Update:
The builder had the manager of the tiling company come over, who initially tried to dismiss our concerns by attributing the issues to standard tile sounds and acceptable lippage tolerances. We challenged him immediately, pointing out that his explanation was nonsense and that we had already had the work inspected by a third party. He then changed his stance, blaming the problems on the substrate, claiming the concrete flooring was uneven and of poor quality. He said this forced them to lay the tiles on an unscreeded floor full of lumps, bumps, and cracks, which he claimed caused the significant lippage, hollowness, and inconsistent grout gaps. I told him that was their responsibility, and the tiles should never have been laid on such a poor substrate, especially without proper matting to allow for settlement.
He said the builder pressured them into proceeding with the job. The next day, two tilers came to inject resin under some tiles, which didn’t resolve the issue. They also lifted and relaid several tiles due to lippage, but while they fixed one side of the tile, they created lippage on another. They did not use spacers or leveling clips and grouted the tiles before they were set. When they returned the following day to grout all the tiles, the grout mixed with adhesive because it hadn't set properly, resulting in a poor finish. A week later, the hollowness and lippage remain. We had a third party inspect and conduct a report on the work, identifying multiple issues, which I will post separately below.
TLDR version:
Inspection of Floor Tiling Installation
An independent inspection of the floor tiling at "XXXX ROAD" Lane found multiple issues with the workmanship, including significant lippage, uneven levels, hollow-sounding tiles, poor surface preparation, grout bleed, cracked and incorrectly cut tiles, marks on tiles, inconsistent adhesive and grout mix, and failed rectification attempts. These issues violate the Consumer Rights Act 2015, Consumer Code for Home Builders, and relevant British standards.
Recommended Corrective Actions:
- Remove existing tiles and prepare the substrate properly, including leveling and fixing structural defects.
- Reinstall tiles with correct adhesive coverage and consistent grout spacing, ensuring compliance with industry standards.
- Remove and reinstall skirting boards, kitchen units, and sanitary ware as needed.
- Install dust protection and conduct a thorough deep clean.
- Conduct a final inspection to ensure all corrective measures meet required standards and provide documentation to the customer.
The report concludes that the current installation does not meet acceptable quality standards and outlines necessary steps to achieve a professional and durable finish.
We have reached out to the builder and are still waiting for a response. We've documented everything and are now communicating via email since the site manager has made promises over the phone that he hasn’t kept. We’ve also copied in the CEOs of the company. We’re now questioning our options if we need to get the work redone by someone else, considering we paid £7,056 for the tiled flooring as an optional extra, along with £14,000 for other upgrades and extras, with 50% paid upfront via debit card (rather than credit card, unfortunately) in February and the remaining 50% paid via the solicitor at completion.
I understand chargebacks can be set up within 120 days of the purchase, but since the payment through the solicitor was only 8 weeks ago, I’m unsure of our standing.
Any thoughts on next steps? So far, we’ve emailed three times, including the inspection report, and have copied in the CEO and solicitor. Our next step is to leave reviews on Trustpilot and post on the independent Social Media Feedback page that the builder monitors. We've emphasized that we’re not seeking compensation or financial gain—just the 5-star quality product that we were promised and paid for.
