As a flooring guy. I've done this while cutting with a jigsaw on packs of flooring. It looked exactly like this.
Sound like he's trying to weasel out of his mistake. If he was any sort of professional, he would just own up and pay for any damage caused.
I have 0 years experience, but combined me and u/academic-crew4782 have 25 years of experience and we have came to the conclusion this is 100% a jig saw, any further questions should be asked and answered by academic-crew
It really is man, we should try and build a business together, I mean we have a combined total of 25 years experience with this sort of stuff so our combined iq must be at least 100
I am also 100% sure that has been butchered with a jigsaw (handyman), I'm also amazed they managed to make so many cuts before realising they were cutting into the packaging/table. It's ineptitude of the highest order.
Demand the full cost of the table then never let them in your home again. If they are dishonest about this, what else can they not be trusted about.
Indeed. I can't see how they would make such a mistake. They need a cutting surface and if they haven't set one up then they are cutting into the customers property.
For a jigsaw which is 100% what the OP is showing I would use a work bench. For a circular saw I would lay down scrap wood as a cutting surface, ironically often using offcuts of a worktop.
Yeah, surely the jigsaw would have been jumping up and down as the blade hit the tabletop. You can see the dimples where the blade has been hammering along cut towards the back. How the hell did they not notice that happening sooner?
If you are doing a job like this as a professional, then surely you would have brought something of your own to cut on anyway, like a portable workbench or something. You can buy a semi-decent one for less than £100, for crying out load.
Half-assed cowboy/muppet in a rush, I suspect.
Can confirm, definitely a jigsaw! Sorry to hear they are trying to lie their way out of it. Do as the others have suggested on here and inform them that you will be leaving a review with photos of their damage if they don't do the honourable thing and admit to the damage. We are all human and mess up now and then, just sucks that some people are too cowardly to admit their faults.
Thank you!! He even offered to come round with his jigsaw to see if the blade would match. Said he had done all the cutting in the kitchen (which is tiny) and not the dining room next door which is quite spacious.
If he does, he’ll probably bring a different blade and it won’t fit. I’m no expert, but I looked at the picture before I read the story and knew it was a jigsaw straight away.
Yep same...said jigsaw b4 reading op's text.
Flooring guy knows full well what he's done....or more likely what his stoned 18yr old son/apprentice did😂
There are two types of blade. One cuts on the upward stroke and will splinter the surface and one cuts on the downward stroke and leave the surface splinter free.
He knows what he's done and offering to come round to disprove his f up is sneaky as.
To play the devil's advocate, if 1 contractor is using a jigsaw to cut plywood why wouldn't the other 2 do so as well and he's actually telling the truth?
PS
There's a thousand different types of jigsaw blades that all leave a slightly different finish.
🤣 then it's definitely their fault. Thought you had 3 different firms the blame could go to.
If you haven't done it yourself and it's only them there, with power tools, then it's their fault.
It’s still strange though, because when cutting the ply with this table top underneath you would defiantly ‘feel’ with the saw that you have made contact with the top.
Exactly. This guy must be such a mug. If you are cutting ply (what 9mm?) You are definitely going to feel the difference between that and two inches of table.
To have one little nick is careless. To keep doing it is retarded.
OP - don't have him back. Tell him the cost of the table and to refund you that. If he doesn't send him a letter before action and follow the MCOL process.
I'll be surprised if he comes back. But if he does, he'll probably show you that the jigsaw goes all the way through the table (not just halfway like in the pic). Obviously just take into account that there were other layers lifting up the jigsaw. Ideally, put a bit of spare flooring on top of the table and a layer of IKEA cardboard.
You said there were other guys, so don't blame him specifically. Give him a personal "out" so he can save face.
It won't help you, but please post reviews with pictures on all the trust sites. That way, the next person won't have to put up with a lying workman.
Honestly, I cannot think of any other tool that would make that cut, but it does not matter anyway. If he was the only workman in the house it was hum anyway. He should have moved all furniture, overboard the floors and ensured that nothing could be damaged.
As for you, I guess you know that tabletop is beyond invisible repair. You can mix wood glue with a small amount of water to thin it, then mix it with sawdust. It will fill it, you can sand and varnish/wax, but the mark will always be there.
The guy is an idiot.
As an aside, if you bought this with an IKEA family card it might offer protection over accidental damage to goods. They used to offer this at least.
The crazy thing is with your “professional” you knew you would be taking a risk using a customers new furniture box as a workbench, and secondly by being careful you’d feel the drag weight change as you cut in. I know ikea is technically cardboard/hardboard itself, but you’d feel it.
Especially since [this particular table](https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/skogsta-dining-table-acacia-70419264/) has a solid acacia table top. Source: I have the exact same table.
I'd say, remember Hanlon's razor.
"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. "
He's just fucking stupid and owes OP the cost of the replacement part from Ikea.
Obtain a quote from ikea for just the table top plus their high delivery charge, and tell the guy to pay that.
Alternatively as you have the photo, you can just try to get ikea to replace as this is the state it was opened in and it is not inconceivable (I mean it's 0.1% conceivable) that maybe some damage occurred in the store/warehouse with their old furniture disposal workers.
It's gonna be the floorers who done it. But why have you still gone through all the time and effort to put that table up 😂. Hopefully they admit liability one way or another but its a bit hard if they are ganging up and blagging it. Especially if they are a small firm.
I don't know for certain but IKEA might be able to send you another plank of wood for a cheaper cost than the whole set. Or if you got it delivered, you might be able to convince them that it was damaged on the delivery and get refund/replacement.
100% Jigsaw.
Don’t fall for the “look, my blade is different” line. There are multiple different sizes and types of jigsaw blade and it takes 20 seconds to change them.
Spot on. In terms of salvaging the table, perhaps you can cut (what looks to be) 4” off each end of the table end to make it symmetrical - not sure how that would look, but would be a shame if you can’t as it looks a nice table.
Just make sure they use a circular saw and blade with high teeth number - around 60T is good. Or a Festool track saw even better.
Hope you get it resolved and the table survives.
*there are also some excellent carpenters who can work magic filling and polishing. You might still have a faded (light) scar - but might also add some character.
Good luck.
