ᐅ Poor Workmanship in the Bathroom? Drywall Instead of Plaster
Created on: 23 Apr 2023 17:21
M
marinaschulze
Hello everyone,
Currently, my parents’ bathroom is being renovated. We hired a local plumbing company for the work. Since we live several hours away by car, we were unable to supervise the construction in person. However, it was important to me to attend the initial meeting in person and discuss all the work in detail. Afterwards, we received a quote that matched my requirements and signed the contract.
About a month later, I visited the site and was surprised to see that the workers had installed drywall panels on all the walls. We had previously agreed that the walls would be plastered and tiled. I then measured the walls and found that with this (not agreed upon) drywall construction method, we lose about 15cm (6 inches) of space on one wall, for example. This likely means we can no longer place our washing machine there, even though a washing machine connection was installed on that wall. The WC recess has also become extremely small, measuring only 69cm (27 inches). The company has covered several freestanding walls (without any connections) extensively with drywall panels.
At home, I reviewed the contract again carefully and found the drywall work only listed as “At WC and riser pipes.” Furthermore, it states that the walls will be “leveled and evened out” before tiling, but nothing about drywalling every wall and ceiling of our old bathroom.
Now, as mentioned, I am concerned that some planned sanitary fixtures and furniture will not fit or will fit only very tightly, or that the drywall walls may not hold up in the long term under the tiles, since the bathroom is supposed to be fully tiled up to the ceiling.
Is this considered poor workmanship, and who is responsible for the costs of correction? Has anyone had similar experiences?
Best regards,
MarinaS
Currently, my parents’ bathroom is being renovated. We hired a local plumbing company for the work. Since we live several hours away by car, we were unable to supervise the construction in person. However, it was important to me to attend the initial meeting in person and discuss all the work in detail. Afterwards, we received a quote that matched my requirements and signed the contract.
About a month later, I visited the site and was surprised to see that the workers had installed drywall panels on all the walls. We had previously agreed that the walls would be plastered and tiled. I then measured the walls and found that with this (not agreed upon) drywall construction method, we lose about 15cm (6 inches) of space on one wall, for example. This likely means we can no longer place our washing machine there, even though a washing machine connection was installed on that wall. The WC recess has also become extremely small, measuring only 69cm (27 inches). The company has covered several freestanding walls (without any connections) extensively with drywall panels.
At home, I reviewed the contract again carefully and found the drywall work only listed as “At WC and riser pipes.” Furthermore, it states that the walls will be “leveled and evened out” before tiling, but nothing about drywalling every wall and ceiling of our old bathroom.
Now, as mentioned, I am concerned that some planned sanitary fixtures and furniture will not fit or will fit only very tightly, or that the drywall walls may not hold up in the long term under the tiles, since the bathroom is supposed to be fully tiled up to the ceiling.
Is this considered poor workmanship, and who is responsible for the costs of correction? Has anyone had similar experiences?
Best regards,
MarinaS
M
marinaschulze23 Apr 2023 18:44chand1986 schrieb:
But what is missing is communication: Why doesn’t a company inform you if they are doing something different from the quote? Reasons like a, b, c… can be valid. chand1986 schrieb:
But what is missing is communication: Why doesn’t a company inform you if they are doing something different from the quote? Reasons like a, b, c… can be valid. Yes, that’s exactly my point.
As mentioned, the walls were in good condition, so not much had to be leveled. Our neighbor took a few photos after the demolition and sent them to us. I don’t understand this generous reduction in space, and it’s visible on every wall.
M
marinaschulze23 Apr 2023 18:49The tiles are not installed yet.
chand1986 schrieb:
But what is missing is communication: That's what I’m saying!
ypg schrieb:
Maybe there should have been better communication, chand1986 schrieb:
Why doesn’t a company just inform you: We are doing something different from what was in the quote? However, I can’t tell here (in #1) HOW the wall adjustment is supposed to be done, whether with mortar or drywall. And drywall is definitely not an unusual approach (on the contrary); the mortar method is rather outdated.
kbt09 schrieb:
A proper drywall construction has studs that provide a certain depth. No, these are glued onto the existing structure with mortar; they are not drywall partitions, but just create a flat surface for the tiles.
ypg schrieb:
No, they are glued onto the existing structure with mortar,But that is the question here, especially if up to 15cm (6 inches) are suddenly missing.C
chand198623 Apr 2023 19:56ypg schrieb:
The mortar option is rather outdated.Excuse me? Of course, leveling without base coats, such as Rotband plaster, is more common nowadays.
Exception: A substructure is required for specific reasons.
IN THAT CASE, it must be clearly stated in the offer, as this is the key to communication.
Proceeding differently than stated in the offer and losing necessary centimeters without renewed agreement is unprofessional and calls for compensation.
Here, the contractor is responsible for clarifying this, since the client can only inquire about known unknowns, not something entirely unknown.
Client’s fault? I would have checked the status twice a week, without any specific reason. Apparently, that didn’t happen here. A costly lesson.
What exactly is stated in the contract? Are there any witnesses for the discussion regarding the surface-mounted fittings?
If the stud walls were not contractually agreed upon and there is evidence that a different arrangement was made, I would insist on dismantling and correction.
If the stud walls were not contractually agreed upon and there is evidence that a different arrangement was made, I would insist on dismantling and correction.
Similar topics