Problems with newly laid porcelain patio

[HazyDaisy123456]

We asked a tradesman who was recommended to us to lay us a patio and build us some planters. He agreed and gave us a quote.

He recommended a local supplier for tiles and they seemed knowledgeable and both the supplier and the tradesman recommended the tiles we chose. Anyway the date for the work to commence changed and they ended up coming when we were on holiday. He sent us photos of the finished patio and asked us not to walk on it for 48 hours and we did as he said. On Monday when we got to go on the patio we noticed a number of issues, 3 cracked tiles and three wobbly tiles. We phoned and he came out was really nice about it apologised and promised to make it good, he also got the tile supplier round to check the tiles. Apparently the supplier is paying to replace the chipped damaged tiles and the builder is paying to replace the wobbly tiles. The builder also tiled over a manhole cover (so he has had to replace an additional 4 tiles. He worked most of Tuesday trying to rectify this then him and another man spent most of today again trying to finish off. He is coming to clean the patio and to take away some rubble away tomorrow and asked us to purchase some white silica sand to finish it off. After he left we noticed one of the tiles that he replaced and relaid has cracked again at the edges. It seems like it has been a pig of a job for him from start to finish and it certainly wasn’t cheap for us. We haven’t paid as yet but we are regretting having the work done and worry if the patio has problems within days of it being laid it won’t be worth the money and we have to put up with cracked and wobbly tiles and an unsafe patio.

What should we do and should we expect any kind of guarantee for the work? Any advice required.

Think ours is 48 sq metres no fancy steps and we live in the north of England. Materials just under 2K and labour 2K.

Op, I posted a bit further up, we are in the northwest too, our flags and raised beds look similar. We paid just less than 10k, I do know that what I said previously and others have said since is that porcelain is very difficult to lay. It’s very hard to cut, must be laid on a full mortar bed, not sand or a 5 spot, with a slurry applied to every tile for it to bond. They are vitrified so shouldn’t chip like yours have - do check they are definitely 20 mm thick exterior grade porcelain and not ceramic. I don’t know what the silica sand is for, they should be pointed/ grouted with resin/ epoxy specialist porcelain stuff. He shouldn’t be able to lift the odd one, when they’re down they’re down!
I think you either have to put up with it the way it is, it’s just you that knows what you can tolerate, but they are ok. It’s just the longevity and detail. If it was me, I think I’d be asking a few hard questions and getting them to do a proper job before paying. I would try and look into a second opinion from a reputable company in your area, and double checking the specifications of the tiles and work done.
I have attached a pic of ours, I’m not saying it’s wonderful when you are struggling along, but it’s a real pic for you to look at rather than magazine perfect.

Thanks yes yours looks a substantially larger area than ours and has the spacing between the tiles which ours should have had.

I think DH is on about living with it and paying all but £500. I just worry the patio will collapse more tiles will become very wonky very soon and it will be impractical and unusable.

I can see why, just the least stress without incurring any extra cost, but it might be worth making a note of any questions you have about how it will wear if it’s not laid right by a second, impartial tradesman. Otherwise it could end up meaning taking what seems to be the easiest option ends up costing you more in a few years.
Otherwise, small claims court could be an option if you don’t get the answers you want.
( I think ours is about 90 sq meters)

Don't pay for it until you are thoroughly satisfied. It's a nightmare when you have something done badly- it just runs on and on. In a year they could all be cracked down the centre, unstable, and you'd have no recourse.

Ask the tradesman what his insurance is like, point out that you know it's not laid properly. Check the manufacturer's specification for fitting it. Remind him that he paved over the manhole cover- rookie mistake- and hasn't cut in around the telegraph pole.

This is the tile box.

The landscape gardeners partner has just phoned me as we have our payment outstanding and the patio has been down for just over a week!! She was nice but pushy I told her we have had a number of issues with the patio in its first week and we have barely used it walked on it or put our garden furniture back on it etc. She said the work was finished at the weekend and we should pay all or some of it now. I told a little white lie and said I was out and about at the moment. Said I would phone DH and see when I got home. If we pay some how much should we pay?

Also she said he had ordered some silica sand as an extra for us which we would also be billed for because we wanted this for some reason?!!? I would say he was there with her. I said no we didn’t actually want this and didn’t know about this and thought this was at X’s (the gardeners) suggestion and I think it is more for cosmetic purposes to tidy up the finish on the patio (and disguise some uneven and chipped tiles).

gluenotsoups’ patio looks really nice. Yours look a mess, I’m afraid. I would save the tiles and try and get someone experienced to come and re-lay them.

Me too. I would tell him to take them up at this point and get someone to do it who is competent. That won't last the summer.

I'm not trying to stress you out but you want it to be fit for purpose.

@gluenotsoup yours is lovely and like we wanted ours to be but planters in the position we have them as our garden is smaller.

If we ask him to take them up its more labour costs for him and he is liable to break 80% of them I would imagine.

I think the summer is nearly finished anyway but agree thats what worries me about it not even lasting the summer and it not being useable. DH says we are where we are and we will just have to live with it, pay him and we don’t have much choice but its really stressing us both out. I really wish someone could speak to him on our behalf.

But suppose we can’t expect him to work for over a week already to receive no money for his labour and work for free again to take up the patio.

Can’t remember if I said but after the person I know recommended him to me and before he did our job. Said she had problems with her drains and he had also tiled over her manhole. She called him out and he ripped everything up, charged her again for making it good and where he relaid them she is left with wobbly sandstone flags and hers was only laid in February.

He will have insurance. Tell him he will need to claim on it. Effectively he has damaged the tiles you have paid for in a poor attempt to fit them.

Second a PP's suggestion of seeking advice on your home insurance legal cover if you have it. I wouldn't be happy paying for full price for that. It's so frustrating that tradespeople are poorly regulated for this type of work. You don't want to take the piss and not pay them, but if he's not done a proper job, why should you pay full price when it's not likely to last?

A few years back, we paid someone to paint our house and they dripped this clear sealant all over pretty much every window of our house. It's still there on the upstairs windows, despite having them cleaned regularly. At some point I'm going to have to go up on a ladder and scrape it off if I want rid. Really regret being bullied into paying up, without at least seeing where I stood legally re. not paying the full amount until it had been put right.