Vanity Blown

Adele75

Hi, we've had a new bathroom fitted and after 2 months the vanity unit has blown. See pics. I've contacted the bathroom shop, who supplied the full bathroom and the fitter, but while I wait for them to get back to me can anyone advise what may have caused this? It wasn't a cheap vanity unit (Fiora). We've checked for any leaks but the only way we can see any water would get between the unit and basin is from splashes when using the basin - the basin top is wiped with a towel 99% of the time after use for cleaning purposes. Surely this shouldn't have happened regardless.9 

geoffd

I`ve yet to fit a water resistant cabinet under a basin or sink !  Extreme care must be taken to avoid this sort of water damage !  not what you want to hear I expect .  Borders on unfit for purpose  , but that`s how they are !

Lorian

Hard to see but I guess it's MDF. I can't tell if it was done or not but if I was fitting that and it had unfinished MDF facing the underside of the sink I'd have sealed the surface with silicone.

Adele75

geoffd said:

I`ve yet to fit a water resistant cabinet under a basin or sink !  Extreme care must be taken to avoid this sort of water damage !  not what you want to hear I expect .  Borders on unfit for purpose  , but that`s how they are !

Care has been taken, wiped after use. A basin is going to get splashes when used but it's a big basin so they've been minimal (and wiped) so for damage to this extent after only 2 months use is extreme. Also, it was sold as a waterproof vanity unit.

The water appears to have got between the vanity and the basin, so an area that can't be wiped. Shouldn't this be prevented if it's been siliconed?

Adele75

Lorian said:

Hard to see but I guess it's MDF. I can't tell if it was done or not but if I was fitting that and it had unfinished MDF facing the underside of the sink I'd have sealed the surface with silicone.

It's not an unfinished edge. See pic.

ThisIsWeird

Hi Adele.

What can be said? That's almost certainly (certainly) been caused by 'water'. It's almost certainly not from a hidden 'leak' source. It is almost certainly from water on top of that basin, running over the edge to land on the cabinet top. It doesn't need much, but usually needs repeated.

And, yes, as Geoff says, that cabinet is not fit for purpose, by any rational and impartial account.

Its 'purpose' is to act as a support for a basin, and storage, and an aesthetic addition to your bathroom. Part of that remit must surely include to be water-resistant at worst, and ideally waterproof.

I think you need to read the T&Cs for that unit, and a full description of what you can expect. Then you'll know whether you have a valid claim or not.

This won't come down to whether water was able to get on to that unit - it clearly has - but whether the unit should have coped. (It hasn't).

The installation instructions might mention something like the top of the cabinet should be fully sealed against water ingress, before/after fitting the basin. If it does say this, and if this hasn't been done, then your installer is the poor sod who the manufacturer will blame. As they wipe their hands of any culpability.

But, to manufacture a unit for a bathroom that cannot cope with water is nuts.

Gulp! That c-c-c-cost a £rand? Read the terms of their '5-year' warranty carefully.

Adele75

ThisIsWeird said:

Hi Adele.

What can be said? That's almost certainly (certainly) been caused by 'water'. It's almost certainly not from a hidden 'leak' source. It is almost certainly from water on top of that basin, running over the edge to land on the cabinet top. It doesn't need much, but usually needs repeated.

And, yes, as Geoff says, that cabinet is not fit for purpose, by any rational and impartial account.

Its 'purpose' is to act as a support for a basin, and storage, and an aesthetic addition to your bathroom. Part of that remit must surely include to be water-resistant at worst, and ideally waterproof.

I think you need to read the T&Cs for that unit, and a full description of what you can expect. Then you'll know whether you have a valid claim or not.

This won't come down to whether water was able to get on to that unit - it clearly has - but whether the unit should have coped. (It hasn't).

The installation instructions might mention something like the top of the cabinet should be fully sealed against water ingress, before/after fitting the basin. If it does say this, and if this hasn't been done, then your installer is the poor sod who the manufacturer will blame. As they wipe their hands of any culpability.

But, to manufacture a unit for a bathroom that cannot cope with water is nuts.

Thank you. That's really helpful. The unit and basin cost £1600, sold to us as being high quality and waterproof. That said we've taken great care to wipe up any splashes, admittedly because I'm a clean freak. It's odd how it's only happened on one side as well.

ThisIsWeird

Adele75 said:

Thank you. That's really helpful. The unit and basin cost £1600, sold to us as being high quality and waterproof. That said we've taken great care to wipe up any splashes, admittedly because I'm a clean freak. It's odd how it's only happened on one side as well.

'Waterproof' is a very specific claim. It means 'impervious to water', and - by implication - to the effects of water.

You buy a waterproof camera case for a specific reason, and if the camera becomes wet, then the case has failed.

When it was 'sold' to you, who made the 'waterproof' claim? Is it written down anywhere? Or is it on the manufacturer's website?

