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 20:59K a t j a schrieb:
What exactly is stated in the contract? Are there any witnesses to the conversation about the surface-mounted fittings? Only the two of us were present during the conversation: the company owner and myself.
The contract lists two items under the section "drywall work" – the boarding of the first bathroom and the second risers. Nothing else is mentioned, not even as an option.
Hard to assess. "The cladding of the toilet and riser pipes" can probably be interpreted in very different ways. This shows that contracts should not be signed without at least some basic execution plans – even if they are just hand sketches. I therefore see a certain degree of shared responsibility. The only solution is to sit down together and find a way forward.
Winniefred24 Apr 2023 15:34Talk to the company. From my experience, it’s quite common that only the managers have a clear plan, but unfortunately, they don’t always communicate it clearly to their employees, which leads to different executions. If even important details like the installation space for the washing machine don’t fit anymore, you should definitely address this now before more damage occurs. At this stage, it is still relatively easy to fix.
We are currently managing a major construction project (complete renovation of the ground floor), and I’m glad to be at home. There are frequent questions about details, even though the manager gives instructions in the morning. Often, these details only become clear gradually, especially in older buildings. And I know the problem that sometimes every centimeter matters and you have to fight for each one, because every centimeter really counts.
We are currently managing a major construction project (complete renovation of the ground floor), and I’m glad to be at home. There are frequent questions about details, even though the manager gives instructions in the morning. Often, these details only become clear gradually, especially in older buildings. And I know the problem that sometimes every centimeter matters and you have to fight for each one, because every centimeter really counts.