Brand New apartment pre-installed dryer fell off wall due to shoddy work

JustJames111 on 27/06/2019 - 14:38
Last edited 27/06/2019 - 14:53

With all the recent press about shoddy apartments (Opal towers and the Mascot incident) I was just curious if I should be entitled to anything for what had happened.

  • Brand new apartment (still had paint being applied when I went to inspect) from a renowned company with a pre-installed dryer on the wall
  • Few months in we heard a loud crash in the laundry room and found the dryer had fallen off the wall onto our washing machine (bought brand new)
  • Scratches and visible damage on washing machine but it still works
  • Building owner came with people to inspect the damage and blamed it on shoddy tile / wall work from the original developers
  • Offered to fix the wall and the dryer

Should we be asking for more than just a simple fix? Like an inspection of all our walls? If so, what should I ask for?
Could this be a potential reason to break our lease contract? Some people feel unsafe in the apartment after the incident and want to look somewhere else ASAP.

I'm just glad I didn't buy the apartment and only rented to test the waters but I'm curious what others think of this situation.
I'm not naming and shaming because that could get me into all sorts of trouble right?

Poll Options expired

  • 48
    Ask for more compensation
  • 7
    This is normal
  • 5
    Get the hell out of there
Home & Garden

Comments

  • SBOB on 27/06/2019 - 14:54
    +18

    Shoddy tile and wall work?

    Who installs a dryer on a wall and hopes the tile adhesive and gyprock is strong enough to hold it up?
    Clearly didn't bother finding a stud to mound the dryer mourning frame to.

    Doesn't mean bad walls, means terrible installer

    • JustJames111 on 27/06/2019 - 14:55
      -1

      There was a wall mount that was drilled into the wall at the top of the dryer but there was no support at the bottom.

      They blamed it on the fact the wall was not installed properly as opposed to the dryer not being installed properly.

      • [Deactivated] on 27/06/2019 - 14:58
        +5

        A dryer wouldn't usually need support at the bottom, provided the support at the top was actually secure. If the wall was structural and had issues the symptom wouldn't be a dryer falling off.

        • JustJames111 on 27/06/2019 - 15:09

          From what I saw, the wall mounts at the top were hanging on by a single screw where the other screws had all fallen off with the dryer and there were moderate gaps in the wall. Imagine the size of the screw but 4x the diameter sized holes.

          There were also major cracks extending outwards from the holes.

          • [Deactivated] on 27/06/2019 - 16:58
            +3

            @JustJames111: Sounds like expected behaviour if they just screwed it into plasterboard instead of a stud.

      • [Deactivated] on 27/06/2019 - 15:17
        +5

        The last person on the job is responsible.

        If the installer is blaming the wall, they should have done that before the install or not continue with the install.

        They installed it and accepted payment with no proof they've made any remarks about the wall.

        The installers are liable for the damage from and to the dryer plus surroundings.

        The quality of the wall or lack thereof is a separate issue.

    • Dazza610 on 28/06/2019 - 11:25

      This is what happens when, instead of using "Australian" certified Contractors & Tradesmen, The Property/Owners/Builders import Workers from other countries with un-trackable certifications…(probably none).
      You can see the outcome of cheap labour if you look at the building specs they use in their own countries…

      You get what you pay for, but these 'cowboys' come in, throw it together, then vanish onto the next job, never to be seen again.
      The Property/Owner/Builder pockets the extra savings that he makes by using these unqualified workers… Then they disappear, only to pop-up again trading under a different name, using inferior tradesmen (not tradesmen) again.

      The government SHOULD be inspecting ALL stages of any construction project, but choose to turn a blind eye because those Govt inspectors, are incompetent/untrained themselves. This is the exact reason that competently certified Union inspectors need to control building projects with Australian certified tradesmen… It's for Australian residents safety and Australian code of ethics… And no shortcuts which lead to things like this. I wonder what the next problem will be, and who is going to pay for it?

      • SBOB on 28/06/2019 - 12:10

        because no union based tradie has ever done shoddy work
        :/

        right?

  • [Deactivated] on 27/06/2019 - 14:55
    +6

    A dryer falling off a wall doesn't say anything about the structural integrity of your building. It's likely just missing a stud etc when mounting the dryer, which could happen in any building with a new dryer and a shoddy tradesman.

    You'd need a better reason to break a lease. I wouldn't worry about safety just on this basis, even the people putting in the dryer are not likely the same people who build the actual structure.

