Hello,
Would really appreciate any help.
I moved in to a new build house about a year ago. Recently, I could feel the bathroom floor cracking under my feet, so I pulled back the vinyl to examine the floor underneath (3 very short video clips):
1: http://tinypic.com/r/k975uf/8
2: http://tinypic.com/r/flgfwk/8
3: http://tinypic.com/r/2jcyh3t/8
I am absolutely no expert, but am I right in saying that the white bottom layer is the actual concrete floor, and the grey stuff that's breaking off is called screed? (the vinyl covering/finishing lay directly on top of the grey stuff that's breaking up, as shown in this diagram which seems to be the same as my floor, although I don't appear to have any "bonding" layer).
I reported the problem to the builders who investigated and said that what is breaking is called "latex", not "screed", but everything I can find online suggests that they're wrong, such as the diagram above.
The house builders didn't fit the vinyl themselves on top of the finished floor. I took this photo when the build was finished, when I was choosing what vinyl to buy from a local carpet shop - http://i59.tinypic.com/2vb38gn.jpg - you can see the finished floor (the top layer you see is what is now cracking) and the local carpet shop simply lay the vinyl on the top when I moved in. The builders are saying that because the vinyl wasn't fitted by them, they are not responsible for the cracking floor, and they're refusing to have anything to do with it - but surely the problem is nothing to do with the vinyl, it's the floor underneath that they built that's breaking up! Interestingly, the exact same thing is happening in my neighbour's house on the same development, which surely proves that the build quality was shoddy.
Surely I'm right and it's the builders' responsibility to correct their badly built floor?
Thanks a lot for your help.
Would really appreciate any help.
I moved in to a new build house about a year ago. Recently, I could feel the bathroom floor cracking under my feet, so I pulled back the vinyl to examine the floor underneath (3 very short video clips):
1: http://tinypic.com/r/k975uf/8
2: http://tinypic.com/r/flgfwk/8
3: http://tinypic.com/r/2jcyh3t/8
I am absolutely no expert, but am I right in saying that the white bottom layer is the actual concrete floor, and the grey stuff that's breaking off is called screed? (the vinyl covering/finishing lay directly on top of the grey stuff that's breaking up, as shown in this diagram which seems to be the same as my floor, although I don't appear to have any "bonding" layer).
I reported the problem to the builders who investigated and said that what is breaking is called "latex", not "screed", but everything I can find online suggests that they're wrong, such as the diagram above.
The house builders didn't fit the vinyl themselves on top of the finished floor. I took this photo when the build was finished, when I was choosing what vinyl to buy from a local carpet shop - http://i59.tinypic.com/2vb38gn.jpg - you can see the finished floor (the top layer you see is what is now cracking) and the local carpet shop simply lay the vinyl on the top when I moved in. The builders are saying that because the vinyl wasn't fitted by them, they are not responsible for the cracking floor, and they're refusing to have anything to do with it - but surely the problem is nothing to do with the vinyl, it's the floor underneath that they built that's breaking up! Interestingly, the exact same thing is happening in my neighbour's house on the same development, which surely proves that the build quality was shoddy.
Surely I'm right and it's the builders' responsibility to correct their badly built floor?
Thanks a lot for your help.