Decorator nightmare – they broke into my garage!

Decorator nightmare – they broke into my garage!

13:09 PM, 26th February 2015, About 9 years ago 5

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In September last year I decided to have a wooden, ledge and brace porch door dipped and repainted. I took the door to be dipped. When it came back, mid October, I realised it was in poor shape, so I bought a replacement dipped one off the dippers.

I have used local decorators for 20 years – generally they use “green non-toxic paint.”

In early December after endless chasing, they finally painted and hung the door. They phoned me mid December to say that after it had rained the paint was falling off the external surface, but the internal surface was fine. Great chunks of paint had indeed fallen off.

They discussed the problems with their paint suppliers, as it was a new product, and whilst the supplier did not acknowledge any liability, they did promise to send them free vouchers for further paint purchases.

Mid January still no further progress. I phoned, yet again, they had forgotten but in any case they had not had the vouchers. They say they then sanded the door back to bare wood again.

By this time I was truly cheesed off, and on the evening of Feb 1st met a new decorator on site, we agreed he would do the job for £90 painting and £120 hanging (it is akward). I put a padlock on the garage door (where the door was being stored). Next morning before I had time to email original decorators to sack them, I had two voice mails from them telling me that they had broken into the garage (as it was padlocked) had retrieved the door and had hung it.

They started asking me for payment immediately – £350 – we had never agreed a price – I know that was unprofessional of me.

I was determined to wait till it rained to see if this last paint job was better. It isn’t. The paint is falling off again. I have an email this morning from them telling me that there is a problem, and that they have worked very hard on it and “despite the door being the wrong size, the wrong type and now having a substance soaked into it that is making a good painted top surface ridiculously hard to achieve” – they want paying.

The decorators allege the door was dipped in creosote. The dippers assure me it was not. They use caustic soda to dip.

I am now back in the position I was in September -with a door in situ with peeling paint which needs dipping and repainting.

Any ideas on a way forward ?

All Bankersdoor


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Comments

Neil Patterson

13:12 PM, 26th February 2015, About 9 years ago

I can't believe it !!!

I would pay nothing and report the break in to the police (assuming you are upset enough with them to do this)

Joe Bloggs

15:45 PM, 26th February 2015, About 9 years ago

surely if the dipping chemical was causing the peeling it would affect both faces?
ps - you need to change your name to all decorators are *******.

All BankersAreBarstewards Smith

17:49 PM, 26th February 2015, About 9 years ago

I just had a long plaintive email including the immortal phrase

"It was your choice to want the door hung and sorted at the wrong time of year for exterior paint jobs. "

hello Mr wimpey I know you want these 500 houses to sell in February, but , its the wrong time of the year for me to do outside painting, so is it ok if I wait till spring - May is a good month - please - your finance costs wont be too many millions..... yours grovellingly

Puzzler

22:03 PM, 2nd March 2015, About 9 years ago

dipped in creosote?? you can't get creosote nowadays and you would know if it was as it has a very strong hydrocarbon smell. It also does not have the same effect as stripping which will be a heavy duty solvent not a preservative.

All BankersAreBarstewards Smith

22:29 PM, 2nd March 2015, About 9 years ago

Thanks - I have finally decided to pay them £100 as the inside of the door is ok.... I wanted to be seen to be fair if they take it to court..... I doubt they will see it as fair. What was interesting is that only one person I contacted suggested paying them anything at all. Maybe I am a bit of a softie - but they did buy new lock, hinges and paint the back of the door.

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