Hi everyone We had a kitchen extension done last year and had problems with plumbing from outside drain overflowing. The waste was gushing from washer and sink and going under the house towards the back door. The builder took months to come to see to the problem despite local planning person being involved - she has seen the issues and laminate separating plus water overflow. We still after a year have not got the certificate of build despite it being a reputable firm. When I rang the planning department apparently they had not checked the plumbing not what the builder states!. The local water board has given us a certificate before they built camera down drains. The old part of kitchen is ok the part that is lifting is directly over the old drain and now blocked and disused pipe. They had another camera down and water jetted it then re routed the drainage around the outside. The pipe was blocked with what looked like disposable wet wipes which I use in the upstairs wc - no way should they have been coming in under the house. They could have been the wipes the builders used I have no idea. The drain outside is under the level of breeze blocks so any water moisture will have soaked straight into the cement and insulation and "damp layer". We have put any improvements to garden on hold until matter resolved. Long and short of matter at last after about a year of a washing machine that smells of damp earth despite cleaning and using Dettol product the builder came out only because I threatened going to court to his boss. He got his damp tester out and the it was green it some places and red in others confirming my experienced floor layer's opinion. The reason for the urgency is I have a massive quandary who is to blame? The builder blames the floor layer and vice versa - my flooring expert will give us a pack to cover what has been ripped up by builder to expose the levelling scree and his cement. We did follow advice and had the laminate laid properly with levelling scree etc by qualified person by company we have used for many years. After more than a year of being down the bare floor was still showing red in places even when left exposed for a few days last week. I have photos showing damp and white shades my floor will not stay down apparently until the damp is sorted and it has made bits break off the expensive stone look laminate meant for kitchens. I am disabled and we have gaffer tape and a rug on the most used part of the kitchen with a month to go before my son and his wife fly from New York with our grandson aged 1 just walking; to stay. I just see him tripping like I do with granite worktops it's an accident waiting to happen and as an added bonus the insurance say no way for insurance cover as it's faulty workmanship. Big £1,000,000 question who's and where and what do???
Whos faulty workmanship is it? It sounds like you’ve had a bad builder in and they havent done your drainage properly. This issue may not have been as bad or visible at the time the floor was laid. Maybe you should get a independant inspection
Also what is the builder accusing the floor layer of doing? It sounds to me like no floor would of survived in that area. So the builders work wasnt really fit for purpose?
Hi Many thanks for your reply I am still in a state of quandary between a well known established building firm and a flooring company we have used for many years for laminates, Lino and carpet in our home. The result of emails sent to the building company and planning department yesterday resulted in our building manager coming out again with his damp tester. It showed dry in all parts of scree. He had had contact from planning and took a video for her. Bearing in mind this has been exposed for over a week to dry out. I’ve heard all sorts from faulty work, tiles no good, shifting as not connected properly, moving as it could as it wasn’t held by a leg under sink like other bits. Today it was me cleaning the floor as the dark areas are the joints. I spray and swift as I was told my other laminate, lain in most rooms is done this way with no problem over many years. The only difference is this is an expensive stone look kitchen worthy laminate which is supposedly just under £1,800 to replace with damp course. Now the builder says it’s not damp drew a picture of what foundation we have with damp course. On the other hand the flooring shop manager showed us how fragile the edges are in the store but assured us the flooring was quality engineered stuff same as on the shop floor. We went to the extent of making sure the floor was level so the laminate was guaranteed. According to what I have read the laminate will only lift if damp or the flooring wasn’t acclimatised. The flooring was stored along with our carpet and Lino and delivered when ready to be put down. The flooring person did I admit have a problematic day as his van wasn’t locking so he didn’t get to us until very late in the day maybe five, finishing about nine pm I think. He didn’t do a good last join near the shower room door and I never did anything about this. We have an offer of a box of laminate from the store and the builder said he would get a joiner to fit it and put the plinths back before our family arrive. He would prefer the store fit it as he thinks the cover would stand and the floorer could see the floor and damaged laminate himself. The builder did say getting an independent person in would just be a person with a damp tester! I could send photos to my daughter in law who is an architect in USA with a branch in London see if she can suggest anything but their foundations are so different. Head is spinning still between rock and hard place. It’s a lot of money to pay when you are told it will just come up again. Again many thanks.
Hi again, Looking back at the floor as it is and the dark lines where the main dampness was, there could possibly be two points of views. The builder saying it’s me cleaning the floor and soaking the joints, this surely would affect the laminate lifting in the old kitchen area and elsewhere! As my flooring chap states the damp spreads and the laminate will just lift again. This would cause the whole floor to lift in other areas, not just the area just above the blocked pipe and old drain. Stranger still the area under the sink is completely dry. The water was literally overflowing straight into soil from the blocked new drain and under the breeze block (under extension) and then along the wall down towards the back door steps, some almost flowing down towards the frog pond in the garden. The damp course is from the steps so quite a height up I have a hand rail to get in the two steps. It is nearly two weeks since the flooring was taken up and it certainly has dried up but I would say stained or discolored. The dark lines and white patches on the scree which also could be caused by dampness coming through from underneath and affecting the joints and not the plastic base which was dry on the laminate. Any water spilled I.e.from wet hands dog’s wet beards dries up very quickly, the damp bits were still testing damp over four days. The builder said originally this was “sweating” or put down on wet scree! I’ve added photos of floor and damaged laminate. Flooring chap says he can supply a pack of laminate to replace the ripped up bit but thinks this won’t stay down. Builder says he will have a joiner put it down but reckons it would be under guarantee if flooring people do it. IS THE FLOOR DAMP?
