Careless craftsman?

[mugatu]

That belongs to the category of the simplest tasks a carpenter can perform. It would be interesting to hire this carpenter to, for example, install a kitchen. I've never seen a kitchen that slopes 40 degrees and where the sink and stove are upside down.

 

[lärjungen]

Hi, I need some help, I live in a condominium and I'm not very knowledgeable in construction, etc. A craftsman did some work for me, including replacing the kitchen and hallway floors. He had to come back to fix some sloppy work:

- The dishwasher wasn't screwed in. He fixed it by screwing it into the wall. Is that how it's supposed to be done? Screwing into the wall, at an angle? Is there a risk of water damage?

- The thresholds weren't secured. He has now fastened them with some non-recessed screws, one recessed, and also nails, creating a crack in the threshold.
*edit: There is also a variety of types and colors of nails, and the spacing is not symmetrical in any direction, the "middle" screw is not in the middle. Is this up to building standards?

- Is it okay for it to look the way it does behind the stove?

- Should I accept that the door can't open completely?

- He has put baseboards around a door instead of door trim. There are different edges on door/baseboards. Should I accept that?

Am I being too picky?

see pictures. Thanks for help!!

Are you sure they sent a craftsman and not your neighbor, Uncle Bertil?

 

[Sir Duke]

Thank you for the response! The floor was laid in the fall, almost 1.5 years ago. What is happening now is finishing work, fixing sloppy work. I read somewhere that the distance floor-wall should be determined based on the size of the floor area, don't know what is correct, but anyhow it should be the same distance along a stretch that is connected, I think.

It's difficult to get exactly the same distance; it could be 10 mm somewhere and 12 mm next to it, but that is covered by the floor molding and is not visible afterward.

 

[Karinsbostadsrätt]

It's not going so well here

It's difficult to get exactly the same distance, it can be 10 mm somewhere and 12 mm next to it, but that is covered by the skirting board and won't be visible later.

OK, so 2 mm is too little?

 

[Sir Duke]

It's not going so well here

OK, so 2 mm is too little?

Yes, because wooden floors move with humidity. You should lay the floor floating, meaning only anchored to itself, and with an expansion gap to surrounding walls and fixed furnishings. This is stated in the manufacturer's installation instructions. The minimum is usually specified as 10 mm. What can happen if the distance is too small is that the board will eventually touch the wall, and the floor will warp because it has nowhere else to go. So you do not have a professionally performed floor installation, which entails a risk of problems.

 

[Karinsbostadsrätt]

Yes, because wooden floors move with humidity. You should lay the floor floating, meaning only anchored in itself, and with an expansion joint to the surrounding walls and fixed furnishings. This is stated in the manufacturer's installation instructions. The minimum is usually specified as 10 mm. What can happen if the distance is too small is that the board over time will hit the wall and the floor will buckle because it can't move anywhere else. So you do not have a professionally executed floor installation, which poses a risk for problems.

Thank you for your involvement in the matter and for the information.

 

[Skinnolle]

I will follow up on the work with them. Let's see how everything turns out.

Looks like it's the wrong cable for the stove connection.
Authorization is required for fixed installation.

 

[tjdiyer]

Hello,

We renovated a house from the 1800s and initially had a bad experience with poor contractors to the extent that we decided to do 90% of the work ourselves.

As many have already said, you've paid for a service & the result has been poor, it's not your fault and you shouldn't accept it. Unfortunately, this is all too common than it should be.

Check out https://www.hallakonsument.se. Send an email to the contractor with all photos and errors listed and request that they fix them or provide a discount. By law, contractors are obliged to be proactive in correcting errors that occur in their work. Make sure to keep all communication in writing.

Tom

ps Excuse my Swedish

 

[Karinsbostadsrätt]

Hi,

We renovated a house from the 1800s and initially had a bad experience with poor craftsmen to the extent that we decided to do 90% of the work ourselves.

As many have already said, you have paid for a service & the result has been poor, it’s not your fault, and you should not accept it. Unfortunately, this is far more common than it should be.

Check out [link]. Send an email to the craftsman with all photos and errors listed and request that they fix them or give a discount. According to the law, craftsmen are obliged to be proactive in correcting errors that occur in their work. Be sure to keep all communication in writing.

Tom

ps Excuse my Swedish

Thank you very much for this message! I have done the above and am in a process now.
There are many good craftsmen, and it's always good to check references thoroughly. Easy to think about in hindsight.

 

[Dr Benz]

This is what makes me hesitant to hire craftsmen. There is no clear guideline to distinguish good from bad.... You just have to go by instinct and, of course, check their previous work.. and you don't get the receipt until afterwards.. sometimes during if you follow them closely..

For me, as a fairly knowledgeable amateur, I know quite a bit and have some idea of what I'm talking about. But what do you do if you're not knowledgeable and not very interested... it must be terrible.

I'm lucky to have found a fantastic electrician. We talk a lot beforehand about what can and can't be done, and if something comes up, we address it from there. Full communication all the time. And very cost-effective. Now I'm going to try a plumbing firm that so far has given exactly the same impression as the electrician, and the feeling is very good.

 

[surfarn]

I think you've already got all the answers you need But thresholds are usually glued and not screwed. I think everything looks sloppy. I learned a good thing once when we were building a house. Something like this "what everyone who is going to help with the house has in common, is that none of them will live there". You might nicely ask if he would have done it like that in his own home?

 

[Fairlane]

That shouldn't even be classified as carelessness but just incompetence and disinterest. Screws that aren't straight are carelessness, screws that are wrong and different are not carelessness, just really lousy.

 

[mojjen]

I just have to tip my hat to "Karinsbostadsratt". It's impressive to maintain such calm and show such a high level of respect for others, despite dealing with such an extremely amateurishly executed job. There is no excuse for what he delivered, but still seeing the person behind it, even as you rightfully fight for justice, is truly strong. Unlike quite a few here, myself included, who sometimes jump to conclusions a bit too quickly.

That being said, I still believe that when it's all over, if you don't get the justice you're satisfied with, you should name the company in question. If he continues to do such poor work without making things right afterward, I think everyone in your area would be grateful for a warning...

 

[Karinsbostadsrätt]

I just have to tip my hat to "Karinsbostadsratt" Impressive to maintain such calm and show such high respect for people as she does, despite such an extremely amateurish job.
There is no defense for what he delivered, but to still see the person behind, even though you obviously should fight to get justice, is really strong. Unlike quite a few here, myself included, who sometimes react too quickly without thinking.
That said, I still think when everything is over, if you don't get the justice you are satisfied with, you should name the company in question. Because if he continues to do such bad jobs without making things right afterward, I think everyone in your area would appreciate a warning...

Thanks for the kind words! Acting impulsively doesn't often help, I've certainly done it myself in different situations before.

I will take the case to ARN if we don't come to a solution, even though it's mostly small issues, it involves a few thousand kronor if you measure by professional carpenter rates + materials to get it fixed properly. I think it's mostly that the job wasn't done with care and according to a standard that one can expect that bothers me the most at this point. Plus, I wouldn't be able to sell the apartment without getting it fixed.

I don't want to risk accusations of defamation, so I don't want to name the company yet. Depending on a possible decision from ARN, it will either be compensation/action/perhaps blacklisting.

I need to stay patient here!
Have a nice weekend

 

[Mortsken]

If you only write the company name, you cannot be convicted of defamation. But I wouldn't have done it before the case is settled either.