The worse contractor ever - what to do (lien, how much, mold)

[howstam]

Here is a link to the closed thread:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/house...r-what-do.html

The contractor and his helpers visited today. I had to take time off from work to meet with them.

One helper went into the crawlspace.

They started testing the shower and said that it was 'bone dry' in the crawlspace.

I went into the crawlspace and the guy there said that he found the leak. I saw that this was actually another leak. I showed him where the previous leak was. When I got out of the crawlspace and got back, the contractors helper was already gone. The contractor told me that he had applied silicone on the joints between the tile and the cultured marble pan.

I asked him what type of silicone it was. He said that it is a silicone that contains grout. I asked him for the name of it. He said that he will ask his helper and call me back.

My question is: Is it a good practice to apply silicone on top of sanded grout for the joints between cultured marble pan and tiles?

After this the contractor demanded the balance of his money. I told him that I will test the shower and if it works fine, I will give him the balance of the money. He became furious and said that he wanted to throw me into the wall. He threatened to place a lien against my house. I told him that there was no need to be rude and I had no intention of holding onto his money. I just wanted to make sure that the work is done correctly and completely.

He then started apologizing and said that he is very stressed out. I told him that I am stressed out too but I am not being rude.

[rubytue]

Originally Posted by howstam

My question is: Is it a good practice to apply silicone on top of sanded grout for the joints between cultured marble pan and tiles?

The joint between the tile wall and the shower pan (fiberglass, plastic, opps I mean "cultured marble," etc) should always be caulked, not grouted. The pan flexes with weight and movement and a grouted joint will be prone to cracking and damage. So yes, it is good practice to use some type of caulk there. As for the type, I'd use a latex caulk because its easier down the line when you need to remove it and recaulk (preventive maintaince when the caulk gets old), and its easier to clean your hands up after you caulk. But, I don't think there are any material problems with using silicone. As in, using silicone caulk instead of latex is not a reason to complain.

[World Citizen]

You need to talk to an attorney. An attorney will help you calm this guy down.

You also might want to call an independent home inspector and ask them how much they would charge to do an inspection of this job and of the leak that you describe.

You don't want to end up with mold in your house.

If it were me, I wouldn't want to be alone in the house with this contractor. He sounds like he could be dangerous.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different outcome.

[Driller1]

Did you get permits? If so, there is an inspection.

[World Citizen]

I don't know where you live but it looks like there should have been permits for your work. The contractor shouldn't have done the work without it..... Along with the permit, it appears that there are very specific guidelines that contractors must followe when doing a shower pan replacement.

I just did a quick search and found this which is a very detailed list of what must be done when you have a shower pan replaced.
This is Livermore, CA but I bet your municipality has something like it.

http://www.ci.livermore.ca.us/permit...RepairInsp.pdf

It's interesting to note that in this location there are several inspections needed. There are inspections during the progress of the job to be certain that it's being done correctly... and then there's a final inspection.

I still would not want to address this with that contractor by myself. He sounds very intimidating.

[howstam]

I am in TN. I did not know that any permits were needed nor did the contractor mention any.

[Driller1]

Originally Posted by howstam

I am in TN. I did not know that any permits were needed nor did the contractor mention any.

That is the first thing you need to find out about and get permits if needed.

[howstam]

Originally Posted by World Citizen

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different outcome.

Good point. I have decided to get a friend's reputable builder to come in and I will tell him the entire story and see if he thinks that the work has been done correctly.

[howstam]

My major concern at this time: we do not trust the contractor or his helper any more. We are afraid that they might have done a 'band-aid' job which will be only good for a very short time and then we will be back with the same problem. How can I ensure that the job done is good?

I asked the contractor what has been used to seal the grout and he said it is 'sanded acrylic sealant'.

I also asked what has been used to treat the mold / fungus and he said it is 'copper green'.

[Driller1]

Originally Posted by howstam

My major concern at this time: we do not trust the contractor or his helper any more. We are afraid that they might have done a 'band-aid' job which will be only good for a very short time and then we will be back with the same problem. How can I ensure that the job done is good?

I asked the contractor what has been used to seal the grout and he said it is 'sanded acrylic sealant'.

I also asked what has been used to treat the mold / fungus and he said it is 'copper green'.

Again, get your permits. There will be inspections of the work.