    I mean I guess the best case you get money for the cosmetic damage caused to your washing machine?

  • GG57 on 27/06/2019 - 14:59
    +2

    I would just take the fix for the wall and the dryer. That takes it back to pre-incident apart from scratches and dents on your washer.

    If you don't feel safe, find a new place and move. But I think you would have a hard time breaking your lease on the basis of safety (unless there is something definitive).

  • aussieprepper on 27/06/2019 - 15:39

    I wouldn't say its normal but there is a good chance it can happen if not done properly. The dryer shakes and vibrates which will either hollow out the holes in the wall or back out the screws? Maybe using some kind of anchor with a nut is a better option? Put some loctite on the nut.

    If its a solid wall and they used a wall plug i have seen it happen.

  • pjetson on 27/06/2019 - 15:47
    +2

    Often, the holes in dryer brackets do not line up with the studs in the wall where the dryer is mounted. A competent installer would cover this situation by mounting a piece of wood under the bracket, with the wood securely screwed into the studs, and then the bracket screwed to the wood.

    If the dryer has fallen to the ground, it could be damaged. This may result in a shorter life.

  • Seraphin7 on 27/06/2019 - 16:02
    +3

    A dryer falling off a wall is not an "Opal Towers" issue.

    By all means, get the wall repaired, dryer fixed/replaced, maybe even some action on the washing machine depending on the actual damage done, but this (in isolation) is not an issue with the building.

    As ever, push for whatever you can get, but the probabilities are this was a simple and isolated poor installation job.

  • emblurr on 27/06/2019 - 16:09

    Site is becoming Ozcompensation.com.au

  • kolorijo on 27/06/2019 - 16:29

    United States of Australia

  • [Deactivated] on 27/06/2019 - 16:32
    +1

    The offer to repair the damage to the wall and the pre-installed dryer should be made to the landlord - is this what you mean by the 'building owner'?

    As a tenant, you should request compensation for the damage to your washing machine.

  • BertieBrown on 27/06/2019 - 17:53

    The dryer should absolutely be attached, securely, with either lag bolts or a similar fixing on a bracket to either stud work, or masonry fixings. It sounds very much like they used wall anchors, or even nylon wall plugs pushed into gyprock. It’s amazing it didn’t fall down earlier.

    • omguleh on 27/06/2019 - 18:08
      +1

      Sounds like the tiles helped with the delay of it falling down. It’s usually not standard to put in support for hanging dryers and unless specified in the building contract no one would care. Standard noggings are at 1350mm max height from the bottom plate so no where near high enough. I had the same problem in my apartment. I just ended up buying a stacking kit.

      • BertieBrown on 27/06/2019 - 20:42
        +1

        Also the advantage of a stacking dryer is that you are able to take it with you when you leave, I’d tend to agree that a stacking option is a better alternative anyway.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/06/2019 - 16:21

    Being a brand new unit block it is extremely unlikely to have timber frames. It would be rendered brick internal walls.

    The dryer should have been fixed to the wall with loxins or dynabolts.

    https://www.bunnings.com.au/ramset-10-x-75mm-stainless-steel…

  • HeWhoKnows on 28/06/2019 - 17:17
    -1

    This happened a few months in. Not immediately

    I cant see how its shoddy work.
    Something has failed for a reason.

    The dryer may have been overloaded or had additional weight put on it.
    The dryer may have started to wobble (which you should have noticed) and hence worked its way off the wall.
    They used the wrong wall mounts - not necessarily shoddy - just poor judgement.

    In the end most of these new apartments no longer have solid walls so unless the dryer was mounted into something solid such as a stud it was always going to fall off - yes, shoddy work. Though youd think it would have been more imminent if that was the case.

    So firstly the offer to fix is reasonable and expected.
    But to use this as a break of lease - definitely NOT.
    The walls arent caving in and the building isnt cracking or falling down.

    You want compensation? What do you expect?
    Scratches and minor damage to your washing machine - oh dear - its called wear and tear. Was going to happen eventually.

  • [Deactivated] on 28/06/2019 - 17:47

    Amayzingone "In the end most of these new apartments no longer have solid walls"

    Think you will find that's incorrect. They have fire rated entry doors to each unit that would be totally useless if the walls were timber framed and gyprock.

  • singingwolf on 28/06/2019 - 19:10

    Feels like OzBargain is now a rental help site. 3 in one day. A new record…

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