Trying to get a refund from a faulty repair of bathroom floor

LUnlimited on 21/06/2018 - 17:32
Last edited 28/06/2018 - 17:04

Hi,

I leave in Brisbane and had repairs done in my ensuite as the bathroom floor was leaking. It costed me $550.00 (I have got an invoice) for regrouting and resealing the bathroom with the guy giving a warranty of 12 years on his work.

6 months down the track, the bathroom floor starts leaking again although not as much as before. The contractor came in 3 times trying to fix the issue. All the 3 times, he promised that it was fixed as he was leaving. However, after that I just got fed up and asked him for a partial refund of the work. I was asking him for $275.

Finally, I got someone else in to give a quote for the repair and they really criticize the quality of the work done and gave me a quote of $595.00 to fix his work and as I look into the details of their quote, they are putting in more work than the initial guy did as well as giving a warranty of 12 years.

However, after much discussion with him, he is only willing to reimburse $150.00 from $100.00, which I don't think is a fair amount, given that he warranties his work for 12 years and that now I will be more out of pocket because of his initial work.

Although, I do appreciate that he came in thrice trying to stop the leak, how much should I ask him to reimburse and how to I get him to do so?

Thank you for your input.

Edit:

Please note that the first guy business is to repair leaking showers and he is the one who had suggested those work to stop the leak.

Also, thank you for your replies.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • gooddealmate on 21/06/2018 - 17:44
    +8

    Sounds like your waterproofing has failed. Throwing another $600 at it is unlikely to fix the problem. I'd be looking at redoing the whole lot, rip it all out and start again. Unless its obvious as to where the leak is coming from exactly.

    Source: I'm a Tiler by trade.

    BTW, grout is porous and a sealer will only work for a few months as it degrades and shouldn't be relied upon to create a water barrier.

    • Unlimited on 21/06/2018 - 17:52

      That is what the latest guy said but they said that they could repair it for that price (not including waterproofing) using their ultra bond product and sealant. They look to be more reputable than the other guy. I am dreading to get a quote on the bathroom reno.

      • gooddealmate on 21/06/2018 - 18:02
        +1

        To fix the problem, they would need to find where the leak is from, rip out the tiles surrounding that area, remove the old adhesive, prime then waterproof and re-lay the new tiles, then grout and silicone. Any other method is likely to fail I'm afraid.

      • BertieBrown on 21/06/2018 - 18:10
        +1

        The issue is more so water getting underneath the tiles and affecting the timbers in the house, which is why gooddealmate has probably suggested the reno job.

      • HighAndDry on 21/06/2018 - 18:13
        +1

        Your post says:

        repairs done in my ensuite as the bathroom floor was leaking.

        So I'm not sure how:

        repair it for that price (not including waterproofing)

        I mean, what would be the point?

      • redvaldez on 22/06/2018 - 12:03

        I am dreading to get a quote on the bathroom reno.

        I was in a similar boat - waterproofing had failed in the shower - and decided to bite the bullet for a new ensuite. Ended up being cheaper than I expected at about $6500 including tiles. Included a new toilet, floor tiles, shower screen, vanity etc but didn't include mirror, towel rails, painting, electricals, or fixing the gyprock on the other side of the bathroom where it'd leaked. Guy who did it was pretty fussy too.

        I'm a couple of hours out of Brisbane so no point in giving you a name and number, but a new ensuite might not be as costly as you'd think.

  • JimmyF on 21/06/2018 - 18:15

    However, after that I just got fed up and asked him for a partial refund of the work. I was asking him for $275.

    Thats not how warranty works

    I got someone else in to give a quote for the repair and they really criticize the quality of the work done

    They always are, get a person in after this person does the repair and the next one will tell you the work is crap as well.

    he is only willing to reimburse $150.00 from $100.00, which I don't think is a fair amount, given that he warranties his work for 12 years

    WOW more than I would offer. They don't have to offer anything, warranty isn't a refund. It means they keep coming back to fix the issue.

    and that now I will be more out of pocket because of his initial work.

    As they done the job and been back 3 times already, I'm pretty sure THEY are out of pocket more than you

    • [Deactivated] on 22/06/2018 - 11:45
      -1

      However, after that I just got fed up and asked him for a partial refund of the work. I was asking him for $275.

      Thats not how warranty works

      It kinda is though, if you went to small claims you would be looking for a settlement so in the end yes it is although a little unconventional.

      Personally I would forget about the first guy. I am not sure about the problem or what to do to fix it. Sounds like it is a big more expensive job and trying to shortcut that is not going to work.

      • JimmyF on 22/06/2018 - 12:15

        It kinda is though

        No its not

        if you went to small claims you would be looking for a settlement

        Looking for and getting one are two different things.

        Sounds like it is a big more expensive job and trying to shortcut that is not going to work.

        and yet, the OP is just doing the same thing all over again with the 2nd guy, but paying $45 extra for the same work the first guy did.

        The REAL issue is the waterproofing UNDER the tiles has failed, and until that is fixed, no amount of regrouting and resealing
        aka'shortcuts' will fix the issue. Which is what the OP was trying to do with either the 1st or 2nd person.

  • Cartman2530 on 21/06/2018 - 18:21

    Looks like that guy is going to be busy working for you over the next 12 years….

    You could go to small claims court, but if you go there, it ain't exactly a win. In fact it may cost you more than getting someone else in if you get a solicitor.

