Mum of five in Cwmbran at breaking point over leaky house

Selina Tingle, mum of five, has had to store the contents of her bedroom in the kitchen and her son’s belongings in her daughter’s room – resulting in her daughter sleeping on the floor.

Ms Tingle rents her property at 30 Taff Court through Hafod Housing Association – she has lived at the property for 12 years.

Ms Tingle outside her Cwmbran home. Picture: Selina Tingle (Image: Selina Tingle)

Ms Tingle outside her Cwmbran home. Picture: Selina Tingle

Work started on her property at the beginning of October – Hafod hired contractor Sers to renew her roof.

A spokesperson for Hafod said:“The property is undergoing a package of improvement works as part of a wider maintenance project to replace ageing materials and increase energy efficiency.  

“To date, the property has received new windows and the main roof has been renewed. Work is now in progress on the single storey extension roof and once completed, external wall insulation will be installed.  

“As with all works of this nature, there will be a small period of inconvenience mainly to the external part of the property and we do all that we can to minimise disruption.” 

On October 12 work started to remove all the tiles off the roof and felt was put over the open roof to protect it from the elements.

Ms Tingle said: “Late Saturday evening on October 15 the weather was horrendous, and water poured through my son's bedroom light fittings and downstairs into my room below.

Water coming through the walls. Picture: Selina Tingle (Image: Selina Tingle)

Water coming through the walls. Picture: Selina Tingle

“This continued Sunday even though I had called out of hours emergency engineers to temporarily repair the problem.

“The engineers had said that the labourers that were on that job failed to secure the felt resulting in it to leave an open roof to cause extreme water damage.

“My son's mattress was completely soaked through, the ceiling and walls were water damaged, the carpet was swamped and where the water poured through to my room, completely soaked through my bed into my laminated flooring.

“I'm now at breaking point.”

Soaked mattress. Picture: Selina Tingle (Image: Selina Tingle)

Soaked mattress. Picture: Selina Tingle

In response Sers replaced her son’s mattress and her bed, the carpets and laminated flooring were removed – a humidifier was placed in these rooms to dry them out.

Ms Tingle was told to empty her rooms starting with her bedroom.

Ms Tingle said: “All contents had to be removed by myself I was offered no help through Hafod or Sers doing this.

“The time and stress of moving all the contents exhausted me to the point where I felt completely burnt out.

“The contents of my bedroom remained in my kitchen, hallway, and neighbours’ home for nearly a week, I'm lucky to have good friends in my street who could help.

“The same process is happening now with my son's room.

“All their belongings I've had to single handily move, storing them in my daughter’s room resulting in my daughter sleeping on the floor in her younger brother's room.

Belongings stacked in a bedroom. Picture: Selina Tingle (Image: Selina Tingle)

Belongings stacked in a bedroom. Picture: Selina Tingle

“My teenage boys are sleeping in the living room as they wait for the plastering and work to be finished in their room.”

On November 6 Ms Tingle woke up to find a leak in her hallway caused by her porch resulting in water coming down the walls and dripping at the bottom of the stairs.

Ms Tingle said: “As a mum I can see the stress this as had up on my children.

“Our usual routines have been broken now for three weeks, rooms are still a clutter and unfinished.

“It feels like no matter what I do I'm unable to give my children a home they deserve.

“All the hard work and money I've put into my home is destroyed.

“I feel like this isn't being taken seriously at all, it’s effecting my wellbeing my children's wellbeing.”