‘I’ll be sending the bill to the chief executive’: Cladding-hit flat owner hits out at developer after his floor collapses in latest building fiasco
- Homeowner sees floor at his London flat collapse in latest building fiasco
- We exclusively reveal the full extent of the damage – a hole that is 40cm by 30cm
- The damage is the latest question about building work in flats across Britain
- Many flats have already been hit by the cladding crisis and face huge repair bills
A leaseholder who is already having to deal with expensive cladding issues has hit out at poor craftsmanship after the floor of his flat collapsed beneath his feet.
Liam Spender explained that he was at home at the weekend when he felt the floor give way.
‘I felt the floor go and moved quickly out of the way. I turned back and there was a dip in the carpet. I nearly fell through the floor,’ he said.
Leaseholder Liam Spender (pictured) has hit out at poor craftsmanship at his London home in Canary Wharf
Mr Spender lifted the carpet at his London flat near Canary Wharf to reveal the full extent of the damage – a hole that is approximately 40cm by 30cm.
He explained that his flat is across two levels, meaning that the floor between is allowed to be made as it is – with chipboard and wooden joists – and does not need to include concrete.
However, Mr Spender claimed that the sheets of chipboard were not adequately supported by the floor joists.
The damaged floor is on a gallery above his bedroom. ‘It could have been a lot worse and I could have gone straight through,’ he said.
Taking to Twitter, Mr Spender explained how the floor was not adequate, saying: ‘There is only air between the floor boards and the room underneath.’
Mr Spender claimed that the chipboard floor was not adequately supported by the floor joists
The flat owner revealed the full extent of the damage – a hole that is approximately 40cm by 30cm
It is the latest challenge Mr Spender has at his building, as he already faces a bill for remediation works due to cladding issues.
‘I’m going to get the bill for fixing the mess on cladding. The broken floor is literally a step too far.
He said: ‘I’m going to get the bill for fixing the mess on cladding. The broken floor is literally a step too far.
‘I have not had my bill for the cladding issues yet. But I’ll be sending the bill for the floor and the cladding – when it comes – marked for the attention of the chief executive and chairman of Berkeley homes.’
Since the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, concerns about cladding have become a national issue.
Lenders have refused to provide finance on some types of cladding, leaving some flat owners trapped in unsafe homes that they are unable to sell.
Berkeley Group was approached for comment, but declined to comment.
Mr Spender said the broken floor was ‘a step too far’ as he was already expecting a repair bill for cladding issues at his building
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