrow!...
Until the plumber finishes tonight and can't put the shower screen on because it needs to go where the chipped tile was and of course, the tiler took it off again....
And then the OH notices that they fitted the new loo but have put the OLD seat which is the wrong colour and doesnt match back onto the NEW toilet...(Mr D has said he will do it, we daren't say anything else lol).
OH.MY.GOD.
I LOST THE WILL TO LIVE AT 6pm TODAY.
OFFICIALLY.
The tiler comes back tomorrow to finish off his bits. I havent even spoken about the grout. I havent even mentioned the ropey cutting under the radiator that I'll have to look at for life now because I think if I mention it the tiler might kill himself, or how lovely the plumber is and that he has done a brilliant job and called the tiler's mate a numpty today.
SOB. I just want my bathroom done...pleeeeeeeease!!
Our next project is the kitchen. The kitchen has been waiting 12.5yrs to be done too. The kitchen too is tiled head to toe. The kitchen will NOT, I state categorically NOT be tiled head to toe in future! I can't face it, give me painted walls and a splashback or I will not make it to be another year older!!
Over and out. Literally. Passed out with trauma for the 2nd time in a week.
As most of you probably know by now if you follow my twitter madness, me and Mr D are having a new bathroom fitted. Now, I've been waiting 12.5 years for this new bathroom. When we moved here I hated it and vowed it would have to be changed within a year or two at most cos it was hideous and old. And here we are. Mr D is no DIY'er, that I can tell you. We're talking about the man who made shelves from a cardboard tube and to this day thinks it's a proud achievement. I used to love decorating and DIY when I had nothing better to do in my pre-craft days, but the task of painting dark beige farmhouse style tiles white in my kitchen 7 times in a week to get rid of the brown kind of sapped all the DIY'ness from my aching arms forever. I've never picked up a paintbrush since and the kitchen remains half-done from where I had to go back to work. 12 years ago. Serious! And quite honestly I would rather do anything than DIY these days, ugh, it really did put me off for life.
So, back to the bathroom. 2 years ago I tripped as I got in the bath for a shower and put my size 8 through the side of the bath, creating a nice big 3" crack up the side. We couldnt afford to replace it at the time as I was determined I wanted the whole room doing and as it's always been tiled head to toe in there it was always going to be a big job, so it was good old Pinflair to the rescue! About 6 months later I dropped a big heavy bottle of shampoo on the crack and it had a nice extension! More Pinflair! Then about 3 months ago Mr Doodles had a bath one day and it decided to go even more, so finally enough is enough, after 2 years of Pinflair holding it together we had to admit defeat! As always these things happen when you're broke but by hook or crook we've managed to scrape the money together to get it done even though it's escalated ridiculously cost-wise. I've been looking for months for a cheap bathroom suite and finally got one on an ebay auction of all things! A mega wide P shaped bath (which is mahoosive), shower screen, taps, sink, toilet, wastes and everything a girl could need, delivered to the door for a bargainous price. So we managed to get a plumber recommended and he came to fit it for us. Only the toilet was all scuffed and the seat didnt match. So I phoned up, complained and got another FOC within 3 days - great service! In the meantime the plumber's cousin came in to start the tiling. Only he didnt do it himself. Big boo boo Mr Tiler man! Now we are talking about a room that is 1.7m x 2m big here. The wall where the bath goes has a large window and we are using those big tiles (cheapest we could get of course although in the end turned out to be a good choice over the more expensive ones), so in all they are only putting back half as many tiles as were on in the first place. Except this guy has to be one of the worst tilers ever. I think I could have done as good a job myself. The only reason I didnt do it is because from experience I am rubbish at doing the cutting angles thing - I did our laminate flooring but I bodged it a bit round the edges and I really wanted a good job with this - I'm gonna have to look at it for years to come.
Anyway, the first day I wasnt v impressed with the quality of the tiling work, the 2nd day I was thinking maybe it wouldnt look too bad when it was finished (hopefully). The 3rd day...well the 3rd day a tile fell off the window and took a big chip out of the bath right near the plughole. Ok, so it was an accident but WHY o WHY didnt he put a dustsheet in the bath to protect it? SURELY you would, right?? Well, I would anyway, especially on a brand spanking new shiny white spotless bath that had only been used once??? No, we're talking about a man here and a numpty one at that. So Mr Boss Tiler said he knew a proper pro repair man who charged £120 he would get in to do it. Fine! I wasnt happy but as he was going to put it right and I know they do a good job and it wouldnt be visible it was an acceptable solution (yes I know, I'm VERY amicable, right!).
