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I just had my tub/shower tiled. The guy removed an old fiberglass surround that had warped badly. He did a pretty good job, but he left a lot of excess fiberglass tape and joint compound on the wall at the edge of the tile. I guess he did it because we talked about the fact that I'm about to paint the bathroom. I'm trying to get the walls ready to prime and paint and now I'm trying to sand down the excess. It's working ok on the areas that weren't very thick, but on the really thick spots, it's not even touching it. Do I have any chance of getting the excess off?
I just had my tub/shower tiled. The guy removed an old fiberglass surround that had warped badly. He did a pretty good job, but he left a lot of excess fiberglass tape and joint compound on the wall at the edge of the tile. I guess he did it because we talked about the fact that I'm about to paint the bathroom. I'm trying to get the walls ready to prime and paint and now I'm trying to sand down the excess. It's working ok on the areas that weren't very thick, but on the really thick spots, it's not even touching it. Do I have any chance of getting the excess off?
Thanks!
It appears you just exposed another hack. With the actual honest unemployment rate over 20%, all kinds of hacks come out of the wood work. Anyone with a pick up truck and a tool box can call themselves a contractor.
Why did you not ask him to finish the walls all prepped to paint? Because the idiot obviously had no idea what it means to provide a complete job rather then a half azz job for the good money you paid him.
Some areas are thick and some not? Oh boy. Sounds like it might look like the Atlantic Ocean on a windy day. You need to sand it all flush rather then wavy using a sanding block or sand paper on a wooden block. Now you must skim coat all the low spots with more spackle. Finally you only need to sand the whole area as if it were one with a sanding block of about 220 grit.
You could also get that clown back to finish the job but he already showed he is not capable.
I've never had any work like that done before (this is my first house). I got the guy's name from Kudzu and he had all 5 star ratings. I was actually surprised he agreed to do the job because from his website it looked like he mostly does large, really nice houses. He did a fabulous job on the tile, and has come back out twice to correct problems with the grout around the tub, I don't know why he left the tape and joint compound like it is. I do have a sanding block and have been working on it. One side looks pretty good now but the other side has the thickest area (probably a milimeter thick). Guess I know what I'll be doing the rest of the night.
Location: Sometimes Maryland, sometimes NoVA. Depends on the day of the week
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A mud job done right shouldn't show the fiberglass tape. I would guess he is a tile guy, but not a full-job guy. Meaning he did the tile, and left the walls at the first coat stage. Just like an electrician who makes a hole in the wall to fish won't do a full three-coat mud job to patch it. You don't want to pay his rates to wait for mud to dry. I guess it also depends on what his contract said about how he would leave the walls (or what you talked about). Personally, we do all our own finish work, so we always have our contractors leave it at rough coat (if that). But I'm not sure I would expect my tile guy to do my drywall, too.
OTOH, this could be really bad, and the fiberglass tape could be sticking out of the backerboard and it could be morter you are talking about.
You may need to sand the mud, then add another coat or two to cover up the fiberglass tape (and sane between coats). A picture would really help to know if he is a "hack" or if he just did the rough coat.
And Desertsun would say I am too nice to contractors - LOL
A mud job done right shouldn't show the fiberglass tape. I would guess he is a tile guy, but not a full-job guy. Meaning he did the tile, and left the walls at the first coat stage. Just like an electrician who makes a hole in the wall to fish won't do a full three-coat mud job to patch it. You don't want to pay his rates to wait for mud to dry. I guess it also depends on what his contract said about how he would leave the walls (or what you talked about). Personally, we do all our own finish work, so we always have our contractors leave it at rough coat (if that). But I'm not sure I would expect my tile guy to do my drywall, too.
OTOH, this could be really bad, and the fiberglass tape could be sticking out of the backerboard and it could be morter you are talking about.
You may need to sand the mud, then add another coat or two to cover up the fiberglass tape (and sane between coats). A picture would really help to know if he is a "hack" or if he just did the rough coat.
And Desertsun would say I am too nice to contractors - LOL
Ehh....careful there. I do feel the homeowner should treat the contractor nice. Has anyone ever got hollared at at work by the boss man? It makes you feel like sheet the rest of the day and you in protest don't do a damn thing for the rest of the day to spite him. Quite the opposite when your boss praises you. You do an extra good job for him because he made you feel good.
A contractor feels the same way. If he is doing a good job, but the homeowner is constantly picking at him, nickle and diming him and leaning over his back, what kind of job do you think he is going to give you?
Experienced contractors who have seen many many thousands of homeowners over the years know at the bid stage who is going to be trouble. I know I have walked away from jobs because I could sense this customer was going to be trouble. Different nationalities are known for trouble. Many of us never even call back some of them. Many of us would rather sit home with no work then to deal with a bad homeowner.
Just as there is an Angies List and the BBB which is supposed to list bad contractors there is a private list that contractors subscribe to which lists problem homeowners. I personally pay special attention to the list of homeowners who collect bids/estimates like they are rare baseball cards. They spend most of their adult life collecting bids for specific jobs that they may or may not ever intend to do. These people have no clue that contractors have to spend good money on gas and time and effort to see these people and have no idea there is no chance to get the job.
Collecting bids is a hobby for more people then you might guess. I have people all the time walking into my store and drop a stack of bids on my desk 5" thick and ask me for another. What is the proper way to respond to these people?
What everyone stated is correct.
It's too bad the guy did such a poor job with the joint finish. I pride myself on how good the finished drywall comes out.
You shouldn't have to do it, (it should have been primer ready before he left), but you now need to sand it down to it looking good. The problem is if you get down to the fiberglas......that is bad. If that happens, you need to do one of two things;
a) Feather it out wider with more mud to an acceptable look. OR
b) If the tape was put on over too thick of mud, which it should not have because fiberglas tape can be put over a dry joint, you wil need to cut it out and start over correctly.
Either way is not a big deal...just time consuming. you should be able to a "a".
What everyone stated is correct.
It's too bad the guy did such a poor job with the joint finish. I pride myself on how good the finished drywall comes out.
You shouldn't have to do it, (it should have been primer ready before he left), but you now need to sand it down to it looking good.
The problem is if you get down to the fiberglas......that is bad. If that happens, you need to do one of two things;
a) Feather it out wider with more mud to an acceptable look. OR
b) If the tape was put on over too thick of mud, which it should not have because fiberglas tape can be put over a dry joint, you wil need to cut it out and start over correctly.
Either way is not a big deal...just time consuming. you should be able to a "a".
Frank
Sounds like they got into the tape.
You are right!
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