General Chat

Thank you. LaGooner - though the perpetrator is the Council - I shall still contact their Environment Department!
I tried complaints in November - apparently it can take up to 3 months, so only a month to go!

Maggie, get in touch with your enviromental health dept at the local council.They may well be able to help you :-)

It's not just the lack of carpets making it cold - the concrete is wet - but drying out nicely, cracking, and turning to dust, courtesy of my heating.

Thanks for the update. I had been wondering how the flooring was going. Ca n’t believe they can’t get it sorted. No, I Do. Lived with appalling maintenance provision for years.

Bet it’s freezing in there with no carpets.

.....but, apparently, not noticeable in an empty room!

I didn't notice it until I started decorating - the removal men had put the sofa over it
(I was in the bathroom with two terrified cats, whilst the furniture was being moved in)
On moving other stuff, I found broken/crumbling tiles around the edge of the room.
I also pulled up some rusty carpet grippers, which made few more tiles shatter.

Once I'd finished decorating, I informed the council, only to find out the tiles contained asbestos - which I should have been told when I moved in.
Council said 6 - 8 tiles needed replacing, asbestos contractor said the whole lot should go.
The council gave me less than a week to clear my living room. I asked for more time. Dates were changed for 13, 14 & 15 December.
I cleared the room on 6 December, which meant I didn't have access to the 2nd bedroom, or, my wardrobe or chest of drawers in my bedroom. This did'n't bother e too much, as it was only for a week or two.
Council then informed me, as I'd changed the date, only 6 - 8 tiles would go.

It appears a 'compromise' was made, and on 13 December about a quarter were removed.. more holes were left in the floor. Sealing and retiling was due to take place on 14 & 15 December.
This was, apparently cancelled. No-one told me. I protested.

Tiler came out on 20 December - took one look and got his mate in. they wouldn't touch it. The whole floor was 'blown'.
6 January, Asbestos people came out again, and removed the rest of the tiles.
On 5 December, I'd asked the council when the other contractors would be out to seal & tile the floor. Apparently they would phone me on 6th. They didn't.

I contacted the council again - to tell them, I also pointed out they were the council's contractors, not mine, it was THEIR responsibility, and why didn't they have a plan arranged?

One thing I keep insisting, is that the hole was obvious, and the council is meant to check any building with asbestos in when it's empty - which they obviously didn't.
I was told on 5 December (the day before ALL tiles were removed) that
'We would not remove asbestos tiling once a tenant vacates a property unless the area is damaged or disturbed' I sent a pic of the broken tile, and asked what he thought THAT was. I then sent pics of the now stripped floor, and asked whether both the asbestos firm, and tiling contractors were wrong.

The only plus side, is I'm not breathing in asbestos dust anymore - now it's concrete dust. :-| :-| :-|

When I passed the iPad to OH I could see the pic from the side and the hole looked HUGE.

That's just my foot - it's not actually that big, the slippers are!

The 'bad grouting' top right is where the fireplace used to be.
It's about 2 ft,to 2ft 6 from the wall - just where a leg of a sideboard would be.

I guess you are still having problems with the flooring.

If it is your face who has got their foot right next to it - or are you a secret gymnast ;-)

It could well be a broken tile and may I say how bad the grouting is around some of the others. If it is the middle of the floor I would certainly notice if I caught me heel in it.

Edit. When I read this on the computer I’m sure it said it was a picture of your face, but now I have shown it to OH on the iPad it says floor. :-S :-S :-S :-S

This is a photo of my floor.
It's not easy to see, but there's an 'average' pencil for comparison.
The straight edges of the tile are slightly longer than a pencil.
I have 2 questions

1) If this was in the middle of an empty floor, would you notice it?

2) Would you say this was a hole in a floor, with broken/damaged tiles?