To lock my bathroom during renovations in the flat

That’s OK, I should not assume that my attempts at humour will
come over on social media! There was a serious point amidst the sarcasm but I don’t recommend trying to terrorise tradesmen.

Oh, sorry! 😂

To be fair, he is actually a very dear friend of mine, but I think he just wasn't acknowledging what I was saying. The first time I had mice, I was able to get Pest Control provided by the Council. By the time he came round, the Council were no longer doing pest control, so I would have had to have paid privately. He has never owned a property, so I suspect this sort thing goes right over his head.

Yes, people just don't care. The more you ask them not to, the more they show you that they can and will do whatever they like!

I think if someone has dementia, it is understandable.

Why not simply give them guidelines?
If they can’t use your toilet where will they go?

If you don’t want them to use the bathroom you need to provide a portaloo, the contractor will make the arrangements but it will be on your invoice as an extra. It is not appropriate to expect them to go to a cafe to use the loo! I’ve never had a builder use the bath for cleaning brushes etc, they use the kitchen sink

This thread is bonkers. My builders/tradesmen were absolute gents(they'd make their mothers proud).

Maybe people should choose their tradesmen more wisely, or speak to/treat them like their human beings. Some of the comments about them on here, no wonder they acted like they did.

*I have read (doh!)

I have all the posts on this & I am baffled as to why you (OP) have posted this at all. You obviously know what you want to do so just do it.

Hope that helps.

On a seperate note, how are you finding your T. C loo @MouseMama , Thinking of getting one but balking at the costs.

Totally get you with the new bathroom. It's easy to say relax but unfortunately, when it's damaged, most deny any knowledge.

A friend had her bath chirped by workmen, who claimed it was like that when they got there.

Another had someone piss in an unused leftover tin of paint, despite providing a portaloo and endless refreshments.
Guess they felt they should have been allowed to use the house loo.
Only found out after they'd left and been paid.

There are loads of respectful people from all professions, but unfortunately there are some who just don't care.

You can if you tell them upfront that they need to make their own arrangements. But I agree, it's unfair if they're not given advance warning to either cost in a portaloo or think about where else they could go.

Depending on the trade and person, many will be "in and out" all day anyway, going to buy bacon butties, lunches, coffees, etc., or nipping off to the builders merchants to buy things they forgot to bring with them, or off to give a quote or do a small job etc., so they'd be able to go elsewhere, and some working locally to their home go home for lunches, take their dog for a lunchtime walk, etc.

They're not your employees, so there's no "legal" obligation to provide facilities in the same way than if you were their employer. Of course, if they're employees working for a firm, then it's THEIR employers responsibility to put facilities in place!

Like I say, be upfront at the quote stage if "facilities" won't be available and give them the opportunity to plan for it.

We did it with MIL's house a couple of times. Once for a new roof that took two weeks - we were upfront at quote stage with all the prospective roofers who came to quote that they weren't allowed inside for the loo, nor to get water, and that MIL wouldn't be making drinks or snacks. She has dementia and simply couldn't cope with any of that. Most of the roofers who quoted were absolutely fine with it. The firm we choose arranged a portaloo and their workers brought their own drinks/flasks/meals etc. Another time we needed her garden cleared as she'd lost the ability to look after it herself and it had got wild. Again, upfront with the gardeners who said it wasn't a problem as one of their lads lived nearby and they'd just "nip" to his house for the loo and drinks etc.

Nobody knows if someone you ask into your home to complete work will be a decent human being or not. That’s the risk you take. But you can’t deny them use of the facilities without providing an alternative.

This! This is exactly the problem. You can't possibly know what they're going to do, how they're going to behave, until after they've started. If you try to "micro manage" them by giving instructions, suggestions, some will take it badly if they think they're being patronised, especially from a woman.

There've been times when I've had to ask someone to re-do something, i.e. a wallpaper with creases or a bad join, and they've gone right into stroppy mode, i.e. sighs, groans, eye rolling, huffing and puffing, etc., even though they were in the wrong, they make out that you're being too fussy etc.

