The Brew Cabin

A patio was finished at my property in February and in June I noticed a wobble in a slab. I rang the contractor who said he would come and see to it. In the days waiting for him, in some places the mortar was coming away so I told him to come and fix this and we made a date for him to do it. He then became ill and now has been on holiday. Now I have found more loose slabs (some have a hollow sound when treading on them) and I am trying to contact him. What I really want to know does anyone know where I stand. Do I ask for him to patch up or mortar the lot again? I am on my own and don't want to be fobbed off with excuses.

i understand you want these problems fixing but if i were you i would rather get someone else to fix it and have him pay for it as he was obviously not capable of doing the job in the first place, however if you contact him and sound off you will probably find him impossible to contact in the future and then you are down to a small claims court that is not cheap and rarely productive. I would try and be diplomatic and maybe have someone in the know at hand as this may intimidate him into admitting his errors and then correcting them accordingly. But believe me one loose flag from a pro is rare two is rarer several is incomopetance have you any sort of guarantee if so is it worth the paper it is written on

Standard apology - been off for a few days due to angina. Sorry for delayed responses.

Hollow-sounding flags and wobbling are key indicators for the dreaded spot-bedding, so beloved of eejits and bodgers throughout the land.

The odds are that, even if you manage to persuade this "contractor" (I use the term in its loosest possible sense) to return and effect repairs, it will only be a matter of time before more flags work loose, more pointing flicks out, and there's a distinct possibility that flags may crack, as they are not fully supported.

Legally, you are obliged to request the original contractor returns to undertake the repsirs, unless you have a strong case that would show that the contractor is actually incompetent and incapable of effecting a proper repair. You must write to the contractor requesting an on-site meeting to address the problems and to agree a plan of remedial works.

If the contractor does not respond, does not attend the meeting or does not come up with a remedial plan that meets your requirements, then you are obliged to inform them, in writingm that you will be seeking a replacement contractor to correct the defects and that the original contractor will be held responsible for any and all costs incurred.

If in doubt, contact your local Trading Standards Office and/or a solicitor.