AIBU - Painter has painted onto glass of windows?

[Sunandsea13]

Hi all, we had the kitchen painted and the painter has painted the wooden windows too. They are 2 windows separated into 4 panes/8 in total. In all of them there is white paint onto the glass, not even straight just sloppy at the sides/uneven. It’s about 1-2 cm. The invoice is £480.

The wallpaper is also not a complete match in places, but I can live with that.

YAIBU - remove yourself with a glass scraper

YANBU - ask the painter to fix himself

IME they will still feel entitled to be paid for their time and get pissed off when no, that's not how self employment works - you don't get paid to just show up whenever you like and do a shitty job. I had one say he was still due his 'wages' - even though he was a sole trader. No mate, if you want 'wages' where you get paid regardless of the quality of work, then get a proper fucking job.

I say this as a self employed person, who actually takes pride in my work. But lately these men (and it is mostly men) want all the perks of self employment and none of the responsibility.

It's really that. Doing a sloppy job and being offended people want things to be done properly.

If anyone's going to paint window frames, the windows should always be taped off with a removable tape that doesn't leave residue on the glass. Like PP, I'm surprised a professional painter wouldn't know that.

@OP
It shouldn't be the solution, but it probably is: step by step learning to do DIY as much as possible, with youtube (but check how good the youtubers actually are before trusting their advice), threads here on MN about DIY, I remember several where people talk about how to learn this the best way, and if anyone must employ someone, such as for rewiring and work that needs machinery and equipment: still research for yourself beforehand how things would be done, so that you know at least what to look out for when looking at the work of tradespeople. They will still know more, of course, but at least you have some preparation.

I know that's not so easy with a baby in the house, and probably that's why they think that they can do a bad job and you wouldn't have the energy to check their work. It's unfair, for sure.

No word from painter. Realistically how long do I leave it before just getting someone to fix it? He’s owed money for the dining room ceiling so can’t see him not coming back to me but if he doesn’t then how long do I wait? Don’t want to fix it and then he wants to come back/ask for full payment?

to add - I don’t have his bank details so can’t actually pay him.

What’s the sub base of your new floor

If it’s concrete or even raised timber is there underlay and a dpm. I cant see any evidence in your pic

It has built in underlay. No DPM
though :/

Suggest check and make sure about that.
Some of these floor packages require a separate purchase.
If your house is old or/ and has no dpm then fitting that floor is an issue without one.
Moisture rises from the floor substrate to your new floor and causes buckling. If there’s a dpm the moisture can’t rise and ruin your floor.

It’s one of the reasons behind corking the edges, to allow for expansion in wet cold weather but there should be a dpm as well.

Thank you! This is the floor https://woodpeckerflooring.co.uk/range/wood-design-flooring/.

It was just cheap vinyl before and didn’t have any damp issues. So hoping ok without? Or is the new floor more prone to it?

Exhausted tbh and can’t be bothered dealing with yet more tradespeople. But will call up a floor shop tomorrow for a quote.

It’s not wood.
Which is good and the makeup has resin in. Which is glue. Which stops moisture, so it sounds like it has a natural inbuilt dpm.
I would phone the manufacturer though just to make sure , I wouldn’t trust the installer.

On a final note as your installer isn’t great if
he has removed the old vinyl was it very old because most old vinyl had asbestos.

Hoping that’s not the case !

PS. Your fitter saying leave the floor time to settle is hilarious for a vinyl floor even with the solid substrat. You only need that with wood.

@Sunandsea13 I certainly wouldn't be paying that invoice. In fact he should be compensating you for ruining the wallpaper. He was either drunk or he's not a painter and decorator.

The only bad rep will be his. That's appalling work.

No response from him yet!

Does he not realise how many Mumsnetters are invested in this?

I hope you get it resolved quickly. I would really not be happy with that standard of work.

God love you, that is the worst job I have ever seen.

Do not pay him a penny.
I would tell him that will be what you show people as his work.

Tell the neighbour what a shit job he has done.
No qualified painter would make such a mess.

I would do a better job on the painting, as would most people.

That is the job of someone who doesn't give a damn about the job.

We all need to toughen up. You can still be pleasant, but be firm.

"Yes, you have done a lovely job but there are just a couple of things I need you to revisit....."

The most important thing to remember is, until you have paid, YOU hold all the power. Do not pay until you are 100% satisfied.

That is truly awful - the shoddy wallpapering around the corners and he had not sanded either the paint work on the window frames or the wall.
I would get a quote to fix it and then knock that amount it off the bill.
The wallpaper is probably expensive too
For your sanity at this point in your position I would scrape the paint off the windows and sand and re-paint the windows yourself.

Regarding the flooring idiot he should have professional insurance that covers accidental damage.
I had a painter that blow torched paint of a window and burnt holes in the carpet- we made him replace the carpet. Yes made little money on that job but I am not living with a singed carpet and he was covered by his insurance.

Thanks all! No word from painter and now our dishwasher isn’t working and hasn’t been since the flooring fitter pulled it out to fit the floor! What a great week!

Did he possibly pull the plug out a little or not connect the water?

It’s turning on, just not doing a full cycle. Have to pay £50 call out fee on Monday which only gets me 30 mins of fixing time!

To add, my patio is full of sticky wallpaper paste! He must have been throwing it around. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think by this point I would be naming and shaming both tradesmen. This is really shocking!

Sorry to hear about all this, good tradesman are hard to find. I don't think I've found one yet and I've tried plenty.
Paid a lot of money for a bathroom to be done and I feel like I could have done a better job myself!

Update: Hi all, painter finally come back saying he will reduce the invoice to account for the uneven wallpaper, did not make any account of the disaster of a paint job. I’ve gone back detailing all of the paint issues and the fact my patio is covered in wallpaper paste which I will need to pay someone to jet wash… have offered to cover the extra tin of paint ordered (changed my mind on colour) but really the whole room needs redoing and new materials paying for so if he doesn’t come back to fix then I shouldn’t have to pay anything right?

I wouldn’t be paying a penny for such a shoddy job that needs totally redoing. And a tradesman’s that values his reputation wouldn’t push it!

You’re not happy with the work done and will have costs associated with correcting it. He can correct it for free or he can accept that his invoice might be reduced to zero if the costs to you of fixing it are greater than his bill.

Update: He’s come back and ignored what I’ve said about the painting and just said he didn’t cause the sticky patio.. still hasn’t sent me an invoice!