Please Help MSE Newbie - leaking bathroom hell!

Inkle

Hello,
I'm new to Money Saving but have been reading through the threads and you all seem very kind so I hope you can offer some advice. I've got a leak in my bathroom which is going through to my neighbour's flat. It's all become very fraught and has now become a legal issue as my neighbour is trying to sue me for the damages. I've had three visits from 2 different plumbers and no-one seems to be able to sort it out. I'm now really stressed and anxious about it all. I've only been a property owner for a year (yep - bought right at the peak of the market!) and so am not used to dealing with these issues.

I'm in north London and am finding it really difficult to get decent tradespeople. The two plumbers I've had seem to think it's probably the sealant around the tiles and bath and one of them replaced all the sealant but it's still happening. Meanwhile, because of the legal issues, I need to prove that I've been trying to fix it but stupidly didn't get receipts from the plumbers who came round. One of them is now refusing to give me receipts! Am about to lose my mind so any help incredibly gratefully received.

Do I need to get a builder or tile expert not a plumber? How do I find a decent plumber or builder? What do I do about the missing receipt? Do you think my neighbour will really be able to claim damages against me?

Hope someone can help me...

olias

Hi, you really should have advised your buildings insurer right away. That's what you pay them for!

They will quite often appoint an approved tradesman, You need to contact them asap especially if there is the possibility legal action from the neighbour. They (your insurers) may be funny about the fact that you did not report it straight away, but you can only play on your naivety and hope that they will accept that. They may even pay for the work that you have already had done, although without receipts and without advising them first they may refuse. What they should do is pay for a trdesman to get the problem fixed now and also cover any damage to your neighbours property (minus your excess of course)

Olias

Inkle

Thanks Olias - my Buildings insurers are saying it's nothing to do with them. They say that the damage to my neighbour's flat is not their responsibility and that the repairs to my own flat are a maintenance issue, so not covered by them.

In terms of the legal issue, my buildings insurers said that any liability claims need to go through your contents insurance, not buildings. So I have my contents insurers looking into it but they don't seem to be doing much at the moment.

Do you think my buildings insurers have misled me? Should I go back to them?
Thanks a lot.

Robbo77

I had a similar problem last year, minus the legal wrangle. When i contacted my household insurance, they said they would carry out all repairs to water damage but a plumber had to rectify the leak first. Sealant is a common cause of leakage but its easy to identify if that is the problem. If the leak is a constant drip, its a pipe, seal or washer. If its only when you shower, its the sealant. If this is the case, you must get a written job report from any plumber to confirm the cause. As its likely your bath/shower will have to be removed by your insurance company to repair flooring etc, the sealant will have to be renewed anyway. That will solve your leak issue and should be covered by your household insurance, as should any damage to your neighbours property.

olias

I think all you can do is go through your policy with a fine tooth comb to see what is covered - You should be covered for accidental damage, which is what this is surely? I can't see the buildings insurance saying it's contents as surely the damage would be to things like joists, floorboards, plasterwork, decoration etc etc.

As for it being a maintenance issue, did you get a survey done when you bought the place? Did it mention damaged seals around bath etc etc. If not then I can't see that your insurers can get out of it saying it's a maintenance issue when you have only been there 12 months.

I would also consider an appointment with CAB who at the very least could assist in the wording of a letter to your insurers pointing out where you believe they are liable.

Olias

ormus

generally, no insurance (buildings or contents) will cover for wear and tear, and lack of maintenance.
all policies state that the building must be kept in a good state of repair.

Sirbendy

we moved into a new top floor flat 2 weeks ago, and were told "you had a leak, but a plumber couldn't find it..".

So far I've found the cold valve on the takeoff for the washing machine that leaks (had that replaced - above a double socket, how ace was that? ), a bathroom sink that dripped badly due to seriously awful seals on the waste (silicone, and lots of it sorted that out), and a shower/mixer tap combo on the bath that leaked more water on the floor than came out of the head. New hose sorted that out. (luckily I had one in my toolbox for some random reason!)

I'm also going to re-silicone the bath for my peace of mind - I have a feeling the previous tenant was either uncaring or seriously lacking in DIY ability. All piddly little jobs that I don't see the point in bugging the landlord about, all noted as done.

If you can,. ping the side panel off your bath..they're ususally screwed/clipped on. That'll give you access to the "under bath" plumbing (waste and water in). Then put towels/paper down, and use a torch to locate any wet bits so you can try and trace them.

Redoing silicone is easy, if a tad messy. Just remember to fill the bath before you start, and leave it full for 24 hours or so after for the silicone to "go off" without being compressed. If you don't, as soon as you put weight in the bath, the silicone will stretch and fail. I've got some nice stuff from B&Q for £2 that sets in about 2 hours..lovely stuff.

Generally, silicone I'd class as DIY. Mains water stuff (like my washer point) is a plumber job. The guy that came to us was in all of 3 minutes, fixing the takeoff and the kitchen mixer tap that had stopped working..good lad. Even took his shoes off in the house (not that we mind).

(just as an aside, I have a HUGE Readers Digest Home DIY manual - I heartily recommend them for general homecare and similar things to this)

Inkle

Thanks for all your help guys - definitely has given me some good pointers to start trying to get it sorted out properly. Now - anyone know how to find decent builders and plumbers in London?