Is this 'normal'?

[Amy]

Anyway, I do need a builder to come and deconstruct my kitchen as I need to get the new floor up off the old one and get it all dried out. It's just been so well fitted together and under various appliances that it's not a simple task - the washing machine is a particular problem... And I'm happy to pay the going rate... in this case.

And then they can have the job of putting it all back together later

At least any builders my flat management company find should be better than any I can pick out from the local directory

[sonic909]

One of my boys can sort your problems out Amy?

If you are still looking for someone then i'll hook you up!

[quote]the floors and units are hardboard and now need to dry out

Want to get the new kitchen floor up off the old floor so that it can dry out

[Amy]

Believe me - if it was 'easy' I would've done it on Friday morning. Or if not me, then my more DIY-minded friend - but he couldn't and he's an engineer (ok, so that might not have much to do with it). And no, I don't think it's that bad but I will have to wait till it's dried out and the flat management company have assessed the damage for the insurance claim and most of the water was spraying up in the space between the bathroom and the back of the kitchen units and then flowing under the kitchen units into the kitchen floor, then the lounge and then the hall.

The laminate flooring needs to come up so that the soundproofing stuff underneath can dry out and that sits on top of the original kitchen floor. The laminate floor is also trapped under 4 kitchen appliances and I can't work out how the man who did it got the washing machine back in to its little corner where it is now trapped - the flooring now being just that bit higher than when I first put the machine in. It's something like one of those puzzles where you rearrange the squares but there's only one space to use.

Thanks, Keith, I will let you if I need any assistance - I do have one offer already

[Amy]

[quote="sonic909"]One of my boys can sort your problems out Amy?

If you are still looking for someone then i'll hook you up!

[Bo-Gilly]

Well I did say it "should be" fairly easy to remove Obviously it's just guess work on my part as I can't see the situation and I don't know how old your laminate floor and kitchen units are. If it's proving difficult to remove the laminate flooring then I suspect that it isn't the more modern "click in" type and has been glued together.

But I still doubt very much that your kitchen base units are sitting on the laminate flooring, it should only tuck under the plinths and go up as far as the legs, unless you have a very old kitchen with integral plinths and no legs on the base units. Otherwise I'm almost certain that the base units won't need to be moved.

I know what you mean about the appliances having a tight fit and being unable to lift them sufficiently so that they can slide over the laminate flooring, specially if the flooring has expanded and cupped due to water damage. But TBH as it sounds that your laminate flooring has completely had it, I would just smash it out/lift it up with the use of a nail bar/crow bar and bolster. Presumably your appliances should slide out when that is done. And I can't imagine that the underlay/soundproofing is worth drying out and saving, easier to sling it and replace with new, I would have thought.

[Amy]

Thank you, Bo, for your advice but, as you say, you don't know the specifics in this situation and, as a librarian, I am not knowledgeable enough to convey it in the right terms. I shall leave it to someone who does and will do the job for me.

[John the old'un]

[quote="Amy"]That sounds awful, Roy. Snoop should be on their case

Anyway, it's a job for a builder - any one want the job? Just got to dry everything out to see what the final damage is - apart from the obvious holes knocked in walls and bits missing off the fixtures in the bathroom and kitchen.

And if I'm going to have to have work done, I may as well put in a new bathroom suite and better storage and maybe even do the kitchen if the damage is sufficient there...

Good job the new carpet wasn't down yet

[sonic909]

I missed your PM in time and assume you are now sorted if not give me a call 07747198994