what would you guys do?

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Fourplastering

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Had a client ring me today saying that the ceiling i did for him 4 weeks ago has a hairline crack in it. I told him it was movement from joists above and to use a bit of filler. He is adamant he wants me back to put it right.
The property is an old cottage and the ceiling was artexed (thick) iver plasterboard. I removed and replaced all tapes i could and scrimmed all the other cracks i could see.

1. Should i just do it as a goodwill gesture although the job is 30 drive from me?
2. Do it and charge him time?
3. Tell him i ain't doing it?

answers on a postcard please.
Andy
 
just get some of the nice thin cottom scrim and rake tape and fill it as a good will kind of thing, if you tell him where to stick it he will more than likely tell someone else of the demon plasterer who in turn could tell couple of other people and so on, if its movement you cnt be to blame for it really say to him you will repair it for him.
have you said anything to him bout a revisit charge if so what did he say (poke it proberly, but you never know)
 
Do it as a goodwill, if it is caused by movement and not poor workmanship then I would expect the crack to re appear thus proving to the client not your fault! Is this a regular customer? Do you get much work thru him, ie passin your number on to others, you don't want him slatin your work to others
 
Just do it for nowt. You would rather he tells his family & friends that you came back and did it for nowt than him tell them you couldnt be arsed and not recommend you. Cutting out a crack, filling it and sanding it down aint gonna take long. Just bite the bullet............IMO............:RpS_thumbup:
 
I was just a minute behind you FA with more or less the same reply marra.....Great minds eh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:RpS_thumbsup:
 
Thanks guys,
It was a 35m2 lid with curves to both side. Didn't overboard as client didn't want to. I have done other work for him in the past (1 job) maybe more work there but don't fancy it really.
Nonetheless, i think i will go and do it for him as a goodwill gesture, as you say, it wont take long.:RpS_thumbup:
 
If I had advised him to overboard and he insisted on just reskimming, then I would be charging him for sorting it out.
 
I'm assuming that the Artex ceiling wasn't cracked to begin with. If you've then removed a tape and replaced it with scrim you don't really have a leg to stand on, as scrim is inferior to tape at stopping cracks.
Why remove any tapes in the first place?
 
Fourplastering said:
Thanks guys,
It was a 35m2 lid with curves to both side. Didn't overboard as client didn't want to. I have done other work for him in the past (1 job) maybe more work there but don't fancy it really.
Nonetheless, i think i will go and do it for him as a goodwill gesture, as you say, it wont take long.:RpS_thumbup:
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If you recommended boarding it and he didn't want to then you have the upper hand mate, charge him at least diesel money,,, worth a try anyway:rolleyes)
 
turn the question around ask him what has cracked my plaster?
your are supposed to be the expert why did you let him in to talking you not to overboard it ?
 
essexandy said:
I'm assuming that the Artex ceiling wasn't cracked to begin with. If you've then removed a tape and replaced it with scrim you don't really have a leg to stand on, as scrim is inferior to tape at stopping cracks.
Why remove any tapes in the first place?
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No, crack was running along the tape line due to the tapes coming away from the ceiling. Thats the reason i removed them.
 
Fourplastering said:
No, crack was running along the tape line due to the tapes coming away from the ceiling. Thats the reason i removed them.
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It's unusual for a tape to come away from the ceiling for no particular reason and with a crack running along it would have raised concerns in my mind. I would (in fact have) have warned the client in advance that there appeared to be some movement and that it was likely to crack again. I would then have used paper tape. If it doesn't re-crack then alls well but if it did you've done all you can without going beyond simple plastering. Chalet style properties with roof timbers going in all different directions tend to be the worst for ceiling cracks.
 
andy ive done stacks and stacks of skimming over artex ceilings were the tape has come away (the paper stuff) its shite from what ive seen
 
NPS said:
andy ive done stacks and stacks of skimming over artex ceilings were the tape has come away (the paper stuff) its shite from what ive seen
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Perhaps the quality of the northern Artexers wasn't a good as down south, just like with plastering:rolleyes)

I did look but couldn't find a smiley wearing a hard hat.
 
Must admit i have seen loads of that shite paper tape come away over the years.I normally rip it of its dropped, and try and get a few screws in the join before i skrim and skim.
 
kebab king said:
Must admit i have seen loads of that shite paper tape come away over the years.I normally rip it of its dropped, and try and get a few screws in the join before i skrim and skim.
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Agree, its always the old brown paper tape, strip them out go over the ceiling with the screw gun to pull it up tight. :RpS_thumbup:
 
Oh and to the OP, id go back to have a look even if they called up fives years later, I know you dont have to, but reputation is everything in this game, you never know what job they could lead you to next.
 
The very least you would do is have a look :RpS_thumbup:

1. You need to show the customer you care about the job.
2. Professional pride says you need to know what the customer is 'accusing' you of.
3. Curiosity dictates that you try to establish the reason(s) for the cracking.
 
The tapes were removed because they failed. I put a few screws in either side of the cracks then Skimmed.
I can only assume that:
1. The crack was missed and was not taped.
2. The boards were fixed originally to sister joists and there is movement.
3. The extra weight has caused it to crack.

Either way i'm going back Tuesday, i'll put some screws in, cut out a V and fill then tape and joint over the top. If it fails after that I give up.

Thanks for your help guys.
 
essexandy said:
Perhaps the quality of the northern Artexers wasn't a good as down south, just like with plastering:rolleyes)

I did look but couldn't find a smiley wearing a hard hat.
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I often find that the tapes have failed on Artexed ceiling either because there was not enough material put under the tape, the tape wasn't wet when it was fixed (pre dry taping), or a leak has occured and disolved the bond.

In these situations i can usually pull one end and the whole tape peals off
 
Fourplastering said:
I often find that the tapes have failed on Artexed ceiling either because there was not enough material put under the tape, the tape wasn't wet when it was fixed (pre dry taping), or a leak has occured and disolved the bond.

In these situations i can usually pull one end and the whole tape peals off
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I used to work on a site where the Artexer used pissy wet gear to put his tapes up and they did fail pretty often:RpS_confused: you'd have though he'd change his ways but no.
 
thats alright though good artexers have given us loadsa work making it smooth and bad artexers have given us even more:RpS_thumbup:
 
Yeah, loads of sh1t work.

I'd rather be playing with my testicles at home than skimming some rough as assholes artex!
 
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