Decorator stinks of booze.

[HelpMeOhMyWhat]

Put an advert up on Facebook as I needed a bedroom painting.

For content I'm on disability benefits so cannot do it myself and cannot afford the kind of decorator that you book through a website.

A guy messaged me on fb and showed me photos of his work, with him in photos so I knew it was him, he seemed nice and the photos were of a good standard work.

Because of my anxiety I asked a friend to be here so I didn't have to deal with a stranger.

She let him in showed him to the room etc.
I put him a brew on.

She got a call saying her kid needed picking up from school so she had to leave.

I took his brew up for him and he absolutely reeks of alcohol.

Reeks. My friend has zero sense of smell but I have no idea how she didn't clock it.

He came and knocked on the living room to to ask something and a few mins later the smell was still in the room.

He seems nice enough but I'm sat down here with my kids and my anxiety is through the roof.

I'm worried that it's gonna be a shit show and I'll be too scared to say anything.

Friend can't come back as her kid is vomitting and I don't have anyone else to call.

Please don't say I'm stupid. I've had lots of people do jobs off Facebook and this is the first time I've had an issue.

I think your anxiety is disproportionate and does not sound very well managed and yes I think it's stupid to give a job off Facebook.
Even if he is functioning alcoholic, his work may still be fine and he still needs to make a living. It could be alcohol from the night before and a bike ride meant he was sweating it out. Judge him on his work not on his alcohol intake.

Hey OP hope you’re feeling ok. I inadvertently hired a drinking/alcoholic decorator last month. He worked very short days (!) and would disappear at lunchtime (presumably to drink) but I was happy with the work done and it was finished largely on time and within budget. I did provide lots of food tho to help soak up the booze…as per other posters, just stay focussed on the work he’s doing.

also as per other posters - if my DH has had a very heavy night he will reek of booze all the next day, even if he’s showered and in clean clothes

But the OP said straight up that she couldn't afford a more established contractor, and went through FB to do it on the cheap. She can't have it both ways.

It's a fucking mess.

He's only done the woodwork and my 6 year old could have done it neater 😭

The guys that did our driveway (expensive firm and lots of local recommendations) dumped 7 empty vodka bottles in our bins when they left. We didn’t say a thing. Driveway looks good 😊

Pay someone decent next time then.
You get what you pay for but it sounds like you are determined to have a problem.
The paint won't even have dried yet!

It's really none of your business. You have no idea how much he's drunk, when, whether it's fresh or stale alcohol smell or whether it affects his work. You've contracted him to do the work, if he fucks up and does it badly then don't pay him and get someone else to go over it, or just insist that he corrects it. But it's not up to you to prejudge that that's going to happen, or what his alcohol tolerance is like. Of course if you don't like him for any reason you're entitled not to get him back again.

So you've got anxiety. There are honestly much worse things that can happen than having a room painted badly. And that hasn't even happened.

I'm so sorry OP. If the little he has done is already a mess, tell him to stop. Don't pay him. I know it's going to be very hard to do that if you are super anxious but it'll cost more for someone else to paint over the whole lot if you let him continue .

He's painted 3 inches above and below the woodwork, like a toddler would. Not straight likes. Like scrawled.

With gloss.

Which is going to be hard to cover with the emulsion. Don't they usually try to keep the gloss to just the woodwork? Not go so much abiver and below it?

I'm not determined anything, I just went up and looked and was shocked. It honestly looks like a kids done it

Sorry just saw your last post. Tell him to stop and offer to pay for what he's done so far?

Can you share photos?

Then tell him to stop for today - make up some excuse - and then text him to cancel the job.

Call a friend to come and say you will pay him for the time done but to stop. Explain that it’s not the level of decorating you were looking for. That’s that.

don’t do it alone.

He said he needs to go home for 40 minutes to find his cat?? Wtf.

I'm going to text him when he goes and ask him not to come back.

I'll take a photo when he is gone.

If its really bad ask him to leave can you ask your friend to come back if you don't want to do it on your own

I know that sounds bonkers and like I'm trolling but I swear to god. That's what he just said. I'm trying to think if I could have misheard but he said 'I need to go home for 40 mins to look for my cat who's gone'

If he stinks of booze it is still in his system and he came on a bike so that would be classed as illegal.

I think I would tell him to leave

I can't do it myself, I'm physically disabled.

Yep, once he has gone just message and say not to come back "I'm afraid the work isn't up to standard, I'll sort out fixing it. Please don't return"

How am I turning it into a drama?

I paid for someone to paint. They turned up smelling of alcohol and can't paint.

What exactly am I being dramatic about? I'm just stating the facts as its played out.

Why are people here so nasty?

I really don't think getting a random off Facebook into your house to do work is a good idea for you. It's stressful having strangers in the house even if you're totally mentally well.

Painting a room isn't difficult, it's deeply satisfying and would probably do you the world of good. You'd be excited and proud rather than understandably stressed.

Absolutely you can do this yourself! Tell him not to come back and finish it off yourself.

I think he knows how bad it is and wouldnt be back after 40 mins. The cat is just a handy excuse.