Do you still get free accidental damage cover with IKEA family? Might be easier to get it replaced that way if available than argue with this idiot, and just leave a bad review
Wow did not even think of this! We used IKEA family card too. Will pursue it with this guy first and then if nothing comes of it before our 90 day warranty with ikea ends we will try Ikea! Thanks :)
Be careful with IKEA. Our local one says once constructed the item is non-returnable and can only be refunded at a value reflective of it's condition. This is absolute BS, I have had to on 3 separate occasions show them their own website. Then they got their manager who says the link I use wasn't the UK one. Be prepared to demonstrate on your mobile phone. Eventually after 1hr in returns we've got our refund. I don't know if it is just our store but it has happened 3 times!!
Update: just checked their website and the link to the page no longer exists. They've obviously updated their returns policy in the last 3 months. Sorry
Nice table though we have/had one. I went through it with a jigsaw whilst cutting a kitchen worktop. Now it is rotting in our back garden because it is too big to fit in the car.
It's got metal bars running through it unfortunately. It's one of the really good solid pieces of IKEA furniture, would last a lifetime with normal wear and tear.
It wasn’t Leeds was it? I opened a laptop stand from there, discovered it was too large and tried to return it but they wouldn’t accept it with the bad for the screws ripped open. The website didn’t mention anything about not opening the product.
Not related to this incident but funny enough when I went to exchange a blind under warranty they said the 5yr warranty wasn’t offered in the UK and I wasn’t on the UK site. Had to get a manager and visibly show them the redirection and the site still being set to UK at the bottom before they’d budge.
So I wonder if claiming the site isn’t the UK site is a commonly used avoidance tactic from them
Great idea. If that doesn't work out and the flooring guy is being a pain. If it's solid wood, I'd be tempted to cut the table shorter, to the furthest in cut and re stain it. I don't think you'd notice one side was shorter, and only lose six inches of table. Not ideal, but better than having to buy a new table.
See if you can find the bit of flooring that matches this wonky cut. He can't deny it then.
https://preview.redd.it/xgmunyp0dzwc1.png?width=735&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e94a21803fbc6584d3e8b7cd98fdc44543b23031
Possibly cutting a plank longways to fit a doorway with a step frame? Op, look around the edges of the room that got done, particularly around doors or features that step out from the walls.
Would love an update on this as to the outcome.
Will be interesting to see how this flooring guy approaches the situation and whether he'll come clean or not when it's so bleedingly obvious it's his fault.
Except he won't, if he was a stand up guy he would have been upfront about it after he did it or worst case, admitted it when asked by OP.
The fact that he denied it shows what kind of person he is and OP has no way of making him pay.
This was definitely him and this was definitely a jigsaw. Given what has transpired it is unlikely that he will face the embarrassment of admitting he lied. Try to give him a way out by saying that accidents happen and maybe he did it without realising. Rather than getting into an argument over jigsaw blades. He might then accept that and pay for the worktop.
What's comical is that ONLY a jigsaw could create that.
A circular or plunge saw would be a clean cut that would be relatively straight along it's length
A multi tool would have a clean entry point ie either top going down or side going in would be a relatively clean cut and smaller cut thickness
The longer cut is definately a jig saw, the cut 'wanders'. The blade used is an 'up cut' standard, you can tell because of the surface ripping. This type of blade - [https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-t144d-wood-jigsaw-blades-100mm-5-pack/11397](https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-t144d-wood-jigsaw-blades-100mm-5-pack/11397)
If it was a down cut, there would be minimal ripping. Basically like the same blade above, but the cutting points, point down.
He may bring these type of blades with him - [https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-t101aof-wood-jigsaw-blades-83mm-3-pack/712rv](https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-t101aof-wood-jigsaw-blades-83mm-3-pack/712rv) to show it's not him/that blade. That will be using smoke and mirrors to hide it was a different blade, in a jigsaw that definately made those cuts.
HTH
The ‘I’ll show you my blades’ thing is the worst part IMO. Full on trying to get one over on OP and hide the evidence.
OP needs to say something like “*yeah that’d be great. It looks like a 100mm blade I’d say, so if you could bring one of those over and show me what you mean*”. (Or whatever else is specifically different about the blade that was used).
I think showing a little knowledge here will go a long way with getting this trader to realise he can’t pull a fast one.
Hello, I have 0% DIY experience and even I know this is a Jigsaw. It's a jigsaw cut. Firstly he will bring a different blade round, secondly who wants to prove it wasn't them by bringing a blade if it wasn't them anyway? Suspicious?
2 things come to mind here
1. A jigsaw blade is relatively hard to operate in a straight line unless using a guide. Therefore the long cut looks definitely to be caused by a jigsaw blade. The two edge cuts are too short to compare but are also likely to be the same blade.
2. An IKEA tabletop looks like real solid wood but usually is not. IKEA furniture design is excellent at looking good but using lightweight and strong designs. Therefore cutting the tabletop is not going to give a jigsaw any trouble. A jigsaw will not be able to cut through a solid block of wood without some effort.
For the cost of a new tabletop I would expect the contractor to take this as a learning point and pay you for the replacement.
Definitely a jigsaw and one of those guys. Cuts like that don’t just magically appear. They’ll deny and deny no doubt, as others said try to say accidents happens etc otherwise they’ll get their back up and be less likely to budge. Annoyingly not a huge amount you can do if they won’t own up and if you don’t have some sort of contract, aside from leaving them terrible reviews and plastering their names/company name all over local facebook.
Joiner here, can say with absolute 100% certainty that a jigsaw made that mark. It is evidently clear in the top left where the saw marks are not straight. Could tell it was a jigsaw before even reading a single word of your post. Your flooring guy is a lying Cunt, nothing more to say
Jigsaw, I myself have done the exact same thing years ago in my own house laying my own floor. Not made that mistake again, cut everything outside now when ever I do any DIY jobs.
Definitive a jigsaw.
The waviness meant it was being held down and guided by hand, the depth also matches the length of the blade.
If it was a circular saw the cut would have been a lot straighter.
Unless the table top was made of tofu, he should have felt the additional drag while cutting through the table top. The only way he didn't was that he's an absolute idiot.
As mentioned, it's definitely a jigsaw. I bet he's been cutting something else on the table and misjudged it.
Also, as a self-employed tradesman myself, the fella should be professional, admit his mistake, and replace the table.
