Bad layout design of over flow pipe by builders

[Sara Jane]

Hi,

I am wondering if anyone can shed some light on the following: I purchased a new apartment months ago, and had the skirting removed and a new laminate floor laid. Four days later...the entire apartment was in flood. The new floor had to be pulled up and dumped, the kitchen units and bedroom wardrobes had to be removed and all plaster board walls had to be knocked through 4 inches up from the ground, dried out , treated and replastered. The apartment looks like a bomb has hit it. I was due to move in two months ago, with furniture ordered and to be delivered around the same time.

It has been an uphill battle, no one taking responsibility. There were two holes in the overflow pipe, an inch apart. One had a nail in it and was put there by the floor fitter. The other, which caused most of the leak, had no nail and must have been caused by the original builder who put the skirting on in the first place.

The overflow pipe is situated behind unmarked plaster board at skirting board level. The pipe runs along behind the fire place along a long wall and at this particular point where both holes were made, it is slightly higher than anywhere else;hence why no other nail in the skirting board hit the pipe. The overflow pipe also terminated underneath my ground floor apartment balcony where it was not visible. I immediately got the builder in to fix the burst pipe and extend the pipe so that it now terminates where I can see it.

My insurance has covered the physical damage.

I am concerned about the other apartments in my block. If this mistake was made in mine, there could be slow leaks in other apartments. I could not bear to have something like this happen again, or have the apartment above leaking into mine. Who is at fault here? Is it acceptable that builders lay pipes behind unmarked plaster board and cover with skirting board, which more than likely will be removed and replaced during a person's lifetime in a home, for carpets, wood floors, tiles, etc? And also, there is the first nail hole, which was unplugged by the fitter taking the original skirting off to replace with another. Why am I the one with the inconvenience, hastle, worry, concerns and stress caused by sloppy building designs! I am very annoyed. I have not said anything to the construction company, but I don't feel right letting it go. I would want to know if this happened in an apartment in my block so I could prevent it.

If there are any plumbers/builders who have an opinion on this I would love to hear...thanks, SJ

 

[DavyJones]

This kind of thing is a result of the building boom and will keep plumbers in work for years to come. Was the overflow pipe from a storage tank? and why was it overflowing?

My advice to anyone in you prediciment is to call in an idepentant plumber if only to write a report on cause of leak and make safe. by all means get the builder/original plumber to repair. You may need it (report) later if a case was to be brought on grounds of workmanship.

I would not take it lightly and would contact construction firm and request they pay for a full inspection of plumbing to see that installation is up to scratch.

It is shocking the amount of new houses we visit with leaks and more concerning, complete system faults that we incounter. As I said with the building boom quanity over quality was key and homeowners will pay for it in the future.

 

[Complainer]

There were two holes in the overflow pipe, an inch apart. One had a nail in it and was put there by the floor fitter. The other, which caused most of the leak, had no nail and must have been caused by the original builder who put the skirting on in the first place.

How can you be sure about who caused either of these holes?

 

[Sara Jane]

Thanks for the replies.....The overflow pipe was coming from the water storage tank - which is in my hotpress because it is an apartment. The ball valve failed, and the tank continued to fill up, then the overflow pipe came into use.
I just question their positioning of the pipe, and also there is the original hole in the pipe.
I was standing with the building foreman (who I happened to grab hold off on site) and the floor fitter when the skirting board in question was removed. We were searching for the cause of the damage. We immediately saw a nail stuck in the plaster board and upon further inspection, saw that it was stuck in the pipe. The plaster board was then taken away to reveal a hole right beside it. It was this unblocked hole that caused the damage. Because the floor fitter was re - using the same nail holes originaly used in the skirting prior to the floor being fitted, it made sense that the first hole was made by the original building contractors. It was just slightly higher because skirting was sitting on the new floor.
The building foreman admitted that he could not say that it wasn't their fault. Then he disappeared never to be seen again.
Would I be walking myself into a mess if I was to take action against the builder? My insurance has covered the physical damage, but it has left me very nervous of what is above me on the next floor!
SJ