ᐅ Cantilever staircase is unstable; the stair builder is not a true specialist.
Created on: 30 Jan 2025 16:37
F
Fenix34
Hello dear forum members,
I am completely desperate. We are currently building a house. I have wanted a cantilever staircase for years. Unfortunately, the companies specializing in cantilever staircases were outside our budget. That’s why I placed an ad on eBay Classifieds, and someone responded claiming to be a staircase builder. His price was “only” half of what the specialists charge, which is still quite a lot of money. In the end, he tried three times to attach the steps to the concrete wall. On the first attempt, the steps did not hold. On the second attempt, he used different anchors. On the third attempt, he used adhesive. The steps held for about three weeks with the adhesive. The staircase was never used, but just now we saw that one step slipped out and is no longer properly fixed.
After the first failed attempt, I became suspicious and contacted the Chamber of Crafts. Although he is registered there, he is not registered as a staircase builder; he is only allowed to manufacture wire frames.
Of course, we made an initial down payment. After the third attempt, we also paid the remaining amount.
I no longer trust him. Should I involve a lawyer and demand my money back, or should I give him another chance? I am worried that someone might get hurt if the staircase is not properly designed and secured.
I am completely desperate. We are currently building a house. I have wanted a cantilever staircase for years. Unfortunately, the companies specializing in cantilever staircases were outside our budget. That’s why I placed an ad on eBay Classifieds, and someone responded claiming to be a staircase builder. His price was “only” half of what the specialists charge, which is still quite a lot of money. In the end, he tried three times to attach the steps to the concrete wall. On the first attempt, the steps did not hold. On the second attempt, he used different anchors. On the third attempt, he used adhesive. The steps held for about three weeks with the adhesive. The staircase was never used, but just now we saw that one step slipped out and is no longer properly fixed.
After the first failed attempt, I became suspicious and contacted the Chamber of Crafts. Although he is registered there, he is not registered as a staircase builder; he is only allowed to manufacture wire frames.
Of course, we made an initial down payment. After the third attempt, we also paid the remaining amount.
I no longer trust him. Should I involve a lawyer and demand my money back, or should I give him another chance? I am worried that someone might get hurt if the staircase is not properly designed and secured.
H
hanghaus202331 Jan 2025 15:44Fenix34 schrieb:
This is not about shifting responsibility to the government. Of course, I made a wrong decision and learned from it. But in a rule-of-law state, there should be mechanisms to address poor workmanship or incorrect statements. Otherwise, unscrupulous contractors could continue without consequences.You do have rights (for example, the building code / building regulations cover such cases). In the worst case, you have to enforce them legally. I’ve already explained to you how to do that.
Have you requested defect correction with deadlines at least three times—preferably in writing? All three attempts failed.
Therefore, in my opinion, you have the right to withdraw from the contract and claim damages. You can now hire a contractor of your choice to complete the staircase properly. However, you are also obligated to minimize the damage.
How did you determine that the steps are not secure?
As I said before, I would appreciate photos or drawings.
I can’t imagine that an anchor in concrete wouldn’t hold. Is this a design defect?
What does your site manager / construction supervisor say about it?
N
nordanney31 Jan 2025 16:04hanghaus2023 schrieb:
In my opinion, this means you have the right to withdraw from the contract and claim damages. You can now hire a contractor of your choice to properly build your staircase. However, you are also obliged to minimize the damage.The only but crucial issue to carefully consider is “having the right versus enforcing the right.” Depending on the scale involved, I would think twice—more than twice—before hiring a new contractor at my own expense (!) to correctly build and/or install the stairs. If necessary, I would recover the money through legal action. Until then, many small contractors have already failed and given up. Get the money back first, then reassign.H
hanghaus202331 Jan 2025 16:11nordanney schrieb:
First refund the money and then award the contract again.If you have the time, that’s exactly how it should be. I suspect the contractor won’t want to pay voluntarily, or worse, may not be able to.N
nordanney31 Jan 2025 16:16hanghaus2023 schrieb:
If you have the time, then yes, exactly like that. I suspect the contractor won’t want to pay voluntarily, or worse, might not be able to. You can find that out quickly. Consult a lawyer, check whether the defect remediation requests were properly made, terminate the contract, set a short deadline for repayment (at an appropriate amount), and apply for a payment order. Then you have a) certainty whether the contractor will comply or not, and b) at least a payment judgment quickly (yes, if necessary, it still has to go through court).
Whether that judgment actually results in payment is another matter. But if you can access their bank account or send bailiffs for enforcement, that might help.
H
hanghaus202331 Jan 2025 16:36I cannot imagine that the original poster will find anyone willing to fix the botched work. The proper solution is to award the contract anew to a professional company and claim the additional costs as compensation.