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Property/DIY

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My building work is rubbish - what redress do I have?

1 reply

SuePreem · 04/01/2021 09:24

4 years ago I had my kitchen completely remodelled - it involved knocking down walls, completely gutting and putting in new wiring, underfloor heating and a new boiler/heating system.

Over the last couple of years it's been apparent that this is all shit. The kitchen more and more frequently blows a fuse and all the sockets are off for a longer time, the heating is sporadic and most recently over Christmas in fact, the underfloor heating gave up.

I did get an electrician out on Christmas Eve (when all the kitchen sockets blew) and he told me that all the sockets will need looking at - even the ones behind the tiling. So it looks like a massive piece of work.

I did have a proper builder, who did get buildings regs approval. He's also put a certificate on the fuse box, but he's not answering emails.

Clearly this is a massive piece of work, but given it's less than 4 years since he did all the work, I must be covered by some kind of protection? I do have buildings insurance so have contacted them.

The electrician I had out says I can complain to NICEIC about the wiring and ensure that the builder gets blacklisted by them, but I want to get all of this fixed really.

OP posts:
goldierocks · 04/01/2021 10:43

Hello OP

Did you specify standards/guarantees in your contract with the builder?

Building regulations are different to electrical safety. To get sign off from Building Control, your local council would have inspected your kitchen build at regular intervals. Once the work was completed, they issue a certificate to say the work meets current building regulations. It's not a guarantee of quality.

A qualified electrician needs to run a full electrical inspection in order to get the installation certificate. Again it's not a guarantee.

Have you asked the original electrician to come back to put the issues right? You can check online to make sure they are registered.

A lot of places close down for two weeks over Christmas and New Year. I'd also try phoning rather than just email.

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