So the next day I get home to an absolute STENCH in the house and could hardly breathe. Mr Doodles was already outside mid asthma attack from hideous fumes through the whole house and managed to wheeze at me that it was the solution he'd used to fix the chip. HE, not THEY. Mr Boss tiler had taken it upon himself to save himself a few quid, bought a repair kit and done it himself. Only it was awful!! The hole had filled but you have to spray over it to seal it all and the spray had obviously spread and covered half the bath. Now, a woman would have known to CLEAN the bath first and knows how much dust can settle when workmen come in. Men (sorry I know men read this, but I am talking about the other 99% of the male population) men just dont think of these things. So, the acetone spray stuff (which is like a car spray varnish so u can imagine the stink) has a dull finish, not the bright shiny spotless white finish on my bath! And to boot - all the tile dust had obviously settled and got stuck in the spray so all the bottom and sides of the bath were all rough and felt like they were pitted! My bath was ruined!! :O
To make matters worse I then discovered he'd also done another area which we hadn't even noticed, so there had been 2 holes and he'd only admitted to one. I just couldnt believe how awful it was and that he thought this was acceptable!! To ruin someone's brand new bath, try to repair it and fail and then walk away without saying anything - horrendous! Of course I was completely livid about the whole thing and then looked at everything else that was wrong in there. The first thing was the trim around the windowsill - there was a lip of about 3-5mm of trim, so when you have a shower all the water will collect behind it on the sill...previously the sill sloped a little bit so it all drained off, but there was no great big fat trim overlap! I went to bed raging about it and instead of going to work waited for him to arrive the next morning.
I TOLD you it was a saga didnt I!!
So when I got up next morning it was the brightest day we'd had all week and to my horror I noticed the centre tile in the middle of one wall was also chipped - absolutely no excuse, the guy must have been blind not to see it. THEN, as I was looking at my broken bath again in amazement I noticed a THIRD chip on the side which we'd all missed before! THREE!! No way Jose!! The 2nd one hadn't filled properly anyway so there was still a dip and the whole bath didnt look new any more because of the difference between the matt finish and the shiny one. If I hadnt been so angry I would have wept!
So Boss Tiler breezes in (an hour late) and promptly gets told I want a new one, no arguments, it needs to be replaced at his cost. He had nothing to say except for going bright red. Hi numpty tiler man beat a very quick retreat back to the van I noticed. He was also told about the other stuff that wasnt right too and sent off with a flea in his ear. Yay, go me! I hate confrontation but no way was i putting up with this crap!
So I ordered another bath (bear in mind we're already on the 2nd toilet). When the receipt was emailed to me I noticed something odd in the description...luckily...when I queried it the idiot at the other end of the phone had ordered me a new shower screen!! FFS!!!!!!! Are all these people just DUMB?? How the hell does NEW BATH possibly sound like NEW SHOWER SCREEN??? Even a lipreading deaf person couldnt make that mistake?? Thank god I noticed the anomoly, I'd have slashed my wrists if another screen had turned up!
ANYWAY (you still awake yet, my life is one whole saga like this constantly!)...
So today the tiler came back to take the tiles back off the wall so the new bath can go in and the plumber comes back to fit the new bath, the sink and the new toilet...
The Tiler is coming back tomorrow to finish off the tiles...at last...YAY, it will be finished tomorrow!...
Until the plumber finishes tonight and can't put the shower screen on because it needs to go where the chipped tile was and of course, the tiler took it off again....
And then the OH notices that they fitted the new loo but have put the OLD seat which is the wrong colour and doesnt match back onto the NEW toilet...(Mr D has said he will do it, we daren't say anything else lol).
OH.MY.GOD.
I LOST THE WILL TO LIVE AT 6pm TODAY.
OFFICIALLY.
The tiler comes back tomorrow to finish off his bits. I havent even spoken about the grout. I havent even mentioned the ropey cutting under the radiator that I'll have to look at for life now because I think if I mention it the tiler might kill himself, or how lovely the plumber is and that he has done a brilliant job and called the tiler's mate a numpty today.
SOB. I just want my bathroom done...pleeeeeeeease!!
Our next project is the kitchen. The kitchen has been waiting 12.5yrs to be done too. The kitchen too is tiled head to toe. The kitchen will NOT, I state categorically NOT be tiled head to toe in future! I can't face it, give me painted walls and a splashback or I will not make it to be another year older!!
Over and out. Literally. Passed out with trauma for the 2nd time in a week.
