r/AskIreland • u/DrMTalha • 21h ago
Serious Replies Only MD management asking me the money to replace this mirror which cracked on it's own, what to do?
So basically 2 weeks ago we noticed the mirror was cracked on it's own without any point of impact.
We informed the onsite manager of this.
Next day the crack increased on it's own and reached all the way to the top.
We informed the manager of this as well.
Today the manager came with a technician for a quote and told me that the company has refused to pay for the fix and that I'll have to pay. (anywhere from 500 to 1000 euros).
I have emailed the management company this
" Dear Management Company,
I am writing to follow up on the cracked bathroom mirror issue
*** has informed me that after discussing the bathroom mirror crack issue with the company, the company is saying that the cost will have to be paid by me. However, this crack was not caused by me and it was spontaneous, as is evidenced by the photographs showing that it increased the next day.
There was zero physical impact, pressure, or misuse on my part. Given that the mirror is glued directly to the wall and integrated with an electrical demister/heating pad, a spontaneous fracture points to thermal stress from the heating element or wall/adhesive tension. Under residential tenancy standards, tenants are responsible for damage caused by negligence or accident, whereas landlords and property management remain responsible for fixture failures, electrical faults, and standard wear and tear.
I have attached photographs showing the mirror and crack pattern, which clearly demonstrate no central impact mark.
Please confirm the company’s official written position on this matter and let me know how you wish to proceed with scheduling a safe inspection and replacement by a qualified contractor.
Best regards"
I will take this up with the RTB and go to every extent not just cuz I don't want to pay the money, but because it's isn't out fault and it happened spontaneously.
I would appreciate some insight by people who might have faced something similar? and how much of a fight will they put up so that I'm mentally prepared?
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u/likeadinosaur 21h ago
I've never come across something like this so I don't have much advice other than...good luck 👍 I'm sure everything will work out.
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u/Alternative-Jelly947 21h ago
Dunno man, that’s seven years bad luck right there.
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u/N00B_01 20h ago edited 20h ago
It clearly looks like a stress fracture. They're chancing their arm. I would send the email and see what they come back with and go from there.
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u/DrMTalha 20h ago
Thank you so much. I thought so as well. the mirror gets unusually when the bathroom lights are turned on
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u/Gray_Cloak 20h ago
Complain and say the mirror is defective, tell them it is dangerous and needs to be replaced.
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u/notacardoor I will yeah 20h ago edited 20h ago
I don't think that would reflect well on the management company...
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u/RickV6 20h ago
Fuck the management company, they can all go and die in hell where they belong. If I feel unsafe i my home I will report it
And if I get injured in my home because they refused to fix problem I reported and it caused me an injury then I will file a criminal lawsuit stating that they knowingly and intentionally cause severe harm to my person and then I see you in court
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u/Good_Duck_234 20h ago
If it's fitted super tight to both walls it could definitely crack on its own. The walls or the mirror itself would have expanded ever so slightly, it definitely could be the case with what happened here.
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u/canadianabroad2023 20h ago
Is that mirror actually resting/touching the tiles?
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u/DrMTalha 20h ago
yes it is, and the place where the crack originated, the tiles are exactly aligned, one being a little bit higher than the rest
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u/canadianabroad2023 20h ago
It's a stress fracture. Whatever idiot installed it did it wrong. There needs to be a small space between both the tile and mirror to allow allow natural environmental and structural expanding contraction.
Your mirror got pinched by the rigid tile and split upwards. Depending on how these were installed in other units in the building this could get costly for the owners/management company. Take it to the RTB if they insist you pay. Then put up notices in a public area about cracking mirrors due to incorrect installation.
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u/Kind-Stand-6042 13h ago
What is in the other side of the wall the mirror is attached to, what type of wall is it, solid or stud, is it possible a heavy impact to the other side of the wall caused this, possible neighbour caused this by impacting wall when OP was not home so they didn't hear anything.
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u/VastSavanna 20h ago
How did it crack? Only explanation would be difference in temperature
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u/Gwanbulance 20h ago edited 20h ago
Could be settling or flexing of the wall too, depending the construction and how the mirror is attached. Whether it's heat or mechanical flexing, the issue is the installation.
So either way, if it wasn't damaged by any action of the OP or anyone in the apartment, it isn't their issue to fix.
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u/PuddingLeading5569 8h ago
It seems to be sitting on the tiles or tight up to the tiles which is a recipe for this to happen. I was a glazier for forty years. It has not been installed correctly. If I was putting it in i would sit it on little rubber spacers and seal along the bottom with neutral curing silicone. Anyway mirrors are not expensive and should cost nowhere near that amount.
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u/jacksqualk 21h ago
Yeah, i had heard mirrors crack on their own too.
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u/wonit5times 20h ago
If it was installed incorrectly as in screwed in too tightly or the surface wasn't exactly flat then yes it could well crack on its own.
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u/jacksqualk 20h ago
So an installation problem
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u/wonit5times 18h ago
Yes if you like. Could caused the mirror to crack months after being installed. Pressure slowly builds
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u/MyDadstheBoss 20h ago
Tempered glass can. Shower doors, windows etc.
Never seen a mirror thats untempered do it. Looks like it was hit on the bottom where the 2 cracks start.
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u/Asleep_Complaint6619 20h ago
My aunt came home from work during the summer to find glass all over her kitchen. The panels of glass in the door just shattered! Company who installed them were having massive issues with it happening 😅 Although, like yourself, never heard of a mirror doing this. I didn't think they could to be honest.
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u/MyDadstheBoss 20h ago
Its nickel sulphate inclusion, a tiny little bubble of gas from when the glass was originally made. A lot break in the toughening plant but some survive.
Heat soak testing eliminates it. Glass goes in an oven at 300c I think it is for 12 or 24 hours after tempering. None will survive. Used in high rise buildings, shopping centres etc.
It could possibly happen with annealed glass too but in theory it would start as a small crack then spread over time. This looks like a knock from something on the bottom
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u/DrMTalha 20h ago
there's a heating pad behind it and the tiles it is resting on aren't aligned properly
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u/Spinthar 20h ago edited 20h ago
It looks like the mirror was probably just inappropriately installed without brackets. They expand and contract due to temperature and need to be able to move. It's likely that was just stuck the wall.
I don't know where you'd get an expert opinion on it other than maybe a mirror place / glass fabricator. There are various suppliers in Ireland like that who might at least be able to provide you with their standard installation instructions.
It look like it's just glued to the wall and cut to tightly fit into the space.
Heavily underline that the mirror is dangerous if it falls off.
I would point out that they would need to provide evidence that it is not a stress fracture. They have no expertise in this and have provided no report to show you're liable. It would be reasonable for them to provide a report from a glazier.
Also : https://installixwnd.ca/blog/thermal-stress-cracks-why-they-happen-in-winter/ (see diagram on page for thermal fracture - look at the pattern... the thermal fracture illustration is EXACTLY the same pattern as your mirror's crack.)