    • JimmyF on 21/06/2018 - 19:34

      You could go to small claims court

      You could, but on what grounds?

      The guy did the work, the guy has returned each and every time the OP has advised its leaking to honour the warranty as requested.

      The guy is keeping up his end.

      The fact the OP now wants a refund instead isn't a 'small claims' issue.

      • Cartman2530 on 21/06/2018 - 21:01

        Its a dispute, and money is involved. Not much more complicated than that.

        Let the judge sort it out if they can't. Its an option, most likely after the guy stops keeping up his end if it isn't fixed.

        At this point it may be cheaper for the repairer to pull up all the water proofing and do the job properly rather than pump sealant in an keep bodging it up until it works.

        Lets be honest, I'd be pissed too if they said they could fix it and have to keep getting them back after it keeps leaking. I wouldn't take 6 months of it without trying to get my cash back, let alone 12 years!

        • JimmyF on 21/06/2018 - 22:12

          Its an option, most likely after the guy stops keeping up his end if it isn't fixed.

          Which they haven't done yet…. So why bother?

          At this point it may be cheaper for the repairer to pull up all the water proofing and do the job properly

          But they didn't do the water proofing, so why should they repair it, if its leaking.

    • garetz on 21/06/2018 - 19:42

      Small claims costs nothing if you represent yourself however you will lose this case as the tiler has nothing to do with waterproofing, you should of gotten someone who could do that before installing the tiles. The fault is entirely yours, your lucky that tiler keeps coming back, if it was me i would leave you to your own devices.

      • Cartman2530 on 21/06/2018 - 21:12

        From what I read from the OP, the contractor was hired to reseal the bathroom to stop the leaking. If thats what he was hired for, one could argue that he didn't fix the problem he was contracted to do.

        If its been a few visits and he hasn't fixed it, then the OP should be entitled to some money back as he hasn't done the job he has been paid for.

        Without seeing the invoice (and hopefully it says something to what the OP is claiming), its the main piece of evidence that determines what work that was carried out.

        If the contractor knew the waterproofing was stuffed he should have charged accordingly, if he thought he could bodge it up then thats on him.

        Simples.

        • garetz on 21/06/2018 - 22:31
          +2

          You cant just tile over every leak in your house expecting that to fix the problem, you first need to identify what the underlying issue is. Op took the responsibility on themselves to act as a project manager to get a job done, not recognising that tiling will not fix the leak, the tiler did what they were told. The tiler cant be held responsible for ops expectations that are irrelevant to the problem at hand. A tiler and a waterproofer are 2 entirely different trades, would you trust a plumber to identify an electrical fault ? You are expecting a tiler to determine if waterproofing failed ?

          yes Simple is right.

        • gooddealmate on 22/06/2018 - 07:28
          +1

          @garetz:

          Not entirely correct. Most tilers, as am I, have the qualifications required to carry out waterproofing as part of the job. In a renovation, it generally is always the tiler. New builds, thats different.

        • HighAndDry on 22/06/2018 - 10:03

          What OP hired the contractor to do and what OP hoped to accomplish are two different things. OP hired the guy to apparently regrout and reseal the bathroom. OP hoped this would fix the leak, because as OP's comments show, they don't want to go to the effort and actual cost of actually re-waterproofing the bathroom.

  • HighAndDry on 21/06/2018 - 18:25
    +8

    After reading a few of the other replies… is it even the guy's work that's the problem and not some underlying structural issue with your bathroom?

    It doesn't matter if the guy's work is grouting and sealing work is perfect, if your bathroom floor's waterproofing is shot, then it's going to keep leaking.

    It kind of sounds like you're paying a mechanic to change the oil in your car, when you've got a blown head gasket. It's really not going to help, and the problem isn't that the mechanic is changing your oil wrong, it's that you're asking for the wrong fix.

  • Ryanek on 21/06/2018 - 18:58
    +6

    You're throwing money at a band aid. Rip it up and fix the waterproofing.

  • Tee Rex Arms on 21/06/2018 - 23:35

    Thrice lol

  • Sofie519 on 22/06/2018 - 14:28
    +1

    Bought an apartment with fully renovated bathroom (paid extra because it was renovated!). Anyway 6mth later got calls from Real Estate about leaking to the ceiling downstairs. Thought it was a Strata Issue, except Strata denied liability as the bathroom was renovated. Okay fair enough

    Real estate gave me a quote for waterproofing at just under $400 with the same 7yr warrantee crap. I went to get a 2nd opinion from a builder friend and inspected it with him. Cut a long story short, the renovations were atrociously done, shower drain didnt even fit flush with the pipe, and worse still, the wet areas under the tile didnt even have waterproofing applied. There was wood rot in wet areas and rising above the hob etc He quoted 9K (mates rates) for me to strip everything out, including the rotting wood and redo the bathroom. (next quote I got was 13K) I fixed the bathroom for 9K in 2011, and havent heard an issue since!

    So, given my scenario, if I spent $400 on waterproofing, can I for the next 7 years expect the waterproofer to keep returning to fix an underlying problem which doesnt have anything to do with the product or service he provided?

    I think you really need to consider getting someone .. not just a waterproofer that applies the membrane on top of an already faulty/damaged bathroom, otherwise the long term damage it causes to your bathroom would be much more severe.

  • chumlee on 22/06/2018 - 14:33

    Take the money on offer as tiler could say in small claims the leak uus coming from other factors outside of the work he did

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join