Questions for those in the middle of buiding work/ extension etc

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Hello all,

I know this is not really a design dilemma but just wondering how everyone else's building work is going with their chosen builder?

I had a loft conversion completed earlier this year and now in the middle of an extension with the same company. Everytime I come back from work, I notice that something has not been done up to standard. When I raise the issues, the company does rectify it promptly but I feel like I'm constantly double checking the work. Does anyone else have this issue?

I don't think I'm being fussy and I'm not going round looking for faults but when I come home to have a look what has been done, some things are obvious e.g.

Velux windows in loft - 2 installed but one was higher than the other ( obviously this was resolved and it hasn't been left like that ).

Holes cut out for electrical cables in the plasterboard in the extension pitched roof, all wonky and not in line. They have come back a second time but still got it wrong and have to come back again. This means more 'holes' have to be cut out in the insulation so I've asked for them to be replaced.

Dot and dab walls in extension, one side has thicker adhesive than the other and comes off the block walls by 3cm on one side and on the other side 5cm. This may not seem like a big issue but I'm planning to have vertical radiators at the side of the opening of the sliding doors and space is tight so need all cm I can get.

Dot and dab wall not plumb.

When my shared chimney stack with neighbour was removed during the loft conversion - they built a new parapet wall but did not brick up wall to meet the parapet wall, instead it was just covered over with a fascia board. Was resolved in the end.

These are just few issues, there were more but I can't remember them off the top of my head.

I'm getting tired of checking everything but I feel like have to as it's my house, I'm going to be here a long time and I just want a good job done - big sigh!

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Comments (3)

Ribena Drinker
5 years ago
It's funny that you should raise this, because only today we were just talking about this to the chaps who have been doing our kitchen renovations. They are absolutely spot on with everything they do, in fact sometimes overly concerned with the smallest of things, but we're more than happy to put up with their fastidiousness, because the end result is going to be brilliant.

But today, I was telling them how much I appreciated their work and was bemoaning the fact that some of the other trades we have had on this job and on previous occasions, have been really careless and slap dash.

The latest being the chap who laid the new kitchen flooring, despite doing generally good job, there are a few areas that just let the work down, that would have been perfect if he'd just shown a little bit of care.

Prior to that, at other times, we've had window fitters, plumbers and tilers, all of whom didn't seem to take any pride in what they did and did things in a "that'll do" type way. Two radiators on opposite sides of a bay window hung at different heights. Tiling not centred on a floor properly so the room looked uneven (made him take it all up and start again), that type of thing.

And don't get me started on the windows.....I don't know about you, but when you spend over £50K on hardwood windows, you'd like them to be installed properly, with the right windows in the right holes at the very least! And then to turn up with a window board, the wrong shape, size, profile and colour for a missing bit and then say "shall I fit it anyway....".

As you say, they always rectify the problem, some with good grace, but some with very bad grace and a bad attitude. Like you, we aren't overly picky, but we do expect a good, neat, professional job. And it's made the more annoying because of a lot of it, would have been just as easy to get right in the first place, as it was to get it wrong.
Tani H-S
5 years ago
Sounds like a lot of hard work and it’s a good job you’re on the ball with it checking otherwise who knows what you would end up with

We are having similar works done now but I know our joiner/roofer/builder team are quite proud of their work and chose them for that reason.
It’s hard to know what someone is like and especially if they have all different trades in as they could be using new people perhaps. Never any excuse and you shouldn’t have to keep getting them to correct the work.
One thing I guess is that at least they are sorting it out straight away without any argument.
Even with a project manager/building team you always have to keep an eye on them which is why I’m not going on holiday this year until the works are all done, ha ha.
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User
5 years ago
Having a bit of a break from the building work at the moment, but have had lots done over the last couple of years in this house and generally over the last 20 years in previous homes. I would say that unless you hire a project manager you trust to deal with the builders on your behalf (I've never had one) you will always have to do this. It's inevitable that things go wrong. Something that looks simple on paper turns out not to be and then the builder has to make an executive decision in your absence. In my experience they will generally take the easy / cheap route! I have some inside knowledge of this because my dad's a builder of over 50 years. He's a good one, but when he's done work for us in the past he has made decisions that I wouldn't have when we weren't there to say otherwise. Also, being my dad, he looks to save us money so will take the cheaper option on our behalf when that's not what we want (anymore!).

Also, maybe they've under quoted to secure the job, then had to cut corners to get it done quicker and move on to the next one. We had a full renovation of the living room done last year and during the first couple of weeks, when the main builder was there to oversee the work, everything was spot on. When he left to start another job the people he'd left to finish up started making silly decisions when we were out at work, that all needed re-doing and added an extra week to the job.

Questions for those in the middle of buiding work/ extension etc

Comments (3)

Ribena Drinker

Tani H-S

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