Problems with Tradies

I feel that ever since Covid, we keep having issues with Tradies.

This recent project we have is to do with a Painter we have dealt with before.
As simple job to paint a 2-Bed Unit which is completely vacant with zero furniture, very easy job especially considering the carpet will be replaced and he didnt even have to use any drop sheet!

There has been other feedback/complaint about this job from the start, but the worst thing we noted was that one of the doors cannot be shut at all. That was puzzling because the Painter has painted it didnt mention a thing, but we just couldnt shut it. The last 6-inches or so was touching the floor very badly and it's impossible to close.

The previous Tenant who just moved out is quite a particular and neat person so we thought it's odd he never told us about the door, so we asked him and he said the door was closing fine before we left!

Before we approach the Painter, can the kind people here shed some light as to how can this be possibly happen? How can a working door become non-working after the Painting? Did it just drop down a few inches? I am so confused......

Hope we can have some possible answers, thanks heaps!

 

Is the door coming away from the hinge or hinge coming away from door frame? Check the gap (margins) around the door to see where it is tight.

 

Thanks so much for the suggestion, will check again when we're back.
This is just one of the not-so-pleasant observations we have. Spoke to him a moment ago and he reckon the door "was already damaged" before he started. If this is true, I asked why he chose to paint over a damaged door instead of telling me who just lived next door....

 

It isn't the painters job to critique your building. You should have made sure it was ready for painting before he arrived.

Tools

 

The door may have been close to the floor before
So if the door was removed to paint, and the top hinge wasn't tightened properly it is possible the door would catch on the floor.
Even a dried paint "run" behind the hinge could be enough to make it drag on the floor.

Don't blame the painter too much, he is probably sick of being asked for a cheaper price all the time

 

Thanks for you sharing. Will certainly do a double and triple check.

As regards the pricing, without getting too much detail, I can safely say this has to be the easiest money he ever gets: zero furniture, no drop sheets, free to come and go, 3AC in the 2-Bedder Unit. Jobs finished in 2 days or less.
The other quote was for 20% less but we recommended him because we had worked with him before. Very sad and disappointing....

 

Sounds like a hinge issue,

either the screws are pulling out of the timber frame or door (Use the next size up screws and possible a bit longer)
or

Just tighten the screws up while holding the door up.

 

You are correct, the easiest job he will ever get. Have you found any other poor workmanship from this job? If not, just sort the door out and get on with it. You have to fix the door , not the painter

 

Thanks for your thoughts, I mean it. I really hope it is the hinge but it's not... The hinges are fine and work to the top. He didnt remove the door to paint. I suspect the paint must be very wet and made the door swell...
Had taken a photo of the swelling at the bottom of the door, for my memoir.
Granted we should have prepared the Unit for him properly, which we had for 99% of the Unit, and we didnt realise about this, and there was no reason to because the door was working prior to this.
We have done many painting jobs in the past, big and small, and I have had painters ringing me and said, do you want to replace the door/window/skirting board before I paint it.....
I guess some people takes more pride in their job than others.

Yes, will have to remove the door and see if we can plan it back. If not will need to get a brand new door.

 

Yes, there are a few other things we noted such as top of wardrobe, cracks not being filled. Also a different brand of paint was used.
It's a pity because have had a few jobs with him and this one is the most straight-forward given that it is totally empty and new carpet coming.

 

Not sure whether to respond or not... We didnt haggle and in fact his quote is more expensive than the others.
He was chosen because of previous dealings.
BTW, he didnt remove the door to paint. But I agree, he would have used some "runny" paint and made the door swell.
If he has removed the door prior to painting, he would have noted the "foamy" part at the bottom.

All was required is a call to us to get it fixed prior to painting.....

Lesson learned.

 

OP - since you have taken photos, can you post them here?

 

Yeah, I'm really busting to know the truth...

 

Hope you can see it....

IMG-20210315-WA0021 by Pumpkin posted 15th Mar, 2021 at 10:23 PM

 

Your first post says that the carpet will be replaced. Has it gone in yet? If the carpet or underlay is thicker it may make it hard / impossible to close the door.

 

The door is inside the ensuite. The carpet is for the bedrooms, no impact on doors. ...

 

Ok
I believe it has nothing to do with the painter, even if he painted it with water, it takes multiple times exposed to moisture before a door would swell. Chances are you never opened and closed it on your inspections and the tenant would have known about it getting harder and harder to close.

Being a Ensuite door it will have a chance of being exposed to moisture, so the damage would have happened over time, I would just rip the door of, run a plane along it and if the damage is to much, grab a new door for $100, paint it and move on.

Nothing the painter would have done, especially if he didn't remove the door from the hinges, would cause the door to not close.

P.s
When the carpet was removed in the bedroom which leads to the Ensuite, was there a water stain on the underlay or floor boards?

 

Thanks for your sharing. We will get the door repaired or replaced ASAP.
Not trying to put blame on anyone but I am genuinely intrigued... The Tenants in this Unit are very particular (fussy); they complained about the smallest of things such as shower rose not running well. So if the door didnt close/open properly, they would have told us. We even asked them yesterday and they were adamant the door was ok. There is no reason for them to lie, Bond already refunded in full.... And during inspections, we always checked both sides of door in case there was a dent (Had one bad experience where Tenants kicked the door and didnt find out until new Tenant moved in)
Another problem is we were not given any leftover paint.
The part we were most unhappy about is he could have told us before painting on a "damaged" door. This attitude is reflected in other areas eg cornice, area around the wardrobe is damaged but he just painted over it instead of filling it....

 

I think it would depend on whether it was his scope to patch and paint or just paint. If he was there to just paint then any damage should have been fixed before he started.