Cracked Redrow home-all Warwick's?

[New Home Expert]

I'm still baffled why the NHBC are being so obstructive and dismissive.

No two houses will have the exact same defect or state of defect so each will need a separate report.
Even though the cause will probably be the same, as it is the same house type on the same development presumably with the same contractors and same incorrect building drawings.

The NHBC report will, in all likelihood, be proved incorrect so they will pay for your report and investigation.

[mike306]

I'm still baffled why the NHBC are being so obstructive and dismissive.

No two houses will have the exact same defect or state of defect so each will need a separate report.
Even though the cause will probably be the same, as it is the same house type on the same development presumably with the same contractors and same incorrect building drawings.

The NHBC report will, in all likelihood, be proved incorrect so they will pay for your report and investigation.

Actually I think it goes further than that... The same house type on multiple Redrow developments!

[mike306]

I have just been called by one of the other owners on the estate with a cracked Warwick. She has Redrow coming out tomorrow to look at their crack as they are within their first 2 years.  She wanted to know what to say as Redrow are already trying to tell her that the is just a bit of settlement and that they will fill it with something.

I didn't know quite what to tell her but advised her to push them for a written cause and proper investigation. She is also going to show the photos of my house and ask why it is happening to all the Warwick's.

[Bri]

I'm with a different developer but I had cracks in render which they tried to dismiss as settlement/expansion.
LABC found in my favour that they should be repaired.
Three years later I'm having all the render stripped from my house, roughly 20 cracks in blockwork. They're blaming the cause on wrongly fitted expansion joints and a DPC installed two thirds up the house.
DPC has to be removed. Guys doing the repairs have said 60 helibars to stitch house together and all the render ain't off yet.

[Bri]

Cracks

[mike306]

Wow, doesn't sound like a cheap fix. What is a DPC sorry? Interesting Bri, I wonder if mine will need similar repairs...

[mike306]

Also, how did LABC get involved and what service did they provide? Do they have the power to make the developer fix an issue?

[mike306]

Also, how did LABC get involved and what service did they provide? Do they have the power to make the developer fix an issue?

Sorry Damp Proof Course, of course.

[Bri]

Hi Mike.
The developer like all others it seems will dismiss the faults as nothing hoping you believe them or just give up. I knew water will penetrate any crack no matter how wide it is. Anyhow, I was having my roof repaired and noticed these cracks.
I raised a dispute with the LABC dispute resolution service saying these are structural faults but developer saying they are not a problem. A surveyor was sent out by LABC who advised the cracks were an issue, they needed to be investigated and the render manufacturer should be contacted to advise on a fix.
The LABC have been good, I'd say about 90 per cent in dealing with this and other issues i had.
The report suggested a possible localised fix which I knew was incorrect as I contacted the render manufacturer technical dept and downloaded the technical manual that i studied and got professional advise. This forum and the new home blog are a super resource with factual information.

After a few cheap bodge attempts to repair my render, with me complaining to the developer and the LABC they finally decided to investigate the issues.
A structural surveyor was sent out. He found all the expansion joints are wrong. They should be continuous from ground to roof. Mine went from ground to window, stopped, then started from top of window to next window and stopped again. So, a broken joint that's no use.
The the DPC installed halfway up the house.
This present work has been ongoing now since 6th July 2020, some 30 months past the original deadline set by LABC.
My problems have been numerous from the first day of moving in.
I think I'll name my house Fawlty Towers.

[Bri]

Also, how did LABC get involved and what service did they provide? Do they have the power to make the developer fix an issue?

Luckily all these faults were reported within the first two years so it was the developers responsibility. The LABC said they have to fix them. The developer tried on many occasions to not do the work. Offering a fix that i knew was incorrect, then I would say no, this is not right. They would then write saying something like ... As you're not letting us start work, not happy etc on certain day we take it you don't want us to do the repairs anymore and will cancel the work.  To which I would send a strong reply back and copy LABC in.

Finally, they agreed with the surveyor and are doing the fix correctly. There are more faults I can see with the render off.
It has ruined our time living here.

[Bri]

My house is built on clay which is not the best. Check what yours is. As New Homes Expert pointed out, it will most likely be your expansion/movement joint not being installed. Nearly all my cracks are top and bottom corners of windows except one huge long crack that spans from top to the bottom of the house.

Do you know who the render company is? Weber, k rend etc. Find out, ring their technical dept. Mine is Weber and it clearly says on their technical crack repair videos that a vertical crack will be the substrate underneath which needs investigating before any repair work.

[Bri]

How I'm living the last 3 months. No TV as scaffold blocked signal. Making life living with COVID restrictions even harder.
The noise is unreal with the render removal.

[mike306]

Wow that all sounds very painful Bri.

The NHBC told me there should be a movement joint which there is not. But they tell me the repair will be cheap.

I will try to find out about which brand or type of render has been used.

I am hoping that by going straight to a structural engineer and getting a report next month that I can speed things along!

The whole development was built on clay but all other types of house have been fine. Just the Warwick which has had these issues. I know they have used pile foundations...   Like you I am starting to regret moving into the house

[Bri]

I got a visual survey by a chartered surveyor and then the developer after some coaxing arranged an independant structural engineer who was very good.

I believe they can cut an expansion joint in but worth checking out. There are rules and regulations on these. It should go from base to top in a straight line. Your cracks may need strengthening with helibars/cross stitching like my house.

Good luck with it.

[New Home Expert]

How I'm living the last 3 months. No TV as scaffold blocked signal. Making life living with COVID restrictions even harder.
The noise is unreal with the render removal.

Re the TV there is nothing at all worth watching at the moment!
You will be able to stream on iplayer etc and Netflix!
Nevertheless you should have been moved out and probably would have in "normal" circumstances.
It should be taking this long but Covid is a perfect excuse for rubbish service and delays from your GP surgery to dodgy plc housebuilders!