Hi
I just wondered if someone could give me some advice as to whether I am being unreasonable with the following situation. We are having our garage converted which runs alongside our kitchen and dining room (walls have been knocked down in both kitchen and dining room to create a larger open plan footprint). The work was expected to take up to 4 weeks. However, by week 10 we were told that building control wouldn’t sign off the work and we had to either close off the stairway or install a sprinkler system. Builder obtained quotes for us for sprinkler system but it worked out too expensive so they worked with BC to decide what would need to be done to get it signed off and the extra will cost us £750. Work has progressed again and we are into week 12.
The garage wall is up against earth (neighbours garden), and I made it completely clear at the time they gave us the quote that I wanted the wall tanked. Their paperwork states outside garage wall to primed then lined with self-adhesive dpm and insulated with 50mm celotex and plaster boarded, 150mm Rock wool to ceilings. They never used this. They painted on a black damp proof (paint?) and used polystyrene backed plasterboards which were about 10mm thick. They never used insulation in the ceilings, just left what was already there. I raised this with them and they said that BC said that was all that was needed to be done to the wall (they followed their instruction), and the insulation in the ceiling was sufficient so they left it there (they would have replaced like with like). As I pointed this out, they said I wouldn’t get charged for a new window in the kitchen I asked for after receiving the quote. Wasn’t entirely happy as I made it clear on a number of occasions that I wanted the dpm on the wall. Builder said they would give us a separate 10 year guarantee for this wall.
The issue we have now is they have bricked up the garage door section and installed a window, but above the window they said they’d use a catnic lintel (but haven't) of which we’d assumed they’d brick and then board and plaster over. They have only covered this section with a wooden frame and plaster boarded the inside and plastered over. The original wooden white strip that was above the garage door remains along with a new wooden baton running directly across the top of the window. It is barely 80mm thick and if we put up a curtain pole, there is nothing solid to drill into. The guy I deal with isn’t on site and he said he’d look into it and address it with the other one who is on site. But I have a suspicion they will tell us it is done within regulations. I can only imagine we will suffer with damp/condensation if it’s left like this, and we still have the issue of putting up curtains. I need some advice and don’t know where to get it from. Is this acceptable?
The floating floor went down yesterday. Originally we were going to have underfloor heating but the concrete floor in the garage couldn’t be taken up to do this, I forget why now. Original quote for this said they’d use 50mm celotex. Should this apply to a floating floor? I am sceptical that this has been used (no evidence in skip), should I take up one panel and check?
I feel completely flattened by this whole situation. I wanted the conversion done to improve our situation at home and I feel all these issues are creating one major problem I’ll have to deal with further down the line.
Sorry this is so long, any comments or advice would be really appreciated.
I just wondered if someone could give me some advice as to whether I am being unreasonable with the following situation. We are having our garage converted which runs alongside our kitchen and dining room (walls have been knocked down in both kitchen and dining room to create a larger open plan footprint). The work was expected to take up to 4 weeks. However, by week 10 we were told that building control wouldn’t sign off the work and we had to either close off the stairway or install a sprinkler system. Builder obtained quotes for us for sprinkler system but it worked out too expensive so they worked with BC to decide what would need to be done to get it signed off and the extra will cost us £750. Work has progressed again and we are into week 12.
The garage wall is up against earth (neighbours garden), and I made it completely clear at the time they gave us the quote that I wanted the wall tanked. Their paperwork states outside garage wall to primed then lined with self-adhesive dpm and insulated with 50mm celotex and plaster boarded, 150mm Rock wool to ceilings. They never used this. They painted on a black damp proof (paint?) and used polystyrene backed plasterboards which were about 10mm thick. They never used insulation in the ceilings, just left what was already there. I raised this with them and they said that BC said that was all that was needed to be done to the wall (they followed their instruction), and the insulation in the ceiling was sufficient so they left it there (they would have replaced like with like). As I pointed this out, they said I wouldn’t get charged for a new window in the kitchen I asked for after receiving the quote. Wasn’t entirely happy as I made it clear on a number of occasions that I wanted the dpm on the wall. Builder said they would give us a separate 10 year guarantee for this wall.
The issue we have now is they have bricked up the garage door section and installed a window, but above the window they said they’d use a catnic lintel (but haven't) of which we’d assumed they’d brick and then board and plaster over. They have only covered this section with a wooden frame and plaster boarded the inside and plastered over. The original wooden white strip that was above the garage door remains along with a new wooden baton running directly across the top of the window. It is barely 80mm thick and if we put up a curtain pole, there is nothing solid to drill into. The guy I deal with isn’t on site and he said he’d look into it and address it with the other one who is on site. But I have a suspicion they will tell us it is done within regulations. I can only imagine we will suffer with damp/condensation if it’s left like this, and we still have the issue of putting up curtains. I need some advice and don’t know where to get it from. Is this acceptable?
The floating floor went down yesterday. Originally we were going to have underfloor heating but the concrete floor in the garage couldn’t be taken up to do this, I forget why now. Original quote for this said they’d use 50mm celotex. Should this apply to a floating floor? I am sceptical that this has been used (no evidence in skip), should I take up one panel and check?
I feel completely flattened by this whole situation. I wanted the conversion done to improve our situation at home and I feel all these issues are creating one major problem I’ll have to deal with further down the line.
Sorry this is so long, any comments or advice would be really appreciated.
