Uneven walls

[Willl]

Hi, looking for some opinion please and hope I am posting this in the right place.

We have recently had a loft conversion and two of the walls where an old wall meets a new wall are not very flat. As (hopefully) shown in the attached photos. If I hold a 6ft long spirit level against the top of the wall, the gap at the bottom of the spirit level measures more than 3cm!

Where the old wall and the new wall meet are clearly visible.

There are also places on other walls were plasterboard joints and tape are showing (though I understand that this should be able to be 'got over' via filling and sanding..?)

The loft company have told me there is nothing they can do now.

I would appreciate opinions on if this is acceptable, how it could be tackled / rectified and how I should approach this.

Many thanks in advance!
 

Will

[Alan Ambrose]

>>> The loft company have told me there is nothing they can do now.

 

i.e. there's nothing they want to do now, thank you very much.

 

Suggest your options are:

1. Bite the bullet and get in a decent plasterer at your expense.
2. Give the company final notice to fix the problems and then take to County Court for the amount quoted in 1. (not a big deal, but you'll need to spend the time and also the expense if you get legal help).
3. Even better, suggest you're preparing to go with 2. and in a very polite way ask them to anti up the funds for 1. Be aware that most opponents tend to throw the dice on this at this point as (a) they'll think there's a good chance you're bluffing and (b) they underestimate the time and expense they'll need to do 2. In that case, you'll then need to do either 1. or 2. as before.
4. Ignore, and relish as wabi-sabi.

Only you (or the other half) can choose.

 

 

I've done each at different times, sometimes it was simply a factor of how much I thought they were taking the ... or not.

[joe90]

You have not said if you have paid them or not, if you still owe them money it puts you in a stronger position. I agree with above, not good enough.

[Marvin]

the bubble on the spirit level suggests the wall is even more out of plumb than that!

[twice round the block]

You need to use a plumb line and not a spirit level to show how out of square it is, if you go down the legal route also employ a building surveyor.

 

[Jilly]

Gosh I've lived in houses where every wall is out... does it look wrong, ie is it noticeable or can you distract the eye with pictures etc?

 

Assuming all is ok underneath, with the correct insulation etc? That would bother me more...

[Willl]

Thanks all - points taken on board and to address a couple -

 

The way the loft company have their business set up, their money is in the deposit you pay and you then pay the trades they arrange to do the job. This obviously leaves the customer with limited leverage!

 

I've had a few things that I've had to push with them to get sorted and just trying to decide how much to challenge them on this.. As well as the wall not being level, I am worried the line between the old and new wall will be clearly visible after decorating and not able to be hidden by filling and sanding / feathering..

 

Can anyone advise what would need to be done to improve the situation / make more level?

 

Thanks, Will