Benfleet woman claims tradesman ruined wet room renovation

Lynn Hoare, 64, a part-time support worker from Benfleet, could not afford a £400,000 house with an accessible wet room for her daughter Krista, 26.

Instead, she bought a £300,000 bungalow in July 2019 and in September that year hired a builder, who she does not wish to name, recommended by her partner, Garry Stuart-Macrae, 66, who is retired.

Fault flooring - Lynn hoped to create an accessible wet room for Krista (Image: Collect/PA Real Life)She asked the tradesman for a low-cost renovation and while initially everything seemed fine with the work carried out, by 2023 Lynn claims the bathroom had severe damp and faulty flooring.

Over the last four weeks, Lynn said Krista’s carers have had to wash her hair in the sink, and she is having to do the same, including resorting to washing her body using just a flannel, instead of having showers.

Despite multiple attempts to contact the builder, Lynn claims she has received no response, leaving her son Jason, 33, and ex-husband Steve, 66, and also retired, to attempt the repairs themselves.

Mum - Lynn Hoare (Image: Collect/PA Real Life)

Lynn has set up a GoFundMe to cover the costs, with a goal of £3,500 to complete the repairs.

Lynn told PA Real Life: “Krista has quadriplegic cerebral palsy so all of her limbs can’t really move.

Daughter - Krista uses a wheelchair full-time (Image: Collect/PA Real Life)

“She looks as though she’s a bit spaced out most days but she’s verbal – she can definitely talk.

“We’re really struggling at the moment, because she’s in a wheelchair, trying to get her hair washed is so hard and she’s ending up not clean.

“The carers are washing her hair in the sink at the moment.

“The rest of the house isn’t very accessible for her, and all the doors are narrow for her wheelchair.

Lynn hired a builder who had previously done work on her partner's house (Image: Collect/PA Real Life)

“Krista is really frustrated over it, we all are.

“I’m worried about how long it’s going to take and if we can afford it, so it’s been really stressful.”

Lynn moved into her bungalow in July 2019, and in September of the same year she reached out to a builder who had previously worked on her partner’s property because she felt she “could trust him”.

She claims she paid £3,000 for him to convert her only bathroom into a wet room and install a wheelchair ramp, hoping to make the house more accessible for Krista.

Disarray - The builder put polystyrene underneath the floorboards (Image: Collect/PA Real Life) Lynn said: “The builder came and did the work and it all seemed fine, but I did say to him, ‘I don’t have a lot of money, can you do it cheaper for us?’

“We have carers come in a few times a day to help me look after Krista and it made things so much easier. It was long overdue and just made our lives better.”

However, by 2023, Lynn said the bathroom began to deteriorate – dampness had developed under the floorboards and spread into the airing and bathroom cupboards.

She claims she contacted the builder but could not get through and suspects that he “kept changing numbers”.

“I was so angry and upset over it, I couldn’t believe it,” she explained.

Over the last four weeks, Lynn says the dampness has worsened, leaving mother and daughter to wash using just a sink and flannel.

Frustrated - Krista has cerebral palsy (Image: Collect/PA Real Life)

Lynn said: “It’s really horrible, you just don’t feel clean.

“I just want it sorted, it’s getting ridiculous now.”

“He didn’t put the floor down correctly in the bathroom, so the water didn’t drain away correctly,” Lynn’s ex-husband Steve said of the initial renovation.

Repairs - Lynn's son and ex-husband are now trying to fix the wet room (Image: Collect/PA Real Life) “He also didn’t seal the floor, the tile floor properly, so the floor moves, the grouting opens up, but water goes from the grouting into the floorboard, and the floorboards need to be replaced.

“But that’s only a minor issue, the overall problem really was the fact that he didn’t seal the floor first before he put the floor down, and now it can’t drain any water.

“He put polystyrene down underneath the shower for some reason and there’s also a problem with the connections on the water pipes.

“What’s in at the moment will barely last 10 years, so when they start to leak, you have to take the whole thing apart again.”

Lynn added: “I just couldn’t believe the builder used polystyrene to cut corners.”

Steve and his son have already removed the tiles and spent £300 on materials.

To help cover additional costs, Lynn has set up a GoFundMe with a goal of £3,500.

She said: “It’s just been so frustrating. We just want our bathroom back, that’s all.”

Looking back, she does not believe she could have done anything differently when picking the builder to do the work.

She said: “Maybe in the future I wouldn’t ask for someone to do it cheaply, but I trusted him.”

To donate to Lynn’s GoFundMe, visit: gofundme.com/f/urgent-bathroom-damp-and-daughters-disabled.