Another one was where a decorator painted our exterior house wall when heavy rain was forecast which I mentioned to him before he started and suggested he do it another day, but he insisted it would be fine and it actually started raining whilst he was doing it. The paint actually washed off and stained the path, but he still got stroppy when we told him he'd have to repaint it - what did he think we'd want when it had washed off?? He just couldn't accept that I'd been right with the forecast and not to start it!

Some will, some won't.

We've had some who appeared to be presentable/nice people who've made a right mess. One wiped his arse on a towel instead of toilet roll. Another left muddy foot prints ON the toilet seat, and another managed to leave shit on the wall. These were supposedly "reputable" firms, not dodgy looking "man and van" types in beat up old tranny vans. Trouble is that you don't know the "real" person until they've done the work, appearances can be deceptive.

Be upfront with the Painters explaining that you've just had the bathroom renovated so they're not to use anything in there other than the loo. Specifically TELL them not to use the bath or sink to wash equipment in & maybe, to be safe put a large thrown over the bath or if you can find ay large plastic sheeting use that. Keep reminding them when you see them that the bathroom is out of bounds unless they need the loo. They'll get the hint that you don't want it used if you keep on about it.

The fact is, you can’t deny tradespeople the use of toilet facilities while they’re working. So you either let them use your precious bathroom or you provide a porta loo. Those are your only options.

YABU and YANBU!

YANBU to lock the bathroom door if you want.

I’ve had problems with exactly what you are concerned about. One time a bath was blocked with dried paint residue.
Once a kitchen sink was blocked with silver scouring threads from cleaning tools. Both issues were only discovered several days after they’d left, been paid etc. Both were expensive, allegedly highly skilled decorators (their work was great, I guess they just cut corners thinking no one will know…)

But if you do so, YABU to expect them to go and find somewhere else to use the toilet. You have to provide a portaloo. You say you live in a flat, so may not have space for that. In which case you’ve no choice but to just very clearly say to the decorators that they can’t clean tools in the bathroom - you could always get some sheets of Correx and cover up anything you are worried about? It’s will protect it from any paint splatters too

To be fair to OP, I've had about 6 different contractors come in over the last year, all nice people but 5 did at least some inexplicable damage in the process or made weird decisions that would've come across as patronising if I'd preemptively told them not to do them (e.g. please don't piss in my mop bucket, use the toilet instead)

'For those saying how I think workmen are lowlife or whatever - no, most workmen I had in my house were lovely people and got along great.'

'I am not in while they are painting.
I also don't trust them respecting my wishes not to use the bathroom for storing tools or washing them. They will just do what they want and hope I don't notice.
This was my experience 5 out of 5 times.'

Lol pick a side OP

I had a 4 month renovation of my flat last year with fitting of adapted kitchen and wetroom. The tradies were all absolutely lovely and went above the spec for me( still within budget as they used their discounts)
I kept them all supplied with constant teas coffees etc and let them piss in my brand new toilet!
Honestly, I think you need to relax and go with the flow, and think of the end result
Tradesman are not Neanderthals!
They have partners and families too
Fill the bath with bedding or even bin bags to act as a visual reminder.

That reminds me of when a handyman friend of mine came round to paint some external cladding.

A few years previous to this I had had mice in the kitchen which seemed to have come in via the open back door. I told him quite clearly to close the back door behind him and not to leave it open. I got home later on in the day only to find him walking down the stairs (think he had gone upstairs to use the loo) with the back door wide open. I asked him why he had left it open and he said it was ok because he was only gone for a few minutes. Like the mice have an accurate concept of time and would only come in once the door had been open for at least ten minutes.......

Yes, I had my bathroom refurbished five years ago and the existing toilet was just pulled away from the wall with a flexible waste pipe connected, so I had access to the toilet at all times. You are not usually left with no toilet at all.