To not have the decorator back?

[SENsupportplease]

We just had a new bathroom fitted at what was (to us) a lot of money. Only thing not included was painting of the inside door, frame, and ceiling, we used someone our neighbour recommended.

I wasn't there when it was finished.

Next day in daylight and when it had dried, I was gutted. Paint splatters everywhere (including gloss and some anti mould paint), broken grout between the floor tile where apparently he dropped the paint can, and the cutting in is terrible.

He also didn't sand down the door or frame first / very well, and he got a bit of paint on the carpet on the landing.

I've tried to clean off the paint with some success but not been able to get it off everywhere. The bathroom fitters kindly came back and redid the grout for me, and said that using anything more abrasive on the bathroom furniture risks taking the coating off - so at a loss as to how to remove the paint.

I've sent him pictures of the cutting in and he has offered to come back to correct, but i'm scared him causing more damage.

I do not want this decorator back.

I do however want to correct the cutting in, and have been quoted £90 plus paint to do so (cleaning the ceiling edges, re-cutting in, and blending in to the rest of the ceiling). I think it's reasonable that he refunds me this cost and would like to request it.

The decorator who quoted me today also tried to get the paint off and said she was stumped.

So, AIBU for not wanting him back? Or should I let him back and risk further grout damage / paint splatters?

If IANBU, WIBU to request a partial refund? I paid him £380 initially - that was for the above work in 2 bathrooms, 2 half days work.

Please be nice as I don't want to be a dick here, I will listen to replies, and am genuinely upset at the lack of care taken for something that has taken us a long time to save for.

No mould, brand new bathroom

i do not have the time to paint. And I wanted a professional job doing, I am very clumsy and cannot cut in.

@SENsupportplease so sorry OP. Your post has triggered a horrible virtually similar memory for me many years ago. A manager at work recommended a supposedly amazing trustworthy P&D and I paid upfront half and rest later and same I couldn’t see his handiwork in the dark under artificial light so paid the remainder as it seemed okay ish.

In the daytime though when I went there (as was empty at that point), I could have cried it was so dreadful. I ended up having to get a professional to sort out the mess and so that cost me an absolute arm and a leg as you can imagine.

I didn’t even feel able to discuss with the original decorator as he constantly told me his wife was ill with cancer which is a reason why it took much longer than originally agreed to even get done. Made me wonder if he told me the truth but either way the anxiety of a confrontation and having a stressful work life I just cut my losses.

I couldn’t even confront the colleague who’d recommended him as she was a manager and so I didn’t want to have any bad blood with her!

So yeah, I just had to internally resolve all that anger and frustration. Honestly it just such a lottery with tradespeople when even where you’ve taken the trouble to get recommendations you’re still frequently shafted 😐

Because you sound very unhappy, very anxious and I suspect… you are in a very unhappy marriage with a man who has made you anxious

I’m in an unhappy life dealing with poor health and a late stage autism diagnosis that I’m not coping well with, plus I’m constantly fighting for my children’s ever growing needs. My anxiety was there from childhood.

my husband isn’t a problem. But I appreciate that you care.

Agree.

It looks like the bathroom I did myself, which was my first self-decorating job.

Exciting to think I have the skills of this alleged decorator...

You said your husband is saying that you should have chosen a better decorator

twat

I should have! And I put that as my response as in, my husbands response to the fact I should have chosen a better decorator is to agree it needs fixed but not to worry about getting money back, just get it fixed

But why didn't you choose a decorator together ? It's now easy for him to blame you. It's easy for people who don't do anything to blame decision makers choices if they go wrong.

Exactly

It doesn’t indicate a nice person or a happy relationship that his response to a decorator’s ineptitude is to blame his already anxious wife

Your husband has done a number on you OP

you genuinely seem to think it’s your fault that you went with a recommendation or a neighbour, meanwhile your husband appears to have kicked back and done sweet FA aside from casting judgement when it didn’t pan out well

He isn’t blaming me
it will be something mundane like I had time that week
he chose a terrible gardener for us some years back

He really hasnt

a lifetime of bad experiences and autism has done a number

this particular decision was mine and my fault but I’m not being blamed. he has made similar bad decisions in the past

He isn’t even fussed other than this has upset me

To clarify, I’m the one blaming me, I’m the one saying I should have chosen better. Which is how I feel.

He is the one saying don’t worry we will just have someone fix it.

Oh gosh I identify. I’m traumatised by experiences of tradespeople.
he’s done a terrible job. Can your husband deal with him? Money back and hire someone else? Or do it yourself but perfectly?

But, OP, your post yesterday at 19:00, in response to a question asking what you husband said about it, you said ‘That i should have chosen a better decorator?’ That is blaming you. Surely he knows you are anxious about tradies, he should be supporting you not criticising your choices. He doesn’t have to take over, just share the load and then not blame you.

Marriage is about team work and if you know one person is anxious about something you support them not just let them get on with it and then expect them to pick up the pieces if things go wrong.

I don’t have the skills sadly
definitely getting someone else in, which I now feel is reasonable.

just need to decide if it’s worth asking him to cover that cost

I read it as, what has my husband said about the fact I should have chosen a better decorator

I stated that was fact

He doesn’t expect me to pick up pieces

he has anxiety too

we both hate choosing tradespeople

he has said let’s just get it redone and not worry about the money

he really isn’t the issue here

The work is disgraceful. Take this as a hard lesson. Leave a review of his work on Google so others are warned about the disgusting quality of work.

Then learn to do this yourself. It’s a skill for life. Never be dependent on trades for stuff like this. Electrics etc need a professional but you can absoutleky learn to prep and paint to a high standard unless you have a disability that rules it out.

The door is shocking!!!! That needs to be professionally sanded and done again.

For the rest, wonder wipes will get the paint splatter off the more fragile services, a hob scraper will get them off tiles without scratching them.

If you’re feeling brave, get some decent masking tape and correct the cutting in yourselves. It is really easy to do.

These www.amazon.co.uk/Multi-Use-Wonder-Wipes-Cleaning-multi-uses/dp/B00133QPAM?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

I think the point is that despite how anxious you are, even saying this thread has brought you to tears, he says That i should have chosen a better decorator to you.

And instead of chewing this over with him, you have felt “validated” and “not crazy” by mumsnet and not him

But why the heck hasnt he validated your very very very reasonable view and made you not feel crazy op

I just don’t like that you are clearly very fragile atm and he blames you for not picking a better decorator

fu**. Off

That is an absolute dog’s dinner. I’m a total amateur and could do a far better job.