Costs incurred due to faulty building work.
Discussion
Chaps, a semi-hypothetical scenario for you, which I'd love some thoughts on.
In November, I hired a very well-known company to install a damp proof course into our home. This involved stripping the plasterwork back to brick across the entire ground floor, doing some drilling, injecting, and filling, and then plastering back over.
In the time since, we've decorated (waiting for the minimum four-week period prescribed by them), and since found that the plasterwork is cracking considerably across every area they touched. I had naively thought these were just settling/drying cracks, and invited a couple of builder-decorators in with the intention of getting them to sort out the cracks and redecorate.
Both declined to work on the plaster. As it turns out the plaster is fully coming away from the wall behind: about 75% of the area that the damp company re-plastered is hollow and the cracks extend all the way through to the brickwork. They are getting worse and worse. The two reports I received from them afterwards stated that the plaster adhesion with the wall was failing, likely due to the surface not being correctly prepared, followed by the plaster itself being applied too quickly, and too thickly.
Having returned to the original damp company, their own surveyor visited and, on giving a few of the walls a knock with his knuckle, and peering into the cracks, exactly reiterated the information I already had. The report they have since sent, however, only makes very brief reference to cracking in the plaster, which they have agreed to "rake out the cracks skim and re-plaster", at their cost. If that will genuinely resolve the issues, then that's great news!
Here's the rub: we're going to incur fairly significant costs as a result of their poor workmanship:
What do you think? Is this just one of those things I should suck up?
In November, I hired a very well-known company to install a damp proof course into our home. This involved stripping the plasterwork back to brick across the entire ground floor, doing some drilling, injecting, and filling, and then plastering back over.
In the time since, we've decorated (waiting for the minimum four-week period prescribed by them), and since found that the plasterwork is cracking considerably across every area they touched. I had naively thought these were just settling/drying cracks, and invited a couple of builder-decorators in with the intention of getting them to sort out the cracks and redecorate.
Both declined to work on the plaster. As it turns out the plaster is fully coming away from the wall behind: about 75% of the area that the damp company re-plastered is hollow and the cracks extend all the way through to the brickwork. They are getting worse and worse. The two reports I received from them afterwards stated that the plaster adhesion with the wall was failing, likely due to the surface not being correctly prepared, followed by the plaster itself being applied too quickly, and too thickly.
Having returned to the original damp company, their own surveyor visited and, on giving a few of the walls a knock with his knuckle, and peering into the cracks, exactly reiterated the information I already had. The report they have since sent, however, only makes very brief reference to cracking in the plaster, which they have agreed to "rake out the cracks skim and re-plaster", at their cost. If that will genuinely resolve the issues, then that's great news!
Here's the rub: we're going to incur fairly significant costs as a result of their poor workmanship:
- Redecoration: the ground floor will - once again - require decoration.
- Relocation: whilst they do their remedial works, the house will be uninhabitable. This may also require the removal and storage of our belongings and furniture to clear the room for them.
- Clean-up: this is messy, dusty work. Red plaster dust gets absolutely everywhere.
What do you think? Is this just one of those things I should suck up?
Having had some plaster re-doing myself recently I believe you are being a bit OTT in your claims. They should easily be able to rectify the work one room at a time without much inconvenience to yourselves. The old plaster will come off quite easily if it is as bad as you say. New plaster is wet and will be mixed outside therefore minimal dust problems. Stack any furniture in the middle if the room with dust sheets over the top.
Do not accept their report, refute it with your evidence from the other plasterers.
Do not accept their report, refute it with your evidence from the other plasterers.
KevinCorvetteC6 said:
Having had some plaster re-doing myself recently I believe you are being a bit OTT in your claims. They should easily be able to rectify the work one room at a time without much inconvenience to yourselves. The old plaster will come off quite easily if it is as bad as you say. New plaster is wet and will be mixed outside therefore minimal dust problems. Stack any furniture in the middle if the room with dust sheets over the top.
Agreed.The blown plaster will come off the wall easily, with much less mess and dust than the original work created - precisely because it's blown. In addition, since the decoration is still new, and the colour is known, it should be straightforward to just re-paint the repaired areas and get a good match.
MUCH less invasive work than November's.
Snap! (with the OP, not the wildly optimistic replies 
)
My partner is in a similar position although we're as yet unclear on how much remedial work will need doing.
Any plaster removal is a hugely dusty business. It gets everywhere. Even into apparently sealed cabinets.
Have you also considered removal and refit of rads, skirtings and carpets?
regards & commiserations,
Jet
)My partner is in a similar position although we're as yet unclear on how much remedial work will need doing.
Any plaster removal is a hugely dusty business. It gets everywhere. Even into apparently sealed cabinets.
Have you also considered removal and refit of rads, skirtings and carpets?
regards & commiserations,
Jet
Commiserations, I had a similar problem last summer, a lot of blown plaster in several rooms that had to be removed and re plastered. I was absolutely dreading the work. As per the previous posters it turned out to be less invasive than I'd imagined. There is little dust produced from removing the blown plaster, it comes straight off. My advice would be to get them to cover and prep each room extremely well, just keep badgering them until you're satisfied. They should also pay for any re decoration etc.
Edited to add - I'd only use legal recourse when every other avenue has been exhausted and communication has broken down, very tempting I know but a last resort in my opinion.
Edited to add - I'd only use legal recourse when every other avenue has been exhausted and communication has broken down, very tempting I know but a last resort in my opinion.
Edited by poocherama on Friday 4th March 11:07
Thanks everybody for your input, I really appreciate it.
Really the only thing I wasn't sure about was whether it was reasonable to expect them to cover any costs we incur as a result of their faulty work. It seems the consensus is yes, but that I can hope that it's not as difficult to fix as I've been lead to believe.
Fingers crossed it's just an afternoon and some dust we need to hoover up! Since starting this thread this morning, I've pushed the point that I do intend for them to cover the redecoration costs, they now seem more open to the idea so all we can do is wait and see.
Thanks again!
Really the only thing I wasn't sure about was whether it was reasonable to expect them to cover any costs we incur as a result of their faulty work. It seems the consensus is yes, but that I can hope that it's not as difficult to fix as I've been lead to believe.
Fingers crossed it's just an afternoon and some dust we need to hoover up! Since starting this thread this morning, I've pushed the point that I do intend for them to cover the redecoration costs, they now seem more open to the idea so all we can do is wait and see.
Thanks again!
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