Stephen Holdings in £800k row over defective concrete floor

The owners of a Chichester nursery are headed for a High Court showdown in an £800,000 legal row over a concrete floor.

Roundstone Nurseries, who grow bedding plants, paid Stephenson Holdings more than £310,000 for a concrete floor in a new greenhouse at Newlands Bursery in Lagness, Chichester.

But the company argues that soon afterwards, the concrete cracked and broke up, and despite repairs, the floor was defective and continued to deteriorate.

The cracks were caused by plastic shrinkage occurring before the concrete set, and was because Stephenson failed to ensure the concrete was properly compacted and the surface properly worked before power floating took place, it is alleged.

Now Roundstone Nurseries accuses Stephenson Holdings of negligence, and is claiming more than £888,480 for the cost of recoating the 9,335 sq m of floor, recutting and resealing of joints, and repair of cracks and defective joints with an epoxy mortar before recoating the floor with a cement screed.

Roundstone claims that Stephenson negligently used materials of unsatisfactory quality which were not fit for their purpose, and failed to have any regard for the high temperature in the greenhouse, which meant the surface of the concrete dried out more quickly than the concrete below.

The company also negligently failed to properly compact the concrete before power floating, overtrowelled in certain areas, failed to work the concrete enough, failed to saw cut joints properly, and failed to support the edges adequately.