new build issue

[Zales200483]

Hello everyone

Thats my first post here so please be gentle

I am sure you heard that one before but i have an issue with my new build house and would appreciate any wise counsel.

Firstly, i have a laminate flooring in my living room. As the weather became colder i have noticed cold air coming from under the skirting boards!!! Checked with IR device and the temperature of the floor in those corners is up to 8 degrees Celcius colder than the floor temperature in the middle of the room and up to 12 degrees lower than air temperature!!!!
Not an expert but surely there is something wrong. I have air bricks but those should provide the circulation for the void under the floor and should not let the air to penetrate the walls.

Secondly, i was checking the air bricks this afternoon and noticed a sewage smell coming from two of them that are situated on the kitchen wall not far from waste pipes from kitchen. Is that something to be worry about?

Any advise and thoughts much appreciated.

 

[KenGMac]

Zales200483, good evening, and welcome to the board.

You mention this property is a new build, question how new? reason is that some home builders have a cut of point to register so called "Snagging issues"

I would suggest as a matter of urgency you contact the builder and register your concerns, do the contact by e mail, because the mail will be date and time stamped.

As for air gaps and drafts at Skirting level? that should not be happening, indeed there may??? be a requirement for the Property to be so called air tight? worth looking into.

The smell of Sewage is of concern, again contact the builder?

Ken.

 

[Zales200483]

Hi Ken and thanks for your input.

The house is 10 months old and i have already reported all of it to the builder and will have contractors coming to investigate.
The sole purpose of my thread is to reach out and get as much info as i can in order to make sure that they wont be able to fob me off with some half ass explanation.
I have a horrible time with them or should i say with people they use to rectify the issue.

 

[KenGMac]

Zales200483, good evening again.

One way forward may??? be to request from the Builder his proposals for remedial cation, in writing, and in detail prior to commencing the remedial s?

The devil will be in the detail

Ask for details on the compliance with air tightness of the property, prior to the builder commencing work, also ask him to provide the tolerances in the Building Standards and ask him for full information as to how he intends to measure the air tightness also who will undertake this work [nudge - nudge?? this person MUST be fully independent!!!]

As for the smell of Sewage?? not so easy? ask what areas of the floor he intends to lift to FULLY and completely investigate this smell??

On another front? have any of your Neighbors complained of similar issues??

Ken

 

[gasbanni]

The sewage smell obviously needs investigating .

Sewage or stagnant ? Sewage foul water from soil pipes stack....stagnant kitchen waste pipes

The easiest thing to do is take up a part of the floor that's near to these air bricks inside the property to see if you can see anything.

But there's the chance the odour could be being blown there. So the problem could be further under the house.you shouldn't have any smell so there definately a problem
Or take up part of the floor that's nearest to the soil stack whether internal or external, I'm assuming suspended floor because of the draughts and air bricks.
It needs to be found.

 

[Zales200483]

Thank you all for the responses.

I wont be able to lift the floor, it is concrete not wooden. The smell itself it seems to me to be a ''kitchen'' one if you know what i mean, pile of dirty dishes springs to mind. The air bricks itself are above floor level but to my understanding they are ''telescopic'' and ventilate the void under the slabs. All this plus the condensation in air bricks feels like there is a leak. The question here is how they will get there to assess?

With regards to draft i am prepared to pay for thermografic survey by accredited person to identify cold bridges which would contravene section L building regulations.
I am quite sure that the visit from the contractors wont solve anything and i will have some battles to fight but i have to go through the motions first.

 

[John D v2.0]

The drafts will be air blowing into the cavity through masonry wall if not rendered or missing cavity closers. Then the insulation is probably floating around in the cavity with the air blowing around it to the inner leaf.
From there it can easily blue through gaps in the wall to behind the plasterboard. Then it can just blew to wherever there's a gap in the plasterboard eg electric sockets, skirting boards, light fitting etc.
Basically the builder has messed up, they'll probably chuck some sealer around and leave but your expensive cavity insulation was a waste of money. Really they need to some how refit the insulation properly, but I've no idea how.
We had the same issue in our extension and the architect caught it after the ground floor was built, but the only solution was to knock down half the wall and fix it.
Good luck.

 

[Zales200483]

Thanks John D

If thats the case indeed than it does not look very good. Just in case i need it, who is the right person that should investigate that? Building inspector? Surveyor??

 

[IWalkLikeHimaMartian]

... The smell itself it seems to me to be a ''kitchen'' one if you know what i mean, pile of dirty dishes springs to mind. ...

.......aeruginosa. Sorry forgotten which one of the family of bacteria. This is the bacteria responsible for smelly dishcloths, but there are other dangerous bacteria in dirty dishcloths.
http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/keep_your_sponges_and_dish_cloths_bacteria_free_this_summer

 

[Ian H]

Smoke bombs are good for finding drain smells inside. Put one on a metal plate/in a tin, light it and put it in your nearest manhole, replace the lid then look inside for signs of smoke. It should only come out of the top of your soil stack.

 

[John D v2.0]

Thanks John D

If thats the case indeed than it does not look very good. Just in case i need it, who is the right person that should investigate that? Building inspector? Surveyor??

The scientific way to check is called a blower door test. Although that won't confirm whether your insulation is being bypassed, just the a leakage. Insulation location and condition would be confirmed by a boroscope which a building surveyor should have.

 

[Zales200483]

Again guys thanks for all the advise. Much appreciated.

It all becomes to be such a ball ache. New builds advertised as modern, energy efficient etc. They should be done for misrepresentation with the amount of shabby workmanship.

 

[tomfe]

Unfortunately some new builds are built to such tight budgets that labour costs are the only thing that can be cut so you end up with trades rushing to make a living.

An air tightness test only needs to be carried out on the same design of property so your house may or may not have had one. This ultimately means the builders prepare a property which has been air sealed to a good level to be tested. I have even seen properties fail and asked to do a different property until they find one which passes.

 

[Zales200483]

That is disgusting mate. I would accept certain amount of snags, no issues there but i am not willing to accept such serious issues. Well i will let you know what builders said and in meantime keep the advice coming, all is very much appreciated.

 

[Zales200483]

quick update, had a site manager poping in, opened all the manholes, let the sink run and no joy. Possibly the pipe got disconnected or wasnt connected at all. Groundworkers coming tomorrow with prodes and will be trying to figure out what happened.