Poor Quality of Work

Cotta

Hi All,

I hired a contractor to investigate some mould issues within my house, implement some remedial action and remove the existing mould.

The work was carried out two weeks ago, this involved installing some vents in the windows, removing the mould and replacing two blinds that were corrupted with mould. Today the house was inspected prior to payment and I noticed that much of the mould has started to return (not as bad as it was but I suspect this will only get worse).

I advised the contractor that I was unhappy but he indicated that it is very difficult to remove all mould and the only action outstanding is the payment.

What are my rights?

Aylesbury_Duck

Cotta wrote: »

Hi All,

I hired a contractor to investigate some mould issues within my house, implement some remedial action and remove the existing mould.

The work was carried out two weeks ago, this involved installing some vents in the windows, removing the mould and replacing two blinds that were corrupted with mould. Today the house was inspected prior to payment and I noticed that much of the mould has started to return (not as bad as it was but I suspect this will only get worse).

I advised the contractor that I was unhappy but he indicated that it is very difficult to remove all mould and the only action outstanding is the payment.

What are my rights?

You need to address the root cause, which is lack of ventilation and heating for the moisture your lifestyle is generating. It sounds as if the contractor did what you asked in that he cleared the existing mould and added ventilation. It looks as if that it isn't enough to address the root cause of the problem. Mould will keep coming back until you implement enough changes to reduce the humidity.

What was your agreement with the contractor? If it's as you say, then I think he's met that and you owe him payment.

Cotta

The remit of his work was to find out what was causing the mould, remedy it and then remove the mould. It was the contractor's recommendation to install the vents.

Aylesbury_Duck

Cotta wrote: »

The remit of his work was to find out what was causing the mould, remedy it and then remove the mould. It was the contractor's recommendation to install the vents.

I'm sure that the vents have improved the situation but they have clearly not eradicated if it mould growth persists. I suspect there are other things you should be doing to improve the situation. Do you use extractors when cooking and when using the bathroom? Do you keep the house at a decent minimum temperature? Have you eliminated cold spots where moisture will condense first?

If your agreement with the chap was to keep doing things until no mould ever grows back, then he's not fulfilled the contract. Presumably though, he's anticipated that more ventilation is an obvious first step and his bill is (alongside the cleaning) to cover that? I can't see how you can reasonably withhold payment for the work done to date. If more is needed, it will need to be paid for. I suggest looking at your lifestyle first though, because in most cases, decent ventilation and heating solves condensation and mould problems.

JJ_Egan

You may well require even more to prevent mould as posted above .

tacpot12

Do you have something in writing where the contractor has accepted that the job was to identify and remedy all root causes of the mould?

If not, a court will look at whether what you have paid is a fair price for the work involved, and whether the contractor exercised due care when determining the root causes of the mould. You might talk to him about what he did to identify the root causes. You might consult another contractor to identify what the first contractor missed. If they missed something obvious, you might have more of a case.

couriervanman

OP do you cook with windows closed and no extraction fan on,do you shower with no window open or fan on,do you use a tumble dryer in house with no window open or fan,do you dry damp washing on radiators with no window open.

If yes to any of the above that's your problem.....buy a dehumidifier and open vents on windows every morning to clear condensation

davidmcn

I doubt they guaranteed that you would never again be troubled by mould, did they?

Cotta

tacpot12 wrote: »

Do you have something in writing where the contractor has accepted that the job was to identify and remedy all root causes of the mould?

If not, a court will look at whether what you have paid is a fair price for the work involved, and whether the contractor exercised due care when determining the root causes of the mould. You might talk to him about what he did to identify the root causes. You might consult another contractor to identify what the first contractor missed. If they missed something obvious, you might have more of a case.

He has sent me a whatsapp message to propose his solution of the vents along with a price.

Aylesbury_Duck

Cotta wrote: »

He has sent me a whatsapp message to propose his solution of the vents along with a price.

In which case, I suggest he has done what he committed to and you should pay him.

It sounds like more ventilation and/or a change to lifestyle is needed though, and that's not his problem.

born_again

Is this a empty house give the comment

Today the house was inspected prior to pnayment and I noticed that much of the mould has started to return

Is there any heating in the house? doors open in house to allow free flow of air. Are any windows open in the rooms with mould?

If all you have in the room is a vent and the door is shut you will not get a free flow of air to help remove the mould...

Maybe you need to get some anti fungicide to clean the area's that have mould on them and also the rest of the room.
This time of ear is not a good time to get rid of mould due to the high moisture content and heat difference between inside & outside.

It could also be that the root cause is water ingress from blocked guttering/loose tiles allowing damp to start.