What to do when the builder refused to rectify the defects?

westbourne · Feb 09, 2019 10:02 pm

Kitchen planStove is the same level with benchtop in the planLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Defect 1.

The top edges of the under mount kitchen sink is not covered by the bench top (i.e. sink edges and silicon under the benchtop can be visible).The site manager said that is how it is meant to be. The builder said that the kitchen benchtop has been cut out using the template which comes with the kitchen sink. The visible exposed lip around the sink is correct. The builder refused to rectify it.

Under mount sinkIs the visible exposed lip around the sink not a defect?Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

Defect 2

The freestanding cooker comes with no legs so it needs the kickboard underneath. But the cooker is higher than the benchtop after installation. They should be the same height so it is a defect but the builder said they will not rectify it.

Cooker and benchtop is not the same heightIs it a defect when the cooker is higher than the benctop? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

properly installation?Stove is higher than benchtop and gaps on both sidesLike ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅

What should I do when the builder refused to rectify the defects? Please advise, thanks.

Doozer1905 · Feb 09, 2019 10:08 pm

What state are you in?

aussieta · Feb 10, 2019 7:14 am

i dont think they are defects
i think they dont meet your expectations
the sink has a second lip which looks correct to me
the cooker is what it is
unless you specified benchtop height to be "682mm" or whatever it is

westbourne · Feb 10, 2019 3:42 pm

Doozer1905

What state are you in?

I am in NSW

fingal77 · Feb 10, 2019 11:33 pm

Put them on your 13 week defect list? Check your contract as to what the description of your sink and your stove says. With regards to the stove - are the benches to the height as in the contract - one of them look to be out? There is some technical issues that come with stove installations that might make it a defect...And maybe find the template for your sink - the builder could just be saying that..

All I can say is our stove does not sit proud of the benches and our under mount sink does not look like that either.

westbourne · Feb 11, 2019 3:33 pm

Hi Fingal77,

Thanks for your response. I absolutely agree with you. My contract only stated the model number of the stove and sink, does not mention their height.

I emailed to the Head of Construction Department. He said these are not defects and no action will be taken. It is just not your expectation. I am not happy with them.

Steve4216 · Feb 11, 2019 6:20 pm

I think you're going to struggle with this one. Unless you specified what you wanted exactly and it's written somewhere that's signed by both, then they probably wont fix it. I don't see either as being "defects" just not ideal..

fingal77 · Feb 11, 2019 7:40 pm

your cupboards etc should have a height in your contract and the stove should meet it? And as for the sink - the template for the sink may not have existed and the builder cut to whatever they wanted?

Check the bench heights and the template and go from there...

We had builders that tried to tell us it was ok to vent rangehoods and fans into the roof space and weren’t required to be ducted out - Fair trading agreed with us. Builders will try to shortcut you wherever they can....

westbourne · Feb 11, 2019 9:48 pm

fingal77

your cupboards etc should have a height in your contract and the stove should meet it? And as for the sink - the template for the sink may not have existed and the builder cut to whatever they wanted?

Check the bench heights and the template and go from there...

We had builders that tried to tell us it was ok to vent rangehoods and fans into the roof space and weren’t required to be ducted out - Fair trading agreed with us. Builders will try to shortcut you wherever they can....

Thank you very much for your advice. I will check the bench heights and the template if available.

westbourne · Feb 12, 2019 10:17 am

Benchtop height is 900 cm same as the plan.
Stove on the kickboard height is 910 cm, 10 cm higher than the plan.

But the builder said no take action.

Steve4216 · Feb 12, 2019 12:29 pm

Now you've added the kitchen plans to the original post, you should be able to take them to task for not having it installed as per plans.

gogo65 · Feb 12, 2019 2:12 pm

I think with the sink, you will struggle to say its a defect, when you look online it clearly has the lip, which is likely for the drainer/chopping board accessory to fit into. Unfortunately its the ‘design’. Unfortunately it gets terrible reviews and Clark no longer sell it. Read the reviews on product review...
When you compare a standard under mount Clark sink you will see it doesn’t have the double lip, where as the Pete Evans sink has a double lip

Possums · Feb 12, 2019 3:02 pm

The sink looks wrong - like it's an inset that they have undermounted, but if it is the correct model as gogo65 states then not much you can do.
Our freestanding stove in our last house was slightly higher than the surrounding benchtop and was sitting on the base carcass of the cabinets with kickboard underneath. I have to say, the rental we are currently in has the freestanding cooker on legs and I'd take the slight height difference in benchtop over the dust/fluff/dropped food getting underneath any day! The gaps either side look pretty standard - get used to crumbs or liquids falling down the sides. If it bothers you, you could caulk it with clear silicone?
I can't comment as far as legal/standards go, just experience.

MyFirst · Feb 12, 2019 3:38 pm

A lesson I learn from here is never put a stand alone stove in between 2 benchtop because no way on earth there will be no gaps.
And food stuff, water, oil can spill into the gap..

If you silicon it, it won't look nice.