Water Leakage Dispute With Neighbour

[Frustrated 0]

My next door neighbour (terrace house) master bathroom is leaking water to my master bathroom (our bathrooms are back to back) and we have confirmed that it is very likely due to failure of the waterproofing layer in his wall tiles in his master bathroom. Water keeps appearing above our mixer in our master bathroom, despite the fact that we have vacated the house since more than 2 months ago, hence no water usage at all

Contractor has advised him that best and longest lasting solution is to hack his tiles and re do the waterproofing layer, but neighbour refuses to spend the money and wants to opt for the cheapest solution - flooding his bathroom tiles with chemicals, which does not come with any warranty and following which the leak is likely to come back very quickly.

Is there any way we can enforce that my neighbour takes the permanent solution of hacking as we do not want to keep re-visiting this issue every few months? There has been massive delays and we are contemplating legal action.

Any kind souls out there with experience in similar situations, really appreciate if you could share your opinions?

[Lauer 15]

My next door neighbour (terrace house) master bathroom is leaking water to my master bathroom (our bathrooms are back to back) and we have confirmed that it is very likely due to failure of the waterproofing layer in his wall tiles in his master bathroom. Water keeps appearing above our mixer in our master bathroom, despite the fact that we have vacated the house since more than 2 months ago, hence no water usage at all

Contractor has advised him that best and longest lasting solution is to hack his tiles and re do the waterproofing layer, but neighbour refuses to spend the money and wants to opt for the cheapest solution - flooding his bathroom tiles with chemicals, which does not come with any warranty and following which the leak is likely to come back very quickly.

Is there any way we can enforce that my neighbour takes the permanent solution of hacking as we do not want to keep re-visiting this issue every few months? There has been massive delays and we are contemplating legal action.

Any kind souls out there with experience in similar situations, really appreciate if you could share your opinions?

You mentioned terrace house, and so I would be careful to agree with the contractor's conclusion.

The bathrooms may be back-to-back, but your house has its own wall, and his house has its wall. The pipings are embedded within the respective walls.

To illustrate, in his bathroom:

- There is the brick wall, separating his house from yours,

- Within this brick wall, in the bathroom area, we have the water pipings (hot & cold, therefore the mixer) embedded within.

- Then there is the layer of waterproofing membrane,

- And then the bathroom wall tiles.

The waterproofing membrane, as you could see, is laid towards his bathroom. Not towards your house, or bathroom. Moreover, the function of the membrane is just to contain the moisture within the bathroom (when a bath is taken) and allow the area to dry in between use.

(So, I don't understand the recommendation of the contractor?)

But if we want to assume that his water piping does leak, the water would just find its way down through the small gaps in between the walls?

(So, I don't understand why the leakage appears above your mixer?)

Unless you have turned off the water main (located outside the house), and drained the water from the internal pipings, it is not conclusive that the leakage originated from the neighbor just because of the house vacancy.

Maybe others could add to the comments, so that I could learn something as well.

Cheers!

Edited January 29, 2013 by Lauer

[Frustrated 0]

Sorry maybe I should have highlighted that we have already done pressure and meter tests which confirmed that the potable water pipes are not leaking in both houses, hence it has to be failure of the waterproofing layer on my neighbour's side.

Due to the almost regular appearance of water (in our master bathroom walls) at around 10am plus everyday, we have also eradicated the possibility of external water seepage eg from rainwater.

Hence, the contractor has recommended hacking and re doing the waterproof layer. How can we enforce this, instead of allowing the neighbour to take the cheaper but not lasting solution of injecting his toilet wall with chemicals?

[Lauer 15]

Sorry maybe I should have highlighted that we have already done pressure and meter tests which confirmed that the potable water pipes are not leaking in both houses, hence it has to be failure of the waterproofing layer on my neighbour's side.

Due to the almost regular appearance of water (in our master bathroom walls) at around 10am plus everyday, we have also eradicated the possibility of external water seepage eg from rainwater.

Hence, the contractor has recommended hacking and re doing the waterproof layer. How can we enforce this, instead of allowing the neighbour to take the cheaper but not lasting solution of injecting his toilet wall with chemicals?

I see.

Enforce the contractor's recommendation?I don't know how you could, even via civil litigation.

Anyway, it is better to find a common ground, perhaps through a mediator. You have got only two direct neighbors, and it is God's will (so to speak) that brought all together.

Cheers!

Edited January 29, 2013 by Lauer

[yoongf 11]

If the water leak originated from pressured water mains pipe, it will not be moisture stain, but a flooding situation.

My sense is that this moisture stain problem is not a pressured pipe leak or a waterproofing issue.

I suspect it is due to a leak from the embedded pipe... from the mixer to the bib tap (where the shower hose is connected)or overhead shower rose. After usage, there is balance water in the pipe and it will slowly leak out thus staining the wall. Whose embedded pipe is leaking, I can't determine.

Frankly, I am not aware of how can get neighbour to do anything unless there is concrete evidence of their leak. Imagine u make tons of accusations, and later discover is not their fault.. I cannot imagine the back charges the neighbour will impose on the complainant.

The solution is to hack own side of wall and follow the moisture stain to the source of the leak.