Dispute with Tradesman

[Guest]

I am currently in dispute with a tradesman and wanted to ask for some advice. I want to create two hypothetical situations which are similar to mine. I would welcome feedback on both...

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1 - I needed a door painting and found a local painter to do the job. He told me he needed to go to a shop to buy paint and brushes. He said the job would take two hours. We agreed a price of £100.
He came back and I found him painting the door with a roller. The job was complete in one hour. I was happy with the standard of workmanship.

Q - Can I withhold some of the payment as he misled me by telling me he would use a brush and it would take 2 hours? In effect he cheated and took a shortcut by using a roller. Or was the contract simply to paint the door and he can choose his own method and do the job as quickly or slowly as he wishes (within reason)?

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2 - I agreed with a local tradesman a price of £20 to clean the windows of my house. He cleaned the glass nicely but didn't clean the sills and frames which were still mucky.

Q - Is it reasonable for me to expect my sills and frames to be cleaned when I employ someone to "clean the windows"? Do the sills and frames have to be explicitly mentioned to be included in the contract? Can I withhold some of the payment as he hasn't finished the job?

[R0b]

1. Sounds like the painter gave an estimate time and a price for that job to be done within that estimated time, which you agreed to. Unless it was agreed you pay less if the job was done quicker then don't see how you can withhold payment. Brushes or rollers is neither here nor there unless one gives a specific finish over the other and you specifically requested that type of finish. If the end result is the same, where's your loss?

2. Comes down to interpretation and what was intended between you and the tradesman. Think you would have needed to be more specific about the window sills if that's what you wanted cleaning. Think about it another way, if you agree for a window cleaner to do your windows from the outside, do they clean the windows and the outside window sill? I know mine have only ever cleaned the windows and not the sills. Can understand why the tradesman only cleaned the windows if that's what he was instructed to do as you were not clear that it included the sills. I would say he has completed the job but that's my literal interpretation of it.