Landlord charging for shower silicone replacement

Vomityspice

To clean our silicone (and white grouting) I simply mix bicarbonate of soda with some bleach into the consistency of toothpaste ( you don't need more than a few drops of bleach). Apply to area, leave a few hours and then rinse off with water.

Will look like new and not cost anything like £80!

DTBlaster

Thanks guys!

Buying some HG Mould spray, as recommended - will heed your advice, sammy!

Ironwolf, I agree with that logic. I'll contact and argue my case, then look at cleaning (may do that anyway if the mould spray arrives). Replacing it is a last resort!

Thanks for the top, Vomityspice! Will probably use the HG mould stuff first if I'm forced to clean it, but that sounds like it might do the trick if said spray fails!

And thanks, Olly - sounds like a plan!

The DIY website (third website down when you search 'Do It Yourself' on Google) recommends caulk should be replaced every year, which I think might add a bit of weight to the argument that I shouldn't be forced to do it.

propertyman

Oh for goodness sake bleach removes and kills it, is far easier to buy, and as suggested use a paint brush to get into crevices, not a harsh toothbrush.

Why do people go for the "ooh thats an expensive advert for a mould remover" its just a simple anti bacterial and surficant.

You can get a brush and bleach in your lunch hour and it will be done by teatime.

DRP

propertyman wrote: »

Oh for goodness sake bleach removes and kills it, is far easier to buy, and as suggested use a paint brush to get into crevices, not a harsh toothbrush.

Why do people go for the "ooh thats an expensive advert for a mould remover" its just a simple anti bacterial and surficant.

You can get a brush and bleach in your lunch hour and it will be done by teatime.

^^yeah this.

DTBlaster

Thankyou, but to be fair, this stuff was only a couple of quid, so I'm not really too concerned about the expense

DTBlaster

Hi guys,
Thanks again for all your advice. I tried using HG Mould Spray a few times, but it didn't seem to shift it at all

I sent a message to the landlord arguing that, as per the recommendations of a couple of reputable websites, (doityourself . com and Dummies) that shower sealant should be replaced every 12-18 months anyway, in addition to the mould problems elsewhere in the house, suggesting that it's unfair to assume the buck stops with us on this issue.

They later responded (after I had left the house) that some websites argue that sealant should be replaced every 30-50 years! I looked at the website they provided, and it argues that silicone sealant can last for a long time outside and in perfect conditions. I thought it would be reasonable to contest this evidence on the basis that the sealant in question is indoors and in a bathroom.

They then said that only if the silicone was damaged and cracked with age would they accept responsibility, but that mould and mildew could be prevented through regular cleaning with a mould spray and was thus our responsibility.
I've rechecked all of the emails and documents they provided us with, and there wasn't any advice or requirements to consistently clean the sealant with such products.

The ventilation fan was always used what we considered to be an ample amount, which I would have thought was sufficient to prevent such damp related problems.

I'm sorry to pester everyone with this, but as I say, I'm relatively inexperienced in this field so I'm a little ambivalent as to what I can/can't claim.

Do people still think we have a case in arguing against the charges, in light of their claims that we could have used mould remover over the course of the year?

As ever, any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thankyou

DRP

DTBlaster wrote: »

Hi guys,
Thanks again for all your advice. I tried using HG Mould Spray a few times, but it didn't seem to shift it at all

I sent a message to the landlord arguing that, as per the recommendations of a couple of reputable websites, (doityourself . com and Dummies) that shower sealant should be replaced every 12-18 months anyway, in addition to the mould problems elsewhere in the house, suggesting that it's unfair to assume the buck stops with us on this issue.

They later responded (after I had left the house) that some websites argue that sealant should be replaced every 30-50 years! I looked at the website they provided, and it argues that silicone sealant can last for a long time outside and in perfect conditions. I thought it would be reasonable to contest this evidence on the basis that the sealant in question is indoors and in a bathroom.

They then said that only if the silicone was damaged and cracked with age would they accept responsibility, but that mould and mildew could be prevented through regular cleaning with a mould spray and was thus our responsibility.
I've rechecked all of the emails and documents they provided us with, and there wasn't any advice or requirements to consistently clean the sealant with such products.

The ventilation fan was always used what we considered to be an ample amount, which I would have thought was sufficient to prevent such damp related problems.

I'm sorry to pester everyone with this, but as I say, I'm relatively inexperienced in this field so I'm a little ambivalent as to what I can/can't claim.

Do people still think we have a case in arguing against the charges, in light of their claims that we could have used mould remover over the course of the year?

As ever, any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thankyou

I guess the real life answer is that no matter how poorly ventilated, mould won't be a problem if the bath/shower is cleaned regularly

was it?

Vomityspice

You have already been given perfectly good advice on how to solve your mold problem. Why bother getting into a legal dispute (unless you really want to throw away your money away!!).

If you follow my previous advice, the grotty, mouldy silicone will come up like new. It will cost you less than £2. (Buy from Aldi)

Take a picture and if your LL every tried to bill you, you picture will evidence that the sealant was spotless.

Why make your life more difficult than it needs to be?

DTBlaster

Thanks for the responses.

DRP, haha, it was cleaned, but not with a mould/mildew removing spray, which is what they are arguing

Vomity, I very much appreciated the advice. Unfortunately, I underestimated the amount of time it would take to rectify other blemishes left in the house, and in the end prioritised other flaws that I figured we had no choice but to pay over one I thought we could contest.
I tried the mould spray a few times, but ultimately, ran out of time to try other options, and have since left the house. I spoke to my housemates (staying in the house for a while after I left) about some of the other suggestions, but from what I gather, nothing got done, as I think people thought the argument was good enough to hold up (and thus wouldn't have to clean it).

Very poorly planned on my part, I know, but with the landlord's response coming after I had left the house, I really only have arguing left

DRP

DTBlaster wrote: »

Thanks for the responses.

DRP, haha, it was cleaned, but not with a mould/mildew removing spray, which is what they are arguing

Vomity, I very much appreciated the advice. Unfortunately, I underestimated the amount of time it would take to rectify other blemishes left in the house, and in the end prioritised other flaws that I figured we had no choice but to pay over one I thought we could contest.
I tried the mould spray a few times, but ultimately, ran out of time to try other options, and have since left the house. I spoke to my housemates (staying in the house for a while after I left) about some of the other suggestions, but from what I gather, nothing got done, as I think people thought the argument was good enough to hold up (and thus wouldn't have to clean it).

Very poorly planned on my part, I know, but with the landlord's response coming after I had left the house, I really only have arguing left

It sounds like you might get stung

I guess the point i was making is that if the shower is cleaned regularly (or even just wiped dry along the sealant) then mould won;t grow and extreme methods are not necessary!