Hollow sounding tiles - is this normal?

Transform_IT said:
Yeh - I feel that I are using the 25 days to come up with some **** and bull story about allowing for 1mm lippage tolerance and other reasons why the job is "satisfactory".

If it was to go to court, would it be small claims or solicitor and big boy court?
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I dont know, you'd need to double check I think the limit on small claims is £10k but dont quote me on that, dont forget you may need to add costs on top.

The thing is it 99% wont go to court, particularly as you have an independent report, those are pretty damming, but unfortunately, it seems to be a common trend that a lot of uk companies are basically "passively breaking the law" by not obiding by their legal responsibilities, basically up until the point you are taking them to court, then of course, knowing they will loose they will cave at teh last minute.

But if you think of 9 out of every 10 people will get scared or let it go, they will mostly get away with it, which is of course, better for their bottom line, and lets face that is all they care about. It's discraceful really and it's not just new build developers its across the board.

I had a similar (ish) scenario on something I bought from a shop that blatently disgregarded any of their legal responsibilities, and although I didn't take them to court a did a section 75 through my credit card and won, but the fact of the matter is the cheek, they blantently were trying to rip me off hoping that I just wouldnt do anything about it or give up.

These developers are clearly not too concerned over reputational damage although (sorry) but it seems people are quite happy to pay good money for their shoddy new builds.
 
I’ve now received a formal response from the builder regarding the ongoing tiling and other issues. They’ve offered to refund the full amount I paid for the tiling—£7,062—along with an additional £2,938 for repairs to the base, skirting, and painting, bringing the total offer to £10,000.

However, after speaking with my tile manufacturer, the cost of new tiles alone is £3,500. My tiling contractor quoted £5,500 to lift and re-lay the tiles, rectify the substrate, and handle levelling. On top of that, we need to account for painting, repairs to the kitchen (as the tiles go underneath), dust protection, and temporary accommodation while the work is completed. Here’s a breakdown of the costs:

  • Labour for tile installation, flooring prep, and substrate matting: £5,500 - £6,000
  • Cost of tiles: £3,391.15
  • Removal of old tiles and base preparation (4 days' work): £2,450
  • Skip hire for waste disposal: £200
  • Dust control materials to protect carpets in the study, lounge, and landing: £100
  • Temporary accommodation for 7-8 nights while the house is uninhabitable: £946 - £1,112
  • Remastic of skirting: £150
  • Repainting walls: £350
  • Potential repairs for damaged plinths, skirting, and kitchen panels: £150 – £500
In total, the estimated cost for all remedial work is between £12,000 and £15,000—this doesn’t even factor in compensation for the disruption we’ve endured.

The builder has now come back with an updated offer of £12,500–£15,000, but it would require us to accept all remaining snags and handle the repairs ourselves. For some context, they recently visited to adjust our bifold doors and replace a damaged glass unit, but unfortunately caused irreparable damage to the entire frame, which now needs replacing.

Here’s a list of the remaining unresolved issues:

  • Loose and uneven flags at the front and rear
  • Malfunctioning door handles in the lounge and other rooms
  • Ongoing issues with doors throughout the house (kitchen, WC, bathroom, etc.)
  • Significant color differences in the oak banister compared to neighboring properties
  • Cracking and uneven flooring in several rooms
  • Over-tightened towel radiator damaging plaster in the master ensuite
  • Wonky, poorly fitted kitchen radiator
  • Utility/garage door hinge leaking oil
  • Damaged garage door bottom still unaddressed
  • Paint and grout issues behind the mastic in the kitchen and bathroom
  • Multiple mortar cracks in the stone front of the house
  • Clicking/creaking step on the stairs
While it’s clear they’ve accepted some responsibility, I’m concerned that even with this increased offer, I’ll still be out of pocket. For example, the bifold doors alone will cost over £1,500 to repair, and addressing the remaining snags will certainly exceed the additional £2,500 they’ve offered.

What would you do in this situation? Any advice on how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
 
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