Should I check for water damage during bathroom refit

[henryjones]

For the first few years we lived in our property (from 2011) we had a poorly constructed bathroom fitting, with loose tiles under the bath, and gaps around the edge, which meant water from the shower was constantly pouring to the floor, and eventually started seeping through to the kitchen below - the paintwork on part of the kitchen wall disintegrated, and that section was always wet after showering. We have been more careful for the past couple of years, but there was still the ocfasional spill on the floor.

Now we are having a complete bathroom refit by a professsional builder, and we had hoped to get a proper look at the timber beams underpinning the upstairs bathroom floor, to see if any damage had been done. So far, the builder has stripped the tiles down to a sheet of chipboard that sits on top of the beams, but he does not intend to remove the chipboard to look at the beams underneath. He said the chipboard is damp, and it's likely water flowed through gaps in the floor or pipe fittings, but he prodded the chipboard in several places and it has not rotted. He therefore thinks that the water damage has not been too bad, and he doesn't think there's any chance of rot in the beams underneath.

I was happy enough with that explanation, but somebody else has suggested that we can't be sure of the state of the beams without seeing them and that we should ask him to remove a rectangle of chipboard in the corner so you can actually see the beams and check them themselves rather than just the chipboard. The chipboard (which contins glue binding) may have quite a different reaction to damp compared with wood, and we don't know where the liquid ran/collected in that corner. Obviously if there is a problem we'd rather identify it now rather than having to strip out the new bathroom later.

What do you guys think?

 

[footprints]

Usually chipboard suffers much more than timber from water it will blow at the slightest excuse while timber can just dry out without damage, if the ceiling underneath is OK and the chipboard sound I doubt there is any problem underneath.

That said if it will worry you get him to lift a bit offer to pay him for the extra work if needs be chances are it will not be much if indeed anything extra.

What pees builders off is people adding bits and pieces along the way and just expecting it to all be free so make the offer and hope the vast quantities of tea and biscuits you give him will suffice

 

[unclebob1]

Personally i'd say check, having experienced a similar situation myself.

I had damp from a blocked drain on the ground, and poorly fitted bath and tiles over a number of years rot through at least 2 joists on my bathroom floor - which i failed to check when buying the house.

Started doing the bathroom to stop further leaking and found them. They are currently braced with a temporary beam, waiting to be replaced.