My Plumber has drilled through the downstairs lintel

[Lindseyk]

Help!

We are having a new kitchen installed and the plumber has just drilled through our downstairs neighbors window lintel to create an outlet for the waste pipe.

He then plans to run the pipe along the outside of the wall and connect to the downpipe.

I don't even want to think about what my neighbor is going to say, but what will building control say? We are having to get a building warrant as the kitchen is moving rooms and we are in a flat.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

What type/size of lintel is it, where is the hole, what sizes is the hole, got a photo? Questions questions ......

 

[Lindseyk]

I think its a sandstone lintel which has been painted. The hole will be 65mm approx to accommodate the 50mm pipe.

I have attached a photo but don't have the measurements of the actual lintel at this time, do you want me to try get them?

The plumbers have disappeared and cant get a hold of the joiner organising the job...

 

[Lindseyk]

The photo hopefully!

 

[tony1851]

More to the point, what does the neighbour say?
Oh, just realised - they don't know yet.

 

[^woody^]

I'm not sure if this is an Oh dear or a full blown WTF?

The lintel will be OK (looks like it may not have gone through the actual lintel though just a render coating) but I would be more concerend if you can actually run your waste pipe in that place down a neighbours wall, across their property and then in to a downpipe - presumably you can't mean downpipe but soil stack.

You need to find these people as you'll need to serve to court papers on them if the neighbour kicks off.

 

[Ian H]

I'd go and get some white paint and cover the top half of the lintel in it

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

That kind of thing will have your neighbour popping something through your letterbox!

 

[Lindseyk]

Luckily we are on very good terms with the neighbour.
Should we pursue the builders? I assume they should know not to go through a lintel.
Main contractor has come back to look at alternative ways to run the pipe, here’s hoping...

 

[Ian H]

That kind of thing will have your neighbour popping something through your letterbox!

Hope the neighbour isn't @pilsbury , it will deffo end up with a PTLB

 

[pilsbury]

was it a case of him drilling from inside and then the surprise of the hole popping out in the wrong place? On second looks with the neatness of the hole it seems as if they’ve drilled outside in...... bloody liability. Then to add insult to injury the pipe work will be fixed to their flat. I’d be saving up turds for a week before the poo postman visits.

 

[Lindseyk]

All solved thankfully!

The hole is filled (it was drilled from the inside but I don’t think it would be a surprise to them that it was a lintel) and paint matched and will be painted on Monday.

Structural engineer claims it’s all good.

A different Plumber has been and we have found a new routing for the pipework which should work and doesn’t involve going through a lintel.

Thanks for your help, I hope not to receive any **** through my letter box (I assume this is from an older thread haha)

Lastly but most importantly the neighbour didn’t seem concerned in the slightest so I was worrying unnecessarily.