So, we’ve previously hinted that the reason for not too many updates around here has been due to the troubles and issues with had with our new home, and believe me, there’s been more than our fair share of problems, but that’ll soon become clear!
Anyway, the eco homes at Oxley Woods don’t have tiles for the bathroom splashbacks, instead they use a sort of treated and water proofed MDF panel, that are fitted on all walls around the bath and shower area, using an adhesive and a tongue and grove join.
Firstly, we had a problem with the sealant turning blue from white, purely cosmetic, and a glass shower door that allowed water to flow under the rubber seal, and onto the floor below. This was replaced with another door, and the sealant was also reapplied, or at least, new sealant appeared to be applied over the old.
This, unfortunately, didn’t work, and discovered that water was making its way behind the panels from around a window which is on one of the walls, and expanding and warping the MDF panels. Not good.
The week before last we had two men working in the bathroom, chipping away and removing the panels, replacing them with new. At the same time they looked at sorting out the still leaking, replacement shower door. The shower door it turned out had been fitted in the wrong place (slightly outside the bath, so water could sneak under the fixing base) and, after refitting and water testing it, the door itself proved faulty. A second new shower door is on its way, due to be fitted tomorrow.
The new panels were fitted, and the bath on the second floor was also fully resealed, as water had been making its way under the bath, from several places, onto the floor below. Not good, but at least it was found before we got a wet ceiling below!
Unfortunately, earlier this week we noticed that one of the new panels was now swelling, but not by the window, but by the bath end. Again we had two workmen in the house, removing and replacing the panel. Turned out that it wasn’t water swelling this time, but a small plastic spacer had somehow moved and was causing this bulge.
So, after keeping clear of the again newly sealed bath and splash backs, we discovered next morning that the new splash back had been poorly fitted, filler didn’t fully seal the edges, it was not flush with the other panels and in the process the adjoining panel had been chipped (and covered with white sealer so as not to show)!
They’re coming back again tomorrow to remove all three panels, replace and reseal again. The second replacement shower door will also be fitted at this stage. Lets hope it will prove fourth time lucky and we’ll be able to claim our family bathroom back once and for all!
The shower itself was another optional extra (see our troubles with the eco hat upgrade), and when we moved in it was AWOL, along with a few others. So it’s been a real pain in the backside from the word go. When it works though, it’s great!
