Bed shakes in new loft conversion when windy

[james75]

Thanks for all your replies.

I am growing increasingly frustrated in obtaining my building regs certificate for this work. To remind you, the work was done around September 2008 and I have been chasing the building regs cert since November 2009 (over a year later), not having had it.

The company who did the inspection (Total Building Control) keep telling me that as they haven't had the Part P certificate from the electrican yet, they can't issue the building regs certificate. Fair enough, but I'm at a loss as to who is at fault here.

The loft was converted by a local firm who sub-contracted the electrical work to a sparky they always/usually use. He is claiming that the certificate is with his accountant, in last years files. Subsequently, Total Building Control tell me it may "take some time" to get it.

Am I being spun a yarn? Who is liable for a rollocking here?

James

 

[jeds]

You do need to get the buillding regs certificate from this company but that has nothing to do with your structural problem. The question is, who was responsible for design. Going on your previous post you didn't employ a structural engineer so you have no alternative but to go after the builder. If I were you I would write and tell them exactly what the problem is and ask them what they intend to do to solve it.

 

[ashymoko]

Id say the wobbles are from the fact the floor joists are attached to the steel with joist hangers, the roor is then strutted from the same steel and when the wind blows its just wobbling the whole lot.
joist hangers wobble at the best of times, and im not impressed with the way the floor joists have been designed. independant steels gable to gable would be a better design, thus keepin the floorstructure independant.
It looks like they knew what they were doing anyway, looks a nice job.
just a design fault i think.

 

[Chukka63]

i did one last year and the spec was to have ply all round the outside on the studs for bracing.does yours have this??,im guessing not,should it have had it??

 

[orgadamz]

You could also have done with some 30x5mm galvanised mild steel straps to connect the gable wall to the floor and also into the roof structure. This would add some rigidity to the structure as a whole. The straps should be taken across 3no. floor joists with noggins between rafters/joists at each strap location, the straps from memory should be at atleast 2.0metre centres - this is a requirement of Part A in the Building Regulations. I would be surprised if these were not present before you started work?

Prior to carrying out any works to the roof trusses were there any diagonal members laid across the rafters (and nailed on) or across any of the internal members to brace it all together? The lateral stability of your roof is currently relying on the gable wall transferring load into the battens and roof tiles then down into the external walls at eaves (plus a bit of stability from the studwork wall built off the steel beam). Ideally the rafters and stud walls should be braced with plywood. without bracing the whole lot wants to fall over like a deck of cards.

The connection of the new ceiling joist does not look too great either and it looks rather small - should really be bolted in my opinion. - this might cause the roof to move a bit when the wind blows against the roof tiles.

In my opinion the steel connections should be bolted with HSFG (high strength friction grip bolts) to help prevent any slip or play in the connection.

Have any cracks appeared anywhere in the new plasterboard?

 

[james75]

Argh, bed is on the shake again tonight! Can't sleep, having visions of crashing to the ground!

I think I need to get somebody round to look it over. What kind of expert do I need? Not somebody who has a financial interest...

I had the building regs certificate in the end.

There was an architects drawing done before work started, I paid £1200 for that I think (paid to the loft company - they arranged it). The conversion itself was just over 30k.

I just need to know we are safe. If for some reason it turns out that it's not safe, what happens then?

Update: I moved into our old bedroom on the 1st floor at 5.30am to discover the bed shakes in there now too - I'm doomed! Must be the walls vibrating now rather than just the floating floor?

James

 

[^woody^]

If this is a Barratt timber framed house, then you may well get some vibrations via the frame and floors

 

[james75]

It's brick and block. I don't know much about the construction world - is that the same thing?

edit: Just had a quick look on the net... my house was built in 1998, not timber.

 

[^woody^]

edit: Just had a quick look on the net... my house was built in 1998, not timber.

I'm curious ... where did you look on the internet to find out your house construction?

 

[james75]

It's windy again and the floor is shaking again.

Had to go downstairs again last night. What type of person do I need to ask to come and take a look to give us some reassurance? An architect? A builder? I just don't know.

My fear is that if the floor is shaking back and forth, then there must be some back and forth movement in the steels? Wouldn't that transfer to the walls and potentially crack them? Excuse my ignorance, I know little or nothing about it, but it doesn't feel right.

I just need to know who to ask round... and if changes need to be made, is that something I would need to pay for?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Structural engineer if anyone.

 

[mointainwalker]

Where are you in Sussex ? I have a friend in Havant , building surveyor, 60 yrs old, own practice, expert witness in court, that I would trust implicitly .

PM me if interested .

 

[james75]

Thanks for that.

 

[Static]

Be warned a structural inspection could involve some removing of floor boards or ceiling to see what was actually built..

 

[james75]

I have got hundreds of photos from all stages... hopefully they will do the job!

I remember being somewhat alarmed when the building inspector turned up for the first time, which was after the boards had been laid over the joists.... there was nothing to see by the time he arrived!