General Chat

I have 5 rooms in my house; a kitchen and bathroom, which are irrelvant to the tale, a living room and 2 bedrooms. I also have a tiled concrete floor - the tiles (and concrete) are breaking up. When daughter an I first looked around, there was carpet (in arious stages of decay) on the floor, I asked for it to be removed.

I had a surveyor out yesterday.
I have a hole in the concrete, about 6" x4", and about 1" deep.
I suggested the concrete was wet - his machine said otherwise, despite my then 'pricking' newly formed bubbles in 2 tiles nearby - with my finger!
He suggested I didn't do that - the tiles may have asbestos in them!

Apparently, the floor wasn't meant to be 'on show' - it was meant to be covered.
I point out that I'm not going to spend money on a floor covering, only to have it ripped from the bottom by tile shards - and there's a hole!. I also asked if it would be a good idea to just cover up decaying asbestos-containing tiles, and pretend they didn't exist - would that stop the mesothelioma risk?
Then my question was, when the hole was discovered, why did the workmen just walk away?
Well, I know the reason. They're contractors, employed to do 1 job - but I feel they should have reported it.

We then went into the main bedroom - where, on Saturday, I'd noticed mould on quite a few pairs of footwear, and horrendous condensation.
This was, apparently, caused by lack of ventilation - despite the door being open constantly. Perhaps I could open the 5ft x3ft window at night?
Yes, sure. I live in a bungalow. Is he aware of the agility of rats?
The radiator is under the window - THIS could be the cause, apparently.

Then we ended up back in the living room - even worse condensation here .
Lack of ventilation? I ask - then show him the ventilation the size of 2 bricks, and you can feel the wind howling through it. The vents are big - a mouse could easily squeeze through. As there's no gas or open fire in this room, this ventilator isn't actually legally needed.
So, there's ventilation here, and the radiator's the other side of the room. Why the condensation?
Silence.

As for the 2nd bedroom - the heating's never on, the door is closed at night, but open in the morning. There's not usually any condensation in the morning - but sometimes there is I work in there - with the door open - and the condensation mounts up, but has gone by the time I finish work.
Perhaps I should stop breathing?
Silence.

I felt a bit sorry for him, it wasn't his fault, but, then again, I wasn't going to take any bullsh*t.

Then he said it would be a big upheaval to remove the tiles.
I pointed out, it would be the same when I fitted flooring - even worse if I had mesothilioma.
Then he admitted the windows were old, and 'not very good'. Windows with a small upper window would be better. I agreed.
He said it could be some time before anything's done, possibly a couple of years, and went.

I had a text a couple of hours later - an engineer's coming around on 23rd!

On a very minor subject compared to yours but annoying. Some time ago I asked the local council if they would come out and trim back a blackberry bush which was growing into the road, they answered by saying it would be done within two weeks, it wasn't so I informed them of that fact, today they came out (about 6 months later) to take out rotten fence panels caused by said blackberry bush but the chaps doing that couldn't do anything about the bush because that's for the gardening department. So I've taken some cuttings and sent it to the person named in the document asking if they would like to come out and finish the job.

:-D :-D :-D

Oh Maggie, I bet you wished you hadn't ever had to move?
Do you have a case to be rehoused elsewhere? I know this would be another major upheaval but under the enviromental guidelines etc and the fact the tiles have asbestos, surely the house isn't fit for purpose?

Can you get some legal advice or from CAB about where you stand as this whole situation is not acceptable.Or will you wait until the engineer has been, get a copy of the report and then take advice?

Florence in the hebrides

ZZzzz - do you really think they will see the point?

Maggie - isn’t there a case that they have pushed you into taking a property that is not fit for purpose?

names if they catch hold of the cuttings they will feel it!!!

Nameslessone, there will be no doubt that they will see the point but will probably ignore it because it could cause them to get out of their ivory towers and actually do something.

ZZzzz - 'Jobsworth's' - make me mad!!
I may have a case, I mean, this place is for the 'elderly', yet didn't even have a phone connection when I moved in.
You almost get the feeling that it wouldn't matter if an elderly person died before their time because of the state of the place, I mean, they're old, they die!


Florence, if it means new windows for everyone - (next door has complained to the council about hers - and heard nothing), I'll be happy.

As for the floor - I may have to move out. Not sure I want to be here when they're removing the tiles, and I don't want my posessions covered in asbestos dust - nomatter how small the quantity. I must ask next door, what her floors are like, and must also change my vacuum bag.

My brother in law died of mesothelioma, and he'd never worked with asbestos.
He and my ex were working at a place, where an area nearby was having asbestos removed. The men who worked there came out, in their asbestos covered protective gear, walked around, had lunch, then went back in, thus ensuring they spread the dust :-S
My ex provided evidence that ensured compensation was received.

I think the poor surveyor was a little taken aback when I pointed out that, in 1899, asbestos was found to be harmful, 10 years later, deadly, and over 100 years later, we're still exposed to it. It's effect is also cumulative, so lots of small exposures add up.