This happened after only 2 months?! Do you have LegProt on your house insurance? If so call them up - this is surely a valid claim. Make that phonecall regardless - get the facts sorted, it won't cost you anything. Then call up the supplier - they may just sort it without question. But you'll have the lever of 'legal' to back you up. 

It could, of course, be an unusual faulty item. And, there's the possibility that an inexperienced fitter did something like plane the top edge, so removing any waterproof seal.

I suspect the first thing that 'Fiora' will do is send out a technical rep for an inspection. You shouldn't have to worry - you have been suitably carefully, so it's either a faulty product, or a faulty installation. Or a carp product in the first place :-)

Keep us posted. But if you do have LP, then no harm in calling them up and asking how this should be handled.

Adele75

ThisIsWeird said:

Adele75 said:

Thank you. That's really helpful. The unit and basin cost £1600, sold to us as being high quality and waterproof. That said we've taken great care to wipe up any splashes, admittedly because I'm a clean freak. It's odd how it's only happened on one side as well.

'Waterproof' is a very specific claim. It means 'impervious to water', and - by implication - to the effects of water.

You buy a waterproof camera case for a specific reason, and if the camera becomes wet, then the case has failed.

When it was 'sold' to you, who made the 'waterproof' claim? Is it written down anywhere? Or is it on the manufacturer's website?

This happened after only 2 months?! Do you have LegProt on your house insurance? If so call them up - this is surely a valid claim. Make that phonecall regardless - get the facts sorted, it won't cost you anything. Then call up the supplier - they may just sort it without question. But you'll have the lever of 'legal' to back you up. 

It could, of course, be an unusual faulty item. And, there's the possibility that an inexperienced fitter did something like plane the top edge, so removing any waterproof seal.

I suspect the first thing that 'Fiora' will do is send out a technical rep for an inspection. You shouldn't have to worry - you have been suitably carefully, so it's either a faulty product, or a faulty installation. Or a carp product in the first place :-)

Keep us posted. But if you do have LP, then no harm in calling them up and asking how this should be handled.

Waterproof stated by the retailer, who again stated 'that shouldn't have happened as it's waterproof' when I spoke to them to raise the issue.

What would a faulty installation amount from? Should silicone fill the whole gap between the vanity edge and the basin to prevent any water getting in and sitting there?

And yep just 2 months, the bathroom was completed the first week in October.

Just taken from Fiora's website - note water resistance not waterproof! Still, we have been very particular about wiping the basin top down after use.


 

Albermarle

We had something similar fitted 3 years ago and still looks fine, and we do not wipe down with a towel either.
However the material has a glossy smooth finish, with nowhere for water to penetrate, as far as I can see.

ThisIsWeird

Adele75 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

Adele75 said:

Thank you. That's really helpful. The unit and basin cost £1600, sold to us as being high quality and waterproof. That said we've taken great care to wipe up any splashes, admittedly because I'm a clean freak. It's odd how it's only happened on one side as well.

'Waterproof' is a very specific claim. It means 'impervious to water', and - by implication - to the effects of water.

You buy a waterproof camera case for a specific reason, and if the camera becomes wet, then the case has failed.

When it was 'sold' to you, who made the 'waterproof' claim? Is it written down anywhere? Or is it on the manufacturer's website?

This happened after only 2 months?! Do you have LegProt on your house insurance? If so call them up - this is surely a valid claim. Make that phonecall regardless - get the facts sorted, it won't cost you anything. Then call up the supplier - they may just sort it without question. But you'll have the lever of 'legal' to back you up. 

It could, of course, be an unusual faulty item. And, there's the possibility that an inexperienced fitter did something like plane the top edge, so removing any waterproof seal.

I suspect the first thing that 'Fiora' will do is send out a technical rep for an inspection. You shouldn't have to worry - you have been suitably carefully, so it's either a faulty product, or a faulty installation. Or a carp product in the first place :-)

Keep us posted. But if you do have LP, then no harm in calling them up and asking how this should be handled.

Waterproof stated by the retailer, who again stated 'that shouldn't have happened as it's waterproof' when I spoke to them to raise the issue.

What would a faulty installation amount from? Should silicone fill the whole gap between the vanity edge and the basin to prevent any water getting in and sitting there?

And yep just 2 months, the bathroom was completed the first week in October.

Just taken from Fiora's website - note water resistance not waterproof! Still, we have been very particular about wiping the basin top down after use.


 

Steps 5 & 6 show the sealing, tho' that could be as much for sticking it in place as actual sealing.
What could have gone wrong? I can only guess. I'm assuming that the side panel came fully lipped, so sealed on all surfaces and edges. The top edge couldn't possibly have been supplied unlipped, so I wonder if the installer used a plane on it for any reason? Again, surely not, but something has allowed water to get through.
Or, could the panel have been dropped on that top edge which has split the coating?
Whatever, it just should not happen. 
Did the supplier also install? Or did you get you own fellow in? The latter will be more awkward to sort. 
Do you have LP? Be guided by them. What is the supplier/fitter suggesting as a way forward?