Bathroom issues (position and water pooling)- unsure what to do next!

last year

last modified: last year

Hello, i have just had a new shower room fitted. the shower goes across the window. i was surprised that the sill gathers a pool of water (i expected it to slant to drain to the shower- instead it slants to the window). the plumber seems to think this is unavoidable, something to fo with due to the depth of the window. any advice? it feels wrong to me but am inexperienced!

also the toilet has been fitted so close to the shower that my shoulders touch the shower glass when sitting and a larger person would need to sit at an angle! it is a small room but i didnt expect that. i dont think i can do anything now, but does anyone have experience of agreeing a reduced price for this design flaw (or at least not being earned in advance - the plan/CGI didnt look like this). the design was by a large company.

thanks very much! I was so looking forward to the new bathroom but now rather disaappinted!

Featured Answer

Jonathan

last year

You need to speak to whoever took the money off you. If that is a large company they have subcontracted the plumbing and tiling and if their approved installers are failing to fit according to their plan and have done things incorrectly such as failing to slope the window cill then they need to know and as they experts they need the opportunity to put it right.

Personally I think the toilet should be moved and the window cill deconstructed and start again- in hindsight the window cill shouldn’t have had this tiling with its many grout lines and perhaps the floor tile or a piece of Quartz would have been a better choice.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (20)

Sonia
last year
I wonder if a nice piece of quartz would be better for the window sill, fitted at a very slight angle down?Those little slithers of tiling at the edges is never a good look. However, I agree with Jonathan that you need to contact the installers to correct the errors. Is there room for the loo to be fitted a bit further away from the shower screen? Can’t quite see from your picture.
Clare D thanked Sonia
Related Discussions
Help with small en suite bathroom layout
Q
Comments (63)
We have been playing around with this today and this is the layout we think we will go with. Due to solid floors and walls if we move the loo we need significant boxing in. My app has limited selections of items but we will have sanitary ware in these locations, we think!
...See More
Bathroom redesign
Q
Comments (34)
Hahahaha Joanna! Honestly me and hubby have also invested emotion into this. Seems like we are in the same boat, rewire/ installing gas, putting in central heating, all the works basically! I would love to know how it all comes along for you. I wish we could do house tours on houzz for the amateurs like me! Whilst the amazing houses from interior designers and architects are so inspirational, not everyone like me can afford their expertise for first timers and would amazing to see what other first timers have done. Xxx
...See More
Need help with future bathroom!
Q
Comments (22)
Loving all these ideas! Do you know what type or style of shower you want to go for? There are so many options nowadays, Would you like wall-mounted or flushed ceiling, for example? Here are some ideas: This is the Sunshine shower head, a stainless steel disc Ø 350 mm with one ABS disc within that is fitted to the ceiling, complete with water guide system and optional white light therapy, massage or atomiser jets. Or, if you would prefer a shower column, this is the Vehla MySlim Ambiente - the shower column is constructed in brass, with fixed shower holder and integrated progressive valve. 3 mm ultra-slim shower head, non-liming, inspectable and serviceable. One jet handshower in brass, non-liming, inspectable and serviceable, with smooth 150 cm anti-twist PVC flexible hose. You can check out more of our shower heads and columns here. Let me know if you'd like more info! Maxine, Smart Showers Ltd
...See More
Planning new bathroom and ensuite Argh!
Q
Comments (19)
I'm not moving or building walls, or knocking through doorways until I'm sure what I want. Living in the house while remodeling it is quite a challenge. There are very differing opinions around what size the bathrooms should be here too. Having only one door in the bedroom has massive advantages where there is no door right next to his side of the bed being a superking, and also having no door there means that any other bed, even a king could be moved to back onto that wall, tv opposite wall etc. As a main bedroom with a double bed, there isn't room for a wardrobe due to the window size, those drawers are all we have, and the rest is in suitcases ...hence my insistence of taking a chunk out of the room next door to accommodate us.... more on shelving and shoes than hanging space though. There only really needs to be a decent shower for my husband in the en-suite and carry out the "three S's" on a morning. Plumbing worries me due to the structure of the house, so I'd like to try to make a common area eg back to back on the loos to help with what will already be a nightmare, however one on the external wall already may be a good thing. I want a good sized bath but not stand alone, I want surface area around it, none of this having to reach behind or to the end or to the floor for the shampoo and perching the soap dish on the side any more. At the moment, I take a little table and place it in the middle of the bathroom floor with candles and the tablet to catch up on shows, as this is really the only time and place I get to do that! The only time I see a shower cubicle is to wash dye out of my hair. Thanks for the sounding board and ideas, good to get opinions... I'll be back with something more refined taking all into account :)
...See More
Daisy England
last year
last modified: last year
I do tend to think that larger companies do not pay the attention to detail that a smaller one would. The fall on the cill would have been easy to do. Pure laziness not doing it. As for the loo being so close, it needs altering.

