Angry Lanarkshire residents have hit out at a housing developer due to dampness and mould in their homes.
Several locals living in Ravenscraig have spoken out against Taylor Wimpey and the National House Building Council (NHBC) after several complaints about their homes.
Nicole Brown contacted Lanarkshire Live about the problems she has faced over several years.
She said: “I had noticed quite a lot of black mould in the loft. I called NHBC and the housebuilder Taylor Wimpey about it.
“I put a post on our residents Facebook page and within a few hours I had dozens of replies from people saying they were having the same problems.
I got in touch with one of our local councillors about this problem. However, our five year warranty is up and the housebuilder doesn’t want to know.
“They have actually told me that mould in your home is perfectly common.
“We contacted our house insurance and we had a tradesman come out and he couldn’t believe the scale of the problem. He said we didn’t have enough ventilation.
“It has been so stressful especially when you read things about the health concerns relating to dampness in homes.”
Another woman, who asked not to be named, moved into her home in 2020 and told us of similar problems within her property.
“I first noticed mould in my en suite window so I got someone to check my extractor fan,” she said.
“From there on my loft is completely soaked, my ceiling looks like it’s ready to cave in. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
Another couple contacted ourselves about their problems.
One man, who asked not to be named, said: “We have been in the house for four years and contacted both Taylor Wimpey and NHBC.
“We have had the house painted and the mould has came back.
“We have been told we don’t have enough ventilation in the loft.
“Our child is always picking up bugs and sore throats and you have to wonder if these are linked.”
Motherwell South East and Ravenscraig councillor Kenneth Duffy has contacted Taylor Wimpey regarding the issue.
He said: “I hope that there is a genuine attempt from Taylor Wimpey to investigate and rectify the issues raised by homeowners.
“Those suffering are customers of the developer and are rightly asking for answers after spending significant amounts of money buying their home.”
A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey West Scotland said: “We are aware of the concerns raised by small group of homeowners about ventilation in their loft spaces within properties at our completed Ravens Cliff development, in Ravenscraig near Motherwell.
“To provide reassurance and support to these homeowners, we have inspected these properties to check that the ventilation installed at the time of construction is working correctly.
“Following our inspections, we are pleased to confirm that the ventilation has been installed as expected and these homes show no build issues.
“We remain fully committed to supporting homeowners with further advice and support as required, while also noting that homeowners with properties within their 10 year warranty period can also seek independent advice and an inspection by the NHBC if they have ongoing concerns.”
A NHBC spokesman added: “During recent years the likelihood of condensation in roofs and other areas of the home has increased as a result of better insulated and better heated homes, allowing the air to hold larger quantities of water vapour.
“Most cases of condensation in roof spaces are temporary and the presence of condensation is not therefore an indication of a problem with the construction of a property.”
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