Advice on bathroom snagging- what is fair and what isn't?

[Sez143]

Hi all,

I've just had a full bathroom reno done- New suite, tiles- lighting- the lot.
Generally all is great and I am nearly happy. There are a couple of issues I have but I'm not sure if I'm being a diva. Are there certain things you sometimes need to suck up and get over with projects like this? I am on my own and trying to navigate this as a single woman so no partner to help back me up and I this is the first time I have done this so not experienced in the process.

1. I had a round mirror installed above my sink, it's slightly off centre very marginally and now it's all I can see and it's driving me mad as the bottom of the mirror is not directly centred over the tap. The fitter called me on the day he fitted it to tell me the that the mirror was difficult to install due to rubbish brackets provided so they had to also silicone it to the tiles as well to make sure it was secure and basically was a complete nightmare to get put in place (it's also illuminated so electrics involved)

It needs to move over to the right by about a centimetre. When I mentioned this to the fitter he said it was barely noticeable and it's just because I am staring at it that I see it. Basically said it's too much of a PITA to move for the sake of 1 cm. Do I push to get this sorted which will involve replacing wall tiles etc or just hope I get over it annoying me?

1. Wall hung bathroom cabinet slipped on installation and the top of it has been damaged where the the screws came out the wall when it fell. The fitter has filled in the holes with a bit of filler. It's an eye sore if you look at it but equally it's the top of a cabinet so unless you're over 6 foot tall (which I am not) it's not even going to be visible. Though equally I spent £200 on a new bathroom cabinet and now it's not so 'new'

1. Heated towel rail has been installed onto bare plaster prior to painting- now I'm worried about how neat a finished the decorator will be able to get behind it. Should I ask him to come round and remove the rail for this decorator and reinstall when it's finished?

WWYD?

Thanks!

The first one would annoy me but ultimately I think live with it. Put your soap or anything on the sink off-centre so it's less noticeable. Some things just cannot be done and they did their best.

The other two are not issues at all tbh. New things aren't new for long. And a good decorator will have come across radiators before and will know how to deal with it.

It would all annoy me...you pay for perfection...it needs sorting

1 would annoy me and I can’t understand how it would be so hard to hang a mirror that it needed to be siliconed for security. Is silicone even secure? Your builder should be able to remove silicone without damaging tiles.

Think the other two points you’re best to just move on from. A painter and decorator can paint behind a towel rail - even I’ve managed it!

You could put a nice trailing plant in a pot on top of the cabinet to hide the mark there. I'd just live with the mirror, I doubt anyone else will ever even notice it :)

I see both sides. I’m like you, I would need perfection. However, in reality I’d probably leave it all as is, and seethe every day about it! 🤣🤣 I would honestly be fighting with myself every single day, trying to convince myself that it all doesn’t matter - but, really, for me, it does matter.

One would annoy me.

Top of a cabinet wouldn’t, let that go.

Removing the radiator to paint is an easy enough job – also easy to paint behind if it’s far enough from the wall. Ask the decorator what they think.

All of it would piss me off. It's not really acceptable. The least issue is the towel rail - a good decorator will be fine with that.

The problem with taking a mirror of that's stuck on with silicon is that it may break. Best way to take it off is to cross tape the front of the mirror and use a wire to cut down through the silicon.

Sorry no help whatsoever, but I read that as 'shagging'

1. I would need them to make good

2)Annoying but accidents happen and it’s not noticeable

3. Not bothered at all.

@SheAndHerAreWomen

Sorry no help whatsoever, but I read that as 'shagging'

You weren’t the only one

I couldn't put up with 1 and it's not acceptable for him just to expect you to "live with it" when you've paid for the job to be done right.

2 and 3 I'd let go, but I'd use them as ammo when arguing for 1 to be fixed.

Thanks all. Yeah number 1 is bugging me and all I can see now!
It's because the tap wasn't installed quite centrally within the basin and then he aligned the mirror with the tap as opposed to the whole basin! He has come back and realigned the tap and moved it over but because he aligned the mirror with the tap that now is also off and more tricky to move. He will have to get an electrician out to reinstall again!

Pic attached- is it noticeable?

It's not noticeable, but the non-centred tiling above the sink probably helps it be less noticeable and tbh I'd be more annoyed about the tiling than the mirror.

It does look a bit off centre tbh.

Haha oh gosh I didn't even know this was a thing! I asked for the sink to be hung there as it leaves enough space either side to get past from the door and one the right is a wall hung cabinet so needed enough space to be able to access that (it's a small bathroom!)

@Anomalocaris

It's not noticeable, but the non-centred tiling above the sink probably helps it be less noticeable and tbh I'd be more annoyed about the tiling than the mirror.

I agree. I can see that it is slightly off centre but only by looking at it closely.

For me that's noticeably off centre. I'd have to get it fixed.

The cabinet I'd let go. And I'd talk to the decorator about the radiator.

1. Siliconing a mirror is a bodge in my view and over time may affect the silvering on the back. 'Rubbish brackets' probably means can't be bothered to do it properly.
2. If he damaged the cabinet he should replace it not bodge it again with filler.
3. A good decorator can deal with this, so wouldn't be an issue to me.

The mirror would drive me nuts, I can spot things being off the level etc a mile off, he’s just trying to get out of sorting it.
I’d also be pissed off about the damage to the cabinet, it’s his responsibility to sort it if it slipped while he was fitting it.
The painting wouldn’t be an issue for me

The cabinet is annoying as it was obviously brand new. This is how it looks on top but yeah you can't see it as its a tall cabinet....

I think unless you specified to the fitter that the mirror must be perfectly centred, you might have a job getting him to change it.

If it was 5cm out then fair enough, but all that hassle for 1cm? I definitely wouldn't expect him to move it.

That cabinet looks broken

That part of the cabinet looks like it was never meant to be on display anyway. If it bothers you then I would put a piece of wood/melamine on it to hide it, would look better anyway.

The mirror looks OK, the unit looks slightly off, probably because of the tiles.

Painting not an issue.

The mirror doesn't look great. I'd want it moved, and if it won't move well I'd get a larger mirror to cover any damage.
The cabinet, they fucked up but noone will see so wouldn't be bothered.
The radiator, not a big deal.