[Raymondo]

We have a problem with a customer who is saying we have ruined his walls.
We cleaned the house this Febuary with the HSL 2 bedrooms bathroom and lounge all 80/20 wall mix.
He now says that the dabs where the plasterboard is fixed to the wall is now showing they had a builder round who has said its our fault is our for making the carpets too wet.
We asked him did it take days to dry no he says.
Were the windows all steamed up for days no he says.
He said that he wants it sorting and will get an independent expert to look into it.
What would cause the dabs to show through?

Ray & Jackie Austin

[Colin Day]

Hand the case straight over to your insurers, they'll send their own experts in and will determine if you are at fault or not....

[Raymondo]

No thank you they will give in and pay out.

They want the place to be decorated.

[clinton]

So the water has gone up the wall mate

[CATMAN]

The builder is talking rubbish and a cowboy.

The only way the dabs would come away from the wall  would be if the wall had not been properly prepared before the bonding had been applied.

Also gyproc is an adhesive and dries through a chemical reaction.

I bet he's used mortar instead, cold winters and some hot day causing expansion and contraction. Plop off the wall it comes.

[Raymondo]

We have been having fun over the last few months.

We did not spray the wall. The plasterbroad has not come away from the wall it just the the dabs are showing through onto the plasterbroad.

[Colin Day]

No thank you they will give in and pay out.

They want the place to be decorated.

Your insurers won't just pay out, believe me. If you at least  tell them you're 100% "Not" to blame, they will investigate further and they always look for "wriggle room".

The only other option would be to have it investigated further yourself, which will cost you money!!!!!

I can't really see how walls would suffer any damage from carpet cleaning though

[Neil Williams]

Umm, I smell a .................... chancer here.
You'd need the amount of moisture in the air that comes with flooding, unless you've developed a new way of carpet cleaning by pressure washer.
Ray, I presume you're insured so get onto them. At the end of the day they are going to find out so get in there first.

[Jon Tabbener]

Ray

i don't understand mate to be honest - when you say you can see the dabs does that mean the plasterboard is now not flat as the dabs have been pushed through the plasterboard?

or you can see where the dabs are on the otherside of the plasterboard?

either way tell him to do one - not your problem

[from edge2edge]

Ray did i read it right and you stated February.Well burger me what an f in chancer,As Jon say tell them to do one as i am sure your insurance company wont pay it anyway and hopefully laugh at them.Regards Alan(swindon)

[John Kelly]

Ray, sorry I wasn't in today when you rang. Bye you don't half get dodgy customers.
What is happening is the dabs are showing through the plasterboard. This usually occurs when they are damp. The usual cause is either an escape of water which is making the underlying wall wet or penetrating damp where the outside wall is defective and allowing moisture to penetrate. However it can also be caused by condensation. The dabs act as a thermal bridge and moisture will condense on the surface. It is remotely possible that this occurred whilst the carpets were drying especially if the building was closed up and it was very cold outside. It is more likely to be an ongoing problem rather than a one off when the carpets were cleaned.

And for all those who think their insurer is on your side, think again. Its a numbers game and a lot of them will just settle the claim, don't give them the chance. Only involve them as a last resort.

[Derek_Walker]

Is the plasterboard covering up an outside wall? if it is then this is normally installed to cover up a damp problem, ie penetrating damp/condensation etc. I really cannot see this being your problem, and  they would need conclusive proof to put the blame on you.

[Paul Heath]

Do you not know a good builder to ask if he can go round and ask for his advice on how this happened. As you have already established the carpets were not left soaking, so ordinary compensation can make this happen, have they had building work carried  out which involved plastering?? It sounds like the builder is trying it on. 

[creighton foyle]

i have got 30 years as a decorator /  dryliner and in my opinion it is probably travelling from the outside in though i will post the question on the taping and jointing forum for you.

[ianharper]

Ray

this is one big reason to member of NCCA or woolsafe as they act as go between. i think woolsafe will have someone in your area that will do a report for a fee. and i would get one even if its not your fault just in case you need it.

Even if you know the customer is a chancer you need to go though the motions. I think we know when its our fault. then my first reaction is flowers. that calms people down and you then will have a real chance of working it out, not that that's the case here.

Just remember mate that you must have thousands of customer that are happy.

Respect

Ian Harper

[John Kelly]

Ian, I don't think anyone from the carpet cleaning side would be able to give an opinion on this. It would need a surveyor who specialises in condenstaion problems.

[michael wadsworth]

Ray, you must be polite but firm with this customer. Point out to him that there can be no association with a job that you did in Feb., and the problem about which he is complaining. Tell him that your cousin's best mate is a building contractor who has seen this problem scores of times, and that in every case the damp emanates inwards from the wall to which the plasterboard is attached, through the adhesive blobs, especially if an inferior adhesive has been used. Also, educate him to the point that, had the damp originated from within, the plasterboard would be universally damp, not just in blobs. That done, leave it with him, assuring him that should he want any further help from you, all he has to do is call. Best of luck with this awkward situation. Mike

 

[Raymondo]

This is the transcript of the message he left us.

Hello this is Ben ************** from 18 ******** you did our carpets a while ago I need to speak to you about a problem  which has arisen we have had a builder around because we have discovered there is significant what he describes as  dabbing on the walls which he believes is as a result of the the  carpets still being wet and as a result affecting the dabbing from within the walls and basically clearly this wasn’t there before it is now  he suggests that the carpet is still wet so we need to ask you  to either give us a call so you can actually  come round and make sure the carpets are ok and then discuss with you how we are going to solve the problem of this dabbing that has occurred as a result of the carpets being cleaned  can you give myself a call on   01743 ******* alternatively my number is *******and if you can do this at your earliest convenience because quite literally he dabbing is spreading all over the adjoining wall of next doors property.

[JandS]

Why would you put plasterboard on a wall?

John

[JandS]

Got it, dry lining.
Crap way of plastering a wall.
Can't see how the dabs are showing through all that plasterboard.

John