Grenfell Inquiry day 59: residents question quality of new tower windows

“Our new bedroom window had a gap on one side between the frame and the wall. We complained to the TMO and the response was along the lines that ’no one will see it there,’ but we saw the gap everyday. The quality of the workmanship was simply not up to scratch throughout the refurbishment and this is just one example.”

Asked to describe the gap in the windor Ms Doulova said: “It was not a physical gap, it was the way the windows were installed and the attitude of the work, and was why we raised a complaint about compliance.”

“The council and contractors were completely disregarding out complaints. I slept close to the wall and our flat was never cold, suddenly the wall was cold [after the refurbishment works] and I could feel the draft. It was a new experience for me, it was obviously something with the design.”

Mrs Doulova’s bed was by the wall, on the west side of the tower by the window and the resident was able to feel drafts when in bed.

Asked what the gap between the wall and window looked like: “Basically the gap between the wall and the frame widened as it went down. At the top it was snugly fit, and by the time it was down to the sill it was one centimetre or a centimetre and a half.

“I don’t think the windows were fitted properly.”

Despite complaints, and the fact that Ms Doulova’s husband never signed off the work, the problem was never fixed.

“It was generally a problem with the contractors, there was always a problem with signing off on work for them.”

Asked about the “stay put” policy in place in case of a fire in the tower Ms Doulova said that she had discussed safety in the tower on a number of occasions with her husband and that they agreed to not follow the advice in case of a fire and would seek to leave the tower immediately.

The couple had also packed a bag in which they kept valuable possessions such as passports that they kept in the bedroom in case there was an emergency in the tower and they had to evacuate.

Discussing the difficulties she encountered when trying to leave the building Ms Doulova said: “We were initially the 17 floor then we were the 20 floor [after refurbishment work changed the floor numbers]. I remember it was quite dark in there [the stairwell] and some of the lights were not working. I don’t know if it was because the lighting wasn’t working or if it was badly painted but I struggled to see some of the numbers.”

Doulova said that at one point she left the stairwell to check on the floor number to know how for down the building she had descended.

Giving evidence in the afternoon session Grenfell resident Jose Viero, who had lived in the tower for 41 years in his flat on the seventh floor, told how contractors at Grenfell had filled gaps in the windows with “thick white sheets”, after he noticed a breeze coming from the windows.

In his evidence Mr Viero said: “I am not a surveyor, and I am not a window fitter, but I did not like the way that Rydon [the refurbishment contractor] worked. I did not mind the window itself. The new windows were installed 10cm further out from the wall of the flat than the location of the old windows. There was also a very big windowsill.

“I recall that despite the distance between the walls of the flat and the windows, the windows themselves were noticeably smaller than the old windows that they were replacing. I noticed that there was a 2 or a 3 inch gap between the edge of the window and the wall of the building.

“To fill that gap, the window contractors used thick sheets of a white foamy material. I would describe it as being very similar to polystyrene but I cannot recall much more about the material that they used. I do not recall observing the installation of my kitchen window, but on all of the windows I did see being installed this material was used.”

Mr Viero said that Rydon staff were different from other workers who had visited before to undertake the work.

“After the installation of the new windows, I noticed that there was a breeze coming into the flat from underneath all of the windows. I complained about this to the window installers themselves.

“The people that installed the windows told me that they were doing as they were told. I complained to Rydon, in person, that there were gaps. I cannot recall to whom I complained, but eventually Rydon staff did come to the flat to observe the problems about which I was complaining.

According to Mr Viero Rydon proceeded to fill the gaps in the windows with silicone or another sealant, which blocked the air entering into the flat from his bedroom and kitchen windows.