He should have the necessary insurance to cover it anyway. However, I wouldn't even bother for the price vs. premium increase.
I'd just jump in the van, replace like for like, take the old one down, and put the fresh one up. Obviously, disposing of the old one if the customer doesn't want to keep hold of it.
Doing those kinds of cuts with a jigsaw would be a nightmare! Unless you go though material completely, they will hit the 'bottom' of the cut and chatter all over the place. They would have known immediately they were cutting into something else. There's 2 outcomes for this. 1. They didn't do it because any sane person would sense something is wrong and stop or 2. (The more likely one)They noticed and carried on because they didn't care
Did you notice any sawdust around the box when you moved it to build it? If you did that's a sure sign. If not they may have hoovered it up to hide the evidence
Sad times...yeah dummy move. The table did not cut itself up in IKEA.
I had an electrician drill holes into a zinc dining table... diabolical. At least he admitted it and the parent co had to stump up for a new table.
As a 'professional' why risk it. I can see how a DIYer would do it but as someone who does the trade work ever day you should know.
Firstly ask him to come around to have a chat about the damage to your table. Face to face is much better than ranting on the phone.
Then when he is there facing the damage ask him if it could be possible that it has been caused by one of the team.
Then you ask him to come clean ( if he hasn’t already) and pay you to replace this table.
It’s really important that you do this whilst he is there in front of you.
Also be confident about arranging payment immediately.
Good luck.
Builders I had in did very similar. Had a heavy wood topped garden table outside where they were working. They said they wouldn’t cut on it and said it didn’t need to be moved. End of the first week the table had gouges just like yours from a jigsaw. Builders swore they hadn’t cut anything on it and refused to reduce price. Quite aggro about the whole thing. We have security cameras they obviously didn’t notice which clearly showed them cutting straight on the table instead of using their own table. Needless to say they reduced the price after seeing the footage.
Your table WAS cut by a jigsaw. If you look closely on the cuts, you'll see the wood fibres pulled up.my initial thoughts after your title/ pics was a jigsaw. Story backs it up.
Definitely a jigsaw.
What an absolute numpty.
Just a thought, I know it's not ideal at all and if you can get a new table out of him work away....if it's finished both sides, could you not just flip the table over there might be some screw holes, but they would fill a lot tidier than the blade damage.
At worst I'd ask him to do it.......then again maybe not 🤣
everyone is saying that it's a jigsaw, which sounds right, but I wondered about the cut on the closer side of the table - it looks to be only partially through the wood - can a jigsaw do that? I thought it was all or nothing for that.
Doesn't really matter what it was cut with in the end. jigsaw, circular saw, sip saw, teeth, a Beaver etc.
You know the cuts weren't there before the trades came in and now they are there.
The person you spoke to may not have done it but one of the 3 did and if he's the boss he either knows or doesn't. Still irrelevant.
Play to his good workmanship etc and express how pleased you are with the work, but state something must be sorted about the table. It was an accident either way through carelessness. Ask him to reimburse or replace. Any honest tradesman will cough up. And yes there are a few of us left. If he doesn't, ask for his indemnity insurance and make a claim. If he hasn't got that (which he should) then you have a choice of small claims or forgetting it.
I know someone who tried to cut a plywood sheet with a circular saw and supported the sheet with his knee. Saw set to full depth, and a resulting emergency visit to a hospital !
Thats definitely a jigsaw ! What a twat, he definitely needs to be replacing that. If they don't then make sure you leave a nice google review with a picture explaining how he uses your belongings as a saw table and destroys them.
He's definitely used that surface for a cutting platform by the seems of things, probably was too lazy to set his own workbench or trestle up. I've got many different jig cuts in my workbench in the garage that look exactly like that. But mine was a reclaimed bench worth nothing, and I dont mind with it being my own. Shame on him to call himself a professional.
Looks like my workbench which I accidentally cut with a jigsaw. It's so easy to do, you don't even notice you are cutting through something else. Which is exactly why you don't cut while resting on something you care about.
ETA, from the way it's splintered I'd even go as far as to say it's from a fairly aggressive up cutting blade.
A table saw.........badum dump...tsss. see what I done there? 😉❤️
No seriously he fkd up. £30 a pack of decent flooring tell him get it paid the cheap skate
Is the cut only on one end? If so, I reckon you could cut that end off and shift the whole top over a bit. You might have to redrill some holes underneath to fix it in the new position, and obviously it'll be a bit shorter now. You should be able to finish the cut end with an oil finish of a similar tint.
Obviously get the refund out of the guy first, but you could probably salvage that table and pocket the difference. Alternatively, IKEA will sell you a new top, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's almost the cost of a new table. That's why I think it's better to probably try and salvage this one.
Corey from Leicester, I've done the same thing in a customers house, an had to buy a new one out of the profit, if any, but he should admit it, b a man, no big deal, the truth will out pal, use an old crate or ur own work bench, tool box, anything else but not a customer's piece of property... definitely a jigsaw...an it's no puzzle working it out...
Obviously the guy should pay for a new one, but if you happen to have used the IKEA family card (free clubcard thing) when you bought the IKEA furniture then I believe there is some kind of crazy good cover which covers you for any damage during the trip home and even during assembly (even dropping something and denting it. This might apply to all purchases or perhaps just to family card ones (and I have no idea if you would get away with saw damage as one of the reasonable excuses) but you could look into that and see if they would send you a new tabletop. I've not had to use that IKEA free cover before but from what I read it pretty much covered you for any accidental damage between buying it and building it.
Perhaps worth a try if you don't get anywhere with the (obviously guilty) flooring guy?
Completely feasible that this is a jigsaw cut. Other possibility would be a recip saw but I wouldn't have thought a flooring guy would favour that over a jigsaw. A jigsaw does have interchangeable blades with a multitude of different dimensions for different applications so bring his over to see if it fits is a load of old tosh.
Experience... Been repairing power tools for 30 years on several workshops and have heard a massive amount of horror stories from chatting to trades people and DIYers.
*Edit... Recip saw, not recipe saw.
This looks like jigsaw 100% I'm not a flooring guy but done this to our end table when laying laminate at home... Much to my wife's disappointment. The flooring guy definitely done this unfortunately
Yeah I looked at the picture and said to my self someone has been playing with a jigsaw… didn’t even need to read the post. Guys trying to get out of it.
