Benchmarx Nordica Nightmare

Boots26

Hi, I wonder if anyone can help or has had the same problem.
I bought the Nordica range kitchen from Benchmarx installed in Feb. Not long after I noticed that some if my doors were out of alignment. I spoke to the installer who said this was normal and that doors would need adjusting as they are starting to be used. The installer came back to fit some more units under my stairs. When I asked him about adjusting the doors he noticed that the doors were bowed. We got onto Benchmarx and they agreed to replace them. I started to notice that other doors were going out of alignment but waited for the installer to come back to verify if the problem was the same. As he wasn't due to come back until after he back from holiday we had had the ceiling skimmed. A month after the ceiling was skimmed he came back to replace the first set if doors. When we highlighted to Benchmarx about it her door and drawer fronts doing the same they came out. I also highlighted that the now replaced doors were doing the same. He took some photos and got in touch with the manufacturer a company called Gower. So basically from the photos and the fact that I had 'plastering' done they are unwilling to replace anymore and my warranty is now void. They came to this conclusion without a site visit or thorough investigation totally ignoring the fact that the doors were doing this before and some time after the ceiling was skimmed.
This is driving me mad especially the money spent and they are not willing to investigate any further.

Many thanks for reading and any info you might have would be greatly appreciated.

forgotmyname

Foil wrapped doors? Known that to happen.

Are they blaming the moisture content after having the ceiling skimmed?

Bit strange having the ceiling skimmed after having the kitchen fitted but whatever.

Send them a letter stating the faults and giving them time to rectify the issue. If they fail to sort it then get a written report from elsewhere and supply that with a letter before claim.

If they fail to sort it them take them to court with your evidence that the doors were faulty before the ceiling was skimmed, or whatever they are claiming to be the reason for rejection of your problem.

shaun_from_Africa

Did you buy the units from Benchmarx or did the installer get them and then you paid him?

Boots26

The doors are acrylic. It was skimmed so that we got a nice finish with top of units. Plasterer only expressed concern for damage to kitchen not moisture. Benchmarx tried blaming plants we had in kitchen and that we put a larger window in.
I went direct to benchmarx ad my brother works for Travis Perkins (benchmarx, wickes and Travis are the same company).

Meepster

A couple of things; the doors aren't acrylic - they are MDF with 0.75mm acrylic bonded onto the front face, 1mm acrylic bonded to the edges, with a melamine back. An acrylic door won't bow or warp due to moisture, whereas the door type you have is notorious for warping and is one reason why I only ever recommend this type of door for a bedroom, never for a kitchen. The sheds seem to sell this type of door as a luxury product, whereas in reality it's actually cheaper to manufacture than a vinyl wrapped door.

To be honest, you're on a hiding to nothing having had the ceiling plastered once the kitchen was in place, as the humidity of the room will have been well in excess of the 40-50% the doors are expected to be situated in. You'd need a minimum of 5 days for the humidity to return to normal after a skim, or 10 days for a full plaster.

You could fight it and get an independent report on the doors, but they will have to test the doors for moisture content, which isn't really going to help your case.

I don't supposed the entire kitchen was plastered prior to the kitchen being installed, was it?

Meepster

Oh and I forgot to add, the fitter was right about the doors needing adjustment after the units have settled for a couple of weeks, that's common practice.

Boots26

Thanks for the reply. I'm aware of the construction of the doors but assumed it was a better product (thinking you get what you pay for). The doors started to warp before the ceiling was skimmed. The doors look pretty much sealed so I can't understand where moisture has got in. It was a very warm day and the ceiling was touch dry by the end of it. There was no other plastering prior. Surely the moisture content in a kitchen and bathroom are expected to be higher so the doors should be manufactured to withstand higher based on boiling water, cooking etc. I am looking at getting an independent in to have a look and to test the doors

Meepster

Even though it was touch dry, it still wasn't dry and that will affect the humidity of the room. It needs time for the room to air out and get back to a standard level. TBH a plasterer should know this.

Moisture will always find a way in, if it is allowed to. Just because something looks sealed, it doesn't mean it is, it doesn't need to have visible gaps, the moisture is in the air; molecules that you can't see can easily get inside MDF, which is why the better manufacturers will use a waterproof MDF for any door constructed like this.

Surprisingly the humidity (or moisture content) of a kitchen is usually the same as a living room, hallway or bedroom, somewhere between 40-55% humidity and that's what the doors are usually made to. Bathrooms are a whole different kettle of fish but has no bearing on this.

I'd be interested to know what the tests reveal!

Boots26

Thanks Meepster for your input. I have a humidity monitor in my kitchen at the moment and it has not gone below 55% and is usually more towards the 60% most days. I wonder if I could argue that they sold me a product that was not suitable for my kitchen as not all kitchens Humidity levels will be within the average range. When I say touch dry it had turned pale pink which plaster does when dry.

DoaM

Reading this thread, I think your killer point is the fact that doors warped even before you had the skimming done. Therefore they were never of reasonable quality (considering price paid) in the first place. (Arguing Fit for purpose is a tricky one ... they're doors for kitchen units and they perform that function)

Meepster

Boots26 wrote: »

Thanks Meepster for your input. I have a humidity monitor in my kitchen at the moment and it has not gone below 55% and is usually more towards the 60% most days. I wonder if I could argue that they sold me a product that was not suitable for my kitchen as not all kitchens Humidity levels will be within the average range. When I say touch dry it had turned pale pink which plaster does when dry.

Well if you look at it that way, the problem isn't with the stuff you got from Benchmarx, it's your actual kitchen that's the problem. This would also explain why the doors were warping before you had the ceiling plastered, there's too much moisture in your kitchen!

I'm not looking to stick up for Benchmarx (I wish I could knock them down a peg or two as they are a competitor) but it is rare to see issues like this and 99% of the time, it's the room that's the issue, not the door!