Recent Posts

1

Snagging and defects / Re: Brickwork on a new home

« Last Post by Larwood32 on Today at 12:50:11 pm »

Hi Many Thanks for your reply

Its J S Bloors - i have exchanged contracts because i had to part exchange on my house with them. Completion date is 30 April

We are having a walk around with the site foreman on 4 march, i will bring it up then. Is it a big job to replace them ? and what if they say  we will tint them or nothing? it looks terrible in real life we noticed, it straight away.  We only went up on sunday to have a look to see how it was going  and the gate was not locked so we walked in, so we took the photos.  we did notice that a few houses were like this but not as bad as ours.

Thanks Again 

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Snagging and defects / Re: Is Our New Home Very Badly Built Or Not?

« Last Post by New Home Expert on Today at 08:54:50 am »

Hard to believe this is all from one house?

1) Perp joints below ground should be filled.
2) 3) 9)Crumbling mortar needs to be investigated!
http://www.new-home-blog.co.uk/weak-mortar-britains-crumbling-new-homes/
4) "Plastic pegs" are in fact weep vents and very necessary to drain water from dpc trays usually above windows, doors and air bricks.
5) 6) 7) Cracks in bricks, spalled bricks and cracks in stonework need to be assessed by independent expert.
10) Mastic needs to be stripped and re done. Looks like possible caused by timber frame shrinkage.
11) Verges overhang. You need to look up manufacturer's guidance notes but in my opinion it would be deemed acceptable.
12) 13) Perfectly normal to see galvanised steel lintel edges. Cant see and bend in the lintel either so not serious enough.
14) Boundary wall copings stones - drips under should be beyond wall face by 10mm Would appear these stones are too narrow.
15) Perfectly normal for your loft to be cold means not heat being lost. The daylight you can see is also necessary for ventilation.

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Snagging and defects / Re: Brickwork on a new home

« Last Post by New Home Expert on Today at 08:37:50 am »

Totally unacceptable.

The bricks should have been mixed so no banding occurs.

Trouble is the housebuilder will offer to have the bricks tinted (painted) by a specialist (brick doctor)  in an attempt to blend them in.

I would not legally complete until these areas are taken down and rebuilt.

Get your solicitor to act for you.
Who is the housebuilder?

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Snagging and defects / Brickwork on a new home

« Last Post by Larwood32 on February 18, 2019, 04:29:06 pm »

Thanks for looking at my post.

Buying a new home and got to have a quick look yesterday but to me it looks like different bricks have been used. If you look at the pictures 2 at the back and 1 at the side there seems to be a large dark area so my questions:

1  Is this normal
2  Would you accept this
3  If not what can i do

Thanks

5

Snagging and defects / Is Our New Home Very Badly Built Or Not?

« Last Post by HOTR on February 16, 2019, 05:39:11 pm »

We moved into our new home 6 months ago and we think we might have one or two, well more than one or two issues. But someone experienced may well look at this list and the snaps and tell me this is all normal.

Not sure, so thought I'd ask and see if it all adds up to something and nothing. Any advice gratefully received. Thank you.

1. Bricks with literally no mortar between them in the lower courses of each wall.




2. Bricks with very little mortar up to the edges.


3. Bricks with crumbling mortar



4. Plastic pegs on view in the wall, some with gaps due to lack of mortar.




5. Cracked bricks



6. Cracks in stone (It's actually Bekstone, not a natural product)


7. Bricks with loose or broken facings.


8. Bekstone that's turning pink in patches


9. Mortar beneath window sills is crumbling and breaking down


10. Mastic around window and door seals poorly placed and cracking leaving gaps.


11. Roof verge is so narrow on gable ends that when it rains, the rain drips constantly onto the plastic window sills below sounding like a machine gun. Also runs down the walls.



12. Steel lintel edges can be seen above tops of window frames.



13. Steel lintel above French doors and brickwork above that appears to be bowing in the middle.


14. Stone boundary walls have caps on them with such a narrow overhang, rain water pours down the walls.

15. When in the loft outside can be seen between the bottom of the last run of tiles and tops of the front walls - Roof interior has thick gauze-like membrane fabric attached to it that blows in the wind. Loft is cold.

Hmmm...That's about it for now. The central heating not functioning properly since we moved in I'll leave for another day.

What do you think?

Is this all normal?

Should I be getting a surveyor round?
 

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Snagging and defects / Re: Brickwork Query - bricks not tied in

« Last Post by New Home Expert on February 14, 2019, 06:23:25 am »

As I said, it should be brick or block not a gap filled with fire socks crammed in.
Ask NHBC to inspect as they must have "passed" it on final inspection?

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Snagging and defects / Re: Brickwork Query - bricks not tied in

« Last Post by Ricardo on February 13, 2019, 10:44:56 pm »

New Home Expert thanks for your quick reply. I've attached another images to hopefully show where the picture was taken.

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Snagging and defects / Re: Brickwork Query - bricks not tied in

« Last Post by New Home Expert on February 13, 2019, 07:34:02 am »

It's not the best of pictures!  Might even be upside down!

But, the bricks should meet the adjacent wall and it is best practice to bond in  or use ties.
Most importantly, the wall must have integrity for fire.  OK so the crammed in cavity fire sock may or may not work and it is highly likely that smoke will get through into your home/roofspace.
That said ,the other side of the cavity party wall may have continuous masonry?

9

House Builders / Re: We are at our wits end with Avant & we haven’t even moved in yet.

« Last Post by New Home Expert on February 13, 2019, 07:17:47 am »

Avant oh dear!
Considering the time they have taken to built your new home it should be 100% perfect.
I doubt this will be the case so PLEAE get it professionally snagged and inspected BEFORE you legally complete especially as you have the time!

The Consumer Code for Homebuilders requirements on build completion dates is quite clear:

Requirement 3.2 states:
"Before completing the foundations and ground floor – give the calendar quarter when the Home is likely to be ready.
• When the roof is completed and the building weatherproof – give the month when the Home is likely to be ready.
 • When the Home is decorated and main services are connected – say what week the Home is likely to be ready."

The CCHB Adjudication usually finds cases "succeed in part" enabling an award well below the amount claimed. In addition, the onus is on the homebuyer to prove their claim and this will mean written evidence.
In July 2016 the APPG EBE Inquiry report found the CCHB to be "Limited in its scope" so it sint really much help.

It is quiet common for completion dates to be missed, with housebuilders having the perfect explanation, blaming the weather or delays in connection of utilities. But the fact is, all housebuilders over promise and under deliver. It is possible to anticipate bad weather (especially in winter) and build in contingencies for other potential historic delays to any predicted completion date given. The trouble arises, especially at housebuilders financial year end, when they try to get as many completions as possible regardless of the practicalities and build stage. In 2016, Bovis homes "bribed"  buyers   to legally complete on their unfinished houses, some were not even able to move in!

My advice to anyone buying a new home is:
1) Do your research
2) Do not believe everything the site sales tell you
3) Never use the housebuilder’s suggested or recommended solicitors – keep control
4) Get everything in writing
5) Get your home professionally snagged and inspected before legally completing.

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Snagging and defects / Brickwork Query - bricks not tied in

« Last Post by Ricardo on February 12, 2019, 11:14:32 pm »

Good evening,

Whilst investigating another issue, I've found a gap in the brickwork (see attached image).

Image attached shows party wall in loft space between mine and neighbours property. Appears external bricks have not been tied into internal blocks and the gap then stuffed with insulation.

Is this acceptable? Any advice would be great as I'm currently generating a list of failings to go into NHBC