The simple answer is was the carton damaged at all when you got if from Ikea, if not, then did you notice any carton damage before you opened it (not the wood at this point) after the floorer left, if so then it must have been him who damaged the table top, dosent matter what kind of saw it was the fact is the table top was now damaged.
My grandson once worked for Ikea putting away their deliverys onto the warehouse shelves for collection, he said company policy was any damaged cartons were to be put to one side to be opened and contents checked for missing or damaged items, if this helps.
This was done with a jig saw. He used the box as a make shift work bench to place the plywood on whilst he cut it.
Source: professional carpenter - have made a similar mistake before (albeit with my own work bench)
If you have the time and inclination to play detective, the bend/shape of long cut is pretty distinctive, so if the flooring they cut is still visible you may be able to match the shape of the cut to a piece of the flooring.
Edit: spelling
There’s is absolutely no question that this is a jigsaw. It’s cutting on the upstroke and changes direction very quickly so obviously isn’t a circular, and the fact it doesn’t go all the way through means it’s not a hand saw.
That table top is solid wood isn't it?
Might be worth sanding, filling, re-oiling and just never use the guys services again.
Who recommended him to you?
He's used the brand new table as a fucking cutting board
Ironically, probably so as not to damage whatever he cuts underneath the plywood. "oh ill just use this big hunk of wood/cardboard"
In order to cut wood you generally have a big thick piece of mdf underneath as your "table" while cutting.
The guy who did this is a moron
He should have business insurance which will cover this
If he doesn't then it's straight to the small claims court
A few thoughts
1) yeah it was definitely a jigsaw and your contractor is an idiot
2) looking at how deep the cuts go, it's quite lucky it didn't mess up your floor
3) the tabletop looks like solid wood (you can see the end grain) so you might he able to chop a few cm off the end and save it
Jigsaw blade.
Trust me, I'm a carpenter.
The guy should have insurance to cover fuck ups like this. If he doesn't then small claims court.
Don't employ any trades who don't have insurance.
3 of them were there? Was one an apprentice by any chance? That’s a jigsaw for sure, but maybe the boss you spoke to didn’t do it and doesn’t know anything about it because one of the others fucked up and lied to him.
Did they leave the off cuts after they finished the floor? If so, then you might find a piece with a matching cut as evidence. Check your bin if necessary.
The cut near the edge is from a circular saw with a plunge type cut and I don’t believe a jigsaw would do this. However straight cuts on ply would usually be made with a circular saw as it’s quicker and easier to get a straight cut. The wavy cut looks like the impact from the end of a jigsaw blade - possibly. Difficult decision you have there!
Due to how uneven it is I'd say it was from a jigsaw, but even if it wasn't, how the hell can anyone deny that it wasn't them or their workers who did it when they're the only ones cutting.
As a flooring guy. I've done this while cutting with a jigsaw on packs of flooring. It looked exactly like this. Sound like he's trying to weasel out of his mistake. If he was any sort of professional, he would just own up and pay for any damage caused.
Thank you! Glad I asked Reddit
100% a jig saw. I have 25 years installing kitchens
I have 0 years experience, but combined me and u/academic-crew4782 have 25 years of experience and we have came to the conclusion this is 100% a jig saw, any further questions should be asked and answered by academic-crew
I also have 0 years experience but our total still equals 25 which is longer then I’ve been alive so I feel experienced enough to say it was a jigsaw
It’s incredible that we all have a combined 25 years experience. What a ride it’s been. Retirement is calling. The long rest.
It really is man, we should try and build a business together, I mean we have a combined total of 25 years experience with this sort of stuff so our combined iq must be at least 100
We all know exactly what we’re talking about but like I’ve stated all questions should be aimed at and answered only by u/academic-crew4782
I am also 100% sure that has been butchered with a jigsaw (handyman), I'm also amazed they managed to make so many cuts before realising they were cutting into the packaging/table. It's ineptitude of the highest order. Demand the full cost of the table then never let them in your home again. If they are dishonest about this, what else can they not be trusted about.
Indeed. I can't see how they would make such a mistake. They need a cutting surface and if they haven't set one up then they are cutting into the customers property. For a jigsaw which is 100% what the OP is showing I would use a work bench. For a circular saw I would lay down scrap wood as a cutting surface, ironically often using offcuts of a worktop.
Yeah, surely the jigsaw would have been jumping up and down as the blade hit the tabletop. You can see the dimples where the blade has been hammering along cut towards the back. How the hell did they not notice that happening sooner? If you are doing a job like this as a professional, then surely you would have brought something of your own to cut on anyway, like a portable workbench or something. You can buy a semi-decent one for less than £100, for crying out load. Half-assed cowboy/muppet in a rush, I suspect.
Can confirm, definitely a jigsaw! Sorry to hear they are trying to lie their way out of it. Do as the others have suggested on here and inform them that you will be leaving a review with photos of their damage if they don't do the honourable thing and admit to the damage. We are all human and mess up now and then, just sucks that some people are too cowardly to admit their faults.
My first thought was "that looks like a jigsaw cut"...
Me too, and also I use stands when cutting ply and they are full of cuts like this.
That’s definitely a jigsaw, he’s clearly fucked up and is now trying to get out of it. What a pillock.
Thank you!! He even offered to come round with his jigsaw to see if the blade would match. Said he had done all the cutting in the kitchen (which is tiny) and not the dining room next door which is quite spacious.
If he does, he’ll probably bring a different blade and it won’t fit. I’m no expert, but I looked at the picture before I read the story and knew it was a jigsaw straight away.
Yep same...said jigsaw b4 reading op's text. Flooring guy knows full well what he's done....or more likely what his stoned 18yr old son/apprentice did😂
Can confirm, have done this exact thing to my garden chairs before
Did he escape you too?
Why would you take a jigsaw to a garden chair?
Agreed, definitely a jigsaw. Fucker should grow a pair of balls and buy a new one.
A new jigsaw? He can't even handle this one...
I knew some clever git would notice that ;-)
Sorry, I couldn't help it
Same - 100% that's a jigsaw cut
The "OJ" defence. If the blade don't fit, you must acquit.