Sorry your week was so awful....we all have times like this and workman like this......maybe it's the same ones????????xxx
ReplyDeleteI've not decorated most of the house (nor got light fittings everywhere) and we've been in very nearly 13.5 years. Because I know that I'd have to go through what you are and I think I'd tip them over the edge if it wasn't upto par!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with it all! And I'd go for subdued lighting in the bathroom - just in case!!!
As you know I have followed your sad tale on twitter, but reading it all in one go - I feel for you both, I really do. I hope that it gets finished tomorrow, I really do. Hugs, Helen.
ReplyDeleteOh Nikky, it hasn't been your week has it! Bad tiling is the first thing I notice in bathrooms and kitchens across the world coming from a tiling family. When we moved into this wreck of a house the kitchen and bathroom needing tiling and not wanting to risk being unhappy with a crappy tiler (as both my Grandad and Dad have passed away) I decided to do it myself and teach my hubby (who is an electrician) how to tile. And I have to say he has gotten quite good at it! As for not putting a dust sheet in the bath, what an utter useless git he was! I'd have threatened him with getting intouch with cowboy builders! I hope the rest of the year is stress free for you.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Anj
xx
OMG Nicky what a nightmare! I hope it gets sorted out tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Linda xxx
OMG Nicky, I thought it was bad when my hubby and I tiled our bathroom, which is barely 7ft by 7ft, we nearly divorced over it especially when we got to one on the corners and found that the tiles werent level, grrrrrrrrrrr. All his fault, of course, as he had fixed the temporary battens on the wall without checking the level as he was fed up with us trying to work on top of one another and wanted to get finished quicker. We didnt speak for over a week. Well 10 years later we are still together and the tiles are still not level but hey its ok as we are not perfect either. I hope you manage to get things looking better and have a lovely relaxing bath very soon. xxx
ReplyDeleteNikky, I'm totally speechless!!! Nuf said I think!
ReplyDeleteFliss xx
Hi Nikky
ReplyDeleteI really feel for you. There is nothing worse than having your heart set on for something for years and years and it goes so horribly wrong. It's like a nightmare after a nightmare and when one thinks it's just about going to wake up there are more and more coming.
I had troubles with our bathroom too to the point the idiot who was tiling it left us with replacing 2 whole walls and blamed it on previous builders who put the walls up! ( but those walls where only 2 years old and there was nothing wrong with them !!! )
Hope this trauma in your life is finished soon and you can enjoy your bathroom to the max.
Michaela xx
Oh Nikky, what a dreadful time you have had.... I think I would have slit their wrists love by now... I do hope it is all finished for you tomorrow... Are you sure you want your kitchen done...? :) x
ReplyDeleteNikky please don't think me a heartless biatch. But I laughed so much at your tale of woe. Because I have been in almost the same place myself. It took us 2 years to tile our bathroom. from floor to ceiling all round. When it was done. I couldn't wait to get all the fixtures on the wall. So I did it myself while hubby was at work. The large swivel mirror was the last thing to be put up. I screwed in the final screw. and calamity struck. I dropped the hammer that I had left on the window sill, and it fell straight through the hand basin. I just stood there and screamed. We had to have a new basin, and the tiles never did fit properly, as it was a slightly different style. So I empathise with you. I would insist everything is put right or he wouldn't get a penny. Hope you are feeling better as well.
ReplyDeleteJoan xx
big crafty hugs nikky bless ya x
ReplyDeleteOh my dayz, Nikky - I am in Victor Meldrew mode again - I can't believe it!! What a saga - you could write a book - the bathroom that nearly was! Lol.
ReplyDeleteHere's to believing - 'Things can only get better'. I hope tomorrow is the start of better things to come, hun. Hope your sanity remains firmly in tact.
Hugz, Jan xx
OMG I don't believe it!!!!!
ReplyDeletePlease go and have a lie down, and hope it will eventually be the best bathroom ever!!
:o the tiler and his mate are still alive??? Sorry, but you have way more patience than me, he'd have refunded the cost of new tiles and bath and been off of the job or I'd have seen him in the small claims court! If you haven't paid your bill yet hun, I'd make a snag list and give it to him and explain that the bill will be settled once everything has been put right otherwise the "faults" will bug you for ever and ruin the joy of the new bathroom.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed that everything goes well with the finishing off.
Claire x
Aw bless you - what a nightmare.Why can't people do their job properly.Hope it's all sorted out soon.Big hugs Debbie x
ReplyDeleteSounds awful Nicky. I didn't want tiles in my kitchen so about ten years ago went will stainless steel instead, might be an idea? Wishing you well saw you having a turn on the telly on Friday? Love Jane x
ReplyDelete