Advice please - Valspar emulsion left house smelling of cat urine

Hi John

We all need to agree exactly what we want. I am not particularly happy about putting more chemicals on the walls especially with children, but if that's what it takes we should be asking for

1. Sealant
2. Paint
3. Decorator Costs
4. Compensation

If we want to form a group we need to form a group email of some sort. I don't know how to do this but I understand that if someone gives us their email address and we reply with the words smelly paint somebody can put these into a group and we can all stay in touch.

Then if this does turn into a civil case we can still communicate.

 

My rooms only smell in hot weather. Fine today in the cooler weather here.

 

It will come back when the weather gets better or when you put your heating on.

I am too old to organise this but is their anyone out there who is or knows a solicitor just for simple advice. I thought taking Valspar to court for breach of contract might be covered under household legal insurance. If an insurance company takes it on, it could become a class action with their costs being paid by Valspar?

 

So did I do uv light sales must be on the up.

 

Totally agree with your list of what we should be compensated for. It's not just about giving us vouchers to repaint. I bought their most expensive paint purely so that I would not have to repaint for a good length of time. All that effort worked out as hours of work I put in and will need to put in again. I don't think that I should put Valspar's mistake right for nothing. Not sure about how we can easily form a group though, other than by communicating here.

 

Out of intrest do you get the smell when the heating is on?

 

Weather has cooled in london and smell is definitely less .

 

After painting in around last September, I only first noticed it a couple of weeks ago, then really badly in the recent heat wave, so either connected to sun or more humidity with windows open. No smell now weather has cooled.

 

Has anyone repainted on top of the valspar paint or used the primer they have suggested? I was wondering if anyone has done it and it actually works to get rid of the smell?
Smell was alot better as cooler today but then I left windows open for half an hour and the smell was building back up again.

 

Well yes the problem is that as much as it isn't this hot every day....it's only going to get warmer every year!
I've emailed the forum to see if we can't get a group email going otherwise I'll just setup an email address and you can all email that so we can keep in touch as John suggests.

Cheers

 

I've definitely noticed the smell throughout the winter months too. Though to a much lesser extent. I've just been putting up with it thinking it's the cat and he's old etc! The warm weather just really made it so unbearable. Couldn't sit in the living room it was too strong!

 

I have no idea where to even start, apart from e-mailing all the aforementioned people. I do think that as a group we could possibly stand more chance of success though?? I haven't had anything back from Watchdog. Has anyone else? I still think they may be our best bet but how do we get them on board? It's taking up so much of my time and I don't have a lot as it is!! Grrr

 

Thanks for your advice on this - wouldn't have known what to do without it!

 

Personally, I have started with Valspar themselves and have sent them a very long email outlining exactly my situation and including photos (luckily still had receipts and a tin). I don't feel I can do more until I have given them an opportunity to put the situation right, although I think I will phone citizens advice also, just to add my voice. I do highly resent the time and energy I am wasting ... and will have to waste to sort it, but have included that point in my email.

 

Have now taken used pot of valspar to B&Q and they gave me a refund (credit note as I didn't have a receipt ), no quibbles. They did seem to have heard of the issue. Credit note covered the cost of the Zinsser BIN and more frog tape. Went to Homebase to try and colour match the old valspar. Managed to drop a paint pot and cover myself in matt emulsion from the knees down... sigh.... My husband's only comment was "at least it isn't valspar or you'd smell like cat p***!".......

 

Further to my last comment, I am now pasting the reply that I have just had from Valspar. You can probably guess that I am not impressed with it. Interesting to note that, although they claim no fault in this, they are offering me vouchers to buy new paint!! Also, not offering to recompense me for my time wasted. Now considering my options. Any advice from others much appreciated.

Thank you for contacting Valspar Customer Services.

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to share with us your experience. We can appreciate that when a painting project doesn’t go to plan it can be extremely frustrating.

The paint smell you have referred to is actually known to the global paint industry and affects 1 in 100,000 consumers. There has been research in the past which has led to results showing that this is often caused by bacteria or chemicals already in the substrate. If plasterboard gets damp for example it can give off this strong odour - especially when this wall then heats up due to higher central heating temperatures or when exposed to direct sunlight.

Valspar paint contains minimal VOC levels and all go through rigorous batch testing to ensure all products are performing within specification and provide the finish and performance expected of the consumer.

We are confident that due to the above this is not a product issue however, we would very much like to log this for recording purposes and have our technical director look at your case. Therefore, I would like to thank you for providing the images of the cans and the receipts and this information.

In the meantime, we recommended to neutralise this smell that you use an alkali resistant sealer, followed by repainting the affected area with a top coat. We do not actually sell an alkali primer ourselves, so you will have to speak to a member of staff in B&Q to find an alkali resistant sealer to prime the substrate before applying our Valspar topcoat. Please also keep the receipt for this alkali sealer as we will look to reimburse for these costs upon proof of purchase.

The recommended sealer for this is the Zinsser BIN Primer as this blocks all odours, present and future.

As a gesture of goodwill, we would like to offer you a free of charge Wall and Ceilings product vouchers to use on top of this alkali primer. If you would be happy to accept our offer, please confirm this along with your address and we will get this out in the post to you as soon as possible.

If instead, you no longer wish to use Valspar going forward, we would be more than happy to cover the cost of 15lt of another branded paint upon receipt of purchase.

I guess that is some compensation, but that doesn't seem to include the cost of the Valspar paint that you have also had to replace? Or the work to seal and repaint? Just checking as I am deciding how to move forward now.

 

Wow I have had pretty much the same response. Good old copy and paste!! They obviously don't care at all about their customers one bit!! Please everyone log into Trust Pilot and leave them a "stinking" review!! We need to stop others from buying this paint!!! I want them to compensate me for the biggest cost.... the actual re-decoration!!

 

I did not accept their offer of vouchers and cost of the zinsser bin. I sent them a cutting reply to their response, commenting on how inappropriate their reply saying that it 'can be extremely frustrating' when things don't go to plan. I pointed out that I was in touch with a number of others with the same issue - one pregnant and worried, one with a young baby and other examples. I pointed out that 'frustrating' did not touch the reality. I also said that if the smell was a possibility, it should be make clear on tins of paint and in store. Also said that it was ridiculous that they were trying to blame my walls when it was their paint that caused the smell. I They have now got back to me offering cost of sealant, money for new paint (if I provide receipts) and said they will consider the cost of redecoration if I send them a quote.

I also phoned Citizens Advice and told them about my issue and also mentioned others. They said that people should contact them, so to all who haven't, please do. This situation needs to be stopped for all others who are still going to be affected. The phone number is above somewhere. It was easy to get through.

 

Wonder how many of us are on Facebook and could form a private group maybe ?

 

Facebook group. Search valspar paint problems. Maybe good to keep each other up to date on what information we have.