Rate my skirting!
Discussion
Paying a lot of money for engineered oak flooring plus new skirting. Arrived home yesterday to this. Apparently "no one scribes bullnose skirting - it'll all look fine when the caulking goes on..." 2 rooms all the same plus no fixings apart from gripfill with huge gaps to walls. Give me strength!!!
Wheatsheaf said:
I can't believe they haven't scribed the internal corners. It looks absolutely terrible and there's no way I'd pay for that workmanship. Caulk is not going to make that look any better (probably worse).
I'd like to think I'd have closed up the gaps between skirting board and wall a lot better than they have. Wedges, pins etc to accommodate the uneven wall. As already stated, the larger the gap to caulk the more scope you have for shrinks and cracks at a later date.
What's the workmanship of the actual oak flooring like?
Flooring is fine, but it's the skirting that you see first!I'd like to think I'd have closed up the gaps between skirting board and wall a lot better than they have. Wedges, pins etc to accommodate the uneven wall. As already stated, the larger the gap to caulk the more scope you have for shrinks and cracks at a later date.
What's the workmanship of the actual oak flooring like?
Douglas Quaid said:
Once it’s caulked it will be fine. The most important thing is to have the corners square. Yours are. Your walls being out of true is not the joiners fault. This is how skirting looks when the walls aren’t perfect. You’ve just never noticed before as the fitter is halfway through the job and gaps are highlighted. .
You’re judging a job before it’s finished. Once it is finished with caulk then take a look at it. It will look completely different and you’ll then realise that you were wrong.
No offence but if you don’t really know what you’re looking at and haven’t done it yourself before then you’re not really in a position to judge.
Bit unfair. So do you think the internal joints are ok just butted up?You’re judging a job before it’s finished. Once it is finished with caulk then take a look at it. It will look completely different and you’ll then realise that you were wrong.
No offence but if you don’t really know what you’re looking at and haven’t done it yourself before then you’re not really in a position to judge.
dhutch said:
What a tosser.
Imo, assuming you have a breakdown, pay him for the flooring but not the skirtings.
If it's a priced as one job, get someone else to quote replacing the skirtings asap. If easier said than done.
Absolutely, not paying for skirting but if floor is ok I'll pay for that. I'll find someone else to replace the skirting and will ask what his plans are for the joints! CheersImo, assuming you have a breakdown, pay him for the flooring but not the skirtings.
If it's a priced as one job, get someone else to quote replacing the skirtings asap. If easier said than done.
Dr.Hellno said:
Whether it’s laziness, or lack of experience, the knock on effect for the next tradesmen is always a spanner in the works.
Several times I’ve had jobs where the skirtings have been siliconed on and subsequently squirted out the top when pushed on to the wall, or slathered in caulk as seen here, meaning I’ve got to cut and pick away at it before I can start.
Let’s hope you get a satisfactory finish, and don’t get too stressed. Not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things!
Absolutely - I'm not paying the floor fitter so more than happy to learn from this and pay a decent chippy to do a decent job. I'll be very specific with my expectations. Don't expect perfection, just a decent job to a standard above what I could achieve myself 👍Several times I’ve had jobs where the skirtings have been siliconed on and subsequently squirted out the top when pushed on to the wall, or slathered in caulk as seen here, meaning I’ve got to cut and pick away at it before I can start.
Let’s hope you get a satisfactory finish, and don’t get too stressed. Not the end of the world in the grand scheme of things!
Now the floor is dry I can see the living room skirting. Worse than the hall.
Now concerned about the floor. I know he didn't leave any expansion gap against the patio doors - not sure how much of an issue this might be with engineered wood floor. Wax has dried with lots of fluff / grit etc in it and several dents, presumably from tools etc. Also lots of damage / marks to walls, window cills. All was freshly decorated prior to floor fitting. More pics to follow...
Now concerned about the floor. I know he didn't leave any expansion gap against the patio doors - not sure how much of an issue this might be with engineered wood floor. Wax has dried with lots of fluff / grit etc in it and several dents, presumably from tools etc. Also lots of damage / marks to walls, window cills. All was freshly decorated prior to floor fitting. More pics to follow...