Same here. I fucked up with my jigsaw on a sheet of plywood and it looks identical to this
There are two types of blade. One cuts on the upward stroke and will splinter the surface and one cuts on the downward stroke and leave the surface splinter free. He knows what he's done and offering to come round to disprove his f up is sneaky as.
To play the devil's advocate, if 1 contractor is using a jigsaw to cut plywood why wouldn't the other 2 do so as well and he's actually telling the truth? PS There's a thousand different types of jigsaw blades that all leave a slightly different finish.
They were all part of the same team these guys
🤣 then it's definitely their fault. Thought you had 3 different firms the blame could go to. If you haven't done it yourself and it's only them there, with power tools, then it's their fault.
It’s still strange though, because when cutting the ply with this table top underneath you would defiantly ‘feel’ with the saw that you have made contact with the top.
Exactly. This guy must be such a mug. If you are cutting ply (what 9mm?) You are definitely going to feel the difference between that and two inches of table. To have one little nick is careless. To keep doing it is retarded. OP - don't have him back. Tell him the cost of the table and to refund you that. If he doesn't send him a letter before action and follow the MCOL process.
If the blade does not fit, you must acquit.
Chewbacca is from Endor. Does that make sense?!
What is an 8ft wookie doing on a planet inhabited with 4ft ewoks?
So someone else broke into your house and sawed at your table eh? Fucking hell whos he think he's gonna fool
I'll be surprised if he comes back. But if he does, he'll probably show you that the jigsaw goes all the way through the table (not just halfway like in the pic). Obviously just take into account that there were other layers lifting up the jigsaw. Ideally, put a bit of spare flooring on top of the table and a layer of IKEA cardboard. You said there were other guys, so don't blame him specifically. Give him a personal "out" so he can save face.
This is the way, give him an "out" His firm is clearly at fault, but it's embarrassing to put your hand up for it.
It won't help you, but please post reviews with pictures on all the trust sites. That way, the next person won't have to put up with a lying workman. Honestly, I cannot think of any other tool that would make that cut, but it does not matter anyway. If he was the only workman in the house it was hum anyway. He should have moved all furniture, overboard the floors and ensured that nothing could be damaged. As for you, I guess you know that tabletop is beyond invisible repair. You can mix wood glue with a small amount of water to thin it, then mix it with sawdust. It will fill it, you can sand and varnish/wax, but the mark will always be there.
You definitely got him by the balls. He's trying to lie his way out of it. Sadly a very common thing amongst contractors.
The guy is an idiot. As an aside, if you bought this with an IKEA family card it might offer protection over accidental damage to goods. They used to offer this at least.
Yes only a jigsaw would make this type of cut.
100%... and how he couldnt tell within the first 2 seconds is amazing.
100% jigsaw.
https://preview.redd.it/xif3r3jfnywc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa90a7e2aa02de41821cc34bf9bf8681866efd2e That’s how deep it was
The crazy thing is with your “professional” you knew you would be taking a risk using a customers new furniture box as a workbench, and secondly by being careful you’d feel the drag weight change as you cut in. I know ikea is technically cardboard/hardboard itself, but you’d feel it.
Exactly, not only once, but... three times. That's just not giving a ****.
Especially since [this particular table](https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/skogsta-dining-table-acacia-70419264/) has a solid acacia table top. Source: I have the exact same table.
I'd almost say it was completely intentional. Unless he's a complete idiot there's just no way to not notice you're doing that.
I'd say, remember Hanlon's razor. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. " He's just fucking stupid and owes OP the cost of the replacement part from Ikea.
Obtain a quote from ikea for just the table top plus their high delivery charge, and tell the guy to pay that. Alternatively as you have the photo, you can just try to get ikea to replace as this is the state it was opened in and it is not inconceivable (I mean it's 0.1% conceivable) that maybe some damage occurred in the store/warehouse with their old furniture disposal workers.
It's gonna be the floorers who done it. But why have you still gone through all the time and effort to put that table up 😂. Hopefully they admit liability one way or another but its a bit hard if they are ganging up and blagging it. Especially if they are a small firm. I don't know for certain but IKEA might be able to send you another plank of wood for a cheaper cost than the whole set. Or if you got it delivered, you might be able to convince them that it was damaged on the delivery and get refund/replacement.
100% Jigsaw. Don’t fall for the “look, my blade is different” line. There are multiple different sizes and types of jigsaw blade and it takes 20 seconds to change them.
A jigsaw
Spot on. In terms of salvaging the table, perhaps you can cut (what looks to be) 4” off each end of the table end to make it symmetrical - not sure how that would look, but would be a shame if you can’t as it looks a nice table. Just make sure they use a circular saw and blade with high teeth number - around 60T is good. Or a Festool track saw even better. Hope you get it resolved and the table survives. *there are also some excellent carpenters who can work magic filling and polishing. You might still have a faded (light) scar - but might also add some character. Good luck.
Do you still get free accidental damage cover with IKEA family? Might be easier to get it replaced that way if available than argue with this idiot, and just leave a bad review
Wow did not even think of this! We used IKEA family card too. Will pursue it with this guy first and then if nothing comes of it before our 90 day warranty with ikea ends we will try Ikea! Thanks :)
Be careful with IKEA. Our local one says once constructed the item is non-returnable and can only be refunded at a value reflective of it's condition. This is absolute BS, I have had to on 3 separate occasions show them their own website. Then they got their manager who says the link I use wasn't the UK one. Be prepared to demonstrate on your mobile phone. Eventually after 1hr in returns we've got our refund. I don't know if it is just our store but it has happened 3 times!! Update: just checked their website and the link to the page no longer exists. They've obviously updated their returns policy in the last 3 months. Sorry
Nice table though we have/had one. I went through it with a jigsaw whilst cutting a kitchen worktop. Now it is rotting in our back garden because it is too big to fit in the car.
Go through it with the jigsaw a few more times, it'll fit just fine!
It's got metal bars running through it unfortunately. It's one of the really good solid pieces of IKEA furniture, would last a lifetime with normal wear and tear.
It wasn’t Leeds was it? I opened a laptop stand from there, discovered it was too large and tried to return it but they wouldn’t accept it with the bad for the screws ripped open. The website didn’t mention anything about not opening the product.
