Builders dispute

diginoo

photos of neighbouring house (top correctly installed) and ours below. 5 other windows in the house have been correctly installed but this one and one below incorrectly for unknown reasons!

MikeJXE

So all you need to do is remove the glass if it is fixed in the fame and not an opener, unscrew the window from the wall both sides. Slide up the window then slide the cill under from the inside, screw the window to the walls and install the glass

If you're not able to do that a window fitter could or a good handyman 

If the window has sealant around it you would have to remove that also. 

You might have to remove the inside cill first

looks like the original widow fitter had never done one before 

Doozergirl

diginoo said:

Doozergirl said:

diginoo said:

Doozergirl said:

Um, if it isn't covered by NHBC and the builder has no liability beyond year 2 then you're stuck between a rock and a hard place.  NHBC is what takes you to 10 years and that is for serious structural issues and even then they'll try to wriggle out of it.  

It's likely to get thrown out of court if you attempt to take NHBC to task on something that isn't covered by their policy.  You have a clearly worded warranty which you say doesn't cover the window fitting.  

Are the windows the wrong size? 

All avenues have been taken regarding NHBC, I am now thinking about taking the house builder to small claim court.

Two of the windows have not been fitted to the guidelines by the window manufacture (fitted incorrectly) so the design aspect of the window is that any rain that seeps within the framework should naturally fall down the inbuilt channels and out onto the window sill and away from the house in theory.

However in my case two of the windows have nothing under them as the sill has been fitted\screwed to the front of the window frame.

I have written evidence from the window engineer along with correct engineering diagrams etc plus even the Ombudsman doesn't dispute that the windows have been fitted wrongly but they are not covered under NHBC.

one would assume that when buying a house that it should be watertight to the basic degree for 20/25 years +

I really don't think that you have a case. It's well known that a new house builder's liability ends at two years.  

You bought a house rather than employed a builder directly, so the rules of house buying apply.  No liability after two years.  

But you would expect a house to be built correctly and manufactured parts that make a house fitted properly. might have well just fitted the window upside down? would you expect that?

I'm telling you what the law is, not what my opinion is.  After two years, the builder does not have to return to fix anything.  Within that two year period they would.  

Would I expect an upside down window?    Frankly, nothing would surprise me.  There's no love put into most developed houses.  

diginoo

Doozergirl said:

I really don't think that you have a case. It's well known that a new house builder's liability ends at two years.  

You bought a house rather than employed a builder directly, so the rules of house buying apply.  No liability after two years

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I take you views on board and thank you for your valid opinions

however I would point out that the fault was first raised around the two year period and the truthful fact is they have refused to sort out the problem originally which is why it has taken all this time because the problem keeps coming back after a little sealant is applied to the sill (which shouldn't 1. be the case and 2. shouldn't exist and therefore need any sealant!) 

Doozergirl

diginoo said:

Doozergirl said:

I really don't think that you have a case. It's well known that a new house builder's liability ends at two years.  

You bought a house rather than employed a builder directly, so the rules of house buying apply.  No liability after two years

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I take you views on board and thank you for your valid opinions

however I would point out that the fault was first raised around the two year period and the truthful fact is they have refused to sort out the problem originally which is why it has taken all this time because the problem keeps coming back after a little sealant is applied to the sill (which shouldn't 1. be the case and 2. shouldn't exist and therefore need any sealant!) 

Around or before?   It's just that you said 2/3 years and it would absolutely hang on you contacting them before 2 years was up. 

Good luck! It really is quite shocking.