My kitchen ceiling has fallen down!!

**Tippy Toes** · 07-09-2009, 07:05 PM

Right where do I start? Basically half of my kitchen ceiling fell down on Satarday due to a leak in a pipe in the bathroom!!!

Have been told that it will take about three months to fix and that my full kitchen will need to be taken out and re-done due to the water damage!!!!

Does anybody know where I stand with childminding? Am I still ok to have children in my home as long as they dont go into the kitchen? What about when the builders start doing the work? Also what do I need to tell parents??

Any help greatly appreciated xx

Daddy Day Care · 07-09-2009, 07:08 PM

No advice just didnt want to read and run.

Soooooo sorry to hear about this

GAreth
xx

**Gizmo** · 07-09-2009, 07:11 PM

Dont have any advise either sorry, but same thing happened to my friend last week she called the insurance company to be told no one could come out to see her as there are floods in England, she has had to go and stay with her parents

**sweets** · 07-09-2009, 07:12 PM

not sure really. you could ask paretnts to provide a packed lunch while your kitchen is out of action and just put a microwave and kettle (essential!) in your play area somewhere. and then do a RA. i doubt ofsted would stop you minding.

Its an awful thing to have happened but i wish it would happen to me, i could do with a new kitchen

**madasahatter** · 07-09-2009, 07:14 PM

Several childminding friends have had kitchens fitted recently and they all restricted their childminding to fewer rooms and tried to get out and about a lot. It helps if you have childminding friends who are prepared to invite you round to spend the day (school hours for instance), that way you can leave the workmen to it.

I assume you've cleared up all the mess and you are going to use your kitchen until it can be fixed. I would ensure that the environment is essentially safe (ie no more of the ceiling will fall down), risk assess it's use and then impose any limitations to your business ie fit a gate to the kitchen door so children can't enter.
Can I ask why it is going to take so long to fix?
If it is because your insurance company say it will take so long for their contractors can come out then I would try and insist that you need it doing sooner and see if they will accept 3 quotes.

**Tippy Toes** · 08-09-2009, 01:50 PM

Thank you all so much for your replies.

It is going to take a long time to fix because the walls need to be dried out before work can start and the drying part could take 6 weeks!!!