I was listening to Jeremy Vine the other day about problems with new build houses, One problem I think is relevant is that builder and associated trades think they know it all and do not read instructions. With modern fittings this can lead to big problems. Manufacturers are usually quite specific about how their stuff should be installed - but builder - being "know alls" like to do things the old way.
I experienced it with an extension and with a boiler installation.
And one trade dumping on the other. Electrician slots out the wall but doesn't get chance to get the conduit in that day. Next day the Plasterer plasters them all up again.
Mate asked me to check out why the sockets in the hall and the landing were dead on his new build house. Turns out they were just wired to each other and nothing else. ;-)
Nieces newbuild house had a tree growing up though the floor. ;-(
Cheers, T i m
Yes the old ways are the best it is the new ways of reading instructions by unskilled people that is the problem .....
Care to be more specific? Often you find though the way of working may on paper be wrong, the effect it will have is minimal. Brian
Now that latter item could be a unique selling point. I want one of those. Brian
Did you ever see that silent short comedy film, by Eric Sykes called A Home of our Own? I think nothing much has altered over many years.
Brian
Neighbour's washing machine disappeared through the floor as insufficient joists
Another neighbour's bath and basin not plumbed to waste, just discharging below floor into solum
Walls built with sand as builders ran out of cement. They went bankrupt 3 times during the build and were buying it in half-pound bags from the merchants.
CH plumbed in yellow-sleeved gas pipe. Not sure where they got that from but as it's probably more expensive than unsleeved water pipe suspect the gas board ended up a bit short of stock
Roof tiles bedded on pink plaster (see aforementioned shortage of mortar)
All with an NHBC warranty, mind you.
Owain
"Brian Gaff" wrote in news:okf3jl$2ci$ snipped-for-privacy@news.albasani.net:
Dry Ridge Tiles.
Pairing a wireless thermostat to the boiler.
Putting (chipboard) kitchen worktops on lawn for a few hours.
naw my fave instruction book was "noddy builds a house" .........."put the roof on first so if it rains we won't get wet"
Hehe ... yes, if it was supposed to be a tree house. ;-)
Unfortunately it wasn't, and no only was there a tree lifting the kitchen floor, what was supposed to be the under-floor space was nearly full of building rubble and junk. ;-(
I can't remember the details re if they contacted the builder, if the builder held their hands up to any of it or what, but I do know they had to pay an independent builder to lift some of the flooring and remove the tree and as much of the junk as they could reach.
This was one of those new builds where they reclaimed some swamp land or something (in Essex, not the Everglades!) and when thy had an extension built it had to have pile foundations down to what sounded like a ridiculous depth. ;-(
Cheers, T i m
you don't want to hear about the things I have seen doing BC final completion inspections for 33 years...it would turn your blood cold .......shudders
Lovely.
Ok, our 1897 cottage seems to be similar but I think it was just a weak mix (and seems to allow the house to move). ;-)
Lovely.
But at least that was potentially 'better' than required. ;-)
Seen that myself. I wonder if it goes off quicker than cement for a 'quick n dirty' repair (before silicone etc)?
And that's the worry isn't it ... many of these 'certificates' that are supposed to give customers confidence / assurance aren't worth the paper they are printed on (even if they are covered as such).
Cheers, T i m
I think that technique is a selling point for tents that have a separate waterproof outer over a non waterproof inner (when pitching and breaking camp in the rain). ;-)
Cheers, T i m
Just watched Grand Designs Australia
In the Queensland rainforest. They had a large engineered tensile cover, erected first, which made the rest of the build a little tricky.
Chris
The high rises in Dubai and places like that are built on piles and don't get down to anything other than sand.
If you go deep enough friction on the piles will support the building.
Unless there is an earthquake?
Only very minor compared to some of the other posts, but I read the manual for our new Worcester Bosch combi and it said that it would need an additional external expansion vessel.
Plumber seemed amazed that I had read the manual, but agreed to add one to the pipework (never done that before.....).
Can't remember now if it was on the heating or on the cold feed, nor why it was required.
But fits in with not reading instructions.
Cheers
Dave R
Same...
Cold - it's to allow a microscopic bit of expansion from the plate exchanger *if* you have the system hydraulically locked (eg water c*ck off or apparently water meters have non return valves in).
In practise I calculated worst case expansion was maybe 20ml at most that would probably get absorbed by rubber hoses on washing machines - but then again, if you'd turned them off and the system was otherwise solid copper, it might cause a nasty pressure spike.
Really, given the size, boiler manufacturers should include them as they know damn well no one ever puts them in, except thee and me!
My plumber agreed that siting the *mains pressure* hot water tank in the loft was a good idea, because it would 'improve hot water pressure'.
After brickies plumbers are the thickest on site.
The Natural Philosopher wrote in news:okfv8e$6rc$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me:
I had "Converting from Gravity to Mains Pressure will ensure the microbore does not block" (not mentioning flushing)
I had two industrial electricians arguing over how to wire up a switch to a second doorbell so that one or both would ring from one push.
I offered to draw them a diagram but they refused to believe I would know how to do it.
Are plasterers more or less thick than flat roof felters?
Owain
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