Should you cover a new cavity wall when building?

[r_c]

Our builder did not cover the new cavity wall (built with breeze blocks), and it was then left unprotected over May, June and July. I am not sure if you remember, but we had some pretty bad torrential downpours this year in the south (see links below).

A few random links about this year's rain:

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36605901
• http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/lat...UK-thunderstorms-strike-polling-EU-Referendum
• https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/03/june-weather-rainfall-temperature-wind-sunshine

The insulation was soaked, quite literally. And is still wet a month after it was covered.

Should the builder have covered the cavity wall when it was completed, and before the roof went on? What is the best practise?

 

[^woody^]

Yes he should

 

[wessex101]

Why was there a 3 month delay between finishing the wall and starting the roof? If that delay was the builders fault then yes he should have covered it but normally the roof is on and weathertight within a matter of days so you often see the wall left uncovered.

 

[r_c]

Why was there a 3 month delay between finishing the wall and starting the roof?

Long story, but basically the windows were not ordered in time. The builder was well aware of the timings. (In fact I think it suited him as went off and did other projects.)

 

[noseall]

Long story, but basically the windows were not ordered in time.

How did the delay in ordering or producing the windows, influence the roof going on? Baffled?

 

[r_c]

How did the delay in ordering or producing the windows, influence the roof going on?

OK, I see I've missed out a bit of information. This is a lean to roof for a ground floor extension. They said the roof couldn't go on until the building was rendered (I think because of scaffolding). And it couldn't be rendered until the windows went in.

 

[noseall]

OK, I see I've missed out a bit of information. This is a lean to roof for a ground floor extension. They said the roof couldn't go on until the building was rendered (I think because of scaffolding). And it couldn't be rendered until the windows went in.

Surely it should be...roof on then rendering? Otherwise what does the render finish up too? Sounds very strange to me.

Here's one we did earlier with the scaffold down waiting for the windows and (lastly) the rendering.

Scaffgone1

• noseall
• 15 Jun 2015

Scaffgone2

• noseall
• 15 Jun 2015

 

[r_c]

I hope this photo better describes. There was scaffolding all around the house, part of which went up through where the downstairs roof was. They said they couldn't put the roof tiles on until the scaffolding had been removed, and the scaffolding was there for the renderers to stand on. And they couldn't render until the windows went in. That's what they told us.

I cringe now when I upload a photo, as I know someone is going to say "They've done the xyz wrong. And that thingie-me-jig over there isn't right."

20160822_183417

• r_c
• 23 Aug 2016