Supplier refusing to repair Garden Shed

stickymaggot

I purchased a garden shed from a local company in summer 2010, including erection.

I am pretty sure I paid for this by cheque.

Once erected, I treated the shed with normal fence/shed paint from the likes of Ronseal/Cuprinol etc.

Early this year, I noticed that that large gaps had appears on one end of the shed and the wood had split. It was possible to see clearly inside the shed through the gaps. I emailed the supplier (in May 2013) who responded by sending a person out to look at the problem who verbally agreed that it shouldn’t have gone like that. What followed was months of silence apart from me ringing up to find out what was happening and being told it was in hand and as they were busy would I mind just waiting for a while. This I agreed to as I was in no desperate rush so long as it was fixed before the winter. When I finally rang up to enquire again, I was told they needed to come and look again – this they did in early September and took measurements.

I emailed on 27th September to enquire what was happening and stating that I felt I was being ignored and was considering going to the Small Claims Court. I was told in their email reply :

“His report was that the paint you used on the shed has shrunk the tongue and groove boarding.

Given that the shed is 3 years old, and the problem was caused by yourself we will not be returning to carry out remedial works.”

To say I was surprised is an understatement – Do they truly believe that applying the likes of Ronseal/Cuprinol products to a shed causes the wood to shrink and split?

All I am looking for is for the end of the shed that has suffered this problem to be replaced.

What would you recommend my next step of action is as I am not willing to let them get away with this. I have recently been made redundant and cannot afford to have another company in to repair/replace the shed. I am more than happy though to fund a Small Claims Court case as I do not believe a word they are telling me – the likes of Ronseal/Cuprinol would be out of business if their product did what this company was claiming.