Damp Proof Course Help!!!

[sarahbee]

I have just had a garage conversion done and after contacting the council for a regularisation certificate they have informed me the damp proof course is less than 150mm, i have contacted the builders about it and they are not interested in doing anything about!!! Please can anyone let me know if it will be ok to inject it and is it a easy job to do???
I would be very grateful of any help.

 

[masona]

Please can anyone let me know if it will be ok to inject it and is it a easy job to do??

I'm afraid not, what is the problem? Can you do a drawing or photo as there are way of getting round it.

 

[sarahbee]

The problem is masona is that a damp proof course has not been put into the brickwall, the wall is the replacement for the garage door and is about 10ft wide and about 4ft high with the double glazed windows on top of it, hope that helps you masona any help is great.

 

[TexMex]

I have just had a garage conversion done and after contacting the council for a regularisation

You obviously realise that Regularisation is a procedure to get your local authorities rubber stamp on illicit work. Were you aware, during the works, that your local BCO should have been involved? Sometimes these situations arise, due to the advice that cowboys give their clients. If this is the case you'd be best to get onto your local CAB office regarding how you may claim from the builders.

If the decision, not to seek planning permission was yours, then you've probably got a pretty poor case.

I can think of three methods to retrospectively insert the DPC. They are all pretty labour intensive.

1) Provide temporary support for the ceiling/roof (by means of acrows), remove the windows and wall, in it's entirety and rebuild (complete with a DPC).

2) Pass steel pins through the wall somewhere above the DPC. Place substantial timbers under these (inside and out) support these timbers. Remove brickwork below the supported area and rebuild.

3) Starting at one end, remove the brickwork from a small section of the wall. Put a roll of DPC into the wall at this section, with the loose end laid in place. Replace brickwork on top of the loose end, fill above it. remove some more brickwork beside the section you have just done, and unroll some more of the dpc. fill above this section. Continue this process until you have gone across the entire width of the wall.

The third method would probably cause the least disruption but, due to the history of the project, your BCO will probably want to have a clear view of the entire DPC sitting in place, before you cover it. This would be impractical with this method.

The other thing that occurs to me is that, it's always possible, during the inspection of your DPC, other indiscretions may come to light. (such as inadequate insulation or wall ties). So, in view of the negligent attitude of your builders, you'd probably be best off ripping the whole lot out and doing it again properly.

 

[Softus]

Texmex has covered all of your reasonable options in a very helpful way.

My own two-penn'orth would be DON'T INJECT IT. This is a pointless exercise, i.e. it achieves nothing, despite what damp-proofing companies will tell you.

Judging by the size of the wall, I would expect a good brickie and his mate would complete it in one to two days. Sometimes you have to cut your losses and take the hit, but if you think the builder is in any way culpible then take CAB advice first, take plenty of photos, and write plenty of letters - that way, if you end up in court, you'll be seen to have been communicative and reasonable.

 

[masona]

Well there is another way for what it worth is a Mortar cutting machine

 

[chappers]

the biggest problem you will have is that the damp course in the walls should be continuous with the one in the slab.
Were these things not specified in the drawings, if so go after your builder and get him to put it right.
You will need to speak to building control to get a definitive answer as to what they want you to do

 

[masona]

Don't know about your area chappers but over here we don't have to have a drawing for a garage providing we follow the building regs and having said that the builders should know about this.

 

[chappers]

same as here we can work under abuilding notice but as you have said its up to the builder to make sure that what he does complies with the regs.

 

[Softus]

...i have contacted the builders about it and they are not interested in doing anything...

I know it's been said before, but it does seem that the builder had a duty to carry out the work in a way that building control would later accept. If they didn't do that then surely it's a clear cut case that the builder is liable for the remedial work - he has to be given the opportunity to do the work, but if he declines then you can claim from him the cost of getting someone else to do the job properly and competently.

Your grounds for pursuing the builder are the provisions of the Sale of Goods Act 1979, and/or the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982.

The CAB should be able to give you chapter and verse on my rather brief précis.

 

[TexMex]

I recon any builder that is going to leave out the DPC, is obviously a bit flighty (to put it mildly). If this is the sort of work they produce, no wonder they didn't want any inspectors on the job. The shame is, it has saved them less than a tenner, and about 20 minutes work.

At the time they were doing the work, they would have been aware of how simple this small task was, and how little financial benefit they'd receive from such a poor practice. They would also have known what a nightmare it was going to be, to rectify their shoddy work and how expensive it would likely be.

Anyone that can turn out work like this, obviously doesn't give a tinkers cuss for the client. If they can dump such a heap on their customer, for such a miniscule advantage to themselves, I doubt their the sort of chaps that are going to be quick to come forward.

 

[sarahbee]

First of all can i say a big thankyou to all of you that have posted a reply to my problem and i am very grateful to people like yourselfs. After reading about the advice you have given me i am now in the process of instructing a solicitor to take over this matter and pursue the builders for me as i am not having any luck with them at all. I am just very sad that what is such a simple thing to do has turned into a very costly and upsetting experiance for myself.
Thankyou

 

[Softus]

Sarah

You're welcome.

Good luck, and, if I may be so presumtuous, I'm sure the others wish you well too.

Regards
S.