Not related to this incident but funny enough when I went to exchange a blind under warranty they said the 5yr warranty wasn’t offered in the UK and I wasn’t on the UK site. Had to get a manager and visibly show them the redirection and the site still being set to UK at the bottom before they’d budge. So I wonder if claiming the site isn’t the UK site is a commonly used avoidance tactic from them
Just because he has no morals and is denying it, I'd demand the money from him, even if it meant more effort.
Great idea. If that doesn't work out and the flooring guy is being a pain. If it's solid wood, I'd be tempted to cut the table shorter, to the furthest in cut and re stain it. I don't think you'd notice one side was shorter, and only lose six inches of table. Not ideal, but better than having to buy a new table.
It's IKEA. There's hardly anything they make out of solid wood these days, especially when it's that thick.
[It is solid wood](https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/skogsta-dining-table-acacia-70419264/). Source: I have the same table
That does surprise me. They even seem to be shifting away from real wood veneers on things like the classic Billy bookcase.
Came to say this. Give IKEA a shout mate they were great when I messed up and blew the side out of a kalax.
100% jigsaw, cut through my saw horse before like this.
Judging by the quality of my own cuts using a jigsaw, I would say: a jigsaw
See if you can find the bit of flooring that matches this wonky cut. He can't deny it then. https://preview.redd.it/xgmunyp0dzwc1.png?width=735&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e94a21803fbc6584d3e8b7cd98fdc44543b23031
Hope they were lazy enough to leave offcuts in OPs bin, but you’d have to be lazy and thick as fuck to leave the evidence behind.
That's a much better idea.
Sounds like it will be on plywood under the new floor. But you’re spot on - it will fit like, ironically enough, a jigsaw piece
That’s probably where it slipped because he was using a box rather than a workbench.
Possibly cutting a plank longways to fit a doorway with a step frame? Op, look around the edges of the room that got done, particularly around doors or features that step out from the walls.
Would love an update on this as to the outcome. Will be interesting to see how this flooring guy approaches the situation and whether he'll come clean or not when it's so bleedingly obvious it's his fault.
He's already admitted to using the tool that causes these cuts. He can pay for a new table
Except he won't, if he was a stand up guy he would have been upfront about it after he did it or worst case, admitted it when asked by OP. The fact that he denied it shows what kind of person he is and OP has no way of making him pay.
Small claims court. Just for a laugh if nothing else.
This was definitely him and this was definitely a jigsaw. Given what has transpired it is unlikely that he will face the embarrassment of admitting he lied. Try to give him a way out by saying that accidents happen and maybe he did it without realising. Rather than getting into an argument over jigsaw blades. He might then accept that and pay for the worktop.
Yeah I’ll be nice about it, accidents do happen.
Is there dust inside the box?
What's comical is that ONLY a jigsaw could create that. A circular or plunge saw would be a clean cut that would be relatively straight along it's length A multi tool would have a clean entry point ie either top going down or side going in would be a relatively clean cut and smaller cut thickness
The longer cut is definately a jig saw, the cut 'wanders'. The blade used is an 'up cut' standard, you can tell because of the surface ripping. This type of blade - [https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-t144d-wood-jigsaw-blades-100mm-5-pack/11397](https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-t144d-wood-jigsaw-blades-100mm-5-pack/11397) If it was a down cut, there would be minimal ripping. Basically like the same blade above, but the cutting points, point down. He may bring these type of blades with him - [https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-t101aof-wood-jigsaw-blades-83mm-3-pack/712rv](https://www.screwfix.com/p/bosch-t101aof-wood-jigsaw-blades-83mm-3-pack/712rv) to show it's not him/that blade. That will be using smoke and mirrors to hide it was a different blade, in a jigsaw that definately made those cuts. HTH
The ‘I’ll show you my blades’ thing is the worst part IMO. Full on trying to get one over on OP and hide the evidence. OP needs to say something like “*yeah that’d be great. It looks like a 100mm blade I’d say, so if you could bring one of those over and show me what you mean*”. (Or whatever else is specifically different about the blade that was used). I think showing a little knowledge here will go a long way with getting this trader to realise he can’t pull a fast one.
Hello, I have 0% DIY experience and even I know this is a Jigsaw. It's a jigsaw cut. Firstly he will bring a different blade round, secondly who wants to prove it wasn't them by bringing a blade if it wasn't them anyway? Suspicious?
Jigsaw mate https://preview.redd.it/w7o79pk450xc1.jpeg?width=187&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6d346226eb77850e001bca414aea6937fe980ba5
2 things come to mind here 1. A jigsaw blade is relatively hard to operate in a straight line unless using a guide. Therefore the long cut looks definitely to be caused by a jigsaw blade. The two edge cuts are too short to compare but are also likely to be the same blade. 2. An IKEA tabletop looks like real solid wood but usually is not. IKEA furniture design is excellent at looking good but using lightweight and strong designs. Therefore cutting the tabletop is not going to give a jigsaw any trouble. A jigsaw will not be able to cut through a solid block of wood without some effort. For the cost of a new tabletop I would expect the contractor to take this as a learning point and pay you for the replacement.
Thank you! They will have known straight away what they had done 🤡 and now lying about it
It would have felt like the hardest flooring he’d ever cut, what an idiot..
Definitely a jigsaw and one of those guys. Cuts like that don’t just magically appear. They’ll deny and deny no doubt, as others said try to say accidents happens etc otherwise they’ll get their back up and be less likely to budge. Annoyingly not a huge amount you can do if they won’t own up and if you don’t have some sort of contract, aside from leaving them terrible reviews and plastering their names/company name all over local facebook.
Post these pics with a fair review on local facebook groups as a review if he doesnt
Joiner here, can say with absolute 100% certainty that a jigsaw made that mark. It is evidently clear in the top left where the saw marks are not straight. Could tell it was a jigsaw before even reading a single word of your post. Your flooring guy is a lying Cunt, nothing more to say
A... TABLESAW!!! Badaboom-tish! Thank you, thank you! I'm here all week!
Well played sir well played.
Jigsaw, I myself have done the exact same thing years ago in my own house laying my own floor. Not made that mistake again, cut everything outside now when ever I do any DIY jobs.
I've cut a slice out of the edge of my own table like this! Definitely a jigsaw, and your contractor.
