10 month old patio, one slab hairline crack

2stixoftwixes

In Jan/ Feb this year we had a new patio laid (28 m2) 
Yesterday, when I went out into the garden one of the slabs, has got a thin hairline crack right through the middle.  This is right in the middle of the patio and now I can't 'unsee' it

The local company that did it, was paid via BACS and isn't a member of checkatrade or similar

Not knowing anything about landscaping/patios etc
is there anyone out there who could advise if this is a 'normal' occurrence on something that cost nearly £3000 and has cracked within 10 months   
what we can do about it, any legal avenues ? 

Many thanks

stuart45

Contact the company, they might offer to replace it. Sometimes a slab can have a slight fracture in it, which becomes a crack over time. 

grumbler

No, this isn't normal. The only legal avenue is small claims court.

NSG666

Why do you want to get legal at this stage? Speak with the company that did it first and see what they say.

stuart45

What type of slabs are they eg stone, concrete, porcelain etc?

2stixoftwixes

stuart45 said:

What type of slabs are they eg stone, concrete, porcelain etc?

 

Brown blend paving slabs 
I guess that means stone ....  ?  

stuart45

Could be natural or cast stone.

FaceHead

Getting another slab and replacing the cracked one is a straightforward job. Particularly if they supplied the slabs, I would expect a good tradesman to come an replace this next time they have an early finish and can fit a few hours into the day. 

Give them a ring and ask them politely what can be done to remedy it. 

If you supplied the slabs, they could try to wriggle out of it with 'you supplied rubbish slabs, one of which clearly had a defect in and cracked'. Even in the case that you can't persuade them to replace it, it's a few hour job to put right, so your time would be better spent getting someone to do that, rather than having a solicitor write letters. 

canaldumidi

2stixoftwixes said:

The local company that did it, was paid via BACS and isn't a member of checkatrade or similar

It's worth making the point that whether or not the company has paid to become a member and advertise via checkatrade is no recomendation, and provides no protection. Using these commercial sites to identify possible contractors is one thing, but it's no substitute for then ensuring the company is reliable/profesional.

Far better aideally to use an independant site, like Trading Standards 'Buy With Confidence', or the Consumer Association's 'Which? Trusted Traders' (no connection to the similarly named commercial site).

theonlywayisup

Duplicate post.  Same answers.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6312207/10-month-old-patio-one-slab-hairline-crack#latest

OP, it does speak volumes that you've posted twice on a forum and are considering legal action when it doesn't seem you've spoken to the installer. 

980233

2stixoftwixes said:

In Jan/ Feb this year we had a new patio laid (28 m2) 
Yesterday, when I went out into the garden one of the slabs, has got a thin hairline crack right through the middle.  This is right in the middle of the patio and now I can't 'unsee' it

The local company that did it, was paid via BACS and isn't a member of checkatrade or similar

Not knowing anything about landscaping/patios etc
is there anyone out there who could advise if this is a 'normal' occurrence on something that cost nearly £3000 and has cracked within 10 months   
what we can do about it, any legal avenues ? 

Many thanks

Legal action on £50 portion of the patio? Are you having a laugh?