Go back to the company and tell them you are unhappy on both points. If you have not yet paid in full then hold back a retainer until the work is completed to your satisfaction.
Clare D thanked Daisy England
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
last year
As others have said, a nice piece of quartz would probably have been better, or at least the windowsill should have been properly constructed using a waterproof board/substrate prior to tiling, and then angled slightly towards the shower to avoid (or at least minimise) pooling. I can see no reason why this is not possible - and any competent fitter/tiler should do it as a matter of course.

I'm a great advocate that a client should always, in the first instance, draw make the contractor aware of an issue and give them an opportunity to put it right. Only after that has been done (if no resolution is found) should you go towards seeking compensation.

The WC does seem unnecessarily tight to the screen - again, I'd be questioning that if it is not as per an agreed design. There may be technical reasons for this, but where we face such challenges, I would always declare this to a client and seek agreement to any "work around" before conducting that part of the install.

I think you have every right to feel somewhat agreived - but I would counsel you to be fair & reasonable with the contractor and give them a chance to put it right. As I was always told, you get further with soft soap than abrasive sandpaper...

Best of luck!

P.S. I strongly encourage you to seek out a good small independent next time you need such works - we may be a little more expensive (sometimes), but there is a reason for that when it comes to finished quality!
Clare D thanked Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
Clare D
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Thank you for your responses. I have already had a long conversation with the Wickes contractor. He told me technical reasons for the toilet being where it is (I don't fully understand but I accept) but I feel someone should have explained everything to me more as I would never have chosen a layout with no space to sit straight on the toilet!! The contractor says it is Wickes design team issue but on the other hand that there was no way to properly tell until he started doing the work so it just seems confusing to me.

I am absolutely up for giving everyone a chance to resolve things and have approached it in that manner. I negotiate (very different things!!) for a living and can't stand coming up against people who go about things in an aggressive manner so very much looking to work together. The contractor is coming out to look at the sill and other snagging things tomorrow but he seems set that there won't be anything can be done about the sill...

I was nervous about not knowing what I needed for the bathroom so I thought I was seeking safety in a big name but obviously not. Lesson learned...

I haven't paid anyone anything yet ( I have a credit agreement with Wickes, and the contractor they use is paid for "specialist works" separately so he has already sent me his invoice).
Daisy England
last year
Ah Wickes. l have just done a kitchen quote quoting against theirs. By heck! Their prices, wow. Then they did the same as Wren and give a promotional discount making it all very misleading for the customer. Of course it’s all added on in the first place.

The sill is easy to rectify and you should ensure this is done. Water sitting on grout isn’t ideal.

If you have taken out a credit agreement there are ways forward with this under a Section 75 agreement with the bank in question who offer the deal. l know Barclays do the majority of the interest free finance.

Good luck with a way forward.
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
last year
Sounds like you will be more than used to handling difficult conversations, then!

Personally, I'd always put things like this down in writing so you have a good paper trail. And do feel free

Disappointing that Wickes didn't flag the possible "pitfalls" on a given project, but I am not particularly surprised - the designers do a basic design service then pass it over to separate teams/contractors to install so the designers normally don't have the depth of knowledge on the installation side to anticipate such things.

With small studios like ourselves, we are fully involved from measure through design, procurement, build, project management and final snagging, so we live, breathe and get the grey hairs from each project! As a result, we build our experience over the years and get to anticipate where there are unknowns, risks or areas where we think we might have to "tweak" a design mid-install and make a point of flagging these to our clients. And if a need to deviate from a design occurs mid-install, we would always discuss that with the client at the time so that everybody is clear of such changes as the project unfolds. It just helps reduce the stress for everyone involved.

Wrt paying, it sounds as though there is a clear split between Wickes and the contractor, but the "grey" area is between the design (which was not fully fit for purpose) and the install (which was not to design). There is the risk of finger pointing back & forth until that is resolved.

I think you probably have some extra protection because of the credit agreement. I'd probably try and use that for some leverage to get Wickes to help get the contractor to resolve the issues. If you plan to withhold payment from the contractor, I always reckon a fair and justifiable amount is the equivalent cost of hiring another person to put right the issues.

