The Brew Cabin

I've just had some work done on the steps at the front of our house.

We asked the builder to re-build them using Indian Slate and I think that's what he has used (the stone says Natural Riven Sandstone).

Before I asked them to do the job I was looking at doing it myself and priced up some Indian Slate which I could get in the right size to use one piece on each tread. However, when I came home yesterday I found that he's used two peices with a joint on each tread and the joint isn't even in the middle.

He's coming back to finish tomorrow. Do I have grounds for complaint???

Did you discuss the use of a single slab per tread.?

Whilst it is often prefeable to use one piece, there is not anything wrong with having two.

We would usually avoid having the joints in middle where there is more than on tread, would stagger joints towards each side, so as not to get straight line of joints down the steps.

If you are not happy discuss it with builder. But cannot complain, unless you stated to use one piece of stone.

Maybe that his supplier uses different sizes of indian stone to the one you looked at, it varies between different sources..

Unless you specifically instructed the contractor to use a single flagstone to construct the tread to each step, then you've no legitimate complaint, and, assuming that, apart form this issue of aesthetics, the rest of the work is fine, then I think it only fair for the contractor to require extra payment if you insist on the steps being re-built.

Most contractors work to the best of their ability, and endeavour to produces aesthetically pleasing work, but if no specific instructions, drawings or documentation is given, then you have to accept that they will build what they think is best, even if that clashes with your tastes.

I have to agree with both replies given, personally i would have avoided straight joints as it seems you wanted, but i am more interested in why you did not carry out your original plan to do the work yourself. Have you had an injury or is it the original saying. (I was going to do it myself but i dont have time.) Im sure the contractors out there know what i meen. the twenty grand job that a dentist was going to do in his spare time. Hope im wrong Alan