Blown plaster - should builder fix?

[kolive1]

Hi everyone,

I am hoping that someone might be able to help me with my sleepless nights!

We had a big house renovation done. As part of that, we had the whole house skimmed. Where needed (as directed by the builder) we put up plaster board, in other places just over the old walls. The hallway has become a nightmare.

When we removed all the wallpaper, there was green paint all over. I think paint work is around 90yrs old as it is a Victorian house. Pictures attached are of walls before skimming.

I overheard the plasterer telling the builder that he needed to clean the walls properly before he began working on it. I know the day the builder was meant to be doing that he left early as he had a hangover. When asked, he said all was well.

All is not well. The plaster has blown In a number of places. Big chunks have cracked and are threatening to fall off. When first raised, they removed a couple of bits and re-skimmed. This didn't solve the problem.

I have now been told that it isn't their problem.

Surely this is their problem? They say in hindsight they should have taken it back to brick. How does that help me?

Any one got any experience of this? Any builders/plasters out there that can tell me is this the norm or have I got a dodgy one?

 

[vinn]

The plasterer is responsible for prepping - no matter who does it the plasterer must see that its done.
After scrubbing all remnants of paste the wall should be two coated with PVA and then skimmed.
The plasterer takes the weight.

 

[roughcaster]

I would never let anyone prep for me at all. Any plasterer worth his salt would do his own prep. Preparation before plastering is the key to a good job. Bad prep, or lack of prep causes problems. The plasterer in this case must accept the blame.

 

[leespot]

We had the same problem in one of our downstairs rooms - the builder said they'd had a nightmare of a job and had had to do the walls twice. They mentioned it a few times to me, but I wasn't sure what he wanted me to say to be honest. They put it right and I didn't hear anything more about it.

 

[kolive1]

Thanks for the feedback...

I have since been in touch with the builder. In short he has told me it is tough. Not an issue they could have foreseen (really?! And I have to pay for that?!) He will not give me the details to contact the plasterer directly.

Is the only route small claims court? I have contacted citizens advice, apparently I can say I have no faith in them fixing it and getting someone else in (I really don't want them back).

Anyone had experience of doing this?

Thanks all

 

[Handymanjo]

Sounds like you have a cowboy builder.
Don't get done get dom !
Withhold payment with the builder until you are happy with the work.
Go into your local builders merchants and start asking questions about your builder and see what other people say.That way you could plan your next move whether you go legal or not.Your builder will not like you asking questions if he has something to hide.

 

[kolive1]

That's the problem hamdymanjo....

When they came and patched the plaster, it held for a few days, so we transferred the remaining balance! Then bam, blew again.

Looks like small claims court might be only way to go. Problem I have is, how do I know if I will win? Don't really want to be stuck with paying their legal fees if I don't, would be a double smack in the face...

 

[vinn]

You keep all or any paper trail, and consult an independent witness/expert for a heads up on their costs, and your case details.
But first, as best you can, determine the builder/plasterer's true name and address, and the likelihood of can he or will he pay even if he loses the Small Claims?

 

[noseall]

It's not the builders fault that the substrate has caused the skim to blow but they did have an obligation to forewarn you of the possible consequences.
No plasterer or builder can fully guarantee an over-skim. It is an inexpensive way of providing the impression of newly plastered walls, but it always carries some risk. The customer should always be made aware of the risks.

There are many things that can cause the skim to blow - some obvious and some not so. I would not fancy your chances in court.

 

[kolive1]

Hi all,

Thanks again for your comments.

Vinn, where do I find an expert witness? Is this just a builder who is willing to stand up in court or is there a "special" list of people?

Noseall, so if they didn't warn me that this could happen, then I will have a better chance? As you can see from the pictures the ceiling and left hand wall were plaster boarded, on their recommendation. There were also other ceilings and walls that were boarded first, again on their recommendation. However the main big wall wasn't. The builder did actually say that in hindsight they should have boarded that one too. Hindsight is no good to me when I have paid out so much to get things sorted and when they have no intention of putting it right.

 

[vinn]

There are RICS Surveyors who will do this - you can get a few names from a RICS contact number.
Or, if you have a solicitor they will undoubtedly have pet expert witnesses.
A few advisers on here appear to be surveyors - perhaps they can advise you further.

 

[noseall]

The upshot is that there is no way to prove that the plasterer is at fault. They are not chemistry professors or wall plaster analysts and neither are they capable of predicting the future.
If some of the other walls in the house were over-skimmed with a degree of success then it would be reasonable to assume that others in the house will behave the same.

I personally put it to the client in the form of a disclaimer when advising on over-skim, whereby I state that it is not 100% reliable and that the only way to guarantee success is to strip back to bare brick and fix boards etc.

 

[WabbitPoo]

As a non-expert, I'd say the stress of pursuing the original contractor, not to mention the stress, win or lose (probably lose), makes it not worth it. The cost of it being done again would be a lot less. There are times when you just need to suck it up, for the sake of your sanity, heart, and sometimes, marriage! Ask yourself if this is just such a time.

I feel your pain, as most of us will.

Let us know how you get on.