New Home Owners And Snagging Forum
Home Owners => Energy => Topic started by: paulfel on March 27, 2014, 10:04:57 am
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I have issues with my new build house (2013) which has a Ten year NHBC buildmark Warranty.
The builder remains silent on issues I've complained about and after a recent experience with NHBC I have no confidence in them.
I wish to know what type of surveyor to employ to inspect and a present a written report on any possible defects or non compliance with regards to building regulations and what subsequent action to take with the builder.
1. I find this house cold (it's not even been a cold winter) The boiler seems to be running all day to keep the house warm. When the boiler shuts down for the night, the house quickly cools and feels very cold. I think too quickly, much like my old uninsulated 1954 Wimpey. I've seen inside the loft and the loft insulation looks pretty good to me. So I suspect there's no cavity wall insulation in this new house.
2. During the severe gales 12th Feb 2014 and subsequent strong winds since, I heard what sounded like the roof timbers creaking, as if there's movement in the rafters. There is also a false chimney stack over the bedroom from where the creaking can be heard. I require the roof and chimney checking for structural integrity.
3 The ground floor is constructed, I'm told using a beam and block method, (block and beam) When using the ground floor cloakroom toilet it can be heard throughout the ground floor i.e. both dinning room and lounge next to the toilet cause I understand is flanking through the ground floor. NHBC wouldn't do anything.
If anyone knows of an appropriately qualified surveyor to report on the above, I would appreciate it. I am located near to York in North Yorkshire.
Paul
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First of all, please tell everyone who the house builder is that is giving such a poor after sales service that you are already contacting the NHBC.
As you realise the NHBC will only get involved during the first two years if the house builder refuses or fails to investigate and rectify defects. Your best bet and possibly the least expensive would be to use a professional snagging inspector. I would recommend Martyn Maxwell at www.brickkickers.co.uk.
He may not however be able to investigate whether cavity insulation is missing or totally incomplete. A specialist firm (which the house builder should source and pay for) will need to use an endoscope camera or perhaps even an infra-red camera that can differentiate and identify heat loss. Failing this a brick or three could be removed to check the cavity at certain points. It is quite common for cavity insulation to be missed" as it needs to be done before drylining and if badly planned, would mean delays.
The dummy chimney is probably "supported" off three roof trusses. Unless this has been structurally designed it is highly likely that the chimney will cause the roof to deform or even collapse. You may also like to consider what would happen to the chimney in the event of a fire in your home! I am not surprised you can hear creaking noises!
I am also surprised you can hear the ground floor WC throughout through the beam and block floor. I would have thought the floor would have been insulated, screeded and that carpets and underlay would provide quite a bit of sound insulation. Perhaps you should check that the WC is actually connected to the drainage and not just discharging under the floor. Look inside manholes when the WC is being flushed.
As I said at this stage the NHBC will not do anything until your builder refuses to rectify.
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Thank you sir.
That website is very interesting and useful.
The builders are Linden Homes.
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I've actually heard good things about Linden Homes but it's shocking they're not willing to do anything about your problems. Hopefully you get it sorted soon
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I've actually heard good things about Linden Homes but it's shocking they're not willing to do anything about your problems. Hopefully you get it sorted soon.
Most house builders do everything they can to get out of rectifying defects in their new homes.
Linden are one of a few rated just 4 stars by their customers.
Therefore not so much "shocking" as disgusting!
It is surprising that you have "heard good things about Linden Homes"
They have also only won a total of just 27 NHBC Quality Awards over the last six years, an average of less than 5 per year!
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The latest,
The builders provided written specification of materials used.
100mm cavity full filled with 100mm Knauf Ditherm 37 (0.037W/mk) mineral wool
100mm Thermalite Shield blockwork (thermal conductivity = 0.150W/mk)
Subsequently the builders have carried out an endoscopy in my presence and confirmed, that there IS cavity wall insulation installed in my property.
This house is L shaped and has six external facing wall's, one south, one west, two east and two north.
It certainly seems to me that low British Building Regulations are not adequate for all styles of house? A house built to the supposed latest UK building regulations in 2013, should not cool as rapidly as an un-insulated 1954 house like my last one. Similarly, during the recently hot weather, the house should not heat up inside so rapidly when the temperatures are high outside. I've been monitoring outside and inside temperatures with a TFA electronic outdoor/indoor thermometer. On the warmest day of the year here by 13:00 the inside outside temperatures were equal at 23c, (obviously no CH was on).
Along with other noticeable deficiencies in this newly built house e.g. extremely poor sound insulation, UK building regulations ARE today, still very poor.
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With cavity insulation you should be nice and cosy!
You could/should check the cavity insulation is 100%, with a thermal imaging camera next winter.
From what you say, it sounds like you have a very large window area.
This would explain the solar gain in summer and the poor insulation in winter.
the number and shape of your house should not matter.
It is not the building regulation that are at fault, it is the house builders building new home badly hardly meeting the regulations in most cases!
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Unfortunately the presence of insulation is no guarantee of performance!
I have a room-in the-roof where the builder has not continued the insulation from the eaves through to the cavity and insulated the dormers to the outer skin leaving air flow around the voids and dormer cheeks.
All there is between us and the outside world is a plasterboard!
The insulation is there but might as well be at the bottom of the garden. To be effective it should be tight to the plasterboard with no airflow at all.
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Sounds just like houses at Taylor Wimpeys Loddon Park Reading!