Hope it gets sorted quickly and you can start enjoying your new space!
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
last year
@Daisy England - how did the pricing compare? I've had to do a couple in recent years, and one was not wildly out (painted solid wood, mainly basic highline units) while the other was so low I reckoned the carcasses must be second hand cardboard! All very well when you're dumping it at the front door and leaving the headaches to others - different as a studio taking on all the fit risk too!
Daisy England
last year
@Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre

We were well below their prices. The cost of their quartz was astounding. We were below half their prices for this. We have a new contact for quartz who is extremely competitve and their jobs are excellent.

In comparison to Wren we could supply quartz instead of their laminate for an additional £200.
Clare D
Original Author
last year
Thank you all for your input!
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
last year
Useful info, @Daisy England - may thanks! There are a couple of the sheds which leave me scratching my head on pricing - sometimes incredibly low and other times insanely over-inflated. I've never quite worked out why.

Your experience on quartz is similar to ours. We're fortunate to have a really excellent local fabricator who has always delivered the most impeccable service for us. That said, we all fell off our perches at one price for top price group Silestone for a client - the BQS equivalent was some 40% cheaper...

Laminate prices do seem to have rather run away since lockdown - rather faster than solids. The cost difference has definitely narrowed. I wonder whether it will continue to be so.
Sonia
last year
My friend’s sister had Wickes fit her kitchen. Boy did she have problems! Can’t remember all the problems but the washing machine leaked all over the floor for one……….you should check out reviews such as on Trustpilot just to check that you’re probably not the only one. Hope all gets resolved 🤞
Clare D thanked Sonia
Clare D
Original Author
last year
Thanks just spent hours looking through the emails and contracts and invoices and credit agreement ahead of meeting contractor in the morning! Not sure how we can resolve but hopefully will be useful discussions.
Clare D
Original Author
last year
Hello Houzz community. the contractor explained to me the reason that it wouldnt be possible to slope the sill is it is too deep. is that a good explanation? i cant really understand still why that makes a difference …
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
last year
Hi Clare,

Looking at the image, there certainly isn't a huge amount of space from top of tile to bottom of window.

But that, to my mind, isn't a particularly convincing "excuse" - that would suggest the contractor has done what was easiest, cheapest and most expedient for him, rather than reprofiling the sill to do a more professional job.

Again, I would have expected any contractor to flag that during the build before tiling. That would have given you an opportunity to discuss the pros & cons of the different approaches and make a decision.

If it were unforeseen and only came to light once the room was stripped out, I would have felt it reasonable for the contractor (if done at that stage) to request a small additional payment to cover a little more labour and any minor materials, had you indicated a desire to have more of a slope or to perhaps have had a solid sill installed.

But puddling at the back of the sill really isn't ideal.

The other aspect that leaves me suspicious is that it looks as though the sill has been set at a height whereby there is an exact number of WHOLE tiles in height from resting on your shower tray to the bottom of the sill.

It is most unusual that spacing falls like that! Normally I would expect to see the tiles lust below the window trimmed around it. It may be the contractor couldn't be bothered to do so, so has packed UP the window sill - again a short cut - but you could not know this without taking it apart. And it just might have been the tiler got lucky and everything aligned perfectly...
Clare D thanked Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
Clare D
Original Author
last year
thank you very much for your thoughts. it is tricky discussing these things when you are not familiar with these types of issues!
PRO
Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre
last year
I totally get it! Most folk only do such a renovation a few times in their lives - and there is a lot which goes into such a project. There is usually quite an imbalance in knowledge between client & contractor, which one always hopes isn't taken advantage of.

If we can help with further input as you work your way through it, just shout!
Daisy England
last year
last modified: last year
I’m going to agree with Caldicot here. Pure laziness on the contractors part. I know if my other half did it then it would be as you wanted and to be honest hubby would have done it expecting a slope for water to run off.
Mary Best
last year
Hmm... I had exactly the same problem! How nice of you to bring this topic up! I found so many useful things for me
Clare D
Original Author
8 months ago
Thank you. The ombudsman is looking into it as I didnt have helpful responses from Wickes.

Bathroom issues (position and water pooling)- unsure what to do next!

Jonathan

Comments (20)

Sonia

Related Discussions

Daisy England

Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre

Clare D
Original Author

Daisy England

Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre

Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre

Daisy England

Clare D
Original Author

Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre

Sonia

Clare D
Original Author

Clare D
Original Author

Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre

Clare D
Original Author

Caldicot Kitchen & Bathroom Centre

Daisy England

Mary Best

Clare D
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Bathroom issues (position and water pooling)- unsure what to do next!

Comments (20)

Related Discussions

Clare DOriginal Author

Clare DOriginal Author

Clare DOriginal Author

Clare DOriginal Author

Clare DOriginal Author

Clare DOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Clare D
Original Author

Clare D
Original Author

Clare D
Original Author

Clare D
Original Author

Clare D
Original Author

Clare D
Original Author