Scratch and Dent

What should we tolerate as consumers from the workers who come into our homes and perform installation services?  How do we know when we have a legitimate complaint and what our leverage is to resolve the problems at hand? 

Seven years ago my family moved from one coast to the other.  I may lose my clients each and every time a move occurs, but I don't lose my experience and knowledge, which by this time is extensive.  When people are constructing a new home there are so many variables to deal with and decisions to make, it is nearly impossible for them to stay on top of every aspect of the construction.

 First, it is important to remember that no two circumstances are ever exactly the same.  What should be consistent from one situation to the next is how we maneuver through to a favorable end.  The home my family chose to purchase had many ideal features already in place in a price range we could afford.  Construction of a new home with the same features would offer less square footage at a higher price, so the choice of home we made has proven to be the right choice for us.  All that being said, despite the pre-existing crown mouldings, granite countertops and cherry hardwood floors, there was also the minimally painted walls, cheap door knobs, and weak aluminum hand railing.  The most annoying area of my home though has proven to be the master bathroom.  The size is pleasant, the light from the large window ample, and the basic layout very agreeable.  The problem becomes apparent when one is using the toilet.  The View from the "john" is focused directly on the tile the previous owner selected.  While the tile is neutral and non offensive, the installation is anything but acceptable. The problem is centered around the layout decisions that were made.  The person installing the tile was either ignorant or indifferent to the final result.  What follows is an accounting of the problems.

Wall tile was used on the threshold to the shower.  Refer to the picture of the threshold.  Visually it looked fine until someone needed to stand on the threshold to reach a high object, and "clink", the first crack appeared.  Today there are more than a dozen cracks on multiple tiles. N E V E R use wall tile on a floor.  There is a difference on how the tile responds to normal use.  The tile is typically made of a softer clay and is thinner in its depth.  It is suppose to be used on the walls where no one walks! 

The second issue is the decision of how to deal with the transition of the the listellos on the face of the tub decking where they meet the the shower.  The decision the installer made could not have been more unattractive.  The installer chose to cut the decorative vertical tiles on both ends of the  tub decking, leaving partial pieces on both ends and what appears to be a mosaic of "piecing together" tile parts to transition to the finished edge tile pieces of the shower wall. (note the picture)  I can only assume that the installer started on the left side of the tub facing and by the time he/she arrived at the shower, nearly all the tile had been set and it was too late for them to make the change.  The homeowner should have refused to accept the installation and the installer should have replaced the tile on the tub facing.  Additionally, a severely chipped listello is in the inside corner of the shower, and since I have many leftover pieces from the previous owner, I know that piece could have also been replaced. before grouting occurred.

Someday in the not too distant future, I will have these errors corrected.  Bathroom remodel can be expensive however, even for someone in the business, and then one must also factor in how long we plan to live in the house.  The threshold is the more serious problem as water and dry rot can occur and any inspector worth his weight will require that repair to be made when selling, so we may as well fix it and enjoy the visual and functional benefit we will gain by addressing it now.  Scratch and dents may work on an appliance or new TV to save a dollar, but should never be tolerated in new construction.