QR Construction - www.qrconstruction.co.uk

I could write a very long tirade on this company – but I do not have the inclination and they are not worth the time !

They are a local firm that we wanted to use to support the local traders ! It all looked OK to start with and price was good. We were very careful to be very specific with our needs – detailing everything requested, with our exact requirements so that both parties knew exactly what was expected – so no hidden costs !!

Once the job was started it didn’t take long – after all it was a small galley type kitchen refurb – no units being put in; just new worktop, some painting, tiling, new taps, new stable door, etc. plus supply and fit of new under counter electric oven and separate four ring gas hob, plus extractor hood.

The main reason for this review is to do with the installation of the oven and hob – however there were lots of other small points that were not completed or finished properly, which we had to get QR Construction to come back and put right – I won’t list them all here but my snag list went to upwards of 9 points !

In summary – QR Construction incorrectly installed both the oven and hob – we believe, contravening regulations put in place to ensure safe installation when dealing with gas and electrical equipment !

The above was only discovered when the original oven broke down and had to be replaced (the break down was not QR Constructions fault – no blame there !) However, when it was removed, with the aid of a qualified electrician, it was apparent that the electric ignition of the gas hob above was wired into the terminal block on the back of this oven, i.e. sharing the 30amp main fused supply to the oven !!!!! The hob ignition should have been on a separate 13 amp fused supply. In other words, the cable was not protected by the correct fuse rating and could have been a source of ignition in the event of a fault and when located in close proximity to a gas unit/supply – the consequences do not bear thinking about ! To compound this it was noticed that when installing the new oven correctly that it did not fit and stood 20mm proud of the front of the units – both the old and new ovens being identical in dimensions – so a bit of a mystery as to why the new one wouldn’t fit !

Closer inspection of the old oven revealed a big dent in the rear panel where it had been rammed into the unit opening, against the mains gas feed pipe to the hob and fixed in place ! This will have put stress on the gas pipe and fittings and over time could have caused a gas leak. Again, we dread to think what the consequences could have been basis this “installation”

Our main concern therefore was our family’s safety and that we would not have discovered this downright shoddy and dangerous work if the oven hadn’t needed replacing !

Plus the cost to us to get the new oven correctly wired in, the gas pipe to be moved to allow the new oven to fit correctly and the existing gas hob to be correctly wired in.

We have contacted QR Construction on numerous occasions to get them to comment regarding their work and they have had every opportunity to respond (over 7 weeks) – but at the time of writing this review we have heard nothing! Their silence is deafening and as far as I am concerned is an admission to guilt – we are seeking further advice on this as QR Construction may well have breached statutory regulations put in place to protect the consumer – let alone the health and safety issues !

We will not be using this company again and would suggest that if you are thinking of doing so; that you ensure you see all their required certificates of the various trades and also keep an eye on how they complete their work – my recommendation is; do not use them !

Thank you for reading this review and sorry for it being so lengthy - it could have been even longer if I had detailed the snag list points !!