Help with MFC kitchen "Not fit for purpose"

deethebee

Hello there, I'm looking for some advice on anyone that might be able to shed some light on a situation myself and my boyfriend have been in since last year. We bought some kitchen units and doors from Wickes in May 2018 and after less than a month a few doors were peeling and bubbling at the bottom. My boyfriend was concerned that this was caused by spillages and I said surely not - that anything designed for a kitchen should be able to withstand moisture. We made a complaint with Wickes and they initially agreed to replace the few doors showing damage. A few months later and more of the doors and drawers even were showing more of this bubbling and we were certain that no spillages had occurred in these areas and so complained to Wickes again. This time there was a lengthy investigation and they came back to us saying that the damage had been caused by spillages and that this was not covered under the guarantee. They stated that excessive moisture left for long periods of time will eventually cause this bubbling. To us, this suggests that the damage should occur over years if it was due to excess moisture and not weeks/months. Wickes would not clarify this issue and whether it was normal for this damage to occur so quickly after exposure to water, just that it was due to them being exposed to excessive moisture. We challenged this again, which prompted another investigation and this time the response was that as the units were made of MFC they did not fair well under moisture and they stood by their claim that we had caused the damage by either exposing the units to excessive moisture or that we somehow live in an overly humid or moist environment which I think is an utterly ridiculous suggestion.

We've now been left having to take the claim to the small claims court, and I was hoping that someone could offer some information if it is normal for MFC units and doors to warp and bubble after only weeks of being exposed to moisture from say steam or spillages and if so, would this not suggest that the units are not fit for purpose? To be fit for purpose, an item needs to be suited for its designated purpose and therefore a unit that cannot withstand moisture for any real length of time in a moist environment that it's designed for would not be considered fit for purpose. Right? Wickes have claimed that this type of damage is not a common occurrence with this kitchen range and that it is fit for purpose, but will not accept that the units we have may be faulty.

Any advice is welcome! Thank you.

forgotmyname

What humidity readings are you getting in various parts of the property?

sheramber

If a kettle is boiling under a wall cupboard then yes the steam ca damage the cupboard.

If a spillage is not wiped up immediately then again, it may penetrate the edge of a door.

You say your boyfriend thought it could have been caused by spillages. He must have had reason to think that. A spillage is more than moisture.

MCF is melamine covered chipboard. Chipboard does not like getting wet

It looks like moisture/wet may have penetrated

You may need to get an expert's report on whether the penetration was due to faulty workmanship or not.

deethebee

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. We have not tested the humidity as we do not feel the humidity is a factor as it would take a lot to cause this damage.

As for the spillages, yes there were one or 2 on one of the cupboards but this happened in areas where no spillages occurred and also we do not keep the kettle in the kitchen - we have a little coffee bar outside the kitchen. What I'm asking is if this is normal and acceptable for this type of damage to occur so soon after coming into contact with moisture or water? I would have thought it would take time before this happened if they were of any quality at all. I cannot find this information anywhere on whether damage should occur within weeks and if so, does this make them unfit for purpose? It certainly doesn't seem to be of good quality as the website suggests. I've lived in houses with cheap cabinets before and the units didn't just bubble from a bit of a water spillage here and there.

Also, where can I go to get an expert opinion as I have no idea who to contact about this?

Thanks
Debbie

DoaM

One could perhaps argue that MFC is a material unsuitable for an environment such as a kitchen which is bound to endure a degree of humidity and/or moisture spillage?

bris

It's only normal for poorly made kitchens, Wickes seem to have a problem in this area as you're not the first.


You will need an experts report to show it's a design fault due to poor workmanship. This can help you bring a claim.


If you paid by credit card or finance they may be able to help, you will still need the report though but they will act quicker than Wickes with a report. So if you did use any credit start a S75 claim to shake things up a bit.

tacpot12

deethebee wrote: »

Hi guys, thanks for the replies. We have not tested the humidity as we do not feel the humidity is a factor as it would take a lot to cause this damage.

As for the spillages, yes there were one or 2 on one of the cupboards but this happened in areas where no spillages occurred and also we do not keep the kettle in the kitchen - we have a little coffee bar outside the kitchen. What I'm asking is if this is normal and acceptable for this type of damage to occur so soon after coming into contact with moisture or water? I would have thought it would take time before this happened if they were of any quality at all. I cannot find this information anywhere on whether damage should occur within weeks and if so, does this make them unfit for purpose? It certainly doesn't seem to be of good quality as the website suggests. I've lived in houses with cheap cabinets before and the units didn't just bubble from a bit of a water spillage here and there.

Also, where can I go to get an expert opinion as I have no idea who to contact about this?

Thanks
Debbie

This form of damage is not unusual on vinyl-wrapped doors, but is unusual to have happened so quickly. I would expect that the cause is a manufacturing defect, possibly too little adhesive or too little time in the press - the glue won't have been heated enough to stick the vinyl to the substrate. The substrate is probably MDF. The glue can also fail if it gets wet, usually due to the edges not being sealed well enough.

Have a look at this thread https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4815684/vinyl-wrapped-kitchen-doors-bubbling

If you need an expert, this link might help: https://www.jspubs.com/expert-witness/si/k/kitchens/

deethebee

Thanks again for the replies everyone.

Tacpot - they're not vinyl wrapped, they're MFC units. Both the units and the doors are made of the same material. I would agree that the glue doesn't seem particularly good quality as the edges are coming away on the inside shelves as well and they do seem poorly made. It's just where to go to get an expert opinion on them as Wickes keep placing blame on us, stating that even small amounts of moisture left on the surface for prolonged periods will cause this. But so soon? I'm not sure.

Bris - do you have any links where other people have had this same issue? It's one thing to say it's usual for poorly made kitchens, but another to say it's acceptable. After all, poorly made goods surely do not meet the criteria of the Consumer Rights Act for goods to be of satisfactory quality and fit for purpose.

DoaM - How could we argue that MFC is unsuitable for a kitchen environment? I have found many suppliers who sell bathroom and kitchen units made of MFC but have stated that MFC is sturdy and moisture resistant. I would need to be able to back up this argument somehow.

Thanks again

DoaM

I don't know - I was just going by the description of Melamine Faced Chipboard (MFC) and the observation that chipboard inherently doesn't like getting wet as it will expand (causing further issues).