Designing Kitchens and Bathrooms - Tub/shower surround tile prep (ripoff?)

Hi,

Is there anyway a bathroom tub/shower wall surround can be prepped for tiling without using green board or hardibacker board or some other waterproof surface?

I've hired a plumber who promised that as soon as he started work (ripping out the old tub/shower unit and installing the new soaking tub, the rest would go quickly but he keeps sending his guys out to other jobs.

I sent him $800 for a Kohler soaking tub and it arrived without the drain with the corner of the apron was damaged . It turns out the tub without the drain ratails for about $650 including tax.

Anyway, the damage was minimal and since my bathroom was ripped apart and I needed a tub I told them to put it in. They had to disconnect and move my toilet to put the tub in and cut a hole in my bedroom closet and my living room ceiling(downstairs) to get at the plumbing.

After the put the tub in it was about 5 weeks before they came back and put the toilet back (forcing me to use the downstairs lavatory for 5 weeks and take my showers at a heath club).

One of them has since put up dry wall in the bathroom around the tub and a couple of layers of compound. That is all that has been done so far but a trip to Home Depot today has me worried.
the guy there says that you need to use hardibacker board (NOT SHEETROCK) like the plumber told me to get.

MY QUESTION IS: Should I fire this guy and hire a tile professional? Did he do the wrong thing by putting sheet rock up in the bathroom? Can something be put OVER the sheetrock or does it have to be torn out?

Furthermore, they sent me a bill for $1200 for what really was only 6 hours of labor for two guys and two hours when they put the sheetrock up and the coumpound. Is this highway robbery or what? It looks like he is charging me for 12 hours of work at $85 per hour plus miscellaneous expenses. So I guess he is charging me $85 per hour per man because they only worked six hours unless he is suggesting they worked for 12 and is charging me $42.50/hr for each of them. What is the going hourly rate for a plumber?

I asked the plumber (the owner , who has done good work in the past for me), to give me an estimate and he never did. He said he'd either give me a price for the job or charge me an hourly rate which he never did. In the meantime I ordered the tub and sent him the money thinking he'd get back to me with the estimate. After my check had been cashed and several weeks went by I called and the tub had"just arrived". They delivered it and started the work as I mentioned above. This time the owner hasn't done any of the work. I'm a little annoyed at this bill considering the job is STILL not done and they may be prepping the walls wrong.

What does one do if one is charged for hours of work not received? Keep in mnd I was told this would go quickly and I was going to get a good price and it has been nearly two months since they started. Please contact me with any helpful suggestions.
I'd really appreciate it.

emily

emilybh@verizon.net

First Green board is used just for bathroom and any area with water. If you are outting up tile, you will need durock, or some other type of backerboard. This is to code. next. You never should have paid him, you have anywhere from 30 to 90 days to pay for contractd work. After completion. Next call the BBB, and the labor board. They usually deal with employees trying to get there paychecks out of dead beats, but if they can not help you personally they will direct you to who can. Then call a lawyer. And save all your reciepts paperwork and take pictures. Good luck.

Wow Boardslinger! Well I haven't paid for the labor yet. And since I overpaid for the tub I was going to put a few hudred dollars of my overpayment towards the labor. I figured at most I owe him about $500 for the labor and perhaps I shouldn't pay for the labor when they were putting up the sheetrock since sheet rock isn't supposed to be used in wet areas.

I'll send him a letter with the check itemizing what the $$ is for and reminding him of all the things he told me like he said it would go quickly. He said he would give me a good price. I'll hold back anythng for the labor for when the guy who did the work around the tub put up the sheetrock. Is that fair?

I wonder though, if I am making a mountain out of a molehill. Can't the green board or hariboard or whatever, be put up on top of the sheetrock and compound? Wouldn't that remedy the situation? (Needless to say, I'll get a real tile guy to do the work from here on and I'll hire another plumber to put the hardware (shower head and faucet) that I got on the tub).

Thanks!

Emily

P.S. I also don't think they got a permit (if they were supposed to). Perhaps I should mention in my letter I'm thinking of having the city come in and inspect the job before I send him anything at all. would this make him change his tune?

Emily

It depends on the city. Here in Az. Unlicensed contractors can do up to $750.00 worth of work with out a permit. If the plumbing you speak of has been pulled out or upgrade/ brought ot code, than an inspector should look at it. Threatening him with the inspector is not going to work. The city usually goes after the hyomeowner for not getting permits. Simply remind him that he and yourself had a contract, (be it oral or written), and he needs to fulfill his contract before anymore monies are paid out to him. And definatly start taking pictures, getting statements from friends and neighbors who know how long this has been taking and CALL A/YOUR LAWYER. Sometimes these thing can get sour. I hope for you that they don't but if they do, make sure that you have your ducks in a row ahead of time. That way you have everything you need to slam this guy. I know this seems harsh, but it ticks me off to see so called "handymen" or "contractors" take advantage of clients. Good Luck.

Uh oh.

Well I don't want him to send the guy back to finish if he is going to keep doing it the wrong way.

How can I tactfully suggest that he has been doing it wrong?

Doesn't the dry wall need to be torn out and the waterproof hardiboard put up in its place?

Besides, I called over the weekend to ask a question about the bill and he STILL hasn't returned my call.

I feel like just sending him what I think is fair and telling him to hold off coming back until I get a decent tile guy in to finish. How does that sound?

I don't want him to send the guy back and get in a fight with him regarding his tiling methods (even though I have print outs from two different websites that describe a method that doesn't even resemble what he has done so far).

Thanks!

Emily

If he's not calling you back, and he hasn't cashed the check, put a stop payment on it. This will garentee a phone call phone him. But with the sounds of this guy, it was cashed that day. There is no tactful way. You are just going to have to be blunt. Tell him flat out that he said it would take this long and it is taking twice the amount. Also inform him that you knbow that backer board has to be installed for tile, not green board. And with him being a contractor you shouldn't have to remind him of that. Yes the drywall needs taken out. Don't send him anymore money. Tell him that he needs to finish his work and give him a time that you want it done, but make sure it is reachable. If he has one day left give him 2, just to allow for problems, which always seem to pop up. If he has 2 give him three. Just be tough, fair and honest. If he is a good buisness man and a fair contractor he will respect that if he is a rip off it's going to be a fight. Make sure you contact a lawyer. Good Luck. I hope that he takes care of his buisness for you. Homeowners should never have to put up with this kind of stuff.