What to do - Plumbers cause leak . .ceiling sodden

[JayJay1978]

Tringo

Thanks for updating,

You said the cause of the leak was the shower fitting? So it must have been something like an outlet elbow that only has water flowing to it when the shower is on, otherwise it would have been leaking all the time?

I'm not slagging the plumbers off here but surely that hidden pipework should have been tested before it was covered over?

It sounds like another example of plumbers who boast how quick they are on jobs and how fast they can do a bathroom etc. If this is the result then it's a pretty poor show.

 

[doitall]

Hi doitall

What is a stain block? I take it it's something you paint over a water stained area to stop it showing through?

Yes, something called Zinser (spelling) is what the decs use

 

[Agile]

I have seen people using ordinary aluminium based silver paint like you used to get in Woolworths saying that it was far cheaper and just as good!

Tony

 

[Tringo]

Apparantly the plumbers had tested the shower for 30 minutes once all the pipework and pump was in place.

Also with regards the decorating i need to confirm with the plumbers but i get the distinct impression that they arent going to claim on their insurance and either do 'something' themselves. Now this doesnt seem right to me - i would have expected them to get their insurers out to review the damage and suggest the best course of action.

Going back home this afternoon to see what they intend to do rather than wait until tomorrow.

Cheers

 

[Tringo]

Just to add - i got many quotes before choosing the contractors for the bathrooms. This firm were not the cheapest and didnt say it would be done in a matter of days - today is there 3rd week on the job.

Had one young lad come around and quote both jobs (ensuite and family bathroom) in a ridiculously short time (e.g. replace bath with whirpool bath, tile floor and walls top to bottom in a day) . .told him to jog on.

So any advice on what i should expect the plumbers to do - i.e. do the painitng themselves or get their insurers out to fix would be appreciated. Might even give my insurers a call for advice.

 

[Agile]

It would be normal for them to try to sort it out themselves.

Firstly leaks in plumbing are very common.

Secondly they probably have a significant excess on their policy.

As long as you are satisfied with the repairs then thats all that is needed.

The probablity is that your insurance would cover the damage caused. After all your insurers dont know it was replaced just hours before it leaked!

As yet I have seem many thousands of pounds of damage being repaired but never heard of any counterclaims on the bad workmanship which may have caused it.

One was about £12,000 and was caused by a ball valve jamming during the night. Normally the over flow pipe would have allowed the excess water to drain safely away.

In this case a second cistern had been installed to increase the storage capacity. The nupty plumber had taken the overflow pipe off the old tank and fitted it to the new one!

But he forgot to block the old overflow pipe hole which was lower than the one on the new tank. So the water just poured through that, fell into the lounge below spoiling the HiFi, TV and suite and carpets and then into the flat below bring down the ceiling there!

Tony

 

[doitall]

They don't have to get their insurer involved if they stand to loose a large no claim bonus.

You need something in writing that they will foot the bill for the damage.

What ever happens a quick coat of paint isn't acceptable, because the stain will just return.

I would seriously look at the carpets that got soggy as well, and don't change or do anything untill it's sorted and in writing.

3 weeks sounds a long time, if that was actual working days, and not waiting for other trades.

 

[JayJay1978]

Had one young lad come around and quote both jobs (ensuite and family bathroom) in a ridiculously short time (e.g. replace bath with whirpool bath, tile floor and walls top to bottom in a day) . .told him to jog on.

He had either no experience in that he had no idea how long it would take or he intended on rushing the job, even then how could one man swap a bath for a whirpool bath and then tile the floor (ply) and the walls aswell in a day?

No way.

Tringo

They sound like good guys, but whatt puzzels me is obviously the shower didn't leak when they tested it for 30 mins but it did when used later on?

Would a plumber be able to explain this, I'm only a DIY'er.

 

[doitall]

Avoid claiming on your insurance, because your premiums will rocket next year.

 

[Agile]

Would a plumber be able to explain this, I'm only a DIY'er.

Only the person who inspected and repaired the problem would know exactly what the cause was.

Its possible that the thermal cycling in use caused a loose joint to come apart.

Tony

 

[JayJay1978]

Yes there is that, he also could have drilled through the pipe when drilling for the rise rail (outlet elbow pipe).

Is three weeks a long time for a couple of pro's to do a bathroom? Or was there an ensuite as well?

 

[Agile]

Yes there is that, he also could have drilled through the pipe when drilling for the rise rail (outlet elbow pipe).

Since the plumbers had gone home when the OP got home from work and tested the shower thats not likely.

It does sound like something on the outlet side of the shower.

Tony

 

[JayJay1978]

Sorry Agile it was the way I explained it.

We don't know the make /model of the shower but lets say it was a Mira Excell built in valve. The hot and cold to the valve would leak straight away if drilled through as you know, but if he had drilled through the third copper pipe, the one that feeds the chrome wall outlet elbow (where the shower hose connects to) then the leak wouldn't become apparant untill the shower was turned on.

 

[Tringo]

FYI - shower is a Grohe something or other.

Today is their 3rd week on the job - they've taken a day off inbetween and then there was bank holiday. The job itself was to fully strip out the ensuite and replace units, shower, toilet, basin fit pump etc, towel rail, tiling floor and walls etc. 2nd part of the job was in the family bathroom to replace existing bath with whirlpool, tile floor and walls.

The quote i got was slightly on the high side of average (about 6 firms quoted for the work) - fixed price and not time and materials.

Few changes during the course of the work (the wife is torture and kept rethinking stuff - mostly the tiling . .mosaics came in at the last minute and added to the time to do the works.

All in all happy with the price, few niggles along the way but they are putting them right. With regards the ceiling and the damage - i'm holding all the cards as i have not paid for the work. Will not pay all costs until that is resolved . .would it be reasonable for me to withhold say 25% of the costs until the ceiling is redecorated? Gives the firm an incentive to crack on and get it sorted.

Thanks for all the advice

 

[doitall]

What it would cost a dec to re-decorate the room sounds reasonable to me.