- This topic has 1 reply, 1 voice, and was last updated 5 years, 11 months ago by .
-
Topic
-
10 years ago terraces in our small block were retiled by the OC and in recent times effloresence has formed and the OC says it is up to the owners to keep cleaning it off because a report from a consultant said that was the way to fix.
The same consultant said it was the responsibility of the OC to replace all the failed expansion and periphery seals.
What we need is someone qualified to tell the OC that it is their problem to fix under s106 of the SSMA. I have had legal advice which pointed me to a company who say they can’t help. Can you?
i could give a lot more info and have heaps of paperwork.
-
Replies
-
Efflorescence is caused by the absorption of salt from the sand underneath tiles. One it has started, you can’t easily stop it and all cleaning does is draw more salt to the surface. The reason there is too much salt in the sand is because the committee (in this case) used a cheap contractor who didn’t used treated sand (there’s a chemical you can buy) because … guess what … it’s cheaper. In new buildings, efflorescence is a defect that must be fixed by the developer or builder.
Given that the committee 10 years ago “saved” money on a cheap job, there is no way they are not liable for fixing this now. If they say they need an expert opinion, tell them you will take them to NCAT and they can try to find an expert who says it’s not their problem.
When I complained to my committee about the problem on my balcony, the chairman sent me a long-handled scrubbing brush. It took a team of proctologists 12 hours to remove it from the pompous ass.
But seriously, rather than endure the disruption (not to mention the cost) of digging up the tiles and doing the job properly, we allowed the strata committee to seal the existing tiles and lay new ones on top. It’s a compromise that costs a lot less that a full replacement, is effective and doesn’t require surgery.
If you want to be alerted when anyone replies to your posts or responds to this topic, please register and login, then you will be able to subscribe to the topic. The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers. NB: Longer threads may spill over to additional pages - look for the numbers on the bottom right, under the last post.