Damage to laundry cupboard

i have seen MUCH worse , but in my opinion the wrong product used in the wrong place , maybe it would have lasted 5 years or even 10 years but eventually the veneer will suffer damage and this will happen .

please consider very carefully what your replacement will be , it could save in the long run ( but if you are considering selling in the next two years cheap might be the way to go )

PS the wrong tradesmen can turn this into an epic drama as well , have watched that happen on a buddy's house after water damage caused by previous inferior repairs

 

from my limited experience the damage will progress if let in situ , the OP is probably lucky to have early warning , , i demolished one that started with a 'sticky drawer ' a small chip in a hard to spot place and the water stayed inside the chipboard going it's evil way

glue on some some new veneer , yeah but how long will it last , do you just glue , or trim back the bench looking for dry chipboard and then glue

( remember i am biased against chipboard unless used for target practice , i hate to waste good timber like that )

 

Usually in those types of laundry, the doors are supposed to remain open when any of the appliances are in use.

Honestly, I don't like your chances of getting any recompense from the tenants, regardless of whether they are at fault or not though. Its enough of a grey area, that it usually errs on the side of the tenant.

From the pic, it looks like you could possibly hold off on fixing it for a while longer. It doesn't appear to impede function? Unless it's an upper class apartment that needs to look perfect? But if that were the case I would have expected a better quality finish like granite or wood.

 

I agree that it's probably wear and tear but the photo is woeful for really determining what the issue is and what needs fixing.

Out of curiosity who owns the dryer? If you supplied it then I would seriously consider upgrading it to a heatpump or condensor model to reduce the amount of condensation in a cupboard laundry. Even with the doors open and the fan running an old school dryer is going to cause issues in the cupboard and surrounding areas.

 

sadly i have seen that illusion shattered as well whilst doing cleans pre-handover from a development project , , probably aimed at doctors as tenants or owners ,

the build have several significant flaws , one future owner refused to on the spot , i looked at the unit (AGAIN ) that i was cleaning currently to see that unit had the SAME flaws ( and disappointingly i had failed to notice them earlier )

PS the developer declared bankruptcy have no idea how the legal fight proceeded , i took a reduced payment for services rendered and moved on , the legal stoush could have gone on for years the building complex had major flaws but LOOKED very very nice )

 

I would say that is water from tub splashed and not wiped up that has been allowed to sit/flow over and over time swelled the chipboard. With that said, wrong type of build in that area, the Adjudicator will go it's reasonable for water to be around a wet area such as a sink/tub, I don't believe you would be successful with this claim based on facts currently known.

 

Chipboard should never be used in areas near water.

This is a building/maintenance issue.

Do yourself a favour and replace it with something more durable than chipboard.

 

People keep talking about ‘chipboard’ for some reason.

The ‘Laminate’ type benchtops commonly used in kitchens have a particle board core. It is the way these benchtops are made.

It may look like chipboard, but it is designed for benchtops.

Good quality benchtops, suitable for kitchens and laundries, will use a moisture resistant particle board.

https://www.laminex.com.au/medias/F...1MjQ1MjlhNzE1YTVhMTk5MGUyZmVh&attachment=true

 

NOT if i have any input in the selection process , i have taken tonnes of the stuff to the dump after it failed , even the 'tarted up plywood ' ( not true 'marine ply ' ) has an annoying failure rate ( unless you were paying me to remove it , then i love it , just feel a little sorry for the customer )

cheers

 

We use 'green board' for making kitchen cabinets. It is white 16mm melamine chipboard with a green tinge which makes it water repellent but not waterproof. It will get damaged if it's in constant contact with water

 

Yup this is the moisture resistant board under laminate we use for cabinetry skirting in laundries. Good for mopping, not for flooding
For alfresco/outdoor kitchens it even higher rated board underneath the laminate

 

I have claimed for damaged to walls/paint peeling in a euro laundry from tenants using the dryer with the doors closed. They were specifically told that they need to ensure the laundry is ventilated while the dryer is in use, they argued at tribunal that as the dryer was supplied in a euro laundry and no instructions given on how to use the dryer that the landlord should be responsible to fix.

The member at the time advised they should settle in mediation with me as they caused the damage.

It may be worth pursuing further however, this surely should have been picked up before an outgoing inspection? Why didn't your agent address this at a routine inspection? Whether you choose to ask the tenants to remedy or not i think you should ask the agent to ensure there is a special condition in the lease specifically relating to this issue and how to avoid it.

 

I think this is a problem of form over function.

I completely understand why tenants would close the door to the euro laundry (aka cupboard).

If it has swing doors, it may not be possible - or reasonable - to keep the doors open if it’s in a hallway, and people need to get past. Or it may be noisy!

In this case, the landlord should figure out a way that it can be ventilated in a way that isn’t a barrier, or creating a sound issue. Just install external ducting, or use a sliding door or a door with moveable louvres.

And I would add a bit about ‘keeping the door open’ or connecting the dryer to the external vent in the contract - just as information, to ensure people do know they need to do it.

But mostly it is a design problem - a proper laundry has a lot of advantages.

 

Once its gone, pay a little more for stone/granite and hopefully it'll be the last time you deal with this issue.

 

And this is why I stick with stone.

Stone is not actually as expensive as some places make it out to be.
The trick is to understand the size the slab comes in (usually 3000mmm x 1400mm), and then how to cut it to maximise its use.

If you want to replace what you have with stone, visit some stone masons who specialise in creating this stuff for kitchens. They may have offcuts that fix your size and they will cut to your measurements as well as holes for the sink.

Then its case of putting glue on the underside and popping it on top of the cabinet.

OR

Scrape that glue back, get a new edging strip and stick it on.

https://www.bunnings.com.au/moroday...C56UX-78aAg9JEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&store=7173

https://www.amazon.com.au/Inches-St...ocphy=9071816&hvtargid=pla-737132712916&psc=1

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