Extension - builder economic with truth - regs breached imo - what do I do?

[Leofric]

I am sorry but I still can't understand what has been going on here. You say the ' architect ' ( are you sure he was an architect? ) charged you £3,000 for a 'visualisation'. You should get planning permission if required and building regulations drawings and approval for that price for a small domestic extension. There shouldn't be any great mystery about who does what with building control, if you haven't made a Full Plans Submission the work will be done under a building notice and you say this has been submitted by the builder to a private building control company, but you are still talking about Council building control and a private company - it will be one or the other If the builder is doing the work under a building notice it is up to the builder to ensure the work complies with bldg. regs.

 

[mashie]

@Leofric - I don't understand enough to answer properly.
Yes, the architect just produced some pictures with measurements. I wasn't delighted but that's what I got. He is listed by the architects' registration board.

Nobody ever mentioned a building notice to me and I don't know whether the builder submitted it to the private BC company.
I am consulting Council building control for advice and to understand regs for myself, because some of the odd things done have worried me.

Council BC have no official role as the private BC company is doing the certification and inspections. They helpfully provide advice and info.

It's up to the builder to get a certificate, which could conceivably be done by other means than meeting the regs (managing the info given to inspectors who do not take enough care, for example).

My goal is for the building to be built to a high standard and to meet regs - in particular not to get uncomfortably hot or cold. Getting a certificate is simply the outcome of it being built to appropriate standards, although of course it is necessary. While the builder is responsible for getting the certificate, I am required to ensure the certificate is obtained.

 

[Notch7]

It's up to the builder to get a certificate,

Unfortunately its not quite as simple as that.

It is the householder that has the responponsibity to ensure work on their property is compliant.

Usually this would be done by providing the builder with a building regs drawings and the builders contract would require to build to those plans.

Its a shame but your problems are caused by an architect not having drawn up plans and then followed by a builder that didnt insist on building regs drawings to work to -it sounds like he has made it up as he has gone along.

 

[Notch7]

The doors and one opening large window are labeled "label on inside" and one of the panes is 4mm S/COATG.

'label on inside' message will mean its low e glass. As does the S/COATG.

note: low emissivity coatings reflect heat back into the room and are used to improve u values of glass. On a double glazed unit they will go on side 3 (counting from outside).

If you want to reduce solar gain you need a solar control tint -neutral is the least noticeable but its still tinted grey. you would need to see samples to see if you could accept the colour change if fitted to the sode glass.

2m high, 1.1m wide. 4 are about 1.6m high x 1.m

They are pretty big units -probably shouldve been done in 6mm glass to resist wind loading. If you press the middle of the pane you can see if they are wobbly or not!

do you what roof type you have? -warm roof or cold roof. the insulation should be 120 or 125mm for a warm roof to achieve 0.18u value.

Did you get structural calcs fro the sunroom roof?

I hope your carpenter used stainless steel screws for the accoya

 

[mashie]

'label on inside' message will mean its low e glass. As does the S/COATG.

note: low emissivity coatings reflect heat back into the room and are used to improve u values of glass. On a double glazed unit they will go on side 3 (counting from outside).

If you want to reduce solar gain you need a solar control tint -neutral is the least noticeable but its still tinted grey. you would need to see samples to see if you could accept the colour change if fitted to the sode glass.


They are pretty big units -probably shouldve been done in 6mm glass to resist wind loading. If you press the middle of the pane you can see if they are wobbly or not!

do you what roof type you have? -warm roof or cold roof. the insulation should be 120 or 125mm for a warm roof to achieve 0.18u value.

Did you get structural calcs fro the sunroom roof?

I hope your carpenter used stainless steel screws for the accoya

Hi! yes, I thought those three items (door and opening window) were low-e. Other 7 plus the lantern are not, I reckon.
Yes, they're big - hence wanting some solar control
It's a warm roof, very well insulated, as are the few areas of wall.
I haven't seen any structural calcs (actually I have no paperwork at all since the architect's drawings - it's all been on the fly).
Yes, stainless steel screws throughout.

Interesting re the wind - we have strong prevailing winds onto the corner of the room (rhs of the picture).

Do you have a view on adding a film now, rather than replacing the units?
Another option would be adding a coating, which is a shame as it is effectively new build. But I wouldn't expect that to be as long lasting or as effective (and I believe good coatings are expensive anyway- replacement is just labour plus the cost of units and we could afford it (through gritted teeth... )

I'm veering towards paying him to replace them, because I fear the room won't be usable in summer otherwise and the other rooms will also be affected both in summer and winter, unless we spec super good external doors to the rest of the house and keep them closed, which wasn'tour intention. That makes the thresholds higher, when I wanted at least one of them (out of three) to be level with the adjacent floor.

 

[^woody^]

There looks to be some oak framing internally? If so then that would normally be designed and made by a specialist firm, and they may have produced drawings for the frame/ structure, but those would not necessarily be sufficient for any building regulations application.

I agree it looks nice, but you need to be sure that it is built nice and will last nicely and nicely be compliant.

If you are not minded to get the glass checked by a third party, then bearing in mind your lack of understanding of the building process or works, I wonder if you would be better off employing the services of a local building surveyor to check out the work and advise you on its quality and compliance.

 

[mashie]

There looks to be some oak framing internally? If so then that would normally be designed and made by a specialist firm, and they may have produced drawings for the frame/ structure, but those would not necessarily be sufficient for any building regulations application.

I agree it looks nice, but you need to be sure that it is built nice and will last nicely and nicely be compliant.

If you are not minded to get the glass checked by a third party, then bearing in mind your lack of understanding of the building process or works, I wonder if you would be better off employing the services of a local building surveyor to check out the work and advise you on its quality and compliance.

That's definitely an idea. How would you recommend I find a building surveyor (given I've not managed well finding an architect or builder

I've nothing against getting the glass checked - it is more a question of what that achieves - I think the best outcome comes from the builder and his building control inspector taking responsibility to do their work to a good standard. I don't want to express my doubts and spoil the relationship irrevocably. I may be wrong, I just have significant doubts as to whether the data on which the certificate is based is accurate.

There wasn't a specialist firm for the oak, the builder used his own oak stored on his premises, and his own chippie. No drawings.
How do you gain understanding of the process? I've done tons of research. I'm well aware that some of the advice I've been given is poor. I know I've failed to get enough documentation but it is phenomenally hard if dealing with an expert in manipulation. I'm very experienced dealing with contracts and project management - but I struggle dealing with endless meaningless blather and bullying (spent 4.5 hours today with the builder, it's exhausting and inconclusive).

BTW - does all toughened glass have a kitemark? Our glass is supposed to be toughened but has no visible etched mark.

 

[Ian H]

I think you're right about a full plans submission - and your other points - but I didn't know about the options when I started and did what various "experts" suggested. In fact - how does a normal person find out the different ways to go about building an extension? I used an architect, a builder, building control and the internet.

I did the same. Got terrible service off an architectural technician that was listed on my councils own website.

Took him a year to get me approval for a loft conversion with no windows

 

[Leofric]

Took him a year to get me approval for a loft conversion

Don't know why anybody would take a year to obtain approval for a loft conversion unless they fell ill and had to spend about 9 months in hospital

 

[Ian H]

Don't know why anybody would take a year to obtain approval for a loft conversion unless they fell ill and had to spend about 9 months in hospital

This guy was a total waste of space, he designed it with a 55mtr/sq roof extension after the council already knock it back for being too big.

Even I know the rule is 50mtrs max.

 

[^woody^]

Took him a year to get me approval for a loft conversion with no windows

If you'd had windows or would have been 2 months.