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AIBU?

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Original poster

The electricians have ruined my carpet

19 replies

mindthegap79 · 08/08/2015 22:08

We're having major building work done at the moment. The builder obviously subcontracts a lot of the work out to the different trades. The electricians were in on Friday putting some plug sockets into our bedroom. They had to drill into ancient brick and clearly didn't protect anything.

The beige carpet now has several black marks on it near where they were working. I've hoovered, but it's made no difference. I'm going to try with the wet vac tomorrow, but I'm not hopeful.

Where do I stand? Is it the builder's responsibility, or the electricians? Whenever the builders have done the really messy work, like demolishing entire walls, it hasn't been as messy as this, because they've used dust sheets, obviously. I don't want to pay for a new carpet or claim on my home insurance, but if the marks don't come out then the carpet is ruined Sad

Should we demand that the electricians pay for the carpet, if it can't be cleaned?

OP posts:
Original poster
mindthegap79 · 08/08/2015 22:13

At around lunchtime one of them came to ask me if we were keeping the carpet, and I said yes. I should have gone in at that point, but I was trying to entertain my 1 year old in a kitchen full of hazards. I didn't notice till they'd gone. They hoovered before they left but didn't mention anything. They're back on Monday.

OP posts:
Purplepoodle · 08/08/2015 22:33

take photos for a start

Original poster
mindthegap79 · 08/08/2015 22:37

I have, and I've emailed them to the builder.

OP posts:
BitchBags · 08/08/2015 22:59

I would be taking it up with the people who ruined it. Why should you have to fork out for their carelessness?

Wigglebummunch · 08/08/2015 23:54

Your contract is with the builder so it's down to him to sort it out. Is he likely to email back before they are due back?

xavierfondue · 09/08/2015 00:17

Oh god, poor you. I had an issue with my house earlier in the year with painters / joiners and plumbers. The painters had taken down my 10ft cream curtains to paint the walls and windows. I then found them scrumpled up in an open, working fireplace. Two pairs of them. It cost me £200 to get them cleaned. Of course, they all denied it and I couldn't point the finger as the three sets of them had been working at the same time. Fuckers. The fucking joiner was sawing and chopping in my bloody sitting room. YOU GUYS HAVE NO RESPECT I shouted at them. A week later they walked off the job. Fuckers.

bestguess23 · 09/08/2015 00:20

The builder needs to put it right. He should have some form of liability insurance if he isn't able to rectify it himself.

winkywinkybumbum · 09/08/2015 00:24

Check to see if your home insurance has legal cover. This (on the policies I deal with) covers disputes with tradesman.

winkywinkybumbum · 09/08/2015 00:25

Sorry, just read your post properly and see you don't want to claim but my advice may still be suitable.

kelpeed · 09/08/2015 03:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
mindthegap79 · 09/08/2015 06:49

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not sure if the builder is likely to reply by tomorrow but he'll be here first thing too. I'm so bloody annoyed with the damn electricians! Grrr. All the builders, plumbers, tilers etc have been lovely but I've never met such a lazy bunch as the electricians. Everything they've done has been rushed and on the rare occasions they've deigned to turn up they've made loads of mistakes. They smoke on our driveway and leave fag butts around too Angry On Fri morning their boss chap was here. He asked if I could get my husband to ring him! When I was a bit Hmm he said he'd try to explain to me, but it'd be much better if my husband could ring him.

None of this is relevant to my poor carpet but it sets the scene!

OP posts:
Original poster
mindthegap79 · 09/08/2015 06:52

We're into the final quarter of the job now thank goodness, so the next payment is the final one when everything is done, building control have signed off etc. Ultimately we could withhold the cost of the carpet I suppose. I hope it can be sorted amicably though. We do have legal cover on the home insurance too. I'll check if it covers disputes with tradesmen.

OP posts:
paxtecum · 09/08/2015 06:54

Xavier: I take down the curtains and empty the room as much as possible if I'm having decorators in.
I wouldn't want them taking down my curtains - might get mucky handprint on them.

3littlefrogs · 09/08/2015 06:56

Take photographs.
Your builder subcontracted the work to the electricians therefore the building company's insurance should cover any damage caused during your project.

Your builder should be managing the project and you should not have to deal with any of this.

I am having major building work done at the moment and my builder has insurance cover of several million pounds clearly stated in the contract, and an assurance that any damage will be made good to my satisfaction.

What does your contract say OP?

lastnightiwenttomanderley · 09/08/2015 07:05

Frankly, the husband comment would have tipped me over the edge.

If anyone tried that on with us they'd have a very rude awakening... I'm a chartered engineer spending my days telling people how to build skyscrapers and other such like.

I agree that they should be reinstating the carpet to an as found condition. Did you sign up to any contract terms/Ts&Cs before work started?

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 09/08/2015 07:16

We're having building work done at the moment. The builders have been great but someone has moved a full length mirror into DD's room where the Caroet didn't have plastic on it (we - including builder - were working in the basis that no one needed access there. It's left a dirty mark and I'm not very happy

I phoned the builder right away and he was great. Told me he would pay for Caroet cleaning initially and then "we would need to take it from there" if I wasn't happy that the stain was properly removed. He also came straight down to the house to investigate what had happened and spoke to everyone there (quite firmly!) to reiterate that they must be very careful

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 09/08/2015 07:17

So - I think you're quite entitled to expect the same from your builder

Sorry this has happened - I inderestimatrd how stressful it was having building work done

Original poster
mindthegap79 · 09/08/2015 07:32

I'll dig out the paperwork and have a look. I'm almost tempted not to wet vac it and just leave it exactly as I found it so they can't say we've made it worse. Then I can just say it needs restoring to how it was, and if they can't clean it then they'll have to replace it.

It's a funny situation. I'm a teacher but on holiday at the moment so I'm around a lot. I'm being asked about details constantly. I don't mind, but I wonder what they'd do if it was a day I was working. We've got detailed plans to work from which we've been over with them endlessly. The builder is lovely but he's so scatty and a terrible listener. Nice bloke though. I agree that it should be him talking to the electricians and not me.

Maybe when they all get here tomorrow I'll just show them the stains, say I've hoovered it but that's it. It needs putting back to how it was, and hopefully they can clean it so we won't have to think about a new carpet... And then just leave them to it.

OP posts:
Gobbolinothewitchscat · 09/08/2015 07:36

I wouldn't even Hoover - that can spread the stain or grind it in a bit

I would leave it exactly as it is and get them to deal with it. If they wNt to start hoovering it in Monday, that's their choice but it's their problem to sort

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