Wooden Kitchen Worktop Problem

[violetsprite]

Hi all - we have builders in at the moment who have installed a Crown kitchen with wooden worktop. In 2 places there is a flaw in the wood which means when you run your hand over it the area sounds papery. They are only small areas but since first noticing it one of them has been caught and flaked off (it's a bit like a blister). The builders merchants that supplied it said they'd never heard of the problem before and recommended getting the rep out but when i chased 2 weeks after asking they said that one of our fitters had told them he thought it was a natural flaw in the wood and the bm now says if they call the rep out and he concludes the same they will bill us £75 for a call out. Trouble is i am concerned that our fitter has interfered and may have put ideas in the reps or bm's head rather than replace the worktop. Has anyone heard of a similar problem - i think he said it could be a medulary something...??

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I'm trying to understand why medullary ray could be such a problem. Do you have any photographs of this defect? Either way if it's not right then at least the rep from the builders merchants should come out. The Sale of Goods Act states that materiala ("goods") must be "fit for purpose" whilst the Supply of Goods and Service Act does the same for services as the Sale of Goods Act does for products. In the first instance the merchant has potentially supplied materials of "unmerchanteable quality", unless he specifically made you aware of defects in the product at the time you purchased it, whilst the fitter may also be liable because the law requires that he has to install goods with reasonable skill and care. That does place the onus on him not to install defective or sub-standard goods.

In essence, you have rights to put the bad goods/service right. Either the offending persons must do it, or they must pay for someone else to do it.

I'd talk to the builders merchant and request that their rep (not the worktop manufacturers rep) comes and takes a look at the problem first, but in any case I suggest you contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau and/or Trading Standards Office (local council) for advice on precisely how to proceed if you get no co-operation. What I would not do is allow myself to be bullied into accepting second rate goods and/or workmanship.

 

[big-all]

also remember your contract is with the person or company that sold you the service or goods you should only deal with them and not a third party
as jxn says you go to a third party[the manufacturer/supplier]direct you are forming another contract and may incur charges without any resolution to the original problem

 

[violetsprite]

Wow - aren't you great! thanks for the advice JobAndKnock & big-all. I didn't realise it was preferable to get the bm rep out rather than the manufacturers rep but this had been their suggestion however i have now spoken to them and the bm rep is coming out beginning of next week (fingers crossed) - why they didn't do this 2 weeks ago when i asked i don't know. Pictures aren't great but hopefully give some idea - the areas are about the size of a thumbnail. Thanks View media item 51581 View media item 51582

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Well, the defect does indeed appear to be a medullary ray defect. I do see this from time to time in oak skirtings and mouldings (where often we simply cut the defect out), but I'd always thought that worktop suppliers would be a bit more careful in their choice of materials so that defects such as this could be avoided. In all probability the worktop will need to be replaced and hopefully the BM will foot the cost.

Good luck!