Faulty Shower Screen

Turnbull1961

Would like some advise please. I purchased a new bathroom suite which had a "P" shaped bath and a curved shower screen. The shower screen is only held in place by a piece of plastic which fits into the wall fittings. The screen had been up for about a year when we noticed that it was starting to come away, we went back to B&Q to check that the fittings were correct, they said they were. To cut a long story short the whole thing fell out of its mount last week, fortunately I managed to grab it before it landed on my daughter. I went back to B&Q to question the fittings again and to complain about the screen, they came back and said that it was up to me to prove that the screen had been fitted correctly and not affected by environmental issues!! Does anyone have any idea how on earth I prove this? Surely if the screen falls out then it's not fit for purpose. Any ideas/suggestions gratefully received.

Many thanks

keystone

Turnbull1961 wrote: »

Would like some advise please. I purchased a new bathroom suite which had a "P" shaped bath and a curved shower screen. The shower screen is only held in place by a piece of plastic which fits into the wall fittings.

Usually there are fitting screws which go through the whole fitting and secure one to the other.

The screen had been up for about a year when we noticed that it was starting to come away, we went back to B&Q to check that the fittings were correct, they said they were.

B&Q were responsible for supplying the fittings not actually installing it. What did you do "after about a year" when it "started to come away" in respect of making sure it was safe?

To cut a long story short the whole thing fell out of its mount last week, fortunately I managed to grab it before it landed on my daughter.

Not much by the sound of it. What is the timescale between "after about a year" and last week BTW?

I went back to B&Q to question the fittings again and to complain about the screen, they came back and said that it was up to me to prove that the screen had been fitted correctly and not affected by environmental issues!!

They are correct.

Does anyone have any idea how on earth I prove this?

Do you still have the fitting instructions? Inspect the offending article to see if those instructions have been followed. If yes then you may have a case against B&Q and you should invite them to attend and inspect your screen. If no you should have done something about it "after about a year" before you put your daughter at risk. Who fitted it? Was it professionally (ie you paid for it to be done) fitted?

Surely if the screen falls out then it's not fit for purpose.

No not at all. It would have to be a manufacturing defect for that one to stick and its sounds more like incompetant installation from here.

Cheers

Turnbull1961

Thanks for the comments. The bathroom was fitted by B&Q themselves, and from memory the only screws were ones to fix the metal surround to the wall, the shower screen then fitted into a plastic sleeve which then fitted into the metal fixing, and seemed to be held by gravity.

There was about 1 week from noticing the first signs that the shower screen was not right until it actuall fell out, in that time we had been back to B&Q to try and get it sorted out, and had pushed the screen back in as tightly as we could.

Have asked B&Q several times to come and inspect the screen, as it was their fitters that installed it, but am constantly being told that they were sub-contractors and B&Q are not responsible for their work.

We have now removed the screen totally and are currently using a shower curtain whilst we for a new screen to be fitted.

Many thanks

phill99

B & Q ARE responsible for their work. The contract was between you and B & Q for the competent installation of a bathroom. How they manage to execute that contract (eg by employing subcontractors) is entirley down to them. They are the ones withe their name on the line, not ' J Bloggs Ltd' or who ever fitted the bathroom. Suggest you speak to head office.