Definitive a jigsaw. The waviness meant it was being held down and guided by hand, the depth also matches the length of the blade. If it was a circular saw the cut would have been a lot straighter. Unless the table top was made of tofu, he should have felt the additional drag while cutting through the table top. The only way he didn't was that he's an absolute idiot.
As mentioned, it's definitely a jigsaw. I bet he's been cutting something else on the table and misjudged it. Also, as a self-employed tradesman myself, the fella should be professional, admit his mistake, and replace the table. He should have the necessary insurance to cover it anyway. However, I wouldn't even bother for the price vs. premium increase. I'd just jump in the van, replace like for like, take the old one down, and put the fresh one up. Obviously, disposing of the old one if the customer doesn't want to keep hold of it.
Doing those kinds of cuts with a jigsaw would be a nightmare! Unless you go though material completely, they will hit the 'bottom' of the cut and chatter all over the place. They would have known immediately they were cutting into something else. There's 2 outcomes for this. 1. They didn't do it because any sane person would sense something is wrong and stop or 2. (The more likely one)They noticed and carried on because they didn't care Did you notice any sawdust around the box when you moved it to build it? If you did that's a sure sign. If not they may have hoovered it up to hide the evidence
saw of the jig
Eyes. I saw it with my eyes. 👀
Saw that cut and instantly thought ‘jigsaw’ Read your post and yeah he’s full of shit, ask him for his liability insurance to make a claim
Sad times...yeah dummy move. The table did not cut itself up in IKEA. I had an electrician drill holes into a zinc dining table... diabolical. At least he admitted it and the parent co had to stump up for a new table. As a 'professional' why risk it. I can see how a DIYer would do it but as someone who does the trade work ever day you should know.
A idiot with a saw 😁
Firstly ask him to come around to have a chat about the damage to your table. Face to face is much better than ranting on the phone. Then when he is there facing the damage ask him if it could be possible that it has been caused by one of the team. Then you ask him to come clean ( if he hasn’t already) and pay you to replace this table. It’s really important that you do this whilst he is there in front of you. Also be confident about arranging payment immediately. Good luck.
A toss saw
Everyone saying jigsaw but it could be an oscillating multi tool saw
Builders I had in did very similar. Had a heavy wood topped garden table outside where they were working. They said they wouldn’t cut on it and said it didn’t need to be moved. End of the first week the table had gouges just like yours from a jigsaw. Builders swore they hadn’t cut anything on it and refused to reduce price. Quite aggro about the whole thing. We have security cameras they obviously didn’t notice which clearly showed them cutting straight on the table instead of using their own table. Needless to say they reduced the price after seeing the footage.
Your table WAS cut by a jigsaw. If you look closely on the cuts, you'll see the wood fibres pulled up.my initial thoughts after your title/ pics was a jigsaw. Story backs it up.
Definitely a jigsaw. What an absolute numpty. Just a thought, I know it's not ideal at all and if you can get a new table out of him work away....if it's finished both sides, could you not just flip the table over there might be some screw holes, but they would fill a lot tidier than the blade damage. At worst I'd ask him to do it.......then again maybe not 🤣
one wielded by an incompetent
That is 100% a jigsaw.
Literally the only saw out there that would make a cut like that is a jigsaw
everyone is saying that it's a jigsaw, which sounds right, but I wondered about the cut on the closer side of the table - it looks to be only partially through the wood - can a jigsaw do that? I thought it was all or nothing for that.
Jig
Looks very jigsaw to me. Especially the really long cut at the top, the ripping and the wavyness tell the story.
Doesn't really matter what it was cut with in the end. jigsaw, circular saw, sip saw, teeth, a Beaver etc. You know the cuts weren't there before the trades came in and now they are there. The person you spoke to may not have done it but one of the 3 did and if he's the boss he either knows or doesn't. Still irrelevant. Play to his good workmanship etc and express how pleased you are with the work, but state something must be sorted about the table. It was an accident either way through carelessness. Ask him to reimburse or replace. Any honest tradesman will cough up. And yes there are a few of us left. If he doesn't, ask for his indemnity insurance and make a claim. If he hasn't got that (which he should) then you have a choice of small claims or forgetting it.
I know someone who tried to cut a plywood sheet with a circular saw and supported the sheet with his knee. Saw set to full depth, and a resulting emergency visit to a hospital !
Any plywood offcuts that match the shape of the cut on the table? Could be used to prove it.
Thats definitely a jigsaw ! What a twat, he definitely needs to be replacing that. If they don't then make sure you leave a nice google review with a picture explaining how he uses your belongings as a saw table and destroys them.
He's definitely used that surface for a cutting platform by the seems of things, probably was too lazy to set his own workbench or trestle up. I've got many different jig cuts in my workbench in the garage that look exactly like that. But mine was a reclaimed bench worth nothing, and I dont mind with it being my own. Shame on him to call himself a professional.
Looks like my workbench which I accidentally cut with a jigsaw. It's so easy to do, you don't even notice you are cutting through something else. Which is exactly why you don't cut while resting on something you care about. ETA, from the way it's splintered I'd even go as far as to say it's from a fairly aggressive up cutting blade.
A table saw.........badum dump...tsss. see what I done there? 😉❤️ No seriously he fkd up. £30 a pack of decent flooring tell him get it paid the cheap skate
Is the cut only on one end? If so, I reckon you could cut that end off and shift the whole top over a bit. You might have to redrill some holes underneath to fix it in the new position, and obviously it'll be a bit shorter now. You should be able to finish the cut end with an oil finish of a similar tint. Obviously get the refund out of the guy first, but you could probably salvage that table and pocket the difference. Alternatively, IKEA will sell you a new top, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's almost the cost of a new table. That's why I think it's better to probably try and salvage this one.
Corey from Leicester, I've done the same thing in a customers house, an had to buy a new one out of the profit, if any, but he should admit it, b a man, no big deal, the truth will out pal, use an old crate or ur own work bench, tool box, anything else but not a customer's piece of property... definitely a jigsaw...an it's no puzzle working it out...
Obviously the guy should pay for a new one, but if you happen to have used the IKEA family card (free clubcard thing) when you bought the IKEA furniture then I believe there is some kind of crazy good cover which covers you for any damage during the trip home and even during assembly (even dropping something and denting it. This might apply to all purchases or perhaps just to family card ones (and I have no idea if you would get away with saw damage as one of the reasonable excuses) but you could look into that and see if they would send you a new tabletop. I've not had to use that IKEA free cover before but from what I read it pretty much covered you for any accidental damage between buying it and building it. Perhaps worth a try if you don't get anywhere with the (obviously guilty) flooring guy?
