ᐅ Protection sleeve for underfloor heating pipes missing in the area of movement joints

In the course of dealing with the issue of the movement joints with my floor installer, I have now identified a defect (in my opinion).

In the area of the movement joints in the dining and kitchen areas (L-shaped room), it appears that the protective conduit around the connection and pipe of the underfloor heating was forgotten. According to the underfloor heating manufacturer and probably several standards, the underfloor heating pipes crossing the movement joints should be fitted with a 30cm (12 inch) protective conduit.

I have already had this issue recorded in the defect report as a precaution and requested feedback on it.

Now I’m wondering how serious this issue is or could become.

I hardly believe the screed installer will replace the screed to add a protective conduit around the pipes. I think it’s more likely that an extension of the warranty will need to be discussed (my preferred option), or financial compensation (which the general contractor will probably prefer, perhaps offering around $500). But how should this be assessed? Or should I already consider hiring an expert or appraiser?

Here, two trades have clearly failed: plumbing and screeding. Where does this late discovery that no protective conduit was installed come from?
Basically, this is a defect that can lead to significant damage. The responsible party is the heating engineer, who must also cover the costs of the repairs. So, the screed needs to be removed, the protective conduit installed, and then the screed relaid.
This is likely to cause a lot of frustration. I hope you can resolve it without legal assistance.

I can't help with this..... but I would be interested to see how it looks on your side (a photo would be great) and how it should be done correctly.

Thanks in advance!

Vicky Pedia schrieb:

Here, two trades clearly dropped the ball: plumbing and screed. How did the late realization come about that no protective conduit was installed?

Well, I only noticed it afterward when my on-site flooring installer asked about movement joints and how they should be accommodated in his floor covering. When I reviewed my photos and videos from the construction phase, I saw that no protective conduit had been laid in the area of the movement joints between the dining room and kitchen (although everything around the doors was properly fitted with protective conduit).

During the handover with the general contractor, I had the issue of the movement joint for the underfloor heating included in the defect report, asking for confirmation whether it had been executed properly.

Today, I received a brief email from the heating engineer stating that protective conduits had been installed at the locations he was aware of or where conduits should have been according to his knowledge.

He said he could not provide any further information and advised me to contact the general contractor’s site manager, mentioning that the screed installer might also have installed protective conduit.

All of this, along with my photos, convinces me that there is a 99.99% chance no protective conduit was installed there. Especially since the underfloor heating manufacturer explicitly emphasizes the importance of protective conduits in their installation instructions.

In connection with this and the wording of the email, it means to me that the heating engineer is not even familiar with the system manufacturer’s installation guidelines.

Therefore, tomorrow I will discreetly remind the site manager that he needs to act promptly if he wants to receive the final payment without any withholding.

In general, the pipe should be installed over expansion joints, and I would also demand the free correction. Anything else poses a risk to you.

Please retain the withholding for exactly this reason! The site manager must provide proof of proper installation (photos). Since you can prove the opposite with photos, demand a dismantling! If none of this helps, initiate the procedure for “substitute performance.” How to proceed can be found through your preferred search engine or by private message.

It was also forgotten by the plumber in our case, but both our building inspector and screed installer pointed it out. This way, it could still be done on time.

The question is, what happens if it is forgotten? When do the pipes burst and everything, including the floors, needs to be removed?