Skirting board and gaps, do they need to be fixed by landlord?

lovinituk

dekaspace wrote: »

So a gap almost a inch HIGH above the floor is "for the carpet"

Prove it - pictures please. And yes with thick carpet and underlay that gap would barely have been visible.

dekaspace

lovinituk wrote: »

Prove it - pictures please. And yes with thick carpet and underlay that gap would barely have been visible.

I was going to, but shame I have to as it feels like you are saying I am lying which is quite annoying.

lovinituk

dekaspace wrote: »

A gap that can fit a thick screwdriver in isn't a tiny gap!

dekaspace wrote: »

I was going to, but shame I have to as it feels like you are saying I am lying which is quite annoying.

Its irrelevant though isn't it. There is no legal minimum for skirting board gaps. Don't spill any more water and there won't be any more leaks. Simple really.

warby68

dekaspace wrote: »

So a gap almost a inch HIGH above the floor is "for the carpet"

Not millimeters for carpet, it seems the skirting board that is there is covering the large holes. it was large enough that friend dropped a thick screwdriver in it a few weeks ago that rolled into cap and was lost for good, I was annoyed at it was one of my good ones, I had a look and it had vanished without a trace.

A gap that can fit a thick screwdriver in isn't a tiny gap!

Carpet plus underlay can easily be an inch I'm afraid but, regardless, this is more than likely a decorative or aesthetic issue and I would imagine that will be a hard win with any landlord. They may well prefer to leave it optional for carpets.

We had an old laminate floor ripped up recently and replaced with Amtico (posh lino) laid on 1/4 inch screed and the skirting gap would have been huge. We stopped the job to remove the skirting. I also know there are some holes behind the new skirting caused when the old was removed and around radiator piping etc. They are internal walls so the holes have been left.

dekaspace

lovinituk wrote: »

Its irrelevant though isn't it. There is no legal minimum for skirting board gaps. Don't spill any more water and there won't be any more leaks. Simple really.

(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

So you suggest to never mop up then? As accidents do happen as a small bucket of water not even anywhere near half full can do so much.

Its a shame his landlord never does anything about the leaks from the flat above where theres dried damp stains in kitchen and bathroom

I thought I would do friend a favour as I used his washing machine to clean up his kitchen at same time.

rach_k

Where, exactly, is the gap? I've often seen plastering finish an inch or so above the floor, as the skirting goes on afterwards and covers the lack of plaster. Is that what you're talking about? It might be that the flooring doesn't touch the walls either, as the skirting would cover that gap too. It's not a fault.

If the person concerned is likely to spill lots of liquid, they could look into stuffing the gap with something like a cut up pool noodle, which can be removed later if leaving the property but should stop the worst getting through.

He/you could also consider a new mop that doesn't need to be saturated. I use an e-cloth one (think it's the bathroom one) for the kitchen - spray the floor lightly with multipurpose spray or water and mop with a dry mop. No spills, just a mist and a nice clean floor that dries very quickly.

lovinituk

Not sure what you really want out of this thread. You've been told its cosmetic. The landlord is unlikely to rip off skirting boards to re-fix them with a smaller gap which would also likely involve re-plastering of walls. Even with a smaller gap water will still penetrate unless its also silicone sealed up. As someone said above, floors are not designed to be water tight unless its a wet room.

Its certainly not something you can complain about from a legal point of view.

So what answers do you want?

dekaspace

I had my answer, im responding to people who love to make silly judgements and say things like "friends" cutting out parts I have said like I LIVE IN A GROUND FLOOR COUNCIL FLAT

So if it was me then how can I magically have neighbours below me, and why would I ask rather than tell the council repair line?

I was thinking LL could put in some filler at base of skirting boards to lower chances in future, I was hoping someone might of said that was ok but friend would have to pay for it himself rather than go on about "friends" and act as if something doesn't add up despite me also saying the property has suffered from leaks in past.

G_M

dekaspace wrote: »

I was thinking LL could put in some filler at base of skirting boards to lower chances in future, I was hoping someone might of said that was ok but friend would have to pay for it himself......t.

Yes. He could. But he does not have to. By all means explain the problem to the landlord and see what he says.

And/or offer to pay for the filler. And/or offer to do the work yourself.

But the bottom line is, as said above, floors are not designed to be water tight unless its a wet room.

When cleaning a floor use a damp cloth/mop/whatever, NOT one running with water, and don't knock buckets over.

All over the country, for decades if not centuries, housewives have been cleaning floors without flooding their own, or other peoples', properties.