Homeowner says botched council works have made his house 'worthless'

Robert Carruthers, a 66-year-old Johnstone resident, says that council workers “cut corners” when resurfacing the walkway outside his front door, leading to significant issues down the line.

Robert Carruthers on the resurfaced landing outside his house (Image: Gordon Terris)

“A few years ago the council were doing some work on the paving outside my house,” he said. “I told them I didn’t want them doing anything, because I’d recently paid £500 to have the paving tiles in front of my house resealed.

“They said ‘no problem.’ But when I came back, they’d put this hellish red stuff down. The red stuff then just rotted away and broke up, so they came back and ripped it up, and put down a fibreglass layer.

“But they cut corners. They didn’t clean it properly and left bits of the red stuff on there. They didn’t strip it back down to the concrete, they just took the tiles off and flung the stuff down on top of it.

“I worked with fibreglass for 12 years. Try putting fibreglass down in the middle of the winter - it’s not going to set. Maybe on the top, but not underneath. They’re useless.”

Robert says moisture is now seeping into his walls (Image: Gordon Terris)

Robert's house sits above a row of shops, with his kitchen and living room on the floor below his front door. He says the council’s attempts to resurface his landing only served to divert water into his house, which is “absolutely soaking.”

“The landing is like a swimming pool now, with puddles and holes everywhere,” he said. “And the water is running through the concrete into my house.

“My living room is absolutely soaking. The walls are full of dampness. I had the kitchen replastered recently, but it’s damp again now, and the paint on the walls is flaking off. I’ve had to get the house rewired, because of the moisture getting in.

“I’ve lived here for 35 years and there’s never been a problem with dampness before this.”

Robert says workers 'cut corners,' causing water to collect on the surface (Image: Gordon Terris)

To make matters worse, Robert says when the pooling water freezes, his landing now gets dangerously slippy.

“The stuff they put on is supposed to be non-slip,” he said, “but all the puddles of water just freeze over, so you’re stepping onto a skating rink.

“Last December I slipped on it. I fell back and ended up with five stitches and a burst blood vessel in my head.

“And if one of my neighbours hadn’t seen me lying there, with the amount of blood that was pouring out of me, I’d have been dead.”

Robert has lived in the house for 35 years, and says there never used to be any issue with dampness (Image: Gordon Terris)

Robert is fighting an ongoing battle with cancer, and has been advised that he may only have five years to live. He fears that his son will be unable to sell the damp-ridden property in the future.

“It’s very upsetting,” he said. “The amount of money I’ve spent on this house over the years. Any money I’ve had, I’ve been putting it back into the house.

“I need to get it sorted in case my son wants to sell it. The house is all I’ve got left, but it’s going to be worth nothing.”

Robert says his walls are now 'absolutely soaking' (Image: Gordon Terris)

Robert says his attempts to get Renfrewshire council to fix the problem have come to nothing.

“I spoke to the council, they sent a guy up,” Robert said. “He had a look and said ‘what do you want us to do about it?’ I said ‘I want you to sort it!’ And that was the last I heard from them.

“They should do the right thing - dig up the stuff they’ve put down, relay it properly, and redo the plastering in my house once the leaking stops.

“But the council are ignoring me. They’re not interested.”