Slagathore said:
That's a really poor job.
Pretty much the easiest profile to scribe and they've still just butted it.
Are the walls plasterboard? Because if you have to rip all of that off and start again, you will make a right mess of the plasterboard. I would factor in having to buy a taller profile skirting to cover any damage etc. Or an allowance for making good above the skirting if you try and salvage the bigger pieces and buy some additions lengths, as that Will take chunks of plasterboard off when pulled off.
Half plasterboard - I've already gone up to 119mm and don't want to go any further. Going to have to fix any damage before replacing. Pretty much the easiest profile to scribe and they've still just butted it.
Are the walls plasterboard? Because if you have to rip all of that off and start again, you will make a right mess of the plasterboard. I would factor in having to buy a taller profile skirting to cover any damage etc. Or an allowance for making good above the skirting if you try and salvage the bigger pieces and buy some additions lengths, as that Will take chunks of plasterboard off when pulled off.
fourstardan said:
I'm sorry about this OP, what a fking cowboy. What can you do, you did everything I expect to make sure he was good enough, maybe we are all expecting too much from "skilled" workers now days on work like this and it's better to accept to do it yourself albeit slower.
Angled skirting cuts with a Mitre saw are pss easy to Do.
As for the flooring work, I bet that wasn't cheap either and I bet you was really excited to see it all finished.
Cheers - yes spot on. Wife is away and we were really looking forward to moving all of our furniture back in and getting on with things. Now we need to wait for the floor fitter to come back and remove the skirting (What could possibly go wrong!) Then redecorate both rooms (They were freshly decorated just before floors) find another carpenter, maybe have the floor repaired and re-treated...I've had enoughAngled skirting cuts with a Mitre saw are pss easy to Do.
As for the flooring work, I bet that wasn't cheap either and I bet you was really excited to see it all finished.
SS9 said:
OP - I’ve not long had a carpenter and his apprentice round to install door frames, hang doors, install architrave and skirting. I’d feel the same as you if they left things in the state you’ve been left in… thankfully the chaps I used were proper carpenters - clearly not what you ended up with.
I wouldn’t trust them to make good, they’ve shown you their standard of work and there’s clearly some distance between your expectations and their abilities. I’d be looking to agree a settlement payment then finding someone else to make good.
I know it’s annoying, but try not to focus too much on the problems - all of this is fixable and once it’s fixed you’ll mostly forget the frustration you’re currently feeling.
Cheers - I'm really not looking for perfection, just for a reasonable bit of competency and a good looking finish. I have a feeling that this is going to drag on for a while!I wouldn’t trust them to make good, they’ve shown you their standard of work and there’s clearly some distance between your expectations and their abilities. I’d be looking to agree a settlement payment then finding someone else to make good.
I know it’s annoying, but try not to focus too much on the problems - all of this is fixable and once it’s fixed you’ll mostly forget the frustration you’re currently feeling.
KAgantua said:
This is what I dont understand - im a DIY person not a tradeseman, and I have done both activities.
They derive from teh same carpentry skillset (Prep and working with (Cutting/ joining) wood)
If your tradesman didnt want to/ couldnt do the Skirting, why did he agree to it?
(Though I would be somewhat concerned about employing a floor fitter who couldnt do skirting)
Apologies in advance to certain tradesmen on this thread.
My reason for paying him to fit the skirting was that working with skirting is surely a key function of being a wood floor specialist. Both functions involve measuring, cutting and fixing wood. I also thought that having the same person fit the skirting would mean that they would take extra care as the quality of the skirting influences the perceived quality of the floor. Obviously I was wrongThey derive from teh same carpentry skillset (Prep and working with (Cutting/ joining) wood)
If your tradesman didnt want to/ couldnt do the Skirting, why did he agree to it?
(Though I would be somewhat concerned about employing a floor fitter who couldnt do skirting)
Apologies in advance to certain tradesmen on this thread.
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