blown sealed joints on kitchen after 10 days ; (

[frm2005]

Hi I'm new to this so any help would be really appreciated, I needed a new kitchen installing as I'm going to rent my property I went to howdens for a quote fell in love with the kitchen and bought it cash.
I used a joiner with over 20 years experience in fitting kitchens the kitchen looked fantastic when finished. Around ten days after completion we noticed the joint near the sink had bubbled quite badly.
I rang the suplier straight away they sent an engineer out to look at the problem, I told them you can clearly see that my joiner had used the correct jointing components suplied by you.
The joiner is saying it's a faulty product and the supplier is asking for the work top to be sent to their head office for inspection.
We have a 20 week old baby we can't live without worktops until this issue is resloved.

We just need it sorting don't know what to as taking the worktop off would mean taking all the splash backs off the wall units the sink and hob out, its a disaster really.

My question is firstly could it be my joiner who's at fault?? and if both parties won't admit liability where do I stand?? I've pain over
5k for this kitchen and I feel robbed.

Should I get trading standards involved or just let it play out for a while?

Thanks in advance

Daz

 

[Burnerman]

Pictures please!
As you'll be aware, bubbling at the joint is 99% due to water ingress, but after ten days - well even that's unusual, indicating there's been no sealing at all.
John

 

[frm2005]

think there below this post, jointing compound was used on all joints

Thanks Daz

 

[frm2005]

Images below

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• frm2005
• 21 Mar 2015
• 1

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• frm2005
• 21 Mar 2015
• 1

 

[Burnerman]

I'm not saying the joiner didn't use any jointing compound, but it isnt visible to me.....and the damage isn't recoverable. It sure looks like water has entered the join causing the chipboard beneath to swell.
Either way I'm afraid this is going to be most tiresome for you, as no one will admit any defect until the worktop has been examined.
I can't offer any comfort - maybe the joiner could fix you up with a temporary replacement so you can at least use the hob and sink.
John

 

[frm2005]

Thanks for getting back to me, this is my worry that each party will blame each other.

I really dont want to pay any further money,


I'm no joiner but after 10 days this shouldn't have happened and further to that we are really careful when it comes to cleaning so it beats me why this has happend?

Thanks Daz

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I'd put £500 on the joiner didn't seal it properly, either way there is no way to repair it so as mentioned above it will have to come out. It's never good having a joint near a sink no matter how fastidious you are though it can't be avoided sometimes.

 

[longdogs]

Even if the fitter hasn't used any form of sealant, I wouldn't expect the surface to peel off within ten days, not unless someone has been constantly flooding the area with water. Is that a routed joint or a butted joint?

Do you know anyone that can give you some independent advice?

 

[frm2005]

It's a disaster really makes me feel sick

The joints are routed, you can see the joint compound if you look at it you can't reallt see on images.

I know the worktops need to come out the wall units would have to come off too as I have splash backs the full perimeter of the whole kitchen as would all the sockets sink and hob

So that's a cost for an electrician and a plumber and the joiner says he's done it once so he wants paying again for it.

Nightmare

10 days is a joke really whoevers to blame

I don't really know anyone I could ask thought trading standards but not sure how I would go about it.

 

[Burnerman]

I'd put a further £500 with Freddy, but lets hope the laminate hadn't bonded for some reason.....therefore the supplier becomes liable.
It looks butted up to me, but I cant see it very well.
A ghastly nightmare, frm.....you have every sympathy.
John

 

[big-all]

this is another reason for getting the chippie to supply the materials
yes costs more but in this circumstance it would be the fitters problem

if its the worktop thats faulty and properly fitted the chippie is within his rights to charge you to remove and refit a new top
but as its only a few days -------

 

[Norcon]

No one will accept responsibility for that. The manufacturer will just say badly sealed joint close to wet area.
The fitter will say bad quality worktop.

Btw there was a previous one on here a while back about a similar problem and hubby blamed his wife for setting steaming kettle lids on the joint.

If it was mine I'd run it out with the router and set in an inlay piece of the same material glued with water proof pva.

 

[Burnerman]

Just for anyone who may have worries about their own choice of worktop.....
Maybe a year or so ago I replaced mine with Wilsonart Earthstone tops.
These are chipboard based with a 6mm thick layer of acrylic bonded on the top and front edge.
I don't have a large router or mitring template, so I asked a joiner to do that bit for me. It was the traditional internal mitre.
Its the joint that's particularly effective, being a two part adhesive/colouring/cementing compound that is squeezed into the join prior to being clamped up. This bit was down to me.
Once the compound has dried, it is orbitally sanded away (240 grit) and the resulting join is actually acrylic welded....absolutely invisible, 100% waterproof - the two separate worktops have effectively become one.
I had a couple of practice runs first...I drilled some 8mm holes in a scrap piece, filled and sanded and then did a 2mm saw slot in the same way. Again, the results were absolutely perfect - a revelation for me at least.
Personally I wouldn't consider any other process now.
John

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Why do the splashbacks have to come out?

 

[frm2005]

As you can see it's a snug fit with the splash back, and I don't want to cause further damage.

They want me to take the work top off and live with it until they make a decision,

I just know it'll be me who has to foot the bill as I know my joiner won't accept responsibility, if Howdens say it's down to the joiner they will charge me for two new tops.

I'm going to call trading standards tomorrow and see where I legally stand.

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• frm2005
• 22 Mar 2015
• 1