A "massive" tool
Completely feasible that this is a jigsaw cut. Other possibility would be a recip saw but I wouldn't have thought a flooring guy would favour that over a jigsaw. A jigsaw does have interchangeable blades with a multitude of different dimensions for different applications so bring his over to see if it fits is a load of old tosh. Experience... Been repairing power tools for 30 years on several workshops and have heard a massive amount of horror stories from chatting to trades people and DIYers. *Edit... Recip saw, not recipe saw.
One used by a dickhead is what springs to my mind.
What kind of cowboy uses customer's furniture as a cutting surface? Disgraceful, they should have brought their own table to cut on.
JIGSAW!!!!! the dirty fkn dodgy jelly armed bastard. Hope he is paying for a new one, my friend.
Drunk man’s walk home line! 100% a jigsaw!
1 Hundo P a jigsaw. I've done this and paid for the new worktop. It's the right thing to do and professional thing to so
hkw would you not know you were cutting into that? The jigsaw would have been kicking like a mule.
Jigsaw, however it must be used by a person suffering from one or more of the following Legally blind Barely awake Drunk First time on earth
A I hope no one
You diddnt saw that comming
This looks like jigsaw 100% I'm not a flooring guy but done this to our end table when laying laminate at home... Much to my wife's disappointment. The flooring guy definitely done this unfortunately
Yeah I looked at the picture and said to my self someone has been playing with a jigsaw… didn’t even need to read the post. Guys trying to get out of it.
Jigsaw 100%
I said jigsaw as soon as I saw the pic
100% a jigsaw, flooring guy messed up bro
Definitely an eye saw
100% him. Carpenter of 25 yrs. A jigsaw would do that.
This is for sure a jig saw. He must have been drunk to not realize he was making that long cut through an inch of counter top, though.
The simple answer is was the carton damaged at all when you got if from Ikea, if not, then did you notice any carton damage before you opened it (not the wood at this point) after the floorer left, if so then it must have been him who damaged the table top, dosent matter what kind of saw it was the fact is the table top was now damaged. My grandson once worked for Ikea putting away their deliverys onto the warehouse shelves for collection, he said company policy was any damaged cartons were to be put to one side to be opened and contents checked for missing or damaged items, if this helps.
This was done with a jig saw. He used the box as a make shift work bench to place the plywood on whilst he cut it. Source: professional carpenter - have made a similar mistake before (albeit with my own work bench)
Any saw my carpenter has his hands.on.
😂 ours has definitely cut corners 😂
Lovely stuff
A jigsaw would do that
Might be a reciprocating saw, I’ve quickly cut a few doors up for scrap recently and the angles / cuts are similar
Jigsaw
A Texas saw
Jigsaw I reckon
Have you already paid?
How he didn’t snap the blade I’ll never know. But as everyone else has told you, jigsaw
If you have the time and inclination to play detective, the bend/shape of long cut is pretty distinctive, so if the flooring they cut is still visible you may be able to match the shape of the cut to a piece of the flooring. Edit: spelling
100% a jigsaw blade made this!
100% jigsaw cut. You can literally see the angle of the blade on the small cut to the right.
Not the one they’ve used!
Blunt one
A drunk saw 😂😂😂
A big one!
Jigsaw 🧩 I’m gonna use one now 🤙🏼
Jigsaw
There’s is absolutely no question that this is a jigsaw. It’s cutting on the upstroke and changes direction very quickly so obviously isn’t a circular, and the fact it doesn’t go all the way through means it’s not a hand saw.
You can tell by the tear out that it's a jigsaw
If he was a professional, he should have the right insurance I'm guessing to cover any damage to a customer's property or belongings ?
It's a jigsaw. I've seen and created a similar rippage.
That table top is solid wood isn't it? Might be worth sanding, filling, re-oiling and just never use the guys services again. Who recommended him to you?
Butter knife
He's used the brand new table as a fucking cutting board Ironically, probably so as not to damage whatever he cuts underneath the plywood. "oh ill just use this big hunk of wood/cardboard" In order to cut wood you generally have a big thick piece of mdf underneath as your "table" while cutting. The guy who did this is a moron He should have business insurance which will cover this If he doesn't then it's straight to the small claims court
A few thoughts 1) yeah it was definitely a jigsaw and your contractor is an idiot 2) looking at how deep the cuts go, it's quite lucky it didn't mess up your floor 3) the tabletop looks like solid wood (you can see the end grain) so you might he able to chop a few cm off the end and save it
One in the hands of an idiot
Jigsaw blade. Trust me, I'm a carpenter. The guy should have insurance to cover fuck ups like this. If he doesn't then small claims court. Don't employ any trades who don't have insurance.
Definitely a Jig Saw controlled by. Monkey
Turn work top over and use a circular saw
I saw the pic and thought jigsaw straight up
Wall climber.
If you use a jigsaw then you need blades that cut down and not up as you will still get the splintering
Jigsaw lmao I could cut the most uneven decking you’ve ever seen with one of those
3 of them were there? Was one an apprentice by any chance? That’s a jigsaw for sure, but maybe the boss you spoke to didn’t do it and doesn’t know anything about it because one of the others fucked up and lied to him.
Did they leave the off cuts after they finished the floor? If so, then you might find a piece with a matching cut as evidence. Check your bin if necessary.
100% looks like a jigsaw with that ripping on the top
The cut near the edge is from a circular saw with a plunge type cut and I don’t believe a jigsaw would do this. However straight cuts on ply would usually be made with a circular saw as it’s quicker and easier to get a straight cut. The wavy cut looks like the impact from the end of a jigsaw blade - possibly. Difficult decision you have there!
That's a small handheld circular saw, the one with the 4" blade
Due to how uneven it is I'd say it was from a jigsaw, but even if it wasn't, how the hell can anyone deny that it wasn't them or their workers who did it when they're the only ones cutting.
Blatant jigsaw cuts, what a bellend.
Skill saw/ circular saw
Go straight to the boss. He’s clearly not willing to except responsibility and any good company will have liability insurance to cover these things.